Call Me a Dreamer

I hope all of my American friends and readers had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. Thanksgiving day was great for me and my family, with a wonderful home-cooked vegetarian meal. Our home is turkey-friendly. :-)

Friday morning, however, I woke coughing, as the nasty virus/flu/what-have-you that has plagued me since at least the last week in October returned, this time as a bacterial infection. Monday, tired of coughing so hard it was hard to catch my breath during an attack, I dragged myself in to the medical clinic, where I was diagnosed with bronchitis and put on powerful antibiotics. I'm not completely well, yet, but definitely feeling much better.

Also on Monday, I received a package in the mail. Last week, based on a mention by a LiveJournal friend, asakiyume, I ordered some Soliga Forest Honey from Himalaya Herbal Healthcare. Also, what with my cough, and all, I ordered some Koflet lozenges.

Here's what arrived:


You'll notice that they added something--a tube of Himalaya lip care--as a free gift.

The first thing I did was to take a cough drop and make some herbal tea sweetened with honey.



The cough drops have a bit of bite. I really like them. The honey is very dark and thick. It has a very complex flavor, a bit tart, which makes regular honey seem over-sweet in comparison. The lip care is fabulous, probably the best of any I've tried, with a coconut oil base, plus sesame seed oil, cocoa butter, and other natural ingredients. It was badly needed, as my lips were quite chapped, so it was a very welcome gift.

I just posted a short note on Goodreads.
The Annotated Wizard of Oz (Centennial Edition) by L. Frank Baum




I found this book on the library shelves when I was in El Paso this summer. I was really enjoying it, but my schedule while there made my progress slow and I haven't yet had the time (work) and energy (illness) to see if it's available in the Tucson library. I definitely hope to finish this book, as I found it to be a fascinating glimpse into Baum's life and writings that went far beyond other biographical essays I've read about him. I also appreciated the insight into the different artists and into publishing during that era.



View all my reviews


Also, in other news, I'm very happy to say that I'll be returning to the Pima Community College West Campus Learning Center as a part-time staff member and tutor. I'll be starting Monday afternoon

The paperwork is all signed and I've had the big tour, so I can finally mention that I have a new technical writing position. I'll be working on contract with CTG, as a Senior Information Developer for IBM. I expect to be very busy with this position, but I hope to be able to continue tutoring students at the PCC West Campus Learning Center, although I will be able to put in many fewer hours than I have been. This position will have many challenges and opportunities for growth, as in addition to the products I must learn to understand, I will be working with new software tools in a very fast-paced environment—from home! It's all very exciting.