Saturday, May 2, 2020

The Emergency Poet, Influenza, and How to be a Good Creature



Thank you all for your cough remedies. I'm sure the person who put my grocery order together at Kroger this week is wondering about the cayenne pepper and honey and licorice and Vicks VapoRub and apple cider vinegar and ginger and garlic and lemon juice and Epsom salts and turmeric and tea and hot chocolate and elderberry supplements and hot chocolate and probiotics and Cold-Eaze and milk and zinc and Vitamin C on my list!

 But my cough is fading. I'm only coughing a few hundred times a day now.




I finished a book of poetry, a novel, a nonfiction book about the flu, a moving-and-starting over memoir, and a book about animals. The reviews for each are below:

The Emergency Poet collected by Deborah Alma
Olive, Again by Elizabeth Strout




I'm still reading War and Peace (a chapter a day) along with Mary Oliver's Devotions and a reread of 1,000 Books to Read Before You Die.




I read for only a short time during Dewey's 24-Hour Readathon, and I did not get around to doing the spin for the Classics Club. Blame it on the cough.




1. We spent four days doing the City Nature Challenge last week. It felt great to get outside and take photos of animals and plants we were able to find in the world. I found 198 different plants and animals. Do you see the baby turtle in the photo?


2. We ate five things from our garden this week in this meal: cherry tomatoes and basil (pasta sauce), kale (salad), green beans, and Brussels sprouts.

3. Our public library is opening for curbside service next week.




I'm very happy you found your way to the Sunday Salon. There are no real requirements to linking up at Sunday Salon. Sunday Salon is simply a place for us to link up and to share what we have been doing during the week. Sunday Salon is a great way to visit other blogs and join in the conversations going on there. 

Some of the things we often talk about at the Sunday Salon:

  • What was your week like?
  • Read any good books? Tell us about them.
  • What other bookish things did you do? 
  • What else is going on in your life?


Other places where you may like to link up over the weekend are below. Click on the picture to visit the site.


My linkup for Sunday Salon is below.

64 comments:

  1. Wow you are certainly throwing everything at that cough. Hope the cocktail works.

    Karen,

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  2. I'm sorry that cough is still lingering - it must be really aggravating.

    Those veggies out of your garden look divine!

    Our governor is re-opening our state and one of my pet peeves is he thinks it's okay for the private sector to be open but isn't opening government agencies like the library. I've been shopping curbside so why not check out a book that way?

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  3. The plate of food looks good but what bothers me is everything is touching. lol I know I'm one of those weird people that can't have their food touching.

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  4. Your plate with garden veggies looks amazing! What state are you in that you already have cherry tomatoes? I have a cough remedy for you to keep on hand.. You put these things into hot not boiling water: open a capsule of Ester C opened and poured in, Manuka honey, and freshly squeezed orange juice. Drink it down.. The exact recipe is on my blog front page on the right side with a photo is you want it.. Feel better!

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    1. I live along the Gulf Coast of Texas. My cherry tomatoes are actually coming from plants I put in the ground last spring. Amazing, right?

      Fabulous. Thank you for sharing your recipe.

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  5. I'm sorry about the cough. I do know the feeling. I've been taking cough drops and Robitussin. Just when I think it's better, it's not. Hope you get better soon. Take care. Have a great week!

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    1. I'm cautiously optimistic this morning. I've only coughed twice in the last two hours. That seems to be progress.

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  6. Wait! You forgot to put bourbon on your list. Hot toddys are my go-to cure for a cough. :)

    I'm surprised that I'm curious about Influenza, but it really sounds like a great read. I may look for it on audio.

    What a sweet little turtle. And, I'm very impressed with your garden! Yummy!

    I hope by this time next week, your cough is completely gone. Or at least down to just 10 times a day. Try a toddy!

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    1. Does Kroger sell bourbon? Is there a service for delivery of whiskey? Not sure.

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    2. Ah, good question. Our grocery stores (in Oregon) don't sell liquor, just beer and wine. We go to our liquor store for bourbon, but I wear a mask and go to the smaller store in Depoe Bay. I went the other day to get stuff for Cinco de Mayo margaritas and I was the only customer, so it felt relatively safe.

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  7. Still coughing? so sorry! That's great your Library is opening there, lucky you. No word yet on the library system here. I want to read the Strout book and have a copy of it .... I have listened to the audio of the Peter Mayle book and enjoyed it. I was bummed to hear when he passed away, ugh sad to lose him. Enjoy your week & reads.

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    1. Golly, I hadn't heard he'd passed. But, my, didn't he spend the last years of his life in a lovely place.

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  8. Well, it sounds like you have access to every home remedy possible! Hope it helps :) What does curbside service mean? Our library system is still trying to figure out what to do.

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    1. We request the books online. The staff in the library collects them for you. You drive to the library and staff bring the books to your car.

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  9. Coughs are the worst. :-( I hope you are feeling better soon.

    That baby turtle is so cute! I love turtles. :-) Yay for your library opening for curbside service! That is great news. I would definitely take advantage of that if ours did something like that.

    I hope you have a good week. Rest and get better!

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    Replies
    1. I've let this cough get me down. Today I am going to forget about it and push on.

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  10. I hope one of the home remedies work. My go-to remedy for a cough is honey in black tea (with no milk) but I also chug energy drinks to keep me going when I'm feeling under the weather so I'm not the best person to give advice!

    I hope you have a good week and start feeling better soon :)

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    Replies
    1. I start every day with coffee, and I can see where energy drinks might be helpful.

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  11. I feel for you! That is the kind of cough I get when I get a cold.
    How I wish our libraries could be open, although I use these e-book service all the time. Many people do rely on the physical branch. I just love poking in libraries and many of ours put on various exhibits that I enjoy attending.
    But the city of Toronto is continuing with its lockdown for the month of May. No complaints from me. Some things will be allowed to start opening tomorrow.

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    1. Texas opened up Friday. I just saw a picture of the beaches down the road from us in Galveston. Wall-to-wall cars. Wall-to-wall people. Worries me greatly.

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  12. Sorry you are still coughing!

    No word about our libraries opening yet. I've been using the Cloud Library and Hoopla apps.

    I love your photos, such cute turtles, and that food looks so good.

    Have a great week!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Vicki. I keep reminding myself that it could always be worse.

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  13. I am glad you are feeling a little better!

    I need to put Peter Mayle's book on my list! I loved some of his other books, including a Year in Provence. I will save it for Paris in July! (or wait does that just have to be about Paris?)

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  14. Deb, I'm glad your cough has lessened but, wishing it was gone. You nature walk sounded like fun. I can't wait until our library can reopen (one of the things I miss most these days - not tthat I could ever run out of reading material at home in the remainder of my life LOL).

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    1. I have plenty of books here, too. Still, there is something wonderful about the library...

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  15. Chest infections are notorious for causing depression and wiping out your energy levels - I'm guessing that when you are doing all that coughing, you aren't getting sufficient oxygen in your system. So while pushing through other illnesses often is the charm - my firm advice is to rest up properly and take account of the fact that you are running at well below your optimum level. So sorry you are smitten - it's a miserable time to be so ill:(. I hope the coming week sees your recovery...

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    1. Did not know that! It certainly helps explain my current mood.

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  16. curb side library...I could totally see our library doing that.and i look forward to it. As of now I'm getting books from 'friend of the libary' a mail box that a lot of neighbors have in their yards.

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    1. Yes, I have one of those in my front yard, too. It's a great joy to me to see people stopping and perusing the Little Library.

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    2. Yes, I have one of those in my front yard, too. It's a great joy to me to see people stopping and perusing the Little Library.

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  17. I hope you'll feel better soon! 1,000 Books to Read Before You Die sounds like something I should read, as well as War and Peace.

    Have a good week!

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    1. The 1,000 Books book is so much fun to browse through. The man that wrote it is an expert on good books.

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  18. I hope at least something helps with your cough! I’m sure the sunshine as you were out and about helped, I can spy the baby turtle..how cute.
    You read a great variety this past week, I hope you find more interesting books at the curb side library.

    Wishing you a great reading week, be well x

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    Replies
    1. My doctor called in a new strong antibiotic yesterday. I feel considerably better today. Fingers crossed...

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  19. My sister week back to work at her library this week for curb side pickups :)

    Have a great week!!

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  20. I love that you're reading many different topics/subjects at about the same time! And that meals looks delicious - how wonderful that the ingredients are from your garden itself.

    198 different animals and plants! You've been busy and in a very fun way! :)

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  21. The cough sounds so annoying, I hope you are able to sleep at night and that some of the remedies from bloggers help. It's a great list of ingredients!

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  22. Ugh, I'm sorry that cough is still hanging on! Sure hope some of those remedies work eventually, though I think Les's suggestion of bourbon is most likely to do the trick. You read lots of good book... when will I get to Olive, Again? The City Nature Challenge sounds wonderful. And hooray for library curbside service and food from the garden! Hope you have a good week :)

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    1. I can't wait to try a little bourbon. And right now we have carry-out alcohol in Texas! You can get a margarita to-go. I haven't done that yet. I'm waiting to get off the antibiotics.

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  23. I hope your cough gets better soon! That flu book sounds like my kind of nonfiction. I love the medical stuff. Have a great week!

    Aj @ Read All The Things!

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    1. You should look for it. It calmed me down, for some reason. I found it on Overdrive.

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  24. I'm glad you're feeling better but hope the cough goes away soon. That lingering cough is such a pain and it always seems to drag on forever. Our library is opening for curbside too and I'm so excited. They're doing grab bags of 10 books of a particular genre in addition to picking up holds which I'm looking forward to trying out. I love the sound of the nature exploring. Have a great week!

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  25. that pasta sure looks good; and the city nature hunt sounds interesting.. and hope you recover fully from your cough soon
    and your reading from last week - pretty cool set of books!

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    1. I have high hopes for this new, strong antibiotic. Definitely coughing less.

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  26. so sorry to hear all those amazing remedies didn't do it!! The nature challenge sounds fun!

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    1. The nature challenge was great fun. I thank you for sharing your remedy. Perhaps if I had started it earlier...

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  27. Oh, I LOVED "Devotions!" It is probably my favorite poetry collection.

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    1. It is the first Mary Oliver book I've read, and, I agree, it's marvelous.

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  28. Library curbside service?? That's such a great idea! Now if only my library could do that...

    RealLifeReading

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  29. Our public library is opening for curbside pick up this week too. I have enough books on site to read for years already. I envy you for your garden produce. We are still too cool to plant anything even though last week was pleasant. Come see my week here. Happy reading!

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  30. Deb, in case you didn't ask Blogger to let you know when others commented on my blog in response to the comment you left. I understand and am feeling it, too.
    https://bonniesbooks.blogspot.com/2020/05/two-activities-snacking-and-coloring.html

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    1. I should have said specifically that I replied to your comment with a couple of links you may want to read. Click on the link I left earlier today.

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  31. I am impressed you are working through "War and Peace". What an epic. I never dared but listened to the full ten part BBC version a couple of years ago. I hope your cough gets better soon. I suspect you have enough remedies for it ๐Ÿ˜ Happy Wednesday despite everything! ๐Ÿ™‹‍♀️๐Ÿ

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