The Gift That Kept on Giving

 Our great outing today was a trip to the local grocery store, where we discovered "Giant Watermelons."  SK laughed all the way to the checkout, and even chuckled about it on the way home.  Of course he had to take pictures.  



It is about the size of a small soccer ball and looks much larger in the picture even than it is.

We had a lovely planning meeting with our YSW reps this evening.  Kristina is a brilliant math student working on her PhD.  She is very sensible as you might imagine, looking at everything with logic and common sense.  She is lovely and has a delightful laugh.  She speaks beautiful proper English and is trying to help me with my pronunciations....slow going!  Harry (Americans pronounce this name Hairy, rhyming with Berry, but Brits make it sound so much classier - the H is softer, the a is pronounced like the a in lard, and the r is said way to the back of your throat.) is a handsome young man recently returned from a mission in Russia and now neck deep in studies.  He is outgoing and cheerful.

We planned some things for December - all contingent upon whether or not the lockdown will actually end on December 2, and whether or not we will be able to meet in groups again.  We talked about Family Home Evenings and Institute and trying to keep tabs on all the YSAs.

I've battling migraine headaches for the last 3 days, with last night and today being the worst yet.  I couldn't take my usual mix of Tylenol and Imitrex because I'm trying not to.  As I was trying to sleep last night I tried to think of what I had eaten over the past three days that would trigger such a long-lasting and strong headache.  There was nothing that I had eaten every day.

Towards morning, I realized the one real difference in those days was a gift from the manager of a grocer store we walked to Monday.  We were standing at the checkout, and she came up to me and asked if I like lilies.  When I replied yes, she handed me a bouquet.  One had blossomed, and the others were getting close.  I looked online and sure enough lilies can trigger migraines.  The fragrance had filled this tiny apartment as other buds blossomed, and the pistil or center were full of tiny red powdery filaments that were dropping on the table.  I got right up and put them in a plastic garbage sack and put them out by the front door.

I've had a lingering headache all day, but it is finally easing.  If its gone tomorrow morning, I'll know to never again get close to that beautiful but noxious flower.



Comments

Erin said…
How interesting! I dislike the way lilies smell so much so that I will rarely buy them despite their being so beautiful. I hope that is indeed the culprit!
November 20, 2020 at 12:30 AM
melissa said…
Sorry about your headache!!! Lovely gift, but you scents are a big trigger for me, too.
November 21, 2020 at 8:00 AM
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