A week of recuperation

There's a storm raging outside. The rain is pelting down. The wind whips the leave into a frenzied dance. The dogs are inside in the crate, away from the thunder Gypsy fears. If he can, he sneaks upstairs and hides by the little tree in the kitchen.

W is bringing dinner from Miss Bee. It's just a few blocks away, but in a torrent of water, no one stays dry. I hear the hiss of the rain on the corrugated plastic panels above the laundry deck.

I'm not up to cooking and trying not to touch only my basic supplies. The chickenpox rash is fading, The calamine lotion I've slathered on seems to be working - I'm not one for "saving" on meds by putting a little here and there. Head to foot, I'm practically bathed in lotion. And it's helping.

Monday, December 2, 2019
I slept in yesterday until almost 7am and again today until 8am. I may have slept longer except for W moving things around. Yesterday, I stuck an index finger in each ear when the clattering began and fell back asleep. My body is resting. Deeply resting.

I don't mind periodic time-outs like this. Sure, the spots are itchy and I stayed away from everyone - but I appreciate the quiet and lack of obligation. "Rest up," says everyone. I take their advice easily and without guilt.

On the roof, the termite holes have been removed, new eaves installed and the worker is spraying stain on the new wood. He reaches up from his second-story bamboo scaffolding - plugging the compressor into the second-storey  balcony outlet. He's put the sprayer on the tip of another bamboo pole to reach the third-store roof.

It turns out I have a penicillin allergy, not chickenpox. I looked up other possibilities because the spots never broke open ... yes - it's penicillin, which I took after seeing a Singapore dentist. "Do you have allergies?" he asked. And I said no.

I'll have a different response the next time someone asks. My toothache (gum problem) seems to have healed though. Job done.

The standard poodle kindly is bringing us gifts in this pre-Christmas season. Everything is in good condition but dead - she has a soft mouth. This time it's a 3' long lizard. Who knows where she's caught it.

Tuesday plus
W leads the team and I stay home through Thursday. Friday morning, I head to town with W, running some errands.

The leadership team of BIC comes over in the afternoon - I love this group of leaders. They are careful and protective of the community - they have lots of practical and thoughtful insights, too.

Saturday
I'm in the mood to sew in the morning. New cushion covers for the porch wicker are on my to-do list.  I made liners for the cushions a half-year ago with left-over sheeting. Time to put a proper cover on them. We bought batik for them before I got sick last week. I love the blues and sea-turquoise.

I've sewn 4 so far: all the big cushions are covered. I have 6 to go, for the smaller, custom-fit pillows for metal chairs. The zippers I bought are nowhere to be found. I find them later in the day in the car - when I have no energy to sew.

Sunday
Advent is truly here. The hall is decked, the candles are lit, and the selfie station on the old stage is in full use.

The flowers are beautiful this morning - I water them when we get home and then set them on the table.

Read more:

*Blessed be the Lord, who daily loads us with benefits, the God of our salvation! Psalm 68:19

*We know that all things work together for good for those who love God. Romans 8:28

Moravian Prayer: Loving Lord, your grace is poured out to us every morning. Forgive us when we focus so much on the difficulties of life that we miss your merciful goodness. Amen.