The Best and Worst of the Weekend

The Best:

• Pastor Dad and I had our bicycles checked and reconditioned last week in anticipation of warm weather riding. Yesterday turned out to be an inviting day. We got out and pushed those pedals for approximately 5 miles. It may not sound like much but it ain't just bikes that need reconditioning after a winter in storage!
• Lulu brought her Amish Friendship Bread starter with her. Since I was the one who gave her a start about a year ago I guess it just came back home. We keep starter frozen in storage bags when we get overwhelmed with the stuff. I began feeding one less than 2 weeks ago. Bread baking day was yesterday. Instead of taking out the portions to be shared I just removed my own 1 cup of starter and used the rest of it to make bread. By tripling the recipe I was able to make 6 loaves for our house, Karen, and the Princess. Since the Bear will have 1 of our loaves polished off in just a few minutes from now having just 2 loaves obviously isn't enough for our family. But having 3 or 4 loaves of our own and having some to share without overwhelming others with their own starters to feed seemed like a good idea.
• Everyone (except Sgt. Dan who would be "suffering" in CA - ha!) was here for dinner today. I always have a warm and cozy feeling when I have my family gathered around me. Of course, the "warm" part of that feeling might have something to do with something from the "Worst" list, but more on that later.
• One of the ladies from church gave me a handmade gift. She made me a set of 3 cozy sacks, or whatever they're called, all in assorted sizes. These are the rice bags that can be heated in the microwave. Thanks to the 5 mile bike ride I've been warming mine up all day. :)
• Karen, Lulu, the Princess, and I are practicing a quartet special for next week's Easter musical presentation at church. The Bear is feeling "left out" but we can't let him sing with us right now. His voice can't seem to decide if it is soprano or tenor. :D

The Worst:

• One of those 12 hour nasty stomach viruses decided to stop by for a visit this weekend. Since I get dehydrated in a hurry I found myself sick, feverish, and swollen around the extremities.
• On top of that I had several really nasty nosebleeds yesterday. Pastor Dad found me on the bed with blood-soaked tissues last night. I think I scared him. I really didn't pass out like he first imagined. I took a hot bath to combat the chills and became drowsy. It could've been the long bike ride, the virus, or the fact that I'd had several nose bleeds already during the day, but when I got out of the bath and found I had another one I packed my nose and went straight to bed. Poor Pastor Dad. He didn't even know I'd gone to bed so when he found me and the blood he was somewhat panicked.
• After we'd established that I was alive and well - a relative term at that point - I fell back asleep only to awaken many times throughout the night. First I was too hot. Then I was too cold. I just wanted to be Goldilocks and find the part that was just right. Never happened. But whether too hot or too cold I was always drenched in sweat. Could be germs. Could be my age. Could be both. Could be that I'm hoping it was just a germ so I don't have too many nights like that one!

But one way or the other the weekend is now over. Tomorrow our local "boys of summer" will be taking up their positions in the field. Let's just hope those fields aren't covered by stuff left over from the "weather of winter." Looks like my body isn't the only thing around these parts that can't decide what temperature it wants to be.