Calendars and Cycles.

 Calendars and Cycles.

 

Not often, but often enough that some of us might have noticed, the timing of Easter and Passover occur at the same time. Of course, Passover actually means the Days of Unleavened Bread, but that includes the Passover service. This year, from April 2-9, we will see the first of the seven holy days. Quite often some folks have signs in their yards—He is RISEN! Yes, and the Passover was the first sign that His sacrifice would ensure that those who believed in Him would be passed over from eternal death. John 3:16 tells us that whosoever believes in Him shall not die but have eternal life. At my age, it is easy to see that many have died, but this is just the first death—not the end of life in God’s kingdom. Death is not frightening now for some of us. It is to be expected. But there is eternal life in God. Christ risen is a beautiful reality! May our world soon see that they are living in His grace.

 

Caught my brother doing dishes this evening and told him to just call back when he was finished. Doing dishes is not one of those jobs that we want to put off after starting them. In the first place, the water loses its heat. And who wants to put their hands in lukewarm dishwater? When asked how things were going, he replied, “Just another day in Paradise!” Asked him where he got that expression, but he could not even tell me. Just something he has been saying for years. He and his one-eyed friend George have just about made themselves a type of paradise by building up a workshop to make their rockers, benches, and assorted woodshop goodies. Men need other men just as women need other women. Lewis used to have a friend he called Okie (George was his real name) and they got together and gossiped just like men always do. But the guy didn’t wake up one day and Lewis lost his special gossip buddy. That was really hard on him. His friend David was still around back then, but their relationship was not as close. It just was not the same. Some of us can easily relate no matter if we are men or women.

 

Recently my friend Roger told me that our class was having its 60^th reunion at the same week that Petrolia School was having the 25^th reunion for the new school. At first, it seemed like a good idea to go, and then thinking about it made me change my mind. You see, getting together with the Route 66 Group pretty much fills the gaps that resulted when this old woman went to another school to finish the last three years of high school. The only people that really matter to me from Petrolia who are still alive are the ones that come to those get-togethers every four months. Most of the group still look pretty much like they did when we were in school. And, to tell the truth, personalities don’t seem to change that much over the years. And the buildings where this old woman went to school are no longer in existence. Only know of one classmate in this area from those years. Life is strange.

 

Thompson has been hurting some and has needed a little bit of extra medication and some petting. His arthritis hurts in his back legs. Some of us know just how he feels. This weather has been a bit rough on the joints when we try to get up—for him especially on a slick floor. Getting old is not for sissies.

 

Noticed that the Dierer Ranch in Oklahoma was pointed out in Washington DC as being a family-owned ranch that shows just what American beef means to this nation. It feels good to know that we can buy meat that has been grown here and processed here in America. Think that the new labeling is something like Made in the US or Grown in America. Will have to pay attention if the old woman can ever afford to buy beef again.

 

Have been praying that things work out for Max and Laisha and that they know something by this Monday. They are hoping for base housing so that if he is deployed to the Middle East, she will be safe on base. The mess with the house they were going to buy is not a good situation, but it seems these things happen. Guess that is why they have all the strings attached to selling and buying houses. SO glad not to ever have had to deal with this. Have lived here nearly 58 years now. Just paying the taxes and the house insurance is enough of a stressor. And no, it is not likely that Texas will ever do away with property taxes no matter what is in the political wind. Meanwhile, my friend Carol in Odessa needs someone to mow her weeds and cannot find anyone who will actually show up. Sad, just sad. If we did not have Blake to keep the grass and weeds down, we would be part of the burn ban problems!

 

Well, time to remind myself and others that gratitude is the best attitude. We can praise God for all that He has given us each day. We are so very blessed.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Just a Few Little Jobs.

 Just a Few Little Jobs.

 

Yes, some vacuuming got done today, but no mopping. Maybe tomorrow the living room and kitchen will see a good mopping. Those two rooms collect dirt more quickly than any of the others, it seems. Not surprising since both lead in and out of the house.

 

Tara Ross posted the answers to the questions:   (1) QUESTION: Who was the first President to write a biography of another president? This is a question about men who have already been President, then wrote a book. ANSWER: Herbert Hoover. He wrote a book entitled, “The Ordeal of Woodrow Wilson.” In an interesting twist, Wilson also wrote a book about a President (George Washington), but he did it before he became President himself. (2) QUESTION: The first Siamese cat to arrive in America was a gift to one of our Presidents. Which President? ANSWER: Rutherford B. Hayes. It was a gift from the American consul in Bangkok. (3) QUESTION: Which President was called “hatchet-faced” by the press? ANSWER: Abraham Lincoln. Others in the press also poked fun at Lincoln’s “thatch of wild republican hair.”

Pasting these questions and answers here feels like cheating, but you might enjoy reading more posts from Tara Ross. Very special lady!

 

It was 50 degrees outside this morning, but at least the wind was not blowing a gale. In fact, last night when the wind just suddenly stopped, it made me quite aware of the change. Relaxed after that and slept hard for a change! It is supposed to be warmer now, and the prospects for rain have increased slightly. Sterling said that Arkansas needs the rain almost as badly as West Texas! That is pretty strange for that part of the country. But at least we don’t have the problems that have hit Nebraska. Over 800 thousand acres burned hurts to even consider!

 

Watched a video combination about some horses showing love to small children and to those who were grieving. Horses—and dogs—truly do show compassion. Have lived with critters of all sorts over the years, but my first horse, Chico, was so loving. He was over 17 hands (tall) and it could hurt just sliding off his back. But he was one of those sweet creatures who would show love in so many ways. Wish the old woman had known back then what came to her later. And, like Judie Brunson says, it is hard to miss that “snoot full” of horse smell that is needed every so often. Guess just grooming these two dogs will have to be enough for right now.

 

Ordered a few things from what has always been a United Supermarkets this afternoon. It really is an Albertsons now. Just thought you might like to know—the prices have definitely changed. Same manager, different policies probably. Eventually will have to try out the new Winco and see if the prices can make a difference despite the distance and service. Besides, the store is supposed to be owned by the employees! That sounds good as far as being more likely to have decent pricing. When it first opened, United had some fantastic sales on canned goods—well, the basics like corn and green beans.

 

A nap this afternoon may have my sleep cycle messed up, but sometimes a nap really does make a difference in how the old body feels. Still wish everything worked well enough for a deep soak in Epsom salts and that old cast iron tub! Getting in is not a problem, but getting back up is something else again. Oh well.

 

Watered some this afternoon, but everything looked halfway decent despite the drying winds. Still hoping that the coral honeysuckle will do well but need to go figure out a way to put some netting down so the stuff can climb up the bedstead fastened to the east fence. Getting down on my knees is still a no go. Have the netting ready to put out there but may have to wait until one of the kids comes up for a visit. And that might be quite a while. Such is life.

 

Let us appreciate each day and what it brings to us. No matter what happens in this world—wars and rumors of wars, massive destruction and horrors committed by those in Satan’s hands, and just more stupidity than can be imagined—God is still in charge and has a plan that includes those who will look to Him in obedience and with love. Let us seek Him while we can still say that it is today.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Changing Wind Directions.

 Changing Wind Directions.

 

Yes, the wind has been blowing from the south for days, but today it changed directions. Blowing from the north has also changed our temperatures considerably. Brrrr. Texas.

 

Tara Ross writes about history—of the US. She focuses on the early days, but she also writes about the wars and what came out of them. On each Monday, she writes about the men and women who have received the medal of honor. Then on Friday, she normally posts some questions such as these:

(1) Who was the first President to write a biography of another president? This is a question about men who have already been President, then wrote a book. (2) The first Siamese cat to arrive in America was a gift to one of our Presidents. Which President? (3) Which President was called “hatchet-faced” by the press?

Anyway, she posts the answers before the weekend is over.

 

Max and Laisha, our recently departed across the street neighbors, are in Washington state now. They will know tomorrow whether or not they have been approved for on base housing. They will take his housing allowance if they stay on base, but Laisha would be safer there if Max gets deployed to the Middle East. However, they have coyotes and bears that roam around the base! Easier to see than rattlesnakes and scorpions! Anyway, let’s say a prayer that the best situation will work out for them.

 

Have not accomplished one iota of work around here today. Woke up feeling stiff and hurting, but you can bet it was the change in weather. You have probably heard some old person say that the weather makes a change in their bones. It is absolutely true! And it you happen to have a couple of nervous dogs that are upset by the howling wind, the Thunder Shirts are so much better suited than any tranquilizer made!

 

The youngest Speegle son has worked all day on demolishing their old house. The bangs inside the huge metal trailer were obvious, but the old woman could not actually see any pieces of the house being removed. And who would want to walk down that direction to get close enough to check it out in this high wind. Just putting the trash bin across the street was silly enough—especially after the wind kept knocking it down sideways!! Shona offered to take care of it, but since the mail needed to be picked up, it seemed silly not to take the bin over myself. It is so good to have neighbors like Shona and Albert!

 

Other than a phone call from Sterling and telling Patty to throw her trash at the trash man, the old woman has only spoken to the dogs today. Texts don’t really count, right? But the Upper Room magazine came today—thank you, Sharon Dickerson—so at least a new encouragement came for reading. The misting rain was about enough to be laughable and not enough to wet any plants. Nothing like being dissatisfied! Such is life. Still need to be more thankful for the many blessings.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

 

Believing?

 Believing?

 

Patty told me a funny a few minutes ago. She said that the US and Iran had come to an agreement on sharing the ocean. They get to keep the bottom half. Ahem.

 

Whatever disagreements may show up on various news channels, it seems that any other than Fox have nothing good to say about our president. To me, it is not simply a matter of politics. When we try to find the best in other people or what they do, then we might have a right to question each action or word. No matter how things may turn out in this war or any other, we have to do our best as individuals to present ourselves with the best that God has endowed us with in character and in action. What can each person give to others? Can we show concern? Can we be forgiving or encouraging? Whatever God has given us in our lives, we should be sharing the best we have toward others.

 

Let us reflect the love of God in our lives, our words, our every action! May God bless this nation and its people with His love. And may we each see that love for what it is—His gift to mankind.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Until We Meet Again.

 Until We Meet Again.

 

Our young neighbors are leaving either tonight or maybe in the morning. All three of their cats are not going to be happy campers for such a long drive, but maybe they will be so much happier when they arrive at their new home. They will have no yard in the new place, but at least the “yard” will not be a concrete slab as it is here in WF. Simply can’t imagine not having a yard.

 

Laisha said that she is leaving her “son” with me. Gerber is some kind of cactus—probably have to look it up to figure it out. Anyway, it was going to be more difficult to haul Gerber to Washington state, so he will just get to stay in Texas. Maybe the weather will be more acceptable to its growing conditions.

 

We sat down at my kitchen table and had a meal of pasta with meat, peppers, and tomatoes with seasoning (Rotel) that they both seemed to enjoy. Laisha did not eat any boiled egg/English pea salad because she does not like cheese, but she did eat some nuked veggies that included water chestnut and broccoli. She liked my choice of bread—Dave’s Killer Bread. And then both of them enjoyed the ice cream cone for dessert—the kind in a package that has a shell of dark chocolate on it. Not bad and so very easy.

 

Their trip to Washington state may be very different considering the temperatures there compared to what we have here. Yesterday someone posted that we had 103 degrees here. Yikes!

 

The trash truck did not come last Friday, so the sanitation department got a call today. We ALL had full bins and needed to have them dumped, so we were all glad to get that little job finished. It is strange how quickly trash accumulates.

 

The wind has been on a tear around here this past few weeks, but yesterday it blew junk and stuff all over the neighborhood. Plastic sheets and assorted bags were blown into trees. Those things look like strange critters up there in the treetops!

 

Looking for something in the little chifforobes the other day has helped me make up my mind about sorting through some things and getting rid of a pile of linens. It would be great if a person had someone in mind when this sort of thing accumulates. But as it is, the collection never seems to come at the right time of the year when so many things accumulated include blankets and comforters.

 

Planted a couple of vines and a coral honeysuckle the other day. Hoping that the vines and honeysuckle actually live and do well but still remember the last time trying to plant things or keep alive something like this. Have misplaced a plastic box that contained some seeds given to me—caddo maple seeds for one thing along with some hollyhock seeds. Oh well. If we don’t get rain soon, we are just going to have dead grass and weeds. Texas.

 

Our family used to pray before we left on any trip to ask God to watch over us and bring us safely home. This evening the search was pretty simple to find: PS 121:1-8 “The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.” Other than the time that Jennifer ran our van over a dead deer on a narrow mountain road, we never really had a problem. God really did protect us in our travels for all those years. These are the verses that need to be shared with Laisha and Max tonight. And truly, may God protect all of those who are traveling right now especially. Those who are stationed overseas in the Middle East can certainly look to God for His protection. And may our leaders and those who run our national security be protected and over seen by God’s grace.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Events or Not.

 Events or Not.

 

The dogs decided something was in the chicken coop and stood there fussing about it. Later they cornered that great big grey and white tomcat in the corner of the yard. Sylvia now has some lovely scratches near her left eye and on her nose. With his black fur, it is more difficult to see any deep scratches on Thompson. But for sure that cat got some major bites! He escaped into the tunnel in the back of the old cellar. Here’s hoping he lives. What was he thinking getting into the back yard where the dogs live??

 

Apparently, the old woman was not listening carefully to the directions about using the drops for my eye following surgery. The drops were supposed to have been started yesterday. My eye was really hurting this morning, but maybe it was not that much of a problem. Now using the drops on a schedule that includes two different drops three times a day. Oh well. Looking out beyond the usual distances is greatly improved, but up close is still only handled well with specks! Maybe a pair of “cheaters” will work as well or better than the prescription lens in my current glasses.

 

Maria was happy to take me to the eye doctor and then take me to Whataburger where we stuffed ourselves with the Monterey sandwich meal. Messy but delicious! And just a bit spicy. Good stuff, Maynard!

 

Not sure just what happened that a truck carrying laundry was stopped at the gate out at Shepard AF Base, but it may—or may not—have contained explosives at some point. The main gate became a squeeze point for all the traffic that was slowed down to a trickle. Max said that the same thing happened at some other base—can’t remember which one he said. Anyway, everyone is a bit paranoid right now. Guess that could be a good thing.

 

It looks as if we are going to have an oven pretty soon if the temps actually come up as they are predicted. Not looking forward to 100 degrees or more. On the other hand, if we do not get rain, the grass won’t need to be cut as often. Think green grass is preferable to dry, brown, easily burned grass. Sigh.

 

Honestly believe that some sleep is needed around here this evening. Even reading doesn’t really sound all that great right now. Just a bit tired. Kim Bragg said that she and Barbara Mathews were going to check out a quilt show in Vernon and then some other place. Where do they find the energy? But it would be nice to see the quilts. Love embroidery and quilted things! These are a type of artwork that make being an artist producing comfort and beauty a thing of grace. Such talent!

 

May we all appreciate the talents that God gives us in whatever field we find our joy! Consider that we are just as beautiful in our own ways as the birds who fill our lives with song!

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Being Reasonable.

 Being Reasonable.

 

Yesterday, Patty took a fall and could not get back up again. She was OUTSIDE!! She did not have her phone with her. She was trying to “hurry” because she knew she would run out of oxygen before she got her trash bin put back in place and the trash thrown in the bin. Has the old woman preached to her (as her own children have done to her) about always taking her phone with her? Yes, she has heard the lecture almost as many times as my own children have lectured me!  Is she now convinced? Uh huh. And a flat phone carrier with a neck strap will be taken to her house this week. THEN she will hear at least one more major attempt to get her to buy—with or without insurance—the oxygen concentrator that a person can carry with a purse-like strap. The small oxygen bottles are simply too heavy for her to carry. She has a large one connected to a small moving cart inside the house, but she cannot take that outside. The wheels on the cart are too small. Anyway, she has bruises on her knees and backside where she tried to crawl or scoot. She was still shaking by the time the old woman got down there, but she finally calmed down during a lecture. She may have been doing some serious eye rolls, but that is just too bad! She really scared me!

 

Then there is the story of a bathroom remodel that is shared between Patty and my friend Judie Brunson. Patty wanted a walk-in shower with a seat built in. Her home is made of solid concrete with things like the cast iron bathtub formed into the cement. We are talking heavy duty construction. She has had some concrete work done by a family here in WF before, so she knew these guys would do the job right—but it was expensive--$17K. They got it done in ONE week and left no messes during the construction time. Some days there would be two of the brothers and some days three, but they took out the cast iron tub in multiple pieces along with tubs and tubs of concrete pieces. When they left, Patty had a beautiful, light-colored shower filled with pretty tiles all the way up the walls and covering the seat. Now for the OTHER story. Judie told me that she had hired someone to put in a new walk-in shower for her husband Weldon. They made a mess for a few days and left for a few days—leaving behind the mess. The old woman has not had the nerve to call her to see if she has put down her gun yet or to find out if they ever came back to finish the job. This story has convinced me—again—to NEVER let someone tell me that someone they know is a good carpenter, craftsman, or whatever unless they have references and some kind of bond or insurance. The idea of a contract should be considered even for a “small” job! Still fuming here on this hill about the so-called expert builder who did not even know the size of a window and even brought the wrong kind for a different person to install. That situation is STILL a mess that infuriates me! By now have decided that the window will last as long as the old woman, but it still makes me angry to think that this person was all that and a bucket of pig swill and was recommended by someone who should have known better. Oh well. Life goes on.

 

Brenda Jones is a sweet lady who brought me a dozen of her hens’ eggs, two clematis vines, two large containers of potting soil mixtures, and some worm castings to go with the plants. She charged $10 per vine—a good deal. But her potting soil mixtures made me feel rich indeed! My soil is good, but not that great. She told me how to plant them and how to care for them—not too much water. That advice is also worth a lot for someone like me. Now, if either Roger or Albert have time to dig a hole for me next to the place on my fence where the vine needs to grow, maybe the vine will live long enough to make some pretty flowers. If Albert digs a hole for me, Shona is going to receive one nice vine with the soil included. Brenda said that the roots have to be protected from the sun, so maybe the bricks and pieces of stuff around here can be arranged to protect the plant—roots and all. Surely don’t want Blake to weed eat the one vine that matters to me.

 

Have to tell you about having a surgeon sing to me today! Dr. Compton likes country music, obviously. It was on in the background in the surgical suite, and he was quietly singing along as soon as he got the more difficult area of my right eye cleaned out in the place where he installed a new lens. The old woman told him thank you for the serenade, but not sure he even heard me. Maybe when he takes the shield off tomorrow, the appreciation can be reiterated. Anyway, he did apologize for their lack of some kind of prednisone wafers that they normally put in the eye. Seems that they ran out of the stock. It made me wonder if it was a supply problem, but it doesn’t matter that much. He prescribed some drops with the same effect, but the drops ended up costing me nearly $25 at the pharmacy. As if my part of the surgery was not expensive enough! Still, it is easy to believe that the issue might be one of supply problems since today was a “light” day for him—only eight patients this Tuesday. They can do as many as 20 per day! He does surgeries Tuesday (right eyes only) and Thursdays (left eyes only). And he is only ONE of their surgeons! Their surgical suite stays busy.

 

One of the best parts of this day was getting to visit with Roger and Susan Thonton. They were here at my house before 5:50 a.m. After we left the surgical suite, we went to Pioneer and had breakfast and sat and talked for over an hour. Anyway, the prescription for the eye drops was not ready at United by the time we got there. So, the pharmacy said that they would call when they were ready. Such fun. Anyway, Maria is taking me to the eye office tomorrow, and then we will go have lunch—a messy Monterey burger at WhataBurger. God has blessed me with some sweet friends and neighbors!

 

The weather has been about as disgusting as flying dirt and hard straight-line winds can be lately. Maria said an electric pole was blown down near them so that their electricity was off over a day. Meanwhile, when the electricity came back on, their deep freeze was zapped and ruined. As if the snootful of dirt we all had to breathe had not been enough! The state hospital grounds added to the amount of dirt in the air simply because the new construction includes enough dirt to build a new town! The visibility between my house and the administration building was less than ½ mile!!

 

The temperature has been quite cool for the early part of this week, but Texas is out to show the world how temps are done. It is supposed to be 90 degrees by Friday!! God has a sense of humor, doesn’t He. He had to have a sense of humor when He created Texas! But then, He also has my bluebonnets blooming! Praise God!

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

That Freaking Wind!

 That Freaking Wind!

 

Yep! West Texas came to visit. Well, parts of it came to visit. The top layer of their soil came by on its way to the Metroplex. Whew! Looking out the front windows across Kemp onto the State Hospital campus, it is even worse due to the enormous amount of Red River dirt brought in for the foundations of the new parts of the campus. Every few minutes or so, a brownish red cloud will blow by the main offices directly across from Fenoglio Avenue. The very air has a texture somewhat akin to cream of wheat!

 

Have not steeped tea in ages, but this morning it seemed like a good day to make some tea the way Lewis used to like it. Just slipped the pitcher into the fridge to cool. Maybe tea will satisfy the old woman better than buckets of water. Sigh. For sure, know that drinking more coffee would not really be good for me even if it is decaf. The cream had clotted the morning, so it was not good to pour into the coffee cup. Oh well.

 

Sterling said that the weather up their way was anything but nice—mostly miserable. But at least they enjoyed the sermon at church this morning.

 

Both dogs have stayed right under my feet all day. This wind is bothering them just as much as it bothers me. At one point, Thompson grabbed the handle of the toy basket and pulled it over toward him. Then he looked up at me as if he thought the old woman should be doing something to help him. Go figure. Then he got under the desk where the basket normally stays. Maybe he thought it was a good hiding spot.

 

The temps are supposed to be down to 29 tonight and 32 Monday night, and then the temps will be up to 90 by Friday during the day. Honestly! Texas weather has always been a bit strange, but from 29 to 90 feels more than strange. This feels as if we are being tried. Then there are more fires in various places. Not sure just how the fires began, but if the electric lines have been whipping around, it is easy to imagine the sparks setting grass fires. We lost electricity for a short while, but during the day, it is not a big deal. Patty said that her generator came on almost immediately, however. Really wish she had one of those little portable concentrators for her oxygen.

 

Maria is supposed to be here sometime after lunch tomorrow to clean my house. Right now, the entire house feels gritty with dust and sand! We will be trying to be sure things are shipshape before the eye surgery on Tuesday morning. SO glad that Roger and Susan are willing to haul me up there and back that morning. What would we do without sweet friends?

 

Maybe tomorrow will be a better, lighter day than what today has been. We get so many pretty days that it seems we expect for them ALL to be nice. What the old woman should be doing is just feeling grateful for each day no matter how hard the winds blow! Waking up each day for the past 77 years has been a privilege. The flowers, bird song, and sweet neighbors and family just make each day that much better.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

What Kids Say.

 What Kids Say.

 

This afternoon, my niece Lesli wanted to know why her youngest son calls a corn tortilla “enchilada bread.” Personally, it sounds perfect to me! She was making chicken and spinach enchiladas with avocado salsa sauce. Wow! The old woman was not even hungry before she started talking about all that good stuff.

 

Lesli has been diagnosed with Celiac disease which means that she can’t have anything with gluten in it. Years ago, when we were trying to get Lewis’ diet full of foods that did not cause him problems, we were trying to find foods that did not contain soy of any type in it. Of course, he already had to eliminate sugar since he was a diabetic, but it seemed to us that every food out there had soy or sugar in it. Lesli said that even Chapstick has gluten in it. Even her lotions and hair stuff included gluten! Our foods in America have more chemicals in them than in any other country. Go figure.

 

Watching some reports on what is going on both here in the U.S. and overseas and feeling rather surprised that we have not already had more problems with sleeper cells. Watching the reports about the two police officers who tried to keep people away from the bombs that were thrown made me realize just how brave some of our police are. The ATF said that if the two bombs had gone off, the destruction would have been worse than the bombs that went off in Boston at that marathon. It is just about enough to make a person want to avoid any type of crowds whatsoever. Those officers deserve some special recognition for sure!

 

Then there are the bombs and stuff going off in the Middle East. Wow! The Iranians certainly created a large stockpile of things to throw at Israel and other countries. But throwing things at their other neighbors has caused them some backlash. All the countries around them condemned them for hitting their oil supplies and the bases, hotels, resorts, and other parts of their countries. President Trump did say that he did not want all of Iran’s oil supplies and refineries ruined because, when this war is over, they will need to rebuild their economic bases. That makes sense. Just wish that we had a better way of knocking out their drones so that others would be protected from the Iranian idiots that are shooting at everyone. Not since Hitler have we seen such crazy stuff happening.

 

Have been using some stuff that Jennifer bought for me on my knees, back, and left shoulder. It is not as fast as Tiger Balm, but it also does not contain aspirin. Still, whatever it takes to get the old body to quit aching is acceptable!

 

The wind was not blowing this morning when we opened the doors, but even a breeze would have been better than what we had yesterday. Wind gusts of 40 mph or more are not any fun at all. About the time the irises bloom, you can bet we will have another spell of high winds and probably hail to boot! The yellow flags (irises) are so pretty right outside my windows, but they smell good, too. The wind tears them up rather quickly on this hill, but they are pretty for a little while anyway. Wish someone would want some of these in the front flower bed and could dig them up. They spread! The purple and dusty brown ones are pretty, but they don’t show up like the yellow ones.

 

The temps are supposed to be around 35 degrees on Sunday evening and 35 on Monday night. Weird weather, but still better than what they are having in Arkansas! Sterling said they are getting down below freezing up their way. He can keep that part of the country!! But then the following weekend it is supposed to get up to 91 here!! Figures. Bet we don’t get any rain with it either! Texas! Dry and drier!

 

Have started re-reading the study by Lehman Straus on Revelation. The messages to the churches seem to be the most important part for today. Basically, keeping the love and devotion to God’s purpose that we start with may be the best thing that a person can do. We simply can’t get sidetracked into making life choices based on any other kind of interests. If we can love others and not be so freaking critical, that would be a major help to one’s attitude. Guess that is something for just about everyone to work on. Let us try to keep our goals in mind by reading the Bible and by prayer.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Those Muscles!

 Those Muscles!

 

Yep, was already sore last night and woke up thinking that the muscles in my backside had the same “sit-to-stand” aches that the old woman had when she was recovering from knee surgery. Wowser! But a good nap today helped. Maybe tomorrow will be another good day for walking early in the morning.

 

Made some steak stew today that turned out pretty good. A can of tomatoes like Rotel with peppers, some corn, half an onion, and beef broth made a decent meal or two. Still have some for tonight and tomorrow. Only thing missing was a can of mushrooms. Really like those funky things! Could eat portabellas just like steak!

 

Started the book by Lehman Straus on the Revelation again this morning. Why things are easier to absorb the second time around is not clear to me, but such is the case. Reading the scriptures referred to might be part of the difference. It makes it clearer what is on the author’s mind at least.

 

The mailman took a couple of posts to send to Ft. Worth today and left a package from the online pharmacy. One of the posts was a birthday card for the youngest Ostand kid. Love funny cards!

 

Albert is out with his weed eater this afternoon. Those things certainly make enough noise to scare all the bunnies and stray cats, but the noise is still not enough to make those critters stay away from this hill. Tomorrow Blake is supposed to cut our grass, too. Patty’s grass is pretty straight forward, but mine is one of those hit or miss things with patches here and there. Oh well. Without hens out there now, the grass should take over pretty soon. Would like to get some “Spruce” grass killer from either Walmart or Amazon soon to kill the grass on the walkway from the deck to the workshop. It is simply too much to try to hoe it out. And this old woman will not buy any more Roundup at all!

 

Had to get out the directions for changing the time on my electric clock and still could not figure it out. May have to ask one of the kids to change it the next time one of them comes up. If it were not for appointments, the old woman would totally ignore this Daylight-Saving Time. Dumb idea in the first place. But it also means that next week on the 17^th, the old woman has to leave the house by at least six to get to my cataract surgery appointment! It’s a good thing that Siri will wake me up!!

 

Got the trash across the road and over in front of the Leos place. Hoping that Albert does not get disgusted because it is already out there before he gets the grass cut! Almost wish my zero turn were one of the little tractor kind of mowers. Seems to me that the zero turn is a bit rough to ride. But maybe not that much different.

 

We need to be praying for our troops in the Middle East especially. Whether they are on warships or on the ground in one of the bases, they are targets for Iran. Let us pray for them and for their families. Max, the young tech sergeant across the street, believes that he will be sent there after he is transferred to Washington state (Tacoma). He is an instructor in electronics on the big planes. My former neighbor has two grandchildren on the big ships in that area as well—(Darrel and Chelsey Hobbs). Let us pray for their safety and for all the rest of the military men and women we have over there.

 

No matter what we think about the wisdom of our actions in Iran and that area among their proxies, what we are doing beats having them throwing nuclear missiles at us! May God continue to bless our nation.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Some Needed Exercise.

 Some Needed Exercise.

 

Jennifer reminded me that the old woman has not been going outside and getting any exercise, so today an attempt was made to pick up the many branches and little pieces of wood that have made the backyard into something of a disaster area. Some of the wood pieces were left over from when Maria’s husband removed the little chicken coop. He just left the mess, but then, that is the way some folks do things. Anyway, that stuff got removed and stacked into a container in case Greg and Vickie want it for the wood burning stove. Although, it is getting so very nice outside and inside as well that they may not need any more kindling for their stove.

 

Sterling told me not to use any gasoline to start the firepit where a bunch of the limbs were stuffed. Guess what. Three-in-One oil does not catch fire easily—or maybe at all. Finally put some gasoline on the limbs, but it did not burn either. Guess the wood is pretty soaked with water or something. Anyway, can try again later. Want to have the yard picked up enough that Blake can mow on Tuesday. This grass is really growing! Well, and the weeds could take over soon, too.

 

Using a rachet and a socket, the old woman managed to drain the stock tank that sits under the eave of the deck roof. That thing was really nasty. Pulled it over on its side to spray along the bottom and sides, so all the garbage was removed. Let the nozzle on the hose slowly refill the tank so that it would settle any junk and stuff before it gets more rain—if that happens. Have considered putting guppies in there because they eat mosquitoes. Would have to go to Wally World to get the guppies, but Patty told me today about a weed killer that is safe for critters—Spruce. Walmart is supposed to have it. Told Max across the street about it, too. Zupkus drove up one day this past week to check out the grass along their shared fence. So far, the Johnson grass has not sprouted, but some kind of weed is really growing like gangbusters! Max and Laisha will only be here for two more weeks before they have to move to Tacoma. Going to miss them!

 

Max put my big bag of dog food inside the bin where it is normally stored. Have about five pounds left of the last sack but did not want to try to pick up the heavy bag. Another reason that the kids across the street will be missed. He also tore down the box it came in and put it in the trash bin for me. We talked about using the service the armed forces provide for housing assists so that he might be able to rent their house out here to someone in the military rather than trying to sell it. A sale right now just does not look likely. Over one hundred houses similar in price to theirs are currently on the market here in WF. And apparently over 20 come on the market every day. Imagine that! Maybe it has something to do with the interest rates or something, but it really makes it difficult for someone trying to sell on a time limit.

 

Talked to my cousin Eba this evening. She just got a contract on a house that will be closer to where her son lives. She said that she has been semi-packing for two years now, but we talked about the possibility of giving some of her stuff to the veterans’ organizations. The new house will be somewhat smaller than her two-story house with its huge basement. And the yard will be smaller. Anyway, it is difficult for me to imagine having to do all that she will need to do all by herself.

 

My old body is giving me fits tonight, so a pain pill and a muscle relaxer have joined the fun. Probably did more of that stuff outside than was absolutely necessary, but it felt so good to see some differences in the mess. But even using the picker-upper thing did not keep me from bending a bunch. Oh well. Tomorrow is another day.

 

Reading in I Timothy 2: 1-2 it says that we should pray for kings and those in authority that we may have peace. God allows certain folks to have authority, and He allows things to take place that we sometimes find horrible—thinking of the Holocaust. But whether it is something like the Civil War or the current wars in the Middle East, these things will lead to whatever He intends to allow. No one on this earth—or in heaven above—knows exactly what will take place next, but we are given hints. We know that a great awakening to religion will take place—that the Word may be known throughout the world. We know that folks will be crying out peace, peace when sudden devastation will occur. But the main thing that we should consider is that God is in control. If one cannot believe that God can control everything, then that one should consider just how deep belief and faith need to go.

 

My sneakers are bumping around in the dryer now. Nothing like getting filthy when working outside! Forgot how nasty dirt and mud could be! Still wish the old woman had a little hen house next to the west side of the deck so water and electricity would be easier to accommodate. Sigh. Four chicks? In bad weather they could live in the big bathroom! What a mess!

 

One last thing, the last post about children graduating without being able to read has made me realize that others have plenty of reason to find it concerning also. Today read that a young woman with a 3.7 grade point average graduated with a 1^st grade reading level. She sued the school! Yep, criminal when graduates can’t read!

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Ignorance Diluted.

 Ignorance Diluted.

 

Reading the headlines today, it is obvious that the local school board took a deep breath of relief that the state of Texas has not decided to take over the local schools. Just this past year Houston was in the news because they lost control of their schools because the students were failing. This time, only ONE school is failing locally, but the board’s answer to that problem was to close the school and place all those students in other schools nearby in our city. This way the ignorance of that one student body is diluted among schools that are actually making the grade and have passing tests that satisfy the state of Texas.

 

Years ago, when the TASP classes were first started at a local university, it seemed so strange that entering freshmen students needed to be taught to read and write before they could actually take on freshmen classes. One of those classes happened to have this old lady as an instructor. A written assignment for that class involved taking on the persona of a city inspector of buildings, or an irate neighbor, or a prospective builder. In each case, the student would be sending a letter asking the three little pigs if they had obtained the proper permits for building, or it might have contained the protests from the irate neighbor suggesting that the neighborhood would be ruined by their building proposals, or it could be a letter/advertisement from a builder suggesting that his company could improve upon and produce a better product than any of the three little pigs might otherwise have considered. As the class completed that day, a young football player came to me and asked where he could find this story as he had never heard of it before. He was from Houston.

 

Thinking about our schools reminded me that some schools in this city have the best reading teachers, the best science and math teachers, and some of the best of the special education teaches around. If students have not learned to read in years one through five or six, those students are at a disadvantage for junior high, and they certainly would have difficulties in high school. We reward good teachers, but what about the students who missed the mark entirely?

 

When teaching a basic literacy class, a student once came to me and asked if she could learn to read in my class. She had a scholarship to the local university and could only use it if she had learned to read. “How did you graduate from high school?” was my question. “The coaches had someone else do my homework,” she said. To me that sounds criminal! How can we even keep teachers who do not realize the importance of basic reading classes?

 

How can we be fair to teachers, students, and future employers? No, the story of the three little pigs is not a necessary foundation for knowledge, but the ability to read or compose a letter should be the basic premise for any level of education. Many of our students visited local businesses and wrote thank you notes for the tours and treats. ANY level of social interchanges should include making one’s appreciation obvious. Yes, letters seem to be on the way out along with any handwritten notes because of   computer generated correspondence. Still, even sitting down at a computer to write a simple thank you note should be encouraged both at home and in the school. We need to start asking our children to be responsible for telling others what they like about life and their world. This is a basic need today.

 

Now tell me, who is failing? Is it the parent who never knew the story of the three little pigs? Is it the child who never learned how to use the library? Is it the teacher who let a child slip out of class before he or she was able to read at that grade level? Or is it some school board members who believe that they have dodged a bullet because they could dilute the dumb-downed portion of our students by hiding them inside the schools with more advanced reading levels?

 

It is horrible to contemplate that we are allowing future citizens to fail in society by not being sure that they can handle even the basic abilities to read and write.

 

We may not be able to tell all those young people the story of the three little pigs—or about Goldilocks and the Three Bears—but maybe we need to start volunteering to help in schools who need extra hands and hearts to teach reading.

 

Let us be grateful to God who gave us good parents and teachers.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.