Relative Distances.

Relative Distances.

 

Watching Jennifer’s car drive across the U.S. from her place toward Maine, it occurred to me that the other states were not anything like the distances across as our state. Hello! It can take twelve hours to go from the top to the bottom of Texas. She has been driving since early this morning beginning in W. VA, and has already crossed nearly all of Pennsylvania! She will be in New York shortly. Not sure where they planned to spend the night tonight, but if they really keep truckin’ along, they could be in Vermont tonight! Amazing!

 

Meanwhile, Tony Zupkus is mowing his pasture. The wind is blowing a gale, so when the old woman went down to Patty’s to get the trash bin, the wind blew his grass into my hair. Went out back in the yard later to check on the hens and found grass particles in their water bowls. Now that is some blowin’!

 

James Lane went to Patty’s this morning to change the filters on the AC. They went up into the attic and suddenly Patty’s lights went out. When she said something to the man, he shrugged his shoulders and told her it had nothing to do with them. REALLY? Dip sticks! I went down and unlocked the breaker box outside and flipped the switch. Wasn’t much to do, but the idea that the guy was being such a piece of crud about it made me pretty disgusted. She is a widow woman who needs help. And he just acted as if it was not his concern whatsoever. Argh!

 

Richard Miller is supposed to start working on our road this Friday if nothing rips, rears, or ravels. Had to send a message to Lance to tell him to park on the north side of the road instead of in my driveway. Guess he will figure it out. Will be so glad to get the road repaired so that it is not like a canyon in places and a washboard in others. Guess it has not been too horrible, but it will be nice to have it a bit smoother. Gary can’t even drive his low-slung car over it without going very slowly.

 

Both of my dogs have been acting sickly—barfing on the floor. Patty said that Ruddy had been throwing up all night. Can’t imagine what has caused my dogs to get sick, but even stranger that Ruddy got sick. She does not let her dogs out very much at all. Maybe all of them found a poisoned rat? Really thought the poison being used in these baits was not supposed to hurt other animals, but can’t be sure that is the kind everyone is using.

 

The neighbors north of me on Lake View have their yard looking a bit like a yard sale with crud all over the front yard—clothes, furniture, toys, and assorted other stuff. Not sure if someone is moving out or in or what. Guess it really does not matter. They don’t usually bother me even if my dogs like to bark at them. The kids that were there have not been around for a couple of months now. Have not even seen the grandmother either. Hmm.

 

Sent to Market Street for groceries the other day and forgot to get bell peppers and carrots. Have to laugh to myself about eating fresh vegetables. When her silly ol’ mom was staying at Jennifer’s place, Jenn would look at the things in her fridge and wonder what all those veggies were doing in there. Don’t think they eat fresh veggies at all. Can’t imagine! Grayson said that he was trying to avoid carbs since he is not getting enough exercise. He could get by with eating as much as his grandmother if he would just eat fresh veggies. Munching on bell pepper strips, carrot pieces, even turnip slices can be quite satisfying. But dip them in a little bit of sour cream with ranch dip and they are just fantastic! Just my opinion.

 

Have not accomplished diddly squat today. Did get out the travel atlas and try to see how the states looked compared to what can be seen on Life 360. Guess traffic in some of those places makes a big difference in how quickly one can get from one place to another. Used to love to look at maps when we were children. Sterling could figure miles, but it always looked to me like we had to think about rivers and boundaries. Bridges were my bugaboo after being wrecked on one as a child. Wanted Lewis to take over driving when we were supposed to cross the Mississippi River. But we did not switch places quickly enough, so yours truly got to drive across that horrible bridge (the old one that was terribly narrow). We kept hearing squealing sounds and thought that all the truckers were carrying loads of pigs. Nope. It was their tires running into/over the edges of the road and the sides of the trucks scraping the sides of the bridge! That was a really bad drive for me. Just wanted to shut my eyes, but couldn’t! sigh

 

Looking at the map, Vermont and New Hampshire look so skinny! They are probably mountainous, so that would make a big difference for traveling. It’s like West Virginia: one long snake bed of roads! Wondering if they will go to Boston or any of the neat places that might be interesting. But just going to Acadia National Park would be so neat. Carla Beard posted some pictures from there from her trip one summer, and it just about made me drool with desire to see it in person. Oh well. The old woman is not a traveler any longer. Too many critters to take care of and lots of other reasons to stay at home.

 

Got tickled at my youngest Ostand grandson last night. He was telling me he would help me move if only he could get me down to his area. Not quite ready to give up my yard, my critters, or this old hill just yet. Yes, we have lots of wind up here, but a person gets accustomed to it over the years—53 in my case. And elbow room really does make a difference in how a person feels about wherever home may be.

 

Bought some cookies the other day: Sausalito milk chocolate Macadamia. Dear hearts, one has to LOOK for the macadamia! Oh well. Guess it is just the idea and the sugar. Probably enough chocolate to keep me awake tonight! Duh.

 

Carla Beard let me know that she is directing a play because the director just quit on them. She seemed concerned, but you can bet she will do a fantastic job on it. She had some skit type scenarios that she sent to me. Really liked them. Not sure someone who is not an English teacher will get the one about ending a sentence with a preposition and splitting infinitives, but the Frankenstein one should be easily understandable to everyone! All those silly stories we read and the movies we have seen with these precocious characters—Little Red Riding Hood, Elsa from Frozen, the Count Dracula! Such fun! Looking forward to hearing how things turn out.

Think Sharon and Jim Dickerson will be home and settling in this weekend. They spent some time at the memorial for fallen police officers. Sharon’s youngest son Hal died in the line of duty years ago. But one never can forget one’s children, no matter how many years it has been.

 

Those of you who have parents and siblings should remember to love them as much as you can now. AnnaBeth Graf said that her sister Joan is having surgery today on an aneurysm near her kidney that no other surgeon would touch with a ten-foot pole because it is so complicated. All we can do is pray for Joan and her family. The same is true of our own families. We have to ask God to protect them and keep them. May their travels be safe, their lives fulfilled, their faith complete in His mercies.

 

Rest well and reach out to those who need your hope and happiness. You are loved.