A Longer Day.

 A Longer Day.

 

For some reason the possibility of even a short shower of rain has made me feel optimistic. This morning while sitting outside on the patio with Patty, the clouds suddenly dropped the temperature by about 10 or 20 degrees right around us. Now, mind you, the heat was back very quickly, but just that little bit of coolness made us both perk up and think about fall weather. Then Roxy got to rustling around under one of the storage sheds and made us worry about what she had found. Probably a rabbit, but she is too small to deal with anything with claws. In fact, we have been watching a red-tailed hawk that keeps flying around Patty’s place and keeping an eye on Roxie when she is outside just in case.

 

It was not difficult to get Patty’s trash flipped over into her bin, but she is still sore from riding around town with her DIL on Wednesday. She is also still fussing about having to learn how to use this new phone. Understand completely! She is having to Google how to turn it off and on and that sort of thing. She reminded me that we are supposed to turn the things off every so often so that it can catch up with updates. Since the kids did not tell me to do that, it has not happened around here. The settings button will let me download any new stuff unless Lance calls and tells me to do something different. Yep, not the least bit independent!

 

For some strange reason, my allergies have been just about to drive me around the bend. Sneezing and itching eyes. Have been putting some kind of stuff in my eyes at night to keep from having dry eyes, but it does not seem to keep them from itching. Oh well.

 

The water bill came today and did not surprise me in the least. It had been running close to $90 for a while there, but this time it was only $70 and some change. Have not been washing blankets or dog beds the way it happens sometimes. But the few plants that are outside have had some water lately, and that will come in on next month’s bill. Such is life.

 

Did not want to make hamburger patties for the dogs’ kibble topper tonight and just gave them both a can of drained tuna. Thompson just about licked the bowl clean. Will have to do that again. May just order some from the store and use that instead of hamburger or chicken. They can stand having a variety of foods anyway.

 

Noticed that my friend Jeanene Wilson Lanto had a birthday today. Need to see if her address is still available and send her a card to tell her she is still in my thoughts. We enjoyed growing up together, or at least she was one of my favorite people at that age. We chased a lot of tennis balls and had more than a few laughs.

 

Leta Sawyer Talley also had a birthday today. Met her years ago after Lewis introduced me to all of that side of the family. It was not enough that Grandma Dickerson had 13 children, her oldest daughter had five boys and one daughter—Aunt Ethel was always hollering at one of the boys and using the wrong boy’s name. Lewis said that they used to laugh and say, “Call the roll, Ethel.”

 

The PETS clinic has decided to make it somewhat easier for folks to use their services, so they are moving into the PetSmart store on Lawrence Road. That is on THIS side of town. Hooray! It is SO much cheaper to use their services and to buy dog meds from them. Anyway, they open up this Monday by eleven and stay until 7:30 which will help folks who need the help after work hours. Way to go!

 

Need to find out when Daniel Hernandez is taking his family to a concert in (?) Tennessee. Need to get a computer to him to see if he can remove the password and see if it needs any other stuff to keep it in good shape. He has been very busy lately since someone’s server crashed and three other computers were messed up at one business. He said he got five hours of sleep in four days!! That’s a bit much. He and Heather plan to take their daughter to her first concert. Hope it is a wonderful experience for all of them!

 

No, not looking at the news. My heart can only stand so much and my stomach feels hup-chucky over the congressional scabiosa mess. Some of those people would not know how to be honest even if it made them look better or pay better! Just sad.

 

Let us pray for those who are ill, those in all our services, our leaders, and the nations of Israel and the U.S. May God bless us.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Some of the Things Ya Read!

 Some of the Things Ya Read!

 

Pretty sure that my big brother would recognize how this old woman was feeling today. He has often said that as many times as he had read a scripture, he would read it just one more time and find it as shocking as if he had never read it before! Getting ready for this coming Sunday’s lesson, my reading included Deut. 28:53. Hunger is one thing, but a real gutless wonder would be someone who . . . ok, not going to say what will make me have nightmares! God warned Israel; and Israel ignored the warnings despite what they saw that God had done for them. Phew!

 

Patty called me this afternoon on her new cell phone. She could not get her old phone number for the new phone, so now my caller list had to be edited just a bit. Sent a message to Jennifer and Lance to let them know about the new number—just in case. Her daughter-in-law took her to get her new will signed. It has been waiting over a year, so it was about time! She had to go up the steps into the lawyer’s office and it about took all her breath away. She definitely needs one of those carry-around oxygen concentrators. She only had two of the little bottles of oxygen, and it is nearly all used up. Seems the company only has the larger, heavier bottles now. Suggested that she call her lung specialist tomorrow and ask for a prescription for the portable concentrator. Let’s hope she gets that done. My daughter says that her mom worries about some of the strangest things!

 

Spent some time the other day visiting on that phone app where we can see each other—can’t think of what it is called at the moment—but Rachel was folding all of the clothes she had taken to Las Vegas. She really did not want to go, but her cousin insisted that it was her birthday present to Rachel. It was a very bad trip in too many ways to even think about. To top it off, her cousin smoked some stuff in their room so that all of Rachel’s clothes had the smell of that nasty stuff in them! Hence the large amount of laundry! Thinking that she will never be inclined to “visit” with her cousin again.

 

Then one morning early, my youngest Ostand grandchild texted me about sleep paralysis. Who has not had an arm or other body part “fall asleep”? It is not fun, but last Sunday my left leg fell asleep while in the classroom, and then my right knee decided it needed to ache very thoroughly. Go figure! Some of us don’t even have to go to bed to have body parts fall asleep!

 

It has been so very hot today. Even after the sun went down, it was still over 100 degrees on the back deck. Yes, that is the west side of the house, but still! The grass—the pale blonde stuff that crunches under foot—may take a flood to come back again. Even the grounds over across the road look so barren. Years ago, the state kept the irrigation pipes out on the front part of the campus to keep the grass green. Guess they got rid of the pipes and no longer use the lake water from their pump house. They have an entire crew just to keep their campus looking decent. Wondering what the campus will look like if they ever get the new buildings finished.

 

Had to stop reading in my Kindle this evening. Had finished two books and started on another, but the battery was getting too low. May have to figure out how to plug it in and still be able to read. The wonderful thing about reading these books electronically is that they don’t gather dust and can just be deleted. And for the most part, these books are free!

 

Ran the little Bissel vacuum in the back bedroom this morning. Crud had accumulated and Maria does not clean back there if the doors are closed. It’s just how we worked things out since that part of the house does not need to be cooled or otherwise used. Apparently, my mouse has been back there. Bleah. Not going to mop it yet, but when Maria comes back next time, the entire house will get a good mopping. It always feels so good to walk barefooted across the floors after she mops. Then the dogs shake out the fur and track in a few bits of extra grass and dirt. Sigh.

 

Have not even looked at any news today. This is a good time to let God handle things, don’t you think? While we can pray for others, like those in Japan affected by the earthquake, it does absolutely no good to get tensed up about decisions that others make. Let us pray for the U.S. and Israel. Let us pray that we listen to God and stop being affected by some trashy celebrity gossips or those on the “news” with a loose screw.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Cleaner Dog Beds!

 Cleaner Dog Beds!

 

The old woman decided that the rugs that were under the office chairs in the living room and in the office needed to be tossed, and the dog beds REALLY needed to be washed and dried. So today that happened. Maria was here to clean the house and thoroughly approved of tossing the old rugs. Decided to put them over the grass around the front edges of the chicken pens to keep the grass from growing up to my knees! May even take the long runner out of the kitchen and put it over the dressed stone sidewalk leading out to the workshop. Bought some 30% vinegar and weed killer the other day, but who knows if it will do any good to kill the Bermuda grass in the sidewalk. Sigh.

 

Maria is such a very sweet lady. She said that she would have Julian come tomorrow to put some dirt in a hole that worries me near the entrance to our road. The hole is more than a tire deep, so it could easily ruin a tire or even break a wheel off. Anyway, we sat at my kitchen table and had a cup of tea and shared memories of things that have mattered to either of us. We laughed about how our boys went through food when they were growing up—well, her boys STILL do! It’s not like she can plan meals when the boys come in and hit the fridge for the “goodies” that they really like. Corn on the cob simply does not make it to the supper table when they find it. Told her about the time that Lance and a friend came in hungry and wiped out an entire bag of chicken tenders! So much for that planned meal!

 

Jennifer was such a blessing when she was old enough and responsible enough to start supper before my classes were over. That made a very real difference around here. The “help” from the boys was just mainly staying out of the ingredients until they were ready to put on the table!

 

Tomorrow Blake will be here to mow this jungle. If Julian comes as well, that will be at least one big event finished before the day is through. This morning the flowers got a bit of water and then the hose was wrapped around the holder on the tree. Still have not moved the flowering vines that Brenda Jones gave me or planted the climbing vines next to the Bradford pear. Maybe tomorrow or Wednesday those two things will be accomplished. Have even considered a long, narrow flower pot with a tray to prevent the water from getting in the window sill in the kitchen. Would love to have flowers blooming in that window. Hoping that the cactus and aloe vera that went home with Judie Brunson lived and are doing well.

 

Well, shower has been taken, dogs fed, and a bit of reading done, so even though it is early, this old woman is going to turn in for the day. The pain pills are not doing much good for some reason even though enough water has been consumed to float a bullfrog in a small pond! Maybe a muscle relaxer might do the trick. Getting old is a privilege, but dadgum if it doesn’t take more patience to deal with moving around!

 

Pray to be an encourager in life. May God bless this nation.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Late Night Laundry.

 Late Night Laundry.

 

No, the clothes are not necessary for this week, but it seemed necessary to use the time simply because sleep is not happening. It used to be that caffeine was responsible for sleeplessness, but for some reason, this situation may be age related. How about those apples!

 

It was a good day despite the lack of sleep from the night before. Last night, the task of restlessness was looking up the times when Melchizedek first was acknowledged and then later mentioned in the New Testament. Some folks call these appearances “Theophanies,” and others call them “Christophanies.” It stands to reason that those who didn’t/don’t believe in Christ as the son of God would call any appearance a “Theophany.” Anyway, that was the reason this old woman hauled out the Strong’s concordance last night and then dug out the Zondervan’s concordance. Dear Hearts, it takes some strength to carry that first one out. Zondervan’s is much lighter, but it also does not contain any written Hebrew. And in case you might be curious, the king of Salem (Melchizedek) received the tithes from Abraham after he went after his nephew Lot. The king of Sodom (yes, this was before the fire and brimstone) wanted Abraham to allow him to have the people he recovered and just let Abraham keep all the good stuff he brought back. Abraham said that he would not take as much as a shoelace, except the men that went with him should have their portion plus what they ate. Abraham did not want the king of Sodom to be able to say that he had made Abraham rich. Just have a feeling that Abraham knew just what kind of kinky folks lived in Sodom and wanted nothing to do with him. Good thing that Lot finally got out of that place.

 

Tomorrow the old woman needs to get a picture of a lavatory or otherwise find out if the faucets are the kind that are set into the lavatory or into the cabinet behind it. Jim A. said that the thing was a 17-inch lavatory, but it did not occur to me to look or ask about how the handles or faucet were attached and where. Sigh. Patty suggested that she and Donny had had words about the one she chose for her lavatory and that it might be important to know how they were arranged. Well, duh. Maybe the secretary can send me a photo, or my old truck can just make a trip over there.

 

Sat next to the minister’s wife again this Sunday. She keeps me in line, don’t you see. She is one tough lady: both knees, both hips, and one shoulder replaced, and she’s on oxygen. We were talking about those oxygen concentrators that some folks have. She said that Medicare did not pay for them, but my friend Carol said her husband got one that Medicare paid for. Patty is pretty sure that her doctor will prescribe one for her and that it will be paid for. Ron Thonton was in Vietnam, so he may have had some help from the VA as well. Guess we will find out soon.

 

This is going to be a busy week. Blake is supposed to come to mow the grass again. The lower lots don’t really need to be cut back, but in the back yard, the grass could hide a rabbit or any number of snakes. Really would like to have it cut pretty short.

 

Patty keeps a running list of things she wants to do. That sounds like a really good idea. This old woman will water the flowers tomorrow and then roll the hose up so that Blake won’t have to dodge it. Also have some plants that need to have their pots moved closer to the Bradford pear tree. Hoping that the vines will climb the tree, but not going to hold my breath. Then there is a hole down in the entry way to our street that is right next to the pavement. Just one extra wide swing into that drive would be enough to lose a tire—or at least ruin it. Have decided that getting a couple of these sacks of dirt out here by the hen house would make a good filler for that hole. At least it would fill up most of the hole. Still hoping that Suzanne Priddy will actually give the place to the minister so that it can be torn down and cleaned up. Have been wishing for years that something could be done down there so we could have a decent neighbor.

 

Have not seen or heard anyone looking at Max and Laisha’s house—it will always be “Jerry’s house” to me. Know the kids are more than ready for it to sell, but the housing market really is not doing very well right now. And, all things considered, it is not likely to get better any time soon. At least they did not end up buying a house in Washington state.

 

My granddaughter is waiting to see if she passed the first section of her CPA exam. Not sure how many sections it has, but that kind of waiting—over two weeks—would drive me wild! Anyway, she is a sharp kid, so maybe she did well on it.

 

Just erased an entire paragraph that contained my frustrations with some of the political bottom sediments that contain the same slime as one of the oldest oilfield tanks. Sorry, well, it’s rather hot in Texas right now. How’s that for a subject?

 

All over the world we are seeing wild fires and not just in the U.S. Saw tonight that they are having wildfires in France that have made the news. Folks were having to turn their horses out so that they could run from the fires. Scary for the critters! Horses don’t recover well from that kind of terror. Well, any creature will have trouble settling down ever again after a wildfire. People may grieve and be traumatized for years, but animals have no way to think of a future the way people do. God has certainly blessed us with the ability to recover and feel safe.

 

For now, let us pray that our nation will be found in a revival of faith and hope in God. Let us pray that God will not only hear our prayers, but that we can be encouragers for others.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Returns When Nothing Changed.

 Returns When Nothing Changed.

 

Jennifer told me that she really thought she needed to go to the big store and get a leaf blower to remove—or move—the dog hair in her house on the day they returned from their trip. Even though the housekeepers had been there the day before, Jenn could see the rolls of dog and cat hair flowing down the hall into the living area of the house. Yes, two Huskies and a lab, three cats, and summer just mean that hair is coming off just to keep cool. Around here, it is only two short-hair dogs, but sometimes it still amazes me when the furniture sits around on rolls of hair. Once in a while the longer strands of grey hair are pretty good indications that the old woman is also shedding! And vacuuming or mopping need to come off my list of things to try while still healing. Sigh.

 

Early this morning Patty watched while the old woman put her trash inside the big box that the new wheelchair arrived in. The box fit right on top of the trash bin, so the guy who picks up the trash just had to carry box and all. No problem.

 

Patty figured out how all the parts went together on her new chair. SO glad that she has the patience to figure things like that out for herself. And the chair is light weight enough that it should not be too difficult to put in the back seat of my truck. Hooray!

 

Roxie ran all over the back yard and then decided that something special needed to be discovered in the rocks and little things near the back door. Patty told her to leave things alone—especially if what it was turned out to be another big Texas spiney lizard! But it was just a young cottontail. SO glad that the critter hunkered down and did not get caught. But you can bet that Roxie will go right back to that place the next time she is outside. Smart critters don’t forget what they find to dig out!

 

Went to TSC this morning and bought 30% vinegar and some weed killer. Used my credit card even though the card was not with me. Knew the card was somewhere in my files here in this desk in the office. Then came home, put the weed killer and vinegar out on the deck and came back inside to search through these files. Used my paper shredder and dumped it twice as things came out of those files that should have been thrown out ages ago. It took me nearly two hours to go through that mess, but now the files are better organized and the drawer is MUCH lighter! Even found some of the family ancestry papers that my cousin had sent to me. Seems some of the Pollard family started out in Tennessee before going to Arkansas. Someone wrote up a family story about one of the older women. Those women had some gumption and courage!

 

Was going to take a nap this afternoon and had three phone calls, so that was just about a lost cause. Oh well. At least someone cared enough to call. But one of the things that came out of a call was the condition of an older man who was being treated here at the hospital. Honestly! He was sick when he came in, and now he is in worse shape than when he first arrived. Hospitals are almost becoming a worse place to regain one’s health than a good home with a nurse practitioner. Think that would be my preference if a choice could be made. Having either Jennifer or Lance here after either of these two back surgeries certainly made a difference in how well the healing went. They can’t help it if Mom is a bit determined to ignore the BLTs. [Bends, Lifts, Twists that are forbidden.] Most of the time Jennifer will harp on me to DRINK more water. It is true that it is easy to ignore that water is necessary. Putting a bottle of water on my desk helps, however, when trying to remember.

 

Need to find a place to buy the heart worm meds for the dogs tomorrow. HAD a coupon from Chewy for 20% off a new prescription, but think it got thrown in the trash. Sigh. It never fails that the things that should be kept get tossed and the things that don’t matter get put somewhere to be kept! Oh well.

 

Have been seeing that some of the states are now admitting that they have thousands of people on their voting rolls that should never have been there in the first place. One state gave everyone with a driver’s license a voter registration card! For them not distinguishing between an American citizen and an alien is pretty stupid, but at least now they may get those people off the voters’ rolls and keep them from voting.

 

The folks in Israel believe that they are about to come under heavier attacks from Iran as the U.S. military are hitting Iran with just about every kind of weapon we have. The Iranians have been throwing things at Iraq because they allow the U.S. to have a base in their country. It really would be so great to be able to clean Iran up and dispose of the hateful members of their ruling class. Terrorists never stop being just exactly what they are. The only defense is complete removal of those dipsticks. Let’s hope that President Trump will get it done and over with as soon as possible.

 

Besides praying for our military and our leaders, let’s remember that Congress needs to be just as determined to keep America safe as our president has shown himself to be. We need to work together for the benefit of our nation and its people. We need to be sure that our food is “made in America” and that the plants that cut up the beef, chickens, pigs and any other foods are clean and well protected from any acts of terrorism. It bothers me that we do not have beef and sheep butchers in Texas and in any other state where we raise our critters for food. To have China determine how our foods are processed is just asking for trouble in my opinion.

 

Well, it is getting late and now that the Ninja cooker has been put in the refrigerator, it is time for this old woman to take her body and her opinions and put them to bed. We just need to have faith that God will see that what we have done will be the right moves. God will provide the direction if we take His guidance. Let us pray for His will to be done.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

A History of Reading.

 A History of Reading.

 

Back in 1963, my parents asked the Baptist pastor of the Petrolia Baptist church to counsel with me. Considering the kind of person he was, he gathered up some literature that the church had on hand and gave it to my dad so that it could replace any “counseling” that he might have to do. The literature talked about the Inquisition and how the Catholics killed the Jewish population and took all of their property and exiled them from Spain unless they could prove that they had become “good” Catholics. The horrors in those little booklets would have been enough to cause nightmares, but praise God, that did not happen. Oh, but then our eighth-grade homeroom teacher began to read aloud Exodus by Leon Uris until she had me back in class. She let me take the book home to read since my classes in French kept me out of P.E. classes and lasted a bit longer than the schedule for the other students. THAT book was an eye-opener! Horrors! And no one wanted to talk about that book with me. Anyway, by the time the parents sent me to the Academy of Mary Immaculate, the old woman should have been suspicious of anything resembling religious indoctrination. Didn’t happen. Those girls were just like me except that they went to mass every morning before class.

 

Now to what has been read this week: 4 Blood Moons by John Hagee was a repeat of the history from before the Inquisition to the Six-Day War and maybe beyond. Some of the material was a review of what we have seen since Israel became a modern nation in May of 1948—the same year of my birth in the same month. Hagee believes that the next time we have four blood moons with a complete eclipse of the sun will be the sign of the coming of Christ. My personal opinion is that his timing should be centered around the last three holy days. Christ has fulfilled the first four. The Feast of Trumpets is more likely to be the day of the rapture since it fulfills the scripture about the trumpet that will sound when the dead in Christ will be taken up, and then those that are still alive. Who knows exactly what the timing will be in that day, but if we have faith, we know that God will handle whatever needs to be done for us. Timing is His provenance.

 

Finally took a couple of pain pills this evening. Yep, as Judie Brunson would say: mind your BLTs! Have simply done too much and pushed myself too hard. You’d think that this healing would pretty much be accomplished, but somehow just doing a “little more” happens a bit too often. Not 19 any longer. Sigh.

 

Started another silly book that is not even a good cozy mystery and have about decided to delete it from my Kindle app. When not reading mysteries, historical or even critter-oriented books appeal to me. And yes, Black Beauty was one of my favorites as a child. Now and then, a good dog book just makes my day.

 

My shower this morning about made me think of getting this head of hair remodeled to a more sensible length. But this current length allows me to pull it all up off my neck. It’s a lot to wash, but it can still just drip dry after rubbing a towel over it. Seems like it has more curl in it than it did when it was short. Go figure.

 

Will go down to Patty’s in the morning and see if the big box that contained her new wheelchair can be whittled down to a manageable mess which will fit in the trash bin. Shona was telling me that she really wished we had a big dumpster instead of these trash bins, but this old woman totally disagrees. Told her she could toss her extra trash into my bin on trash days. A dumpster would have to be in ONE area only and they always stink to high heaven. Guess who washes her bin out every so often.

 

Patty’s daughter-in-law is coming on the 29^th to take her to see her lawyer and then to the phone store to purchase a new phone. She also wants to go to the bank, so we will see if they manage to get everything done that is on Patty’s list. She is finally getting her will signed. The original was going to cause all kinds of problems, but this one has only one heir mentioned. It made me look at my legal stuff and discovered that we had all those bases covered in case of my death or in case the old woman becomes too unstable to make her own decisions. Let’s hope that it is simply a death and not some lingering mess. No one wants to burden their children.

 

Our prayers need to be centered on God’s will and our own determination to follow God’s way. We must remember those serving our country both here and abroad as well as those who are responsible for where they are going. Let us pray also for Israel and those God holds in His hands. Remember that God blesses those who bless them (Israel) and curses those who curse them.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Long Time No See.

 Long Time No See.

 

That is what Dr. Wurster said to me today as he came in the room to check Sylvia over. Of course, this was a complete exam, so that was added to the expense of her vaccination for parvo, etc. Thought the charge for Thompson was pretty high the day before, but her visit was $356 plus some change. Going to have to stop seeing that man! He is ruining my budget! But he talked to me about a way that they have of giving a dog a shot to calm them totally down before working on their nails. No telling what it costs, but it might be worth it—just not THIS month!!

 

My daughter Jennifer and her husband Gary got home from their trip to Cabos—off the Baha peninsula. She said it was very relaxing and helped immensely. Now they have to go back to work and get caught up again.

 

Went up to United around seven and picked up an order of groceries. Figured that as long as the old woman can barely track and walk today, might as well get all the hard stuff done all at once. It is strange that Thompson and his “mom” are both just getting around like two little old folks. It hurts to get up and it hurts to walk, but we are still getting there!

 

Heard that one of the deacons went to check on his brother and ended up having him taken to the hospital again. They asked the man how he was doing on the antibiotics they had prescribed: he told them that they had not given him ANY prescriptions when he last left the hospital. Bet someone got a good chewing out! Honestly! When old folks start having problems, we need to be extra sure that they have the meds and tests that they need WHEN they need them!! One lady in the church has diabetes and some infected places on her foot. They are putting off the MRI for weeks!! That is just so stupid! It takes hardly any time at all for a bone infection to spread, not to mention that it hurts horribly!

 

Finished reading the book Sterling suggested to me: Four Blood Moons by John Hagee. It has some history in it that was a good reminder, but otherwise it was not terribly impressive. Most of the material was something we have known about since the main war when God protected Israel against the sons of Ishmael in 1967. That war was almost as amazing as some of the things that God did to protect America as a foundling nation. Anyway, yes, we can look for the four blood moons and total eclipse of the sun, but those series may or may not be the next major act in God’s plan. Honestly feel that the Feast of Trumpets will be the day that God takes His people away from the horrors of the Tribulation. No sense being concerned about it one way or another since we know that God is in control of our lives and our deaths.

 

We had a heat warning today that sounded pretty scary for this area, but it reminded me that we suffered through this kind of heat when we were children. A wet cloth did about as much good as anything when we were trying to go to sleep without even a fan. And if a mosquito got in the room with us, Daddy would bring out that horrible smelling stuff and spray the room to try to kill the flying menace. It reminds me: if you don’t think that one person can make a difference, you know nothing about having ONE mosquito in your bedroom!! Sterling kept a fuzzy black jumping spider in his room to take care of those things! It worked.

 

The dogs were happy to have their supper tonight with extra cheese on their kibble. They had a hamburger patty with cheese on top of their morning kibble after Sylvia drug me back inside when we returned from the vets’ office. My hamburger had cheese and pickles, so mine was better!

 

Patty has ordered the wheelchair that we will be using soon. She did not tell me today whether or not she got an appointment with her lawyer, so who knows if she will need me to take her. Guess she will let me know. Have been trying for a year to get her to get this done, but now she is convinced that she wants her will changed. Whatever works for her.

 

Flooding in West Virginia tonight. This nation is just either burning or flooding! May God bless us and help those who are suffering so much.

 

No sense talking about what else is going on. But honestly, if Congress takes time off again before putting money where it needs to go, someone needs to do some major rear end kicking!

 

Let us pray that God will help us to be loving and kind to others. Patience is needed every day.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Paying for Your Raising!

 Paying for Your Raising!

 

Mom used to say that her mother-in-law had absolutely no sense at all when she wanted something done and had no one to help her. Grandmother would move things that a man might think about more than once before moving. But she “gotter done.” Well, today Mom would have said that, as usual, “You are just like your grandmother!” Got the laundry (six loads, even if one was just the mop head and the cover for the doggy door) washed, dried, folded, and put away. Vacuumed most of the house; mopped sections of the house; re-arranged the living room; finished reading one book and started the one Sterling asked me to read; took a pain pill; and brushed the dogs out on the deck. No doubt the old woman will pay for the extra exercise, but the furry floors were just a bit much. Changing the bed linens didn’t really bother me, but still think one of the dog beds (the fluffy one that helps with their nerves) needs to be washed. Oh well.

 

Called my sister-in-law to wish her a happy birthday. She turned 84 today—three years older than Sterling. She said that her floors needed help, but she was just going to stick to dusting the furniture. She has dog fur and grass to contend with, but Sterling is pretty good about doing the floors. She was making meat loaf, so that is a pretty good trade off—cooking as opposed to cleaning.

 

While mopping in the big bathroom, a Texas spiny lizard started running around from the back door to under the big bathtub. Honestly could appreciate a gecko, but this thing really needs to find a new home. They get pretty big and have an attitude, and only one of us gets to have an attitude in this house!! At least it was not a big spider.

 

Talked to Sterling about my truck and how it was acting silly when it was driven 70 mph when we went out on the freeway the other day. Sterling told me that it needs to have the soot blown out once in a while. The poor truck has not been out on the highway since 2022—the year that Anne died over in Henrietta. Most of the time, my trips are to Lakeside Baptist (one mile and two tenths) or to United Supermarket (less than a mile). Not much sense in thinking about getting the engine warmed up otherwise. He suggested a trip somewhere to get the engine hot for a change. Maybe it would be a good idea to take some flowers out to the cemetery in Byers. Maybe Thursday would be good for that since Roger and Susan usually go out to mow his parents’ place on Thursdays.

 

Thompson will be going to see Dr. Wooster tomorrow. Here’s hoping that we don’t end up spending a small fortune for the Bravecto and Galliprant (just the prescription for that one). The blood tests that are required by the Galliprant usually end up costing around $100. Whew. At least the dogs don’t have fleas or ticks. Just excess fur flying all over the place!!

 

Patty has been laughing to herself and to me whenever we talk. Her friend “worries” about her if she can’t get her to answer the phone. She may not call for three or four days and won’t answer her own phone, but somehow, she thinks she is Patty’s care-taker. The other day she drove out here and saw that my truck was gone and that TWO cars were leaving Shona’s house and decided that we were being evacuated! Go figure. No smoke, so she thought maybe a flood? ALL of Archer County would have to be under water for our places to flood. Now we did have to evacuate when the south side of the lake was on fire, but that was years ago. We keep our grass as low as possible and give Zupkus fits if he does not have his cut down close. Oh well. Anyway, Patty has decided that the whole idea is funny. Whatever it takes to make her laugh.

 

Thompson found a snake the other day that looked a bit strange to me. It was BENT in the middle. It was just a grey and black rat snake, but it occurred to me that the dog might already have had a big shake of it. It was not moving, but by the time the old woman got out there, it was gone. Thompson is usually pretty good about not messing with something when he is told “leave it.” Michelle Malay’s oldest pup is pretty skeptical about snakes after being bitten by a copperhead. Poor baby! He is fine now, but he learned something.

 

Found the pair of “cheaters” that were purchased recently. Had put them in a drawer and looked over or under them a few times before “finding” them again. Honestly! It amazes me how doofless this old person can be. But these glasses are only good for reading since trying to look out over the top part is useless. My distance vision is just fine. It’s just the up close that doesn’t do so well. It finally occurred to me that the messages on my phone could be stretched out to make them larger. Duh.

 

Saw a short news article saying that a teenager in Montana has been practicing his roping, so when he took his rope on a picnic with his family, it turned out to be a blessing when he was able to rope a man who got thrown out of a boat and was being swept down the river. The man was holding on to an ice chest and the kid was able to rope him. It didn’t say whether or not the ice chest was rescued. (grinning here)

 

Then some idiot took a bunch of fireworks and stuff to an ICE center and basically got himself arrested for behaving as if he listened to folks say bad things about ICE. Surprise, surprise, surprise.

 

And yes, we are still dropping things on Iran or its friends. It is sad that more of our military are being killed, but at least we have not committed to “boots on the ground” at this point. Let us hope that we do not go that route at all.

 

Patty was saying that she had hoped that Argentina would win the soccer thing because Spain refused to let us use their bases for our jets during this war. They will find that it would have been to their advantage, but it may take awhile for them to realize that not being a friend to us will cause them problems. It reminds me that God said of His people: bless those who bless Israel and curse those who curse Israel. No, we are not Israel, but somehow it works out close to the same for various reasons. WE are Israel’s friend.

 

Rinsed out the bathtub today since it had a bunch of baking soda that had been in the new ice chest to take out the plastic smell. May just put some hot water and Epsom salts in there tonight and see about a nice hot soak. Will put my phone in the towel shelf next to the tub just in case. Have been getting around fairly well, but never plan to take any chances! Now if the stupid Texas spiney lizard will just not come out and run toward me!

 

Let us pray tonight for our nation, for our leaders and the men and women who are in these battles right now. Prayers for those who are ill or having problems in life, and let us pray for God’s will to be done in all of our lives. We are so very blessed in this nation to have relative safety and all the things that we need to make our lives worthwhile.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

A First for the Old Woman.

 A First for the Old Woman.

 

Thinking that my mother would be astounded. Her daughter taught her first Sunday school class today. Mom really thought that my beliefs were twisted beyond redemption at one point, and after that, there is no way to be sure that she even knew what was what since she suffered from more than just memory loss. Nothing his daughter ever did surprised my daddy, but then, he thought he had raised a good crop of kids. Fathers have that tendency not to be too judgmental maybe.

 

Sterling called this afternoon and wanted me to get a book by John Hagee called 4 Blood Moons. He thinks my history of learning all about the holy days would make this book much more interesting and educational to me. Since Amazon had it in the Kindle edition, it is now downloaded. Sterling thinks it is an amazing book. He usually is pretty good to judge things like that. We will see how that goes tomorrow. Finishing a book now about medicines developed by the women of England that were valuable especially during the second world war. Doctors were scarce and medicines even more so, and the villages still had people with normal aches and pains and assorted maladies that needed to be treated. Maybe it is considered holistic medicine, but if it works and helps people, it can be better than the little pills that relieve pain and upset the stomach!

 

Just recently downloaded a commentary on the book of Romans. Eventually the old woman is going to have to find a good Bible dictionary and atlas. We used to have some books along these lines, but they were in the bookcase in the living room where Lance packed everything up and took it off to be given away. It is understandable how he felt that day, but some of those books were pretty rare. Such is life.

 

Tonight it was Sylvia who told me that it was time for a dogs’ dinner. Cooked three hamburger patties and put slices of cheese on theirs. So, we all three had hamburger for a late dinner. They seemed pretty happy after that. They both love cheese.

 

The sermon today centered on how compassionate Joseph was toward others. He did his duty and beyond as well. It reminds me that we really all need to be aware of others and how they behave in some situations. It is usually pretty obvious when folks are distressed, but it can sometimes feel as if we are being too forward by obviously noticing their distress. Still, it is better to care and make it a habit of asking than just ignoring situations.

 

This war in the Middle East is not going to get better until Iran and its proxies have been totally disarmed and pushed into a corner. It looks now as if we are about to start a ground invasion into Iran. It is horrifying to me to think of our soldiers being put into this kind of battle, but it may be the only way to completely disarm Iran and any of those who are determined to use their weapons to close down the seaways. May God protect our warriors and those who have to make the decisions to take them into this country.

 

England and Argentina are probably pretty happy tonight. They both came out as winners in those soccer things. It is neat that these people got to come here to have their games, but it really does seem that they had more than just the games on their minds. It is good that they got to experience being here even if their teams were not the winners.

 

Some of the cities up north were awfully smoky. Detroit was asking all their non-essential people to stay at home and wear masks because of the smoke from Canada. Can’t imagine having any kind of lung issues and trying to breathe in that mess. Down here, we are still having clouds and some semi-cooler weather. Still hoping that Odessa and cities out that way are getting some rain.

 

Asked Pastor Hayes about a couple of women who were not at services. One is having car problems, and the other is having personal problems. Either way, it makes me feel that they need my prayers. One of the deacons who has been having health problems was there today and looking better than he has in a while. Honestly, it is difficult to know who is hurting and who is just feeling ornery some days. No one ever needs to ask with me—always ornery and more so on days that ache. Such is life.

 

Let us remember to pray for our country, our leaders, those who are trying to help us be faithful to God, and those who support everyone of those folks. May God continue to bless this country.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Assault on the Waiting Room, DMV.

 Assault on the Waiting Room, DMV.

 

Getting into and out of the truck turned out to be the biggest deal in our little attempt at getting legal today. Patty has to be able to pull herself up into the cab so we can go anywhere, and then she has to hang on while she basically slides out of the seat onto the steps going down to the ground. She handled it! Then we had to sign into a kiosk to get a number for her to wait a half hour in order to get her paperwork run through, her vision tested, and her picture taken. They needed her birth certificate and her old license so she could be legal for the time being. All she really needed was her driver’s license so she could vote next time we have an election. She no longer drives.

 

While we were waiting with all the rest of the folks filling out a form for verification of residency, my phone rang. Shona said that someone came looking for Patty because she had not been able to reach her for an hour. Debbie F. calls maybe every three or four days to check on Patty. So today she came out to see her and stopped at Shona’s to ask where Patty was. AS IF! Anyway, I tried to call Debbie—straight to voice mail—and then Patty had me text her daughter-in-law just in case Debbie panicked and tried to get Patty that way. Think Patty was pretty well frosted with Debbie. Oh well.

 

Shona and her kids are on their way to see her mom in the assisted living place they found for her. Shona is so much happier with this place that gets her mom up and gets her moving around. The last place just left her in bed and didn’t even move her around!! That is just terrible for a person’s body. Not moving can cause bedsores in nothing flat.

 

Called the vets’ office this morning and found out that Dr. Wurster won’t be back until Monday. We will wait and see if he will be able to see Thompson that day rather than see one of the other vets. He understands about trying to save money on meds and tests. He is one of the owners of Colonial. Then we can get Sylvia in to see him either that day or another when he is there.

 

Ordered that book that Carla Beard wrote and found out it is not coming out until September or October. Oh well. Asked her if she would like to visit Texas to autograph it for me. LOL The last time she came, we had a really dry year. This year the Pedernales is flooded and all the Hill Country is running in water! Not exactly a good traveling situation.

 

We got a good rain last night and it was still raining just a bit before we left for the DMV. Now the sun is out and things are about to get pretty steamy. The rain will make the grass green up and grow like a bunch of bad weeds! That’s ok by me!

 

We stopped by Whataburger to pick up some lunch before coming home. My dogs ate the bread and a few tiny bites of the fried chicken from my sandwich. They always know that they are going to get something! The old woman actually made breakfast this morning, so the onion rings would have actually been more than enough, but the chicken really did smell good.

 

The talking heads played some footage today of all the bangs going on in the Middle East while the US attempts to keep Iran from doing anything like what it has in the past. A person has to feel for the common citizens who live in that land and who don’t want to do the stupid stuff their government tries to do. Just will be glad when our ships can turn toward home and bring our folks home. May God bless our endeavors and our leaders.

 

Using something called Jacana on my knee today. For some reason it has been doing little zingers from the bottom of the scar to the top. Go figure! A person’s body can do some really strange things after surgeries. Guess just being able to walk around the front yard and enjoy my plants is a blessing to be appreciated!

 

Looks like America is going to present a pretty smoky place to play the next world cup game. Canada is sending its smoke our direction whether or not they had that intent. Maybe just a few more rest breaks will make the difference for the players. Let’s hope this does not hurt anyone’s life in the long run. Maybe it could be worse, however. At least New York does not expect any tsunamis.

 

Let us pray for the rapid completion of our military goals. Iran is never going to be anything other than a terrorist nation so we might as well remove anything they can use to hurt others.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

A Quick Rain with Sunshine.

 A Quick Rain with Sunshine.

 

Plans were made yesterday to take Patty out to the DMV (Highway Patrol office) so she could get her license renewed. We were waiting on the oxygen delivery, so we simply did not get to go since the O2 truck did not arrive until after 2 pm. Grrrrr. Oh well. Tomorrow is another day. But at least this was a good day for rain and sunshine both. Put my truck out from under the carport so that it could get a good rinse off. Maybe that will help it.

 

Worked on the lesson for this coming Sunday. Here’s hoping that the things that seem to matter more to me in these lessons are ones that others will understand and appreciate. The idea that God is the one who can make the only true covenant because He can never go back on His word makes it easier to see why we can depend on what He promises. The main problem with the Israelites was that they were as wishy washy as the day is long. They never could perfectly—or half way, for that matter—keep up their end of a promise. So, God’s best plan for their lives (ours as well) can be delayed until resistance to or rebellion against the plan is resolved. The book by DeHann suggests that the people of Israel will be fooled into a false sense of the fulfillment of the promise to Abraham for all the land that was given to them. The False Prophet will promise them that the land will finally be theirs. And then they will lose everything. We will eventually see if what DeHann said will turn out to be true, but it makes sense considering their history—or the history of mankind, for that matter.

 

Know my daughter and son-in-law are enjoying some time away from work. Have no idea what these vacations are like down in Mexico. If it entails swimming or scuba diving, it would have to be pretty neat. However, Jenn said that some places protect their beaches so drastically that no one is allowed near them. Go figure.

 

Need to take the dogs in to see the vet next week. Joy to the world. That is so freaking expensive. But going to the other side of town to the PETS clinic is just a bit much. Colonial is really too expensive, but it is close and the vets are good with my dogs. Just need to get the Bravecto meds refilled for them. Thompson also has to have a refill on his Galliprant for his arthritis. They usually want a blood test for that one, but since he is already 12 years old, it does not seem sensible to me. Oh well.

 

Pretty sure no one wants to think about politics right now, but noticed that they are attempting to re-finance social security since they took a bunch of those funds that all of us paid in for years. If they don’t work it out somehow, they could take up to $450 out of our monthly “benefits” in a few years. Frankly, that just frosts my flakes. If they could remove the indecent amount of fraud from the various programs currently being used by foreign nationals, they would have plenty of money to refinance social security.

 

Argh! Should never think about political bottom sediments this late in the evening. Maybe thinking about how many “idols” we have in our lives will help me go to sleep. That was one of the questions in our lesson for this week. To tell the truth, even FB could become a type of idol if a person feels that seeing what is being said has to happen each day. Guess at least one or two of the forms of information doesn’t quite get my attention that often. Noticed that my emails were backed up for a couple of days. Not like anything was all that important. Just had a receipt for a book ordered so that it will get in the mail soon. The only problem is that it will not be signed by the author—Carla Beard! Looking forward to reading this one.

 

Time to get busy and ask God to protect and relieve the suffering of those folks from Waco to San Antonio! We got a nice rain. They got a horrible flood. May they be saved from further disasters!

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Getting Things Done.

 Getting Things Done.

 

Not that getting online is that big of a deal, but it bothers me when the internet is down here on this old hill. AT&T has been pretty good so far, but they were less than helpful this morning and even had me download an app that sounded pretty sketchy. When Matt the man from AT&T got here, he removed the app from my phone and told me what it was all about. He also showed me what had happened on my computer to keep me offline. Now to be able to remember those two little steps!

 

For some reason, the shower and head washing this morning left my hair fuzzing all over the place. Recently bought something called Heritage that smells good and is supposed to keep the frizzies at bay. Have only used it once and thought it made my face feel sticky even though the old woman was careful to spray ONLY the hair. Oh well. It’s not like anyone is going to be shocked at the sight of frizzy hair. Or that the old woman would care if she shocked anyone!

 

Shona asked how things were going this morning and let her know that it seemed as if the “blessings” that go with getting older also had included some totally sore muscles and joints. She said that reading the fine print in those agreements on aging made a big difference. Giggling. She is still so active and gets things done that this old woman once was able to do. Sigh.

 

Tomorrow, if nothing untoward happens, will take Patty out to see the Highway Patrol so she can get her license renewed. She wants to be able to vote and to use her license at the bank and such. She has stopped driving, but that license is still important to her. Think it is pretty understandable. Anyway, maybe we can get this done before it gets unreasonably hot. She thinks it is supposed to be less than 90 degrees tomorrow. Now if only we can get the oxygen people to show up either early or after we get back!

 

Saw that Jennifer was in Grapevine or some such. She and Gary are on their way to someplace in Mexico for a week’s vacation. They both need it pretty much. Gary was working seven days a week there for awhile trying to catch up with all the business that came in when folks were concerned with tariffs. Jennifer was working six days a week just keeping up with what she does. Lance said that he felt there for awhile that he was never going to catch up to the orders. Things have settled down pretty well for now, however.

 

Although DG (Patty’s step-son) and his wife (Michelle) and mother-in-law are supposed to be here this weekend, Patty has two other things she wants to get done as soon as she can. She needs a new phone and wants to go to the bank to get some cash out. Since they are bringing the “mil” with them, she may not ask Michelle to take her to the phone store. Patty doesn’t feel that she really gets to talk when Michelle’s mom comes with her.

 

We had a little shower earlier this afternoon. Pretty sure that it was not enough to water any of the plants, but it made the air feel good. Just feel sorry for those folks down west of San Antonio who are getting washed away. Well, and the Hill Country is getting it again, too. Rain is nearly always good to have in Texas, but getting a year’s worth in an hour is not too great. At least it has not been tornadoes. Beats fires and electrical outages!

 

Finally finished Daniel the Prophet by DeHann. Noticed that Sterling had read it four times! Once was probably all it will ever get from me. Yes, it was good, but it was originally published back in 1947 before Israel became a modern nation. What he shows from Daniel and Revelation as to the prophesies of what will take place and how Israel will be treated is just a bit much for me. Knowing that God is always in control makes me feel better, but also knowing how horrible the false prophet will be just makes me cringe. All the things that can be made into what looks “real” can be done with AI now. It does not take much to convince people of what they want to believe.

 

Speaking of reading, downloaded the book of Romans with a commentary that combines some of the early Christian writers with commentary by David Guzik. Had never heard of him, but the way the book is set up, he uses one color to show the scripture from the Bible and other colors and outlines to show the various commentaries by authors from way back to modern times. Anyway, Romans has always been difficult for me to read because Paul writes like a lawyer trying to prove your stupidity. And for me, it doesn’t take much. These explanations have helped so far, however. It just struck me as funny that Peter said that what Paul wrote was difficult to be read. For right now, the old woman just has to be ready to teach one more section of Joshua and then Judges and Ruth before we start on Romans. The most impressive thing about Joshua is how God told the Israelites that HE made the covenant that they would receive the land. He never goes back on His word, so someday Israel will receive those lands that God promised to Abraham and his descendants.

 

Got a message from the bank telling me that they wanted to send me a new bank card to replace the current one. Things like that always make me nervous. Argh! I despise having a banking app on my phone, but it lets me deposit checks without having to actually drive to the bank. It’s not like that happens often, but who wants to have to download an app each time just to deposit a check. Oh well. Life goes on, lolly, lolly.

 

That expression: life goes on, lolly, lolly: was one Lewis used to say every so often. It seems like it came from a song that was from the Louisiana Cajuns. But he could take parts of songs and make them into all kinds of fun sayings. My daddy did the same thing. Patty gets a kick out of hearing me come up with those old sayings because Donny used to use them too. Well, it takes all kinds of good things to make good memories.

 

Let us pray that we can get finished in the Middle East and make a difference. May God direct President Trump and those who make decisions about our military and other areas that matter so desperately. We know that whatever God directs will be for the best.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Cloud Cover over Fenoglio Lane.

 Cloud Cover over Fenoglio Lane.

 

This beautiful morning is just a little bit better due to the cloud cover. The old woman went out to water the few flowers that are bringing out bright spots in the yard. Of course, now the hose needs to be rolled up so that Blake can mow without taking a chance on cutting it up. Probably should have done that as soon as the watering was finished. Oh well.

 

Patty sounded good this morning and said that the rain needs to wait until AFTER Blake finishes our yards and acreage. She’s right, of course. Cut the grass and THEN give it a good soaking. However, some parts of Texas and points west of Midland and Odessa are looking for downpours to some level of flooding. Go figure. The weather just seems to keep getting stranger and stranger.

 

Was planning on talking to Carol Thonton this morning about her chances for rain, but she asked to call back since she was in her doctor’s office. She sounded as if she were in pain, so am praying that whatever is wrong will be made right or at least better. Deep sigh.

 

Just put some chicken breasts on to thaw so that they will be easier to fit into the Ninja pot to slow cook. Something about chicken salad just feels right about now. Summer time is about melons, salads, iced teas, or sandwiches. Finished off a big pot of tomato with stewed beef yesterday. Did you know that those cans of tomato soup with basil are just about the best thing for a stew? Of course, that is just one woman’s opinion, but tender beef for stew and tomatoes with basil just make me feel happy. If memory helps me long enough to put that kind of ingredients on my grocery list, may just do that again sometime in the near future.

 

Ok, the hose is circled and placed out of the way. Then, too, the vines that Brenda Jones gave me have been repotted and my fingernails dug out from the mud. Such fun! If these vines can do well in the semi-shade of the stupid Bradford pear, they will get to climb it this year as soon as the repotting shock wears off. Even if the tree splits or dies entirely, the vines will be well established by then. Brenda’s yard is absolutely something to be admired! She has every kind of flower that will grow in Texas out there. Some are in pots that will be put in her green house over the winter, but most are just planted in the soil. And her soil must be rich like the stuff in my backyard. Chicken poop has all kinds of good stuff about it to make things grow—including the jungle that is currently my back yard!

 

Today is International Rock Day! Oh! How deliciously funny! It reminds me of the trip to California made when Jennifer was nine years old. We went with a busload of folks from church and took a few detours. Every time the young men would go to load our suitcases on top of the bus, they would complain about the cases just getting heavier with every stop. Good thing they never asked what we were putting in there because all of us women were finding pretty rocks to take home!!! Even bought Jennifer some rocks that were carved into eggs of different colored stone!! Yes, we are still dingy about rocks and have collections wherever someone can look! Strange? Maybe. But then, why would there be an international rock day if we were the only strange women in the world?

 

A bit ago we had some rain—not enough to get anything really wet, but enough of a storm to cause the dogs to get under my feet or under my desk in the office. Maybe it will wait until Wednesday or Thursday to really give us a good soaking. Certainly, would enjoy a good wet day!

 

Got the chicken cooked and put away in the fridge. Will make some chicken salad tomorrow, but today it was some chicken soup with corn and red onion thrown in for extra fiber and flavor. Love this Ninja cooker that Jennifer had delivered here. She comes up with some of the best ideas.

 

Have a bunch of reading to do today and some more the rest of the week, so will call it a day for now and go sit down in the Papasan chair to read. Two books online and two on my reading table are calling my name! Good thing this old woman does not watch TV. FB is bad enough to waste time!!

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Prayer Life.

 Prayer Life.

 

Over the years, many books have come and gone in this house, and among them were some of the “daily prayer” types. In fact, right now, next to the throne in the big bathroom, a book sits there entitled God is With You Every Day by Max Lucado. It was a gift from my friend Michelle. It can be read and re-read as many times as one cares to do so. Then there are large print magazines sent to me by my sister-by-another-mother, Sharon Dickerson. The Upper Room has articles that are almost as inspiring as any of the psalms simply because they are familiar situations in our world today. But maybe the most inspiring place that ever touched my prayer life has been the home in which we grew up. Every meal, every occasion of stress or joy was met with a prayer. When Sterling left for Germany in the Army or when he was sent to Vietnam were times when my parents spent time praying that became obvious. But he came home.

 

Mom and Dad were given a brand-new Chevrolet when my Kennedy grandparents came back to Texas and lived in the same town as Mom and Dad. Eventually, the car became known as “Old Hope So.” The parents would go somewhere and just hope that they would get back home. Yes, a few times we ended up pulling their car back to their house. But most of the time, Mom prayed that car to wherever they were going. More than once, Lewis explained to Dad that if one hose burst, ALL the hoses should be replaced. He didn’t listen very well, so he ended up having the engine overhauled. No prayer will keep an engine from burning up without water in the radiator.

 

Talking to my friend Carol Thonton, she told me that she has a tendency to begin with a celebration of prayer in the morning when she wakes up. It does seem true that we can actually feel more joyous when we wake up to a new morning, but she said that she doesn’t have a set routine for her prayers because she just carries on a conversation with God as she goes through her day. That feels pretty close to what happens around here. Shortly after the knee replacement surgery, it felt like a great time to say thank you every time that leg worked and didn’t feel as if it were going to crater. It probably did not bother God to hear those “Thank you for letting me be able to walk” prayers those mornings. Anyway, more than once in my life, the answer to a prayer has been quite obvious.

 

Lately, it has been obvious to me, at least, that prayers have been answered. Danny Pollard and his daughter Kristen have gone through the kidney replacement surgery, and Danny seems to be doing well so far. God has blessed him and Kristen both. Then it seems that prayers for those in the church just sit there on the prayer list. Yes, we are mostly older folks and some have some pretty drastic health problems. However, while we may not have the strength to do many of the things we would like to do, we all have time to pray for those just like us who need that extra encouragement. Dealing with falls, diabetes, heart attacks and such takes a fair amount of patience to go with the prayers. But knowing that others care about us can make a big difference in our attitudes.

 

We can also pray for rain. Our country is dry beyond belief in some areas, and that is why we are having fires all over the western area of our nation. If the rains would come without producing floods, the fire fighters would not have to struggle so much to put out the fires. And we know that homes, farms, livestock and pets have all been affected by these fires. Let us pray for all those affected.

 

Then we have the situations all over the world that have affected more than just the U.S. Our navy is in the Middle East. Some of those sailors—men and women—have not been at home or off the ships in months! Let us pray for them and their feelings of stress and homesickness. Then, too, let them accomplish whatever truly needs to be done to be able to come home safely. We know logically that no terrorist can be dealt with in a reasonable manner. Let the military and our president and those supporting him be wise in all their decisions. Let them look to God for help and for answers. May our leaders also remove the fraud and corruption in Congress and in all the places that our money supports. We would not even have a national debt if there were no corruption. May God bless our nation that common sense will become more common.

 

May those affected by storms, earthquakes, and other disasters be relieved of the horrors of loss of life and the disruption of life’s expectations. Help us to be aware and to care for others and their circumstances. May we care deeply for our mates, children, and neighbors as we would have them care for us. And may we give others the respect and appreciation that they deserve. No man or woman should disrespect his or her mate. Only loving thoughts should be brought out in public about our mates—and the same with our children lest they feel as if they do not matter to those who should love them the most. May we have the personality to give love in all circumstances.

 

Yes, maybe the blog tonight feels like a prayer. But so much of our life depends on both our attitude and the blessings of God upon us, our family, our nation, our world. We have so much for which we can be thankful. A prayer can be praise and a request for forgiveness any time we think about where our prayers are directed. May God hear our voices.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Route 66 Group Fun!

 Route 66 Group Fun!

 

Despite the fact that Roger and Susan were home with this silly head stuffing malady that is going around, ten of us still made an inordinate amount of noise at Pioneer this afternoon. Sitting between Lowry Mayo and the lady whose name the old woman can never remember was interesting (Charlotte Reimers). Lowry’s wife said that he had managed to lose his phone last week. Anyway, the company he bought from said that he had insurance for the entire family affair, so they replaced his phone. Yay!

 

Patrick Morgan promised to call his sister Shirley to see if she wanted to go to the little Lakeside church. Some of our members can’t handle the heat, just like some can’t handle the cold in the winter. Let’s face it, when we get old, we get crabbier than anything in the ocean! Debra Jones said that they know where the church is, so if they decide to come, it is at least close for them.

 

Speaking to Roger, he assured me that the 60^th reunion of our class turned out well at the “new” Petrolia school. They had pictures taken, so maybe they will be on Facebook eventually.

 

Just spoke with my brother about class books used in Sunday school. His church does not buy books but just teaches from the Bible and uses a concordance for anything extra. Sounds good to me since it seems the church is trying to cut costs. These books are not strictly necessary if a person stops to just study one book or another. In Judges, what comes across the most is the fact that it is GOD who promised the land to Israel. It was HIS promise which was not predicated on the behavior of Israel, but on His grace. God knows we are going to screw up things one way or another, so when He wants to be sure things work the way He wants them to, He makes the covenant an unconditional one that depends on its fulfillment upon the faithfulness of God alone. A covenant of grace is what God made with HIMSELF in the interest of another—first with Abraham concerning the land and his descendants. Those promises are still—and always—in effect.

 

Charlotte and the old woman were talking about the doctrine of once saved, always saved. Apparently, she was concerned just as much as the neighbor who recently asked me about it. It is an easy question to answer: if we ask forgiveness and accept the sacrifice of Christ as our savior, God never sees us as we are; He sees the blood of Christ. No cleanser out there nor any action on our part can ever remove the blood of Christ. Anyway, Charlotte thanked me. Maybe it made her appreciate what God has done for her. It always has for me.

 

Patty says that she feels as if something is right outside her back door waiting to make her gasp for air. Not sure if it is the humidity or the Sahara sand or the smoke residue, but the air feels mighty heavy lately. BUT we may get some rain this weekend. It is definitely worth a prayer for rain even if it does mean that the grass will grow more.

 

Barbara was telling about her dog tripping her when she went to check the quilt she was making on Mike’s bed. The dog got right under her and nearly made her go down. She was able to catch herself, but it scared her. WHY we let these animals play with our abilities to maneuver is beyond me! But next week the old woman has to take her oldest dog to see the vet. Just ONE dog gets to go at a time, however. Not EVER going to try taking both dogs at once again!!

 

Michelle Malay came this morning to visit. She was waiting for her appointment with a guy to cut her hair. He charges $15 per head. She said that she did not care what it looked like as long as it was short and cooler. Then she told me her son was coming up this weekend to take her oldest dog to the vet to have him put down. She cannot pick old Ruger up any longer. It does not take much to be too heavy for us when it comes to picking things up. She has a shoulder that has to have surgery this fall, but even if it were not messed up, not sure she could pick up an 80-pound dog. Mine are only a bit over 60 pounds, but that is still too heavy. Just loading up Patty’s Roxy and her carrier always causes me a bit of strain, and that little dog is hardly as heavy as a couple of gallons of milk! It’s probably just the awkwardness of the carrier that causes the problem when she has to be seat belted into my truck.

 

Well, watched a bunch of Congressional messes and shook my head. What does a person have to do to get elected so that the person does not have to show up for any congressional meetings? Now, that seems like the perfect job. Get elected on some wild backside promises and then just stay at home for the workdays. At least the Supreme Court has backed up and said that the law made back in the 1800s is still on the books and viable. If the parents of children are here illegally, the child born to them is not going to be a U.S. citizen. So, there. This made me consider my great-grandson’s birth. His daddy is definitely a citizen of the U.S. His mother was adopted as a child and is a citizen by adoption. So that should cover that situation. Then the states can consider the illegal “birth centers” for women who come here merely to have their children born in the states. Those centers and anyone affiliated with them will be closed down and the children declared non-citizens. It’s about time!

 

Seeing the billions of dollars’ worth of fraud just makes me want to use bad language, well, at least hot language. We could erase the national debt in nothing flat if we were able to find and shovel out the fraud in the different agencies. If President Trump can truly drain the swamp, those agencies will be closed down and not be able to spend another dime on fake daycare centers, homelessness solutions, fake transportation agencies and works, the paying of medical fees for people who are not even citizens, the feeding of people who do not live where they are supposedly living, and several other silly situations that drain our government funding. Proving that people really exist and are citizens should be a priority right now. Removing dead people from voters’ rolls should make a huge difference in representation. Please God, let us learn to eliminate fraud and theft.

 

When we make up our minds to deal with life on our own two feet, God is usually willing to help us. When we seek truth and honesty, we are blessed. The blessings of God have not really changed. We simply must appreciate and trust God when we see foolishness.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.