We went from sick to furnished this week! Amazing what a week will do—the first part recovering and the last filling our house of furniture!

Monday, September 8

John, our dear neighbor, took us to the clinic and we saw a doctor immediately. We both had a flu that was going around. The prescription: a shot in our butts for three days! I had a sinus infection too. So that day went by in a fog because of still being sick.

Tuesday, September 9

Once again, John took us to the clinic for our shots. It burned! Low energy for sure! That night, I blew my nose really hard and something in my ear popped. Then it really hurt! I was afraid I burst an ear drum.

Wednesday, September 10

Thankfully our last shot. She mixed three different bottles together! Afterwards, I talked to the doctor again, and she examined my ear. Yes, I had an ear infection but I didn’t burst the ear drum, thank God! She gave me antibiotics, so I knew I would be on the mend.

Because we were feeling somewhat better, we did go to David to shop more. First, we went to Conway’s which John says is similar to Target and bought households goods. We found a TV stand, kinda of retro looking. I found a computer desk I really liked —Lin liked it too, but they only had one, so we ordered one and kept shopping. For lunch, we stopped at TGIF’s restaurant and had a delicious lunch. Then we went to a lamp store and bought five lamps—one for the living room, two for our bedroom and one for each of our computer desk. After that, we went to another furniture store and found a great desk for Lin and a file cabinet on wheels for me—whew!

Thursday, September 11

This started the delivery part of the week for us of all the shopping we had done. First, my desk came in and our TV stand.

I had a brainstorm. When we were in the last furniture store, they had several desks connected for two people. It was one unit with two desks back-to-back. So, that gave me an idea! Instead of placing our desks along the wall, we put them back-to-back under the only window in the room. Lin can look out and see the back yard where he plans to put bird feeders. I can look out and see the common yard area of the compound we are in. It’s a win-win situation for both us, and we get to look at each other! Ah!

Friday, September 12

We had two deliveries scheduled, so I wondered how they would happen—overlap? Problems with timing? No, one came earlier in the morning with Lin’s desk and my file cabinet. We did position our desks facing each other and love it.

Then the big delivery came a little later: our two rocker-recliners and loveseat for the living room, the kitchen table and chairs and our mattress. This house is small and all this furniture immediately filled it up. The recliners take up a good portion of the living room, but the rocker sold me on the recliner. We may have to renegotiate some extra space so we can move our TV down because the loveseat blocks it a little.

We chose wisely with the kitchen set—two sides are collapsible, so it fits nicely in a corner.

So, we had to improvise for a base for our queen-size mattress. We’ve been sleeping on twin beds, so Lin pushed them together and the delivery guys put the mattress on top with extra room on the twin bed frames. We plan to have our landlord’s friend make us a base for the mattress, but that will take time. Also, it gives me a step up onto the bed.

That evening we watched TV from our rocker-recliners, relaxed and enjoying the comfort. Since we got the TV, we had been watching from chairs to a outside table set—my body tired of it pretty quickly.

Saturday, September 13

I reestablished some of my regular routine by attending my CoDA (Codependence Anonymous) meeting via Zoom from Albuquerque, but I had a problem. Apparently because of the ear infection, my hearing hasn’t regained 100%, so I had trouble hearing different people speak. But it was great to see my friends!

Then John and I went grocery shopping at a couple stores in Boquete. It was a fun outing and I’m learning more and more about groceries here.

After my grocery shopping trip, that afternoon I connected on Zoom with three friends I knew in a church in Loveland, Colorado thirty+ years ago. We started this monthly tradition during the pandemic and have kept it up. Again, I so enjoyed seeing my friends and updating them on our health and experience. We also have a wonderful time of sharing our current life experiences, a little politics and what we are reading. Our God is center to our sharing.

During the evening, I shared pictures with two friends in Albuquerque that I had decorated the entry way with years ago at the Albuquerque Square Dance Center. The new board has plans to take the pictures down, and these two wanted the photos. Then I finally had time to work on my new book, Time Measured Out, which is book #2 in my Navigating Life’s Journey Through Poetry series. I have starting laying it out in Vellum, the app I use to format my books. For the rest of the evening we relaxed and kicked back and watched Notre Dame’s football game.

Sunday, September 14

Again, I used the internet and attended my church in Albuquerque at Hope in the Desert Episcopal Church on Facebook Livestream.

Then I got ready for the Denver Bronco game. But I tackled (no pun intended) a major task we had been avoiding for the time we’ve been here—doing the laundry. We were sick; it seemed daunting; the instruction was in Spanish. For me, today was the day! I worked on the washer, translating the Spanish instruction panel and figured it out. First load started.

Then I tackled (ha, ha) the dryer and figured it out much quicker than the washer. Yahooo! Two weeks of clothes done.

I continued a weekly Bronco season tradition—I texted my girlfriend in Albuquerque during the game who shares my passion for the Broncos. The Broncos’ game shocked me at the end! The Indy field goal kicker missed the goal—yahoo! I ran into the other room to tell Lin. While I was gone, the refs threw a penalty flag which moved the ball up and he made the second attempt! We lost!

Finally,

Sick to start the week, a mostly furnished house now and feeling better! I enjoyed lots of regular life events this weekend. So things are looking up!

I NEED YOUR HELP: My book, Coronavirus Reflections: Bitter or Better? has made it to the second round in the AllAuthors.com book contest. Please go and vote at https://allauthor.com/cover-of-the-month/19939/

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