Happy Birthday Rosie!

Today is Rosie's birthday and clouds are something we can share given we are so far apart so I am sending these to you, lovey, (but I'll keep the sun please, you don't really need more :)

I have been a sadly missing blipper lately and for that I am extremely sorry! Mostly for myself because I can't quite find where I got lost in your journals and know that I have missed out on important events, fascinating realizations, moving quotes and truly exquisite photographs. I don't know how any of you are doing, and though it is oft commented on by blippers it is no less true, that this is a sort of neighborhood and I feel as though I fell down my well!

Truth is I have been sick. First, 2 weeks of migraines during which time I had the 2nd of my looong classroom observations and accompanying pre meeting, post meeting, post post debriefing meeting, follow up meeting to debrief the debrief THEN writing my reflections on the discussions from those meetings and how I will alter my practice in the future (change of careers comes to mind) as a result of the insight gained through all the meetings and then have a meeting to discuss my reflection, (written not as in "mirror, mirror..") I am not exaggerating about the number of meetings (before and after work, mind you). By nature, I am only a moderately smiley person and that's a lot of looking pleasant required early in the day! Then I got a touch of some flu. I fancied I was ill. For a few days I slugged in to work, sighed heavily a lot, looked wan and pale. Leaned in doorways, head hanging low, smiling indulgently to those healthy people nearby. Until...
I REALLY got sick! Oh my gosh! It was as if I had swallowed an angry rhino (redundant?). The pain, the violence, the cold sweats! I missed 4 days of work and even wishing I was dead took more effort than I could rally. If this is how Lew felt he handled it far more gracefully than I.

I once saw a grassy square courtyard, about 1/2 of an acre surrounded on all 4 sides by Craftsman style bungalows each with a wrap around porch, stone steps, small gardens with a fruit tree or two front and back that looked out on the green verge shared by all. (Garages in back on the alley ways.) So this is my idea...while I don't mind getting sick every once in a while, it happens, whatever, I decidedly do NOT like being that ill without someone knowing. Started me thinking that though I love living by myself I am thinking that a compound of friends surrounding a large courtyard for volleyball and ice tea sipping sounds just the ticket! Everybody with their own space but shared experiences such as bbq's, chores, parties and shadow times, too. May Day poles to decorate, solstices to observe and eclipses to view, communal dog wash day, think of the Easter egg hunts and egg salad days ahead while welcoming spring into the gardens!
So, what do you think? Anybody in?