Cold Winter & Winter Colds

Well, technically not a cold, but a stomach bug.  Both Rhiannon and I have been hit with what I can only assume is a nasty case of gastroenteritis, or the "Stomach Flu".  Paul, so far, has been spared the gut wrenching sickness and although I hope he's in the clear now, I'm still anticipating having to eventually dote upon him (as he did for me) if he turns ill.

I don't remember the last time I threw up.  It's been years, and I hope it's years again before I have that horrible, horrible feeling.  Rhiannon has been a real trooper; much more than I as a matter of fact.  She's already trained for the "puke bucket" so there aren't any big messes to clean up.  I remember the "puke bucket" we had at Dad's house when my sister and I were kids.  It was a yellow - no - Harvest Gold colored trash can, about the size of one you'd keep underneath your desk or in the bathroom.  And it was shaped like an upside down lampshade with the large pleats.  Not sure why that exact trash bin was designated as the receptacle for undigested stomach contents, but whenever someone in the house was ill, the bucket came out from wherever it was normally housed in non-sick times, and brought to the bedside of the poor, afflicted family member.

Imagine this in a Harvest Gold color, then flipped
upside down.  That's exactly what our puke bucket
looked like.  Does that give you a flashback, Christine?

When my Dad was sick, I don't recall the bucket so much as going into the kitchen to make him tea and dry toast.  When my sister or I were sick, Mom would bring us red jello and warm 7-up.  To this day, I can't drink 7-up, warm or cold.  Makes me want to, well, you know.

Anyways.  

I was about to write that being sick in the winter doesn't suck as much as being sick in the spring or summer, but then I'd have to take that back.  I hate being sick in warm weather because all I want to do is be outside and instead, am stuck inside.  But even though there isn't anything "fun" calling me to the outdoors during the winter, there are still the animals to take care of.  Even when horribly, horribly sick.

Luckily, I have Paul.  He's been the sole critter-caretaker for two days.  I went out the second day in the morning and totally exhausted myself just trying to pitch some hay.  So I came back inside, admitted defeat, and asked Paul to continue barn chores for me.

I've been on the mend since yesterday, but I still find myself out of breath after doing anything much more than get up to change the movie in the DVD player.  Rhiannon, of course, has thoroughly enjoyed the "DVD week".  We'll have to do double duty to catch up on our homeschooling studies.

I think this week's Science lesson will be on viruses, the digestive system....and good hygienic practices.