Saturday, December 29, 2018

Malaise

Somehow I've managed to catch a cold despite the fact that for four whole days I never even left the house. At work, surrounded by nearly a thousand students and over 100 staff members (not to mention all the parents and outside people who make their way through the main office) I felt just fine. Then after a week sequestered at home I get sick. Figures.

It's certainly not a heavy cold by any means. I've had some sniffles, mild body aches, and chills. Mostly I've just felt very tired and run down. I'm glad I haven't had to do much but stay at home and vegetate on the sofa. I'm lucky to be off work. I'd hate to use sick days on a mild cold.

I'd like to take down the Christmas tree today if I can muster up the energy for it. There's a superstition in this area that the tree needs to be down before New Year's Day or it's bad luck. I'm going to miss it's sparkle and light and the living room is going to look very dull without it. When do you remove holiday decorations? I know that in lots of places it's customary to leave the tree up until Epiphany, January 6th. Most of my book club friends are from the Northeast, and grew up going to Catholic schools, and that's what they do. People down South decorate ridiculously early (often before Thanksgiving) and I guess they're tired of looking at it all by December 26.  I like to split the difference---decorating the first week of December, and then taking it all down just prior to New Years Eve as opposed to the day after Christmas. I'll probably try to get started today but I still have two days to get most of it done.

On top of my being slightly under the weather, the actual weather outside has been awful. We've had rain, rain, rain, and more rain. The sky is gray, everything is dripping, and the yard is a muddy mess. George has opted to stay inside day and night. Ginger usually refuses to come inside, preferring the screened porch, but last night it rained so hard that even she willingly came in. I wish the sun would come out, but the forecast is for yet another week of rain. Yuck.

So we'll see how the day progresses. I'm sipping hot coffee and getting ready to settle in on the sofa for a while to watch a few more episodes of  "Big Dreams, Small Spaces" with England's Monty Don on Netflix. I'm trying to plan out my dream garden now that we're in our own home. I sure wish Mr. Don could come help me plot it out!

Have a good weekend, everyone.

17 comments:

  1. also the breakneck speed to move and unpack and the holidays and work and and and...your body is telling you something. rest it, nurture it.

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  2. In Berlin Germany my hometown, we buy the Christmas tree sometimes only on december 23 decorating it on Christmas day the 24th and then keep it until early January. A hot ginger / honey tea can help against a cold and if you have no fever taking a walk outside. My doctor always says there are much more unhealthy things in a roon than outside. Not on a busy road of course. Good wishes

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  3. Feel better. Chicken soup!

    We decorate for Christmas the weekend after Thanksgiving and take it all down the weekend after January 1.
    I've never heard that superstition before, and, so far, remain unscathed.

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  4. I think anne marie in philly is right that is what I thought when reading your post
    I too have a cold and I am so careful about going out into the world of sick people during November and December. This will set me back !
    Take care of yourself and rest.

    cheers, parsnip

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  5. I can understand the superstition, as it keeps one from carrying the old year into the new. Still, we usually take ours down on New Year's Day. Hope you feel better soon!

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  6. You are going to have fun planning your own dream garden, the possibilities are limitless. When I plant trees I plant ones with edible fruits, etc. I planted a weeping mulberry for the birds. Be well soon. I am on your Christmas tree schedule, put it up the first week of December and will soon put away the ornies.

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  7. Hope you feel better soon. I shall leave our tree and decorations until after Sarah leaves at the end of next week.

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  8. Please do persevere against that cold! I suppose being bundled up against the rain is like taking a stand against the snow, too.

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  9. Hope you feel better quickly! Interesting tradition/superstition there. Here Christmas isn't over until after Three Kings Day, which is actually the biggest celebration. Too soon to take down the decorations, except that we never put ours up this year!

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  10. Hope you feel better soon Jennifer.

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  11. Colds can be good. Like nature's way of telling you to take some time out for your own sake. I like colds. I choose to have them every now and then.

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  12. Oh how I detest having a cold; especially in winter. I send my most sincere sympathy. Cro x

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  13. Hope that you feel better soon. I used to work with a woman who always came back from a holiday with a cold......we always knew that she wouldn't be back on the day she should be, ( and when she did return she obviously had had a bad cold !). I thought it was something to do with finally relaxing after being stressed at work...so something like your situation really? Happy New Year to you all.....I hope the weather improves for you . It has been mixed here in SE UK. Dull grey sky here this. morning, but dry. X

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    1. I've read about that phenomenon and I forget the details but it's a real thing!

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  14. When I was a secondary school teacher, it was very common for staff to come down with ailments in holiday time. It was as if bodies kept going in term-time with adrenaline and strength of will but when holidays arrived defence systems were relaxed. I hope you are feeling better soon.

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    1. Our Xmas tree always comes down on the twelfth day of Christmas i.e. January 6th.

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  15. Hope this finds you feeling a better. Hopefully you can get some rest before school begins in January!

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