Neck Coolers.

 Neck Coolers.

 

Jenn suggested that some neck coolers would help me stay cool. Looked on Amazon and put some water on an old tee shirt tail that had been cut up, slipped it inside the top freezer, and now an expensive neck cooler belongs to the old woman. Could NOT believe the prices they wanted for some bandanas that were the same principle as my shirt tail! Oh well. Meanwhile, put some of those ice things that go inside the coolers in the nests for the girls so they would not get so terribly hot while laying eggs. Found two eggs and saw two hens coming out of the coop. If the hose washing the water under the deck helped at all, the hens should be a little bit more comfortable. It was 117 by the gauge on the deck. The breeze just kept the air moving pretty good, but it didn’t do much for cooling. Dear Hearts, it is just miserable out there. Can’t imagine how folks in really hot areas are even surviving! And this frozen tee shirt tail is thawing out quickly around my neck!

 

Went to Wally World early this a.m., and the truck that brings in the meat had been late getting there, and that meant they had not put out the marked down meat yet. Not a completely wasted trip since a half gallon of milk went home with me. Such is the story of my attempts at being frugal.

 

Jennifer wanted me to put some sharp ends on the two walking sticks she sent to me. The ones that came with the little bag did not really have anything resembling sharp, so it was just easier to leave the ones that came on there. It’s not like the old woman is going to go walking out in this heat right now. Early, early morning or late in the evening will be about the only times that it is decent for getting outside. Feel a bit like one of those vampires that can’t get out in daylight or something.

 

Have been slowly learning terms for objects that are totally unfamiliar to me. This morning it was “cezve” for one of the hidden objects in this puzzle game. It looks like a little cup sized pot with a handle that is used to make strong Turkish coffee. Probably would never drink that stuff, but it is fun to learn the terms. These puzzles can really be tricky. They have taught me to look with more than just my eyes. Some things blend into the background. Anyway, it keeps me thinking and having something easy to do that keeps me out of trouble.

 

Here is the recipe for the soup that Jenn said opened up her head. Besides all that, it is quite tasty.

Immunity Soup

Serves 8 (serving size: 1 1/2 cups)

By Ann Taylor Pittman 

January 2017

This easy soup is full of immunity-boosting foods: vitamin C–rich kale, vitamin D–enhanced mushrooms, zinc-containing chicken and chickpeas, and antioxidant-packed garlic. Plus, the hot, steamy broth and a hint of pepper heat get your nose running—great for flushing out sinuses and potentially staving off an infection. It’s a big pot of brothy soup that you can make ahead and enjoy for a couple of days; the flavor just gets better over time. You may be wary of the large amount of garlic, but keep in mind that it mellows considerably after being cooked. Though we love using bone-in chicken breasts here, you can also swap in 3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken breast in a pinch (be aware that it will add more sodium)."

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 cups chopped onion

3 celery stalks, thinly sliced

2 large carrots, thinly sliced

1 pound presliced vitamin D-enhanced mushrooms (such as Monterey Mushrooms)

10 medium garlic cloves, minced

8 cups unsalted chicken stock (such as Swanson)

4 thyme sprigs

2 bay leaves

1 (15-oz.) can unsalted chickpeas, drained

2 pounds skinless, bone-in chicken breasts

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

12 ounces curly kale, stems removed, leaves torn

Ok, someone my children grew up with just posted on FB that she is in a mess with her electrical stuff. It seems like an electrical surge should be the responsibility of the electric service, but who knows?

"Back in March an electrical surge took out the capacitor on my HVAC. This morning a surge took out my entire breaker service. I'm told it can't be repaired, I have to replace and upgrade my electrical service. Just when my roof is being replaced and temps are reaching 108°.  "

Her name is Julia Chambers. She is a widow with two older children who are in college. Let’s pray for her.

 

It seems to me that my tendency is to moan about the heat and all the crud that is happening in this world—heat waves, desert dust, crime, impossible politics, drought, fires, earthquakes—all the stupid stuff that happens. But still, my dogs love me. The hens seem to think they are loved. Most businesses around here are doing their best to keep employees. Folks are learning how to be thrifty. We are conserving water and other resources. We TRY to have a good attitude. Let us thank God for all the blessings He has given us. Try to rest as much as possible under the circumstances. Do not be discouraged. Let your hearts still and believe. You are loved.

Hotter 'n Boiled Tar!

 Hotter ‘n Boiled Tar!

 

Dear Hearts, it’s plum hot—inside, outside, and anywhere in between! Jennifer read that some man was putting out chunks of ice in plastic bottles covered by towels for his hens to sit on. May have to try that! Dadgumthewar! This heat is just beyond miserable! Ok, enough griping about that for a minute.

 

Read about that place called Re Supply that is at 809 Indiana and went there with Connie this morning. Interesting and kinda neat. Got some comfrey and witch hazel. Used comfrey one time after having food poisoning and thought that it was about the best thing in the world for settling tummy troubles. Really hoping not to need it, but at least it is here now when and if. Also bought a bar—get that—a BAR of shampoo. They had bars of conditioner, too, but that is not something needed around here. Anyway, will go back again some other time when the weather is cooler.

 

We went to the Highway Café over on Jacksboro Hwy for brunch. That place was busier than a beehive. They had plenty of room for folks to sit, too. The omelets were not bad, but have no idea what their lunches are like. May have to try it out at another time of day when it gets a bit cooler outside. Just cannot face much of this heat.

 

Ordered some shorts from Amazon that came today. Washed them and some pants this morning early. They ask us not to use washers, dryers, and dishwashers during the day, but Dear Hearts, the old woman goes to bed when they want us using appliances! Besides, if the AC is not being used in the kitchen, the washer won’t be using any more electricity than it would. Not sure just what one would call that kind of thinking, but imaginative and responsive (not necessarily responsible) might cover it.

 

Noticed that some folks had their panties in a wad over Biden’s fist bump with the fellow in Arabia. Hello! What is better than a fist bump? A hip hump? Elbow to the back? At least he was not breathing on him! Oh well. Everyone is going to gripe about something. Think this old person will just continue to gripe about the weather as it really does a lot of good to do so. Ahem.

 

Connie was telling me about a program she had been watching on YouTube or somewhere called Clutter Bug. Some lady who has ADHD was explaining the different kinds of clutter-ers. It made me laugh. Lewis was the “out of sight, out of mind” kind of person. Being a clutter bug just sounds like a new name for messy to me. And yes, that is how things work around here.

 

Just washed my hands in what was supposed to be cold water. Uh uh. It was HOT water coming out of the cold side of the faucet. At least a shower does not take much hot water now. Always something good about little irritations.

 

Know less than usual. Make less sense, too. So will encourage you all to enjoy whatever is joyful about your days. Rest well, eat lightly, drink lots of cold tea, and know that you are loved.

Sick Soup.

 Sick Soup.

 

Will have to get the recipe for this soup that a neighbor made for Jennifer. She said it cleared her sinuses. Granddad Pollard used to swear that onion and pepper soup would cure just about anything, but not sure if that is true. Mom made potato soup with lots of onion and pepper in it, but Granddad’s recipe did not include a potato. Jenn said this had chicken pieces, chicken broth, with spices, garbanzo beans, tortellini, sweet potato, and some kind of greens. Sounds good to me. Just wish this stupid virus would go away!

 

Jenn thinks she may have turned the corner, and so far, Reece is still testing negative for covid. But they will still be in quarantine for a while. Gary has been going to work at night when no one is there, but then, he is not sick either.

 

Got out my magnifying glass last night and looked at the controls on my AC. Oh! To have the eyesight that was mine as a young person! Anyway, the living room is somewhat cooler now even if the heat index is out of sight. Set the thermostat at 68. The dogs think the floor is cooler than their beds. Yep, and they both went wading in the dog pool today. Saw a hen standing on the edge of the black water trough and wondered if she might go in, but she just sat there. Those feathers keep them warm in the winter, but not sure if fluffing them out in the summer helps or not. But had some frozen milk in the freezer that the hens pecked on for a while. Have seen suggestions about freezing canned corn for the hens to help them cool off, too. Probably won’t do that. Corn is much too expensive. And the milk was some that was given to me last year.

 

Saw an article in the local news source that made me sit up and think. We have a place here in Wichita Falls call the Re Supply down on 809 Indiana. Really would like to visit that place and see what they have in spices and dried greens or veggies. Used to buy dried soup mix at the Natural Grocers, but it just seemed very expensive. Anyway, maybe it will be possible to go see this store soon. They are open from 11 to 6 and closed on Sunday. If you have a container, you can refill or fill up with stuff like soap, lotions, mouth wash, etc. One main idea is to keep excess plastic out of circulation. The owners are from Waurika. I like that.

 

Honestly don’t have much on my mind this evening. Have just been hibernating and reading and occasionally playing a game. Going outside has given me a different look around my neck and shoulders—not quite a farmer’s tan, ya know. Guess it’s vitamin D plus a tiny bit of exercise.

 

Let’s wake up early to listen to the breeze and the birds. God will provide relief eventually even if we feel a bit down about this heat wave. But we need to remember those all over this country and other places that are not prepared for such excesses. May God give us rain and His blessings of peace.

 

Rest well and stay hydrated, my friends. You are loved.

Hobbit Homes and Caves.

 Hobbit Homes and Caves.

 

When we went out to Carlsbad Caverns years ago, we had to buy all three children little souvenir slicker type jackets because it was so cold in the caverns. The tour guide informed us that it never deviated very much winter or summer, so in the hottest summers, it was about 50 degrees down in the caverns. And in the coldest part of winter—even if it snowed—the caverns were still only about 50 degrees. This summer is making me feel that a big cave would make a nice neighborhood—each person having a separate little cave to call his or her own. Now that would work for so many people—except for some folks who have problems with claustrophobia. But Texas has quite a few caverns; and Missouri, Oklahoma, and Arkansas have probably that many more that would work as homes. The biggest problem, however, might just be the earthquakes. When we were youngsters, our dad took us to a cavern up in Missouri called the Underground Railway. The guide told us that many slaves had come up from other parts of the South and had hidden there or used the cave system to escape. But the folks who owned some of the land where we entered the cave were concerned about the roads being built nearby that were using explosives. Our guide showed us the deep underground pool that was filled from the river that ran through the cavern. He said they had not found the bottom yet. Sterling remembered the cavern and wanted us to see it again when we went to visit him and his wife. It had mostly caved in. The road blasting had done the trick. It was sad. The water from that river was SO cold and clean tasting. No fish or any other critters were even down there. And then the second time when we saw it, only a little water came from seepage from the hills around there. Guess time changes everything, but given enough dynamite, it is not all that surprising that the thing caved in. Maybe it will become another Grand Canyon someday if all that top soil washed away.

 

Grabbed a bucket earlier today and watered two little trees in the green house. Have a feeling the apple and one apricot tree are just going to curl up their toes and die. Dagnabit! If the bores don’t get a person’s trees, the drought will do it! Right now, assuming an early start were possible, a person could walk all the way around Lake Wichita on dry bed. Sad, just sad. If this drought keeps going, maybe the city might consider dredging some of that stuff out and making a deeper trench for boats. But that is probably just a pipe dream. Not sure where that saying comes from unless it might be an opium pipe. Who knows or cares? Random thoughts around here happen often.

 

Texted my daughter earlier. She sent me a radar picture that showed a storm coming their way. But she told me a few minutes ago that they got very little rain, but it cooled off and stayed that way at 83. That is cooler than it is in my house! But on the deck, it shows the gauge at 115, so it figures everything is going to stay hot.

 

Patty, my neighbor, called this morning and told me that her hot water heater had gone out last night, so she had to take a half a bath. Just did not want to wash her head in cold water. The water to the heater had to be turned off, but it had been draining into a regular storm drain in their basement, so it did not make a mess. But it only cost $1100 to replace the danged thing!! Yikes! Oh well. It is just money. Rolling eyes here.

 

The FedEx man brought the dogs their dog food, flea collars, and some spray for hot spots. Opened the bag quickly because both dogs were sniffing it eagerly. AND they ate it!! Apparently, Purina lamb and oats must taste pretty good. They had already had scrambled eggs and chicken, so they could not have been all that hungry. Just hope this stuff is good for them. It says that it is for sensitive skin and stomachs. We will see. Moved their dog food holder into the living room so that they can eat in here and stay cool. Only have one AC unit going today. Have decided to try to stay mostly in this room rather than trying to cool three rooms. Other than sometimes taking a nap or cooking, we usually stay in here anyway. And cooking can take place early in the morning while it is still decent.

 

Actually got four eggs today. Of course, there may be zero eggs tomorrow. But noticed that one of the molting Maran hens was in the nest, so she is a good hen if she can do both at the same time! These Marans don’t like to be touched and will peck when disturbed, but they lay good eggs. Wish the Black-Laced Wyandottes could teach the Marans better manners. Sigh

 

Jennifer said that her migraine medicine had helped her sleep despite the horrible headache this covid crud has given her. Feel for anyone who gets this mess. It just does not pay to be around folks right now.

 

Oh, and last night the one topic mentioned about climate got a tag put across my post about that subject by FB. If you don’t believe someone is not listening/reading, just try posting any of the key terms that are debatable currently. Read a history of today type post about the sedition act that was passed by Congress back when Jefferson was president. He did not approve of it in any way, but the worst part of it was that a person could be condemned and even jailed for saying anything considered critical of the president—especially by journalists. SO very glad that FB does not have the legal right to punish free speech. It’s bad enough that we have to be careful about what we say or what terms we use. Even a very unbiased post by Tara Ross gets hidden or otherwise removed if she happens to use a keyword that is unapproved. The world is getting crazier by the day.

 

 Sterling called this morning and told me to tell folks that he wasn’t mad at anyone, but he was tired of his phone blowing up with FB. Think he managed to remove the app or something. He said it carried on all one night with beepity boops. It made me laugh. Sounds just about right.

 

Don’t know much worth repeating, so just won’t say much more. We know that this extreme weather will have to give way to something else eventually, so hang in there and try to stay cool. Eventually the grass will turn green again. The days will get cooler. We might even get some decent fall weather. Meanwhile, pray for rain so we don’t lose all our trees and pastures. Praise God for even the small miracles in life.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Apples and Thighs.

 Apples and Thighs.

 

The two sacks of apples have been quartered and the seeds removed; the chicken thighs have been cooked and are cooling, waiting to be deboned. The hens’ water has been changed out, and the feed has been put out. It is not that the old woman has been industrious, but Jennifer called me this morning around 6:30 to tell me that she had covid, so her entire family is in quarantine. Such fun. Her doctor sent her anti-virals, but now they have to wait and see if what is making Reece ill is covid or something else. He had already told them that it is not a matter of whether or not people would get covid, but when. Oh! joy to the world! That is not particularly encouraging. But such is life. Anyway, keeping busy keeps me from worrying about some things.

 

Ordered groceries yesterday and still forgot to get coffee filters, and they were out of milk. Rolling eyes here. They were out of stock of several things, so my order was about $20 cheaper than it stated originally. Guess that is a good thing. Maybe by Sunday the old woman can make another trip over to Walmart and buy some more marked down meats. Slow cooked a pork something yesterday that turned out to be very tasty. Made myself a sandwich from some of it and topped some scrambled eggs with some for the dogs’ breakfast. They were happy about it and cleaned their bowls.

 

Wrote a note to Chewy yesterday and let them know that my dogs would not even eat a bite of the Royal Canin that they sent. Jennifer’s dogs would not eat it either, so she took the bag she bought and spread it out in the field behind her place. Guess the bobcats, raccoons, and coyotes will clean it up if the birds can’t eat it. Pretty bad to pay that much for something and not be able to use it. Went back to buying Purina Lamb and Rice. They will eat a little bit of it when it has something on top of it that they like. No, don’t really consider them spoiled, but if something does not smell right, they simply won’t eat it.

 

As soon as the chicken broth is cool enough to put in containers, the big pot will be washed and have apples in it to cook for apple butter. Thought about apple sauce, but know the kids would like apple butter. For me, it will just be nice to not have those apples staring at me and making me feel guilty for not already having them cooked up. Years ago, the stores that my father-in-law sold his vegetables to decided that they did not want any of those small tomatoes. And he did not want them to go to waste, so guess who got five bushels of small tomatoes. Tomato paste, tomato sauce, ketchup, and just plain tomatoes on the table. Never was so glad to see the end of those tomatoes as the week it took me to cook them all up! Try canning that many tomatoes and see what the counters and floors look like at the end of each day! Oh boy! Lewis told him not to do that again because next time he was going to throw them in the lake! We could not afford to buy that many quart jars, lids, and rings! Back then we did not have a deep freeze either.

 

Sometimes little bits and pieces of articles will attract my attention and lead me to reading more. Yesterday it was an article called The Beach Rats by Andrew Dubbins. The article included how the government first started the CIA with something called OSS. The beach bums were life guards that later evolved into the Navy Seals. Those guys invented things like face guards, flippers, and underwater motors and breathing apparatuses. They also developed underwater demolition! Apparently, they made a big difference in the Second World War in both Europe and in the Pacific. Anyone who appreciates reading about courage and tough men would have enjoyed that article.

 

The chicken has been deboned and the broth poured into a gallon container and the meat put in a gallon bag. Spent at least half an hour looking for my colander and even called Jenn to see if she knew what we did with it. We laughed again about her getting it caught on her head when she was little. Kids! She was NOT the one who hid it this time. Yours truly stored it in the dishwasher which is never used now. [One person does not justify using a dishwasher in my estimation.] Anyway, now the apples just have to cook down for a while. Did find the rack that fits in my big roasting pan. Not sure if Maria put it back there or Jennifer, but it was in the big bookcase in the back. At least now it is located. Yes, things are strange around here.

 

A few clouds seem to be bunching up over in the east. Nothing in the forecast makes me feel that those fluffy little bits of sky will furnish any kind of relief around here. Can’t stop me from wishing and asking for rain though. Putting water out for the birds in front made me realize that all of God’s creatures must be suffering. Blame it on climate change if you want to, but an old woman remembers things like this from back when we were kids. The lakes dried up one summer. No water. No one would even buy a cow. Then that winter we had a blizzard and no hay for whatever needed to be fed. How my grandparents made it through years like that makes me wonder.

 

Just cut up a cantaloupe and let the hens have the seeds and peels. They were happy to help clean up the mess. Would really like to sit down for just a bit and read, but knowing me, the apples would stick to the bottom of the pan. Guess the old woman will continue to hop up every five minutes and stir the apples. Or she COULD just let them cool off and finish this little project in the morning—Nah. Just finish the cooking of the apple quarters and put the stuff through the colander like it should be done.

 

Read an article about the farmers and ranchers in Wyoming being overtaken by the freaking herds of elk. They are tearing up fences and wiping out the grain crops and pastures that the landowners need for their cattle. The elk have learned to go to the ranches to avoid hunters, so now the elk herds have exploded. Anyway, their equivalent of the fish and game commission up there are trying to manage a way to reduce the population of the elk herds. Good luck with that one. Down here we have the freaking wild hogs! A bounty on them might help. Elk meat is not bad, but wild hogs are dangerous and the meat is iffy at best. Did meet up with a guy in Walmart a few years ago who was buying stuff for a major barbecue for their community. Seems they trapped a field full of wild hogs, and they were raising money for their fire department by having the barbecue in a big pit dug out by one of the ranchers’ bulldozers. Sounds like a winner.

 

For today, let us be grateful for blessings large and small. We know that God has given us what we need. Listen to the sound of the birds. Watch the changes in nature. The flotilla of pelicans moves on the lake as the water from the bottom comes to the top bringing all the little critters to feed the pelicans. We are as blessed as those birds.

Rest well, my friends. Stay as cool as you can and be careful in the heat. You are loved.

 

 

 

 

Worry Warts.

 Worry Warts.

 

Years ago, my daddy used to say that he was the only one in the family who needed to be a worry wart. Mom would just look away or look at the ceiling. Uh huh. Eventually, Daddy said that he thought the worry wart gene ran in the family. The only difference between his jeans and Mom’s genes was that she could hand down the practice to her children. Both of my parents seemed to spend a lot of time thinking about things that never even occurred to me. Now it seems to me that this old woman just spends an inordinate amount of time being concerned about things over which she has absolutely no control. This is one reason for not watching the news—besides the fact that it is so depressing, what can we really do about things? Some of my friends—thinking about Kay Burroughs, Robin Christian, and Carla Beard—would be praying about the things that bother them. My cousin TJ and his wife Lynn are also among the group that take a proactive approach to prayer. Some things we can do. Some things we need to leave in the hands of the Lord. But a few of us have to come back and remind him more than once about our concerns. So let me tell you one of my concerns this evening and see if you want to add it to your list.

 

Depression. No one sees depression. It has been around probably as long as when man first realized that he could not be perfect. We have such glorious expectations of ourselves and others. But we can’t be perfect. We might be able to recognize the futility of expectations in ourselves and in others, but the hard part is trying to give comfort to either one. Remember Elijah? He was miserable, totally miserable. He pointed out that he was the ONLY one who listened to God. And what did it get him? He was pursued and abused verbally. He ran away as far as he could go, but he still had fears and lack of confidence. Oh, he knew that God was the one in charge, but he forgot that he was being used by God. So, he became terribly depressed. God didn’t tell him to buck up and just go on and get over it. Nope. God sent an angel to comfort him.

 

Have you ever wondered what an angel would look like if God sent one to you? A few times in my life, it seemed to me that something special happened to help me understand whatever was bothering me at the time. Once it happened that my horse stopped totally still and put her head up as if her reins had been pulled back. But they had not been pulled. Maybe the “voice” we heard—for it seemed to me that she reacted to it also—was in my head.

 

Another time something made me stop and turn around to go back home—quickly, right then! My mother was waiting for me, standing and praying out in the yard for her child. Protection from a man with bad intentions was given to me that day. But most importantly, it was evident that God listened to my mother’s concerns. He gave her His answer.

 

None of us will likely be expected to build altars and pour water on them and ask God to bring fire down on a sacrifice. But sometimes, just once in a long while, we may be the one who comforts another. We need to be open to whatever needs we find in another. Let us give of ourselves—even if we can’t be perfect or do things perfectly.

 

Remember His voice: Be still and know that I am God.

Oven-Baked Texas.

 Oven-Baked Texas.

 

Currently, it is 105 degrees on the front porch and 115 degrees on the back deck (west side of the house). It’s also 92 degrees in the living room according to the thermometer. Knew it was uncomfortable, but had not looked at the actual numbers until just now. If a swimming pool were in my back yard, we could make soup by just getting in it right about three and staying in it for a couple of hours. Can’t remember the summers of my childhood being this drastically hot. But according to the weather man, it was cooler in Death Valley than in WF yesterday!

 

Talked to Connie this morning. She is all choked up and coughing. Around here it is just one sneeze after another. Have a little thing called Pollen Count on my computer. According to that site, it is “just” grasses causing the problem. When the rag weed hits, the pollen count goes out of sight and everyone understands, but at 5.1 or there abouts, no one really expects to be sneezing from can ‘til can’t.

 

And those men down on the highway putting in new pipes for the electrical or phone lines are still working out there in this heat. Yesterday, a wet hand towel around my neck seemed to help. And those guys are just out there in their bright yellow shirts without a hat on their heads! Even using a Ditch Witch and those dinky little backhoes, their work still requires a shovel often enough. Need to pray that none of them have heat stroke!

 

This is a really good time of the year to not read the news. Well, maybe the time of the year is not the problem. Maybe it is just the state of the world in general. Some guy wrote a song that came out as fairly popular when yours truly was a teenager. In it, he sings, “Let’s forget about the whinin’ and the cryin’, the shootin’ and dyin’ and the fellow with the switch blade knife; let’s think about livin’, let’s think about life!” During that time of my life, the newspaper hardly ever mentioned anyone’s death unless it was just someone special—a celebrity or famous politician. But lately, we get every stabbing, shooting, bombing, and intentional death by police officers. [That last means the person basically forced his own death by shooting at the officers.] About the only good news is that they caught the escaped mental patient criminal from Vernon down in Austin. Otherwise, we are made aware that a bad beetle is after the aspen trees, the worst possible bugs are coming in from Mexico to attack our fruit trees, and a new breed of tick is set to kill any warm-blooded creature out there. Great green beans and little ol’ jelly things! We need some good news for a change!

 

Escaping into a silly book made me feel good yesterday and into the late evening. The dogs kept looking at me and wondering about the noises coming from my mouth—just laughter. It was a story about a woman and her teenage twins who left London and her cheating (tax and infidelity) husband to move back home with her parents on an island in Scotland. They got there right before a major storm blew for an entire week. The hamster got out, her mother insisted that her father put her pole back up for dancing, and the neighbor—Sally Next Door—yep, that is what she was called—came over to tell her kids to stay out of her yard! Because no one could get on the island or off the island during the storm, the local grocer had to keep the dead bodies in her freezer where the frozen lollies were normally stored because the local doctor had no place to keep the bodies. Oh, it was a madly funny situation from the get-go! The writer has another book coming out this month, so if it is as funny as this one, maybe the old woman will remember to give you her name and the name of the books.

 

The trip to Market Street recently included what was supposed to be Ginger Ale. Um. No, it was not. Lemon-lime flavored sugar water! Oh well. Next time the old woman will just order the danged stuff and have it delivered. Forgot to get coffee filters anyway! Jennifer had me make a list on my phone one time, and since then, well, some of us are just a wee bit forgetful. Maybe Siri will show me how to do it this next time.

 

Really have nothing great to say about much of anything. Got four eggs early this morning. Might need to talk to the dogs about having scrambled eggs for breakfast. Sounds better to me than baby bunnies! Patty wants me to come down early in the morning and let her dogs get some exercise. Roxie has been treeing squirrels and is totally frustrated with Patty for not shooting them. Donny used to shoot them with a BB gun. Down there where no one can see us, we might just think about that. Know my dogs would love that business. The squirrels just sit behind the wooden fence and cuss the dogs thoroughly. Danged rodents!

 

Please take good care and don’t get outside unless it is necessary. May God bring us rain and peaceful days soon. Find joy in the little things. You are loved.

Sunday Evening, 101.

 Sunday Evening, 101.

 

Yep, that is the temperature on my front porch. A steady breeze blows from whichever direction a person might face—meaning it is as changeable as the heat. It’s just there, wherever one might be. Texas.

 

The dogs must be getting as spoiled as the old woman who lives here. They don’t seem to appreciate the heat either. They watch me check the nests and the water bowls and then hop up on the deck as soon as it is obvious that staying outside is not in the forecast. Sylvia made sure to roll around in the grass so she could do her part of decorating the house with dead grass stems. Thompson just comes in snorting and blowing the dust out of his nose. He walked over to the fridge a bit ago to let me know he needed a snack. He refused to eat any dog food this morning even with milk on it. But he has had the equivalent of six sticks of string cheese. These have to be doled out one little piece at a time—and the pieces have to be small or he won’t eat them. Not sure what that is all about, but there you have it. Just put a roast on to cook that had been put on reduced markdown. It will probably be as tough as boot leather, but maybe they will eat most of it. Just have to cook a couple of sweet potatoes to go with it. Cutting up tiny pieces of roast beef with mashed sweet potatoes sounds decent to me, but we will see what the dogs say.

 

Maggie Sewell brought a couple of bags of very small apples that should make decent applesauce. Just have not got the patience to make slices for apple pie. Just have to cut the seeds out and cook the whole apple before mashing them through a colander. It has been a long time since watching my mother-in-law make apple sauce and apple butter. Her apple butter was the best in the west! She used so much cinnamon that it was almost as brown as a boot. But it was great with her biscuits and fresh butter right out of the churn. She reminded me sometimes of Grandmother Pollard, but it seems to me we never spent that much time with Grandmother. But we were down on the farm nearly every weekend before Lewis’ dad died. Even my daughter-in-law got to go to the farm a few times. The blackberry picking pretty well did her a number. She got chiggers in all the right places, don’t ya see. Poor girl!

 

Mother-in-law loved a good bargain better than anyone. In Montague County, some fruit farmers would allow folks to pick up the fallen fruit—as long as it was on the ground. Now to be truthful, it was on the ground when she picked it up, but sometimes the trees were a little shaky when she “bumped” into them. One time she just kept telling us to “pick up that fruit!” When it was time to go—according to Lewis—he would tell her that we were leaving. She would remind him that he really enjoyed that apple butter or pear preserves or peach jam or whatever she had that would cook up into a good homemade jar of goodness. But the one time that made me just about revolt was the black-eyed peas. We took grocery sacks as we already had other things in the baskets for their farm garden that Garland planned to take to the market in WF. She had an entire STACK of grocery sacks. The man who owned the pea patch saw her coming and told her how much he charged per bag. She was not thrilled at his price, but we were the pickers. She told us to “Mash those peas in there as far down as they will go!” Those were some heavy sacks. But the bad part was the wasps and the snakes. Montague County has copperhead snakes by the yard and mile! For me, it was hard to pick peas while watching for snakes. But that year we made many a meal on black-eyed peas and cornbread. The funniest time—for me, at least—was picking poke salad down on the old railroad tracks. Joy knew the snakes were there, but she was watching without saying a word. Lewis was watching her, picked up a rock, threw it into an area semi-close to her back. She squawked and said, “It’s time to leave!” As good as poke salad is to eat, it never bothered me to get away from plum thickets and deep weeds and grass. But Joy at least taught me how to cook the greens so that they would not kill someone. Three changes of cooking water made the stuff decent to eat, but it would still peel the hide off your insides! Since that time, someone had an article on how to cook tumbleweeds like okra. Have yet to try that one.

 

Someone around this house has spent entirely too much time looking at the computer screen and reading “Bored Panda” messages. It is so easy to just waste an entire day, but it beats walking outside and cooking one’s hide. The hens have started running to me every time they notice something in my hands. Snacks, ya know. Clean out the excess rice in a dog bowl or eat the seeds and stuff from a pepper plant. They are not the least bit particular. Even stood out by the grapevine and gave them the ones that are turning into raisins. The grapes may be larger next year, but for now they were all very small. Years ago, it would have been hard not to make them into wine just for the fun of it, but yours truly is not much of a wine drinker. Coffee, tea, some juices, and lots of water are the main drinks consumed around here. Once in a while the Dr Pepper or Ginger Ale come in handy. The grands all seem to want to drink the stuff from one of those fast-food places. Not sure what the attraction is, but maybe it is the ice pieces. Whatever. My neighbor thinks that Sonic ice is the very best. It really is nice and easy to enjoy. We can even buy it by the bag!

 

My daughter just made a quick call to ask me the name of the company that Lewis used to bad mouth. She remembered it before her mom did, but it made me sit here and smile. She has been driving on Oklahoma roads. Bad roads and that one company just go together. Won’t tell you the name of the company as it has changed hands at least once since Lewis had to work on their equipment. But it just made me smile to think that she remembered.

 

Then Lance sent me a text to tell me that he was watching Key Largo with “Humpty” Bogart. He and his dad watched that one together. Again, good memories. Sometimes we miss folks so much that just little reminders make us have the sad-happies. Guess this is just one of those times.

 

Know that they discovered an oak tree here in Texas that they thought was extinct. ONLY ONE! They noted that it is in bad shape and are looking for any acorns to propagate. It is sad that an entire species has been wiped out whether it is plant, animal, or other species like algae or the ocean grasses (sea weed). Carla was asking me what comes out the other end when one of these little bionic beasties eats up the plastic in the ocean. Now there’s a question for ya!

 

It hurts to read about the mess in the Koreas, the Ukraine, and the horrible drought in Kenya. What man can’t mess up one way, he will wipe off the map in another way. God forgive us and let us have peace. With Christ’s return in mind, let us give thanks for His love.

 

Stay cool and hydrated, my friends. You are loved.

A Shower/Rain.

 A Shower/Rain.

 

God blessed us with a dust storm and then enough rain to make puddles. Since the back part of the house had already been dust mopped, the kitchen and living room were next this morning. Mopped the kitchen and cleaned the dirt off the counter. Amazing how strong that dust storm was when it blew through here! Just thankful for the cooler air even if it was a bit muggy.

 

Getting up early has its advantages. For one thing, the birds sound happier in the morning. The hens sought out any little bugs that might have come out to explore since the rain, too. They are happy hens. By this afternoon when it gets to 106 degrees, they may be slightly wilted. But they won’t be the only ones! By the time it gets dark, many a person will be wilted in this heat. It’s good okra growing weather, but a person can only eat so much okra, right?

 

Made my coffee just a wee bit weak for some reason, but then, my mind was on preparing the liver and rice for these two dogs. Sylvia was most happy to eat hers, but Thompson was not having anything, thank you very much. Now the hens are eating the leftover rice out of one of the dog bowls. Used up the last of a gallon of milk to make it more palatable, and Sylvia thought that was nice. Thompson just looked at me. Nope, not now.

 

Have been reading some murder mysteries about an older woman who ended up with a career as a writer. They are called The Betty Snickerdoodle Mysteries. Have laughed at the antics of this old woman and her sense of “non-stylish” clothing choices. She has to learn all about how to use modern tech devices and eventually loves them all. Instead of Alexis, she names hers Rebecca. It made me giggle. She is also a poker player and made her living playing poker before her romance books began to set her free of financial worries.  One of her best friends is a casino owner. Not sure just where this all takes place, but then California towns and wine country confuse me since she mentions going down to the Bay area. Oh well. It is fiction. And funny!

 

Sharon and Jim Dickerson were here about 10:30. Jim offered to put the last two bags of feed in bins, but the old woman has no more metal bins for feed. Appreciated the offer, but have to tell you that my hens were not going inside that coop until they were told that they had no other choice. They went in for the night, but with protest. So glad my children are not teenagers or critters with a tendency to despise change.

 

Enjoyed seeing the wall hanging that Sharon had made with quilting and embroidery. She also brought her little hoop things that she uses to make knitted hats. She has so much patience! About 36 hats have been donated either to homeless shelters or the little ones to the hospitals. She and Jim are the sweetest of the Dickerson relatives! And it was even her birthday today! They were on their way to Lawton in this heat. It's not quite as bad as it was yesterday, but still!

 

Yesterday it occurred to me that a t-shirt could be cut in such a way to open the back and then the side and back pieces used to make a wrap-around type halter top. Years ago, someone gave me a halter top that just fit over my head and covered the necessary area across my chest and then had the rest of it to maintain coverage and closure. Would just love to find another one or be able to sew one like that one. It was some kind of seersucker cloth and comfortable and cool. Not exactly the kind of thing one would wear out to shop, but still. Oh well. Guess running around the house in next to nothing will work for the time being. Rolling eyes here.

 

Alaska is a big state and has oodles of islands right off the coast. One of the rewilders is headed to her summer camps to meet up with her friend. She was explaining all the major changes that had to be made in her trip to just make it to their cabin. Then the news started coming in about the fires in that state. Here’s hoping that none of the fires will affect those like Julia. Bad enough that the folks in Anchorage have to take shelter in place!

 

Jim was telling me that he has neuropathy in his hands as well as his feet. Wondering if this is just something that goes along with getting older. Noticed that my fingers could not feel the little ridges on the F and J keys of my keyboard. Oh well. Someday none of this will matter. But also noticed that Jim is much slimmer than he used to be. Certainly hope that is not an indication that his health is going downhill. He is already in his 80s, however.

 

Rather than try out hibernation, have thought about changing my routine to sleep during the day and work at night. Can’t see what that would hurt. Lots of folks used to work at night and sleep in the daytime. At least the heat would not be as bothersome. Well, maybe.

 

Don’t really know diddly squat. Am just thankful that God gave us a nice dust storm with the rain to make mudpies. It felt pretty good there for a bit. Looking forward to fall and cooler weather. Will undoubtedly find something else to gripe about by then. Ahem.

 

Rest well, my friends, and appreciate each blessing that God gives us in this life. You are loved.

Miserable Heat!

 Miserable Heat!

 

Misery does NOT appreciate company, Dear Hearts. The hand towel around my neck gets hot almost as fast as the water in the chicken bowls! The headache that has been hanging around for two days is not helping either. How does anyone work outside in this mess? The dogs brought my attention to a man in a bright yellow shirt who seems to be working on the underground cables with an entire crew who are currently parked over on North Church Street. Crazy! Just going outside to give the hens clean water made the frames of my glasses get hot!!

 

Got up at 5 to start this day and have both bathrooms, Hanan’s room, the office, my bedroom, and the hall dust mopped and the trash taken out. Just have to do the living room and kitchen in the morning—maybe! It is just a bit much. Both dogs are panting as if they can’t get cool. May take them out and hose them down and then let them back inside. It might be messy, but at least they would cool off. 

 

Bought four sacks of lay mash this morning at the Feed and Garden Store. They load them up for me, but the old woman had to pull them into the wagon and dump them in the bins. Two bags dumped and two still in the wagon inside the front coop. The man at the desk said that it is impossible to get oats right now even to plant. That means that it may be impossible to get lay mash soon. Oh! joy to the world! Oh, and four sacks (50 lb each) was $75. They had farm eggs for sale at $4.00 a dozen. If these silly hens were not more pets than anything, someone would have to come get them. But three eggs were in the nests today. Sigh

The heat is not quite as bad now as it was earlier. It was 118 on the gauge on the deck. The hens did not even bother to come out from under the deck when the water started squirting under there. My guess is that they are learning how to enjoy the wet stuff.

 

Ok, two wet dogs in the living room now. Thompson is on his bed and Sylvia is on the rug under my desk. At least they should be a bit cooler and not need to pant as much. Can’t do much for the hens, but such is life.

 

Is a state in our union a bit cooler than Texas right now? Alaska? Think one of the rewilders is headed there. The year we were there with our cruise, they were having one bodacious hot summer, so maybe they are not all that much cooler than we are. Honestly am so very glad that God has blessed me with a home and shelter from the bad stuff. A friend told me her electric bill was $384 last month. But at least she can pay it. What if we did not have a home or food? Not many places would allow a homeless person access to AC and food—or even a shower! We have a tendency to take blessings for granted—well, at least this old woman does. For shame!

 

Not going to strain your eyes today. Appreciated Keith’s reading of Emily Dickinson’s Hope is a feathered thing. Always loved her poetry. The Slender Fellow in the Grass amused me.

 

May you each appreciate what God has given us. Return His love to others. Rest well. You are loved.

Voluntary Insanity!

 Voluntary Insanity!

 

Currently the gauge on the back deck says 115 degrees. Dear Hearts, anyone who will voluntarily go out there in the heat to do anything other than just water the critters has got to either already be insane or heading that way in a downhill tongueless wagon! Even the dogs don’t want out there. The hens don’t have a choice, but they are in the shade and scratching around in the water coming out of the big black water tub. Hoping that the tree we call Reece will not totally give up. Its leaves are very wilted, but even water may not help at this point.

 

Honestly, if you have a choice at all, do NOT get out on the highways. If you think the grass is almost burned to a crisp, imagine what the pavement is like. Brand new tires would blow out when it’s this hot! Can’t imagine what those great big trucks are doing when they have to haul all over hello and half of Georgia! Maybe the storm fronts forecast for the middle part of the country will bring a measure of cooler air. Nothing like hoping.

 

Two eggs today. One was a faded beige color that made me wonder if one of the hens is about to stop laying. Suspect that it might be Rusty Lady. She and Athena are close to the same age. A man gave Athena to me to keep Rusty company when the other hens were killed by my sister-in-law’s dogs. They had to come stay with me when Annie went into rehab after breaking her ankle. She only has one of them now—Snoop. Mine don’t hurt the hens unless the hens get run over when the dogs are chasing something else. Of course, the old woman got run over for the same reason! Doing my best to stop that foolishness! But right now, they are not doing much in the way of running. Panting and walking in the dog pool is about their speed at the moment.

 

Made that rice, chicken, corn, chili peppers, and black olive stuff and it turned out pretty good. It will make a couple of meals a day for two days maybe. The dogs got their special “Dr. Marty’s” stuff today in the mail. Expensive stuff, but not anything in it that will hurt them. Think it is mostly freeze-dried meats that can have water added. They will be getting it more as a treat than as a meal. They had ground turkey with rice and chicken broth this morning. Both were happy to eat all that they had in their bowls. They won’t eat regular dog food now. And Jennifer’s dogs are going to get the rest of a big bag of Royal Canin. Even when they were still eating regular dog food, they did not like it. Go figure.

 

Guess tomorrow will see an old woman trying to do a bit of house cleaning as Sharon and Jim may stop by going or coming from a memorial service for his niece. They won’t mind much if they don’t have a couch to sit on, but it would be nice to have the dust bunnies under control before they get here. Opening the front door shows all the dog hair on the floor, so maybe that can be gathered up by Saturday. Think enough of that hair is floating around to stuff a new couch or at least an ottoman. See the grin on my face? The folks years ago stuffed things with horse hair, so why not dog hair? Know for sure that Jennifer’s dogs could stuff an entire bed when they blow their coats! Huskies!

 

Everything is so very brown outside. The trees are the only green spots out there except for the trumpet vines. The birds are still singing, but think they sound a bit husky without any water. One of my hens is molting bad and has an almost bare head and breast. If she were able to sing, her song might be along the lines of how sweet it is to go naked in the summer! Know the feeling well.

 

Just noticed that Wichita County is still fighting a fire out toward Iowa Park area that has already consumed nearly 4000 acres. The smoke has cut off 287 in places, but the highway is still open. This reminds me of the time that Montague County nearly burned to a crisp and took some folks with it. The cattle can’t get away from this kind of fire because they don’t have any direction to run. Sad, just sad.

 

Guess this post is not the least bit uplifting. Texas in the heat is just pretty sad, to tell the truth. Just thanking God for air conditioning! It is 89 degrees here in my living room and that is with the AC going! Yep, danged hot!

 

Let us be thankful for all the blessings God has given us. At least the mornings are not as terrible as the afternoons. And we are still allowed to have water. It could definitely be worse.

 

Rest well, my friends, and try to use good judgment if you are going to be outside. You are loved.

Caffeine Free Tea!

 Caffeine Free Tea!

 

The tea kettle is on heating up, tea bags in the tea pot, and some sugar in a half gallon container for the resulting steeped tea. The ice maker just does its thing on an automatic basis, so that means all that has to take place now is mixing, adding ice, and drinking. Dadgumthewar! It’s hot outside. Front porch says 112 and back deck says 114. Dear Hearts, it is summertime in Texas!

 

One egg today and not a bad thought in mind for my poor little hens. Can’t say that even one could have been easy for whichever laid that sucker. It is just miserable outside and just as hot under the deck as it would be under any roof. Just changed their water and sprayed under the deck for them so they would have a cool, wet spot. No, hens do not appreciate getting wet, but it is so hot that they might have heat stroke without a cool place to lie down. Actually, will have to start taking a pot holder out there to open the feed bin. It was so hot that it burned my hands. Going to have to put a different roof on that middle coop. Deep sigh. Yes, Jennifer told me it should be done when the men were here putting the new roof on my house, but trying to save money is one of my stinking traits as an old woman!

 

Saw the PA-C this morning. Don’t have to go back until the 6^th of December. He said everything is looking good. Then he reminded me: “Be kind to your spine.” Trust me, this old woman does not want any more problems with not being able to walk or bend over or sit or any other movement or non-movement. That was not a fun situation. We talked about our dogs and what we feed them. He said that his wife was also cooking for their dogs. Sharon D. told her neighbor who had been financing her vet’s school loans about feeding her dogs home cooked meals. That lady finally listened and is no longer paying off anyone’s school debts. At $400 dollars for those stupid collars, antibiotics, and anti-itch pills, who could not afford to cook food for their dogs? If some kind of plant or herb can be found to keep any bugs off the dogs, guess who will be looking for that remedy. Those expensive collars have been recalled because they were making dogs ill. Same thing happened to the heartworm medications. It occurred to me that none of our dogs currently live outside with the mosquitoes—a little OFF might do more good than heartworm meds! If it can be put on ME, it might work on them in areas they can’t lick.

 

Patty told me the other day that she intended to talk to the city about installing a sewer line with a pump station. She can afford to have that part of the road rebuilt or parts of it, at least. But guess who dreads seeing it torn up. The nearest riser is in front of my house. Oh well. The truck can probably deal with it if they fill in the ditch. What made me think of it was the white truck that just went to her house. It was not a city truck, but anymore that does not matter much. The city seems to have fewer trucks out running around town right now for some reason. Maybe they lost their mechanic. She did say that she was going to have to think about it awhile. It will be an expensive undertaking.

 

Just had a container of Tai Pei and have a feeling my own version would be so much better. Hmm. May try that early tomorrow before it starts getting hot. A rice cooker does most of the work, combined with veggies and a can of chicken breast. This will make a big bunch, so most of it will have to stay in the fridge and be ready whenever the old woman gets hungry. Anything is easier than actually cooking a meal, but so many things cause indigestion that it is not funny. Chicken Express makes good stuff, but invariably it causing me problems. Just not worth it. And hamburgers do the same thing. About the only thing that does not cause problems is grilled chicken—no grease. Go figure.

 

Just cut up another cantaloupe. Yum. Wish it were possible to live on those things. But of all the fruits, that one can be the worst to have weird tastes. Not sure if it is the soil or what that can cause them to taste yucky, but once in a while one will taste so bad that it might have cross pollinated with a potato or pepper! Oh well. The peels and the seeds make my hens happy!

 

Don’t want to think about what is going on in the world right now. Going to stick my head in a good book and just let the garbage float on by on the waves of heat. Suffice it to say that mental health starts with the babies. NOT that anyone can foresee anyone else’s problems. If we all had a job to do that made us happy, maybe that would take care of part of the problem. Work makes a person feel his or her worth in so many ways. But right now, my work is trying to keep a positive attitude. And Dear Hearts, it is positively hot enough to keep me inside. But being inside does not keep me from praying for our nation, our family, our world. Let us show His love in whatever way we can.

 

Rest and stay as cool as possible. You are loved.

 

 

Little Reminders.

 Little Reminders.

 

Sharon called today and was talking about a recipe for ice cream made at home. It called for eggs, and she felt hesitant about using eggs in her homemade ice cream. Then she reminded me that she had been told that fresh eggs could sit on the cabinet for two weeks. That is true of FARM eggs that have not been washed. Dear Hearts, NEVER leave store bought eggs out of the fridge. Those things have had the bloom washed off. Second thing: homemade ice cream can be made with instant puddings and turn out pretty well. Add fruit as preferred.

 

Remember when everyone was working from home? Well, it’s time to do it again. This time it is the heat that will kill us instead of the freaking virus. Some jobs require a person to be there in person—nurses, doctors, most medical professionals, firemen, police, and ambulance drivers. Read that Ft. Worth had over a thousand fires to put out yesterday and last night. Then saw a video of Mustang, TX showing fireworks bursting into the skies all over that town. That is insane! Thought a few hostile thoughts last night around 3 when some idiot blew something up down at the boat ramp. My poor dogs were so upset last night that they would not go out to do their business unless I went with them and then they streaked back inside. Have no idea how many calls our firemen took, but we have a burn ban because it is so extremely dry. Folks who live in Archer can sit on the side of the lake and shoot fireworks all night, but their county is just as dry as ours!

 

Got my last x-ray for this back thing today. Tomorrow will see the doctor, and that should be the end of it. Also got what might be the last doctor’s bill from the surgeon--$10. The insurance did a much better job than expected for covering all of this mess. The hospital was the most expensive for me. Oh well. Never want to do this again, but am not sorry to have had the surgery. It worked very well.

 

Bought some groceries after leaving the Clinic. Got a piece of steak that was on sale. Going to have to give up doing that. One out of every six bites can be chewed and the rest just wallowed. That must have been a tough ol’ cow! The dogs are not really fond of turkey—ground or otherwise—but that is what they got for their evening meal mixed with some cooked potatoes. Personally, think veggies are going to be my favorite foods as age catches up with my teeth and digestive tract. Broccoli and cheese, potatoes and cheese made as twice baked potato soup, carrots and snap peas, asparagus and sauce—just about any of those are better than a tough steak. Oh well.

 

The horrors of this past weekend are too much like a nightmare. Things seem to result in making us all want to avoid any type of crowd or any place that is out in the open. God help us! Not all the psychiatric services in the world could stop this insanity. Read a book about a teacher who had a student attack her and try to choke her to death. The administrator did nothing to help because helping the student or the others in the classroom would cost the school money. That situation is not education; it is warehousing. It may be that some of the people who are causing so many problems are just that kind of former student—someone who never got the help needed to keep him from going off the deep end. Whatever the reasons for the violence, we need changes in our society.

 

Three eggs today. Can’t even gripe, but in a couple of days a trip to get lay mash will be necessary. Sigh. The fattest doves in the county! Too bad someone doesn’t want to come trap them and take them home. One kind has no season. And none of them are particular which kind of feed that they steal. Such is life.

 

Honestly can’t think of anything even slightly amusing or uplifting to mention, so will tell you that the old woman is going to come home from the doctor’s office tomorrow and hibernate for the rest of the week. Reading under the AC is fairly easy work. Changing out the water for the birds is the hottest act of each day—besides looking at the temperature gauge! It was 108 just about thirty minutes ago! But at least the neighborhood is quiet for now. Wait until about ten and we will see what else comes along.

 

May you all find a comfortable place to rejoice in life. Know that God has blessed us beyond all others with the opportunities to show His love. Rest well, my friends. You are loved.