Many historians claim that history repeats itself. Genie keeps a history of what happened each day on a current calendar. That way she has a history of events in her life. In looking at her calendar last year, at this time, she was under a medical house arrest for almost three weeks. Currently she is under a self-imposed house arrest because of the flu bug. (This began Friday, Dec. 29.)
I am under a medical self-imposed house arrest as of New Year’s Eve Sunday, Dec. 31. On that day I went to urgent care at the Albert Lea Medical Center. Ibuprofen, Robitussin with codeine and Benzonatate were prescribed, along with drinking lots of water as I had the flu bug. (This was the first time a medical doctor told me to drink lots of liquid on New Year’s Eve.)
If time is what Genie and I need in order to be feeling well again, we should be back in the active world by my birthday, Jan. 23.
If the medical profession doesn’t solve the flu bug, I’m going to give my Irish grandmother’s recipe, as follows, a try: cover your chest with Vick’s Vaporub, then pour three ounces of brandy or apple cider in a cup, add a teaspoon of sugar, heat to a boil, drink slowly, go to bed under lots of covers, and the bug will be gone when you wake up. (If you want to, you can drink slowly through vanilla ice cream on top.)
A 94-year-old U.S. Navy veteran survivor of Pearl Harbor was asked if he was shooting for 100. His reply: “I’m shooting for tomorrow.”
We received three early Christmas cards for 2018 or maybe three late for 2017. We weren’t sure, so we sent them a Valentine’s card.
At our front door, just before Christmas, a Priority Mail box was left in the snow by Fred, our mailman. How did he know it was O.K. to leave it in the snow? Because the box read “Authentic Danish Kringle – Please Refrigerate.”
I watched a crow treat himself to a Christmas present. Just before Christmas he buried pieces of meat in the neighbor’s flower box under the snow. Christmas Day, he retrieved his Christmas present.
Our bird feeders have been very, very busy. I’ve been adding bird food every other day since the snow and cold weather. (Cardinals, crows, chickadees, nut hatches, woodpeckers, bluejays, sparrows, and furry long bushy-tailed non-flying critters are the eaters, plus early Easter bunnies.)
Food, fun and fellowship make a good Valentine’s party. Call me at 507-373-8655 and we will reserve a seat for three hours of food, fun and fellowship costing $5 per person or $10 per family with kids. The party begins at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 3 to eat pizza, play Norwegian Bingo and devour ice cream with toppings at Central Freeborn Lutheran Church, rural Albert Lea.
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Bob is a retired AAL (Aid Association for Lutherans) agent, currently working on his master’s degree in Volunteering. His wife, Genie, is a retired RN, currently working on her doctor’s degree in Volunteering. They have two children, Deb in North Carolina, and Dan in Vermont. Bob says if you enjoy his column, let him know. If you don’t enjoy it, keep on reading, it can get worse. Words of wisdom: There is always room for God.