in the toilet

The scenery around here is pretty barren during the winter with large stretches of brown and green lying dormant, preparing to burst forth with this year's crop. Normally the asparagus bed is burned some time between Thanksgiving and Christmas but I put it off because it was still too green. It finally got torched last week and this years spears should begin popping up within a month or two. I've been walking the yard every day taking advantage of the warmth to see what's coming out of the ground. I have been noticing something white in the brown the big ditch that drains the hill for several days and whizzed on by to my next chore. Today I spotted it and pulled over only to find a freakin' commode in the ditch. In pieces, no less. Some redneck hauled that puppy out here and dumped it right in the middle of paradise. I guess we're gonna have to install security cameras at the end of the lane to see who comes and goes in the hood.

Mom played hooky today so I got to visit with her while I counted pills and then went to fetch daddy for breakfast. Every.single.employee there asked where she was! They are a very fast efficient bunch, many of whom have the regulars' choices memorized. We also see the same people most every week or two...Katie Rose and her family. The principal from Lauderdale and his wife. Uncle Chris and his little clone of a son. The SS class. It is a ritual, and I will miss it when it's gone.

This has been a weekend of hibernation except for necessary chores like food gathering and church duty. BG is working for about her 30th day in a row and still gets up and goes. She knows in her heart that it's an opportunity to get herself out of debt and on the right track. Now if we can only do that with me! We haven't had a new piece of clothing in a year or so and it seemed like time since her one pair of pants had a big hole in the crotch. That, of course, wasn't in the budget. But sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do. Shoes are next for both of us.

As we all know, tomorrow is a national holiday, one which many people plan their vacation days around so they can stay up late and get drunk. As the wife of one of those men, I was always afraid to shut my eyes until he showed up at the house safe and sound, if drunk as a dog. He doesn't do that anymore, by the way. His current job is as an alcohol and drug counselor in a nearby town. And he's damn good at it. This dude went as far down low as you can go, and grabbed a'hold of the belief that it was out of his control and in Big Ernie's hands. His life was a map that it took me years to navigate, including the fact that he thought his birth mother was his sister. He found out the truth when he was a teenager.

We raised a beautiful daughter together who is a hybrid of the two of us, both good and bad. When she was born, the economy was booming and nobody had a care in the world. Now look at us. With Russia and China buddying up I'd say it's time for the good old USofA to pay attention and learn to negotiate wisely. I mean, we're badass and all, but.....My heart aches for those like the brave breast cancer video lady who have been suffering at the hands of fools. My friend Kay had colon cancer in her 40's and was fortunate enough to have a resection with no chemo. This was AFTER watching her mother die from the effects of same for lung cancer. She is one of the most faithful and hardworking members of a LOCAL organization that raises money for patient's needs in our immediate area. They work with local pharmacies and get the people what they need in spite of the cost. No administrative fees. No cute little blondes going around from town to town organizing events on their smart phones. Just local, caring folks doing the right thing. Awesome.

^j^