red state reflections

Well folks, today is the day we've all been waiting for.  The weather here is pretty scary, high winds and storms coming.  Anybody who doesn't vote before 2PM will likely get soaked.  My vote was cast on day 2 of early voting because that's how I roll.  I chose blue on all three choices, though I know that in Tennessee that is not the norm.  Even so, my vote counts in the long run.  My home church is having a drop in prayer vigil today because, honestly?  There is a lot at stake here.  Democracy is the main thing.  I have heard all the jabber from Trump supporters and listened to his hate filled rallies.  And I just don't get it.  It is a very close race and if Harris wins, there will no doubt be more of the same as in 2020.  

Much of the talk about this election has centered on womens' rights and separation of church and state.  Had the Republican party chosen a candidate besides DJT, I would have given some consideration to that.  The man is a trainwreck filled with anger who thrives on the attention that his supporters give to him.  Unless you believe the conspiracy theory that George Soros bused in people on Jan 6, it should be clear what his agenda is.  Violence is key.  So is a lack of respect for the process of electing a president.  I watched that whole thing unfold with my late friend Joy and it chilled me to the bone.  I also watched a lot of the hearings led by Liz Cheney who is a Republican.  My respect for her is huge.  Many people who were big shakers and movers during the Trump administration have come out with stern warnings about another presidency for him and our country.  If you have watched The Handmaids Tale, you know how I feel.  I may just move to Canada if he wins.  

We, as a country, have lost the respect of the global community because of all this "crap."  The economy?  Not booming but maintaining.  The stock market?  Doing well.  Inflation is rampant and that is not the fault of our president.  One Trump supporter remarked to me that he wants lower gas prices and interest rates like during the Trump years.  Ummm. Okay then.  But what about wars?  I distinctly remember when Dubya and Cheney started one in Iraq and Afghanistan that killed thousands of our military and gave a whole of the rest of them PTSD and other health problems.  War is hell.  I have never believed that we as a country should be involved in the wars of other countries.  It always ends badly with a lot of money spent and a lot of lives affected here and abroad.  That is their business, not ours.  If national security is at risk, we should take care of our own.  

My life is very complicated on a lot of different levels right now.  While you are praying for the country, keep me in mind.  I expect a lot of trolling by conservatives who like to have the last word.  So be it.  I stick to my convictions and beliefs ^j^

the adventures of gobo and ava, and also roellen

About a year ago my daughter Lauren was out door dashing in the Bells area with 2 kids in tow.  Lo and behold they saw two dogs running in the middle of highway 412.  She stopped and picked them up to haul them back to her house.  Little did she know at the time that their owner had been murdered in front of them by her husband.  Domestic abuse about two blocks away.  After they returned to Jackson, she began to piece together the details after their owner's body was found in the back seat of the car while her killer husband chilled in the house.  Needless to say, he is gone for a very long time.  The doggos, however, have lived with Lauren since then. Reaves and her brother loved them like crazy.  They lived inside and she faithfully took them for walks several times a day, scooping up Ava's giant poops with plastic bags.  She received some very generous help from the victim's family and rescue agencies but it just wasn't enough to care for two senior dogs.  Ava is a 130 llb black lab and Gobo is an Australian heeler.

As things happen, Lauren had to leave her home for treatment and the dogs were up for grabs.  They had already been through soooo much losing their beloved owner ( who was probably killed in front of them.  Both dogs were behind on meds, especially Ava who has a skin condition that causes her to itch terribly.  Sarah Kodad is one of those tireless souls who does rescue and foster placement and Lauren talked to her the day before she left.  Sarah sprang into action and found a temporary foster for them in Dickson until she could find transport for them to their next landing place in Hendersonville. Kim Storey Pugh took them to Dickson. My friend Patti called yesterday out of the blue to tell me that SHE was their transport to the next spot.  She lives in Murfreesboro so it was about an hour away to each place.  That is four hours of her time as a volunteer at her expense.   She said They slept the entire way to Hendersonville....exhausted from the displacement.  Sarah shared with me today that Gobo will have to be completely shaved due to matting from no grooming. The foster that has them now needs food for the two big eaters.  They will have a permanent home early next year but until then they are being cared for by kind souls who love animals and do the next right thing.  

I must say this, Paisha is smiling from heaven at all the love and care her babies are being shown.  I see a great big God at work here in more ways than one.  And I love it when that happens!  Sometimes we don't realize that God is at work until after the fact.  Sometimes it's immediate.  If you care to help with these two doggos, I have shared Sarah's FB post on my page asking for assistance with food.  If you have the means, please donate.  They deserve a good and happy life in their senior years.  

Many of you remember my two week foster of Roellen who turned out to be way too much for this old gal.  Before I ever got her, the local humane society gave me a 50 lb bag of dog food for her.  I delivered it to her new owner this week and Lori told me that she is living her best life where she can run in the country ( in circles ) and be a shop dog.  She rides with Lori's husband and son to pick up parts and greets customers at their shop.  Roe is a young dog with lots of energy and lived on the streets until Ann Dedmon and Shari Tidwell took her pregnant self in so that she could safely deliver the puppies, have them placed, and found her a forever home.  

Thank you all for caring.  Keep the faith ^j^

squirrel!

My attention span is very short, and has been for a long time.  I tend to wander around and do things half ass .  For example, I am currently watching Hillbilly Elegy and cleaning house while blogging.  It's how I roll.  Nothing much ever gets done unless I'm on a mission and today is not that day.  So much has happened in the past week that I can't really wrap my mind around it.  There will be a trip to Jackson next week to gather things up and return them to the homestead, once again.  Reaves is at Soberstock for day 2 of her depiction of Wednesday Addams, hand and braids and all.  Last night she went to her school fall festival.  Soberstock is a yearly event in the recovery community of Jackson.  I remember when she was just a newborn and I was there keeping her.  I could hear the band playing over at the nearby college for a football game as she swang in the little pink motorized thing that Julia gave her.  Soberstock was going on then but I didn't really realize what it was.  Now I do, seven years later.

I got 4 out of 5 stories done for She Magazine which is amazing considering the fact that I can't see well and I'm working on a very small computer.  As for Hillbilly Elegy, it ain't enough to convince me to vote for Trump.  The owner of the farm here returned to Traverse City MI yesterday about the time that Trump arrived, but probably earlier since DJT was 3 hours late.  And God bless Texas.

I will be in and out for awhile.  I had a very nice gig this past week with an old friend and we got caught up on every little thing plus ate breakfast every day.  The most important meal!  Surprisingly we hooked up with another old friend from CA who was in town for a couple of days and we had a great time at Cracker Barrel oohing and ahhing over the pretties in the gift shop.  Not that I can afford any of that.  Window shopping is cool.  Elizabeth bought a couple of Christmas gifts for friends while I sat outside soaking up the last warm day.  That's what those rockers are for.

Y'all be faithful and remember who you are ^j^

seriously?

Everybody is so excited to vote that there were zero parking spots in downtown D'burg yesterday.  I managed to snag a spot today and get in and out in 10 minutes then ate breakfast at Dave's.  They told me yesterday was WILD and it looks like today will be the same.  There are signs saying "no campaigning beyond this point" yet I saw a big ass truck parked right in front to the office with a huge Trump thing on the back.  Hmmm.  I seriously don't respect people who don't have their minds made up before they show up and are swayed by that kind of thing.  If you don't know who to vote for, don't go.  Research it and find a candidate with which you have common ground on the issues.  This election year has been one for the history books.  Enough said.

I am a writer and I am struggling right now.  Not with inspiration or lack of interest but with failing eyesight and lack of proper equipment.  I am currently using a Chromebook that was given to me by my friend Jay a few months ago.  My eye doctor has declared me eligible for state assistance with improved options for  vision impaired users.  Nothing so far.  When my mom developed macular degeneration in her 70s she got a keyboard that had yellow keys which are much easier to see than the black with white.  I was at the State Gazette today and noticed that one staff member had a keyboard with white keys and black letters.  They were BIG keys too.  That is what I need. Maybe my readers would chip in for something more user friendly.  Or not.  Times are hard and nobody has money for a GoFundMe.

I went to the doc yesterday for the 2nd time in a week and he seemed to be a bit outdone with me.  I don't blame him.  He's younger than me and way overworked in a system where everything changes on a dime and he has to watch his ass on everything.  I got a steroid shot which helped and a Zpack for the URI.  Plus some cough medicine.  I feel better today except for the nagging pain in my scalp which is uh...occipital neuralgia??  It woke me up last night along with leg cramps because I can't afford PT co-pay anymore.  But I digress.  Life is good on so many levels.  

historic day

The Dyer County courthouse has been undergoing renovation for many months now.  I don't normally show up there and have been dodging the equipment while driving through downtown.  Lucky me got pulled for jury duty beginning September 2nd through today.  Panel C.  We have only been called twice and the first time I didn't get picked.  Today was supposed to be a trial so I headed out early to eat breakfast at Dave's before 9.  They were closed!  Probably because of fall break.  Anyway, I wasn't about to go back home so I sat on the ledge out in front waiting for the doors to open at the courthouse.  I was scrolling through my phone when the judge approached and said "Don't you have anything to do?"  I explained about Dave's and he let me in since it was business hours.

Many of panel C were not present for roll call by TJ.  I noticed that there was no defendant at that table but brushed it off.  Once court was in session, we were told that there was good news and bad news.  The good news was that the case did not require a jury and we were free to go.  The BAD news was that we had to take the elevator down ( or the back steps.)  I chose the elevator.  I almost fell down the steps last time I was there.  

What made it historic is that it was the last time a jury pool would be assembled in that courtroom as we know it.  Beginning tomorrow the entire thing will be gutted as part of restoration and the coming jury pools will report to the temporary courthouse near the fairgrounds at a property bought by the county.  As I left I remembered all the other times that I had been there, including once as a witness.  In that particular case I was deposed at the end of the day by an attorney who is long gone.  It was a child custody case and I was a "surprise."  A final nail in the coffin, so to speak.

I had canceled my doctor appointment because of this so I called them back and said I could be there like, now.  They got me in and out in 30 minutes with a shot in each hip.  I do so love my PCP.  He is a curmudgeon by anyone's definition but he appreciates that I know my stuff.  It makes for short visits.  After a blood draw, I was free to go once again.

I'm having trouble keeping up with things since Roellen ate my calendar and you certainly can't get a new one in October.  I reckon I will have to learn how to use my phone for that.  I really prefer having a day planner but, there ya' go.  

Prayers up for all those who have been hit by Helene and Milton.  That was sure a double whammy for Florida.  It's still not real to me that Reba is gone but it hit like a ton of bricks when I went by her house to visit with her daughter and son-in-law yesterday.  As Nancy and I walked into the kitchen to get me some bereavement food, I remembered all of the times that Reba and I sat at that kitchen table talking about life.  

Y'all be grateful and faithful ^j^

love you bigger

My dear friend Reba passed away on October 4th, two days before her 86th birthday.  We have known each other for a very loooong time because she and her husband Joe were running buddies with my parents back in the day.  Following her very serious vascular surgery last June, she hired me to be her gal Friday.  And so our friendship continued in a much closer fashion for a year.  

We were polar opposites in many ways.  I wore no makeup and dressed like a slob and she put on makeup and matching outfits every day.  We did lunch all over the area and shopped at Walgreens.  She even bought me some makeup and Hempz lotion on one outing.  She had gorgeous red hair that got done at her home by Connie.  In the end, she was taken care of by home health and her daughter Nancy.  I was there overnight on several occasions sleeping on the couch and listening for her footsteps and the walker.  We would wake up early, eat a biscuit from Mel's and watch TV or scroll through Facebook on our separate devices.  Then we would figure out what to do for lunch.

She told me a lot of stories about her past.  Reba worked as a dental hygienist for many years, first for Dr. Talley and then for Dr. Young.  Everybody loved her, including her clients.  Her stories included tales of her and Joe and my parents going on road trips to the White River.  One in particular sticks in my mind.  Daddy was pretty impatient and they had eaten lunch somewhere and Joe had to go.  Like bad.  Daddy pulled over on a field road and Joe did his business but there was no TP to be had.  On the next trip, Joe drove and there was a handmade TP holder on the dash.  

In his later years, Joe and Ernest came down to the riverbed to fish and when I was down there taking pictures I would run across them.  My favorite pic of all time is of those two. I would drive that trusty old Camry down through the fields and find a spot by the slough to explore.  

Reba was always the hostess with the mostest.  When somebody needed a meal, she whipped it up and delivered.  She was adamant that all cabinet doors be closed and I learned to do that during my time at her home.  Plus, organizing the silverware according to pattern. My mind doesn't usually work that way but I did it for her.  She knew exactly how to stack the bowls and soup cups to make it work. 

We talked politics a lot because we are both Dems.  She told me about the yellow dogs back in the day and I feel sure that she is voting from heaven for a more peaceful democracy.  Every time I left her whether at home or hospital or rehab, I said "I love you big."  Her response was always "I love you bigger."  I miss you Reba ^j^   

walking across egypt

I fell in love with Ckyde Edgerton about 40 years ago at the Southern Festival of Books in Nashville.  It's something that I would have never done on my own but I tagged along with some teachers and experienced the joy of meeting writers and buying their books.  At the time I had a piano and played often so I sat down and played the song that Edgerton had written which was in the back.  I thought about that today at church when Mary Beth continued our journey through the Bible with Exodus.  I seriously needed that refresher on the Old Testament because, well.  I am not a scholar. We heard about the evil pharoah and how he was so alarmed at the number of Israelites that he ordered for babies to be killed to quell the population explosion.  Enter Moses.  You know the story about the baby in the basket in the Nile?  Yeah.  That one.  He promised to take the Israelites to the promised land from slavery in Egypt long after Joseph and his kin had died.  God is abundant and God will provide a way. I watched SNL on Sunday which is the only way I can get my humor on without live TV,  Not that I'm up at 1030 on Saturday night.  Ya' know?

We are all in this together and for the life of me I can't figure out why folks don't want to play nice and help each other.  When something bad happens, everybody wants to "help" but what about doing the next right thing?  My washer is stuck on rinse and spin so I'm trying to pull it out of the little cubby to unplug and reset.   I seriously need some muscle for that but it's just me so there ya' go. At least I have electricity and water, praise be ^j^