Whimpering and Whining.

 Whimpering and Whining.

 

Have a feeling that a person should simply stay off social media when feeling rotten. Maybe muscle spasms are not that big of a deal, but try telling that to the old woman when she tries to get up and move around! The pain pill makes me think that it does not matter, but in the back of my mind, it is like a little warning that says “just try doing anything differently right now!”

 

It is supposed to get cold tonight. Can’t say that it matters all that much right this red-hot moment. The dogs want to cuddle—which is ok with me. But will have to put an extra cover on the bed tonight. Have not, as yet, put any plastic on the side door of the middle coop. The front coop has two metal doors that shut out the weather as needed. Honestly don’t know when the old woman will be able to fasten plastic to the wooden frame. The electric staple gun makes it fairly easy, but the entire process requires moving around quite a bit. Maybe in a few days.

 

Bought some Max Protein Ensure yesterday (French vanilla) and will tell you that this stuff is mighty expensive. Here’s hoping it is actually good for a person. It is easier to just drink a container and not clean up anything thereafter. Lazy? Oh well.

 

My daughter-in-law will be 50 years old this next month. Need to find a good, smart-aleck birthday card for her. Sent her something from Amazon, but she always finds the neatest cards when she sends one. Here’s hoping the old woman can find a snarky card with good humor in it!

 

Truly wish whoever is in charge of changing the stupid clocks would just get a life and stop messing us about!! About the time the sun sets and reminds me that the day is almost over, they turn the clock back an hour so that it really is not as late as it might seem. Dumb cruds! The hens have their very own internal clocks that seems to go with the sunrise and sunset. But if a person has to be somewhere at 9:15 in the morning, it might be wise to have an alarm set for a bit before that so one’s appointment and arrival work out close to the same time. ARGH!!

 

Still praying for my neighbor Shona Leos as she and her sister attempt to store all of their mother’s furniture and stuff in a storage thing. Their mom has to have care 24/7 and can’t live by herself, so her children have to make arrangements for her care—but not in a nursing home. Think what they have come up with is about the best idea ever. The lady who cares for her has her own home set up to care for an invalid---at $700 a month! Compared to $5K a month, that is a super deal! Sitting here hoping that it is never necessary, but still like that idea better than a stinking nursing home where everyone resents being there.

 

Pray tonight for those under the hammer of this latest hurricane. May God bless them.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Things NOT to Do.

 Things NOT to Do.

 

While Jennifer was here back in August, we decided that the old woman should not take a muscle relaxer and a pain pill in the few hours that the two might intermix. Today, when things got a bit hairy and the spasms were coming fast and furious, it seemed like a good idea to just take a pain pill—not anything else. Had not taken one in more than a month, but it worked very well even though the spasms were still obvious. Weird.

 

Gregg came this afternoon and removed the dead chicken from between the two layers of fence behind the workshop. While he was here, he also repaired the hot water lever in the big bath tub. That alone probably saved over $200! He did not want to take any money for what he had done, but the trip was worth it to me. He took home some eggs, some cooked chicken, and some other things to make dinner for him and Vickie. SO glad to have someone to call on.

 

Burned some hay from the front coop along with the small trees that Gregg had removed from the east fence line. Left the water hose dripping out by the pile before heading back inside. If things are better tomorrow, may remove a couple of sunflower stalks and more hay from the middle coop. Getting things ready for cooler weather also means that Gregg said he could use the shipping flats next to my fence as kindling for their stove. Yay!

 

Judie and Weldon came by this afternoon and left some goodies on the front porch bench. She said that they were flying low and trying to get a bunch of things accomplished this afternoon. Not sure my speed would ever exceed Judie’s. She is so full of energy!

 

The shower that happened earlier this evening made me feel so good! My hair used to be so thick that it took over a day to dry, but now it is only a matter of an hour or so. Amazing how things change in our lives.

 

It looks as if we need to be praying for the folks out there about to be flooded or hit by the winds from the latest hurricane. We can get wind here that knocks down trees and hits our electric lines, but it sounds as if they will get enough wind and flooding to remove part of each island! May God bless and protect them!

 

Cooked chicken today for some Chicken Fiesta soup! Tomorrow will try to put on all the ingredients at one time while getting other things done in the kitchen. Roger brought some tomatoes and peppers the other day that have been tempting me drastically. Those special little heirloom tomatoes may look strange, but they are definitely very tasty. SO glad that some folks can grow things!

 

Let us keep an attitude of gratitude. May God help us to be loving toward others.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Heavy Drinking!

 Heavy Drinking!

 

Just water. Every time the old woman fusses about having muscle cramps, Jennifer is sure that it is caused by dehydration. Possible, but every effort to consume enough H2O makes me feel that it is something else. At least the surgeon’s office was good to renew the muscle relaxer prescription.

 

Sister-in-law is going to have to have a surgery to repair a hiatal hernia soon. Sterling says that the healing time is calculated at months of juice and Jello. Doesn’t sound like much fun even assuming the first week after the surgery does not make life pretty miserable. Have never spoken to anyone who has had this type of repair, but it does not sound as easy as replacing a knee. And Jello doesn’t really have much to commend it in my books. Would appreciate your prayers for Jacqui as she prepares for this surgery and for the success that is needed.

 

 We got some needed rain last night and still have a considerable amount of cloud cover. Walking out to the mailbox this morning, two lovely bluebonnets were putting on leaves in the seams of the walkway. Love that the seeds just seem to sprout wherever they find dirt. God’s grace is like that, too. It sprouts in all the right places. Let us pray that our hearts are sprouting with His love right now.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

A Humongous Thunderhead!

A Humongous Thunderhead!

 

To the south of us rises a beautiful and huge layered thunderhead. To the northeast lies banks of lightning in blue. Promises of rain feel pretty good to me. Roger came today and reminded me that the weather was changing—which only someone sleeping would not notice!

 

The “time” will change soon, falling back to what it should be in normal circumstances. Truly, it is silly changing the clocks like this twice a year. The hens don’t care what the pieces of plastic with attached batteries might say. They follow God’s clock on a regular basis. Oh, the darkened skies might shoo them into the coops a tiny bit earlier, but otherwise, they don’t seem to care about time at all.

 

My meal was in the slow cooker this evening: tough steak and assorted veggies. It will go into the fridge later when it cools enough, but it is so easy to cook like this. Not so much to clean up and less to place in assorted containers. That is the simplicity of a slow cooker. Can’t really say that tough steak becomes less stringy in a cooker, but at least it is thoroughly cooked. And it beats the constant reruns of chic-chic chicken!

 

Not sleeping last night did not help my mood today, but finally took a short nap around five until the dogs alerted me to a visitor out front. AJ came for just a minute to pick up an onion. That is one of the neatest things about having neighbors again. It is possible to loan someone else something or borrow from them.

 

Patty was on a roll today telling me about the stuff that is making her shake her head. The fact that only 33% of high school graduates can read and only 22% can use adequate mathematics is simply horrifying! Jennifer told me today that the Ft. Worth schools have been taken over for mismanagement and fraud. Sounds as if the money in education is not being used appropriately at all.

 

Then there are the crimes involved in the NBA gambling stupidity. Who can say that a basketball player can’t be “persuaded” to throw a game when his life or his family is threatened by criminals. This is simply disgusting and ridiculous! Basketball is fine for keeping folks entertained if big bucks are not involved with all those kickbacks from products like shoes and such. But the idea that organized crime sponsors the entire situation is unreal!

 

Today, WF let us know that our police officers would be taking online training to arrest illegal immigrants who are already criminals and living here. Have a feeling our neighborhood might actually lose a few individuals. Just not sure. It is a bit scary to think that ICE is going to pay for our officers to do the work for the government. But at least they will be more familiar with the city than the National Guard. We should be praying for the safety of our police and other first responders.

 

Got the living room floor vacuumed and mopped before Thompson decided to wade in the dog pool and track back across the floor. Sigh. Maybe tomorrow it will work out that the rest of the house will get vacuumed and mopped. Today it just took more energy than the old woman had available.

 

Tonight, this old person is so very glad that God gives our bodies the ability to actually rest both mind and body when it is so desperately needed. When one’s mind will not be quiet, it is rather difficult to find the quiet spot in life to rest. Let us ask for the rest that only comes from God’s spirit.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Blankets and Bruises.

 Blankets and Bruises.

 

While the ceiling fan may run tonight, the AC unit will definitely not be needed. It was around 50 degrees when the old woman went out to release the hens early this morning. Tonight, she may need a blanket on the bed. Sterling said that it was about 40 degrees up in NW Arkansas when he got out of bed. That is a good reason to live in North Central Texas in my estimation. One blanket south of the cold weather.

 

Attempted to get out the front door with only one dog earlier today. Sylvia was supposed to stay at home while Thompson made the trip to the vet’s office. What ended up happening did not really change those plans all that much, but it certainly changed the feelings in my left shoulder when Sylvia tripped me, and Thompson nearly drug me off the front porch. They were both corrected soundly, but that did not do much to diminish the bruise on my left shoulder! An ice pack seems to have helped some this afternoon.

 

Neither dog tested positive for heartworm, so now they are both on Iverhart Plus or something that they are willing to take in pill form. Expensive stuff. Next time Sylvia goes to see the vet techs, she has to be sedated. Having her nails trimmed simply will not happen unless she is pretty much out of it. If only West Nile fever could be prevented in the human population as easily as heartworm is prevented in dogs!

 

Spoke with Michelle Malay today and found out that she is pretty disgusted with the month of October. First, she had to replace two tires on her truck. Today she had to have a new refrigerator delivered. It only takes a couple of little events like that to make a person hold on to every penny and squeeze twice!

 

Thinking that ramen noodle soup might just be about perfect for tonight. Definitely do not want to cook anything. Lazy ol’ woman! Ate leftovers for brunch, so laziness is an ongoing situation today. The dogs at least get a little bit of topping for their kibble, but that topping was cooked days ago or came out of the freezer. They don’t seem to mind if it has to be nuked in the microwave!

 

Patty said she just hates to cook any longer. It is not the cooking so much as the cleaning up afterwards that gets to her. It does mean standing on one’s feet longer, for sure. Just coming up with ideas for meals is hard enough sometimes. That is why soup in the winter is so good! Cook one day and eat for three days!! Chili is like that, too. Patty thinks spaghetti ought to work that way, but in my estimation, it gets a little bit old quickly. Oh well. Protein.

 

It doesn’t do any good to shake our heads and worry about the situations around us. About the best we can do is to try to have a positive attitude about the future of the greatest kingdom that is soon to arrive right on our doorsteps. God is still in charge. We just need to appreciate every blessing. Give thanks.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

 

A Brief Note.

 A Brief Note.

 

My new paring knife found a finger on the left hand today while the old woman was talking/listening to a salesman on Wellmed. He informed me that my plan pays for those quick places one goes to when things are not too serious. A Band-Aid took care of the situation. Anyway, learned a bit more about my insurance coverage and still feel as if the Advantage Plan is perfect for an old woman who hardly ever gets sick and whose meds are relatively cheap.

 

Looked up the claims on my insurance plan and felt very satisfied to see that all the physical therapy had been paid for, most of the surgery expenses, and almost all of the office calls. While the young man tried to talk me into seeing a doctor who would take Medicare, he got an earful about the concierge doctor services that make me happy. My cousin Eba says that she ends up waiting as long as two weeks just to see her doctor and then does not feel as if he listens to her. Not so with Dr. Blackwell. If it takes 30 minutes to an hour, we do whatever needs to be done. Yet she is the one who sent me to specialists when she felt that was necessary. That is service in my estimation.

 

The young Hispanics who are stringing lines for AT&T came again today for access to my land under the existing wires. Just had to be sure the dogs did not have access to legs and arms for a few hours. No biggie.

 

Had planned to go vote today for James Frank and all the amendments to our Texas constitution. Woke up feeling like yesterday’s dishrag and, other than going down to put Patty’s trash in her bin and walking Roxie, this old woman pretty much did not do much. Cooked some pork for the dogs and two thin-sliced pieces of beef for me along with some onion with warmed over potatoes for din-upper. The dogs approved and the steak was not too terribly tough to chew.

 

Have been watching episodes of Death in Paradise again. Saw it on TV when it first came out, but had forgotten the plots since then. It is still interesting and quite amusing. Love the fact that he could hardly ever get a decent cup of tea and that he always carried his brief case with him. An Englishman in the Caribbean is the perfect juxtaposition of strange things. It makes me realize that normal for one place is totally bizarre in another.

 

Sterling is making some kind of supper at his house and said he would call back, so things must be rocking right along up there in NW Arkansas. Really like their governor.

 

Let us remember tonight those who mourn.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.  

Book Reviews and Other Thoughts.

 Book Reviews and Other Thoughts.

 

Attempting to leave a book review for Edgar’s Faith by my friend Judie G. Brunson has left me feeling a bit frustrated by Amazon in general and with their lack of helpfulness specifically. But IF it were possible to leave a review, this is what might be said:

 

And a Little Child Will Lead Them.

We’ve heard the story of the minister out east of Vernon who asked his congregation to come for a special prayer meeting to ask God for rain. As the church began to fill up, the minister stood by the front door nodding his head in encouragement to each farmer who entered the double doors. Then he walked up the center aisle holding the hand of a small child until they reached the area near the pulpit. “This. This is what we need!” The child held a little umbrella in his hands. “His parents have told him that we are praying for rain. And he believed.”

 

Judie’s book reminds me of that story. And while the idea of flying elephants might not have come to mind, certainly the sound of roaring hooves and thundering bellows have certainly shaken our ground more than once here in North Texas during a mighty storm. And not too long ago we suffered through five years of drought that left the ground hard packed as iron. Only God’s grace brought us the relief needed by both man and beast. Judie has it right. It takes faith to live in Texas.

 

Today AT&T has a crew working in our neighborhood. One young man came to my front door to request access to my yard. These dogs were not the least bit interested in allowing him to even speak to me. Locking the dogs in the house, the old woman had to unlock the gate so that the men could thread a line through the hackberry tree in the fence line. He said they would be back to get something joined together, but they mostly stood out in the road and pulled on wires and connected to a big telephone post. For sure, we cannot have any wires sunk into the ground in this area. Even if the surface of the ground were not already as hard as iron, only slightly beneath the ground level, we have rocks as big as a truck!

 

Waiting on the pharmacy at United to fill a prescription for me. For some reason, the old woman is having some very uncomfortable muscle spasms. Sterling and Carol Thonton had a discussion this morning about the warranties having expired at some time in the recent past. Sitting here shaking my head. And now the pharmacy has just sent a text message to say the prescription is ready. Off to see the Wizard!

 

A flu shot, a quick (already cooked) dinner of fish with peach cobbler. Wonderful store! Now if only they could buy that Stripes station and put in new gas tanks so we could buy from United with our points! If wishes were fishes . . . .

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Zoomies for Dogs Alone!

 Zoomies for Dogs Alone!

 

The temps dropped overnight and these two dogs have the zoomies. Can guarantee that the old woman will NOT get the zoomies or even the quick steps that get her places. Who knew that metal joints could ache!! Sterling says he keeps a can of oil handy for his joints. Had to laugh at that one and tell him he reminded me of the Tin Man in Wizard of Oz. But apparently, he is not exactly up to snuff today either. When he does not go to church, it is obvious that something is not quite right.

 

How dishes accumulate in the sinks when no real meals are prepared is just beyond me, but had a few things to wash up this morning. Putting things away is much simpler now that almost all of my cookware is in a storage shelf unit on the east side of the kitchen. But this morning the wizard chopper came out to prepare some raw cashews for my hens. Love that thing. Jennifer can come up with the neatest tools for the kitchen—well, so can Lance. His latest two gifts were plastic chopping mats and a very sharp paring knife. And yes, the old woman cut herself with the knife.

 

Have a can of salmon out on the cabinet to mix up later with some egg, pepper, and a package of these chickpea crumbs. Who knows how that will go, but nothing like a little experimenting. Thought some breadcrumbs were in the pantry, but they were way out of date. Did not give them to the hens, however. Trash is sometimes the only way to go.

 

Made some potato soup yesterday—just a small amount. Had some of that and then mixed veggies for supper. A package of veggies is more than plenty for a meal. Somehow, they satisfy me without causing indigestion. You know that Daniel knew what he was about by requesting just vegetables for their meals when the king insisted that they eat meat and drink wine from the king’s table. As long as one is able to digest the veggies, it beats most kinds of meat as sustenance. Besides, who can afford to eat beef!

 

Got a text from Michelle Malay last night saying “thank you.” Guess they got the AC units installed last night after Mara got home. Dumb ol’ woman had the ice machine that Michelle loaned me sitting ready to go back but walked right by it when Mara was taking the wagon out the front door. Sigh. Dooflessness gets deeper every day around here!

 

No sense in worrying about the situation in Gaza and Israel. What will happen is not much different than what was already in progress. Still, it is disappointing that the remaining bodies have not been returned to their families. And now it will just be more deaths on either side. We have heard: they cry peace, peace and safety. But we know that it will not be. The Day of the Lord will come, but until then we are to “prove all things; hold fast that which is good.” (I Thes. 5)

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Praising God for RAIN!

 Praising God for RAIN!

 

It was getting mighty dry around here and the fire threat is real. Daughter-in-law said that down in San Antonio it is really bad right now. Her parents live down there and they should know. But Carol Thonton said that her area of West Texas actually got some rain just recently. It’s never enough in that part of the country. DRY West Texas is how it goes!

 

My dogs are wearing their thunder shirts. Thompson came into the office talking to me even after they had breakfast. It finally dawned on me that he was worried about the weather and not asking for something special. Am willing to bet that Roxie is glued to Patty this morning. She gets so very fearful when even the wind gets up. Poor little girl!

 

Opened up the workshop this morning to rearrange a few things so that the big wagon could fit up next to an AC unit that Michelle Malay wants to use in her kitchen. She said her kitchen only has one of those openings for her central air to force cool air inside the room. That is simply not enough when meals are being prepared. Her bedroom also needs an extra unit to keep it cool enough to make it comfortable. Just happen to have two units here that are not being used. Don’t ask me how that happened.

 

SO happy that my hens are producing a few extra eggs now. Not sure just what the problem has been, but getting only three or four eggs from fourteen hens is just ridiculous. Thought they were going to have to have a good talking to!

 

Judie Brunson dropped off some food for my hens yesterday. She called about the time the old woman had just dropped off for a nap. Those naps are pretty necessary sometimes—especially when everything decides to ache at the same time. Anyway, the hens thought that they had struck gold—cantaloupe! They love just about any kind of melons. They don’t get crackers because of the salt, but they will eat pieces of bread as if it were caviar. (Bleah!)

 

Daughter-in-law won a couple of awards from the Ft. Worth library. One of them was with a unanimous vote from her peers as being very deserving. Her boss teased her and said that she had fans on the staff! Anyway, proud of her for the accomplishment. It is a shame that most jobs don’t even get an “Atta boy!” much less a pretty little piece of glass saying how good the work was. Lewis one time told me that just once he would have appreciated a kind word from his foreman or boss for staying to get a job finished when everyone else left. Maybe the old woman could have told him how much SHE appreciated the work he did. Miss that man so very much. Patty said that is exactly how she feels about missing her Donny.

 

Have a stripped handle on the big bathtub that needs to be replaced. Hate to have to call a plumber, but have a feeling that even Google could not guarantee that the old woman would not mess up and make things worse. Guess spending that money on plumbing could be worse. Sigh. Only use that tub for bathing the dogs now since getting out of the tub is dangerous or nearly impossible for me. Such is life.

 

Have been drinking some high protein drinks called Premier Protein that are supposed to give a person a big boost of protein that might be equivalent to a piece of meat or something. Not sure just exactly how effective they might be, but they contain caffeine and seem to keep me bouncing along. Lance gave me a hard time for limiting my coffee to decaf and then using this stuff to boost the protein in my diet. Will not be buying any more after this batch is gone. Back to calves’ liver and spinach, don’t you see.

 

Need to take a full-sized chicken out of the freezer to let it thaw before cooking it in the oven. Have been using the crock pot almost exclusively, but really prefer the oven to bake the thing rather than have all that stuff to clean up with different parts of the crock pot. One pan and a rack is much simpler. Aluminum foil is wonderful!

 

Still reading in Isaiah a bit every day. Not that the old woman really understands these things, but God had/has His reasons for telling us what will happen ahead of time. We know He can be trusted even when we don’t really understand His words as put out there by the prophets. The who, the where, and the when are not spelled out along our thinking, but we can still know that God intends these things to take place the way He has spoken. The highway to Jerusalem from faraway places makes me think of all the roads we have named here in the US. The highway to heaven is actually what one here is called. Better the highway to Jerusalem is what we can look for next!

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

It Had a Handle on It!

 It Had a Handle on It!

 

Have decided that what makes cleaning floors hard on a body is that silly handle. Doesn’t matter if it is a lightweight Bissell or a full-blown Kirby or just your everyday mop—it has to be the handle that makes it so very tiring! Of course, a hoe, the spade fork, and the rake also have handles. Those can do plenty of whatever is special about them to make the old back groan. However, today it is the vacuum (Bissell), the dust mop, and the wet mop that are doing double duty. Moving the furniture out from the walls could not possibly have anything to do with the tiring out of an old body!

 

Walked down to Patty’s this morning to run Roxy and just visit and enjoy the sight of all that beautiful grass mown down and looking so much like a park or golf course. Blake may have missed a tiny spot or two, but it is still beautiful! Makes me want to see some lambs or goats on it. Patty pointed out that they would need some kind of protection from the coyotes, bobcats, and dogs, but since these are wishful critters grazing the grass, the wishful shed for their protection would be easy to come by.

 

The microwave just beeped that din-upper is ready—or at least the four minutes to heat up the storage tray has elapsed. Those little storage trays are mighty nice until they get warped by either the heat or whatever makes them brittle. A large-ish meal can be made into several servings when separated into four or five trays. Easy to heat meals! Yes, the old woman is somewhat lazy.

 

The thirty percent vinegar worked like a charm on the grass where it was sprayed. Had been told that it only lasted 24 hours, but it seems to still be killing where it was sprayed on the sidewalk and along side the flower bed. Now to get that Bermuda grass out of the flower bed entirely!

 

Need to go out and be sure that the wasp nests that were sprayed yesterday with wasp killer have no more wasps on them. Carol Thonton reminded me that some of the wasps will come back as long as a nest remains. Great. Just great! Sure enough! Just a few live ones, but one is all it takes to hurt like something on fire!

 

Reading from Max Lucado today about how no other religion claims that God is IN them. Yet we know that Christ’s spirit is IN us! It was not just on Pentecost that the Spirit came to stay with men. When we give up our way, we can accept the one who wants to be in us forever. Being loved forever is the dream of every heart on earth—that’s just the way we are made. And through Christ, we are promised that everlasting love. No matter what Satan does to our world, he cannot take that love from us.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Just Plain Hay.

 Just Plain Hay.

 

Got rid of several bales of hay the other day when a lady wanted it for bedding for her goats. Today, after some serious lifting with the hay fork, about one bale worth of hay ended up in the trash bin. It was in small chunks and had to be pushed down, but it will leave the neighborhood in the big trash truck tomorrow. Still have some more hay to dig out of the fence row out front, but that can wait until the old woman has more energy.

 

Blake, the man who mows our grass, told me today that a major sized yellow-jacket nest was attached to the small ladder next to the hen house. Went over to Sutherlands and bought four cans of spray to begin the job of de-wasping this place. Took one can to get rid of two nests! But at least the ladder no longer has wasps ready to zap me or one of the kids!

 

Last night, Sylvia had me just a wee bit worried. She kept trying to tell me something was under the chest of drawers. Yes, snakes have been in my house, so that was a possibility. Got out the long-handled duster to drag under there. It was NOT a snake! But a yellow alligator came out the end closest to the wall. When the step stool was moved, Thompson got the alligator. He growled at Sylvia when she wanted it, but the mean old woman knew it would be a growl-fest if he did not give it up. So, then we had to listen to alligator squeaks for about thirty minutes until either her jaw got tired or she just had all the squeaks she needed. Life with dogs!

 

Took a box to the post office only to be told it had to be taken to FedEx instead. Meanwhile, Shona had wrapped up the large bundle of mail that has been left in her box for the folks who used to live at #10. Just happened to have their address, so asked the postmen if they could take care of a change of address for those folks. We will see what happens.

 

Pretty sick of cooking chicken and deboning it, but have several packages put in the freezer for the dogs. Nothing quite as slimy as chicken skin and the dogs can’t have that stuff. Dumped most of it in the trash that will leave the hill tomorrow. Bleah.

 

The hens are molting and the hill looks pretty feathered! Once in a while a hen will get next to me and get examined for mites, but so far, they seem to be doing ok. Just losing feathers like hens will do. At least they are laying eggs better now. Maybe by the time one of the kids gets up here, they will have some eggs to take home.

 

Not holding my breath, but praying that the tentative peace(ish) in Israel and Gaza will hold. The latest is that the bodies will be difficult to retrieve. Those families waiting must truly be sick of this situation. And Hamas is still trying to rebuild their ranks. Satan is at work always. Let us pray that God will make this peace last long enough to recover the dead and prevent more deaths.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

History Lessons.

 History Lessons.

 

George Santana said in 1905 that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. While some of us have truly begun to worry about forgetfulness and the possibility of Altheimer’s, we have yet to begin to work against the stupidity of not teaching our children about the very real facts of this century and even the past beginning in the 1900s.

 

Questioned about what 9-11 means, some young people have no idea that America was attacked and the Twin Towers brought down during the second Bush administration. The who, how many, where, and why are beyond these young people. The fact that one of the main terrorists had been released from Israel due to our demands is not even a part of the story! So if the nation of Israel today determines that terrorists in their custody today will NOT be released, we should keep our mouths shut!

 

Then there are the Jewish people up north that are willing to elect a Communist representative. Even a cursory examination of history should suffice to prevent such an election by anyone who follows the history of communism. Ignorance is NOT bliss, Dear Hearts! No matter what wonderful promises have been made by communist dictators (Castro or any other South American dictator), the end results are that the people have no rights, no freedoms, and usually nothing to eat!

 

If it were not for America, most of Europe right now would be speaking German and living in a form of hell. No, Europe is not perfect at the moment either, but at least food is grown, people have homes or some property, usually they are able to vote freely for whomever they think might be more trustworthy, and they are able to express their opinions. But even Europeans have forgotten their history.

 

It is one thing for our children not to be able to read or write in cursive or tell time on an analog clock, but truly the newest generation needs to be able to compare these days with even one hundred years of history. May we do our best to assure them that this country has been blessed because of God’s mercy and His work for us. We have a place yet to be seen in the future. Let us trust in God to bring us forward in His plans.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

 

The Dr Pepper That Keeps on Giving!

 The Dr Pepper That Keeps on Giving!

 

Drinking decaf coffee in the morning does absolutely no good if the old woman happens to drink an iced Dr Pepper with din-upper. Even if that meal includes fried okra, chicken strips, and mashed potatoes! No doubt it will make for an interesting evening of reading long after she should be asleep. Oh well.

 

Received Judie Brunson’s book in the mail today. Really loved it. The names of the animals were familiar and made me smile. None of my kiddos will ever pick it up to read, but it still tickles me that Judie wrote this one.

 

Took a drive over to the feed store and filled up the back seat of the truck with feed, DE, and oyster shell. Need to figure out a better way to be sure the hens are getting enough oyster shell to improve the texture of their egg shells. One of the feeders broke the other day. Anything plastic just does not do well in our heat and eventually shatters as if it were glass. Had an older one that will work for now, but am thinking that an ordinary trough might be better so that it could contain the oyster shell plus the lay crumble.

 

Talked to Patty this morning and she was totally disgusted with the TRN—Times Record News. Not ONE word was in there about what is going on in Israel or what President Trump has done to help alleviate some of the problems. Have not bought a paper from TRN is just about forever, but this bias just about takes the cake! Lots of folks don’t like President Trump, but even those can see that he has helped to bring some calm to that area of the world. Oh, we know that sending the National Guard to Illinois has ticked off so many folks since Chicago is as “safe” as any place on earth. Yep, that is why the mayor there has a standing guard around himself, his family, and home!!! Kinda suspect that a grand nephew of mine (George) may be one of the soldiers up there right now, but he is a Texan, so should know how to handle his gun if needed.

 

Have decided to just take down the pergola that Hanan built some years ago. One of the posts closest to the house is dangerously brittle and moving. It could hit the house or at least the AC unit next to the flower bed. If it were not too expensive, would come up with four new poles that could rebuild the thing, but am not sure what it would take to get the top built across it. The five-leaf ivy that hangs from it makes a beautiful sight, but that could be retrained to climb a new pole. Will just have to think about it and talk to Sterling or Lance about taking this one down and putting up another semi-like it. Landscaping services apparently cost about $100 an hour, so not sure if that is something that should happen even though it is not likely that the old woman could do this by herself. Will just have to mull this over.

 

While the world attempts to settle scores and give lip service to what matters, let us as individuals give our love and concern in prayers and whatever service to others that we are able. May our actions and prayers be pleasing to God.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Opinions and Tangle.

 Opinions and Tangle.

 

You’ve all heard the saying that opinions are like a certain bodily orifice and that everyone has one. Yeppers. It does seem to be the case. Have not read much online except an article on Tangle about Israel and how biased the coverage has been all during this siege/war. The one opinion—and maybe, other than what the Bible says about Israel—that matters to me is that the nations around Israel never thought that the nation had any right to exist in the first place. Now, is that in any way a type of kindness or acceptance of others? Not in my book. In fact, in 1967 in a sophomore government class out at MSU, our (Egyptian) professor had some very tacky things to say about Israel during the war. Guess who had read Exodus by Leon Uris and totally disagreed with the professor! The one test we had included a short essay. Yes, made a C in that class. Sitting here laughing to myself.

 

No matter what mankind plans, we know that whatever happens will be because God allows it to happen. Whether it is horrible storm systems that tear up the states along our coasts, droughts, floods, or other weather-related problems, all these things are allowed. Truly, Satan’s actions are sometimes allowed despite our prayers, but we keep asking for protection and intervention. In my estimation, the same prayers apply not only to our nation but to Israel as well. Let us pray for President Trump and those who are serving under him that the decisions will be wise and the outcomes will be better for every life.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Searching in All the Wrong Places?

 Searching in All the Wrong Places?

 

The topic started out to refer to looking for a handyman to do some yard work for me, and sure enough, in all probability, the old woman was looking in all the wrong places. Asked a friend what he was doing about his yard and discovered that he had found a man who worked for ten dollars and hour plus meals. Not bad! Asked Paul Dowlern to give me an estimate for the work on the front yard, so we will see just how much to expect to have to pay for real landscaping when he comes by on Monday.

 

Both dogs just wanted out: 4 a.m. Now both dogs have had a bath. Guess why!!! Yep, another freaking skunk! The house has settled and the bathroom door won’t stay closed, so Thompson jumped out of the big bathtub and watered the entire bathroom floor, the bedroom path to the hall, the hall, the kitchen floor, and anything else that would cause an old woman to slip, slide, or otherwise be unstable on her feet. SO much fun. You’d think she would learn not to let the dogs out!! Now you know why someone wrote a song about “Who Let the Dogs Out?”

 

Now that both dogs are settled down, it makes me wonder if the house is going to smell like skunk or if it is entirely in my nose that this smell resides. Guess that means mopping the floors again in the daylight with some Mr. Clean! Sigh.

 

8:38 a.m. Yes, the old woman went back to bed trying to rest after all the clean up from giving the dogs a bath. Think skunk smell is in my nasal cavities! Sigh

Have bedding on in the washer trying to get any smell out of that, but not sure that it will be all that effective. Had to take the special tag out of the holder on Thompson’s collar just so his could go in the wash with Sylvia’s. Next up are the towels used to semi-dry these critters. Even had to take down the cover for the doggie door to get the smell off. For the sake of dogs and sanity! And no, have not found any skunk bodies out back this morning. Maybe that is a good thing.

 

Just consumed a protein drink called café latte that Jennifer had delivered from Sam’s for me. It has caffeine in it, so it is a morning-only drink. Not that it is really all that “morning-ish.” The hens were certainly disgusted with me, but they had feed and water in their coops, so there’s that.

 

Yesterday Jennifer looked up whether or not chickens can have raw cashews. They can—in moderation as a treat. Bought a big bag from Amazon not remembering that they needed to be roasted. Can’t stand them raw! Bleah. And no, they will not be put in the oven to “roast” to make them more palatable. The hens thought they were mighty fine for the few pieces given to them.

 

My neighbor promised to come over to help me put some stuff on Marketplace on FB. Once before, when Janice died, Connie and the old woman put furniture and assorted junk and stuff on to help get rid of the stuff that might have some value. But those pictures are still on there and need to be deleted. Plus, my fantastic idea of making raised beds out front never happened, so now all that hay needs to be given to someone who wants it. Anyway, Laisha said she would help me with putting things on the site.

Just checked on the hens and the egg situation. Coming back through the kitchen door, it seemed the skunk smell was stronger, so now the door, the side of the cabinet near the door, and the dog door have been wiped down with Mr. Clean. Let’s hope that this helps the situation. May have to call in the family “nose” to see if she can figure out where the worst of the odor has been deposited. Sigh.

 

Have thought to ask Max and Laisha if the old woman can walk Sylvia across their yard several times to help file down her claws. Their yard (originally planned by Jerry Hobbs) is solid concrete except where it meets the road—and therefore has weeds that need to be cut down. Anyway, have hopes that the concrete might help to reduce the sharpness of her claws. Boy! Those things are sharp!

 

Know only what the news (on Fox) shows and have hopes that things in Israel will improve but am not going to hold my breath. President Trump is trying so hard to maintain some kind of peace in Israel and that area, but we all know that Satan has his own plans. May God bless Israel and her people.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Chiggerex--the BIG One.

 Chiggerex—the BIG One.

 

Something outside bit me the other afternoon. Put some Chiggerex on it, but Dear Hearts, that sucker does NOT look like a mosquito bite. Whatever it is, the critter that got me should be mighty full of human irritation! Whew!

 

Just closed up the coop doors for these hens. They put themselves to bed, but the doors have to be closed to protect them from varmints. Patty said that she had three skunks dancing around in her driveway one night this week. Such fun! Glad they did not come up here and challenge my dogs to a duel!

 

The hens really do give me a good reason to get up in the mornings and a reason to watch the sunsets in the evenings. Maybe that is the way that life is supposed to be gauged—by the bedtimes of the animals around us. These two dogs sleep or nap constantly, but when they are busy doing something that matters to them, they are one hundred percent engaged in doing whatever it is. Digging a hole or chewing on a toy comes to mind. So glad that my dogs are not puppies any longer. Can’t imagine having to keep them from chewing up my new wooden furniture that Sterling has built.

 

Another day with nothing much accomplished. Think maybe that is going to have to become an accepted situation for just a while. Even if energy is available, the desire is not always there at the same time. Such is life when we become older.

 

That Senator Kennedy has written a book that the old woman wants to read/buy. That man is so funny and at the same time has more common sense than almost anyone around. Truly wish that common sense had not become one of those rare qualities that can’t be cultivated. Seeing all the garbage perpetrated upon various people by all the alphabet soup (CIA, FBI, GMO, HOHO) is just about enough to make a person throw up. When politics lead the nation in headlines instead of stories of kindnesses and compassion, we are on a downhill slope with wax under the runners! May God forgive this nation and restore her to a sense of balance.

 

Knowing tonight that so many folks need healing and comfort, let us pray for those whoever and wherever they may be. Let us show love as we have been loved.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Busy Days?

 Busy Days?

 

Although nothing was accomplished around here today, at least it was a pretty day and full of some fun visiting with former classmates at Pioneer. We took up quite a bit of space and made enough noise to mess up anyone else’s day. Sorry, not sorry. At least we had two “new” visitors to our group when Pat Harmon’s twin brother Mike and his wife Shirley came to meet with us. And then we got to just appreciate seeing how many of us could still walk on our own and hobble around despite back and leg pains. Honestly! Old age just means that one part after another says, “Watch this!” as they fall apart! Oh well.

 

At least returning home today did not include any overturned furniture and other messes in the living room. Maybe it was calm enough for these two dogs not to get too excited about what was going on in the neighborhood.

 

A beautiful male cardinal has been WALKING across my front yard lately. Have no idea why he can’t fly, but have not seen him try. Have put out some water and some wheat, so maybe he will find it and be ok. Wish it were possible to help him without risking hurting him by catching him.

 

The backyard is just full of butterflies! Not all of them are monarchs, but so many are tiny, delicate little flutterbys! They stop and rest some and then head on by on the breezes. Have been hoping that none of them get caught in all the spiderwebs across the plants out front. Plenty of water is in bowls and in the horse trough out back, so if they need a drink, it is available. The water fountain splashes happily in the water trough. Love the sound of splashing water!

 

Spoke with my silly brother this afternoon. He said “Miss Mary” wanted some of his Pollard/George-made furniture. She trades meals for furniture. One meal can be $35, so a small rocking chair just about pays for that. No telling what they would get out of something bigger. Know for sure that some place like Cracker Barrel would charge a fortune for that kind of furniture! Lewis has a cousin who lives in Quanah who sells furniture that he has picked up at estate sales. Some of it is antique and some just older, but it is always very expensive. Glad none is needed around here!

 

Need to mix up some nuts and fruit bags to hand to my children the next time they come. No telling if enough eggs will be available. It seems some of the hens are molting. It’s about that time of the year. May go ahead and buy some old-fashioned scratch with corn and maize in it for them. The weather is about to get cooler and it should not hurt them.

 

Gregg got a bunch of the branches cut out of the fence line, so tomorrow we will see if any of them will fit in the trash bin. May end up having to buy my own wood chipper at this rate! The crepe myrtle and the Western soapberry shoots are a mess to clean up.

 

The harvest moon has been so beautiful lately. Know that it is the time of the year to celebrate God’s bounty—always with His love in mind. Let us give ourselves freedom to hold onto that extra measure of love every day!

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

A Wednesday of Work.

  A Wednesday of Work.

 

Judie Brunson brought a head of cabbage yesterday, and it is making me think of cole slaw and even cabbage stew. Neither one sounds like work and just end up making good food. Just fed the dogs some leftovers that included Brussel sprouts and sweet corn. Who knew that the dogs would love Brussel sprouts??

 

Took Patty to the doctor today, and we both felt as if we had done a day’s work when we finally got home. Both of us are what a doctor would call “difficult” patients because we don’t exactly conform to all the requirements—no bone density tests, mammograms, pap smears, and other bodily function stuff. At a certain age, it just seems pretty useless. And some of us just have an attitude. Life is what it is right now and nothing is guaranteed.

 

Gregg and Vickie did a little work for me this afternoon. My house smells so good! She did the floors from one end of the house to the other—shifting dogs and dog beds one at a time! Gregg dug out a load of those stupid Western soapberry trees from the fence line. Now just have to wait until the leaves fall off and they can be pushed down into the trash bin a few at a time. Still need to do some work in the front flower bed, but it will have to wait until the old woman has more energy.

 

Have read some of the news and feel as if stupidity and hatefulness is running rampant. In England, young kids are hurting people (even killing) and animals with what they call catapults. We call those things sling shots, but our daddy would have skinned us alive for hitting an animal or anyone. Makes me wonder what the hey happened to personal responsibility.

 

Then there are the Muslims (not to mention the Houtis) who are killing any Christian and burning their homes and churches. Satan is doing a number of horrible things to make life miserable for so many in Africa. We need to pray for God’s help.

 

My young neighbors are in a tight situation at the moment. He is military and has to make mortgage payments and tuition payments. This is so very stupid that Congress can be paid but our soldiers are not! Argh!! Pork bills are ridiculous! Sigh. The senator from Louisiana (Kennedy) pretty well sums up the stupidity by saying that they have lost out on common sense.

 

Ok, let’s do what WE can do. Let us pray for those who do not know that they are loved. Let us provide words and care for those who are ill or who mourn. Let us beg our Father for the love that only He can give us to become more like Him.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Healing.

 Healing.

 

This morning a eulogy was posted on FB about my friend Dava who worked at Spa Bella. We had been to each other’s homes at one time or another, and though we were not close (had no idea she had cancer!), it felt as if we had been friends since we first met. She was a most loving person. This same day, Tami Yonts posted that the cancer that is slowly taking her from us can only be treated to a certain point to allow her to live as comfortably as possible for the time she has. Then this afternoon, my friend Beth called to tell me that a person we both knew had just lost her son (61) to suicide. 

When a person becomes physically ill, we sometimes have enough time to build up peace of mind and the stamina to face the loss. We can know that the person totally knows that we love and held them in our hearts. But when a person we love suddenly takes away that chance to tell them how much we care, we are left with their pain in our own hearts. Anger, despair, frustration and overwhelming depression become a shared experience whether or not we are prepared for it. 

Of all the people we have loved and lost, the child, no matter what age, takes away something that God added to our world. The mercy He gave us seems to slip into little pockets that have to be dug out of our heart. We can’t feel whole when the loss is a child. We may know that God will resurrect that child, but a big ol’ hole remains in our heart. And healing? Just a few little things can pull against the ways our heart has tried to heal. But be aware, God has a plan:

“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

More Intentions.

 More Intentions.

 

Din-upper is on in the crock pot, so at least that has begun the day. Cleaned out the chicken water bowl and little vacuum water bowl as well. Seems that they really prefer that over the larger, open bowl. Go figure. Closed up the front coop door to deter (somewhat) the doves that gobble the chicken food since Lance discovered that he could prevent some of the loss by closing up the one door and making it more difficult for the birds to feast. That has made a big difference in the expense of feed, believe it or not. Anyway, those are a few of the small things that have been accomplished so far today. Now to the intentions!

 

Quite some time back a formula for safely killing fire ants and those tacky little stinging ants that take up residence in my sidewalk came up on FB. It is my intention to take one can of baking powder (not soda) and half a bag of powdered sugar mixed together and sprinkled liberally over each of those mounds out there. If this works—well, swell. If not, at least it won’t hurt my hens or any wild birds.

 

Second intention of the day is a trip to the bank to get some smaller bills so that things like paying Gregg and Vickie or leaving a tip for the waitress at Pioneer on Thursday will not be quite as difficult. For some reason, ones and fives seem to disappear quickly. Oh well.

 

Got a message from my friend Judie Garner Brunson yesterday that she is now a published author! SO very happy for her. The book is illustrated for children, but when proofreading for her, it made me realize that the old woman must still be a child because it truly appealed to me. It is called Edgar’s Faith and will be on Amazon (Kindle maybe?) soon. You can bet that this old woman will want a paper copy to have signed. My only regret is that my book Destinations never saw an editor and that it should have had chapter headings. Don’t much feel like going back and doing it now. Such is life.

 

After being thoroughly scolded about not drinking enough water, several water cups with lids are placed in my usual spots for reading. No excuses for not reaching over and having some H2O. But on the other hand, have stopped doing the exercises that pulled on my back, so maybe that will alleviate some of the pain. Taking muscles relaxers has bad side effects for one’s digestive tract.

 

Got tickled at my neighbor Patty yesterday. Had suggested a certain type of preventive for her personal health problems that worked for her. Meanwhile, she discovered that the remedy caused some discomfort that only the two of us could enjoy finding amusing. Getting old is definitely not for sissies! But at least we can laugh together about dealing with the side effects!

 

Made the trip to the bank, got black-eyed peas with Roger’s little tomatoes and the last of my flower bed okra on cooking. As soon as the okra is soft, it will be a quick snack. Din-upper is still in the slow cooker waiting for the carrots to get soft enough to eat. Both situations will make some tidy little meals to enclose and put in the freezer for later. Meanwhile, discovered that plumcots can be cut off the seed and eaten with a fork. Then managed to cut my thumb while cutting the plum from the seed. Duh and dumber! Nothing like doing things that make one shake one’s head.

 

Received a box that had been ordered from Walmart. ONLY instead of cans of chicken, it contained packages of CHICKPEA crumbs!! WHAT does one do with those? Sent a message to the company to let them know about the error. Have no idea how that mistake could have been made. Will have to look up recipes using chickpea crumbs! Will ask my granddaughter if she would like to try a package. She avoids gluten, and apparently chickpeas are gluten free.

 

Umm yum! The black-eye peas, tomatoes, and okra turned out very tasty! Love that Roger plants tomatoes in his garden! Did, however, scare the dogs with my black pepper sneezes! LOL Just wish I had the patience to peel the little tomatoes! Think there is a quick way to peel them, but can’t remember it.

 

LOTS of jets going over today. Just trying to stay as calm as necessary when thinking about who is being trained to fly those things.

 

Patty and the old woman were discussing the current horrors that are brought straight from hell when people burn homes, wish to shoot children, and otherwise reflect only evil. Let us pray for our nation and for those who can make a difference under God’s direction. Let us repent of any thoughts that do not reflect God’s love!

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

The Same Floors with the Same Fuzz!

 The Same Floors with the Same Fuzz!

 

Yes, in the hallway is a nice long handled dust mop that should be able to gather all the excess dog hair into a couple of piles, but that simply has not happened just yet. Good intentions don’t always get things done, don’t you see. Maybe tomorrow.

 

Someone said that Amazon had a prime date that was good for restocking trash bags, paper products, and Ziplock bags. Think the old woman needs to make another list and try to get that done before the prices go up again. It does not take long to use an entire box of trash bags when it takes at least two a week to use in the trash cans. The Ziplock bags are not quite that quick to evaporate, but even so, they do go in a hurry. Accidentally got TWO-gallon bags instead of ONE-gallon bags last time. Did not even realize that they had a two-gallon version! Cooked chicken fills up those quart bags rather quickly, but the dogs get two meals out of each bag.

 

Started watching a movie called Oppenheimer or something like that. Seems that he was a brilliant physicist who was the victim of the McCarthy era communist gang busters. Did not finish watching the show because government excuses for “protection” of our nation infuriate me. Not that it does not still happen, but it just looks slightly different. Still think that if a president can only have two terms in office, the same should be true of our Congress.

 

We have a gang of squirrels running rampant in our neighborhood. Lance could not understand why they would be out in my yard, but just across the road are two big pecan trees and a large pin oak with lots of acorns on it. Those squirrels know where to look for all the goodies. Guess they are not crazy about the sunflowers on the place, but that is ok. The wild birds still get to feast on them.

 

One other intention that did not manage to be met was a trip to Wichita Valley Landscaping. They grow their own flowers and plants and keep them outside just as if the plants were in our yards. That is the kind of plants needed around here. Nothing fragile is going to make it on this old hill. Watering can happen, but the wind is almost an everlasting situation. Oh well. Maybe next week.

 

Still have hopes that the few remaining prisoners in Gaza will be released/returned. It isn’t all that likely, but we can still hope and pray for those affected. These wars today are even more horrible than any have ever been. Total wastes of lives and resources!

 

Let’s plan for a good week coming up. The weather looks fairly promising and not overly hot, so there’s that. Then, too, we can look forward to more fall weather pretty soon.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Left Behind--the List.

 Left Behind—the List.

 

Usually, the best idea is to find the things online for a United Supermarkets purchase, and then picking it up at the store is a cinch. No muss, no fuss. But thinking that the discount meat market might be a good idea, the old woman did the walk around an acre of concrete floor. So now the knees and legs are letting me know about it. Such fun! No sense in griping; Sterling says that mess eventually gets somewhat better but never really goes away. Nuts! Anyway, the list of things to be picked up got left on the little table in the living room. Perfect! Forgot a few minor things, but still ended up buying more than was necessary.

 

The trash truck came early enough that parking in front of the house to unload the groceries was not a problem. Just had the little four-wheeled cart to load down and pull inside. Lovely way to get things done. Who knew that these little helpers would make such a difference as age caught up with the way things had to be done!

 

Reading a pretty good book right now called Unlikely Friends. It sounds so realistic that it boggles my mind. SO many young people do not have any kind of home life in this world. Those who have one parent in prison or both trying to overcome drug addiction have my sympathy. But it is difficult to simply be sympathetic without wanting to actually do something worthwhile to help. At the same time, “helping” has its limits in so many ways. Only so many snacks and bottles of juice can help if the teen or child does not get anything else except a clean, well-lit place to do homework. That place has to be convenient to the child and a safe place for meeting with adults who can help. Not the easiest situation to arrange. Just thinking.

 

Got a call from the granddaughter tonight. She showed me what their little house looks like. She has done a good job of arranging and cleaning the place. She got a washer/drier combo that had to be scrubbed and de-molded. Apparently, they are both in good condition now. Determined kid! So proud of her. Six more classes and she will have her master’s degree in accounting.

 

Sitting here trying to remember when my first nephew was born and when he would have graduated. According to my calculator, our class of 1966 will have its 60^th reunion next year. That means that my nephew will have been out of school for forty years! Wow! Looks to me like we are all getting along in years! Looking forward to seeing my classmates this coming Thursday at Pioneer on Maplewood. Great, noisy bunch of folks!

 

Max Lucado reminds me often in one of his books that trusting the Father should be simply a habit of life. Loved my parents implicitly, but knowing that they were not perfect showed me that a better place to look was to my heavenly father. May we all be comforted this evening knowing that whatever happens around us and in this world is known by the One Who watches over us.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

A Better Day According to Me.

 A Better Day According to Me.

 

Yeppers, life can be pretty awesome on some days. The lack of any major pain and the fresh air of an October day has been enough to make me smile today. Then Blake came and mowed, weed eat the edges of the yard, and just generally made things look much neater. Then the old woman went out and pulled some bean vines out of the raised garden, cut stems from the trumpet vine, and stuffed all of that inside the trash bin. Will still have room for a sack of household trash tomorrow. Gathered a few eggs and noticed that the doves have not been feasting on the hens’ feed lately. That has lowered the feed bill at least. Lance thinks that using the BB gun out there every so often also deters their resting around the coops. Never hit anything, but the noise excites Thompson and makes me laugh when the doves take off like a small storm of grey feathers.

 

Read a book about the Swiss mercenaries who were supposed to protect the king of France during their revolution. Sad situation in so many ways, but obviously the “little man” meant nothing to the elite aristocracy or those who were held in esteem by those who had money. Not much feels as if it has changed in so many ways, but then, it IS possible for a person to live quite happily without fancy cars, a huge mansion, and all the things that seem to matter to some folks. My little house makes me happy. The old Ford truck still gets me places, and even if my pants and shoes are a bit worn, they cover what is necessary. The laws that seem to restrict our lives do not necessarily affect most of us. It just seems that it would be better if the same laws were meant to encompass the lives of everyone instead of just the common folks. Someday it will be better when our so-called leaders are taxed and made equal to those who actually work for a living. For a congress person to gain a million dollars while in office is highly suspicious in my little beady brain. If Congress is only paid for the work done and for the unnecessary regulations removed, it seems that we could all be better off. Just a thought.

 

Patty told me about the 500 trucks stopped by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol recently. Of those, 200 were being driven by those who did not speak English and had false or fake licenses. But then Lance reminded me that probably half of the drivers in the DFW area have neither license, insurance, or tags on their cars. And, too, the population of that area has doubled in the last ten years. Wow! And here is WF saying that our population has begun to drop considerably. It is still cheaper to live here, but there is hardly any work available and no real industry. Such is life.

 

Took the dogs out on the deck a few minutes ago to see if we could remove some stray hairs. Wow! It’s no wonder the house gets so furry! At least my hair doesn’t fall out quite as often as theirs does. What a mess that would be!

 

Let us try to have good thoughts about the life we have been given and about those around us. Pray for those who are ill or those who mourn.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.