I've been working more than usual. I shoot for working three days a week. As a substitute teacher, I can almost always get work on Mondays and Fridays. Then all I need is to pick up one other day and I've got my three days. Lately I've been working four or five days a week. It seems everyone has been sick this winter. Sadly, that includes me. I have had a cold or respiratory infection at least five times since October. I've been to the doctor three times and had four rounds of antibiotics, three steroid shots, and two packs of methylprednisone.
I thought I was over the last cold and went to work last Monday. By the time I got off at three o'clock, I felt horrible. All I wanted was to lay down. I came home and went straight to bed. I told Grandad that I was not cooking dinner. On Tuesday morning I still felt awful so I called the doctor's office. They agreed to work me in so I went and waited. It only took about 90 minutes. She gave me a shot and antibiotics again. I stayed home in bed Tuesday and Wednesday and felt a lot better. I worked Thursday and Friday and still felt good all weekend. We ran errands and cleaned our bedroom thoroughly. We even scrubbed down the walls to get rid of all the dust.
I have had problems with seasonal allergies for my entire adult life. Every Spring I have trouble with congestion caused by all the dust and pollen. I take Zirtec and Astelin every day all year long just to be able to breathe and keep my ears from stopping up. Honestly, I don't do a lot outside because it's just too hard to deal with the runny nose, scratchy throat, and stopped up ears.
That being said, Monday was a gorgeous day in South Texas. I thought it would be a perfect day for starting my Spring herb garden. I spent the afternoon planting rosemary, sweet basil, mint, tomatoes, bell peppers, and dill. I also re-potted a few of my succulents. As I worked, I noticed that the wind was picking up. By the time I was finished, it was very windy.
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| Just look at these gorgeous fabrics! |
When I drove into our neighborhood, I thought there was a fire nearby. There seemed to be smoke hanging in the air. But when I got out of the car I realized that it was dust blowing from the farmland around our neighborhood. Our street dead ends into a field where they grow cotton, grain or corn ... depending on the year. The end of the street looked like a wall of white dust. The winds were gusting to more than 50 miles per hour. I had to go out in the yard and set flower pots upright and prop them against each other for support. I knew that the wind and dust would not be good for my allergies, so I did it as quickly as possible and came inside.
When I got inside I made sure all the windows were closed. The wind was so strong that dust was blowing down the chimney, I closed the flue and stayed inside the rest of the day and evening.
In spite of my best attempts, I woke at 6 a.m. with a throbbing head, itchy eyes, and a scratchy throat. Again today it's super windy and dust is blowing like smoke. I have now resorted to turning on the air conditioner. It's not really warm enough to need air conditioning, but it seems to filter the air inside the house and makes it easier to breathe.
So there it is, the story of why I've been neglecting my blog. On the bright side, my Etsy shop has been keeping me quite busy. I love sewing and creating beautiful but comfortable and practical dresses for little girls. I'm now doing special orders, so if you would like me to create something for you, send me a note.
