Teaching, recovering slowly

My voice held up through the four-hour online class I had to teach yesterday, but just barely. I had to mute my microphone several times per hour to cover my cough, but other than that, I got through it. Not only was I still suffering from the tail end of the illness that has kept me, and now Mama, down for over a week, but I was going on less than four hours sleep. Victoria’s return flight from Honduras routed through Houston on the way to Dallas. With the storms we were having in this area coupled with mechanical delays of the plane that was flying to Houston then on to Dallas, her 9 pm arrival time was pushed back to 12:30 am. Since Mama was not feeling well at all, I drove us to the airport to pick Victoria up. Fortunately, she arrived safely at DFW after all the delays, and, once back home, I was able to lay down for a few hours sleep at 1:45 am. Up again at 5:45 am – the same morning. I did not change as I laid down to rest. I just slept in the cloths I was dressed in to go to the airport, boots and all.

As far as our restricted diet is going, the only effect I can track is the weight loss Mama and I are experiencing. I am down over fifteen pounds in the three weeks Mama and I have been on this diet. Mama is down thirteen pounds so far. Neither of us feel well enough to celebrate that little victory, but it certainly is one that we need to recognize as a success. The fever blisters that covered my entire lower lip down to my chin are finally clearing up. The pharmacist at the Bowie Walmart, someone Mama knows well, recommended an expensive lip balm designed specifically for fever blisters and it worked better than anything I have ever tried before. When I taught class yesterday, the sores on my lower lip were visible but they were not as horrible as they had been for a week. When the blisters were at their worst, I told Mama I felt like I had a zombie mouth. She did not like that comparison.

Tomorrow I will be teaching a full eight-hour class. Typically, I lose my voice by the end of the class, so I am not sure how much of a difference my current illness will have on my voice. Hopefully, by the end of this week, I will be recovered. Especially since next week I will be teaching an in-person class. I have been trying my best to keep up with the schedule set out for me at work, but it seems like one thing after another keeps interfering with that effort. As I struggle to do so, there is a growing recognition that I cannot keep this up indefinitely so there is an effort within my company to find the additional instructors we can pull from when the pace is too much for me to keep up on my own. So far, that effort has been muted at best, but at least it is a recognized need and several candidates have been identified.

Neither Mama nor I are well enough to go to church tonight. Hopefully, this will be the last service we miss due to our current illness. For me at least, it should be. With the remaining heightened health awareness, (read that people scared to death about any cough or sneeze) it is best to avoid congregating while we are coughing and sneezing. As I understand it, there are multiple families out with the same bug, so it is not like we are case zero for the current bug effecting the area. Still, it is best to not worry those who may still be worried. Our pastor’s wife is one of those still terrified of getting any germ, of which COVID-19 is the newest favorite sinister pathogen. Neither Mama nor I have COVID, but it is best not to cause questions. I am avoiding the office at work for the same reason. So far, my schedule has kept me largely secluded from my coworkers. That is for the best. I cannot be held responsible should any of them fall sick with the same illness Mama and I are now contesting.

While both of us struggle to get well, the issues of broody chickens taking up all the nesting boxes so other chickens cannot lay, the recent invasion of squirrels, Gemma digging up our flowerbeds and planters, Samson having to practically be dragged out of our way when he lays on the driveway as we need to get out (he is suffering from hip problems) and water leaking into our living room from under the slab, seem to be more irritating than normal. In dealing with these issues while having limited emotional resources to do so, I told Mama I have adopted the philosophy that I can be angry, or I can be thankful.

Being thankful has a lot better outcomes than being angry. For instance, Mama and I are actually getting better and are not in the hospital. We have so many healthy chickens needing to lay that twelve nesting boxes are barely enough. Squirrels are amazing creatures which are entertaining to watch. Gemma is a fine guard dog for our animals and property.  Sam has been a faithful guardian of our property for almost twelve years, so he deserves his down time. We have gotten enough rain that the ground is thoroughly soaked. All points of blessing.

God is good.