I've been feeling a bit reclusive lately. This was probably aided and abetted by the deep freeze we temporarily experienced last week--just to remind us how thankful we are that winter is finally over. Between that, and the fact that Noah only had one day of school last week, and Jude is finally done swimming lessons so we didn't have to go to town three extra times, all added up to a nice, socially-selfish week at home.

I broke my "reclusion" on Saturday, having guests for tea in both the morning and the afternoon, which was nice. At the time, I didn't think much of the sore throat and tiredness that had been plaguing me since the day before, just thinking that I was being bothered by some cold bug or other. I amped up my normal defences, got a good night's sleep, and felt not too bad by Saturday morning.

By Saturday night, I was completely exhausted. By last night, I had finally pieced all of the symptoms I was experiencing together, and I am pretty sure I have strep throat.

This is only the second time I've had it. The last time laid me out flat, then triggered an all-over-my-body outbreak of psoriasis which lasted for nearly a year. It was in early 2006. I didn't document it well at the time, since I was so ashamed of my appearance.

This time is not nearly as severe. I'm in better general health going into it, and even though I didn't know what I was facing, I started loading up on all my "secret weapon" stuff as soon as I started to feel ill. So, my throat is sore, but not unbearable. I am tired, but I am functioning. I can eat solid food. I've had a bit of a psoriasis outbreak on my neck, and my face is itchy as the Dickens (assuming that Dickens got into a patch of poison ivy occasionally), but now that I know what I'm facing, I will be able to attack with specifically targeted weapons. (In case you're wondering, I have not gone and got a swab, so when I say "I have strep throat," this is an educated guess based on past experience, the symptoms I currently have, and common symptoms of strep throat gleaned from the Internet.)

Anyway, in my reclusion, I did manage to finish up a few things. One of them was the slippers from my last post. I also made some Mary Jane Booties for the baby (Robin's), and finished some mittens for myself. Just in time for spring! :-D

Now, I am thoroughly excited about the last month of home schooling before us, and getting started on my garden. I have been dusting off my memory of what to do first by re-reading The Gardener's A-Z Guide to Growing Organic by Tanya A. L. Denckla. What a textbook! I am making plans for another garden bed, and chicken-wire covers—to protect from the deer!

Also, I am planning to start raising chickens this year. That ought to be an adventure in itself. I will do my best to keep you posted on these adventures, dear internets... but lately, I'm finding that the energy I have is all used up in living my life, with little-to-none left to blog about it.

This photo was taken on Friday. "This is my best tent EVER!" declared Jude.

Simba seemed to agree.

Happy Tuesday, friends!