Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Weekly Recap: Summer Flu

Hi . . .
I wish I could say the trip to California was wonderful. It was for the first four days at least, but then the family came down with the flu....all six of us (our son's family and me--Vince escaped all). Sore throat, achy skin, chills, fever, cough, runny nose, clogged sinuses and ears, dizziness, red eyes, nausea, fatigue (my symptoms to be precise). (I hope my family will forgive this grumpy post). So much for the flu shot, but I assume it would have been worse without one. Online I learned that 2012-2013 has been one of California's worst flu seasons. However, I then discovered my mother was ill in Bothell, WA with the same bug, so maybe it was a west coast thing.

There is something about flu in the summer that seems so unfair. Sitting in front of a cozy fire under a comforter with a hot mug of lemon and honey tea just doesn't work. It was hot out all last week--in the mid-80s. It soured my mood considerably (you don't want to be around me when I'm sick) . . . and mostly (the worst part) it sapped my energy.

We did fit in a really interesting trip to JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory), swimming, dinner out, karaoke night, Wii bowling, and put-put golf.

With our grandsons - waiting in line for JPL tour
Boys having fun on the put-put golf course

Most importantly, Vince was able to help our son fix a major electrical problem in the house, which took several days to fix.

Dad and son at Santa Anita Park
 In hindsight though, more rest for the grandkids (late nights every night were the rule) and more one on one time with our son and daughter-in-law would have been nice. But it happens when you only see each other once a year. You try to fit in precious time with the grandkids because they are growing and changing so fast. Unfortunately, the children often come away thinking it's all about them and the adults come away exhausted. 

Nice photo of daughter-in-law - Farrell's Restaurant
I guess there still needs to be a healthy balance between finding time for both the adults and the children. But with families living so far apart these days, how does one do this effectively? All said, I am thankful for three loving grandchildren and their two very devoted parents.

No writing in two weeks but back to work again, although still coughing and a bit grumpy . . . Did anyone else happen to catch this notorious bug?





Copyright 2013 © Sharon Himsl

9 comments:

  1. Oh. Sorry to hear that you got sick. Blech. I hope you are feeling better and stay better! Wonderful pictures! :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. No flu here.

    Remind me to tell you about something I heard once that was so inspiring, about staying in touch with relatives far away.

    Hope you're feeling better!

    ReplyDelete
  3. YUCK! It takes so long to recover from a flu, combine it with flu and it sucks. Best of luck getting back to a writing groove.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Sorry about the flu. Being sick in the summer is bad.

    Somehow, I managed to miss this flu, and I live in CA. So, I guess I was lucky.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thanks Margo, Cathy, Sylvia and Liz! I needed some encouragement.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Sorry the "dreaded lurgy" attacked you all. There are some things that you don't want to share with your family. Distance does make things tough. It's tough on relationships generally.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. True, and you just had a bout yourself. Makes me appreciate those healthier days. Thanks!

      Delete
  7. Good Heavens! What a trooper! The only thing worse than the flu in summer would be travelling with your young children--with the flu in summer.
    Wow. I'm impressed!
    (My post woulda been WAY more whiney.)
    ~Just Jill

    ReplyDelete
  8. Oh, how true. It could have been worse, but this cough is really wearing me down. Thanks for the encouragement, Jill!

    ReplyDelete

"Stay" is a charming word in a friend's vocabulary
(A.B. Alcott). Stay and visit awhile. Your comments mean a lot to me.

About Me

My photo
You could call me an eternal optimist, but I'm really just a dreamer. l believe in dream fulfillment, because 'sometimes' dreams come true. This is a blog about my journey as a writer and things that inspire and motivate me.