Cabinet of Curiosities

Not the best picture, but one of my cabinet of curiosities in the rose room.  They hang on the wall- there are several of them- two are large printer trays, this one a recycled cassette tape holder.  I have others- small shelves with compartments sitting on the book cases.  I love small things, collecting things, mysterious things that may-or-may-not be magic.  Or at least magic to me.  The cabinets contain all sorts of bottles and tinctures, leaves and seeds, butterflies, bones, shells, stones, inks, figures, eggshells, dominoes and dice, little things, lost things, strange small machines.  

This past weekend was spent in resting, not doing the paperwork I should of done (and which I did this morning- it only took an hour and I would of once again been much better off to tackle that first then relax all weekend, someday I will learn), sleeping.  I have finished with ECU for the semester- just got my final grades, both A's (perfect score on the policy and procedure manual which was a chore to write- but hooray!) so that is done until Fall.  I am grading the work of my photography students, and assessing the portfolios of my Trask students- that will be done in all good time.  I do have to work on the proposals for conference next year with Melissa- every intention of doing that this weekend but the brain was on holiday, and instead of thinking I just cleaned, napped, sat on the porch and read.  A time out, badly needed.  The manz worked a marathon day Saturday, and finally was able to stop and rest yesterday afternoon- he is still asleep, which is good for him.  He works so hard and gets so sore- but perseveres right through it.  

We went to see Dr. Lori on Friday, but she cancelled last minute (again!  We love Dr. Lori, but sometimes it is hard to see her when we need to).  Anyway, I ended up seeing Dr.V instead, who is also wonderful, because my ear is still not right- the infection has never let up, but intensified, spread to my throat and my eyes are itching as well.  So cipro twice a day (huge horse pills, taste nasty), expensive ear drops and referral to ENT specialist this week.  (The joys of yet another specialist copay, more testing)- in the meantime I am banned from heights, ladders (dizziness/ vertigo because of the ears), telephones for the most part (I can't hear on them at all, and the infection is also in/on the outer ear so I don't want to contaminate them...if such a thing is possible.  I don't use ear phones except for my big special ones for Live class, which is over for now, so that to is a good thing).  And heavy machinery.  I can still drive, but no bull dozers, cranes or anything with grinding noises.  That at least is easy to avoid.  In the meantime, I take my plethra of pills, including the blue pills (not viagra, an aleve type pill) thrice a day, and speak REALLY LOUD because I can't judge my own volume right now, and need extra naps apparently.  Which are never a problem, except at school.

I know that this will ease up soon, and that I will recover my initiative to actually 'do stuff', but in the meantime I'm thinking that I can coast- just for a bit, just for today.