Home sick, day 2. Been sick for nearly a week, got worse over the weekend so (to my sister's relief) went to the doctor yesterday. Have bronchitis, an ear infection and of course, problems with asthma. Got 6 meds to work with, including antibiotics, prednisone, Robitussion with codeine (which does NOT, despite her promises, help me sleep, but it does quiet my cough), 2 inhalers and a decongestant. So now I'm set. Went to the grocery store yesterday to set in supplies but had to go back to town today to have oil changed and tires rotated on car. That took a long time but I read, drank coffee and relaxed in their spiffy new headquarters and didn't feel quite as ill as yesterday. Read an article in that fine scientific journal People about the author of The power of now, who says you should focus not on the past or the future, but on the moment at hand (live in the now, sound familiar, Baby Boomers?). Focus on each breath, notice its temperature. Notice the things in nature without identifying or categorizing them (that's a tough one for me). So I will try these and will order his book for the library system and take a look at it.

I'm listening to John Grisham's latest book, The broker. I really liked that last one I listened to, about life in a small town in the American south. So far this one has had 5 murders and I'm on the fourth CD. This one I like not so much, but one of the characters has been put in witness protection in northern Italy and his observations about Italian culture are interesting. For example, he thinks Italians haven't really mastered the American concept of waiting in line one person behind the other. Also, in Europe he feels that, contrary to America, space is not to be protected but shared. This is true in restaurants, in conversations, etc. I thought these two things were interesting and pretty good for Grisham.

So today is another mid-40's and blindingly bright sunny day. Snow is slowly melting (Ken says the melting is taking place from the bottom up). It feels more like early April than March, but this is the time of year when the weather CANNOT be trusted. Dogs haven't been hit with spring fever yet. Wish I felt better, I'd be walking them. The quality of the sun is so great, much brighter than the winter sun. I want to buy pansies, though, and that won't happen for a long, long time. I'll begin the search for pussy willows.

And the treatment of Ken's foot continues. It's looking better at last--I can see progress and healing. On Friday I'm due to go to RI for 4 days (I should feel well enough by then) and he'll be without me on Sat. and Sun. (I agreed to stop on my way out Friday and on my way home Monday). Last night he told me he'd miss me while I was gone. I find that hard to believe, I've been terrible company lately, I feel so lousy and am not great at conversation. Hopefully tonight I'll be a little livelier.