Beauty Among The Thorns

Yesterday I went with a fellow scrapbooker to this beautiful patch of bluebonnets. We wanted to take some pictures while the flowers were still lush and at their prettiest. Little did we know that bluebonnets wouldn't be the only things out in that field.

I've lived in Texas my entire life and I know that in fields of wildflowers there are usually bugs, stickers, and weeds. I'm not sure what made me think wearing flip flops out there was going to be a good idea. It might have been the fact that I was running late or it was just a few degrees shy of 100 yesterday, but whatever the reason, I was wearing flip flops.

As soon as I took three steps into the field, I had stickers covering my shoes, the bottom of my jeans, and in my feet. And these weren't you garden variety stickers. Oh no...these are the big boys of stickers. The kind that stay when they prick your skin. The kind that the needles break off from the center when you try to remove it so you're left with splinters. I finally managed to get them out of my jeans. Then my friend tells me to sit down on the ground so she can take my picture. At this point I'm questioning the smartness of that command. "I don't think so A." "Okay...then squat or kneel. I'll snap fast." So down on one knee I go. My right knee to be precise. (This will be important later.) I can feel stickers sinking through my jeans and into my flesh. Needless to say, there aren't too many pictures of me kneeling in the field.

Anyhow, I traded places with her. Her family trots out into the field and squats down (owie doesn't even describe the pain) and I snap a few pictures. We agree that the bluebonnets are beautiful but we're ready to go. After taking a few minutes to get the final sticker splinters out of the knee of my jeans I got in my car, waved goodbye, and drove off. I'd gone about three miles when my knee started to feel like it was on fire. I rubbed with my palm and didn't really feel any splinters but I thought there might be a few inside so I quit rubbing them and just drove.

Here is the turning point...where my day went from good to horrible in the space of about 20 minutes. I had to drop some film off to be developed, get gas, and then go home. All the while, my knee is still burning and itching like crazy. I pulled into the drug store's parking lot. I ran in and got the film taken care of. I came back out to my car and decided to take a look at my knee. I rolled my jeans up to my knee and to my surprise my knee looks like I've just been bitten by 100 fire ants. I have red swollen whelps forming all over my knee. It's red and warm to the touch and did I mention it itched? I'm having a major allergic reaction. I should have known what it was. I'm allergic to anything remotely related to the outdoors. I get two allergy shots twice a week...that is four shots a week. What made me think getting down in the grass was a good idea? Okay, I decided to just go home and take some Benadryl and put a cool washcloth on my knee.

Problem...the car won't start. I figured I had just pushed it too far on E. So, I whipped out my trusty cell phone and dialed home. No answer. I called my mom's cell and asked why they weren't answering the house phone. They weren't at home but out of town at the lake. Great. It'll take them about 45 minutes to get to me. So, can you picture this....I'm tired, got sticker splinters in my pants, having an allergic reaction, and now I need to just sit tight for about an hour. I wasn't a happy camper. Tears were threatening.

Well, my parents finally come to the rescue. My dad shows me the finer points of blowing and sucking to get the gas out of the can and into my car. Let's just say I'm a AAA kind of girl. I'm never going to suck gas out of a can and into my car. (Yes I know what saying never means but I'm paid up for AAA so I feel fairly secure in my neverness.) Well, the car still doesn't start. Long story short...dead battery.

About 9:45pm everyone gets home and we finally sit down to eat dinner. Yesterday evening wasn't my best. And to think it all started with me just wanting a few pictures of these blue babies.