Love Your Neighbor.

 Love Your Neighbor.

 

It seems that the old woman can’t stop doing things she has always done before when she had better muscles and more stamina, but maybe she has developed just a smidgen of common sense somewhere along the way. Put Sylvia in the kitchen, brought the truck up and opened the back door, clipped the lead on Thompson and opened the front door. He was SO happy and jumped outside and into the truck. Then he hopped out and ran around just a bit before jumping back into the truck a few times. We finally got to the vet’s office and got his rabies vaccine, his toenails clipped, and some information about what he is taking for fleas and such. Bravecto works well for these two critters. We got home and Sylvia was patient with us when she was allowed to sniff us all over. That was early this morning.

 

Patty had an appointment to have her teeth cleaned at noon today at our favorite dentist’s office. Now, to say that getting her into the truck, buckled up, and all her oxygen stuff arranged takes a bit of doing in putting it mildly. She turned up the oxygen level just to get her breath back from getting inside the truck. Got her to the office and helped her get arranged and some paperwork filled out on one of those danged electronic tablets. She is much better at that stuff than the old woman, so she finally got it to take the information. They brought a wheelchair around to get her to the back of the office, so she did not have to walk. She was happy to have all that stuff done and her teeth cleaned, but then she wanted to go to Whataburger to pick up lunch for us. Got her home and took everything inside and got her situated so that she could catch her breath again. Getting into the truck is the hardest part for her, but she said she likes to be able to just slide out of my truck. “No effort here!” she said. Anyway, that is the first time she has been out of the house since last summer. It made me happy to be able to get her out and make her happy. It takes courage for her to do things like this since she feels so trapped when she can’t breathe. It is hard to imagine!

 

Some things have been happening that require common sense and prayer without telling anyone about what is going on, so lately my prayers have included a situation that really does not fit inside my understanding of exactly how some things work. Suffice it to say that the situation affects my entire family. And then the old woman turns on the Fox news channel that shows what is going on in the world. Yep, Satan is busy in big ways in the world as well and those closer to home. All these things will happen and will lead to upsets among families and nations, but eventually God’s plan will be evident. We know that in the end times things will seem “ordinary” for people no matter what, for they will still be marrying and giving in marriage just like today. It still occurs to me that we have individual responsibilities. We must love our neighbors as ourselves. We must not hate or curse anyone. We must learn to be patient even when patience tires our very souls. We must be willing to show courage even when threats seem to come out of the shadows. Let us pray for each other, for those who have the difficult decisions to make in our nation, in the world. Let us pray for patience and realize that God’s patient pursuance of our lives and those of our children will never fail.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Baseball Terms.

 Baseball Terms.

 

My memory does not recall “Who’s on First.” But sometimes the silliest things pop into my mind when trying to see who is doing what where. A text conversation yesterday reminded me that many do not believe that God is in charge of Who is on what base or why. It is my personal belief that God is in charge of who is in office or in a position of power. It is His decision about who makes choices in this world. Yes, that might mean that He allowed Satan to use Hitler and others to correct those in this world. And obviously, some are not going to agree with that idea at all. But the truth is, God is love and has His hands on us throughout our lives. Sometimes death might not be the worst thing since even Paul said that he could sleep and awaken in God’s kingdom. It worries me that my decisions might lead me to do something that would be horrible for others. But again, God is with me and can lead and correct me as He desires.

 

My friend hates President Trump. You can bet that she does not pray for him unless it would be that he should be taken from this world as soon as possible. Obama and Biden were not in any way my favorite political leaders, but hating them is totally stupid and unnecessary and hurtful to me rather than to them. Let us pray that our leaders will be responsive to God’s direction and that they will make good choices for everyone concerned. Let us pray for our soldiers and for those of our allies. May the destruction of all lands be limited to permit normal lives to exist beyond the current fury of politics and hatreds. May God lead us to His love for our own sakes as well as for the sake of all others.

 

Today Greg and Vickie came and helped me do some things that the old woman simply could not accomplish. Greg worked on the fence again and used the stapler tool to join the wires on some parts of the fence. Vickie helped me get my refrigerator cleaned up and rearranged. That may not sound like much, but bending over or squatting simply is not working right now. Sore! Oh boy! My new knee hurts and my back sounds like wood rattling on a picket fence. Sigh. Eventually things will get better, but meanwhile it is not easy to get things done.

 

Have not spoken with Shona in the past few days, but am hoping that the Covid is gone and she is doing better. Patty said that just the density of our air right now is making it difficult for her to breathe. Good thing she is on oxygen, or she would not be with us. It’s pollen season for sure!

 

For right now, let us remember that we owe our allegiance to God before all else. Let us as individuals attempt to be loving in all our thoughts and in our actions. Let us pray for God’s peace.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

Ten Day Postal Service.

 Ten-Day Postal Service.

 

Sterling said that the thank you note that was sent from this old hill finally got to his post box. Ten days is a long time for a note to drive around the parts of Arkansas and Missouri just to finally reach his house. Strange. At least the postman did not dump it somewhere because he did not want to mess with it. Some of the different package services have had to deal with their packages ending up in a canyon or some other dumping place. It is simply hard to imagine!

 

Got a flyer in the mail today that was too tempting to pass up. AT&T offered a really good rate for their phone and internet service, so the old woman took the time to talk with an operator and set it up for this place instead of with Spectrum. My bill with Spectrum went from $90 to $100 for internet and from $30 to $40 for my phone service. Apparently, the total bill for both with AT&T will be less than $100. Cutting back on the cost of services might just make a difference in what will stay in my bank account. It is difficult to try to save money when the prices of nearly everything just seem to continue to rise.

 

Got a call from Kim Bragg, a friend from elementary school, last night. She seems to really care about folks and how their lives are going. She has had some of the same surgeries and has even had a couple of strokes, so she knows what it is like to be pretty well restricted in what she can or can’t do. That is very sweet of her to care enough to call and talk to me about how things are going.

 

Amazing as it seems, tomorrow is the last day of February! The year so far has just been about the fastest in my memory. But then, days seem to go faster now than ever before. And no, it is not because naps happen more often now than ever before. Well, maybe. The dogs need to rest more often anyway.

 

Talked to Katy about all the dogs she has out there in Petrolia. She said that it costs $100 to adopt a dog from her shelter, but she has mostly small dogs. Then she told me that Miss Emilie’s Friends includes dogs along with the cats. Thompson came from the Texas Pit Crew umpteen years ago when he was only 8 weeks old. He has always been the absolute sweetest dog ever! Now if only Sylvia could have been as gentle and easy to handle as Thompson!

 

Have been hoping that Shona is feeling better since she got Covid. Can’t imagine trying to keep up with all of her work while coughing and feeling like leftover dishwater. AJ is still coming across the road and hauling my trash bin across on Friday mornings and hauling it back in the evening. He is a sweet boy! But then, Shona and Albert have done their best to teach him to be considerate of others. Need more parents like that is this world today!

 

Reading online about how one’s kitchen could be very unhealthy, the old woman has decided to scrub the fridge and the spice jars in the cabinet. It does not take long for my refrigerator to get messy, but that is no excuse for letting it get dirty. Amazon got my containers of Lysol to me this week, so the surfaces should get a good wipe down at the very least. At least cleaning the fridge can be done from a sitting position, but unloading the shelves might take more exercise than might be expected. Oh well.

 

Of all the crud that is going on in this world, it seems to me that we need at least one place that gives us uplifting and good news. Maybe that is why reading my Bible first thing in the morning has helped my attitude recently. The Upper Room has helped as well. Just realizing that the same problems confront others in various parts of the world gives me more reasons to pray for those who look to God for comfort and reassurance. Let us remember that we have fellow Christians all over this world. May God bless and keep them.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.

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.