Positivity.

 Positivity.

 

Let me tell you, dear hearts, the wind is a blowin’! Went down to Patty’s to press a button on a camera for her. Climbed up on her step stool—did not understand about lifting the seat to use another step. Anyway, felt pretty near to being blown off the freakin’ pole that held her camera. Got down and told her NOT to do any climbing. She said the wind just about tore her off the driveway, so she was not climbing anything even though she had put a big tub there so she could step up. ARGH! Now yours truly DID step on that tub the last time the button needed to be pushed down, but won’t do THAT again! A step stool is much more likely to hold my weight and not wobble.

 

Talked to the garbage truck driver this morning and explained about why he did not need to back all the way across my driveway and down the road to the Anderson place. Explained that their trash bin would be across from my house from now on. Here’s hoping that nothing prevents that from happening for a long time. Patty is still hanging in there pretty well. And as long as walking is not impossible, this ol’ woman will get ‘er done! It may take both of us to figure out the best way to do things, but count on us to be on top of whatever problems come along.

 

Never have seen so many black feathers as are flying around this place. Those molting hens look so pathetic! The one with the naked neck looks more like a small dinosaur that anything around. And she acts just like she needs to hide herself even though the rest of the hens are not bothering her. If she gets cold soon, maybe it won’t cause her problems.

Connie told me this morning that the temp is supposed to be low tomorrow. Even with the night time lows are in the 40s, if the wind is not blowing too hard, we can live with it. Well, hello! We will live with it no matter how cold it gets or how wild the wind blows. We are, after all, Texans.

 

Earlier today a couple of men came and looked at the road. They were probably friends or family with Richard Miller who is planning on doing what needs to be done to level out our road and cement the areas that are really bad. Patty wanted to repave the entire road, but we don’t know anyone who can do that. Richard has posted pictures of his work on FB, so we knew he was legitimate. He also did not ask for any money up front. That pleased Patty even though she asked him if he needed to be paid for the materials first before he started working. He did not, so we know that he won’t be like the dip sticks that replaced the window on the east side of my living room that time. Still makes me angry!

 

Sterling said that Arkansas—at least his part of it—is about wetter than a long-haired hunting dog. He said that they had already received over two inches and were looking for more. Glad that they are happy with it. Know some folks who would just as soon the water dry up for a bit—Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, and parts of the East Coast. Wish a whole bunch of that water could be shifted to the West Coast. Those folks are about knee deep in trouble for lack of any rain or lake water. Know how that can be since we had five years of drought back some years ago. Doesn’t seem like it was that long ago, but maybe it was at least five years back. Just can’t remember. Don’t want to have to see things that bad again either.

Had some more soup for lunch today. It is still just as good leftover as fresh in my estimation. Did have some Ritz crackers that Jennifer put in my grocery order with cream cheese. Mighty tasty!

 

Just spoke with Sterling again. He is as happy as a dead pig in mud up there. He said that they got just a smidgin less than four inches of rain. And now they are looking for upper 30s for tonight. Such fun! He also had a couple of men come put in a new commode for him. The pot itself cost $250, and the guys charged him $200 for reworking the wall and what have you to put it in. But he was happy about the entire situation as he did not have to break his back to get it installed!

 

The last little funny that Sterling shared was about an older lady in their church who is as deaf as a door nail. She thought that she could adjust her hearing aids by just taking one out, but he assured her that they had buttons on ONE that adjusted the level on both. His are the same way, and his friend George was just astounded because he has had the same kind for quite a while and had no idea they worked that way! Kinda makes a person think the sales people were not much help! But the best part was the funniest thing he has told me in a while. Jacqui was griping about him ignoring her, so he put his hearing aids in this morning and has worn them ALL day! Then he went outside and started up his tractor and nearly dropped his upper plate because he thought there was something wrong with it. Then it dawned on him: he could hear it! Sitting here laughing to myself.

 

Got some hydrocortisone wipes for my dogs and have applied them to some of the spots the dogs have been chewing on. So far, they seem to be helping. At least they don’t run from me when they are rubbed with them. If this does the trick, will keep this company in mind for any other problems. It beats paying the vets three or four hundred dollars for a few pills and a shot of cortisone that lasted maybe two weeks. The other spray with lidocaine, hydrocortisone, and allantoin has worked fairly well, but it is harder to use than wiping a place on their legs or neck with one of these wipes. Anyway, love my dogs and hate to have them run from me when they see any kind of a spray bottle.

 

Patty just called and said that she finally calmed down long enough to mess with her camera using her phone and now has it working correctly. So glad that she does not mind attempting to work with technical stuff like that. Yours truly is just a little bit dumb about cameras, phones, and just about anything that requires reading directions in tiny print. Jennifer says YouTube videos have saved her life more than once. Sitting here nodding my head. Understand completely!

 

Paid my freaking taxes this morning online after giving up on using the phone to talk to those people. They wanted me to drive down there to pay the three separate bills. Nope. Not happening. As it turned out, they have this “shopping cart” system that allows a person to pay for multiple pieces of property all at the same time. Love it! Well, as much as a person can love paying any kind of taxes. At least this is semi-convenient. And they sent me a receipt online that can be saved in my email box. How about that!

 

Still reading some more science fiction about some people who left earth and did not want to use any kind of technology. They were like the Luddites who refused to use machines back in the day when the industrial revolution first began. Anyway, they named their planet after the Luddites, so it was easy to understand that they were not going to use advanced technology. Oh well. The bad part was that they wanted to kill anyone who was “augmented” with technology. An artificial limb of any type was ripped off and thrown away, leaving the person without help or assistance. Death, in other words. Pretty drastic reaction to technology! Amazing that folks can think that way, but the way the classes of people were treated reminded me of our world today. Sad. Just sad.

 

Sounds really seem amplified today. And no, hearing aids are not being used in this house. But the wind is just right to make the sounds from the highway extra loud. But then again, the big trucks coming out of the State property are going to make lots of noise anyway. They are making a new entrance on the north side that requires lots of dirt moving, and therefore, lots of trucks.

 

Couldn’t sleep after 4:30 this morning, so got the big bathroom floor mopped, the bedroom mopped, the hall, and the kitchen mopped. Also put clean sheets on the spare bed in the back room so Lance would have a nice, fresh place to sleep next Friday. Still have to vacuum, but that can wait until tomorrow. It about takes all my energy to mop that much. Getting old is definitely not for sissies.

 

Have heard of Gorilla Tape and am wondering if it is any better than duct tape. Will send of and get some if someone tells me it is worth the bother. Have to tape some plastic over a “window” made in the west end of the hen house where they needed ventilation this summer. May wait just a bit before putting anything up there since the temperatures may get back to the high 80s before long. We will see. Know that fall weather can be an extreme either direction.

 

Guess my knowledge of what is going on in the world is just about like it needs to be: very curtailed to keep sanity safe! But meanwhile we know that things are a mess all over the country—all over the world, for that matter. Let us pray for those affected by the insane and inhumane ways of man. May God bless this nation, this world. May we reflect His love to others.

 

Rest well, my friends, and remember to cultivate an attitude of gratitude. You are loved.