When Phil Gets Sick, All Progress Halts

Despite his sinus-infection state, Phil managed a trip to the dump yesterday. He did the morning chores. But mostly, he sat, miserable, on the folding chair in one of our two rooms.

Today he grew worse, adding flu-like symptoms to a painful head. I took boys numbers 2 and 4 to run errands. We went to three stores, the post office, and the gas station and were gone six and a half hours. More than four of those hours were spent driving. That remains, perhaps, the most bizarre part of my life: as I loaded the treasures from Costco into the van, I realized I had a two-hour drive yet ahead of me. Rats!

The Bessettes had a death in the family, so we are watching their farm. This proved providential timing. Phil took the three non-errand children with him and rested and soaked in the tub all day. After I joined him there and fed the children dinner, the five young ones and I returned to the homestead, leaving Phil to convalesce in peace. I hope it’s effective—I miss him!