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^

first light

I woke up today early and had a bag leak due to pancaking.  I changed it and went back to sleep.  All I saw after a day of rain and wind was a few pecan limbs laying willy nilly out in the yard.  Others, however, woke to find that their lives are changed forever by Helene.  They have lost their homes, businesses, lives, and much much more.  What is so scary to me about this storm is that it moved so far inland and created havoc.  It is the inconvenient truth that Al Gore warned us about years ago.  Our infrastructure is crumbling and nobody cares.  At least nobody in charge.  

As a country, we put out fires when disaster happens rather than investing in pro-active measures.  FEMA. National Guard. All the things that do search and rescue when something goes bad wrong.  Imagine a world where dams are repaired before they bust and flood towns.  I live about 15 miles from the Mighty Mississippi and have seen my share of flooding and such.  Much of this disaster is man made and due to poor oversight of resources.  Back in the 60s the Forked Deer river was channeled by the corp to prevent the yearly floods that plagued Samaria Bend Rd.  It feeds into the Mississippi and Obion so when one floods all the others do as well.  I remember as a child going to town to live for a week when the water got too high to navigate.  On more than one occasion.  Even when I lived on a hill, when the river flooded in 2010 and 2011 the road was not passable.  

The river makes for rich farm land in the bottoms but is normally not ready to plant until late May or early June except for higher elevations.  By August those bottoms are pure dust in the wind.  I have lived here most of my life and seen the changes from year to year.  There are levees in place now to protect the crop land following a few blowouts.  Bubba took me down to see the work going on several years ago.  It cost a fortune I'm sure.  

Reaves is living in a new house that is bigger and probably pretty strange to her right now.  I miss her and I miss Lauren.  My vision is getting worse by the day which means it's hard to write and hard to drive.  Hell it's hard to see what's on the counter or the desk!  I tend NOT to whine but sometimes you just gotta' vent.  Much of my physical health is related to my life choices and genetics.   Having an emergency ileocolostomy five years ago put me into renal disease which has a whole 'nother set of problems.  I get my labs done on a regular basis and right now my creatinine is a bit high and my GFR is low.  But, it's better than it was two years ago.  I think my biggest problem right now is that I am B vitamin deficient.  Since the pills don't digest well considering my gut situation, I'm getting a shot every month.  We shall see.

I am asking for prayer right now for many people.  One of them is my friend Lorna who is suffering mightily.  If you read the list in the DFUMC newsletter, you know she has been there for months and months.  Keep praying people.  This woman needs some peace ^j^

sticker shock

I have been gone from home for almost a week and the cupboard was bare so I headed to Kroger this morning.  Not only was the inventory pitiful but the prices were outrageous!  I got a lot of food and household essentials but it cost me almost 250 bucks.  And no, I don't blame Biden.  I blame corporate greed.  My search was focused on things that don't take a lot of effort to cook but I ended up with lots of ideas for recipes  that I love.  Like easy chicken pot pie and warm spinach parmesan dip.

My heart is a lot lighter now that Roe has a new home and is happy there.  I felt soooo bad about failing her but it just didn't work for either of us.  It takes a village and she ended up where she needs to be.  As usual, this too shall pass.  My SS class has been praying about our situation, bless their hearts.  I reckon that prayer was answered.  

The state of our world is kinda' sorta' scary right now on all levels.  I gave that to God a long time ago so I'm not worried.  When my time comes, I know that I have lived a good life and had a lot of joy.  Sure, things have been hard at times but that is when we grow in faith.  I find comfort in knowing that those who have gone before me will welcome me to the next life.  

Y'all stay safe and remember who you are ^j^

roellen

Me and her spent a couple of really interesting weeks together here on the farm.  Shari brought her to me about the time her sixth litter of puppies was weaned. There were seven but two of 'em died.  Shari got them all places because she is the dog whisperer,  so to speak.  Girl has plenty on her plate but will always do the next right thing for an animal or a person. It was just yesterday that I came to understand that Roe living here was not a good idea for either of us, or Rosie.  After I posted that she was leaving, a whole bunch of folks chastised me for giving up too quick on her.  None of them know my situation and thus placed blame on me for not trying hard enough.  Go back and mind your own biz, and judge not.  

That judgment is what bothers me the most whether it be in church or in politics or both. Many voters have an agenda. Many Republicans embrace pro-life stuff, except when it comes to mass shootings at schools.  Legally speaking, if a woman is on her own and can't take proper care of the child, it punts to the state.  In Tennessee that pretty much is a wash.  At least now Medicaid pays for diapers.  That was not the case when Reaves was a baby.  I reckon Medicaid got expanded somewhat.  But not nearly enough. 

I watched the debate on YouTube and had to stop in 

about halfway in.  It was like a reality tv series where smart woman smacks down elderly idiot with a bad tan. I never imagined in my 69 years that I would see Roe v Wade handed over to the red states to police reproductive healthcare for women.  Cue *handmaids*

I am rambling but this is about Roellen.  I love her so much but I know my limits.  She deserves better than being in the house all the time and crated when I'm gone.  Should I have thought it out more?  Sure.  She followed me every step I made and ran like the wind in the empty field across the road.  She loves other dogs but not so much cats.  Poor Rosie was traumatized from the get go and spent about 3 days on the steps to the attic.  It is not Roe's fault.  She's a street girl and deserves a better life than what I can give her.  I feel sure she will be placed where me and the rest of her  tribe can visit and bring treats.  It takes a village ^j^