" It's Only a Bug "

I despise blood sucking insects. Mosquitoes ,Ticks and Fleas to be exact.
When I lived up north in Chicago , I had never even heard of ticks or fleas. And yes I had dogs when I lived there.






Now I know that there were ticks and fleas up there somewhere but I suppose they weren't as prevalent in the city environment.


Oh the stories I could tell you about my tick experiences after we had moved to Southern Illinois ! There are many but I will only tell you two very memorable ones that I have.


The first one took place when Katie was about three years old. At that time we were renting a house "Down the road a piece" , which you could call country living. I'm a city girl , I don't like country living . Too many blood sucking insects.


We were living on about a half acre of land . Jake was on the riding mower while Ginny was using the push mower . It was all very noisy as Katie and I sat at the picnic table watching . As I was looking at my cute little Katie I noticed something on the back of her leg. Oh my God ! Horror of horrors , it was a tick!
You must understand that looking at a tick makes me sick to my stomach!
Seriously .










I immediately started jumping up and down screaming my head off trying to compete with the very noisy mowers , all the while waving my arms violently. Go ahead and laugh . I don't mind. I'm sure it looked quite hysterical .


Eventually both Jake and Ginny noticed my attempts for their attention and came running over to us , I'm sure in fear of something being terribly wrong. When they found me in tears pointing at Katie , I don't think that helped to calm their fears !
I remember forming the word "Tick" as Ginny started to search Katie's little body. Once Ginny located the little blood sucking insect , she carefully plucked it out.
I ask you , Is this not disgusting ? My Ginny is a brave , brave woman . Actually she was a brave , brave seventeen year old at the time ! As for my husband , well he just walked away shaking his head and I am quite sure that he was laughing at me as well!


My second tick story took place after we had moved into town and I was working at the mall one evening. My daughter-in-law had taken Katie, who was then about five I think, to one of her relatives house in the country. Here we go again, out in the country ! I had gotten off of work about 10:00 p.m. and Amy met me in the mall parking lot to drop Katie off. As soon as I got Katie buckled in the car and was ready to shut the door , Amy says to me " Oh yeah, you might want to check her for ticks real good , the kids were playing in the woods, BYE. " .


Bye, bye, what do you mean bye ! This is what I was thinking as Amy was pulling away. Why do I have to check her for ticks ? I'm only her mother ! So I got into the car and started to feel my child's scalp. This is absolutely ridiculous having to check for blood sucking insects on my child . Amy had her in the woods , Amy should have checked her !


Oh Crap , no ! I felt something, I am feeling nauseous and exhausted from working. What to do , what to do . I am alone now. Jake is gone . Ginny has moved out. Wait a minute ! Ginny has moved out but she only lives a few blocks from my house. That's it, I will drive to Ginny's apartment and make her take it out. No cell phone back then.
So I sped away out of the mall parking lot. And yes I did speed. I was freaked out !


With stop lights and all I was at her apartment within seven minutes. I was just short of hysterical. Poor Katie , I don't even know what she must have thought of her mother then. Probably that her mother is crazy. It's probably why she thinks that her mother is crazy today.


I ripped my child out of her car seat and ran up to Ginny's apartment house door. I rang the door bell incessantly I'm sure. Oh I can see her now as she groggily walks down the stairs to the main door. When she sees that it is Katie and I that woke her , well lets just say she didn't look happy !


My girls and I are speedy talkers. A trait I believe I acquired from living in the city and graciously passed on to them. Feeling sick and hysterical from this disgusting, blood sucking insect that is at that very moment sucking the life out of my child , I explain to Ginny as quickly as I can talk what is going on . Surely she will rush Katie into her sterile bathroom and gently and professionally remove this nauseating creature that is attacking my child.




Well Ginny did let us in . Thank GOD !! But lets just say she was less then happy with me. I remember hearing something about " I can't believe you can't do this yourself", and then she took the tick out and checked her twice all over, per my pleading request!


Katie is old enough now to check for ticks herself. It seems to be no big deal to her. She has even removed them from herself. I have been fortunate enough to never have had one stuck in me. If I sit outside under a tree or when we have been camping, I am continually running my fingers through my hair. And when we have been in the woods or fishing , I wear a hat and I check myself constantly.


I have had to brush one off of me from time to time but have never had one attach itself to me . I don't know what I would do if that happened and I were to be alone . Probably go bang on my neighbors door first and if she weren't there , well I'd most likely die on the spot of a heart attack.


Oh how embarrassing that would be !