pink eye and peas.

May 30, 2023

I’ve had pink eye, which is an unreasonably rosy name for something decidedly miserable. It coursed through all of my kids and settled in with me and while it was never welcome in the first place, it’s now overstayed in our apartment by nearly two weeks and I’m very ready to send it on its way.

Available brain space for things that have not been cold compresses and hot ones and tea bags of different varieties has been limited, but I do marvel at my ability to focus on the most essential things when time is short and resources scarce.

A short list of things I have found time for: 

Trellising the windowbox peas. 

Sun-bleaching the white towels.

Taking a chopstick and the vacuum hose to the innards of the kitchen radiator.

Spray painting a sidewalk-found outdoor bin.

Hauling home a discarded children’s picnic table. 

Weeding between the pebbles in the front garden.

Sewing a banner that reads L-E-M-O-N-A-D-E.

Sitting on the silver roof in a bathing suit.

Listening to the final chapter of a book I started in October.

Repotting geraniums.

Crying.

Things I haven’t:

Writing my newsletter. 

Writing a blog post.

Writing a letter. 

Writing at all.

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22 Comments

  • Reply Sarah May 30, 2023 at 6:06 pm

    idk, I support your priorities. Online classes started today, which also happens to be my regular day off during the week. So many chores got done. I made two phone calls I’d been putting off. Even completed boring-ass permit renewal videos while updating our budget.

    Did I watch class lectures? Even browse the syllabi? I did not.

    8
    • Reply ERIN BOYLE May 30, 2023 at 6:13 pm

      Excellent!

      2
  • Reply ramona May 30, 2023 at 6:11 pm

    hope you’re feeling better soon

    4
    • Reply ERIN BOYLE May 30, 2023 at 6:13 pm

      Thanks!

      1
      • Reply L May 30, 2023 at 6:35 pm

        By now I hope it’s truly gone. You always amaze me how much you get done . Feel better Erin.

        1
  • Reply Kerry May 30, 2023 at 6:33 pm

    I had pinkeye for 2 weeks in April and felt terrible along with it. Seemed never ending…and then it did end. Hope you get there soon!

    2
    • Reply ERIN BOYLE May 30, 2023 at 6:35 pm

      It’s truly so much worse than I remembered/imagined!

      1
  • Reply Madeleine May 30, 2023 at 7:33 pm

    Pink eye went through our house in December. With the first kid, I was positive, proactive, resilient. By the time it got me me, I just cried. Hoping you are free of it soon.

    4
  • Reply Ellen May 30, 2023 at 7:43 pm

    Pinkeye is Awful. Just Awful. As a reader and writer, it breeds hopeless feelings…you can’t do anything you love! Sincerely hope better days are coming for you.n♥️

    3
  • Reply Denise May 30, 2023 at 9:14 pm

    Wishing you well ♥️

    1
  • Reply Erika May 30, 2023 at 10:23 pm

    The sicknesses this year have seemed never-ending! My family has had impetigo, strep, ear-infections, rashes due to antibiotics- just non-stop since January. So many weeks in my planner just say “so and so sick” or are a scramble of drs appts and dreamy to-do lists that will never be. It’s maddening and I hope you find relief soon.

    3
  • Reply christina May 31, 2023 at 8:28 am

    If it’s still lingering make a tea with eyebright and pour over your eyes a couple of times a day. It’s best to start as soon as you notice it but it should help. Of course, strain the tea and you can use a dropper to put in but usually just pour some over each eye. This was an herbal recipe from Rosemary Gladstar.

    1
    • Reply ERIN BOYLE May 31, 2023 at 12:32 pm

      ha! have made allllll the teas!

      2
    • Reply Michigan June 3, 2023 at 9:57 am

      Sorry to hear! Those little kid bugs suck. But also a very confused Canadian here. Pink eye is so easily treatable (we no longer even need a prescription which is a life saver since we have such a shortage of family doctors here an no one wants to sit for hours in a walk-in clinic). After 24hrs of starting you aren’t contagious so kids can go back to school (adults to work). It never been a big thing. Although treating toddlers is not fun.

      1
      • Reply ERIN BOYLE June 3, 2023 at 1:14 pm

        Most pink eye is viral and not really treatable and can linger for two weeks. A true pain in all the senses!

        1
  • Reply Kathleen May 31, 2023 at 12:56 pm

    Hope you are on the mend and feeling better, or will be soon!

    1
  • Reply Marit May 31, 2023 at 2:03 pm

    Get well soon!!

    1
  • Reply Susie May 31, 2023 at 4:44 pm

    I’m so sorry for you and the whole family, it’s utterly miserable. I’ve found that regularly cleaning my eye lashes and lids with saline on cotton buds really helps keep it at bay. Hope it goes soon!

    1
  • Reply Rachel May 31, 2023 at 9:06 pm

    I had strep twice this year and hand foot and mouth, as well. Thanks day care! Wishing you a speedy recovery. ❤️

    1
  • Reply Auberie June 1, 2023 at 3:00 pm

    I hope you feel better now Erin! I’m also missing the available brain space but hopefully I’ll get there soon.

    1
  • Reply SW June 15, 2023 at 6:13 pm

    Could you share your method for trellising the window box peas? I have a similar setup, and my bamboo poles keep falling over without a tripod to lean into.

    1
    • Reply ERIN BOYLE June 15, 2023 at 6:24 pm

      I just stick the little dowels in the box and coax the sticky tendrils onto them! Not v many plants so doesn’t get too heavy!

      2

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