Sunday, I sat in the ER room with Obro (swollen eye) and Older Daughter, both of us masked, while she complained about her horribly sore throat. I asked, “Do you have any congestion?” When she said no, I told her she needed to see a doctor ASAP. Then the hospital pediatrician randomly mentioned strep throat and OD and I froze. Thus, after a day of testing, it’s turned out that everyone in their family has tested positive for strep, although Sharky is asymptomatic at the moment. There are enough antibiotics in their house to open a pharmacy! What about me? OD’s doctor claims that old people (ouch!) rarely get strep throat; we’ve been exposed to the bacteria numerous times and mostly have immunity to it. Strep also infects the tonsils which I don’t have as of 2nd grade. I’m hoping that I’ll avoid this latest contagion but it’s only Tuesday and the incubation of strep is 2-5 days. Fingers crossed!
Sadly, the Full House of Illness happened today on OD and SIL’s eighth wedding anniversary. They’re supposed to be going on a date night tomorrow with me babysitting…
The 30th would have been my dad’s 98th birthday and I think of him every day. I’ve discovered that due to my phone automatically taking live photos, I can still hear his chuckle and my mom’s voice. What a precious gift!
A friend who couldn’t attend my birthday party due to illness treated me to a coffee and quiche at the Barnes and Noble coffee shop; she also brought me some lovely gifts. For those of you who don’t know the history of my black cat, Mari, she didn’t start out being mine and I wouldn’t have chosen her. I had strongly warned my YD (in college at the time) NOT to get a cat, that I didn’t want one if she couldn’t keep it, etc. So, in no surprise, she adopted a black cat from a shelter, then a couple years later (2014) decided to teach in South Korea for a year. “No one will take Mari, Mom! Could you help me out?” That’s how I ended up with a cat who originally despised me, scratched me constantly and attacked my head from the half wall on the stairs when I went up to my bedroom. Over time though, we came to love each other and now she worships the ground I walk on. When YD returned from South Korea, she graciously allowed me to keep Mari who by that time was an integral part of my one-person household.
My second present was this black cat bookmark which is holding my place in “Whistler” by Ann Patchett. I love the way she writes and the beauty of her character development.
Prior to Mari we had a (non-black) family cat named Kendra Michelle. She was a barn kitten that my husband took away from her mother before she was weaned. Because of that, we had to bottle feed her and I blame her nasty disposition on lack of social skills taught by Mama Cat.
Or did she just hate me?
Today, we’ve had sporadic rain, some wind and an earthquake (couldn’t feel it). The weather didn’t keep me from my walk; in fact, I wore too much gear and was sweltering (glowing?) in my rubberized raincoat. John’s El Paso kids are experiencing floods; he sent me a picture of one of his granddaughters kayaking in their yard. So, I guess I won’t complain about the weather. Not yet anyway!
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