Company

Greg and Greta spent two nights with me. Greg goes to gun shows when he can. He’s a gun smith and has a gun store. I bought pizza the first night and last night I made Erin’s chili. Both worked out. I’m a bad cook since Larry passed. I had sausage and on a  biscuit first morning and pop the can cinnamon rolls this morning. Greg did quite well the first day and I hope today is a repeat. Staying with me made it easier. The town was 2 hours from my house, but almost 5 from Harrison.

Fleta is still coming on Wednesday. I’m looking forward to her visit. We usually walk each morning and my knee is better, but I don’t need to stress it so I’ll just ride my bike. I’ve been riding 30 minutes morning and evening. The rotation non weight bearing really is helpful.

Sigrid went to an event at Ft. Smith with her friends. One of the girls sings in a group and they were supporting her. Sigrid spends more time now with Logan E. He is really a nice guy. I’m happy Sigrid has such a supportive friend. He graduates in December with a major in chemistry. He will also have a degree in geology I think it is. He is a great influence. Study first I think is his idea of what to do to succeed in college. 

Astrid and Logan’s Turkey will be big enough for the table Thanksgiving but I bet he’ll be pardoned.

Erin sent me this yesterday. I said breakfast of champions 😂😂.
 

Smoking

I never had a desire to smoke cigarettes. I’m pretty conservative and I always felt it was a waste of money. Larry smoked. He stopped 2005. Laura was expecting Sigrid and he said “I’m not smoking around this baby”. He saw a young counselor to stop. He did not take any medication. He would go talk to her an hour once a week. He walked. He was successful but said he still wanted to smoke for about 10 years. He had an aneurism in his stomach in 2018. It was repaired with a stint. The cause of the aneurysm was smoking. What a deadly habit. When we married Larry smoked in the house by the year 2000 I had isolated him to the swing on our front porch. He went out there to smoke. People used to smoke in restaurants and doctors’ offices. Wow, things have changed. My father smoked. He rolled his cigarettes from loose tobacco first. Prince Albert it was called. The paper was thin and came in a tiny notebook looking package that was black. Later, he bought rolled cigarettes. I recall Winston’s. Larry smoked Cool’s or maybe it was Kool’s. Dad finally quit, but then he chewed tobacco— good money twists. He had an spittoon. A very gross habit. Juice would be on his chin! 

Remember when these ads were all over magazines and even on tv.

I found pictures of the exact papers and tobacco Dad used when I was a young girl.

Then Dad switched to these.

Cigarettes are not as prevalent as they once were, but I still see lots of folks smoking. Burning up money as they kill themselves—what a waste. Now, vaping is the new habit. My hair dresser is pretty old. I guess 60 at least. One time when I went for a perm as she was waiting for a chemical to work, she sat down and vaped as we waited. I was shocked! 

Weird things I recall. When I started teaching, teachers smoked in the teacher’s lounge. It was always thick with smoke and stinky. Now, I think it’s weird we called it a lounge. I only went in there to use the private bathroom. Yuck. All the restaurants had ash trays on the table. Then there were smoking and non smoking sections but in some places these were just signs. The smoke floated across the entire area. Ceiling turned yellow. 

Man uses a lot time and energy trying to die. The new ideas are even more deadly than the old.

Hospice Care

Greta makes a return hit in this little video. Volleyball will soon be history and basketball will be in season. Greg and Greta will stay with me tonight and tomorrow night. I’m ordering pizza tonight and using Erin’s recipe for chili Saturday night. Greg is a gunsmith and he is going to some gun-shows to sell ammunition and even guns. Greta will be his helper. The show is south of where I live and this will make it easier on their travel.

I’m posting Erin’s chili recipe so I can find it again. She blends the tomatoes and I must remember to do that. This is cooked in a crock pot for a few hours. 

My knee is some better. I haven’t gone to the dr. as I don’t want cortisone or surgery. I’m doing therapy on my own. I have taken therapy before. I can’t take naproxen long as I get sick from it. Stomach sick. New studies have shown cortisone speeds healing but also speeds deterioration of the knee. 

Hospice came yesterday and I doubt Helen will last long. Today they moved her to Gilbert Hospice! This is the saddest thing for me since my husband passed. My life has a chunk whacked off. Part of me has died. Can’t even hold her hand. 

If I could, I’d comb the sky

And collect the stars,

Quickly pile them in a basket

Until it overflowed with silvery light

And then I’d give the basket to you,

Because all things precious 

And beautiful should be yours today.

Richard

My brother Richard has a birthday tomorrow. He’d be 86 but only got to the reverse—68. His family puts new flowers on his stone for his birthday. Barbara, his wife, picked these. They say fall.

I’ve hurt my knee and can barely walk. Helen’s sick. I’m pretty low. 

 

Pumpkin Bread

Amy Patsy sent me a little loaf of pumpkin bread. I’m fixing to have part of it. Fixing to is an Arkansas word. 

This is one of my favorite pictures of my Patsy. She’s 12 or 13 and really looks happy.

Helen has had an episode in AZ. This started Sunday. She may not return to Arkansas unless she shows improvement. I’m sad and anxious but it’ll be a wait and see.  She’s at her daughter Melissa’s house. She can’t really talk on the phone. 

 

Lab Scientist

Siggie mixed meds yesterday in the lab. She’s loving pharmacy school. Difficult to say the least, but she in it to win it💊💊💊

At 6:00 AM I went out to see the big beautiful Harvest moon.  I watched for it last night—But about all I could see was clouds. This morning as I walk I will just set my focus on the earth!  

 

Brighten your Corner

Brighten your own corner!  Erin sent me a picture of Ada in the corner of her Church yesterday! It made me think about what Francis of Assisi said about accepting what we can’t change and trying to do the things we can. Brighten the place you’re in. Ella said it well.

Do not wait until some deed of greatness you may do

Do not wait to shed your light afar

To the many duties ever near you now be true

Brighten the corner where you are! 💛🌞 Ella Fitzgerald

Greta survived the dance. Here she is with classmates and her childhood friend. Emerie’s grandmother lives across the street from Greta.

 Greta played soccer yesterday. She’s better at that than dressing up. She headed the ball right into the goal scoring for her team! They won!

Dance

Greta is in 9th grade. Last night she went to a dance. No date yet. She’s tall— 5’10”. Dresses are not really made in lengths, but she picked the color that matched her eyes. 

Here she is with her volleyball team.

She wanted to wear tennis shoes again, but Erin was able to dissuade her. Now, she’s back to her sports uniforms.

 

Opening a Tomb

When I sprayed the pond bank, I used the Mule to tote myself and the heavy sprayer there and back. The formula for spraying water is 3 ounces of 41% glyphosate plus 3 Tablespoons of Dawn per gallon of water— in case I forget. Aquatic Glyphosate is 52%. I had the 41 so figured the formula. I am responsible when I spray as glyphosate is a proven cancer causer. I was looking for a “rag” and opened the glove box of the Mule. Now, I’m wondering why it’s called a glove box. I guess workers kept gloves in it? 

Larry had interesting stuff in there. He’s been gone 5 1/2 years and it was untouched. Like opening a tomb! He had shot gun shells, matches wrapped carefully to stay dry. Tick spray. Band aids. Gauze. A huge dog lead. Toilet paper folded. More shot gun shells in a blue zipped bag. On the door it had a last service date. He passed a little over 6 moths after that date. The battery on the Mule has been replaced twice. The last time by his daughter little Red. It’s not been serviced. I’ll just drive it ‘til it dies and replace it I’ve decided. Life is hard and then you die— was one of his sayings. About his favorite was poor man has poor ways.

 

1.87 Tote

This is the first thing I’ve made from my bargain yarn steal. It reminds be of hippy days. I never wanted to be a “hippy”. I never protested Vietnam but I was not for it. I have never smoked marijuana. I really not “far out or with it”. I’ve never really drank more than a few alcoholic drinks in my life. I’ve led a very boring life. 

Laura made apple muffins. I had mine for breakfast. It was really good. My breakfast is even boring. One day I have oatmeal and the next day one egg with toast. So a muffin was a real celebration for me.

I got my pond sprayed. My sprayer holds 3 gallons. I had to fill it 5 times. I was bushed. Walking the pond bank carrying it wore me out. Now I have a formula I won’t let it get this way again. This huge snake skin was tangled in the weeds. I’m glad I didn’t see any snakes. It size made me think it was a Water Moccasins. I push mowed my road today. It’s a 1/3 mile down and back. I can mow most of it with the rider but I’m afraid to do that near the busy hiway. 

My bee lady brought me a quart of local honey. Their hive here is buzzing. The Queen died but they purchased a new queen bee at a bee store. 🐝🐝

Pond Management

I’m doing pond management today. Yippity, skippity. The Arkansas aquatic specialists has written me with instructions on getting rid of cattail and primrose weed in Pop’s Pond. Needs to be warm and the Lord has taken care of that. 💪💪

Helen made it to her son’s house in AZ. I can see where she is as our phones follow each other. She left one afternoon and made it the next. She said she rested 3 hours. She’s a get r done type of gal. I helped her crochet and she gritted her teeth the entire project going as fast as she could. When she sews she presses the pedal and sews like a race care driver. When she cleans house, she whizzes through like she on a safari. She is the opposite of me. That’s what makes Fleta, me and our whiz bang sister such a team. I take things slow and ponder my goal. Fleta is able to just not do things she dislikes. Being different is a good thing. It makes us who we are.  I worried about Helen on this trip. I thought I know she’s spending. All is great as she will visit with her family 2 weeks or more. She’ll take it slower coming home and maybe visit a friend on the way home

Asti and Logi are on vacation in the Blue Ridge Mts.  Government sh..t (oops typo, I’ll just leave it 😬) down may affect them. I hope they’re able to enjoy their trip til the end.  They pulled their camper and took their kids along—well, 4 dogs 😂😂

I’m helping with horses. Baby Opie got out Monday morning. I was a donkey wrangler. I got her back in the pasture but almost had heart failure. I take all my roles seriously. Everyone was working but this old lady. When I tried to shoo Opie through the gate, all the other donkeys tried to get out. I finally succeeded and felt the thrill of victory. I actually ran a little. Boy, my knees hurt that afternoon. After wrangling Opie, I became an a fence mender and walked the fence line making repairs I saw. I had zip ties, hammer, steeples, sledge hammer…it was another adventure. But Opie has remained in the pasture since then. Thank heavens.

 

Take Heed and a Respite

Take heed! Now that’s a phrase we don’t use anymore. It means to keenly observe. I try to do this when I walk, but it really slows my pace. The line of geese were resting on Galla Lake but one had to look closely to see them. Another old word I thought of this morning was respite. Respite is a noun meaning a short period of rest from something difficult like a long flight north. I need to take heed to be watchful of my words and actions. I’ve taken a respite from the news! 🤣

Laura sent me this picture of my 3 Norwegian Grands. They went into one of those booths that snaps pictures. Laura said she opened a coloring book at school and it was tucked inside. Maybe the phrase—pretty is as pretty does— fits it! It was several years ago.

Whoop, whoop. Amy Patsy sent me a slice of her homemade wheat Berry bread. It surely was tasty with my muscadine jelly!