Interesting Experience.

 Interesting Experience.

 

First, let me just tell you, in case you had NO idea: The freaking wind is blowing a gale! My phone says that it is only 28 mph, but dearly beloved, not sure where THEY are gauging that wind, but out here on Lake Wichita it nearly blew the insurance adjuster off the roof! And yes, the danged roof is going to have to be replaced. Will definitely find a licensed, bonded roofing company to do the replacement and ask them to be very careful with the stupid nails or whatever that is up there holding it down. Definitely do not want nails in my yard. Dogs, hens, mowers, me: nails are just not nice in the ground.

 

This morning Connie was here at the house before 6:30 and got me to the hospital by seven. The ragweed and wind were causing me to sneeze rather often, but the pain had me frowning or something because the lady at check-in wanted to know what was wrong. Connie stepped up and said, “She is in pain.” Anyway, we got the paper work finished, handed Connie my phone, keys, glasses, and left her sitting in the waiting room at 7:20 and was back in there by 7:50 ready to go. The nurse decided she needed to take me out front to sit on a bench—until she saw Connie’s big, tall truck. Then she decided to stand behind me to be sure there was not a bad fall or something. Smart woman! The procedure itself was a piece of cake—hardly any pain. But the pain was NOT gone by the time we got through. Dr. Ohman and his helper were very gentle, and took their time getting things where the needle needed to go. But he did say that it would take more than a few days for the swelling/inflammation to go down. Steroids are so good for so many things, huh.

 

Bought a turkey the other day, and it is thawing in the fridge. Jennifer suggested that the leftovers could be made into dog food with rice and mixed veggies. Thought that was a great idea. Leftovers are really not much fun, but the dogs would like chopped up turkey with rice. Might be so much cheaper than buying ground turkey to mix up with rice and veggies, too. Anyway, Connie is going to come over to help me eat some of it and will take some to Patty if she wants some turkey, dressing, and broccoli salad. Kinda wish my sister-in-law would come and Michelle Malay, but will just let them decide what to do after they are invited. Thirty to forty minutes to drive is not too bad, but then the same amount of time is required to go back the other way. And they both have to think about their dog(s)/cats. The way the old woman feels, the driving this morning was just about enough. Someday maybe it won’t bother me like this.

 

Talked to Michelle and she may come Saturday. Need to figure out a time schedule for cooking. Cooking a turkey is not a big deal, but getting all that meat off the bone—well, that takes some time, but it can be done after the fact. Just need to get most of the liquid to mix into the cornbread for the dressing. Guess as long as the dressing ingredients are already mixed, it should not take long to cook it in the hot oven. Think that is what will happen. The broccoli salad can be made the night before. Love that stuff! Amazing that we used to do this every year and had pies galore, butter rolls that took hours to let rise, butter, cut, roll, and bake, tablecloth with cloth napkins, the dishes that Grandmother Pollard gave me, wine glasses, tea glasses, and all the stuff that anyone else decided we “needed.” Yep, lots of good family meals once upon a time.

 

The hens were out of scratch in their feeder this morning when their door was opened, so guess who had to take time to fill up the feeder. This afternoon it was the other feeder that had to be filled. Next thing for them is going to be a small sack of oyster shell so their egg shells won’t get too thin. They are healthy hens, but egg shells can get thin if they don’t have enough calcium. Yes, they make some feed that includes extra calcium, but it is very expensive. But from what reading has to offer, the breeders don’t give egg layers extra protein or the fryers extra calcium. It’s cheaper that way. But then the hens walk off and die when taken from cages or from the farms. Some folks who have tried to bring those big chickens down here and use them for layers have discovered that they just stand up and fall over dead—heart attack. They are not bred to withstand stress of any kind.

 

The dogs have finished their meal for the evening and their bowls have to be washed and dried. Going to finish feeding these cans of Pedigree before switching back to turkey and rice—well, the kind of turkey already ground up and ready to mix. Remembering that a neighbor woman had an old dog that she was trying to keep alive. The vet told her to cook that dog chicken and mix in some rice for her. Sweet old sheep dog. She lasted quite a while.

 

The doctors today liked the shirt that Michelle got for me. It says, “I’m just nuts for fluffy butts.” Both the doctor and his assistant raise chickens. The assistant said that he had a hen that died of peritonitis. THAT is the same thing as egg bound where the egg won’t come out and the hen dies of either a broken egg (thus the peritonitis) or simply can’t get it out. He said that he mourned by going to buy more chickens! It made me want to laugh, but he was busy poking me with a needle to deaden it up for Dr. Ohman to do his business. Wish it would be possible to get some of these folks who love chickens together to enjoy a good hen fest! Some of the folks at the rehab place had hens, too.

 

Just put half a CBD thing in Thompson’s mouth for his pain. He will eat the second half of the peanut-banana ones without fussing, but the pizza flavored ones are a little bit more difficult to get him to eat. Poor dog. Momma is SO hard on him!

 

BillyeRuth heard me call myself Baloo’s momma, and she said she would never allow anyone to call her a dog’s mom. She does not have a dog sleeping in her bedroom—much less on the bed! My critters have always been first, right after the kids and Lewis! And yes, they know it.

 

It has been hot this afternoon, nevermind the stupid wind. Have a fan on in here in the living room. Will probably sleep with a fan on, too! Our weather never can make up its mind. But this is Texas. Cool to cold in the morning; hot to hotter in the afternoon; hot to too danged cold at night! Never can figure out what to wear!

 

Have not really been on FB or anything. Just not in the mood or something. Too much BS goes through those pages. Love the flowers, the Arkansas woods and streams, the birds, the sweet sayings, and the friends who say hello to each other. But it is also hard sometimes to miss the other stuff. Just going to keep my common sense to myself as much as possible—and then stay happy. May all of you find reasons for gratitude in this life. We know that God gives us all blessings—even the ones that might not seem so great at the time. Let us pray for those who can’t quit crying, those who are ill, those who must live with the pain of watching others hurt. Let us ask for peace.

 

Rest and know: you are loved.