Mouse House?

 Mouse House?

 

Patty has been fussing about seeing evidence of a mouse. Around here some strange noise made me think that a mouse was in my house. Now the critter has left its calling cards! Cleaned that up and have poison out to try to take care of this problem. The poison is not supposed to kill a cat or owl if it gets ahold of the mouse, so there’s that. Think there is still a mouse trap somewhere but can’t remember where it was last seen. Oh well. Mom always said that mice were drawn to food bits, but she kept her kitchen clean and still had a mouse from time to time. Around here the blame would go to the dog food in their bowls, but that is not where the droppings were. Really think that mowing all the grass around here as short as possible is the reason we are getting the critters in our houses. And the spray the man put out has not killed all the wasps yet, either. Argh!

 

Picked up “Gerber” the cactus that Laisha left here with me and managed to get a sticker in my finger. How that happened is beyond me, but can’t imagine where else the sticker would have originated. Hmm. Moved the cactus and discovered tiny little ants. Great day in the morning! Now need to put something down for ants! Really don’t like killing spiders, but had one right over my bed that could not just be caught and removed easily. Now he is no longer on my wall. Sigh. Deadly old woman!

 

Michelle Malay came today and got two new tires for her truck. With road hazard and all that kind of insurance, her four new tires cost her a bit over $900. Yikes! Hate to think about having to replace mine anytime in the near future. These were made in Oklahoma by my friend who worked in the factory. She had them shipped to me and Discount Tire put them on for me. No factory warranty, of course, but they are still looking good. Hope they last another ten years. Not likely, but maybe they will last as long as the old woman.

 

This has been another “no news, no internet” day for me. Oh sure, checked the emails, but otherwise have not looked to see who did what to whom. It is absolutely just too much lately! If we were as careful about what we hear and read as we are about what we eat on a daily basis, we would all be much healthier mentally and emotionally. Reading some books that Sterling sent to me and another called The Promises of Heaven that was loaned to me by Sybil Moser at church. That one was very uplifting. These are much better than most of the books on my Kindle. The wonderful thing about the Kindle app is that books don’t have to be stacked or rearranged or dusted! Have also discovered some wonderful authors from way back before my birth that Mom and Dad had probably never known. When we could not get to Henrietta to the library, Mom’s bookcase was always stuffed with the good things from years earlier. Read The Robe and other good books back then. Lloyd C. Douglas was one of Mom’s favorites, so most of his are way back in my memory. It was great to grow up in a house of readers!

 

Have decided that cashews are just not one of the nuts that need to be in my handy dandy nut mixes. The ones still in the sack ready to be mixed with others will get sent home with Maria the next time she comes to clean this hairy house! Hazel nuts are ok, but pecans, walnuts, macadamias, dried fruit, and patience are much better. Need to go to the Pecan Shed to get some really good pecans. Expensive, but delicious! The last ones from there were a gift from my friend Maggie Sewell. Sweet lady!

 

Looking down at this keyboard with some sunlight across it has told me that the old woman needs to turn it off and clean it good with a denture brush! Earlier today the AC unit in the living room that Lance got for me last year got a good cleaning. Took out the front cover, the filter, and brushed out the coils that could be reached. What a nasty mess. Dog hair in the filter! Sigh. Love these two critters, but they certainly do need a good bath and brushing. Not sure if it would be worth it to take them to be groomed, but it might not hurt to try. Thompson would deal with it. Sylvia is another song and dance altogether. The old woman simply can’t handle washing them in the bathtub right now.

 

 Michelle told me that her oldest son called and wanted to come see her. It made me feel so good for her. She went to his high school graduation, but otherwise had not seen him since he was ten. Think he realizes now that he is 40 and has learned more about what happened back in those days that his mom was absolutely not the bad guy. Just takes time and experiences that make things clear about others. Anyway, maybe God will continue to bless their relationship.

 

Because the trash truck was backing up the road and Michelle’s truck was parked in front of my house, she had to go out and back down to my driveway. When she got ready to leave, the old woman offered to go get her truck. Had not realized that my left knee now has a crunk sound to it for every step taken. Doesn’t really hurt all that much, but it makes me wonder why it is doing that. Just what is needed around here! Oh, and that was the first time the old woman has ever “started” a car without a key! Wild. The gear “shift” is a dial. Simply cannot imagine what that would entail should it need repair!

 

Tonight will be another experiment. Going to “soak” in hot water again and see if that helps. Last night Sylvia’s tummy was upset and she would not settle down, so we were up and down at least four times. The last time she came in and the old woman must have slept right through it when she got back on my bed. Got up this morning and the back door was wide open!! Good thing the neighborhood skunk did not come to visit!

 

Have been enjoying green beans and “new potatoes” from cans for evening meals. Used the last cans of potatoes tonight. Think the last bowl will go in the fridge tonight. Just not all that hungry when taking these little pills. Guess it might be a way to lose weight, but would rather not do it that way. Oh well.

 

Let us pray for our nation, for the mess the world has become, for God’s people to stand up for what is right in every circumstance. We need to come together to show love to others in any way that we are able. May God help us.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

The Bingo and Thinking Day.

 The Bingo and Thinking Day.

 

The minister at Lakeside Baptist Church decided that his wife needed to talk to those of us who showed up for some snacks and a game or three of Bingo. Now this old woman had never in her life played Bingo, but found it amusing. However, the minister’s wife gave us a sweet presentation on what it means to be a Christ-like woman. She spoke less than ten minutes and had us nodding our heads and agreeing with her and encouraging her. What was pretty encouraging to me was the fact that she didn’t act like she knew it all and was not going to talk down to us. That happens in some situations, but it did not today. Ronda didn’t stumble around or add any extra expressions that were unnecessary. Given time and interest, she would be a good teacher.

 

The “snacks” were interesting. Cheese! Pepper cheese! Crackers and stuffed black olives, grapes, pimento cheese cut up sandwiches, and packages of chips with French dip and other types of dips were mighty tasty. Brownies! Coconut crème pie! Wow! It would be easy to mess up a diet with those kinds of goodies—not that any of us really give a rat’s hind leg! At our age, what difference does a pound make?

 

Came home from the ladies’ luncheon and decided to just rest my back for a while, but found no position that felt restful. My friend Michelle is having much of the same problems and bewailed her inability to use her deep bathtub for soaking. So, maybe before bed tonight the old woman will try Epsom salt and hot water. For sure the pain pills and arthritis meds are not doing much!

 

Have not looked at local or international news today and just spent some time reading. Did notice one headline without going into depth on the subject. It said that a new “National Police” would take the place of local police. That sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. Maybe it meant in Europe. Nevermind; it was in other countries. For sure it would not work in Texas.

 

Today has been another “bird song” day! The mockingbirds have simply been ecstatic in their songs and dances from tree to tree! And here in WF we have had at least three different kinds of painted buntings visiting neighborhoods. Some tiny little finches have been flying around the trumpet vines and rose bushes in our neighborhood, too. The wrens are not as noisy, but they certainly seem to be busy. We may not have as many bugs this year with all the birds feeding babies.

 

Oldest son turned 56 today. Sent a song message to him that he could open at his leisure. Did not think he would want the entire office to hear his mom warbling. His WIFE has a beautiful voice, but him mom still sounds like a veritable toad. Oh well. Know that Tracy is making him a peanut butter cheese cake tonight! Neat!

 

One thing that made me smile today that we should all consider: Be an ENCOURAGER. Let God’s love give you a good shove in the right direction because you never know who needs just a bit of encouragement!

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

The Gift of Community.

 The Gift of Community.

 

One of the things we often need, whether or not we ever consider it, would be community. The comfort of recognizing the person next to you or having to meet strangers from one week to the next is the difference between a small church and a larger one. Over the years since leaving my parental home, my own family got to observe the difference between a large gathering and one where almost everyone not only recognized you, but they knew the names of your children. After we stopped traveling any distance to attend church, it seemed too strange to start attending any other church. We realized that not many people would understand how we believed or what we considered important in a service. We had sung songs derived from the scriptures for long enough that anything that did not really include recognizable Bible verses or even the old familiar standards from a Baptist hymnal were not only foreign, but almost wrong-headed. Such differences have become, over the years, one of the major reasons that this old woman has not attended a local church and become familiar with members. Today, that was pointed out to me as a character flaw.

 

Now not many people have the chutzpah to challenge the old woman on her beliefs. Maybe it is simply the personality traits that come across as embedded in stubbornness. And maybe some folks are too timid to ask me to explain my beliefs. But when it is obvious that someone wants direction or encouragement, it’s time to reach out of one’s comfort zone to adapt to the needs of others. So, here we go to challenge my own character and beliefs. Guess who will be looking for a good Baptist church that is small enough to notice when a stranger attends a service.

 

The mopping of some (certainly not all) of the floors yesterday left me with sore hips and a sore rotator cuff. This morning, walking down to Patty’s to put out her trash, the sore hips were very noticeable. But it still felt good to walk. Every morning, when my feet hit the floor, it is easy to give thanks that walking is even possible! Still, it would be nice to be able to clean more of the house at one time than just a few floors. Sigh. Soon maybe the old body will recover more of the resilience that has always been there in the past.

 

Some pork loins have just been placed in the Ninja cooker, some of Brenda Jones’ eggs taken off the stove to cool after boiling, and some frozen leftovers heated up to make lunch for today. Love this kind of cooking! Jennifer has taught me so much about making my meals work out to be easier for a week at a time. But then, she works five days a week and then takes care of meals on weekends! Never knew how blessed this old woman was when she was that age and able to keep up with everyone in the family. Just keeping up with all the laundry and mending used to make me feel fairly proud of myself! Silly ol’ woman.

 

As soon as the surgery can be scheduled, my friend Michelle Malay is having a rotator in her shoulder replaced. She says it is an out-patient surgery and that Medicare pays for it now. She also said that there is a new out-patient facility behind the Ford House on Kell West also. Some doctors here in WF simply do not want to deal with United Regional. So far, since Dr. Kern has his own nursing team, this ol’ girl has had no problem with going to United. Back when Lewis had surgery there or when Hanan went there after being burned in an explosion, no way would that place have deserved any recommendation. The nurses were a lot of things, but kind was not one of them. Here’s hoping that Michelle will have a quick surgery and a good recovery.

 

The hints of the possibility of rain this week have disappeared and some suggestion has been made for Saturday, but no one around here is holding their breath. But at least the winds have slowed down to 19 with gusts only at 26 mph. Have a feeling that this is going to be a long dry summer. And Sylvia takes time to got wade in the water trough at least once a day. Guess that is one way to be sure that her “mom” will mop the floors!

 

Today is the last of March. Wonder if that will make any difference in anything. Think we are supposed to have some kind of alert on our phones on Thursday—not the sirens for storms at least. Just got an alert about a wandering man here in WF who needs to be found and taken home. SO glad that Mom never got totally lost. Realized my friend Janis was in trouble when she got lost on her way to church one day. She died soon after that. Hope my kids never have to deal with that situation.

 

Let us attempt to be an encouragement for others with a giving heart and kindnesses. May we show others God’s love.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Calendars and Cycles.

 Calendars and Cycles.

 

Not often, but often enough that some of us might have noticed, the timing of Easter and Passover occur at the same time. Of course, Passover actually means the Days of Unleavened Bread, but that includes the Passover service. This year, from April 2-9, we will see the first of the seven holy days. Quite often some folks have signs in their yards—He is RISEN! Yes, and the Passover was the first sign that His sacrifice would ensure that those who believed in Him would be passed over from eternal death. John 3:16 tells us that whosoever believes in Him shall not die but have eternal life. At my age, it is easy to see that many have died, but this is just the first death—not the end of life in God’s kingdom. Death is not frightening now for some of us. It is to be expected. But there is eternal life in God. Christ risen is a beautiful reality! May our world soon see that they are living in His grace.

 

Caught my brother doing dishes this evening and told him to just call back when he was finished. Doing dishes is not one of those jobs that we want to put off after starting them. In the first place, the water loses its heat. And who wants to put their hands in lukewarm dishwater? When asked how things were going, he replied, “Just another day in Paradise!” Asked him where he got that expression, but he could not even tell me. Just something he has been saying for years. He and his one-eyed friend George have just about made themselves a type of paradise by building up a workshop to make their rockers, benches, and assorted woodshop goodies. Men need other men just as women need other women. Lewis used to have a friend he called Okie (George was his real name) and they got together and gossiped just like men always do. But the guy didn’t wake up one day and Lewis lost his special gossip buddy. That was really hard on him. His friend David was still around back then, but their relationship was not as close. It just was not the same. Some of us can easily relate no matter if we are men or women.

 

Recently my friend Roger told me that our class was having its 60^th reunion at the same week that Petrolia School was having the 25^th reunion for the new school. At first, it seemed like a good idea to go, and then thinking about it made me change my mind. You see, getting together with the Route 66 Group pretty much fills the gaps that resulted when this old woman went to another school to finish the last three years of high school. The only people that really matter to me from Petrolia who are still alive are the ones that come to those get-togethers every four months. Most of the group still look pretty much like they did when we were in school. And, to tell the truth, personalities don’t seem to change that much over the years. And the buildings where this old woman went to school are no longer in existence. Only know of one classmate in this area from those years. Life is strange.

 

Thompson has been hurting some and has needed a little bit of extra medication and some petting. His arthritis hurts in his back legs. Some of us know just how he feels. This weather has been a bit rough on the joints when we try to get up—for him especially on a slick floor. Getting old is not for sissies.

 

Noticed that the Dierer Ranch in Oklahoma was pointed out in Washington DC as being a family-owned ranch that shows just what American beef means to this nation. It feels good to know that we can buy meat that has been grown here and processed here in America. Think that the new labeling is something like Made in the US or Grown in America. Will have to pay attention if the old woman can ever afford to buy beef again.

 

Have been praying that things work out for Max and Laisha and that they know something by this Monday. They are hoping for base housing so that if he is deployed to the Middle East, she will be safe on base. The mess with the house they were going to buy is not a good situation, but it seems these things happen. Guess that is why they have all the strings attached to selling and buying houses. SO glad not to ever have had to deal with this. Have lived here nearly 58 years now. Just paying the taxes and the house insurance is enough of a stressor. And no, it is not likely that Texas will ever do away with property taxes no matter what is in the political wind. Meanwhile, my friend Carol in Odessa needs someone to mow her weeds and cannot find anyone who will actually show up. Sad, just sad. If we did not have Blake to keep the grass and weeds down, we would be part of the burn ban problems!

 

Well, time to remind myself and others that gratitude is the best attitude. We can praise God for all that He has given us each day. We are so very blessed.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Added note: Thinking before coffee and shower this morning about what got posted late last night. So, to clarify before someone gets hurt feelings: The ones from Petrolia that still matter to me include the ones seen on FB. Maggie Sewell, Olga Weruk Rosinbaum and her goat herding daughter Kim Rosinbaum Goolsby, matter, as do several others like Beverly Fuhrman, Gilda Bird, and others who were close to me in age. No way can this old woman say that these don't matter, because they do. But keeping up with folks on FB makes me feel as if they are seen here regularly. They are all loved and appreciated.

lose to me in age. No way can this old woman say that these don't matter, because they do. But keeping up with folks on FB makes me feel as if they are seen here regularly. They are all loved and appreciated.

• 6h
• Reply

Facebook

Facebook

Facebook

Facebook

Facebook

Facebook

Facebook

Facebook

Facebook

Facebook

Facebook