January-ness
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Collette received a phone call from Mom at six-thirty that morning to let her know that she should once again stay at home for the day. Linnea had been losing her groceries for an hour and a half the night before (although this was likely a combination of eating ice cream and other junk food all day (including ice cream), unbeknownst to Mom, combined with her strep medication). And Joe, though no longer contagious from strep, also had an odd bout of feeling “weird” as he put it, similar to what Lucia had described. Collette began to blame the incessant odd illnesses on the strange weather patterns of the year – El Nino.
To help prevent the potentiality of Collette getting strep herself again, she switched in a new toothbrush (which had been recommended to Mom by the kids’ pediatrician) and she opened the door to the cold fresh air for awhile during the earlier morning.
Another day at home to get some things done, and some books read.
Collette had tea at ten and one that day (two cups of raspberry tea – a big feat for her), which was hardly the most tasty thing in the world to drink. But if it helped make an easier delivery when the time came, she figured she had to do her best to drink it all down.
She also found in her writing cabinet, that she had forgotten to open one of her letters to herself, written five years before. She was to have opened it on December 21, but had forgotten. Oddly enough, inside the envelope the letter asked her if she was married and expecting a little one. Apparently for some unexplainable reason, when she had written the letter at seventeen, she thought that by the time she was 22, she would be an old maid if she hadn’t been married yet. Also inside were two index cards of baby names. Several of the ones she still liked were among the boys’ and girls’ names. The letter also asked her if she had ever been able to visit Iceland and New Zealand. The next letter would not be opened until July 2nd of that year. It was amusing to her – the way she thought of the future when she had written those letters to herself.
Meanwhile, there would likely be more word on Lucia’s condition the following day after visiting the doctor again. Diabetes no longer seemed to be the culprit, however, which was a good sign.
But because she also had to put together a resume and had no vehicle to operate for the day, Carrie was obliged to once again postpone their visit to apply at NAWS, until Thursday morning.
In the meantime, Carrie was preoccupied with corresponding with new friends in South Africa and Australia. In addition, she had received permission to begin her masters’ degree, which would likely take her from February through May.
Later in the day, Collette caught up with the pack at home to see how the ill ones were faring – Carrie had made fresh loaves of pumpkin bread for breakfast that morning, Dad had still gone in to work, though still recovering, Joe worked only two hours (as there was little business that day) and then wrote a paper featuring the topic of post-it notes, Rose spent most of her day watching Star Trek, and Linnea was obliged to skip choir (due to her sickness episode the night before). But no one else had fallen ill yet.
And Carrie was missing Egypt, apparently, as Collette had predicted. The lingering effects of great travel…
“Christians should be exhorted to be diligent in following Christ, their head, through penalties, death, and hell; And thus be confident of entering into heaven through many tribulations rather than through the false security of peace…” – 94 & 95 Theses