Doubling Up!

 Doubling Up!

 

Have ridden double more times than once. Why, the worse buckin’ horse in Clay County put me on the ground once when Donna Fuhrman (Reeves) had me on the saddle behind her on her dad’s horse, Ol’ Buck. Now that horse deserved his name. Sweetest ol’ critter you ever met. Just don’t leave the tailgate down on the pickup or he would decide he needed to go for a ride. John had to take the horse for a drive or he would not get out of the pickup. And while he was ridin’, he had to have his head around the side of the truck tellin’ John how to drive (no sideboards, mind you)! My daddy said more than once he saw John driving down the highway with that ol’ horse telling John where to go! Sure do have good memories of such as that. Growing up in Clay County had some times that were more special than anything that could be offered to most kids in this old world.

 

Today my doctor decided to double up on some medications so that the old woman would not be hurting as much or as freaking down and depressed. If the Celebrex helps with the pain in my body, the rest of the problems might not be quite as bad. When my son asked me the other day if my diet was filled with the right kind of vegetables and stuff, Jennifer spoke up very quickly and said that she did not know of even one person who ate the kind of healthy foods that her mom ate. Don’t think her children had ever seen that many or that assortment of veggies in their fridge as when the old woman was staying with them. Sitting here at the moment, eating bell pepper slices dipped in pepper humus. Had fresh peaches and a mug of coffee for breakfast—oh, and a few pieces of something called “naan.” The kids picked it up at Sam’s. Never had any before, but it is not bad. It is a bread type little bite that may be the smaller size of something that they eat in India. Not sure.

 

Talked to my brother Sterling a bit ago. He and his best friend there in Gentry, Arkansas, have about made up their minds that they need to retire and just piddle. Seems they were doing some brush work in George’s front yard and pulling out some tree mess until they both were almost unable to breathe. Yep, time to retire and just back off the exertions of a younger, stronger man. Sterling said this is his last year of cutting wood, stacking, and all that mess. He can buy what he wants and others can do the same. We used to have a wood burning stove and can testify to the amount of work required by one of those hungry dragons. Yes, it kept the house nice and cozy in the winter, but the good Lord knows we sweated enough cutting that wood, hauling it, and then chopping it up for the stove. Then there was all that ash that had to be removed and spread around. Nope. No wood stoves for me any longer. Lone Star Gas definitely has got me spoiled.

 

Sylvia is cleaning out the little plastic container that held the humus. Not sure if she likes it or just enjoys messing with the container. But then, she likes the water bottles that anyone has and will wait—almost patiently—for them to be given to her. She crunches up the entire bottle before she is finished.

 

Just went out to check on the hens and the nests. By wacky! Got a total of seven eggs today! Maybe they are feeling much better after this weather has finally stopped being so totally miserable.

Have not messed with any kind of news today as nothing out there tends to make me feel good about how folks are treating each other or the soil they live on. If we all had some of the knowledge of the older generations, we might already know what is good for the ground, for the critters, and for ourselves. Don’t think my great-grands got to be the age they were by using sprays on the bugs and the ground. Now, that is not to say that they did not get eat up by chiggers unless they had a goodly supply of sulfur or something to put on their clothes when they went berry picking. But you can bet they had vinegar to pickle their cucumbers and assorted veggies back then. Ah well. Times and folks’ attitudes change.

 

That new telescope that can see all the different galaxies and plumb the types of chemicals on the surfaces just amazes me. Really do wish at times that someone had encouraged me to take chemistry. But how many women my age had that kind of encouragement? We were supposed to be wives, nurses, teachers, or something like that. Maybe a librarian if we were just a bit too much to corral. Ah, the choices we make in life. And who can tell our grands what a difference they can make unless they can see it for themselves?

 

We know that God is in charge, but today you have the opportunity to help me pray for my family—extended as they may be. Some are on the road coming here; some are the ones who need their presence. Let us ask for peace for individuals as well as for nations.

 

Rest and enjoy the changing of the seasons. You are loved.