Home and Hospital Notes

Home and Hospital Notes January 21, 2017

I spent yesterday first at the doctor, and then at the hospital, which had not been in my plans, to say the least. So there was no cake after all, and the Inauguration was watched in snatches here and there, on waiting room TVs and on my phone, and at the very end of the day I came home to a house full of anxious children.

I’m not dying, thank goodness, but I’ve been losing weight for a while, in spite of only eating white bread and butter (which doesn’t usually make me thinner) and I’ve had some weird pain and a lot of fevers. But they ruled out everything that a person would be really anxious about (Praise God!!) and so I’m left with the usual irritating frailty of the body that makes us all wish Jesus would just come back. The nice thing was that the hospital doctor was really kind and friendly, and my regular doctor went to the uttermost to make sure I was ok, and on the whole I came away really surprised that everyone would take whatever is going on so seriously. I always feel lazy, even when I’m charging around picking up laundry and anxiety. I blame Satan.

So, it’s really nice to be home, even though home is sort of trashed. It’s got good bones, this house, so even if it’s covered in crumbs and dust it’s a comfortable place to be. And, would you believe, I seriously miss doing laundry. I love standing in my tiny laundry room, alone, looking out the two big windows, looking up at the sky, folding and listening to 44 Scotland Street. And, for real, I miss standing in the kitchen looking out my big glorious window, slicing and dicing those elements so essential to true happiness–like onions and garlic. The most cooking I managed this week was to stagger into the kitchen, shove a pan of chicken covered in salt and a cauliflower covered in salt, into the oven. This time it didn’t burn up, but it was the most boring thing imaginable, and I didn’t feel like eating it. And neither did anyone else.

I also miss my school room–it’s bright cheerful green. Sitting on the couch with books piled everywhere and children squabbling is not to my taste. No one works as well, everyone’s handwriting is awful, and I keep falling asleep because it’s so soft and comfortable.

So, I’ll stop complaining. I’m grateful to be home and not looking at some formidable disease that will kill me in thirty seconds.
A good day to you all!

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