Playing Footsie!

 Playing Footsie!

 

Took some chicken broth out to give to the hens. One hen got right up next to my leg and would not move! Could not figure out why she was not moving. Well, duh. The old woman was standing on the hen’s toes on one foot!!

 

Got a new gas wall heater yesterday at Sutherland’s and LeeAnn Kirtz and Stephen came over for him to install it for me. Found out by talking to the plumbing company that it is not legal to put a gas heater in a bathroom because of the danger of carbon monoxide poisoning. Who knew! Used to have a little thing hanging on the bedroom wall that warned if the carbon monoxide level got too high. Gave it to Jerry when he was using those propane heaters to keep him warm in the winter. Had a feeling he might try to close a room up too tight and die of poisoning. As it was, the police department let him die of covid instead.

 

Rearranged the living room again after Stephen took the AC out of the window for me. Now have a plug for the electric lap throw in my papasan chair. But the new heater keeps the front part of the house pretty warm. But it has not been all that cold so far. We had frost down on the pumpkin this morning—a little over 30 degrees out there.

 

Maggie Sewell called a bit ago to tell me that R.G. Holland had passed away. He was in hospice for just a little while with cancer. He made it to the last Petrolia school reunion. Roger Thonton said he was glad he got to visit with him. Sterling said that was one of the few guys he liked other than Johnny Wilson and Benny Tucker. Strange how friendships are made. Jeanine Wilson was one of my favorite people growing up. We did all kinds of good things together. She and her husband have moved somewhere in Okla-doggone-homa to live near their grands. Hope that all is well with them. Think both of their sons are out of the military now.

 

Went and got the danged pneumonia shot this morning while at the grocery store—yes, it hurt! Got ten percent off my groceries for getting the shot at their store. Then used my rain checks on the four ten-pound bags of chicken quarters so they only cost $5 per bag. Good way to save money. Next time, will have to go to Market Street so getting gasoline will also save me some money! Funny how we have to maneuver things to keep from going broke just trying to live.

 

When Patty went to see her lung doctor this morning, she did some running around—the bank, Wendy’s and another place. She said getting her car unloaded took two trips. She told me this good stuff with a grin and then said her doctor wanted to talk to her about pallative care. That just about took my breath away. For awhile now we have talked about getting Maria or someone to come make her bed once in a while (yes, have offered to do it for her). Got home from talking to her and the thoughts just kept going through my head. Had to sit down and call her about it just because it upset me. Can’t tell you how much love goes across this hill each day when we connect. Anyway, she assures me that she thinks she is too damn stubborn to give up just yet. Can’t imagine not having her as a neighbor and the little dogs coming to greet me every time my steps take me there. Deep breath.

 

As if nothing else could take my breath away for just any reason, Hanan’s best friend texted me yesterday. His mom died maybe last year, and he misses her so very much—as well as Hanan. His boys thought his mom was about the best person in the entire world, and truly, for her, those boys were her life. Can’t imagine how much they miss her. It is hard to realize that life just keeps going on, but it does.

 

Got another can opener in the mail today. Bound and determined to find one that does not hurt my hands. Maybe this one will work. Did not want an electric one. But this one looks like it will be easy to use.

 

My hope for all of you is that you may find joy in even the smallest things—even if it makes you laugh because you stepped on someone’s toes. May God help you to find His joy.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Thinking, Reading, Listening.

 Thinking, Reading, Listening.

 

Whichever way you go at it, if you don’t compare and contrast what is said, what you see happening, and truly use your thoughts to distinguish between what is said and what makes sense, not one person can hope to understand the insanity that is taking place among those who hate and despise one set of people—the Jew, the Israeli, the people that God has placed in His land. God put them there; he calls them His people. Despite the horrors that have come upon them throughout the ages, He loves them. THEY are not the ones who are using human shields; they have a right to defend themselves.

 

Have listened and watched and thought today. Knowing what the Bible says must take place still makes me shudder at the acts caused by Satan. My heart can only take so much before tears run down and my body demands relief. Pardon me if this post is short and subjective to the extreme. My life belongs to God. My actions and thoughts need to be brought into line with His commands to love my neighbor as myself. But Satan is not my neighbor, nor any of his demons. God’s instruments have many appearances, but in this case, He will use the people He put in Israel—along with those who hold up the Star of David in support. Christ died on the cross to give us life, to give us forgiveness, but any who despise Christ and His people have no place on this earth. May His will be done. May Israel hold the shield of God before them.

 

Please hold the nation, the people of God in your prayers. No one who reads of how God removed the nations who fought against His people can fail to understand that this will now be repeated. Israel is surrounded by her enemies. But God stands with them.

 

Pray for understanding; pray for God’s peace. Pray that we will not tire of resisting the devil and his minions.

 

May you all rest tonight in His love.

A Little Cool.

 A Little Cool.

 

Only 40 degrees on the back deck, but the wind is pretty sharp. Just went out and put a cover on the back faucet. Need to check and see if the ones Jenn bought for me are still in the living room. Patty does not have a cover for her new faucet. Her water faucets were always below the dirt in a hole with a cover. The plumbers changed that, so now she was not prepared. Found one! Now just have to walk down there and cover the faucet. It may not actually freeze tonight, but no sense taking a chance.

 

Made some stir-fry veggies with leftover roast beef in them. Cheese on top and a bit of soy sauce makes it mighty tasty. Have more chicken breasts on cooking, too. With all this stuff already cooked up, should not even have to cook for a few days. The dogs are not too demanding or picky. Thompson does like wearing his winter suits, however. He just does not have as much fur/hair as Sylvia. And he IS a moocher. He likes to “taste” whatever is going into my mouth. Well, Sylvia does, too, but she is not going to come over here and put her chin on my leg to nudge me. She does have one little quirk that bugs me. She chews on her toenails! She won’t let me trim them, but we have to doctor them when she gets too aggressive with toenail chewing. She had to wear a bandage yesterday. Oh well. My doggie children!

 

Well, went down and covered up Patty’s faucet. She let the littles come meet me in the driveway near her gate. Ruddy was not staying out in that cold stuff, Dear Hearts! Roxie had to supervise my activities, but she was most willing to go back inside when my little task was completed. She is a character!

 

It's not snow yet, but the stuff flying into my glasses was still mighty cold. Drop another ten degrees and things are going to be icy! Let’s just hope the electric lines can handle the ice this winter.

 

The hens have carried on all morning, and now one is still letting everyone know she is happy with her job. Found an egg in the area under the roost in the middle coop. The hen had made herself a nest from hay, but she was out of the way of the mess under the area where they all roost at night. These hens have been an experience! Personalities plus!

 

The dogs are sharing the dog bed here in the office. I wish it were possible for everyone to get along as well as these two dogs. Thompson thinks he is supposed to take care of Sylvia, too. It takes so very little to make them happy. Well, that is true depending on how long one can stand to scratch a certain butt on an old dog. LOL He has such a tone and expression to let me know that it REALLY was not long enough. Not sure he would ever be satisfied.

 

Have thought forever that we need two Sundays in a weekend. That is just a good day for reading, cuddling with the critters, or maybe doing some stitching on something. Have not done any hand work in ages. It feels like it is about time to do something. When the family was all at home and busy getting messy, mending was a constant. Got pretty good at making things look good, except on those stupid Darr uniforms. They were just UGLY. And the material was not the best either. Dipped it in enough diesel and then trying to mend tears or sew on buttons was really something else. Oh! But miss the man who wore those silly clothes. Would just love to be able to hug him again. Dang!

 

Let us remember those who mourn this day; remember those who are in harm’s way; remember those who must mend the wounds, hold the dying, and deal with the excess of violence in Satan’s path. May our God return in His majesty and righteousness!

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

 

 

Just More Coffee.

 Just More Coffee.

 

Just put another pot of coffee on to dribble into the pot from the holder above. Not usually interested in drinking coffee in the afternoon, but the weather is perfect for a cup of coffee—decaf, of course. The thing about cooler weather is that it reminds me that the house is snug and the heater can be turned on if necessary. Put Thompson’s coat on him so he would be warm in his bed here in the office. Sylvia is snuggled up on my bed. Just another day, but love the feeling.

 

Judie Brunson and her husband Weldon came by for eggs. She brought my hens a head of cabbage. Made me smile, but pointed at the east side lot at all the beautiful green grass. Well, it is green, but not sure it is all grass. The hens like whatever it is ‘cause they go out there and peck around on it. Gave them some treats earlier that Patty sent up here for them. Her dogs did not like them and neither did mine. Hope Judie’s little doggos like them. Certainly was glad to see that Weldon was driving Judie around. He must be feeling fairly decent.

 

Sterling says that they are still getting all kinds of drizzling wet stuff up in NWA. He keeps telling me that the area he is in is so peaceful. He never mentions the extra blankets it takes to live up there in the winter, however. Can still remember Granny Connie saying she could not get warm in the winter. Of course, they were outside each day to work in the chicken houses back then. Guess it was an entirely different setup to what is done today with automatic feeders, waterers, and computer-generated atmosphere. We hauled five-gallon buckets of water to the side doors when we were cleaning the water troughs. At thirteen, this kid developed shoulder and neck muscles that any guy would have appreciated having. Strength training for girls was not a thing back then. Life goes on and things keep changing.

 

My sister-by-another-mother, Sharon Dickerson, sent me a picture of her grandchildren by her son Hal. They went to see her today and had ice cream with her. Lots of hugs and a very sweet family visit with her own family. She may have lost Hal to his work as a police officer, but at least his children love her. When she leaves for Shreveport, hope they will still keep up with her.

 

Sharon tried a couple of times to get me to be interested in making the knit hats like she makes for the homeless and for their church. Thinking about getting a little thing from Amazon to make those now that going outside will be limited by the weather. Still need to plant some flower bulbs, but otherwise it will just be dealing with the chickens for outside work. Will get the circle tool with the instructions because it takes some doing for me to understand much of these little sewing projects. Sharon is so very talented that she does not realize that some of us are not all that bright and talented.

 

Other than seeing that Iran is threatening us—as usual—it looks as if the U.S. is steadily keeping up with making enemies and allowing the infiltration of the country with all sorts of folks that want to change their way of life—and ours. No sense be concerned about it unless we think we could actually make a difference. Elon Musk pointed out that we are making zero difference in the border crisis. We simply are being overrun by everything that comes across the borders. The tear drops near their eyes just means that they have killed at least one person. When did murder become a tattoo award? Yet if an American were to defend him/herself, would we be punished? Kinda makes a person shake a head, hand, foot, and other parts in concern.

 

Someday we will all be going to Jerusalem. Until that day, may God protect us and guide us.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Misty Morning.

 Misty Morning.

 

Some might call it drizzle, but to me, this is a misty morning. Left my truck out from under the carport last night so it might get a bath. Don’t think the old woman will try to go find a “safe” place to give it a good washing. My uncle used to work at a carwash on Southwest Parkway, but it is supposed to be one of those “do-it-yourself” things. Uncle Buddy showed me a couple of tricks to doing it for less money by starting with the soap rather than a rinse. Maybe that is just how it is supposed to be done. Would figure. Dishes rinsed off before put into the washing pan are not quite the same as a vehicle. And Lewis was so disgusted with the one where they ran it through on conveyors that my truck might never get another one of those services. The guys thought the mirrors were supposed to bend into the side of the truck and broke off one of the mirrors—then said it was already that way!

 

Cooked more chicken this morning before the sun even got out of the clouds. Not that anyone around here is feeling energetic. Stayed up late reading another good book. Needed the laughs. Thinking about a sweet lady who is going through some trying times and praying for her has made me feel a bit down. God will bless her in the best way needed for her situation, but until she is able to be away from the problems, she is on my mind and heart. But maybe that description covers several ladies in my circle—online and otherwise. One lady and her disabled son are forced to live in their van. Another friend has her youngest son on her mind and in her thoughts on a daily basis. Certainly know what that is like. Sometimes my dreams at night take me back to situations that needed to be changed. But the dreams never resolve the issues. In time, in God’s hands, the concerns will be resolved. Regrets will dissolve and our past be erased. Praise God for forgiveness and His love.

 

Spoke with Lance today and found out that they had six inches of rain! We just felt very blessed to get close to three. Wondering how the grass will look after the freezing temps get here next week. At least it should not be a dry brown! Even frost-bit green is better than dirty, dry grass.

 

Went up to the corner United to pick up some salad stuff. Also, found a small roast that should work well in a crock pot overnight. The marked down meats can sometimes have some decent buys, but the price of meat just makes it feel expensive even when it is marked down. Started to get some grapes, but they were out of sight expensive. Decided that two little apples would do instead. At least the hens are producing what is needed around here. Scrambled eggs with picante sauce this morning was just fine!

 

Know less than anything anyone would care to discuss—or cuss—so will just say that the weather makes me feel like kicking up my heels like one of the old cows in the pasture. Love the changing weather. Let us hope that the winter will bring enough moisture to grow wheat and other crops this next spring. Already have bluebonnets sprouting in the walkway out front. Just takes a bit of rain to get things started.

 

May God protect and bless you one and all. Let your thoughts be of gratitude for all the blessings we have.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Types of Rain.

 Types of Rain.

 

Tomorrow promises drizzle. Doesn’t bother me in the least. More water drops to add to our total can be in drizzle, downpour, dumped in dozens of deluges, or whatever. We need every drop we can get to fill up the lakes and stock ponds. My hens are happy, happy, hilariously hungry for nibbles of fresh grass! And the green color outside just pickles me tink!

 

Today it was a quick trip to Sikes Senter to vote. Almost messed up when the machine spit out a sheet of paper. My habit is to fold things, and that was a no-no for the machines. Anyway, got that done and went by Whataburger for a junior chili cheese burger, onion rings, and a small milk shake. Too much food, but it was very tasty. The dogs thought so, too, even though they did not get any milkshake or onion rings.

 

Got an entire dozen eggs today. That made me happy. Some of the eggs were obviously pullet sized, but the turken laid another of her pretty speckled eggs. They are not anything like the size of a turkey egg, but they are still pretty and very different from the ones the other pullets lay. It is fun to see the different colors when they are set in an egg crate next to each other.

 

Have been reading some more of the Steve Higgs books. Just love to laugh at the things his characters do and say. The animals can talk—not that anyone can understand them, necessarily, but they are very opinionated. Can imagine how my two dogs might talk to each other and to me if that were a possibility. They love each other, however. When Sylvia gets her head on my legs, sometimes Thompson has to get in on the action and puts his head on me as well. Good thing dog hair and slobbers don’t bother me.

 

Talked to Sterling today. His shingles are still giving him fits, but he is staying busy. Some kind of Christian home that takes kids from tiny to age seventeen needs chairs, benches, and stuff like that. He has made several rocking chairs for the little ones and benches for whatever they need as well. The lumber yard gives him wood that can’t be sold for whatever reason, and he doesn’t have to paint anything, so that works out pretty well. He is still making chairs and benches for men at the lumber yard, too.

 

Two of his dear friends are very ill. Not sure what is wrong with his friend George, but he is on up there in age and just not getting around well at all. His friend in Alabama had a little bump come up on him that he scratched. It turned out to be a staph infection, so he ended up in the horse-pital. The older we get, the easier it is to get down. At least he has a decent attitude.

 

Have not looked online at anything much, but will look tomorrow—maybe. Too many good books to read to spend much time looking online at the garbage that is going on in the world. Just have to pray that our families, neighbors, friends, and world will be found to contain those who will seek God and His love. May forgiveness be the blessing that we can share with all of us who need it so desperately. Pray for those whose sorrow is self-inflicted that they may be brought to repentance and forgiveness.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Look Down My Rain Barrel.

 Look Down My Rain Barrel.

 

Mom used to sing some songs when we were little that must have been popular when she was a child. The title to this blog this evening comes from one of those songs. It also mentioned sliding down the cellar door, but since neither the rain barrel nor the cellar door exists around this place, will just tell you that we have received a wonderful blessing of slow, steady rain for the past two days. Not sure if it is just that all the dust has been washed off the grass or if the grass is growing, but the east side lot is now green instead of just brown. Thank God for the rain!

 

It has been a quiet day—reading, cooking some more chicken for us (yes, dogs and old woman both), and just messing around with one short run of the vacuum to follow the muddy paws around. Don’t mind in the least! Took eggs across the street to the neighbors and spoke briefly to Patty around 5:30, but otherwise just have not even had a conversation with anyone other than these dogs. Is it a conversation if one side only says, “Arooff”?

 

Have not looked online other than to check my email. Downloaded a few e-books on my Kindle app, but did not go looking for anything that might get my dander up. Thought about going up to early vote between showers, but only got my long pants on to find the rain pouring down again, so maybe one day this week. Or not. Other than voting for Tim Short for mayor and those propositions the Texas government has on the ballot, not much else matters.

 

The hens left nine eggs in the nests today. Pretty good return for all the wheat, sunflower seeds, and lay crumble (mash). Have a feeling all the pullets are laying now, but the older hens may soon stop laying at all or rather sporadically. They usually stop laying when they molt, but right now only one is molting. She really looks funny with all those little spikey quills on her neck. Looking in the bottom of the front coop, it looks almost as if something got ahold of a black hen and took all her feathers off! They may be molting more than the old woman realizes.

 

Nothing much to say tonight except that we can praise God for this good rain. Not sure just how much we have received so far, but anything is better than what it was before the rain began. He gives us what we need, but in His time. Thinking of the doxology that was sung in Grandmother Pollard’s Methodist church:

Praise God from whom all blessings flow
Praise Him all creatures here below
Praise Him above ye heavenly hosts
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost

 

One Wikipedia entry said that if viewed as praise to God, 80% of the Psalms are a type of doxology. Glad to think about that. The Psalms read when we are less than happy can rearrange our thoughts and moods.

 

Let us rejoice in His love as we thank Him for the many blessings.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Trying to Keep Up.

 Trying to Keep Up.

 

We have an election coming up; in fact, we can go vote early right now. Here in WF, a nice man who used to work in an area that dealt with IRA funds is running for mayor of WF. The man has common sense, so he will have my vote. Meanwhile, it took a little research to try to get some inkling of the meaning behind the fourteen propositions that our state legislature has committed to our ballots. Ten of those propositions rate a yes from my little scrambled brain; yet four of them rate a resounding “oh, Hello, no!” Here’s hoping that the wording of the propositions has not completely negated their meaning on the ballots.

 

My hens are happily scratching around out in the yard and side lots for whatever they can find. The nearly two inches of rain has made the ground so very nice and soft. It is amazing that the ground is like brick before a rain, and then it softens and crumbles after a slow down pour. Praise God for every drop! Waiting to see if we get enough to help the ranchers and their stock tanks. Really thought about writing about the Rain Song that came last night and into the morning. If you have ever listened to the ground, it makes its own music when it gets drops of rain to splash into the leaves and other surfaces. The underlying thumps of caressing splashes just make me happy. A short time from now we will undoubtedly get some frost to create the crackle of grass and leaves for the autumn chorus, but right now, it is simply rain song.

 

Got a nice message from Sharon Dickerson. She and a friend went shopping and also got a burger on one of those BOGO things with onion rings. Whataburger has that going on right now. Love their onion rings and the white chocolate raspberry milk shakes! Only once a year do they do those shakes. Have to have at least one before they are gone.

 

Isn’t it wonderful to have a friend with whom to go shopping or just go running around and doing things together. Connie Cooke is a friend like that. She knows of different little stores and places to find things. Don’t necessarily need anything at all, but it is fun to look. Right now, have a sack of dog jackets that are much too small for my two critters. Some dog at the shelter can use these. No sense letting them go to waste. Also, need to remind my friend Roger that Mark O. wants to meet with our Route 66 group in November, but not sure he will feel like going to Bill’s Catfish place in Oklahoma. Will suggest that Roger speak to him. This old gal is staying in Texas.

 

Next to the wonderful gift of rain, so many folks here in Texas are all excited about the Rangers winning a ball game. Baseball is a bit of fun. Much more civilized than those guys running at each other and knocking the crud out of their body parts for a stupid leather ball. Not sure what other countries do to play with bats and balls, but have a feeling that the ones on the ground are much less dangerous than the ones on ice or horses. Horse athletes are beautiful and collected when doing dressage—and sometimes even in the jumping arena, but those steeple chases are horrifically dangerous for both riders and horses.

 

Music goes around in my head so often that it never even occurs to me at times what the song may be, but last night, the old woman had to get up and get out my hymnal to look up the musician and the words: The Lord Is My Shepherd, Thomas Koschat. Think the Scottish Presbyterians, the most educated of those of their times, sang this one rather heartily years ago. But then The Lord’s My Shepherd by W. Baird Ross is the version that we sometimes sang at church. Look it up on your computer and you will understand why my friend AnnaBeth Graf thought that my taste in songs was a bit too high in timbre for my voice. Another version of Psalms 23 is by Willaim H. Havergal—the one sung at Queen Elizabeth’s funeral. No matter which version stays with you, all these words still hold so much significance after all these years.

 

My neighbors across the street should be home tomorrow sometime late in the night. Hoping that they have a safe trip and feel relaxed when they return. Meanwhile, our neighborhood is just its usual quiet and comforting space. So blessed to have peace and quiet—well, despite the road noises when everyone is going to work across the road. Just small concessions to our modes of transportation.

 

May you all have peace of mind and find joy in life. We are really so very blessed in our little corner of the world. May we show kindness and compassion for others and be protected from the evils that Satan has cast upon this world.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Little Tricks of the Trade.

 Little Tricks of the Trade.

 

Being a housewife years ago meant keeping up with the ads and only cutting out the coupons that were really what your family needed. My! How things have changed. No coupons in my mail anymore! But the stores do have some good sales once in a while. Michelle Malay taught me to ask for a “rain check” for things that can be bought when the store says that they have run out. Well, fifty cents a pound for chicken quarters is hard to beat, so this morning they gave me a rain check for four ten-pound bags of those things. While there, the price on the turkeys nearly had me dropping my upper plate! If you can buy Jenny O from Walmart or one of those places, it can be purchased for a little less than a dollar a pound. Personally, they can keep the whole turkey. Ground turkey makes good meat sauce for various dishes, but the entire turkey is a LOT of meat and weight. And naturally, the fresh ones are always sold out! Oh well.

 

Started my shopping out by going to the pharmacy and arranging to get my flu shot. Will wait until my arm is no longer sore to get the one for the pneumonias—both kinds. Think it is called Prevnar-20 or some such. Whatever. Dr. Blackwell thought it might be a good idea to get this one since it has been years since the last one. It seemed like for the longest that the old woman was no longer around that many people, but shopping so close to home has been a way to pick up the things on my list without having to have them delivered. Today it was peroxide and coffee filters. Snuck over to the milk counter and picked up heavy cream for my coffee and a half gallon of milk. Sometimes it is so necessary to “cheat” just a bit on my diet. Not sure if it has made any difference yet, but have pretty much paid attention to the carbs and sweets and avoided them. Who knows? Maybe the old woman will lose a pound somewhere or at least become a tiny bit healthier.

 

Noticed that a Clay County lady said that they were getting a rain shower and hoped it made it to Byers. Shucks. We have had a very few sprinkles—six inches apart. Deep, resigned sigh. Honestly, some of those flood waters need to be re-routed to the Mississippi River or at least to Texas and Oklahoma! May God bless us and our ranchers, farmers, and others with the rains we so desperately need.

 

So many people get a big bang out of decorating or putting up things for Halloween. It seems a shame that the decorations and activities could not be like that for Thanksgiving. Pumpkins make me smile, and of course, the hens love the things. Would love to be able to afford several pumpkins or other kinds of fall squash, but those things are like every other type of produce—expensive. Bought the girls a head of cabbage today. At .79 cents a pound, it was less than two dollars, but still. The pumpkin purchased for them lately was five dollars. Oh well. They like their chicken food, too. With some rain, they would be out there in the lots eating grass for all they are worth!

 

Saw a tree that some lady had decorated for Christmas. It made me laugh. The old woman does not “do” Halloween or Christmas, but this “tree” was a series of branches hung on the wall with the lengths separated by spaces to laid out in a pine shape. No leaves or anything on the sticks, but she stuck a few bows and bells on the sticks and placed a star on the wall at the top of them. Now that would be a very economical tree! No waste, for sure!

 

Finally figured out which chicken was laying the pretty spotted eggs. My Turken, or “naked neck” chicken lays that pretty egg. Turkeys lay that kind of egg, too, but they are probably somewhat larger than the one laid by this Turken. Anyway, if you are curious, look it up. Kinda wish the rest of those Turkens had not been roosters. Oh well.

 

Not even going to discuss the news. Wars and rumors of wars: nothing new, really, but the U.S. has enemies on every side now except for Canada. May God let us be faithful to Him in our every thought and action. We are not responsible for the decisions of those in places of government.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Dirty Dogs!

 Dirty Dogs!

 

Yes, my dogs desperately needed baths, and that meant that the old woman had to take one, too, after mopping up the mess on the bathroom floor and throwing the towels in the hamper along with her own clothes. Dear Hearts, bathing big dogs is a genuine task! SO glad they don’t fuss about it and jump into the tub for me without having to be pushed, pulled, or otherwise persuaded.

 

Put the hens up and had to count twice. Six Marans have their spots all staked out, but the pullets move around. Nine pullets use the middle coop, and six stay with the big hens. Once in a while, five hens will be with the hens and ten will be in the middle coop. Nothing like confusing the old woman this late in the evening!

 

Other than getting the floors vacuumed, have not really accomplished much today. Well, did clean out under the roosts in the middle coop and throw that in a foxhole the hens dug out in the side lot. You would not believe how deep the holes can get that these hens can dig! Have seen dogs dig down to the bottom of the foundation around this house, but so far, the hens have not become that industrious.

 

Hearing the geese fly over and squawking made me think just for a second that something was out in the coops bothering my hens. Those geese and the cranes that go over each evening and morning make quite a bit of noise. But early in the morning it makes me smile to see them headed out to round up their breakfast. The geese can make a considerable mess around town when they go after the acorns at the library or at the cemeteries. But it is still fun to watch them. Just wish we had a decent lake deep enough for them right now.

 

The forecast is for rain. It is cloudy, but not holding my breath in hopes. Would love to see a few inches in the next few days. Know the ranchers and farmers are hoping for enough to fill stock tanks and water the grass for grazing. Saw an article about some company that is moving here to WF that is going to be needing farmers to grow marijuana for whatever product they are making. It is not for smoking or anything like that, but my memory just has not dug up the actual thing they plan on making with the stuff. At least it would not need as much water as cotton. Too bad they can’t use tumbleweeds for whatever they make ‘cause we are going to have a bumper crop out on our dry lake bed. Sigh.

 

Really don’t have anything on my mind tonight. Have not looked online at any “news.” You know it won’t be any better than yesterday or the day before. All we can do is pray and ask God to help us have the faith that His plan is working out here on earth as it does in heaven above. Meanwhile, we all need to find some of the little things that can produce joy in life. Roger has a neighbor’s cat that comes to be petted. Maggie Sewell has her daughter close enough to hug. Some of us have a chicken to hug, and others are still waiting for the day that they can leave and be happy with their child and his dogs. For now, remember the songs you sang in church and let your light shine.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Dog Food, Again.

Dog Food, Again.

 

The dogs are going to have to endure the stuff from cans for a few days. Someone who cooks for them is pretty much too tired to spend time cooking right now. It’s a good thing they like this stuff out of the can, huh.

 

Spread grass seed over some of the east lot and around each side as long as the hopper stayed full enough to throw the seed every which way. Whoever invented these pull-behind spreaders did a good job of knowing how to adjust how much would come out. NOT that the silly ol’ woman managed to get the little holes totally covered when the seed was first poured inside. Oh well.

 

It's cloudy out and about. Looks as if we might get some rain in a few days. Of course, this IS Texas. We might get six swift sprinkles over six days or six inches over sixty minutes. But all the weather reports make out like Texas can take a nice break from this drought we have been enjoying! The temperatures could go down, at least. Today was a bit warm at 96 or 92, depending on which gauge we looked at first or last. Glad that life in Texas does not center totally on the temperature.

 

European countries right now are on high alert for terrorists. Sad to say, they are having their own problems with those who want to immigrate to their countries. In Germany: “As he points out, the German government has an obligation to "ensure the functioning of our society", and this also includes "a certain severity".

- One must have the strength to tell people that unfortunately they cannot stay here - says Scholz.

- It is neither humanitarian nor progressive if we are dealing with unregulated mass migration, where people risk their health and life - he adds.

Can anyone hear echoes of what Texas’ Governor Abbott has been saying?

 

Ok, it is difficult to say that we care about people when they come across our borders with the intent to establish their own way of life in this country. IF they wanted to become citizens of the U.S. and live under its laws, it would need to begin by entering the country legally. Yes, that is what is on my mind tonight. The world is totally in an uproar, and it is unlikely that the roaring will ever cease—at least not in my lifetime.

 

For those who went through the Depression, WWII, the Korean War, the Vietnam war—any of those who remember what they read from history can easily see that the world has become a totally different place. My brother says they still have a First Baptist church close by. And he knows the folks of the church they had been attending before he became so ill were some of the best folks around. But increasingly, we find kind people are fewer and farther apart. Maybe our greatest concern should truly be the question of faith. Will He find faith when He returns? That is our job for now: learning to be faithful to God’s Word.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Diet and Other Issues.

 Diet and Other Issues.

 

Recently, it was brought to my attention that an old woman cannot get by with eating everything she came to with an air of complete insouciance. Not to worry about what or how much we ate came easily as a youngster. Now, things have definitely changed. Sugar and carbs have become words that relate to problems with various body chemicals now. Such fun. Even chips and Pace picante sauce have to be limited unless the chips are pieces of bell pepper instead of corn chips. Sigh. Limiting oneself is never easy. Those who have become vegan or vegetarian—yes, there is a difference in the two terms—must find it difficult at first to find something to enjoy eating that does not include beef, lamb, chicken, pork, or other types of meat. Not sure anyone has come up with a type of food that substitutes for fish. So far, chemically altered substances have been used for fake meat, but it just seems a bit much to have “meatless” meatballs. But health sometimes demands limits on various things that we like—especially when it comes to food or drink.

 

Life has always had limits in certain areas, whether or not we think about it that way. Here back some years ago, the 911 operators got a call from some lady who reported a murder about to happen. She was watching a soap opera and could no longer tell the difference between real life and her TV series. Some folks really get “into” the characters on those various shows. Networks have had all kinds of problems when the “stars” demand more than the networks will offer yet find themselves in a bind because the particular stars are the only ones that fit the desires of their audiences. Believe it or not, we have become an “audience” nation. And it is not just in the U.S. that this phenomenon has occurred. Too many folks are very happy to allow a few commentators or “news” presenters to do their thinking for them. Unbiased reporting hardly ever happens—not back in the day and certainly not now. It seems every report has a slant to it.

 

One of the hardest things to limit is the tendency to worry. Some of us could become professional worry warts with a great deal of ease. Certainly, we are presented with plenty of fodder for our worry webs: this action leads to this result which leads to this disaster, ad infinitum. Someone is always available to point out the possibilities that come from lack of action by governmental agencies—or the impossible results of governmental action. Case in point: how does one make life possible for thousands upon thousands of immigrants when resources are already stretched beyond relief for those who are actually paying for the resources? It is interesting to note that Egypt refuses to allow the residents of Gaza to cross into their country. Sometimes even compassion has to have limits.

 

Let’s talk about voting. Does voting need to be limited to those who are actually members of a country, a party, a nationality? If the Palestinian people could not keep Hamas from taking over their country through voting, should we be surprised? Could our own country be taken over by one party because of the people who are allowed to vote? Do those who vote need to prove that they are American citizens?

 

Limits: Sometimes it is a bit of a concern—not necessarily a worry—that we might not know if someone is or is not a Christian. Now think about this for just a second. How do we treat someone that might be of a different belief? Do we limit our kindnesses to just those of our own denomination? Or do we treat each man, woman, and child as if they, too, are a child of God? If you really think about it, God blessed us (most of us) by allowing us to be brought up in a household where God and His laws were respected. Should we not, therefore, behave more justly than the man who has never known of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice? We accept the sinner, the alcoholic, the strangely dissociative personalities that come into contact with us. While we protect ourselves and our families from harm, we still need to accept that God does not have any need for us and our tendency to limit His love to just a few. The birds sing for everyone; the winds blow away the dust of the last year’s bird nests. And it rains on the just and the unjust alike. All things considered, limiting our diet is a simple thing compared to limiting love.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Peace of Mind.

 Peace of Mind.

 

Today a conversation with Sterling included our thoughts about an old friend who is dying of cancer. My comment was that a prayer for peace of mind was needed. Sterling answered that his concern was only that the man should know Christ and His salvation for him. To my feeble mind, peace of mind is totally entwined with that knowledge of salvation. How could anyone have peace of mind unless the person knows the ultimate finish for this life is to become an eternal child of God. Just a difference in how one looks at things maybe. But our prayers are meant to be reminders of what we should truly know and feel as long as we are still in this life. Faith and the other fruits of the spirit will go right along with us on our journey, but being reminded helps right now. If you will, remember our friend R.G. Holland who went to school with us so many years ago.

 

My total lack of enthusiasm for anything today must have something to do with the combination of too many sore muscles and general lack of get up and go. The weather is decent, and sundown looking toward the east instead of the west just reminded me that nights only approach by shades of blue, lavender, and pinkish. Did not want to crawl out of bed this morning and have had less than sufficient energy to even think about mopping the house. Patty said that she pretty well agreed with the less than enthusiastic state of affairs after she struggled to strip her bed, wash and dry the linens, and then remake the bed. She thinks she is going to be needing a house keeper just pretty soon. Know exactly how she feels despite the fact that breathing is not the problem for me that it is for her.

The big screen television in my living room has not been turned on since the last time Jennifer decided to watch something on it. Lance put Netflix on my tablet, but so many good books are sitting here waiting for me to read them, so movies and stuff on TV just are not on my agenda. However, Fox news online reminded me tonight that the war in Israel has only been going on now for twelve days. From the U.S., Israel has received more armored vehicles that would work in a ground war in places like Gaza. Unless Hamas can give proof of the hostages being alive still, it is unlikely that a ground invasion of Gaza will not take place. And truly, even if they prove that the hostages are alive, no one who is sane can believe it is possible to negotiate with murderers. May God bless those taken hostage as well as those who will be involved in any assault on Gaza. Meanwhile, President Biden can remove the entire amount of money that had been earmarked for Iran who is paying for this war! To be truthful, the U.S. is paying for this war because any money given to Iran for any purpose is just money that supports Hezbollah, Hamas, and other terrorists.

 

When it is all said and done, none of the nations who surround Israel are truly its friend. Scripture reminds us that this nation would be surrounded by its enemies. And those who fight against Israel will be thrown down and blinded by the power of God. Right now, our prayers can be for the protection of those in Israel. Miracles are the hands of God. Let Him bring on the times that He has foretold.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Adventures in Critters!

 Adventures in Critters!

 

Patty just called to tell me that the man we found on FB could not find the snake her dogs were barking at earlier. He did find a lizard, but those things don’t usually bother us. Anyway, now know how to get hold of him to come get a snake even if it does cost something. Patty said she does not mind in the least even paying a service call charge to know the snake is gone. He also told her that snakes don’t like sulfur, so tomorrow maybe a trip to Sutherlands to get another bag of the stuff. Roxie was the one that found this snake, so she gets a treat for barking at it today!

 

My dogs were out behind the workshop having fits of barking and chewing on the fence wire. Walking out there, the old woman could hear the squirrel cussing before even looking behind the shop. Couldn’t find a pokey stick to go between the slats, so guess who got out the bug spray and sprayed between each slat! That squirrel took off as if its tail was on fire. Happy dogs!

 

The hens are happier now than they were this morning. The couple from Henrietta came and painted the doors again on the shop, sealed the deck, painted the back screen door with water seal, sealed the bench on the front porch, and otherwise did a few things that needed to be done. Gave him the trailer that no one wanted, and he and his wife loaded that thing up. Now it would be great if he could find someone who would want these two big chain link gates. Oh well. Not letting the hens out until they got here ticked off the hens, plus the old woman forgot to open the east door. Therefore, four eggs were in the regular nests. Found a new nest in the long section of the coop, however. We will see if they do that again.

 

Tonight, the news from Israel is something that reminds me of the Holocaust because, when asked if he ever thought it would end, one Israeli said, “As Jews, we never ask that question. It never ends because we will have to endure until the end. We will always be fighting to survive. These other people do not believe we have the right to live. We will live! Israel will live!” In Zechariah 12:9 “And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.” My prayer is that God will come quickly and do what He has promised to do. Let us as individuals remember that only God is concerned with Truth. He cannot lie. We can trust His Word.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Not Useless.

 Not Useless.

 

No, today has not been a busy day, but it has not been the kind of uneventful that makes a person feel semi-useless. Mixed up some cooked sweet potato with chicken quarter meat and bagged that up for the dogs. Cooked some mixed veggies to stir into some leftover meat from cooking to make a couple of bags to use this week. These dogs are well fed. Just ordered their kibble and some joint and hip stuff that is for older dogs and their aches and pains. Not sure if the stuff currently being dispensed around here is doing any good or not. This new stuff has krill in it. The old woman uses some pills that include that ingredient as well. Who knows if it is doing any good, but at least it does not come back on me. Something there is to be said about such things. Can’t stand fish taste on the rebound.

 

Just got through speaking to one man about coming to pick up eggs in a bit. He said he was going to have his phone remind him. See, it is not just the old woman who forgets stuff. Then sent a message to my doctor so she can pick up eggs this Friday. The older the pullets get, the more likely they are to lay. And they are right on time to start their lay cycles. Here’s hoping that by the end of the month that a dozen eggs are in those baskets each day.

 

The young man, Michael, couldn’t come today, so maybe tomorrow we will get things done to the deck and back door. The water seal stuff he has is oil based, so that should make it easier to keep it from rotting the wood. As long as he knows what he is doing, the old woman won’t concern herself with the details.

 

Ok, din-upper is over with reheated tamales for me and veggie chicken stuff for the doggos. Thompson actually behaved as if he had an appetite this evening. Maybe he is feeling more like being a dog for a change. He and Sylvia have been lying down on the same dog bed for a while now. She cuddles up to him as if he needs to be warmed up. Not sure just why they are doing that, but as long as they are happy, that is all that matters.

 

Read some stories about the time of Prohibition. It seems that some people drank more alcohol during that time than ever before it was against the law. And the law made more criminals out of more people than just about any other law—unless it is the law that makes pot illegal. Not sure which is worse, but neither do us any real favors for the most part. For those who need pot to be able to take chemo drugs, it seems like pot has some benefits. Just not sure about the pros and cons behind that kind of drug. Know that some drugs can have some pretty strange effects on folks even though the drugs are legal with a prescription. Too deep for my level of knowledge—or ignorance!

 

News coverage just keeps getting worse—or at least the news is worse. The reporters have to show what they see or hear, but each person has a bias one way or the other. To say that common sense is not very common is putting it mildly. The reaction of some folks to just listening to the news accounts can make us wonder if folks are actually thinking for themselves. One idiot killed a little boy here in the U.S. because the kid was Palestinian. How stupid can that be! The insanity running rampant in the world right now makes it obvious that too many people are letting someone else lead their thinking and reactions. Anyone who knows the least bit of what the Bible says can tell you that Satan and his demons are out to cause as much chaos as possible. But at the same time, we know that these things were foretold—and we know the final outcome. Praise God! He will reign forever!

 

May your lives be filled with the fruits of the spirit of God. May your health and happiness reflect the joy that comes from knowing the truth.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Finally, the Fans!

 Finally, the Fans!

 

Have another ten pounds of chicken cooked and ready to be deboned in the kitchen (naturally, where else would it be). Went to the feed store and now have enough wheat to last a month and enough mash or pellets to last that long as well. Told the lady mash/crumble, and the young man who went after the bags apparently let that go right over or through his mind, so this bag was pellets. Guess the hens will just have to complain to management. Ahem. Oh, and picked up a pound of “trashy pecans” from Santo, Texas, where our friend Henry Slimp used to live. These are put out by the Gilbert Pecan Company and contain one of those words no one can pronounce: Worcestershire sauce. It also contains cayenne! Whew! But mighty tasty with a bottle of water handy.

 

Finally got all four fans cleaned off this afternoon. How do they get so dirty? Well, it’s been a while since they were cleaned, to be honest. But this is Texas. Just the freaking wind bringing in another layer of dirt each day might have something to do with the layers on the fan blades. It is impossible to keep my kitchen counter clean if the back door is open. And that door is open for the dogs most days. Winter, the real cold days, does not seem to have as much dirt settled on things, so my guess is that the doors are very welcoming.

 

Was going online this morning to set up an e-account and something strange happened. Immediately got an announcement from my virus program that the site was doing bad things. Don’t ask me what! Anyway, tried the second time with similar results, so will just wait and see if it is still that way tomorrow. If so, the company will get a phone call. Then the old woman will cancel my account with them. Will not mess with anything like a phishing account or something like that. Just scary. Simply too much stuff can happen online when someone builds an account and expects it to work correctly.

 

Walked the east lots this afternoon with the pokey tool that Jennifer got for me. Found three different khaki weed plants to dig out. They are now in the trash bin. Also, the hens had totally cleaned out the inside of the cantaloupe thrown out for them. It looked a bit like a helmet when they finished it up. That went in the bin as well. Supposedly, all these kinds of veggie rinds and stuff like that can be composted. However, Lewis hated junk and stuff like that lying around, and this old woman has not got the umpth it takes to bury things in this hard ground any longer. Lance told me he has some kind of composter in his back yard. Sounds like a winner, but not sure it would work for me with no more garbage than gets emptied around here. It’s not like chicken bones would compost.

 

Saw an interview online the other day by a Palestinian doctor who was saying that people in Gaza were not getting any medical care. Israel warned them that they had two hours to evacuate the hospital before it would be hit by missiles. It sounds terrible, but there is not one Palestinian who does not know that the cave systems are totally under every important building in Gaza. Schools, hospitals, every site that seems like a humanitarian would avoid hitting is also one the Hamas have used to their advantage. It reminds me of the Mexican tunnel systems in South Texas. The drug runners here are not any more concerned than the Hamas in Gaza. No one can bargain with a murderer.

 

We all know the ultimate outcome for Israel. It will not get better before it gets much worse, but the involvement of the U.S. may have some pretty dicey outcomes. If they have already found at least four Iranians or Palestinians crossing the Texas borders, how many more do we suppose have come across already? Please don’t think that one or two men can’t cause that much trouble. Satan uses men like these to his evil advantage. All we can do at this point as individuals is to be totally aware and prepared as well as possible for the outcomes. Our prayers to God the Father are heard. Ask for protection for yourself, your family and friends, your neighbors, and your nation. We need to read the book and be sure that our children know what is coming next—and just how certain these things will be. No one can do anything that God does not allow. But remember that the feet of our Lord and Savior will stand in the gates of Jerusalem. It is the King of Kings that will take over the war against Satan and his demons. May He return to establish His kingdom soon!

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Sticky Traps.

 Sticky Traps.

 

Did ya know that sticky traps put out for critters will catch the dust bunnies under your bed? After that pile of dog hair ad nauseum, nothing else was going to stick to that trap unless it TRIED to stick. Trap is now in the waste basket. Bed, dresser, dog crate, and bedside table have all been moved and cleaned under and around. Mopped the floors and put insect spray down—the last step until the bedside rug is cleaned. The big bathroom is already vacuumed, mopped, and sprayed for critters. Where the hey did all these crickets come from? Even found some tiny bugs in the window sill of the bathroom over the cast iron bathtub. Had to wash the hand towels that were folded across there and put down clean ones. Oh well. The room is clean.

 

Finally stopped long enough to feed my dogs and make some coffee. Here it is nearly eleven and have had a banana for breakfast. It’s probably not on my diet, but it will just have to do.

 

Glanced over at the dog bed here in the office. The dogs have just about shredded the cuddly side of this bed. Not sure if the old woman could replace that piece of fabric or not. The beds come apart (unzip) easily, but the dogs somehow poke holes in the material that they lie down on. The foam stuff peeks out of those holes and looks mighty strange. Wonder if Walmart carries that fur type of material like we could buy once upon a time at Cloth World. Bet it would cost as much as a new dog bed!

 

Can’t sit here much longer or the old woman will find some excuse to remain sitting and not up doing the work that these floors need.

 

Sylvia is somewhat opionated. She caught me sitting down and intended for me to remain in that position. Vacuuming done; the mop heads both in the washer; the furniture put back in place; and now considering if food might be worth using some heat and a bit of butter or just a big pan to make a pot of stew. Think it will be the stew. Have some ribs that can be cut down, some cabbage left from last night, some diced tomatoes, and a package of veggies from the freezer. The weather is perfect for food like this. Besides, it does not take much thought or effort to make a pot of stew.

 

Something bit the loll out of me yesterday while my knees were down in the dirt and stuff around the bottom of the fence line. Got up in the night and put some stuff on the bites—ankle, legs, and even my elbow. Not sure what got me, but it could have been chiggers. We haven’t had a frost yet. Mosquitoes and chiggers are normally wiped out by frost or a good freeze. Know that gardeners will hate to see their pretty flowers go south, but the itsy-bitsy critters that bite just don’t break my heart when they curl up and die!

 

Knowing better than to mess with the peels of oranges does not keep me from wanting one. Peeled and ate it and then washed my hands thoroughly. Here’s hoping the oil from the peel has been washed away!

The young man who is going to do some work for me is not going to be here until Tuesday because he has to take his mom for an MRI. Know all about that good stuff. Felt as if my body should have been glowing by the time the back surgery was finished. And that was not even all of the pictures! Oh well. Praise God my legs and back still work!

 

Just gave the hens the last of the stew after fishing out the pieces of meat for my dogs. Not bad for feeding two dogs, one old woman, and a passle of hens! Will just have to plan something else for tomorrow’s meals. Maybe scrambled eggs and bacon for breakfast. Hardly ever eat eggs, but they are pretty satisfying. The dogs appreciate leftovers, too.

 

Feel very grateful for these cooler temperatures even if the wind has been up to flying the geese sideways and the back door up against the wall! At least it is not 120 degrees on the back deck. We have already been advised that this winter is going to be rough, but it we get some rain, maybe at least there will be grass. Meanwhile, an article in the TRN said that the predicted dredging of Lake Wichita won’t begin before 2027. Smart, just incredibly intelligent! So, if we do get rain, maybe the mud puddle we call a lake will grow a bumper crop of tumbleweeds. The roots are edible, ya know. Supposed to be like okra when fried. Good grief!

 

Let’s just be grateful that nothing is currently on fire around the county. May God give this world and its people His peace.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.