nitrous notes

I went to see my old friends Kim and Kent at the derm clinic today and got hit with the nitrous on multiple places.  A few were marked but mostly he just went up and down my legs and arms with the nitrous and made me suffer.  It's worth it to not get skin cancer.  I got a couple of prescriptions which I may or may not be able to afford. We shall see.

Reaves took a sick day because of a 101 temp so she and Lauren came to hang out.  Sophie didn't show up until right before they left.  The only way I knew that they were actually here was tell tale evidence of strawberry yogurt and a kid's YouTube video on the screen.  It was a busy day.

I don't know what causes keratosis other than a build up of keratin on the skin.  I have it everywhere but some of them are harmless except the actinic ones are pre-cancerous.  I am prone to fungal infections and my original reason for the visit was to check out a spot of ringworm on my face.  They said it would come back thus the oral.  I asked him if it was hard on the kidneys and he said no, but the liver yes.  So far my liver is good and doesn't hate me.  He also had blood drawn for a different kidney function test that I had never heard of that is supposed to be better than GFR, BUN and CREA.  Again, we shall see.

Bubba gifted me with several pounds of sliced tenderloin so I cooked half on the grill and half in the oven.  Now it has to be bagged up for another day.

Y'all be blessed ^j^

the bracelet

Back in the sixties and early seventies we all got bracelets with a service member's name and date of death engraved. I still had mine until the move but ran across an old picture of it from Memorial Days gone by.  He went MIA in the jungles of Vietnam in October of 1969.  I treasured that piece because to me it was an honor to pay tribute to a veteran who never made it back from a war that I despised. I went to the service uptown today and loved every minute of it.  There was a beautiful rendition of the songs from all branches of service and I found myself humming along.  

The girls and I went swimming after I got home and the water was frigid and wind high!  Two of the table umbrellas blew over.  Lauren and I chased one over to near the golf course greens.  No grillin' here today.  Reaves has a new getup with a floatie vest which is much easier to learn to swim in.  I predict that by summer's end she'll be an expert.  

God bless America ^j^

big plans

Lauren came today and according to my friends with pools the water is cold. Reaves was a the lake having family time and running wild, I'm sure.  LP got a little work done  while snuggling with Rosie.  That's the highlight of her visits now.  As for me I sat on the deck and just chilled.  We're good like that with doing our own thing.  

We have two pool possibilities tomorrow and I imagine Reaves will take the polar plunge at one of them.  Of course we will be nearby to supervise and maybe get in a dip or two. Her little swim bag is packed and ready and the swimsuit is seriously cute.  

It was really cold at church today so Marcia offered me a blankie and I covered myself up like Mother Teresa. I was a newbie at 5th Sunday in Koinonia which involves food.   I was scared to eat because el baggo has been acting up.  It all looked amazing!  We have a prospect for music director who will be visiting next weekend.  Our kids minister is looking for help with several events this summer. I reckon Tori has the whole thing set up on a wing and a prayer.  And thus, the sermon was not about the Christian calendar but about children and how they need mentors and not to be shot with an AR15.  

I'm going to the Memorial Day parade tomorrow in downtown D'burg.  There are probably very few WW2 vets left but many from Vietnam onward.  Y'all come!

memorial day

It's the official beginning of summer, you know.  But it is much much more.  This federal holiday is to honor those who died in defense of our country and other peoples who were being pushed around.  Wars are usually politically driven and orchestrated by world leaders like Putin.  Many times since we have felt the REAL threats of world wars and those that had nothing to do with protecting our citizens made me sick.  Vietnam.  Desert Storm.  Iraq. Afghanistan.  etc etc.  I have seen PTSD up close and personal through veteran friends of these wars.  One of the happiest stories, though, involves Joe Deak of the US Army. I first met him when we went on a beach trip long ago with his wife to be Heather.  He had been working as a contractor after his deployment and made a whole bunch of money.  He wanted to be a nurse, and not just any old kind.  He specialized in psych nursing and is the kind of guy who knows the horrors of violence.  

Guns.  We watched intently as all of the mistakes that were made in Uvalde were reported on the news.  A door propped open.  An hour of 911 calls with no breaching the building.  There were over 500 kids in there.  The classroom was locked but they had to find janitor to get the key.  Tick..tick...tick.  Parents were trying to storm the building and the policia kept them out which was a good idea I suppose.  They said they didn't want to add to the death toll.  I can guarantee you if my kid was in there I'd be knocking the damn window out and daring the "mentally ill" person to drop the weapon.  I'd probably get shot in the process but that's a parents' instinct.  

Stop telling me that it's not about availability of repeating long guns.  That is the coward's way out.  And as for Governor Abbott, he blamed it all on mental illness for which he cut funding recently.  Thoughts and prayers.  There are stations set up every which a where for grief counseling and assistance through June 3rd.  Meanwhile the NRA is up there in Houston letting Trump run his mouth.  It's disgusting.  

This is, indeed, a partisan dilemma.  The vote for gun safety legislation depends on the Senate and they're kind of stubborn about the second amendment.  Afraid to piss off that financial sector, so to speak.  Mental illness is indeed a big part of the problem because it's all about people who can't control their anger.  Yet mental health evaluations are hard to come by even for us normal folks.  The entire healthcare system is screwed up because of profit driven delivery of care.

In other news, Rosie caught her first mouse in the middle of the night and woke me up doing it.  Last I knew we were snoozing together and next thing I find her chasing Mr. Jingles under the staircase.  She had him but I didn't want to deal with mouse guts at 3AM so I pulled her off and put her outside.  Then, back to sleep.

We are all in shock about all the news these days.  Inflation is starving folks to death and fuel is just ridiculous.  Everybody is struggling with something.  But you know what?  We're all in it together.  Unity can be had when differences of opinion are respected and we meet in the middle^j^

thoughts and prayers

I am totally done with the Senate's inaction on approving background checks for gun purchases.  A waiting period is also not a bad idea.  To think that some guy whose entire family was scared of him went in and bought two automatic rifles at the age of 18 stunned me.  I flashbacked to Sandy Hook where what's his name killed his mother and stole her guns.  Not much has changed since then thanks to the NRA, the most powerful lobby in this country.  The second amendment guarantees the right to bear arms and it will always stand but....damn.  Something's gotta' give.  Long guns should be out of the picture except for law enforcement or military.  Period.  You want to shoot a duck or a quail?  Sharpen your skills with just a rifle.  Same for deer.  Hell no to open carry.  I guess that way at least you see them coming.  There is an entire empire devoted to selling repeating weapons with little to no oversight.  It has a lot to do with mental illness but that is no excuse and could be remedied with sensible laws.  Everybody cringes at the phrase "gun control" because they think the boogey man is gonna' come get your guns.  Not if they're legal kids.  The ghost gun industry particularly scares me.  These fools are on a mission and there should be serial numbers.    Rant over.

The Dyer County Farmer's Market opens in a couple of weeks which I look forward to.  My little crop is coming along and it looks like I'll have 'maters, squash and peppers.  Plus a shit ton of herbs.  We have baby peaches AND apples in spite of the high winds of late.  There are a bunch of bags of mulch out there too heavy for me to carry so I'm going to ask Ryan if Cody can do some of that.  I'll pay extra.  

Y'all be merry and bright.  Love ya' like chicken ^j^

you can't fix crazy

Me and Joy took a road trip to Ridgely today and had a very nice visit with Marilyn and Freddie.  It's like a zoo up there with all the hens and roosters running amongst the garden.  We were happily enjoying Kelly when Lester Holt broke in with the news about the latest school shooting in Texas.  Details are still sketchy but the whole thing is, as usual, horrific.  I think that some of us have become immune to it all just to preserve our sanity but this one hit home in a big way because Reaves will soon be in a public school at the age of the Sandy Hook kids.  

I am all for packing a gun if it is legally bought after a background check. I'm considering getting one myself just for protection.   Despite the fact that I'd probably shoot my foot off, it's better than being a sitting duck.  I will definitely have to take lessons.  At this point all I know is aim for the jugular.  Or have wasp spray.  

The DHS class of '73 is in the early planning stages of getting our old selves together sometime next year.  Darryl Partee is helping to dig up people's addresses and contact info and at some point we'll make it happen.  He lives close to the Panama City beaches and does cruises often with his wife.  She knows all the skinny on deals!

Keep on believing that good is stronger than evil ^j^

thunderation

I sat on the front porch watching storm #1 roll in and thought it was over.  I was hunkered down watching Ozark when round 2 hit and knocked out the power so I gave it up and stumbled to find a candle and into bed.  There were outages with both the city and Forked Deere with FD lasting for five hours.  I woke up when it came back on and all the lights were blaring so I turned them off, turned on the box fan and went back to sleep.  It was a booger of a storm with tons of lightning and thunder.  Oscar was, of course, terrified and when I tried to lift him up on the bed with me and Rosie he got me.  Not bad but still.  I guess I'm going to have to get him some doggie nerve pills!  

Since then and now, the girls have come and gone and it was the usual whirlwind.  All is quiet now and I'll bet Reaves is asleep on 412.  The three of us played multiple rounds of hide and seek and discussed how next weekend's swim date depends on her being good this week.  We are not above bribery. Just five days of respect for authority and you get to swim in the big pool chile'.  She actually asked me what I've been doing today which is a first.  Then she got impatient with me because I was on the phone with Tommy.  We catch up when he's driving ya' know.

It's like a circus at Gaga's house but we all love it and cherish the memories.  When we went imaginary swimming we had to come home and take a nap because we were tired.  That lasted about 3 minutes and involved turning all lights, closing the door and the blinds.  I don't take naps but that was a nice one.

Y'all be blessed and happy.  I'm a gonna' go catch the SNL season finale on Sunday afternoon.  Pete and Kate....I will miss you ^j^

doors wide open

The temperature has already dropped about 20 degrees since Lauren and I were at my friends' pool having girl time.  It took us forever to get there because we had to go to the 'gentral and then get loaded teas.  I love storms even though I know that they are dangerous.  We could hear the distant thunder while we were soaking in the pool.  I scored a seriously cute straw hat at the dolla' store.  

I see God's power in thunderstorms and always have.  I watch the radar closely so I know when to run for cover.  I'm not one to hide in the closet unless the sirens go off.  I have always been fascinated with it like my baby brother the ex-weather guy.  Living in Virginia, they expect most anything at anytime.  Here it's mostly either hot and humid or we get a break like this front coming through.  No swimming for Reaves tomorrow...high of 65!

I've been noticing my scars lately and they are many.  My left arm is covered with old scratches from Oscar before he became chill.  He even lets me rub his back where the crazy people cut him 9 years ago. That was way before you Patrick.  It took three years to clean up their mess so y'all could live there. Yes, there are spiders and snakes.  We live in the country.  There are also people who ride motorcycles and tractors and ATVs.  That's what I love about being here at the homeplace.  Except for dude who pulled into my driveway and wanted to leave his rig here because the junkyard was closed.  I don't really think I need a gun because I know when I feel threatened.  Maybe just a good knife or a can of mace!

Come together, right now.  "The Beatles"

oscar

I didn't know it until FB told me..today is national rescue day.  The way that Oscar came to me was over time.  He was being abused by my neighbors down the road and they were cutting his back.  He kept showing up at my house wanting to hang out and I called animal control for an investigation.  When they showed up at the idiot house the dude said "He's my cousin's dog and I didn't do it."  He said he couldn't afford to feed him what with all his special needs children and whatnot. I adopted him right then and there through the pound.  That was his last rabies shot.  He is now about fifteen and chilling on his bed.  He is one of the worst cases of animal abuse I have ever seen.  

I went from one cat to another through my move and now I have Rosie and Cali who is newly spayed.  Rosie don't weigh enough yet but she's getting there.  They both came to me by accident and I never wavered on helping them.  Reaves loves Rosie because she's a kitten and all over the place, though she did have a meltdown yesterday when we couldn't find Roe.  Cats are like that.

Dr. Pierce told me that if I just get Oscar in the car and drop him off he could be groomed. It will take a serious sedative but he does love to ride in the Escape...hell any car.  Cali just showed up like Al did last year but now she's fixed.   She took it well and was pretty confused when we got home.  Eating and drinking now but still jumping off the deck when it gets to be too much.

I'm sweating like a hog after hauling that waterhose all over the yard.  There should be rain tomorrow afternoon and night so that will help.  Happy weekend!

tired beyond measure

I got up way early today and took Cali for her fixing of the female parts.  Her post op instructions said to not let her run or jump a lot and the first thing she did was jump off the deck.  She had not eaten in 24 hours and was at first not interested.  Then she dug into the plate.  Rosie is hidden up somewhere because she knows she will be next when she gets to be four pounds.  

I am being pulled in a lot of different directions right now and seriously need to set some boundaries.  Me and Oscar took a walk this morning and that was my prayer time which I've been missing.  And now I have ringworm.  On my face.  From digging in the dirt.  Lerd girl.  Take a shower every day! One of my favorite dishes at Moustos is the parmesan crusted chicken which I almost mastered this evening in my own kitchen.  And there are leftovers. The key to the whole thing is pounding the chicken first.

I ran by the library today to get me and Joy some new books.  One of them was the continuation of the Jan Karon series about Father Tim and his bunch.  Mama loved that stuff.  The girls  came by for a short visit and Reaves wanted to go check the mail.  We held hands and looked both ways before we crossed.  She's dreading math though she already knows it.  We did a little paper game to come up with how many two plus four is.  She counted them and exclaimed "Six!"Then it was Jillian and Addie time.  We have a swim date on Saturday.

Let's all hold hands and work toward unity ^j^

ride or die

I'm normally the kind to brush things off but I'm really concerned for our country right now.  If people can't afford to drive, they can't work or take their kids to school. This has been a reality for the EU for quite some time because they use imported fuel.  Actually we all do, but the war has given the profiteers a chance to gouge us when times are hard.  If you can afford to go on vacation with gas at 4.50 a gallon, good for you.  I do well to afford to just get where I'm going around town.  And I'm pissed.  Do I think opening Keystone would help?  Maybe.  But consider the collateral damage to our sacred ground, Mother Earth.  To me it's a wakeup call to quit wasting and start saving plastic bags to make a fake hornet's nest to keep wasps and bees away.

My baby will be going to real school in August.  Like, pre-K.  She is bored to death with daycare and is ready for it.  She and her adopted brother will go to the same Madison county school which is a long drive but a better learning environment for the both of them.  Thank God there's a village over there making it all happen.

Election season has begun and there are signs everywhere.  I have decided for three candidates that I will support and will vote accordingly.  It's always a gamble but if I know someone personally and respect their desire to be a part of government, I'm in.  I'm one of those who thinks my vote counts.  I think that both our city and county governments are seriously behind the times and playing the good ole' boy system.  So that's enough of that.   End of story.

I did the math and figured out that when Reaves graduates from high school I'll be 80.  Somebody's gonna have to take Gaga to the football field.  Just sayin'. I just had a visit from one of my candidates and he planted his sign and got a social media picture.  That's the way the game is played.

Love y'all like chicken ^j^

american history

I've been watching Gaslit for about a month now and I have to say that I was an ignorant child when Nixon was prez.  As in I watched the impeachment at DHS as a senior. They readily grouped us up in a room with a big TV and he said "I'm gone."  Consider the collateral damage of that decision regarding Watergate.  Yes men got threatened and sent to federal prison for 30 years and there was a whole crew.  UCMTSU.  These were very unsettled times because of the war.  I was only 14 when I made up my mind that Vietnam was wrong.

We have had a raccoon visitor and I found him dead behind the deck.  Using a shovel and my hands I threw dude into the wheat field to replenish the earth.  I think Oscar got him in a battle to keep me safe. Or not. Who the heck knows. Gotta go catch that sunset.  ^j^

shop 'til you drop

I hate to shop, period.  Yesterday I ventured to Marshall's because I have very little in the way of summer clothing other than shorts and t-shirts.  What I hate even worse than shopping is trying stuff on in the dressing room.  Therefore, I dropped almost 200 bucks there and will be returning all but three items because of size issues.  I am a little bit busty and because of the bag, require a larger than normal size of pants.  It's hard to gauge that until you try stuff on which I did when I got home.  My favorite piece was a floaty dress in a medium which was, shall we say, "snug" around the girls.  I tried to convince myself that it would work but the material is flimsy and I can just see me busting out of it.  Oh well, I won't be so hasty next time.  I'm tickled to have 12 new pair of panties from Amazon!  I was down to about four old ones that were raggedy.  

Church was very enlightening today with our ag guy SS teacher sharing the history of the NFA and the FFA.  I never knew the whole story until today.  Mary Beth preached a sermon we all needed to hear and brought up the controversy that is about to split the UMC as a whole.  I was so glad to hear it addressed in a loving and powerful way.  Personally, I think Jesus would not agree with what our book of  discipline says,  But that's just my liberal loving self talking.  

It's hot again and we got a surprise thunderstorm last night which woke me up to a big display of lightning and thunder.  Oscar was, of course, all up in my face shaking like a leaf.  He can't jump onto the bed and won't let me pick him up so he just cowered there until it passed.  

Y'all keep the faith ^j^

the duct taped bible

I was out and about so I stopped by to see what was happening at my old house and pick the last of the peonies.  I have a bucket full!  When I walked in the front door my first word was DAMN.  Two walls are gone leaving studs and opening up the view from the front to the back of the house.  He got me to go through a stack of old bibles before he gave them to a church and I found that three of them were mine.  All this time I've been looking for my duct taped life application version and there it was complete with a bookmark that I cross stitched back in the day.  One was my mother's presented to her by the UMC.  Two of them were inscribed to me by former pastors. I have been using my Daddy's life application because he did a lot of underlining.  That's how you learn...jump to the part that catches the eye.  Like leaving room for the spirit to work, so to speak.  

We got some much needed rain today and I'm hoping that my tomatoes survive the transplant from pot to bed.  Two our of the four look good.  The others are bigger and will take awhile to get established.  Time for fertilizer and Seven.  Joy and I went out to the Paws 2 Care headquarters today and I visited with old friends while getting Cali registered for a spay.  I was amazed that one of the other clients was looking for somebody to take her cat and "not just any old body!"  The humane society doesn't accept them and do well to get dogs adopted out.  I think they're pretty much no kill on canines.  For the life of me I will never understand those who choose to buy a pet rather than foster or adopt one.  The heart of the matter is that pet owners don't take charge of the spay and neuter thing.  Then the furbabies just go roaming.  I respect this organization and have helped raise money.  They need the help desperately.  If you're an animal lover, do me a favor and donate supplies or money or your time!

After the monsoon#1 I headed for home and ran across a car smooth in the ditch on 78 north.  Then there was some big to do by Cracker Barrel and Love's where the traffic light was out and DPD was directing traffic.  All went well as far as I could see.  Poor dude in the ditch though.  Lerd.

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

all tucked in

I went to get 'mater cages today and have them in Johnny's box all watered in.  Plus some squash seeds and a couple of peppers in the raised bed.   Who woulda' thunk it but they actually make 15 ft hoses which is how I will water the garden out yonder.  It was hot as hades so I waited until late in the day and was still drenched in sweat.  I'm inside cooling off now and praying for rain and the rest of spring.  

I had breakfast with Bubba and Harvey today and could hardly hear what we were talking about for all the chatter.  It's the place to be out there at Tim's.  Not being used to that sort of breakfast I passed on lunch and will have a light supper.  

My water was out when me and Joy came to deliver my groceries and I saw why when we left.  East Samaria Bend sprung a leak and DCSUD spent the whole day replacing the line.  I'm used to having a well so that was a surprise to say the least.  I banged on their office door until some chick and her cat opened it up and explained the whole situation.  "Look over there" she said.  And so I did a drive by and the nice young man showed me the hot mess they had on their hands.  When I got home this afternoon, it was all done.  

That was my day.  How was yours?

retrograde

It seems as if all the planets are in that phase plus there's a full moon coming on Friday the 13th.  Lord help us all!  I truly believe in that stuff.  The universe shifts when all of them act out.  I shared a post today from a friend of a friend of a friend about how when the addiction is gone it is replaced by other behaviors.  I've seen this a million times before where people went sober and their true character emerges, defects and all.  If you act it out in mean ways, that ain't cool.  God don't like mean, just saying.  

I hate the heat with all my soul.  Down here in West TN there is nary a breeze to cool things off when it gets up to 90.  I bought my 15 foot hose and wand today so now I just need 'mater cages and I'm set.  Chucky said the pool is open but still cold so we will prolly play in the water hose on Sunday when the girls comes.  Maybe Reaves will wash my car!

The class of 73 is beginning to think and plot about our #50 reunion.  We will probably keep it simple and on one day. We have a built in deejay and a lot of folks who are excited about getting together.  Motown rocks.

It's dark!  And still hot!  Today I am grateful for AC at five bucks a day ^j^

summertime

Well, it's here over a month before the official beginning.  It was almost 90 here today with a decent breeze which kept things comfy in the shade.  I have things to plant in Johnny's box but I'm not doing that until I get a hose nearby.  Tomorrow is payday so maybe it will be in the budget.  My 100 ft hose with a fancy wand is stuck til death do they part so I'll just have to put up with the leak and move it accordingly.  Heavy duty lifting!  Took my garbage to the curb this afternoon and I am trying to adjust to the heat.  It takes awhile when it's been spring for a minute.  I am encouraged by my latest kidney function results.  I haven't seen a GFR close to 40 in a year.  

Dinner is in process which will be cheese ravioli smothered in spaghetti sauce and Italian cheese.  Two pans.  One for now and one for the freezer.  If you're gonna heat up the house with cooking might as well do it in one spurt.  Joy and I visited her BFF today and sat in rockers on her front porch all lined up in a row.  They hold hands and talk about the old days and love each other to the moon and back.  That's what I want when I'm 90.

I am well aware of the havoc in not just this country, but the world.  Gas is four plus bucks a gallon.  Bread will go up by 38%

because of the Ukrainian wheat sitting on Russia's ships.  Covid is still rampant.  And the powers that be can't do a damn thing about it.  No, it's not Biden's fault.  It's the way of this greedy war mongering world.

I read about the corrections officer who planned this elaborate escape with the love of her life from the jail.  When things started closing in on her for the decisions she made, she shot herself.  I can't say for sure, but I think I would have too.  There was no other way out except for life in prison.  Her boyfriend will go back to jail and she's history.  How freakin' sad is that.

Y'all be blessed ^j^

rating the gentrals

I live in a town with a Dollar General at every convenient location.  I usually visit Four Points but I have found their aisles to be crowded with incoming bounty.  Truck runs now and then.  I've been to Evansville and Highway 78 North but both have bad lighting and low stock.  My favorite is the one on Forrest Street which normally has what I need in a pinch. Plus they have a kickass staff including Paula. East Court is a nightmare.  Lauren and Reaves came yesterday bearing gifts and we made slime all from dolla' store items.  It got stored in a small container that used to have that great chicken salad from Kroger.  Those things come in handy!

I cut the flowers for Mama's grave yesterday from my old house and Mozella's big white iris bed.  I didn't tarry long because she is not there.  After I placed those I meandered toward Finley and sat on the porch with Patsye and Sally.  And then the cows came out of the hills!  They were a sight for sore eyes.  

My Mother's Day dinner came from Subway on my adopted son's dime which was really sweet. We sat on the deck with all our critters running around all the while keeping up with who was where.  Oscar is now not in love with Libby but the other younger one.  Typical male.  The current head count is one elderly dog and two young cats.  They live on the porch so the hawks and coyotes don't get 'em.  Note to self:  More cat litter.

PRAISE GOD FROM WHOM ALL BLESSINGS FLOW ^J^

today's mystery

My car has a lock that operates with a fob like most others.  Me and Joy went to eat Mexicans today for lunch and when we got home I threw the key ring up on the dash like I always do.  When I went to get in it was locked.  Okay then.  Maybe I did the unusual and locked it and put the keys in my purse.  Nope.  I could see them laying on the dash right there in plain view and couldn't get in.  This meant I had to call my brother for help and he had JUST left the farm on his way to job #2.  I knew he would be ill with me but I had nobody else to call.  He drove back out to my house, got the extra key and then I gave him not quite the right directions to where I was.  I was standing in the road when I saw him drive by.  So then I got a lecture on direction giving.  Lerd.  Thank goodness I've got him to get me out of jams.  I now owe him a meal as a very humble thank you.  

The calico which I assume is Cali the lost is now a regular visitor.  I don't know where she's been but I'll bet she's got tales to tell.  She's very skittish so she eats and runs.  She wasn't really here long enough to get to know me before she escaped so I reckon it will take some time for her to warm up.  For a cat who had never been outside before, she has survived quite nicely.  Meanwhile, Rosie is snuggled against my back purring up a storm.  

I have more medical appointments next week including a blood draw for the nephrologist and a Prolia injection.  Those suckers bill for 5800 bucks!  My co-pay on that is 200.  This will be my last of four and there will be discussion about the nephro stopping the calcium supplement.  I sure don't need another kink in the hose.  

In my heart, I truly believe I've had Covid.  Maybe more than once.  I remember in late 2020 before the tests and shots came out being deathly ill with night sweats and pure misery.  That could explain the kidney damage.  With over 1 million deaths in a little over two years, I feel lucky.  Now onto rights.  

I was a senior in high school when Roe v Wade hit SCOTUS and abortion became legal.  It gave women the power to make choices concerning their own bodies if they were not financially able to care for an oopsie or the child was not viable.   That so called Christians are doing their best to take that choice away really makes me mad.  Who is going to take care of these fetuses that are born with no family unit.  I suggest that all these folks who are against a woman's right to choose adopt about five of them like Jesus would do.  When Lauren became pregnant with Reaves it was a much less than ideal situation, yet she chose to have what would be her only child.  LP herself was an only child because I chose it to be that way.  My husband ( not so ) willingly had a vasectomy because it was much simpler than me having my tubes tied.  One office visit and snip snip, it was over.  We knew that it was not feasible for us to have another child even though it was a miracle that Lauren was conceived.  God works in his own time and knows all.  I do not believe that the almighty nor Jesus would approve of all the hoopla that's going on right now.  If the decision is overturned,  there will be many unwanted children born and a lot of women will die trying to do the coat hanger thing.  These same people have also gone ballistic over something as simple as using placental tissue for medical purposes.  As Americans we have rights that are being taken away at every turn.  It is indeed scary.

For all you one woman/one man save the babies folks, I understand where you are coming from.  But that does not make you right.  God is the judge, not you and your church doctrine.  If I could tell you how many people I have seen die in agony because the medical system failed them in a humanitarian way it would make your head spin.  Nobody wants to die, but sometimes it is in the plan.  I've never understood why the hospice philosophy never caught on except that we as humans are stingy and don't have the faith that there is a better life spiritually than dying in agony.  

Peace and grace ^j^

the cat house

Little Rosie has settled in here like she owns the place and Oscar never bothers her at all. She's still tiny but eating like a horse and sweet as pie.  I was sitting on the deck the other day gazing into the nether regions when a full grown calico came onto the porch.  At first I thought I was seeing things, but then it came back.  And it's back again today.  Now, I'm figuring that we have two calicos that went missing within a year with the first being Lily.  Before I moved she just disappeared.  Lauren was heart broken because Lily was her "forever" cat.  Last year I adopted another calico named Cali from my friend Mary Gwyn who had always been an indoors cat and she managed to escape.  This one could be Lily, or Cali or just another stray calico but both of them are fixed so that's cool.  I can deal with more than one.  She won't come to me just yet but I put food out the other night and it was gone.  Could have been the birds or the squirrels but ummm..... It's gonna' be a rainy 24 hours so I hope she finds a dry spot to hole up.  Last I saw her she was out by the concrete pile in the edge of the field digging around.  Probably hungry.

I have no idea what's going on outside my little world because I'm avoiding it.  Too much bad stuff.  As I was leaving paradise today Joy was settling in with Kelly when NBC broke in with an alert that the markets tanked today.  Again.  All the talking heads will be pulling that to pieces for a bit.  Somebody told me that Trump is coming to Memphis for a rally at only seven bucks a ticket which means he's a cheap date.  I bet some big Trumpster will buy them all up to create a seemingly full house.  Choke on it y'all.  I remember when Clinton and Gore came to the burg and I took an elementary school aged LP out to see the spectacle downtown.  Those tickets were free.

With mother's day coming up I'm planning to visit Mama's grave with a vase full of iris and peonies.  I picked some of Mozella's white and purple ones today along with a few of Ethel's yellow from Pate Street that are in my old yard.  Daddy's peony bush has only produced one big bloom so far but it's loaded so I hope to have some of them for Mom.

Honor 'yo mama ^j^

my inner cook

I love to cook and in my mind I could do all things if I had the counter space and a few Cuisinart items like a stand mixer.  Since I lack the proper tools to do the job right, I often end up improvising and  making it work.  Then there's a big mess to clean up!  At least now I have a dishwasher.  I have the timer on my phone set for a dish that I made today and kinda' sorta' screwed up because the recipe wasn't right in front of me.  I think it will work though.  When I think back to the miracles my mother made happen in that tiny kitchen, I am amazed.  She worked and had three kids and a farmer husband.  He planted a big garden every year and she preserved most of it for the winter.  We never went a Thanksgiving without home grown purple hull peas.   I guess I get my passions from both parents. 

I watered my plants yesterday and then it rained so they should be in good shape for a day or two.  My total T4 hasn't been checked in years so that came back a tad low but the kidney numbers were, not great, but better.  I'll take it.  Now my levothyroxine goes back up to 100 mcg which is what I was taking until my TSH got normal.  Probably the reason for that was a low T4.  Who the heck knows.  I got a steroid shot which has done wonders for the allergy hell and given me a bit of energy.  

The sun is playing hide and seek with the clouds as it begins to set.  I usually don't even think about eating until it's gone and dark but that means I end up eating right before bed.  Not good, especially for an ostomate.  I prefer to eat a light breakfast, larger lunch and small evening meal.  Plus, I snack a lot.

As soon as the chicken voila is done I'll be headed to the deck to watch the end of another day.  I never thought I'd be back here where I began and loving it.  I am blessed ^j^

daily cheese

I have learned from my fur baby friends Larry and Gay that dogs love cheese no matter what kind.  And Oscar gets his!  I have all appliances running and it's noisy but the dog and cat are immune to it.  Last time I saw Rosie she was on the rotted out lower level of Larry's donated wicker table on the back porch.  It's her hidey hole.  She met Joy today and they instantly fell in love.  There's a litter box and a food station out there so she's safe and comfy.  If it rains, she can come in.  Actually she slept with me last night!

I'm prayin' for rain on these flowers and stuff.  It's way too hot and humid to be running around with a hundred foot hose and a leaky wand to keep things alive.  When hoses go on sale (right) I will get a short one and a new nozzle for the veggie bed over by the wheat.  Baby steps is how I roll.

Y'all have a marvelous Monday and keep the faith ^j^

running down a dream

I am an idea person but not really good on pulling together the details.  I work part time and juggle doctor's appointments and housekeeping.  These past three days I've been slowly, in spurts, putting the plants in the ground that I've gotten from friends.  I still have a long way to go but I think I'll just keep them in water and wait until it rains.  I was counting on it yesterday but, nada. Bubba says the crops don't need it which is true.  There's a big swamp behind me where a ditch drains out of the wheat.  On the upside, if it don't rain you don't have to mow, so there's that.  

I got a message after church that the girls were coming back because they didn't get enough Rosie love yesterday.  I love the way we roll because Lauren and I take turns playing with Reaves and we each do our own thing.  This is the perfect place for a kid to roam and play in muddy puddles.  Learning about nature, so to speak.  It has taken two days to teach her how to be gentle with a kitten and I think she's got the picture now.  

Church was kinda' sad today as we said goodbye to another staff member who is moving to her next assignment in Iowa.  I shared with her about our " youth minister" who was actually doing double duty as an associate. That was ummm......40 years ago.  Before that we had Sunday school teachers and MYF leaders and whatnot.  This man actually managed to form a teen council. Our SS teacher today was a young man who is an ag major and professor at UTM.  He shared his history with us and at Emily's reception I HAD to talk farming with him.  If it's in your blood, you are kin.

It's a school night, as Lauren tells Reaves when it's time to go.  I'm headed to my PCP in the am for refills and something for this awful sinus disease I've had for a month.  Like a super shot!  And also labs to check on the old GFR.  It's never ending.  But you know what?  I feel lucky to be alive ^j^