I haven’t meant to ignore you. I’ve been traveling this past week.

The things to be jealous of – personal things that needed attending to:

• Driving a long, zig-zagging route up to the northern border of Utah with severe hives on my hiney and about eighty percent of the rest of my body (see below…I know you’re jealous)
  
• My father’s 75th birthday
• Laughter with siblings
• Time spent with my two youngest
• Conversations with Elyse and Larson (my two youngest) that I wouldn’t trade for the world
• Listening to wonderful music performed by my brother-in-law and nephews in the coziness of my sister’s living room (I’ll be posting You-Tube videos later this week – yes, they are THAT good. And I’m not just a proud relative)

Regarding the mysterious allergic reaction (from day one of the trip) that resulted in hives/welts covering most of my body (privy parts included…ouch!):

There were lots of tears.

I rarely get sick, so this was an entirely new experience for me. In the house I grew up, heavy medication meant ibuprofen. And the biggest allergic reaction I’ve had to anything previously was a bit of congestion from drinking too much milk.

I have had friends stricken with severe allergic reactions, but could never empathize simply because I had no reference point.

I do now.

The welts have reduced and subsided in severity about fifty percent thanks to an insta-care visit on Saturday that procured me a Prednisone prescription. The doctor’s parting words to me as I walked out of the exam room and into a central open space of nurses and other patients, “Good luck with your mystery rash. At least it’s not contagious.”

Stick with me. Daily Hot! Quotes (plus a few other goodies) resume tomorrow.