lerd

This has been about the longest week of my life since I was waiting for Christmas as a five year old.  Mama was a master at whipping us up into a frenzy over baby jeebus being born in the manger somewhere in the middle east.  She loved the holidays and made them special.  

Last fall during pecan season Mamye and I discovered the Old Camp peach pecan variety of whiskey thanks to the folks at Lucky Liquor.  Their store is small and has atmosphere like nobody's business.  Tracy is a singer like you wouldn't believe and she and Michelle have created a little community of customers over there that are loyal and off the beaten path.  Their store sits right next to Casey's and where the Planation Inn used to be.  Raise your hand if you remember our first decent motel.  It had a pool y'all!

So did the Holiday Inn at the corner of 78 and 51.  Later it became a Best Western and BG worked there doing the graveyard shift while she commuted to UT Martin pursuing a social work degree.  There were some high roller investors in the hotel who all pulled out and sold to CVS.  They had a cool bar called The Bull and the Bear.  That's where I met Cassie and Olivia and Brittany.  Lauren told me that duck hunters from Reelfoot would bring their kill in and clean 'em in the tubs which created quite a plumbing problem for other guests.  Gotta love rednecks. Anyway, that's how Lily came into our lives.  Bracken was the manager at the hotel and Lily was Sandye's kitten who clung ti her shoulder.  Lauren got her fixed and she became our one and only following many years of feral activity and fleas in the basement. 

The way I see it we're pretty much fucked right now with a POTUS who never knows when to quit tweeting.  That the media is buying into this shit and making money off of it makes me literally sick.  Sarah Huckabee?  Seriously.  You will be the next character on SNL. At least we still have some sort of healthcare infrastructure, Medicaid notwithstanding.  The key to wellness is good nutrition, exercise and preventive health and fun in moderation unless you get a chance to laugh like a hyena then go for it.  

Nobody's watching.  

walking barefoot

One of the first things I noticed about Gay's MFR technique is that she always does it without shoes.  Her bare feet are anchored in just the right way to catch the energy and transfer it.  Like a hairdresser, she listens to people tell their dirty little secrets and keeps them private because ...HIPPA.

My day at work was full of pleasant surprises as usual and I left there for a follow up with derm guy who was packed OUT.  Wendy looked at me sideways when I said I'd reschedule.  I mean gah...I had to meet Kevin so he could fix the igniter on the oven!  The story of how he came back into my life 20 years later is epic.  And very Methodist.

Lauren is swollen and itchy like the rest of us only she's pregnant and can't take meds.  I remember "allergic rhinitis of pregnancy" like it was yesterday.  And the misery of an August and September haul..  Let's all hold hands and sing kumbaya.  I have a breakfast date on Saturday with Lorna while her car is being serviced.  Can't. Wait.  Farmer's market perhaps?

Y'all have a happy ladies night :)

here's your sign

Sometimes the sheer stupidity of people just overwhelms me, especially when I'm in line waiting.  I'm not talking the clerks, mind you though they can be pretty simple at times. Oh no....I'm talking about the rednecks who want to quibble over the price of a plate lunch at a gas station with one vegetable instead of two.  This woman bitched and griped about the entire thing while the rest of us schmucks looked tiredly on.  If she could have heard what those clerks with the multicolor braids said about her after she left, it would have been a brawl for sure.  

Yesterday I was merging from Highway 78 onto 51 South which is usually not a stop but all lanes of traffic were moving south and I had to stop.  There was one of those big ass trucks with flags proclaiming OVERSIZE load like the escorts use only this guy didn't have any kind of load behind him.  He almost slammed into the back of me and then proceeed to lay on the horn until I just pulled over to the shoulder to let him fly.  Still, not escorting a thing but hauling ass at about 80 down the highway with flags flying.  My guess is that he was LATE for an appointment and decided to show out a bit to improve his time. 

Please continue to pray for Gigi as she recovers from a near death experience, literally.  She is currently reclining in her master suite with the seriously cool tub and shower.  Only the best for her.  She doesn't remember any of the almost dying part which is good.  My friend Peter the Aussie is currently receving palliative care down yonder but his son is keeping all his friends updated on the state of things.  He's like Hoss and Jim and Joe.  My internet boyfriends!

It is amazing to me that we have the ability to stay connected worldwide via the internet yet we can't figure out how to provide decent affordable healthcare.  It's all based on making money.  Pharma reps, particularly in oncology, are infamous for feeding the front line troops in exchange for a five minute chat with the doctor about their product.  

Nat came to work today sporting a french braid and I asked her to do mine.  It's thin but long so it turned out pretty cute for an hour or two.  Now it's coming unraveled.  

Keep moving forward and do the next right thing.

^j^ 

teach your children well

I don't have the credits in education theory to certify me as such but I have always loved seeing somebody have an ahha moment when they get it.  It could be rocket science or blood compatability or a lucky shot with a badass camera.  Perhaps in words and the sharing of stories.  Anything creative is attractive to my current mood.  

Lorna and I just had a long chat about the history of NASA and who we knew from the Cape.   Mom and Daddy were best friends with Dick and Peggy Bruce.  Peg's sister Bonnie was married to Don Peterson one of the last of the Apollo team.  She went with them to Florida for the launch and kept that picture on the wall until we took it down after she died.  Gus Grissom.  Roger Chaffee.  I wrote a letter to all of them following the inferno that kept them from exploring space. Krista was the one who got me.  A freaking schoolteacher in a space ship being launched by the United States.  They all died and according to Lorna there was a giant white Y over the Florida coast when it happened.   

I hope that you and yours are well and peaceful.  As for me I have an appointment for therapy in a couple of weeks and I must say it's way past due.  Kevin came by to check out my oven and it needs a new igniter so all the pieces are sitting on the porch waiting for EZ off.  Love ya.  Mean it.  

alrighty then

Evidently grief makes a good read because I got a lot of response to yesterday's soul sickness.  It was fleeting and powerful and took me to another place if just for a morning.  Friends came by and kept company with me on the porch and it was a nice Sunday after all even though I.....never mind.  That's another story.

I came home from work and began to unwind when I heard the dogs barking and found the Agresta family in my driveway ready to record a movie on the IPad.  I think it's set in the 1800s and they did a tour of the basement and such which I wouldn't DARE go to right now.  No snakebites so it's good.  Now they're scoping out the barn.  The videographer is none other than Conner the mischievous middle schooler.  We are family by choice and I will never forget when he had a "difficult" birth and his Mama got blood from the trauma.  After he was born he had to get growth hormone injections and I taught Anna and Steve how to give them.  I'm "almost" a nurse, you know.  Their family still supports our local blood program any chance they get.  

Last year BG and Heather and I had planned a weekend getaway in Nashvegas and I bought some sessions at Serenity Salt Cave from Groupon which we let expire.  They were kind enough to let me trade that expired merchandise for a baby monitor for Reaves.  Wonders never cease.   

When I stopped at the chicken store I got an earful of GD from some rednecks having a fit in a van parked by the door.  Take it AWAY idiots.  I almost called the law but realized they're busy catching car thieves.  

Marvelous Monday indeed ~

homesick

This morning I was missing my parents an awful lot and I hate going to the graveyard because I know they're not there.  Instead I chose to wander around the cabin up and down the steps that I've climbed a million times in my life.  The walls are gone upstairs and it's one big open space which is gorgeous.  As I wandered around looking through the windows that I crawled out of as a teenager, memories came flooding back.  

There was a huge attic fan in the window when we were little and us kids slept up there.  I can still see it in my mind and feel the breeze.  We played musical bedrooms as the years went by and at one time the entire family slept upstairs so we could have a den in addition to the living room.  Both of my parents snored like a freight train and they were right outside my door.  Sometimes I'd cover my head with a pillow just to shut out the noise.  

Tommy had the little cubby of a room with the slanted ceiling until I left for college then he promptly took my space.  They painted it a hideous dark blue and had to have a do-over because it was so bad.  The kitchen is where most of the action took place because my mama was a cook like you wouldn't believe.  This time of year there was fresh produce from daddy's garden and she would cook what we called "red faced suppers" where she would sweat in that tiny kitchen with every eye on the stove full plus cornbread in the oven.  

The real beauty is in the living room where all the walls are original logs and the ceilings gleaming cypress, all cut from the farm.  My favorite picture is of me and my dousins Donna and Katherine Anne sitting on the back porch steps with a puppy.  That was before the porch got closed in and a den added onto the back.   The fence is gone now, but once upon a time my Ky cousin Debbie kicked our horse in the wrong place and he took off with her as Jimbo jumped through the wire to rescue her fallen self.  

I remember swinging a little bit too high and getting the breath knocked out of me when I hit the ground.  That was a scary thing for a kid.  Daddy built us a treehouse in the persimmon out front and we had loads of fun with that even "camping" out on occasion.  Back then I didn't worry about snakes and such....it was just all about the adventure.

There was a long white wooden fence across the yard that had to be painted ever so often and that job got passed among all three kids according to who was willing.  The strawberry patch right next to us was a cash cow for the three of us one year when we stood there and collected dimes from people who picked their own.  One day I was playing in the ditch by the road and my beagle Nosey was laying in the middle of the road resting on a hot summer day.  A drunken farmer ran over and killed her right in front of my eyes.  

There was always somebody getting stuck or stranded out there and our house got the bulk of cries for help.  One night Daddy went to the door to find a very drunk man wanting help and when we heard a big thud Mama screamed to high heaven "Billy!!!"  We thought for sure he'd been attacked.  Being the good soul that he was he got the man unstuck and he was on his way to wherever.  

I am an orphan now.  Even at the age of 61 that's a very sad feeling yet I keep calling back the memories and know that they are with me in spirit.  I can still see my Daddy coming through the back door in coveralls on a wintry Christmas Day for breakfast after checking on the cows and calves, often delivering them with a chain.  There was a chicken house for a little while but that went away after I got flogged.  

I wouldn't trade my heritage for all the tea in China and I feel blessed that my own daughter was raised in the same idyllic setting making biscuits with her MeMaw and riding on the tractor with Grandaddy.  I so wish they could be here to see Reaves when she is born.  

^j^

new tricks

I was out and about this morning and stopped by the ATT store with a couple of questions one of which was why I couldn't receive texts from Bubba.  He can text me and we can call each other but his texts to me repeatedly don't arrive.  About five minutes with Nick showed me that I had inadvertantly sent a message from him to spam.  Mystery solved.  He also explained to me ( again ) how to upload those 900 pictures to the Google cloud so that they don't use up space on the phone.  That, as it turns out, is a very lengthy process the first time around.  I should probably wait and do that on somebody elses wifi since I can't get my home to connect with the phone.  I am IT stupid other than the basics.  

My friend Regina is out of intensive care but has a long road in front of her recovery wise.  She was as we say "dyin' sick".  By the grace of God her sister and brother in law checked in on her just in the nick of time to get her to ER for treatment.  A few more hours and she would have been gone.  Family members are with her around the clock urging her to be still and heal which is not easy for her.  She is confused and has no idea how she got where she is.  My heart aches for all of them.  

Since it's cooler I decided to tackle a few weeds in the asparagus bed and gave up pretty quickly because they're six feet tall.  Hopefully the asparagus will survive in that jungle to come back next spring.  I've resigned myself to having just a couple of squash and tomato plants for all that work.  Maybe next year.  

I've made it through 3 weeks of jury duty with no call in so I'm halfway through with that.  Note to self last night was :  "Call TJ"  Car thief is still in jail and his charges probably went to the grand jury last week.  I'm assuming he's either mentally ill or an addict or both because he did a lot of stupid stuff for not much personal gain.  Once again I give a big high five to the IT and security departments at the sawmill and also the DPD.  This guy who have been thieving for weeks was caught within 24 hours of taking my car.  

Have a lovely weekend y'all.  

with a whimper

Cindy passed through West Tennessee this morning with heavy rain but not the 5 inches predicted....only 2.5.  While that's not great for a crop right now, it could have been much worse.  Now the frogs are happily singing in the pond out back by the barn.  

I just erased an entire paragraph which means it's time to commence with the weekend eve and do something different.  Like sleep for 12 hours!  

All is well ^j^

rain rain go away

Everybody is getting their fair share of it and I watched the radar this morning planning our trip to Jackson between downpours, or so I thought.  It was smooth sailing all the way there and I stopped in Friendship on the way back to see my old buddy Jim at his equipment place.  Me and the dog shared a chair while we got caught up on things and visited.  His wife works there too so I got to chat with her as well.  Win-win!  

As I headed to the car the heavens opened up and the bottom fell out. I feel much safer in all road conditions now that I have new tires.  It's only by the grace of God I didn't have something bad happen prior to that what with all the road trips this past year.  Thankfully I have good friends who have helped with rides.  

Lauren can feel Reaves moving but I can't yet.  Neither of us slept much because we both snore ( and I didn't know that I do) but it was good to share a bed with the dogs anyway.  I have refrained from saying much about my sick friend out of respect for her privacy.  She has turned the corner and is awake and recognizes folks which is a miracle.  Thanks to all of you who prayed for her recovery from meningitis.  Scary.Stuff.  There were four girls in that family and I became an honorary sister many years ago at the pool.  I'm sure there was probably a baptism or something!

Time to wander~

ready for the storm

Lorna and kids got limited to only two days at the beach before the storm started brewing.  It had been forming for days and decided to hit full force yesterday.  What follows will be heavy rain for a wide swath of the southeastern US over the next three days.  And Lord, how I hate to drive at all much less in the rain.  It's not scheduled to start until abut 4 tomorrow which will give me time to get Lauren back home.   Thank you SKJ for covering my shift.  

I never watch TV so hearing it as background noise is kinda' strange.  We did some dinner prep together, chatted and went out separate ways to do our own things like old times.  It's comfortable and healthy.  She said she just needed to be home a minute.  There is still no nursery so the living room will remain full until that happens.  Long story.  

Work was full of surprises today including a chance to hug my sweet Tristi and sing a little Bruno Mars together.  My friend is still very sick and my heart aches at thinking of that unstoppable spirit being in that predicament.  She's a Lake county girl and we all know they're tough as nails.  Once upon a time she and her cousin and I went for a ride in her convertible down a dirt field road to her homeplace at Tennemo.  It was like Thelma and Louise, y'all.  

Oh, and if you forget your umbrella?  Just dance in the rain :)

let your hair down

My hair is the longest it's been in FOREVER so it's normally up in a clip because I shower at night and it's a mess in the mornings.  Today  I showed up with hair down around my shoulders and a few people had to look twice to identify me.  It was in the clip before lunch BTW.  

My honorary sister is very very sick and en route to a Memphis hospital.  We've known each other for years and years and I'm the one who told her she was pregnant!  She loves telling that story.  Please lift her up.  Her family and I stood around the isolation room exchanging phone numbers (again) and the plan was about to be executed as we said goodbye.  

BG should be on the way to Casa Poops with Reaves in utero and the bag she always carries for an overnighter.  I can't wait until she sees all that loot in the living room.  Poor Lorna is getting rained on mightily down there in Appalach with two kids and a tent.  I'm assuming they're on Plan B or C.  

Over and out~

forward motion

I stayed up late and slept late which is a win for me these days.  I'm usually in the bed by 8 and up at 5.  I had breakfast with some friends at Daylight Doughnuts which is where I took my parents every Sunday after church.  It was the first time I'd been back and I felt their presence.  Red is still there and Dani and of course Rita.  Cyndi and I watched a gorgeous little chunk of a baby girl sitting with her Mim and having a ball.  It hit me in the face that I would be doing that soon!  The little girl's father went to school with Lauren and we caught up on his life via grandma.  

I went by to see Mozella before that and found her comfy and lucid.  She knew me and remembered that Bubba was there yesterday.  I met her niece whom I had never known about so I guess it's true that everybody comes together in the end.  The mayor was sporting a silver bow today.  "Yes chile...I love you."

We had a monsoon yesterday but it drained off pretty quickly because it was dry.  The humidity had dropped by this morning so I was pleasantly surprised to walk out the door and find I could breathe.  There is nothing more miserable to me.  Time to be productive.  Y'all play nice and pay it forward, always.

^j^

who's yo daddy?

My daddy was a self made man who grew up as the son of a sharecropper during the Great Depression.  He had three sisters and they were all as different as night and day.  The only one remaining of that bunch is the youngest, Katherine Rose.  We chatted the other day about Father's Day and the loneliness of having nobody to call your own around.  She spoke of it being a tough day for her because she has lost not only her husband but her brother and son.  

Daddy was raised up in RoEllen and came to high school in town which meant that he walked sometimes and other times caught a ride.  He was very popular and into ag even then.  His ag teacher Mr Sam Reed thought enough of him that he helped him snag a scholarship to UT Martin to get a BS in ag science.  That was interrupted by service in the Air Force and my birth but it finally happened.  He worked until the age of 55 doing double duty as a plant protection specialist with the USDA and manager of the farm we grew up on.  They moved here when I was a year old.  

Our lives twirled around the growing seasons and livestock.  My brothers hauled hay when they were young and I rode along for fun.  One of my most vivid memories of Daddy is of him in his pickup herding cattle in the field across from my house, yelling and slapping on the side of the truck trying to get them back behind the rickety old fence.  He was beginning to lose it a little by that time and it scared me to death.  Shortly after, the cows went away.  

He always put in a full garden and we ate well on fresh food all year long thanks to his talent with the growing and my mother's kitchen skills.  Sweet corn, purple hull peas, fried okra, you name it.  I hated shelling lima beans and loved the fried yellow squash that mama served up with homemade cornbread.   Daddy's favorite "dessert" was a piece of that cornbread soaked in purple hull pea juice.  Nothing like it.  He also established an orchard with apple and peach trees that still stands but doesn't get the care it needs.  

Daddy was raised as a Southern Baptist but converted to the UMC when we were kids and Mama insisted on the family attending church together.  Her family's heritage ran deep at first church.  He sang in the choir until he went into the hospital and served on every board, committee and what have you that they asked him to.  When I was a teenager he fought to have a dance in the fellowship hall for us and was promptly turned down by the powers that be.  Man, he was a dancer!  

He served for years as an official for the Dyer County Fair Association and in retirement turned his efforts toward things like hauling kids to summer camp, working for the local volunteer blood program and becoming a Paul Harris fellow in Rotary.  He and Joe Wood were famous for their fried 'taters and onions at BBQ benefits locally.  That tradition continues to this day.  

My daddy never told me he loved me but I knew it.  He was not a touchy feely person with us, yet he hugged everybody he came in contact with out there in the world.  Mama always said it was because of the way he was brought up during the hard times.  When he was a young teen he fell out of the barn loft and broke both arms!   Guess who had to get his butt wiped by his sisters for awhile.  

Letting my father die in peace was one of the hardest decisions I ever had to make.  Parts of me wanted to keep trying for a good outcome but he had way too much going against him.  Two years ago on a Sunday night in June I got a phone call from Mom telling me he was en-route to the hospital AT HIS OWN request.  The diagnosis was not only a strangulated hernia but a massive infection from an old hernia repair on the other side.  After two major surgeries in a week, he couldn't breathe from all the anesthesia.  He never came home after going to the ER that night and died 6 weeks later not knowing he was in this world but not suffering one bit.  

I cherish the things we had in common like flowers and growing things and harmonizing at church.  Our favorite routine was to walk each other's yards and name what was coming up or blooming.  He loved the birds too and whenever I see one visit me up close and personal I know it's him telling me to keep the faith.

^j^

my give a damn's busted

I don't even remember the title of the blog post that I had conjured up in my head for today.  It probably had something to do with social justice and loving each other, even the least of these.  Y'all all know I'm a bleeding heart liberal.  Sue me.  I believe that everybody deserves a chance at life and reformation.  Sometimes it takes awhile.  

I've spent a lot of time with addicts over the years and do not exclude myself.  Everybody's got something.  The ones who have never smoked or drank alcohol are equally as addicted to routine or food or sex or any other kind of self medication.  Step one addresses that quite clearly.  Whatever it is it's out of control.  In Tennessee there's a huge gambling thing going on with the lottery and as a result of that community college is free to all.  Currently CBD oil without the psychoactive component is legal for use.  Sounds like a racket to me but whatever.  It beats opiates and meth.  

Downtown Dyersburg development is pretty much under the control of the Chamber which is sorely missing Alan Hester about now.  Let's all say a prayer for Lorna and the kids on the way to the Gulf Coast with a packed out SUV.  Mamye came out this afternoon and we enjoyed the quiet and talked at the not so round table.  Oh yeah, here's what my thought was.

I'm a good listener with realistic and positive feedback.  I don't have a degree that declares me as such but I have a lot of really good friends who vent.  I say luv you often and mean it.  I need a minimum of five hugs a day to survive which is why I'm prone to just doing the random group thing.  We will rock you!
My boundaries are firm and I refuse to cross them when my own well being is at stake. I'm looking forward to a visit with my babygirl and her babygirl.  Fortinately there is no court next week and I have an extra day off.  I love it when that happens.  To anyone who ever raised a child as his or her father.......I salute you.  And also I miss my daddy.

^j^

riders in the storm

Today was a learning experience for sure which is what best practice should be about when it comes to patient care.  There is absolutely nothing worse than having somebody with a personal agenda coming up into your hard work and acting out.  The people who do this are normally retired professionals who know the ropes with federal funding and efficiency.  In the age of multiple systems and the EMR paper does not work too well.  Unfortunately it still exists.

The heavens opened up as I was heading home with more on the way.  Lorna and the kids are heading out come hell or high water tomorrow for the beach with tents in tow.  Her son Chris has become a very good friend and I admire his tech savvy as an IT genius.  At 40 years old he owns multiple businesses and is a dreamer for the development in downtown Dyersburg commerce and restoration.  It ain't much but it's all we're got so roll with it.  The building that he bought is rich with history and full of innovative ideas.   It used to be a paint store!

BG and Reaves are coming to visit and take inventory next week.  I'll be working but will have one day off with her for he return trip.  I'll totally take it 'cuz I miss her face.  I'll be at the sawmill weekend so just stay out of the ER is all  I'm saying.    That is all.  

^j^

 

busy day

I seriously wanted to sleep til 10 but had a derm appointment at 9 so up I got in the thunderstorms to get clean but I failed to shave my legs.  He and I are like brother and sister so I didn't make the effort.  I was greeted with hugs all around and got hit by the nitrous nazi in many many spots.  When you have actinic keratosis you never know what will turn into something major.  It rained so hard on the way up there that I was driving 40 mph and praying for no hydroplane action.   By the time I got out it was over.  

When I came off the by-pass I spotted two familiar vehicles in the road, one being the law and the other my brother.  The story was that somebody stole a golf cart from the municipal course behind me and rode all over the Pritchett's corn fields.  It was found abandoned on a fence row and when I came back from the gentral I saw two Dyersburg course employees hauling it back home.  If my car thief wasn't in jail I'd swear it was him.

After that was lunch with old friends at a local downtown eatery.  Very cool place with nice people and excellent food plus a patio.  They have live music and trivia.  Very progressive for Dyersburg, if you know what I mean.  Downtown is growing by leaps and bounds which makes me smile.

Namaste ~

bipartisan gun sense

Already the media is hyping the fact that the shooter in Alexadria was a Bernie supporter and a liberal/progressive.  He was intent on killing those who don't share his beliefs and had the firepower to do it in the form of an automatic rifle.  He probably didn't count on all those Capitol police being around and they saved the day and put him down.  It doesn't matter what his political persuasion is, only that he had a gun to do his business with which, in this country, is a pretty easy thing to get thanks to the party of you know who.  As much heat as he's taking right now it wouldn't surprise me a bit if this was something aimed at civil unrest and further division of the country.  Anarchy coming folks.  Hunker down.

Speaking of which there's some huge twin engine helicopter doing rounds over my house, practicing I suppose.  If I had a decent camera you could see it too but nooooooo....all I have is a Galaxy.  Besides, it's a heat index of 99ish so I need to be inside like the precious flower that I am.  I might wilt!

I stopped at the chicken store and found one of my favorite girls in a twit after handing in her notice.  As the story goes, a customer called her a n**ger and because she responded to said customer the manager refused to bar the customer from the store even though they had done it before.  I say get out while you can.  Some things never change.  

I'll let you know if the army swoops over close enough for a phone shot.  Peace and love ~

crop rotation

No sooner did the wheat get thrashed than the tractor showed up to get ready for bean planting.  Thank goodness they do no till because the smoke would be horrendous here on the hill if they burned it.  The beans will probably be ready right around the time Reaves is born if the weather plays nice which it's certainly not today.  It's 330pm and 94 freakin' degrees with no rain in sight.  I blew wheat dust out of my nose for two days straight.  I can hear the tractor whining as I type, right behind the barn.  

I'm totally out of the loop with news because I'm avoiding all things you know who.  Peaceful resistance and all that.  My fearless warrior of a friend is heading to the gulf coast for primitive tent camping with her two grandchildren.  Bound for her, there's a pretty serious chance of heavy rain while they're on the beach so she had to come up with plans B and C in case it gets too waterlogged.  Lord, I could use some beach.  

Stay cool kids, by whatever means necessary ~

risk management

We are currently one or two tweets away from self destructing as a country.  I don't know about ya'll but that makes me a little nervous what with the rest of the world being mad at us too.  I really don't have time for that.  BG went to the doctor today with Reaves in tow and got her sugar checked which is something all pregnant women have to do.  Next  time she gets Rh Immune globulin because she's Rh negative.  That's because she got a couple of D negative recessive genes from her ancestry.  It's what I do so we discovered that in 4th grade during science class in Ms Dean's room.  That's also where my brother did a weather play and she was a cloud.  Or maybe the sun.

I had the best of intentions in spite of fatigue and got up at 930 to face the day.  Out of all meds including the most important, I called the pharmacy and got that rolling.  When I stopped by the feed store to pick up some dust for Oscar, Stanley accused me of holding on to the 16 year old car that I drive.  Bitched at me to get a BMW with all my wealth.  Oh boy.  If only he knew how far I am into Chapter 13.  It was kind of ironic that my BK attorney showed up at car thief court and asked why I was there.  I guess you never know.

Currently there is marinara in the crock pot with baked pasta yet to come.  Somebody's gonna have a good lunch tomorrow at the sawmill.  Gotta' run and pick some basil for it.

Keep the faith ^j^

at last

Even though there's paperwork to do, I'm finally off tomorrow to sleep in for a day.  Leave a message at the beep.  This probably means I'll wake up at the buttcrack of dawn.  That's how it goes sometimes.  The dogs are so itchy from the wheat that I gave one of them a valium and the other a benadryl just so they could rest last night.  I can tell it with my allergy symptoms!!

Mozella is still kicking and we enjoyed a little visit this morning while she was awake.  She's on a newborn's schedule where she stays up all night and sleeps all day.  Most of the time there's at least one family member in attendance.....often multiples.  We should all be so blessed.  

As my buddy remarked today it's "hot as the devil's draws" out there already and again.  Those few cool days were sweet, I'm just saying.  There's rain coming to wash the wheat dust out of the air a bit.  All is well except with my little garden.  I have two 'mater plants, a pepper and some squash that may or may not make it in spite of my valiant efforts with the redneck hose.  The grass has gone wild and it's too hot to pull it so uh I give.  Let nature take its' course, so to speak.  

The talent show at Litchfield prison is cracking me up.  I go back and forth from Bloodlines to that as the mood strikes me.  The light bulbs are out in a couple of rooms and I'm too short to change them so I'm kind of sitting in the dark a lot.  I need to invest in some decent lighting because I already can't see without my glasses.  Oh the joys of getting old.  

I'm really having a lot of fun exploring the farm with a good photographer who has a badass camera and mad skills.  I watch and we compose together then he spiffs them up and we post.  Win-win.

And so, let the chillaxing begin~

where do i begin

As fate would have it I worked again and came home to find the farm photographer and his wife parked in the middle of the road.  When I noticed who it was Shirley rolled down the window and they followed me home.  TK took a bunch of shots yesterday evening and today of the wheat harvest in progress.  That little shoutout led me to a lovely visit with the farm folks today including the #countrygirl Becca who was Pride's pride and joy.  I do believe she has her own horse now and also is driving a combine for the summer.  

We drove down to the river and by the graveyard at Gerald's and made the circle around Danny's place.  Newt's crowd was partying to the right as we rode along and talked about who owns what.  I spotted a yellow glad down at the cabin and we picked that up on the way home.  The yard just keeps getting emptier.  

There are many layers to the history of this farm and Tommy is retired and loves to be a historian.  Between all of us maybe we can get this "book" written.  Farmer's Market opened today ya' know.  Of course I was you know where but I was there in spirit.  The redneck waterhose is going full force.

Stay tuned ~

my day in court(s)

I showed up at the sawmill this morning on time and did a few hours prior to heading to city court where mr car thief was seated front and center in the two rows of inmates wearing orange jumpsuits and handcuffed.  All were male.  I had to park behind the DPD illegally to get there on time because the lot was full.  Judging from the number of inmates I figured I'd be there all day but our cases came up within the first 30minutes and grand theft auto got called up in the front of Judge Dedmon.  I had spotted that bald head right off.  As he approached the bench he lifted the chains up over his head in an act of defiance and showed off his tats.  The judge was not at all amused.  When he failed to maintain eye contact with said judge as he lowered the bond he was told pretty damn quick not to ever EVER visit my workplace except if his head was cut off and in his hand.  He was also told to stay away from myself and the other victims who were present.  We were free to go after that and I headed toward home until doctor visit time.  After sitting there for an hour and visiting with a toddler in the waiting roomI had to take a raincheck and get some lunch prior to jury duty.  Irarely take lunch by myself out except in the car and I was hungry for El!Patio! so that's where I went.  I thought about George Patton and sang the little song in my head.

Shortly after I found  myself sitting next to my salsa sister in yet another courtroom waiting to be picked for a group.  TJ went through his usual explanations and called roll.  A lot of people didn't show up.  I was fortunate to get panel A so I got to leave early.  Poor SSista had to wait and have hers drawn. 

I visited Mozella and family this morning and she still loves me thank goodness.  When I came out of the county courthouse I found Mamye wandering around looking at the war memorial stuff on display wondering about something to honor her dad and brother who are WWII and Vietnam vets, respectively.  She followed me to the house where she gave me a knife to kill anybody who tries to get me.  Another one.

Since bond was reduced on the felon and my other keys are "out there" I figured it might be a good time to have the locks rekeyed so I got to see Mike Sipes live and in person for the first time in years.  Mamye had followed me home so we all had a nice visit.  Only two more days and I get one off.  Yay me!

The moon's a harsh mistress~

 

resist

A spirit is a tough thing to kill but it happens all the time.  People just lose sight of possibility for change and accept the norm like sheeple of the Hunger Games persuasion.  I can tell you right now I'll go down quick when it comes to that kind of warfare.  I am a rebel by nature and feel really constricted when somebody tells me what to do outside the normal limits.  Freedom of speech and expression of personal beliefs are guaranteed by the Constitution.  Sadly, that even includes white supremist mountain men who kill those who stand up for that right.  This is what you know who hath brought us.  I'll never say his name again.

There was a surprise in the mail about a class action suit against the pension fund that Wells Fargo currently holds for former and current employees of Methodist LeBonheur Healthcare.  If I read it right the class is petitioning to have that pension funded for longer than the next 15 years as the defendants are seeking ERISA protection as a church.  As we all know *ahem* the county commissioners voted in the early eighties to sell our county facility to MLBH against the wishes of most every staff member including physicians.  It was a pissing match against Baptist Memorial for the feeder hospitals along highway 51 toward the Shelby market.  The county got an extra ten million over market value for an outdated facility.

There were 7 of us and it was a clusterfuck of epic proportions as all of us went from paper to computers.  MLBH scooped the whole deal up with plans to headquarter in Jackson.  My most favorite O ever was Dick McCormick who got thrown under that bus prior to a 2003 sale to Community Health Systems. My mother stayed mad at the UMC until her death for that but she still kept showing up for services.  That's faith.

So umm.  I'm two days into a 7 day stretch.  Fortunately today didn't involve any standing around in lead so I managed to visit Kim and order some tabs for the ginormous blood bank manual.  I never said I was good with deadlines, but I get them done.  We chatted with Benny today about the car theft and he actually knows the guy who found crackhead in his truck on Jamestown Road.  What a small world it is.

Keep smiling ~

respect thy elders

Our mayor is 95 years old and holding.  Back in the day she worked at the hospital too in central supply where the surgical instruments were sterilized.  It was an entire department dedicated to autoclaving stuff then.  Everybody loved her, me included.  One of her favs was our pathologist Dr Palacios, a Cuban refugee who eventually retired to ( of course ) somewhere in Florida.  Before him was Dr Inclan, also a boat person.  Mozella was a latecomer to the community not showing up until around 1945 when she married Earl and they proceeded to have a bunch of kids and live life in that little house that still stands in their memory about to slide off the hill into the bottoms.  She is close to being with Earl and Ronnie and all the others after a life well lived.  If I had a nickel for every B12 shot I've given her, I'd be a rich woman.  "Now chile..."  It's another piece of my heritage fading away.  I've had a lot of good times with her family over the years.  

We had some flash flooding today which means I drove through a ton of water to get up the hill.  I got word from the insurance adjustor today that a check is on the way to replace my spare and partially cover the tow from grand theft auto.   My house smells like rosemary because I cooked some chicken last night in the crock pot with homegrown plus a little basil.  I was too hungry to wait for it but it'll be good warmed up.  

Marvelous Monday, indeed ^j^

recovery

I have a seven day stretch at the sawmill in front of me so I've taken this weekend to hibernate like a bear.  After sleeping in until 10:30 yesterday I was back in bed with the dogs by 7:30 and snoozed until 9 today.  It's rained on and off so no redneck waterhose is necessary.  I ventured out to the nursing home today to see Mozella but she was out like a light snoring so I let her sleep.  As she would say " now chile " ........

Just got off the phone with Bubba who is coming off of vacay tomorrow.  We're finalizing our burial plans, etc at the little graveyard down by the river on Gerald's place. He took the lead and got it all done legally.  I love me some brothers. Tommy called yesterday while he was en route to do weather in Charlottesville.  That's about the only chance he has to talk what with kids and business.  

Millette and Ron showed up mid-afternoon with a truck full of stuff for Reaves.  My living room looks like Toys R Us.  The blessings just keep on coming.  

That's my story and I'm sticking to it ~

slowing down

My friend Kay and I were talking yesterday as we walked down the steps to get breakfast about getting older.  She's a year ahead of me but seems to have boundless energy whereas I'm usually dragging ass around like an old lady.  I will be 62 in a few months which is something that seemed impossible when I was a thirty something and thought I had the world by the tail. Boy was I misguided!

I remember over the years that my parents told me it would go quickly, and more so as you get up in years.  The days and weeks just kind of blend together now consisting of work and more work with very little time for fun.  If life were fair, 62 would be normal retirement age for full benefits including healthcare.  That way the working middle class could enjoy the fruits of their respective labors.  Probably the biggest reason that most of us continue to work is for the insurance which is pretty sad.  I love my job and the people that I work with.  I'm just kind of wore ass out.  

I ventured out into the heat this morning to pick up a prescription for doxy following a tick bite.  Planning my route, I got detergent at a twofer price at Walgreen's and gas at the next convenience store.  I know I need to get out more but I cherish the quiet time here on the farm.  Finally I picked up the estimate for a spare tire replacement from Patterson Brothers which will complete my insurance claim on the car theft.  And then I go to court on Friday to face him.  I'll be sure to take a blood pressure pill that day.  

The passenger side door handle has now broken off so it's back to the scrap yard for all that again.  The only way to get in and out on that side is now by doing the smooth move under the broken off OUTSIDE handle to open the door.  Luckily nobody ever rides with me much.  

Cousin Mo is about to hit her storage shed with baby items for Reaves on the way.  Bless her in this heat is all I can say.  She's one of those with natural beauty who never seems to sweat.  

Serenity ~

say my name

I work with a lot of people, about 500 to be in the ballpark.  For the past month i've been on an alternate work assignment and have learned a lot about how the heart can be repaired.  I sit in that room covered in lead that is like a surgical suite with people who have been referred for treatment.  Most of the staff gets called by name.  I'm the random one in the corner who gets called sweetie looking like a nuisance to them.  We talk and cut up and share history but for the most part it's all business.  We need our jobs.  I'm an outsider.  

Aside from all that, my photography teacher came out and walked me down to the dairy barn to take pictures with his fancy ass camera.  His wife didn't have the shoes for it and he was on a mission with the tripod so there you go.  Did I mention how I hate to sweat?  I'm healing nicely from the derm treatments last week and looking forward to a date with the nitrous again so we can start with new skin that isn't sun damaged.  It's more user friendly than chemo.  

Here's the thing.  If only I had some cannabis oil this would all be a moot point.  Big Pharm has kept that issue at bay for many years.  CBDs have a positively curative effect with holistic health but this is illegal in most venues these days.  What a shame.

I blame you know who.

the heat is on

As usual, we're at 90 on the 1st day of June here in TN and lord how I hate to sweat.   I enjoy the growing season, but not much else about summer.  Since I can't be out in the sun and water because of previous sun damage, the thrill is totally gone.  No more pool for me.  I would like to have just a little wading pool to put in the shade but then it gets full of grass so there ya' go.  I spent all of my teenaged summers as a fair skinned lifeguard at the Moose Pool so I got an early start on the damage.  Sunscreen?  Pffft, I thought.  Let's get a tan.  I'm paying dearly for it now.  

I went to get my tags renewed today only to find that the state had put a hold code on the registration because of the theft. Ten minutes on the phone with them by a lovely woman at the county court clerk's office fixed the problem.  Ooops, they said.  Forgot to remove that hold when the car was found.  Next Friday is when I face dude in court.  I'm sure he will be sorry his thieving self got caught in a string of burglaries and whatnot.  Buh bye.  

Right now I feel like I'm in purgatory....stuck in the middle forever.  I'm trying to be quiet enough to hear God's voice in the midst of all the chaos.  The no worry stone was in my pocket all day today for just that reason and I rubbed it often as I ran here there and yon.  I'm feeling a shift toward self care which is always a good thing.  

^j^