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Pip’s NO-liday diary #001

May 14, 2019

Oh dear lord. Gosh. I took ten days off in April and then I got so sick and I am only NOW on the mend WEEKS later, dear reader. I thoroughly DIS-recommend (actual made-up word) having asthma and pneumonia/pleurisy damaged lungs because when you get sick you get totally sick. Uggggh. Help. Gawsh.

That said … it’s enough feeling sorry for self. I am only telling you this because I have been absent here and I wanted you to know it was because I was coughing so hard for so many days that my pelvic floor was but a distant memory. An enigma, even.

But let’s not dwell on that. I am here to write things and catch up with you, so dear gosh let’s do that.

Today is the first day I have felt slightly okay since I got sick WAY back when I was writing my holiday diary here.

I ordered a record from Discrepancy Records and have been to sick/voiceless to go and get it. (The Good Son by Nick). Probably they think I am a total loon. Sigh. They had been ringing me up but I could not talk due to no voice. Sigh.

I got a package delivered to the PO and I could not go and get it. Because I was too weak. Probably the person that sent it to me thinks I am a dork. Sigh. Hopefully they will hang on to it and not send it back. Sob.

I ordered some PINK NEON yarn from Mooroolbark Wool. I think they have been ringing me to say it was IN but I had lost my voice for more than a week and could not even talk on the phone. Gosh. Sigh. I hope they will understand when I finally lose this croak. Sigh.

But we were not dwelling on that. Nope. So let’s not.

Today was the first day I was able to cook dinner for Ari and feel that I would not fall over.

Today was also the first day that I coughed and it did not hurt a giant amount.

I am thinking this means I am on the mend. HURRAH!

Don’t underestimate the power of getting sick and staying sick to challenge peaky mental health as well, gosh darn it. Because I had to talk myself off a ledge about 27 times as I tried so hard to get better and see the good in life.

Because I am a mum and I have to leave the house, even if I am sick. To pick kid up from bus stop and buy food etc etc. So I did that but gosh I don’t even feel like I look like myself right now. I am looking forward to feeling better and getting reacquainted with moi very, very soon.

I was too sore to even wear proper clothes so I just looked like some kind of tracksuit-ed sad sack Yeti lady. If you saw me, that was me. And yet not.

Baltimore Quilt

$50 quilt from Salvation Army

While I was sick some good things happened, surprisingly. I had to drop Ari off somewhere and I popped into a Salvation Army shop I drove past for 5 mins and found a treasure.

I wished Rhonda a happy blog birthday – and she’s honestly such a total role model to me and everyone should spend less time on Instagram and more time on her blog.

I celebrated Max’s birthday. Even though I could not eat. Or talk much. And I coughed a lot. (But at least I gave him a good present and also took Rin and Paul a puzzle and some slippers and tennis balls for Party-the-dog).

Choc cake

One bowl chocolate cake

I had a low-key Mother’s Day where I watched Wine Country (silly and fun) and ate chocolate cake and got a visit from Rin and Paul.

I hugged my dog. A lot. My dog hates my coughing, FYI.

I thought a lot about what I want to do, and have decided I am going to learn to write commercial fiction as my superannuation plan. LOL. Here’s hoping that works out as grand plan, but for now I am concentrating on my upcoming book which is now in the hands of a brilliant editor and due to come back to me next month after she’s had her way with it and needs me to revisit my manuscript and help her tidy it up.

I booked a speedy beach break for me and my grown-up kids at Venus Bay and it’s what I am most looking forward to at the moment. It’s not until July but I am BUSTING to have windswept walks on a freezing each and sip cheap red wine in the local pub.

Bean

My dog called Bean

Honestly, that’s about it except for watching a LOT of Netflix and Hulu. I was too sick to crochet even. Sob. But thankfully am on the mend.

Ari was so kind and nice to me when I was super sick. For two weeks I could not even sleep all night and he would come in and chat to me in the dead of night and refill my hot water bottle and put on the vaporiser and tell me about his day.

I watched and liked … Quicksand (Netflix) and Scott and Bailey (Hulu) and the aforementioned Wine Country and a lot of very dodgy and comforting reality shows.

Scott and Bailey

I started reading a few things, but like I said, I could not read very easily due to sore eye/headache sitch.

ONE THING I did read which really touched me and made me wish I was a MUCH better writer was this. 

Anyway, thankfully I am on the mend now.

I have big plans for a crochet-a-long, so watch this space.

And LOVE TO ALL – esp those who got kicked in the chops by illness like me.

xx pip

PS – If you didn’t get your flu shot yet, now is the time, petals. Off you go!

7 Comments

  • Reply Rhonda Hetzel May 18, 2019 at 10:02 AM

    Get well soon, Missy. Plenty of water and sleep, rest your voice, forget about celebrities and just survive. Lots of love. xx

  • Reply Reannon May 16, 2019 at 3:29 PM

    Being sick is the pits but yay for mods who show love & care to their mums!
    And I will be waiting with eager eyes for your crochet along xx

  • Reply Kristina May 15, 2019 at 8:45 PM

    Truly hope you’re on the mend and feeling more and more like yourself. Those bouts of illness are just so hard, especially when you still need to parents and be running back and forth. Big hugs and well wishes.

  • Reply Tracey May 15, 2019 at 3:28 PM

    Thank you for writing for this, despite your poorly state, as it’s always so great to hear your voice…Sending good health and light to you.

  • Reply Megan May 15, 2019 at 11:35 AM

    Pip, I’m so sorry to hear you have been so sick and I give you my commiserations- it’s been a bit like that for me too and I can definitely relate to the ledge talking! It can get you feeling quite down, especially when you can’t manage a decent nights sleep. I hope you are feeling much better now xx

  • Reply Kate May 15, 2019 at 6:03 AM

    Gosh pip I’m sorry you’ve been so unwell, I sure hope you are soon feeling your chipper self again. Hope you soon get to collect all those little packages of exciting things and they bring some joy back into your days.
    I just read that piece on becoming a vegetarian, wow, what a powerful piece of writing and not once did I feel preached to. I was a veg for many years but then an event in my life changed me back, this piece of writing has made me question that choice.
    A crochet along you say, ears are pricked.
    Tick-had my flu shot last month, after getting really sick in Jan I’m not risking anything.
    Take care
    I’ve missed your cheeriness, but have been rereading craft for the soul and getting a while new level of nurturing from it. Thanks
    Cheers Kate

  • Reply Dani May 14, 2019 at 8:44 PM

    Wow, Pip, I am sorry to hear how I’ll you have been. I am going to get my flu shot! I was kind of blown away by that Red Right Hans file today, too. They really are incredolittle snippets, and though a Facebook ‘friend’ shot me down in flames for saying so, I do find them a small balm to live life by. The Good Son and I have serious history, by the way. It features in my memoir piece coming out in Meanjin as the album we were listening to on the day my Dad and brother drowned, but it was my healing record, too.
    Keep on taking it easy. Your writing is also a balm, and treasured by many x

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