Short Message.
Old Woman fell flat of her backside on left wrist and hand
as well. It hurts to type. Sorry. Short message. Loved my children’s visit
today, but going to sit still and keep this hand up while iced.
Blessings to all of you. You are loved.
Soup For Warmth.
Other than vacuuming, mopping, and making my bed, the only
other exercise this morning was turning out the hens and gathering eggs. Sat in
the living room with a heater going and read some in Acts. Reminders are good
as each time something is read in that book, another thing strikes me that was
not thought about previously. We always find something in each reading, in each
day, and in each interaction with others that makes a difference in how we think
about things.
Patty told me today about how Roxie had her going about her “danger,
danger” bark this morning. Seems something was different about the pillow down
by the bed, and Roxie wanted her mom to know something was out of place. Dogs
have particular barks for certain things, and the last time Roxie used that
bark, she had found a centipede! Patty was pretty much spooked to look over
behind the bed, but she couldn’t see anything spooky, so decided that Roxie
simply was not accustomed to that pillow being there near her bed. Silly dog! But
mine are the same way—only with two voices and much more volume! They have a
bark for strange vehicles, a person crossing the highway at the end of the
block, a squirrel bark, and then “someone in the yard” bark! The one for “on
the front porch” sounds as if they are about to go through the window! But that
bark does the trick with strangers!
Just ordered a new coffee pot. The one used around here for
the past few years is simply not keeping the coffee hot. Think rust is not a
very good conductor of heat. Oh well. Ordered a k-cup type so various kinds can
be used. Think the price was set for Black Friday, too. Not too bad if it works
out well.
Reheated the soup left over from yesterday and it is even
better today. Would love to have a butter roll with butter on it to go with it,
but will try to behave myself for now. Just because the numbers were great this
time does not mean the old woman can just go wild with carbs. Sigh.
The soup bowl being used right now is from a set of four—and
it is the lone survivor! It has a handle on it just like a coffee cup, so it is
easy to handle. The curved-up sides keep the soup hot, too. Over the 56 years
the old woman has been in this house, so many different mugs, cups, and assorted
plates have been used with our family.
Sitting here thinking about my niece Lesli and her family.
Don’t you know that moving and rearranging a house has to be a pretty heavy-duty
job! But Tilak is very helpful when things need to be done. She said they were
up until 3:30 this morning caulking the upstairs bathroom shower. Guess all the
renovations were not quite finished. But at least they have two bathrooms now.
This knee is so much better that it makes me feel guilty to
gripe at all. Even improved, it still smarts when trying to walk or step up or
step down. Such fun! And the pain pills Dr. Blackwell prescribed are working
for the back. Getting older certainly makes me wonder how we handled the bumps,
falls, and bruises when we were much younger. Only got thrown or fallen on a
few times years ago, but those were not bad compared to having the dogs knock
me down at an older age. For sure would not want to throw hay in the back of
the truck to have to unload and stack!
John Rhoads brought egg cartons and some alfalfa the other
evening. He looked ready for cold weather in his jacket with the collar turned
up. And there the old woman stood in shorts! Nope, not today.
Tara Ross gave an outline of some of the things that George
Washington wanted his army to do—with prayers of thanksgiving to the Almighty
God for His providence in their lives and endeavors. What Washington asked for
from his troops is no more than what we should be doing quite often, for it is
God alone who has led the nation to the prosperity and blessings of neighbors
that we each have today. Look around you. You sit in peace for the most part.
Things need improvement, but nothing is beyond our ability to help for
ourselves and for our neighbors because God has given us those blessings
freely. Let us be grateful!
Rest well, my friends. You know you are loved.
Then The Wind Blew—AGAIN!
It has been a good day, and it started out not the least bit
windy. So, of course, the wind is blowing now to beat the band! [Have no idea
where that saying came from!] Ok, with great enthusiasm, the wind has begun to
attempt to tear the leaves from the trees, the shingles from the rooves [not
roofs], and the feathers off the birds! Speaking of idioms, our language is a
living language, and the old woman grew up with the plural of hoof being hooves
and the plural of roof being rooves. And determination be dadblamed if the old
woman is going to spell roof with an “s” to make it plural!
While the language is a “living” language, the number of
abbreviations and computer linked terms just about make me feel totally illiterate!
Told the clerk at the pharmacy that the antibiotics were for a UTI. Used that
term once before in front of a man who had no idea what that meant. How many
different medical terms can one learn before it all becomes an alphabet soup?
The same goes for computer language. Then there are those stupid initials for
all sorts of things online—LOL does not mean lots of love, etc. And only 20
years ago, how many people were going “online”? And to text someone meant what?
A message can be a PM or IM or just about anything these days. Just not smoke
signals!
Looked out the kitchen window and found two amazing blooms
on my silly plum tree. You can almost bet that means it is so stressed that it will
die this coming spring. Sigh. Wish it were possible to go to Paul Dowlearn’s
nursery and get a couple of pine trees and a couple of fruit trees. But even if
the cost of the trees were not too high, the holes for them would be the
problem. They would have to be close enough to the house to be within watering
range of the garden hose, too. You know doggone well that next summer will be
so hot and dry that nothing will live without extra water!
Got a message from my niece Lesli a while ago. She and her
husband just bought a split-level house up there in Illinois. Those three boys
are going to be so happy to have their own yard and a place for their dog Snoop
to enjoy running around chasing them. SO very happy for them! The street view
looked nice and as if it were a comfortable neighborhood. Here is hoping that
they have wonderful neighbors! May God bless them with happiness and safety in
that new home.
Made some vegetable soup this afternoon. Well, yes, it was
not totally vegetable since some thin-sliced steak was cut up and dropped in
the broth. Pretty tasty. Did not include half a can of pepper in this soup,
however. Patty’s soup had already cleared my sinuses! A trip to United got the
dogs some ground turkey for their kibble topping. Just don’t quite have the
energy to cook one of those ten-pound bags of chicken quarters right now. Lazy
ol’ woman! Picked up a plain cheesecake for lunch on Friday when the kids are
here. Have a can of blueberry pie filling to serve over the top of it. Hope
Gary will like it or even eat any. The kids are losing weight so are being
careful of what they eat. Sigh.
Finished the book of John this afternoon and saw the
first-person pronoun “I” for the first time. Had never noticed that one before.
Even though we know that John wrote this book, he only used that pronoun once
at the very end. Also, it was interesting to note that the apostles were still
in the mindset that Jesus was going to bring Israel into its rightful place in
the world—during their lifetime. So many of us have a time complex—maybe that
is just natural. But realistically we have to know that time is not the same
for us as it is for God. And, to look up into the heavens and see all those
stars, we have to realize that the universes out there are still not finished
moving about in their own time cycles. Did you know that the stars sing God’s
praises? They make noises we can’t necessarily hear, but just like the plants
that bloom and have a sound in an electrical field, the stars sing notes of
praise. And someday God will give us a new song to sing as well! Amazing!
Tonight, the old woman is thankful for the music provided by the greatest
musician—our Father God.
Rest well, my friends. You are loved.
And THAT Was How It Was!
First, the old woman thought her appointment was at 10:30,
and it was not until 11. Oh well. At least she was happy with the blood sugar
and no discussion of concern about that. Just got to start taking vitamin D
once a week. Go figure. Love sunshine, but it blisters me so fast it is not
funny! Oh well.
Had brunch with Patty earlier and truly enjoyed her beef
soup. She put enough pepper in that stuff to open sinuses in Mexico! She said
that Donny (her husband) always thought she used a bit too much pepper. It didn’t
matter to me. Surely was good stuff!
Think Shona is really looking forward to having her mom here
for Thanksgiving. She is just so blessed to still have her mom with her. Know
she hears her mom’s voice in her mind every day, but then, she talks to her
every day on the phone. Neat to be so close!
Damien’s parents sent some Mexican wedding cookies with him
for our gathering the other day. Guess who is still nibbling on those cookies!!
Talk about yummy!
Got home from the doctor’s office and found my new Bissell
vacuum on the front porch. That is just amazing that they replaced the entire
vacuum! That is the kind of company that a person can appreciate!
Yesterday afternoon, the old woman went out back to take the
water hose off the faucet, and it broke. Immediately called Wilbourn and McCabe
and their secretary had two men here within thirty minutes. SO glad they could
repair this mess that quickly. The faucet must have come over on the Ark
because it was what he called “a quarter turn” faucet. Knew it was handy to
use, but had no idea it was an antique!
Picked up the prescription for a UTI, and the stupid
insurance company questioned why they needed to fill it. Duh. The doctor
prescribed it! Makes me want to slap someone up the side of their head! But it
was not that difficult to be polite to the pharmacy clerk, so the pills came
home with me. Sometimes insurance companies deserve to have their teeth
rattled! One of the prescriptions was for 60 pills, but the insurance only
allowed 56 pills to be given. Nope. Not stupid, just asinine!
Discussing the possible cease-fire talks with Lebanon with
Patty, we came to the same conclusion: you simply cannot compromise or try to
deal with terrorists. It makes me shiver to read the Revelation, but at the same
time, it is reassuring to know that God is ALWAYS in control. Whether it is our
family that we would love to shield or our nation, we can ask and God will give
us His mercy. Praise be His name!
Rest well, my friends. You are loved.
Bissell Replacement!
When was the last time you had a company stand by their
product? Dear Hearts, Bissell has promised to replace my battery powered
vacuum! Amazing! The vacuum part still works just fine, but the little head
down at the bottom of the vacuum no longer spins its beater bars. Think the dog
hair did it in! Cleaned the thing out and pulled out enough hair for another
dog! Guess that won’t happen again! Will check it often when the new one gets
here. But the neat thing about it being battery operated is that the top
portion can still be used like a hand vacuum. So, the top part can go out to
the truck without any electrical hookup being nearby and just vacuum up
whatever needs cleaning. So there! It made me happy to have the company really
try to help me figure out what to do with the thing. It was under warranty, but
still. Have never had a company just offer to replace the entire thing like
that. Would have been happy if they had just offered to replace the bottom
part. Buying the part separately was nearly $70!
Had a really great day yesterday with Lance and his family.
Had the house pretty clean, but it only took a few minutes before the feet and
the dog hair made everything quite home-like! Laughed at the kids and reminded
each other of things we had done or things that just turned out funny. Tracy
told about Landon’s friend Chris who used to work for McCormick in their spice
factory. Chris came over and stopped in the doorway instead of coming all the
way into the house. The next morning Tracy thought that someone had bled on the
door mat. It seems Chris was working on Cheetos blend spices the night before
and came in his work boots! They have to wear breathing apparatuses when they
work there, but he did not think about his feet. Just imagine! My floor gets
feathers and chicken poo occasionally, but at least we don’t have spicey Cheeto
dust!
It is such a wonderful thing to have grown or semi-grown
kids come to visit. The old woman put Barry Levy’s spiced veggies, green
olives, and pickled okra on the table and then just convenience plates for the
food. We had Chicken Express food and lots of laughs for lunch. When everyone
was finished, the silver ware and a few bowls went to the sink and got washed
by my granddaughter, the cloth napkins went to the washing machine, the paper
plates went to the trash, the leftover food went to the fridge, and the extra
chairs went to the office. This old woman was just amazed by the handy folks
who did everything! That is the way to have family get togethers.
The Feed and Garden Store sells these pecans from Santo, TX
that are called Texas Trash pecans. They are spicey, Dear Hearts! Got a package
for both families and almost forgot to hand them to one of the kids. Then my
daughter-in-law informed me that it is not recommended to have more than five Brazil
nuts in a day—two a day being preferable. Seems they contain selenium that
affects one’s thyroid. Figures. Used to love these things almost as much as pecans.
Oh well. Will have to share with my daughter when she comes along with her
package of Texas Trash. Made a cheese cake and forgot the sugar. The dogs
appreciated it. Sigh. Oh well. Landon’s pumpkin pie was lovely. He did not use
whatever strong spice that usually makes me about half sick, so it was good to
eat! Ginger, cinnamon, and something is all he used.
Tracy made butter rolls and brought some for me. No, they
are not on my diet, but they are SO tasty. But then, so was the chicken pot pie
that Lance made. His pie will last more than a few days!
Michelle Malay and Joe (her brother-in-law) came early this
morning and had breakfast with me—chicken pot pie for breakfast, more or less,
with coffee or hot tea. Good to see both of them! Know Michelle is a bit
worried about the knee surgery. Reminded Sterling about it when he called and
could almost see him taking a short breath and nodding his head. That is not
one of those easy things. She is hoping to get to go to rehab at Clay County
Memorial. Here’s hoping that Medicare will approve it.
It is supposed to freeze Thursday night. That means the old
woman will have to go out and take the hose off the back faucet and put the
faucet cover on. Did you know that chickens will eat the faucet covers off if
they have that Styrofoam in them? Last year they ate the entire insides of the
cover before it was noticed! Crazy birds!
Found a few blank cards and the envelopes to go with them in
my desk drawer in the living room. Actually, took time to send a thank you note
to the parents of Rachel’s boyfriend for some cookies they sent. Now need to write
another note and send it tomorrow to number one and family. These children are
so very precious to me. Can hardly believe the blessings that they are to me
and to others. Believe that God provides blessings for generations to the
thousandth generation. At least, that is what it seems like. Like Sterling
said, we had some of the best grandparents a person could ask for. Granddad
Pollard was the kind of grandparent that could teach us all how to love. He was
a gift from God. If any kindness that might come from me to others could be as
good as his was to us, may that kindness go on to the children of our children
and beyond. May my life and Lewis’ life be a blessing because of God’s love.
Some day we will continue to share the “Harbor Freight” sheets story with more
children. Lewis loved his daughter-in-law. He sent her a Harbor Freight catalog
and told her to pick out her birthday present! We had to buy twin-sized sheets
for his hospital bed when he was dying here at home. Tracy told Lewis that the
ballerina sheets were purchased at Harbor Freight! And we still smile at that
story. Because he was loved.
Rest well, my friends. You are loved.
Deck the Floors with Lots of Furr Balls!
Lance and his family came today to spend time and eat some
extra stuff we normally don’t have. Their oldest made a pumpkin pie that was
just perfect and not too spicy, and Rachel made real mac and cheese and
some smashed potatoes. We got Chicken Express for the actual meal, but Tracy’s
butter rolls took the place of anything a commercial place could possibly make.
Lip smackin’ good! We had some pickled okra, green olives, and some of Barry
Levy’s pickled veggies. Great sides!
Rachel and Damien each have a dog—related to each other—and they
had his mom’s dog this weekend while his folks were showing their house to a
prospective buyer. All three of those dogs were at Lance’s house. That house
already has two cats—Felix and Oscar! So, it was no surprise when we sat down
in the living room and were quickly covered in dog hair. It’s not like my two
never get groomed—because they DO! But anyone can get Sylvia excited and she simply
unloads about a dog’s worth of hair! Love her, but oh my! What a mess. She also
has a nice long tongue for using as a paint brush on folks faces! At least no
one had to sit down to eat without a clean face…..Bleack!
Cleaning the house is simply hopeless. All that work and it
doesn’t even last overnight! Footprints, pawprints, and assorted dirt and dead
leaves—and that is only if Thompson does not decide to go out and roll in the
leaves! This morning the two dogs decided they needed to dig a foxhole under
the little chicken coop! Thompson dug it toward the coop, and then Sylvia
turned around and dug it OUT of the coop! Crazy dogs! But it is good to have
both dogs. Don’t know what the old woman would do without them.
Need to sit down and write a thank you note to Damien’s mom
and dad. They sent wedding cookies and some pretty little star cookies that
tasted like anise. Had never had either type, and those were worth remembering.
But first the old woman needs to look around the house and see if some decent
notebook paper is hiding somewhere!
Lance found a neat light to go inside my workshop so that
the old woman can see when the light is turned on. Think it simply screwed into
the socket where another light bulb had been. Neat! He had asked me the other
day what my chickens liked and told him a head of cabbage. He went to the store
this morning and saw a sign that said 98 cents. So, not having purchased
cabbage before, he picked up FOUR heads! If he had had an upper plate, he
probably would have dropped it when he paid for them! Those are sold by the
pound. Here at United, they are 79 cents a pound! And we thought groceries were
high here!!
Almost time to close up the coops for the night. Can tell
you that this has been a wonderful day to spend with my children! This is a
gift all by itself to just be able to sit down and visit with them without
being concerned about anything else going on. They are all so happy and enjoy
picking on one another. Tracy kept encouraging me to tickle Landon’s sore arm
where he got his flu and covid shot yesterday. Not that anyone would do that—ahem.
My kids like to pick on each other just the way their daddy did. Lewis would
have loved this day!
Tracy informed me that one is not supposed to eat more than
three or four Brazil nuts per day because they have too much selenium in them.
Get some mixed nuts and that is about how many you will find in a pound of
nuts. But the recommended number is no more than five and preferably only two.
Go figure!
It certainly gets dark in a hurry these days. May have to
move my rocking chair to the office to have a good, comfortable place to read
back here in this end of the house. Love the chair that Sterling made for me.
He wood burned a hen on the top front. Think Damien saw my “crazy old chicken
woman” sign out front for the first time today. He and Landon put stick-on
signs on the front door for me. One is a hen and one is a Pitbull. Perfect! We
are loaded for bear!
Enjoying this day reminds me of just how blessed we have
been in this family—in this country. Yes, we all know some who do not have family,
friends, or even temporary helpers. But for the most part, we have the
assurance that we are totally loved. Promises have been made to us. And those
promises will be kept. Let us walk in the Way He would have us go, loving
others as He loves us.
Rest well, my friends. You are loved.
For What It Is Worth.
Lance and family are going to be here tomorrow, so the old
woman got busy this morning and went through with the vacuum and mop. Not that
it makes all that much difference by the time she went outside with the dogs
and tracked back inside. Oh well. Life goes on and dirt happens.
Made a cheesecake to go with the blueberries in the fridge.
Then sat down and could not remember putting in the sweetner. Argh! This is
like Jennifer having to make two recipes of butter rolls because she forgot the
sugar in the first batch! See, we are related! Maybe it will be good with the
fresh blueberries!
Can’t decide if chicken tenders from Chicken Express would
be better than a couple of cooked chickens from United, but will make up my
mind later. Chicken Express has fried okra and good gravy!
Did something really stupid with my sewing machine, so
Sterling told me to get out the WD-40 and some Q-tips to clean up the bobbin
and other areas. One should never sew over an area of glue! Duh. Silly ol’
woman!
This little heater bought online does not exactly heat up
the room, but it is not cold in here, either. Not sure if it is supposed to actually
warm the room or just keep the chill off. It would not do to warm up the
bathroom, however. It is small and puts out a small amount of heat. Guess it
will do for this office.
Reading through the book of John, it makes me smile and
shake my head sometimes at what even a blind man was able to say to the Jews
and Pharisees. And when they had put the formerly blind man from the synagogue,
Christ came and found him and asked him if he believed. The man worshipped
Christ right then and there. It sounds so easy when it is written down in such
short terms, but this man had no other to convince him. His lack of sight and
then being given sight was enough to tell him that this man was, indeed, the
Christ. We are so blessed to have this book, this Bible, to show us what kind
of man Christ was while he walked among those who did not know or want to know
him. For most of us, our parents and grandparents taught us as much as they
knew about Christ. It has not depended on some great revelation or some
experience that shook us to the core. Every morning our eyes are opened to this
world and a new day. Rest comes easily for us because we know that, should it
be our last sleep, we will open our eyes in His kingdom. How could we not have
faith? Do our children have this assurance? Let us remind them as we are able.
No one will throw us from a synagogue or from the church doorsteps. We have His
promises. Praise God!
Rest well, my friends. You are loved.
A Busy Day!
This day has been rather surprising and pretty happy. My
friend Jo Ann, who used to be my neighbor, came by and visited and gave two of
the best hugs! We agreed that it is not old age that is so hard but rather
losing some close friends to time, not to mention the parts that seem to fall
apart on our bodies. Love visiting with her. She and her husband and a daughter
are flying out to California to visit her grandson on his ship. They will get
to spend about six hours onboard with him. Now if only they could fly to Greece
and visit the other Navy grandchild!
Shona came over and visited for a little bit. We were able
to sit on the bench on the front porch. Her husband got one of those storage
things delivered early this morning. Think now they will have to transfer all
his tools and stuff to the container and no longer have to spend money on
storage! Plus, everything will be handy now! Shona is feeling a bit better. The
doctor gave her some steroids or something to help with the neck pain. Now her
face almost feels like it belongs to her! Wow! That was a doozy of a headache!
Talked to my mailman and gave him money for a book of
stamps. Had to Google the price of a stamp since it has been so long since
anything got mailed around here. Did you know that stamps cost 73 cents apiece?
Wow! Lewis would just about have kittens if he were still around. He forbade me
from having any baby showers because we nearly went bankrupt from sending out
thank you cards for our wedding—and that was back when stamps were cheap! Still
had a stamp or few left, so rustled up an envelope and sent my friend Robin
Christian a thank you note for the pepper jelly. Had to use some business notepaper
from H&O Die Supply because the old woman did not even have any typing paper
left around here. Oh my! The envelope came from some sympathy cards that have
been here since Lewis died. Some things are worth keeping around, more or less.
Thought Michelle Malay would be here one day this week for
eggs, but so far, she or Tim have not been by. Hope she has everything she
needs to go to rehab after the surgery is over. Need to talk to her and see if
there is anything the old woman can get to make things easier. She is such a
sweet friend, but she never lets me know what she needs. At least she
will have Tim here to wrangle her herd of dogs for a while.
Patty said the only interesting news she has seen today was
the burglaries of the homes of the football teams. Seems the bad guys know the
team members will be away from home on game days. Well, duh. Guess a security
guard might be a good investment for those days.
Number One son told me that he and his family will be here
Sunday and are bringing “Thanksgiving-ish” food. Tracy is making the world-famous
butter rolls, Rachel is bringing mashed tators, Ellie is making a pumpkin pie,
and Lance is making two chicken pot pies! Sounds super to me! Have already had
my blood work done for this month, so we just won’t tell anyone, will we? (Dr.
Blackwell can skip this paragraph!)
Reading in John right now and thinking about how Christ’s
works were ignored or how they provoked the Pharisees. Nothing He did would
ever have made them happy. Few of them would ever believe in Him as the
Messiah. Have a feeling it would not be all that different in our age, but
knowing that His return will blast the entire earth with his arrival makes me smile.
No one will have to ask “Who is that?” when He returns. We won’t have to look
for Him. It will be obvious to one and all. Still love John 3:16: For God so
loved the world, that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever should believe
in Him would not perish but have everlasting life!
Rest well, my friends. You are loved.
True Grit!
Yep, it grits on the floor with every step, despite having
been vacuumed and mopped! How, just tell me, HOW does one room remain gritty
even after the sheets are changed, the dog beds washed, the floor dusted and
mopped? It simply is not reasonable! Besides all that, it tires a body out to
chase the dirt and wring out the mop or toss the little paper doohickey that is
supposed to trap the dirt. Still have one load of bedroom laundry in the washer
and another in the dryer. Sigh. Have dust mopped the living room—again. Just
feel as if it is hopeless. The dog hair is everywhere! Love my dogs, really do,
but this dog hair and dirt is a bit much right now. Even if the kids come next
Saturday or sometime in the future, hate for them to see all this dog hair and
the true grit on the floors!
Made some vegetable spaghetti this morning. Not bad at all,
but it would have been better if someone had remembered to toss on some grated
cheese. Oh well. The next meal can include the cheese. Right now, it feels as
if it might be nap-thirty. Wonder if it will mess up my sleep tonight. Guess it
doesn’t matter since could not sleep last night! Even took a pain pill after
trying to get comfortable. Tonight, will be about the third or fourth of this
silliness. Maybe the old body was cold or something. Patty said she had to turn
her heater on down on her side of the hill. Had my socks on, so didn’t think
that was the problem. Granddad Pollard used to say that warm feet meant good
sleep. Unless you slept with his wife: “Thel, get those d*mned cold feet off of
me!” The entire family knew all about Grandmother and her cold feet!
Had to recharge the battery on my light weight vacuum. It
does a pretty good job of picking stuff up, but from time to time the old woman
forgets how it comes apart! Always something to remember!
Since starting this, have spoken with Sterling and Lance.
Lance and family are coming THIS Sunday. Guess maybe the old woman will notice
when they get here! Can’t remember doodly poo anymore!
Ummmm. Vegetable spaghetti with melted cheese! No carbs and
great taste! Bought some good hamburger to cook up for this stuff and only
spiced it with a bit of garlic powder. The vegetable spaghetti was not very
big, but it cut into two pieces easily before its guts were scraped out and
some of the seeds saved for this coming spring. Noticed today that the
bluebonnet seeds coming up in the front walkway have two or more leaves on them
already! Amazing. If they live, they might be able to bloom around Christmas.
Imagine that! If the turnips in the raised bed even make, might have turnips to
eat this winter!
Have been reading a book, An Introduction to the History
of Western Europe by James Harvey Robinson. The first copyright is from 1902
and the last by 1925. You can bet he did not add a whole lot of history to the
first portion of the book, but WWI would have definitely affected the years
from the teens through 1925. Anyway, he started out one part of it by saying
that a young man always had to take on the same kind of work as his father. No
choices. So, if the father was a blacksmith, the son should build up his
muscles because he was going to have to be a blacksmith. Lance just advised
Rachel’s boyfriend not to go to college if that is not what appealed to him!
The kid is a whiz with cars! And he can make more money building fast cars than
he ever could in most professions—plus it matters to him and he likes doing
what he is doing. Wish everyone had that choice.
Hoping Shona feels better this evening. She has had a back
and neck ache with accompanying headache. Not any fun at all! We just start
falling apart a little bit at a time. She made arrangements for her mom to get
to come this next week, however. That should make them both happy! Family makes
everything feel better!
Let us keep our neighbors and our leaders in mind tonight
that our nation may find joy in peace. Only God can give us that kind of peace,
but we must ask first. Let us spend more time in prayer and supplication for
the benefit of all.
Rest well, my friends. You are loved.
Sweat Shirt Weather.
It didn’t bother me at first this morning to go out and open
the coop doors, but by eight o’clock, the air felt much cooler. If the wind had
been blowing, it would have been flat out cold. Turned on the seat heater on
the way to the doctor’s office. That felt mighty good! But now back at home,
may have to dig out a long-sleeved shirt. Just turned on the little (Musk)
heater here in the office. It is not the least bit noisy, but it puts out the
heat. Think this is the sort of thing that some folks need right by their
chairs.
Made a list of things and ordered them last night on Amazon,
but forgot the little batteries. Triple A batteries are not all that often
needed around here, but when they are called for, nothing else will do. Keep
these things in a special box in the living room in my heavy desk that Daddy
made for me. Used to move furniture around all the time, but that piece of
furniture definitely makes me think twice about where it might need to go.
Have not had any sugar in a while now, but had to have a
Starbucks caramel macchiato from United this morning. Yep, cheating on the
diet. Have lost a few pounds so far, but it really is hard to avoid stuff like
this. Better not to buy it, of course, so that it won’t be a temptation.
Returned from running around again. Got over to Sutherlands
(my favorite store) for a 2X4 and some batteries. Then went over to the Feed
and Garden Store on Jacksboro Hwy for feed for the hens and trashy pecans to
send home with the kids. Sitting here now contemplating hauling off a bunch of
books. May leave only the kids’ books and make them divide or whatever when
they get here. Let them dispose of them. Told Sterling about the Kindle app and
how the print size can be changed—along with the lighting. Don’t know what a
person would do without that. He is going in for cataract surgery pretty soon.
Know how he feels. Michelle Malay asked about where to take Mom Malay the other
evening and told her about North Texas Ophthalmology Associates on 11th
Street. Dr. White retired, but they have another young doctor who has taken
over the surgery part for them.
Had to put the 2X4 on the outside of the middle roost
because the boards already up there are not movable. Oh well. They will
undoubtedly do more messing on the floor instead of over the tray that normally
catches the poo. It should not be that difficult to clean up. Dumped this load
in a hole that Lance dug when he was looking for worms. You can bet no worms
will want anything to do with this DE as it kills bugs. But it also prevents
odors. Yay!
Accidentally ordered four of the little heaters instead of
just two. Not sure, but may put them in places like the bathroom this winter. If
they cut down on the cost of electricity, it might be worth it!
Ok, Lance has a concordance and kinda doubt Jennifer needs
one. Anyone here nearby need a Zondervan’s or Strong’s concordance? Worse than
finding homes for kittens! Sterling says Google does most of his searches for
him.
Not sure who said this, but the quote was found in my
favorite professor’s book, Thorns Spell a Word about John Updike: “Judgment
Day seems nigh to every age/ But history blinks, and turns another page.” We
are not the only ones who feel that all the wars and “natural” disasters
foretell the end, but one thing is always certain: GOD is in control of all
things in all ages.
Looking through the hall bookcase. Sigh. It is SO hard to
send things to other places to give away books. Could write a thesis on the
history of the church (not the Catholic church) simply by using one book of
ancient history. Should have been a history teacher rather than an English
teacher, but folks have less use for history than they even have for English
these days! Ah, someday our generation will provoke amazed wonder among archeologists.
And keyboarding will have been left behind by voice recognition software or
even thought distillation. Ignorance will still be bliss!
Rest well, my friends. You are loved.
Doug, Duane, Darrel.
It makes folks feel good if you call them by name when you
see them, but we had a different trashman come today. I asked if Doug was
coming back for him and he corrected me to say that the man’s name was Duane.
Knew that!! But Patty said she could not remember the postman’s name: Kevin.
Anyway, Duane was training the new man today. This ol’ woman did not even put
out her bin today. Only one small sack in there, and it can wait until Friday.
The temperature is mild—74 degrees—and the wind is not
blowing, so we sat on Patty’s patio and enjoyed the vitamin D. Sterling called
and said the wind just about took the roof off his workshop yesterday! Now he
has to get busy and see if he can get it repaired. At least he has plenty of
wood to use to repair it. And he has a chainsaw for any downed trees.
Have some lamb chops on to cook in the air fryer for
din-upper. They usually have four in a pack to make a good meal. Seasoned them
with some mango type seasoning, so we will see how that turns out. The last
ones were so very tender and good. Wish United sold them like Aldi’s does. But
they want a person to buy the entire leg! That’s pretty much a hundred-dollar
bill! Sigh. The only thing that Aldi did not have yesterday was some pimentos.
They are excellent in cheese to make a spread.
Michelle Malay called earlier and said she is feeling pretty
nervous about having the knee surgery on the 6th of December. She will
go to a rehab facility for a couple of weeks to be sure she starts the exercises
right away. Even so, know she dreads it. Would appreciate prayers for her. Tim and
his mom are at her house to take care of the dogs, but they are not house
cleaners. Mom is in her 90s and Tim is a typical man. Sigh.
Joined a group on FB for those who want to get themselves
organized and uncluttered. Not that joining is any assurance that the old woman
will get anything done. Might go through a closet or dresser drawers to remove
things not used in a couple of years. You know that if it has sat there that
long, it is not likely to be needed at all. Maybe the Women’s Refuge Resale
shop can use some of this stuff. Curtains, bedding, crocheted shawls, and just
shtuff!
Bought two of those little heaters that plug into the wall
socket and blow warm air. Elon Musk invented them and sells them. So far have
used one just to try it. Didn’t really need any warm air, but just wanted to
see what it would do. Looks as if the thing will do pretty good with the temperature.
Not sure if it would be more or less efficient than the heaters around here.
Nothing electric is ever going to be as good as natural gas, but then, only
have five drops from the ceiling in the house these days. Wondering what living
in a little house would be like if all this furniture were not here. Only three
bookcases left now since giving away most of the big books. Still have two concordances
and hardly ever use one these days. Maybe the old woman should start with
cleaning out the bookcases! Yay and hooray for the Kindle app! Imagine how many
egg cartons could be stored in those shelves!
It looks as if we really need to be praying for Florida
again. That last storm in the Gulf is going to flood them with lots of rain and
probably wind. They have not caught a break this year! The Northeast is inline
for more rain, and Maryland and Virginia could have as much as 24 inches of
snow. Then there is California. They have floods coming their way. The land can
only handle so much, and folks just have to ride it out. Don’t think our nation
is the only one having weather problems, but let’s remember that families need
to be able to function despite the weather.
Today has been beautiful and makes me appreciate God’s
world, but even the wind and heavy rains can be appreciated in their own way.
If for no other reason, we can better appreciate the good days! Praise God for His
many gifts to us.
Rest well, my friends. You are loved.
A Downpour!
The dogs were restless and that was before the thunder
bonked my consciousness. Looking down at the lower forty when letting the hens
out, it made me wonder just how much came down so suddenly. Will walk down and
check the rain gauge here shortly, but water is standing in places on the
downhill slope. An inch and a quarter! All at once at that!
My hens are so happy this morning! Spread out in the east
side of the place, they look as if they are ready to have their picture taken!
Such a pretty morning! God just blesses us every day.
Drove down Fairway on my way to the doctor’s office and
noticed all the broken branches and downed trees on the east side of the road.
Guess this wind storm did a pretty good job when it hit last night and this
morning. The neighbors’ flag pole came out of the holder almost to its end and
flipped the flag out like a single stream of colors. Guess Max will take care
of it when he gets off of work at the Base. Wonder if they knew they would see
all this wind out here on the edge of Lake Wichita.
Stopped at Aldi’s to pick up some meat for the rest of this
week. Not the least bit interested in cooking chicken quarters right now, and
the dogs seem to be enjoying the ground turkey. Did notice that three pounds of
ground turkey at Aldi’s is as cheap as the 40% off meat at United. Wow! Wonder
how much the farmer gets for growing it. You can bet it is not as much as a half
dollar a pound!
Noticed that Paul Dowlearn has some trees for sale—Afghan pines
and maybe some fruit trees. The small pines are $100 each, and then they will
actually plant them for you for a fee. If the old woman thought that she could
keep it alive, would love to plant a couple on the west side of the house. Can
almost see Lewis shaking his head at planting anything inside the yard where the
grass has to be cut. So far, the two cedar elms purchased at his nursery have
done exceedingly well. Any trees planted now would have to be within reach of a
water hose. Texas weather is pretty sure to cook anything green during the
summer.
Dr. Blackwell said that the cyst on my back is healing up nicely.
Now just have to go back Wednesday for blood work. She said the tendons take
about six weeks to heal, so will just have to get accustomed to wobbling around
for a while longer. Mom used to say that patience was a virtue. Shaking my head
and rolling my eyes. Would just be happier if a couple of pounds had made their
way off the scales! SO admire Susan Thonton for having lost weight and slimmed
down! She is using the same diet as her husband and walking at the Zone. Walking
used to be fun years ago, but just try climbing up in the back of a pickup to
move hay bales around and then “hop” out onto the ground. The hoppers don’t work
as well as they once did!
The wind tore the plastic sheet off the chicken coop door
this morning, so the coop is not as warm as it could be. Maybe when the wind
dies down, the old woman will try to work it over again. The hens are still
protected from bad weather in there even with a screen door uncovered. But the
cold hasn’t really hit yet. Next week might be interesting.
This evening my thoughts are about how much mercy we have
been shown throughout our lives. Some of us would not even be walking around
now had God not given us special blessings. Can think of two really bad
accidents that could have been the end had the Master not intervened. But for
some reason God wants us to know that He made a difference in our lives and
wants us to share His mercy, His love, with others. The least we can do is be
obedient to His laws and walk in the Way He has shown us. Let us remember to be
thankful for all things.
Rest well, my friends. You are loved.
Days Meant to Stay Off the Computer.
Some days things just appeal to me more than other days.
Watched a presentation about diabetes and what can be done naturally to prevent
or deter the situation. That Ozempic or other drugs have an interesting side
effect in some folks. Instead of just being an appetite suppressant, the drug
can actually prevent a person from enjoying activities that would normally
appeal to a person. Can see me not being able to enjoy reading or playing with
my dogs or hens! It does, however, supposedly prevent Alzheimer’s or heart
disease. That sounds encouraging considering all the folks who have been
terribly affected by those two diseases. Maybe someday we will be able to
regulate the crud that is put into our foods so that we won’t tend to get
diabetes or diseases related to plastic ingestion.
Jennifer sent me a picture of their day working on their
washing machine. She is working on the second machine in seven years! Kinda
makes a person wonder what in the world could go so wrong with one. But then,
the man who worked on mine last told me that my hot water was making mine leak
because it made the seal melt or get too soft. Go figure. He also told me not
to use more than a tablespoon of detergent! Not exactly what the products call
for, but his advice made sense after he explained. The HE machines are built to
be more efficient with less soap. Anyway, hope my girl gets her machine to
work.
The sky has certainly been grey today. Just off and on
sprinkles and not a downpour, but we could actually use some rain. Sterling
said that they are back to dry again. Seems it is always one way or the other—dry
or drowned. Oh well. He and friend George are staying busy making rocking
chairs and benches. He says it keeps them out of the streets and too busy to
get into trouble. Who would have considered two old poops would need to be
busy! But know what he means. If this old woman could still use a shovel, would
be out front planting some flowers and stuff. Oh well. Brought the only two
plants inside that can stay inside all winter. Don’t really want many plants
around any longer. The dogs have a tendency to push things around, and no one
around here has the desire to clean up the mess.
Have to go see Dr. Blackwell tomorrow. Can’t see what she
will see, but can tell you that it itches! Maybe it will be close to being
healed. Know that it feels WAY past time for the stupid knee to feel better.
Think it is ok early in the morning, and then get to walking around. Sigh. Oh
well. It is better.
Had a second pot of coffee today. Think it was due to
boredom! Coffee just makes things look different than some things. But the main
problem with coffee (even decaf) for me is the stains on my teeth. No amount of
brushing seems to help all that much, and the little tablets are not supposed
to be on the plastic for longer than five minutes—about the length of time for
a shower. Not sure what it would do to the enamel if left for longer. Probably
don’t want to discover that situation.
Have been thinking of an uncle—my granddad Pollard’s
youngest brother. Uncle Morgan was a character and a very sweet and gentle man.
His wife Dorothy was kind and sweet as well. Their children were our first
cousins once removed—don’t ask me to explain how that works. Think Daddy was
their first cousin. So, that made us first cousins once removed. Whatever.
Johnny was my favorite when we were kids, but not Sterling’s. They were
competitive. And Johnny was a bit of a bully back then. His sister Pearl was my
favorite cousin for years, but she died some years ago. Sweetest lady ever! She
had a houseful of children, and they all seemed to be much like her. My
neighbor teases me about Jennifer being my twin; Pearl had two of those twins!
Blessings.
Just reading the final part of Luke today and will finish it
tomorrow. Some things remind me of how Christ’s story first affected me, but
others remind me that the men and women around Him were so very affected by His
life and death. What is important, really, is that we should be JUST as
affected now. His Father sacrificed Him! So there need no longer be any
sacrifice. His life and death were what this world needed. One verse stood out
to me today: Luke 16:16 “The law and the prophets were until John: since that
time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.” We are
not, nor have ever been Jews, of the tribe of Judah, but we are of the kingdom
of God because it has been explained to us. We must practice His commands: love
God above all things; love your neighbor as yourself. Let us praise His name
and sing our songs to Him.
Rest well, my friends. You are loved.
Elderly?
Just watched something on FB about how we look at folks born
in the 40s and 50s. Born in ’48, watched Eisenhower leave the White House and
John F. Kennedy elected president. Rode my donkey through the streets of our
small town for a couple of years before getting my first horse; then my last
horse. Met the man who would be the father of our children and married him in ’68.
Started rearing children in the 70s. Had the 1st grandchild in ’97. Saw the
year 2000 come and go. Watched a man take a step on the moon; watched a space
capsule return and explode. Learned to use a cell phone and a laptop computer. Saw
the deaths of my grandparents and parents and found the loss heartbreaking. Held
on to good memories and built even more with my family. Watched our grandchildren
grow up. Remained in the home my husband rebuilt for us for 56 years. Grew flowers
and chickens. Watched a businessman return to the White House for his second
term as a Republican president. Watched my nation invaded and my hometown
change only somewhat. Kept the memories of our first family with my brother
while learning to grow less able to do for myself. Held on to the love of my
children and tried to be a good neighbor. Watched as my world turned upside
down in so many wars and disasters. Kept praying the way our parents taught us
back in the 40s and 50s. Remembered that God does not change and is always with
us. Another decade, another century, another millennial, just markers of time
in man’s world. A minute with God but no changes in love. Touched each day by
His hand. Not elderly; just loved.
Preparations for Winter.
Tomorrow calls for the little steps that make it easier to
be sure that nothing freezes in the yard—hoses and faucets put away or covered.
It is supposed to get down low this next week. Cold always hurts, but can honestly
say that the summer heat was pretty doggone intense this year already, so
winter has to show off its ruffles! Hoping my girls don’t suffer for the
weather. Some have not quite re-feathered their little bodies after moulting.
And the old woman needs to figure out a way to make the roof not leak in both
houses. Sometimes it just feels as if a brand-new building is needed for them! Have
seen some small buildings that would be about right, but it still takes some finagling
to set up roosts and nests in a new building. At least one would hope a new
building would not leak. However, Shona thought the same thing about their new home,
as did Max and Laisha! Leaky doors and windows for Shona and leaking roof for
Max and Laisha!! Horrors!
Didn’t sleep well last night, so today there was about as much energy as a worn-out shoe. Kinda useless. At least Blake came and made the yard look better by getting it mown. That always makes me feel better when the lower forty has been cut back.
Had some business with Texoma Credit Union and got that finished
in about an hour. Really like that bank. The young woman explained things in a
way the old woman could understand, too! Synthia is a sweet one! In a way, would
like to have all my banking business over there, but it would take an effort to
change everything over. Bills paid through the bank depend on the credit cards
with Chase. Oh well.
Had sauced broccoli for din-upper. Kinda irritating that they cram in the stalks in little pieces that are stringy and tough. And the stalks being in there does not make it cheaper—just harder to chew! One of these days, will find a decent brand of veggie for such things that does not include the toughest part of the plant!
Gripey this evening. The wind is blowing and the knee is
complaining. Did notice this morning that the “loop” Dr. B put in the incision
had come out. At least it is not itching now.
Got a package from my friend Robin Christian today—hot pepper jelly! She makes the very best jellies and jams, but this pepper jelly is enough that a person wants to be selfish with it! Can’t believe she paid that much to send a jar of jelly! And then she returned my call, and her phone showed up as Killeen, TX. She has the same phone she had when she lived here in Texas. We exchanged stories about learning how to use a phone. Getting old can certainly get interesting. She now lives in California with one of her sons. She had to downsize considerably. Simply can’t imagine having to decide between the things that matter to me. Guess it comes down to having a bed and a chair and a few books that matter—especially if a Kindle app will keep a person happy. At least she got to have a dog around.
Watching children grow up is one of the perks of getting older,
but it also reminds me that it is our responsibility to pray for our children
and those of our friends and family. Let us pray that God brings this generation
to Him. Let them learn to love and be the kind of men and women who will praise
His name and show His love to others.
Rest well, my friends. You are loved.
Feeling Better.
The stupid knee is somewhat better this morning, so the living
room got a good dusting and cleaning with mopping of the floor. Now time to
rest the knee and just figure out what else can be done without causing
irritation.
Went out and picked up some screws that were between me and
a section of chicken wire that needed to be moved. WHERE the silly screws came
from is a mystery, but they got tossed into the old cellar so they won’t end up
in the lawn guy’s tires. He is finishing up down at Patty’s for the moment.
Already picked up the eggs for the day, so that is done, and
the feeders are refilled. Of course, if the old woman goes outside, the girls
think they need something—wheat, sunflower seeds, or something else tasty. Not
particular. Love the silly critters. One swooped up to talk to me at the porch
railing during a prayer. She added her two-cents worth. Guess the Lord knows
her mind better than anyone else would.
Felt rather stupid about posting on FB yesterday and not
getting it done after it was ready to post. Maybe forgetfulness? Or maybe the
old woman is just getting a bit battier every day. Good thing no one has to
deal with me on a regular basis.
Noticed that United has their turkeys on for 77 cents a
pound. Frankly, a fifteen-pound turkey is a bit much. Now if they would consent
to cut it in half for me . . .The butchers used to do things like that some
years ago, but not sure that would happen now. But then, we used to buy some
roasts and have them ground into hamburger to make sure we were getting what we
really wanted in hamburger meat. Not happening these days. Those roasts are
pretty doggone expensive. Oh well.
My two dogs seem to be happy today. They did not fuss overly
much about being banned from the living room while it was cleaned. Have a couple
of dog sweaters ready for cooler weather that may or may not happen next week.
Seems we might get some freezing cold, but not sure if that is accurate. Will
have to get the water faucets covered anyway. No way will this old bird let
pipes get frozen!
Well, Patty just called to tell me that Blake would be back
tomorrow to finish her yard and do mine. He has to go to a program for his
daughter. Nothing could please me more than to know that a daddy is going to be
there for his little girl! It really does matter!
Isn’t it funny how we remember things we did as children and
how our parents reacted to those things. Wonder how many parents think about
how they are making memories with their children. Daddy was a scout master, an
ice cream maker, a watcher and encourager of horseback riding, a chemist (for
Sterling), and an encourager of reading for his entire family. We learned so
very much from Mom and Dad. Mother had me help her finish a quilt that her
grandmother started when she was a little girl. Her mother pieced the top, and we
quilted it. That quilt (the dolls) was given to the only granddaughter in the
family. Kinda neat to have a “family” quilt. Then Mother’s “Flower Garden” was
given to Lance’s oldest. Not many people would have a crocheted quilt like that
one! So pretty, but Jennifer had to run it through two cycles of “sterilize”
before she got all the nicotine smell out of it. Wonder if their old home still
has that smell in it.
It's the time of the year for the new pecans to start coming
in over at the Pecan Shed on Midwestern Parkway. Need to get over there and
pick some up—very carefully pick them up. They are always very expensive! But
they are also delicious! Clay County pecans!
This evening the old woman is grateful for the energy to get
a few things done around here. Nothing feels as nice as a clean house, but even
one room makes me happy right now. Maybe Maria can get the entire place cleaned
before the end of the month—or maybe the old woman can get a couple of rooms
done in one day! We just have to handle what we are able—whether it is
physically or otherwise. When we ask God for help, He knows we expect to do our
part of the work, but He also gives us the notion and the ability to appreciate
His touch! Let us be grateful!
Rest well, my friends. You are loved.
Daddy’s Voice.
Reading Luke this morning reminded me of Daddy’s voice.
Surely, he did not read the entire book of Luke to us, but it was so
familiar that his voice was there in the background. Did not ask Sterling when
speaking with him later, but probably should have. He would remember sitting
down in December and listening to Daddy read. He always said we should know the
true story and not some make believe idea. Can’t say we even talked about “Santa”
all the time we were little. We knew that Mom and Dad gave us everything. Well,
except for the gloves Granddad Pollard insisted that we needed. Strange what
comes to mind with associations such as the stories of Christ’s birth and the
way His life began. Of all the “superman” type characters we saw back then—or heard
about on the radio like the Green Lantern—we never associated them with love
the way we did with reading about Christ.
The wind has a sharp edge to it today. Just enough to make a
pretty keen headache. Sitting here drinking—sipping at—a cup of elderberry tea.
Not sure when we will get frost, but it can’t be too far off. Maybe by the end
of the month we will see some considerably cooler weather. The hens will need
to replenish all those feathers that have been falling out! One girl out there
is about half the size of a normal hen because she has dropped so many feathers!
But she is feisty! No one is pushing her around. Maybe dropping feathers has
given her an attitude! Kinda understand her feelings!
Jennifer sent me a new H&O calendar along with a roll-on
bottle of pain relief oil. So far that stuff is doing a pretty good job of
knocking out the worst of the aches in my knee. Just would really like for it
to stop wobbling when the old woman walks! Offered to go down and pick up a
light pole for Patty, and she reminded me that the hill down there where the
dog runs is quite steep. She is right. Don’t need to be doing any cliff hanging
or such. Sigh.
Bought some romaine leaves of lettuce the other day in a plastic
container. They were so much nicer than the whole head or even one of
those packaged salads. Each leaf was already washed and put inside the box so
that it would not mash another leaf. Have no idea how much it cost, but really
like the way the leaves were arranged. Salad for din-upper this evening. Saw
that the red bell peppers were 97 cents each at United today. Don’t know about
you, but that sounds pretty doggone expensive for a veggie. But then, turnips
were that much a pound!!! Maybe my turnips will grow in the raised garden out
front. They have at least sprouted.
The dogs have shadowed me all day today. Not sure why. Maybe
it is the wind making them nervous, but maybe not. They won’t leave me alone
and know they are not the least bit hungry. Well, Sylvia is in here chewing on
her toe nails! Wish the old woman felt like taking her to PETS to have her
nails clipped. Oh well.
Got on FB and watched a bunch of dog and cat videos and
laughed until it almost hurt! Sterling says he does that same thing with
YouTube. A person needs a good laugh every so often, and critters are just
hilarious.
A hot shower early this morning peeled off a bandage on my
back. It’s just as well. Can hardly wait to go back Monday to have the string
taken out. Silly thing seems to itch. Patience.
The last hair cut left me with not two strands of hair the
same length, but it is beginning to grow out quite a bit. Maybe by cold weather
it will cover my neck! Hats help, but hair is even better.
Thinking about the folks in all the areas of the East Coast
whose lives have been turned upside down by flooding and disasters. Let us pray
tonight that their lives may be turned into blessings for all of them. Let
their love lead them to feeling touched by the Hand of our Father in heaven. May
our prayers for them be heard.
Rest well, my friends. You are loved.
Rice a Roni.
Yes, it has carbs. But bought a marked down tray of shrimp
to cook and mix with it. Pretty tasty. Not something to have often, but not
bad. Soup just did not sound all that great this morning.
Blake was supposed to come today to cut the grass, but he
won’t be here until Thursday. That is even better if we don’t get rain right
away. That stuff is growing by leaps and bounds! All the pretty green makes a
person feel happier in my estimation.
The turnip greens look to be sprouting—finally. It was too
dry and too hot for them earlier. We shall see if they make. Have planted some lettuce
in the raised bed as well. Never can tell what will grow or not.
Picked up a bag of chicken quarters to cook for the dogs. They
might eat a can of dog food, but it would definitely not be their choice of foods.
They really prefer chicken on top of their kibble. Got some “Wuffles” in the
mail today. Probably last about 15 days since giving them both one a day. We
will see what happens—if anything. Did you know there is such a thing as spray
dried liver? Does that not sound ghastly!
Was reminded today (again) that nothing is insignificant in
the hands of God. Need to talk to Max about the story shared with him about
feeding the five thousand. Only God could take a couple of fish and some loaves
of bread to feed that many people.
Each of the first four gospels gives a different viewpoint
to the story of Christ, his death, and his resurrection. But today, Mark showed
that He was perturbed by their unbelief when told that others had seen Him
risen. Why would you NOT believe if HE told you it was going to happen? Like
us, why would we not believe that we are in HIS hands? He answers our prayers.
He asked His father three times if the crucifixion could be taken away from what
had to happen. But always, He referred to His father’s will, not His. And he
fulfilled the scriptures—hanging between the outlaws. But most importantly,
rising again from the dead. Yep, we can take Him at His word. He WILL return in
clouds of glory. No one will have to wonder or doubt. Some of us may pass before
that takes place, but we are promised to see Him also on that day.
Last thought for now: do you feel old? Although this body
has its creaks and groans, the old woman still feels about nineteen. That is
probably why climbing up in Mary’s pickup bed seemed like a good idea. Laughing
at myself! Guess our character and personality is pretty well set by that age,
but we learn so much more along the years that follow. Praise God for His love!
Rest well, my friends. You are loved.
That Soup Day.
It’s not the temperature that has made this a soup day, but
just how the old woman feels. Dr. Blackwell took care of an infected place on
my back this morning. It bugged me for a couple of days already, but until it
clears up, it will just be a bit of a bother. Needed comfort food, therefore.
Soup is comfort food in my estimation.
Reading some good cozy mysteries lately. Nothing all that
hilarious, but pretty good books about interesting situations. It is neat
sometimes to figure out a mystery before it is too obvious. It’s like seeing a
puzzle and knowing how the pieces are going to fit. Guess it takes all kinds of
folks to read different kinds of books.
It looks as if the West Coast is about to get more rain or
other forms of precipitation. If figures that they would get floods after the
stupid fires! And now the East Coast is having fires and will undoubtedly get
too much rain for their areas. We are just going to have to pray boldly for the
solutions to some of our national problems. We know that God is in control, but
when the weather hits us back and forth, it makes us feel pretty helpless. Let
us do our best to be the kind of children of God that He would want us to be—knowing
He is the only God and that His son is our savior. Then we should concentrate
on showing love to our neighbors. Yes, some of our “neighbors” are pretty bad.
They are the tools of Satan. So, our job is to ask for protection and removal
of those who hate us.
Rest well, my friends. You are loved.
Laundry and Meals.
Not going to say that doing laundry takes all that much
energy, but it did take some time with folding and putting it away. Two meals
and a few minor tasks took some time, at least. Just feeling “retired” more
than anything else. Put an extra blanket on my bed this morning, too. That
meant rearranging the rest of the bedding. Big deal, right? If making a king-size
bed took any kind of skill, it would be different, but it is the same ol’ deal
no matter which size bed it is. Just walk around it three or four times and try
to get all the bedding lined up and covering the box springs. No biggie. But
add in a bum knee and see if it takes some patience.
Had cranberry and beef sausage with scrambled eggs for
breakfast. One pot of coffee (decaf—sigh) later and felt as if the day might
work out just fine. Had been up since 6:45 to let the hens out to roam. No
matter what time the sun sets in the evening, hen-thirty comes earlier in the
morning as soon as the hens can see any light. Let me tell you, they are very
loud about not having that door opened when they think it is time to get out!
Made some beef slices with cabbage, mushrooms, bell pepper,
and some seasoning for din-upper. The leftovers will probably be breakfast, but
may have to add some more cabbage. That stuff is just so very tasty. Trying to
keep the kitchen clean and the dishes washed can be a chore right now. Simply
not interested in cleaning out the deep, cast-iron pan, but that is really the
height of laziness not to keep it cleaned up. Love that cast-iron skillet and
lid.
It seems to me that it takes just once for the dogs to run
into the living room and bounce around a couple of times before the floor feels
a bit gritty. Really don’t think this is all in my mind either! Maybe starting
from the back of the house would work out better for keeping it clean[er].
Read a posting today about Elizabeth Heckley, the woman who
sewed for Mrs. Lincoln. It’s called Behind the Scenes. Anyway, looking
forward to reading about her life and how she grew up in the home where she and
her mother were slaves. No, slavery is not right in any way form or fashion; in
fact, it is truly despicable, but her life might show just what a woman can do
when she makes up her mind to make her own way. The woman who posted the
information is the one who always posts about the statues in America and who
they represent. Between her and Tara Ross, we could have our own history
lessons in just their posts.
Tomorrow is Veterans Day—Remembrance Day in Britain. Some
churches in Arkansas celebrate with potluck dinners for the veterans. Think
that is a super way to let them know that they are appreciated. It always hurts
when the news mentions so many veterans taking their own lives for one reason
or another. We truly owe them much more than we can ever give them, but a home
and some counseling is the very least we can do. Years ago, they had a veterans’
home in Ft. Worth. We drove by it once, and Granddad Pollard said that it was
like an old retired soldiers’ home. Have no idea what it was called or exactly
where it was, but he said no one else was allowed on the grounds. Go figure.
It bothers me that so many people are still upset about the
election, but it figures that most of them may not really believe that God has
a hand in what happens in our nation. Whether or not someone’s personality just
makes me smile or wince, if the man can help Americans live a decent life
without breaking their backs just trying to buy groceries, then that seems to
me one of the first signs that we are on the right track. But then, in Spain
the folks are having hissy fits and turmoil all over the country because the
government did not respond quickly to the flooding and disaster there. In
Israel, so many are sick and tired of the bombs, the fighting, the destruction—but
they expect miracles simply because they don’t think the fighting is necessary.
IF it were possible to negotiate a withdrawal from all the different areas, it
would probably be one of the first steps that government would take. It simply
is not always as easy as we might think it would be. And Russia and North Korea?
Ukraine and all the battles with drones and missiles? It is just sickening. Don’t
you know that those people would just like to go home and rebuild their lives?
About all we can do is pray and ask God to bless this poor
world of heartaches and hatreds. May we all be healed of the sins that make us
so hard hearted.
Rest well, my friends. You are loved.
