Sniffle, Sneeze, Cough

Last weekend Ken had a cold.  I ran to the drugstore for cough syrup and soft tissues, boiled water for tea, and generally did what I could to make him comfortable.  I didn't mind because I was feeling fine and grateful for that.

In fact, I was feeling quite proud of myself for not getting sick.  Ken felt better in two days, so I felt like we'd had our bout with the sniffles for this season.

By Friday I was sneezing.  Just sneezing, that's all.  I was going to be fine.

Saturday it was all I could do to move between the bed and the couch.  We'd made plans to take a drive but that wasn't in the cards as my light-headedness and hacking cough were keeping me housebound.  I haven't been taken down by a cold in so long that I don't even remember the last time.

Sunday I felt a bit better.  It was cold, sunny, and clear.  We decided some time out of the house would do us both good, so we set off for a Stonewall Kitchen store in North Conway, New Hampshire.  In December I bought the last chickadee plate in the store in York.  On Friday I had called around to see who still had some in stock.  Ken knew a good place to have lunch so off we went, armed with tissues.

It was good to get out.  There are always things to see on Maine's back roads, which were clear and not too busy on a Sunday.  I don't often travel through western Maine so it was fun to pass familiar landmarks ~ the locks near the campground where we spent a week one summer when the kids were young; the ski resort that hosted an amazing music festival one summer where we enjoyed the songs of Livingston Taylor, Lucy Kaplansky, Susan Werner, and others; the Fryeburg Fairgrounds where the last fair of the season is held every year.

Lunch was good, especially the hot tea I ordered.  I was feeling positive about the outing.

Without too much trouble we found the store nestled in among dozens of other outlets. The store was small and warm and had racks of items on sale.  I found the plates.  And then I started coughing.  I tried to stifle it, thinking I could look a bit longer and make the purchase.  I couldn't stop.  I made my way to the door as soon as I could and walked around outside until I could regain my composure.  I returned to the store to try again.  No way.  The minute I was inside I started coughing, to the point I couldn't talk.  I gave Ken the money and motioned for him to buy the plates while I made a beeline for the door.

We decided it was best for us to head for home.  Plates in hand we headed east.  A stop for something hot to drink on the way rounded out the day nicely.

Not that long ago I would have been disappointed that the weekend didn't go as planned, but I am glad we were able to get out at all.  As with so many things these days it's easier to let go of expectations and appreciate whatever happens.

I cancelled plans I had made for today because the coughing fits and constant need for tissues continues.  I certainly don't want to expose others to whatever this is.  My daughter can tell me on Wednesday if this is more than a cold and if I need to see my doctor.

I hope this means I am immunized against colds for the rest of the season....