Catching Up, the Abridged Version

Hello, friends! It’s been quite a while since I’ve been here, and we have loads to catch up on. I’m low energy these days so I must keep it brief.

I’ve been battling the flu. Flu 1 – Ilina 0

The flu has led to an upper respiratory infection so I’ve been down for the count for close to three weeks now. I can rally by day (as of the last couple days), but the nights slam me into weakness. I can’t shake this cough. I haven’t had coffee or wine all this time. This alone speaks to the gravity of the situation.

Bird had the flu too. Hold the Bird flu cracks. He recovered in a few days. Oh, to be young again… 

For the record, we all had flu shots. I can’t imagine how much worse this would have been had I not had the vaccine.

In the midst of all this we finally moved into our renovated house. Mac Daddy managed the moving while I lay prone on the attic floor, the only room with carpeting. I can’t imagine the discomfort of trying to rest on the hardwood floors elsewhere in the house. Two gracious friends came to unpack the kitchen and make the boys’ beds. Seriously, this is a testament to the good people in the world who drop everything to help others. One friend even drove all the way from Florida to help me. Can I can a Hallelujah here? Other friends have brought us dinner, watched our kids, graced us with treats, and moved boxes and furniture. Two especially dear friends came to help us clean out the porch and move furniture. They also helped with handyman tasks and are coming back to hang pictures. It’s not just anyone who will sweep and mop for you, ya know? We are lucky indeed.

We absolutely ADORE our house and couldn’t be more pleased with how it turned out. Pictures to come, I promise. I’ll have loads to share once I am up to it. Suffice it to say we are thrilled to be in our own home again. We’ve relished unpacking all the trappings of our lives that have been in a non-descript storage unit for the last nine months. Deal has rediscovered old toys, and I have rediscovered old clothes (that are new again…score!). We have our own space and privacy where we can be a family again without the intrusion of others in shared quarters. It’s glorious.

I have surgery for my wicked tendinitis on Janurary 29. This is why I postively must get over this sickness. I’ll be in a cast a few weeks and out of commission for a bit. I’ll be unable to type or write, though I’ll do what I can. Now my only working arm will follow my politics; I’ll be a true lefty all around! We will once again call on our village to help during my recovery. An amazing friend who loves my boys as her own is coming at the crack of dawn on the 29th so I can get to the surgery center at 6:30 in the morning. Again, not just anyone will make such sacrifices for their friends. I am dreading the surgery and the recovery process but am eager for respite from the chronic pain of this ailment. It’s awfully difficult to ask for help, but now is no time to worry about my bootstraps. I’ve got an army supporting me. 

I don’t say this often, and I don’t say it lightly. We are blessed.