Staying in

Saturday night has rolled around again. I have no plans for the weekend other than staying in and resting.

I seem to be coming down with something. My school is filled with flu, Covid, and strep at the moment along with plenty of simple colds. I had a flu shot last month, and the latest Covid booster two weeks ago, so I'm hoping that this is just something simple like a cold. God forbid it turns out to be strep throat, which is the dominant illness there right now. I don't think so, though. So far, it's just sneezing, a mild cough, and some congestion in my chest along with some mild body aches. No fever (or not beyond a very mild one) so that's an encouraging sign. I'm feeling far from top form, though, that's for sure.

It's been a day of mostly sitting around watching tv and napping. I'm just beginning the final season of Lucifer (Netflix) which was recommended to me by a friend months ago and that I finally got around to starting recently. It's been the perfect show for me the last few weeks because it's funny and fun to watch and isn't very mentally taxing. Great distraction viewing during election season and a welcome break from the news. Also, Tom Ellis is a bit of eye candy, and that never hurts. :)

He looks great in a three-piece suit...or out of it.

Gregg and I finished the latest season of The Sinner, also on Netflix, last night. It was okay, although none of the subsequent three seasons have been quite as good as the first. I also decided to try Derry Girls and that's turned out to be good for a laugh here and there. At the moment, comedy and more lighthearted shows are my preference as an escape from stress. And who wants to watch dark, dramatic shows when they're sick? Not me.

So that's my weekend in a nutshell. TV, soup, ginger ale, and rest. One good thing so far about this cold (or whatever it is) is that since my asthma is now being treated, I haven't started wheezing or getting short of breath. The past few years I've dreaded even the mildest colds because I'd have so many breathing problems as a result. Fingers crossed that it stays this way!

Freezing

I send this dispatch from under a big load of blankets. It's freezing in my house. We're not used to these kinds of temperatures  around here....today's high was a frosty 30F, and right now (past midnight) it's 16F, with wind chills in the single digits. The central heating has been going all day, and the only truly warm spot in the house is the den (because we have a fireplace in there). It's been a bitterly cold month.

Stay warm, friends.

Frigid

Tonight is set to be the coldest night of this winter so far, with a forecast low of 21F. There is also a strong wind blowing, which will drop the wind chill down to around 0. The Northeast is having a terrible winter storm right now, with really really low temperatures as well as heavy snow and ice. I wouldn't mind seeing some snow, but the amount of it expected up north is scary.

I realised today I've been making do for years now without a proper winter coat. How ridiculous is that? I don't know what I was thinking to put off buying one for so long, but today on my way to work I stopped at a department store and bought myself a big, soft, warm winter coat. It's a warm camel color with large dark buttons. I love it! I wore it home from work tonight and was as warm as toast. Just in time for the icy winter weather expected all weekend.

Cold (and dreaming of snow)

Well, it's finally cold again here in eastern SC. We only had about a week of unseasonably warm weather, followed by a return to our normal winter temperatures. Last night it got down to 25F, the coldest it's been so far this month. The birdbath was solid ice this morning and the birds and squirrels were flocking around the feeders replenishing their energy stores.

Yesterday at work I spoke to a couple driving through (off I-95) on their way back home to Connecticut. They were trying to beat a snowstorm that is headed to the Northeast, and needless to say, they weren't thrilled at the prospect of snow. They smirked when I told them I wished we would get some! But having been deprived of it for most of my life, there's still something special about a snowfall to me. I hope we see a little bit of the white stuff this winter. Spring will be here before we know it!

Of course I took lots of pictures the last few times we got some snow, and I thought I would share some of my favorites with you.

Our side yard.

Every summer, several broods of house sparrows hatch and grow up here.
The nest box is right outside our kitchen window.

This is Charlie. He's a Boykin Spaniel, and was Ginger's best friend when we lived at our last house.
He belonged to our neighbors.

 



GB, Ginger, and Charlie, 2009.

First winter at the new house, 2010. I love this photo.

GB and Ginger.