Getting Loose

Urtica Dioica

I had heard of it, but did not know if it really existed or was simply the lore of days gone by.  I had heard of its tea as a good diuretic, which can help to lower blood pressure.  I've even heard of eating contests with it.  But in trying to pull weeds barehanded out by the garage, I got bit so to speak. 

I was trying to pull this weed up by its roots and all of a sudden the intense stinging sensation hit three of my fingers.  I let go and looked around, wondering if some insect had stung me.  There were no stinging insects that I could see.  I looked at the plant I was pulling and it seemed harmless enough.  I looked at my hand and could see a little blood, but man the stinging sensation would not go away.

I went inside to wash my hands, and wondered in my mind if that were a stinging nettle plant.  I had heard of them, but had never seen one as far as I know.  It looked similar to other hairy weeds where I live, and so I really did not give it a second thought.

It apparently gets you by its stinging hairs, whose tips come off when touched, that make the hair become like a needle injecting at least three chemicals into you, one of which is histamine, like in hives.

It tends to be more of an English plant, and that is not found as much in America.

A Burning Issue

   This is the second time I have written this. The first version got lost in a black hole somewhere in TypePad, but, oh, well . . .

   Today at Rotary, we were treated to a look at the Shriners Hospital in Galveston. We got to see a video about their work with burned children. It was gut wrenching to put it mildly. Not only are they probably one of the four hospitals IN THE WORLD to be acknowledged experts in children who are burn victims, but the price for treatment is, get this, absolutely F-R-E-E. Nada. Zilch. Zero. If you try to pay them, they won’t take it. But that is not all, they even provide lodging for family members who are with the burned child for absolutely nothing. No money. No abatement of finance charges, because there are NO CHARGES. Need to be air flighted in from the desert sands of Arizona because the physicians there think that that is what is needed? No problemo. They will fly the child to the hospital gratis. I was shocked to put it mildly.

   It used to be 40 years ago, that if a child was burned on more than 40% of their body, they probably would never make it. Today they can bring kids who have been burned over 97% of the body back from the brink . . . and there is NO CHARGE. Zedth. No dinero. Put your Andy Jacksons, and Ben Franklins back into your wallet. Don’t EVEN try to write a check.

   Let me tell you, maybe those Shriners wear funny hats, maybe they drive weird little cars, maybe they are in collusion with the devil, but my respect for what they do and who they endeavor to help, went up 100%. In fact, I’m going to give them a donation.