Sobriquet or Handle.

 Sobriquet or Handle.

 

Laughing about my wobbly gait around here when trying to explain to my friend what it looks like: Walter Brennan walked like this, bringing one elbow up as he tried to balance in his walking. But his honestly was a put-on act, or it would have seemed that way. And then Hopalong Cassidy must have had some reason to have such a strange handle. Anyway, getting around these days might look awkward as all get out, and truly it isn’t all that funny, but getting there is half the battle. Such is life.

 

We seem to be getting a good rain right now. Bet my neighbor Patty is pretty disgusted. She has been waiting for the ground to dry out and her dog groomer to be able to get out here to wash her dog and trim Roxie’s nails. He can’t take his truck and trailer out on her yard lest he bog down and have to have it towed! Honestly felt like we needed the rain, but whatever.

 

Had all kinds of good ideas about making raised beds for veggies and stuff, but my plans and my physical capabilities didn’t match well enough to get those things done. Haven’t decided if it would be too much to ask Lance to help me or if it should be one of those jobs that needs to be hired out. Still would like to get several bags of dirt to put on top of the hay and try to make another raised garden. Everything requires lots of walking and lifting, so maybe it would just be better to forget it and haul off the flats. Deep sigh.

 

All this thunder and lightning for the dogs has become quite frightening. To tell the truth, it was not much fun going out in it to shut up the hens. Not a fan of lightning. Willing to bet that we have already received at least an inch of rain. The backyard appears to be floating!

 

The dogs keep needing reassurance. They are quite a bit like us at times—just need a hand on our heads to tell us that we are ok. Wonder if God ever feels like He has billions of nervous critters to reassure? Peter looked at Christ walking on the waters in the storm, but then the noise and the effects got to him. Have a feeling that is me most of the time. Only so much can be ignored when everything around us seems to be pouring in and making more noise than the still, quiet voice that is always there. It is difficult to listen for the voice, isn’t it. Maybe that is why we need to be able to cry out as often as we feel that we may be sinking in the problems around us. May God forgive us any doubts and help us to feel reassured.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Just Some More LITTLE Jobs.

 Just Some More LITTLE Jobs.

 

Started the day relatively early and got a shower after about an hour or doing little things in the bedroom. Put away some blankets and sheets in the chifforobe and put a different cover on the crate for Sylvia. Now to get the floors cleaned again! By the time a few things were done, my tee shirt was soppy wet. It’s just that time of year.

 

Finally got the big bathroom and my bedroom mopped and took the vacuum to the kitchen to start in there. And that, Dear Hearts, is where the old woman stopped long enough to make sausage, avocado, and boiled egg breakfast. Sylvia thought it was good enough to watch for any possible bites—she got three or four. Had to pick up eggs after listening to several hens carry on, but the first egg was messy with a thin shell. Proceeded to give the girls another helping of those larvae that are supposed to be good for protein and calcium. Bleah! Those things are just yucky looking and don’t smell any better. Oh well.

 

Have a series of books to read by Steve Higgs. The humor and the neat descriptions are both amusing and amazing. Who knew the inner workings of a cruise ship? Anyway, the second set of books about Patricia Fisher have been excellent. They remind me very much of Agatha Christi books. The way the clues are set up, nothing is immaterial, but sometimes the clues don’t lead the same direction as the crimes. Anyway, this set is almost finished. Have read them before, but had forgotten enough to make them interesting again.

Even though tomorrow is the last day of June, the calendar got flipped over to the next month early this morning and the appointment for the ninth put on that day. Afternoons are pretty busy at the place where Dr. Vietenheimer works. Anyway, Jenn said she would go with me, so we can decide what comes next and when as it fits into everyone’s schedule. Life is pretty busy it seems to me. The kids have work and other things to take care of on a daily basis. My life is quite simple compared to what my children do. The world moves on.

 

Have been thinking about the birthright citizenship situation. When someone has a child in the U.S. simply for the right to have that child become a citizen, it is about like sticking duck eggs in with your broody hen. The hen is not equipped to teach the duckling how to swim, and the duckling is not likely to exist with just the type of things a hen can scratch up in the weeds unless there is an excess of grasshoppers and such. Oh, surely ducks are not people, but unless the mother duck makes her life out in the barnyard, the duckling will either starve or be abused by the rooster. Just a thought. Lots of ducks out there in this ol’ world.

 

Let us ask for compassion for others. Life is never all that easy, but surely, we can do whatever we can as individuals to help others. May God help us to have compassion and love for others in our lives.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Finding the Tabletop.

 Finding the Tabletop.

 

Some of us are simply NOT Martha Stewart. In any grand expansion of the imagination, this old woman would never even consider herself to be that kind of housekeeper, gardener, cook, animal husbandry person. Today the table top showed up after bunches of egg cartons were compiled, stacked, and otherwise removed to the wagon in the little bathroom. Yes, a wagon! Being very careful of that wagon probably tells you how different my priorities are around here. But it does help to have a place to stack empty egg cartons that may or may not get filled in the next few months. Jennifer’s friend Laurie brought me some boxes that each held 60 eggs! Dear Hearts, that is a lot of eggs!

 

The postman, Kevin, brought a package from Amazon (the getting place) with the good stuff for my hens—special herbs and flowers for their nesting boxes and black soldier fly grubs for extra protein so that their eggshells might be harder/tougher. One of my hens has a very thin shell that keeps getting broken. ARGH! What a mess. That means the hay needs to be removed from the nest and clean hay put back. Not that big of a deal, right? Well, those eggs that touch that mess have to be washed and put in the fridge, so they are not given to anyone. That means the dogs and the old woman have to eat those eggs. One of these days, maybe, some form of freezing those eggs may happen. Ziplock bags don’t really appeal to me, but they would be more sensible than any other freezable container.

 

Spent some time in Daniel and Revelation today in the Torah studies by Tom Bradford. He insists that each part of the Bible has particular parts that fit right into the situations in Revelation. Isaiah and other prophets match the descriptions. Bradford also mentioned that John thought that the fulfillment of those scriptures were taking place during his lifetime. This type of expectation is not unusual as nearly as is discernable. After the churches are told whether or not they are acceptable or how they have disappointed God, the rest of the descriptions in Revelation seem to all take place in heaven—not on earth or in our world now. It just seems to me that each of us has ONE job for now: the purpose of mankind is to glorify God. Of all the things we can see, feel, hear, or otherwise discern, all those things are remarkable because they show the outline of God’s glory. Look at the heavens above on a clear night away from city lights. Down in the Palo Duro Canyon, one can look up at the heavens at night and see that a creator smiled and dusted His hands in joy!

 

That bit of rain came rather quickly and surprised some of our city in the wind and its force. For us out here on this old hill, it just means the grass has grown two more inches overnight. Some folks lost power and had trees down, but most of our older trees have already gone to glory. Ah, but the rain felt good. We will undoubtedly have some awful heat coming up, but this IS Texas.

 

May we have compassion upon others and pray for those in rough places. Pray for our president, those who serve, and for Israel and her people.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Welcome Showers!

 Welcome Showers!

 

We had thunder early this morning and just one shower that left a few things wet, but did not collect enough rain water to fill the bottom of my garden cart. The one this afternoon, however, came with considerably more rain and more thunder close by. At least the fig tree will not need to be watered now.

 

Patty said she had no idea what was up with Roxie this morning until she actually heard the thunder herself. She had to call the groomer who brings his mobile trailer to give Roxie her bath and clipping. Both Patty and the groomer are concerned with getting his truck and trailer stuck in her yard. Roxie will eventually get that bath.

 

United had some hamburger meat on sale, so the old woman stocked up enough that Jennifer could have some to take home with her if she wanted to. Jenn won’t be here until July 9, but she has enough people in her family to feed a few pounds easily. Beef is just pretty high right now. Well, chicken is not exactly cheap. But a pork loin or something like that is not bad for the money. Both of the dogs will eat tuna if nothing else is on offer. Let’s not even compare the price per pound.

 

A couple of things happened today that made me go “hmm.” First the Supreme Court finally said that a regional court could not decide an issue for the entire judicial system—that is supposed to be the purpose of the Supreme Court.

 

The second thing that concerned me—well, made me pause to think—was the idea that just because someone is born here, that should not make that person an American citizen. Patty did not think that any other nation did that, but at least at one time, if a babe was born in Scotland, it automatically became a Scottish citizen. That may have changed, but who knows. Now, interestingly enough, my niece was born in Okinawa to an American mother and father. No problem. She was also born on a US base. Read today that some dude who was originally from Jamaica was serving in the armed forces in Germany. His son was shipped off to Jamaica because his father was not an American citizen despite the fact that the kid was born on a US base in Germany. Have a feeling things are going to be dicey until they get smoothed out, but the son said he did not feel he even had a state as he did not speak the language and knew zero about Jamaica. Guess there might be worse situations, but that one sounded pretty rough to me. May God bless him.

 

The heat, the rough storms, and the general mess in this country has many folks upset one way or another. We may each need to be as compassionate as possible about others and what is going on in their lives. If we can’t show kindnesses, at least we can ask God to bless others in the best way for their situations. It takes very little effort to ask for God to bless our president, our nation, our common sense, Israel, and other countries who are under attack.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Pretty Snakes?

 Pretty Snakes?

 

Mind you, the old woman is not fond of snakes, but some of them are actually kind of pretty. However, having any in the hens’ nesting boxes is not too good for the blood pressure! Grabbed the snake catcher and then the machete and went after a pretty neat—and long—rat snake this morning. Asked Lance if he could sharpen that machete next time he came up. Whacking the snake did not actually feel as if anything was being cut. Despise the idea of just clubbing something to death. Really would not mind that kind of snake if it would just stay out of the hen house. Am pretty sure that plenty of rats live behind me in that jungle across the fence. And, too, Zupkus mowed his field, or at least part of it, so more rats or whatever will be inundating the neighborhood.

 

Sitting here wearing a very soft, yellow tee-shirt given to me recently. Love big ol’ baggy tee shirts. But getting one with soft cotton type material is pretty special. Thank you, Michelle.

 

Boiled ten eggs this morning and plan to make some deviled eggs. That will be part of the meals tomorrow. Today one meal included slivers of cabbage, thin slices of apple, some beef rib meat, ranch dressing, and salt and pepper. Pretty tasty. Unfortunately, the old woman recently bought some ice cream and had some. Sigh. Oh well.

 

Started reading another series by Steve Higgs that appealed to me again from the first time it was read. Love mystery stories with some light hearted funnies in them. The one finished this morning was not the least bit light-hearted—Deer Season—about a bunch of good ol’ boys who were murderous as all get out. Really had myself convinced that a woman caused the first attempted murder, but found out that one has to follow the evidence—as always!

 

Jennifer gives me a hard time about having so many books on my Kindle, but sometimes they are worth re-reading. And then every once in a while, some old woman accidentally deleted one of her daughter’s books, so now have forgotten how to delete them.

 

Have made an appointment in July to talk with the surgeon again but taking Jenn with me this time. Sterling told me he did not even give his doctor any time to talk about possibilities—he just told him he wanted his knee fixed. Sterling will be 80 tomorrow, and he has not become any less hard headed than he ever was. Think he just has more patience than when he was younger.

 

Saw that we had a possibility for a few showers today. Not very likely, but would not gripe at all. Patty wants it to stay dry down at her place until the mobile groomer can come give her dog a bath and clip her nails, etc. Got tickled at Sterling saying that he took Rosy, his big dog, to the vet. He gave her pills in her morning feed after not feeding her the night before. She licked up every bit of it and then the vet gave her more later. She got her toenails trimmed, a haircut, a bath, and maybe something else. Now she is on a diet since she is not any bigger than one of my dogs and a bunch heavier! My dogs get fed twice a day, but their feed bowls always have dry feed in them. They just think they need something special on top of the kibble! Spoiled just like me.

 

As if the world did not have enough problems, now someone has decided that there might be too much arsenic in some rice and maybe undisclosed allergens in some chocolate truffles. Wow! And then there was that meteor that got our attention when it hit our atmosphere and went bang! At least one good bit of news for the day was posted on the computer news—some kid is an ambidextrous quarter back! But on the weather front, Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin are under bad storm watches this evening. We can pray for those under warnings from storms, for sure

 

Now to get busy and see if AOL will allow me to get online to check my email and see if a bill has come in for the last set of x-rays! Shaking my head at the idea that one stupid email service can cause me so much stress! How very silly!

 

Let us try to focus on the things of the spirit—the things in this life that really matter. May God forgive us for being so easily distracted by sights, sounds, and silliness.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Feeling Superfluous.

 Feeling Superfluous.

 

One of my neighbors just shooed a hen back into the yard. These critters! Thompson loves to get out and chase wabbits, and the hens like to get out and scratch up my flowers or just graze on insects. And what does the old woman do? Not a whole bunch of anything. Folded (finally) the clothes washed the other day and put them semi-away. Only “semi” for the simple fact that they are the same clothes worn nearly every day and just sit on top of Sylvia’s crate waiting for me to use them again. And yes, they could easily be hung in the closet, but you know how it is. Lazy ol’ woman just puts them where it is handy.

 

Saw an article online first thing this morning that said a serious breach of security had occurred in which millions of passwords had been downloaded. Oh joy! Anyway, the old woman decided to change all of her passwords and write the new ones down (in pencil) in her password book provided by a very thoughtful daughter. Meanwhile, AOL did not exactly want to accept what was offered and finally told me that it would not send me any more codes today. ARGH! Just need to be more patient or something along those lines.

 

Read an article by Tara Ross about how ice cream had been considered a comfort food during the war, but think it was WWII rather than WWI. Anyway, they had entire boats just to provide ice cream to soldiers and sailors to encourage morale among the men. They had dehydrated stuff that they mixed up and froze on the ships. Bet it would have been fascinating to learn about that in real life. But then wondered what it tasted like.

 

Max was the one who got my hen to get back over the fence, and we talked about how he was teaching using VR now—that’s Virtual Reality. Patty said that is how DG, Donny’s son, is teaching up at Ft. Sill. Max says that all the students need is a few videos, YouTube, and VR to learn how to do things—supposedly. Have never used anything like VR, but it really seems strange to think that a person could learn to take a gun apart and put it together again just by practicing in VR. One thing about it, cows can’t be milked by VR exactly, but they do have automated dairies now that recognize each cow by number and can relate all of her statistics on milk fat and amount just by looking at the readout on a computer. It might be possible to raise chickens that way as well, but it does seem that some things will never be exactly like having a real person to do things. Read a book called The Giver years ago that might prove that even people are not necessary to rear children or teach them. Let us hope that things never get to that level of loss to humanity.

 

Another article said that hope was more important to feel than generosity. Makes sense to me. We have to have hope even when we believe we have nothing more to give. Going to try to keep thinking of each individual thing that makes me happy right now. Even though the darned birds are using the water bowls for a bird bath, the songs and sounds out there still make me happy. God gave songs to the birds. Those songs sound like hope to me.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

The Usual Shtuff.

 The Usual Shtuff.

 

Some things never change: laundry, letting the hens out and giving them fresh water and feed, feeding the dogs, picking up eggs, putting on something for me to eat, picking up eggs, boxing up eggs to send home with (today Laurie) someone. Taking the trash bin across the street, picking up the mail, thinking the flowers need water, and making a couple of phone calls. Yep, pretty much the same shtuff every day.

 

One phone call to the doctor’s office did not get returned today, but here’s hoping maybe his nurse will call tomorrow. Still have the three main questions about arthroscopic surgery as opposed to full knee replacement.

 

Talked to Michelle Malay for a bit last night. It is always great to get an account from someone who has been there, done that. And she has.

 

Thinking about the flowers that needed water and remembered that Susan said that Roger had put in a drip irrigation system for her flowers. Boy! That’s the way to do it. No waste of water—which matters since the city of WF has decided to go up on our water bills!! Figures!

 

Roger brought over some Clay County Leader newspapers recently. Museum Memories in the May 1 edition had an article on the bank robbery of the Petrolia Continental State Bank. It seemed a teenager by the name of Lewis Lee Benson who was working for the Petrolia School had noticed a car parked at the school a long time and wrote down the license plate number. It turned out that the two bank robbers used that stolen car as a getaway vehicle.

 

My parents used to talk about that bank and the bank manager, a Mr. Perkins. He would not talk to my dad about getting a loan to build his house, but since Daddy had been in the service, he was able to get a VA loan to build the first half of our house. Some things were just meant to be.

 

Roger has been pretty nice to share the newspapers with me, and they then go on to Maggie Sewell. It reminds me of how folks used to share the newspapers back years ago when not many people had money for something unless it was necessary—but they still wanted to know what was going on in the world. Guess people have always been that way, just wanting to know what is going on. Not really all that different from today except that we never know any longer whether or not the news is true or some kind of made up shtuff!

 

If a person really wants to know what is going on in the world, it would be well to check out what the Bible says. It seems that Jesus called Satan the prince of the air. Lots to think about in that description. Then there is Jesus Christ, the prince of peace. And guess which one will win the battles in the end.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Mental Unflappability.

 Mental Unflappability.

 

Dearly Beloved, the old woman is getting to the point that she may need a keeper or someone to see if she is hitting on all four cylinders soon. Forgot the settings on my truck’s AC thing and nothing was wrong with it at all. The man who now owns Texoma Fleet Repair is a VERY nice man who said that they did not have any time involved with it and they were not charging for looking at it. Was that nice or what!!

 

Michelle Malay suggested a phone call to the bone doctor’s office with some follow-up questions to satisfy my mind about whether or not the arthroscopic surgery would alleviate the pain and perhaps give me more mobility and less pain for at least a year or more before knee replacement. Not sure one year would be worth it, but maybe two for sure. Just getting rid of the pain would be worth a lot! Anyway, will call tomorrow to talk to his nurse.

 

Talked briefly with Sterling. He was happy to report that it had stopped raining and the farmers were trying to bale hay. Wish to heck someone could bale the Johnson grass in Zupkus’ pasture!! That stuff is person high and still green as anything, but we all know that it will turn brown within this next month and present a fire hazard if he does not get it cut down. Dadgumit!

 

Really don’t know much. Read some more in Matthew this morning after looking through the Torah lessons about how Christ presented himself as the Son of Man. The Jewish rabbis knew what He meant and felt he was guilty of blasphemy. But He had every right to say who He was. They had to refuse Him to fulfill prophecy is my guess. SO many things about Christ were fulfilled each day of His life.

 

The semi-restraint of Iran and Israel in their war may or may not make a difference. Then there is the son of the last leader of a so-called democracy in Iran who wants to become their leader. What will be will be in these situations, but for anyone to lob missiles in the direction of our bases just infuriates me. Have a feeling that that fury is shared by many in other countries as well, especially in Britain. We will see what happens.

 

Let us pray for President Trump and those who are helping him and for our nation and for Israel. May God protect the Christians in this world from the furies and fumes of Satan’s anger!

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Look to the Helpers!

 Look to the Helpers!

 

Mr. Rogers would have liked my helpers. They are so very conscientious! Gregg repaired the drain pipes, put the sprayer on the water hose with enough torque to keep it from leaking, put down the fence panels that Thompson needed to keep him in the yard, and caught the little grass snake and threw it over the back fence. So glad that it did not bother him to pick it up and fling it over the fence rather than kill it. Grass snakes are harmless unless they happen to scare an old woman!

 

Vickie and Gregg must have a bit of a garden. They brought me squash (yellow) which are on cooking, a few cucumbers, two patty-pan squash, and two striped squashes. Sent eggs home with them plus some peanut M&Ms that the old woman should not eat. Fresh veggies are something that makes summer worth the heat waves.

 

Did a bit of proofreading for a friend and can hardly wait to see the printed version with the grey clouds of elephants’ trunks spewing! Judie Brunson has the best imagination ever! Gregg said that they were just about ready to walk out the door last weekend to come get this work done when a sudden flash of lightning changed their minds very quickly. Yep, elephant storms make lots of water and wild noises!

 

Talking with Judie for a while, and the old woman could not remember the term Moabitess which is what Ruth was. And Rahab was a Canaanite woman who lived in Jericho. Both of these women were ancestors of Jesus Christ. Now whether or not these two women were ancestors of Joseph or of Mary doesn’t really matter. Now Rahab married Salmon, an Israelite from the tribe of Judah. Her son was Boaz, the husband of Ruth. Joseph, the legal father of Jesus, is her direct descendant. It is FAITH that saved Rahab from the destruction of Jericho, and it was by FAITH that Ruth took care of Naomi (her MIL) and lay at the feet of Boaz for him to be able to claim her. We can only pray that our faith could be as strong and as significant for others as their faith has been in our history.

 

Truly enjoyed visiting with Judie. We both love books and our critters. And we talked up a storm about things that we both understand and appreciate! That doesn’t really happen very often in my life. And we can talk about religion easily and without feeling as if we are being preachy or preached at!

 

Very tired tonight even though not much got done today. Yes, vacuumed and did dust mopping, but the wet mopping just did not happen. Will maybe wait a couple of days to think about that. Love that my front flower bed is beginning to look as if it might make it. Will undoubtedly have to water sometime this week. Sigh.

 

Let us pray that the hatred unleashed by Iran and its proxies will not continue to affect the world. God can handle what we cannot.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Unexpected Shtuff.

 Unexpected Shtuff.

 

Roger has kindly agreed to meet me over at Texoma Fleet Repair so that the AC in my truck can get whatever needs to be done finished before the REAL heat gets here. It would be nice if they could just put in freon, but usually something that leaks out has a way of doing it again. Considering that nothing has needed to be done to the AC since we bought it in 2001, the old woman will not gripe about it needing a bit of help.

 

Had been saving up eggs for one of the kids to come up, but Reece’s roommate got covid, so the entire family has been exposed. Oh! JOY to the world! Love my kids, but do not need anything else right now. As it is, have not been feeling all that great today. Think this is known as “draggin’ the rear” fever.

 

Gregg and Vickie will be here sometime tomorrow to pick up eggs. And Gregg said he would look at the drain pipe that came loose in the back. Not sure what caused it, but do not like water in the beds back there.

 

Zupkus finally told Max and Laisha that he would cut the grass Monday. Certainly hope he does a good job. But really wish that he would not let it get four feet tall before he cuts it. Blake said he would cut it for $250 right now and then $200 every three weeks after that. Johnson grass is a mess! Makes decent hay, but otherwise it is not much punk.

 

Honestly don’t want to know where the big planes are being sent or where the nuclear fallout shelters are. It’s not that there is anything an old woman can do to change things. My prayers are that my actions and thoughts will be pleasing to God. Not much else matters where any actions an old person can do will change anyone’s life. Trust God; trust His Word.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

The Things We Get Done.

 The Things We Get Done.

 

Sometimes it just hurts too much to move, but things still need to get done. Both dogs got a good bath in the bathtub this morning. Had not even had coffee yet, but they got water all over the floors, so the old woman used a couple of towels and some rugs and now the floors are somewhat cleaner—at least in spots. Used Cousin Wham’s dog shampoo formula that includes glycerin, apple cider vinegar, and Palmolive dish soap. It works.

 

Ordered groceries to go pick up and have that done and everything put away. Then the mailman brought the fence pieces that are to be hammered down into the edge of the fence to keep Thompson from sliding under it. Love him, but he is really determined!

 

Two or three things among the groceries this morning are what makes summer livable: cantaloupe, watermelon, cucumbers, and yellow squash. Guess that is four things. Oh well. And spiders are the best mosquito deterrent around outside. Have seen plenty of them trying to make sure my truck doesn’t move. Not that traveling out and about appeals to me at the moment. Think the AC in my truck has either quit or needs freon. Such fun. Tried to call Texoma Fleet and no one answered. Might as well wait until Monday.

 

Not sure if Gregg and Vickie are coming tomorrow to do the things that Patty wants done, but she has a couple of little jobs that should keep them busy part of the day. Two small jobs here will wait until they get to them. Have a pipe that needs to be rejoined behind the house. Then the attic door on the porch needs to be reframed. Glad to know someone who can do things like this.

 

Have decided not to look at the headlines for a few days until my thoughts can settle down without becoming a cause of high blood pressure! One of the people who posts online about following Christ mentioned keeping our eyes on the lights—whether fireflies or stars—look at God’s creation and the beauty He gave us. We can become “vexed” by the horrors in this world so easily. It simply isn’t worth thinking about how bad it is. God can handle whatever we need.

 

Saw that Montana is about to get four feet of snow while down here in Texas the heat is enough to bake cookies in the mailbox! Then, of course, we have a few more flashfloods in various places around the country. And the hurricane season has started off the Pacific coast by zapping part of Mexico. Think maybe we should just be thankful not to have a tornado today.

 

May we learn to be at peace with ourselves and not become part of this world while we have to live here. Praise God that He promises a world with Him along with a sense of purpose that can’t be defeated by ill health, world events, or our own stupidity.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Made in the Shade.

 Made in the Shade.

 

Made some stew yesterday that turned out mighty tasty. It will also be din-upper today. Cooked a sausage patty for breakfast earlier, but did not put eggs with it. Have nearly a dozen eggs that got dirty and won’t be included in the dozens to be given away. The “dirty” eggs usually involve a broken egg in the nest—one reason why the old woman picks up eggs at least two or three times per day. Have given “dirty” eggs to Maggie because she knows how and why to clean them.

 

Looked at a weather map earlier and noticed that it was mostly red. The temps may not make triple digits here in WF, but we never know when a cloud will become something more than just a likely shade. Have never heard of the number of tornadoes that we have had this year all over the map!

 

From the Torah study, the final part of Daniel, Chapter 7: “So here we again have the precise description offered in Daniel of one like a Son of Man, who is coming in the clouds. This is course, the returning Yeshua, who has consistently called Himself the Son of Man throughout the Gospels. And the Son of Man has come to reap, to harvest, the final harvest of Believers before the End. And, by the way, this final harvest will, I am completely convinced, coincide with (and fulfill) the prophetic Feast of Sukkot, the 7th and final Feast, which is also called the Feast of Final Ingathering.”

 

“So now you have a decision to make; and it’s a serious one. You can’t just pretend you don’t know; you can’t try to find middle ground on the issue of Daniel because there isn’t any. If Daniel is false, then so is Christ because they are so intertwined by the Son of Man concept. If Christ is false, then so is the New Testament because the promises and hope of the New Testament depends upon a real, true, divine Messiah who bears the attributes of Daniel’s Son of Man. And if Daniel and Christ and the New Testament are false then indeed we have been duped; we are alone, without hope, and without salvation. Here’s the good news: Daniel is true, and everything predicted in it has come true, and what hasn’t yet is still future and in process. Christ is who He says He is, and proved it by His resurrection from the dead and ascension into Heaven as witnessed and attested to by many. And the New Testament is true, because historically, spiritually, and factually the test of time has proved it to be true and accurate, without apology and without fail and without need for revision.”

 

One lesson at a time is about all the old woman can deal with in a day, but this one was an extremely important one. For twenty years, my husband, the nag, and our children attended the Worldwide Church of God. And yes, it was in many ways a “cult,” but at the same time we learned to trust the Old Testament as well as what it came to in the New Testament. It was worth the twenty years for what we learned. (My children might not agree.)

 

Now, for the present, it would be wonderful if the ICE agents were less like the Gestapo, but for those who have lived in the U.S. for 30 years without attempting to get citizenship, it really does seem strange. And perhaps the over-zealous capture and gathering of any non-citizens will eventually make sense. Just be VERY glad that you do not live in Britain where the major problem in immigration is Iranians who live in communities that violently oppose the police! Patty says while we are praying about these things, we need to pray that our aim is sure. She just makes me laugh at her “Redneck” attitude.

 

At least my neighbor Shona is back home. Really hope that her mom is better. Strokes are weird happenings, but some are worse than others. Let us continue to pray for those who need healing.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

A Busy Day in June.

 A Busy Day in June.

 

After releasing the hens, this old woman got busy and put the gasoline jug into the truck, put both dogs in the truck, and then went to get gasoline for the truck at United Market Street. The gas was $2.59.9 but the points saved up allowed me to get 50 cents off of each gallon. The truck only had a quarter of a tank, so nearly $37 dollars later, the truck was filled up. Then a quick trip to Tami’s got the gas jug filled up with that kind of gas that does not contain corn syrup or whatever it is that messes up the carburetors on lawn mowers.

 

Got home with the gasoline and opened the truck door. BOTH dogs whipped out of my door and immediately had a cottontail on the run. About ten minutes later, two very tired dogs came when they heard my whistle. Thompson is getting just a wee mite old for these games. At least the two dogs got to go riding and hang their heads out the windows. They usually only get to go to the vet’s office together, but today was a fun ride.

 

Got some weeds whacked around the back yard and broke some branches off the tree limb from the tree that fell over the fence from the neighbor’s yard. By the time these few things were finished and the trash bin packed up, the old woman’s clothes were totally stuck to the old body. Had the shower water started and looked down to notice that socks were still on the legs. Sigh. What can you expect when things have to be peeled off?

 

Had to strip my bed this morning and change the sheets. Sylvia was upset for some reason last night and lay right on top of me. It didn’t really matter all that much as sleep was pretty hard to come by last night anyway. Maybe the fresh sheets will feel pretty good tonight.

 

Talked to Sterling today and heard that they have had more rain. Trying to keep his weeds cut down and the brush hog work done is one of his major tasks at the moment. This weather has been a bit much. Read online today that our wheat crop is pretty much a bust because we first had no rain when the wheat went in and then too much rain after it should have been harvested. Will just have to pray that the farmers won’t lose the entire crop, but usually by this time in June, all the wheat has been harvested. At least we have not been hit by a month’s worth of rain in thirty minutes the way it has hit West Virginia. May God bless those folks and those who have to rebuild—again.

 

Have read so much about the ICE things that have disrupted businesses and communities, but just read something by Arnold Schwarzenegger about how to behave as a “visitor” in this country. The thing is pretty hard to understand unless you look at the way that “visitors” are handled in other countries. If one came here fifteen or twenty years ago and did not bother to become a citizen, then why would we think that the person might intend to do so now? Many countries do not allow foreigners to buy land in their country. [Smart move!] No voting in a foreign country, no rights of a citizen of that country, and similar restrictions. Realistically, our country has been very lenient to those who came here to make this their home. Right now, the people who have not already become citizens are suspect if they fly another flag, do not learn to speak English, or participate in demonstrations against our government. To tell the truth, anyone of Iranian heritage would be suspect simply because of the number of “cells” of enemies from Iran. And we know that when Iran goes down the tubes, they will simply turn into vicious rats that carry the hatefulness of their leaders. May God protect us!

 

Finished another good book by Steve Higgs yesterday. The books that have the old (80-year-old) retired police inspector and his German Shepherd who failed the police dog course just tickle me pink. This one was called The Old Testament and was about bit-coin and money laundering. Strange things that an old woman can learn about at this age.

 

Finally, just to be clear, have totally made up my mind not to let the surgeon cut out all the excess stuff that tore up inside my knee. Sooner or later, the knee will have to be replaced, but it is just going to have to wait until the old woman does not have any livestock and maybe only one dog. Speaking of dogs, Lance has been dog sitting his daughter’s dog. Bella refuses to use a doggie door! Someone is supposed to open the door for her, don’t you see! Not spoiled or anything!

 

Let us pray for Israel and for the wisdom needed by our president and others to keep this world from turning into a burning dump.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

A Trip to See . . .

 A Trip to See . . .

 

Ok, when one has a question, one asks. Right? If one doesn’t like the answer, one can nod and grin or shake one’s head and grin. That’s the line—nod and grin. Not gonna let anyone carve on the knee nor will the old woman wear a brace when standing up and walking. Can just imagine 115-degree day and one long leg brace. Nope. Removing the stuff in and around the kneecap will not keep it from having to have knee replacement in the future, so why bother getting this mess involved. Just grit my teeth and gripe!

 

Sitting here in a nightie top with shorts on underneath. Wish the top were just a bit higher on my shoulders, but at least it is cool. The shorts are the kind with zippers all over for putting things—pockets, in other words. They are neat, but think they might be a bit cooler if made of cotton material. Gripe, gripe, gripe.

 

Jenn was telling me today that the McDs down there where they live is paying $20 an hour, and the bus barns—with weird hours—is paying $32 an hour. Strange how wages have changed.

 

Finally put some baking soda on this wasp sting. Maybe it will stop the itching. A baking soda poultice is Jennifer’s favorite remedy for just about any kind of a bite or sting. Hmm. It works. She said they found a black widow spider in their garage the other day, but they “bombed” the rooms in that side. Hope it got ‘em!

 

Well, the old woman has had about enough fun for one day. The dogs have already made their way to the bedroom and the hens are already shut in their coops. After watching enough news to upset the calmest cat around, maybe it is time to look at what we can expect of God: Ps.91:1-2 He is my refuge, my fortress, my God in whom I trust.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Things to Check Out.

 Things to Check Out.

 

Did ya know that an epi-pen is only to be used if one has a breathing emergency? Had the wasp sting caused me to not be able to breathe, an epi-pen would have been appropriate. However, that was not the case. The fact that my lower arm swelled up and burned-itched like crazy just made me miserable until a lidocaine patch helped out that situation. Excess adrenalin would not have been any help in that situation. Sweet Jennifer reminded me that a baking soda poultice works well on bites and stings.

 

Michelle Malay and her sister Debbie Lundsford came by today. Debbie is home schooling her grandchildren. Anyway, she seemed to be a very sweet person. She has been invited to join us here among the blog bunch. She lives in OK.

 

It has been pretty doggone hot today. And my guess is that summer really is here. All that wonderful rain has gone by the wayside, so unless the humidity starts dripping forcefully, we won’t get any more rain. Patty said she was a bit tired of the rain already. It will be time to actually do more than dust mop and vacuum now if the rain has stopped. Otherwise, the dust bunnies are simply growing out from under the furniture!

 

Michelle Malay posted a picture of a big tub of copperheads that the snake guy pulled out of a nest in her yard. Know that would convince me to wear boots outside—for SURE!

 

A picture of a windmill that a friend gave me years ago fell off the wall the other night. Pretty much startled me and Thompson! Some of the pieces of molding came off the frame. Think maybe it can be glued back onto the frame—hope, hope. Have no idea what caused it to fall. It’s not like teenagers live here any longer.

 

The news of the killings in Minnesota is just horrific. It may get to the point that no one will want to become a representative of any area when someone with a gripe can suddenly become a killer. Disagreeing with others is not a biggie, but taking that difference to the point of physical violence is NOT the way to lead to freedom. No one can be free of fear if a sense of responsibility cannot be maintained. Now, some of the law enforcement agencies are asking people to stay away from these parades and demonstrations out of an attempt to keep folks safe. How very sad.

 

Talked to cousin Eba and told her that we did not get the full drecho that was supposed to hit here while back. The weather station explained that it is like a hurricane, but not quite. We got enough rain that all the lakes are filled up, so now we are not in a drought any longer. Yay! Tonight the old woman will have to go out and water the front flower bed if flowers still matter to me. But will also have to wear something to keep the skeeters off of me. Danged, nasty little varmints!

 

Let us pray for Israel and all those folks caught between a rock and a hard place. And may God give our governments common sense.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Wasp Sting.

 Wasp Sting.

 

Think maybe the wasp that just “barely” stung me yesterday did a pretty good job. A spot exactly where he stung me looks a bit like a fire ant bite—a blister. Have used just about everything from Chiggerx to some stuff Jenn brought back from Jamaica, and the swelling is not going away and is just spreading. Such fun! Ice makes it feel better, but it does not stop the itch or the swelling. Go figure. Never really thought that the old woman was allergic to anything except those red wasps. Learn something every day. Michelle Malay said she would bring me an epi-pen tomorrow.

 

Wondering how long it will be before Israel needs the block buster bombs made in the U.S. to wipe out the underground nuclear stuff in Iran. So far, it looks like we are trying to stay out of this one, but you can bet your last pair of wool long johns that we will be involved up to our eyeballs soon enough. As if we don’t have enough bottom sediments to deal with right here on the home front. Get so disgusted at senators and politicians who want to make it appear that President Trump is becoming a dictator. The man cares about America more than anyone around right now.

 

Went to the Feed and Garden Store today and brought back a bag of wheat and three bags of layer crumble. Very carefully unloaded the stuff in the bins so that no strain would hurt my back. It just seems so silly to have to be very careful about such normal tasks. Looking back through the pictures on my phone, it seems that the current flock came here probably late 2022 or early 2023. That means that they are still relatively young. Still have two Marans—one black and the other a Coo Coo Marans.

Blake’s nephew cut the grass Thursday morning, and it was still wet with dew. Clumps of grass sprung back up as it dried out, so have been hoping that when he comes back next Saturday, maybe it will be a bit drier. Have had to water my flowerbed out front already. The seeds all came up, it seems, but the moisture is still necessary to keep them going. Looking forward to seeing what Vickie planted in each area. Just told her to use her imagination. She wanted the zinnias in the middle since they are the tallest ones. Sounded good to me. Just love the color when flowers bloom. Right now, have one snapdragon and the blue flowers Jennifer got for me that are blooming. Still trying to keep the fig and the lavender alive and well.

 

Patty told me a joke that Michelle said sounded just like Lewis and her Joe: the guys talking about their wives’ cooking. One said, well, I won’t say her cooking is bad, but she has broken the dog of begging at the table.

 

We really need to pay attention to what is going on and PRAY for Israel and for our president to make the best decisions. It is a very small country to have so many in deadly earnest to wipe the folks off the map. Those people are there because GOD wants them there. Have read lately about the great many Christians being murdered and wiped off the face of the earth by Muslims in Africa and other places. Seems the Christians work together to improve the land, so the Muslims resent their success and want the land. This has been in the prophecies, so these Christians will have their place in the resurrection. May God bless them.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Crazy Folks with Too Much Money.

 Crazy Folks with Too Much Money.

 

Apparently, some folks just can’t stand having only Americans in this country. Seems that one of the Walmart heirs has decided to fund a few riots and other types of disturbances. Back when the immigrant “trains” were headed out of South America, folks were saying that George Soros was paying their way—transportation, food, a phone or whatever was needed. Yesterday, in Michigan, a business had to shut down because the entire workforce was composed of illegal aliens. Made me think about old Joe Brown who had a couple of Mexican peons working his peach orchard years ago. He swore that he could not hire anyone else to do the work and stay in the camp out there. Well, that is probably true since he paid them some pitiful wage and barely provided a place for them to stay. Probably the same thing happened in Michigan—totally low wages and no housing. It’s true that most Americans would not work in those circumstances.

 

Then Patty was telling me that folks up in Martha’s Vineyard were up in arms because all their maids, housekeepers, pool boys, and lawn services had been shut down due to lack of employees after all of them were arrested and sent back home to whatever country they were from. Hire for a living wage and it would not be difficult to find someone to do the work. Just guessing. Oh, but the rich folks have been inconvenienced by the lack of cheap labor!

 

Greed has always been a problem. Innovation does not necessarily include cheap labor. Thinking about how the U.S. government sent men to the moon when they always chose the lowest bidder for their missile parts to get them there. And how many of the astronauts have died due to some minor part blowing up because it was cheaper to use than a more expensive part? American made used to mean quality. But it is not always so any longer. Sterling said that his two-wheeled weed whacker had a part that totally cratered. The replacement part was unbelievably expensive, so he managed to make one to work on the thing by using a little Southern engineering. Sometimes wood and enough screws and clamps can be used to recreate a substitute for a plastic part!

 

 Michelle Malay promised that she sent a link to the Web MD to show me what can be done to a knee other than replacing it with metal. Lewis had some kind of arthroscopic surgery long before his knees finally gave out. It was never really explained to us, but if it can be done so that knee replacement is not necessary, maybe that would be for the best. Guess the surgeon will tell me on Monday.

 

Meanwhile, looking forward to seeing the Petrolia students in the Route 66 Group tomorrow. Hoping to come home to find my yard and the east lots all trimmed up with a major buzz cut. Just want to be able to see the snakes coming my direction, don’t you see!

 

Let us be grateful for the pleasant weather before the summer heat sets in. And we should be praying for those in the Hill Country that they will get enough rain to make a difference.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Another Civil War?

 Another Civil War?

 

If the old woman’s memory serves at all, it seems we already had a civil war back in the 1860s. We have state laws and federal laws, but to some degree, the state laws take a back seat to federal laws. Now we have a state governor saying that he does not believe that the federal laws need to be obeyed in his state. Well, duh. You can invite every illegal alien to your state and tell them that they don’t have to obey your state laws, but the federal government has the right to arrest anyone breaking federal laws.

 

The riots in LA are being fed by illegal aliens and stupidity. And someone is encouraging their protests. “Fox LA anchor Elex Michaelson wrote on X, formerly Twitter: "We just saw people arrive in Downtown L.A. with truck loads of Bionic Face Shields that demonstrators quickly grabbed. It certainly seems like gear you'd wear if you're preparing for conflict with police. Who is funding this?"

 

If Maxine Waters and Governor Newscum want to encourage those people to destroy downtown LA, then they are just asking to be arrested. This is something that is happening in Texas as well. San Antonio is already getting hot and someone seems to think that Dallas would be a good place for another demonstration. Dumb, just plum dumb! May Governor Abbott use his common sense to prevent the kind of mayhem going on in California!

 

Meanwhile, back on the hill, Thompson got out again last night. It always worries me that he will get out and someone will hurt him. He is a sweet dog and would not hurt anyone unless they were trying to hurt me or his sister, Sylvia, but just because he is not ankle size, he might frighten someone and get hit or shot. Anyway, today the old woman put down some more chicken wire around the bottom of the fence where Blake’s nephew tried to weed eat the bottom wires! That was not my favorite job, but it had to be done.

 

Meanwhile, Patty’s camera went off several times last night as a skunk was playing around in her front yard. Maybe it was not the rabid kind! Just glad that it did not encounter Thompson while he was out and about.

 

Went to Whataburger a bit ago and purchased a junior Pico de Gallo burger. Man! That was some spicy stuff. Fed it to the dogs. At least the onion rings were good.

 

With all the storms we have had, the Hill Country has not received any rain or has not had any water from runoff. They are in stage four drought conditions. Because some idiot can buy some land down there, he thinks he can build umpteen houses in that area without considering the water situation. The folks in that country know from experience that building more homes doesn’t make the water situation better, but only worse. They have tried to get a law passed to prevent this kind of expansion, but they will end up having to get Governor Abbott to do something since the bill got killed in committee. Of all the stupid laws that go on the books, it is a shame that something sensible gets thrown out with the trash.

 

Let us pray now for those that are going to be seriously affected by the hurricane season. It is upon us already! May God give us protection and common sense to prepare ourselves for what is going to be coming soon.

 

In Romans we are told to be prepared for God’s laws to be enforced. In that day, no one will have any excuse to ignore His laws.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Just Fatigue.

 Just Fatigue.

 

Pardon the old woman for not giving you the run down about the day here on Fenoglio Hill. For some reason fatigue has hit pretty hard today. Both dogs are staying so close that they are constantly under my feet. Guess the weather last night did not help.

 

Let us be grateful if the storms missed us and let us pray for those who were hit. May God bless us.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

High Grass and a Forecast.

 High Grass and a Forecast.

 

Pardon me while the urge is upon me to gripe! The ducks are hiding out in the grass (read—weeds) in the backyard. The snakes can easily hide out there and who knows what would keep them out of the coops. Everything that makes snakes leave would also hurt the hens, so there’s that. At least the front yard looks better now that Gregg and Vickie have it all cleaned up. Think the lizards will have to try harder to hide.

 

Jennifer sent me the forecast for the derecho that is supposed to come next. NOT HAPPY! She suggested putting anything movable into the shop so that it would not fly off to Clay County. Guess the big water trough is ok since it is full of water, but the black trough will have to be put in the shop. Oh well. Need to bring the tools from the front to put them away out there as well.

 

Sat out on the deck this morning and drank coffee. Had a couple of those mosquito candles going and had put on “bug off” from the Goat Soap folks. Finally sprayed my Sloggers after walking through the weeds/grass to take pictures. They are teeny tiny skeeters, but they certainly raise a welp anywhere they bite.

 

Had the last of the stew for breakfast this morning with my coffee. That was mighty good eating! Got tickled at Patty saying that carrots were not her favorite food. My parents were just so very happy when we were kids to get us to eat veggies of any kind. Of course, the spacers the dentist put in my mouth did not stand a chance with raw carrots! Oh well.

 

Vickie strowed the new seeds in my flower bed, so here is hoping that they actually sprout and get a good start. Only have marigolds started right now, but also have some cucumber seeds that sprouted and will make vines if nothing happens. Gregg dumped the old flower plants out back in the circle where the hens dig up dirt for dusting. We may end up with poppies in that circle next year or this fall. Right now, the fig tree, the lavender, and two other flowers are doing well in the front flower bed. With time, they should do well.

 

Looked up at the top of the third coop this morning. The last big wind peeled the plastic sections off the roof, so now some openings are there in the top. That means possums, raccoons or whatever can get inside the coops. Will have to shut the door between the second and third coops to keep varmints out. Sigh. Jerry’s idea did not work out too well, but at least he tried.

 

Let us pray that the storms that are in the forecast will not result in too much damage or any loss of life. The electric lines snapped in the last storm, so be well aware of anything on the ground! May God protect us all.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Carrot Stew.

 Carrot Stew.

 

Just put some carrots, celery, onion, chicken, and bouillon on to cook. The chicken was some cooked this morning, and the carrots came from Maggie. Looking forward to a nice bowl of stew later.

 

The weather forecast for a couple of days doesn’t look bad at all. Earlier it seemed as if Sunday night was going to be a stinkin’ mess with high winds, hail, and oodles of rain to swamp the countryside. Maybe it won’t happen Sunday night, but the chances for rain in the next few days are from 40 to 70%. Lots of thunder bumpers. Know the dogs will not appreciate the situation, but at least we are up here on a hill. Before they put the spillway smack dab in the middle of the dam, we have had water backed up into Archer County with Highway 1954 edged by floating bullfrogs!

 

Speaking of frogs: when we were out at the flowerbed earlier, a little toad hopped his way into the flowerbed out of the tall grass. We saw two spiney striped Texas lizards zipping around out there, and it made me wonder if they eat little toads. Would not surprise me if they did. Got tickled at the lizards since Thelma, the turken, was out hiding in the iris bed to lay her egg. Wondered if the lizards knew she was out there. Chickens love small lizards and such.

 

Gregg and Vickie did such a great job of cleaning out the flower bed, cleaning the walkway, and replanting the things that needed to be put in the ground. Gregg put the mullein plant that Mr. Dowlern gave me in the ground next to the brick sidewalk. If we get some more rain, it should do very well. If rain doesn’t happen, it will still get watered. It is such a pretty plant.

 

Patty got Gregg and Vickie to walk the fence line and put in a new fence post where one had come down. He also wired up the gate that some yayhoot tore down. It seems that something has been making a regular path through that fence up into Patty’s place. Maybe this will stop that foolishness. She still has some work for them sometime soon. Her lights need to be worked over where the wind has blown the tops off the outdoor lights. Anyway, they will have weekend work for a while.

 

Sterling told me that some of the men he knows are going to get together for a Bible study with a man who knows Hebrew and Greek. He thought it would be great to be able to say words in the original language and understand what they meant. Wish he could read the Torah lessons that are on my computer. Tom Bradford also has them on videos so maybe they could be found on YouTube as well. Some of the things are pretty fascinating. One of the strangest things he talked about was the fact that people of different areas had their own gods—gods with boundaries. It makes sense to me that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob let the Israelites know that he was not bound by heavens, mountains, oceans, or any measure that mankind has. How many times have we decided that God can’t see or touch us because he is “up there” and not where we are? Well, look at the verses that tell us differently! Ps.139.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Snakes and Shakes.

 Snakes and Shakes.

 

Guess who is going to have her grass cut quite short next time Blake can get to it! Sick of snakes. Hate to kill non-venomous snakes, but really do not appreciate sticking my hand up there to get some eggs and finding a slick snake!! Talk about something that will give an old woman the shakes!!

 

Hoping to have Gregg and Vicki here tomorrow to work out front and get my flower bed ready to replant with zinnias and whatever. Lewis would understand. He knew what it was like to have knee pain. Add the back spasms and it really gets interesting. Oh well.

 

Vacuumed the living room today and even moved the furniture out so the corners and the area behind the TV were cleaned up. The dogs were not the least bit impressed, but it made me feel better to not see any fuzz bunnies lying around. They were NOT dust bunnies. Still have not wet mopped, but maybe tomorrow if my back will let me.

 

Talked to Dr. Blackwell about the results from the MRI and she is sending me to an orthopedic surgeon who works with Kell West. Absolutely refuse to go back to United Regional unless they pick me up unconscious off the street. Their nurses really are almost as tacky as the stewardesses on American Airlines!! No reason to submit to that type of behavior. We will see what this torn part requires or if it can be repaired.

 

Read today that four rabid skunks have shown up here in WF so far. Not good. And parvo is rampant among dogs according to PetsMart. Hoping that my two don’t come down with anything like that. They have only been around other dogs at the vets’ office, so maybe they won’t get sick.

 

Maggie Sewell gave me a big package of carrots today. Boy are they ever good and sweet! Gave some to Laisha for her and Max. Will see if Shona wants the ones in my refrigerator for her kids. Carrots were one of my favorite foods as a child. NOT English peas, however. Sent four dozen eggs home with Maggie and four dozen home with Laurie, my daughter by another mother. She said that if the old woman needed help unloading feed, she could bring her brother Michael over to help me with unloading and putting it in the bins. May simply ask Gregg if he and Vickie are here.

 

Wasn’t outside except just long enough to shut up the hen house doors, but it was just long enough to get bit by mosquitoes! ARGH!! Put some ChiggerEx on the bites. That should help.

 

Tonight, the old woman just wants to say how grateful she is for the sweet people in my life. God has blessed me SO much in my life. Will have to tell you one thing that makes me feel as if some things in life are what God wants us to know. Sterling’s wife worked in a bank in Oklahoma for years. The bank president gave her a picture of an oil well shooting off the top of the tower. In the foreground Sterling said that he saw two figures that he totally believes are Bill and Connie Kennedy—our grandparents. Now, think about how strange it is that Sterling would marry a woman whose friend at the bank would give her a picture that our grandparents were in! Some things were just meant to be.

 

Let us be grateful for the many blessings in this life and the assurance that God has extended His mercy to us through His Son!

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

A Cloudy Evening.

 A Cloudy Evening.

 

Lately we have had lots of cloudy days and rainy nights with assorted wind, hail, and such as one would expect in the spring, but here it is June and we are still getting rain. NOT that this old woman is griping. Rain beats extreme heat and dry winds as far as most of us are concerned. It just feels a bit surprising.

 

Patty had a tree taken down this morning and limbs that were thrown down by the wind hauled off. Blake hauled off about a third of a Western Soapberry and one sickly red plum tree. Have thanked God that the stupid Bradford pear did not split or otherwise come down out front. If it lasts through this summer, it will really need to be cut back in case we have any more bad storms with wind like we have been having. Not interested in having those limbs hitting the power lines. Of course, ice can do the same thing as the wind, so whatever comes along will change the landscape somewhat.

 

Talked briefly with Jennifer today about their trip to Aberdeen. Gary still had to do some work on his laptop, but they got to enjoy going to the topmost part (John O’Groats) of Scotland with their friends. They also saw what we would call a soccer match. The Scots call it football because the rules are different. And Edinburgh won for the first time in 15 years against Aberdeen! They had a big parade that Jenn avoided like the plague—smart kid. The ones who attended said it was so very crowded and loud. Does not sound appealing to me at all.

 

The kids came back on American Airlines and went economy plus for their seating and meals. Jenn said the stewardesses were so very tacky! Passing out meals was like an unwarranted game of catch! Told her she should write a letter to the company, but am guessing that it would not help overly much. Sad. British Airways is much better but does not go to DFW but only to Houston.

 

The same stinking rat snake was in the hen house today. Caught it but did not really want to kill it, so it got thrown over the front fence. Wouldn’t you know it! It slithered right back into the back yard. Next time it will lose its head!!

 

Have read a lot today and haven’t accomplished much. Will have to get the trash out tomorrow and cook for myself and these two dogs. Not overly enthused about anything right now, but still go out a few times a day to pick up the eggs. Anyway, Michelle Malay will be here tomorrow to visit. And the Leos family are home now from being with their daughter and the new baby. Glad to have them back.

 

Staying away from the “news” to try to remain sane, so have nothing to gripe about tonight. Still, we know that only God can provide us with protection and His mercy. Let us be grateful for life and His love.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.