Three Eggs!

 Three Eggs!

 

Funny thing that when the girls are busy laying five to seven eggs a day, for sure everyone doesn’t need eggs. Right here before Thanksgiving, everyone could use some eggs. So, naturally, the hens are putting out maybe two eggs a day. Today, they produced three whole eggs! Yay! Will have enough for Michelle Malay to have a dozen next week.

 

Got up with the moans today, but can still walk at least. Taking Tylenol and muscle relaxers tends to mess up my system somewhat, but moaning messes up my attitude. About time to read something more uplifting. Have two sets of mysteries on my iPad, but one of them needs to be deleted. Too much unnecessary use of words even this ol’ woman would not use! Even when moaning and whining, it isn’t necessary to use language that would shock my mom.

 

Patty got her yard mowed yesterday and her house cleaned today, so she is feeling pretty sharp! About the only thing accomplished around here today is another good pot of Fiesta Soup. Mighty tasty. Will try tomorrow to get at least the bedroom, living room, and kitchen floors cleaned. Will dust mop before using the vacuum, then wet mop, and see how that goes. The wet mop always leaves things smelling so much better. If it rains as is in the forecast, this house may just smell like wet dog again. Sigh.

 

 Seems as if the West Coast is getting oodles of rain in the form of flash floods that are pretty dangerous for those living in the desert areas. Have seen what a flash flood can do in Arizona and would not want to try to cross a highway out there during that kind of flooding. Flash flooding can be dangerous in any area, but at least in North Central Texas we have some grasslands to absorb much of the rainfall.

 

Watched an episode on meat prices and what is going on in the local areas where beef is produced. It seems that we have four big packers of beef, and two of them are not even American. The folks who can do something about the situation believe that producers (ranchers) should be able to take their beef to local packers where they can get better prices locally without having to give a big cut to the big four. It makes sense to me. Not sure if the rancher out in Megargel (Bill Brown Beef) is still in production or not. Guess it would be worth it to check. Right now, this old woman cannot afford ground beef!

 

Fox News also had an episode about the SNAP abuse and fraud that was somewhat upsetting. No one wants to see anyone going hungry, but coming into a country and expecting the government to feed and house you and your family is pretty unrealistic; however, in any other country some immediate medical care and a food allowance can be given to illegal aliens. England has food banks that help alien families. Almost every European country has some sort of provisions for alien care, especially for children. It made me wonder what kind of provisions are made in any country in South America. Illegal immigration has been and continues to be a problem across the world. Well, maybe not in Russia or China.

 

Parts of Texas were settled by Germans who came here trying to find religious and political freedom. Those areas near the Hill Country are famous for the neatly kept farms and homes along with the famous churches. Near my home county of Clay, the German people farmed and raised a church near Hurnville that became a center point for an entire community. Many of their descendants went to school with my father and some of their descendants became my classmates. We became a stronger community with their arrival and their families. We can only hope that some of the illegal aliens that have come across the borders today will become good citizens and care about this land as home. The German folks brought their strong beliefs in God and community. Perhaps God will bless the latest arrivals with His grace.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Pickle Juice?

 Pickle Juice?

 

About the time things seem to be doing better, the twitchy, stupid muscle spasms hit again. Took a muscle relaxer this morning, but not anything else. Guess a trip to United for dill pickles might be next. Shaking my head. And somehow, we need to avoid salt.

 

My floors have a coating of dog hair on them again, and guess who does not feel like vacuuming. Sigh. May have to call Maria to see if she can handle another fur-lined house to clean. Patty says her floors are exactly the same, but we are looking for rain this week, so who knows if we will have a coating of mud on top of the dog hair! Oh well. Maria will clean Patty’s house tomorrow, so at least one house on the street will be dog hair free(ish). Well, Shona’s house has no dogs or cats in it. Can’t imagine how that would be. We have always had critters. But our mom did not have dogs that lived in the house with us—or a cat that lived inside 24/7. Different times.

 

Had a conversation with Patty the other day about phones and how their purpose has changed so drastically. We are told not to let the world corrupt us, yet some of us spend time either watching YouTube or videos and other “interesting” things on our phones. It is no longer enough to simply have a way to call home or to call our friends. Not much different is our usage of computers, for that matter. We check the weather report and see what the latest news from this place or that place might be, but we also tend to listen to the political stuff that could warp our viewpoint about how life should be lived. It is just inevitable that we find something to make us either fear the future or be concerned about the state of our nation right now. We mentioned the fact that pennies would no longer be minted. Sterling (and others) reminded me that eventually all monetary dealings would be digital. The mark of the beast is supposed to be something in our hand that would be the equivalent of monetary exchange. Without that “mark,” one could neither buy or sell. Things seem to be getting closer to the end days than we have ever been before.

 

Told Maggie Sewell the other day that some days it seems better not to post since my attitude is reflected in what my words become—not especially uplifting. Guess this might have been just one of those days. Maybe tomorrow will be a happier day. At least rain is in the forecast. Right now, we are wall to wall dust. Guess a bit of rain might make wall to wall mudpies!!

 

May your days be bright and happy; may your soul sing with joy.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Looking at the Calendar.

 Looking at the Calendar.

 

This afternoon, some butterflies were flitting around the fall asters out front. Taking a picture of them close up revealed the name of two as Queen butterflies. Who knew we had royalty flying around our flowers here in WF. They were pretty and it may be that one of the pictures was uploaded to Common Sense if things went right. Just taking pictures is about all the technical issues handled around here.

 

Asked Lance about his and Tracy’s trip to OKC on the train. Apparently, it was nice and easy. They saw the downtown library that Lance said was very big, the botanical garden, and the memorial next to the bomb museum. Anyway, getting to visit something different sometimes gives a person perspective on one’s own home and city. Most of my perspective comes from memories that have probably been warped by time and attitude.

 

Jennifer said that she and Gary would be driving to Virginia for Thanksgiving with his uncle and aunt. For sure, holidays are not good travel days anytime, but right now the planes may or may not be scheduled to fit the situations. Anyway, about all a person can do at this point is pray for safety for all those traveling.

 

Maggie Sewell came today and brought some goodies—cabbage, apples, and a butternut squash. She also mentioned apple dumplings that sounded wonderful. Actually, apple anything is usually pretty good. But cinnamon, sugar, and cooked apples make me think of Thanksgiving at Mom’s house. Funny how certain foods remind us of times, places, or people.

 

Sterling said that he and Jacqui both had eight o’clock doctor appointments this morning. Teasing him, reminded him that the older we get, the more we travel—but mostly to doctor appointments! It is just strange that no matter what is prescribed, we aren’t likely to get all that much healthier. Shaking my head.

 

Got the results from the tests taken last Friday. That does not mean that my understanding of those results has been enlightened at all. Some tests were labeled “abnormal.” Sounds about right. Have never been all that normal most of my life, so why should anything change? Eventually, if she has time to read the results, perhaps Dr. B will let me know what she thinks of the situation. Not going to worry about it right this red-hot minute. Have managed not to take anything for pain all this past week. That has to be doing somewhat better.

 

Need to rearrange some things in my kitchen tomorrow. The water filter jugs just take up an inordinate amount of cabinet top space. A large green jug is filled with kitchen implements that could easily go right under the cabinet. Just remembering where they are would be great, but you know the saying: out of sight, out of mind. Honestly don’t think they even have to be out of sight to miss out on the mindfulness situation.

 

Got ONE egg today. It was a pretty pink and even saw the old girl laying it. She was in a hurry to get it done and get in on the feed being thrown out to the others. It was still damp and had one of her belly feathers stuck to it. Have a feeling the girls are taking turns laying eggs—a different hen each day. Hmm. Now if they would all get on the same time table, we might be able to save up a dozen every few days. Sent two dozen home with Maggie, but only have four or five in a carton currently. Not like anyone is eating eggs around here right now.

 

Lance made cornbread and beans for their dinner tonight, and it looked delicious. What is it about good ol’ Southern food that just makes a person feel hungry? The only thing he didn’t have was chow chow. That is an essential to go with beans!!

 

Talking about the parents with Sterling today made me think about their birthdays and Thanksgiving. Mom’s birthday was on the 26^th and Dad’s was the 28^th of November. They were two years apart. We did not really celebrate their birthdays because of Thanksgiving except the year Mom turned 62. We had a cake baked and decorated and took out to her. She thought we had brought her a towel and stuck her hand in the box. She got a finger full of icing! She said it was the best birthday ever! Dad thought it was pretty good because they both had social security after that. Funny memories.

 

Let us look forward to being with our families and friends. We are so very blessed.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Does and a Roof.

 Does and a Roof.

 

Noise this morning turned out to be some little Mexican men on top of the house across from the open lot that belongs to the Leos family. That house almost burned to the ground several years ago, but Donny Anderson got there first with a garden hose before the fire fighters got there. They saved the house. Now maybe it will be a home to some of the Miranda family. Meanwhile, the Mexican music has been entertaining.

 

Driving up this end of Kemp to head for United, two young does ran across the road in front of me. Put on my brakes and warned the vehicle behind me as they scooted across those five lanes. Glad they made it. Some wild brush on one side of the road is perfect for bedding down, but the other side is roving territory for the bobcats out here. Could never have unprotected livestock out here, for sure!

 

Here it is 2:30 in the afternoon and having my first cup of coffee. Reece woke me up early (3:30 a.m.) to ask me about the Berlin Wall when I first knew about it and its history. Yes, it was an interesting “conversation.” He had a migraine for which he had just received pain meds and needed something to think about other than the pain. Seems the IV steroids were doing a number on him. Hoping that whatever he has to take at home will not have the same effect. Jenn said that he and Grey have to be at their house next week for Thanksgiving while she and Gary go to visit his family (uncle and aunt) in Virginia. Here’s hoping they have no trouble getting service on a plane. Anyway, Reece and Grey will take care of three dogs and three cats. Such fun.

 

Mary Rhoads had planned to bring her grandson to visit my hens, but never made it yesterday for some reason. Maybe today. Kids love critters and vice versa.

 

Mary also told me that she drinks pickle juice to keep the muscle spasms at bay. So, the old woman bought something called pickle juice in a small bottle--$2 for a SMALL bottle. Guess buying dill pickles would make more sense. But maybe the blood tests will let me know which minerals or whatever that my body needs. Here's hoping.

 

Got a head of cabbage to cook with some onion, an apple, and some sausage. Tomorrow is cabbage stew day around here. Looking forward to good cabbage stew! Who would have thought that an old woman would find something like that better than anyone’s t-bone steak!

 

The news has not looked horrible from this viewpoint, but have not searched it diligently. Some things are better ignored. Just hoping that things are getting back on an even keel around the nation with salaries being paid and benefits recovered. It is difficult to be happy when one’s bills are bigger than one’s hopes. At least we never have that problem with God’s promises. What he promises, He delivers—always.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Remaking the Bed.

 Remaking the Bed.

 

Have been using a big ol’ cozy comforter on my bed, but it has not been quite enough to keep me comfortable. SO, you KNOW that the temps will get warmer for at least the next few days! It never fails that if the old woman decides to light the pilot light on the kitchen heater, the weather warms up! Well, at least during Indian Summer.

 

Making my bed means lots of walking and stretching. Avoiding any kind of pain killer means that the making of the bed and the spreading of blankets is accompanied by groans, moans, and ouches! Circling a king-sized bed actually takes more steps than around a twin bed—if for no other reason than the difference in area around the frame. Last year, since the corners of the sheet set that just tickles my comfort bone started to slip off the corners, the old woman bought some elastic straps that have pinch style fasteners on each end. Here’s hoping that the second corner won’t really need any right now even though the straps are still handy.

 

Can hear the dove hunters out there blasting away this morning. Wish they had this flock of doves in my backyard. Lance managed to get rid of—or at least discourage—most of the doves while he was here. It means the hens are limited to just a few extra grains of wheat so no surplus will lie around out there. That means the old woman has to remember not to put out too much.

 

Put a five-pound chicken in the sink to thaw. No, it really does not appeal to me at the moment, but it needed to be cooked and used up. Have decided to just buy ground turkey from now on for kibble toppers for these two brats of mine. They really liked that fried turkey meat. Mrs. Dash seasoned it just slightly so it was not the least bit bland. A little bit even ended up being consumed in a sandwich kind of meal.

 

Need to hook up the water hose and fill up the water bowls for the hens. They make such a mess of the one in the coop, but it is just so they always have water. Sterling swears that they would rather have dirty water off the ground than clean water from a container!

 

Shona felt somewhat amazed and happy that her mom has had such a good attitude about staying with this woman for rehab and care. It might not be what either of them would really prefer, but living by herself will simply not work. The day will come, if we stay even somewhat healthy, that we might each need someone to live in and watch over us. Someone with a head for both business and compassion could do a wonderful thing by combining the needs of those who need help—of different kinds. Thinking that women in a shelter who need a place to stay could work for an older person so that the elder could remain at home. Two homes for two folks. Maybe that sounds like two buildings, but homes are not just real estate. They are an assurance of belonging. Wish someone would develop something like this here in WF.

 

Guess the biggest issue for joining elders with those who need a home would be the safety factors of character and maybe records of behavior. Even the women finding new homes need to feel assured that the elder is not going to be abusive or even tacky. It occurs to me that this system would work for both male and female who are in a shelter. We tend to think that only women have to leave a relationship, but know for a fact that it can go the other way just as easily. Anyway, background checks on both parties would have to include interviews with friends and neighbors, social services being used, and mobility both physically and socially (with a vehicle). The types of food available in an area might make a difference, too. Some areas don’t even have a tiny food store at all, much less a larger grocery store. Mobility in that case would include the ability to either shop online or actually to drive to a physical facility. Can’t imagine this whole idea would not make it so much easier for families to encourage their parents to remain at home where things are familiar. Maybe someone has the imagination and courage to implement something like this.

 

The shower last night felt good and made me relax quite a bit, but because some old woman moved things around in the shower stall, the shampoo without conditioner was much handier than the one with conditioner. The resulting “hairdo” this morning was curls everywhere that were not amendable to efforts of control!

 

Just ate brunch: Wolf’s Brand tamales in meat sauce. Yep, starting this day just right!! But since my iPad is charged up, maybe the book started yesterday will be about ready to give it up! Meanwhile, think about the One Who would never “give it up.”

Numbers 23:19 “What he says he will do, he does. What he promises, he makes come true.”

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Frost Out on the Grasses.

 Frost Out on the Grasses.

 

SO thankful to live in Central North Texas this morning. It is about 39 degrees currently on the south side of the house with just a light frost on the grasses down in the east lots. My niece sent pictures of their light snow up near Chicago, and Sterling said that his thermometer was shaking so hard it was impossible to read!!

 

Love humor, but the truth is almost funnier than any joke we can make when it comes to how we react to weather! Bet everyone near Chicago has already been to the store for bread and milk! If they got snow—even a tiny drift of it—in Houston, the entire town would about shut down! NOT that that would be a bad thing! LOL But folks up north are ready with salt and gravel to put on the roads while we just call out the tow trucks and try to slow down. The deep freezes always bother me when the ice gets on the electric lines and the water lines start breaking around town. Our city really needs to work on infrastructure before we buy any more big buildings and replace the police department structures. The city water lines are always somewhat vulnerable. The trees over the electric lines are everywhere in this city. No company will cut them back and most folks cannot afford to have it done. My place has electric lines on two sides with trees in both sides. ONE tree is my fault, but the others have been there forever. Sigh.

 

Guess ordering dog food is on the agenda for today. These two dogs really like this new food for older dogs with probiotics in it. They clean up their bowls each time, so have reduced the amount of kibble given to them to just a cup. Getting fed twice a day has worked so far. Thompson comes it to tell me about four every afternoon when he thinks it is time for his dinner. Funny critter!

 

Really enjoyed the visit by Rylan, Isabella, Josiah, and Rylan’s stepsister Gabby. (Guessing the Gabby is short for Gabrielle.) Josiah is growing and so far, is willing to be still while he is held. It is going to be harder to hold him (for me, at least) pretty soon. Rylan was explaining about his work at Walmart on some kind of machine that costs something like 50 million. During the day, they have 12 people working on it, but at night, it is just him and some other guy—with one night a week working alone! Anyway, he is trying to get the bosses to hire ONE more person for nights. Hope it works out ok for him.

 

Have just about decided that this is going to be a two-cup morning. One was just not quite enough! What is it about cooler weather that just makes snuggling down with a book and a cup of coffee feel so perfect?

 

Well, read until my iPad was down to 16% and the hens have been shut inside their coop. These two dogs have been fed and the old woman had some cooked potatoes with sour cream and ranch stuff sprinkled on them. It is getting colder and darker earlier now, so it’s time to break out the PJs with long legs and some knee socks. Even looked and found my finger tipless gloves today. My hands and feet get so very cold with the least bit of excuse. It makes me remember hearing Granddad Pollard come in our front door and reaching out to put me in his lap. He always asked Mom where my socks were! Know he must have laughed inside that my feet were always as cold as Grandmother Pollard’s. They had a joke about her coming to bed and sticking her cold feet to him! Good memories.

 

Have stayed away from the computer news today since it seemed as if we have plenty to think about without dipping into the absurd or horrifying. Spoke with both Shona and Patty today. Shona was happy that her mom has such a positive attitude. Patty is determined to BE positive. That is about all we can do when confronted with the stuff going on in the world. The hurricanes and other storms are making life miserable for so many that we should be grateful for the many blessings we have right here in our lives. Family, friends, good neighbors mean more than money in the bank! Let us strive to be loving and to show God’s love to others.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Nap Weather.

 Nap Weather.

 

Apparently, this weather is perfect for napping! Just had to lie down for a few minutes this afternoon and found myself in a very deep sleep when the phone rang. Here’s hoping the experience of the nap (not the phone call) can soon be repeated. Sylvia let me know that she definitely did not like the wind and cold front that came in a bit ago. My leg was attached to her, it seemed. Or maybe the other way around. Anyway, the dogs are in the house, the hens are on their roosts, and the coops are fastened up tight for a cold night. It will be a good night for resting.

 

Took the water hose off the water faucet and put the little arctic sack on that faucet to prevent a frozen problem. Here’s hoping that is all it will take. With the wind blowing the back dog door open onto the back deck, we can be sure that more limbs will decorate the backyard by morning if the wind keeps up. And if it were rainy, we would probably have ice. As it is, we definitely need rain again. Such is life.

 

Even though the morning came with the stupid muscle problems again, by this afternoon, the old woman was feeling fairly good. Just wish it were possible to understand what exactly is causing the stupid spasms. Maybe more exercise would help?

 

One bit of unwanted and totally ridiculous exercise today was getting the dogs to go into the bathtub to get their feet cleaned off. The water bowl in the middle coop had DE in it, so dumped it under the crate that held the DE. Both dogs walked in the water and then in the DE. Nasty! Now, along with dog hair, some interesting grey paw prints decorate the kitchen and living room floors. Sigh.

 

Got the laundry done and hung up or folded and put away. SO glad for automatic washers and dryers! Thinking about my mom having to use a wringer washer on her back porch years ago. And she was so very happy not to have to go to Mattie Rutledge’s laundry. That was a job, too! Times have definitely changed.

 

Got some ground turkey that cooked up nicely. Both dogs and the old woman thought it was pretty good. Had mine with some little tomatoes and pepper slices left from some that Roger brought over. Ranch dressing mix in sour cream worked nicely as a dip. Just used a fork to pick up those little purple tomatoes and lifted the dip up with each one. Tasty!

 

Some folks think that the government shutdown is all the fault of President Trump. It makes me wonder why it is so difficult for some to see the bigger picture. Simply handing over billions of dollars to the insurance companies is nothing but pure stupidity. That is effectively what would happen if the current bill pushed by the Democrats were to be allowed. That money would not serve the American people because the price of services would definitely not go down. It reminds me that many years ago, Doctor Hurn from Henrietta said that Medicare would simply create an agency that would prevent real medical care from happening. He was right. It has created possibilities for more fraud than nearly any other act created. And it will never get better as long as care is designed for money alone. Sad. Just sad.

 

Still thinking that this month is for Thanksgiving—and not just for one day. Yes, Veterans’ Day is Tuesday, but some of us are just thankful that our brothers, husbands, and friends came home from whatever war occurred in our lifetimes. Every day, my thoughts go out to my brother and prayers for his life and health. The same is true about all my family, friends, neighbors, and those who are attempting to lead our nation in the way God would have us go. We have so many reasons to be grateful. Perhaps we need more attention in families about why we are blessed. Only good blessings come from God. May we thank Him every day and in every way.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.