I Hate Having a Cold

We had a lovely dinner last night at DS & DIL1's house with her folks and I could barely taste it.  It must have been good because all of the plates got emptied very efficiently and the other people (whose taste buds aren't in a coma) made mmmm sounds a lot.  I am so glad that we can all be grownups and not fight over who gets to spend holidays with whom and when.  I don't really care if we celebrate anything on THE DAY, it's the being together with each other for a meal or just to laugh and enjoy each others' company that makes it a holiday for us.  I hope my taste buds come back online before Sunday when we have Christmas with our kids and their spouses.  Durwood's planning to set up the meatball sweatshop once again to make hundreds of tiny meatballs for Italian Wedding Soup and I'll make a muffaletta sandwich that I made last New Year's that was a big hit.  I hope I can taste them, even a little.  I get to work today.  Will there be customers?  I haven't got a clue.  It's one of those days when the clouds are so thick that it was still dark when I got up at 6:30; it's still dawn-looking out there and it's nearly 8:00.  Is it any wonder those Northern Europeans brood?  Oh, speaking of brooding  (smooth segue, don't you think?), I get to go gather eggs tomorrow on my way to work or home, depending on whether I leave early enough because DS & DIL1 will be in Shawano for a couple days.  If they leave eggs in there too long Henny & Penny will eat them and as DIL1says, that's a waste.  Plus you don't want them to get into the habit.  The other day I went to the birdseed store and asked one of the clerks to help me find "gifts for my grand-dogs, grand-cats, and grand-chickens."  A lady about my age standing in the checkout line with her husband snorted out a laugh so I turned to her and said, "hey, you work with what you've got until they make babies."  She nodded and said, "true" so I got some doggy treats, kitty treats, and a small bag of scratch which turns out to be the exact right thing to buy for chickens in the winter as it raises their metabolism so they stay warmer and they love it.  Go, me!  One of my perfect finds at Goodwill on Sunday was a round plastic keeper to hold the scratch for less than three bucks.  Go, Goodwill!  I'm kind of planning to go to yoga after work.  I wonder if I'll be able to do poses or will I just sit in child's pose and try to breathe?  I'll see.  This cold makes me tire easily.  I hate having a cold.

--Barbara