NOT Goofing Off!

 NOT Goofing Off!

 

Thought today would be a good day to just relax and not do much of anything. But the bed linens really needed to be changed, and the dog blankets smelled like a dog, and some ribs needed to be cooked, and my pants needed a couple of darts in the waist, and . . . . Well, you get the idea. The linens have been changed, washed, dried, folded and put away, and the dog blankets have been washed and put away. The darts in my pants are preventing the necessity for a belt, and the leftover ribs are in a large Ziplock bag in the fridge, and the pan the ribs cooked in has been cleaned and put away. Yes, the hens have been fed, watered, and talked to in their own language. However, under the deck looks a bit like a pillow explosion of grey, black, and rusty colored feathers! Three hens are molting and dropping feathers all over the place. One day soon it will be more than overdue time for those feathers to be raked up and disposed of in the trash bin. Can’t put them out on the land with the chicken poo because they just keep flying!

 

The flu shot made my arm mighty tender, but that is probably the only side effect. Orneriness comes free around here. And what is more, the dogs have their own particular brand of ornery to share! It is just amazing how easily they can catch things in their mouths—whether or not it was intended to be caught. Sylvia dropped her treat ball and guess who caught it! Had to talk to Thompson about it, but he gave it up and let her have it. Yep, we are a matched set around here. Ornery and ornerier.

 

Mr. Couch, our regular mailman, brought my mail today and was about to put it in the new mailbox when he saw me coming. We spoke briefly, but it never occurred to me to mention that Patty has a new box, too. He left her mail in the crate next to her back door. She was perturbed. She had the letter to give him from her doctor. Hopefully we will see whichever mailman is on tomorrow and let him know. My dogs let me know when someone is here, but Patty does not always get the message from her two little barkers.

 

Signed onto FB this morning and saw a post from Sharon Thomas about the shooting in Mansfield. Called Jennifer to be sure where her friend Andrea is working now—she is in Arlington. Honestly know that if it were not a gun, it would be something else, but it still is upsetting. My daddy let me carry a gun in my little truck and then in my car when it was necessary to run out to the farm by myself. He told me to never stop for any reason, and his .45 was in the glove compartment in case it was too difficult to use my rifle. But that was an entirely different situation than going back and forth to school in Wichita Falls. My guns stayed at home back then, even when my work was at the General Hospital from 3 to 11 at night! Today, yep, if out at night, my gun would be handy. But still, a grown woman carrying a gun is very different from a kid carrying one to school. Not judging the parents, because who really knows what is going on there, but having one’s guns in a locked gun cabinet seems pretty sensible to me. Kids get upset about all sorts of things and seem to take extreme measures without giving an extra thought to consequences. God forgive the child, and God bless those who have been injured or traumatized by this disaster!

 

Didn’t go to Walmart or Sutherland’s to get a lock today for the chain to go around the new post box. May just try to get one on Amazon. Have about as much traveling as any ol’ woman might need for a bit. Not exactly sure why getting in the truck to go somewhere is such a bother, but such is the situation. Noticed that Patty was complaining that she simply was tired of seeing people. After being a hermit for several years and having Donny do everything for her, it stands to reason that she might not want to go or have folks come see her. She orders her groceries online, has some of her meals delivered by one of those services, and otherwise just stays at home as much as possible. Her friend Debbie just mostly talks to her on the phone rather than stopping by to see her. Think that is about how my friend Michelle Malay may be feeling. After all the unsettled feelings cruise around your brain for a bit, we just need some time to be still. Losing Donny and Jerry has changed things around here. Nothing will ever be quite the same. And taking care of ourselves and knowing we have to depend on our own resources makes a difference.

 

The weather today has been pretty. It looks as if it will get a bit hotter for the next few days, but nothing too bad. Still would love to see a good, steady rain for a day or two. But what we get is what we have to enjoy, so there! At least the temperature is not over 100° broiling in true Texas manner! Remembering my childhood, it seems like we always got a cold front on Halloween, and everyone ended up bringing snot to school the next day with their candy! Yes, that’s gross, but those were my school days!

 

Thinking back to what happened this February, and it makes me wonder what our next one will be like. So far, the Texas power commissioners have not sorted out any of the problems we had this year, so maybe we should all stock up on thermal underwear! Everyone stocked up on toilet tissue and water, but the water seems more important to me. Wonder how they survive in Alaska?

 

Guess my attitude is slipping into the greasy ocean waves of California, so maybe it is a good time to wish everyone a good night’s rest and some patience with every situation in your lives. We know that God loves us. We just have to be as loving toward others as we can manage. Pray for peace. Pray for healing.

 

May your lives be filled with joy and beauty. You are loved.