Journey of Joy battles the Crazy Flu Brain – Creating the Land of After

Days Three, Four, Five of my Journey of Joy. ( Hint: An enchanted letter is uncovered from 56 years ago)

This flu bug truly has given me a weird and crazy flu brain.

Take the last few days, for example. I have had moments of clarity and moments when the world seemed surreal.

How in the heck does one find joy while the world is spinning, the body is aching and the bathroom is your best friend?

I even wondered if this flu made anyone else feel so strange or was it only me?

I am surrounded by trees and trees and trees.

I have absolutely no desire to see anyone when I am ill.

It is easy to hide out from civilization when you live deep in the forest like I do. True, I need to assure city folks that I am not a troll the first time they trudge up my hill.

Luckily since I have had flu brain most people have left me alone. That’s a good thing. The way I’ve looked I might not be so convincing abut the troll thing.

The sun came out and begged me to walk my land.

Hiding out has been perfect for me, but even I get cabin fever.

It had drizzled for days, so when the sun came out one afternoon it begged me to walk outside. I put on my cap ( to hide my hair) and walked a little ways.

Admittedly walking did help a bit . . . all 100 steps.

I scared myself when I looked in the mirror.

Back inside I kept my cap on. It was not my only effort to disguise the ravage. I stayed away from the mirrors in my house, afraid of what I would see.

Once I accidentally had an encounter with the mirrored menace. I scared myself.

I started laughing after a bit. Oh my, I looked hideous.

Photos of summer fun are always fun to look at.

The flu lingered on into the next day. I woke up determined to feel better and try to find some JOY.

I went through old photos of happy, healthy, playful times with my grandchildren Willa and Nico.

I smiled at this one of us making play dough cupcakes. We played baker and customer. We sprinkled play dough sprinkles on pretend brownies.

It made me yearn for summer and feeling better. It made me yearn to hug my grandchildren, even if all children are walking petri dishes waiting to infect adults.

Every child and child-like adult needs to blow bubbles.

I looked at more photos of them blowing bubble stuff and I smiled even more.

Then the flu wave hit again and I crawled back to bed. This time, though, the dreams were of play dough and blowing bubble stuff.

Splashes of color and multiple canvases to paint equal DELIGHT.

That afternoon when I awoke I started four paintings and three drawings. Every splash of color, even the ones dripping on my slippers, made me feel giddy.

No, not sick giddy but almost . . . almost joyous giddy.

Then a new wave of the flu rolled in. Well, maybe the painting giddiness was a little fever inspired.

When you start licking salt of a cracker you now you need salt!

I slept. I drank water. I tried ginger ale.

I even ate soda crackers. Now normally I think soda crackers taste like salty nothing turning into salty mush. This time it tasted sooo good. I mean really good.

“Are you possibly craving salt, mom?” my oldest son asked. I raised smart sons.

He was right. I needed electrolytes. Luckily I had some packets from being in the tropics. I filled up bottles of water and poured in the packets. Ahhh, better.

THEN . . .