recap:: january goals
this week will go down in history as the week of the plague.
i was feeling a bit under the weather during the farming conference this past weekend- a sore throat, some coughing, low energy. you know where this is going. as we drove home on sunday afternoon, those three hours felt like an eternity. my entire body- even my teeth, people!– ached. i could barely speak from the sore throat & lack of energy. as soon as we arrived home, i crawled into bed. luke checked my temperature & a high 101 concluded that i was indeed sick.
a doctor’s vist & some meds later, it was confirmed- i had the flu. luke has the patience of an angel & prepared miso soup, super food smoothies & a plethora of other get-well-soon! foods.
on tuesday night, just as i was feeling well enough to lift my head without feeling dizzy, i felt something in my hair. i had noticed earlier that my head was extra itchy, but it’s january so hey! a dry scalp is pretty normal. as i pulled the living creature from my hair & looked closer, i kind of freaked out. i had spent the week before with a bunch of adorable, preciously dirty & germy elementery school kiddos who had passed on this beautiful case of the flu. in my state of insanity, i googled “head lice” & was shocked to find that the little bug in my palm matched the one on the screen.
i bawled my eyes out. a few phone calls later, i called my dear friend & lice expert & bawled some more. she told me what to do & luke was out at the store in less than a second. in the dark hours of the night, i was in a ball on the floor with my head propped over the tub, weak & achy with a fever, while luke sprayed my head with a mix of listerine & tea tree oil using what he referred to as “a spray bottle”… also known as an industrial sprayer with a hand pump used to spray compost tea. that night i looked extra gorgeous with wet hair covered in a plastic shower cap while i slept.
so needless to say, i have been quarantined from all of society. today i am feeling a bit of lifted spirits & hope to leave my dark & lonely cave by saturday. until then, this has been the perfect time to wrap up my january goals. after all that, do you even care about the success of my goals? we’ll see…
1. wedding album: i had high hopes for you. after a bit of poor planning & film negatives that took three weeks to scan from our local film shop, i failed miserably. i thought i might get it done by the end of this month if i rushed, but no one wants a rushed wedding album. so, i’m not letting the guilt get to me. i have one huge step behind me & hope to finish the album by spring.
2. read & complete a book: i finished 7! the plague was good for something. the ending was just as good as i thought it would be. i love being a book person.
3. drink water: i drank way more water this month than i usually do during the winter. i noticed that i drink more water when i have lemons & a straw. i also drank one glass of water in the morning before any coffee or tea & that was a great way to start my day. i think this new goal is sticking.
i’ll be back tomorrow with fresh goals for february!
love,
natalie
p.s. i have to know. have you ever had head lice?
Denise | 31st Jan 13
Natalie – I'm so glad you are on the mend and even managed such pretty pictures.
We have never had lice. I hope just saying that doesn't make us a target. Fleas – yes but no lice 🙂
enjoy the rest of your week.
bridgmanpottery | 31st Jan 13
listerine and tea tree oil- good to know. We've been luck- N has escaped it, but I had it once as a kid. yucky.
abby | 31st Jan 13
Oh my gosh girl! So glad you are on the up side of this. Lice is freaky for sure, and the flu, well, that is tough enough on it's own.
I think I may have had a minor case of lice as a little kid, but I don't remember it very well. Back in college though, with roommates, there are many a story to tell. Being an adult with lice definitely seems like a tougher experience than as a child.
Julia | 31st Jan 13
good gosh, nat, your weeks sounds awful! so nice of luke to stay home and take care of you 🙂
i totally find that i drink more water when i have a straw too! jared thinks that's ridiculous, but especially when you're sick in bed it's so much easier to not have to sit up! i do think they're quite wasteful (unless you get those nice metal ones) but someone randomly gave us a bag of them last year so i figure i'll just use them until they're gone 🙂
Heather | 31st Jan 13
Glad to hear you are on the mend. Had live as a kid. I used to love the monthly test the school nurse would do in class. She'd use these long q-tips and part my hair with them all around to look for vermin. It felt so good. I love having my head touched.
Water…I pour a pitcher and slice a green apple and put a cinnamon stick in it at night. In the morning I have a wonderfully chilled glass of yummy tasting water. It's suppose to be good for metabolism too.
natalie | 31st Jan 13
julia! i purchased some bpa free plastic straws from targe awhile ago for around a buck (they were on clearance) & they work great! metal sounds more sustainable, but i know what you mean about the waste of a straw! the paper ones can be composted, which is great too!
Jess | 31st Jan 13
oh my goodness the flu AND head lice?!?! you poor, sweet angel! so glad you're feeling better, and glad you met a couple of goals. I've gotta check that book out.
I'm very curious to see what your February goals are!
Rachel H | 31st Jan 13
*industrial sprayer…I know exactly what you mean– that's heavy duty!
*no lice here, but have sold lots of tea tree shampoo to get rid of it when I worked at my grandma's health food store. 🙂
*metal straws are nice for cutting down on waste, but I have to be careful not to clamp my teeth down on them.
*inspired to share Feb goals on my own blog…thanks!
fawn & fern | 31st Jan 13
girl i have had it, as you probably already know. i was much younger but it is a fear of mine as an elementary teacher! i love hugging my babies but my gosh sometimes all i can think when they get too close for too long is LICE LICE LICE. haha. my gosh i am itching now. i would recommend keeping a bottle of dr. bronner's tea tree soap around to wash your hair with as a preventative measure. plus, it smells lovely(i wash my face with it)
you will be laughing about this week before you know it, if you aren't already 😉 so glad you are on the mend & seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. thank goodness for Luke!
i will have to check that book out! & i feel the same way about water + lemons & straws. have you tried orange slices too? not common like the lemon, but oh so refreshing in water! totally doesn't get enough attention. nick & i have both been making it a goal to keep a glass of water at our bedside to drink before we even stand up in the mornings. i truly believe it does refresh & kick start your day!
Vanessa | 1st Feb 13
I love you so much. I feel so sad that you have had such a hard time, but I can't wait til you are well enough to laugh SO hard about it…
Kelton | 1st Feb 13
so glad you're week of sickness is almost over! i haven't had lice since i was really little. my twin sister and i got it at the same time and my mom kind of freaked out. can't wait to see your goals for february!
Anonymous | 1st Feb 13
Hello,
Over here, head lice are a regular occurence, not scary or freaky but one of those things that happen when your kids go to school.
Treatments at our house are very simple. Just shampoo and condition as per normal while in the shower, then use a nit comb to remove the adults. I comb from forehead to nape of neck then from middle part to side just to be sure.
But I also do it two nights in a row to ensure that I have caught the adults, then the unhatched egg babies before they have had the opportunity to lay.
Unfortunate you had the flu and nits at the same time.
Happy healing
Laney Butler | 1st Feb 13
That sounds like a horrible week. Glad you're feeling better! I had lice once when I was a kid. Got it at summer camp. It sucks. You did great on your goals! A wedding album takes time. You def. don't want to rush it. I need to work up a blog post on my Jan recap and Feb goals. It's ALREADY Feb!!
Sherrie | 3rd Feb 13
So glad that things are looking up. We've never had lice, which I find amazing, since I work in at least a dozen schools, at some daycares, I have two little ones. It's minor miracle. I also have fairly short hair, which I think might help. I'm glad that you have someone so good to look after you. 🙂
Unknown | 11th Feb 13
I LOVED 7, I am getting ready to read it again 🙂