I apologize for not writing yesterday. I was in the middle of one my three naps, and when I woke up, it was late afternoon. This plague is still with me. When I cough, the dogs give me a weird look and tilt their heads. Added to that, walking is painful. My right leg hurts. I have no idea why. This has been the worst week.

Because I hadn’t left my house since last week, my larder was almost empty. Luckily, one of my uke friends called to see what I needed. She brought me groceries and surprises. She brought the usual bread and cream for my coffee. The surprises were the best: a cake, brownies, chicken salad, fruit, cheesecake, sliders and more. She wouldn’t take any money and said it was a late birthday present. Later, another uke buddy called to see if I needed anything. My uke friends take great care of me.

When I was a kid, I was seldom sick. I had the usual childhood ailments back then: mumps, measles and chicken pox. I might have had a cold or two. I remember the sniffles. I didn’t miss school other than a day or two here and there. I guess we were hardy kids.

In Ghana I was really healthy. I did have the scourge of traveling during training and a few times after but not often. I had an infected mosquito bite and a burn from goats running into my moto, but that was it. I was still hardy.

I had every shot imaginable so this illness is unexpected and, even worse, unknown.

My sloth has been quietly celebrating. I have done nothing. The hair ball tumbleweeds are taking over my house. If I were a character in a low budget science fiction movie, those tumbleweeds would have teeth, the ability to move and hunter-prey instinct. I would be the prey. I can see them hurrying down the hall with teeth clicking as I run screaming.

Fall is giving us a preview. Last night got down to 57°. I wore socks and a fleece wrap. I shut windows and doors. Right now it is 70° and cloudy. It will stay that way all day. Tonight will be in the 50’s again. I’m thinking we will have leaves changing early this year.

I still have a cold, mostly coughing. I seldom get a cold in the winter so this summer cold throws me a bit. It is just wrong.

My first grade teacher was Sister Redempta. She scared me. She scared most of us. Our class was huge, almost 50 of us, baby boomers. None of us dared even to whisper. We didn’t want the wrath of her look. My classroom was on the first floor, to the right of a set of stairs. We had a cloakroom and two doors into the classroom, one from the cloakroom. Banks of tall windows were on the side and the back of the room. You needed a long stick with a hook at the top to open and shut the windows. The bathrooms were down two sets of stairs from my classroom, boys to the right, girls to the left. We’d walk two by two and stand in line waiting for our turns. We ate lunch at our desks then went out for recess, weather permitting. Our comings and goings were ruled by a bell, a hand rung bell. An eight grader would ring the bell over the bannister from the top floor so we all could hear. I still have my report card from the first grade. Every subject was satisfactory.

I have scattered memories of the different grades I traveled through in elementary school, but my first grade memories are still the brightest in my memories drawers. My life had irrevocably changed. My days were now regimented. My time was no longer mine from Monday to Friday. I had to wear a uniform. I had to raise my hand to speak and to have permission to go to the bathroom. I was good at following rules, but I also was good at breaking the rules without being caught. I had learned the system.