Germ Purge and Roof Raking

It’s a day of sun and in the high 30’s, I had to get fresh air in this house, so up the windows went. 

Some would say it’s early spring fever. I call it my purging the house of germs and changing out the stifling dry air for better breathing. The forced hot air blowing through the ancient duct system in winter makes me cringe. Imagine the years of crud and unknown buildup in those pipes, and your family is trying to breathe that. 

Today was bedding change day so I got to work. With two guys sick at a time it’s been a race. I don’t mind caring for them, whatever is going around is nasty with some we know developing pneumonia. All I can do is try and minimize spreading anything at home which means constant cleaning. Oh how I can’t wait for flu season to go! 

The next order of business was shoveling and roof raking to pull an ice jam down. The shoveling snow wasn’t so bad this time, we only got another four inches yesterday. We have heat tape on the roof overhang that usually causes ice buildup to fall but this year we noticed it’s not happening. 

We have a 15’ foot long roof rake that easily did the job from the ground once snapped together, and I pulled the ice down in no time. A few years ago we got a storm that dumped 3 foot of snow, the unseen ice buildup under the snowfall caused a nasty water leak that had to be fixed including our ceiling after it fell. This house is ancient and the owner never kept it up well. Now I roof rake after storms. 

The food of the day is still soup, it’s all I can get them to eat with no appetites. Standing at the kitchen window I’m watching a tree service trim a large tree I have photographed every season for 15 years. The change in that tree in spring, summer, autumn, and winter are interesting to observe and wildlife that frequents it. Over the years the thick foliage has begun to thin with age, a bit like my husband’s head of hair. 

Growing old gracefully is bull-you-know-what, it’s more like a roulette game. I’m starting to learn why some elderly are reclusive and don't engage a lot in public places. Catching just a seasonal cold can be lengthy, and turn life threatening for starters. I used to raise an eyebrow at people I see shopping who wear a mask. Watching my spouse and son home sick going on two weeks has been humbling and at the hospital with my husband I chose to wear a mask for once.

I’m running low on ideas to push the fluids and am using what I can to get my guys to drink more. I don’t recommend Kool-Aid, but it works. It’s a must-do to take life one day at a time, some days we need to take life 5 minutes at a time. “It’s not a bad life, it’s just a bad day” I have said it many times to myself and others. 

Part of the reason I began this blog is to help me keep my ducks in a row. I tried YouTube vlogging and decided I didn’t like it at all. Late last year I began experiencing sudden lapses of a word here and there in the middle of conversations when speaking. It’s a fleeting thing but it’s still there and  it unnerves me. 

An easy example is you're downloading a file into your computer, you know its there in your download folder but then it never quite finishes; I know what word I want to say in conversation, but then it vanishes before I say it. Yes I mentioned it to my doctor, no she wasn't alarmed. I guess I now have a new ability to forget how to say what I’m saying while saying it. Welcome to my 60’s! *Grimace*

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