Working Out

Laura and Astrid work out in the garage of a neighbor.  The lady’s husband bought used stationary bikes for all.  He works on them if one tears up.  So they ride bikes one day.  I know one day they work out taking turns being leaders.  They have new matching shirts gifted by one of them.  Laura and Astrid wrote on them using Astrid’s cricket.  They say “ the best things in life make you sweaty”.

Clayton got new shoes.  He’s over 6 feet tall now with size 14 foot.  

Piper likes to help Astrid when she feeds the horses.  Piper’s mother passed away after having this litter of pups. She developed pancreatic problems.  The litter of pups complicated her illness.  We are so glad Astrid decided to keep Piper.

 I made it through this sad anniversary of Larry’s leaving.  I’ve lived 2 years alone.   Hope it gets easier.  Phinnie and I walked here.   We walked over to the fish pond Larry had made but never got to fish.  I stopped my watch and sat on the bank awhile.  You can see the house we built in 1985 in the distance.  It was a beautiful sunny day.  Tomorrow is March.  Time marches on.

Piper

I walked far yesterday for the first time in a week.  Astrid brought Piper.  She is the cutest little Corgi.  The weather looks promising for the entire week.  Larry’s been gone 2 years.  Laura brought me warm molasses cookies for breakfast, his favorite.  I never used to like them but now they taste so good.

I meet with my prayer friends today.  We are studying 1st Peter.

Wordle 254 3/6

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Cowboy Church

 Never attended one but they’re quite popular here.  Found this when I searched for them—Cowboy churches believe in the Trinity: One God in three Persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God has always existed and always will. The American Fellowship of Cowboy Churches (AFCC) says, "He is Father to the fatherless and the One to whom we pray."

You’d think Ada and Greta are going to the Cowboy Church, No, it’s sweet Elmwood Baptist! Ada’s boots once belonged to Astrid💙 Ada is stomping for Jesus!  

GREAT Aunt Helen made Ada’s dress.  Gigi bought her jean jacket🥰

 

Sigrid Swims Swift

State Champs

Final Results

Sigrid swam in the State Swim Meet today.  I’m not sure how she placed.  But she swims the 200 and 500 meters.  200 is half way around a track.  500 meters is one full lap of a track and then the straight away.  That’s a long long way.  I am so proud of her spunk and plunk.  Plunk may be a new word for you.  It’s courage.  Sigrid showed that today.  I missed that great Razorback game, but I got to cheer for Sigrid.

RHS girls took first place in the State Swim Meet.  Go Cyclones♥️♥️

Sigrid’s been swimming for many years.

It barely hit 36 degrees today.  Wish the sun would shine today.
 

Icy Week is History

Kay and I attended the makeup Golden Suns’ game yesterday.  The Henderson Reddies beat the Suns soundly.  Ashely Farrar from Green Forest was on Henderson’s squad and played well.  Kaley Shipman, Mountain View Sophomore, scored her 1000th point for Tech during the game.   

Hoping to see the sun in the blue sky today.  That’ll be a winner for sure.

This is the hill leaving my house that stays icy long after the storm has passed.  It’s melted nicely this time.  At least there’s ruts to drive in.

Well, here’s Wordle for today.  I wish The NY Times would let me do their crossword free.  No such sharing for that.

Wordle 252 3/6

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Sun is Welcoming

I’m working on a puzzle and this baby blanket.  I don’t know if the little one is a boy or girl.  Hope this looks ok for either. I do see a little pink in the multi colored yarn.  

The sun is shining.  We’ve had several days with no sun so it looks great to me.  Light overpowers darkness.  The sun will melt the ice.  There’s a lesson in that premise.  Seek the light. 

Ada may have to go to Meme Griffin’s again today.  She’s stayed with her the last two days as Harrison daycare is closed.  Greta goes along to help.   My Greta is a special girl.  The Lord gave her an extra portion of sweetness.  Well, except with her brother.

 

Sleet and ice

We had sleet, ice, snow and thunder yesterday.  One weather man said “snowadoes” would be a good term for what came through yesterday.  It stayed around 30 degrees.  I didn’t let my chickens out.  I donned my muck boots and took them water.  I threw corn in their house.  

I was glad I could ride my bike yesterday.  I rode 8 miles and my exercise ring closed in 15 minutes.  I stop and look when I walk.   Guess this was more strenuous.   I don’t enjoy the seat on the bike.  Maybe someday I’ll get used to it.  I weighed yesterday.  I have weighed almost the same amount for two years.  Yesterday it was 159.  I am pretty hefty.  

Ada will have to stay with her Meme again today.  Her daycare is closed.  Greta goes and helps with her.  No school here either.   Eric and Laura are home.  Laura made grapefruit muffins yesterday.  I am anxious to try one.

Weather yesterday was weird for sure.  I hate snow, sleet, ice and especially cold.   Next week we are to have a good warm up.

 

Hope Springs

“Hope springs eternal in the human breast; 

Man never Is, but always To be blest. 

The soul, uneasy, and confin'd from home, 

Rests and expatiates in a life to come.” A. Pope

I can understand the feelings in “The Essay on Man”.  We always seem to cling to hope even when things look bleak.  Today, I hoping the icy rain misses us or the temperature rises just enough to have it melt quickly.  Even when you hear someone say they have given up all hope, they haven’t.  When one tiny ray of hope shines, it grows.  The flowers blooming in the cold signals warmer days to come. 

Laura and Eric are home today because of the weather forecast.  I’m sure farther north, Erin’s two did not go to school.  Today we are hoping the weather man is a liar.

I have hope of a wonderful day, but until that time I will try to make the most of this day and the hand I have been dealt.

The Sisterhood lives on.  We are still three.  We had lunch Monday at Cozy Cafe and Helen did not have to cook.  Elder Sister still works everyday, but she was able to take her lunch break with us.  It was a warm sunny day.  The sun always shines warm in our hearts when we are together.  Thankful to Laura for capturing the memory for us.  

Ask and It Shall Be Given

 Home of I. C. Sutton where Lloyd listened to “Hallelujah, I’m a Bum”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s28B14LC5jM

A fellow genealogy researcher from Newton County, AR. died this week.  Lloyd was 81.  He was born at Lurton, AR.  His Grandfather I. C. Sutton had a factory there that first made ax handles and later school desks and cane bottom straight back chairs. 

This family was wealthy by the standards of that local.  His mother married I. C.’s son, but after having three sons, they divorced.  His Mom moved to CA and worked like Rosie the Riveter during W W II.  She met his step father there and remarried.  

Lloyd said he developed a feeling of inferiority growing up because his mother did not have the same last name as he.  He grew up in a little town in AR called Fouke, famous for Big Foot, but he would go to Lurton and stay with his Grandpa Sutton, even after Grandma Sutton passed away.  He was scared to death when he went there if he had to stay with Grandpa by himself. 

I don’t know but suspect, that some of the Sutton sons were ruined by the money the family had.  Lloyd remembered staying and a younger Uncle would get home in the early morning hours and Lloyd, being a kid, didn’t get why, but Grandpa Sutton would get up early and wind up the old victrola and play “Hallelujah, I’m a Bum” as loud as the player would play.  Uncle would finally stumble out of bed and Grandpa would stop playing the song.   Lloyd said as a youngster he heard “Revive us Again” at church and thought they were copying Grandpa’s song.  

I reread Lloyd’s story last week and thought I could hear Donna Wood, a blogger friend of many moons, playing and singing the song.  Being the forward person I am, I asked Donna to play and sing it.  Hallelujah she did.  Plus, she told all about the history of the song.

February is a bad month for me.  Larry died the last day of February and I haven’t been able to sit in the sun’s healing rays since October.  Thank you, Donna.  Read about it  and hear Donna sing it.

singingDonna Singing.  I doubt you enjoy it as much as I do.  But I think God and Sister Patsy are laughing out loud.

President’s Day

 Laura made potato soup yesterday and brought me a bowl.  It was really good.  She used baked potatoes to make it.  I know it has milk and sour cream in it.  Ingrid loves it too.  

Wordle today went by quickly. 

Wordle 247 4/6

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About 8:30 Laura and I are going to visit my Sisters.  We have the back of my car filled with junk I’m gifting to Sister Helen.  We are going to eat lunch at a little restaurant in Green Forest.  Fleta is working but will join us for lunch.  

I’ll walk after we return.  We’ll be home by afternoon.  It’s about a 2 hour drive.  

Wild Blue Yonder

Yesterday it was so beautiful that I walked farther.  My knees do hurt more if I walk farther and longer.  If I could each day they’d adjust but most days I’m only walking a mile and half.

Everything was so blue.  The water was blue. The sky was blue and the far away mountains were too.  I kept thinking of the song, Blue Yonder.  I looked it up and it’s an Air Force song about war and flying to battle.  

Logan was in a wedding yesterday.  I hope someone took a photo of he and Astrid without their muck boots.

Tomorrow I am going to see my sisters.  We will stop by Larry’s grave.  It’s President’s Day and Laura doesn’t have school.  She suggested us going.  I get to see Sister Helen’s latest redo in the old home place house.  I’m taking her some clamps she needs to hold a board while she routers it.  I’m taking the rest of Larry’s tee shirts to my nephew, Kelly.   Was foolish to keep them.  This morning I put one back in the closet.  Silly of me, I know.  Hard to let go.

Well, Wordle went fast today.  With me, how quickly I figure out the word relies on the luck of getting letters in the first word.  Today, I chose train and three letters were correct.  Plus, I had the t in correct position.  My second entry was the correct word.  Lord, keep me humble as it was just luck.😝

Wordle 246 2/6

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God Waking Up

What is laughter?  What is laughter?

It is God waking up!

It is the sun poking his sweet head from behind a cloud.

This is a poem by Hafiz.  He’s Persian so it’s translated.  Things lose meaning often when translated. , but I like the image of God laughing.  So much better than God crying; however, I have laughed til tears streamed down my face. The sun is shining brightly today.  God has just heard one of Clayton’s jokes?  Clayton can always make me laugh!  

A friend took this photo.  I think it’s a dark-eyed junco.  It gives me a calm, serene feeling.

Everyone seems is complaining about Wordle.  Well, don’t play then.  An easy word got me.  I think the word was SHAME.  Shame on me.  I thought— this is too easy. Too many possibilities.   Then today.  I didn’t know what the word meant.  Should I complain or look it up and grow my vocabulary?  It’s very fitting again.  To swill can mean to take a big swig like beer.  You know, to be a hog about something.  It’s all about me in today’s world.  How selfish we are.   

Wordle 245 4/6

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Good News

There are thistles in the grain and black birds in the field.  I miss Larry he kept the black birds at bay.  Now, they are overwhelming as are many other things in my life.  I try to think...black birds have to eat too!  But look how many come for a handout.   The weather man seems so happy when he hands out news of coming doom.  When it's sunny and pretty, he acts like there's nothing to report.  I want to be excited about good news.  The best good news is the Gospel.  Spread some good news today.   My weather forecast to you....the sun will shine today.  There is some good news--you can even read all about it--that's Gospel!

 

Between Rains I Walked

 

In between rains, Phinnie and I walked.  It’s still warm but is going to be colder tonight.  Soon it’ll be warmer again.  The Jonquils are blooming and other pretty flowers will follow. If one takes notice you can see the loveliest little miracles.  I am fascinated by the holly berries.  The water dripping from them made them even more delicate.

The neighbor boy was in the ditch.  I was afraid it was my Ingie, so I walked over.  He said he met the garbage truck.  Some of them whiz down the road, but this youngster drives to fast on the dirt road.  He’ll have to learn.  I texted Ingrid afraid it was her when I saw the abandoned car across the field.   She texted that she was fine. She said “Poppa taught me to drive”.  Special girl knows how to make me smile.   Don’t you hate to see anyone having car trouble or in the ditch.  I can’t help them.  Too old, but I pray when I see them.

Praying your day is productive and you stay out of the ditch.  I don’t want to let my mind wander to the ditch today.  I’m going to try to keep my thoughts on the lighted path the Lord has lit.

Wonder Woman

 There’s a little Wonder Woman in all of us.  I want to be brave and courageous, but then fear creeps in and I falter.  To be brave I must trust the Lord.  Call upon Him and listen to his voice seeking his will.  I must obey and give God the glory in all things.  

I bought chicken feed and bird feed today.  The Yellow Finches have arrived.  They are hungry.  

Pretty Sky

I went to lock up my chickens and was rewarded with the master’s painting in the sky.  I like this picture of Astrid with Manci.  She wears those Muck Boots almost daily.  She got Logan a pair for Christmas.  He loves his too.  I walk in a low cut pair.  They’re not as comfortable as tennis shoes, but if there is dew on the ground they keep my feet dry.

 I don’t like much on tv.  Wheel of fortune and Jeopardy are about all I watch daily.  The news is ridiculous.  They just stir a pot to see if they can get it to bubble.  We’re the pot.  They try to make the weather drama too.  Chet Huntley and David Brinkley—I long for you.   Soon it’ll be warm enough for me to move to my back porch most of the day.  

Barely

 Well, February’s full moon is almost here.  It’s called the snow moon.  I  was surprised to discover that in places in the United States where it snows,  February is the snowiest month.

I barely made it again finding the word of the day.  Beginning and ending in a vowel made if difficult.

Wordle 241 5/6

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Mt CPA appointment was a little depressing.  I owe a pretty big chunk in taxes.  But that’s better than not owing because then I’d have less funds.

I’m going to work on a kitchen towel for Laura to gift to her friend today.  Here’s the one we made for her friend, Brenda.  I make the border and she adds the image.   This one is white trim, also.

Cheering My Team

Kay Lou and I enjoyed the ATU Golden Suns game tonight.  It was a makeup game with Southern Arkansas.  I guess my favorite player is going to be Alex Hill from Harrison/Alpena.  I think her great aunts are Ina and Nina Hill from Mt. Judea.  They were my suite-mates at ATU in 1969.  Of course, Kay and I love cheering for Anna Myers from Russellville.  Anna played a lot tonight as did other nonstarters.  The Suns got way ahead early.  It’s always fun to win by a bunch.   The Tech Athletic Director came by and visited with us thanking us for supporting the Suns.  I plan to attend some of the softball games because a little Chisum girl from OK is on that team.  I’m hoping  Margaret Monk will go with me.  Thomas Chisum from Newton County is this player’s several Greats Grandfather.  Faye Chisum is her Grandmother.  

I will admit I enjoyed watching the Suns more than I did the Super Bowl last night, but I was rooting for the losing team.  

Today was a beautiful, warm day.  I hope you got outside in the sunshine, if not maybe tomorrow as it should be another day to enjoy.  I practiced smiling today!  😊😊