A Time to Speak

 

A Time to Speak

Most of the time it seems better to just keep our thoughts to ourselves in so many areas of life. Offending others by stating our own beliefs is not the best way to convince, much less help others. But sometimes it may help both our own thoughts as well as giving others another way of resting in facts rather than someone else’s way of thinking when we give the basis of our beliefs. That is what this epistle is attempting.

 

Recently someone suggested that my dead son was playing around in heaven with a certain beloved animal that the person knew he had appreciated in this life. My thoughts immediately went to the scripture: Ecc. 9: 5, 6. “But the dead know nothing.” Now the Catholics believe in a place called purgatory where some are “sentenced” by their lack of righteousness: (in Roman Catholic doctrine) “a place or state of suffering inhabited by the souls of sinners who are expiating their sins before going to heaven. “

Obviously, the Bible does not agree with the Catholic doctrine if the dead, indeed, know not anything. Some of us believe the Bible rather than some doctrine established by men.

 

Then there are the good intentions of those who want me to believe that my loved ones are looking down on me knowing of both my trials and joys. If that were, in fact, true, then the idea of purgatory would be the most hideous thought that could come of such a situation. Who would want to watch the suffering of those left behind—especially if some of that suffering had been caused by their deaths.

 

Nope, dead is dead. Again, the dead know nothing.

 

But that is not to say that the dead are finished: 1 Thes. 4:16 “The dead in Christ will rise first.”

Rev. 20:5 “But the rest of the dead did not live again until the 1000 years were finished. This is the first resurrection.”

Sometimes we might especially think that some folks are just more likely to be in that first uplifting from the graves. But no matter what, God loves His children. He does not let them suffer through some indescribable purgatory. He lets them sleep. We will sleep until it is time to awaken. Whichever time that may be, then we will be awakened to joy.   

 

Enough for theology 101. It is my desire that my children know that they are loved and from whom that love comes.

A Beautiful Day!

 Such a beautiful day it has been! Right this red hot moment, it is 70 degrees out on the deck. The hens are all out there talking to each other and just looking for another stalk of something green to nibble on. Shredded some bok choy leaves that might have been a good stir-fry ingredient, but looked kinda wimpy. The girls did not care in the least how wimpy it looked. They are not quite as bad about begging as the dogs, but they are quite vociferous occasionally.

Nothing accomplished again today. Had planned to go over to Connie's new apartment, but the backdoor neighbors' dogs got out. One dog attacked the across-the-road neighbor's puppy and got it by the neck. It ran under the house and hopefully will come out later. Poor critter. It infuriates me that those folks have such mean dogs. But, really and truthfully, not sure what my dogs would do if they got out. Well, for one thing, they would come to me when called. But Gina's dogs take off and go see what they can do out of their yard. Small yard, three big dogs. Just glad they can't get in my yard! But that did not keep my dogs from going bananas when those dogs were out and carrying on. They are much heavier and bigger than either of my dogs. Would not want one of them chewing on me or my critters!

Donny Anderson brought up a bunch of bread and chips to feed to the hens. Tomorrow will give them the crackers. Too much salt is really not good for chickens. Only have so much fresh stuff to give them at any one time. And they are not crazy about much of it. After all, what chicken do you know would eat grapefruit? They like sweet potato if it is cooked, however. Just have not had my portion of it yet. They get the peels and whatever is still inside the potato skin.

Got a message from my doctor to say that Kaylee's surgery was long and very intricate, but she seems to be recovering. Please continue to pray for her. Have not heard any more from Charlie Anderson, but we can still pray for him and his family. This Covid mess really has messed up the way we do things.

Have noticed that the cars are moving faster through the State Hospital grounds. Not sure if they are still taking everyone's temperature or not. Guess it does not affect me one way or the other. Not like their sneezes can spread this far. However, back when they still allowed smoking on the campus, my old neighbor Dan Fenoglio used to complain about the smell of their cigarettes over here. Truly, it was pretty strong. Strange to think that many people were smoking over there! 

Have an appointment to see Dr. White about my eyes on Monday and have to get a list made of whatever my meds are. They change once in a while. But at 8:30 in the morning, no way would those names come to me, so will have to do a list this weekend to take with me. Such fun. They take the temperature of anyone before they even let the patient in the door. Guess that is one way to keep out problems.

Once in a while the tablet used for my Kindle reading will get set down somewhere, and the old woman has trouble remembering where she put it. It makes noises at times and that helps to locate it. Getting forgetful is so much fun!

Got the test results back from some chemical tests that doctors like to use. And so, let us be happy that the blood sugar tests were just fine. But the cholesterol types did not make my doctor happy. She wants me off of any sugar, despite the fact that it is not an indication of diabetes. She says she wants me to be eating proteins, cheeses, and non-white veggies and no breads, crackers, or other carbs. NO ice cream or coffee creamers with sugar. Now really! Not that it sounds like a starvation diet or anything, but can a person live without ice cream in this world? Or coffee creamer? Guess maybe it will be tried--again. sigh

It makes me sad to think that my diet means that personally giving up something can make me healthier, yet some folks would have to actually HAVE something to eat just to survive. It is a bit of a sad world. 

An earthquake in Turkey and Greece with the tsunami that went with it has been in the news along with the continued fall out from hurricane Zeta. Guess most of us can just be thankful that we are so blessed with decent weather and electricity to our homes. We will just have to pray for those who need God's help to survive.

May you each find peace in life, and may you all rest well. You are loved. 

Six O'Clock and All Is Well.

It just seems like a good day to call out the hour and how things are going: even at six in the afternoon, it is a fairly decent day! It is warm enough not to have to have a hat and coat on just to check on the hens. The wind is not blowing very much, and in another couple of hours, the hens will be in their house, and the Old Hen will probably be ready for bed. Nothing special has been accomplished, but at least one thing that mattered got done. Paid the property taxes. At least an attempt was made to do so. The forms at the Wichita Falls tax office are not very user friendly--to say the least. If a person has more than one account, well, good luck. Just sent them the credit card number and hoped. They even wanted a recording saying that the use of the card was approved by me. Whoopee. Oh well. We will see how things go later. At least this did not require a trip to the court house annex. Just do not like to go out in public right now.

Grayson called me today. He never calls, so this was a real pleasure. Have some letters and pictures from way back when. One of the letters was one sent BACK to me by my cousin John Pollard. His dad wrote the letter back in 1917 during the first world war. Since Grayson loves history, this seemed just up his alley. He sounded pleased. Really wish he could have been a historian or a history teacher at a university, but it would not pay like his current job. Too bad that the things we love cannot always be the things that would support us in life. One of my instructors at the university said that he wanted to be a writer, but he would have starved to death on what he could make by writing. And he had more than one book published, too.

Tim Malay came today and got the six dozen eggs for his family. Michelle could not sleep last night, so she could not make it. It just pleases me to know that Joe and Michelle, Tim, their brother Mark with his wife, and their mom can have fresh, homegrown, free-range eggs. My girls do good work!

Reading a book today that centers on how so many lands came up with their own gods and superstitions. Can you believe that the "kraken" was probably a giant squid? It was part of the superstition around the Norse countries. At least it seems based on reality to a certain degree. But volcanic places around the world have their own superstitions centered on what came out of the sea after an earthquake. To me it is interesting and pretty sensible if one does not understand anything about earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes, etc. Life has to be explained to us, but now we can see pictures from satellites. Imagine being the person who listened to some leader say that their god demanded sacrifice to prevent the explosion of the nearby volcano. How sad.

Today Tim Malay was asking about the buildings of the state hospital across the road from this house. I looked it up: The Wichita Falls State Hospital for the mentally ill is seven miles southwest of the business district of Wichita Falls. The hospital was established as the Northwest Texas Insane Asylum by an act of the Thirty-fifth Legislature in 1917, and the first patients were admitted on January 31, 1922.  It makes sense that the hospital has been here all those years. But it amazes me that they called it the Northwest Texas Insane Asylum. Seems to me it is North Central Texas. But what do we know, huh? We joked about the fact that about the only difference between the patients and the employees: two things: the patients are expected to recover, maybe. The employees just have not been diagnosed yet. No doubt someone will be offended. But it was one of the employees who told me the distinctions. Actually, it has been a great accomplishment that so many folks are on the kind of drugs that prevent so much mental illness. Just post-partum depression used to be diagnosed as a type of insanity!

While we were standing outside talking, a cottontail rabbit ran up to my porch. The dogs saw it and nearly came through the window! Went inside to let Thompson out, and the rabbit disappeared. Smart rabbit! Never a dull moment around here.

Bluebonnets are coming up in the sidewalk out front. The freeze apparently did not hurt them. Plants can really be amazing. Forgot and left a hanging basket on the deck and part of the plants froze while part looks just fine. Go figure. Took the basket out to the greenhouse section of the chicken house. We will see what happens.

Made chicken veggie soup today out of some stuff that was already cooked. The cream of chicken soup was the perfect thing to make it taste good. But also made some more mozzarella cheese and some whipped butter. Now the milk jars need to go home to the Smith family hacienda. [No, they are not Spanish, just like the word hacienda.]

Let's pray for the folks in this latest storm. Two million people without electricity from the storm Zeta. And now the weather personalities are talking about a possible hurricane named Eta off the East Coast, but it is only in the Caribbean now. Whew. God made the paths of these storms, but we can still pray for those in the way of the weather. 

May you all rest well and awake with joy. You are loved.

The Winds of Grumpiness!

Ok, so some of us get grumpy--or grumpier--when we can't comfortably get outside and mess around. So the cold temps are not that bad, but the wind makes them feel twice as bad. So, yep, grumpies have arrived at my doorstep. My daughter informed me that it is not unusual, but she doesn't usually complain about her mother's bad griping. Sweet daughter.

Saw plenty of broken branches online on FB today. Went over to Tractor Supply by way of Maplewood and noticed that all the big, older trees had branches on the ground. Felt sorry for both the trees and the folks that are going to have to dispose of those limbs. Silver-leaf maples and pecan seemed to be the worst hit. But we really have nothing to gripe about compared to the folks in Louisiana. They are being hit with 110 mph winds tonight. Trees are the least of the problems as long as they are not flying into the houses. Just have to pray for those folks. Then the fires are growing so fast that they are overtaking the firefighters. Saw that two of the firefighters are just hanging on to their lives. Feel so very sorry for them and their families. Know what those horrible burns are like. No pain in the world is like a burn.

Jennifer was in West Virginia, and Gary's aunt told her about something that older folks --and younger ones, too--need to know about. There are some things called "skin prep" that can be put on the edges of where a bandage is to be attached. It looks about like one of those alcohol prep things that are used by diabetics. They keep the bandage adhesive from pulling and tearing the skin. That is very important for anyone with a burn or with fragile, easily torn skin [like on old folks]. His aunt Carolyn said that too many nurses do not even know this stuff exists. She is up there teaching nurses and knows her stuff, so if Gary's aunt says it is good, we can believe it.

Have six dozen eggs on my kitchen table ready for Michelle Malay to take home with her tomorrow. The girls have slowed down a bit on the egg production, but it is probably just as well. The big hens are really getting with it and putting out the big eggs. The Wyandottes are still laying, but their eggs are tiny compared to those of the Buff Orpingtons. Egg cartons have to be super size for their eggs.

Moved the dogs' water bowl next to the kitchen door at the end of the deep freeze. Have to put a dish towel down there to clean up after them. Bet you did not know that a dog gets as much on the floor as in their mouth, did you? But at least it is not as bad at this house as it is at Jennifer's. She has three BIG dogs who come inside with wet feet that have to be wiped off. Talking with her on the phone while she cleans the wet feet can be pretty funny: "No, now the back feet, Luna. You, too, Marty! Are you coming in, Sirus?" It sounds like dealing with children, but then, most dogs are just furry kids.

Went through my closet and found the shawl wrap that Sharon Dickerson made for me. It is perfect for inside the house. Have one of my great-grandmother's pins fastening it in front. Still just love the pockets! Can't wear it outside because it is too light, but it is perfect for when the house is just too cool. Jennifer gave me a headband kind of hat that works well, too. Figures that a haircut right before the first winter storm would have been my choice. sigh But tomorrow is supposed to be warmer. Jenn was saying 60 degrees, but that is down in the Metromess, not up here in windy world. We will be happy with 54 degrees.

Have not called to find out how Kaylee is doing. But it is pretty soon after the surgery, so hopefully her brain will not have swelled much. It is so hard for folks having brain surgery, depending on what kind and how extensive it is. Was so surprised when Roger and Susan told us about how their daughter had to learn everything all over again. But then, their daughter had two very devoted and patient parents to help her along. They played games and did everything they knew to help her relearn all the things that we take for granted. It is amazing to me how very versatile the brain can be. Did you know that half the brain can take over the entire needs of the brain if it is necessary? 

Felt a little guilty this morning. It was raining, so left the hens in until it quit. They were definitely ready to come out of that house when the door was opened. Bet we got another inch of rain just this morning, but the wind was not blowing too bad, so it was not hitting as if it were little pieces of ice. But it was still cold and wet. Getting too grumpy to put up with much of that stuff lately. 

These two dogs are totally spoiled rotten. Jennifer says they are "hungry." Ha! Not likely. They split a can of beef stew this morning. Had a tiny piece of English muffin with cheese, had more treats, more dog food, and more treats. They are just enjoying this Covid eating! sigh

It is hard to appreciate the cold, but at least we can sleep warm and enjoy snuggling down with a good book and watch the wind blow leaves off the Bradford pear. As long as the ice does not take its limbs off, that is pretty good entertainment. The apricot trees (named Grayson and Reece) are doing fine now that the ice has melted. They bobbed right back into shape! The crepe myrtle still looks kinda funny, but maybe it will come back later. God gives the wild things the ability to bend with the wind and weight of snow and ice. And He gives us the good sense to come in out of the bad weather.

May you all stay warm and find peace in whatever you find to do. You are loved.

Heat Wave!

 BillyeRuth said she was hoping for a heat wave, but it only got up to 30 today with all the snow and ice out toward Paducah. If it gets up to 34 degrees tomorrow, she might go into town and get chicken scratch as she is having to give it out very sparingly. Told her that they could exist on mash, but she wants the girls all to be happy and hates having to ration the scratch. The city chicks are already spoiled rotten, so she is just going to continue the habit.

BR said she and her friend Patsy Lynn were talking about having a snowball fight, but Patsy said she would wait for BR to show up before she put her jacket on to go outside. Those two are so funny.

Michelle Malay said her brother-in-law Tim got home yesterday, so now they can cook for three instead of two. Told her to send him up to get eggs as there are more than a few dozen waiting on the kitchen table. Jennifer was wishing she had some yesterday when she was getting her family's supper. They had to have bacon and cheese sandwiches because she had no eggs to put in between the bacon and cheese. Her neighbor across the street has 1500 chickens--all roosters. Nothing like having a neighborhood alarm clock! But on Jennifer's side is the HOA, so she is not allowed to have chickens or even too many critters at all. Too bad it is not easy to get eggs to Michelle and Jennifer both, but it is not like FedEx would pick them up here at the house and take them along to either of them. sigh Can you imagine FedEx delivering eggs?

It got up to 34 degrees on the deck today. The trees out by the chicken house have tried to straighten up, but the crepe myrtle is still bent over and nearly touching the ground. Not sure if it has a broken branch or not. The highline wires are dropping the ice almost by the minute, but the misting rain will freeze again tonight, so who knows if the lines will clear enough to stay up tonight. Michelle said that a fire over on Midwestern Parkway caused the fire department to have to cut electricity to over 10,000 folks. That could be pretty rough if all the heat you have is electric. And some of us don't have generators. Wish this house had another gas line in the back for a heater, but this stuff won't last forever. Like Lance told me today--blankets, lots of them.

Took some veggies and a bucket of water out to my hens today and left them in their houses. They are currently out running around finding things to nibble on, but will have to shut them up shortly. It is 33 degrees right now, but sundown will be mighty cool tonight. It appears from here that the roads must not be too bad. Lots of traffic. Donny Anderson came by and picked up my post box key and got the mail for me. Had a box from Amazon with a few things. The rest was just junk mail. Maybe it is the junk mail that keeps the post office going?

Maybe tomorrow will be warm enough to melt the ice on the deck. If not, have a flat hoe like thing that will do to shuck the ice off the boards and the steps. Just don't like to take chances out back--well, anywhere, for that matter. The dogs had a small case of the zoomies this morning, but Thompson is a little stiff, so that did not last long. Neither of them wanted out early, so we did not even open the back door again until after 10. The door would hardly open for the accumulation of ice! Lance said that he was envious of anyone who got this kind of weather. Not me. Would rather have a barn heated by butane or something with the livestock in one end so going out is totally unnecessary. Back in Europe, the houses were built so that the stock lived downstairs and the people upstairs. The heat from the stock kept the house fairly warm, but they still had to cook downstairs. Just can't imagine how that worked. Makes me wonder where they kept the hay! Maybe one of these days some research on that might be interesting.

Thompson has demanded treats again. They are pretty good to understand when "no more" is the answer. Two pretty good dogs. And they make good foot warmers, too. Well, with Sylvia, it is back warmer. Thompson sleeps at the foot and Sylvia over on the top near the other side. But she scoots over in the night to get near my back. Cats are like that. Wake up from a dream of a motor boat and find a cat purring on one's head--it has happened!

Finished that book about the Pilgrims, but am not satisfied. Maybe there is a sequel? It was so very interesting. The story of the first Thanksgiving [fall harvest] was not what was expected at all! Do you know that only four women lived that long after their year in this country. They had some orphaned teenage girls and little girls, but mostly little boys and the men were left. It is amazing that this country was ever even established. Oh, and "pottage" is basically a thick vegetable soup--sometimes with the addition of a bit of meat, but nearly always with oats or some kind of grain in it. The book also gave the recipe for hard tack--flour, salt, and water. It said that if it was rolled out thin and baked, it could last up to a year! Not exactly Ritz crackers.

Well, if Charlie Anderson and Kaylee Garcia made it through this day, we can be thankful. Now we need to pray for those who have lost their power or their homes. May God bless them, one and all. Let's be grateful, if you are reading this from home, that we have protection and safety. Rest well. You are loved.

Stocking Up.

 Had let the gas gauge get down below a quarter of a tank, so just filled up in this nice cool breeze with the drifting mist coming down on my head. Fine time to fill up, Lucille! Then Tractor Supply had an employee to bring the canned dog food out to the truck. Then went by the last/first house on this strip of Kemp and a doe was lying in a driveway. Poor thing. Bet the car or truck was not too pretty after that smack. Anyway, went on down the road to check the mailbox which was full of mostly junk mail to haul up here and throw in the trash. Tomorrow is trash day. Good shot for the trash can!

The dogs have now had their portions of beef stew by 4-Health. Can refill the bowls with the dry stuff now. They just inhaled the good stuff! Can't say they can be blamed for their enthusiasm. It even smelled good to me!

The roads may not have ice on them, but my tires certainly did slide some. Not getting out again if at all possible. The hens will get me outside a couple of times tomorrow, but even though an order should have already been at TSC, it was not there and is not going to cause me to make a trip up there while the weather is awful. It is just dog treats. But they have a policy of putting it back if one does not pick it up within two days. But it is already paid for! We will see what happens.

Have been listening to old music on the mini-google thing that Jennifer and Gary got for me a couple of years ago. Enjoying it, but the songs make me so sad sometimes. This was the type of music that Lewis loved and listened to all the time. Miss him so much at times. Carol Pearson was telling me that when her husband died, she did not even know how to put gas in her car. It never got that bad around here, but ya know, he did take care of paying the bills, keeping the yard looking good, and making an old woman feel so very loved. sigh

My friend Mark Ogle says that Charlie Anderson is still among the living and doing about as good as can be expected. Just glad to know he is still with us. But on to another prayer request: Kaylee Garcia has brain surgery tomorrow to remove the final portion that they think is causing the seizures. Please pray for her.

Have some chicken on in the slow cooker. Have a bit of celery and some other veggies to put in there in the morning early so soup will be the main dish tomorrow. Love letting things cook overnight to make the house feel warmer than just one with heater smells. Veggies like garlic always make me feel good.

Just read the weather report. Oh boy! BR may get some cold, wet stuff sure 'nuff. Hope she gets wrapped up warmly in the morning to let those critters out. Jennifer just called me and gave her instructions on how my morning should start out tomorrow. "Hold the rail of the porch; be sure your phone is in your pocket. Be careful." Being a momma and a grand-momma makes a big difference. 

My brother called this morning, and we talked about how folks raise children these days. He was telling about some little boys running around inside the church and raising cane around the older folks. We would NEVER have been allowed to run inside the building and would have had a knot jerked in our tail feathers had we ever moved too fast around an elderly person. Our parents were very strict with us and taught us to watch out for the old folks. Sterling was very good to the little ol' ladies in our church. They all loved him for it, too. But he was telling me that the pastor of the church he goes to just lets his kids run wild. Strange. 

Other than the weather, not much is new around here today. Will pick up eggs one more time, but don't really expect many--if any--in the nests. Found two humongous ones today, so apparently the Buff Orpingtons are laying again. Their eggs are as big as two normal eggs. But then, they are big hens. Goldie was on the nest earlier, so I petted her and talked to her. She does not want to be held, but she will put up with a little petting. Grey Lady is sweet like that, as well, but she will give me the evil eye if she gets lifted up a little for an egg check. "Leave me alone!" seems to be her attitude. Oh well. Each of them has an attitude eventually. They are a lot like women. Don't ruffle their feathers!

My hope is that all of you will remain healthy, happy to be alive, and safe in this weather. Please pray for those who are in precarious situations right now. God be with them and all of us. You are loved.

Weather Changes.

 Reading a book called Saints, Strangers, and Rosehip Tea. It gives the background of those Pilgrims who went from England to parts of Holland and why they chose to leave there for America. The "strangers" were those who were not of the Calvinist faith but who attempted the journey to America with the Pilgrims. So far it is an excellent book. It amazes me how much women had to depend on other women just to make it through childbirth and the first few days after a baby was born. But those women were tough cookies! The particular woman in this story knew about how to be a midwife, how to grow medicinal herbs, and how to garden and make her own food stores last. That last thing--making food last--is not an easy task even today. We think, because we have stores close at hand, that we can make food work for us. But truly, in some situations--storms, fires, and civil uprisings--it would not be easy to keep a family fed if we had to depend on just whatever is in the pantry. Not to mention how little most of us are prepared to live without electricity. Can really feel for the people in CA and Colorado and other states who have lost their electricity. And the South now has another hurricane headed their way with tons of rain to dump on them!

Earlier today it seemed to me that my glasses must be fogging up. Everything looked blurry. Guess what! It was truly fog. So it is still foggy, but water is dripping off the house and any corner or eave out there. The hens are very quiet today. Guess the weather change has affected them, too. It is probably the weather that is making my body ache so. Jennifer reminded me to drink! Dehydration can make a person ache, so that is an easy remedy. But this morning my fingers hurt so much that a pair of gloves that have no finger tips were just perfect for my hands. The snugness and the warmth were perfect. Think those were a gift from Michelle Malay. Anyway, they work very well.

Strung the electric cord up from the workshop to the little hen coop so that the heated water bowl and the flat screen heater could be set up in there. Tacked an old tablecloth over the door to the Wyandotte's coop and closed the door. Now all the chicks and hens will have to go in the east door to go to roost tonight. Here's hoping that goes well. So glad that BR got the city hens accustomed to going to roost in her hen house before this weather set in. Also hope she gets the rain they need up there in Paducah. That part of Texas is so pretty, but danged if it is not the driest thing next to a cactus out West! If they got the rain like we have had this year, no telling what they could grow!

Donny Anderson came up and helped me remove the water hose from the back faucet. Thought it would be simple. Well, so much for what thought did. The tool was right, but the strength for using it along with the knowledge of the exact place to put it was missing. So, Donny did it. SO thankful to have him and Patty as neighbors.

Speaking of neighbors, Jerry made it home just long enough to pick up a few things and get the groceries his mom bought for him. Someone brought him and took him wherever. Not my concern. At least he is probably somewhere warm, and he has food. That is more than some folks have. 

Michelle Malay said she is about ready for this year to be over. Didn't say anything, but somehow an indeterminate person or persons have determined that 2022 will probably be about as close as we are going to get back to normal. That just boggles my mind. Of course, it does not take much to boggle some minds. For instance, the old woman took the extension cord and placed it in the coop, put the plugs for the water bowl and and heater into the thing that plugs into the extension cord---and FORGOT to plug the extension cord into the multiplug adapter thingy. Can't remember it's name. Duh. Good reason the heater was not getting warm, wouldn't you say. Keep reminding myself that getting older and forgetful beats the alternative!

It felt like a good day to stay in bed this morning, but am sitting here betting it will be more like that tomorrow if it actually gets colder. It is supposed to get down to 38 tonight with a high of 41 tomorrow. Kinda cool, but not totally bad. The wind is the difference in cold and down right disgustingly miserable. We will see what the rest of the week will be like. By next week we may be sweating to the oldies again--oldies, not coldies. Life in Texas is never dull.

Let us remember to pray for this nation, our president and those who determine much of the way our lives are played out. May God bless us and forgive us.

May you all rest well and awake with joy. You are loved.

Boredom?

 When boredom strikes, some folks look up weird stuff to keep life interesting. Like reading about Lamb's Ear plants. Other things to do include calling all the family members and getting told that the person is about to take a shower--wonder if that one boy thought that he was about to get an earful of grandmotherly stuff? Probably. It's ok. Boredom happens to the best of us. But that particular grandson has taken up a new hobby that sounds like fun. Even talked briefly to my brother in Arkansas and to my SIL in Henrietta. She has her daughter, SIL, and three grandsons living with her. And is enjoying every minute of it apparently. Happy for her even if her nearest neighbor thinks that she is a crazy cat lady. Everyone is welcome to their own opinion. Think we have discussed here how some of us feel about opinions and everyone having one. ahem

Made some good veggie and rice stuff today that turned out pretty good. Mushrooms make things better--generally. Wouldn't want them in my apple pie or anything like that, but still. Have a few apples to cook up for that purpose. Maybe a pie tomorrow would keep me out of trouble--or not. 

Thompson has been on a tear today and keeps bugging me for treats. Not exactly sure why he does not like this Pedigree dog food, but he won't eat it unless something is in or on it. Beans are like that to some of us. Beans need chow chow. Or chili spice, or something like onions and jalapenos. Cornbread at the very least. Maybe we will go back to the 4Health dog food. He would eat that stuff. Or maybe put a can of wet food in this other stuff. Something. Want him to stay healthy.

Michelle Malay made me feel almost industrious about going in and cleaning out a bookcase. Went in there and found a magazine that had published one of Hanan's poems. Sat down and read it and did some remembering. Did not get anything else done--all day. 

The Black Marans like trees. Looked out the kitchen window and one was up in the plum tree next to the deck. Later one got up in the apricot tree. Crazy little critters. Well, they are not too very little. They are almost as large as the Wyandottes, but then, they are getting close to four months old now. Have been watching to see if any tail feathers are curling down to indicate a rooster. Certainly hoping not. Will have to see if Michelle DeMers would want a rooster if one turns up in my flock. They are such beautiful birds. The feathers look as if purple and copper glint over their necks and backs. 

Hoping that BR has had a good day with her flock. These birds give us something to do. She has a parakeet named Charlie that entertains her inside the house, but my dogs do that for me. Bet her bird does not fuss about the treats or amounts as much as these two dogs!

Had to call my neighbor on the lake to come up and unfasten the garden hose from the faucet. It was really on there. He brought some kind of pliers--they have a name but it escapes me at the moment--and had to use those to get the silly thing lose. After he got it lose, he put the bucket over it and put a brick on top. Told me that the bucket would keep the wind out and that it would not freeze. Hoping he is totally right. Things like that always need to be done a certain way, but Lewis used old towels and wrapped the pipes and then put a bucket on top. The one on the backside of the house is going to get an old towel and then covered in plastic. No buckets will be on the wall out there. Let's hope that the plastic takes care of it.

Always dread needing water outside in the winter. Having birds means the water needs to be hauled out there by hand. If this old woman lives here another year, may have a water line dug to the green house and a faucet put in there. SO much would be easier that way. 

Maybe tomorrow the DVDs will get packed up and the bookcase cleaned out. Or not. We will see. But for now the birds are locked up, the dogs have had more than enough treats, and a book has not been finished. If God lets the world see another beautiful morning like the one this morning, none of us can gripe about life in general. Let us pray for those affected by this mess around us and hope that life will become less stressful.

Rest well, my friends. You are loved. 

Miss Marple.

 Watched an episode of Miss Marple, one of my favorite detectives. It always amazes me how much like an encyclopedia her knowledge seems to be. All the good stuff about plants, building styles, history, literature, and that sort of thing--things no longer considered essential knowledge even in my youth. Those were the things that fascinated me as a child, but no one knew the things like that or even wrote about them by the time my trips to the library began back in the early 50s. Ah, sad what we once knew and no longer think of as pertinent to life. Instead of knowing the plants that can heal and tend to give us good essences for life, we have to learn how to use a cell phone or make a "zoom" call. It makes me wonder what would happen if we suddenly had no electricity. No way to google which plants could be safely consumed and which might provide pain relief (willow bark). Someday, when science has discovered that we need to use other sources for food, we will all become "fluent" in mosses, lichens, and mushrooms. And someday simple purslane will become the veggie du jour! [Currently growing wild and abundant in my flower bed!] Don't expect any deliveries by Walmart of foraged foods, however. We will probably need to learn more as individuals just to maintain our health.

Years ago my dad got some books called Firefox or FoxFire. Can't remember right off hand what they were. But they taught how to do the things that the pioneers knew from experience. Dad could build things and preserve things just using the knowledge that he gleaned from those books. That is not to say that he ate squirrel and road runner steaks! He just liked the knowledge and making things. Think he preferred pork roasts for their tender meat much more than he would have considered rabbit roasts! But he knew how to make snares for birds and rabbits both. He also taught my brother how to make gunpowder, but they used salt peter and sulfur that they bought from a shop. He could probably make the charcoal, but think he ordered that as well. Anyway, he could make gunpowder. But when he reloaded shotgun shells, he used commercial gunpowder. He did make his own shotgun shell re-loader, however. Dad was a very curious person who liked to know things. Maybe he shared that trait with us as we grew up.

Having a cup of honey chai turmeric tea while sitting here typing. Picked that and another box of tea up the other day--Honey lavender tea stress relief. Neither has caffeine in it, so maybe tonight will be an easy night to rest. The temperature makes me want to snuggle up with a blanket and just read or something. Movies and reading are pretty good autumn activities. 

Ordered some chicken feed and critter treats from Tractor Supply and picked them up out in front of the store. These type of pick ups make it easier to shop--no need to go inside the store or be around anyone. Getting paranoid again. It just seems safer to stay at home, so went ahead and bought enough chicken feed to last a month or more. Maneuvering the 50 pound sacks is not easy, but not impossible either. Thinking about what Carol Pearson said last night about not being able to change a tire for the simple inability to get it out of the back of the vehicle! At a certain age, it would be simpler to have something that had airless tires!

Jo Ann brought groceries over to Jerry today, but he was not home. So she left them with me. Now there is a big box of stuff in my kitchen waiting for him to read her note. Meanwhile, his ice is in my freezer and milk in the fridge. Two doughnuts have disappeared from the box they were in, however. Hmm. Have NO idea how that happened. Snark! 

Thompson is very happy to wear a "sleeper" looking thing that Michelle Malay got for him. He has so little hair that a cool breeze makes him shiver after a bit. But this sleeper thing fits all four legs and covers his back and butt down to his hips. He is patient having it put on, so that helps. He is such a good dog.

My friend BR seems to be doing very well with the "city chicks."  Her "chicken report" just makes me smile from ear to ear! Her voice just makes it sound good in my ears and in my heart. She loves those silly hens as much as can be expected--especially the ones that love her back. 

Want to ask you all to say a prayer for Dr. Blackwell's nurse's daughter Kaylee. She is to have brain surgery on Tuesday at the Children's Hospital in the DFW area. They are going back in to try to remove the area that is causing seizures. This has to be hard on her and her family just being concerned about the outcome. And this is a really bad time to even be in any hospital. Let's pray for peace, calm, and healing, please.

Have not heard from Charlie Anderson today. Hope everything is going good for him.

An online friend sent me a "poetic" tribute called As Far As I Can See by Chris McGlade about how the U.S. looks to him as a working class Englishman. If you get a chance to watch it on YouTube, please do so. It expresses some interesting facts--especially toward the end--that no one points out. Some of those things had never even occurred to me.  It takes so little to amaze me that it is as if my sleep walking has been going on for years! With my eyes wide open!

Remember those ink pens that had four or more colored tubes in them? They all were inside the same tube and could be used by depressing each of the colored levers. That was the kind of pens my children thought of as being RICH kids pens. They did not ask for one because it was just not something that was necessary. Just super neat. Nowadays kids want the latest phones with the best cameras. Kinda like those pens with four or more barrels of color. Jennifer pointed that out to me today.

To make me smile she showed me a picture of a cactus that blooms once a year AT NIGHT--and hers bloomed last night. Not too sure she would remember the strange cactus that we had in the back room in the big bookcase. It only bloomed once for a few days and then died. The bloom smelled like a dead mouse--no doubt to attract a pollinator. They have one similar to that in Africa that is huge. Can't imagine how bad it must smell. Think it is called the Carrion Cactus. It is actually a succulent, but whatever it is, would not want it near my house even if it is in the milkweed family!

One more week in this month. Seems sometimes as if the weeks just fly by and others as if the months just creep by. But right now making no plans whatsoever for the rest of this month or next. Would just like to see the world get a little happier somehow. Maybe God will bless us with snow to cover up the ground and clean up the atmosphere and tamp down the noise of traffic. And maybe the fires in the forests will all be put out soon so that no more air pollution will be blown around our part of the world. Those are some of the happy thoughts that might be something to look for in the future. Never can tell. 

The geese have taken a new look at the State Hospital grounds. The oak trees must have shed enumerable acorns to attract this many geese! It is hilarious to me to see them flocking in and circling the spot where they check the employees in to see if they have a temperature. Wonder if any of the geese have stood still long enough to have their temps taken! Would love to get a picture of that!

The wind is getting up again. The storm we had last night brought about three inches of rain and enough thunder to keep us rolling from one side of the bed to the other. The first big bang sounded as if something had hit the house! Both dogs jumped up and barked! It took a few minutes for it to dawn on me that it was just a storm. But boy the wind and rain did fly! The back yard looked as if it had drifted. And each container that was open was half filled with water this morning. Yup. Never do something half way when it can be done big time!

You all find something happy to bring a smile to your world, and share the smiles, if you will. You are loved.

Night Birds!

 The birds are shut up in their respective coops. After having to check the premises for wandering birds, it was obvious that the Marans were not convinced that the Wyandottes were going to allow them to enter their own coop. Seriously thinking about shoving the Wyandottes into the old coop with the rest of the older hens and shutting the adjoining door between the new coop and old coop. That way the pullets can have more space and less bullying from the older hens. Will have to wait until it is dark, however, to do that. Just thinking at this point. Not too excited to go pulling them off their favorite roost. sigh

Not exactly a wonderful day, but not totally boring either. Dutch Henry posted something from one of the Congressmen who said that Biden's tax plan included an 80% tax upon social security. That way the government would get more of it than the old folks like me who need it in the first place. It must be interesting to be so filthy rich that caring about others becomes a matter of nonsense. Maybe if our members of Congress had to work like we did all our lives and did not have promises of free medical care and a super duper retirement, maybe then Congress would try to work on the problems that everyone else has dealt with for umpteen years. Term limits would just be a start to the answer of some problems. Trying not to get my blood pressure up when thinking about crud like this. 

The dogs and the old woman ate the roast beef today. It took all day, but we did a fine job. They had the tough portions and the well done parts. And they sniffed every bite twice whether it was mine or theirs! Funny critters.

Tired tonight. Have done nothing worth tiring anyone, but the fatigue remains. Achy and stiff as if the weather is about to do something. Don't think it is supposed to change all that much until the weekend--Sunday night. Guess my body barometer is keenly tuned or something. Or maybe the old body needs more exercise. Since the Hamburgs have moved to Paducah, the old woman is not getting as much exercise. Hope BR is getting eggs and is not having too much trouble with the city hens!

Have thought a few times about the little town where my family used to live. Everyone knew everyone, their kids, their dogs, and sometimes their cats. That was both a good thing and a bad thing depending on who was gossiping about whom. Don't think my parents took part in the gossip, but they certainly heard about it if Sterling was out playing hooky with one of his friends from school. Grandmother Pollard's friends knew Sterling by sight. And if you know anything about old women and their grapevine, you know that we could do nothing that wasn't talked about. Once, however, it was a very good thing. My friend Connie asked me to ride with her out to their "farm" outside of town. Her daddy was supposed to call Mom and let her know where we were going. But he did not. On the way out of town, suddenly a feeling came over me that something was wrong. We turned our horses around and rode hell bent for thunder back to town. It was pretty hard on Connie's little horse, but my big gelding had legs that scraped the clouds. He was not terrifically fast, but he could lope forever. Got into the driveway at the house and was met by Mother. She had half of Clay County out looking for me. Mrs. Moore had no idea that we had even been outside, much less riding out to their property. Talk about ticked off. Never got to go out there to ride with Connie after that. Mom did not trust the man. Ya just never know what is on someone's mind.

We had a good place to grow up out in Petrolia. No jobs, no really good places to mess around, but nothing that would necessarily hurt us if we used common sense. We could take our rifles and go plinkin' or go fishing or swimming. It was country. Yep, wish sometimes that more places were like that, but would not want to go back now for all the tea in China. It is a different world now. Maybe someday our world will be a better place for kids to grow up and for old folks to enjoy sitting out on the front porch watching the kids ride bikes by on the sidewalks or on the roads. Never can tell what the future will bring. But our lives are pretty much in God's hands. And that is about as close as we will ever get to being what we need to be--His children.

May rest be yours tonight and may you awake with joy. You are loved.

Borgonzola!

 Cheeses can taste strange or absolutely amazing. Not sure what Borgonzola could elicit in a cheese lover, but it is definitely not any kin to cheddar--not even to blue cheese, despite the mold wound throughout its body. But that is what my decision was to put on my veggies this evening. Did not finish that dish. Sylvia and Thompson did not care what the veggies had on them, thank you very much. But the book currently being read in this house has Stilton cheese as one of the main factors in a theft. Supposedly it has to remain at a certain temperature to be edible. And to be called Stilton, it has to be made in one of three counties in Derbyshire, England. Stilton is an English cheese, produced in two varieties: Blue, which has had Penicillium roqueforti added to generate a characteristic smell and taste, and White, which has not. Can't imagine anyone wanting to steal the Borgonzola cheese in my fridge. It's ok, but not something valuable to my way of looking at things. God must have taught the Arabs how to make cheese when they were traveling in the desert. But betting their cheese did not contain mold!

Learning about foods can make life more interesting. The detective in this book has decided to learn how to cook his favorite foods that his late wife prepared for him. He misses Petunia and her cooking, and he forgets himself and often turns to tell her something. Understand that situation completely. It took me forever to stop wanting to tell Lewis something or show him something.

Each day the Black Marans and the young Barred Rocks get braver. They now hide under the deck with the rest of the hens. And they are still growing to beat the band. But trust me! They squawk like the Hamburgs whenever they are picked up. Just trying to pet one can set the entire group off to scatter. Eventually they may get better, but it is going to take some patience. 

For those of you keeping up with my friend Charlie Anderson, he was doing some kind of plasma therapy, and the doctor said it would be three to five days before he could think about going home. It sounds good to me!

Lance just sent me a picture of goat's butter that was #1.90--don't know the symbol for pounds in England. It is supposed to be an L. ONE stick of goat butter would be the equivalent of $5 American! Just made sour cream with lemon juice today. Not interested in buying sour cream right now, but love being able to make it with fresh cream. Also made mozzarella cheese with fresh milk. Nothing like making your own food. Well, actually, the COW made the good stuff. Cindy brought me some because their cows are filling up every jar in the house. Only so much milk three teenagers can drink!

Have a roast on cooking in the slow cooker. Made ribs yesterday and had to share with these two critters. The roast, however, will make nice slices and be good with baked potatoes or whatever. It would not be so hard to lose weight if we did not have to think about making food for meals--even if the meals are only for one person. sigh Just looked down at the bag of dog treats on my desk and noticed that they are made in China! DANG! Won't do that again. The brand is Solimo. Think that is an Amazon brand. Nuts!

Bought paper towels from Sam's online, and they arrived today. Jennifer ordered them for me, but she did not say it was a huge container--15 rolls! Yikes. Oh well. That's about $1.37 a roll. And Walmart only lets a person have like two rolls or less. Go figure. What is it about paper products that we can't seem to get them right now? Jenn said she could not order paper plates! Don't think anyone in her house eats off of regular dishes. Yet she runs the dishwasher. Must be pans. Guess this, too, will pass. 

My doctor is encouraging everyone in her practice to NOT come to her office but to do a telemed call with her instead. She said the number of cases of Covid is going way too high. The ICU is at 100% capacity, and the regular hospital beds are almost there as well. Makes a person want to just stay at home. Was supposed to go to Mary's to ride tomorrow, but think it may be a good time to just hibernate. She goes around SO many people all the time with her groups. The horse probably would not be a problem, but no sense in going over there. She would have to help me with the saddling and stuff. She is very particular about things being just so. Which is her right. So, maybe next spring.

It is supposed to get colder this weekend. Running the AC right now, but will probably have to light the pilot light on the heater by Monday. Figures. And yours truly has not put any plants up in the greenhouse yet. Lazy ol' woman. But things may change. We will see.

Hoping that all is going well in Paducah. The farm hens and the city hens may eventually get along just fine. Just hope that the city hens have taken the egg laying business to heart again. Not that BR needs to go egg hunting! Just hope the Hamburgs will lay where she can find them.

May you each find happiness in this life and stay healthy. You are loved.

Counting Chickens.

 This morning when letting the hens out, a Black Marran came running around the end of the chicken coop. Apparently she stayed out all night and survived being out and about. Her "chicken momma" did not count last night! For shame! Will have to do better tonight. 

Still messing around with these stupid sneezes. As soon as the hens are penned up, an allergy pill--Benadryl--should take care of the problem. Living in hope here! Not sure what is in the air today since we had a fine mist-like rain early. Sat out on the lawn swing and talked to my cousin Elizabeth for about an hour. That was probably all the outside air needed to get the sinuses stuffed full of pollen. sigh

Made a quick trip to Walmart [yes, wearing a mask] to pick up a new clock, French vanilla coffee creamer, a big tub of ice cream, a roast, and a pair of gloves. The gloves were NOT what was needed, but apparently they no longer carry what used to be called "night gloves." Those are the kind you use after you put medication or some kind of skin softener on your hands. They help to keep the stuff on your hands rather than on your pillow case or wherever. 

Some things ordered online came in the post box today, so now the dogs have a choice between crumbly treats and chewy treats. But they can only have three chewy treats according to the directions on the package. They are made with sweet potato, chicken, pea protein, glycerin, and salt. Thinking that sweet potato might make interesting gas from at least one of these dogs. Oh well.

The UPS man came today and brought me a package from Jennifer. It contained some note pads and one big tee shirt that had something on it that looked like dandelion fluff blowing away from the stem--the fluff being chickens of assorted colors. Kinda neat! Jennifer always has some good ideas. She was saying that she looks things up on Amazon and then buys them from Etsy to help owners of various sites. Sounds like a good idea since Amazon hardly needs any help!

Have to go in to get blood work done early in the morning. Not that 8:30 is all that early or anything. But that is as early as it can be done. Taking eggs to Dr. Blackwell and her nurse, too. They both have lots of family to consume all the extra eggs.

Only have 13 hens laying currently. Four are on vacation or something. Grey Lady has so many feathers falling out that she looks like a feather explosion walking around. Not sure why Edith and Harriet are not laying, but maybe they just don't feel like making me happy with green eggs. Don't have any green ham to go with the eggs anyway!

Really have been getting a kick out of the "Chicken Report" by BillyeRuth. Honestly, think it is a good thing we don't live too close. She keeps me laughing so hard! If you have not already read about her jail breaking hens, just go back and read the comments on these posts. 

Have another police mystery book started. This one includes a dog that got fired from his job as a police dog. But it is already funny, especially since the officer who has the dog now is a retired Detective Superintendent who is learning to cook by going to all of these locally owned cooking schools. At this point, the detective was going to learn to make cherry puddings--like a pie or tart only not called that. The English are just a bit different. Maybe that is why it is amusing.

Took something for pain a bit ago and am finding it increasingly difficult to stay awake. Maybe that is a good thing. Should sleep well tonight. 

Washed the nose prints off the windows again. At least it is just their noses and not their toes. Have a feeling those big jumps could break a window easily enough. But then, have moved the furniture away from the windows so that they have to stand on the floor instead of jumping up from the couch. Having animals definitely keeps one busy and thinking about how to manage one's surroundings. Of course, they make me happy, too, so that's a bonus.

Uh oh. Knocked a tennis ball out from under the couch along with a bone and started a ruckus. But Sylvia is happy with the ball, and Thompson is gnawing the bone. All is well on the home front!

The weather report keeps changing up and down, dry and wet maybe. Nothing like guessing how to dress or prepare for your day. Not that it matters all that much. Not going anywhere anyway. Just wish we could get a good soaking rain. Everything seems awfully dry.

Will be so glad when 2020 can be put behind us. Maybe God will forgive us our sins and help us to regain a sense of perspective. Meanwhile, we can look around at our little part of the world and be grateful for all the blessings. As individuals, that is our job right now--to praise God and appreciate all He has given us. His way of doing things will never be wrong. We just have to try to use His vision and try to avoid our own way of thinking. And it is not easy. We carry our thoughts and our pride and all other parts of human history around with us despite knowing that it all amounts to dust and less. Eyes to see and we don't see. Ears to hear and we don't hear. These things will all pass away.

Good news is that Charlie Anderson is doing fairly well and will just have to stay in the hospital for a bit longer. We can still pray for him and others with this virus. It is so difficult to keep ourselves healthy. Please pray for not just Charlie, but all those affected.

May you get a good sleep and awake in good health. You are loved.

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Jail Break!

 Apparently Paducah has had a jail break! In the ongoing saga of the Hamburg hens, they have made a jail break! They escaped through an aperture in the top of the "jail" in which they have been ensconced by one BillyeRuth White! Yesterday she reported one egg, but failed to include the information that the jail contained zero hens! She finally found them perching on TOP of the jail among the branches covering the top of the wire pen. She reported that the hole was quite small, so she was confused about the possibility of their escape through that place. However, after discovering them settled among the leaves and branches, she snagged the ones she could reach and placed them in the chicken house with her own hens. Some of the hens were unreachable from BR's positioning and refused to be pressed off the top of the jail by prodding. So this morning BR found those hens just happily prancing about her barnyard in all their glory. She let the other hens out of the chicken house to discover that her hens and my hens did not like each other at all! And her hens were bigger than the ones from my house. Of course, it would not take much to get a hen bigger than a Hamburg. But the Barred Rock, the Rhode Island Red, and the Wyandotte were not all that small. Well, the Wyandotte is a runt, but she lays nice eggs. Anyway, after this jail break, not only will BR be doing an egg search every day, she may be doing a hen hunt as well! With the tendency of the Hamburgs to roost high, she may have tree hens before the year is over.

Have not heard any more from Charlie Anderson. Left a message on this phone log, so maybe he will get back to me if he can. Not sure the number is for a cell phone or a house phone, so that might make a difference since he was in the hospital when he sent the last message. Guess all we can do is pray for these folks like Charlie who have come down with this virus. AH! Charlie sent a picture captioned "Still masked." At least we know he is still among the living! I don't really know any of his family except for Mark Ogle, so it is not like anyone could tell me how he is doing. He has two sweet little dogs that will be glad when he gets to come home!

Cooked up some carrots, broccoli, peas, and mushrooms today. Pretty good eating, but would have liked to have had some beef with it. So, sent in an order to Walmart today that should be here sometime after seven tonight. Still forgot the big tub of vanilla ice cream and French vanilla liquid creamer, but can't depend on an old woman's brain to remember everything. 

Made some mozzarella cheese today. Cindy Jones brought over a couple of jars of milk and some cream. The cream is going to be sour cream when the lemons get here, but the cheese is done already. Hardly ever drink milk any longer, but love to have cereal and milk or cream gravy once in a while. But some folks are kinda picky about cereal--like me. Can't stand that fruity stuff. The kids got used to having oats, honey, and "shtuff" for cereal years ago. Funny how things change in your diet over a period of time. But then, seventy some years is a pretty good space of years for such changes. 

Jerry got himself a used lawn mower and has been mowing his yard. Alongside the road looks nice and neat, so maybe he can cut down the jungle in his yard before this thing craters. Can still hear it running, at least. Of course, he had to come over and use tools for working on it. But that is ok, too. Not really a problem as long as he puts them back. He can't leave anything over at his house because folks he has visiting over there take anything that is not nailed down. Such great "friends."

Was going to take a nap earlier, and two dogs wanted to play. Finally got them to settle, and then the nap bug disappeared. Oh well. Maybe by the time the hens are put away, things will be better for sleeping anyway.

Have the kettle on for hot tea. Love hot tea weather. This is chamomile and lavender. Most of the tea bags in my tea box had to be trashed. They get old or they get bugs--or both. One of these days will find a good place to buy tea bags again. Use to get some at Cash Saver. They were fresh, believe it or not. That was a good little store. Hated to see it closed. It was so convenient. Can't imagine what folks do who can't drive to a store or have one within walking distance. But from reading about "food deserts," it is not that unusual for some cities to not have anything like a grocery store for miles. Good time in some places to learn to grow food in containers or something!

Jerry came over to ask me to wash his "dress" clothes so that he could go downtown for an appointment. The pants had bleach spots on them which reminded me that Walmart had zero bleach for purchase. Is that wild or what? Anyway, he brought me some bleach that he had bought somewhere that was concentrated. He carefully pointed that out to me. Seldom use bleach, but have a sleep shirt that needs bleach. Wondering how concentrated bleach is going to react to cotton/synthetic material. Hmm. May have holes to wear unless the bleach is diluted before putting my tee shirt in the washer.

Have been playing a game on the computer called Hidden something or other. The idea is to find things that are hidden in the pictures within a certain time. It can be a little nerve wracking if the things are really hidden. But it is fun, too. Half the time the things don't look like what one would expect, but can't be totally discounted as being the things they ask for. Just different. It reminds me a little of what Lance had to contend with when he was in kindergarten. They would be asking for the letter M for  mittens, and he was thinking the picture was for gloves. We never called anything mittens! 

Need to hack down the sunflower bushes out front. They no longer have any pretty flowers on them. Seriously doubt if the birds will eat the seeds on them when they can just go out back and share with the hens! Have no idea how much the wild birds eat, but you can bet it is almost as much as what the hens eat--at least the grains.

Talking to Connie this morning, and she said that Rebekah was thinking of leaving tomorrow for Maryland. If she goes, Connie is going to miss her. They have finally had a chance to get to know each other better and seem to like each other. About time! They are so far apart in age and have never really been around each other since Connie left for California and Rebekah left home at 16. Their circumstances have never been good for getting to know each other. So this has been good for both of them. 

Think this is going to be a good week to just stay at home. Connie said the Covid count for WF just keeps getting higher. Not sure why. But it is not that difficult for me to stay at home. Have to go get blood work done Wednesday, but that is it. Class at the Zone can wait awhile. And my Kindle just gets books online so easily--no contact with anyone! Whatever is in the air right now--Colorado smoke or whatever--has caused me so much trouble that not going out is an easy decision. Hope that others have that decision made as easily and economically.

Whatever good thoughts you can have and blessings you can consider, these are good things to hold on to right now. You are loved.