flames of faith

This is Pentecost Sunday coming up so I may find something red to wear.  We started with some parking lot worship back during COVID and have continued to grow and prosper.  Bumps in the road?  Of course.  There is a core group of believers there who understand what it means to be UMC.   We are closely related to Cumberland Presbyterians and Episcopalians.  Lots of liturgy.  We believe in acolytes and cross bearers and Todaneka's latest outfit.  Lutherans are also similar in beliefs.  I only knew two Lutherans in my life and they both explained it to me.  

Our faith is reeling right now as we try to get back to the mission of being a believer.  From the manger to the cross and onto the road to Emmaus, we discover who Jesus really is and what kind of torture he went through to save us all.  What a gift!  I never feel guilty at all because I know that I am forgiven for making mistakes.  That's the bottom line ^j^

not grounded and blessed

Six days ago the not so trusty Ford Escape died on me and I barely got it to the shop where the transmission was pronounced DOA.  Bubba took me to church on Sunday and a friend brought me home after.  On Monday my dear friend offered to let me use her extra car until I get mine back.  It is way fancier than mine and by the time I learn it I'll be back in the Escape.  It is a costly repair and it didn't take much Googling to find that it's a common problem with that particular transmission.  Thus, I am pursuing joining a mass action suit.  The car is paid for ( thanks LPT ) so I'll be paying on the transmission for three years with a three year warranty.  I've never knowingly joined a class action, somebody always did it for me.  I had the same problem with an oil and fluid leak with the old Camry when it was almost out of warranty.  My cousin worked there and pushed it through even though I didn't have the proper receipts for oil changes.  There was a huge suit over that.  Toyota replaced the engine at almost 60K miles and I drove it until the trade in December 2022.  And  yes, I keep all service receipts now.  Live and learn.

I have missed Mother's Day with the girls and will now miss Reaves' graduation next Wednesday.  I miss those girls like crazy!  Lauren will be able to be there so she probably won't miss me much.  The humidity is horrendous and my neighbor is mowing his yard again since a blade or two of grass grew overnight.  That sound wears me out, not to mention the grass pollen blowing my way.  I went to the doctor yesterday and got a steroid shot, breathing treatment and a Z pack.  He told me every patient that he has seen is suffering with the same thing and he is too.  Thank God for central air.  Not spending much time outside with this air quality.  More rain is on the way for tonight and tomorrow and I haven't even looked ahead except to see that it's in the 90s next week.  The seasons are totally mixed up.  All I want is seventies and fifties with low humidity.  Is that too much to ask weather guy for?  In Tennessee it is.

Climate change is real.  Our basic rights are slowly but surely being taken away by the powers that ought not to be but are.  Mother earth is in a mess and I fear that we are careening toward WWIII.  I pray that is not true.  Peace be still ^j^

living on the edge

I take so  many things for granted like most people.  Bubba took me today to check on my car and it will 99.9% have to get a new transmission.  Then we checked to see if insurance pays for a rental in that situation and , no.  Then we made the rounds at Enterprise and Hertz and Hertz actually had sedans available "right now" but the cost is prohibitive.  $500 refundable deposit and 500 rental for a week.  

I decided to stick with Les and see what kind of magic they can do for me.  I mean, they already have the car and the keys. They are excellent mechanics in the age where dealerships try to rip you off and they try to save you money.  Small business, if you will.

I ordered by Door Dash last night and have some leftover lasagna so there is supper just waiting for me.  The ricotta kind of messed with my stoma situation but that's okay.  Two bag changes later, life is good.  Sometimes you just have to go for the dream and deal with the aftermath.

Thus far, my car is still sittin' where we left it on Saturday. They only have two bays and both are full with trucks.  I'm expecting a miracle at this point, ya know?  We even checked into a UHaul van at only twenty bucks a day but pay by the mile.  Just, no.  I will be happy to depend on  rides and wait it out.

Lord have mercy ^j^

prayers for my car and other mother's day stuff

I was doing Uber 2 duty on Friday when my transmission went out.  Barely made it home from Fowlkes.  So yesterday my friend Red came out and followed me to Lake Road Amaco.  It took thirty minutes with all the starting and stopping for the gears to change.  Bless him.  I got really bad news like 
"new transmission" from Boo so they now have my car.  The (not so) funny thing is that there have been multiple lawsuits against Ford for transmission problems on my particular model which is a 2015 Escape bought from Gene Langley in Humboldt.  I got a recall on something to do with the transmission in 2022 and took it to the local Ford dealership.  They checked if off their list and now this.  Sounds fishy to me.  We shall see when Bubba picks me up tomorrow for a drive by over at the main shop.  With  receipts and such.  They do great work but this is something way and above normal oil changes and tire patches.  Ask for Les or Josh.

Basically I am a screwed consumer.  The interest rate was 24% and a dear friend paid it off for me when he saw that.  It has been a great car with only 22K miles.  First the screen went out earlier in the year and now the transmission.  Y'all be careful out there.  Maybe I can learn to walk again except there's no stores out here.  Back in the day there were!

I'm not bitching, much.  Reaves got to spend Mother's Day time with LP though I was absent.  We face timed and Lizzie did all the things on messenger to change her face.  When we got to many faces going in a circle I had to quit.  Made me dizzy.  She has not been here since Christmas.  Nobody's fault, shit just happens.

Peace and love kids ^j^

poor mr jingles

The Green Mile is one of my most favorite movies ever.  As I sat on the porch the other day I thought about Mr. Jingles while I watched Rosie play a tiny mouse to death and then carry it to the yard to eat.  I know it's nature's way but it hurt my heart.  This was after she killed a bird on the porch leaving a trail of feathers all over the place.  She is quite the little huntress.

Life is galloping along at a rapid pace.  Every time you turn around, another week is in the rear view.  I've started back to Dynamix after 2 weeks off and I badly needed it.  Plus, I had a remote "Healing Touch" session with my friend Ann yesterday and she unlocked all my chakras!  Gave me energy too.  Enough to go get a big body hug from her hubby at the Manor today. We are kinda' sorta' cousins by marriage and long time friends.  The three of us were the first to hit the dance floor at the DHS 50th class reunion when Chris played "Take a Walk on the Wild Side."  That was our class song.

Humidity here is so thick you could cut it with a knife and the weather is quite unstable, as it is all over the country.  I have asthma and humidity is a killer for me.  Hopefully by this weekend it will drop significantly.  Not only is it Mother's Day but also graduation season.  My friend Rachel graduated from U of M with a degree in professional writing this past week and her daughter is set to graduate from DCHS.  These are milestones for both of them.  Reaves will graduate to 1st grade on May 22nd.  I hope I don't bawl like a baby like we ALL did at the pre-K event..  Lord, that was a hot teary mess for all involved.  I mean,

they played "Let them be little" as they walked away from the class one by one until only the teachers were left on the bleachers.  She will be my only grandchild born of my only child.  Sometimes things are complicated but we make the best of it.  

Did I ever mention how much I hate to sweat? I truly despise it and summer doesn't officially start for another month or more.  My last thing to plant will be a tomato in a big pot on the back porch.  The stargazers and tiger lilies that I planted the first year are looking good, right on schedule.  I hear that there will be a neighborhood get together on the 4th of July, Mozella style at Clara's house.  Can't wait to see that bunch all together again.  

LP turned me on to a story about a mega church pastor with a long history of mind control and his wife's "suicide".  He groomed her when she was the baby sitter for his first wife, who left him.  Big age difference and a lot of drama.  Thank goodness they didn't have any kids together.  Mind control scares me to death.  Cults are everywhere and when free speech and thought are pushed down, bad things happen to the sheeple.  That is true with both religion and politics.  

My parents would attest to the fact that I have never been a "follower."  I declined two invitations to join the high school sorority because I was friends with everybody and did not believe in exclusion and the humiliating hazing process.  I was just friends with everybody and their mama'n'them.

Y'all remember who you are and from whence you came.  We only have one life to live and I choose to make a difference. ^j^

the round table

It's a bi-annual date for me and a bunch of farmers in the left corner of Tim's BBQ hut.  It is always packed out for breakfast like Mel's and the Junction store.  It is where people meet and keep up with each and what's up.  We had a nice visit but I see most of them out and about because they farm around these parts.   There is also Billy Jack across the road planting.  On any given day there is a lot of farm traffic.  I love every minute of it as long as I'm inside.  When the tractors aren't here somebody is mowing their yard.

My table belonged to my great grandmother Ethel and I've had it for years.  Enough that, without leaves propped up with wood chips, it is back to the original wood on the center portion.  I picked up some cool chairs up at Hippies for cheap and cleaned them up.  I can't wait for our first real meal there.  Maybe Thanksgiving?

As best as I can tell the protesters have all been arrested and about to be processed.  This has fascinated me because I truly do believe in peaceful protest.  Radicalization of splinter groups has threatened our college campuses and our life in general.  As my Daddy always said per Billy Yates "This too shall pass"  Let us pray ^j^

inclusion

I am a lifelong United Methodist and a liberal.  I believe that God don't make junk and everybody is welcome at the table.  Our church has been in turmoil for years over the issue of allowing LGBTQ clergy and same sex marriage by UMC ministers.  We have been guided by the Book of Discipline on these things and have been faithful.  General conference passed legislation striking those restrictions from the rules along with redistricting other countries who are anti-LGBTG anything. They will maintain their own rules according to their beliefs.  This should have happened a long time ago.  

So, changing subjects to campus protests.  I honestly believe that people who don't have a dog in the fight have infiltrated these protests to incite violence just like with the White House attack.  People seem to want chaos and part of that is just anger at the state of our world in general.  Ukraine vs Russia.  Israel vs Gaza.  Everybody wants to fight instead of meeting in the middle for peace.  I am old enough to remember the protests on college campuses nationwide in the late 60s.  The shootings at Kent State.  The mental health of those who served in the jungle and came home forever messed up in the head and with their health.  Same for Iraq and Afghanistan.  I appreciate the service of all those who have served our country but I believe that a lot of it was not our business and fueled by fear of the unknown.  Projection, if you will.

"All we are saying is give peace a chance"  Keep the faith ^j^