April 8, 2010: MIA

My daughter called this morning to remind me I haven't been blogging recently. Well, I have an excuse...I have the flu, and in my feverish, achy, chilled, coughing a lung up state, I have been spending more time in bed than in the garden.

Easter Sunday I was feeling fine, and had the family here for dinner. I had purchased a 23 pound whole ham, something I'd never tackled before. According to the roasting directions, it was supposed to cook for 18-20 minutes per pound at 325, so I put it in the roaster oven at 7 a.m., and planned to have dinner around 3 or 4 in the afternoon. At noon, I checked the temperature with a meat thermometer and found it to be done. In fact, way overdone. I called everyone and said dinner would be at one instead. Everyone arrived in time, and the ham, though overcooked, wasn't quite at the ham jerky stage. The dinner was good, the kids brought stuff too, and we had way too much to eat. Afterward we had a good game of Texas Hold 'Em, and our youngest son won the pot. By the time everyone left that evening, I was beginning to feel achy.

Tuesday, my granddaughter Shayna showed up with the new great-grandbaby, and I had to stay a room away from him. Can you imagine how difficult it was not to be able to hold and cuddle him? Great-grandpa got some baby loving in, though.

Which brings us to today. It's Mr. H's 75th birthday, so I over medicated myself just enough to take him out to celebrate. I had enough Dayquil, Tylenol, and Hall's Metholyptus cough drops in me to keep the coughing under control, but I couldn't taste the food.

I did pot up some of my tomatoes and brassicas yesterday, as the roots were beginning to escape from the soil blocks. I wish our weather would cooperate, I'd like to get the lettuces planted out soon. Today we had high winds and it was really cold, I doubt the little plants could survive it.

Son John brought over some large windows last week, with plans to build me some cold frames. I don't have a perfect place for them, they will have to face east for morning sun. They should work well for hardening off plants and over wintering a few greens.

Alicyn, the Easter Girl


Alicyn, with big sister Alicia and cousin Kevin

19 comments:

  1. This afternoon I was considering writing a note to ya...where oh where have you been?? I'm sorry you are ill AG....lots of that going around I guess. Get well soon and happy birthday to the hubby!

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  2. Oh no, hope you get all better soon. Coldframes are just the thing to get you back in action!

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  3. Sorry to hear you are ill AG. Take care and get well soon.
    Tell Mr.H Happy Birthday.

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  4. Granny, what you need is a pint glass. Fill it half way with Brandy, then top it up to the rim with Port. Down that in one and jump straight into a bed (alone) piled high with blankets. Sleep and sweat like a pig, then when you awake, you'll be able to do those cold frames on your own (John can come here and finish my bathroom if he's at a loose end).

    I call it the Brandy and Port cure. Inventive, eh? I call it that so it doesn't get confused with the Tequila and Calvados cure, or the Vodka and Bourbon cure!

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  5. Granny, I was missing you and beginning to wonder if everything was okay. I try to read your blog every morning with my first cup of coffee and my days just weren't the same without your garden updates to envy! I sure hope you get to feeling better soon. We've had a bit of a bug around here lately, too, and know it's no fun at all!

    I'm glad you were able to enjoy your Easter sunday (and that your ham was still okay!). You sure do have a beautiful family - and I can only imagine how difficult it was to stay away from that new great grandbaby! Hopefully, you'll be feeling better very soon and will get to make up some cuddle time right away!

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  6. You stay in that bed and get well!! I don't think that baby could get any cuter and I can't believe how grown up Alicia has gotten. She's just elegant.

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  7. Granny, you've been missed! Take care of yourself and I hope you are feeling better soon.

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  8. What a cute family you have there AG, i hope you are feeling better very soon!!

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  9. Was wondering if the utility room project had taken a turn for the worse but now I see it was you! I hope you are feeling much better very soon.

    Happy Birthday to Mr. H!

    The weather here has been somewhat miserable as well. But look at it this way, if it had been sunny and beautiful out and your were down sick and miserable - you would have felt even worse because you would be missing out on some outside time!

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  10. I'd wondered what had happened to you too. Get well Granny.

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  11. Sorry to hear you are under the weather. Hopefully you will be back to 110% soon!

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  12. I hope you feel better soon. I'm sure John will make beautiful coldframes for ya, because he does excellent work.

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  13. I was getting a little concerned, too, Granny. Thanks for the note. Now get back in bed! I'm so sorry to hear you're ill, and send you best wishes for a speedy recovery. Spring -- and the lettuce transplants -- will be there whenever you get ready. :)

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  14. I'm sorry, Granny. :( I tried to assume the best, that you were taking your well deserved break that you asked for a while back and then never took.

    I hope you feel much better soon.

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  15. You've certainly been missed over here, Granny... You sure were a trooper for Mr. H's b-day! I was going to recommend some whiskey, but I think you should listen to The Idiot Gardener's advice instead. A pint of Brandy and port will surely fry whatever's making you sick--not to mention force you to stay in bed until you're better LOL!

    Hope to see you up & running soon!

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  16. Hope you get better soon ... and I think I'd give IG's 'tonic' a try too :)

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