a february wrap up

As I heal I find I am thinking about writing again and the doing is slowly coming. But I realize there is no way I can catch up on this past month, so I'll try to just hit the highlights and look forward to starting March afresh.

Imbolc this year found me in CA spending all my time taking care of my parents. These visits although it's a nice change to be away from the snow are never vacations. There is always stuff to be done. This year it was ferrying them around to many, many doctor appointments. I felt sick but I just kept ignoring it except when the dry cough became troublesome. I was just very focused on my parents.

Then the first weekend of February found me feeling exhausted, still coughing and with a temperature that was creeping up to 101 most evenings. The first Sunday I went to English country dancing to prepare for the ball and it was tough. On the way home I realized I was getting some kind of bumps all over my scalp.

By Monday the bumps were all over my face and I couldn't figure out what was wrong with me. I wasn't thinking too clearly, due to the fever probably, but my wife got me into my doctor and I was diagnosed with chicken pox. Everything you have heard about it being worse for adults is true. I was put on antiviral medication and just felt completely out of it for the rest of the week.

By Valentine's day I was feeling a bit better and able to work some from home since I was still contagious. I had not left the house for over a week at this point. I went back to the office the 17th and made it the whole day.

IMAD was the next day and the Marys celebrated with a low key afternoon of pleasure. Even fun things tired me out a lot after a few hours. But it was nice to do some fun ritual stuff.

The following week I concentrated on working and restarting my meditation practice. Health continued to spiral up and down. I even had several nights of exhausted insomnia. I tried my best to not push too much. I admired my wife's sewing. My scalp healed enough to get my hair cut.

So here I am wrapping up February, still speckled but healing. Hoping I'll be able to do at least some dancing at the ball next weekend. Buying play tickets and plane tickets and still trying to be kind to myself. Looking forward to March and spring.

I really appreciate all the sympathy and good cheer that people sent this month. It really did help.