I developed an angry rash on my forearm this week. I had no idea what it was from and I didn’t have any hydrocortisone cream on hand, it is just another item that I have discovered that I’m without since I am not living in my camper. I was told that it is from a browntail moth caterpillar which is an invasive species found in some New England areas. The caterpillars have tiny poisonous hairs that can cause a red, itchy rash similar to poison ivy. Evidently, they fall from the trees while you are hiking and most of the time you don’t realize that they have even touched your skin until after the fact. Since I didn’t have anything topical to apply, I took an antihistamine and it seemed to help. The rash is healing without any complications.
I had the opportunity to visit Mt. Hope Cemetery this week. If you are a Stephen King fan, you may know the place as the location where Pet Sematary was filmed. It was for this reason that I was a little uncomfortable about visiting it. But I am glad that I did. It is a beautiful, serene place and is so much more than belonging to a film scene. It is actually one of the first American Garden Cemeteries. I had not heard of the concept but they were crafted to serve as a haven for the living as well as a final resting-place for the deceased (such a fascinating concept). The grounds are beautiful with hills, streams, trees and flowers. They were actually considered some of the first urban parks.
I don’t have a washer and dryer in my apartment unit. There is one available on-site, but the dryer does not work (sad face). Every time I do laundry I have an apartment full of wet clothes on hangers (which happens to be right now). Thankfully scrubs dry quickly, but I will need to find a laundry mat in town to wash towels and bed linens.
My husband made a trip back to Texas for a few weeks and I am so glad because my Granny fell yesterday. She lives independently in an apartment and was alone when it happened. These are the times that make it so difficult to be over 2,000 miles from home. My husband rushed to the hospital to meet the ambulance and be with her. THIS (among many other things) is why he is one of my favorite people on earth. She is my Granny, but sometimes I think he loves her even more than I do (if that was possible). Knowing that he and the rest of my family were able to be quickly at her side is reassuring when I feel so helpless. She was air lifted to a higher level of care due to some internal bleeding, but I am so grateful to report that she is doing much better today.
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