----------------------------photo by Elaine Russell ( store: Que Chula )

I have always had bad allergies. They came to a head when I was about 16years old, and would often lead to asthma attacks andmy face swelling beyond recognition. That same year, I was taken to an allergy specialist.. and back in those days.. they would literally scratch your skin with a needle in a circle about the size of a bigger pencil eraser, and apply serum with the allergen in it and see if you react. I got 160 scratches done in one day. I quit breathing. When all was said and done, they said I was allergic to 158 out of the 160 things they had tested me on, and they assumed I was "safe" with gerbils and goats... except that I had quit breathing before the testing was finished. so -- who really knows about the gerbils and goats....
I then took allergy shots, one in each --arm every week, for 8 years. In retrospect, they helped the first year, and that was about it.
The, for the following years, I tried every over the counter med, drops, inhalers, sprays, etc that there is. I then tried every homeopathic remedy under the sun. Mostly, accupuncture works for me.
That said... yesterday I had a pretty impressive allergy attack. I still am having it today. The only thing I can think of that may have triggered it, was that I was near a woman who was wearing perfume. .. and while she smelled good... my body reacted.

My daughter was commenting about me having to "live in a bubble." I am old enough to remember a fairly bad movie with a very young John Travolta playing "the Boy in the Plastic Bubble".... or some such. It was not a pleasant experience for him; and I don't think it would be one for me. I love being outdoors.... I just have to be a little careful. Heck.. I have to be careful indoors.. in the desert... in winter. Ah well.
It just makes me appreciate things more.

The photo above was one I took *(with permission) from the owners of Que Chula.. a local store that features alot of cool stuff from Mexico.