Fun Surprises.

 So today Jennifer and her family got the surprise sent to them from Nuts.com. Lance and his family got theirs yesterday. Apparently the assorted goodies went over well; Jennifer said that Reece took off with the dinosaurs (gummy ones, not for real ones). Jennifer's favorite was the coated cherries. Yours truly has not tried those, so will have to include them in the next order. Ya know, if we can't really do things or go places that we used to do or go, then something has to take its place. Nibbling on nuts and berries and silly gummy critters just has to be smile worthy. 

Did not read any of the Texas book today as my day was just a bit off kelter. Forgot to take meds last night, and then the neighbor behind my house was driving up and down my road yelling, "Patches, Popeye!" until nearly 1 a.m. Finally remembered to take meds at 3:30 a.m., so could hardly function enough to get the hens let out later on. They were not happy with me. sigh  Jennifer suggested that an alarm set on my phone for meds each night would take care of that. We will see if what got put into the phone actually results in an alarm at 6:30 this evening and every evening.

Maggie Sewell just came to pick up some eggs. Let me explain to those of you who get eggs: this is my gift to my friends. Those hens get me up in the morning and give me a reason to mess around outside a bit. The "butt nuggets" are just an extra benefit. The only problem that regularly comes up is the bags for them. Sometimes the nice bags take legs and don't seem to come back the way they should. Also, have currently accumulated plenty of the dozen pack cartons, but have run out of the 18 count cartons. If you want 18 count cartons, you have to bring the empties to me that are clean. And, as Forrest Gump would say, "And that's all I'm going to say about that."

Cooked a pork loin this morning, sliced it up, put a few pieces in several ziplock bags, and now have lunch-upper set up for a few days. The potato, onion, carrot soup concocted yesterday is not all gone, so that it going to be din-upper tonight. 

Read one short book and started another. It amazes me that some folks think fifty or so pages can be considered a book. That is a short story in my estimation, especially if the characters' personalities are not fleshed out at all. Oh well. Guess griping about what we read is the height of prejudice. The one novel out of my brain was not much over a hundred pages, but maybe those characters were not exactly fleshed out either. Not going to re-write it, that's for sure. It reminds me that one of my professors assured me that anyone reading my master's thesis would have had to also had each of the referenced works in their own library and be familiar with those books. Don't expect that going back to include a synopsis of each work would help anyone. Could have used the Bible alone for an example since books like The Scarlet Letter were supposed to be based on the Puritan's beliefs about the Bible. The same is true of Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale and some of Chaucer's "tales." Think both the Scarlet Letter and The Handmaid's Tale have been made into movies now. Even so, the idea that men take little pieces of this and that to support their attitudes about women will never change. Again, "and that's all I'm going to say about that."

Have a "bed" all turned up and ready to plant in poppies out back. The only thing it lacks is the little chicken wire fence around it, and that will only keep chickens out. Looking forward to having a great big splash of color out back. Lance looked at the side lots one of the last times he was up here and said, "You really don't want any grass out there, do you?" Well, not exactly. They do keep the grass cut down pretty much. Still laugh about Gary Ostand having to cut his grass for the first time that year after those six hens went home to WF. He had no idea that they were eating all the grass! From February 5 until May 9 he had no grass to mow! Very efficient little lawn mowers. If one of those stretchy orange fences could go up across the front lawn here, it would not even need a weed eater! Can see the girls attacking that stuff now! Wonder how much that stuff costs. Hmm.

Almost time to close the coop doors. Sometimes Isa will stay out by the side door to wait for me so she gets picked up and petted. Funny hen. Always have to take her inside the metal coop and place her on one of the bars across the middle. Three of the hens--two of them which will soon be going to Michelle--have dibs on the top shelves. They don't scoot over, either! Ah, such is the pecking order. Glad we don't normally have to deal with that attitude in our own daily lives.

May you all find enjoyment in whatever God has give you to do. You are loved.