I don't know how, why, when, what or if anything particular made me fall in love with Mother Nature but I remember being entranced by no matter what she presented me with whether it was New York snowstorms, Florida's hurricanes, California earthquakes, Tennessee tornadoes or roses in our Bronx front yard blooming or the white peonies in Lake Hiawatha spreading their perfume over Nokomis Avenue. I still remember my first trip to Miami, getting off the train and being greeted by rows and rows of Birds of Paradise!


Over the years I have had dogs starting with Butch in Pelham Parkway to having 50-gallon saltwater fish tanks in my Memphis office and 25 gallon freshwater fish tanks to at one time having 23 birds---budgies, cockatiels and finches (no one told me they were 'worse' than rabbits when it came to breeding!) who had free reign of my apartment.


Maybe it was after years of smoking 2-3 packs of cigarettes a day for 30 years but all of a sudden I couldn't have dogs because their hair affected my breathing just as I had to get rid of my 23 birds because of their dander. Without any pets around I started my indoor gardens growing flowers, vegetables and enjoying each bloom. The pictures above I took 2 days ago with peppers growing, geraniums blooming and the 'holiday' cactus (upper right) blooming for Ramadam!!!


Long story short--I have had breathing problems for the past 6 months and, yesterday, finally, I was diagnosed with Nocardiosis which is caused by dirt, soil, earth dust--if you want to gain some knowledge just download google and/or Wikipedia--this is just a couple of lines from the latter: " The Nocardia bacteria are found in soil around the world. People contract this disease by either inhaling contaminated dust or if soil containing Nocardia bacteria gets into an open wound.[" Without pointing fingers, I have been using bags of soil from the same company for decades and I just hope that wasn't the cause of it.


I am starting to take 6 tablets a day--and they are horse-size tablets--of Sulfamethoxazole and may have to take them for 6 months to a year if not longer and first have to see if they will even work!



Do I have to get rid of the plants? I think I know the answer to that but don't want to ask my doctor---yet!


Okay, Mother Nature what did I do to you? I've always praised you, posted pictures of you in all your glory, told people that no way could they be bored with all the pictures you made every day of the year--why after taking my dogs, birds, fish from you are you taking my plants?!?!? WHY???