Cloudy Skies.

 The forecast is for the possibility of more rain for the next few days. Remind me in a few weeks how important this rainy weather really is. Right now the big coop has mold in it from all the rain. Put sulfur on it to help it dry out or kill the mold, but may have to come up with a better solution. Mold is bad for people and animals both! They make a powder to sprinkle on the chicken poop that is supposed to suppress odors and such, but a tiny little container is expensive. And a house with nearly 20 hens will need more than a tiny container. Oh well. 

The two broody hens got out of the little chicken house and are back on the nests. ARGH! In the morning they will get their fluffy butts put BACK inside the little house. At least for now they are not keeping any of the other hens from laying in the nests. 

Got the zero turn mower out and cut alongside the east fence near the road and along the fence next to the place on the end of the road. Those folks are going to be cutting some mighty tall grass by the time they get around to doing it. Of course, they are not the only ones with that problem. Just sitting here thinking of dry grass and fire hazards. sigh Hate to use Roundup or anything, but may put something between my fence and the house behind me. Can't get back there with a weed eater any longer. Or may just let it go to thunder. Sometimes it just feels pretty useless to try to keep things decent with neighbors like those.

Connie called me this morning to tell me that she was stiff and sore and tired from all the work she did on Rebekah's apartment. The men who put the flooring down cut the boards INSIDE the apartment instead of outside, so the entire place had to be vacuumed and cleaned again. Yes, they sent their maid service over to clean, but the apartment was never clean before the men cut the flooring, so it did not help much to have someone come in and just half- Well, you know. Daddy used to say that if a job was worth doing, it was worth doing it right the first time--in fact, done right the first time meant that no second time was necessary. Somehow not many of the younger generation got that message.

The mailman brought the Amazon package today that included two copies of The Scarlet Letter. Sent one home with the boys and then sat down and read the Custom House prologue. Had forgotten how his language was not anything like what we use today. Sent the boys a list of words to look up while they were reading it. That first section is going to bore them silly, but they will survive. 

Got to read the boys' first assignment today. We have some work to do on their sentence structure, but at least the papers were interesting. Now they have to do one more paper that tells steps in a process. Actually, that is not always an easy thing for some people to write. It should be some interesting reading.

The kid down on Lake View keeps throwing his balls over the fence into the side lot. Sylvia finds them, tears them up, and then drives me wild making weird noises with what is left. Went down to speak to the grandmother, and she would not even come to the fence, so obviously she does not want to talk to me. Oh well. Not my problem. Probably better this way.

The yard is still pretty despite the wind. And the Bluebonnets are making seed pods galore! Saw on FB today that a young woman in Windthorst had lost her teenage daughter to suicide and wanted a way to memorialize her. She asked for seeds, so will be putting some back for her. The flower seeds that folks sent me three years ago meant the world to me. Something that comes out of tragedy sometimes has more meaning than just a simple gift of flowers.

The stool for next to the bed came today with the other stuff from Amazon. Think Jennifer is right--the bed needs to be lower. But if the box springs were removed and a piece of plywood put across there instead, it would make the bed just the right height. So, Carla Beard knew what she was talking about! Glad she shared that bright idea with me.

Ate some Taco Bell today. Not one of my better ideas. The chicken power bowls are ok, but the new thing with taco meat inside could do to be put in the dogs' bowl. Whoo. 

Think there is grass down my shirt in the back, so as soon as the hens are locked up, this ol' girl is going to have a shower. Nothing like itchy grass to make a body miserable.

Don't know much worth telling or discussing, so will just encourage you to appreciate the kindnesses you receive and can share with others. We are so blessed.

May you all rest well. You are loved.

Hen Counting.

 Last night one of the Black-laced Wyandottes was missing. Thompson alerted on the deck this morning and showed me where she was--dead, of course. So, now there are nineteen hens: seventeen are laying and two are broody. Going to have to talk to Michelle DeMers. If these two don't straighten up and fly right, they are going somewhere. Think Michelle has a rooster that would be right up their alley. They get in the nesting boxes and won't move and fuss at any of the other hens who dare get in there with them! Just in case you wondered, it is not just the Democrat women in Congress who are tacky. 

Years ago we had tacos or chalupas every week for at least one meal. Bought the shells for chalupas, but have not bought the cheese or the lettuce and tomato. Got a can of refried black beans--a little different from the pinto kind. We will see if this actually happens sometime in the near future. It just sounds good.

Got a Mother's Day card today. Think my son is trying to get ahead like some other person in the family who ordered birthday presents all at one time! giggling When one's memory is kinda slack, ya know, you do whatever to keep from forgetting someone's birthday. Had to look up Mother's Day--May 9.

Had to go get Sylvia's city tag to the tune of $20. To replace the one that Thompson lost it would have been another $7--just for the little metal thing. Argh! Told the lady we could just wait until it was time for his renewal. Those little metal wires don't keep anything on a dog's collar--especially if the dogs are constantly getting into things. Found the wire near the back gate, but no tag. Not that it matters much. Sylvia's little tag will probably stay in my purse for however long. sigh

The flowers in the front yard are standing up tall and happy as if they know they have only a little time to look this good. The Bluebonnets already have seed pods on them, but it will be at least another week or so before they are ready to clip off to save for seeds. The timing has to be just right. Too early and the seeds won't sprout next year. Too late and the seeds will already have shot out all over the yard. The poppies are almost that bad. The heads are easier to cut and keep, but the wind sometimes spreads the seeds before the head is even really brown.

Went to FedEx to pick up the copy of my Grammar To Go book. Realized it was not the one that was on the new computer. Oh well. The boys will have THIS copy on their computer, so we can stay on the same page with assignments. Just have to go back and correct my last request for them. They are supposed to be writing a paper today about "how to" for directions. Actually, anyone who is really good at this can do it for a living for some companies. Can see these boys writing for IKEA. We will see. At least they have now had the opportunity to see how important "distructions" can be.

Had a can of Margaret Holmes "Hoppin' John" for lunch. It is basically black-eyed peas with tomato, onion, garlic, jalapeno,  and other peppers in water to wash it down. Spicy, but delicious. Her brand is more expensive than most, but the combinations are fantastic. Now if she just did something with okra! Sitting here laughing and thinking that Carol Thonton is making faces. She can't believe that anyone thinks that okra is tasty, much less delicious. Bless her heart.

Stirred the dog hair around this morning and dumped two dust pans full in the trash. But still did not get the vacuum out and clean the rug in front of my desk. Lazy ol' woman!

Just went out and picked up Athena and told her she is noisy. Took her out and put her in the same hutch as the two broody hens. She was ticked off because all three of the "good" nests were occupied. Told her she could go in with the other two hens who were already ticked off. They would enjoy listening to her yelling! Don't know if that will work or not, but at least she is no longer yelling her head off.

My trash bin is full to overflowing because of the boxes and stuffing that came around the bed frame and rails, parts, and pieces. If JoAnn does not come and fill up both of Jerry's bins, one of them may show up at the edge of the road with some of my trash in it. Or not. We will see.

Thompson has decided that the recliner in my bedroom belongs to him now. He does not like the ceiling fan--at all. But then, he has so little hair on him that he gets cold without a blanket.

Athena is nobody's dummy! She figured out that the front side of the pen would open and almost got it out far enough to get out. Now she is ticked off again since a bucket is propped up against it. Oh well.

The other day when Lance was here, he told me he wanted some garlic when it gets ready. Can anyone tell me how to know when garlic is "ready"? Kinda thought ya just dig some up and use it. But maybe it is after the tops go to bloom or something. Suggestions?

Went by the last house on this stretch of Kemp going past the hospital gates. The irises in that yard were in full bloom--with the UGLIEST color of iris in the entire world. They looked grey. Almost tempted to stop and see if they really were that ugly or if it was just the angle or something. My sister-in-law keeps posting pictures of pretty roses and other flowers on FB. God makes some spectacular ones.

Left the street earlier and a male duck was out in the road watching his hen in the grass. Thought maybe she was wounded or something, so came back home later and walked down there. They both flew off, so maybe they were just tired. Probably just as well not to bring a strange bird into my yard since they carry diseases. Even taking hens from someone's yard to mine requires quarantine for at least a week or more. My girls get VetRx on a daily basis in the water kept inside the coop. And they go through a container of water every few days. Not sure why that water is better, but maybe it has a flavor to it.

Got a sweet note from my sister-by-another mother, Sharon Dickerson. Some folks just know how to make your day and help you find your smile.

Talking to Connie this morning and hoping that Rebekah is about ready to stay here in WF and live in the apartment she has rented. At least, Connie is helping her prepare to do that. Please pray for both of them. Mental health is something we often take for granted, but the "health" part can be pretty iffy at times for any of us.

Want you to know, if someone had introduced me to these "cargo" pants years ago, that would have been the only thing ever purchased! Talk about comfortable! And so many nice pockets for stuff! Now it makes sense to see the nurses, firemen, EMTs, and others wearing them. Room for all the necessities plus room to stretch! Think my daughter should be wearing these.

Walked out to the east side lot to check the rain gauge: 1/2 inch since last night. Walking along and noticed the "sour" plants all over the place. Tiny little yellow flowers on some leaves that look like four leaf clover. We used to eat the stuff as children just to make our mouths sour. Yeah, weird kids. But the side lot is just covered in this stuff. Wish its name were easy to find. Lance uses iNaturalist, but he takes good pictures with his phone. Jennifer figured out what the plant was that came up on the side of the big coop from taking the picture and using that iNaturalist thing. And yes, that plant has gone to glory since it was dangerous.

Athena has stopped yelling, so later this evening will allow her and the two broodies out of the little chicken coop. Betting the two broody hens will sleep in the nests again! Crazy hens. Probably should make them stay in the pen just to break up their little mothering act. You should see them puff up and get all hackled up when they are messed with. If a person were not familiar with hens, they would strike fear in one's heart!

Don't really know much. The sun has come out now, so the birds are really telling the world about how beautiful it is out there. Ah, nature.

As much as possible, we should all try to keep the peace that God has given us. Let others live their lives and be happy to live your own. Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

 

Rain, and Wind, and Weather!

 Ok, the theme song from Rawhide is going around in my head. For those of you in England or some other country, Rawhide was a western series about cowboys driving cattle to market and all the vagaries of rustlers, snake infested rivers, bad whiskey in the saloons on the drive, and cattle in stampedes. Yep, Texas sort of things. That was pretty much what the weather was like last night--rumbling and sounding like a stampede out there! So this morning the flowers showed evidence of being whipped around and soaked as well. The rain gauge only said 3 and a half inches, but it kept raining this morning to the tune of another half inch. Not griping, dear hearts! Old Joe Brown used to say there were two things a Texan never griped about: a heifer calf and a good rain. Wouldn't mind having a heifer out in the side lots, but you can bet the grass would all die before it was old enough to take to the bull.

Have one of those headaches today that could be caused by the weather or maybe pure orneriness. Not sure, but the ornery part is never going to change!

The boys came today to put my bed frame together. Jennifer told me not to use the higher legs. Wish now we had used the shorter legs, but just sent off and have a little step stool on its way to make up the difference. Still have the short legs in my dresser in case we ever decide to punish ourselves and change them out. Let me tell you right now: those boys earned their orange juice today! That mattress is heavier than all three boys and the old woman combined. The box springs were not too bad, but that king sized comfortable mattress is a booger to move. 

So the assignment for today was to write a "steps in a process" paper. They laughed about it, but am willing to bet that they will do a good job. Told them to read their work aloud so that they can hear their errors, but even with that, the main idea is to recognize the steps and give good directions. You would be surprised--well, maybe you would not--at how many folks can't tell you how to fold a paper bag, much less put together a bed frame.

The honey bees are going to town on the poppies today. Not sure if the Bluebonnets are about worn out, but the poppies are standing up in the air and waving for the bees. It is fun to watch them.

Went to pick up some of those pigs in a blanket and good apple fritters for the boys. On the way back the spillway over the dam was quite noticeable. Wow! Must have quite a bit of water from Holliday Creek headed this way. The drainage ditch was running pretty high. Good thing they built that ditch or half of this side of town would be flooded.

The mud is deep enough out in the back yard that the dressed stone walkway is just about the only area that is not muddy. Even the coops got rain inside! That wind must have been blowing the rain sideways last night!

Went up to FedEx a bit ago to have them print out and bind my text/workbook. That little dude was a bit over $60. But at least now it won't be a hassle to look for the pages the boys need to work on. They have it on their computer and can either print out the pages or whatever. It is not nearly as bad as buying text books like we used to have. One of my grandsons said that the text book for his class, if he bought it--college level, understand--was $1,000! Boy! That's enough to make a person drop their upper plate! Have no idea what the school used to pay to have mine printed, but since they did it in quantities, it was surely not that expensive. Think the entire system (five campuses) only had ONE English teacher. Most of them had a degree in basket weaving. But then, the pay was about equivalent to that kind of degree. Mrs. Sosebee was the only other teacher there who had her degree in her subject--accounting. But that kind of school is going by the wayside for the simple fact that the classes can't compete with what a junior college can give them. At least a junior college has a degree with classes that transfer to a university. Commercial colleges are in it for the money--period.

Asked my granddaughter the other day what she wanted to do about her college opportunities. She wants to get the basic classes out of the way at a junior college so that she does not have to worry too much about driving too far from home and the costs. Smart cookie! She is still taking all her classes online right now. Probably won't be any different next year, and she does not even care. Right now, the only high school class that matters to her is soccer. Oh well.

Looked through the big tool box in the workshop, the little toolbox in the back room, and my "junk" drawer for other stuff including tools, and have come to the conclusion that the old girl needs to get a set of tools that match--standard, not metric--and a tool box that actually shuts when the drawers are pushed in. Not sure what happened to this one, but it does not work properly. Then there are the tools that are obviously missing--my blue handled ratchet is gone. And several of the sockets are full of greasy stuff. Nope, Lewis would NEVER let his tools get nasty or stay that way. Guessing that Jerry "borrowed" some and threw others in the tool box to fill it up. ARGH! Will have to figure out what is missing and what needs to be replaced. The wrenches with open ends are weird sizes. But the boys really liked the "star" tool that Michelle Malay gave me. It is neat. And Lance noticed the other day that we were using "Paw Paw's" hammer. Leave it to him to notice something like that.

Hoping that we all sleep a bit better tonight. Seems like last night was more wakefulness than sleep. At least if we don't have thunder, the dogs will be content to be still. 

Don't really know much this evening. Other than ordering a couple of copies of The Scarlet Letter, my usefulness has not exactly been running over. Let's hope the two books match so we can stay on the same page for discussions.

Going to say it one more time cause someone ticked me off being judgmental about folks and their lifestyles: God sees His SON when we come before Him. Whatever stupid foolishness we have committed--or omitted--we can be forgiven. It is not OUR job to judge. We can HATE sin. We cannot hate those who sin. Pedophiles seem to me to be the most outrageous excuse for humans, but God will judge them. Meanwhile, they should remain out of my sights in this life. God can take care of the next life.

May your night be full of restful sleep. May you awake with good cheer. You are loved.

Spring Storms.

 My phone just blared out a warning about a tornado. Looked at the radar, and then a glance out the back yard showed dark clouds to the west. But in the southeast the skies are clear. That is the first time this year that a warning has come through on my phone. Had even asked Maggie Sewell earlier how to program that feature into my phone. Hmm. So far everything seems to be moving northeast of us. Gotta love radar! Tell ya what: the headache tells me more than the radar! Argh! But it does appear that Burkburnett is getting the bad stuff right now. Hope Laurie and family are hunkered down out of the mess.

Truly enjoyed a visit from my sister-in-law. She has been keeping her dog locked inside the house while she goes places because folks have been stealing dogs. Have no idea why mean people do things like that! And Snoop is so friendly that he would just jump into a truck and go anywhere. Then there is the neighbor who has been hauling off the cats that she has been having neutered and spayed. Dipstick! Kinda makes a person want to do something really tacky to him.

Donny Anderson has been mowing his place all day. It takes that long, too. He has several acres down there to mow. Glad that he takes such good care of it. The one behind me and the ones down on the street are going to be fire hazards in nothing flat--not to mention this place across the street. Jerry's place is going to be impossible to mow with all the garbage in there. Guess the city will have to take it up with his mom since it is in her name.

If you will, please pray for my friend Connie Cooke and her sister Rebekah. Only God can fix some things. Kinda like this country. 

Ok, one more time this is going to be said and then will try to avoid saying anything else about it: The Bible says to love your neighbor as yourself. It does not say you have to appreciate the fact that the guys are homosexuals or the girls lesbians. If God did not say, "Love your neighbors as yourself--except for those sinful so and so's over there," then who am I to choose who to love. No, I despise seeing violence and hatred and bigotry, but the people who are guilty of those sins are also subject to God's love. I can despise bigotry, but not the person who was made in God's image. I can despise the violent, drug crazed individuals who make our world so dangerous. But unless using a gun to protect myself or my family from the actual violence, it would not do for me to hate those folks. It is the sin that God hates. That is what separates us from His love. 'Nuff said.

The new bed frame with headboard and footboard came today. Hoping the boys will consider tomorrow a "shop day" so we can get the old one taken out and the new one set up. The mattress is the heaviest thing in this house! The most comfortable, but the heaviest! Dread killing the dust bunnies under that bed. But guess that is the least of the problem.

Have you ever noticed that if someone talks about a certain kind of food in a story--book or TV--it makes the reader kinda want that to try? Not sure that scones are the best kind of English goodie, but know they are good. Sharon Dickerson tries to bring one to me when she goes to eat in Vernon. Next time she comes, we are going to go to Pioneer and eat a lunch that sticks to your belly--and to your hips! Or we might run over to Market Street to have something over there. They make really good food. And it is not expensive. Just something else to look forward to!

Absolutely as dumb as a rock this evening. Will say that the front yard is wonderfully wild with flowers. And we have honeybees! Lance said something about getting a beehive. Um, NOPE! Can't mow or weed eat near one of those things. Will just have to depend on the honey bees that have made a nest down in the old abandoned Speegle house. That entire place hums! 

Let us appreciate the fact that we are not totally under anyone's thumb at the moment. Knowing that God gives us courage and common sense helps. Meanwhile, rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Mowing!

 Happy hens are out there checking out the newly mown grass and weeds. Not sure why they like it so much, but maybe it is more tender or something. Whatever, they hardly waited until the mower was in the other side of the yard before they took off for the east side of the place. Not sure if they are really happy or if that is just my thoughts about getting it finished. 

Been a busy day, but nothing much got accomplished. DID get one copy of the GTG on a flash drive. Now to do one more to have it printed out and bound. This just drives me stark raving not to be able to do it the way it was once done. Everything seems to have changed on MS Word and the way things open up on the screens. And yes, Jennifer, Google tried to help me. sigh

Had a nice conversation with Sharon Dickerson this afternoon. She is such a sweetheart! We share a lot of the same attitudes, too. Can't imagine how much mischief we would have been in had we lived closer! 

The boys came and we worked on English. One of them had to run to the doctor's office with an infected finger. KNOW how that can hurt. Toes and fingers are so sensitive--well, and other parts like one's nose, too. 

Jennifer left some Bai water here the other day. Can see how that would be easy to want more often. Addictive already! This one is Costa Rica Clementine. Umm.

Think my sister-in-law is coming tomorrow if nothing rips, rears, or ravels. Looking forward to see what she thinks of the yard and its flowers. It is wild looking, but that is how flowers normally grow. The yards that are all put into little plots and arranged in patches of grass or walkway just seem too artificial. But that is just one ol' woman's opinion.

It's supposed to rain for the next couple of days. Mr. Anderson's remark: "It either will or it won't." Yep. It's Texas. God gave Texans patience, and what they didn't get the first time, they learned eventually. 

Honestly feel about as dumb as a hibernating tortoise. Just keep having indigestion despite the baking soda, acid reducers, pickle juice, ad nauseum. Not very interested in doing anything other than what just has to be done. Not exactly lazy, just indifferent. Such is life.

May you all rest well this night and enjoy waking to a new day. You are loved. 

Sunday and Wind.

Remember when your mom said, "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all." Yes, and Thumper's mom taught him the same thing. Well, that is about how today has gone so far. It is Sunday, and nothing is pressing to be done. That is good. And the wind has kept the 80 degrees pleasant. The hens sound relatively happy. They don't have anyone out there to dig up worms for them, but then, they would easily get spoiled to that service! They looked for Lance this morning--or at least they were certainly looking around! 

Going to confess that this new computer is much smarter than the operator. sigh Wanted to put a file on a flash drive. Can't figure out how it is done in this new setup. May have to get Daniel or someone to show me how to do it. Wishing my daughter or daughter-in-law were close enough to help the old woman out here. sigh

No sense dwelling on what hasn't happened, huh. Let me just assure you that the plants outside look happy in the sunshine. My teeny tiny squash have promised to continue to grow. Thinking fried, steamed, or even cut up into relish. Oh! Love squash relish. Mother-in-law made the VERY best squash relish. It was a little spicy, but not too hot. Don't remember what kind of peppers she put in it. Her neighbor Mae Powell used to bring her peppers and herbs. Can't beat homemade stuff like that. The store bought is never the same.

The dogs helped me finish off the chicken salad. Could go in there and cook up the ground lamb and put some onion and stuff in it. Lamb just does not taste the same as beef. It has an entirely different outlook. Just sit up and take notice 'cause it may bah at ya. Would never have eaten lamb as a child knowing it came from one of our lambs. But then, we could never afford lamb--and chicken was the mainstay at our house. Every so often Mom would fry liver and smother it in onions. Oh! That was plum tasty. Jennifer would be gagging about now after reading that. giggling But Mom only made hamburgers once in a long while or made what she called "make 'em eat it" with ground beef and macaroni in it. The rest of the time she would cook a big pot roast in order to have ONE meal for all of us and then Daddy's sandwiches for the rest of the week. We did not have baloney after my grandfather sold the grocery store in WF. It was expensive compared to a roast. And Mom was very frugal. Except that she absolutely refused to cook a duck after the first time she tried to dress one. She stood over the sink and gagged. Daddy took it outside and gave it to the dog. Good thing. That duck was a strong smellin' critter. Probably raised on lead from the farmer's fields that were floating out there on that road Daddy hunted on. The guy flooded the field after he raised either corn or maize and then set out and shot the ducks coming in or going out. Mom cooked a goose once for us. It was store bought, however. Greasy like you would not believe! Who would have thought it!

Just went out and turned over a few shovels of dirt. Ah, hen talk! Athena has a tendency to think it is her place to jump on top of the dirt first. May have to find a new place to dig for worms for them. Guess behind the hen house might be ok. The chicken wire goes out about a foot out from the coops, so anything after that foot would be ok to dig. 

Have ONE small fig on my new fig tree. Lance reminded me that fig trees get pretty big. Where it is won't matter to me if it does get big. Just like to see things grow and produce. Whether it is a squash, fig, pepper, or garlic, it tastes better if you grow it yourself.

Have been truly enjoying some of the pictures shared online by my FB friends from all over the country. Dogs, creeks, flowers, parks, and assorted happy sights make my day. May just delete some of the news sources without reading them as long as there are much better, uplifting things to appreciate.

It has to be enough to know that God is on His throne and in charge of what He allows to happen. We may shake our heads and wonder, but HE knows the final outcome. So, tomorrow we can sit outside and drink our coffee or tea and appreciate the fact that the sun will come up, the birds will sing, and the sun will set. 

Rest well, my friends, and find something to encourage you each day. You are loved.

A Great Weekend Visit!

 Couldn't ask for a better day! Lance came this morning and has been a joy for me--and for the dogs and hens. He walked the dogs on leash to try to get them to not pull. They knew who he was the minute his truck drove up, but they still had to "greet" him by jumping all over him. So teaching them to walk calmly on a leash was an accomplishment. They need LOTS of practice. Then Lance took me to Pioneer for breakfast and over to Market Street to pick up a few things. We also went to Sutherlands to get some fertilizer spikes for the apricot trees. Finally he enjoyed digging in the dirt and having the hens fight for the worms! He reminded me of a kid playing in the dirt with them. So funny! We were sitting in the living room when he decided that some of those weeds in my flower bed needed to be taken out. So now the flower bed looks even better. When he was not putting his hand under a hen to get eggs, he took pictures of them trying to fit three at a time in one of the nest boxes! No one would believe it unless they saw those chickens do this. Lance did one more important thing for me: he peeled several little cutie oranges for me. That might sound silly to anyone else, but guess who is terribly allergic to the orange peel and its oil! Can pretty much eat all the oranges, but just not peel them. Kinda hard to eat with the peel on, especially not getting oil on hands and face! 

Think Jennifer's youngest son went for his second Covid vaccination today. Here's hoping he does not have a bad reaction to it. Some folks get by without even feeling bad; others get sicker than a poisoned pup!

Thompson is standing out on the deck howling in commiseration with the hens that are cackling. Not sure what that means to him, but he does the same thing when he hears police or ambulance sirens. Nothing like a funny dog to love and enjoy.

Heard from my friend in Mississippi that they had some "take cover" alerts yesterday. Guess this little storm that blew through here went that way as well. Lewis' cousin Greg took pictures of funnels from his daughter's front yard in Vernon. Scary looking clouds. Don't know if there was damage or not.

We had some hail last night, lots of lightning, and one inch of rain. If the entire spring weather could be like that, we could all enjoy it. But it's more likely to be 50 to 70 mph winds during storms here in WF. Such fun. At least we got a good rain.

Lance brought a copy of my workbook/text called Grammar To Go that Tracy sent to me. Will eventually have to find a place to send the file and have it printed so a copy can stay here. Teaching still requires concentration as well as some materials to use for examples. No white board in my living room is not too bad, but at least the examples can be easily seen on this new monitor. 

Did any of you ever see the stage production of Cats? It is based on Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T.S. Eliot. The production was one of the best of the times when we could still go to things like that. But it would have been so much better had we done the research that showed how the stage production was arranged. At one point, Judy Dench, the famous British actress, was going to be in the role of the main character. But she got hurt and her understudy had to do it instead. It was still a fabulous play. One of the producers had to mortgage his house to afford to put the play on, too. Good thing it was a rousing success!

Well, the sunshine feels good today. You can bet the grass is growing and will be ready to mow in a day or so. Tuesday through Thursday of this coming week, we may have more rain, but you can bet that the grass will grow whether or not it rains! That's ok. Let 'er grow!

Have a book calling my name. SO glad that reading has always been something enjoyable to me. Some folks feel that way about TV or games. But my traveling days are spent in other countries or other parts of our nation in these books. And the atmosphere is sheltered by the same morals and beliefs. Not sure how many of the modern books teach morals, but the ones on my Kindle recognize where love comes from: His love. That is a pretty reassuring feeling.

May you all find rest in sleep and family. May you awake in joy. You are loved.

A New and Improved Version of A Handmaid's Tale.

 

A NEW and IMPROVED HANDMAID’S TALE

‘No one will ever tell me what I can say or not say or what I can think or not think.  I still live in a free country!’  Those had been his words only a few weeks before today.  But today he had been to the pharmacy.  They could not—would not—fill his prescription for blood pressure medicine.  When he had objected that he was paying cash for his medicine instead of using the state program for older persons, he had been told that no medications could be dispensed outside of the guidelines of the program.  In other words, he had to subscribe to the state’s program or do without.

 

He had known the pharmacist for years at this store, but his friend no longer worked in the pharmacy.  He had been retired a few weeks earlier because he had objected to the guidelines for dispensing medications.  One of the pharmacy clerks caught up with Johnson as he left the store and quickly whispered that his friend the pharmacist had taken some of the final solution.  The clerk expressed her disbelief in his acquiescence to its administration.   Johnson would not find any information in the state run newspapers since obituaries were no longer permitted.

 

A few days later, even though his head was pounding, Johnson had decided that he had to go to his favorite all-in-one-stop store to buy a few groceries.  This store had the motto ‘As Joe’s Goes, So Goes the Nation.’  Today he would have to walk or ride a bicycle to the store.  He could no longer buy fuel for his small vehicle since the state had declared a moratorium on unnecessary travel and fuel consumption due to a sudden loss of markets overseas.  Johnson would be able to buy only what he could carry the five miles back to his home.

 

No vehicles had been in the enormous parking lot at Joe’s.  A few bicycles had littered the grass near the islands that floated on the sea of asphalt.  A sign on the door of Joe’s had declared that its doors would reopen from 10 a.m. until 12 p.m. on even days.  It had been Wednesday at 2 p.m. when he had arrived, exhausted but proud of his vigor at his age.  Then he had attempted to look inside the glass doors to see if he could find anyone to talk to him.  Only total darkness within the building had convinced him that his trip had been futile.  This had been his only hope for food since all other local stores had been closed.

 

The grass along the highways had not been mown in some time.  Somehow Johnson had remembered that his mother had pointed out the salsify plants that had bloomed and produced tiny helicopters when the seed pods were ripe.  The roots of the plants were supposed to be edible.  Johnson had begun to look for blooms or even the thick stalks that would give away the location of the roots.  It had not been the right season.

 

When Johnson had returned to his home, he had found several new occupants.  He had already begun to accept the new ‘Fairness Act’ that provided each individual with one room within the new government housing projects, but he had been totally unaware that ALL homes had been declared part of each area’s projects.  Private ownership had been declared unfair to everyone who had not been able to acquire the means for affordable housing.  Johnson’s home of 50 years no longer belonged to him.  He had been assigned an area to share with another older man.

 

Johnson’s death had been expected.  The medications he had been taking had been gradually adjusted by the manufacturers so that the older generation had been easy to remove from the government rolls.  Nothing he had owned remained, and his ashes had been among the many that had been mixed into a new organic compound used for pavement patches.  Now he would truly support his country.

BR and Tornado Trips to Childress.

 Just got off the phone from speaking to my friend in Paducah, BillyeRuth. She said that every time she plans a trip to Childress, they call for another tornado watch or warning. This time she is just going ahead and getting there! We laugh more than any two sane ol' biddies ought to, but it is SO much fun to talk to her. We talked about guys and not wanting one. She is 80 now and doesn't want to take care of another man. And anyone in their 60s is not going to want a woman--well, not one in her 80s at least. Told her about the man who went to the senior center and said that he had gotten married the weekend before. "Wow!" The guys said. "Is she beautiful?"

"No, she is no looker," he said.

"Well, can she cook?"

"Well, no, she is not a cook."

"Well, WHY did you marry her then if she is not beautiful and can't cook?"

"Well, she can drive at night," the old man said with a nod of satisfaction.

Right now the nearest storm is in Seymour southwest of us. Watching the radar may not make me any safer, but at least it gives me a chance to get a head start to Anderson's basement if necessary. 

Put the dogs' harnesses on them earlier. Thompson went behind the Dutch door here in the living room and rattled the leashes. Let me tell you, Momma is so dumb that she does not know that they are ready to GO!! Not sure if the two dogs' leashes, the "go bag," and my purse are even a possibility for the old woman to carry down there, but if all else failed, the leashes could drop since the dogs would go with me--well, as long as they did not see a rabbit first! Thompson has finally decided to lie down and rest since he can't seem to get me to do what he wants me to do. Oh well. It's a terrible thing to be a disappointment to a dog.

While on the phone with BR, she could hear my "screaming" chicken in the background--and that was from INSIDE the house! That hen needs a new home--one where she can yell her head off for the full effect!

Sylvia just brought me her alligator. Not sure where that thing came from--maybe Michelle Malay got it somewhere. She loves that toy! If she takes it outside and forgets it, we have to go find it before bedtime! And it has no squeaker in it now. At first it had a nice shrill squeak to it. Then it got down to "honk, honk." Now it just goes "squish, squish." Poor ol' alligator.

Tutoring this morning was just a tiny bit busy. Got two phone calls right away. Got that out of the way and started on the formulas for making good sentences with independent and dependent clause connections. Yes, the formulas were thus: DC, IC. IC,cc IC. Or IC;IC. or ICDC. Think dependent clause comma, Independent clause. Etc. If these guys can remember it and learn how to find the subject and verbs, they will never have a problem making good sentences. So, we practice writing. And now they are going to read The Scarlet Letter. Did you know that Margaret Atwood's A Handmaid's Tale was patterned on The Scarlet Letter? Kinda neat. They have not been able, so far, to find the movie for A Handmaid's Tale, but if all else fails, we can get a paperback book for them. Yours truly has not seen the movie; reading the book was sad enough. 

The girls have been at it again. They hid thirteen eggs in the hay inside the long coop. Thought it seemed that there were fewer eggs, but now we know why. Sneaky little critters. BR said that hers hid a bunch under a freaking cactus! She had to remove a couple of leaves off the cactus to get the eggs out. But they were good eggs. In this temperature, eggs are not going to go bad. It is when the temps get too hot that you can't trust an egg that has been out more than a day. Those are boiled and either eaten or fed back to the hens. No waste.

This tornado watch does not stop until after nine tonight. Deep sigh. It seemed like spring time when we were kids was such a trial. My parents did this thing where Daddy went out to watch the clouds. When he said, "Get the kids," Mom would come inside and yell, "Hit the floor!" We learned early on to keep our shoes by the bedroom door and our clothes on the end of our beds. We could make it to the cellar in less than two minutes! In 1954 a tornado hit south of us in Dean Dale and took ONE person. He refused to go to the cellar, and the house was gone when they came up from the cellar. His paycheck was still on the table under the sugar bowl, but it took him. So sad. Our cellar here was originally built as a cistern, so guess where the water went when it rained! Nope, not going to wade in there with my babies! ONE time, wrapped Lance in blankets and sat down on the steps. Watched as scorpions crawled around the crack between the door and the cellar wall. LAST time this ol' girl ever went down there!

Have wrestled with this new computer just a bit. Expected Microsoft Office to be on the start up list, but it isn't. Eventually it will probably get where it needs to be, but right now it is rather frustrating. Guess maybe one answer would be to download the entire suite again since the code key is in my book already. Just can't figure out how exactly to access all my stuff in the order it is wanted. Oh well. Me and technology. sigh

Made some chicken salad today. It needed celery bits but is ok to eat. Usually some grapes sliced up, celery slices, and pecans with salad dressing do the job up pretty well. Did not have either celery or grapes, so walnuts, pineapple, and the dressing had to do. It was ok. Not all chicken salad is good, but some is definitely better than others. Alde's has some really good stuff made with cranberries and almonds and celery. Mmm. Will have to try that stuff at Market Street and see if it is any good. They also have some made with jalapenos. Not too sure about that. Oh well.

The storm in Seymour is s l o w l y headed this way. It looks to be dissipating, too. While more rain would be ok, they can keep all the hail of any size and the 50 to 70 mph winds! Dang! That stuff can take a roof in nothing flat. Not to mention what it does to cars and trucks. And if you want to see something funny, just watch the privacy fences go flying! There is a reason someone developed "cyclone" fencing. God provides the weather; someone else provides the common sense to use fencing that allows His wind to blow right on through!

Just in case you ever wondered, a person with chickens has life arranged FOR them. You get up early and let the girls OUT, and then you watch the sun go down and shut the hen house doors. Then it is all over again the next day. And then there are hens like these Marans who would just as soon take a good peck at you as look at you. The Black-laced Wyandottes could care less if a hand slides under them to drag out eggs. Just don't pick the hen up until she is finished. But the Marans--oh no. We will cuss you first; then we will peck the heck out of you. And just to let you know we mean business, once in a while one will dance up to you with her wings out and act as if she will happily flog you! Not happening! Might have to make another trip to Paducah to give BR the squawker and any aggressive hens. KNOW she would just love me for that! HA!

Well, Jennifer just called to tell me she got a code red alert for my area. That means the storm coming from Seymour has hail and is on its way. Glory be! Just what we need tonight. Praying that the hail stays small and doesn't take my roof.

Let's be grateful that we have the technology to watch the weather and see what is headed our way. It was not like that 60 years ago for sure! 

Rest well, my friends, and enjoy your next morning. You are loved.

An Essay from the Past.

Temptations?

 

For some reason I woke up this morning thinking about a book I have read called The Shack. And what I am about to say is in no way intended to be critical of the book. I thoroughly enjoyed the images of God as someone with whom I could talk or with whom I could eat a meal. No, what I was thinking about was my tendency to want to take some kind of shortcut to knowing God. From every term such as “the elect” or the “chosen” to a number like 100,000 or some other number or denomination, it seems everyone wants in on the ground floor of being in God’s good graces—not only “predestined” but already on safe and sure footing with the One Who reigns. Now, that is not to deny the gift of grace or salvation through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, but this sense of “knowing” that we desire—ok, that I particularly desire—seems to haunt us if we consider life and how we live it.

 

When I was a child, my dad read something from the Bible concerning what God had already chosen for me to do in my lifetime. I may not remember Dad’s exact words, but I know that he meant for me to consider that each thing I did for others or for this poor ole world was just there as an opportunity that God had planned out for me. Not everyone was going to have the same resources that I had been given, so God expected me to use those resources for others because HE had so desired when He put those opportunities in my way. If I did not do the good things that I could, I would not be hurting God or others, but I was denying myself the good that would come of feeling a job had been done well. It seems to me that Dad said that learning to do my job well was a pathway to learning how to love—and that since God was love, I could get to know Him through learning more about love itself.

 

These thoughts brought me almost full circle to wondering if I should not be just learning to love rather than trying to “see” something about a relationship with God Himself. I remember the scripture that said we were not to feel proud of whatever we did simply because that was our duty. If I am too concerned with understanding more about God, will I shortchange my attempts to do whatever needs to be done in an effort to arrange some shortcut to knowledge? To arrange that understanding might not even be part of my job. But I still feel that tendency to want to know more, to feel closer and more comfortable and secure. I immediately think of that old hymn about standing on the rock. When I tried to climb up Enchanted Rock down in the Hill Country recently, I found that the surface was not only pretty forbidding, but the information at the Ranger station said that the part that actually stood above ground was only a tiny portion of the rock underneath that spread for at least 100 miles around under ground level! Yes, the view was breathtaking, but I did not understand much about the rock itself until it was explained and presented as part of a much larger picture. That seems to be my concept of God. Wherever I stand, so much more is beneath me and around me that I cannot imagine! And that huge rock is just a tiny portion of His creation.

 

Day by day, and maybe effort by effort, I will continue to try to do my job as I understand it. And when the larger picture is explained to me—or even if it is not explained—I hope to be able to look back with some degree of satisfaction and say that I have climbed about as far as I was able; I was able to serve as well as I knew how. Some of the shortcuts to satisfaction may still tempt me, but those temptations won’t take the place of trying to love in the way that I was taught from a child. I have never been an eagle, but I still enjoy my vision of the heavens above. 

Sleepy, Tired.

 Yes, a nap was attempted today. Two phone calls put a stop to that business in a hurry. Love talking to my granddaughter, but guess she is going to be busy this weekend because she got a "free" day at the gym. That means she gets to go lift weights and run around the inside track. Doesn't that sound like loads of fun. My suggestion that she could learn to drive the zero turn mower apparently did not appeal very much. Oh well.

Hmm. Who needs or wants eggs? My hens are in fast gear. Even Athena, the older Campine hen, is laying two or more a week. So someone in this area is going to have to come get eggs! Dr. Blackwell's nurse will take some this week, but Lance and family do not need any for now. What's an old chicken wrangler to do? Go down on Scott Street and hand out eggs?

Have chuckled over the pictures of snow all over the place in  Arkansas and Indiana. Next shift is pollen. Yellow snow!

Enjoyed the Smith boys this morning. They are fun to be around. Asked them to see if they could find and watch A Handmaid's Tale. Also asked the oldest to look up a synopsis of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. Hope he can find it. They also are working on a little bit of technological history--patents or intellectual property rights, the reasons for radiotelegraph standardization, and telekino--remote controls. Today we went over clauses and phrases. By the time we finish, they should recognize a good sentence and be able to disregard things like prepositional phrases and adverbial phrases. We live in hope anyway. Next will be doing essays and letters. Effective writing takes practice.

Hauled all the susceptible plants in Tuesday evening and then hauled their happy buckets back outside this morning. Probably the source of sleepy, tired. Anyway, my muscles are letting me know about it.

Got a nice box of goodies from Nuts.com today. Have a plan to send some home with Lance for all the kids. Reece can't have any peanuts, so nothing like that will go to the Ostand house. So sorry the kids all managed to have some kind of allergy. At least their parents are able to care for them and love them and provide for them. Not everyone is that blessed.

Shuffled the dog hair around in the living room this morning. Honestly! Could vacuum every day and it probably would still be floating around in dog hair! And they are short-haired dogs! Glad they are not full-blown Australian Shepherds! Or Malamutes or Huskies! Jennifer can keep those suckers. Lance has already trimmed his Aussie this year. Even so, those little hairs still come out all over the place. And then there are the cats. Nope, none in this house.

Two days, two rabbits. Thompson wanted out at six again this morning. By the time it was time to open the hen houses, a rabbit lay dead at the gate. You'd think they would get the message. But they get right outside the fence and fight and otherwise carry on. Crazy wabbits!

JoAnn and her husband caught the dipsticks that cut Jerry's fence down. The guy said that someone who lived there sold that fence to him. RIiiiiiiight! Liar, liar, pants on fire. Anyway, she and Lisa were over again this morning trying to do more cleaning. Her grandson still has not made an appearance to clean more in the back yard. JoAnn still wants to sell the place, but it would cost more to rebuild it than it would be worth. Connie told me that we have a deficit in the housing market in WF. That may very well be since the interest rate is way down and the number of available houses has gone way down as well. Guess folks will consider buying right about now. And a lake location is always popular.

Made rice in the steamer this morning and having it with veggies and some sea bass turned out pretty good for a decent meal. But then snacking on the Nuts.com stuff kinda messed up any appetite for real food this evening. Should go without food at least in the mornings anyway. The insurance company suggests that "elderly" should take up "even a few extra steps" in order to keep in shape. Round is a shape, right!

Sat out in the yard swing and held one of the black-laced Wyandotte's. She was happy to swing with me until Sylvia insisted that her tennis ball needed to be thrown. Then Sylvia brought me the alligator. That poor toy is so beat up. But it will do for a while. She still chews it like a champ. She goes through tennis balls with a vengeance. They just can't quite compete with all those sharp teeth.

The boys were talking today about how well the two dogs minded me. Almost did a double take! But yes, they do go to the kitchen when they know they have to. Sylvia has to talk about it from the other side of the half door, but at least she does not jump on the door.

May actually try to work in the yard a bit tomorrow. Have some grass and weeds that need to be cut or pulled out. Getting up and down several times should be more than enough exercise for the "elderly" to get a pound shifted--that's moved around, not removed!

Does anyone else resent the idea of being "elderly" at our age? To me, elderly meant late 80s and 90s. The ones that got to 100 and past were just meant to be put on a pedestal and appreciated! They have flat lived through some history! And they can have all the salt they want on their food! Or not any at all, by gum! Food should be a pleasure, especially by the time we hit that seventh decade. Yeah, decades sounds better than elderly.

Have some searching to do on my computer for all the documents that need to be handy for the next few lessons. Guess that would be a good project for tonight. Maybe it will keep me out of trouble for a bit.

May you all rest well and awake with purpose. You are loved.

  

Baby It's COLD Outside!

 So the wind was howling around the outside of the house early this morning as if it were searching for something to blow away. Am pretty sure the trash bins have sprouted wings. But they just sat there on the side of the road with their lids blonking up against their backsides and making noises. Oh well.

The dogs are nibble hungry, so they have had three "bones" and some crusty little nibbles. They really go for this new kibble purchased from Amazon. Fifty pounds of goodies as far as they are concerned. The other kibble just sits there and looks sad until one or the other finally eats a bit of it. Then they look at me as if they are being mistreated. Silly dogs.

Brought in the pots with the tomatoes and itty bitty squash in them. Here in the living room are begonias and lobelia on the stool used for climbing. Hope tomorrow actually gets warm like it is supposed to. Sixty-one is not really "warm" but better than fifty-one. And later this week the forecast is for a possibility of more rain. That will be ok as long as it is decent this Saturday. Lance is supposed to be coming up with his family. 

Talked to Jennifer earlier and she said that Grayson got his second Covid shot and is as sick as a poisoned pup. So wish this mess were over or that folks did not get sick while trying to protect themselves. And now that they have decided that the possibility of blood clots are much less than the possibility of getting Covid and dying, well, now the one shot situation has improved enough that the Jansen vaccine will go to all the spots that are hard to cover with the other vaccines. Having to have the right kind of refrigeration and having to have folks come back for the second shot makes the other two vaccines pretty unlikely to be popular in the far reaches of this state. Of course, that does not mean that Covid can't reach those places. Such is life.

Still have to go out and cover up the dwarf cherry trees, but think that will about take care of most of the situation. Can't really cover the seedlings coming up in the sunflower circle. Caught ISA in there this morning and had to remove her. She had managed to get between the two layers of wire and had scratched up an entire section of the circle. So the circle may be more like an orange with sections empty and others full. Leave it to the critters to decorate the place.

The FedUp truck has not shown up today, so who knows when the bed frame will get here. Not sure how long they run those trucks since all this covid mess has been around. But the UPS man came earlier and brought my new rice and veggie steamer. It is compact, but it looks as if it will be great for rice. The fresh veggies don't usually make it to my house much. They are frozen in bags--sometimes just the right amount and sometimes in huge quantities. Like the little steamer bags, but they are expensive.

Some guys just flew by and came to a screeching halt before deciding he had come down the wrong road. WISH folks would pay attention to those little signs that say "no outlet." Well, maybe they were NOT on the wrong road. They are over at Jerry's place with a truck and trailer. We shall see--or not. They just took out a couple of sections of his fence, so a call to JoAnn was in order. But they have left now. Should have got the license number. Oh well.

Thompson wanted outside at 6 a.m. Let him out and got up and got dressed. Had been awake since the paper boy came whizzing by at 3, so it was not like my sleep was interrupted by the dog. Next time checking on the dog was still dark, but it was apparent he had something out there he did not want to leave. Turned out to be another danged rabbit. Bleah, guts and all. But he let me take it to the gate and trash it. At least he did not fuss with me about it. Life is so much fun around this crazy bunch of critters.

Finally got the mouse to a reasonable size on my computer. Now the pointer does not cover the freaking page! But it is still easier to see than before. Not likely to ever learn all that needs to be learned just to use a computer. The kids have despaired that my phone never rings or something. It does once in a while. All it is needed for is to make a call or two or maybe to get a call. They seem to think that an i-phone will make things better, so when Rachel gets a new phone, Ma will be the recipient of the old one. Oh joy! Something else to learn.

Have been somewhat concerned about the BML or BM or BLM or whatever it is that has folks terrified of their violence. The outcome of that trial does not really guarantee that things will stay calm. And, of course, Maxine Waters got on her high horse about what she wants in the streets. Someone needs to slap that battleaxe! Just think about how many police officers, firemen, and EMTs have to deal with the crud in the streets that she wants flowing with violence! Our prayers will be with those who serve.

Honestly not in a good mood tonight. Think this wind is just about enough to make anyone cross. Did get a nice call from Bill Brown from Bill Brown Beef. He tried to explain the difference in how they sell things from the web site. We both agreed that there needs to be more clarity since they could either sell by the pound or by the package. So from now on, my text or whatever will be to Shelby so what is wanted is what is delivered. SUCH good beef. Had a ribeye and scrambled eggs this morning. Can't beat that with a stick. The only thing that would have made it better was a thick sliced tomato with cream gravy over it. Yum!

Going to tell you all that sleep is something sweet and special right now. Rest well, my friends, and get up to a better day tomorrow. You are loved.

Monday, Monday!

 The Mamas and the Papas might have enjoyed this particular Monday. The sun has shown, the birds have sung, and the hens have squawked just enough to make Thompson howl. Now not everyone might appreciate the hens squawking and the dog howling, but it makes me smile. And it was not so cool today that we needed a fire lit in the kitchen. That was nice. But tomorrow promises to deteriorate into a cold night--32 or under for long enough to kill tender plants. So tomorrow will see a bunch of vessels brought into the house and others that are too big to move will be covered with something. Not sure at this point what will be used, but something. Have two very large tomato plants in the whiskey barrels (the ones that never saw whiskey!) and some begonias and lobelia that can easily be brought inside. So the kitchen may get a little cluttered. It could be worse.

JoAnn came today and FILLED two trash bins with crap. Then she attempted to put them alongside the road. It never occurred to me to show her which direction to point them, so had to go out later and attempt to turn them around pointing the dumping side toward the road. That was fun--not! Anyway, she can do it again on Thursday so that they can be dumped again on Friday. It will be about six months before Jerry can come along and try to take care of his place again. Not that we can expect anything to improve in that area. So let's hope that the yard gets mowed and the grass does not get high enough to be a fire hazard. As it is, the field down and across from me is already too high, but it is not dried out yet. Give it time. Tony Zupkas does not care until the city comes along and makes him mow it. Argh!

Have been reading some history about the Cuban Missile Crisis. Kennedy had just finished reading Barbara Zuckerman's book that showed why the world wars had occurred--lack of communication or miscommunication was one of the problems. Anyway, Kennedy was determined not to cause a nuclear war or any other kind if that was possible. He succeeded, thank God! As children, we practiced getting under our desks at school. AS IF that would have helped. And we were all very aware that nuclear explosions could blind people who looked at them. Two planes exploded over an area close to Petrolia during that time. SAFB swore it had not happened. Well, duh. The entire town was lit up and it was obvious that at least one plane had exploded. But what did just normal ol' humans know? Yep, and now the Navy is saying that they have recordings of UFOs or whatever the term is now. Life just keeps getting more and more interesting these days.

My flowers just keep getting prettier. The sage (the kind you use in cooking) has blooms all over it and is so neat looking. Wish cooking with spices was something that was easier to do. Have rosemary, sage, and thyme, but hardly know much about using them.

Going to have to take another allergy pill before bedtime. Sneezing just about is an exercise all by itself! Then there is the snorting and blowing! Oh well. At least the air has no dust from Amarillo in it currently. Just pollen. From here. 

My grape vine is covering the east corner of the deck. The Seven Sisters rose is right under and mixed in with it. Wish the hens were not so resourceful and wouldn't eat all the grapes this year. Not even sure what kind they are since they never make it to a stage that shows their color. Oh well. Just stopped to think and wonder if anything around here could cover my two little cherry trees. Certainly would like to keep those cherries on there. Hmm. A blanket or a sheet? Not sure that would work, but may have to try. Have no great big sheets of plastic that would work. Oh well. That is for tomorrow's work.

UPS reminded me that they expect to drop off a package tomorrow--the new bed frame. That will have to be put in the middle of the living room floor. Good thing dances don't take place around this house very often--only when the danged fire ants get in my pants! Picked up a tray outside and knocked off the dirt--covered my pants leg in fire ants. Let me tell you, dear hearts, those little black SOBs hurt like everything. Then the bites get infected and make sores! And nothing is a natural enemy of fire ants. Guess if they had a natural enemy, the enemy would probably take us out, too! Wonder if an anteater could eat these suckers. From the claws on the anteaters, however, that might not be a great idea. sigh

The little kid across the road and next to my land has asked me to get his ball out of my place a couple of times. Finally just left it there when Sylvia had had enough of his balls. She ATE the basketball and tore the soccer ball to pieces. Then she started on the little bowling ball things. These are not regular sized balls or toys. They probably belong to his little sister. Ornery little twit! Oh well. Told him about the metal dart found out there and warned him not to be throwing things across the fence. Eventually will have to speak to his grandmother--whether or not she will listen and correct him is another situation. How do people put up with neighbors so darned close in the big cities. Lance says that his next door neighbor has a few hens in their yard. Offered him a couple. He was not interested. tee hee

Finally moved my laptop to the office. Now this desk just has the upright computer (all-in-one is what it is called) and a few books on it. Have to try to keep this desk uncluttered so things will be handy in the future.

Connie came this afternoon and brought me some sea bass. She had more than she needed and just donated these pieces to the cause--me being a cause all by myself! Asked her where she buys this stuff--TV! She does the home shopping channel and just buys stuff. In my estimation that kind of channel is a little bit akin to gambling--very addictive. Says the woman who buys things from Nuts.com!

Need to look up how to make this cursor big enough for me to see it. Did that on the laptop, but am not sure memory will serve me to do it again. Seems like it is in personalization. Will see--that being the main problem since my eyes are not very helpful these days. Ah, life goes on.

Sharon Dickerson's niece has been able to return home and may be getting over the infection in her gut. Hospitals are absolutely no fun at all. Let's all try to stay healthy and remember those who need our prayers. Especially the families of those who have been involved with several shootings lately. And no, it is not time to get rid of guns. Hello! The first murder on earth took place when one brother clobbered his other brother with a ROCK! One of the shootings here in Texas involved a man whose wife accused him of child abuse and wanted a divorce. Sounded like someone who was taking any way out of a marriage and trying to get the guy killed. Sad, just sad. Have a friend whose ex did the same thing to him. And he was not guilty at all, but proving innocence is not all that easy. Time to walk away. But hard to do.

Ok, the days are getting longer--the birds are not ready to go in at 6:30 any longer--so summer is on its way. Enjoy this beautiful spring weather while you can. 

Rest well, my friends, and thank God for all His blessings bestowed upon us. You are loved.

The Days of the Week.

 For some of us, the days of the week are a challenge--is today Monday? Nope, Sunday. One leg is both the same when the days don't really matter a lot. Trying to remember to put the trash bin across the road on Monday night is about as good as it gets until Thursday night and the same task rolls around if necessary. Someone asked me today when it would be convenient to meet. Dear hearts, one day is about the same as another in my world. The hens still lay eggs, the dogs bark, and the grass grows--not necessarily in that order. 

The grass really is doing a number out there! Can sit here in the living room and watch the grass just get as tall as my knees--and that is just near the porch. Now the hens do their number on anything that is good to eat. In fact, Jennifer walked by a plant yesterday and wanted to know why the hens had not eaten it. She looked it up on iNaturalist, and it is a flower that can't be touched by man or dogs! Good to know. So after it blooms, it is coming out of that ground. Not going to have anything growing out there that could hurt my dogs--or me!

Have Bluebonnets in full bloom on the walkway. Gary said he liked it. But it makes getting to the porch a little iffy. Then the petunias are growing through the cracks around the steps up to the porch so that the blooms will be right up to the edge. Kinda neat, but definitely not a good inducement to come up the walkway. Oh well. We have an old driveway area and a concrete ramp at the side of the porch. That is the best way up. Expecting FedEx on Tuesday, so maybe a little word to the wise when he gets here will keep him from stumbling. He will be carrying the box(es) for the new bed frame. Looking forward to getting that put up, but will have to wait until Lance gets here on Saturday.

A friend suggested The Great Courses to me and especially the ones about how music influences society. My master's thesis was basically about how men's thoughts about women were reflected in the literature of their times. They chose/choose what they want to believe and produce literature that reflects those choices. Thought about Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. That was the first work to be written in English vernacular, and he had his characters tell stories that reflected the beliefs--however erroneous or prejudiced--about women and their role in society during that time. Margaret Atwood chose to write The Handmaid's Tale with that same reflection of beliefs by men. Women, in that book, had no personality or rights. Chaucer would have been proud of M. Atwood.

Folks who have lived long enough tend to assume that younger folks understand "where they're coming from." Nope, they don't share even a small portion of the experiences for the most part. Physically, our country has changed drastically. Learning to drive back in the early 60s on Highway 79 was an experience! The big trucks had only so much room on that road as there were absolutely NO shoulders! Granted, cars back then were heavier and less likely to be blown off the road by the passing trucks, but it still did not make a person feel any more courageous after meeting a few combines on trailers! And then, too, the farm to market roads were just barely paved during those years. Looking at the highways--not calling them roads any longer--in the Metromess just serves to make us realize how much different driving has become over the years. The "expressways" were only opened in Wichita Falls by the time of my graduation in 1966. Today they are combined like ribbons over various parts of the city. Yep, just like the tangle of roads and overpasses in DFW or Ft. Worth! No, kids learning to drive today have no clue what learning how to drive was for us.

Was thinking today about prejudice and how the lives of so many folks have been stunted and otherwise made miserable. In this country it was against the law if a person was a homosexual. The states only started changing that in 1961 (Illinois), and the Supreme Court said that the states could not criminalize homosexuality in 2003. Before that time, hatred and ostracization was very common. In some states, it was as bad as the hatred shown toward Blacks during the 50s and 60s. No one can choose where they are born, the color of their skin, nor most of their proclivities. So it really is pretty horrible to be one of those persons who is terribly prejudiced against someone who does not believe in the same life style. Political leanings often make us miserable with one another, but that can be changed or overlooked to a great extent.

Somehow it does not seem to me that God looks down and says, "Only the ones that are perfect." Nope, in my understanding, Jesus died for all. 

For those of you who are hurting and need peace, may God bless you and give you healing. You are loved.

Forgetful!

 Jennifer and her husband Gary Ostand came today so that Gary could transfer my files and pictures from my laptop to the new computer. Have not had time to look at everything just yet, but you can bet he did a thorough job. Much thanks to a great son-in-law!

Always try to remember the stuff to send home with Jennifer, and today one of the main things never even touch the front of my brain: coconut and almond flours along with some other baking stuff were all supposed to go home with her. Will have to write myself a note to send it next weekend with Lance and Tracy. Getting old also means getting more forgetful--maybe.

Sent seven dozen eggs home with Jennifer for her and for some of the guys at work. They seem to appreciate eggs. Then went out to see if the hen that was in the little chicken house next to the house had laid an egg out there. Uh huh! She and her sisters had ten eggs out there! Have not decided whether or not to boil them for deviled eggs or just to have boiled eggs on salads and what not. Hardly ever eat eggs unless they are scrambled, but every once in a while it is nice to have one or two boiled eggs for salads. Think that is what these will be. Just finished having eggs scrambled over dill cheese with picante sauce. Umm.

Ordered a new vegetable and rice steamer on Amazon this afternoon. Looked up the price on the Rival brand. Wow! They are proud of their steamers! Don't remember what the brand is that is coming to my house now, but guarantee it was not expensive! Mom would have put a small colander in a deep pan and called it sufficient! 

My front yard is just amazing right now. The poppies are growing so tall and the Bluebonnets are in full bloom. Even the begonias and lobelia look good. Have one piece of begonia that someone dropped in the Sutherland parking lot that got "rescued" and planted in a pot. It seems to be doing well. Also have sunflowers and squash growing in a small little fenced-in area in the backyard. Furthermore, we have cherries! The two little dwarf trees under the plum were full of blooms and now are full of tiny little cherries. They are the sour kind that make good pies--or are just good to eat. Had no idea that Reece is allergic to Bing cherries! But these are definitely not Bing! It will be quite a while before these are ready to eat, but meanwhile someone around here can drool!

The kid down on Lake View has been up here and then hollared at me a couple of times. His basketball ends up in the side lot. It will take ONE bite and Sylvia will put a stop to that foolishness. Oh well. Meanwhile getting my exercise walking down to get his ball and throwing it back. Oh, and he has another dog. 

Thinking of a good book list for young teens. Some of the ones folks are still talking about should be read right about now: Nineteen Eighty-Four by Orwell, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, and maybe excerpts from Exodus by Leon Uris or The Tell by Michener. Any thoughts about these?

Read a post on FB asking how many of a list of books some of us had read. Amazing! A lifetime of reading and writing leaves me in a cultural void when it comes to movies, plays, and TV series, but those books have a place in my heart. Maybe that signifies anti-social stuffiness, but the TV shows that meant something to me include All In the Family and Sanford and Son! Go figure. My children probably have never even heard of them.

Well, Prince Philip was put to rest today. He seemed like a very special person, but one's view is shaded by what we see as opposed to what he has been. At least he was loved by his wife and family. It tickled me that he chose a wool casket (lead lined) and had his Land Rover converted to electric power. How's that for a statement!

We wonder sometimes about the monarchies of today. Yet they serve a purpose. Queen Elizabeth learned to be a queen the hard way--during a very trying period in England and in the British Commonwealth. She dealt with Winston Churchill, which could not have been easy. Ego and rank! Sometimes a more private family could not have been devised, except for the scandals that seem to be perpetuated by some of the princes. Perhaps they simply reflect our society today--not all good and not all bad. And it does seem to me that the Bible foretells that a king will never cease to be on King David's throne. Guess where the Stone of Scone is today--back in Scotland! The next coronation should be upon that stone. We will see. It was last used in 1953 for the coronation of Elizabeth II.

It has been so cloudy and cool; the temperature on this next Tuesday is supposed to be 53 during the day and 32 at night! And by Friday we have a 40% chance of rain again. Won't bother me. The dogs keep me warm at night, and both dogs have jackets for running around during the day. We are all three spoiled rotten.

Not sure what the pollen count is today, but guess who is sneezing and has watery eyes! Argh. Poor Gary had to ask for an allergy pill while he was here, too. 

Bought 200 pounds of feed this morning. Won't go back to TSC for scratch, that's for sure. Their scratch is mostly corn and some wheat and maize. Not sure exactly why they don't use more maize, but the hens seem to like it better. Oh well. Originally maize was the basic type of corn that was grown in Mexico. Only wheat has a better protein count. In ground feed such as chicken mash, the protein is more available anyway. Now if the hens did not go through it like water!

Before forgetting any other thing: please continue to pray for Sharon Dickerson's niece Kimberly. She has a bad infection in her gut that is not responding well. She needs our prayers.

This has been a good day. The kids just get here long enough to make me miss them when they are gone, but at least they come once in a while. Hope that they know how much they are loved. 

May you all rest well and awake with a sense of purpose that makes you happy. You are loved.

 

Fun Stuff to Know.

 Knew that Israel became a nation in 1948, but other stuff happened that year. And the Titanic went down in 1912, the same year that a woman first flew across the English Channel. My Grandmother Pollard was born in 1906. The earthquake in San Francisco that year killed about 4,000 people and burned over 75% of the town. Carrier invented air conditioning. Upton Sinclair's The Jungle was part of the persuasion that caused Congress to pass the Meat Inspection Act and the Pure Food and Drug Act. Should anyone be interested in searching some interesting facts and folks: https://www.onthisday.com/events-by-year.php

Why, you might ask, are all these interesting facts coming up right now. Well, someone has a couple of boys who need a little encouraging to learn more about history, inventions, people who made a difference, and even nations that came into being politically (Israel). So one source that might help someone else who has children that should not be attending just any school, might find this resource helpful: http://tvah.k12.com/ One of Jennifer's friends educated six or eight of their children (mostly adopted) with this program since it leads to college prep--and best of all--it's FREE.

So have not walked down to the rain gauge today, but it sounded as if the bottom dropped out of a big bucket this morning! Then it finally stopped and did it again! Getting the rain we needed is all that matters! The hens are pretty well protected and don't  have to stand out in the rain, so they don't care--well, as long as it is not three feet of snow! And the temperature is not -12 degrees! So many folks have lost trees, bushes, flowers, and assorted growing stuff. Have not heard much about folks losing livestock, however. Hope the losses were minimal. One always hates to see the critters hurting.

If nothing rips, rears, or ravels, think Jennifer and Gary will be here tomorrow. Gary can do just about anything with a computer. Transferring the stuff from my laptop to the all-in-one should be a breeze for him. Had to go ahead and buy another copy of Microsoft Office in order to use this computer to publish the blog. The other one still works, but using the laptop makes me feel crippled. Fully expected the two parts to separate at any moment! 

What is it about a toilet paper core that makes dogs think they need to chew it up into small bits all over the floor! Even placed in the bathroom trashcan does not make any difference. Fair game if they can reach it. Crazy critters.

One of my "online" friends calls herself an inventor. Will have to get around to asking Michelle Pollard Abend what things she has invented. It just makes sense that some things need to be invented. Think about what a difference Willis Carrier has made in our world--AC for those who don't know. Now we need a distillery for water that can actually remove pollutants. Saw that the ocean off of the coast of California was being polluted terribly with DDT barrels that had just been dumped in the ocean. How can we find a place to put those leaking things or convert the poisonous chemicals? And then what to do about the water? Saw an advertisement for a block to drop in a cattle tank--the metal tank--that was supposed to remove all kinds of germs and filth. Would it actually work? Not sure it would be worth spending the money to find out. Although, if someone can come up with an idea for keeping these silly hens from making mud pies in their water bowls, it would make me happy. They have the gravity fed type inside the coops, but they go to the bowls nearly every time. Twice a day those bowls have to be cleaned out!

My rice and veggie steamer gave up the ghost. Plugged it in this morning to make some rice. Nary a red light, nor a fizzle. Well, it has been around several years and has been a good ol' steamer. Wonder if they still make this kind. Guess it does not matter. This one was by Rival, but just about any kind will work. Will have to go online and see what is out there. Funny how a person gets attached to the same ol' things. 

Had trouble sleeping last night. Jennifer had called me on the way to taking Reece to the hospital. Well, actually she was driving behind the ambulance. Anyway, he is going to be ok, but every time my eyes opened, another little prayer went up. It seems the Covid vaccine made him pretty sick at the time, and now he is still having some after effects. Go figure. Guess everyone worries about their kith and kin. And grandchildren are very special. Know that Debra Jones is very happy to get her little grandbaby home with her and James. She will really miss that baby when Amanda is able to go back home on her own. 

Going to have to either get rid of some hens or find someone who needs eggs. Told Jenn six dozen were waiting for her. She said that was too many and she would have to give some away! Hmm. The girls are laying over a dozen a day. Now this summer it may slow down, but for now they are filling up those nests. Even Athena who only lays one or two a week is still doing her part. Well, Lance said he could take some. He has neighbors, too.

Didn't have too much wind with the rain this morning, so my irises are still lovely. The grass out front may be up to my backside before it gets whacked, but such is life. Thought the one kind of flowering vine thing was Buffalo Bean, but it turned out to be vetch. Oh well. Won't take much to get rid of it or can throw it over the fence to the hens. They like most of that stuff. Do know better than to put Bluebonnets over the fence. They are poisonous for hens. Well, and for other critters, too. Dogs and cats can die if they ingest the seeds or flowers. Go figure. My hollyhocks are completely edible from the roots all the way to the flowers. But dogs--or people--can be bothered by the rough stuff on the leaves and stalks. So there's that.

Really don't know much to tell. Have been wrapped up in a long-sleeved shirt today. Thompson is wearing his warmest doggie blanket. Sylvia doesn't really give a rat's patootie. But the heater in the kitchen keeps coming on, so the temperature is NOT what it says on my phone. Fifty-seven degrees, huh!

Have a book to read--started on it already. Started one yesterday and got disgusted and deleted it. Kinda hard to tell with some descriptions whether or not something is going to be worth the time. This one was not. Oh well. They are free books.

Hope that all of you are resting well and getting ready to mow or do whatever in your yards. So far we can celebrate just having rain and no storms. God has blessed us. Let's feel grateful and let Him know it. You are loved.