The Dam Spillway Overfloweth!

 The Dam Spillway Overfloweth!

 

Have not seen the spillway overflow like this in a very long time, but someone posted a picture of the water gushing out and the drainage creek three-quarters full. According to the weather station give to me by Clint and Sandy, we have received over nine inches of rain since the station was reset. Dear Hearts, that is a LOT of rain. But according to the city of WF, we are still in drought stage one. Lake Arrowhead is currently at only 75%, but it will undoubtedly be rising as the Little Wichita River fills that sucker from all the area draining into it. An article online this morning said that a considerable area of agricultural land—read wheat farms—are currently under water. Some of the oil producing wells are also under water. From one extreme to another, that’s Texas.

 

Maria came today and cleaned my house. The floors look and feel so very nice. She is such a good, sweet lady. She understands dogs, too. But then, she compares them to small children. When she got here this morning, she rang the cow bell out front, but neither the dogs nor the old woman heard the bell. Guess we’ll have to get another one of those stupid battery-operated door bells that make enough noise to be heard next door. Anyway, even if the dogs track into the living room, the house feels good to me.

 

We had a small rain shower a bit ago that was full of little “clicks” of ice. It did not last long, but both dogs were right under my feet. Know how they feel. Told Patty about how Mom used to watch the storms when we were children and yell, “HIT the floor!” We always knew exactly what that meant—a trip to the cellar! And it never, EVER failed to happen on May 24 each year. Something about Clay County and storms with lots of red clay running water down the cellar door staining any item of clothing always made Mom irritated. At least last night when the dogs hunkered down in the hall with me during the tornado watch (coming up from Archer County), we didn’t have to do any running to a cellar. Several friends were praying that the storm would veer away from WF. Praising God and thanking my friends for their prayers.

 

Will ask that you all say a prayer for Sharon Dickerson and her sons. David is back home after having a small stroke, but the other son is still out of touch and can’t come home. If a mother knows anything in life, it is that she will always love her children, no matter what. Well, a good mother loves her children. My brother told me of a friend of theirs whose mother was basically a biological bag of nasties. That happens, but it seems to me that a true mother always holds her children in her heart just as much as she held them in her womb. God is like that, so maybe that is why He made mothers.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Cross-Country Cat Chasing!

 Cross-Country Cat Chasing!

 

The yard looks so nice out there all mown and neat with the edges trimmed. Blake and the helper got most of the yard perfect and Blake even avoided mowing a few flowers for me. But the most important thing was that the weed eater trimming allowed me to see the place where Thompson has been escaping. Houdini had a nice place pushed out near the line of yellow irises so that he could slip right under the fence and go cat chasing! He is so VERY good at chasing rabbits and cats! Maybe the rods through the fence loops and the cement block will prevent him from using this spot again.

 

It feels as if it will rain again. The sky has not really been all that clear today anyway. We all realize that the summer and its heat are on the way, but right now it just feels a bit muggy. The wind has kept it from being miserable but it is not clear enough to be bright and not cloudy enough to be overcast. Just in between. Oh well. Take each day as it comes.

 

Have deleted a bunch of books from my Kindle because they sounded good enough to start a series, but they were so childish that it hurt to read a story. Just too dumb! Never like to waste time on something that doesn’t really entertain or teach me something. Reading about the history of England, Scotland, or Ireland is nearly always interesting, but even then the characters should be at least interesting or likeable. Disappointing characters ruin a good read. Wonder if our lives ever totally disappoint God or even the angels who watch us. My life is relatively dull and getting duller with age. Some folks my age are still traveling and doing strange things in life. Hmm. Guess some folks have to be relative dull to make the others look interesting?

 

Tomorrow is the last day of April. Seems strange to think that we have already used up four months of this year. May is always such a busy month. Have a granddaughter about to graduate with her first degree in accounting. She has already started on her master’s degree. She is looking for a house now somewhere near where she will be working. Hope that goes well. It’s an exciting time in her life. When was the last time you felt excited about something in life? About the most excitement for me right now is reading the Torah Lessons by Tom Bradford. Not like it takes a bunch of energy to get them read, but it does take perseverance.

 

Patty got to sleep better last night. Not sure if Roxie let her sleep or if Patty was so tired she just did not let the dog bother her. Maybe we just did not have that much thunder last night with the rain. We will need this rain along about August, but right now if feels as if we could easily get waterlogged. Such is life.

 

Don’t want to open any “news” today, so will just remind you that we need to appreciate all the many blessings given to us by God. We can ask our Father in heaven to deal with the world and its problems. Meanwhile, let us pray for peace. May God’s kingdom come soon to replace the reign of Satan on this earth.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Too Tired to Care to Complain.

 Too Tired to Care to Complain.

 

Yep, it may rain and hail again tonight. So pulled the truck to the far left of the carport so Laisha can put her leased car under there too. Kinda thinking the grass won’t get mowed tomorrow if we have that kind of weather again tonight. Oh well.

 

Took Roxie to the vet this morning. She is keeping Patty from sleeping. The vet recommended the dosage of Benadryl to get her to sleep all night. Certainly, do hope it works.

 

A friend told me today that the last hail storm made nearly $9K damage in his work truck. But then, it is a really nice truck. Even so, the camper trailer that he sometimes hauls to work sites got hit as well. Broken window and other stuff. Would not want to try to live in one of those little tin cans.

 

Can hear another hen out there yelling about how big that egg was. Sometimes they lay an egg and really carry on about it unless they get distracted with feed or something. Funny critters.

 

Sister-in-law sent me a picture of a tee shirt that said that wicked chickens lay deviled eggs. Had to tell her that we would lay the blame on the guinea hens for being wicked. MY hens are sweet.

 

Michelle Malay called this evening to let me know how she is doing. May get to see her this week if she comes up for blood work. She is doing well.

 

Sterling still did not know if his son Terry had a heart attack or something else, but he is now in the hospital in either Springdale or Siloam Springs. No one communicates all that well for some reason. Will just have to continue to pray for him. He and my son Lance are the same age.

 

Max just let me know that Laisha has been ill all day with coughing and congestion. At least she was able to make it home before she got ill.

 

Really pretty tired tonight and stiff in all the most interesting places. The knee is some better, but it reminds me that it is there every so often. Such fun. But happily, my doctor sent in another prescription for pain meds today. Phew. Wish they were not necessary, but you know the saying about “if wishes were fishes, the whole world would swim.”

 

Let us be grateful for each day, even when the days are full of problems. May you all find that you know where your help is.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

The GREEN Woman.

 The GREEN Woman.

 

OoooWeeee Baby! Went out and fought the grass earlier with a weed eater, and then fired up the zero turn to cut both sides of the yard. Came inside covered in green from hair to heel. Showered and tried to clean up the bathroom floor. Such fun! At least it was not raining while the old woman was trying to cut grass, but the wind blew every bit of the grass into my face and all over me. It still needs for Blake to do it right. The old woman cut the heavy stuff but did not set the bottom of the mower to cut deep. Blake can do that. Besides, the man who was helping him with a weed eater did not even get to the back yard.

 

My neighbors just got home from their trip to Japan. They were driving back when the transmission went out on their lease car. So, they rented a car to finish the trip. However, they left their house key with the car key in Oklahoma, so now they have a lock smith out trying to get into their house. Such fun. Expensive little trip, too. Their mail is piled into a box and a bag on my desk as the Post Office stopped holding their mail on the eighth of this month for some reason. No biggie.

 

My body is already aching from working in the flower bed earlier this week, but the ride on the zero turn made it more interesting. Nothing quite like riding a mower to make one appreciate being able to just walk. Just thankful that all these body parts work.

 

The new AC unit works like a charm and is so very quiet. The remote may take a bit of a learning curve, but it is neat to see the swivel of the louvres on the front of the unit. Can sit there and just watch the temperature go down in the room. Earlier it was 81 degrees outside and 77 inside. The AC had it down to 70 in just a few minutes. Really appreciate this gift from number one.

 

Patty said that she was feeling somewhat better, but Roxie is still keeping her awake at night when it thunders. Put the thunder shirts on my two dogs, but they still want to touch me when the weather is bad. Just wish the humidity were not so hard on Patty.

 

Still have not heard from Michelle Malay, so we can just hope that she is doing ok. Two knee replacements that close together could not have been easy, but to have fluid on her heart is making it harder. Please pray for her.

 

Let us remember all those affected by the storms, floods, and other disasters. Lawton, OK, got flooded the other day. Pretty bad for an area that usually just needs some rain. Same goes for counties east and south of us. Six inches of rain all at once is ready made for floods. But maybe the rain will fill the lakes. Some blessings even in the problems.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Breathing Underwater!

 Breathing Underwater!

 

We have had a considerable amount of rain, and then some more rain. Have not even waded down to the rain gauge on the fence on the downhill slope toward Kemp Blvd. According to the weather station on top of my house, we have received 6.64 in the last few days. That’s nearly seven inches, Dear Hearts! Maybe Lake Arrowhead will be getting filled up.

 

Patty said that she feels as if she is trying to breathe underwater with all the humidity and constant rain. And the thunder has poor little Roxie just trembling next to Patty. My dogs are hunkered down wearing their thunder shirts and shadowing my feet. It makes walking interesting. Anyway, unless something drastic happens, we are going to be overgrown with this clover stuff the old woman planted. The plant identifier on Google says it is geranium, but we know better. Anyway, it is going to take a while to dry out long enough to be able to cut the grass.

 

Bent over and sat down in the front flower bed. Lance told me he thought my poppies were beautiful, but they simply do not last long. The larkspur only blooms for about a week or so before it begins to shed its seeds. And the bluebonnets already have seed pods on the plants. Anyway, got about half of the flowerbed weeded in two days by just sitting there and pulling the weeds and placing them in a bucket. Yes, the old woman is sore.

 

The hens are not overly concerned about all this water/rain, but the ducks are even less concerned. They have a few spots in the back yard where they can even paddle!

 

Was SO glad to have Lance come visit today. He brought an Amazon special and installed it to cool the living room. It is a pretty fancy appliance with swiveling louvres and multiple applications to read about. So, when the rain stops and the heat comes in on heavy feet, the old woman will be prepared.

 

Read through lesson eight on Tom Bradford’s Torah lessons in Matthew—and that only covers chapter four! Either he is very thorough or the old woman is very slow. Still learning and enjoying the extra understanding. Amazing how differently those early Christians looked at things. One thing that really surprised me was that the religious purposes of those days were divided between the temple system and the synagogue system. One was covered by the Pharisees and the other by the Sadducees. Neither one would have accepted John the Baptist, much less accepted that a son of God had been born, lived, and was crucified. These lessons made it clear that neither system was right with the way God had set up worship in the beginning. The Levitical priesthood no longer worked in either place.

 

Patty was saying that all this rain makes her unable to take more than two steps before she has to have oxygen. Know it must feel very scary to her not to be able to breathe. Please pray for her that she will be able to endure this weather. We know the heat is next, but at least we can usually breathe through the heat.

 

We took Lance’s new car to the feed store this morning and got two sacks of lay mash, one sack of wheat, and one of sunflower seeds. That should keep us through this next month. With as much green stuff as they are eating lately, at least no cabbage will be necessary for the hens. They are up to their backs in green stuff!

 

Made taco salad for din/upper this evening. Not bad, not bad at all. Just was surprised to see how much greasy water was in the hamburger meat when cooking it. The “good” stuff is not that watery, but it costs a lot more. Have you ever had tough hamburger? The roast prepared around here last week must have come from an old cow or someone’s boots. Lance said it probably just needed it to cook longer. Maybe.

 

This weather is enough to make a person sleepy. Lance went home early because he was about to fall asleep and we could not get outside to do anything else. He repaired the hole where Thompson escaped the other night, so that was all that really had to be done. Both dogs were barking at a big yellow and white cat that streaked across the yard and climbed a mesquite tree on Patty’s place. But Thompson just was not satisfied and had to get on the other side of the fence to chase it down. Dogs!

 

Remember to pray for healing and comfort for those who are in need. May they be healed now in this lifetime.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Chicken o'Clock.

 Chicken o’Clock.

 

Each early morning around here, we know that it is chicken o’clock when the hens start carrying on and wanting out of the coops. They expect a hand out shortly thereafter, too. Sunflower seeds, wheat, or something tasty has to be forthcoming. And twice a day, Thompson has a particular way of telling the old woman that he is ready for some kibble to get a nice topping of meat for either breakfast or dinner. Just gibbled up a chunk of the toughest roast ever cooked around here. Glad that it was not going to be my last meal of the day. It might take me all evening to chew the stuff! It was not very expensive, but still!

 

Lance let me know earlier that he will be here early in the morning. SO glad. He can help me unload some more feed. It is taking such a short amount of time to go through the feed bins! Of course, the ducks, doves, and small birds are getting their share, but it is getting plum ridiculous! Bought a metal water can for the hens—well, two water cans actually. One hangs on the coop door and gives them about a pint of water inside the coop if they want it. The other one is about a gallon and a half and has a small rim around it so the hens can drink out of it, but the ducks can’t wade or otherwise make a sloshy mess of it. Maybe by the time all these hens have gone to glory, the old woman will have figured out how to manage the feed and water situation.

 

We had a little shower with wind earlier today. Not much telling what tomorrow will bring, but the pollen count is supposed to be way down. Hooray! Poor Patty has had a time just trying to breathe!

 

Well, the groceries are put away and the chicken quarters are in the roaster cooking. Have hurt like a champ today, so having the groceries delivered kept me from driving under the influence—not to mention that it took fewer steps for me to get everything put away. The young woman picked up the cases of water and slipped them right inside the door, too. SO helpful! And some honey roasted peanuts in a jar will be on the deep freeze for Lance tomorrow—“purchased” for free!

 

At times it seems to me that the old woman is pretty lazy or something, but then Patty reminded me that when we get older, we have to manage things smarter. Which does a person want to do: pay for delivery or crater a bit later for all the extra steps taken to get things done? Guess laziness is as good as it gets when a person can only handle so much in a day.

 

Sat down inside the flower bed out front and pulled up stork bill plants until the world looked level—filling up a bucket three times anyway. Two hens came out there to “help” me with the task. They just managed to level out some soil without tossing any plants. Who knew that hens were happy to help in the flower beds?

 

Sharon Dickerson’s son David is in rehab for the stroke he had this week. Not sure how long he will be there. Pray, please, that he will be healed and that Sharon will do well by herself with the critters (two dogs and a cat). She gets lost in that city so easily. She says the streets change names right in the middle of going somewhere. Sounds a lot like Wichita Falls where Midwestern Parkway suddenly becomes Call Field Road! Crazy!

 

A message from Mike Yonts, Tami’s husband, said that the doctors are trying to use some kind of sponge in her esophagus to help it heal. Can’t imagine. Let us continue to pray for her and for Mike. This has to be hard on both of them.

 

Jennifer posted about their three dogs this morning. Two got out of the yard and she and Gary had to go chase them down. Marty found a skunk and had to have a bath—while being a butt and getting away from them in the middle of the bath. Luna just came waltzing in as if she was just supposed to get out and lead the parade! Osiris was the one who told on the other two—naturally. Honestly, having dogs can be entertaining when one doesn’t have to chase them down or bathe them to remove skunk stink!

 

Jennifer posted that someone sent her flowers when Charolotte died (Reece’s cat). She still does not know who sent them. But that was so very sweet.

 

My neighbors should be home this Sunday after spending nearly a month in Japan! Ready to hear the stories! SO glad they had a good trip. Meanwhile, let’s hope their three cats readjust to home quickly after staying with Laisha’s mom all this time.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Another Wet One!

 Another Wet One!

 

Blake, the lawn guy, texted Patty about coming out today. Nope. We are soaked and then some, so his mower would leave tracks across the pasture even if it were able to cut the clover. Patty told him we would see him Tuesday. Plan to ask him to take care of a bunch of branches. The old woman simply can’t do that stuff any longer.

 

The rain last night didn’t really hit until around four this morning. The dogs let me know that the thunder was a bit of a worry. The old woman would have just rolled over and slept, but the dogs can be pretty persistent about getting my attention. Oh well. They tell me about more important things, too.

 

Hard to believe that it is already Thursday. This week seems to have just flown by. In fact, time seems to fly by each week and month. May is on its way! Even so, the poppies, bluebonnets, and irises are in full bloom. Wish the old woman had the gumption to get down and work on the flower bed to let the other ones have a chance to bloom soon. Have two clumps of flowers called “love in a mist” that will bloom soon if the silly hens leave them alone. Have thought about putting chicken wire over that section of the flower bed to keep them out, but really think that chicken wire is ugly all by itself. Sigh.

 

Need to make a set of curtains for the office window. Not sure just exactly what will work in here, but the beach towel currently in use is just not going to get it. It kept the wind around the AC unit out during the winter, but now it is too much and too dark. Will have to scrounge around and see what is in the back room that will work. Can’t believe my sewing machine still has not been used since Jennifer threaded the needle for me. Had all kinds of good intentions. But you know how it is with good intentions! Kinda like getting the flower bed weeded. Uh huh.

 

Patty and the old woman got to laughing this morning about some of the things that Donny had done to make her laugh. Laughter is SO good for us. A person gets oxygen all the way to the bottom of the lungs! Donny used to “help” Patty get into their truck. He always grabbed her rear end and tickled so that she could hardly move for laughing. Then there was the time she sat in one of those wooden chairs with the woven bottom and her bottom went through the woven part. They could hardly get her up for laughing. Not to be left out, Donny also had to help the old woman back across her chicken fence when she used a ladder to get over to catch a stray hen. THEN she could not figure out how to get BACK over. Donny turned the ladder around and helped me down the back side of the ladder. Know he must have sat down with his cousin Allen and har de har’d over that one!

 

Did you know that bird song induces flowers to bloom and open up to nectar seekers? Scientists have discovered that bird song makes a big difference in how flowers open themselves up. Go figure! God knew what He was doing—naturally. It is just amazing, however, to see what was part of His plan for the earth. We have a little wren who sings her heart out every morning to call for whatever reason. Not sure if she has a mate, but she has taken to visiting the bird box that Sterling made. Love it!

 

So, the old woman got out and used her weed eater to do some of the heavy stuff around the coops. Then, still wearing my long, black pants, got down on my knees and pulled some weeds very carefully out of some poppy plants. Love poppies! They do so very well in disturbed soil. Guess that is why they came up all over the battle fields after WWI. No sod unturned across England and even in France. The flower came to represent the fallen soldiers in Flanders Fields. Sad, just sad.

 

Hope that Blake and company will be able to cut grass and branches by Tuesday. The fields are soggy wet right now. But even the branches could be cut if Blake will do it.

 

Guess fatigue goes with extra working around here. The trips back and forth to pick up eggs are numerous, but at least the eggs are not likely to get dirty as long as the nests are kept clean. Not everyone would understand that. Oh well.

 

Let us pray for those like Mariellen Rose, Tami Yonts, Michelle Malay, and others who need to be healed. Our prayers make a difference.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Egg Carton Surprise.

 Egg Carton Surprise.

 

Filling up egg cartons this morning and opened one someone had returned. Inside was a ten-dollar bill. Tried to call a couple of folks to find out who thought that was necessary, but only reached Judie B. She denied being the culprit, but she also thought it was a good deed. Just not necessary for anyone to pay for eggs that come from my hens. They are such sweet girls—well, when they are not out front digging up my snapdragons! Hope no one thinks that just because I gripe about the price of feed that it means someone should help pay for feed. Just not necessary. Love being able to share the bounty that God has provided with my girls.

 

The dogs and the thunder got pretty loud early this morning, so the old woman went back to bed after letting the hens out. Just a nice nap, don’t you see. Patty said that the thunder and lightning got her up, too. Not much way to ignore that wham, bam, and rumbling! And the dogs were just really clingy. Can’t blame them.

 

Still reading in Matthew in Bradford’s Torah lessons. SO much to learn! Plan to go back to the book of Daniel after finishing Matthew, and then it will be time to try Revelation. That book is pretty much beyond me, so maybe this approach will help me understand.

 

It may rain some more this week, but right now it feels a bit moist out there in the high grass. Still want to sit down out front and pull up some of the stork bill grass stuff. It is supposed to be good for something, but have not figured out just what yet. Then today learned that the weed we called “beggar’s lice” is edible and full of vitamin C. Go figure! We certainly have a bumper crop of the stuff. My son-in-law is interested in learning about stuff like this, so sent him a book by Jennifer and may see if another one is available for him that we don’t already have. Jenn said that he and a neighbor were so excited to find all the edible things that grew out in their back yard and in the strip of land between the housing addition and their place. Never know when something will be worth knowing about wild foods.

 

Meant to call Michelle Malay today and got side tracked. Sharon Dickerson called me and said that her son David seems to be getting better, but they did decide that he had had a stroke. He will be taking some kind of physical therapy soon. Maybe tomorrow the old woman will get her head in the right place and call Michelle.

 

Have not heard more from Tami Yonts or about little Zeke. Please continue to pray for them. We know God hears our prayers. Meanwhile, let’s pray that President Trump makes the right decisions for our country and that his assistants will be able to be of true help to him. Finally, let’s be grateful that God has blessed this nation so completely. Let us do our best to be what the good Lord would have us be.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Sleepy to the Inth Degree.

 Sleepy to the Inth Degree.

 

One of the medications taken around here for pain has a 24-hour effectiveness. Last night the old woman was hearing about it from muscles that had unloaded and distributed the oyster shell for the hens. The feed sacks are a bit floppy, but not the oyster shell. It felt a bit like a concrete cinder block—50 pounds worth! Anyway, the after effects of that pill caused a droopiness about the house. SOME work got done today, but it was done with a certain lack of enthusiasm. Oh well.

 

On lesson seven in Matthew now, but some of the things are making me wonder. Did you know that the three wise men were not kings? And the alignment of three planets was likely the “star” that led them to Bethlehem. Had it been more noticeable to those who did not know to look for it, no one would necessarily seen it anyway. Bradford did not mention it, but one of the things recently read around here was about how Daniel foretold the birth of the son of God. He was 600 years before the birth of Christ, but he had already stated that these men would find the Messiah. And they believed him because he had already proved that he knew the future because of the prediction concerning the famine and the fat years that changed all of Egypt during his time under the Pharoah. Here a little and there a little, the Bible tells us more as we read it more.

 

My sister-by-another-mother, Sharon Dickerson, let me know yesterday that her son David had to go to the hospital for a possible stroke. He is still in the hospital and has had a MRI. Yesterday he could only sip a bit of water, but today he told his mom that he was eating and that the food was good. Please pray for David and for his mom Sharon that this little bump in the road will not crater and that he will be able to go back to work soon.

 

Went down to Patty’s this morning and took her some small red potatoes that were left here by Maggie Sewell. She had a five-pound bag of them. Gave some to Shona for her family and ate some myself. Very good little ‘tators! While taking the potatoes to Patty, it was easy to put some freeze-dried beef liver pieces in a bag for Roxie. She really seemed to like that stuff. Meanwhile, Patty sent my two dogs four little snack packs of chicken. Those snack packs were a meal for Roxie, but just about constituted a bite for these two dogs.

 

Figured out what to give number one son for his birthday. It is not always easy to figure out what to give these kids for birthdays. Seems most of the birthdays hit in May, too. Jennifer wants her gift to be a surprise. This time she will get a surprise. Gary not so much. May send him another book soon since he is interested in survival skills and plants a person can eat. Kinda interesting.

 

Have not heard any more about Zeke or Tami. Let’s just pray for them and remember that it is only God who can heal us. Let us be grateful for all the blessings given to us daily.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Laundry?

 Laundry?

 

How is it possible for doing laundry to tire one out when the machines do all—well, most—of the work? Getting into separate types—towels, clothes, socks and other whites—is not that big of a deal. The hamper has wheels on it, so it is not like it is hard to move around. Then just changing the stuff from one machine to the other, folding things, and putting stuff away is hardly difficult. But the old woman picked up three fifty-pound bags of feed and oyster shell sometime during all that. That might have been part of the resulting fatigue. Oh well. Those critters have to be fed. Despite the wild doves, the freaking wild ducks, and the occasional flock of black birds, the hens consume an enormous amount of lay crumble. Today they even got some bread and a couple of tomatoes via Patty’s kitchen. So, maybe it is not the laundry that took it out of me.

 

Maggie Sewell came today and picked up three dozen eggs and brought a five-pound bag of little red potatoes. Will be taking a double bunch down to Patty. She likes them as well. Put some on to cook for later, but may not eat them until in the morning. Cooked and heated up in the skillet is good. Reminds me of hash browns. But today the cucumber, red onion, and tomato salad got made again. Really love that stuff with Italian dressing. It might make my breath smell like onion, but according to Willie Nelson, “Bad breath is better than no breath at all!”

 

Tried to take a nap this afternoon, but that did not happen. The dogs heard a motorcycle and came unglued! Such a reaction! You’d think it was in the yard as loud as it was! Oh well.

 

Listened to my grand-nephew sing a song for his grandmother Susie in Louisiana. This is Jacob, the Lion-Hearted, Carol. He has grown up and has a great voice and such a sweet personality. May God continue to bless him that he may live to an old age despite the scleroderma. We just never know.

 

Have not seen anything from Angel Ambrosius about little Zeke or from Mike about Tami Yonts. All we can do is to continue to pray for them. We know that ultimately, we will all be healed in God’s Kingdom. My heart longs for Lewis, Hanan, and others in my family. We just have to have patience and continue to try to live as God would have us. Whatever He chooses to do with our lives will be for the best.

 

For as long as memory serves me, the role of the Catholic church has been either condemned or uplifted in the face of ignorance. The different branches of the church were the only source of education for so very long. We hardly understand that at all in our time, but once there were no books and no one could read. It was also the church that occasionally helped women leave the role of servants to become those who could live in quiet and faith without being the object of some family politics. But this morning the head of the Catholic church died from a stroke, coma, and heart attack. Soon there will be another pope who will attempt to lead the greatest “non-political” branch around. Each time a pope is chosen, some folks wonder if he will be the anti-Christ. It makes me wonder why they bother to guess. It occurs to me that when things go sideways in this world, most folks won’t even really notice what is going on. Each person has his or her own agenda in life. What the person can “get” or how things affect the person specifically are all that matter for the most part. We could all be better prepared for the future, it might seem, by watching what is happening to Israel. THAT is the land that God gave to Israel. The outlines are much greater than what we see today—including Gaza and the Left Bank and parts of Jordan. All the political shuffling going on with other nations will never wipe out the purpose that God has for His people. We shall see.

 

Have started on Matthew in the Bradford lessons and find it makes my mind boggle just a bit. We—or at least this old woman—know so very little of how things were meant in those days even years after the death of Christ. Learning more makes my head feel full. Or maybe that is my allergies! Funny!

 

Wednesday is Holocaust Day. That is one that really does matter to me. Reading Exodus by Leon Uris when in the eighth grade made me realize the world was much more complicated than what was in Clay County, Texas, or any part of my world. God gave them a new start the year this old woman was born. Imagine being born in that little piece of desert in 1948.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

A Pot of Beans!

 A Pot of Beans!

 

My mom loved to make a big pot of beans and hers were always the best! In fact, a grand nephew called some time back and wanted the recipe for “Granny Gene’s Beans.” Not sure if any of the ingredients were left out, but Mom’s beans were pretty basic. The pot today included some pork sausage (already cooked and gibbled up), a couple of cans of stewed tomatoes, and some Mrs. Dash salt free seasoning. A package of cornbread mix and some Mrs. Renfro’s chow chow filled out the meal with butter melted on the baked cornbread. Just mighty fine eating!

 

Patty suggested that the extra beans could be frozen in small packages, so that happened. None of the ingredients were such that they would not freeze well. It’s just that the old woman does not know how to make a “small” pot of beans. Patty said she used to do the same thing and then slip out a container of beans when Donny got hungry for beans. Better than anything in a can!

 

It rained, the wind blew, then the sun came out, and the wind blew. Dear Hearts, that wind is something else again. At least we did not get any hail or a tornado here in WF last night. Other places were not as blessed. Saw that Ada, OK, got hit again. Seems like they are a storm magnet. But then, the same could be said for Montague and Jack Counties here in TX.

 

Looked out a bit ago to see two drakes in my middle chicken coop. Guess there is no way to keep the suckers out of there, but it certainly raises my dander to see them in there gobbling chicken feed. Dadgum’em!

 

Cleaned my kitchen sink with Barkeeper’s Friend a bit ago. It is pretty rough on my hands, but it certainly does clean the sink well. Tried it on the bathroom sink that is some kind of plasterish looking stuff. Not too successful. It just does not look all that good or help the shine. At least there are no ugly stains.

 

Kinda hoping the wind will let up tonight. Getting just a wee bit tired of listening to it. Yes, moan, groan, and carry on. Nothing ever quite satisfies. But at least we got enough rain south of us to do the lake some good. And we are not as bad off as Ada, OK. Pray for them. Flooding and a tornado with lives lost.

 

Have not seen a post from Angel about her grandson Zeke yet today. Let us pray that he recovers soon from all the problems he was having. It is going to take patience and endurance from his parents to help him learn to walk again.

 

It’s spring and storms grow as fast as the flowers. Let us pray for safety in all our communities.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Misty Day.

 Misty Day.

 

We had some rain last night and more a few times today, but mostly the air is just heavy with mist. It is nice really, but we need the real thing in some adequate measure to fill up the lakes. I know: gripe, gripe, gripe. Should be thankful for whatever we get.

 

A group of yellow-headed black birds landed out in the back yard near the chicken feeder. They are cleaning up whatever the freaking ducks have not eaten. Guess it should not bother me that the ducks come and mess up the water since the new water cans make it easier to keep the water for the hens clean. Guess the old woman needs to fill up the feeders INSIDE the coops.

 

Thompson came in a few minutes ago to tell me that it was his dinner time. We have come to some understanding about this situation. He grumbles if he wants a cookie (the dog kind), but he “talks” when it is time for real dog food. Such a critter!

 

It has been very quiet around here today. Certainly easier to breathe since the pollen and dust got a bit of a wetting down. Hoping that tomorrow will be much easier for Patty. Her step-son and his wife plan to visit tomorrow. Noticed that the neighbor directly across the road has had visitors today as well. Holidays are like that for most folks.

 

Got some dried apricots at United the other day when meat shopping. No, they were in a separate area, but that is beside the point. We used to have apricot trees here on this hill, but have just about decided that trying to grow any kind of fruit is just pretty hopeless. Bores always end up killing the trees.

 

Read some more Torah today: Matthew. Yes, shockingly the NT is part of the Torah. Matthew was Jewish and wrote either in Hebrew or Aramaic. Bradford’s discussion of who wrote when and how was interesting, but even more so the reasoning for why and to whom Matthew wrote was intriguing.

 

Thompson just made me move my legs so he could get under my desk. Thunder does that around here. This entire next week may be a bit wet and stormy. No biggie as long as the tornadoes and hail storms remain away from any city.

 

Have some “fresh” unexpired beans on soaking to cook tomorrow. Threw out the chick peas, black-eyed peas, and two pounds of red beans in various places after soaking them. We will see if they sprout. Judie Brunson was talking about expired canned foods, but who knew that our dried beans would go bad!

 

Be grateful for spring, the growing grass, the birds that sing every day—especially when it is time to wake up—and all the many blessings that God has given us. Then stop to think why we ALL have hope in a life that will be with God. Forgiveness, His grace, is ours if we accept the sacrifice of His son.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Losing the Days of the Week.

 Losing the Days of the Week.

 

Judie Brunson stopped by and we both had to stand there and shuffle around to remember which day of the week this one was. Tomorrow can be just about anything if one has lost the internal calendar that keeps up with what is going on around us. Silly ol’ women, maybe, but that is just how it is.

 

We talked about flowers. Want to pick up some snapdragons somewhere. Mine would be blooming already if the hens would stay out of them. Guess if any are brought home, some chicken wire might have to be employed to protect them. Love my hens, but they can dig up things faster than any Caterpillar out there—well, proportionately.

 

Sterling called today. They are still praying that their minister can get back on his feet and be there to give the sermon Sunday. He has been down sick with a fever and cold. Lot of that stuff going around lately.

 

Patty is still having a terrible time just trying to breathe lately. The pollen count and the humidity is a bit much for all of us, it seems, but it is much harder on her. She has to carry her oxygen around to go outside now. Roxie took off and had to be called back inside with the whistle that Donny used to keep on his boat. That silly dog just means the world to her, but it also takes a lot of effort to keep up with it.

 

Think my neighbors should be out of Japan and back in the U.S. by now. Had to employe a Braum’s bag for all their mail. Somehow the message to hold their mail did not get delivered or something and their box was stuffed when the old woman emptied it.

 

Found another couple of packages of beans—well, chick peas and black-eyed peas—that were out of date. Plan to throw them in the back flower beds and cover them with hay this evening and see if they will sprout. They have soaked all day, so if the hens get to them, maybe they will not hurt the girls by puffing up in their craw. We will see. Absolutely zero has come up in the raised bed out front. SO disappointing. Such is life.

 

Please remember to pray for little Zeke, Tami Yonts, Mariellen Rose, and Michelle Malay. We take our health for granted most of the time, but the older we get, the more important we discover that being able to take care of our own needs matters. Little Zeke is pretty much totally dependent on his parents. Let us ask for endurance and comfort for them.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Expiration Dates.

 Expiration Dates.

 

Did ya know that dried beans have an expiration date? Well, they do. SO glad that the old woman did not go ahead and mix the sausage and stewed tomatoes into the beans before deciding that the beans were NEVER going to get good and done. The chickens may or may not enjoy the suckers, but they are going to be poured out on the ground after they cool. Talking to Patty about my silly beans not getting done. She googled it and told me that they were either too old or the water was too hard. Now we know. One other bag of beans are going outside to just get poured into a hay bale. Wonder if they will sprout since they are out of date as well.

 

Read that some company that manufactures medications in India had almost all of the meds recalled for lack of proper handling procedures. That is not too encouraging. For awhile there, they were saying that we had a shortage of saline solution. It made me wonder how that was possible, but the companies producing that stuff may have had similar problems. And then there is the demand from all over and weather conditions—think hurricanes. Probably the most of our solutions come from Australia—go figure!

 

Stripped the bed this morning and walked around that sucker forty-leven times before it was totally remade. By the way, the term “forty-leven” was one our oldest son came up when we asked him how many chickens Paw Paw Garland had. We have used that number many times since then with a smile.

 

Some people here in this area celebrated the Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread this week. It seemed like an opportunity to share that information about the study of the Torah with them. Can hardly wait for my neighbors to get home to share with them. Learning things from different viewpoints can have some very good side effects. One’s perspective can always be broadened and the way other people think can be more appreciated. Would really like to know if any of you looked up the lessons on Genesis by Tom Bradford.

 

The washer and drier have finished their work for the day with all the sheets, bedspreads, and assorted covers used for the dogs. They “share” my bed with me. That is, they get up there and play “big mouth” with each other and otherwise mess up the linens. But they enjoy themselves! Love my critters!

 

Patty is suffering with gout in one foot. It has been ongoing trouble this entire week and does not seem to go away. Seems like Dr. Hurn gave Grandmother Pollard something for that mess. Was probably a drug that is no longer even made! Maybe the Advil will do until it fades away.

 

Let us remember to praise God for this spring and its beauty—along with the extreme pollen! At least maybe the trees will set fruit.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Storms Again?

 Storms Again?

 

It looks as if Indiana and Ohio have been getting some twisters. That is NOT a dance move, Folks. High winds and damage go together with these storms. My U.S. map does not show Connorsville where my friend lives, but it is southeast of Indianapolis. The storms last night were in northeast Indiana. Wherever a storm blows is never all that welcome at any rate. Let’s hope that everyone will soon be in the clear and helped as needed.

 

Called to see if Sterling and Jacqui got home. Sure enough. So enjoyed their visit. My neighbor saw Sterling walking Toby and had to call her little dog back to keep her from checking them out. Roxie thinks that she is a big dog!

 

Don’t know why it had not occurred to me already, but most of the medications being consumed around here have some interesting side effects. Now it is time to see if something can be changed a bit to forego those side effects. Will just have to talk to my doctor and also write this mess down so the visiting nurse can discuss things with me when she comes in May. One of the biggest considerations would be the cost of different drugs. Sigh.

 

Will explain the lack of information in one of my latest blog posts. I was asked to remove the information since it is privileged to the company only. Just let me tell you that the tariffs have improved most U.S. businesses. “Buy in America” is going to be heard when we try to save from now on.

Have been hoping for more rain to soak into the ground and soften the crust around here. Have one flowerbed in front that really needs the old woman to sit down on the ground and lean over to work out the weeds. This is not the sort of thing that can be hired out. Flowers are not weeds, but explaining the difference is sometimes difficult.

 

Read an article about the dust storms in Iraq this week. Something like 3,700 folks were hospitalized from the effects of dust in a storm that reduced visibility to a half mile! Kinda like seeing Amarillo come visit in one of our storms.

 

Thinking about making some pinto bean-sausage soup. Just need to pick up a cornbread kit. Have not made cornbread in quite a while, but really enjoy it. Same with bean-sausage soup! Mom would laugh at me. She did not think that beans needed meat at all. Oh well.

 

Wondering if any of you have attempted to find and read any of the Torah lessons by Tom Bradford. Have learned SO much history and interesting facts about how folks saw things in those days. God had to show them each idea step by step. Well, are we any different?

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Yep Wind Again.

 Yep, Wind Again.

 

From the forecast, it seems we might be in for some more rain. We need it again. Nothing has come up in my raised bed, so something is not right in that mess. Maybe the old woman needs to put some decent dirt in there? Never have seen anything refuse to grow when planted. Well, except for some bones that the dogs planted.

 

Put an ice pack on the silly knee earlier to get the swelling to go down. Not sure what is causing that, but it is not making me happy. Of course, there are times when not much of anything really makes me thrilled. And, considering we got our tax assessments this morning, it is not really a surprise that the old woman is a bit grunchy! They basically doubled the assessed value on this place. Maybe it is because it is now all one plot instead of three? At this rate, saving to pay the taxes will be about like saving to pay the house insurance!

 

The hens have been having a time with cackling and fussing about the nests. At this rate, it may be necessary to come up with some more containers for them. Two hens trying to lay in the same box at the same time is a bit silly, but they try it anyway—even when they could choose from two other boxes!

 

Thinking about getting my hair cut again. It’s getting long enough to bug me and get in my eyes. Don’t think she left two strands of hair up there that are the same length when she last cut the mess. The problem with getting a short hair cut is that the older a woman gets, the more masculine she looks. Just life. Well, maybe some women don’t, but this old woman does. Whatever.

 

Have some things laid out on the kitchen table for Sterling and Jacqui to take home with them. They will be here sometime tomorrow. They are spending the night up in Oklahoma at Medicine Park. Told Sterling about the Meers burgers that everyone talks about. Have seen pictures of those things. Rather too much for one person, for sure. Guess they will find out.

 

Reading more in Tom Bradford’s Torah lessons has been VERY enlightening! Having studied the origins of some of the nations once before, it was not surprising to see how Bradford put the nations in order of renewal for the future. Gentile is a word that has always felt strange to me, but it was after reading the scripture that “if ye be Christ’s, then ye are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise” that it dawned on me that it was not important how the physical genetics worked as much as the spiritual adoption. Anyway, it surely would be interesting to see what a modern-day Jew would think of Bradford’s assertion that there is no reason for any other nation to claim any part of Israel since it was GOD who gave the land to the Israelites.

 

Let us pray for understanding and appreciation of what God has given to us.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Wind and Pollen.

 Wind and Pollen.

 

If it were possible to separate the shtuff out there in the wind that is blowing through, we might find some tinges of yellow or green in that wind. Pollen. But whatever it is, the dogs can track it into the house after they put their feet in the water bowls. Finally, have decided that the water bowls are just going to have to be the way the hens get water. Pulled out an older water jug with a little red rim on it, and guess what! The top of the jar collapsed in my hand. Plastic may last forever in the ocean or in our dirt, but the shape of that jar top just disintegrated! Oh well.

 

Made some Jello for a salad or something. Really would like to have a cheese cake or something along those lines. Everything that a person could possibly think about right now (at least THIS old person) contains sugar. Don’t know how folks can deal with being this way 100% of the time. Lewis used to have me buy these sugar-free cookies, but he could only have a few before they disrupted the digestive tract. Sigh. Have even considered buying some sugar-free Dr Pepper! For sure don’t need that stuff! Sigh.

 

The hens got into the alfalfa that Mary R brought over. They thought they had hit the jackpot! They like something about that hay better than just about anything. Remember a long time ago folks ate alfalfa sprouts and drank alfalfa tea. Hmm.

 

Spent some time reading from the Torah lessons again today. Tom Bradford’s approach to these lessons makes me realize that we really need to know more history than we were ever taught in school. It seems the Hysos people were similar to the Hebrews who came in with Joseph’s family. They were the rulers who forced folks to put up 20% of their crops that would eventually be sold back to them during the famine. Joseph was just the front guy that made them do it, but it gave the Egyptian people a bad taste about him and his people when they ended up practically slaves to Pharoah. And guess how that affected the Hebrews when the people of Egypt finally got back in power after the Hysos folks left. Makes it much easier to see how things were turned around after the Hysos pharaoh used all the Egyptians to build his empire. It amazes me that we don’t have more distinctions between the people who ruled Egypt during those times.

 

Have any of you ever tried to kill ants using Baking POWDER and powdered sugar? Just wondered if it actually worked. Can’t use granules for fire ants because it looks too much like chicken feed.

 

Have been truly missing my parents lately. Know it is useless to think about going back in time to hug them or my husband, but it does make me think that those who still have their parents and husband should appreciate each day with them. Life is just not the same without them.

 

Well, about time to get my Neti pot out again. Sigh Allergies are SO much fun. Not.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Tariffs?

 Tariffs?

Went down to Patty’s this morning and sprayed some stuff on the weeds on the patio. Her step son said that he could not be here this weekend to help with anything like that. It occurred to me that the weekend after that is Easter, and you can almost bet they will have plans for that weekend as well. Whatever. Anyway, the stuff needed to be sprayed now before it gets as tall as my hind legs, so while the wind was not blowing a gale, the old woman got it done, came home and stripped off all my clothes to throw in the washer—including the sneakers, and had a hot shower. A little tiring, but felt as if something got done.

 

Talked to Mary R today and gave her a couple of dozen eggs. She told me she thought anyone having knee problems should just get the parts replaced. She still has a husband at home and has no idea what it would be like to not have anyone to take care of the critters and such. Guess we all have a tendency to see situations from our own point of view.

 

Talked to Michelle Malay today. She sounds SO much better since she got home from the hospital. She thinks her doctors were wonderful but that the nursing situation at United Regional really lacks common sense. Yep. Been there and seen everything that is quite lacking in the nursing area. So sad. Anyway, glad to hear Michelle’s voice and hear her upbeat attitude.

 

Michelle mentioned Tami Yonts. All we can do is pray for her. Have not seen any further updates since she went into ICU. Please pray that they take good care of her and that she is healed from all the problems.

 

Everyone should be well aware that the pollen count right now is sky high. Please take care of yourselves and keep the allergy meds close. Or the Neti pot handy!

 

Remember to have an attitude of gratitude! It’s pretty hard to feel sorry for yourself when you are saying thank you.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Everything Except the Wet Mop.

 Everything Except the Wet Mop.

 

Wrote nearly three pages and lost the entire thing. Argh! Just let it be said that cleaning two coops, dust mopping, and vacuuming the house takes some grit. Wee bit pooped.

 

The steroid injection Dr. Blackwell put in my knee has helped SO much! Since then, have read about a gel called Durolane that might even be better than a steroid. How about that!

 

Read some more in Genesis this morning from the lessons by Tom Bradford. Enlightening! Had no idea that they –ALL—believed in multiple gods and territorial gods. The earrings were amulets representing their gods, so that is why they took off their earrings to melt them down or they buried them as a sign that those gods were no longer with them. Go figure!

 

Sterling said that they had eggs and then bought eggs, so they are going to have to eat a LOT of eggs after they come to my house. Have about four dozen ready for them now. The hens are doing a great job of laying.

 

Please pray for Tami Yonts. She was doing so good and then something went wrong and she is back in ICU now. Then remember Michelle Malay and Mariellen Rose. May God bless and heal them each one.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Slow Reading.

 Slow Reading.

 

Since childhood, my reading speed has been super duper fast, but what does the old woman know of any comparisons. Maybe it is the number of books once read on any given day, but even that does not apply now. First off, the hens and the dogs insist that they need my attention throughout the day. Then there is just the thinking. Sometimes it takes a bit to think about something that seems uncommon to me. Tom Bradford uses words that are from the Greek or Hebrew or even parts of those languages to express different names for the “persons” that have become “God” in my mind. He separates and then combines different terms to show that what we have generally accepted as the names for God are quite often different under different circumstances. El Shaddai was one that was familiar to me, but then he changed the El to the letter I and E. It is like taking the alphabet and changing it around in other words that lose their familiarity. Oh well. If we take the words “Lord” and “God” and interchange them, sooner or later we can become confused. STILL have not finished the study of Genesis. Sigh.

 

My silly knee feels SO much better today. It amazes me and makes me worried that a wrong step or too many steps might take me right back to the aching again. But maybe this injection will last a good while. Not sure how often these shots can be taken, but they certainly make it much easier to walk. My balance may not be as good as it should be, but that is probably because it has felt necessary to protect that right side for so long. Even so, still don’t want to consider any knee replacements. Feel for anyone who has had to go through that procedure.

 

Blake came today to cut the grass and brought a guy with him to do the weed eating. Blake could not get the mower he had borrowed through my side lot gate and the cattle gate was locked. He said he would be back Tuesday to finish. It is probably my fault that the gate was locked because he did not think the old woman was at home. Had my truck parked across the street so that the driveway could be mowed or weeds whacked. The guy with the weed whacker took out a few flowers, but at least he got most of the stuff that needed to be clipped out.

 

Had some roasted veggies for supper tonight. Understand that some vegetarians think that meat is not necessary, but this definitely was not fried chicken or even fried fish. Then, too, have thought about some good ol’ fashioned peach cobbler with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Hmm. Making myself hungry! Will have to go by the bakery at United on Sunday to pick up something for dessert for when Jacqui and Sterling get here on Monday. Fried chicken is great, but once in a while a person needs some fruit and ice cream!!

 

Maybe tomorrow will be a good day for cleaning the floors. The mud has dried and the grass might not track in. Here’s hoping.

 

Remember to thank God for all His blessings. How good He is to us!

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

The Bees Knees!

 The Bees Knees!

 

So, the injection did not make me feel like a little kid getting a vaccination, but it did smart a bit. Dr. Blackwell uses a large needle so that it can be injected and emptied quickly. No sitting there waiting for the stuff to go inside. Whew! This should help a bit with the crunchies, but since it is bone on bone in there, it is not a repair but a patch like on the highway. Good thing this knee does not belong on I-35.

 

Went to United earlier to take in the sale items in the 40% off counter for meats. Brought some home that the dogs like and some that the old woman likes. The fajita meat made a nice brunch that the dogs were most willing to share. Silly critters. They thought they had hit the jackpot yesterday since Patty had two taquitos and two slices of thick ham for them. She had left the ham out on the counter accidentally and did not trust it to be good after two hours out of the refrigerator. The dogs seemed to think it was great.

 

Got an order from Amazon this morning that included the dried liver for my dogs. They love this stuff. It is fairly large chunks of freeze-dried liver in a resealable bag. Need to remember to take some to Roxie and see if she likes it. One of the bags in the Amazon order was for rice, beans, powdered milk, and black-eyed peas. These are just the basics that might keep me fed if it is necessary. The news keeps saying that everything is about to go out of sight expensive. Wouldn’t be the first time. Even the stupid covid that kept everyone at home made things scarce. But some things are really not even that necessary.

This next two weeks should be interesting. Passover is coming up on Saturday evening (12^th) along with the days of unleavened bread. Then Easter will take place on the 20^th of April. Holocaust Day is the 23^rd of April. Strange how things have worked out this year. Remembering the millions of people who have died because of their beliefs or because they did not “fit” the German model is more than sad. Israel was given SO much more by God’s outline of land and rivers. But no one wants to admit that the land is theirs. Sad, just sad.

 

Saving up eggs for Sterling and Jacqui now. They will have a few to take home and some to leave wherever they are going when they get to Texas next week. They may end up down in Mission, TX for a visit down that direction. But Terry and Stacy are on a cruise right now, so that might not even happen. They have been living at the campground in Mission for folks 50 and over. Hard to believe that my kids are already both over 50!

 

The sun has shone this week so far and the wind has not been too bad, so maybe the irises will get to bloom and stay pretty for a while. Meantime, the bluebonnets are totally wild and happy looking. God made spring time to give us something to spark our inner gardener! It makes me want to plant something outside. Have some marigold seeds to plant if the silly hens will stay out of them! Chicken wire to the rescue!

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Slow Plans.

 Slow Plans.

 

For some strange reason, the old woman woke up at a bit after 4 this morning and had trouble getting back to sleep. So, this afternoon a nap happened. Now we may have a vicious cycle started of not being able to sleep because of the nap. Oh well. It really felt necessary.

 

My Chart is one of those features from the local hospital that lets a person know the results of testing or whatever. Seems arthritis is making the edges of the knee bones harder for some reason and little bone spurs are growing in there. Such fun. Mostly what it told me was the same thing we figured out last year—arthritis. Tomorrow a knee injection with a steroid may help—or not. It isn’t much fun to get the injection, but the pills tend to make me want to eat everything in sight! Horrors. It is really slow going to lose weight, so producing more appetite is just counter intuitive.

 

Maggie Sewell came by this morning to pick up eggs and got home just as the repairman drove up. Their heater went out while we had that nice “cool” cold spell. Maggie said that sweats were invented for such as that. Even so, it is not comfortable to run around trying to stay warm in cold weather.

 

Have some throw rugs on washing and have tried to clean the major dirt out of the living room and kitchen. It feels a bit impossible, but can’t just leave it there! It is not just these two dogs that track in mud. The old woman does a pretty good job of tracking it in as well.

Blake, the lawn guy, is supposed to be here Thursday. My place certainly has plenty that needs to be cut. One type of “clover” is actually a type of geranium, but so far it has not had any flowers. Have thought maybe it would be best to just let Blake cut the stuff that is not this tall green stuff. Have plenty of blue bonnets that need to be avoided as well. Not sure if his helper will understand not to cut the bachelor buttons and other flowers. Just will hope.

 

It seems we have more volcanoes popping out all over the earth. It feels as if we are sitting on top of a slip and slide with gopher holes everywhere underneath it. Those volcanoes are causing more earthquakes, or maybe the earthquakes are causing more volcanoes. Which do you suppose it is? Not too overly pleasant to think that the earth is so unstable. But you DO know where our stability remains, don’t you. We are always on the soundest foundation if we live in faith. The promises have been given to us and can’t be taken back. Our faith has no gophers under it or other disasters looking for a place to happen. Praise God! We see the storms, the droughts, the floods, and the disasters, but we know the final outcome. Let us thank God the Father of Jesus Christ for giving us His assurances.

 

Pray for those who are struggling with physical, emotional, or spiritual trials. Your prayers make a difference.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.