Wasps and Spiders.

 Wasps and Spiders.

 

A young man named Eric is supposed to come up from Graham on Friday to spray the inside and outside of my house. The wasps worry me for several reasons and spiders—other than the furry black ones who eat flies and skeeters—are not my favorite critters. It costs a bit every three months, but getting stung or bitten might be even more costly in the long run. If the mosquitoes are bad again this year, it is possible to have them spray for those as well, but that spray might kill “good” insects as well, so will just put out the mosquito bait and hope for the best.

 

Went to Sutherlands today. That was one VERY expensive rain gauge. Well, maybe it was the plants and potting soil that ran up the bill. Got the “full sun” plants put into the planters out by the east fence. Tomorrow, if the old woman can still move, maybe the partial sun, partial shade ones will be planted in the herb bed on the southeast side near my bedroom window. Here’s hoping that the old body will be willing to untrack in the morning.

 

The price of some of these flowers and veggie seeds is just unreal. Some of them are nearly $3 per package. And you know you will only get a tiny bit of seeds compared to all that paper packaging! Which reminds me of my loving husband and his “helping” me to plant the seeds the year right before Lance was born. He tore open a package of seeds and exclaimed, “Nancy, you got cheated! This package only has some dust in it!” Well, those petunias are still coming up each year right next to the west side foundation where he “dusted” off his hands. Had to explain to him that petunia seeds are quite small. From then on, he called ALL flowers petunias! Each year he took me to get more “petunias” to put in the front flower bed so he could sit on the front porch and smell them and enjoy looking at them. His mother did not care for flowers and never planted anything like that in the yard.

 

My friend Michelle should be here tomorrow so she can get two new tires on her truck. She had planned to do this last week but slipped on a puppy potty pad in the kitchen floor and ended up at the ER and getting x-rays. Nothing was broken, but a fall always has side effects. At my age, potty training a puppy is just not in the cards. Anyway, looking forward to sitting down for a nice visit.

 

Walked down to Patty’s this morning and put her trash in the bin and checked her mail for her. Then we sat outside and kept an eye on Roxie as she made her rounds. She will undoubtedly need to go to see the vet techs next week, so that is going to be one of the things on my “to do” list. The little zip-up carrier has wheels, so it is not like she has to be carried, but getting her in and out of the truck is still definitely different. Her weight is not really that much, but it is just awkward to get that carrier strapped into the seat.

 

SO glad that Julian will be here either tomorrow or Thursday to get my list started. He saw the little trees that came up in the fence and next to the foundation. Those will have to be dug out to keep them from coming back. He will be a busy man for at least a couple of hours. If possible, maybe Gregg will be available some time in the near future to work on the fence again. Ordered over $50 worth of fencing that can be hammered into the lines and fastened with these special staples to the wire above the part being put into the ground. That may not make sense when trying to visualize, but it means that the dogs can’t dig out or go through the wires currently keeping them inside the lots.

 

The grass was still wet at ten this morning, so unless we get a change of weather, we will have a young jungle for Blake to cut next week. It is up to Roxie’s tail, so it will definitely need to be cut back. SO thankful for Blake and his work ethic!

 

Cut my seven sisters rose bush back this afternoon and stuffed the branches in the trash bin. Will hope that Julian will put the little “trees” in there as well. Looking at this place with someone else’s eyes might show me what needs to be done, but it is hard to see it that way. It seems that keeping things neat and nice is a constant work in progress.

 

Ok, let me ask you guys a question. This old woman has always been particular about giving donations to places. Gary Senise is one that makes me feel as if it really is a service organization. And just about any volunteer fire department is another. When a gift is given, it makes me feel better to just put it in the name of a person for whom that organization has meaning. Thus, my brother the Vietnam vet or maybe the church which sees me on Sundays get those “donation” credits. How do you feel about choosing the places that you feel should be helped?

 

It’s about time to put this old body down for the evening. A muscle relaxer and a pain pill should take care of what ails it, and the dogs should be settled down enough to sleep through the night as well. Patty said that she is having skunks on her camera every night, so it is not like it would be a good idea to let the dogs out after dark unless giving them a bath is just the icing on the cake around here!! Critters!

 

Let us do our best to keep our heart on God and His will by reading His word and loving others as we love ourselves.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

A Helping Hand.

 A Helping Hand.

 

A nice grey truck came up Fenoglio Avenue today. Julian came to visit. He sat down on the front bench so the dogs could talk to him for a minute. It just keeps them from being left out and from wanting to jump up on anyone to have them sit for a minute. Of course, Sylvia really wanted to get in his lap! He does not really like dogs at all, but he says he likes little dogs. Whatever. I just don’t want my dogs to think he is a stranger so he won’t get a surprise—a bite or otherwise.

 

Julian is such a helper! He understands what needs to be done and usually brings what he thinks he will need to get the work done. The last time he had a big job to do, it took him almost all day to remove the concrete post holders for the pergola. The pergola is missed, but that one post was almost rotten all the way through. It probably would not have fallen, but why take the risk. Anyway, it was hard work and he let me know he appreciated the payment. The job this week is not a big deal, but the old woman simply cannot use a shovel or pick up the stepping stones that need to be moved. All the limbs that need to be taken from the crepe myrtle can be dropped in the trash bin, but it may be that the old woman can trim it up without too much trouble. We will see.

 

Maria has become a chicken momma. One of the hens hatched a chick and did not want it back, thank you very much, so now Maria has it in the house. Sitting here smiling to myself. She tried to get another hen to take the chick, but the hen pecked it. Nope, Maria is now a chicken momma!

 

Maybe this week the exterminator will be called to see if we can eliminate some of the doggone wasps. This kind is not the one that makes my body react so terribly, but it still is not fun to be stung. Maybe the man with all the spray stuff can get rid of them for me. They make nests in some of the strangest places.

 

Sterling sent me six books for research purposes (Bible references). Then someone around here picked up three more at services Sunday. Guess what she has been doing all morning! Yes, between the Sunday school lesson and reading one of the Graham evangelical ministry magazines, just a bunch of reading has happened. Then a sudden notion about Job occurred to me, so that was the next reading material. Meanwhile, a couple of phone calls got my phone down to 35% and it needed to be recharged. Oh well. It’s not like the old woman needed to be doing any vacuuming. [Well, that is not to say the floors don’t need the help, but only that she won’t be doing it.]

 

Robin Christian, a friend who worked with me on AOL years ago, told me the funniest thing this morning. She has taught Sunday school forever and recently one of the kids was badly hurt in some kind of accident. She has always sent them cards, but she sometimes includes notes. This child asked, “Mom, why is Miss Robin writing to me in a foreign language?” The note was written in cursive. Not going to lie and say that it did not make me laugh and almost cry at the same time. Children need to write in cursive!

 

Sterling said that the lumber yard had donated a huge load of wood to his work. One of the men at the lumber yard asked for two more big rocking chairs for a member of his family who needed them. Sterling makes them for free for any of the men who work there no matter what they want. The owners are Christians and have helped out various churches in that area including a load to his church—what he calls the livestock barn. They have a relatively small church, but they also have some children who come there to get something to eat. The people in that area simply do not have money for everything the children need. And the congregation cooks up a BIG bunch of food for the nights or days when the kids are supposed to be there. Apparently, the kids are not picky.

 

According to my weather station, we have received 5 inches of rain this month. Thinking that a REAL rain gauge might be closer to correct. This electronic thing leaves me wondering. This may necessitate a trip to my favorite store: Sutherland’s.

 

Let us be still and remember that God is still in charge. We can pray for our government and for those in charge of whatever services we may need right now. Let us remember to show love in whatever we do or say. Let us be the reflection of God’s love.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty--by James Thurber.

 The Secret Life of Walter Mitty—by James Thurber.

 

The short story deals with a vague and mild-mannered man who drives into Waterbury, Connecticut, with his wife for their regular weekly shopping and his wife's visit to the beauty parlor. During this time, he has five heroic daydream episodes, each inspired by some detail of his mundane surroundings. The first is as a pilot of a U.S. Navy flying boat in a storm, followed by Mrs. Mitty's complaint that Mitty is "driving too fast". As he drives past a hospital, he imagines himself a magnificent surgeon performing a one-of-a-kind surgery. Later, a newsboy shouting about the "Waterbury Trial" begins Mitty's third fantasy, as a deadly assassin testifying in a courtroom. While waiting for his wife, he picks up an old copy of Liberty, reading "Can Germany Conquer the World Through the Air?", and begins his fourth daydream, as a Royal Air Force pilot volunteering for a daring suicide mission to bomb an ammunition dump. As the story ends, Mitty stands against a wall, smoking, and imagines himself facing a firing squad, "inscrutable to the last."

 

Can’t tell you how long it took me to remember the character’s name, but it is ridiculous to know something like that and not be able to put it to words. But just about any of us have this tendency to “see” ourselves as more important, more heroic, and more needed than what we are in reality. Imagination has a place in our lives—for all of us. Sometimes we might just feel that no one is really paying attention to us at all. That may just be why FB and some of the other venues seem so important to some of us. Those numbers surely can’t lie!! But then, we have to look at who really has said that we matter. Can you say it aloud and truly believe it?

 

When we were young, our parents or grandparents made us feel special—well, that is true for many young people but certainly not all youngsters were made to feel that they mattered. Then there were the “special” holidays that pointed out the individuals—Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, anniversaries and birthdays. Those have always been a commercial success to point out how special someone is. But when you get right down to it, the special days don’t really make a difference. Yes, we can appreciate being remembered, but it takes something deeper to have true meaning.

 

Someday you will be given a white stone with a new name on it. That name will mean something special to you and to the One who will give it to you. He will tell you that you were special before you were even conceived, before you were ever born! And this One will live with you always, forever! And you will be special and treasured by that One in a way that only you can be—in a way that will have meaning from now on. Do you know now? Do you know the One who loves you now and who will always treasure you?

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Little Memories.

 Little Memories.

 

Thinking about my friend AnnaBeth today and hoping that she is feeling much better. When Jennifer was not quite a baby but not a little girl yet, she would wiggle and twist to keep from getting still enough to go to sleep. We were at Bible study one night and AnnaBeth was sitting behind us. Walking Jennifer outside had not helped in the least, so going back inside, she looked over my shoulder at Beth and must have stuck out her arms. Guess where she went to sleep! She grew up thinking that Beth was extra special. Then there was a time when she spent an afternoon with Verna Mae and discovered that she liked orange juice. She also ate raw bell peppers and other veggies raw that she had not tried before, but she was happy to eat them for Verna Mae. It just so happened that Verna Mae took her to school several times that fall as this ol’ woman was expecting at any moment. Somewhere in all the pictures we have a picture of Verna Mae, Jennifer, and Lance that shows them ready to go to school. How do we ever make it in life without these friends?

 

A trip to United this afternoon was a bit of a disappointment. One of the main reasons for the trip was going to the pharmacy, but they not only did not have the prescription ready, they did not even think that they got it in the first place. Sent a message to my doctor who said the prescription was sent on the 4^th of this month. The pharmacy was happy to fill the dog’s prescription, but that would not have taken care of the situation for me very well. Anyway, the doctor was going to call them or send it again. So happy that Dr. Blackwell pays attention to such stuff.

 

Have some ribs on cooking. United sometimes has these deals where you buy one and get one free. Already cooked ribs put back in the freezer means that it is easy to have a meal ready in just a few minutes. It is not that the old woman is in any kind of a hurry, but some conveniences just make life simpler. Some of those frozen meals—some kind of name with a Hawk in it—are very good meals with just about enough for an old woman. Meat and potatoes are good with or without a green veggie to go with it. Those quick cooking bags of vegetables can be ready in five minutes and fill up the hole in the bottom of an appetite.

 

Pulled one of the water hoses out to water the plants under the AC unit. We may get some more rain Sunday, but meanwhile the cucumber plants needed a drink. It does not take long for plants to dry out on the east side of the house. The sun is hotter there than on the west side at least until next month. Then the west side will have to take a deep breath just to keep anything green out there. Was hoping to see Julian today to get some little trees chopped out of the fencing and from around the house. Really don’t need a burr oak growing in the flower beds.

 

Does anyone besides me remember the ministers having a parsonage to live in while they pastored a church? We had two different parsonages for the Baptist church in Petrolia. The first one that this old girl remembers was just a small wooden house, but the next one was a nice brick home. My memory of Brother Muse is not very clear, but Brother Manley was one of my favorite people in Petrolia. He would stop and talk and listen to questions with interest. He was the minister who married Sterling and Marion and then later married me to Lewis. We were all married in Mom and Dad’s living room in the same corner. Good memories.

 

Have you ever wondered how many books you have read in your lifetime? Jennifer made some remark about my Kindle having over a thousand books on it. Most of the books that have been on my Kindle get removed after they have been read, so am not sure how she got that number. Guess she can tell me sometime when we have nothing else to talk about. Even wondering how many we read as kids when we used to go to the Henrietta library would not be too easy to calculate. We always got as many as we were allowed to check out and then returned them as soon as we could and borrowed more. Sterling and Mom could read different types of books, but mine were nearly always about horses or other animals. Finally began to read Western stories by the cowboy authors, but by the time we got to eighth grade, Mrs. McDonald had me reading deeper stuff—Exodus by Leon Uris and such as that. These days the cozy mysteries are more my speed, but not always. Now, besides historical novels, the stories of women from other countries have made me think a bit deeper than before. It is simply amazing how much we all have in common despite all the differences.

 

Let us look at the similarities in life for all of mankind. And let us appreciate that God has shown us all the same love and mercy with His grace. May we reflect His love.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Crisp and Clean!

 Crisp and Clean!

 

Maria came today and cleaned my house. Oh! It smells so good and the floors just make me happy! She always does such a good job and never fusses about my dogs. They like her and it may just be that she likes them as well. Since my friend AnnaBeth became ill this afternoon, Maria went down to Patty’s house and cleaned her place. So, at least two houses on this hill got a thoroughly good cleaning today. Can’t imagine that Shona’s house is any less clean, however. She stays on top of all the things she has to do and all the children she has to haul from one place to another.

 

Shona and the old woman were talking about the quality of the schools here in WF. Have no idea why exactly things have become less important in education, but it seems to me that actual knowledge has become less important and test results have taken the place of integrity or a sense of competence in each class or field of study. Really would not want to put a child in any of the schools today. Sad, just sad.

 

For several days my body hurt in almost every place that has been subject to any kind of surgery or other types of stress. Avoiding some of the medications that Dr. Blackwell has prescribed was not one of my better ideas. Finally took the one that warned of possible side effects with one’s heart. This morning the old woman woke up and did not really hurt at all. Not that my balance was any better, but at least moving around was not so drastically painful. Yes, will take another one of those pills tomorrow, too.

 

Went out to see Brenda Jones and was amazed at her beautiful flowers and all the things she had planted around her yard. We discussed the fact that some plants simply do not like all that rain we received recently. Did not ask to pet the donkeys, but it truly was tempting. Love the way she keeps her hens right next to her house. She has the kind of hens that produce the colored eggs that remind one of Easter eggs!

 

Thought that both dogs had come inside for the night and then discovered that Thompson was at the far east end of the lots running back and forth along the fence. Can almost bet there is a cat down there in the lot next to the road. Will just hope that he gives up and comes back inside before long. Simply do not want to have to walk down there this late in the evening to bring him back inside. Silly critters!

 

Watched a bit of the Fox reports on the crazy stuff going on in the Middle East. They hardly mentioned Israel at all, but it seems that some doofless person fired on an American ship. We are not going after them in an offensive action, but a defensive action can remove the dingbats just as well. It is impossible to try to deal with terrorists, but it would seem that even the terrorists might pay attention when they run out of food. The ships from other countries that are basically stranded in that area are asking for help from anyone who will give them food and water. The companies that sent them to that part of the world are not even trying to help them. You can almost bet that America will have to get them out of that part of the ocean all by ourselves. Other nations are not going to risk their ships or any other assets to rescue them. If it were possible to strangle Iran without hurting all those other ships and crews, it would be preferable to seeing the crews starving to death. The companies want those crews to give up any claim to their wages while they are at it. Dipsticks!

 

We can’t “fix” this world, but we have to have faith that God will use each situation in the best way possible. Whether it is political integrity, dealing with disrespectful people, or trying to manage our own lives and resources, we must ask God to help us stand firm in faith. We know that He has a plan for us and for each area of this old earth. When we wake to the sound of bird song early each morning, it has to be encouraging. If we can ignore the loud sounds of building from around us, we can pray for safety and common sense among those who are working. Let each of us take time every day to pray for our leaders, our military, our communities, and for our churches. One of the most important things we can do as individuals is to be faithful in prayer. This is a time when those prayers will make more difference than ever before. Maybe we should each find a prayer partner to help us remain diligent in what we request and how we can be thankful for answered prayers. We know that God hears our prayers. Let us strive to praise Him and to ask those things that are in His will.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Another WD-40 Day.

 Another WD-40 Day.

 

Some of us know what the weather is doing without a weather report from our phone or the newscast. Went to services yesterday and remembered that Dr. Kern’s PA had warned me that it would be six months to a year before my back would stop aching with any extra movements. Just getting into the truck and driving is not comfortable, but doing any house cleaning just makes life really interesting. Did not think that changing sheets on the beds on Saturday would make me sore, but so much for what thinking did! One of the ladies named Helen from church tried to clean all of her house at one go and ended up missing services for two or three weeks from those efforts! We just have to remember that we simply can’t do everything as we did when we were in our 20s.

 

Blake the lawn man is supposed to come tomorrow to get everything cut and trimmed around here and down at Patty’s. Not sure that the grass is deep enough to hide Patty’s dog, but these two dogs at the top of this hill have itchy bellies from the grass hitting them at that height. Tony Zupkus mowed his pasture today, so we will undoubtedly have rats, bats, and maybe even elephants coming out of his place tonight. Patty said that two skunks, a possum, and one large raccoon walked across her driveway last night. Can’t say we don’t have wild animals out here!

 

The minister said that he would like to see the bushes at the front and side of the church removed and some flowers put in to replace them. Yanking the bushes out right now might be possible with all the rain we have had, but getting some flowers to grow right before summer might not work out all that well. Texas flowers that make it through our heat are not all that easy to find already potted and ready to go. And that is not even considering the cost of having the bushes removed or the cost of the flowers and having them planted. Realistically, landscaping costs at least $100 per hour. Not really sure that this little congregation would consider that as a good investment. Right now, it seems like they really would prefer to have a full-time piano player for Sundays. The one they have at the moment splits her time between her husband’s church and Lakeside Baptist. It’s horrible to admit, but the old woman can’t even play the radio.

 

Happy to see my neighbors returned from Dallas late yesterday evening. That is one destination that only makes me shiver and shake! The traffic down there is just beyond crazy. No one goes there unless it is for children who have moved away or for medical help from specialists.

 

Just fed these two hungry dogs. It has to be fresh food, by the way. Shaking my head. At least Thompson can tell me when it is time for their meals. Sylvia just follows along and cleans up the bowls.

 

Let us remember to be kind to everyone we meet and never get angry with them for things we don’t understand. Life is never easy.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Neither a Borrower Nor a Lender Be.

 Neither a Borrower Nor a Lender Be.

 

Long before the old woman read the Bible or any work of Shakespeare, our daddy used to say that if we could not afford to lose or replace something, we should neither borrow one nor lend one. Common sense tells us that certain things are necessary to making life much more livable. Your vehicle is one of those necessary commodities in Texas. For my mom, the one necessity would have been her sewing machine. For Lewis, it would have been his tools. As the old woman aged, necessities included her library and her computer. Today, most of my books are available online. But one has to have a decent computer to even think about keeping up with what is going on in the world or of expressing opinions about what is going on around us. The books that are most necessary would begin with my Bible and include a guide to foraging. Some parts of the Bible just sit there in the back of my mind and come out when something sparks their need. Go figure. And no, it is not likely that eating what grows on this hill would ever keep life going here. Still, it is amazing what God has put close by that can be eaten.

 

Today is a WD-40 day. Every joint is stiff and needs a good greasing to make things work. Patty says that she just needs for the air to not be so thick! It does seem that the air needs to be taken out for a good shaking! The pollen count is not all that bad, but the atmosphere is simply heavy. Walked down to Patty’s to throw her trash in the bin and reset the camera that is supposed to show her the front door. The spiders have been having a meeting on that one, but maybe it is the wind that has moved it from its original position. Anyway, now it is on target and the spiders shooed away.

 

Thompson found his way to the back bedroom and had scratched all the covers up on the bed to make himself a comfortable place to hide out. It’s quiet back there, so maybe that is why he chose that place. Anyway, now the covers are on to wash and the bed will have to be remade from scratch. Not a biggie, but will have to remember to keep that door shut or it will have to be done again.

 

Do you ever put things where you just know you will be able to find them? Two good, heavy desks around here should hold just about everything needed, but the tiny post it notes are now hidden somewhere. The little ones are just perfect for marking places in my Bible, but now the fat ones are there instead. Sigh. It’s not as bad as misplacing my tea kettle or vacuum, but surely neither of those would fit in a desk! May spend another fifteen minutes or so looking for them again.

 

My cousin Elizabeth (Eba) in NC has now moved into her new home. She said she finally just started hauling stuff to the dump after trying to give away so many things. We all have a tendency to accumulate SHTUFF, and the longer we live somewhere, the more stuff there is to haul off! Her husband had a great library of military history books and magazines that go along with that theme, but now most of his stuff is in boxes in storage. Eba is something of an artist in those tiny little things that people put in doll houses and other places. It made me wonder what she did with all her craft supplies, but was careful not to ask. We all have a tendency to keep our hearts connected to our habits and hobbies. Example: horses all over my house.

 

Changed the calendars today. Love the foxes on two of them. Animals always appeal to me, but a fox just looks so sweet. Would never want to be that close to one because of the odor, but they tend to be sweet and cuddly looking. But then, lambs and kids (the goat kind) are sweet until they get big enough to be a problem. We always ended up with wild animals as pets when we were younger. Mom had a female fox she called Foxella. Sterling had a possum named Sam. Then he also had an owl until it used Dad’s work boots. After that he had to be content with a black furry jumping spider in his room. Mom refused to clean his room as long as he kept that spider, but he never had mosquitoes in his room!! Life with us must have tried my parents’ patience.

 

Granddaughter Rachel graduates with her master’s this month. Then she takes her exams for her CPA license. She is such a sharp kid! Love her to pieces! Her sibling starts classes this fall in avionics. What a contrast. He already has his BA, but this is something he just wants to do. Glad that he is able to try out this field if it makes him happy. Their mom is a librarian for Ft. Worth and will likely stay there forever. Lance, however, will probably look for something different in a few years. He has worked in his present position for nearly 30 years. Life is certainly different for our children than what it was for us.

 

Let us remember that it is God who puts men in positions of authority. Let us not forget to pray for the best outcome for their decisions.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.