Decisions.

 Decisions.

 

Have you ever found a reason to just feel flustered? Well, Dear Hearts, this old woman feels flustercated right this red-hot moment. My dogs tend to jump up on the windows while barking at whatever is going on outside, be it bunny, calico cat, workers, trash truck, squirrel (oh boy!), or any other interesting phenomena. Therefore, having the couch near the windows is not a good thing. In fact, even the recliner can be a jumping off point in Thompson’s opinion. And this couch is a three-seater or long- bodied person couch. It practically covers one wall, in other words. Have decided to give it to Faith Mission and get a couple of recliners for in here in the living room. It’s not like many folks come to visit, ya see. It seems silly to give away a good couch, but the room would feel much more spacious without that big hunk of furniture in the middle of the floor. And yes, it sometimes ends up right in the middle of the room. Once, when Sharon and Jim Dickerson came to visit, Thompson jumped completely over the back of the couch and ended up in Sharon’s lap. She loved it! We will see what happens if a couple of recliners end up in here instead of the couch.

 

My sister-in-law Anne Perkins said she might be coming up tomorrow. Her daughter Lesli and her family have all had Covid and the kids missed a bunch of school. Les said this stuff is not the least bit funny—pretty miserable, in fact. So glad they all got over it. Connie Cooke has said the same thing about the after effects—not fun! My friend Ken Puccio came down with the garbage the week before his class was supposed to be out. He planned to retire from teaching, so he retired with Covid whether he liked it or not. Guess we just need to pray that everyone gets over this mess. He said he had had both shots and the booster, wore his mask, did his pastoral work mostly online, and yet still came down with it.

 

Have asked the boys to come tomorrow to get some things done around here. The hen house needs cleaning, the khaki weeds need to be pulled up with the pokey tool, and the weed eater needs to be applied to the area around the carport and front yard. Also, have two bags of chicken feed that need to be unloaded into bins. That stuff is really expensive! The stuff at TSC is cheaper, but it also is full of corn and corn cob remnants! For some reason, the hens do not eat the corn. The ducks and doves take care of that, however. Sigh.  Also, called the lady who cleans the house for me right now. She said she would look at her schedule since she was at work when she got my call. Hope she can deal with another house this week or next. She is so very thorough.

 

The young woman who has been working in Jerry’s house with her stepfather said that someone stole her car while she was trying to get gas at a Valero station on Old Iowa Park Road. Guess she left the keys in it. Not sure that would ever happen to me, but pretty sure it would make me angry enough to shoot someone in the foot at the very least. Might have to start taking the dogs with me to get gas. Can just imagine someone trying to get in my truck with Thompson in there. Draw back a bloody nub, they would!

 

The trash truck comes tomorrow. Had intended to fill up the bin with cut up branches, but just did not feel like trying to use my right hand that much. Not sure if it is arthritis or something else, but the gripping part hurts. No sense in making it worse if the boys can be hired to take care of this stuff. They are good boys.

 

Keep having to avoid reading much more than just the bare minimum of headlines. This world is getting to the point that no one seems to respect any human life. It is already horrible to see how animals are treated, but then, a good steak sounds pretty good sometimes. French fries are a whole lot of good tasting, but the protein in a big ol’ steak just satisfies like nothing else. Not quite ready to eat just veggies, milk, eggs, and such as that. Some folks think that we should not eat eggs and milk because the cows and hens suffer. If a cow has a calf, she WILL have milk. If a hen gets at least ten weeks old, she WILL start to lay shortly thereafter. Just the facts, Ma’am.

 

Not sure what the weather is supposed to do, but forecasts are like belly buttons. Uh huh. Do know the wind is still blowing and a hurricane is trying to form south of Mexico. Such is life and weather.

 

Remember those like the boys who were hurt in that pickup rollover, those with Covid, those suffering with cancer and other assorted conditions. Pray for the ones who are patiently caring for the ones with illnesses. May we realize the benefits of good health and emotional well-being. May we seek the spiritual gifts that God has given us in His Word. Let your daily life be filled with loving kindnesses.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Feeding Routine.

 Feeding Routine.

 

Both dogs licked their bowls clean. Sylvia seemed to think hers was not sufficient, but they will both get a bite more when this next batch is finished. The carrots have to cool first. The rice and chicken are ready, but the broth and juice for the carrots will need to be stirred in. Yes, they are very spoiled dogs. And guess who does not even care.

 

This week is chicken feed week. The kind that Sutherlands sells has corn, milo, and black sunflower seeds. The Feed and Garden Store sells cheaper feed, but it is milo and corn—mostly corn. Guess a bag of milo and a bag of sunflower seeds dipped into a container might work just as well. The corn feeds the doves and the ornery ducks that won’t go away. Not sure that a bag of wheat would be useful or just a filler. Will have to think about it.

 

Not that yours truly has done anything other than a little cooking today, but yesterday it felt like frustration hit in full force. Got a pair of white leather sandals out of my closet and decided that they were going to be workday sandals. They are not the most comfortable things around, but they will do for running out to the hen house early in the morning. Then the long couch in the living room just irritated me beyond words because it was in my way when the half door needed to be opened. So now it is turned a different direction. May turn the desk for the same reason. And no, have no idea why everything is making me irritable. One of these days this couch may go to Faith Mission or somewhere. It is comfortable enough and the dogs like it, but then they like my recliner and Papasan chair as well. Think a couple of chairs would be just about as good as this extra long couch. Oh well.

 

Have not been able to find a few things lately and know that they are here somewhere. It makes me want to start at the back of the house and just start bagging things up to take to Faith Mission. Think as many as three electric razors (men’s) are in two different drawers. And then there is an entire box of those electrical things for computers and cell phones. Argh! Junk and stuff, ya know. Cleaned out my china cabinet a couple of years ago so that what was in there is handy now. Think the same thing needs to happen to the entire house! Eventually might even clean out the drawers of both desks. And then there is a steel file cabinet! Can you believe that someone still has one of those things? It has all the books for appliances in it, plus a bunch of tax stuff. Yes, it is time to dispose of all that junk and stuff. A bonfire? Think it would just about burn up a shredder to get rid of stuff that way.

 

Have been watching the progress for a “Mother-in-law house.” Olga’s daughter and her husband have been getting a house made for his mom. They are working their backsides off to make it from metal. He is so very talented with decorative work around their place, but this looks very sturdy and probably big enough for one person. Not sure if it is just supposed to be a sewing room/ living room or an entire house. Either way, it is nice.

 

Silvia has an alligator toy that she will fight for. Well, actually, anything that she wants is something to fight for if Thompson has it. This morning it was a red ball that can be stuffed with treats. She asked me to get it out from under the couch, and Thompson got it first when it came rolling out. Had to get his attention on another toy and slip that one away from between his feet. He knew what was happening, but never even growled. He is just a sweetheart!

 

Have been reading about flowers that can be planted this time of year. NOT that planting is going to get done around here, but some of the things that need to be cut back include the trumpet vine and honeysuckle. Jerry put a post in the ground out close to where the old elm tree used to stand a couple of years ago. He tied strands of rope around the trumpet vine to make it grow up the post. But now it is coming down and taking over the flower bed underneath. Guess the old woman just needs to get the clippers out and throw a bunch of the limbs from this stuff in the trash bin. Also need to trim back the Seven Sisters rose. It is so pretty when it blooms, but it blooms once and then that is it. It does give the grape vine a bit of protection, however. They both are growing on the corner of the deck. Miss having zinnias and petunias out front in the flower bed. Maybe next year.

 

The wind is still blowing a gale. Patty told me this morning that she looked up the usual patterns of wind and found that they were usually from March until sometime in June. She said it never had been a problem when Donny was alive since he did everything that needed to be done. But now it bothers her big time. Have no answer for her unless she just wants to give up living out here on this hill. But the wind blows in Texas everywhere. Could be worse. At least right now the grass is beginning to green up again. Plan to leave it for as long as possible before calling one of the boys. Caleb does a good job. But this time we will talk about weed eating and mowing across the road next to the fence on Zupkas’ side. It just looks nicer with both sides cut neatly.

 

Put clean water out for the hens a bit ago. Got all of six eggs today, so tomorrow should be better. Maybe the wind bothers the hens as much as it bothers Patty. At least the heat has not been that bad.

 

Really don’t know much at all. Had read about the pickup and horse trailer flipping over around Henrietta when the truck had a blowout. We can pray for those two brothers and their family. Know how much it hurts when one of the children is hurt. Let’s pray that the youngest will heal quickly so he can use his legs and be able to walk. Having had back surgery, it reminds me that it is going to be a long process of healing when four different places have been broken! God help him!

 

Need to go brew some decaf tea and put it in a pitcher. This time of the evening is not a good time to drink anything with caffeine, but water just doesn’t quite satisfy. Grumpy old woman!

 

Let us thank God for spring—well, for all seasons. And let’s pray for peace in this nation. May God guide those who serve us and protect us.

 

Rest well, my friends. You know you are loved.

 

 

Broken Branches.

 Broken Branches.

 

Sylvia does not like this wind that keeps blowing and whistling through the tree tops. Not just the whistling is bothersome, however. This morning the traces of the wind were cut through the yard by broken branches, an upturned rug on the deck, and several other things moved around in the yard. The Western Soapberry has enough semi-dead branches that it could shed limbs for a month and still look about the same, but one of these days the wind will probably take the entire tree down. Well, maybe the stupid bugs that it attracts would go away if the tree is gone.

 

It is not possible to have a seat in this house currently where Sylvia thinks she can’t squeeze in next to me. Why wind frightens her so is beyond me, but she shakes all over when it blows like this. Patty said the other day that she would be SO glad when the stupid wind stopped blowing a gale. It honestly would be nice to just have breezes instead of a steady round of 20 mph gusts. Oh well. It is Texas.

 

Not sure what is blowing in on the wind, but some of the smoke from New Mexico might be part of the problem. Have sneezed so many times today that my right ear even hurts. Not sure which is worse: sneezing all day or being so sleepy that yawns hurt! Gaposis, ya know. Granny Lucy, who was a very old woman back then living across the street, came over and complained of having the ”gaps.” She meant that she could not quit yawning. Know exactly how she felt.

 

Have pretty much stayed away from the computer today. It is getting to be a habit. Just can stand only so much. Even the free e-books site did not have anything worth downloading this morning. And if the “news” keeps going the way it is currently, may just have to play games and let my little trickle of chicken feed and dog news be the only commitment to online posts for me.

 

Sterling called and said that they had returned from their three-day trip to New Mexico. Not sure which of them was the happiest to get home—Sterling, Toby the tiny dog, or Rosie, the dog that had to stay at home. Not sure it mattered to Jacqui, but forgot to ask. Sterling just griped about the roads, the motorcycle bunches that were everywhere, and the lack of accommodations where they had gone. It did not dawn on him until later that it was a holiday weekend. Not a good time to travel.

 

Know less than nothing, so will suggest that we all need to just be grateful for life and love. We know the One to whom we owe thanks.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Olives and Such Stuff.

 Olives and Such Stuff.

 

As a child who thought that olives stuffed with pimentos were something really nasty, it is surprising to me to find how drastically my tastes have changed. On my desk at the moment is a small saucer of weird olives and some snap pretzels. Not bad at all. The olives have been soaking in oil for who knows how long, but the pretzels have been in the pantry for a while. The olives are pretty slippery. The pretzels are easier to grasp and throw into that facial gap! Strange foods have begun to interest me. Never can tell what might be good if it has never crossed one’s palette before.

 

It seems my days are moving right along. The hours just go round and round the clock as if on a race track. Went out to the hen house and brought in eight eggs while most of the hens wanted to know if any special offering was going to be made for their “sacrifice.” Didn’t even put out any extra scratch! Probably have to go chicken feed next week. Oh well. Each day is different for them as far as schedules are concerned. And daylight makes them more willing to lay those little eggs. Cloudy days are not as productive for them. But you can bet that they enjoy every blade of that fresh, green grass growing out there!

 

Tomorrow the guy who first called me Mom will be 52 years old. Loved him dearly then, and still do. His youngest is graduating tomorrow, too. Can remember when we were sitting at Thanksgiving with Lance and Tracy when they first told us that they were going to be parents. Sitting here wondering how those years went by so quickly. Wish Lewis were still here to enjoy the kids. Sigh

 

Finished reading a couple of books this morning about a 60-year-old woman who had to take in boarders in order to make her mortgage payments. The family who boarded with her included the father (a judge) and his two teenagers. The judge is going through a divorce and is in mourning just as the woman is since she just recently became a widow. It is a sad story, but at the same time, the situation makes quite a bit of sense. Her late husband was a doctor. She was a journalist. But because journalism has changed so drastically, she can no longer make a living writing. Now she makes a living by chasing down information on people who have ducked out of their debts or who have jumped bail. That kind of work must be prevalent in every larger city considering the mountains of debt in our society or the number of people who end up in jail for one reason or another. Anyway, it is an interesting series of books. And she has a funny cat.

 

Thought surely the old woman would get up and get something done today. It has not happened. Probably won’t happen tomorrow either. Can’t imagine what it is going to take to get her motivated! Oh well.

 

Reece had that laser surgery on his eyes, so now he can see everything. On the way home, he kept telling Jennifer, “I can SEE that now!” He had to wear contacts or glasses for the longest. Now to get Grayson convinced to have it done. Roger Thonton told me that he thought it was the best thing he could do. But then Jenn told me how much it cost! Woo whoo! Not likely.

 

Have not even looked at the news on AOL or anywhere this morning. Not sure it is worth the stress to see what else is happening in the world today. Can almost bet the topics have not changed in the past couple of days. Sad and tiring. Our lives so seldom have good news to appreciate. Does Grit still get published? It used to come out every so often and had some good articles and happiness in it. Not sure if we subscribed or what, but enjoyed reading it. Life has definitely changed.

 

Won’t tell you what kind of bird we thought it might be, but the dogs both jumped up at the sound and wanted in the kitchen and out the door. Then it dawned on me: the fan in the kitchen had developed an alternating whine. WD-40 put that “bird” to rest. Did not realize that stuff could be used on electrical fixtures until Sterling came and showed me how to put some on a wall plug so it would go in and come out easily. Now the washer has a nice little plug that does not fight back any longer! Learn something every day!

 

My hopes are that all of you are enjoying whatever kind of spring has come your way. Walking the yard or sitting on the front porch can be better than just about anything on TV. Birds singing, flowers blooming, and coffee or tea to bring things into focus might just be the best medicine for life right now. May you all rest and appreciate the wonders God has given us.

 

Rest well, my friends, and know that you are loved.

Green Blessings.

 Green Blessings.

 

Walked the lots on the east side of my place and looked at the grass coming up from all that brown stuff. Oh! Lovely! Yes, it means mowing in the near future, but it certainly beats having dead grass out there. Of course, the hens are still doing their Marine business of digging foxholes! Walked by one hen today who just lay there and looked at me. She was sunning her body, thank you very much. “Don’t bother me,” seemed to be her attitude. And she did not even get up as my feet went near her. Obviously, my hens are not easily spooked and seem to have a trusting relationship with the old woman. Kinda wish the doves did not have that same attitude. Sigh

 

Thompson just got into chase mode while sitting in my recliner. Guess the dogs are going to have to have some lessons in impossibilities pretty soon. They just about drove Sterling wild while he was here with their sudden explosions of barking when someone or something came inside their view out the windows. This time it was that calico cat that must live over on Church Street. Earlier it was a squirrel running along the telephone posts that front my yard—the posts are lying flat on the ground to keep folks from backing or running into my house or the gas or water meters. So far, that has worked well despite some crazy drivers.

 

The UPS man brought me a big box today. The most difficult part about it was getting the box open! But Jennifer had sent a little wagon that will work for various situations around here. It would have been perfect yesterday to unload the truck after the grocery store trip. Not sure unloading feed into it will be one of its tasks. Really don’t want to get it dirty since it comes inside so easily. This is the size wagon that was always needed around here, but not what Lewis thought was best. His will work well now for other things—including unloading the truck of feed or diatomaceous soil. Sterling fixed the wheel so that it would stay on. That the wheels can get flats is still a problem, but if the old woman ever gets herself in gear to get to Harbor Freight, a new air hose will take care of one of the problems around here. Still have not gone to get a new water hose either. Time to get some things done.

 

Michelle Malay called back this afternoon. Think she is feeling a little bit better. Between the weather and other situations, she has been in a lot of pain. Feel so sorry for anyone who has to deal with RA. Well, other types of problems are just as bad, but that one is one that affects so many folks. Pain, itself, can cause depression, too. It is like a vicious cycle.

 

Cooked the salmon on a cedar plank today along with three big yellow squash—not together, of course, but the two dishes were very tasty. Love yellow squash with a touch of sugar and sour cream. Umm. Put ginger sauce on the salmon, and that was mighty good, too. Trying different foods and cooked in different manners is helpful to me. Food gets pretty tiring when we have to cook everything all by ourselves.

 

Have done some word searches, played a couple of games, charged my phone (down to 19%), picked up eggs, cleaned the dog pool, and put vinegar in the hens’ drinking water. Then read about the amoebas that are in our local water. Great, just great. Read online about the latest police activities. SO glad we have good police officers who take their jobs seriously. Just wish we did not have so many idiots who need to be arrested and taken to jail.

 

After my shower this morning, the stuff that Jenn said to use in my hair worked well. Have not had to pull my hair out of my face all day. We will see if my face falls off due to the ingredients when tomorrow gets here. Hmm. Allergies are SO much fun.

 

Sent a couple of dozen eggs home with Connie Cooke this afternoon. Her sister will get one dozen and Connie will use the other dozen. She is always concerned about “wasting” eggs. Have thought about telling her that cats will eat boiled eggs, but who knows if her cats will since they only eat a certain brand of wet cat food. They came out of the cat house where she used to volunteer. Those cats had a certain kind of food that all of them ate. Guess they are a lot like people with preferences.

 

Ok, if opinions about sex bother you, skip over this next section. Some of the young men who attended ACC were in the lunch room once bragging about how many babies they had made with all these different girls. The girls got section eight housing if they had a child—and better money if they had more than one child. It occurred to me that those little children would grow up and never know who was going to end up being a half sister or half brother to them. And who was going to be able to tell them if no one said who the “baby daddy” for all these kids was? This was one of the times in my life that the cattlemen’s take on making steers made sense to me. If the steers could not reproduce, they just did not cause problems in the herd. In the case of these young men, a mandatory vasectomy should have been used as a measure to keep things genetically straight, if for no other reason. Women who have more than two children—by separate men or on the government dime—should have their tubes tied. The guys should be altered, too. No abortions needed if the women can’t get pregnant! Just my opinion.

 

Noticed that taking a pain pill or muscle relaxer has a tendency to cause some strange dreams. But at least sleep is possible when the muscles are clenching in my back. Michelle and Connie both said that the old woman is using muscles that have not been used in a while. Quite likely the truth of the matter. Just because walking around and feeling better has finally come along, that does not mean that every muscle is ready for “business as usual.”

 

Tomorrow is Friday—trash day. The wind is not blowing a gale, so the trash bin can be placed across the road tonight. Right now, the bin is stuffed with cardboard pieces, but one bag of trash will go in the top. So glad WF has curbside pickup. Can remember when we used to have burn barrels! Can’t imagine doing that now. We are still in a drought, so this nice cool wet stuff won’t last long, but at least the grass will get a little greener. Too late to plant much with the heat on its way, but the sunflowers will grow despite the foxholes and wind.

 

Let’s remember those who mourn tonight. It hurts to think of all those here and around the world who have to deal with loss and pain. May God give us all peace.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Green Stuff.

 Green Stuff.

 

The rain has already made a difference in the side lots and in the back yard. And the hens seem quite happy to stay out there and scratch at the ground and green stuff. Of course, if a worm should happen to have come close to the surface, it is a goner!

 

Looking at the calendar and saw a term that was totally new to me: Shavuot (noun)

1.  a major Jewish festival held on the 6th (and usually the 7th) of Sivan, fifty days after the second day of Passover. It was originally a harvest festival, but now also commemorates the giving of the Law (the Torah). Also called Pentecost, Feast of Weeks.

 

We celebrated Pentecost [Feast of Weeks], but some of the terms used by the Jewish people simply are not some normally heard around here. My brother tried to tell me that all of the “festivals” were strictly Jewish. Hmm. My Bible indicates that they were festivals that God called His holy days. The fact that Christ celebrated them makes them less than simply Jewish [yes, HE was Jewis]. When He was speaking to the Samaritan woman, Jesus told her that salvation is of the Jews. THEN he said that the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth … “God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.” [John 4:24] So, it is not a building, not a ceremony, not a formal setting that creates worship. Anyway, the term made me think about a few things including a post on FB—yes, how very strange, huh. The post was talking about the theology of the thief on the cross—unbaptized, not able to kneel, naked and hardly presentable as a man, yet he believed Christ. THAT was counted as righteousness for him.

 

Out my front window, the sight of our flag at half mast again makes me sad, but the reason is enough to cause tears in any parent’s heart. Then the woman who runs a gun safety and CHL class offered a free, two-day course on defending a classroom. Her first class for this course is already filled up and another will be created shortly. These are TEACHERS ONLY classes. Think about that. They have to already have their CHL before they can sign up. That tells me that quite a few teachers in our area want to be able to defend themselves and their students. We already have one small school out west of WF that has teachers who carry in the classroom. We have so much drug traffic on the highway that direction that a teacher is the first defense for the school since law enforcement would be too far away to be of much help. Texas is not the only state with miles and miles of miles, but we have to consider the amount of ground law enforcement would have to cover to even begin to protect folks.

 

Carol Thonton was a dispatcher and her husband an officer out where they lived in Texas. She would understand how hard it would have been on the dispatchers this week. One from Uvalde posted a description of how helpless they sometimes feel. She gave the mailing address of their department in case anyone wants to write a word of encouragement. Uvalde Police Department, 964 W. Main St., Uvalde, TX 78801. Those folks need our prayers if nothing else.

 

My little world is about the same as usual. Made a trip to Aldi’s and spent a couple of hundred dollars for meat and staples. Yes, a carton of ice cream got pitched into the buggy, too. Even found something called brioche. It has a vanilla swirl through it—like an elongated cinnamon bun that is tender and not too sweet. Never had seen or tried that before, so this was interesting. Pretty tasty.

 

Not sure if it is the weather or what, but the old body has hurt lately. Took a muscle relaxer earlier to try to get my back to stop feeling as if it were having spasms. Stupid stuff that happens to give us reason to gripe, moan, and groan!

 

Went to Lowe’s to get a screw thing with nuts to try to repair the ball thing on my bed. It still is not exactly right, but at least it won’t cause me any problems when my hand is put there. Sometimes it would be so nice to be more mechanically inclined. Sigh

 

Son-in-law had a birthday today. Lance has one Saturday. May is a busy month for us. Jennifer said that she and Gary were going to a movie this evening to celebrate his birthday. He really does not have a lot of time to just do things that are not related to work right now. Not sure why they are so busy, but apparently someone wants the products they make. And no, the old woman has no idea how a die set works. But Gary knows how to make the ones that are created especially for certain companies. So he stays busy. That means that Jennifer stays busy as well. Not just business is part of the work load that Jenn handles. She also takes care of doctor’s appointments, Rx pickups, and any other family related work that Gary and the boys can’t do while they work. It makes me wonder how she does all that and feeds them, keeps the house livable, and schedules lawn maintenance. It is a lot to remember.

 

My bangs are getting so long that they are in my eyes half of the time, so this morning some “product” went into the front part of my hair so it would stay back. Jenn has fussed that this is something that would make it easier for me. If the stuff does not cause any skin irritation, it might be the very thing! Here’s hoping.

 

Not to know anything worth discussing, the old woman certainly is opinionated enough! For instance, feel so happy that we do not have a “royal family.” Can you imagine!? Our politicians are bad enough as it is, but to have them inherit their roles? Well, come to think of it, we have folks in office who have been there most of their lives! Guess it is about time to see what difference voting would do.

 

Washed a couple of blankets this morning and put lavender in the dryer on a bath cloth. It did not seem to give it much smell, but guess it does not matter much. It just seems like a soft smell can make it easier to relax.

 

Thompson just had a hissy fit because a cottontail was in the front yard. Yours truly chased it toward the side and back yard, and the stupid critter went into the back yard. Th. chased it into the other fence and found another rabbit at the same time! Honestly, if we ever go hungry in this neighborhood, we would just have to go rabbit hunting!

 

If you have been reading and looking at the things Keith Mattson has been posting on Common Sense, you might be getting a kick out of his “out of sorts” comment. Talk about shortages! It’s getting pretty bad when we can’t even keep a supply of “sorts.”

 

Please remember those who are so terribly hurt tonight. May God bless our families, friends, neighbors, and nation.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

RAIN! A Wonderful Gift!

 RAIN! A Wonderful Gift!

 

God gave us rain! According to the gauge, it is not quite an inch, but who’s counting? It just makes me feel so good to see the ground soaking up every drop! Barbara Mathews called today and said that her husband needed every drop to fall on their place for pasture and whatever else he has planted. We were about to get pretty desperate around here. And maybe this won’t last long, but it certainly beats not having any at all. Of course, we now have dog prints inside the house. It will mop.

 

Had to laugh at the dogs and the old woman. The storm came in sideways and every which direction when it first hit. Put the thunder shirts on my dogs because they were so upset with the winds slamming everything. The heavy door on the deck was whammed into the side of the house. The trees bent over and then went back and forth for several minutes. Thought the old woman needed a thunder shirt, too! In about thirty minutes, we had slightly over half an inch of rain! That stuff certainly meant business!

 

It has been a really good day. Talked to all of the children except Grayson, and he is working. Think everyone is about ready for school to be out and over with for the time being. Am sure the teachers feel the very same way. Deep breath and blow it away.

 

Connie Cooke laughs about her “kitty TV” when her two cats sit and watch out the windows of her apartment. My dogs have the same situation, except they can run out the doggie door to the back yard and side lots. A squirrel ran across the front yard a few minutes ago and started a ruckus! Thompson really would have enjoyed chasing that furry varmint. Guess he will just have to stick with chasing rabbits in the back.

 

Cooked some more pork loin for the dogs, but have not done anything else with it yet. Lazy day for a lazy ol’ woman! Slept some this morning when the rain was coming down with that pattern of whishing sounds that accompany rain falling on the leaves and on the roof. The chicken coop and the deck don’t have that soothing type of sound in the rain. It sounds more like thunk, thunk, drummmm! Oh well. The hens don’t seem to mind overly much.

 

The dogs are standing here getting treats out of their box. They don’t usually do that at all. They wait until one is handed to them. Guess they prefer to pick out the ones they want. That each one is the same makes no difference to them, of course.

 

Have tried to thank everyone who sent birthday greetings today, but it is for sure that some will be missed. If you are missed, it is certainly not intentional. It just makes the day a bit more special to have someone notice that an old body managed to make it to another year of life.

 

Barbara M. told me today that our classmate Billie Jean has cancer throughout her body. She had been to the doctors here, and they told her it was nothing. Her daughter took her to Dallas and they removed the one part that had been noticeable. Now it is beyond help, but they have used chemo anyway. Most of you already know that my feelings about chemo and that type of “medicine” are pretty well equivalent to seeing them as barbaric horrors! My sweet sister-in-law might have done well with just a double mastectomy, but they did chemo, and now her hands are crippled and she has lost most of her muscle tone. Insanity! Some day we will know not only what causes the crud, but how to deal with diseases of the body—and the mind.

 

My friend Michelle seemed down when she called the other day. Her husband has been gone now for just over a year. It is so very hard to adjust—not just to living alone, but the lack of exchanging thoughts and concerns. Children don’t need to be on the receiving end of that kind of worries or upsets. It is just difficult to live alone after having your heart held in deep love by someone you have learned to trust totally. Life without that mate can’t be the same. But memories come each day with each sound, song, smell, and opportunity to hold on to that person’s closeness.

 

Just stopped long enough to clean up the treat crumbs! These dogs! Gotta love ‘em!

 

Let us remember those whose lives have been so disrupted by war, terrorism, diseases, and economic instability. Then let us ask God to give our nation the rains it will need to replenish the deep lakes and rivers. May He forgive us and bless us.

 

Rest and rejoice in life tonight. You are loved.

Whoa! Dry Cold!

 Whoa! Dry Cold!

 

SO wish it would just turn loose and rain, but right now my temperature gauge says 60 degrees, and the ground is so dry and hard that even the weeds are suffering! Dear Hearts, that is some dry ground out there! Was trying to use the little pokey tool that Jennifer sent to me, but the ground just crumbled, and the roots refused to turn loose on the khaki weeds. Maybe later, if it ever rains again, the weeds will come up, roots and all! Those stickers are just horrible. The dogs can’t seem to get them out of the pads of their feet.

 

Both dogs just came unglued about a kitty cat of three colors across the street. Oh! HOW they would love to get over there and chase that critter! Rabbits and cats—and squirrels—are their nemesis—is that already plural? Oh well. Nemeses? Sometimes it is frustrating to care about things like spelling and the proper use of words. For instance, the words to, too, two. Obviously, the number two is not—or should not be—a problem. It is to and too that cause confusion in those who seemingly don’t quite remember which one to use where. The preposition “to” reminds me of the song, “Over the river and through the woods, TO Grandma’s house . . .” But to can be used in front of a verb: to go, to shop, to knit. Now, that being said, the word TOO usually means also. “She wants to go, TOO.” See what that looks like? To go, also. But what about the meaning of too when it means something else--excess: You have TOO much dirt in your clothes to rinse them in the sink.

 

Years ago, teaching English was fun when my students liked to develop mnemonic devices to aid in memory. We had some funny things to help us. Dr. Brown used to tell us how to develop mnemonic devices to help with spelling: accommodate—two couples went on A Date—the two O’s were the wheels on the car; the mm’s were the seats. Kinda neat, huh.

 

Ate leftover macaroni and cheese for breakfast. The chili peppers had more flavor this morning and the black olives were just as tasty as ever. Really don’t need this many carbs at any meal, but it won’t hurt for once or twice.

 

A big cement truck is across the road where they are filling up the trenches for the foundation of the trailer house. Once upon a time, the old woman would have tripped over there and asked the driver to dump any leftover cement in that hole in the road. But that won’t happen today. My attitude is not quite as squirrely as it once was.

 

Oh! Sharon (& Jim) and Sue Dickerson sent cards this morning to remind me that they know how old some of us have become. The one from Sharon included a “To Do” list that went on to say, “Wa Dit-ty Dit-ty Dumb Dit-ty Do List.” Stood there and giggled when reading that little piece of paper. Sue’s card included a little slip of paper of a strawberry plant with blooms and berries. It could be a good thing to sit and color. It had “Grace and Peace be yours in Abundance,” 2 Peter 1:2. Thank you, Ladies, for being so loving.

 

Made oven baked veggie rings of cauliflower and cornmeal dip. Also, fried some okra to go with the veggie rings. My mother would never have recognized the kind of food eaten around here. And if Lewis were still alive, he would be raising his eyebrows and demanding cornbread and milk.

 

Sterling called and we discussed why he could not send some of the oodles and gobs of rain down here from Arkansas. Do you suppose he just can’t get a good trailer hitch to pull a few clouds down this way? Deep sigh.

 

Connie said that the TV had a little thing going across the screen saying that food shortages would be drastic in about ten weeks. When Sterling was talking to me, he said that he was not worried about food shortages. He believes that folks will start throwing their money in the streets soon as it would be [IS] worthless. He said it had already happened in Venezuela just like it did in Germany years ago. As long as they keep the printing press going strong printing out those trillion-dollar bills, we can expect that money is not going to mean much. Somehow Amazon has not had to deliver anything to my house this month. Trying to be pretty conservative until all the doctors are paid off.

 

Sterling mentioned to me that the church is no longer mentioned after the fourth chapter of Revelation, so yours truly needs to go back and do some reading. DID know that the churches mentioned were each representative of an age. But he feels that we are the lukewarm group that will be spit out. Maybe so. He also thought that Elijah and Enoch would be the two witnesses since neither of them died but were transposed into heaven. Again, we will see. But it does make sense to me. Can’t imagine anyone today being impressed by anyone else the way they would be impressed by those two men—especially considering their abilities to spit fire! At my age, it would be something to be around to see what happens next. But who knows? No man knows at this point—only God knows what is next and when it will happen.

 

Speculation is a bit like reading a mystery: you know it will finish, but will it make sense? What we see on the surface of things means nothing compared to what is hidden.

 

May you all rest well and find joy in life. You are loved.

 

 

A Friendly Visit.

 A Friendly Visit.

 

Maggie Sewell came this afternoon to pick up some eggs and to visit. She got to meet my dogs and somehow thought that they were well behaved. Amazingly, they did stay calm and sweet. No jumping up and pushing her around. Had to warn her not to wave her arms around, but Thompson gave her a good sniffing over to check out the smell of her dogs. She smiled and laughed. Dogs have such sensitive noses that they can tell how many and what sex other people’s dogs are. Returning from a short visit to Patty’s right after lunch time, both dogs had to run their noses over my legs, feet, hands, and arms. That is what is called “the once over”!

 

Maggie brought me some extra rice to cook for me and my dogs. It is probably better than potatoes and is as easy to cook and mix into their food. Glad to use anything like that when she has extra just sitting there in the pantry. She said that they can only eat so much rice before it gets a little bit much. She was also telling me about trying to fall over her dogs and into the freezer. Critters have a tendency to get right under our feet! We reminded each other to be careful! It is SO easy to fall.

 

Just glanced out the front window here at the porch and ramp where the birds are making noise. A sparrow was chasing a little wren around out there. Wish it were possible to put the bluebird nest out without it getting pushed around by the winds. Maybe the wrens could nest in it. Or not.

 

Jenn bought some macaroni the last time she went to Sam’s for me. The box had six packages of the elbows in them. One package would be enough for an entire family, so next time one is opened, it needs to be divided into two portions. This time one package got mixed up with six slices of sliced Velveeta cheese, butter, salt and pepper, a can of ripe olives, one can of chili peppers, and a can of cooked chicken breast. It turned out very tasty, but had to put half of it in a Ziplock bag to put in the top freezer. It would take me all week to eat that much macaroni!! The cheese came from Patty’s house. Somehow she managed to order two packages of cheese slices. She felt like that amount of cheese would last all year if she did not get rid of some of it.

 

Patty’s dogs—especially Rudy—need their nails trimmed again. Her friend Debbie took them in their carriers to Western Hills vets last time, but Debbie is sick right now, so Patty may send them over there with me. It is no trouble as long as the little critters are in their carriers. It may take both of us to get them inside the carriers, but maybe it won’t be too hard to accomplish.

 

Maybe it is the nap that happens around here rather often, but it feels as if some days just zoom by. This beautiful weather makes me want to get out and mess around in the flower beds. Can’t do it, of course, but the physical inability does not prevent the “wants.” Maybe by this time next year, the wants and the ability will hit at the same time. Right now, a pot in the green house has cucumber plants growing. If the old woman can remember to water them, something might actually grow into an edible veggie!

 

The forecast makes me smile and have some hope—possibility of rain in the next few days! Let’s pray that God will give us rain and enough to do some good! Put out the fires and save the gardens!

 

Really don’t know much of anything worth sharing. Invited a few extra folks to join our group. So far noticed that Johnny Bailey accepted the invitation. He and his family have always been such sweet folks. And Johnny was always an excellent photographer. He used to take pictures of folks at our church activities and nature shots around the Wichita Mountains. Anyway, hope you will make any new folks feel welcome.

 

Let us pray for peace and for protection from the senseless violence we see just about everywhere. Even our little city of WF has had murders this year that are really unusual. Let’s all try to reflect the love that God has shared with us. The only way the world will ever change is through His Way.

 

Rest well, my friends, and know: you are loved.

Wonderful Coolness!

 Wonderful Coolness!

 

My brother in Northwest Arkansas called and said it was a rainy, misty, miserable 48 degrees where he is. Has a fire in his wood burning stove out in the shop probably. Told him we had 104 yesterday afternoon and currently 72. Celebrating the cool air, breeze (not gale for a change), and lack of burning sunshine. Even the smoke from the fires is not necessarily discernable right now. Still have fires, but just the coolness here makes a big difference in my attitude!

 

In mixing up dogfood today, it suddenly dawned on me why my right pointy finger hurts. How does a chef never have sore fingers? Why, he has a sous chef to do all the cutting up and tiny little cuts for things that have to be just so so. Made sure to use my entire hand after it hurt the first time, so now my palm may be sore, but at least the pointy finger does not hurt as much. Put three-gallon bags of food in the fridge, so now it will be next week before something else has to be cooked and ground up. Mixed with Purina One Lamb and brown rice dog food, this stuff is probably the best they have had in their lives. They won’t even eat the expensive dog food. Think Jennifer will have to feed it to her dogs. They like that stuff.

 

Need to either get an accordion type hair band or get a haircut. These bangs get in my eyes and drive me wild. Of course, it does not take much to get to me. Wore my hair long for years, but it grows so quickly that it has to be cut often when worn short. Expensive to wear it short for that reason. But oh! is it ever cooler!

 

Looking over the top of the computer to the side lot and watching the pretty hens out there eating whatever it is they have found to eat. They fill up their craws on grasses and bugs or whatever. It seems to me that they are happy hens. A pair of hawks have been sitting on the electric poles watching them in the mornings, but so far neither one has offered to fly at the girls. Have a feeling the hawk would get the rear end of the deal. Those girls are heavy! And, they stick together!

 

Patty called to brag about her rabbit chasers. She said that Roxie saw a bunny outside the gate and sped over to bark at it. Then Ruddy jumped off the porch to go chase one out of the yard right past the place Roxie had been standing. To me that is pretty funny, and apparently it made Patty laugh as well. Mighty hunters!

 

Went to bed last night wondering if the water was turned off in the front yard. Looked this morning and patted myself on the back. Someone actually remembered to turn it off after watering the little peach tree. Everything out there needs water right now, but don’t want to use too much water when we have no idea if we will be in drought now or not. Can almost bet we won’t get the rain we need since we are already so far behind on the amount of rain we normally get. But at least it is not snowing. Have to sit here and just giggle about the stuff coming down in some places. Hello! We could even use snow if it meant saving the pastures, but it would kill all the gardens—tomatoes, peppers, and assorted veggies. Should have gotten off my backside and made it down to the farmers’ market this morning. Hardly ever go, but really feel that we should all be supporting local farmers.

 

Sprayed the bathroom floor around the edges this morning. Some kind of little black bugs come inside each year to make me feel as if the outdoors is coming indoors. Despise these little critters. The spiders bother me a bit, but these bugs have no respect at all. Usually they are dead by the time they get past the doorway from outside, but now that more spray is down in that area, maybe they won’t keep coming inside.

 

Have got to either teach the dogs to stay out of my recliner or put something in it to keep them out—or both. It’s leather and looks pretty good right now, but it’s ten years old or so. Leather does well most of the time, but dogs are just not good for seats and places they put their feet. Maybe a good leather polishing might help keep them out. Let ‘em slide out a few times!

 

Watching the trees sway in this wind. It has not been all that bad today, but it is definitely brisk. Hope it is not hampering the firefighters. We just need to pray for rain—not just for Texas and New Mexico, but for the entire nation in areas that are so terribly dry. Only God can take care of our needs.

 

Remember those who mourn, those who are ill, those who are being terrorized by racists and idiots. May God protect us and bless us with peace.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Finicky Eaters.

 Finicky Eaters.

 

Isn’t it strange how a person can believe that something seen on an advertisement will be JUST what will appeal to the appetite? Ok, Long John Silver’s fish and chips are not bad, but the memory of Lance asking his daddy for more of those “bones” in the box still makes me smile. The fish was ok. The dogs said, “Nope” to fish, fries, and those little round balls of cornmeal—hush puppies? Whatever, gave the rest of it to the hens. The little “bones” are just the fish batter that fries up with everything else.

 

The skies are still murky with smoke, but at least the wind is not blowing a gale. If our firemen can get the “Coconut Fire” under control out in Wilbarger County where the Waggoner Ranch is, maybe the skies will be clearer in a few days. Too many of the firefighters are getting hurt here and in other places while fighting fires. The men from Clay County (Henrietta area) were out last night fighting the Coconut Fire and came back home on 287 to find another fire closer to home. Think a truck burned up, but not sure if that is all. Any way we go at it, the temperatures are horribly hot and the dangers are extreme. It was 104 on the front porch earlier. After the sun goes down, the old woman may go out and try to save some of the plants out front.

 

Cooked up some more pork loin and wanted to get it mixed up for the dogs, but the mixing may wait until tomorrow. My entire “want to” has gone to pot—well, gone to heck in a handbasket! It is not wise to mention a pot any longer as someone—usually some smart @ss—will make a comment about a different kind of pot. Takes all kinds, huh.

 

Have a feeling that a friend’s dog is about to walk the rainbow bridge. It is hard to lose a critter that means so much to us. Beverly showed a picture of her last dog, but now the one she has left is ill as well. The crud that happens to us also happens to them.

 

Talked to Jennifer briefly yesterday while she explained why she had not called me as soon as she was able to get her son home from the hospital. She never has just one task at a time. She also has to go get the truck, go get the dogs, take the youngest back home, go find the heating pans for a luncheon, keep the dogs out of the pool, and any number of other little tasks that keep her hopping. When Dr. Blackwell texted today, it reminded me of Jennifer and her constant road running. Kissi had to pick up her son and run some other errands, so she will be by tomorrow for eggs. No biggie to me. It’s not enough to just be a doctor! She is also a mother, wife, and help-mate for the new school her husband has opened. It makes me wonder how my house ever stayed clean when my life was that busy. Today the floors got dust mopped, but the wet mop will wait until tomorrow! Lazy ol’ woman?

 

A crew came today and started the foundation work—digging the holes and laying down the rebar—for the trailer house they plan to haul in there. Still praying that this will bring decent neighbors. They at least did not run into the fence or anything today when backing those long trailers and trucks down the road. Just wish one of them would have some cement dropped in that big dip across from the old Black’s place. The city says it is a private street, so they refuse to do anything to the road. Unless we do something they don’t like, and then it is a “city” street! Argh!

 

We need to pray for the soldiers in the Ukraine. Whatever happens over there is still going to affect the entire area—including the U.S. and Canada when the refugees end up here. Can’t imagine trying to learn English after speaking another language all my life! English is difficult enough for us! The one class that would have been interesting to be able to teach was ESL. Of all the students from various parts of the world, the Vietnamese, Russian, Danish, and Spanish were the ones that seemed to try the hardest to learn our language in my classes. None of them took English, just keyboarding and MSWord. Explaining what they were to do took a bit of patience, but if it ever clicked, they always did well. Funny that native students were not as careful with their work as the foreign students.

 

Have had the AC units going all day. Probably could live with just one unit on at a time if the old woman would stay in just one room. But that is not going to happen. Oh well. It’s the gas bill that runs extremely high rather than the electric bill. That Energy Ogre service does an excellent job of keeping the costs down.

 

Don’t know doodly squat. Only talked to Connie today and heard all the stuff she was told about what kind of Medicare was available and how careful one should be. Uh huh. Not the least bit unhappy with what my policy has done, but definitely would never recommend something like that to anyone else. To each his own. Don’t want to be a part of anyone’s decision process. Folks get all hot and bothered about some stuff, and Medicare is one of those things they find to be hot about. Such is life.

 

Let’s pray for rain. God knows our nation needs it. But let us remind Him that we need His help.

 

Rest well and rejoice in life and living. You are loved.

Little Gripes.

 Little Gripes.

 

Grandson got through the procedure, and coming out from under the anesthesia managed to fight off his mom and more than a few nurses. His Granddad Lewis did the same thing every time he came out from under. It was really wild to see Lewis swinging his arms and fighting when he came out of by-pass surgery. The doctor had told us that we needed to convince him to keep the breathing tube in his mouth. Right. That was not going to happen. Jenn said that despite thinking that her son was listening to her voice, he sat up and swung and got her in the tummy. The male nurse yelled for help and four nurses and Jenn helped hold him down until he went out again. Then they had to do it all over again when he began to wake up. Sheesh! And no, they could not find a good reason for the attack he had the other day. But the doctor thinks he can treat him anyway. Deep breath.

 

Got a note from Sharon Dickerson today saying that she has to go back for a pressure check for her CPAP. So very glad that breathing is not a problem for me. That having something over one’s face all night would bug me to pieces. My position in the bed is never the same from night to night. It seems to me that a CPAP would mean one’s position should be about the same each night. Oh well. Hope that they can get it right for her.

 

It was 103 degrees earlier. Not sure where they take the temperature on this town, but can guarantee that it has been plenty warm today. The hens did not even mind when the water was turned on underneath the deck. Whew! And to top it off, we have eight active fires here in Texas. Is it any wonder that it smells like someone is barbecuing? But it is horrible to think of all those homes being burned to the ground. Of course, New Mexico has it just as bad if not worse than Texas. Any way one looks at it, if we don’t get rain and lots of it, we are going to have dust bowl conditions very soon. The last drought we had lasted for five years. We may all start learning how to get water from the air by osmosis pretty soon! But then, the wind would dry up anything we got from the clouds. Sigh

 

Don’t mean to be negative, but sometimes it feels as if we don’t really have that much to make us smile. Maybe an attitude adjustment would include a walk with the dogs or something like that early one morning before it gets really hot. Need to go wire some Beware of Dog signs on the fence anyway. New neighbors will eventually be across the road, so those signs might be helpful.

 

Dr. Blackwell is stopping by tomorrow at noon to pick up eggs. Just about everyone in the family has eggs enough for now. Maggie Sewell and her husband may need more next week. Will have to call her. The eggs collect on the kitchen table near the AC unit, so they never get too hot. Four or five dozen eggs accumulate rather quickly during a week when the girls are doing their job. It never seems to fail that either there are more people wanting eggs or more eggs than people who really want them. Oh well.

 

As usual, this old woman does not know anything worth discussing. Had planned to post a picture taken at Betty’s birthday party, but not sure it will happen. It might be the best picture for a while since a haircut seems to be needed to keep me sane. Can’t stand my hair to be in my eyes. How dogs, chickens, or horses can stand it is beyond me! Maybe it is because they don’t know or have a choice. Hmm.

 

Remembering those who are dealing with cancer, RA, Crohn’s, fibromyalgia, and other stupid things that drive us to distraction. While God made a wonderous creation in mankind, we still have so many problems. Our world has become polluted and dangerous beyond words. Now if we can only turn our ingenuity into creating remedies for the messes we have made!

 

Rest and rejoice in life. You are loved.

Keepsake Photos.

 Keepsake Photos.

 

Cousin Betty sent some pictures—the actual printed out kind—to me to save for keepsakes. That was so very thoughtful of her. Whoever took the photos did a wonderful job, too. Jenn reminded me at the time to not have my mouth open laughing at the entire process. That happened to me all the time when the kids were young. Oh well. This one just reminded me that the silver streaks on either side of my head still show up despite the grey hair. Those streaks are inherited from my dad and the Bavarian side of the family. None of my children or the grands got that particular little trait. Great-grandmother Camp said that her father had them (Walck), but no photos of him exist in my memory. That was a long time ago when pictures were expensive.

 

My number two Ostand grand goes in for a procedure tomorrow. It is my hope that they can help him feel better and not have to do anything further. While it is great that they can discover what causes problems, sometimes the cure is almost worse than the problem that started the process. Let’s pray that he can get better quickly. Stress seems to be the biggest factor in life for most of us. Even when we don’t recognize what is bothering us as stress, it is still there with us constantly. Can’t keep from wondering if that was part of the problem when Lewis had to have by-pass surgery on his heart. But then, heart problems existed in his mom’s side of the family. Who knows; maybe that entire family dealt with stress on a regular basis.

 

The temperature gauge on the living room wall says 101 degrees, but it really feels like an oven outside. Just went out and sprayed water under the deck so that the hens would have a damp place to cool off. They usually stay under there during the worst of the heat, but a little water won’t hurt them at all. The sparrows and other birds have been using the water bowls and one larger tank to get water to drink, but the bigger black birds have been bathing in the hens’ water bowl! Nasty critters! Oh well. They have to have water, too.

 

For some reason Sylvia has not left my side today. Can’t move without having to look where her tail or feet are located. Thompson has been stretched out on the couch to sleep, but once in a while he steals a slouch in my recliner. So far, he has been good to let me have it back, but it feels funny having to tell him that it is mine. These dogs seem to think that what is mine is also theirs.

 

The next time Lance comes to visit, he has a little job to do. The front hose is on the faucet so tightly that yours truly can’t take it off and put the hose on the faucet out back. Betting that Lance would not have that much trouble doing that for me. My hands simply do not have that much strength. Besides, my right hand hurts from the tip of my pointy finger to the middle of my hand. Go figure. Wondered if it was caused by using the mouse so much, but the exercises my students used to have to do once in a while to prevent something like carpal tunnel have done nothing to help this situation. Maybe it is arthritis. Old age is SO interesting.

 

Read this morning that the Ukrainian soldiers that had surrendered and were taken to a Russian controlled area might just be put to death. Let’s pray that does not happen. Those folks who defended that city were heroes. They gave so many people a chance to leave the city and get away from harm. At this point, no one seems to have any kindness left for the soldiers from the Ukraine. It is so sad. They are patriots just as we had patriots during our American Revolution. Thinking about all the women and children who were slaughtered reminds me of the Mexican-American War. Texians were just like so many pigs to the Mexicans and Indians. All those settlers were treated like dirty insects instead of human beings. It seems to me that the Russians have similar patterns of how they treat the Ukrainians. So very sad.

 

This is the month of May, yet it feels more like July. Can’t imagine how we will get through this summer without rain and some cooler temps. But then, we have done it before. It’s Texas. We just have to hang in there.

 

No sense in griping about anything. Life goes on—praise God! We just have to appreciate life and love. And we do know that He sent His son to give us peace, hope, salvation. Let us be glad to know: we are loved.