A little non-Christmas and non-crafty entertainment

I've been battling what I comfort myself with calling the flu for over a month.  This episode started a little more than a week into November when my son (who has asthma which complicates every illness) was sick for a solid week.  Up at night doing breathing treatments, running up and down the stairs getting him water and snacks (that remained unfinished I might add), and trying to plan for Thanksgiving and Christmas which seemed to be rapidly approaching.  Needless to say, I barely kept up with the first two items on my list leaving the third to wallow sadly.

However, I was joyful that even in this tough circumstance I was not working full time and able to be there without guilt or distraction and certainly looked forward to him feeling better. I could also look forward to not having to return to a boatload of work that had piled up as so often happens when you are out of the office for an extended period of time.

What followed was the very methodical progression of passing this illness from my son to my husband and subsequently to my daughter and myself.  I stayed home to nurse my daughter and felt crummy myself for Thanksgiving.  After a good bout of feeling sorry for myself, I decided I would turn this whole episode and doggedly determined I was feeling better.  So, a week later when the flu looked me square in the eye, laughed maniacally and then pounce on my chest for a long batch of sustained, deep coughing, I gave up.  Urgent care diagnosed bronchitis and filled me up on prescriptions.  My daughter quickly followed with the same and so we find ourselves mid-December with everyone having a check mark next to "Bronchitis" in the official Miller health history.  I am decidedly feeling better and looking forward to getting back to crafting the holidays soon.

As if to shine a ray of bright light and encourage me, this morning I saw the skies above my house surrounded by hot air balloons.

There were easily seven to eight balloons overhead.  Our queenly St. Bernard, Abby, is very put out by the presence of this "attack from the skies".  She is usually a quiet dog that barks once or twice and quiets down for hours (because she sleeps so much).  However, there was little rest as she tried to warn the entire neighborhood as well as surrounding counties that we were all gonna die!  I shushed her as much as I could (with her intermittent Ruh Ruh Ruh of protest) and thoroughly enjoyed the sight.  The balloons quickly landed and she's been asleep since.  Rough morning- but not for me!  Now, I'm off for some holiday shopping and errands.

Hoping your contagiousness is of the *crafty* variety all through December.

Andie