La versión en español está después de la versión en inglés.
Well, I spoke too soon. The cold is a malingerer. It of course gets worse at night, but I’m grateful that within minutes of my lying down the symptoms clear and I can breathe freely. It gives me a headache, and it limits my activity. As our English niece Sara would say, “It’s so annoying.”
Do you breathe songs in and out through your lips while performing other tasks? My father always did. San Geraldo and I both do it, too. Although it can be somewhat soothing, I notice it can escalate my level of anxiety when I do it for too long (hyperventilating). The odd thing about it that I only just realized is the song I always hyperventilate to. “It’s a Beautiful Morning” by The Rascals. Every single time. Where in my depressive, anxiety laden mind does that come from?
Today, we’re taking a walk (in photos) around the Garden of the Poets which I just learned includes the Wall Park. The old wall is called the Wall of the Marrubial which, in case you’re wondering (I was), describes a piece of land covered with marrubios (horehound). I haven’t noticed any horehound in the gardens, but maybe they’ll plant some. I can’t wait to see the results of the transformation.
I forgot to mention yesterday, when Álvaro and Maripili (short for María Pilar) picked up the cat tree yesterday, they arrived with a tray of goodies for us to enjoy. I’m not consuming sugary treats anymore, but I have to be polite, haven’t I? There were two differently prepared torrijas (click here); six squares of leche frita (fried milk) which is a fried custard dessert from the north of Spain; and a torta de cabello de angel (angel’s hair cake). Angel’s hair is a transparent threaded jam made from Siam pumpkin. Oh my goddess, were they ever delicious! But we’re not gluttons. We shared four of the leche frita with Merchi.
Bueno, hablé demasiado pronto. El resfriado es un simulador. Claro que empeora por la noche, pero agradezco que a los pocos minutos de acostarme los síntomas desaparezcan y pueda respirar libremente. Me da dolor de cabeza y limita mi actividad. Como diría nuestra sobrina inglesa Sara, “Es tan molesto”
¿Inhalas y exhalas canciones a través de tus labios mientras realizas otras tareas? Mi padre siempre lo hacía. San Geraldo y yo también. Aunque puede ser relajante, noto que aumenta mi ansiedad si lo hago durante mucho tiempo (hiperventilando). Lo curioso, de lo que me acabo de dar cuenta, es la canción con la que siempre hiperventilo: “It’s a Beautiful Morning” de The Rascals. Siempre. ¿De dónde viene eso en mi mente depresiva y ansiosa?
Hoy vamos a dar un paseo (en fotos) por el Jardín de los Poetas, que acabo de descubrir que incluye el Parque de la Muralla. La muralla antigua se llama la Muralla del Marrubial, que, por si te lo preguntas (yo me lo preguntaba), describe un terreno cubierto de marrubios. No he visto ningún marrubio en los jardines, pero quizás planten algunos. Tengo muchas ganas de ver el resultado de la transformación.
Olvidé mencionar ayer que, cuando Álvaro y Maripili (diminutivo de María Pilar) recogieron el rascador para gatos, trajeron una bandeja llena de delicias. Ya no como muchos dulces, pero hay que ser educada, ¿no? Había dos torrijas preparadas de forma diferente; seis cuadraditos de leche frita; y una torta de cabello de ángel. El cabello de ángel es una mermelada transparente con hebras, hecha con calabaza de Siam. ¡Madre mía, qué ricas estaban! Pero no somos glotones. Compartimos cuatro de la leche frita con Merchi.
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Haz clic en las miniaturas para ampliar.
Maybe find a slower song the sing? It is a beautiful morning, cold here, but pretty.
David:
I don’t call this singing. It’s breathing and it’s unconscious. Besides, I think it’s a fairly slow song. It’s the hyperventilating that’s the problem! When I sing, I choose much better!
Beautiful morning here as well…hope you get out to enjoy yours.
Jim:
Nope. I’d rather suffer at home with this annoying cold.
Oh, I would sample ALL those sugary treats! Screw diabetes. That’s what insulin is for!
Debra:
I hope to avoid insulin in my life. But I agree. Sometimes you just have to say Screw diabetes!
I love that song. I loved that group.
It’s so odd that when you lay down your most bothersome symptoms disappear. Is your body trying to tell you something? But oh- yes. You need to get outside too on such beautiful mornings. And then come home and eat fried milk.
By the way- horehound candy is the devil’s candy. It was the only candy my grandfather kept in his house. The man was not a believer in pleasure. It is not surprising he was 1/4 of my genetic heritage.
Ms. Moon
Ms. Moon:
I don’t think I’ve ever had horehound candy and I will sure avoid it now! By the way, I’m whiney and miserable. But don’t tell anyone.
In nursing school they told us that illness often makes people more childlike. And it’s true.
I found that when I lay down I didn’t cough or sneeze with that endless cold. As soon as I got upright, massive symptoms, sneezing coughing congestion. It was very puzzling, the opposite of what I’d expect. It does eventually go away.
The treats were a very fair exchange. Boud
Boud:
I’m so grateful to know this about you being able to lie down, too. I thought that was strange… and I’m feeling a bit hypochondriacal lately. I’m complaining about how long it’s lasted but it’s only been 4 days. Still, I’ll make a quick trip to the pharmacy today to get some help. My mood is circling the drain.
I always have a song (or rhyme) in my head. Always. Sometimes it’s just a snippet that I “play” on a loop and occasionally it does get annoying. This morning on my walk I set out at 6:39 which led to this:
Three, six, nine
the goose drank wine
the monkey chewed tobacco on the street car line
the line broke
the monkey got choked
and they all went to heaven in a little row boat.
*clap* *clap*
Kelly:
Oh, when I’m singing in my head, that’s an old-time favorite. Also, The Name Game!
Shirley, Shirley, bo-birley
Bo-na-na fanna fo-firley
Fee fi mo-mirley
Shirley
Not only do I breathe songs in and out through my lips while performing other tasks, I also dance along when just the melody part is playing in my head. I live in a world of my own. (Shirley)
Shirley:
Very rarely do I start dancing. I know I don’t move like you!
Never heard of The Rascals, nor that song. I had to look them up. They never “crossed the pond”, but one of their songs, How Can I Be Sure was the song that launched the meteoric career of David Cassidy (who was massive in the UK)…
I wonder why all those ponds are dry? Spain had one of the wettest winters for years!
Jx
PS Those snacks look delicious – I’d eat the whole plate…
Jon:
Those water features have drains and they’ve all been cleaned and painted for the renovations. All new plumbing, too. It’s really going to be cool. And a seasonal snail kiosk is just across the street! I have never heard the David Cassidy version of How Can I Be Sure. I love the original!
Take a listen – I posted it as a tribute when the beauteous David departed… Jx
Jon,
Well then I did hear it. Shame on me!
Surprise treats should never be missed, Scoot! The Angel’s hair cake sounds interesting — does the inside look like angel hair pasta?
Sometimes if I’m stressed out, songs will get stuck in my head on a continuous loop. Advertising jingles are annoying, but Strauss waltzes are more soothing (e.g., Blue Danube), LOL!
Tundra Bunny:
The angel hair looks like apricot jam, sort of. Here’s a link that includes a photo of a pastel córdobés filled with angel hair. https://movingwithmitchell.com/2025/03/28/toilets-and-tartas-aseos-y-tartas/
I’ve never heard a waltz… in my head.
The treats sound marvelous!
Oh, I hate getting sick. I worked from home the last 21 years of my corporate job. The isolation really lowered my resistance to colds and flu (but when you work from home, there are no sick days – you just soldier through). BRIEFLY, I sang with a regional Gay Men’s Chorus, and inadvertently, at sometime during rehearsals, someone with the walking plague would come into rehearsal, and I would get knocked on my ass shortly after (twice, I ended up in the ER).
Now retired, I try and get out in a public place every day or so, just to keep my immune systems charged up.
I have similar sinus issues; if I lay down in bed (to watch TV) and before I fire up the CPAP machine (which dries everything out), everything goes into back-flush mode. Makes no never mind if I just spent a day wiping down the walls, changing the linens, etc. same effect. Have no idea…?
Rade:
That bed routine is normally the case for me when I have a cold or flu. This is strange. I take a medication that destroys my immune system. I’m amazed I haven’t been sick more often.
Such wonderful treats!
I don’t know what it means to breathe songs through your lips? But, I really love that Rascals song (sorry to brought out bad feelings for you!).
Judy C:
Don’t worry about me. It didn’t bring out bad feelings, just made me wonder. I love the song and The Rascals. I’ll have to record a song-breathing demonstration for you.
I hyperventilate to whatever song I heard last, so it will SOON be “It’s a Beautiful Morning.”
Kirk:
Fascinating. This one song has been fixed on my lips for as long as I can remember.
Oh
I have a terribly sweet tooth. I’d run through all the candy.
And you know what? It’s a blessing you’re not congested when you lay down.
Love the pics!
XOXO
Sixpence:
Yes! Usually you immediately start coughing and dripping when you lie down. This is a blessing!
I didn’t make it to the Jardin de los Poetes when I was there. I’ll have to come back!
And now I’ve added “It’s a Beautiful Morning” to my iTunes. Thanks for that reminder. 🙂
Steve:
The Jardin de los Poetas was not much to see when you were here. It will be worth seeing when it’s redone.
We resist sweets by not bringing them in the house but how do you resist when they are gifted? Answer…you don’t.
ellen abbott:
Exactly. We had to be polite.