A friend reminded me the other day of this experience. If you have a few moments I thought I would share it with you. Working in the medical field gives workers many funny stories to share. Often we will share these experiences, as well as some of our own amusing stories from long ago. This is one of my families maladies, and I must own it.

In today’s world when you have symptoms of illness or problems, and you’re not sure what to do for them, you are able to Google the symptoms and get a response. That was not the case 50 years ago. WebMD did not exist. We absolutely needed to see a doctor.

I can still remember our doctor coming to our house and making a house call. Do any of you remember house calls? His office was just around the corner from our house so he didn’t need to travel far. However, most of the time we would see him in his own office to receive his “wise medical advice”.

We lived in a small house, and my younger sister and I slept together. When she was about 3 or 4 years old, and I was about 7 or 8, our mom asked the doctor about a problem with my sister. One night our mom came into our room to check on my sister. “Because she has been scratching herself,” my mother explained.

I laid there watching as mom held a flashlight and pulled back the sheet. You have to admit, most 7 year olds would find that curious. Mom lifted up my sisters nightgown, and began to shine that flashlight on her backside. 😳😳My eyes must have been open wide because my mom tried to explain, “Dr. Mack said I needed to see if Becky had worms, and they usually come out at night when it’s dark”.

So I ask you, “Would you want to sleep with a sibling who may have worms?” I knew I didn’t. I am not able to remember how long it took, but I know at least a few days went by before I slept with her again.

I was sharing this experience one evening at a gathering of medical staff/coworkers. One person, I’m not quite sure which one, popped up saying,  “Did the worms have on their tuxedos, and were they dancing in the light?” The visual of that comment brought us to tears, we were laughing so hard. Oh how I loved those funny women.

So grandchildren I promise you, “I never have nor ever will use a flashlight and check you for worms. FLASHLIGHTS ARE FOR FLASHLIGHT TAG ONLY at our house.

This is the front area of our yard. We decided we didn’t want to have grass, so we planted trees, shrubs, and flowers instead. Living in a desert in the west makes it important to conserve water. This type of landscape uses much less water than traditional landscapes of grass. Wouldn’t you enjoy sitting in the patio area to the left and having a cup of tea?

PEACEFUL EASY FEELING

The little tree on the left is a Redbud I started from a seed 10 years ago. Shows a little bit of optimism on my part, don’t you think? It’s one of my babies.  Most of our plantings are native or drought tolerant since we are living in the desert. The Redbud is not native nor drought tolerant, but we planted it close to the house so I can give it an extra drink when needed. My goal was to provide some shade for the patio, and I think this next year we will finally have some shade. This is my favorite place to sit in the early mornings during warmer weather. Sipping my tea, and watching the wildlife, gives me a “peaceful easy feeling”. I love The Eagles  (both the birds and the group)😍😍. The hummingbirds love the Agustache I planted, and are not too afraid of me now. The plants look a little wilted in this picture because winter has almost arrived. I often don’t prune things back until Spring.

National Wildlife Federation    www.nwf.org

Oh, and I forgot to tell you, our yard has been certified by the National Wildlife Federation  as a “Backyard Habitat”. We have tons of birds, bees, and butterflies. This year the quail seem to have taken over the backyard. One day we counted 32 wandering around. You would get a kick out of the little babies in the spring. You can get your yard certified too. It’s so easy to get the certification. Go to their website.