Ennui

ahn-wee' -  lassitude, listlessness, languor, weariness

I am stricken by all of the above, and I blame in on what seems to be interminable HEAT! When the heat index is 120, I don't want to do anything except wear loose clothing, set the air conditioner thermostat to "meat cooler," sit in my chair, look out the window and sip cold, sweet tea!  Even that wears me out so much that I have to take an afternoon nap!

I wish I had a big bowl of this:

I have seriously neglected writing to this blog, and appreciate those who have missed me.  At present, I'm not doing anything that's worth writing about. It had been so long since I posted that my sister called to be sure I was still drawing the requisite number of breaths.

I make myself go outside to tend the bird baths and water the plants, which are suffering mightily from the heat. Even an otherwise welcome breeze does nothing except dry them out even more.  A hanging basket watered in the morning requires another soaking by mid-afternoon.

Ah, well!  I will be remembering these days more fondly when the icicles are hanging by the wall!

I shouldn't complain -- really, I should not!  If I stop to think for even a minute about the men and women in our military who are assigned to the Middle East, I remember that they are walking around in flak jackets, helmets, and carrying heavy loads in temperatures that make an Arkansas summer pale by comparison.  God Bless you all, my dears, and keep you safe!  I am ashamed of myself! 

More, later, but not too much later.

Flu, I think -- but not H1N1

"Let us flee," said the fly.
"Let us fly," said the flea.
So they flew through a flaw in the flue. *

* Weird recollection whilst lying abed with a fever.

If I have not visited your blog in the last few days, or if you haven't had a response to your comments (thank you) to my recent posts, I really do have a good reason: I was attacked... I repeat... attacked by a nasty flu-type illness on Sunday afternoon, and spent the next 48 hours in bed with fever and (initially) accompanying chills of the bone-crack variety. Those symptoms have passed, leaving me with only some gastric distress and an overwhelming lack of energy.

I quarantined myself, self-medicating with fever-reducing over the counter drugs on hand, drinking lots of liquid, and calling upon family members only to do things outside my house that needed to be done, such as water the plants and clean and fill the bird bath and feeders.

I'm presently experimenting with sipping on my first cup of coffee since Sunday morning. So far, so good.

I miss being able to work in the yard, but I think that's probably a good thing, as the heat index yesterday afternoon was 116 (F) and this section of Arkansas is under a Heat Advisory again today. I did venture outside early this morning for about three minutes to refill the bird bath, but was glad to get back inside, even though it was only 80 degrees at the time.

Later.