Days with Doves.

 Days with Doves.

 

Got a phone call from the daughter of Maye and John Van Natta this afternoon. She wanted me to know that she had found a note from me that was written to her mom. Maye had been more or less in remission from uterine cancer. My friend Michelle Malay had been told already that Maye had died around December 23. Her neighbor is friends with Michelle and knew that it was one of the things that she could share. Anyway, poor Amy has no idea what she will do now. Her niece Alex is living in a group home where they have animals, and she is still able to go to her work at Colonial Park Veterinarian two days a week. It seems Alex is very happy with her situation. If you will, remember Amy in your prayers. She said that they had moved her mom into the living room as that was the only room that could hold a hospital bed where she could take care of her. Outside the window a dove had come to light on the fence and just stayed there. After Maye had to be moved to Hospice, Amy said the dove had left and then came back the day her mom had left this life. Strange how we see the meaning in things of that sort. But then, how many times has God used animals to keep us safe from harm, to feed us, to warn us. A donkey, a lamb, ravens, dogs, a lion or two—different animals have had different roles in the history of the nation of Israel. It really isn’t all that surprising that we can look at some animals and feel surrounded by God’s love.

 

Got a message from Sue Dickerson today asking if her friend could read my blog. If a person can reach Blogger, it is possible to read some posts on Mesquite Hill, but Common Sense and Happiness is only on Blogger and Facebook. I can’t really send the posts to separate email accounts. Sorry. Someone like Tara Ross can manage to do that sort of thing, but then she has an audience of hundreds—if not thousands. Not really sure. But her blog is mostly about history and the U.S. in relation to the Constitution. Very good blog that you all might enjoy if you do not already subscribe to it.

 

My dogs are sitting here begging for animal cookies. Not spoiled or anything. Have to show Sylvia the container for her to believe that they are gone, gone. Rolling eyes.

 

Chewy got my treat ball and the treat square here for the hens. Still have not given them any cabbage. Have been waiting until the weather gets just a wee bit colder and they have to stay in the coops. Right now, it is only the nighttime temps that are so miserable—23 or 33. The daytime temps are pretty decent being in the high fifties to mid-sixties. But February is on its way, dear hearts!

 

Got an email from Dr. Blackwell today telling her patients not to come in unless they call and to try to avoid coming in for upper respiratory infections. Right now, our virus numbers are through the ceiling. It makes me want to stay away from anyone and everyone. Going to Dr. Desire’s office tomorrow is my one exception. Will wear a mask and gloves that can be washed and try not to touch anything unnecessarily. Have some hand sanitizer in my purse that may get to go with me just to put in my truck. Feel sorry for anyone coming down with anything, but this virus is so freaking dangerous! Think Wyatt and Mandy Molina and their baby have all three got the covid virus now. So far Mandy has not lost the baby she is carrying, so we can hope that she will not.

 

Took a couple of cookies down to Patty this morning and brought her trash bin back up here. Roxie always tries to see how fast she can run to get to me when she sees me coming. Rudy will come to me more or less, but he lets Roxie get all the petting first. Those dogs just need a bit of exercise every day. Twice a week is not much running, but then, it is better than nothing.

 

Cooked a couple of chickens this morning and deboned them this afternoon. Have rice cooked to mix with the meat and will add some cooked veggies as well. Need to use up some carrots and other stuff that has been waiting to be cooked. Some old woman needs to get off her duff and actually cook some real vegetables rather than use frozen stuff. But then, so many things need to be done around here this week. One coop needs to be raked; the kitchen floor STILL has not been mopped! Did finally get the couch all wrapped up again. Not that it mattered to the dogs. They already have it messed up again, but at least the six to ten toys are all put in the toy box, the itsy-bitsy pieces of green and yellow plastic are in the trash, and the floor under the couch is no longer a mess. Dogs! And then the people who love dogs! Sitting here laughing about the fact that Michelle Malay has to spell the word O U T S I D E. It’s amazing to me that her six hounds have not yet learned to spell. You can bet that Luna and Marty—and maybe Osiris—know what o u t s i d e spells. Osiris is the alpha dog, so she gets to say who does what around the Ostand house. And then there is the cat Charlotte who hisses at everyone. Critters and their care givers!

 

Well, dogies! This year has certainly started off on a strange trend. A bunch of movie stars slash directors or whatever have died recently. But we have to figure that most of these folks have been around for quite a while. After all, when someone gets to be 90 or close to that number of years, we are probably living on borrowed time. Dobie Gillis was the character who said, “Good stuff, Maynard!” My children will never get the significance of Dobie trying to get Maynard to eat something other than hotdogs and hamburgers. Oh well. Some of my grands don’t like to eat much of anything either.

 

Honestly don’t know much that matters to anyone except to me, so will not strain your eyeballs or patience. Our lives are so filled with the little mundane things that only matter to us. Flowers that bloom is one. Amy said that they did not have a Christmas tree this year, but that her Christmas cactus bloomed six beautiful blooms. Sometimes it is just a flower that blooms. Sometimes it is a dove that perches where we can hear its notes. And sometimes it is ornery animals that push us around and keep us moving from place to place in anticipation of their needs. Yep, pretty ordinary, but pretty essential to life in general.

 

Be grateful for the little things tonight. Praise His name and appreciate the rest He gives us. You are loved.