Today, an old student of mine came over to help babysit while I did some chores. One of the big things I got done was some gardening on our back patio. It may seem an odd choice of tasks, especially given that I have so much indoors that needs to be done right now. However, my not doing it has made going outside very stressful for me lately, as a I see is an overgrown garden that I have failed to maintain and care for lately. So, once I got several pruning bits done, I felt a physical weight removed from my body. I could breathe much more easily out there again, and I was enjoying the space.
However, given that I was doing so much pruning and for so long, the lantana, which usually bug me a bit, which is why I won’t touch them without gloves, got to me. I realized that my arms didn’t feel great, and so looked down at them. I saw little red spots all over them and kind of started to panic.
I went inside and washed them well with soap and water then called my cousin for guidance on next steps. She reminded me that panic would make the histamines worse, but being calm and cool would help relieve it all. So, I breathed deeply and rubbed ice on my arms for a minute before patting them dry. It took a bit, but everything went away and felt fine again (minus a little scratch I’d gotten, which still hurts a bit as a scratch.)
Nonetheless, despite the panic and the rashy reaction, I feel so good about the plant pruning and weeding that I did today. Our back patio has space again. I pulled out loads of weeds, cleaned up multiple plants, and got most of the stuff I cut or pulled into the fire pit to be burned. (The last two piles didn’t make it, as that was when I discovered the rashes, and it was not a good idea for me to mess with any of it again today, so they’re still sitting out there where I made them.) The basil looks great again. The lantana and Turks caps look great again, too. And the borders all look clean again. I look forward to stepping outside again soon, now. (Just have to beware of the bug pesticides that my husband put down everywhere out there today… need to find out how to proceed safely with all of that. I’ll have to check with my husband on that one.)
Anyway, I didn’t anticipate doing much outside work, but it made for a better time of visiting with the old student while I worked, and it let me be around my husband for a while, though we weren’t working side-by-side or anything. He was doing his stuff outside and I was doing mine. But we got to chat off and on, and we both had overlapping bits with the chickens for a bit, which was extra nice. And neither of us had to manage keeping the baby safe the whole time. Extra extra nice.
Thank you, God, for the blessings of today. Thank you for our daughter and this family you have helped us to make so far. Keep us safe and make us well, please. Keep us together and kind with one another. Make your will our will. In your name, I pray. Amen.
Post-a-day 2025
hannah ananas 