Sickness and Old Wives Tales

This winter has been the worst for us since Rick and I have been together...at least in terms of being sick. We have been sick just about every weekend since the new year. This weekend though, really took the cake. Rick had the stomach flu and I had/have a terrible cold/low-chest cough/throat issue.

Since we (I hope) are now on the mend, I am now 100% trying to disinfect the house. I have been doing laundry all morning, lysol-ing everything, opening windows, etc. I think as a joke, Rick's mom mentioned that her grandma used to cut an onion and let it sit out claiming that it trapped the germs. At this point, I am desperate! I got an onion (because Rick's mom went to the store for us!) and have half upstairs and half downstairs. I am hopeful!!

Now the house smells of fresh air, lysol, and onion...strange, but I am going to trust this old wives tale!

Happy Valentine's Day!

I hope a Happy Valentine's Day was had by all! We had a nice, low key day and it was great. We test drove some cars today, ran some errands, went out to dinner, then came home and relaxed. We had agreed not to do gifts this year because it gets a little silly. Now that we have a house, things to save for, and a real life, the money can be put in more logical places! Well, after I worked for my dad last night, we realized that we had finally saved enough to purchase our new camera!!! WOO HOO!! So, while we didn't exchange gifts, we did get to buy our camera! It was awesome to have saved enough to pay in cash and actually OWN a big ticket item upon walking out of the store! I will post pictures taken with the new camera when I figure it out...

Suddenly old...

Wow. On Monday I stayed home sick from school. However, I had to take a paper to my teacher at Lindenwood because it was due that evening. So, I decided to just go after I picked up my medicine.

I got out of the car, walked to the main part of campus and suddenly felt older than I ever have...in my life. All of these college kids were moving from class to class, talking about the crazy fun they had over the weekend, looking forward to the next weekend, drinking Starbucks, and really, only having to worry about papers to write and laundry to do.

I came in with NO make up on, not at all dressed to impress, just in a hurry to get home (to my actual house I now pay for!), and I suddenly felt old. I missed the days when all I had to do was go to class, work a job, and do laundry.

Don't get me wrong, I love my life now and feel so lucky, but I have my moments. Monday afternoon at Lindenwood was one of those moments.

Jamye

Jamye is my friend from school. I remember meeting her after I started teaching at North High. I remember thinking that she was nice, but I never could have imagined what a wonderful person/friend she would turn out to be for me. Countless times, she has brightened my days at work, helped me put things in perspective, or commiserated with me when I just needed someone to share in my anger/sadness. It is extremely rare that you find someone like this. It is extremely rare that you find someone who is always willing and happy to go out of her way to help.

It was hard for me to move here to St. Charles, because I had to leave all of my friends in Edwardsville. Shortly after, Corey, my best friend from the time I was 14 moved to Phoenix. Rachel, my other best friend was "finding her way" as I was and she moved and was busy as well. It was scary for me to move to a place where, essentially, I had no friends. Now I feel that I would be sad to leave St. Charles because of the friends I have, namely, Jamye. She is a major reason why I will not be leaving North High. While all jobs have their faults, if you work with really extraordinary people, it's hard to justify leaving for small reasons.

On Friday I came to school sick, tired, expecting it to be a really rough day. On my desk I found the most beautiful vase of flowers with a note thanking me for being a really wonderful friend. Wow. I'm not the one delivering flowers. Needless to say, they were from Jamye.

I hope everyone who reads this has a "Jamye" in their own lives. Here's to amazing friends!

Small things...

I am sick. It just came today. I was fearing that it was coming, and here it is. I have the congestion, scratchy throat, stuffy nose, sneezing, and general tiredness that I hate. I will live, but it's just no fun.

However, my grandma Bette always says, "Thank goodness for small favors." I actually thought of this today. I pulled into the driveway and saw a package on the porch. I knew what it was. It was my Snuggie.

Yes, I wanted a Snuggie for my birthday and Rick ordered one. Make fun of them all you want, but it arrived on an evening when all I wanted to do was snuggle up.

So here I sit, typing on the computer, wrapped up nicely in my snuggie thanking goodness for small favors!