The Circus, The Monkeys, The Ringmaster.

 The Circus, The Monkeys, The Ringmaster.

 

Whenever the old woman gets a little bit flustered or otherwise concerned about things, my sweet girl has this refrain that she pulls out: “Mom, not your circus, not your monkeys!” Of course, that is probably more factual than anything that comes across my mind when something is bothering me, but it seems like there is a limit to my ability to ignore some situations. Maybe a good night’s sleep will give me a better outlook. Maybe God will provide a better answer to my concern or thoughts about how to remove a problem.

 

Well, here it is after midnight on another day. Have killed another spider in my bedroom after seeing it climbing the wall. REALLY do not care much to share the inside of my house with long legged creepy spiders. The little black furry jumping spiders don’t really scare me, but the ones that look more like the brown recluse things that can really cause damage are just about enough to make me want to jump and stomp! Patty said the Arrow man should be here this Thursday to do her house, so we will see if he plans on coming up my way as well. She wants to get our houses on the same schedule to save him from making two trips.

 

We have not had fireworks tonight. Last night and the night before we had plenty of booms and bangs, but the police must have caught the ones on this side of the lake because they stopped shortly after midnight. Wish Archer County would not allow the fireworks stands to set up anywhere near our county line!

 

Blake came and cut the grass short enough that it will be drying out soon if we don’t get any more rain. It won’t cost as much to keep the yard looking decent, but it will also be more likely to catch fire if we are not really careful. Seeing all the fires in Utah and across the western states just makes me cringe. And so far, they have lost some firefighters as well. May God bless their families and friends.

 

It seems as if Venezuela is going to be taking quite a while to dig out from under the buildings that have been destroyed in the earthquakes. Even with all the help that is being sent their way, it must feel hopeless to those whose family members are under all those buildings that have collapsed. The few rescues that have been posted online have been encouraging and enough to make a person cry at the same time. One woman wrapped her body around her baby and died protecting the little one. Now the husband has a child to raise without its mother. It makes one feel helpless knowing what kind of problems he will face. May God bless the father and the baby.

 

Looks as if the old woman needs to call the pharmacy at Sam’s again to see if they are sending Thompson’s medicine for his arthritis. The package should already have arrived if they were sending it. Hoping not to have to go to the vets’ office to purchase his pills considering their prices. Sigh.

 

The trash truck will have a heavy load tomorrow when it picks my bin up. Forgot to put my trash out last Friday. Duh. And in the morning Patty said that her bags were going to be heavy. It doesn’t bother me to go down to throw hers in the bin, but she is having considerable trouble just catching her breath lately. Anyway, the walk down there is good for me, and Roxy gets to go out and run around for a bit when my help is needed. Of course, my dogs really resent the fact that they don’t get to go with me to run around down there. Oh well.

 

Started another book on Daniel today. This particular author uses up quite a bit of verbiage to express his disapproval of “modern” habits of dress and hair length. He obviously does not think that women should have short hair or long fingernails. If he were around in these days, he would really have something to concern his strait-laced ideas. Just because the Israelites used only one kind of cloth or clothing styles does not mean that those same styles would work today. That is one of the problems of any age—deciding that what was used in the past by the Israelites does not mean that God would not allow changes in current uses. It reminds me of the Amish all looking alike. How we wear our hair, how we dress, or how closely we might try to follow the laws set down for Israel does not determine any form of righteousness. We are under grace and not the law. Attempting to live with a decent attitude and loving kindness toward others is about the best we can do in a social context, but what is more important is trying to be the kind of person that will find the works that God has already determined for us. Let us attempt to do all we do in love.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

More Thoughts about Wine Skins.

 More Thoughts about Wine Skins.

 

Have thought more about what Sterling said that they were studying in the men’s Bible study. Ok, we can understand the new wine not belonging in old skins and new cloth not working in an old garment. New Christian does not keep the laws of the OT in the same way: not keeping the seven holy days. How about the father being crossways with his son or son-in-law, or the daughter being upset with the mother? Since the new Christians could not attend synagogue services or go to the temple, it made it obvious to others that these people were not honoring God in the manner accepted by the Israelites. As far as the people of Israel were concerned, the folks who were worshipping Jesus Christ were going after false gods. That was one of the things the Israelites had had to battle when settling the land that God gave them. So, of course, these people who were different were not simply misguided; they were abhorred by those who believed in ONE God because they were being baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

 

For years the Jewish people have attempted to keep their children from marrying the goyim—the gentiles. Can you imagine if the parents went with believers in Jesus Christ and the children were trying to stay on the good side of the rabbis? Talk about family strife! It was not enough to have a good lifestyle of kindnesses and uprightness toward others. While the actions of the Christians may have been faultless (not likely), they were still not going to be accepted into the Israelite society by those who demanded that the laws be kept to the dotting of the alphabet. It is quite possible that in the future, those in churches today will not be acceptable to society simply because they don’t support some organization. Now, don’t start asking me which organization, but just think about what happens when one particular church says that they don’t participate in same sex marriage vows. It doesn’t take much to get some folks riled up about how they think others are putting them down! It is not enough to accept same sex marriages; they think that folks should approve of those marriages! Give a little and see what kind of garbage gets pushed next.

 

Just got a call from Sterling to say that his birthday card actually got there TODAY—his birthday. Had already called to warble the birthday song to him earlier today, but this is just fantastic that he actually got the card today. Their mail service usually lacks something for that part of the country. Anyway, he was still laughing at the funny card. That is thanks to Jennifer and her selection of cards that she sent to me to use. They are the kind that are a teeny tiny bit disrespectful or silly. Just my style!

 

Watered some flowers yesterday and managed to track dirt into the house. Dadgumit! Thought maybe a wet mop would take care of it, but have a feeling it would just make mudpies. Maybe in a bit the old woman will try to get the worst of it up. My back is not too bad today, and my knee is not swollen, so there’s that. Maybe tomorrow going to services will be relaxing.

 

Shonna said that they needed to get the tags on their trailer so that they could go dump it at the transfer station. There’s a tarp in my shed that has never been used, but no rope. Every load has to be really tightly contained or they will fine the driver. Anyway, will let Albert know about the tarp if he wants to use it.

 

Need to go fry up some hamburger meat into patties so they will be quick meals to slap between bread anytime the old woman gets hungry. Got a piece of mail from Arby’s the other day with meals that sounded so good, but have to think that one Arby’s meal would cost what at least two hamburgers from Nancy’s kitchen would cost. So, there’s that. Yep, stingy and conservative.

 

The Sahara dust is headed this way. Sterling told me it fertilizes the Amazonian rain forest. Not just too sure what it does to Texas and the coast along the Gulf of Mexico. Maybe that dust feeds the fish and the alligators.

 

Would really like to hear that all the ships had been evacuated from the seas near Iran and Oman. Wonder how many days of food those ships have left after being stuck in those waters all this time. Or maybe they have fishing lines? Here’s hoping none of them snag an underwater mine.

 

Let’s pray that we can be faithful to what God has put before us as individuals. The national and international mess is pretty much up to God. We can let a few people like the Scots and the Brits realize that the U.S. is not nearly as bad as CNN et al might portray our country and our people, but we have to keep doing what is right in God’s eyes to prove our faith. Let it so be.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

A Quiet Night.

 A Quiet Night.

 

Well, except for the music and beautiful voice of Josh Groban, my house is pretty quiet tonight. Just put the dogs out for one last run to do their thing before it is time to lock up and just chill for the night. A bit earlier the old woman made a quick trip to pick up a few groceries. Messed up the thing on my phone and used my computer to do the order, so somehow did not get the order number. Apparently, that is not totally necessary. So, there’s that.

 

Sterling called earlier and talked about the scripture in Mark where Christ explained that one does not put new wine in old wine skins or new cloth in an old garment lest it tear. The idea, of course, is that the new Christian would have a different lifestyle than the people who tried to live under the law. Now we have discussed things like this before. The new Christians were not even allowed to attend the synagogues or to be seen in the Temple because of their beliefs. Therefore, they would not keep the holy days that God had given Israel at the beginning. They would not travel to Jerusalem or anywhere to celebrate the Passover. Yet, Jesus celebrated His last Passover with them. And he said, “As oft as you do this . . .” Does that mean once a year or how often would that have been done? And was it a celebration of the Passover or was it simply a meal with fellow brethren? Anyway, we got into a discussion about Christmas and Easter. He thinks that these are simply celebrations of Christ’s birth and His resurrection. Sitting here shaking my head.

 

Eddy Arnold is now singing “Our Memories of Us.” Love that song and his voice.

 

This morning the old woman got a burr under her saddle blanket and started cleaning the kitchen down to the floor from the top and sides of the stove, dishwasher, and freezer. A “moose” is loose in mah hoose. Despise those furry little dip waddies! Anyway, by the time Maria got here to clean the house, this old woman was soaked with perspiration from head to toe. She helped me clean the baseboards and put things back in place. It was wonderful to be able to sit down and rest while she got everything spic and span. Love having the house de-furred. Mopping the floors should not hurt. But neither should the use of a vacuum! Argh!

 

Shonna called me over this afternoon to see the two pieces of furniture that AnnaBeth gave her. They are very pretty and look very good the way she has things arranged. The tall mirror looks like something from a boudoir in the corner of her bedroom. Neat!

 

Saw that Yellowstone has had some scary activity in the largest caldron. And then there were four separate earthquakes in various parts of the world with Venezuela suffering terrible damage. Does anyone else feel that scriptures are being fulfilled?

 

And then there are the ships stuck in a small area of ocean while folks on the shores are shooting at them. It feels as if someone has decided to shoot fish in a barrel. Somehow this is infuriating. It makes me feel that we should DO something, but what does this one old woman know? Then the men who were hurt in our military feel that their injuries were downplayed. Maybe that is some kind of sticking out the tongue at the Iranians, but it will not make those men and their families feel like their leaders care about them. Nuts and berries! Our men and women deserve our respect and support!

 

Guess a shower and a good head scrub is needed before bed time. Well, actually a guess is not even needed. As soon as Kevin Mattson’s song, “What’s a Baby For” is finished, maybe it will be time to get a good scrubbing.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Bissel or Shark!

 Bissel or Shark!

 

Apparently, a vacuum is a vacuum is a no-no for the silly ol’ woman who lives here. Trying to get my house de-furred and spent probably 30 minutes getting all the dog hair out of the line leading into the cannister of the Bissel. Yesterday the entire living room looked furry to me, so tried to just move things around to clean the floor. Using the little vacuum seemed not much of a problem, but it has a tendency to make me sore anyway. Today, just trying to do it a bit easier, used the dust mop and took it out on the deck to try to get the fur coating off the mopping head. Unbelievable! That thing was totally coated and not the least bit easy to clean off. Had no idea that dog hair was that clingy! Deep sigh. Maria will be here in the morning to clean the house. She is considerably younger than the old woman, but she is also well organized. The house always feels and smells so good after she is finished.

 

Got a call from a friend who wanted two pieces of furniture out of her house. These were really nice pieces, but my house is about stuffed. Anyway, Shonna said that she could probably use them, so she and Albert have gone to pick them up. Here is hoping that they can make connections easily. My friend does not walk easily, so getting a door open at the right time might not be as easy as it would be for some of us.

 

Looking on FB to see the reactions of some of the folks from Scotland and other countries to being in the US has been pretty enlightening. They came with some trepidation and have found so much to enjoy that it is fairly hilarious to hear them talk about the different things they found to enjoy. The drinks in cups as big as a bucket was one that made me smile. That was always the way Lewis wanted his tea or Pepsi—an entire bucket full! Then there is the barbecued everything! They love the food! And the beer—except for Bud Lite—has apparently filled a hole for them. They drank Boston dry for a night! They were also impressed by the military flyovers at the stadiums. Anyway, it is great that they have found us to be a hospitable country. Let us hope that their impressions will only improve.

 

A while back, after the last cataract surgery, a pair of readers were purchased. Trying to use them did not result in any kind of a good experience, so someone must have put them up somewhere “safe.” Uh huh. Right. Have no idea where those suckers have gone! Looked through the desk in the living room, but did not find anything there except some cases “for” glasses. Life in the fast lane around here!!

 

Decided to have some chicken fiesta soup for the last meal of the day. Think someone (yes, we know who) stubbed her toe just a wee bit on the picante part of that mixture. My tongue is not reacting now, but it was very interesting there for a bit! Rotel tomatoes come in various shades of heat. Someone we know must have picked up one of the hotter versions. Oh well.

 

Finally got all the laundry folded and put away or hung in the closet. One would think that is not a big deal, right? Four trips back and forth to the bedroom and closet to hang or place the things that needed to be put away. Once upon a time all of that stuff would have gone to the bedroom to be placed on the bed so that everything could be sorted from that place to the nearest drawer or closet. Getting less organized in my old age. How did that happen? Oh well. Everything is in its place for the time being.

 

Nephew Erin managed to get in contact with the man who puts dates on tombstones today and finally got Anne’s side of the headstone updated to show her death date. The company who should have handled that had sold out and did not take care of it at the time, so the kids had to pony up some money to have it done. Apparently, Erin talked to the stone cutter today and paid him to get it done. The man even sent a picture to show it. Neat.

 

Unless the pharmacy at Sam’s has already sent Thompson’s meds through the mail, the old woman is going to have to go to the vets’ office to renew his prescription. Not sure he would be able to get around without his arthritis meds. Know it is hard for me, and he is “older” in dog years. Arthritis hurts, dear Hearts!

 

Maybe it makes me look like a turtle hiding from thunder, but simply cannot make myself watch the “news.” Just have the determination that God will do what He says He will do. If anyone is believable, God is. Some of these sports figures are going all out to put their faith out in public. That makes me happy! Whether it is a soccer player giving the crown to God or the players who put Bible verses on their hats during the “pride” mess, these men are gutsy! May we all have the courage to let our faith be known.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Hopalong Happily.

 Hopalong Happily.

 

Some days the ability to walk just makes me smile. Somehow it makes me feel free to do just about anything if getting there is easier than stumbling around like a blind person in a paper bag. Anyway, today has been a rather stiff day for at least one leg and part of an old woman’s attitude. Doing more laundry has not been the least bit of a problem, but looking at the furry floor has not caused any actual de-furring to occur. Oh well. Maybe tomorrow.

 

The calendar says that tomorrow is the 24^th day of June. This Saturday will be my brother’s 81^st birthday. This month has just about slipped away already! Just how does that happen? Time is one of those sneaky situations that boggle my mind. Back when the children were small, time seemed so far away, and each day was about enough to frame some of the events in our lives. Like the day the neighbor took Lance fishing down on Lake Wichita. Odie Porterfield had him bring the fish home with him. The old woman had no idea how to kill and clean a fish, so it went into the bathtub until Lewis got home from work. Poor man worked all day in that nasty diesel and transmission oil and then got home to a bathtub full of catfish! It makes me wonder how my husband lived with this crazy wife! Sigh. But he loved us.

 

Today AnnaBeth called and wanted me to find someone who could use and appreciate two very nice pieces of furniture. Shona’s husband agreed to go pick them up tomorrow afternoon. Again, it is the husband who gets off work and still has the honey-do chore list to meet at the home doorway! Sorry about that, Albert!

 

We’ve had some thunder, some rain, some wind, and some heat today. But the clouds have kept us wondering what is next. It’s Texas as usual. At least no trips to the vet had to take place today! That is a relief. Michelle said she was going to have to start using the PETS clinic to be able to take care of her dogs. After Patty ended up paying $385 for Roxy’s visit on Monday, it is no surprise that Michelle would make the trip all the way across town to PETS. Prices are simply insane! Which reminds me that Thompson needs a refill on his prescription. Crazy that his drugs cost more than mine!!

 

Have a swollen jaw for some reason tonight. Here’s hoping that it goes away quickly. Why lymph nodes tend to swell in one’s face is beyond me. The older a body becomes, the more quickly things fall apart. One of the ladies at church is over 90 years old and gets around better than this one at 78! Go figure. Maybe she is not as mean as this one is.

 

Hope that Barry Ice can look at the electrical situation at church tomorrow and give them some kind of estimate. One of the deacons said that they had an estimate years ago, but it never hurts to have another one. In my estimation, getting the work done when it needs to be done matters. But then, a woman’s viewpoint never seems to go along with how a man looks at things. Oh well.

 

A friend sent me an email about something that made my day. We all need hats. We can think about that for just a minute. Now WHY would we need hats? Dad had a saying about hats and that was my first thought. “The wind blew, and the ___ flew, and we all had on paper hats.” Yep, that is about as close as it gets to what is in the news or what the talking heads seem to be concerned about right now. Personally, it just feels safer to avoid listening to any of the so-called “news.” Some of us already know what will happen in the future—despite whatever lies anyone might be flogging around on the world’s stage. Nothing changes unless it is allowed by God. And He has already told us the outcome of all this stupidity. It is so much of a relief to know that God has things worked out already. Take a deep breath and relax. This, too, shall pass. And nevermind wearing a hat.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

A Grandson Visit.

 A Grandson Visit.

 

Jennifer called this morning and wanted to know if her mom would be at home this afternoon. It’s not like the old woman runs around a lot of the time, but sure enough, Grayson called and asked me to come unlock the front door. The dogs did not even hear his car drive up!! Anyway, we had a nice visit and watched Clarkson Farms episodes on TV. He asked me what the last movie was that was watched at a real theater. It was one of the last James Bond movies! That was probably ten years ago! Oh well.

 

Grayson said that he could not smell the skunk odor in my house, so here’s hoping that it is washed away on the dog. At least Thompson’s coat is soft and fluffy after his bath. He and Grayson had some good moments while visiting. Thompson and Sylvia don’t get that much attention around here to be truthful. Fed, watered, brushed, but not played with necessarily. Sylvia loves to play tug-of-war, but Thompson gets upset when that happens. But Grayson did it anyway! Sylvia really seemed to enjoy it.

 

Talked to Barry Thomas Ice today and he is going to check out what kind of electrical work that needs to be done at the church. His work is always good and his prices have always been reasonable, so we will see what he says when he comes out on Wednesday to check out the church and its lights. Meanwhile, Daniel Hernandez of Night Shift computers has offered a free laptop computer to the church. He has a big computer priced at $500 that he felt was too much for my needs, but it’s not likely that the folks using the computers at the church would be that much more advanced in usage than the old woman. Or not. Paula Whiteman could probably handle whatever they need. She is a really sweet lady who planted flowers out in the pots along the front of the sanctuary. Pretty plants and likely to make it through the summer heat!

 

Grayson went with me to United to pick up a few things. Meant to pick up a big bottle of peroxide for the next batch of skunk wash, but totally forgot it. Probably just as well. The total was over $110. Grayson kept asking why everything was so high. A lady heard him ask me that and said, “It’s just like everything else! Nothing is reasonable anymore!” She is totally correct. Was surprised that Grayson thought my little United for U store was so well stocked and had good looking produce. Thinking to myself that the manager named Vietenheimer is the reason things are so clean and the quality is so good! Anyway, it is a very good store.

 

Thinking it would be a good time to get a shower and scrub my head. Just a wee bit tired tonight. Have not even folded and put away the laundry, but it can just wait. It’s not like the kitchen table has a time limit for being used as a laundry table! At least the dogs are fed and nothing except getting my bags together for services tomorrow needs to be done. Maybe it will be a good night for sleeping.

 

Prayers for those who need to be reassured that they are loved and matter to God.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Skunked!

 Skunked!

 

Here it is after midnight and Thompson just got a bath. Such fun! Not sure if the smell is less now or if it is stuck in my nose for the night! Yikes! Wondering if he actually got a bite of this skunk or if he just got sprayed. The de-skunk spray that Michelle Malay brought up here seems to be working pretty well, but now my bedroom smells like wet dog and eau d’ stinky! Standing over the big tub is not easy when scrubbing a dog, but Thompson waited patiently until he was told he could get out. Such a sweet boy!

 

Have been running around some thoughts about a computer that Daniel Hernandez has for sale. He said he has a laptop to donate to the church, but this computer is for sale and has Windows 12 on it. Even my computer is not that up-to-date with software. If Daniel can take everything off of my computer and transfer it to the new computer, might just be worth doing that. Have been considering getting a new computer anyway. This would probably save quite a few dollars and some stress if it would transfer, but then, the church would not have the latest. May just wait and see what the church wants to do.

 

Mr. Stinky T just came to lie down under my desk. For sure it will be hard to sleep with that odor in the house! At least he got all the skunk oil off his face. Sprayed the rag and wiped his face as well as he would let me. Poor baby. He is my hero!

 

Saw a weather report earlier in the evening that said that some part of Louisiana got 26 inches of rain in about two hours. That is a deluge! Imagine two feet of water dumped all over your yard! Asked our father in a prayer for safety and hope for those folks, their livestock, and pets.

 

Have been hoping that Angel would post about her grandson Zeke on Common Sense. The little guy is about to have some kind of hip surgery so that the doctor can make it where the little guy will be able to use his leg in the manner it should work. He has had such a hard life so far for a little one. And his parents have had it really rough as well. They lost the little baby who came too early. It was a little girl. Know how that feels! Just makes a person feel hopeless. Zeke’s parents are such sweet kids—well, they are grownups, but their parents grew up with my children, so to me this generation seems so very young.

 

Might as well break out a book. My mind is skipping around like a child overloaded on jelly beans. Not sure how concentration ever worked for me when the old woman was younger and trying to study. Not sure if ADHD is a mindset or just something one develops, but Jennifer teases me about not being able to pay attention for even a short amount of time. Things that interest me can keep my attention easily, but what interests others may not even register with me. Maybe that is not such a bad thing. At least, adapting makes life challenging.

 

President Trump actually sounds like someone who could be one with ADHD. He seems to want to get things done just exactly how he wants them and more quickly than most things can be done. Someone is going to make a big deal of him saying that he is the most powerful man to ever walk the earth. We know, of course, that he means the global reach of American power, but it sounds so wrong when we think of a single person who controls (more or less) the power of one nation with the resources America has now. The actual person who was the most powerful who ever walked the earth was born in Bethlehem. But as disappointing as it was to many in that day, that man came to serve rather than conquer as He will when He returns. THEN we will see true power. May that day hasten!

 

Maybe to bed again. Just getting tired now. Tomorrow is semi here already.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.