Right, so here we are, nearly at the end of January—the month that drags on like a bad hangover, only without the fun of the night before. Just a few more days of this bleak, soul-sucking purgatory to go. We survived!
And I’ve discovered the perfect survival technique for this dreary month. You get flu. Yes, you heard me right. I’ve been lucky enough to have the flu take up residence in my body for nearly two weeks. And let me tell you, there’s nothing like feverish delirium and uncontrollable coughing to make time fly by. I’ve barely known which way is up—just a blur of Lemsip, Anadin, and a never-ending cycle of tissues and fluids. Time just vanishes when you’re too busy trying to breathe.
On a side note, an onion in your socks does not draw the flu out of your system. I tried it; I smelled like onions, I could taste onions, and nothing else happened other than it making me fancy a McDonald’s!
Busy Doing Nothing…
So, let’s talk about what I haven’t done. I haven’t worked. I haven’t gardened. I haven’t written a single word. But do any of those things matter when we’ve almost made it out of January? February is almost upon us, and with it, the promise of longer, brighter, less sucky days.
We did make it into the garden once—briefly. My husband, before he too fell victim to the flu, still had a bit of energy left in him. So, while I watched on, in a semi-comatose state, he heroically took on the mighty Sambucus Nigra. Technically I’m not a fan of Elders on the whole, but the Nigra is so beautiful, with it’s overbearing branches of delicate pink flowers and deep green/purple leaves, it’s a joy to have in the garden. However, in true Elder style, it had started taking over the seating area like a leafy Godzilla, and let’s just say a good cutback was very much needed.
Anyway, we’ve survived. Sort of. And now, here’s to hoping February brings more of the crisp, fresh air that doesn’t smell like fever sweat and tissues.
Bring on the new year plans—or at least the ones that don’t involve fighting off a virus. January is a write-off. I’m drawing a line underneath it and we will restart the new year from here. There is still much to do, the apple tree to cut back and the roses to prune, but I will get around to those shortly, once back to full strength.
Everything is still damp and dismal out there at the moment, but don’t let that dampen your spirit.
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