The Reframe

I was feeling so good this morning! For about an hour.

Then I started feeling puny again and got really sad.

Then I remembered that I had taken some ibuprofen at 5 and gone back to sleep which is why I woke up feeling better. I was so depressed.

I was beginning to think that I 'am' this sick, blah, lazy person. What I needed was a 'reframe'. In therapy we sometimes help people 'reframe' their problem. It's just another way to look at things that's more helpful. In my reframe I thought about what I had accomplished in that hour when I thought I was well. I actually got quite a bit done and felt like my old self again. I was happy, even a little bit bubbly and energetic. I kind of liked that girl.

That's who I will be when I am better and I will be better soon. Maybe not today or tomorrow but soon. Until then I can keep enjoying rest and I can trust myself a little more and give myself a break.

I AM FEVER FREE!!!

I'd love to sit and blog but I've got a to do list to get started on!

Have a GREAT DAY! I am going to!

Things I Will Do When I Feel Better

1. Buy mums.


2. Get out my fall decorations. I don't care how hot it is. School has started. Fall decorating may BEGIN!


3. Have a romantic date with my husband that doesn't include the words "I am so tired!"


4. Start "Couch to 5K". I have decided that running three mornings a week for 30 minutes would be the best type of excercise for me. I would get a little sun, be outside during my favorite time of day, and be doing something good for my body.


5. Trim the bushes around my house.


6. Buy some fall potpourri. I love Aromatique's Cinnamon Cider!


7. Make a delicious meal and serve it on a beautiful table setting.

I CAN'T WAIT! Right now though, I am going to rest.

Mono?

I have mono.

What!? Yep. Mono. No. I'm not a teenager.

So, in true 'make lemonade from lemons' fashion here are some thing I am enjoying as I REST (warning, I am using my Blackberry for these pictures because it would take too much energy to go get my camera):

I have finished 4 out of 16 granny squares for my crocheted bag. I like them! It's getting kind of hard to come up with variations that I like but I think I'm up to the challenge.
Charlie and I both love Tia Rosa Megathin chips. He has come to believe it's his birthright to have some anytime I am eating them. This belief began with the primary way he earns his keep, which is cleaning up things I drop on the floor while eating or cooking. Then I realized that he recognized the sound of the Megathin bag being opened and came running.(What? No! I'm not a sloppy chip eater!) Now he just sits down beside me while I'm eating them and we share.

More Fun At Home

Today my fever stayed pretty close to 100 and I was feeling cruddy this morning so I had to reschedule my sessions. After going to the pharmacy - and being very glad I didn't see anyone I knew since I was still in my pj's, don't judge, they look kind of like clothes - I came home and decided to do my best to enjoy the day off rather than feel sad about not going into the office. So here's what I've done so far.

I almost finished Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. I hope to finish it tonight. After seeing the final movie I realized I hadn't really had time to read the books as they came out and began reading them. I'm really enjoying them. I had to get this one from the library but I also ordered it from Walmart because I want to own the whole set.
Then I watched "You've Got Mail", which is my sick day movie. Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks were such a perfect match and I love Meg's store and apartment. At the moment I can't even remember their character's names. Let's just call that fever brain.
As I was watching the movie, I worked on making this bag. I've tried a couple of times to make it and couldn't figure out the pattern but today it seemed easy. That's one of my favorite things about crafting. Your ability and knowledge increases without much effort just through the enjoyment of the craft. Here is what it looks like so far.
After the movie, I painted my toenails. I have decided to spend my pedicure money a different way so I am going to try doing my own toe nails again. I will miss the three week pedicures the professionals do. No matter what I try, my home pedi's never last more than a week but it's worth it. I used sparkles as a top coat and I like 'em!
Well, I'm starting to feel woozy again. I think I'll crash. I wish I could pull my feet under the blanket but I'm pretty committed to this pedicure.

What's your favorite thing to do on sick days? I'd love to hear some ideas. I'm afraid this may not be over for me.

This morning in celebration of 3 weeks of fever and tiredness I have been surfing the internet. Yes, I'm getting treatment and I may even be getting better.

But, I thought I would share a video with you that I have found inspiring this morning. It would probably be better than sharing the junk that's in my brain today.
I can't quite figure out how to get the video into my blog so I'll just give you the YOUTUBE address. (just click on YOUTUBE).

And here's a poem that the speaker mentions in the Ted talk. It's really good. I think?

Totally like whatever, you know?
By Taylor Mali
www.taylormali.com

In case you hadn't noticed,
it has somehow become uncool
to sound like you know what you're talking about?
Or believe strongly in what you're saying?
Invisible question marks and parenthetical (you know?)'s
have been attaching themselves to the ends of our sentences?
Even when those sentences aren't, like, questions? You know?

Declarative sentences - so-called
because they used to, like, DECLARE things to be true
as opposed to other things which were, like, not -
have been infected by a totally hip
and tragically cool interrogative tone? You know?
Like, don't think I'm uncool just because I've noticed this;
this is just like the word on the street, you know?
It's like what I've heard?
I have nothing personally invested in my own opinions, okay?
I'm just inviting you to join me in my uncertainty?

What has happened to our conviction?
Where are the limbs out on which we once walked?
Have they been, like, chopped down
with the rest of the rain forest?
Or do we have, like, nothing to say?
Has society become so, like, totally . . .
I mean absolutely . . . You know?
That we've just gotten to the point where it's just, like . . .
whatever!

And so actually our disarticulation . . . ness
is just a clever sort of . . . thing
to disguise the fact that we've become
the most aggressively inarticulate generation
to come along since . . .
you know, a long, long time ago!

I entreat you, I implore you, I exhort you,
I challenge you: To speak with conviction.
To say what you believe in a manner that bespeaks
the determination with which you believe it.
Because contrary to the wisdom of the bumper sticker,
it is not enough these days to simply QUESTION AUTHORITY.
You have to speak with it, too.

Complaining

I am really grouchy today. Mostly because I have had fever for most of the last 22 days. Also because the specialist doesn't seem to think my symptoms match my personal diagnosis and doesn't have another explanation or seem to feel the need to look for one. Also because my symptoms go away when I go to the specialist but that's the only time they go away (other than a few days on the cruise). And probably also because I was at the hospital from midnight to 2AM this morning to be told that 1) I don't have fever (for the first time in a few days) and 2) I'm fine.

And just to put some icing on the cake, rather than using that stretchy, non stick tape after taking my blood last night, they used commercial grade adhesive to attach that cotton ball and it has changed the landscape of my arm. Last time the same hospital took blood, the plebotomist didn't put any pressure on the cotton ball at all, which resulted in a large bruise where there is now less skin. And I'm scheduled to have surgery at that hospital at the end of September. I am calling my primary care doctor for a second opinion/new doctor tomorrow.

I'm also grouchy because the big dog had to be inside all week due to our fence being down and my puppy, aka my serotonin enhancer, has developed a disgusting crush on him. This may not sound like a big deal to you but I have had to be inside most of the week due to having fever, the big dog had to be inside all week due to the fence being down, and the puppy who would usually be a source of laughter and enjoyment has become a source of grossness and constant need of correction.

Okay, so apparently I'm going to have to just adjust my attitude.

Let's see . . . I made a new smoothie recipe today. It was pretty good and could be great with a lot more sugar. I also found a recipe for a melon martini that I plan to try very soon. Tomorrow I am making a new crescent roll, egg, sausage roll recipe for breakfast and later this week I'll make a new slow cooker recipe for supper. So, all of this house time is going to be good for something. We may get fat but we'll be happy.

. . . And the big dog is now in his crate, which he likes, and the puppy is curled up contentedly beside me, which I like. The big dog can spend more time outside now that my husband fixed most of the fence and put a barrier up for the fence part that Lowes and Home Depot were out of - there has been a rush on fencing around here thanks to a crazy straight wind storm that blew through while we were on our glorious cruise.

Remember the cruise? Ah, yeah mon! Just thinking about Jamaica makes it better . . .