sicker than a

dog. Got queasy right after lunch, and held on until 5, when I became pale and had to wrap up, chilled, under several covers and just lie there. I couldn't move. Steve fed Bill and took him to choir. I cried because we spent our anniversary curled up on the bed, holding hands and just talking. I started throwing up around 7:30. It didn't take long. I think I pulled a stomach muscle. I went to bed early. Seriously.

This morning I feel better, but still have no appetite, so I'm just drinking chamomile tea and remembering the phrase from "The Devil Wears Prada." Emily Blunt's character says, "I'm one stomach flu away from my goal weight." That makes me laugh, having lost 5 pounds yesterday. My neck hurt, but after a really long, hot shower, feels much better. I took some Oscillo, some silver biotics, and some white willow for my neck, and am sitting here at 10AM wondering how I'll fill the next 4 1/2 hours until Bill gets home. I think I'll rest and finish reading "The Sun Also Rises" by Hemingway. I'm really liking him these days. I'm also liking my Tony Bennett sings Duke Ellington CD I got from the library, as well, so along with some chamomile tea, that's probably my day right there. I keep hearing the words, "Be gentle with yourself" echoing through my head, so I think that's the answer to my unasked questions. I get scared sometimes, yes, you know I do, but whenever I ask, I keep hearing, "Everything's just fine. SLOW DOWN." So that's what I'm doing for the next three days - slowing down. It's all right - there's nothing pressing that needs my attention anyway, is there? I'm meditating, and praying, and trying to keep all fronts silent as long as possible, realizing that we are in a kind of floating time, a kind of surreal time where timelines don't exist anymore, and it's hard to get acclimated sometimes, and even harder just to keep trusting and walking, but we do it, don't we? What other choice do we have?

So here's to sick dogs (maybe I should go outside and eat some grass?), and to healthy dogs, and to all the dogs in between. Here's to "Desperate Housewives" and desperate housewives, and everyone in between. Here's to organic vegetables and warm chocolate chippy cookies, and everything in between. Here's to me and here's to you, and here's to everyone in between.