On Being Sick

There are some things that are strictly necessary when one is sick.

1. Tea. Though tea is traditionally taken in mugs (and a mug that one can wrap both one’s hands around is distinctly preferred), the tea should be prepared in buckets because by the week’s end, one will have drunk seas of camomile and honey and lemon.

2. A hoodie. Clearly, this is so that one can pull the sleeves up over ones hands and then cross one’s arms in the perfect posture of “I feel very sorry for myself right now.” It also keeps one warm when one feels irrationally cold.

3. Soup. The flavor of soup will certainly depending on how volatile one’s stomach is. This food choice is especially wonderful because it does not require chewing (which takes up valuable energy), and because it is nice and warm (see above).

4. Chapstick. My lips are always determined to feel as miserable as any given part of me. Headache = chapped lips. Cold=chapped lips. Stomach flu=chapped lips. Dehydrated=chapped lips. Chapped lip’s copy-cat complex=silliness.

5. Mama. She is entertaining, and intuitive, and actually likes staying home with her sick children. Even when her sick child is 21. <3

6. Kleenex with lotion in it. Because for whatever reason, my nose likes to get as chapped as my lips.

Of course, having a great book to read or a really good movie is super helpful too, but since you’ll just fall asleep in the middle of it anyway, I figured they weren’t essential. Particularly if Mama is there. Catching up with her is way more fun anyway. I’m pretty sure just feeling loved by her makes you get half-way well.

Anyway, it’s not as if you didn’t already know what makes being sick better, but I hope this made you smile.

P.S. Please don’t feel too sorry for me. If I was actually desperately sick, I wouldn’t have the energy to write this blog post. : ) (and Mama took good care of me last night. So actually, it’s okay to be a little jealous.

Overheard En Route to Church

Daddy (spying Perry’s ginormous purple purse–it’s as big as a beagle, and a black one almost as big): How many purses do you need, the Per?

Perry: Only one. This one’s (indicates the purple) mine, this one’s (the black) Mom’s.

Josh: Your one counts as three.

Perry: (still patiently) No, it counts as one.

Helen: My purse is bigger than Perry’s!

Meredith: My purse is bigger than Helen’s!

Josh: My backpack for TCC is smaller than Perry’s purse!

Perry: Well, you’re not prepared to conquer the world!

Journal Entry

We went back to Busch Gardens back in June, and here's what I had to say about it. :)

I sunburned my toes today.

And rode a carousel.

And ate praline cream ice cream in France

And rode with Mam on her first time down Griffon. Oh I haven't laughed so hard in ages. I couldn't breathe!

We (Daniel, Critter [my cousins] and I) named our carousel horses Blackie, Goldilocks-Fluffy, and Rolf respectively. Rolf was pitch black with bright blue eyes. He was quite striking.

It was a good day. So hot, but good. Oh, and now I have cool flip-flops with tread on the bottom and that cushion my feet. Quite a novel experience.

Whispering in Church

Last Sunday night Pastor Dave was reading some Old Testament blessings, and came to a section on children. He spent some moments emphasizing that children are a blessing and should be viewed that way. He cautioned the congregation to remember that just because something is a blessing, this does not mean that it should be one’s aim to get as much of it as possible. Daddy scanned down our family (which took up two rows this service), leaned over to Mama and whispered, “Oops.” : ) Unfortunately, most of us heard him, and the joke got passed along the whole row. : )

I’m afraid we’re a major distraction in church.