A Prettier Side of Allergies

Living in Kansas, I never understood allergies. For people who did suffer from them, I couldn't sympathize because I didn't know. You have allergies? That's too bad. I had no clue what I was talking about. Subconciously, I used to associate allergies with being unhealthy. What we don't know, we just don't know and life goes on.

But life in Tennessee has been an eye opener (and nose drainer!). My first year here, I thought it was strange that I had a cold all summer. I couldn't understand it. The second year, I decided to investigate this year-long cold. After internet searches on my symptoms, it was obvious.

Enter: Allergies.

Though the older I get, the more I realize how much I don't know. So just in case I was wrong, perhaps I didn't have a case of allergies, I went to seek "professional" knowledge from a doctor.



Just what I'm allergic to, they couldn't say. But for sure, it was allergies--which could lead to a sinus infection, bronchitis, and some other labels. Yes, I paid to have a man with some important initials after his name tell me what I'd already discovered on the internet for free. I had allergies. And all these other illnesses that I didn't have, "watch out because you could get them. And if you do, come back to see me!" Right. I'm sure I'll do just that.

Growing up, a stuffy nose, sore throat or fever was not only the symptom, but was the illness too. There was no guessing about it; none of this "it could be..." No, no. It was simple. However, throw allergies into the mix, and there's no telling! With allergies, your eyes and nose itch, you're sneezing uncontrollably, the inside of your nose begins swelling so you can't breathe, your nose has suddenly become a factory for producing a nonstop supply of mucus, and if that's not bad enough, all of that often leads to infections.

In the beginning, this allergy thing was so unusual that I literally felt sick all the time. I'd never been so acutely aware that my nose was playing any significant part in my life. It used to be just a nose--one that was a little too short and piggy for my liking. But all of a sudden, it felt like that's all that was there! I was one big stuffy nose. However, going on four years now, I hardly notice that I can't breathe through it. What at first felt like, "I'll never be able to sing again!" now feels like, "What wheezy noise? That's just how I sound."


I was talking with my brother-in-law and he suggested one reason Tennessee has so many people with allergies is because of it's landscaping. Just about everything grows here. That's pollen on top of pollen! We have SO MANY flowering trees, shrubs, weeds, flowers, etc. And I think he's right. Though, it does make me wonder why some people (like my healthy husband) don't have allergies or just make it look easy....

Despite how my nose and other parts react to the pollen, there is a prettier side to this. And that is being able to enjoy the buddings and flowers of Spring! Here are a few pictures from around the house.

 The regular roses (as in, not "knock out roses") have opened up.

I've got some marigolds and petunias started at the end of the driveway.

The lone Iris. My neighbor had dug up all her iris to get rid of them and last minute, she thought of me. After transplanting iris, you're supposed to cut them back--which I did. That means you most likely won't get any flowers till the following year. Surprise, surprise, we had ONE pop up. What a nice treat!

More marigolds in our windowboxes. They've always turned out nice before--and their clour is so vibrant! 

Last year, we planted a clematis at our mailbox. It comes back every year. This year, it's grown twice as large with double the buds on it! For about 4 weeks the plant had buds on it. The first week we noticed the buds, I told Sam, "they'll probably open next week." Nope. The week after I said, "surely they'll open in the next few days." Nope. Finally I said, "They may never open!" And two weeks later, they've burst open, decorating our mail box very nicely!
I've decided that I agree with the common belief: the more you watch your flowers grow, the slower they grow.

I bought these petunias last year in the middle of summer for 25 cents. Petunias are annuals, so they look pretty for one season and then, you have to buy more the next year. Well, these ones came back! And they're already twice as large as they were last year. For 25 cents, what a deal!

As you may know (or guessed), we enjoy working on our home (inside and out). We find it very rewarding!

So I don't know that I would go as far to say that "allergies are worth it"--that's pushing it. But to my fellow allergy sufferers, here's a post to help you look at the prettier side to allergies. And to those of you with dust allergies...I got nothing for ya.