Reading Good Books.

 Reading Good Books.

 

The latest book, The Skeptic and the Miracle: A True Story of Survival, Mystery and Faith by D.W. Stanford was an excellent read. Too many things have happened in our lives that tend to remove the skepticism in my mind. Surviving a forward roll under a horse, surviving the ’79 tornado, and sending a message to my parents when the phone lines were already down just can’t be explained. So, yes, I believe in guardian angels and the things that they can do. Too many examples in the Bible tell us that God loves us deeply, as do His angels who are there to care for us.

 

 The old woman cooked today—or at least the Ninja cooker finished off six bone-in chicken breasts. The big cast iron skillet took care of about six pounds of hamburger meat and two cups of rice—in two separate efforts. Some of the hamburger meat will make an old woman a couple of meals later, but the chicken is mostly already placed in Ziplock bags and ready to share with the hounds! Still have some chicken ready to debone and bag up for whatever it will make later. Love chicken and mushrooms, so that may be a meal tomorrow with some pasta.

 

This weather—or something—has parts of my body feeling as if it has been kicked around and bounced off a wall. Love the cool weather, but apparently the joints don’t work as well as in warmer weather. Go figure. Wondering if my friend Michelle Malay is enjoying the cool weather. Her rheumatoid arthritis does better in cooler temps. And you can bet that Roger Thonton has on two shirts and maybe even a jacket while it is this cool!

 

Thompson has had his second dose of anti-inflammatory for the day. Poor baby is hurting. When he starts licking his joints, it is easy to tell where it hurts the worst. And now he has developed some kind of rash on his belly. Guess a trip to the vet’s office will go on the agenda for next week. Sigh.

 

Went to put something in my microwave yesterday, and it would not even light up. Called a family friend, Barry Thomas Ice, and asked him to come out. He got here and replaced the plug thing on the wall. Not sure what happened to make it go out, but after the sparks flew, it obviously needed to be replaced. It took Barry just a little while to get the stuff out of his truck and replace it, but we had to talk and get up to snuff on all the family gossip. He grew up just down the road from the Bonita farm of the Dickerson family. Watching him and his siblings grow up was like watching extended family even though they were not family.

 

We still need to pray diligently for the situation in the Middle East. Well, for that matter, in the Pacific we can see that China is just about one mistake away from causing all out war. We know that God is in charge, but our prayers are heard each day. Let us pray for our leaders, our military, and those here in the U.S. who protect us each day.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Coolish Weather.

 Coolish Weather.

 

Sterling called earlier this evening to let me know that they had arrived safely back on their hill in Arkansas. Their weather is just as cool as our has been today, also. Jacqui said it was about 60 degrees in their living room! In another month—if that long—we will be wishing for some of that coolness!

 

Read the scriptures again for the Sunday school lesson. Again, the same lesson needs to be repeated that we should not be found disrespectful of anyone God has placed in a position of authority. No one is put in authority that God has not planned the situation. We may not appreciate that person or office, but we are not able to see the whole picture. Have wondered a few times what the Israelites thought of Pharoah, but then, they had no idea where they were going anyway. God let an entire generation die off so that the younger people would not be as fearful or resentful of the changes He made in their lives. The younger generation began to learn to trust God without so much grumbling and groaning. Have wondered a few times if the old woman is not just as much of a grumbler. My parents and grandparents went through all kinds of trials that they told us about. They lived through the Depression, the Dust Bowl, WWI and WWII with rationing and just scarcity of the least little pleasure, much less many of the necessities. And they had to accept things as they lived through those times. But they still trusted God to take care of them. We all need to have that kind of faith in God and His blessings.

 

Made up some shampoo out of a recipe given to me by my cousin John’s wife. It is actually for dogs, but it makes hair so soft and silky that it is better than most of the shampoos sold at the store. Now, if the old woman starts barking . . .

 

Sterling brought a rocking horse when he came this time. His youngest son painted on the eyes and its mane. It has leather ears and a cotton rope tail. No saddle, of course, but otherwise it looks about as cute as a rocking horse can get. Not sure Josiah will get a chance to play on it anytime soon, but its here if he comes. It truly pleases me that Sterling and his friend George enjoy making things like this. It gives them time to enjoy each other as friends as well as feel as if they are giving others gifts that make them happy. Have no idea how many little rocking chairs they have made and given away, but every church family has at least one if they have children or grands. The men at the lumber yard have also benefitted from G&S [George and Sterling] wood works. They get benches, large rocking chairs, and flower things that suit them. NONE of them get the special treatment of Sterling’s sister, however. My rolling pantry is a work of art! It has three shelves that roll out for all my canned goods. Talk about neat! Just blessed to have such a brother.

 

Let us remember to pray for the peace that comes with faith. Let us also show appreciation for those who help to guide us in God’s way—pastors, teachers, and others who serve. Pray for our military and those in our community who serve us.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Family Visiting.

 Family Visiting.

 

Today has been just wonderful with Sterling and Jacqui visiting and spending time talking about things from the past. They always bring their little dog Toby, too. He would be about a snack for either of my dogs, but they get along fairly well as long as we keep an eye on them. But Sterling usually takes Toby out to their truck, turns on the AC, and Toby just sleeps most of the visit away. Still, Sterling and Jacqui are good to the little guy, so my dogs stay in the other room while Toby gets to stay with us.

 

We had a fairly large thunder storm this afternoon. It was pretty muggy with the rain and having to keep things closed up to avoid getting things soggy. The lightning and the thunder were somewhat intense, so my dogs wore their thunder shirts while Toby sat in Sterling’s lap in their truck. Jacqui and the old woman closed the curtains, turned on the AC, and just talked until the storm went east and north of us. The sounds frighten Jacqui quite a bit, so she understood how the dogs were feeling. Not sure which ones comforted which, but Thompson stood by her while she talked to him about all that noise. Sylvia lay down and torn apart a stuffed toy.

 

All the rain made a small lake in front of the porch, but by the time they were ready to leave, it had drained down through the sand beneath the paving stones. If Lance and Landon don’t make it here sometime in the near future to reset the weather station, a rain gauge really needs to be mounted on one of the fence posts out front. Need to be able to brag, don’t you see!

 

Made liver, onions, potatoes, bacon, and gravy for lunch today. It turned out pretty well and satisfied our hunger and taste buds both. It was made according to a different recipe that Jacqui had considered. May do it again some of these days. The recipe calls for putting it in a large dish like a casserole and placing it in the oven to finish, but since Sterling said that casserole was a Baptist word, we skipped the oven part and just used the Ninja cooker to keep things hot. Lewis used to say that if his wife were to cook a casserole, she should be prepared to cook something else for him! This was the first time that the word casserole was designated as a Baptist term in my memory. Sterling said that the Baptists were always taking a casserole to something or other during any event. Got to thinking about it and remembered some other Baptist terms. Ever heard of “pounding the preacher”? If you want to know what that means, just ask.

 

Read my Sunday school lesson this afternoon, but now the scriptures need to be looked up and written down so that they will maybe stick in my memory. That works for so many things these days. Names, dates, and events simply stick better after being written down. During one college class, we were expected to write down a poem by a favorite poet. Two of those poems are still with me to some extent, but even those would need to be read and written down again to be able to write them down as a memory test. Getting older does something to our brain cells.

 

Put a plastic jar of screw drivers somewhere and can’t find them. Things like that just bug me to pieces. Finding stuff is one of my favorite bugaboos! Found my “Grandpa’s Weed Picker” today, but still have no idea where those screwdrivers have gone. The next trip to Harbor Freight will see some air hose for the compressor purchased. Let’s hope the old woman will be able to install it as it is needed, too.

 

It’s hard to believe that this is the last week in April. This year is just flying already! So many things need to be done before the hot weather gets here, but we are mostly concerned with the high grass and getting it cut back and kept down to a reasonable height. When it dries out, it will be very dangerous. The woman behind me can’t do ANYTHING about her place! The brush is bad and the grass is worse, but the only thing that can be done from this direction is keeping my grass down as low as possible. The dry wooden fence would be just like kindling if something ever started a fire. Whatever can be done from this direction WILL be done, but here’s hoping the pasture southwest of us stays cut back drastically!

 

Let us pray for our president and all those who God has placed in a position of authority. So many people do not believe that God actively places anyone in authority, but let me tell you right now, even when this old woman despised one or more of the people in charge, my prayers STILL asked God to bless those in that position. We should never be in conflict with what God has chosen to do. Then let us pray for Israel, world peace, and that love may prevail wherever God allows it to blossom. We still need to express the love that has been given to us.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Just Thinking about Stuff.

Just Thinking about Stuff.

 

Have a feeling that indigestion is going to be interesting tonight. Decided to fix up a container of English cucumber slices and red onion pieces—and then ate a bunch of it! Oh well. The thoughts of how good cucumbers are at any time can remind me of good trips to the farm and fresh veggies from the garden. Yellow squash fried up with onions and maybe even some fresh English peas made into a salad with boiled eggs and dressing just make me about drool. The wonderful change of seasons helps us to appreciate when the cold weather is gone and the heat of summer has not quite taken over our lives. Even the flowers have made this a wonderful spring so far despite the storms and damaging winds. Maybe we just have to have a sense of balance between the good stuff and the heavy-duty misery of storms.

 

Have mentioned a teacher today in my prayers several times and thought about an older lady in the church who is dreading any news of what might be wrong with her. As we age, we are usually pretty stubborn about just ascribing all the problems we have to aging. It just does not make sense to find ourselves unable to think or react as quickly as we once did. It takes patience to get old. And it takes patience to teach—especially in today’s atmosphere of rebellion against authority. These are two different situations, but the patience needed is the similarity. And the hard part is that we can’t just expect God to give us patience. We work on it day by day and experience by experience. We have become a society that tends to have a microwave mentality. We want answers to problems NOW. It is not necessarily a sin to get upset with problems that we feel should be removed or otherwise understood. But we have been given help to see that even the problems are given to us to help us change our attitudes. Oh yes! When pain in the hips, knees, back or other body parts restrict our abilities to do whatever we have chosen each day, we can get pretty disgusted and even depressed. But even pain has a way of teaching us lessons. Another lesson in patience for some of us—well, many of us—reminds us that we have to ask for help from the one who has always loved us since before we were in the womb. It may take a long time to understand why things happen to folks who get some disease or some child loses life itself or someone lives in constant terror. We want the answers, but we WILL someday understand. How God looks at things must be so very different from how we are able to see life. Someday we will be able to see things the way that John, Paul, and Daniel saw them. Until that day comes, we must have patience.

 

Sterling and Jacqui came today. Tomorrow the old woman will cook for them if they have a little time for me to get things done. It is so good to have them here and to be able to visit with them. Family means breathing quietly while you remember things together. God has blessed us so very much to have our families.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Allergy Time.

 Allergy Time.

 

Took an allergy pill before leaving home for services this morning. My eyes were itching and my head felt thick. Please, no comments on the thick head! Anyway, it felt just like allergies when all is said and done, so that little pill made sense to me. Got home after services and felt so very tired. Slept until nearly 5:30 except for the few notices on my phone which went ignored. Sleep the night before depended much on Thompson’s restlessness. He would simply not settle. The dogs can hear thunder that just does not register with me. South of us must have been a pretty big mess of storms. One lady at church said that they had lost five windows and two dormers. All that glass was a bit much, but they had to wait until the insurance company came to see the mess. Simply can’t imagine! A thick head is one thing, but broken windows have to pretty well take the cake!!

 

Sterling and Jacqui will be here sometime tomorrow. The old woman needs to get out to the workshop and air up the tires on the dolly thing to bring in the bench he is bringing. When Jennifer heard that he was bringing another bench, she wanted to know where it would go. The long bench under the AC unit can be moved and the new bench put in front of the first window close to the front door. Right now, the dogs’ toy basket is under my desk in the living room, but that, too, can be moved. Have an office chair that can be moved from the kitchen to the front room. Anyway, the important thing is that they should have a safe trip and enjoy their stay.

 

Talking with the minister this morning about how children react to what little discipline that is allowed in schools now. He feels semi-helpless in the face of a pre-K child whose siblings are the current wild children of one family who simply do not comply with any discipline whatsoever. About all a person can do is to pray for his patience since the children have already learned ways of not cooperating with any figure of authority. It simply is not possible to make a difference in the lives of children who know no other standard of behavior than to balk at any restrictions. No matter the cause—whether that of family background or some actual chemical imbalance—dealing with multiple children at an early age leaves little choice but to try to show appreciation for obedient children and distaste for disobedience. A fine balance exists in our minds about what we approve and what we don’t approve. How can we expect children to be aware of that distinction? Let us pray for teachers who deal with pre-K and other levels when family problems cannot be remedied.

 

Jennifer is not used to not being able to “find” me on my phone and could not get my phone to ring, so she called Patty this morning and was reminded that her mom goes somewhere every Sunday morning. Almost bet that Patty felt like smiling over that situation. It will not take long for things to work out as long as we don’t have any weather alerts of tornadoes! She usually sends the radar pictures to me just in case they had gone unnoticed.

 

Ordered some nuts on Amazon the other evening so that the bunches of different kinds could be mixed up and put in little bags to store in the fridge. Nuts seem to help keep me from getting hungry and yet don’t seem to add any extra weight since the work of chewing keeps me busy and not eating something else that would just add weight. Anyway, nuts beat ice cream and cake or that sort of thing. It does not take much to put on weight, but it really does take effort to remove it!

 

Will just mention the latest attempt on our president’s life: May God protect him and those around him. The hatred that is spewing out across this country is simply horrible. We KNOW that the hatred comes from Satan, but what we need to do is ask that God put His angels around those who are trying their best to protect this country. Obviously, God will allow some things to happen, but it is OUR job to pray for those who are showing love and concern for our nation, our way of life, and for the good of all nations. May we do our part daily to pray for our leaders, our country, and Israel. May our lives reflect the love that God has given us.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Wonderful Weather!!

 Wonderful Weather!!

 

This title to the post tonight is put there with tongue in cheek. We had some wind, sideways rain from various directions, and some quite large hail. The wind caught the heavy bench that Sterling made for me and moved it again. Beginning to wonder if some baler twine from the bench to the deck railing might not be a bad idea. That thing is very heavy, but the wind is mighty strong!

 

Jennifer keeps her eyes on my weather and sends the reports and the outlines of the storm’s projected path. This time, we had a storm spotter out in front of my house while the hail came down and the wind blew a gale. It made me wonder how much he could actually see with that sideways rain coming from different directions all at the same time. Looking across the lake toward Archer County, he would have been able to see any “tails” coming across that part of the lake. Father-in-law told me years ago that any really bad storms would come from the west or southwest. Feels just like he might have been saying that from some bad experiences. That is the direction that the tornadoes came back in ’79.

 

My brother Sterling called earlier and said that he and Jacqui would be here sometime Monday. Told him to drive carefully and have a safe trip. Really looking forward to seeing them. They have been having oodles of rain up there in Northwest Arkansas lately. He said four inches in the past month. Not sure what amount we have accumulated, but seriously doubt that it is close to that much. But the rain we got today soaked everything thoroughly. The hail even came in the dog door! At least no windows cracked or will otherwise need to be replaced. This city is so large that what happens out here on this end may not be anything like what the north side received. Feel for anyone whose roof needs to be replaced now. Not funny!

 

The dogs have settled down now and are just lying around here in the office floor. Thompson insisted on being UNDER my desk while the storm was hitting and Sylvia wanted her nose on me for the duration. It didn’t seem necessary to put their thunder shirts on this time. They were not going to feel safe until the whipping winds and thumps stopped. Currently, Sylvia is chewing on her front feet toe nails. Jennifer got her a scratching pad to help file her nails down, but so far, Thompson has been working it over more than she has. He figured out the treats were in that box before Sylvia did, and now he looks at the box, looks at the desk, and tells me that he knows it is supposed to have treats in it! Funny critter!

 

Noticed this afternoon that President Trump has decided that the talks with Iran are basically useless. Honestly, how can anyone think that it is possible to negotiate with terrorists? They have zero concern for human life. They are as close to demons or demonically influenced of anyone in this world in my estimation. That does not include all the people of Iran, but the ones who believe that our nation needs to be destroyed along with the nation of Israel. We all know how God reacts to such disgusting and devious actions. Those people are murderers of their own nation—individuals being murdered daily! May God protect the ones who actually have common sense and compassion for others.

 

Have my alarm set so getting to Sunday services should be easy in the morning, but have still got the aches and pains that make me grumpy this evening. Maybe tomorrow will be a better day. Just thinking about Shona’s mom makes me feel so blessed. She has had a couple of strokes and can’t get up and walk or take care of herself. No one should have such problems! We are so blessed if we are able to walk and get around under our own steam. Let us praise God for the gift of good health!

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Shorter Grass!

 Shorter Grass!

 

SO glad that Blake was able to come today to cut the grass on this hill for my place and Patty’s acreage. Dear Hearts! It was getting wild out there. Noticed that the dogs were up to their bellies in grass—and that doesn’t even count the sunflowers! Blake left a small circle of sunflowers in the top east lot for some reason. Maybe it was rough riding, or he may have just decided that the sunflowers might turn out pretty in that spot. For whatever reason, they are still there and still growing. He even used his weed eater to clean off the dressed stone walkway that leads out to the coops and workshop. It really looks so much better.

 

Looking over FB last night and noticed a post by the daughter-in-law of Beverly Fuhrman. Apparently, she died on Thursday in Dallas. Had no idea that she had been ill. Was sorry to think of her being gone from down the hill from her parents’ house on the highway to Henrietta. We used to ride together some when we were younger. She was only a year younger than me, but she had more grit than many a man. She once rode a bucking bull at the rodeo just for the fun of it. Have no idea if she stuck long enough to score, but it had to have taken some courage to even consider straddling that beast! Know her family will miss her desperately.

 

Thompson has been restless today and has not eaten anything except what was given to him by hand. Surely hoping that he is not allowing the pain to keep him from eating. Have been giving him extra gabapentin since he has been licking his ankle joints again. Poor fella. Know just how he feels! It is just miserable some days when moving around hurts and sitting hurts just as much as the moving. Only exercise this old woman has had today was taking the trash bin over and back again and walking down to Patty’s to put her two bags in her bin. She simply can’t handle walking out there right now. Sounds like we are a bunch of invalids, but we still enjoy life just as much as those who are much more active! God has blessed us so much!

 

Caught a picture frame with one finger the other day and it still hurts almost as much as when it first happened. Bruised, most likely. Then managed to stub my thumb in the holder thing for Patty’s broom when putting it back in its place after sweeping the mesquite blooms off her front walkway. What is it that makes one either clumsy or otherwise accident prone? Doing things more slowly might make a difference, but then there is the way we have always done things—quickly and without much thought involved in the effort. Have thought that maybe that is about the way my life has often happened. So far God has protected me from most of my stupidity, but it makes me wonder if it is His patience or something that He has planned out that mostly keeps me out of trouble. So many times, my life has obviously been protected—a horse that rolled over me, a rearing horse that nearly hit me, and a tornado that just missed us. Yes, thankfulness is basic for this old woman.

 

May God bless the decisions of those who lead our nation and protect us from the stupidity of those who have no common sense whatsoever.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Ordering Stuff from Amazon!

 Ordering Stuff from Amazon!

 

It may not get here until the first week in May, but my daughter is going to get a cook book that she might actually use. It does not have any of those sketchy things in it that might help someone’s digestion or avoid certain allergenics, but it might also be just what she needs one of these days. It is called The I Hate to Cook Book. She works every freaking day from can until can’t most days and then gets home to cook meals for herself, Gary, and sometimes the kids. They have certain things that she can feed them that are fairly easy to cook, but invariably it will be something that Reece can’t eat or that Gary won’t take in his lunch. Maybe this will give her some ideas that will make life a little easier.

 

Thompson has been licking his joints again so that his paws are becoming pink from being licked. Gave him some pain meds just a few minutes ago and just called to refill his prescription. It really feels odd to have my dog’s prescription at the same pharmacy where mine are filled. But then, today after calling Sam’s pharmacy about his other pain meds, they told me that the Bravecto for the dogs was $85 per dog. Colonial Park Veterinary has the same price, so it will just be simpler to pick it up there. Wish they made coupons for this stuff!!

 

Put a bunch of sliced portabella mushrooms, slices of onion, peeled potatoes, and pork slices in the Ninja cooker today. The dogs and the old woman enjoyed a pretty decent dinner. They didn’t get the onion, mushroom, or potatoes, but they liked the other stuff on top of their kibble, so there’s that. It doesn’t take but a bite or two to make them happy. Thinking the smell makes a difference to them.

 

Not sure just exactly why, but the old woman’s legs and back hurt today as if she had actually done something. She didn’t. Not even picking up the branches that came off the trees or moving the stepping stones that need to be taken out to the workshop front so the mower can get close to the chicken coops! Still have no idea when Blake will be able to get to our grass since it is still so very wet out there. Honestly think a few more days of growth would provide enough grass to make hay!

 

Almost finished with Lehman Strass’ Revelation. Some of it is purely speculation, but he notes what other researchers have said as well. Still, let’s be honest about how much of any of the scriptures we can understand when comparing with other parts of the Bible. It occurs to me that knowing things is not as important as having faith that God has things planned out right in the first place. It reminds me that scientists think that they have discovered some of the building blocks of life on other planets. Well, isn’t that just great. It does not mean that this planet evolved from that dust. Remember that joke about how Satan said that HE could have made a man if he had so desired. God supposedly told him, “Ok, go ahead and do it.” So, Satan bent down and scooped up a handful of dirt. “Oh no!” said God. “You have to make your OWN dirt!”

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Wading in Wet Grass.

 Wading in Wet Grass.

 

Yes, it began to rain pretty steadily before daybreak, but it continued to rain off and on most of the morning. And no, Blake cannot mow the grass when it is still raining. So, this hill is going to stay green and swishy until the rain stops and the sun comes out to dry things off. We could probably cut enough grass for hay if we had a rake and a baler!

 

Finished a book this morning that had tears running down my face. It reminded me so much of Lewis and how sweet he was and how determined he was not to cause any trouble or problems for his family. The children loved him dearly, including the ones who were ours by marriage (in-laws). But no amount of love can stop cancer or some of the other diseases that take folks. Sometimes it just hurts to remember and wish we could be together again. In God’s kingdom things may be completely different so that marriage or relationships might not be the same as what we think of today, but in my heart, this love will never be lost. It’s just hard to live life without the ones we love next to us.

 

Posted a picture on FB today of my parents when they were just married. Mom was 15 and Dad was 17 when they married. This was back during WWII. In November they turned 16 and 18 right before Dad had to go to the army. Sterling was born June 27 while Dad was up north getting ready to ship out to Europe with a tank replacement battalion. Then Congress decided not to send any more tanks to Europe. Go figure. Anyway, Dad and the rest of the battalion got sent back home! Don’t think Dad was even in the army for two years!

 

Spoke with my friend AnnaBeth Graf the other day and told her about meeting up with Sybil and Carl Moser. She was so happy to hear about them. She is the last of that generation of the Graf family. She is a Graf by marriage, but still, she grew up (as wives often do) in that big family of men. She also said that she was so glad that she had moved back here from Mississippi so that she could get to know her son Dennis better. Things sometimes work out in families in strange ways.

 

We have family in Louisiana near a place called Bastrop. Sterling said that our cousins Donald and Mable picked him up there at the bus station when he was in the army and kept him for a weekend. Funny that just recently their oldest daughter posted on FB, and we got caught up a little. Sterling said that now his youngest son is down there and saw our parents’ picture posted on FB. Now it makes me wonder if Debbie Pollard McGee has seen it. She would recognize my parents.

 

It’s actually pretty cool today—about 60 degrees at nearly 6 p.m. Patty reminded me this morning about the saying, “April showers,” but the weather still doesn’t exactly feel normal to me. NOT that this is any form of griping! Pretty sure 60 degrees would feel super wonderful in June even!

 

Just looked for my “Rise and Shine” chicken pajamas. Haven’t worn them since Jennifer got them for me, but tonight feels like a PJ night. Covered Thompson up in his special blanket and put Sylvia on a thick pad on the end of my bed. She would undoubtedly prefer to sleep on top of me or at least as close as she can get. Both of these dogs are so very sweet. God gives us angels with four feet and feelings similar to our own. We are so very blessed to know love as it is given to us freely. May we reflect that same love to others.

 

Let us remember to pray that some kind of stability will come to pass in Iran. No one can negotiate with terrorists, even our deal making president. May God give our president and those surrounding him the common sense they need to deal with this terrorist nation of Iran. And may better minds begin to lead that nation without guile.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Cool Mornings.

 Cool Mornings.

 

It felt good this morning to have three-quarter sleeves on my blouse. Now mind you, it warmed up quickly enough in Sunday school with more than a dozen women in class, but what would one expect with a bunch of old hens in a small space cackling and greeting one another. Thoroughly enjoyable!! Getting there by nine o’clock was definitely worth it.

 

Somehow the old woman misunderstood or something since she studied the tenth chapter of Matthew instead of the 18^th chapter that tells of the lord of the vineyard hiring men throughout the day and having the ones hired the earliest fussing about the ones hired late in the day receiving the same wages as those who worked through the heat of the day. God owns everything, so He can determine the wages He pays. Besides, what was paid only needed to be paid the ONE time since Christ was the payment. But then, none of us have been chased around and have had to hide to keep our faith—at least not so far. That might have something to do with the attitude of those who were “hired” first. Just a thought.

 

My friend Carol had to purchase a new computer. She is in that first learning cycle where we always wonder if we even know how to turn the things on. Feel for her! Told her that just learning to use this different phone has left me wondering if Siri actually set the alarm as requested. She didn’t “SAY” anything, don’t you see.

 

Just ordered oldest son’s birthday present. Amazon is so much fun sometimes. Expensive, but fun! Ordering dog food from them makes life so much easier around here. The bags are over 30 pounds, but it is worth picking them up to have enough to feed these two big critters for over a month at a time. Laughed at Patty telling me that the delivery lady must really be strong to carry two packages at a time to her door. Bulky, maybe, but her dog food cans for her tiny dog are hardly enough weight to count!

 

Talked to a lady named Sybil Moser this morning. She attended Petrolia school years ago. Don’t think she graduated from there, but she was interested to know about the reunions. Told her that it is my class’s 60^th reunion. She probably attended at least 10 years before me. She is in her 90s. She teaches our Sunday school and does a good job of it. Sitting here thinking that my grandmother (Camp) Pollard probably graduated from Petrolia around 1924. Daddy was born in 1926 and graduated from Petrolia in 1944. Guess that school—not the new building erected 25 years ago—has some history.

 

Had a can of sliced peaches a while ago. It is terrible to have a sweet tooth and nothing to really satisfy it. When ice cream cones feel like the perfect thing to enjoy, it is a little difficult to just have peaches instead. Can’t imagine how a diabetic must feel. Know that we always looked for sugar-free cookies or candy for Lewis, but that stuff can upset one’s tummy in a hurry. Hardly worth it. Think that is why nuts are so good. Something to chew and satisfy at the same time.

 

Have quite a bit of reading to do this week, but still have several books on my Kindle that are tempting me to stay up too late at night. Mysteries are always fun as long as they are not scary. Sterling says that he is bringing some books the next time he comes down. The old woman has nearly finished reading the Revelation by Lehman Strass for the second time now. Honestly don’t think it would all sink in even if it were consumed another two times. Sigh.

 

Read something on FB the other day about a single female whale who has no other whale in the entire oceans to match her songs. Most whales sing at something like 5hz, but she sings at 25hz. Maybe all the whales of her species were killed umpteen years ago during all the whaling—not that whaling has ceased—sadly. It makes me think of the waters being turned to blood in the last days. The creatures of the oceans belong to God, so He will handle that situation. Guess this old woman need not feel hopeless about that one whale or any other creature. God is in control.

 

May you all have a good week or a good attitude about what you have in front of you to accomplish. Let us pray for our nation and its leaders and their decisions. May God continue to bless us.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Some Kind of Neighbor.

 Some Kind of “Neighbor.”

 

Patty called me awhile ago. The police were at her house to “check” on her. Someone had decided that she might need help or something. Anyway, someone had called the emergency number, and a “neighbor” thought it might concern her. Strange! She called me pretty well stressed out but calmed down quickly. Shona said she had no idea the police were even in the neighborhood. We have no idea who may have called or why. But you can bet that the porch lights will be on at Patty’s tonight!

 

Maria was here today, so my house smells good and the floors are so clean! Even though this old woman can’t do the floors without pain, it has only been nearly three months since the last back surgery. Three months from now, things may be much better and the energy may return—if only because the old woman has not been busy doing too much! So glad to be able to walk and do what has to be done around here.

 

Went to Market Street today to pick up some lemon bars for Patty’s birthday and to get some gasoline for my truck. Filled up the tank and paid $50 for it, but Sterling said that he filled up their truck to the tune of $100. But his tank is 35 gallons! Glad to have my little 150 as compared to his 250! No need for a ¾ ton truck here! Nothing to pull except my own weight!

 

While Maria was here today, we loaded up four sacks of stuff to take to the resale shop for Faith Mission up by the United. The lady who got them out of my truck looked like she was strong enough to hold them up with her pinkie finger! She carried all four at one time when it took four trips for me to load them in the backseat of my truck!! Wow! At least maybe those things will be useful to someone else. Maria said she could use the inflatable bed for her grandchildren when they come to visit. One of the kids messed up the one she had for them. She was a bit disgusted with that child. Shucks! My kids learned to sleep on a quilt pallet when they were little, and they were proud they had a place to lie down when they visited down on the farm! Wonder how those memories feel to them now.

 

Just a bit tired tonight. Read through Matthew 10 again to be ready for the Sunday school lesson. It is amazing that Christ sent those twelve men out and that they could do the things that He sent them to do. But He also conditioned their response to the homes they entered. Can you imagine wondering if you would find a home that was worthy of their blessing? And what if your home were not considered worthy? That would be devastating to someone who was trying to do what was right. How strange that eventually the Jews turned against them and the Gentiles were blessed because of that situation. God always has a plan.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Thunder Shirts Again.

 Thunder Shirts Again.

 

Both dogs have their shirts on as it thunders out there. Feeling sorry for Patty and her little Roxy. That poor little one simply can’t find a place close enough to Patty to feel safe and protected. She would get inside Patty if she could! My dogs are a little bit better than that, but they are both nervous enough that Sylvia has to be touching me somewhere and Thompson has to be close enough to hear me or to be heard when he whines. Thunder can simply be a bit much.

 

Did you know that thunder is mentioned for the first time in the Bible is when Pharoah refused to let Israel go? Well, apparently thunder might not have been something with which the world was familiar. It scared the Egyptians. Then when God settled on Mount Sinai, the Israelites were frightened by the thunder and asked Moses to talk to God and keep them from the sounds they heard. Isn’t it amazing what we see or learn when we just look! But then, one minister we listened to thought that the earth had not seen real rain before the flood! He said that the mists that came up from the earth were what kept things watered before the flood. So, again, we never know what came in what order before the springs broke forth and the rain came down to flood the earth.

 

The lightning is really cracking out there at the moment. Just saved this document just in case the electricity gets knocked out for a while. Even though the old woman recently bought a battery back up surge protector, she would really prefer not to have anything fried. These computers are not cheap.

 

Lance told me to go to AT&T and get my phones switched out so that the one being used currently would have a better battery and not have the line across the bottom where it got dropped the other day. That really made me feel pretty stupid! Usually, not always, but usually this old person is pretty careful with the phone and other stuff that can’t easily be replaced. Anyway, now am using a different phone and will need to download some ringtones so it will be easier to know who is calling. It did not cost anything to change the phones over, but getting out of the parking lot was a mess. Backing up a full-sized truck can really be interesting in a parking lot full of long-tailed cars and SUVs. At least that won’t be necessary again.

 

Stopped by the Dollar Store to check out some reading glasses. The ones that came home with me must have been a bit expensive, but the “receipt” that got put in the bag did not have anything about prices on it. Weird! Also, the young woman helped an old woman out by picking out the stuff that one puts in one’s hair when it has a tendency to bush out like sage brush! Let’s hope that it actually works to smooth things down.

 

Here we go with some more hail. We got marble sized hail earlier, but this does not sound bad at all so far. We certainly are getting the rain this afternoon! And the grass was already up to my ankles!!

 

Gregg got quite a bit done in two hours yesterday, but so many things still need to be done outside. The stones that led around the side of the coops need to be removed and stacked on the concrete floor next to the workshop. Still have several little trees coming up too close to the house and have dead branches that need to be thrown in the trash bin after Friday. The bin is already full of stuff that will go out Friday, but my trash sack will still fit if it can be pushed down a bit. Then, the box of 30 fencing sections came this morning from Amazon. Gregg understands how important it is for the fence to keep Thompson in the yard, so he can be trusted to do things right. That matters to me.

 

Think the old woman may have mentioned it before, but if FB gets to you as if does to me occasionally, my blog (a copy of what is here) is also posted under Mesquite Country on blogger. It sometimes says Fenoglio Hill with some posts, but you can find it under Mesquite Country. It goes back for years!

 

Since switching over to this other phone, it has not rung yet. May have to ask one of the kids to call me soon to see how that works out. It was on silent mode when we changed it over, but that should not matter. WELL. Spam call just let me know that this thing not only rings, but it is very loud! So there’s that.

 

May we each find a way to show love to others every day. May God’s love bless others through our lives!

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Looking Back at the Mesquite Country Blog.

 Looking Back at the Mesquite Country Blog.

 

Just looked back at some of the blog posts that were written back years ago. Some of them have Dickerson Hill as their heading. Had forgotten that. And even looked to see if there were any comments. The last comment was in 2020. How strange.

 

One of the blog articles mentioned Jerry Hobbs, my former neighbor. His nephew had thrown something flammable on him and burned him badly. Had forgotten about that, too. Wow! Some of those posts were pretty long, but they were not too bad considering. So many things can easily upset this old woman, but most of the things posted back then were not too drastic.

 

Got to thinking about Passover again. The Bible gives the example of Christ saying to his disciples: “Do this in remembrance of me.” Some call it communion. It is more than just the one-time Passover observance it would seem if it was called communion, but maybe not. In the church we attended for twenty years, it was observed one time a year. So, we had the Lord’s Supper about 18 or 19 times during those years. This old woman is going to have to do some research on how this may have changed from the evening that Christ observed this tradition and how He changed it from the manner in which it had been celebrated from the Jewish tradition. Obviously, the Jews were not going to take the leavened bread to represent Christ or drink the wine to represent His blood since they did not even know or accept Him. Just more reason to do some reading and research.

 

Gregg and Vickie were supposed to come this afternoon to help get some things accomplished around here. Vickie came down with some kind of bug and stayed at home, and Gregg worked for two hours before we got a bad weather report. At least he was able to get quite a bit accomplished before he left. Still, Maria is coming Thursday afternoon to help me with the house and making decisions about what to do with some of the excess stuff that is in storage around here. She will also get these floors in some kind of better shape!

 

The three amaryllis blooms out front are down to one unwilted one now. But another stalk is coming up next to the white flowers. It might accidentally be another color even! When those bulbs were put out, it was not a guarantee that they would even live, much less be so pretty. Just amazes me how things turn out sometimes.

 

Ordered some more fencing sections to put along the bottom of the field fencing near the road. Not sure if it has been the dogs or what that has caused the wires to spring out at the bottom, but those places absolutely have to be fixed to keep Thompson inside the yard. Not sure that chain link would have been any better as he managed to pull a section apart between our place and the Anderson property. Did notice that someone had torn down a section of fencing on Max and Laisha’s place—the chain link. Two places allowed plenty of access to dogs and people. Strange!

 

A couple of pairs of slacks came today from Amazon. One pair is perfect and the other pair is a bit too long. One can order the same size each time and never know what will turn up! Oh well.

 

Cooked a whole chicken the other day and need to use the broth to make some Fiesta Chicken. That is one good soup/meal. The leftovers put into containers can be frozen and just popped out to make a quick bowl of soup that pretty well satisfies me. This time it will take some canned chicken to go in the soup since the dogs and the old woman have already used up all the fresh chicken meat. Oh well.

 

Probably need to try to get some sleep. Seems that my brain wants answers or bounces from idea to idea and keeps me awake quite often. So glad that God gives us the ability to rest. The Bible says that the wicked will not be given rest when they are found wanting. Maybe that is where that saying came from that we can’t sleep because of our wicked ideas. Then there are the little mental quirks like ADHD. Hmm. Honestly don’t think that folks who have trouble sleeping today are necessarily wicked or otherwise messed up. The world is simply too much with us at times. And the poets are not the only ones to say the same.

 

Enjoy the rest and the beauty in each day. Pray for those affected by the storms we are having. Then remember every day those in harm’s way who serve our country. May God bless them!

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

More Mother Antics!

 More Mother Antics!

 

Oh! The joys of dealing with our elders! My children will undoubtedly feel that they are already aware of the antics of their aged mother, but at least so far, my slips of sanity have not resulted in wearing a shawl (and only that) to the dinner table. Wow! Michelle has had her hands full with Mother Malay, but at least brother-in-law has been there to help—or grin—in the background! But now she has another German Shepherd puppy to add to the fun. Seamus and Marlin came from the same parents, but they are from different litters. My guess is that between Mother M. and these two puppies, Michelle is going to be a busy lady! Puppy puddles and parenting patience!

 

Got to visit with number one son this evening. He said that they have been very busy at work, and he truly did seem tired. Know what it is like to feel as if the work has backed up and jumped the dam. Good thing he is not a trout! He will handle it just like his sister does her job. Personally, it would drive this old woman nuts to feel as if my work was piled up and that the load was constantly being renewed. Thinking about dog hair and the constant fuzz on the floor is one thing but loads of orders that need to be filled is a totally different situation!

 

Tomorrow Gregg and Vickie will come after lunch and help me get some things done that have been a bit too much for me. A folded inflatable bed is in the back chifforobe. Can’t remember when we bought the thing and at the moment do not remember why, but since it has not been used in years, you can pretty well imagine that it will not be needed around here again. It is too heavy to remove from the bottom of that cabinet by myself, so maybe Gregg can get it out. It is leaving the premises one way or the other. Then Vickie can help me put all the little electric heaters in plastic bags to store in the front chicken coop shelf. That should make mopping the floors a little bit easier since nothing will have to be moved around. That same chifforobe has some crocheted throws that need to be given away. Laughed when Michelle said she had a bunch that needed the same treatment—given away! Why do we keep things that are no longer used? Guess we all have that old adage built in that makes us think that someday we might have a use for something that is so nice! Oh boy!

 

Got the opportunity to tell Sterling about the folks that knew our family out in Clay County. We laughed about all the ways that our lives have folded back again through the years to touch our pasts. Even so, we celebrated in our talk about how this old woman has “come home again” to the Baptist church we knew as children. Funny how life works out sometimes. We know for a fact that God has His hands in our lives. His plans are always good for us and for those we love. It’s a good thing He has patience.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Links to My Home.

 Links to My Home.

 

Today at church services, the old woman had a strange experience. A woman introduced herself to me, and we found that my dad had come from the same small community as she and her husband. The Moser family seemed to be kinfolks with just about everyone in Clay County and especially the folks from the Hurnville Community. Now Dad never told me what year he stopped riding to school in Hurnville, but he told us stories about the different families that had also attended school there. He knew Marvin Graf and his brothers for sure. Our family doctor was Dr. Hurn when Sterling and the old woman were little. Then our doctor was Dr. Leroy Schaffner from Hurnville. He had a whole houseful of brothers and maybe sisters. Think one of those brothers was a principal at Burkburnett maybe. Anyway, she knew the Fuhrman family and Mr. and Mrs. Dan Oster. It almost felt as if the old woman had walked home to Clay County. Just another reason that this may be my new church family.

 

The house across the road—Still think of it as Jerry’s house—had an “Open House” showing event today. Lots of trucks and cars were over there off and on through the day, but not one of them looked like anyone interested in the place. Shona’s husband Albert had used a weed eater on the front along the road, so it really looked pretty good. Shona had mown their grass as well, so that looked nice. Not sure my place looked all that great as one of the water hoses needs to be rolled up and given away or thrown away. Can’t get the silly thing to fasten to the water spigot or stop bending with each curve. Oh well. If Gregg and Vickie come one day this week, maybe he will get rid of it for me along with the other things that need to be tossed.

 

Have truly been trying not to do anything that will cause my back to hurt lately, but it just feels as if it tires out so quickly. Despite not taking the pain pills, the aches are there all the time anyway! Dadgumit!

 

Thompson just came into the office to let me know that it was supper time for the dogs in this family. They are now fed and seem to be happy to decorate the entire floor with their long legs and tails. If Vickie helps me get the living room floor cleaned up this week, one of the big dog beds will go in there instead of the rug in front of my desk. Thompson needs something soft to lie on most of the time. It’s easy to understand that his old bones need just as much help as the old woman’s bone. This arthritis shtuff is just the frizzling crud!

 

Had ordered some pants from Amazon and apparently so many other folks had the same idea that the pants were not available. Tried to cancel the order but am not sure that happened. It was such a cheap price that it figures that everyone had the same idea to get something less expensively.

 

This church has a piano player who only plays there every other week so that she can attend with her husband at a different church. Wishing that AnnaBeth Graf could play for us, but she would probably not be able to sit that long. She used to play the piano and the organ, but those days may be long gone. When the song leader asked if the old woman could play, she was assured that this person can’t even play the radio!!

 

We have been getting little showers of rain that may eventually add up to a decent amount of water in the lakes and ponds around here. The grass has certainly been growing and showing us how healthy the weeds can grow!! Now if we can just avoid those high winds and all that tremendous thunder that makes the dogs (and the old woman) so nervous!!

 

Someone wondered when the new development at the State Hospital would be finished. Not sure it will happen in my lifetime if the number of cement trucks doesn’t fall off drastically. At least it does not seem that we are seeing—and hearing—the excessive numbers of dirt and gravel trucks! Whew!

 

Have some things to look up for the lesson for next Sunday in Matthew 10. Even though one can read the scriptures, it does not mean that each point is clear to an old brain like mine. May just look it up in an online commentary to see if it helps for clarity and for remembrance. Meanwhile, it feels like a good night to rest.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Things to See Outside.

 Things to See Outside.

 

Looking out the kitchen window this morning, the old woman enjoyed watching a pair of mockingbirds dipping their bodies in the horse trough that sits under the drips from the deck cover. It took me awhile to manage to keep the little fountain floating on a piece of Styrofoam, but the two birds took turns getting wet and swishing their wings through the base of the fountain. Guess it must have been pleasing enough to them.

 

Shona called yesterday to report the presence of a sick raccoon in her trash bin. Sterling says that they get a type of distemper that is 100% fatal but not contagious. Not sure if that was what was wrong with the raccoon, but the city animal control came and removed it. My dogs wanted absolutely nothing to do with it even though they got to go over and take a close smell of the situation. Thompson took off to visit the neighborhood before he would even take a look where the raccoon was lying and hissing. Sylvia took a good snort and backed off completely. Maybe they are smarter than the old woman! Wouldn’t take much.

 

Roxy got to go to the vets’ office this morning. They were pretty busy, it seemed. Anyway, she got her shots and was back home before the day got away from us. She is a sweet little critter.

 

Finally finished eating my portion of the Chinese noodles with chicken and veggies for lunch today. The dogs finished the rest of it for me. That was one BIG bowl of noodles and stuff! Can’t imagine that stuff would freeze well either.

 

Managed to drop my phone the other day and made a line across the bottom. Have been watching to see if it gets bigger or whatever but really don’t want to have to deal with getting a different phone right now. It seems an extra one is here, but Lance said it would have to go to the store to get a new sim card or something. Can’t even remember the name of the company where it gets a new card! Guess he will tell me when he is asked. But meanwhile, will be much more careful with this one.

 

Not sure this happens to others, but this song from ages ago has been winding through my feeble mind for the longest now. It comes from the Baptist church where we grew up. Now it is one thing to have Sinatra’s “My Way” floating around in the old cranium, but this one is “Standing on the Promises.” Don’t know all the words to either song, but the music is definitely there!

 

Sterling now has whatever Jacqui had that made her so very sick last week. Guess they will be staying at home and trying to get to feeling better. He told George not to come over lest he pick up the hup-chucks too! Maybe they will both get over this soon. Sicknesses are miserable!

 

The pollen count has been in the high tens or even elevens for the past few days. This is on a scale of twelve. Noticed the mesquites have blooms on them, so that might be one reason. Such fun—NOT! At least it is not dust from Odessa.

 

Still have not come up with an idea for my number one son’s birthday. He has a gallon of tabasco sauce, pistachios, and a case for his knives. Maybe beef jerky. Sigh. Decisions.

 

Have all kinds of things that need to be done around here and so little desire to actually do those things. May have some help sometime either this weekend or next week. Getting lazier by the day. Actually, getting sorer by the day is more like it. Can only do so much before either the knees or my back gives me fits. Getting older certainly can be entertaining!

 

Whatever the future may bring, we can still have a positive attitude and feel grateful for each day and each blessing. Right now, my silly dogs make me smile and appreciate their love. Each of us has something that makes our lives brighter and more enjoyable. Let us thank God and ask for his continued guidance in our lives.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Ignorance in Fact.

 Ignorance in Fact.

 

The old woman will have to admit that she is quite ignorant of some of the common entertainment names in each area—music, TV and movies, art, and other social forms of exchange including most of the apps and features on either one’s phone or some other internet appliance. Some things have simply stopped being all that necessary to my wellbeing or interests. That being said, one thing that has been part of my life since childhood has been the basic stories from the Bible. These are not fantasy or something found on TV or at the movies—for the most part. Yes, The Ten Commandments came out at the movies umpteen years ago. Because of our upbringing, many of us attended church services and vacation Bible schools back in the day. We memorized scriptures and knew where to find the various books in the Bible with some speed. We knew much about the characters in the Bible—from Samson to Daniel in the lions’ den. Yet, today, it seems that educators cannot discuss or use materials from these same stories. No, we can have drag queens entertain children but not read about the history of the nation of Israel or about the man who set the world on fire with his preaching of the Kingdom of God. Some of us are not ashamed to be called ignorant for not reading all of the books in the Hobbit series or the books about wizards. But please be aware that no child today will suffer irreparable damage if he or she gets to read about any of the people in the Bible. May God forgive our nation for its incredible ignorance in leaving the Bible out of our education.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Some Things That Need Clarification.

Some Things That Need Clarification.

Title IX is a 1972 federal law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in education programs or activities receiving federal funding.

Prior administrations expanded Title IX beyond its statutory basis by applying it to gender identity rather than biological sex.

Officials said those interpretations led to enforcement actions against school districts for conduct such as the use of pronouns or inquiries about a student’s gender identity.

“The Trump Administration is removing the unnecessary and unlawful burdens that prior Administrations imposed on schools in its relentless pursuit of a radical transgender agenda,” Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Kimberly Richey said.

Honestly, we need to be careful how we state things—for which purpose and for the outcomes we seek. Today the neighbors’ son asked me why my body was hurting. Told that the dogs had knocked me down on the porch recently, his solution was the idea of putting pillows on the dogs’ backs. Makes as much sense as losing pronouns of gender, but his idea is at least funny.

Have been re-reading Lehman Strauss’ book Revelation. He gives scriptural references from Genesis all the way through the New Testament that are also in The Revelation of Jesus Christ to St. John. Someday we are going to shout and marvel at the works that God has done and will be doing yet.

Finally, read an obituary written by a son for his 97-year-old father. The man worked the same land as eight generations of his family, and the son said that none of his ills were anything that a good resurrection couldn’t fix. Simply made me want to shout: Praise God!

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.