Winter Warmth

So, I checked my lymph nodes last night, and they're not tender and don't seem to be swollen. I think this terrible crud is just a sinus infection. I get a bad one one to three times every two years. It's miserable in Florida. In Poland, where the temperature inside is below 60F, it's very miserable. It's not staying warm that is the problem, it's having to breath that cold air.

Zofia brought me some special tea and some honey. It is wonderful stuff. I hope it helps. She also let me use her thermometer to check my temperature: 36.6°C/97.88°F, which is about normal for me. She also sent down some soup, which was very good.

Now that I've started thinking of this as sinuses instead of bronchitis or something, my spirits (which were high all along) are a bit higher, and I don't feel so weak, but that may just be because of the passage of time. I still feel a little woozy from time to time because of the pressure on my face, but I don't feel all that bad. I'll be able to rest most, if not all, of the day tomorrow, and I may stay inside on Sunday. I hope to feel like myself by Monday. I hate these sinus troubles.

I tried going to bed an hour early last night, but I ended up laying awake for at least an hour and a half longer than normal, which is why I don't go to bed earlier. This next will impress my mom: I've been blowing my nose. Actually, I've been blowing it all day, which is why I normally don't... blowing my nose makes it run more than it had been. I think blowing one's nose also weakens one of the body's defenses, but that's another topic. It does have one benefit: Less stuff going into my throat to cause coughing and rawness. That was probably more than most of you wanted to know. If so, I'm sorry.

The temperature outside is -6.5°C/20.3°F at 20:18.

My first foray into the wider world went well. I went to the nearer store and got some soups and yogurt and milk and juice.

When I got back, I decided I will go out again today, but first, I must cool down. Yes, cool down. I got hot slogging through the snow. Didn't I say that? The snow has been coming down all day. It's about five or six inches deep in most places, with greater drifts here and there. It's not coming down so thick as to obscure distant objects, but it is coming down steadily.

My next foray into the world of men will include a trip to the post office, as I have seven letters and a postcard to mail. I also need a few things I didn't find at the small store.

Kris mentioned shovelling the walks. I might do that, if I feel great after my trip to town, but I don't know. I don't want to overextend myself.

The temperature outside my window is hovering right near freezing, but the snow on the ground seems to indicate that temperatures at lower elevation are a bit cooler. Needless to say, I will not take the shortcut across the ice today (No, I haven't crossed the ice, yet. Perhaps in February). Well, that's it for this update. The timke is 10:58 (That's not the Polish word for time. It's just a typo. I didn't fix it because I thought it looked funny this way. The Polish word for time is czas).

The second foray went well, though I realized on the way home that I had overdressed. People were looking at me funny because I was carrying my gloves. I had to change when I got back, because I was very hot and a little sweaty. Must remember the temperature when dressing. I saw water under the bridge, so I think it will definitely be at least February before I venture off solid ground again.

It is snowing again. Kris cleared the walks before and while I went to lunch, and as soon as he went in, it started again. C'est la vie.

I'm going to see a movie on Wednesday. I'm determined that nothing shall keep me from it this time. I really want to see this film. There are about three other films I want to see, but I think one of them has finished its run, so I won't see it. But I may be heading to the theater frequently in the next few weeks. I /need/ to see a movie soon. I really feel that need. I got so desperate for entertainment when I was fighting that sinus crud that I downloaded two games. Neither one is all that fun, and I wish I had some of my games from home. Maybe I'll send for them. I don't know.

Adam should be back today, so I can finally give him his Christmas gift.

The time is now 14:02, and the temperature outside my window is a balmy 1°C/33.8°F. Have a great one!

Welcome to the warm front. The time is now 17:37, and the temperature is 5°C/41°F. Going outdoors is miserable. There is slush on all the roads and walkways. Nevertheless, the warmer temperatures are pleasant.

Kris and I went to the town hall today, so I now have permission to live in town for a while. The ATM at the bank had some technical difficulty, so I couldn't get any money today. Not a big deal. I should be able to access it before I run out of money. The lady at the post office yesterday gave me my change in tiny coins, so I now have a pouch full of golden coins.

My students in one class asked me for my Web site address, and I gave it to them, so I may have some new readers here. I hope they aren't upset by anything I've written.

I've been very hungry lately. I can't seem to get enough food during the day, even though I've been snacking a lot and eating at every meal. I've ordered a pizza tonight, so I may just scarf the whole thing tonight.

Only one more day! Pray that Adam doesn't have any problems, because I really want to go to a movie! Anyway, that's it for this update. Have a great day in the Lord!

Make that March... or maybe not at all. I may not go across the lake at all, because last night, I looked out across the lake, and I saw the lights across from me shimmering on the surface. The surface was water. It is now 6°C/42.8°F; my beautiful snowbound landscape is gone. Last nighht, the pavement shined like silver rivers between puffy, white banks. Today, the green grass of last year shows its color around a thousand pools of water.

The lake top has iced, but I have no idea how thick it is now. The past two days, the rain has come down in drizzles.

I had a thought last night about trees. I was reading a description of a church in medieval times, and one of the things mentioned was that the church was surrounded by a grove of fruit trees. I remember when I went to Costa Rica seeing the parks there. Most of the trees in the park were fruit trees, so that the poor of the city could come and harvest if they had no food. And I thought to myself: Why doesn't every church in the world plant trees that bear fruit on the church property? Pines and oaks feed only squirrels, but plums, pears, figs, and apples would feed people, as well. I remember hearing in a sermon that there are something like 3000 verses in the Bible telling us to care for the poor. Why don't we adopt this relatively easy step to help them? Trees grow by themselves, if you choose a variety native to the climate. Why not?

I was listening to the Les Miserables tapes my mom brought me, and I was astonished at how much the musical differs from the book. Whole characters and motivations are different. I think the changes are not for the good, either. Well, it is still an enjoyable musical for the most part. However, I highly recommend the book, and the unabridged version, at that.

Kris is hard at work on things for registration. So far, we've had two students test for the Spring Semester, along with some of the students from this semester who will continue. I hope most of them continue, because we need student to keep the school going, and the students need English for better careers.

That's the news from Lake Jeziorak (Ye-ZSore-Ok). God bless you all.