It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood!

 It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood!

 

Grandson number two of the Ostands has either flu or that other crud, and he must have walked by his mom and breathed in that direction. Now Jennifer has it. We can almost bet that by sleeping with her, Gary will get it. Who knows! Pepper, their Chihuahua, may even get it! You know, not one thing we think about this stuff is going to help us get rid of it other than avoiding each other and washing our hands and keeping our faces covered. Life is going to happen no matter what, and we might as well just accept it.

 

Shelby just left after bringing by 25 pounds of hamburger meat. The kid has pleurisy—an inflammation around the lungs/heart area with fluids that cause pain like you don’t ever want to get. Had it as a child. Dr. Hurn thought yours truly was having a heart attack from the description my parents gave him. He came to the house and gave me an injection and put me to sleep since it was nearly impossible to breathe without pain. Oh! what a relief! But that is something not to be forgotten! Recognized her symptoms right away when Shelby told me what and how it was hurting. Not sure what Covid feels like, but if it is anything like this mess, don’t want any, thank you very much!

 

Still have a hen on the nest this evening, but the girls have definitely been doing their jobs around here. Need to make a couple of calls and see who is coming for eggs.

 

Made some more dog food this afternoon, and it even smelled good to me! Rice with Brussel sprouts and carrots and lots of chicken breast giblets mixed together with the water the veggies cooked in just made a perfect consistency to put into quart bags. We will see how the dogs do with it, but am betting they will eat it up.

 

Thinking about how dependent we are on our doctors and their abilities to prescribe medications. We know that different antibiotics work with different kinds of infections, and that it is not a good idea to give ones for hangnails to those with eye infections, but it seems to me that we should be able to access antibiotics and the information for which kinds work best for different infections. Get a couple of pandemics going, and the doctors will be more than just swamped. In India folks can go to the pharmacy and ask for antibiotics for what ails them without a doctor to prescribe for them. That seems pretty sensible to me. Now if you don’t know what is wrong, that is something else entirely. Sometimes it is just impossible to really know what is wrong with one’s self or one’s dog or horse or whatever. But seriously! Why do drugs have to be so hard to get for simple things like pinkeye or toe fungus!

 

Think the rice container is going to have to be refilled around here pretty soon. Have been using at least two cups of rice each time dog food is on the menu. And that is only for the dogs! Dr. Blackwell says that in order to lose weight or keep it off, the old woman needs to avoid anything white unless it is cauliflower. Now, that means chocolate is not white, and that brown ice cream should be ok, right? Yeah, right!

 

We are about getting pretty desperate for rain in this part of the world. If it does not rain soon, the grass is all going to turn up its toes and die! My hens need that green stuff to keep them healthy! Have bought a couple of cabbages since the price went down just a bit, but even so, veggies for both dogs and hens are doing a job on the budget around here! Wonder if dogs will eat cabbage if it is chopped up and cooked. Bought some dog food once that had duck and potatoes in it. Had not thought about putting potatoes in their food, but have a sack of those in the pantry. Hmm. Know for a fact that Thompson thinks French fries are nasty. He won’t even bury them. Will have to experiment with a small batch of liver and potato. Laughing to myself and seeing Jennifer’s expression in my mind! Giggling. She will read this and go: B L E A H!!

 

Michelle gave my dogs some treat bars that contain pumpkin and cinnamon and others that have apple and yogurt in them. Not much telling what dogs really think about these things, but Sylvia will eat some of the pieces of the bars if those pieces are put in her treat ball. Guess it takes a certain mindset to think that something is good if it is hard to get.

 

Once in a while, walking seems to be ok when out and about with the dogs and hens, but after sitting for a while, things seem to hurt more in places that don’t make sense. It would be nice to be able to sit or walk in a way that did not cause problems. Not much exercise going on at this house. Guess it could always be much worse. Just have to accept that life has its limitations.

 

Don’t really think anything in my brain or imagination is worth discussing, so will suggest that you find a good book and then share the story with the rest of us. Robin Christian reads good books and tells just enough to make me want to read the same book. Yes, a book report! The ones being read around here are, for the most part, cozy murder mysteries or some such. Nothing heavy duty or historical right now. Only so much reality is acceptable when the mind needs to take a load off. But if any of you have a good book you would care to share with all of us, please tell us about it.

 

The best book in the entire world has been published in about every language. It is also probably one of the least understood in some ways. Understanding the Bible takes more than just reading, in my estimation. Beth Graf told me about a minister who talks about portions of the Bible with an understanding unusual for folks today. He is a Scot and has an easy way of talking. And he makes sense. Will have to look up his name again as it never is in my easy to get to places. https://www.truthforlife.org/resources/most-recent-sermons  Alistair Begg.

 

Oh joy! Finally got the font to go back to black. Will tell you that what makes me thankful for ministers is not that they read or speak well, but rather that they don’t try to tell me what God intends by something that is written down by men. Am reminded of the woman at the well. Have read that story as interpreted by men a few times. The expression on my face would probably have made someone think that sour grapes were in my diet. Keep it simple is a good way to look at things. Dig deeper if history makes changes in the lifestyles, but still try to keep things and ideas simple. Honestly believe that God does not expect any of us to develop new languages or new solar systems. Let’s just observe what is before us and appreciate that God found it to be good in His sight.

 

Rest well and find joy in living. You are loved.