The Struggles Are Real.

 The Struggles Are Real.

 

The dogs kept getting me up in the wee hours. At four something, Thompson insisted that he had to go out to the hen coop and bark and try to pull the siding off the building of the greenhouse part. He was right. Something was in there. Rusty Lady is no longer among the living. Poor girl. It had to be some kind of cat that was bigger than her—maybe a fox. Anyway, closed doors on the green house part, closed the little escape hatch on the front coop, and screwed a board into the part of the door that fits the screen so that they can get air without any gaps big enough for a cat—here’s hoping. This time, if Thompson says we need to go tearing out there during the night, we WILL go tearing out there. Have a machete that will take care of critters. Can’t use a gun inside the city limits, don’t ya see. Hate to see my girls get picked off like this. They depend on those high roosts for protection, but anything a hen can climb, a cat can climb. Well, or a possum.

 

Lesli texted to tell me that she left her mom’s room this morning and just cried her way through the bottom half of Oklahoma. She plans to come back in October by herself. Told her that she really needs Tilak with her for emotional support. But they can’t leave the boys with anyone up there in Chicago. She may change her mind before then anyway. Anne has become more lucid and has had less pain than before, but she definitely cannot stay by herself at home. They are still giving her some pain meds, however. The medication for nausea seems to be working well. It is something that has to do with marijuana, but not sure what it is called. Anyway, Erin should be there tonight if nothing rips, rears, or ravels. If he thinks anything needs to change, it will.

 

Leaving here the other morning, the old woman saw her first two illegal immigrants about to leave the road and take off into the bushes off of South Kemp. Not sure which of the countries that may have been their origin, but they were definitely Hispanic. Their backpacks looked very heavy and well abused. Can’t imagine trying to take enough clothes or supplies to last for a walking trip from South America to this part of Texas. Figure they came off of Hwy 79 about a mile away. It’s not like we could welcome them to WF or anything. WF is not even set up well for the homeless we have here already, much less a bunch of folks who don’t speak English or know the country. It would be the same problem for anyone from here trying to make it to S.A. Not that anyone here would want to go through the trip or the dangers involved with all those drug warlords! It’s bad enough here as it is.

 

Patty told me tonight that she needed to know that her two little dogs would have a home since the one she thought she could depend on has a bunch of vicious dogs in her yard now. Jennifer had said that she thought she could take the little dwerps, so that made Patty feel better. Roxy is totally a sweetheart. Rudie is a momma’s dog. He only feels safe next to Patty. My dogs are a lot like that in some ways. Sylvia is my shivering scaredy cat. Thompson is my obedient sweetheart. Anyway, Patty felt better knowing that her dogs would be loved and pampered.

 

It has been another hot day. Not sure that any part of me has not been soaked in perspiration today. In other words: sweat city! Sterling was bragging about the cooler weather they are having in NW Arkansas. Just wait. We will get a cold front eventually—probably in February!! And it will be another dry winter with our luck. Dadgumit!

 

Cooked up some meat for the dogs (pork) and some for me (beef). Mine included cabbage! The best kind of yummy stuff around sometimes. Spinach is good, but cabbage fills a gut with something substantial. Anyway, have some left over for tomorrow, so not much cooking will be going on would be my guess. Maybe tomorrow will be a floor day. Why they always need cleaning must have something to do with these dogs! And the old woman who allows them to wade in a water trough and then come inside! Oh well.

 

Knowing that Jennifer is leaving Tuesday makes me proud of her, but it concerns me that she is going by herself. Up here by herself is one thing, but several states away—well, would appreciate your prayers for her safety. She has a lot of gumption, but it is my job to worry about her still. Moms are always moms, ya know.

 

Nothing much new around here—well, that is not true. Clint Robertson fixed my phone up so that the ring camera shows the outside front of my house where people drive up. Just have to touch that instead of opening a curtain to find what the dogs are barking about. Clint said that there are cameras like this that swivel, but this is not one of them. It is not like it would matter much anyway. The dogs hear things that are entirely out of my range anyway. After all the work seems to have been finished over there, it looks as if they are living here now, so there’s that.

 

Thompson and Sylvia have been getting into my recliner, so the saddle blanket kept in here under my desk will just about fit perfectly sideways to keep them from scratching the leather. And when the old woman wants to claim her chair, of all the slowwww crawls---that is Thompson. Sylvia would really like to claim that it belongs to her now, thank you very much. Nope. MY chair! They have some very nice beds to lie on here in the middle of the living room floor.

 

Many of the people on my friends list have been celebrating the beginning of fall. To me, this is the best time of the year—the fall holy days are almost all in this month and next. That does not mean anything to most folks unless they recognize that God set these holy days up before Christ was even born. Of course, if you read carefully, you know that “in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word WAS God.” Anyway, read the first part of John and you will know just who it was that created everything—including all the holy days—from the beginning. To me, that means before the nation of Israel was begun. These are not “Jewish” holy days. They are God’s holy days. God seems to make things according to His plan with His designs. ALL of creation is planned and designed by the One who has everything in His hands. That just makes me SO happy. It is easy to see that when a plan is laid out, it is finished according to His plans. When He begins something, nothing can make it change unless HE allows it.

 

Well, now you have some idea of why the old woman does have a fairly good idea of how things will work out eventually. She may not know any time lines or details, but she has faith that what He says will come to pass in His time.

 

Rest well, my friends and find joy in this life as it has been given unto you. You are loved.