Yikes!

Visitor yesterday! I think he likes eggs so I put a hoe by my back door! He was cooling off on my back porch but scurried off when I opened the door!

Snakes used to really frighten me but now not so much. I won’t grab one by the tail like my brother Richard would. I’ve  seen him do that when I was just a girl and it scared me to death. My Dad’s farm had an old rock quarry on it. They quarried rock from it for building. It was a home to many snakes.

When we were teenagers, Fleta encountered a huge black snake on the old rock quarry. We look like we are pleased with our prize.

I see I’m wearing those knockoff Ked shoes. That was in style. I recall wishing I could have the real thing but ours were just copies. We would wash them and apply white shoe polish when they were wet. They dried really white. Mine would rip across my bunion on my big toe. I have big feet and a small brain. I wore a 9 when I was young. Fleta an 8 and Helen a 7. I hated my bigger feet. I still have them.

This is at Harrison,  AR. It must have frightened many crawling down the street.

Sunday Stroll

Over half inch of rain Friday and Saturday, in my Coach Fisher gifted rain gauge. I’ll be mowing again at the end of the week. Rain makes hay and it’s getting time to cut it.

When I went out early to walk, I saw Floppsy eating clover. Then just ahead hid from Farmer MacGregor, I spied Peter Cottontail. On a little farther, I ran into the winner of the race going slow but sure just like me. 

My Library has a book for me—The Frozen River by Ariel Lawton. It’s fiction but based on the life of Martha Ballard, an 18th-century midwife. I think the setting is Maine. I’ve read 5 chapters online and I am happy to get a real book.  I’m working on a baby blanket for my yoga instructor. She’s going to be a grandmother in October. Sister Fleta is coming this weekend. We’ll work on our family tree.  Astrid and Logan are back home in Galla Meadow after a week at the beach.  I’m trying to stay positive. Still not keeping up with the news and the wars and poverty around the world. I can’t stop the insanity so why watch it. 

 

Week’s End

My grandson was 17 yesterday. I always tell him he’s my fav grandson. Well, he’s my only. He’s introverted like his mother. He is kind, helpful, and opinionated, but he keeps those beliefs to himself. He will be a senior this year and plans to go to college. Somethings about him that make be chuckle are: he doesn’t like ice cream. I asked why and he said, it melts. He doesn’t like chewing gum. He never chewed gum. He hates sports and he 6’5” tall. He’s really smart. He loves most soups. He has several good friends who are nice like him.  He doesn’t like church. Erin used to make him go and he’d put his elbows on his knees and have his fingers in his ears. When he was 14, Erin quit making him attend. He said I don’t like “preaching”.  He likes school and learning new things. He likes metal detecting. He said” I’m never drinking alcohol or using drugs”.  He has a punching bag in the garage and uses it.  He’s a very unique young man.

I finished another baby blanket. Astrid, Laura, and Sigrid go to lots of baby showers and they give then as gifts. I’m working on another one now.it’s something to keep me busy.  Idle hands are the devil’s workshop!

Saw a wild petunia when Laura and I walked ar Lake Dardanelle park this morning. 

 

Sigrid is in Little Rock today at UAMS. She starts to pharmacy school there in August. I was nervous about her getting to her destination and parking in the big parking garage. She made it and now I’m praying 🙏 her day is fruitful in knowledge of what is to come. She had to take Calculus on line from a College in Nebraska as that was the only class she lacked.  Cal is hard, but online is even harder. She got through the class with a passing grade. I’m proud of her. Most of the folks in pharmacy school have already graduated with a BS degree. 

Heating Up

Ingrid and Justin have been married one year.  They went out to eat to celebrate. That’s what Larry and I used to do. Old memories. New memories💙

Astrid and Logan are at the beach with his family. We have to share them with their other side of the family. They have a house sitter with the 4 dogs. Laura is feeding the horses and taking care of the donkeys. Laura waters for Astrid. We get the veggies as pay back. I’m just missing seeing them. They are the beautiful people on the right😂

Mowed yesterday! I couldn’t wait longer even though it was just a week!  It was hot but I’m glad it’s done. I mowed the sides of  my lane with the rider. Finally dry enough! I’ve been having to push mow it! Down and back is 1/3 mile. With the push mower it was lots of down and back😂 It took two hours. It was 95 degrees. I wear a long sleeved white shirt and a wide brimmed hat.  Since the rains seem to be over it won’t grow as fast but I’ll miss the rains. I water my few flowers morning and evening. I carry water to my chickens every afternoon. I am thankful for my chores as it gives direction and purpose!

 

Living’ to a Hundred

Yesterday, it was so hot I just stayed in most of the day reading.  The book is about the lives of people who lived past 100.  I have two great aunts who lived past 100 and a great grandmother who reached 95.  In the stories I saw a similar trait in most of them. They were able to adapt to change and didn’t dwell on the past.  I think a longer life has a lot to do with genetics.  None were fat folks! I’ve about decided living to be 100 wouldn’t be much fun😂

My great grandmother Ann Catherine lived most of her life in Carroll County, AR! Her first husband went to California to the gold rush and died in a mine explosion. She married again. She had a daughter by her first husband and a large family by her second. She lived to 95!

Aunt Clara Dell lived to 100 plus 2 months! She divorced her husband after 22 years. Had 4 children. Lived in Iowa, Ar, California and Oregon. Married two more times and out lived both of them!

Aunt Leona Belle married and had 3 children. She worked outside the home. Her husband died of an heart attack while filling up the car with gas. They had moved to Sanger, CA! Aunt Leona survived him 50 years and did not remarry. She lived to be 100 plus 10 months. Leona and Clara were sisters!

Mule Ridin’

 

2008

In December 2008, Larry bought me a Mule for Christmas. I use it everyday. Yesterday, it died. I need a way to move things, go out in the pasture, take things here and there. I asked Hubbard in Russellville if they’d pick it up and fix it. No. They don’t do that. My Logan is out of pocket, but Sister Helen said it was probably just the battery. From Coin, AR, she called around my town and found a battery. A young man at OReilly’s helped. Sister said take an old battery to trade it. I know nothing. All I did was sit on the porch and sip tea and Larry took care anything broke.

I looked in the little battery box. And thought oh dear, this looks difficult! I called the girl that has always figured out what to do. She came and together we got the old out and the new in.  We used a few zip ties to hold things as Logan can really tighten bolts good. I am humming again. She even gave the mule a bath. I’ve worn out two seat covers riding around on her. She’s an old friend💚🫏💚

2025

Rollin’ again

Battery box

The mechanic 

Birds of a Feather

When I walked at Lake Dardanelle, I saw geese cooling in  the water! A heron arrived and slowly the geese edged away. People and birds have much in common was my thought.  

I try to tell the truth but sometimes I fail. It’s hard to remember what is true when one tells a pack of lies! Practice makes perfect. Often someone says he/she said and if you ask they don’t know who she is! If i repost something on Facebook that isn’t true am I a liar or just a gossip. Deliver me from my own sin nature, Lord!

Ecclesiasticus 27:9 “The birds will resort unto their like; so will truth return unto them that practise in her.”

 

Ada Catches a Fish

Ada has been wanting to go fishing. Her Dad took her to Pop’s Pond. She caught some. They were tiny but she was happy.

Honey Balls

Today, I spied the Buttonbush full of blooms. I call it the “Covid” bush. You can see why. Laura and I have one in our yard. Hers blooms. My house sets on a small knoll. The Buttonbush likes a wet spot. Mine may finally die.

Buttonbush is a wildlife lover’s dream. The fragrant flowers are called honey balls and attract hummingbirds and pollinators. Moths and butterflies frequent the plant for its sweet nectar. The fruit is a good food for birds. The Buttonbush is native to the United States. It grows on stream banks, shorelines and in swamps. In fact, it can tolerate growing in water.

 

26 Years

Then and now. Eric and Laura celebrated 26 years of marriage. Seems impossible. Just yesterday they were young kids starting out.

Yesterday, I got a perm in my hair. My hair is like cat hair. It’s lays on my head like a cap. Awful. Before Laura and Erin were born I prayed they would not have my hair. Erin’s is straight and more course. Laura’s has a natural wave and is thicker than mine. Laura’s red hair has gray now like her father’s, but it looks blond. God answers prayers.

Sunflower Shorty

Spotted this little sunflower in the weeds on my morning walk. I have fed the birds for a long time. Seeds from my feeder produced this little flower. Ten years ago a tall sunflower would have been produced. I think they use a different variety now because the flowers are not tall from the feeder seeds.

Mowed two hours and burned my limbs yesterday!  It was like cutting hay! I have Bahiagrass in my lawn! I really don’t like it but it was here before me!  It has a tough stem! 

Bahiagrass is valued for outstanding drought and heat tolerance and an ability to thrive where many lawn grasses falter. Bahiagrass first came to the United States in 1914 for use as a pasture grass. This South American native is still used extensively in agriculture, conservation and erosion control programs. As its origin suggests, Bahia is a warm-season grass. Its most active growth occurs from late spring through the hot summer months. In its proper climate, this perennial grass persists year after year. Within this area, Bahiagrass produces a relatively durable, low-growing, low-maintenance turf.

 

Tote It

My new tote bag is beautiful ! It’s perfect to carry all my treasures. Laura designed and crafted it! 💚

The corners all have special things to me she embroidered on! A bird, heart,  sun, flowers!