Laundry and Putting Away.

 Laundry and Putting Away.

 

Yep, the laundry is done. Of course, the hard part was stripping the bed, washing the sheets and pillowcases, and even washing a couple of blankets. Some clothes had to be washed today as well, so that meant some things still need to be hung up in the closet and others put away in their places. Can remember when it took all day just to keep us in clean clothes around here. Much simpler with just one old woman, but still, there are towels, dish towels, wash cloths, and assorted things that just get picked up and used to wipe up spills around here. Lance brought more paper towels the other day, but the old woman still has some from the last Amazon order. It’s always something.

 

Got my house insurance thing today. Guess it is about like the one from last year, but the papers say it is not a bill—just letting me know how much breath the old woman will need to expel when the actual bill shows up in a week or so. Insurance is a type of gambling if you think about it. Know that the entire amount would not replace this house if it were to blow away this spring, but then, the old woman would probably be in the house at the time, so there’s that. Sterling said that within a year, he and Jacqui may be living in a camper instead of a three-bedroom house. If a person has a way to easily get inside from the ground level, that might not be much different than living in one of those tiny houses. It would mean paring down the excess furniture and the “things” we tend to accumulate. It is something else to think about how much one does not actually need to be pleasantly housed.

 

Took a short nap this afternoon, but seriously doubt that it will affect my ability to sleep tonight. Dear Hearts, the old woman can get stiff as an old crow just getting around doing the few things that need to be done. My friend, Roger Thonton, reminded me that planting veggies is totally unnecessary since anything we could grow could come straight out of the grocery store—and would be more likely to be on the shelves than any veggies we could grow in the Texas heat and drought. He’s right, of course, but there is just something about the dirt that calls for some seeds and those little hopes we tend to grow. And driving up to the store to pick up food has a tendency to wear one old woman out by the time she has circled the store, unloaded the groceries, and put things away. Yep, groceries grown out in the yard are not going to be any less trouble than driving up to the store. Sigh.

 

Finished reading the book by Lehman Straus about Daniel. That’s the second reading. Think it was easier to understand this time. Even so, let’s just know that Daniel and even the angels still had/have questions. God knows what He is doing. We just have to take the time to appreciate His directions.

 

Just took a package of hamburger out to thaw so it can be cooked in the morning. Seems everything done around here takes planning and preparation. Now to figure out how to give a couple of dogs a bath without killing myself or ruining my back! Wish it were possible to run them through a car wash! Some FFA kids do that with their cows and such. But dogs might not appreciate that sensation!

 

Let us be grateful that spring is on its way. The mesquite trees still have no sign of leaves yet, so it will still be a while. Time is patient.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Turnips and Other Such Things.

 Turnips and Other Such Things.

 

Today talked to Shona and discovered that she has Covid again. Oh! She stays SO busy just picking up children and taking them to school, but then on top of everything else to have Covid just sucks! Then talked to my granddaughter who is feeling puny. Hoping it is not Covid or something of that nature, but she just has about as much energy as yesterday’s dishcloth! Poor kid! Told her to take care of herself as no one else is able to do that. That is really true for all of us! We can ask God for His help, but we must do our part to take care of our bodies, our minds, and our moral compasses. Reading His word makes a big difference in our outlook anytime!

 

Sharon Dickerson sent me a subscription to The Upper Room for the next two years. Just reading about things that have taken place in the lives of others has a tendency to help my own outlook. No matter where we live in this world, not that many things are different when it comes to dealing with others, dealing with economic problems, or dealing with social expectations. We just have to make up our minds that we will do our best to show the love that God has given us—even more so when some are so cruel and abusive in matters of business and economics.

 

Just put some turnips on to cook. Someday this old woman is going to have her own turnip patch! Surely it can’t be that difficult to grow turnips! If pulling a rake through the dirt would work out in the back flower bed, maybe some turnip seeds from the Seed and Feed store would come up and produce all the turnips we could all eat. Sharing those things makes me feel good!

If nothing rips, rears, or ravels, Dr. Compton will take care of this cataract on my right eye on the 17^th of this next month. It occurred to me after arranging transportation with Roger that Maria would have been happy to take me and bring me home. Just did not think about that. Having to be there at 6:20 a.m. was a bit of a surprise, but that is ok. It was funny to me that the surgeon does right eyes on Tuesday and left eyes on Thursday. Go figure!!

 

A male cardinal has been staking out his territory in our neighborhood lately. Such carrying on and high-volume chirping as you would ever expect are easily heard all over the neighborhood! Whisking from tree to tree makes those red feathers look like ribbons of light across my back yard. A mockingbird has been claiming the front yard and some of the trees around here, but it does not make sense that he would be trying to claim those danged soapberry trees as part of his territory. But what does the old woman know?

 

Have not seen anyone down on the highway in the old Speegle house trying to tear things down yet. Pretty sure it will take more than one dumpster to remove all that mess even though they have used particle board to shore up this back side. Would love to have the lilies on the north side of the house, but again, someone would have to dig a hole for me. Sigh. Getting old is simply more difficult when it comes to getting some things done. Judie Brunson reminded me of the “picker uppers” that we have used to prevent our older bodies from bending over and messing up our backs. The dogs—hers, too—tear up things and make messes all over the living room floors, but the picker uppers do a pretty good job of removing the evidence! Joyous animals!

 

Downloaded a bunch of books from Amazon today to put on my Kindle. Jennifer said something about having a thousand books on my account, but they are usually deleted after being read, so who knows how many have gone on there over the time the Kindle has been here. It is so much easier than dusting books in the bookcase! And they are FREE! Yes, REAL books are wonderful, and some remain on my shelves, but being able to read as quickly as my interest remains has given me such a wide variety and some insights into different genres. Yes, cozy mysteries are my favorite. But history and foreign countries interest me, too. In fact, today read something on FB about the Prussian cavalry who wore feathered wings on their backs as they attacked other armies. The sound of all those horses and the sound of all those wings frightened the other armies into a complete rout! The Hussars saved Europe with their winged cavalry! They must have looked like God’s angels to the opposing army!

 

The turnips are ready, so it’s time to enjoy the greatest veggies on God’s green earth! Yes, potatoes are good, too, but turnips have something special in them. Let us be appreciative for all the blessings and all the different foods provided to us from God.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

One More Plan.

 One More Plan.

 

Judie Brunson was kind enough to take me to see Dr. Kelly at North Texas Ophthalmology today. Yep, the right eye is ready for surgery now. He had me wait and talk to the surgeon while both he and the old woman were already there. If the insurance is approved, around the first to the middle of March, we will get this cataract removed. The surgery has changed considerably since the last time it was done on my left eye. But someone still has to drive me home. But then the next day, the old woman can do her own driving. Super! So, if things work out, one of the children won’t even have to come up for one day. That is encouraging.

 

On Monday Patty needs to go to the dentist office, so that will be my time to practice driving again. Other than being easily tired, it is pretty good to just be able to get up and get out. And let’s face it; the calendar says that each day adds up eventually to another year. Not fussing. Life is good and the blessings are plentiful. God has been extra generous in my life.

 

Sterling said that his “pattern” rocker disappeared, so he is having to make a new pattern for his “Goldilocks” rockers for little kids. Now he is making some benches to set outside a house or business. His first wife wanted one, and his sister said that one brought to Texas would find a good home down here. Ahem. SO glad that he has taken up this kind of wood working at this age. He and George laugh and say that it keeps them busy and off the streets. Can’t imagine what they would do ON the streets!!

 

About ready to put the old body to bed. Thinking about the list of those for whom prayers are needed tonight includes my sister-by-another-mother Sharon Dickerson. She goes to see her lung doctor tomorrow. She uses a C-Pap machine, but she thinks it might be better if she also had an oxygen machine to carry around with her because she gets so short of breath so easily. Have thought several times that some folks might do well with something like that. It is hard to know if we just need to train ourselves to take deeper breaths or if we just need to slow down and be still once in a while to breath. Being still is not something we think about all that often, but God tells us to do just that. Maybe it is our thoughts that we need to train for that kind of stillness. Each day has its “list” of things and people who need our prayers. Maybe that stillness is one of the big items to have on that list. Let us consider what joy there may be in being still enough to listen to God’s voice.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Answers and Helpers.

 Answers and Helpers.

 

It has been a super day around here. The two dogs got to hear Lance’s truck come up the road and then were allowed to run out to meet him! Oh! joy and freedom to sniff the front yard and jump up on his legs! Lance did not seem to mind the extra dog hair even! His dog and his daughter’s dogs have him pretty well trained.

 

Had spent some time and made gravy and biscuits (the biscuits were canned), sausage, and some fresh natural eggs scrambled that Maria had brought to me. Lance thought it was a pretty good breakfast. The dogs got the leftover gravy and some few bites of scrambled eggs, so they were happy too.

 

Lance took the battery off my truck, and we found out that it would not hold a charge. That’s the second battery like that from Walmart. Anyway, it has a new battery on it now and should not give me any more trouble that way. Here’s praying that nothing else happens to it for at least several months. By the week after this one, the old woman should be able to drive again. Patty needs to go to the dentist to have her teeth cleaned, so there’s that. Anyway, maybe things will go a tiny bit smoother for a while.

 

Colonial Park provided the new prescription for Thompson’s meds for his old body. He takes a couple of pills a day and has stopped whimpering, so the meds must be working. Know exactly how he feels.

 

Talked to Sterling briefly today. He has been asked to make a boat load of benches to sell for the lumber yard. He said that they are relatively simple, but let’s face it, they still have to be picked up piece by piece, cut, sanded, and varnished. That is a lot of work. But he and his friend George say that it keeps them busy and off the streets. Funny guys!

 

Let’s just say that today has been a good day. The temps are supposed to drop tonight and won’t be much better for a couple of days, but at least the winds are not blowing a gale, and we don’t have ice coating the electric lines. Let us pray for those affected by the deep snows, the high winds, the fires, and the droughts. May God bless us and this nation. Let us take care that we as individuals are as kind and loving toward others as possible. God has so blessed us. Let us live in gratitude.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Expecting a Visitor.

 Expecting a Visitor.

 

Lance let me know that he would be here sometime in the morning. Weekends are just like other days around here, except the mailman does not come by on Sunday. The kids value those days away from their jobs. Can remember loving weekends after Lewis and the old woman retired. Quiet and no hurry to do anything at all.

 

Jennifer took a picture of some flowers that were growing in a pot in my kitchen window while she was here. Sent a recent picture of the flowers and compared the amount of growth. Amazing! They just took off! The stems and leaves are purple and then tiny little pink flowers have fine stems to lead away from the main purple stems. Neat. Can’t remember the name of the plant, but still enjoying it!

 

The dogs have been in and out several times today. Think they would really appreciate being able to enjoy more time outside, but it is still just a bit too cool for them. Some breeds like Jennifer’s Huskies don’t even think about colder weather, but then, the heat of summer about cooks them! These two can—and DO—dig a hole out in the yard and lie down in it to cool off. Wonder if coyotes do that, too.

 

Checking the weather around the central portion of the country while tracking the fires north of us and landed on a weather report that included Connorsville, Indiana. My friend Carla Beard lives up there and said that they had had some “impressive” storms. From the pictures online, it looks as if they had “rivers” of hail in some places!! Wow! The highway they showed looked as if it were hubcap deep in hail stones.

 

While talking to Carla, she let me know that she has a book that she wrote that is about to get published called Faculty Meeting at the Millhouse. It sounds like fun. It is being published by Water’s Edge Press. The lady publisher was an English teacher who just decided to become a publisher. That sounds amazing to me. But now we can look for other books by this publisher as well as this one by Carla Beard.

 

Still thinking about how to explain to my youngest grandson about how much difference there is between Allah, Jesus Christ, and God. He thinks that they are all the same. Yes, a copy of a Bible that is in modern language would probably help him if he ever took the notion to read it, but for the time being, my prayers are pointed at asking God to help me explain without being obnoxious in my words. Please keep my explanations to him in mind when you pray. Telling him that Nebuchadnezzar thought that all gods were the same won’t help him understand that there is ONE God. Wisdom in words and actions is a gift that some have and some always seek, but not everyone of us gets that gift.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

My Friend Maria.

 My Friend Maria

 

Maria came this afternoon and visited with me. This lady is very special to me. She has more courage than this old woman, but she has experience that never came my direction. It is something how we learn about others’ lives. She brought a dozen eggs that may have included some from the hens that Julian took home from here. It is wonderful to have “good” eggs in the house. The three prepared for my breakfast this morning were from the carton that Jennifer bought at United when she was here. The dogs helped me with them for our breakfast. No, that is not all they got to eat, but they like to share with me.

 

Next week my friend Judie Brunson will take me to the eye doctor’s office. They have a tendency to want to make your eyes open up wider than is comfortable, so driving home can get a bit scary with dilated eyes. SO glad that Judie is willing to take me!

 

Called the vets’ office today to see about getting a refill on Thompson’s meds for his old creaky legs and back. Here’s hoping that they will let him have a refill. It will be another week before the old woman should be driving—AFTER getting the battery recharged on my truck. Taking it to O’Reilly’s to see if it is a bad battery was my brother’s suggestion. Got the battery brand new in December last year, but have not been driving enough to keep it charged. Hope it has nothing to do with the alternator—whatever that is.

 

Have not been online today. The temps make me want to curl up and cuddle down in a big chair to just sit and read. SO glad to be able to do that and not feel guilty about not cleaning the house or anything. Just getting older and lazier maybe.

 

Was showing Maria the containers that Jennifer got to use in the freezer so that Fiesta Taco soup could be ready to eat just using the microwave. She really did a good job of keeping me in easy to prepare meals for awhile. It makes a difference when things are this easy to cook and eat. Eventually the old woman will have enough stamina to do it all for myself again, but it may take just a little bit longer. Certainly can’t work outside or actually do anything major like work on the fence line or connect the chains on the carport! Oh well.

 

One of the children bought a small electric blanket that is just about right for half a bed. Rooted around in the back chiffrobe and found it a few minutes ago. Much easier to use it than put the electric blanket back on the bed! You watch! It will probably be too warm to use it tonight!

 

Read the following: Veterinarian Dr. Randall Spare, with the Ashland Veterinary Center, has been busy euthanizing wounded cattle. He estimated 1,000-plus have died or will die as a result of the fire. This is just horrible, not to mention the homes burned, the fire fighters injured, and all the critters on God’s green earth that are currently suffering. May God have mercy!

 

We have to be aware of what is going on in the world around us and in the rest of the nations. Some things are pretty discouraging, but generally speaking, it seems as if we here in the U.S. are so very blessed. We have the medicines necessary to keep us relatively healthy and comfortable. We have the necessary foods to keep us going as well. Now if there were only some way to spread love to every fractious, ornery soul in every community, wouldn’t it be wonderful. Let us each take responsibility to be as kind and giving to others as we are able.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Colder with Fire!

 Colder with Fire!

 

The forecast is looking mighty pale, but the bad part is the fire that is stripping the land and causing evacuations all over the place in Texas and Oklahoma. Our county does not have a burn ban, but it would just take one idiot to let a fire get out of control here on the south side of Lake Wichita to burn Archer and Clay County. May God have mercy on those in the line of the fires. Livestock, wild critters, homes, businesses, and all the folks in the middle of this mess will have to depend on God’s help. Let us pray for those who are so in danger. The electric companies have shut the power off to grids to prevent sparks of fire from high wind in the lines. Imagine going out to milk in the dairy and not having any electricity. Surely hope the dairy farmers have backup generators. And the temps are cold and getting colder the rest of this week.

 

Despite the horrible news of the fires and high winds, this old woman has been doing well and feeling pretty good. Have noticed that there have been “sparks” in my legs lately. Guess the nerves are coming back to life that were compressed by the bone that broke off and was poking the nerve. It is a weird feeling, but nothing that really causes me any grief. It is just different.

 

Saw that New York has passed a law that says no foster child can be sent out to a home without some kind of bag that is meant to be used for travel. It might be a gym bag, but it would beat a black trash bag any day. Dignity makes a difference.

 

Thompson’s medicine is down to two pills, so the old woman has to call the vets’ office tomorrow to see if they will send a refill to the pharmacy—which will deliver. It will be a couple of weeks yet before driving is on the list of things that can be accomplished around here. Just hope the vets understand after they know the old woman can’t drive just yet.

 

Got a neat box of birthday cards delivered today. Think my sweet girl wanted me to have note cards that could be sent for the kids’ birthdays. They don’t really like the Jacqui Lawson e-cards. Having a message and Ma’s handwriting makes a difference to them. Sometimes the new tech stuff is not as important as the old timey things we used to do for everyone.

 

Saw that Germany has produced so many potatoes this year that they are just offering them to anyone who will take them. They are feeding the homeless and anyone who can cook a potato! Is that not wonderful? Yes, it is hard on the potato farmers because their products will not sell over there, but who knows where those potatoes may need to be sent? Wish it were possible to help others in this country with excessive supplies like this.

 

Let us appreciate each day and what it brings. Life can be so sweet if we can share whatever joy God gives us.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.