Orchids and the Constant Cough

These Cymbidium Orchids bloom right about now in Maine.  In the winter.  I have a few plants that were given to me by an orchid enthusiast who occasionally looks to "downsize" his collection.  This summer he mentioned that if the plants he still has "don't produce flowers" he is just getting rid of all of them.  On my last visit to the library in Town, I noticed a large, multi flowering pot of these.  So, I guess he will be keeping the orchids.

My Cymbidiums are up in the upstairs bathtub---doing nothing.  They set no flowering shoots this year.  In fact, it's been a few years since mine did much of anything.  I have one white one and the rest are pink.  Well, they would be if they bloomed.  They are making nice green leaves.

I had a follow up visit to my regular doctor this week.  Still coughing.  Did any of you know that a unproductive cough is a sign of asthma?  I didn't.  And for the months and months I have suffered with this cough-- and my doctor failed to add up 2 plus 2.  Now I have an asthma inhaler to go with my rescue inhaler.  One is for regular asthma and the rescue for reactive asthma brought on by cold air, shoveling snow, breathing woodsmoke. The cough has lessened and the wheezing is gone.  But now I am dizzy and feel like I have the "flu".  You know--that slightly odd drifty feeling the flu brings with it.  If I move my head too quickly--well, I shouldn't do that. I don't do well with new medicines.

I went onto a Lyme disease website last night and found a list of "managing the disease" issues.  Included was breathlessness "air hunger", unexplained chronic cough, unexplained sudden weight gain, off balance "tippy" feeling (this is exactly how I described it in my journal), word search, name block (I think I mentioned this in a post, not being able to remember names of people or things?), constant ringing in ears.  All of this began a few weeks after my three weeks of Lyme treatment pills ended.

I mentioned all of this to my doctor but she just isn't interested and she feels the 3 weeks of pills took care of it.  Period.  Yes, I know--get a new doctor.  But Lyme's isn't something doctors feel comfortable treating.  And, if it's gone on for a long time, it isn't even treatable anymore, people are just damaged.  My carpenter has a brother with Lyme's disease. And he can't work anymore because a carpenter has to be able to remember the measurement as he goes from the window (as an example) to the saw to cut the trim or sash.  He gets to the saw and has no idea why he's there.

I made overnight raised yeast waffles for yesterday's breakfast.  I would give them a B.  I would add more flour to the mix and use the preferred evaporated milk instead of the combination of heavy cream (what I had in the fridge) and milk.  We loved Waffle House Waffles when we lived in Georgia. These are like them. When I work them up to a solid A, I will share the recipe.

I am reading the second of the books written by Jorgen Brekke, Breathless.  I had to order the first Where Monsters Dwell so I could read them in order.   The setting is Norwegian. Dark, cold, brooding and quite bloody.  On Netflix I am three episodes into Hinterlands.  Wales.  Dark, wet brooding.  On regular television we are 4 episodes into The Bastard Executioner.  Medieval, dark, brooding and very very bloody.  It's a theme.   In-between, while waiting for the first of the Brekke books--I re-read a lovely little love story--Becoming Finola.  Connie you would like it.  Ireland.

In March, the Americans are back as is Orphan Black.

I made myself a wonderful salad for a late lunch yesterday (to even out a day which began with waffles).  I used my after-Christmas purchased Spiralizer to cut curly strings of carrot.  Do you have any idea how amazingly more delicious a carrot can be when it is presented in a tangle of curls? I didn't and now I will never eat them cut any other way.