A weekend of plants, stitches, and sunshine

I feel gross. I haven’t been able to wash my hair in five days (I’m a three day wash gal), there’s sweat and blood crusted in my hair, and I have a bad sunburn on my back. But at least I got to play in the dirt. 

 

Jack and I drove to the auto store Saturday morning to get an oil filter so he could change the oil in my car. After we were done, he turned to me and asked, “Do you want to go on an adventure?” My answer to that question will always be a resounding yes. Who doesn’t love an adventure? 

 

So off we went, pulling up shortly after to one of the greatest places: the garden center. This man knows me so well–I was practically giddy as I strolled down every aisle with him in tow. Halfway through, I decided I was indeed going to walk away with at least one plant in hand, although I had told myself going in that I should consider restraint.

 

 I was struggling to decide which plant to get when Jack mentioned some pretty ones he had seen in the front. I was honestly surprised he wanted to have an opinion on what plant we got, so we picked out two from the front and another one we came across on our way to the checkout. All three of the plants were colorful, as we both agreed the many succulents in our apartment would benefit from the company of some vibrant color. 

 

Needless to say, I got to spend an enjoyable afternoon in the sun working on repotting plants while nearby Jack changed the oil in my car. Hence the sunburn. 

 

As for the sweaty and bloody hair, that’s a whole other matter. You see, I have a number of cysts on my head. They are small and benign, and a blessing from the genetics of my mother. I get them removed once they become large or annoying. Or like the one on my hairline in the middle of my head, painful after a few hours of wearing my headphones. 

 

I found a dermatologist who could remove two of them, so I immediately agreed and there I was last Friday, lying on the table as I was numbed, cut open, and stitched up. 

 

It’s not my first time getting a cyst removed, nor will it be my last, but this one was definitely different. I’ve never had aftercare instructions like this. I’ve had two large bandages pinned to my hair for almost two days now as I can’t touch them or remove them for 48 hours. Then I can finally wash my hair with gentle soap and reapply new bandages for ten days until I can finally take out the stitches. 

 

It just seems so extra. When I’ve had them removed before, they stitch me up, clean me up, and send me off with no care instructions other than when I could take the stitches out. One place even let me take my cyst home in a little cup. 

 

What I guess I’m trying to say is that I’ve been doing things both fun and unnecessary. But what isn’t life without the fun and the unnecessary? I keep talking about adding whimsy to my life, and you all will be proud to know that I did that. With my new plants, I went thrifting and bought a bunch of different little plates to act as drip catchers for the pots. Each plate is unique and different, adding fun and whimsy to the apartment. It's just the best. 

 

My Determination: “Don't let anyone make you feel like you don't deserve what you want.”

― David Levithan, Ten Things I Hate about You