Random Thoughts.

 Random Thoughts.

 

Went to the eye doctor with my sister-in-law today so that she could have someone to drive her home after her cataract surgery. Everything went very well. By tomorrow she will be seeing much more clearly and actually feel better after the numbing agent wears off. It truly is a blessing to be able to see after gradually losing one’s vision in either or both eyes. Now she has had both of them worked on. This ol’ gal still has one to go, but won’t see Dr. White until November. Who knows what will happen between then and now.

 

My friend Connie drove over to Henrietta to pick me up. Yours truly does not drive at night, so Anne drove to my house and picked me up at ten minutes to six this morning. It seems a little complicated, but it gets the job done even if we have to rustle things around a bit.

 

On the way back to Wichita Falls, Connie was saying how much she enjoyed the series “Foyle’s War.” It is one that is currently entertaining me. She was so surprised by the fact that the people in Britain did not have any food. It did not take long to remind her that France, Germany, and most of Europe was in the same boat—the reason for part of the Marshall Plan. The Marshall Plan furnished money, food, fuel, and machinery at a time when the Western European economies were all in disarray. It was years before Europe did not have to import most of their food stuffs from other countries—mostly America. Rationing was not just seen in America. In Britain people learned how to ration and cook and grow their own food. That is something that we may eventually need to do in this country again. Grandmother Pollard taught me years ago how to make “Jam Cake” from preserves that she had put up when she still was able to get sugar—before the war. Anyway, the idea that people could be so devastated by the lack of food reminded me of what happened in the South during the Civil War. No crop was spared, no animal left alive, and nothing left unscorched by the Northern armies. The only fields the Union soldiers did not burn were those filled with “cow peas.” They thought the peas were only fit for cattle fodder. Guess what kept the South alive after Sherman burned a path through the states? Cow peas. They are not quite as good as black-eyed peas and are much harder to shell, but they will fill a person up when cooked properly. My guess is that the folks in Britain would have been happy to have had some of our cow peas. According to some articles on the internet, in Britain, healthy eating habits came out of WWII, and the only truly amusing result of their restricted diets was the increase in flatulence. People had to walk or ride bicycles wherever they intended to go, so they grew healthier because of that kind of exercise! Fewer heart attacks, no gout, no diabetes, and healthier babies!

 

Thinking about what makes people leave their homes and go to another country gave me a reason to research the migration of the Haitian people from their country to the South American nations that have allowed them to come in for a short season or two. It seems that some of the countries needed cheap labor for a period of time, but then jerked any type of visas or other permissions for the Haitians to be in Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, or even in Mexico. Right now, we have thousands of these people trying to get into the U.S. at Del Rio on the border of Mexico. Usually they would come here through Florida. However, the fact that they have been in Central America or further south for at least one year means that they have already left behind any ties to their native country. One man being interviewed by a reporter looked too clean to have walked all that way across Mexico, but his complaints were about food and the necessities for their children. So many people are filled with compassion for those who have no homes who are coming into the country. My thoughts are that these other countries are sending them straight back to Haiti, and that might be the best idea for us as well. It seems reasonable not to send Afghans back to their country under the current circumstances, but Haiti does not have terrorists to the same extent as those in the Middle East. Anyway, sooner or later we must make a decision to protect our own citizens or to allow our country to be overrun by those who do not believe in the same laws that the rest of us must respect.

 

My own problems with invaders include a few more dead rats and mice. One rat was in a snap trap hanging from the fence, and a large mouse or small rat was drowned in the water trap devised by Lance. Spooning an ample amount of peanut butter on the lid obviously made the difference. The only problem was getting the lid to stay up and trying to avoid being stung by the stupid ants. Such fun!

 

The cool front in this part of Texas has been totally wonderful! Noticed that Carla Beard who lives in Indiana had turned on her furnace. My AC has been on today despite the cooler temps. Not quite likely to turn on any heaters until the frost is down on the pumpkin! And it will be a day to celebrate the death of the doggone chiggers when we get our first frost! The dogs will feel much better, you can bet!

 

Plan on being lazy for the rest of the day—not much more day left since it is already five in the afternoon. But getting up so early makes the day end a little earlier anyway. May read some of the Clay County Leaders that Anne sent home from Henrietta with me. They had the rodeo last weekend, so that is great news. Last year, because of this stupid virus, folks had to stay at home and away from each other. We are not in great shape here lately with our covid deaths going up somewhat drastically, but sometimes folks need to get together anyway. Will just pray that no one dies from this particular event. Just having the kids and teachers back in school has been scary enough. Thinking it would be a good time for all of us to pray for protection for everyone who has to be out and about.

 

Rest and be happy with the many blessings in our lives. You are loved.