Effects of Sitting.

 Effects of Sitting.

 

Hardly ever read standing up, and today started off with some reading. That means sitting for entirely too long in this house. Yes, went out earlier to tend to the hens, but only go out there four or five times a day for whatever reason. So, the rest of the time is spent in reading, cleaning, messing with these two dogs, or otherwise spending time in a sitting position. Know that stretches are supposed to be good for a person’s body, but before being released from the doctor’s office last year, the PA told me not to do any sideways stretches. Hmm. Not sure which direction that would be exactly, but know that climbing up on my step-stool to hammer on things can make me pretty sore. Did that last week already. Got the bar fastened for their roost so it won’t come down again. So far today, the sunflower seeds and wheat have been rearranged into a different bin. Had poured too much of the sunflower seed on top of the wheat, so they were getting more sunflower than wheat. That is remedied now.

 

Read some more in the book about Revelation by Lehman Straus. The guy is interesting and helpful for understanding some of the terms that have puzzled me. Searches for the term “Nicolaitanes” had not been fruitful for me, but in this book, it is a term which supposedly originated the system which divided the Church of Jesus Christ into two divisions—the clergy and the laity—the one domineering over the other. Interesting to me that the Quakers did not have this type of division and still don’t. When a person gets right down to it, if we do not believe in Jesus Christ as the son of God and fail to ask for the help of the Holy Spirit to bring us in line with what God wants of us, we are up that famous creek without a paddle. No matter what we can read or how others believe, the Word is right there in front of us. About the only way this old woman can live is by trying to be kind and considerate of others. Being forgiving may be the hardest part of life, but it was the greatest gift we received, so it is our duty to practice that forgiveness as well. My biggest problem seems to be discerning what needs to be forgiven and what needs to be ignored.

 

Wooo! Dear Hearts, if you want a really physical job, try deboning a turkey! Can’t remember how my MIL was able to get every tiny piece of meat off a turkey, but then she would make soup stock out of the bones. Of course, that was back when they still made roasters big enough to cook a turkey. These turkeys today are too big for the roaster this ol’ woman had years ago. Well, for that matter, chickens today are as much as eight pounds or more whereas we were lucky to find a three-pounder when we started keeping house on this ol’ hill. Times have changed.

 

Had our excitement for the day! Some guy in a hoodie came wandering up the road with a manila folder in his hand. Both of my ferocious guard dogs had a typical fit. Called Patty to see if she wanted me to call the police when he went on her property. We waited. He knocked down the lake gate, but he propped it back up when Patty hollered at him. Roxie was having herself a guard dog fit at him, but she could not get out of the yard to go bite anything. Ruddy just went back to the couch and let Roxie take care of it. Typical.

 

It may actually rain on Tuesday. It would be ok if we got enough rain to do some good, but with a 40% chance of rain, you can almost bet it will produce less than an inch. Such is life.

 

Let us pray for protection upon all those who are out and about tonight and tomorrow. Remember the first responders and pray that they can deal with the traumas involved in our lives. May you each find hope in this coming season of cold and wet stuff. A tiny little bird just flew into my plum tree. My hope has wings.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Walking Across Sam's.

 Walking Across Sam’s.

 

Got my exercise today. Parked out in the front lot at Sam’s and walked all the way to the pharmacy to get Thompson’s meds. Yes, much cheaper than at the vet’s office. But oh boy! Walking on concrete! It felt like a half mile just to get to the pharmacy, but maybe that is just my imagination. Later walked down to Patty’s to take her a happy surprise from Michelle Malay. Michelle got both of us some to-do and don’t-forget list things, some post-it notes, a calendar, an ear warmer, and some alpaca socks for running around inside the house. Patty was very surprised but happy since she has never even met Michelle, but we share talks about dogs and such all the time. Michelle’s dog Henry tends to interrupt every conversation. Patty’s two puppers crawled all over me today while we were sitting at her table in the living room. That meant that my two dogs had to sniff me up one side and down the other. See, that is what happens when Michelle comes to visit. My dogs sniff her dogs’ smell and then send their message home to her dogs!! It really is a dog smell dog world!

 

Just took the turkey out of the oven. Will mess with it tomorrow and make dog food out of most of it. Some of the rest will be put into bags for meals later. It is pretty much a job to pick that thing up and out of the fridge, out of the oven, or just onto another surface. This one is not as heavy as the ones Lance picked up at Aldi’s for me. Dread handling one of those 20 pounders!

 

Had to laugh at my daughter today. She bought something like a travel bag for both of her boys. Then she put them somewhere. Now she finally remembered them and can’t remember where she stuck those bags! And she is not even 50 yet!! And we are hoping that the old woman won’t lose anything more important than a few words from her vocabulary. Could not remember the word hypochondriac the other night. Things like that really bug me. But the memory loss that really bothers me is not being able to remember who gave me which calendar! The Back Forty is on the office wall; the glamour hens are in the back bathroom; the H&O calendar is on the living room wall, and now my desk in the living room has another calendar to fill in for each month with appointments. Kinda hoping there will not be any more appointments next month. Blank space is nice.

 

Michelle knows me rather well. She brought a Max Lucado devotional book and the James Herriot books All Creatures Great and Small & All Things Bright and Beautiful. Between her books and the ones that Sterling brought when he was here, the old woman could get addicted to just sitting and reading. Not that it would take much to get me addicted.

 

A conversation with Michelle about having her knees replaced and the discussion with the pharmacist at Sam’s reminds me that we should be praying about the frailties of the body—both in humans and in the bodies of our critters. We don’t plan on having arthritis or any of the other problems that seem to crop up, but one day we just wake up and it hurts to move. Let us remember those who hurt from accidents, RA, and all the other initialed diseases that beset us. Right now, the doctors are finally confirming that the three years (or thereabouts) of covid-imposed restrictions from social settings have caused as much death from depression and social anxiety as the diseases that caused us to allow ourselves to be quarantined from each other. Children have failed to learn the social skills that we all need. And young people have become more backward because they are either paranoid or simply unable to relate to others. May God grant us hearts of concern for others.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Batteries NOT Optional.

Batteries NOT Optional.

 

Ran a small errand for Patty this morning and came back to visit with her for a few minutes. My truck started just fine, but it was not just as perky as it felt it should be. Patty suggested Walmart rather than another place because they are cheap and fast. So, today the good ol’ truck got a new three-year battery. Walked around some and picked up a couple of things while they put in the new battery. Found some neat scrubbers for the dishes and a squeaky ball for the dogs. Should have bought two balls!! Live and learn. Should know better by now.

 

Haven’t accomplished doodly squat today, but maybe tomorrow will be a good day for getting something done. Keep thinking along those lines and all the positive thinking MIGHT get something done. Or not. At least the trash bin is emptied and the hens fed and watered. Not very good weather for being outside right now. Thirty degrees is pretty cool when the wind is up.

 

Texted Connie today to see if she had trapped her feral cats. She hasn’t. But the kitten count is down for some reason. A big tom cat lives in that area, and they are notorious for killing kittens. But then, she said they also have a gigantic possum hanging out in the bushes. Not sure whether or not a possum would kill kittens, but they have their own problems with hauling around their babies on their back. They never know when they lose one.

 

Have only talked to Michelle Malay and Sterling today on the phone. Need to get busy and call Sharon Dickerson and see how things are going in Shreveport. Saw that Diann Dennis now has the RSV or RSP or whatever that respiratory virus is that her grands had. They were kind enough to share with her. Sounds like a good thing to get vaccinated for.

 

Not looking at any “news” whatsoever. Just have a couple of good books to read—one about the book of Daniel and the other about Revelation. That should do to keep things from feeling overwhelming. It is always better to remember that He is in charge no matter what else is going on. Let us pray for one another and for those around us.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Busy Morning.

 Busy Morning.

 

Got on a kick last night and decided only so much clutter can be tolerated before it is time to do something drastic—like clean and re-arrange stuff. Today’s accomplishments—more or less: storage cabinet in hall gone through and rearranged; top of China closet cleaned off; all the gloves deposited in storage cabinet; ten cabbages purchased and ready for hens; four cases of water placed in hall on table; living room rearranged and vacuumed; kitchen rearranged and vacuumed; hall vacuumed; bedroom vacuumed. NO mopping got done, however. Patty has a little trip she wants me to make for her tomorrow, but otherwise the old woman plans to stay close to home.

 

Looked around trying to find the bottle of leather cleaner for the chair in the living room. Found some polish type stuff for cleaning leather, but finally remembered—after the job was completed—that the leather conditioner is out in the workshop. Oh well. The recliner has blankets on it to protect it from the dogs’ toenails. So much for that little job.

 

Pulled the big water tank off the deck and put it up on some stands that were used for Caterpillars at Darr. If it collects water, may have to cover the top to keep from drowning anything, but otherwise, it should be fine there next to the deck. Then put my new bench on the deck so the old woman can sit out there and talk to her hens. They will expect more than talk, however. They tend to think they should get treats every time the kitchen door opens.

 

Lance wanted me to ask Rachel’s boyfriend if he wanted the two MacTool impacts that were left over from Lewis’ tools. He wants them, so that will be the next thing sent to Ft. Worth other than eggs. Damian apparently works on cars sometimes.

 

May see Michelle Malay tomorrow when she picks up her meds from United. She has to be up here on the 4^th of January anyway, but that is several days off. It reminds me that a call to Sam’s might prove to be a cheaper place to get Thompson’s meds. They really have made him feel better. Washed his two blankets today and dried them. The drier thingy that picks up the fuzz was totally full after they were dry! Furry dogs and furry blankets!

 

Glanced at the news and saw that a South Korean tanker had blown up in a river in China. Was SO relieved to find that it was not some kind of terrorist attack. Just what we don’t need right now anywhere. But then, the next 80,000 illegals on their way to Texas are maybe one tenth Mexican and the rest from other countries. Joy to the freakin’ world!! But at least Governor Abbott has deputized ALL manner of military and troops to arrest anyone coming across the border. Let’s hope our guys are better armed than the dudes from Iran!

 

We know that God is in charge, but being less than trusting of anything going on around us is not necessarily a bad thing. We ask for His protection upon our families and our nation, but whatever happens next in national or world events will become a test of our abilities to love and show concern for fellow humans. It pays to remember that the Beast will want one world-wide religion, and one government that includes one overall governing body of every kind of commerce. The term American may come to have a totally different meaning someday soon. But the term Christian should never be changed, never corrupted to mean something else other than one who believes in Jesus Christ as personal savior and the son of God and King of Kings who will soon reign over all. To that, let us hold true.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Just Resting.

 Just Resting.

 

The floors are in desperate need of a vacuum and then a good mopping, but the old woman is a wee bit tired today. Did manage to cook up some ground chicken with sweet potato grated into it and some beef broth poured over it for flavor. Personally, can easily understand why the dogs might not think too much of ground chicken. But they will eat it. Eventually. By next week the turkey will be cooked—probably. Don’t look forward to de-boning that little body!  Oh well. It will make several meals for all of us here on the hill who live in this ol’ house.

 

My parents were very frugal. Some might have even called them tight. Now Mom was not nearly as tight as HER mother. Granny Connie could make Abraham Lincoln squeal according to Sterling. My time spent on their farm just made me realize that they did not stay at home all the time. We had cousins all over heck and half of Arkansas. In April of ’22 when Cousin Betty Helen had her 90^th birthday party down in Garland, met up with the wife of one of the cousins who used to live in Arkansas. Don’t think we ever met before, but at least we knew some of the same folks. Kinda interesting to see that no matter where we go, we may run into someone who either is kin to us or married to some kinfolk.

 

But back to the parents being frugal: they did not buy what we all call Kleenex. Some tissues in a box were not their style. Mom and Dad grabbed a roll of Charmin and kept it close to wherever they sat. Then they raised a little registered Cocker Spaniel that my sister-in-law’s dog whelped. It seemed to take forever to house train that little critter, but meanwhile her name became Charmin.

 

Many of the memories of my parents are filled with such funnies as pet names and some of the “different” things that they did. Dad said that the first day he was at the nursing home in Henrietta, a man rolled up to him and asked, “How did you make it through those days?” They then had a nice, long conversation about the Dust Bowl, the Depression, and the times right after the Depression when jobs were more scarce than hens’ teeth. They had a hard row to hoe. My friend Carla Beard asked for Grandmother Pollard’s recipe for “jam cake” that was made without any sugar during WWII when no one could get sugar. They had a cellar full of jams and jellies from over the years, but no sugar to put in coffee or in a dish of something like cereal or a cake. Could not find her recipe book, but my guess is that any of us could figure it out if we simply had no sugar. But work? That was something else again. Poor Granddad had a team and a heavy metal slip he used to dig big tanks for the oil field and for Lone Star Gas Company. No big D8 caterpillars existed back then. It’s hard to imagine now.

 

A friend of mine was talking about how the Japanese forced the POWs to make a road from one place to another. Each man had a bag to fill with dirt and take to where it needed to go. And that is how they moved the dirt until the road was created. John said maybe we need to each get a big bag we could drag and go haul a load of dirt out of Lake Wichita until it is dredged down to a good level for boating, swimming, fishing, and whatever else it could be used for as a lake. Wonder how many of us would drag a bag of dirt away from that lake if we had to. Knowing the City of WF, they would probably charge us for each bag of dirt!!

 

Just a glance at the news shows that Israel is surrounded on all sides by its enemies. And then read an article about a great big asteroid called Apophis that is supposed to come within 20,000 miles of earth on April 13, 2029. It makes me wonder if our world will even be any kind of different by that time. Russia and China—not to mention Iran—keep threatening to use nuclear bombs. Will Israel as we know it be surrounded then? God has promised to keep Israel, so my guess is that no matter who surrounds it, God will still be in charge of what happens. May we all look to God the Father and His son Jesus Christ. His promises are sure.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Waking Up THAT Way!

 Waking Up THAT Way!

 

Lance thought the old woman looked tired this morning. He was not wrong, but even so, we—well, HE got quite a few things done. We went to my favorite feed store and got lay mash, DE, and 30 pounds of winter rye to spread. Lance put all the different things in the appropriate places and walked the spreader around everywhere to spread the rye seed. Now whether or not it comes up is a toss-up, but if nothing else, the hens will find the seeds.

 

Lance thinks a BB gun and a chair on the deck should fill the deep freeze with those danged fat doves. They are HUGE! Would not take many to make into bunches of dog food or whatever. So glad he got to see them circling the feed trough. Can’t believe how soon they came down after we walked away!

 

We went over to Aldi’s to pick up a couple of Butterball turkeys. They did not have ANY under 20 pounds, but they were only sixty-nine cents a pound!! SO glad he was here to pick them up and put them in the freezer. One of these days maybe one of the kids will be here when it is time to thaw one. Have one bought from United for $1 a pound in the bottom of the fridge right now thawing for the next batch of dog food. But Aldi’s also had ground beef and some ground chicken on sale for half price. Got some of that as well as some cheeses. They have the best selection of cheese.

 

After Lance left, the dogs started barking, and the old woman had to check to see what was going on. AJ was trying to move their trash can. Went out to help him. He said they just did not have enough room for all the boxes. So, drug bin over there and pushed down the feed sacks so they could get the Christmas boxes inside. Showed AJ that the bin had to be away from the post box because of the big straps that the garbage truck uses. Anyway, stood there and talked to Shona—the new neighbor—and she wanted to know if tamales were on my list of good foods. She doesn’t know—yet—that just about anything someone else cooks is on my favorite list of foods. So, she sent three tamales across to me while warning that they were kinda spicey. WHOA! Took an entire bottle of water, but they were very tasty.

 

My favorite daughter-in-law Tracy sent me a cheese cake made especially for me. She used to make the crust with graham crackers, but someone in the family avoids gluten, so this one was made with chopped almonds. Doesn’t matter. It was wonderful! Just think it is wonderful that she likes me well enough to make something like that for me.

 

Have an amaryllis about to bloom in the living room window. Noticed that the ants were not gone, so Lance brought is some DE to put on top of the soil. Certainly hope that sends them to the bottom of the pot or something. If it were warmer, the entire thing would go back outside, but really want to see these things bloom.

 

Meant to call Connie C. to see if she was ever able to catch the feral cats in her neighborhood. She said that one female cat just keeps having kittens, and now the kittens are old enough to have kittens. Just really wish people would have their critters fixed. This world does not need more animals to be ignored and otherwise abused. Just have to see one sweet critter being loved to make it so obvious that people need animals just as much as the other way around. God gave us those critters to teach us how to love unconditionally. May we all do a good job of loving others—no matter if they have hooves, paws, or claws.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Dog Time and Night Time.

 Dog Time and Night Time.

 

Just in case you never thought about it, did you know that dogs don’t watch the clock. Oh, they know when it is feeding time. They know when it is time to put up the hens. They even know that you won’t be gone long when you go down to visit the neighbor. But, Dear Hearts, they don’t care what time it is if they feel the need to go outside—whether it is to bark at the idiots driving on the lake bed or for their own doggie needs. They hardly ever tell us which it is unless the trips outside tend to be frequent. You can bet someone gave them one too many treats—GUILTY! Oh well. Can catch up on sleep some other time.

 

Just want you to know some weird chicken facts: did you know that “strange” things put inside the hen house or even in the yard are pretty much avoided until one hen is brave enough to approach the strange thing? They all avoided the purple cabbage until one hen grabbed a piece and took off with it. Then they all partook of the purple monster. This morning, when it was time to throw out a cup of grain, the old woman looked down to find something pretty strange. There under the roost was the prettiest GREEN chicken poo. Who knew that purple cabbage caused green poo?!

 

The gale force wind we had yesterday blew leaves and everything else off the walkway. Usually it is just the opposite, but the wind was out of the south. The walk looked as if it had been blown by one of those mechanical things that the lawn guys use. Blasted. And it is doggone cool outside, too! The hens are happy today, however. No wind right now.

 

Some meat left to slowly cook in the crock pot last night made a pretty decent meal with mashed potatoes and gravy. Did not cook the asparagus as planned, but tomorrow is another day. Some days just don’t really feel like “cooking days.” It smells good, but someone in this house is a bit lazy. Such is life.

 

The ongoing saga of the border invasion now includes some IEDs that the Border Patrol is warning against. Not sure just how those men and women are supposed to protect themselves from even the men who are carrying guns that are more capable of massive fire power than anything our regular police or rangers carry. It seems pretty scary when one considers that these men are coming right on across and going into cities carrying automatic weapons that we would have to sign up for should we want to purchase one. Amazing what drug money will buy! Guess a few politicians are well aware of that purchase power by now.

 

Received a good picture of Lance and his family on my phone today. This is one of those times that it would be nice to have a printer again. Maybe it can be transferred to my computer and used as a background picture. Just a few steps to remember how to do that—memory, think, ponder, scratch my head, think some more. Yep. Think that might work. Technology and older brain cells!

 

Just about most of the folks online today have been pretty positive about their families and friends. Some of the posts have been extra poignant. Always enjoy memories from Dutch Henry and his wife Robin. Dutch is a very good writer who can almost make a person smell the hay and hear the bird song. That’s the sort of thing most of us appreciate.

 

Let us give thanks and praise to God who is and has always been and will ever be the only God and His son Jesus Christ. We are so blessed to be considered His children. “If ye be Christ’s, then ye be Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise.”

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Meals from Across the Way.

 Meals from Across the Way.

 

Wow! The new neighbors came for a bit of a visit and brought a couple of plates of food. Green bean casserole, mashed potatoes with beef gravy, sliced beef, a roll, and egg salad on one plate will keep me busy this evening and probably tomorrow! Then there is a great big piece of pecan pie, some cake, a cupcake, and something else on another plate. Yum!

 

Had not planned to go anywhere today, but ended up picking up some cabbage and salad stuff. United had zero green cabbages unless a person wanted to pay $1.29 a pound for Napa cabbage. Nope, so the girls got purple cabbage. At first, they would not even get near it. But then one of the girls pecked off a piece and the rest of them chased her. Now the head is about one-third gone! Will probably toss whatever is left inside the coop for them so they can peck on it until they are released in the morning.

 

The wind is blowing a gale out there tonight. It is supposed to freeze, too. We will see, but all things considered, it is the right time of year for freezing weather. We got about one and a half inches of rain here on the hill last night. Jennifer said it poured all day yesterday and still is pouring today down around Rendon.

 

And now for the funny story of the day: Grayson came running in to the living room and shouted about the noise he heard. Jenn listened and sure enough, it sounded a bit like a cat fight. They went to the living room door and saw their cat Sora being attacked by a big black hen! Whoever knew that chickens would attack cats!!! They let Sora in and tried to corner the hen, but she flew over the fence into the back yard with the dogs. Of course, the dogs had to try to catch her! She flew to the very far corner of the yard, so Grayson had to go save her. Then Jenn called the neighbor who has chickens. She sent her husband over for the hen. Dang it! Could have had a wild hen up here in WF! LOL

 

Got a message from Tracy today. She was making a cheese cake for someone….ahem. When Lance gets here, he should have some eggs to take back home with him. SO glad my DIL loves me! Of course, it goes both ways.

 

My dogs are acting tired for some reason. They have been outside some today just chasing up and down the fence. The neighbors have company, so my dogs have to declare this a no-go zone. Eventually, will have to get the dogs to become accustomed to these folks.

 

When Albert put up their new mail box, he said all his tools were at “home.” Think he means where they were living before. Not everything has been moved yet. Shona and the kids were so very sick that first week just from the stress and changes of the move. She is much better now. She explained a bit about their granddaughter LeeAnn and the grandson A.J. Think LeeAnn plans to home school online. Had to nod my head about that one. People are not really that kind to those who have physical disabilities. Even A.J. may not do well in public school here. They came from a small town—very different from WF.

 

Right now, my thoughts are with those who don’t understand that we are totally dependent upon the grace of God. We have always had a “git ‘er done” attitude in this part of the world, but with the way Satan has contaminated the world with his obscenities and putrid ways, the only cleansing applications that are available are with our prayers. Not one of us is good in the way that matters. Only Christ can cover us with His sacrifice. We can look at the way Daniel approached his life: ALL things are in God’s control. No matter what else may happen today, tomorrow, or ever, only God will allow what HE allows. May you each look to Him in prayer.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

 

 

Pooper Cooper.

 Pooper Cooper.

 

Cleaned out the coops, put down fresh DE, moved some stuff out of the long coop, and am thinking of sowing wheat in there to see if it will come up. Have to close the door to that area, however, to let the stuff sprout. Just thinking about it; haven’t done it. They get up before the old woman and want to be out and about! Twenty-one hens are a few too many for small spaces, so that long coop gets trampled pretty well. May just wait. The weather forecast is for freezing this next week.

 

Cleaned up some of the back yard. Just scooping up the hay and other stuff was quite a workout. Yes, some of us are pooper scoopers. Ahem. Now that stuff is in an area that the hens have dug up into fox holes. Every time it is filled up, they dig it out again. Even raked up the extra leaves of cabbage that they did not eat so the yard would look nice and neat for a few minutes. Now the muscles are tired and the back is sore. Oh well. Good exercise maybe. Beats sitting.

 

Finished one book and almost finished with another one. Really hope this one is not going to have one of those continued stories. Love mysteries, but do not appreciate cliff hangers. This one is back around WWI and involves the running of blockades and smuggling along the English coastline. Guess it was pretty tricky to be a sailor in those days if someone wanted something you could get for them. If the revenuers didn’t get you, the other smugglers would!

 

Lance’s wife Tracy told him that they could stay in their house at least one more year: she paid the taxes today. Can’t imagine what taxes are like down there! It isn’t even as bad here in Wichita County as it is in Clay County. Henrietta has—or at least had—the highest tax rate in Texas a few years ago. Not sure why. But the land out there is too many thousands of dollars per acre to ever develop into anything except grassland for cattle. Loved living in Clay, but it has nothing to offer young folks for living there or working. Maybe they could develop the feral hog hunts into something eventually. [That is a joke, in case you wondered.] If someone would come up with a good use for copperheads, those folks could make a killing. But you can bet the government would figure out a way to tax ‘em per snake!

 

Mixed up some pimento cheese spread for celery sticks. Those celery sticks were some tough chewing. Funny how only maybe three or four sticks are tender and the rest are tougher than boot leather! Well, haven’t ever really tried boot leather, but you understand. Don’t really want to make any celery soup right now, so will just keep the rest wrapped up for later. Doing my best to avoid the handful of candy that John Rhoads put in the egg cartons he returned. Lance will be here this next week. Will send it home with him or give it to the kids across the street. Lance said all the stuff that folks took to work this past week was junk food—nothing that was good for a person to eat. Shucks! This is the best time of the year to have tamales! Now that is some kind of festive food!

 

Really don’t know much at all. Trying to avoid looking at the “news” on here. Have to appreciate the weather and wind along with the low flying clouds. At least it is not freezing or flying hail all over the place. We just need to appreciate the good days like this one when we can get outside and enjoy the fresh air. Just praise God the weather is decent, and we can look forward to being outside yet not have to worry about bugs!

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Just Gonna Read.

 Just Gonna Read.

 

Have managed to do a couple of things, while in the back of my mind the book in my Kindle has been calling me. So, guess what the old woman is going to do for the rest of this afternoon! Yep, stories and paperback books and other things to read and take my mind to other places and ideas. Don’t know how other people can live without reading every day. But then, if not reading, guess most folks watch TV or something of that nature. Well, the funny videos on FB can take up a few hours if one is so inclined. But the books stay with me because they let me decorate the backgrounds to suit me.

 

The dogs have felt good and been on a kick. They got in here in the office to play “big mouth” and that game where one bows down and invites the other to chase or whatever. It’s a good thing nothing is perishable around here. Just solid furniture and nothing too fragile to knock over and break! Currently, they have settled down to nap. They are extra good at that exercise.

 

Saw that one of my online friends has taken a dog to foster over Christmas. Would be willing to lay odds that Beverly has that dog for the rest of its life. It looks so very much like her dear dog Bailey. She has really mourned that sweet animal. Maybe this one will give her the love and exercise in patience that she needs right now. Dogs, well, lots of critters, are good at that. After all, it is not every old woman who opens her back door and finds her feet covered in feathers and fluffs of clucks wanting her attention and treats! Love my hens.

 

Went to the FedEx place this morning and got in a good conversation with a young woman who has three girls: 10, 12, and 14 or so. She is on an adventure, for sure. We think we understand them, but it is just not so. Each age is so very different from the next one—and that is just in one generation. Shucks! The difference between my children and my generation is quite extreme. They have no idea what it is like not to have a telephone. And that is just the basics. When raising the kids here on the lake, if they could hear me whistle, they knew to come home. And they had to stay within a distance that meant that they could hear me! But they were all three the sweetest a woman could ask for. Jennifer was reminding me the other day about how many times she had to polish the kitchen table or dust. That was the punishment around here when one of them got in trouble. Nothing like taking care of business twice!

 

Sterling called and we talked about meals. Keep telling him that chicken voila is good stuff. And he just needs a few hens up there to keep him and Jacqui in fresh eggs. The chicken companies don’t want anyone else to have chickens around their farms, however. My girls may all fall over and die tomorrow, but as nearly as possible, they get fed healthy food and stay safe from diseases and predators. But the big companies look at it very differently. One sick chicken is all it takes to wipe out thousands of birds when they are all bunched up in those big houses. Same with just about any kind of animal—or among people, for that matter. It’s a wonder all the diseases coming across the border have not already affected more folks. We KNOW the extra drugs have already made a difference. Two prison guards (from where is not certain) were arrested here in WF the other day for trying to get drugs into the prison here. Would not take much to kill everyone in that place with an overdose of that one called fentanyl. That one seems to be adulterated more often than not. Crazy people!

 

My sweet friend Barbara Matthews called today to see how things were going. She is such a great person to cheer up a day! We have to laugh about getting more friendly with handrails these days. Takes so little to make us laugh.

 

Let us be grateful for life and laughter. God gives us so much to make our lives meaningful.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Leave It ALONE!

 Leave It ALONE!!

 

Ever had a hangnail or something similar on a finger? Do you leave it alone or mess with it every time you notice? My left thumb nail is attempting to split all the way to the bottom, so it really needs to be left alone. Have thought about putting a bit of tape across it to prevent snagging, but then the tape would be the part that would get dug around. Argh! This is what is called distraction and ADHD—messing around when one can’t prevent the same. It makes me wonder how we ever grew up when we were constantly falling out of trees or stubbing our toes while riding bikes or some such. We must have slept deeply back then. Or maybe Mom just knew how to threaten us with that red stuff she put on everything!

 

It has been rather drizzly all day—not that we don’t need the moisture. But it certainly would be nice to get a couple of inches tonight and maybe tomorrow. The ground is not horribly dry and hard, but neither is it good and wet. Oh well. What we get is what we get. Just have to say Praise God for whatever He gives us.

 

Had to laugh at my neighbor today when we got to talking about passwords and changing them to something we could remember. Know that the important ones need to be changed once in a great long while, so will be doing that soon. Meanwhile, have to come up with something that is truly easy to remember. Patty said that she had a phrase about their kids that she abbreviated as a password. Stood there and laughed about it. Kids, especially teenagers, are about the best at bringing out the snark in adults. Maybe that is where they learn how to be snarky.

 

Then Sterling got to telling me about the minister who took over the Bible Study they were doing this morning. He wanted to talk about Hebrews—you know, the one that proves the men get up to make the coffee. Ahem. Think they were in Galatians, but he wanted to discuss Hebrews. Sterling said he wished he could record it so he could listen again and maybe remember it. Anyway, told him what one minister had said about why Daniel wrote his prophecies in both Hebrew and Aramaic. One group of people were brought from Jerusalem who would have spoken Hebrew. The later two groups would have spoken Aramaic. So, there is the reason for two languages according to J. Sidlow Baxter. It reminded me that in Romans one of the apostles was named Junia. That is a woman’s name. Rms. 16:7 talks about her and her partner (husband). So, looked up an article on Google about her and read something that has made me wonder for years why ministers believe that women were not to be ministers. Well, duh. Whatever Peter or Paul may have said later, they were not the final word in choosing apostles. This is not to say that she was one of the original disciples. Big difference between apostle and disciple. But it is something to think about.

 

Thompson must really be feeling better. He got the zoomies today and then dug a four-inch-deep hole just for the fun of it. The hens will appreciate it. They love fox holes to dust in or for whatever reason. And they have eaten two heads of cabbage today! Always something going on around here. For instance, just took an apple whatsit out of the oven. Not exactly a pie, but smells just as good.

 

Guess the days will start getting longer now that we have seen the shortest day of the year. You can bet that all the showers of meteorites won’t show up with this cloud cover, so we can just celebrate by closing up the hen coops a little later in the night. Just happy to have healthy hens and dogs. It makes life much more enjoyable. God has blessed us mightily. May each of you find joy in every day.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Recipes or Feeding One Person.

 Recipes or Feeding One Person.

 

One of my grandsons loves Chicken Voila! His grandmother (the old woman) thinks it is mighty fine as well. The family size bags are great for reruns or for feeding two or three hungry teenagers—except maybe not the girlfriend who thinks vegetables are terrible! Simply can’t imagine!! Anyway, Sterling said that he likes some of those meals in a box from some woman whose name is like Michelana or something like that. He says she makes a mighty tasty pie, too. Have discovered that he feels just like our dad did about beef—it is just a bit much chewing for a working man or even a retired old wood worker. Beef, even when it is put in the crockpot with plenty of tenderizer, can be pretty hard to chew if your teeth are not exactly on point for gnashing that stuff about. Sterling said that he wallowed that stuff around and swallowed it for years and then had indigestion. Sad, just sad.

 

Anyway, read today that our ancestors ate a whole bate of seaweed and assorted green stuff from the sea instead of all that much meat. Let’s face it. If the population of humans got a little large, then not enough rabbits, bears, or cattle would have kept them in meat. Just made me think about some of the things that scientists have been suggesting as possible meals for folks who are starving for lack of what we consider civilized foods. Guess John the Baptist ate locusts and honey for his meals, so maybe that would work on the bug population. Texas certainly had the grasshoppers this year.

 

At one time, Jerusalem was surrounded and the people there were starving. No one came in and brought them anything to eat or otherwise airlifted anything else to them. They were on their own. But God provided. Some kind of green stuff started growing everywhere there was dirt. And the people ate it and survived. Manna it was not, but edible it was. Can’t imagine enough green stuff growing right now in Gaza to provide for even one person as much as they seem to be trampling upon one another. But the sea is right there. Fish, sea weed? Maybe they simply can’t get to it. Just not that familiar with the map of that area. But may they be given what they need within God’s grace.

 

Went to the feed store today and unloaded that earlier into the bins. Hoping this is enough feed for a while. Have lay crumble in both coops, but the wheat and sunflower seeds are in the front coop where they can be easily pitched either to the outside or back inside the middle coop. Still can’t keep the danged doves out of the coops. Have strung silver tape all over the place, but they simply are not the least bit concerned with it. Oh well. Someone can have all the doves they would want that are plenty fat and sassy if they would just bring a net and catch them!

 

Still have laundry to fold. This is a never-ending story in every house in the land. Looked at some stuff that they say a person should put in the washer to keep it from accumulating gunk. Can’t tell that mine has any, but then, it is a relatively new washer. Love my top-loading washer. If it needs to stop for some reason, it is not a problem. Just push a button and add an item or whatever. Convenience is wonderful. This is like the extra maids that the women in the Bible had. We don’t have maids—well, most of us don’t—but we have so many things to make life easier. If we did not have washers and all the accoutrements, can you imagine how dirty we would get! Even my mom only washed once a week. And Grandmother Pollard had to take clothes to a laundry or wash them by hand. HER mother washed clothes in a big pot over a fire! But she had to wash the clothes for the hired hands that worked on the ranch, too. Her husband made sure the men actually took a bath about once a week! She made the lye soap! Oh! Our lives are so different now!

 

Stood out on the deck that Hanan made for me and enjoyed watching my hens. Have a few that have names: Red, Thelma, and Jolene. The rest are just the kind that flock my feet whenever they see me come out the door. Have to be careful not to step on toes or trip over a couple of hens who just know for sure that some kind of goodie is forthcoming. They are usually right. Love those silly critters.

 

Let us be grateful for all the blessings that we have today and ask that God provide hope for those who have lost it or can’t feel it right now. We ALL need joy in our lives no matter the circumstances around us. May God give that hope and lift up those who are down.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Goofing Off Again.

 Goofing Off Again.

 

Last night when the turkey was finally baked, it was not too hard to debone it and put the meat in a large bowl. This morning cooked three cups of rice in beef broth and then mashed up a can of sweet potatoes to mix with the rice. Stood there and cut the turkey up into small pieces to mix together with the rice stuff. It made five-gallon size containers of food for the dogs. Thompson definitely approved. Think he is feeling better than he has in a while. We played ‘find the toe’ this morning under a blanket. Both dogs were happy to play and act as if they were big growly critters. Thompson hardly ever gets up on the bed any longer, but he jumped up there like a big dog!

 

Have some beef sticks that the dogs probably should not have since they are rawhide, but they just fall apart in giblets when they start chewing on them. Hoping they don’t stick in their bellies and cause problems. The ingredient list says that the beef hide is ground up, so here’s hoping that will be ok. They won’t get more than three, so there’s that.

 

Sharon Dickerson was telling me about the deer coming into their yard down there in Shreveport. Sounds wonderful. We have wildlife here on the lake, but the deer stay down in the wooded areas. Up here on the hill, the turkeys and geese or ducks walk around occasionally, but we are more likely to see a fox, bobcat, raccoon, or skunk. Oh, and lots of cotton tail rabbits! Did see my first raven out by the chicken coop the other day. It is not uncommon to see crows, but had never seen a raven until one day this past week. It is just pleasant in the spring to see the cardinals and mockingbirds coming to visit. We have lost so many trees to the drought that places to nest are few and far between.

 

Picked up a full dozen eggs today. So proud of my hens for producing such good eggs. The shells are thick and the yolks are bright yellow. Guess what they are getting out there is doing them some good. Will need to go pick up some more sunflower seed this week. Thinking of getting a pound of turnip seeds to spread around as well. Would love to have turnips growing all over the hill. But the seeds are supposed to be planted in late summer. Shucks. Our summer drug on for long enough, but guess when it starts frosting out there it might not be a good time to throw out seeds. Might have to give myself a big kick in the keester and go down to the farmers’ market and see if anyone has turnips.

 

Germany just sent more troops into Lithuania to defend against Russia. It really seems strange to think of German troops getting ready to defend its NATO allies. It seems as if the world has come full circle. But then, the US has its eyeballs focused on the Chinese satellites being put into orbit lately. Not that we have not done the same. Tit for tat. Craziness.

 

Since Jennifer spent all of last week being sick with some kind of virus, she said that she will be dug in over at the office trying to play catch up. One young man, David, is the one who tries to do things when she is not there, but it takes both of them working full time to keep things from backing up in the shipping department, much less in the invoicing and accounting areas. Lance ended up sending one of the helpers back to shipping the other day just to help David keep things going out! For sure, they do not have too many employees! And now Reece will be working full time since he is out of college. Can’t imagine how things can get so busy when the economy is so iffy, but apparently businesses still need supplies in metal and tools.

 

Sterling has been having a ball making benches for a lumber company there in Gentry. They supply the wood and screws, and he supplies the labor and smarts. Eventually he will have to have some heavier tools for his woodworking. But at least he does not have to paint anything. Everything is made with treated wood. People who want something colorful have to paint it themselves.

 

Think this is tamale season. Just a cool breeze makes me feel that way today. The sunshine feels so good, but that breeze says tamales! We can be thankful for the seasons that God has given us—both in life and in the weather. We know that things will always change—even when Our Father does NOT change.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Sources.

 Sources.

 

A discussion about cancer today with Patty brought up two or three things which we can consider. First off, it seems that nearly everything we eat—especially if it comes out of a box or package—has some kind of chemical in it that is not good for us. But let’s face it, we can’t always have fresh fruit and veggies at our fingertips. In fact, so many, many folks are doing well to have food, fresh or otherwise. Then we look at all the things we use in our daily lives: laundry detergent and fabric softener. Then our shampoo and maybe a conditioner are in the shower stall along with body wash or whatever we use there. The detergent we wash our dishes in might not exactly be good for things besides removing some of the grease on the pans and dishes. Whatever we touch, whatever we eat, whatever we are around the most might have some kind of carcinogenic ingredients. The entire freaking world is made up of folks that are out to make money on the cheapest things that make us feel we ‘have’ to have these things or we are settling for lesser goods. Greed is carcinogenic!

 

Have been reading about the canned foods we buy. So much comes from China. Picked up the little bag of Crystallized Ginger from Nuts.com. It is packaged in someplace called TH. Oh, the company Nuts.com is out of Cranford, NJ, but where the hey is TH? What do you want to bet that the ginger was grown overseas. Then another package was on my table: Gilbert Pecan Co. out of Santo, Texas. Dear Hearts, that came from a place just somewhat south of WF. And you can bet your bippy the pecans were grown down there. Oh, the sugar might have come from somewhere else. After all, we don’t grow sugar cane around here. Even so, the main ingredients are good ol’ Texas pecans.

 

It bothers me to read that the cans produced overseas are lead lined. Yep, another way to get cancer. Guess unless we feed it in our back yard and slaughter the critter in our own kitchen, we cannot guarantee that it will be fit to eat. Not too overly fond of turkey, but one is in my oven presently. It has to be thoroughly cooked and then deboned to put up in Ziplock packages and placed in the freezer. The dogs have to help me eat this thing cause no one else in the family is going to come along and want any. At least it is obvious that it is REAL turkey. An article online said that some of the “lamb” from overseas is actually rat meat. Oh my! That was about enough to turn my stomach. Unless it comes from New Zealand or Australia, let’s just keep our lambs at home and eat only USA lamb.

 

Our world is upside down in so many ways. About the best we can do is pray for those who have been and are affected by diseases. Someday God will heal this world. He may have to roast the place first, but heal it He WILL! So, until then, try to be aware of what you are eating and its origin. But best of all, try to live with love in your mind and heart. The most healing of things for us is His love. We can spread it around just like He does with healing sown in each day and in all our ways.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Did It!

 Did It!

 

One of the ladies from Britain suggested a way to use phyllo dough to make a neat meal. So, the old woman tried doing something totally unlike anything put together around here before! Used frozen, buttered spinach (the steamed in the package kind), two different kinds of cheese (feta and shredded cheddar), five eggs, yellow and red bell peppers, half an onion, mushrooms, and lots of hope. It turned out pretty doggone good! Lance would not even listen to the list of ingredients after onion was mentioned. Silly kid!

 

Like anything that the old woman does, this little investment in veggies and such ended up being more than one person could eat in more than three meals. SO, John Rhoads came by to pick up eggs and left with two dozen eggs and one container of my stuff that needs a name—let’s call it veggie surprise! Anyway, we will see if he and Mary like it. John brought me a Back Forty calendar and a couple of heads of cabbage plus some goodies in the empty cartons. Kinda neat! Mary sent a text and asked for the recipe.

 

Heard from Sharon Dickerson and got to learn about the two dogs and the mailbox that someone knocked over. Kids, probably. But if David puts a heavy metal post in cement, some kid is going to have a surprise. Sharon seems so happy now. So glad for her.

 

The hens produced a dozen eggs today. Now they are all fastened up in their coops and accounted for—nine in the middle coop and twelve in the first coop! Lots of happy hens! They entertain me and probably some of the neighbors with their singing. The songs most often sung include: “I laid it, I laid it!” and “Cabbage, cabbage, got any cabbage?”

 

Michelle Malay called and was talking about seeing Reece’s graduation picture. She wanted to know what his degree was in, and the old woman had no idea what it is called. Probably a “Getter Done” degree.

 

Thompson just asked to be fed. Yes, the kibble is always out, so he definitely wanted something else. Opened a can of whatever that stuff is and put it in his bowl. Finally told him it was that or nothing. So, he is eating it. My critters are not spoiled even a tiny bit!

 

Wishing that all the fighting and hatefulness in this world would cease, but know that won’t happen until God puts a stop to it. Until then, may we be grateful for His grace and love.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

 

 

Amaryllis!

 Ama-ama-danga-ryllis!

 

Found three pretty nice bulbs at United this morning. Two were red and one was white. Each year, my girls got one apiece. They are usually about $20 for one. But they had them on sale for $10 each, so the old woman squandered $30 on flowers. Went out and put some dirt out of the bags of barnyard soil into a big pot and put all three bulbs in there. Need to go out and wash down the outside of the pot and put some water in it to drain before bringing it inside. Have enough dirt under my fingernails to pot something else. Not sure just how that works out, but invariably my nails keep a good selection of dirt for future reference.

 

The dogs are not impressed with the meat offered to them this morning. Sylvia will try just about anything, but Thompson has gotten much pickier in his old age. Gave him some canned dog food yesterday early in the day that resulted in a turned-up nose. Later on, he ate some, but at the time, he just gave me that look. You know the one. Have to watch that Sylvia does not “help” him clean up his bowl. She does not need the extra calories. Had to hide the treats so that she would not see them and beg. It is hard to refuse a dog when they know that YOU know what they want!

 

The other day while driving my truck, turned on the left blinker and heard the sounds going like extra fast blinking. The truck did that once before right before my right blinker went out in the back, so took the truck by Danny Foix Exxon (which is no longer an Exxon, but who knows what that silly dash sign means!) and got the man to replace the bulb in the back left light. Just happened to have the bulb in the console from when the last one was purchased—they come two to a package. Anyway, it only cost $10 to have it replaced. Last time the man at O’Reilly’s just had me pay for the bulbs and put it in for free—even though he was offered money for doing the work. Sweet man. He said he had to UNretire to make a living because his wife died, and he could not live and eat by himself. It is hard to be alone, and eating for one can be pretty complicated unless one puts up containers of food in the freezer every time something is cooked. A person could get pretty doggone tired of the same thing half a dozen times on the table.

 

Dr. Blackwell came by today and brought some goodies plus a chicken calendar! OH! Such pretty chickens! She said that she did not realize there were so many different kinds. While she was here, got to send a teeny, tiny egg to the kids. One of the Marans laid it as it is the deep chocolate brown. Anyway, she said she thought that she might need a calendar just like this one because the chickens were so pretty! This is the way to have chickens—no poop to clean up or feed bills to pay! LOL On the other hand, she would not get to hear them talk to her and ask for goodies every time she opens the door! But she did bring the girls a head of cabbage!

 

Have not even looked at the news today. Have some good books to read that are uplifting and not the least bit worrisome. Know things are going on that need prayers, but will just trust that God knows all the details exactly. It is comforting to know that He has everything in His hands. We can trust Him to carry the burdens.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Bible Studies and Other Interests.

 Bible Studies and Other Interests.

 

A young grandchild once asked his grandfather why all his old friends were always reading their Bibles. The grandfather’s reply: “Well, they are studying for their finals, don’t you see.”

 

Our parents were younger than everyone else’s parents—married at 15 and 17 made a bit of difference like that. But even so, can remember that our folks were quite often reading that book as if studying for a final. And they wanted us to know what it said even before we were hardly old enough to turn the pages carefully. This time of the year, Daddy always read to us about the baby born of the virgin Mary. Over the years, he added some information that he had dug up in his studies. Just a few years ago, it came to my attention that the “lambs without blemish” were brought from Bethlehem to Jerusalem for sacrifice. The lambs were swaddled in cloth and placed in stone mangers so that they could not be stepped on or otherwise risk being harmed. They were guaranteed, in that way, to be without blemish. The lambs were cared for by priests in a special place on the outskirts of Bethlehem. It made me wonder if Mary and Joseph had stopped by that place for the birth of their baby, too. Wouldn’t it be something to know for sure that Mary had given birth where the other perfect lambs were born.

 

Last night Clint and Sandy Robertson had their last Bible study at their home across the street with several people they had met in the process of buying and selling property and getting things to meet their standards. They invited me, and it felt like a good time to go, so the old woman went even though not staying for the entire evening event. Clint decided that the offered pork butt would make a good “raffle” prize for someone who needed food. That made me happy, and the extra pork butt went to someone who could use it.

 

One other thing that Clint and Sandy did was to give away Bibles to everyone who came. These were not your ordinary Bibles, as they were written almost like comic books with some splashes of character in each colorful page. Since many—if not most—of these folks had never heard the Bible stories, much less read the book, it seemed like a very thoughtful gift to give. Thinking about it, how many people do we know that have never read the Bible through or even have heard the stories? Just because someone has a piece of paper that says that person has a degree in something, well, does that mean the person has a real education?

 

Sometimes the old woman feels a bit remiss to not participate in the cultural shifts in our world. Never having watched Duck Dynasty or met up with one of those Kardashian folks, does that mean ignorance of cultural changes has made me less of a person? None of the folks today have ever watched Edith and Archie Bunker or laughed with the Jeffersons. They would not understand when Redd Foxx grabs his chest and says, “It’s the big one, Elizabeth!” How many young people today would recognize any of the radio personalities that kept folks entertained years ago? Culture changes. Values have certainly changed. But somethings never change. God does not, has not, changed. He offers His love through His son Jesus Christ. Let us give thanks!

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Becoming a Handy "Person."

 

Becoming a Handy “Person.”

 

This morning the stapler that works on air from the compressor was actually used without any additional barnyard language being employed! Did, however, use maybe one word when hammering a piece of siding onto the backend of the long coop. Only dropped the roofing nail three times after hitting my thumb though. Getting better at hitting things—other than my thumbs or fingers! Anyway, the coop doors are now covered in heavy plastic to keep it warmer and drier inside the coops while still allowing light inside. The metal front coop has doors that are covered in sheet metal and can be closed in really bad weather, but the middle coop only has the wire door to keep out critters. When it snowed up to our backsides in 2021, Jerry Hobbs came over and dug the doors out and a path to the coops for me. We will see what happens this winter. Still need to run an extension cord to the metal coop so the heated water bowl can be used in there. Maybe tomorrow.

 

Found a tiny—less than nickel sized—egg in one of the nests. My guess is that the black Marans are about ready to stop laying entirely. Will just keep on feeding them until they die a natural death. They deserve to be treated well. All animals fit those criteria in my opinion. It would not do for me to have any other kinds of livestock. Thought about getting a couple of lambs last year, but changed my mind. We never can count on having grass with the periodic droughts in this part of the world. And hay is very expensive—not to mention the other kinds of feed and medications needed by sheep. No, the hens and the dogs are about all the expense an old woman needs.

 

Had some fun last night. Did not do it exactly the way it was done last time, but used Amazon to get into the Nuts.com pages to order a special bunch of goodies for the latest graduate from college. Reece graduates this Friday from UTA (Arlington). The video link to the ceremony is as close as the old woman will get, but it does not mean that it is not important to me. Just don’t go anywhere unless absolutely necessary. Riding in a car or truck—either one—hurts after about 20 to 30 minutes. Go figure. Maybe a tractor would be better! LOL Saw some things on FB the other day that showed guys doing hot rodding with tractors. Bet that would be some really funny races! Sounds like something that Reece would enjoy!

 

Read a bit about the situation in Israel this morning. Honestly, it amazes me that anyone in this entire world has the self-righteous belief that any other nation has the right to tell Israel what to do. Not one—not the U.S. for sure—has a perfect record of treating others with compassion, much less giving others land to themselves. Just ask the American Indians!! Israel will be the nation that has to deal with Gaza as long as the land exists. Unless they can move the Mediterranean Sea completely, those people will be there. May God bless Israel, its soldiers, its leaders, and its future.

 

So, have any of you used the “air fryers”? Wondering if it would be worth having one or not. Saw that they require a filter or some kind of material for easier cleaning. Are they a mess or what are the advantages? Hardly ever fry anything around here. Broil, bake, or stew is the common connection with most of the food here. And can just any kind of food be used in one of those things? Well, obviously not salads.

 

We have so much for which to be grateful, but right now our attention might need to be in prayers for the border guards along the edges of Texas. Grandnephew George is down there trying to keep the peace, and my prayers are with all the young folks down there doing the jobs that have to be done to prevent anarchy. We can be sure that the Federal government is not doing even one thing to prevent this invasion of pedophiles, drug runners, assorted terrorists, and criminals. And that does not even count the diseases brought into our country! Let us ask God for protection and prevention of lawlessness.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.