Houston, Houston, Houston

Roy just left to take Sequishshawn to the dealership to have the fuel injectors looked at and get the oil changed. Oh and they said they can make another key for us. Somehow and someplace the other key came off the key ring. We doubled back at all the places we had been that day but no one had turned it in. So for the past three months I have almost been OCD with knowing where the truck key was.

Happy Day After Thanksgiving! Ours was quiet and after so many years of dealing with chaos and stress and usually some hurtful words, we love that we don't have to endure that anymore. This was the time of year where I counted down the days until January 15th, which was the day after my father's birthday. We've been enjoying our Thanksgivings since 2012. My last Thanksgiving in Houston was in the rehab hospital three years ago... Yesterday was a much better Thanksgiving in Houston, even though it is warm. Roy and I got a slow start to the day. He made biscuits, yum and we watched a movie. I got cleaned up and we headed over to Buc-ees, with hundreds of our closest friends. The place was happening. We got a few gifts for NC friends, a couple of things for ourselves and filled up the truck. Then we did our traditional jaunt to Bass Pro Shop. Since we don't have a Bass Pro Shop nearby, it was a treat. Their sales weren't that good but we did find a couple of things. I found a shirt that couldn't be worn here cause I don't know that it would ever get cold enough...packed away for home where I'll have ample opportunities to wear it. There were tons of employees with nothing to do but bug you about getting $25 off your purchase. A young man asked if I had a couple of minutes to learn of some exciting, new opportunities...hmmm....that used to be a hook line for Campus Crusade and Amway, but it felt safe that this would be Bass Pro related. They have partnered with a travel business to offer opportunities to travel and see things throughout the country, including cruises. Sadly, I had to inform him I am not a good traveler and I am quite happy being at home, which he took to mean Houston. He soon learned he had someone there who doesn't like to travel much unless it is a good road trip. So this marketing minded young man dangled the opportunity to spend time in the Smoky Mountains. I rebuffed the dangle with the words, we have a home there. I live there. It has taken three years to get me back to Houston to help Roy with getting the house ready to sell and some Dr appointments for him. Yep, it felt like home as I described the mountains and 441 that takes you from NC into TN and through the Smoky Mountains. He heard about the elk in the Cattaloche and the perilous drive to go up the mountain on a narrow gravel road, with no guard rails. He probably heard more about the mountains than he wanted to. He probably wanted his few minutes back. But for me it was wonderful to talk about the place I love so much. It made the warm temps bearable for the rest of the afternoon. We took a little drive around for me to see all the new things that have or are being built and then came home to begin fixing our Thanksgiving meal. The Cajun turkey from Popeye's was delicious.

The morning has started out a little foggy, so maybe Rancho de Five is wanting me to feel at home. Our trip back didn't have any fog but just a little rain. Buddy did better than we thought and since we got an early start out from Ooltewah, we decided to come in to Houston on Tuesday night instead of Wednesday. Houston welcomed us back with lots and lots of traffic...lots of traffic. It felt a bit overwhelming. A huge praise, we got through Baton Rouge without hardly any traffic but then just enough traffic to slow down and catch a glance at Death Valley.

One last thing before closing out this post, it felt a little strange at first being here. Roy and I picked out everything together when building this house. We pulled out a lot of furniture for the NC house and even though I came back twice a year at first, the house felt strange this time. Roy has changed things, which he needs to do, he is much neater about some things and I envy that. The job of going through things began in our closet and it wasn't too much like work at all while discovering long forgotten items. We will probably make the first of many Goodwill trips later today.

So, back in Houston...I remember that not only my health is better in the mountains, but so is my hair. Ugh....

Part 2 And Other Stories

If I don't do anything else today I have already accomplished much...and that is the truth with getting the trash can down to the road. I did that yesterday but realized last night there was more trash that needed to be taken down there. Only it was the dark of night and cars with trucks passing in too much of a hurry as well as night time creatures that could scare me. Early this morning the rest of the trash and recyclables made it before the truck came by. I also got the birds fed and the kiddos taken care of. Buddy was happy for some extended lap time although we had a semi rough night where only sitting in the recliner on my lap made her happy. The recliner is good for twenty minute naps but nothing long term in sleeps. I carried her upstairs and she spent a good portion of the rest of the night there. She doesn't act like she feels too good and isn't eating her normal amounts of food. We have an appointment at the vets this week for her steroids and mani pedi.

Last week I wrote about the two big dogs and the related death of one of the kitties. On Friday I dealt with not feeling good at all. It was one of those at least I brushed my teeth and getting dressed days being just about any grooming for the day. Toward noon, I had gone into the garage to get some treats for the kitties and as I opened the back door, those two big dogs were heading for the gravel road and I said in my best old lady voice, " get out of here!" I texted my neighbor Nancy to let her know that those dogs might be hanging out in her ravine and to warn her cause her kids play down there a lot. She got in her truck and went down the road looking for those dogs. I caught her on her way out.  No sight of them. I had sent her a video of the dogs running from my driveway into our backyard. We made plans to notify different neighborhood groups we belong to and said goodbye. I came upstairs but soon heard a knock at the door. It was Nancy and she had the two dogs in her backseat. They were sitting by our mailboxes. She has worked with animals and said every sign pointed to these dogs being dumped out here in the country. Nancy went back up to her house and got her daughter, they took the dogs to an animal shelter. Two big dogs, a German shepherd and a German shepherd, collie mix. The cats are still on edge and on point for danger. The kiddos play near the cleft of the rock just in case the danger alert is sent. Punky and the gang are keeping Mama Cat at bay. There's a whole lot of hissing going on. Strawyer is back on the scene and can mostly be found hanging out on one of the rockers on the front deck. He doesn't seem too keen to the kittens.

We have returned to seasonal temps but that cold blast stole the remaining life out of the flowers still blooming. The late blooming sunflower is interesting. It is hanging in there although the beauty has long gone there seems to be a steadfastness to the fact that it is still standing. Flower head bowed down. Our lesson yesterday was the first half of Psalm 84 and we will finish up next Sunday. Love the study of the sparrow and the swallow in that passage, sparrow insignificant and swallow. That can encapsulate me so many times. Still restless but not as much as I used to be. We can be as restless as we want, going from thing to thing, more adventures, not settled and finding rest in God makes all those things, adventures and unsettled pale in comparison to what we find in the Lord. We left off with pilgrimage...those whose hearts are set on pilgrimage and I think this is the first time I noticed the heart set part. I am not a good traveler. I admit it and know I am a total pain yet I love to read travel books and love travel accessories. It's good to know that just my heart has to be set on pilgrimage.
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Last evening Strawyer came onto the back porch. Now, normally that would be a good start but with the schedule we have coming up, the timing is wrong. He was scared and I thought he might try tearing at the screen. Fortunately, our neighbor was taking stuff to their compost pile and she was able to help me get him to the great outdoors. Buddy has a vet appointment this afternoon for her shot and mani pedi. I do not look forward to giving her meds so that she might be a little calmer. She has me a little worried because her good appetite has disappeared for the last two days. She ate up her treats from yesterday that I left out for her sometime in the night. She ate a few treats this morning.

I am thrilled to have won the Merry Christmas Darling challenge this year. CourtneyS has won the past five years. I almost missed the win because the radio was turned down and I saw on the dashboard MCD. Snapped a pic and called to sing the mournful last few refrains to CourtneyS. She has been hearing it and me as well from a Herb Alpert recording. It was fun talking with her for a few and I lost her on a country road. The trip to Madison County was futile because the Tupperware lady forgot to give her daughter who works at the health center the cake carrier I ordered. We shall try again later in the week.

Sadness On A Thursday

Buddy and I have been on dog patrol since 4:00 am. That is the time yesterday that those two evil hounds disturbed the relative quiet of our backyard and killed one of the black and white kittens. The morning had begun with a beautiful sunrise and I checked the security footage and saw those two huge dogs running about the yard for a good fifteen minute clip around 4:00 am. I checked the live cameras and saw that the heated cat house and blankets that covered the pallet it sat on were thrown about and I steeled my courage to go out the door and see what had happened. There between the pallet and blanket was the black and white kitten, frozen in a running motion. I turned to go into the garage and get a towel to wrap it in and to put on gloves. I gently picked it up and turned it to see its face, eyes half opened and its mouth set, bearing its small teeth. Most probably since it wasn't mauled, it had its neck broken. Punky and Mr McBeavy didn't pay much attention to it and were more interested in breakfast but it seemed as if the reality of this little one being dead interested them more after my carefully picking it up and wrapping it in the towel. I laid it in one of the little chairs they all love, first Mr McBeavy and then Punky went over to pay their respects. It was so difficult to watch cause more tears filled my eyes but I took a couple of pics because I don't want to forget what their grief looked like. All morning Punky and the Mr kept close to the remaining kittens and yes, such relief to see that all others were okay. In the afternoon, keeping the kittens close by the cleft of the rock, Punky led them to the fence and the way underneath it. Of course I am thinking, no no no, don't go to the gravel road...nothing good happens there. But, it was a teaching experience, she was showing them escape routes because not long after that, climbing up on the fence with their half brother demonstrated another option. Edee, the calico, did not participate cause she is such a rolly polly, she couldn't find the opening to get under and then up to join the group. During the course of the day I could not help but check up on them. Punky sitting in the middle of the yard, with a deep stare and Mr McB on duty near the top of the property. Strawyer made an appearance and for this I was most thankful. He spends most of his time somewhere else and checks in once a day...for food. One of the black and white kittens was mourning too. It dug a hole in a flower pot, sunk deep into it and didn't move. Its siblings gathered round and stayed close for a long period of time...comforting. That particular kitten was the running buddy to the one that had been killed by the dogs. Last night as dusk turned to night Punky had the trio back at the cleft and she sat guard above them on a stump giving her a commanding view of the gravel road, the yard and the driveway. Once again I cried for that little one. That little one that Punky had pulled back under the house time and time again late in the night. The dogs cannot get to them when they are fully under our home and even though I have put up barriers before, I added to them yesterday afternoon.

Strawyer made an early appearance just now when I happened to go downstairs to retrieve a basket. He sat on the steps to the back porch and had just about given up on brunch. Today, he began to rub against my legs while getting the bowls and to fill one of them for him. He followed me into the garage as usual, continued rubbing against me and he even let me pet him, more like stroke his back. He was purring. I think he would give up the life and maybe just maybe after the holidays, we will see if he is open to living inside, of course without some of his equipment.

Back to the early morning patrol. I had gone to bed early in hopes of waking up to see if those dogs showed up. Maybe someone lets them out at that time of morning or maybe did they get out yesterday by accident? I have never seen the dogs and haven't a clue who owns them or if they are from down the street or over the hill and woods. I got caught up on all the news and Buddy slept soundly on my lap. To add to our patrol duties I was also facing a security issue and didn't know what to do. I also used that early morning time to read through the instruction booklet, didn't help. Went online...couldn't find an answer. Long story...all is well. Roy helped me figure it out and he said if we made a mistake, the alarm company office opened in about fifteen minutes. One more addition to the morning, I woke up not feeling very good. It feels like it is a short lived bug and for that I am thankful.

Our lesson on Sunday will not be the Lifeway lesson and so I have had fun studying this week. Truthfully, I enjoy studying and consider it serious fun. I began writing it out last night and will work on it in just a bit.

This will be a two parter post but there is somewhat good news to report concerning the dogs and cats

A Little Snow And A Lot Of Cold

We are in the midst of our first snowfall. It's not much and I have taken a few pics but nothing spectacular. The ground isn't covered and only a few patches of accumulated snow are found here and there in the yard. The kitties have their heated houses and they are in and out. Guess they are getting their paws warm and then bound out to play.

I am still on Cloud 9 from our class luncheon yesterday. We had such a good time and such delicious food at The Blue Rooster. Hopefully, our rambunctious spirits didn't ruin too many of their other customers meals. We missed Jennell and Gwen but we will have to do this again. We caravaned over the mountain and all arrived safely. After lunch Brenda, Lois and I made a quick trip to Barbers Orchard and then a brief shopping stop in the Hazelwood area. The weather cooperated with temps in the 60s but we could feel the coolness creeping in all afternoon. With the cold a coming, after dropping them off at the church I filled up the truck while the temps were bearable.

After an eight year drought, LSU finally beat Alabama. It was a good game, kept you on the edge of your seat no matter what team you rooted for. When they won, I cried tears of joy.

Our lesson on Sunday was a one and done look at Habakkuk. There is so much to that book in just those three chapters and I wished we had more Sundays to study. On Friday I dropped something off at the church office and learned that we don't necessarily have to use Lifeway material. I am looking at Explore the Bible and a few other things. We have studied rebellion and idolatry so much this year, and yes, we all have those enter into our lives now and then but it is difficult to keep teaching the same theme and try to have a different type of lesson each time. This Sunday is all about rebellion once again, but I am leaning toward being rebellious and teaching on something else.

We had another small, little snow shower and now as the temps drop we keep vigilant on the backside flow that could bring back the snow. I am not too sure how that works but all the meteorologists talk about it up here.

I was saddened to learn on Sunday night the passing of Anthony Martin. We've known he and Mary from long ago softball days. He was always so fun, full of encouragement and you knew he loved his family. After reading so many of the comments on Facebook, he was beloved in his sphere of the business community. He was playing baseball in the senior league world series, he hit a double and was on second base when he collapsed.

With the cold weather I am keeping an eye on the kitties. I have fed them several times today to help them have the calories needed to help them keep warm. I have the kitty houses heated up for them. Strawyer finally showed up this morning and I also got a head count of the kittens. I kind of have names for them, at least for two of them. I'm thinking there are two males and two females but it is so difficult to determine between those black and white kittens...so it could be three males and a female. Anyway, the one female who I have named Edee because she eats all the time, every time and can almost out eat Strawyer, which is saying something.

These Have Been Short Fall Days and Winter is Upon Us

It is one of those misty, overcast days here in the mountains. Right now it only looks like it is cold but if the forecasts hold true it will be a lot chillier this evening. The leafs are gently letting go and falling to the ground. The vibrant colors are muted after the rain yesterday and will be even more affected if the rain holds through during the day. On Monday and Tuesday of this week I went out and looked at the autumn pallet. On the Parkway the lower elevations still had the brilliance of fall but the coloring changed once I got above 3500 feet. Lots of dormant trees in the midst of the remaining embellishment of autumn. The Parkway drive was just to the highest point and then turning around and going back toward Waynesville and a late lunch at Blue Rooster.

Well, the Astros lost game seven last night. In my professional sports opinion, when they didn't take game 6 at home, I felt pretty sure the Nationals would win the World Series but I held out hope. I even did my part by not really watching because their wins came when I did my part of only keeping up on Twitter. Even with all the success of the season and the eventual individual awards that will come their way, it looked like there was some struggle with the mindset of being the favored to win team. So many of the comments by Nat fans sounded like Astro fans of 2017. The Dodgers get all the calls, MLB doesn't want the Astros to win...It was odd reading fan opinions and thinking wait, no, we are supposed to be saying those kinds of things.

This week our Sunday School lesson is in Jeremiah. Last week we were back in 2 Chronicles studying King Josiah. Our lesson is on the new covenant written about in Jeremiah...only Ezekiel 36 is the other portion in the OT that touches on this subject. Poor Jeremiah, he wasn't liked, he suffered as he warned the people but he got to announce this great good news from the Lord. As usual on Sunday afternoon just looking at the scripture for the coming week's lesson, the thought of, I don't even know how I am going to approach the lesson much less teach it. took up temporary residence in my thoughts but God is faithful and today I am so enthused about what I have learned and the truths of God's Word that have encouraged me this week.

Punky's kiddos are getting out and about the yard. She has kept this litter under wraps to the elements but she let me know about them early on. Sometimes I get to pet them a little. Strawyer has started rubbing up against my legs which truthfully, I never thought he would. Punky has been doing that for a bit as well as giving me a nose greeting to the back of my hand in the mornings. My, my...what cats will do for food. Mr McBeavy is so helpful with the kittens, playing, scruffing them from danger and watching over their wanderings. Mama Cat still hisses her morning greetings at the delivery of breakfast and Camo hasn't been around in a while.

It seems to take several days or even weeks to post these days so I'll finish up this post and hopefully begin a new one soon. No LSU football this weekend, Astros are finished with their season and Baylor won on Thursday night and the Sunday School lesson for tomorrow just needs some fine tuning.

Beginning and Starting

The look is winterish, the feel fallish, this with the foggy beginning of the day...really, the fog began last night, make for a wonderful stay at home day. Parts of the drive home from choir last night were rather foggy and difficult to maneuver. The fog has burned off and with our cooler temps beginning last week the leaf turning has sped up a bit. There is some loss of leaves from the heat from earlier last week and the wind we've encountered the past few days.

Fed the cats early this morning, well early for me. Punky was there to greet, Mama Cat was there to hiss and Mr McBeavy was fashionably late. Strawyer in the past few weeks has been a late arriver to  breakfast but because I like him so much, I'll open the kitchen back up to feed him. Punky and the Mr will finagle him out of his portion though. Mr McBeavy has a tried and true tactic, loving greeting by a rubbing of his head against Straw and then the Mr pushes Strawyer away from the bowl with all that head rubbing...all in the course of a cat hug. An unusual thing happened Saturday morning with Mama Cat. For those keeping a dance card, Mama Cat is the original cat to this brood. Two years ago in November, she brought her three kittens without their mittens, under the big fir tree on the gravel road. Since then we haven't seen another kitten from her, that is until Saturday. She brought with her two older kittens, one black and white and the other a solid gray kitten that is the spitting image of the gray cat that hangs around here from time to time. She let them come eat and play under the fir tree which had Mr McBeavy's full attention. She has not brought them back nor have they found their own way back. She and Camo only let a few of their litters survive. They are rather hard hearted in their treatment toward their kittens. Punky has a fit if Mama Cat gets too close to hers and then will chase Mama or rather Grand Mama back up to the wilderness of the gravel road. The kittens are about five weeks old and they mainly have stayed under the house or around the safety of the covered grill. Sometimes in the early evening they play on the porch steps with Mr McBeavy keeping a close eye on them and he also plays with them. He is a good cat.

I haven't ever had any kind of reaction to the flu shot that is until this year. The horrible headache, my eyes filled with pain, muscle aches and a bit of a rash usually says allergic reaction. At first the thought of aneurysm scared me but I Googled It Up and found the flu shot side effects. The next morning the effects lingered a bit but by the afternoon I was beginning to feel normal...or as normal as this one can feel.

Saturday was a full on sports day beginning in the afternoon. I had studied all week for the lesson on Sunday but hadn't written anything down. So, that was the first order of Saturday business. The kind folks at Lifeway gave us a reprieve of sorts. For weeks we have studied the rebellious Israelites and their practice of idolatry starting in the way back, early days to the divided kingdom days. Sunday the lesson was on Isiah 53, the suffering servant...Jesus. As a class yesterday we all welcomed the break and the lesson is a segway to some of the good kings of Judah. So, I was ready for LSU football at 3:30. They were victorious and beat Mississippi State. After that game I was able to see the end of the Baylor game against Oklahoma State and they too were victorious and stay unbeaten...Sic 'em Bears! Between the Baylor game and the Astros game which started at 8:08 pm, I reviewed the lesson, did stuff around here and got a tad bit of recreational reading in. I have to confess with the Astro game, I went to bed when the Yankees tied it up. You know I had to make the decision to be at least awake while teaching or totally invest in the game and be lethargic Sunday morning. Most times when the Astros are tied in the 9th it can go into extra innings. I would also like to add the best things happen to the Astros when I am not watching, so really, I did my part to help them. I woke up a couple of times in the night but wouldn't look at my phone to see the final score cause if they won or lost, it would wake me up and make falling back to sleep difficult. It was pure joy when I got up Sunday morning to find out the Astros were heading to the World Series and then seeing how it happened...more joy.

Friday morning the temp was 33 degrees when I woke up. I had given some thought going to the October Festival at the Amish store but the 33 discouraged that decision. Later in the morning when the temps began to rise I decided to stop  by the festival and find the three vendors I have bought from in the past few years. Arriving at the end of lunch time and at the beginning time when moms leave to be home or to pick up their kids was an optimum time. Found the vendors, bought a few things and headed on down the road toward Johnson City. Had a late lunch at Carraba's and made a last stop at the Barnes and Noble before heading back home.

Tomorrow, I will finally be able to get Mustang Sam into the dealership for the digital dash panel that has gone blank. Info isn't registering on the Ford Pass, so it must be more than a fuse. I will hook up Waze to the car cause the middle panel still works to know how fast I am going. Avoiding Woodfin for sure cause that is just a speed trap waiting. 

Spanning the Week

Nothing like a little unknown to begin a day. I had an email from Roy letting me know the alarm had gone off in the night...well, I forgot to set the alarm last night so.... I checked the app and I also had a text from the alarm monitoring company but nothing about an alarm. So as I am trying to find information on what all this means the distinct scent of something burning hits me like a brick. Panicked somewhat by the alarm news I try to hunt out the source of the aroma...all the while in my pajamas. Thankfully, it wasn't anything here at the house but across the road where tree debris is being burned...which I thought there was a burn ban but I guess since we have had some rain that  ban might have been lifted.

Early last week I thought I saw a cow in the dormant pastureland right across from us. Then a day or so later it seemed there was another cow and yesterday a herd was confirmed. Not as numerous as in the past but at least ten cows and one baby calf. That is such good news that for now it doesn't look as if that land will be developed for houses. Across from the pasture where the burning is happening, that looks like it might be making ready for development. I sure hope not but the good thing is if it is developed it isn't front and center from the front porch view.

The little family of three is enjoying the cat house and I haven't even plugged it in for warmth yet. Strawyer and Mr McBeavy spend the most time in it but Punky got some house time late yesterday afternoon. I turned the house diagonally to be able to see the front entrance a little better.
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Well, there has been a change...make that a family of seven. This morning after Nathan and Andrew finished laying the pine needles, trimming and cutting down the nearly dead plum tree, Punky and Mr McBeavy brought down two kittens from up near the tree stumps. Two black and white kittens and then I saw there was what looked like a gray and white kitten with another black and white one. Punky was putting them in the new house for the cats thus displacing Strawyer who was none too happy about their presence. Mr McBeavy, he has been playing with them and keeping them close at hand. Punky finally brought down the other two. I was planning on leaving but there has been a change of plans on that...more in the next paragraph. Anyway, I went out there to give some treats and Punky didn't seem to care that I was walking amongst her kittens. I hope she is trusting me but after yesterday's mishap, I didn't know if all trust was gone...yet you'll find out in another paragraph.

Punky accidentally got stuck in the garage for several hours. Because of her kittens being alone for those hours, she was frantic in the garage. So a frantic feral means I had some cleaning up to do. She had knocked down food and bowls, things on shelves. She also left a nice chunk of hair on the sticky fly catcher. As I began cleanup her little meow came from behind a few things. She was where Riley would sleep. Punky left in a scurry hurry to check on her fam. She left me with a very stinky garage. Nervous ferals fart a lot I've learned, Riley stunk up the vet office on her visit there.

When I started up the Mustang, the front panel where the speedometer and other instruments was a blank screen. Thought maybe I had hit a button or something. I turned off the car and began looking at Google to see if it wasn't serious and wouldn't have to call the dealer. Well, it is serious and there was a recall on these panels but we never got notice. After spending a whole lot of time on hold I was finally able to schedule an appointment for October 22nd.
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Good Monday, yes it has been a while and Buddy is making this more difficult by stretching out in front of the lap top. We might be situated now. The morning temp is 42. A brisk morning for sure. Buddy has been out on the front porch and soon returned inside. I wore flannel for the first time, well outside of home, last night. Hopefully we have made that all important turn into the fall season.

Since the last post my attitude has adjusted about the far out date of October 22nd for Mustang Sam to get into the repair shop. I think I was having a very horrible, not so fun day last Thursday. My attitude was not in a good place. The pace of life is slower here and I need to remember that in the good and in the annoying.

There is kitten news but I think I will make that a separate post.

I am so thankful for our Sunday School class, the Joy Class. Yesterday, we had yet another lesson on idolatry. It's not that I don't think we don't have idols in our lives that need to be gotten rid of, but we have had so many lessons this year on idolatry and rebellion. I studied and prepared but felt like the lesson wasn't good. It was in  2 Kings 17 when the Assyrians defeat Israel and take them into captivity. Three friends encouraged me yesterday after the lesson and those words came at the right times cause I was beating myself up on the inside. I do love the studying during the week for the lessons and I love our class. We are a praying class, a generous class, a laughing class and a noisy class who loves the Lord.

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What a beautiful cool Monday morning and the afternoon holds hope of rain. I survived teaching Hosea and the rest of the security cameras will be installed today.

The following is from a blog post I didn't publish last week and most all of it contains old and no news but the following paragraphs are just for catch up.

****We studied Jonah yesterday in Sunday School and this Sunday we will look at Hosea. Now, that is going to be the opposite from yesterday. Jonah, so familiar to us that we can overlook the multi layers to this book of the Bible but coming this Sunday, I don't think I have ever taught Hosea nor can I remember ever hearing anyone teach from it except maybe a snippet here and there. So truly, Hosea is a minor prophet... Last Wednesday when we had a new security system installed, God arranged...which is a major theme of Jonah, for the two techs doing the installation would be believers. I was outside when they pulled in the driveway and from the car came the sound of someone preaching or teaching...After frying and freezing apples I told Chris if they needed me I would be upstairs studying my Sunday School lesson. He asked what is it on and I replied Jonah. Well....how wonderful, he and Colin were listening to Greg Laurie in the car who just happened to be teaching on Jonah. So I Googled him up and read some of his Jonah notes and that my friends, turned the direction of how I studied. A great side story to this, Chris asked some questions about the book of Jonah, like he was seeing if I really was studying Jonah for the lesson on Sunday. Answered all his questions satisfactorily.

Last week held success in finally getting out some fall decor. Usually, I am on this by Labor Day but it took a little longer than usual this year. I bought some pumpkins from one of the favorite produce stands and have those outside on the front deck. I did a Johnson City trip last week which included both Amish stores. The new one was out of French burnt peanuts, so you know me and back road drives...it didn't take much for me to decide to go to the old store and they had some. Also tried a blood orange sparkling water they carry and yes, it is the bomb diggity. Not acidic like so many sparkling waters.****

On Friday my cousin David called. I don't think David has ever called and we haven't been in touch for years. He and Jan would be in the area and wanted to know if I would like to meet them for lunch on Sunday. Yes, of course, how fun! We had a good time of catching up and remembering. Dave and Jan travel quite a bit with car shows and racing. Not a bad retirement at all and when they aren't pulling trailers for their racing, they are touring about on their trike...a beautiful three wheeler motorcycle. We decided to go to The Farmer's Daughter in Chucky TN for lunch, southern comfort food and we had the opportunity to see if the leafs are changing...the leafs are still rather green with a slight touch of yellow and very few reds.


In preparation for the cooler temps I made taco soup. Gave some to Brenda and today I will get some into the freezer for colder days. I also fried up some apples so the kitchen was busier than normal. I have also watched more TV than normal with the Astros in the playoffs and LSU playing Utah State on Saturday. On Saturday night I happily went to bed knowing the Astros were up 1-0 and I am happy that they won the game. The ninth inning would have made me too nervous and would have had a difficult time going to sleep. I might have to head over to a local restaurant today to see the Astros since we don't get the MLB channel.

Yesterday, we studied Hosea in Sunday School. I was challenged all week preparing for the lesson. I am so thankful for two books that helped me get it all straightened out in my head and heart and on paper. We mainly looked at God's part in the story but we also spent time looking at Gomer's perspective and it was rather insightful and probably nothing you will ever hear from a pulpit. I had shared with Roy what I had found and he said, that is so interesting, I would go with that but if you were teaching men, I'd say, go the standard way. I reminded him if I was teaching men I wouldn't be in a Baptist church. Roy, the class and I got a good chuckle over that. I also have to write that I teach the most loving and supportive class. They are all such encouragers. Good thing I looked ahead at this week's lesson, which is on idolatry for the millionth time this year, cause the lesson could have gone that way...but it is all saved up for this week.

Collin, with Asheville Security helped, please read mostly did all the work in the set up, me put up the canopy that promised it was a pop up, no problem...I am always taken in by these descriptions. Ha! Anyway, we got the canopy for the little feral fam, I put in the stakes and put together the cat house. So far Strawyer is the only cat that has gone in but I hold onto hope that Punky and Mr McBeavy will go in.

At What Cost? Not Believed Cause I Wasn't Sporting Texas Big Hair

It seemed eerily familiar although it wasn't anything I have experienced in a while. In the midst of the moment it didn't come to me what exactly was happening...but in hindsight I had encountered a "gang" at the Biltmore Estate. No, not a gang like we think about today where young men and women can wreck havoc in society....no this was a band, an association, a syndicate....no the word would be maybe a sorority of women....Texas women who took over the gift shop with their chaos, entitlement and general disarray that can happen when friends shop competitively and sadly without a whole lot of laughter. Maybe I should start at the beginning.....

Such a lovely day. Breakfast at Corner Kitchen, a little shopping and then a hair appointment at Wink for highlights and color. It was such a beautiful day I concluded that although a Target run needed to be made, it was just the perfect day for a drive through the Biltmore Estate. Note to pass holders, we only have a month or so to be able to drive past the house and through the wall garden...but that is another topic entirely. After browsing in the Screen Door, I headed toward the estate. Lovely as always, stopped in the garden center and then went to the Inn. Feeling a little hungry it seemed a great idea to eat in the Library. Because of good memories of lunch with either Lisa or Dena, I ordered the truffle fries...then added a cup of French onion soup and a cobb salad. I decided to bring the salad home and concentrate on the fun food. There was a group of women at a table seating 6-8 and I think I heard they were from Dallas which reminded me of a group from the long ago that were so rude at breakfast. It is that time of year when the shop there at the Inn should be having a sale and I wasn't disappointed but I did come into a chaotic group of three women who seemed to have the store staked out so that it was difficult to shop. That's okay cause I went to the sale rack first while they messed around with jewelry and scarfs. There was a pecking order to the group and the size 2, older blond lady seemed to be the leader. Her second in command was not as stylish but yet stylish enough...no linen or sleeveless blouse like the leader. The third lady was tall, maybe taller than me and oh what a faux paux to be dressed in a stylish track suit but clearly she could not be taken seriously because she probably wore a size 12 or 14. The other noticed item was, she hadn't been the first choice to accompany first and second command. She bought her things and told them she was moving on. The two seemed quite pleased with this news and it was as if they had willed it to happen. They went back to their selections....and wishing for the friend they wish was really there but for some reason didn't make the trip. They decided to buy her a gift but the dilemma of what amount to spend. It seems that they wanted to get something she would love but not spend a lot. How disingenuous from their declarations of wishing she was here, she's fun...to that third woman. Meanwhile I'm shopping, speaking with the woman working in the shop and had decided to do another look through when the two decided they were ready to check out, complete with the 25% off one item that hotel guests get. The second lady was ready to check out and motioned to me to go ahead because I was close to the counter. No, she was clearly on a shopping roll, she could go ahead. Somehow, it came up...Texas. I don't remember how. They were both from Houston, only the leader has had to move to another city in the state. Now, it could have been with my haircut and highlights I wasn't blond enough or hair poofed up enough to believe I was from Texas...stylists here just don't understand that Texas hair thing. They asked where I lived in Texas, told them. They added they were from Houston, more specifically West U. West U is a snazzy part of town along with Memorial, Tanglewood and River Oaks. Then I said, well, when my parents first moved to Houston we lived in West U but with the call of the suburbs being so popular we moved to the suburbs. Annoyance quickly crossed their faces and then they asked well, where did you live in West U? Charlotte Street...must be a good street now cause the original house was torn down years ago to be replaced with a McMansion. Their countenance lightened as the secret test had been administered and passed by me. They hoped my parents hadn't been duped like so many they knew from back in the day, moving to Sharpstown...no...we moved to Westbury. Where did I go to high school....Westbury. Did I know________? Uh, what year did she graduate? 67. Ha, I said well, I graduated in 72, so I got the I am younger than you punch in. They tested my knowledge of Houston, well known places...passed. I added kiddie land and peppermint park, cause I doubt they went there as the two were older...so they got a jab in, South Main Drive In. No, I was riding ponies not making out. They leaned in, why would you want to move here? Why rural? Why not a gated community? I should have said, cause people like you live in gated communities...haha! I told them we had been tourists for twelve years and loved it here. With my health, it was best for me to be able to live where my health thrives thus I thrive. There are four seasons to life and we have made such wonderful friends here, who wouldn't love it? The pace of life is desirable, food delicious and within an hour drive to see some of most beautiful sights around. They left....the shop and both the sales lady and I were glad.

For a brief moment I defaulted to that kind of conversation of testing and figuring. It is the kind of conversation that can happen, for me mainly happened in tennis, but sometimes it can happen in church world, where conversation is for measuring worth but not value. It saddened me that I can still converse like that so easily. Yes, I am delusional thinking that my road anger had been banished by the Lord only to find it resurfaced the last time I was driving the freeways of Houston. Many times I lament the ability to think on my feet. If I had been thinking about it while talking to the ladies I could have thrown a few names that would have made their knees buckle, but they probably wouldn't have believed me anyway....you know cause yesterday, I wasn't presenting with Texas big hair, I was wearing dressy camo and for goodness sake, I was wearing comfortable shoes....albeit, cute comfortable shoes. Yes, it is finer to be in Carolina in the morning, afternoon, evening or night. Finer to be in Carolina in any of the seasons, but most especially produce stand season...

*****disclaimer, not all Texans are like these women, Got lots of Texas friends to prove that.*************

Fall From A Distance

It is the first day of fall and this morning we certainly are experiencing autumnal temps but the morning cannot fool us because today is going to be a day that ends up feeling like summer. But out here blogging on the back porch with a cup of JFG coffee, Buddy on the daybed, and the ferals fed this morning, I can pretend it will be fallish all day.

Speaking of the ferals, they gave me a little scare yesterday morning. I decided I would feed them right before leaving for church. That helps keep them off the driveway while leaving. When I opened the backdoor, they were no where to be found. Whistled the special whistle that announces food several times and no shows. Punky has been the first to the door in the past week because she has had her kittens under the house. I left without leaving any food and hoped nothing had gotten the little family of three during the night. The thought occurred that possibly Punky had moved her kittens. When I returned from church a disgruntled family of three greeted me, no breakfast, no brunch...where was the food? Came into the garage and fixed up three bowls of grub. This made the cats happier but they still carried about that miffed feeling while eating. This morning we were all on time for breakfast and I think while sitting here and watching Punky take a serendipitous route to the gravel road, only to be exposed by the boys just taking the direct route, that she has moved the kittens up there. Hope it turns out okay cause nothing good has ever happened on that gravel road for her ancestors. 

The lesson yesterday in Sunday School wasn't quite the lesson that Lifeway had prepared but that should not come as a surprise. We have this one Sunday to look at the life of Elisha and 2 Kings 6 didn't seem to do justice of the life and miracles of Elisha. He was prepared to be used on the big stage by God but he was equally as comfortable in the everyday, being used by God in so many ways benefiting cities, schools and individuals. We looked at the everyday miracles which seems to be an oxymoron but it isn't. Elisha is mentioned in the NT once and Elijah has 29 mentions. This past week studying Elisha was not only interesting but eye opening to being used by the Lord, today in the here and now. I used Marge Caldwell as an example, being so involved with so many people, mentoring many, specifically Beth Moore, touching people of all ages with her books and talks and in person. Counselor for sure but as each person stood at the podium to eulogize Marge, each speaker began with this sentence, "I was Marge Caldwell's best friend." She made you feel that way. This week we are looking into the life of Jonah. I began studying yesterday evening in earnest because of plans later in the week.


Last Thursday a group of us from church went to Knoxville for two hour tour, a two hour tour...no the weather didn't start getting rough and I don't think we were ever lost but we did have a bunch of fun. Lunch and sightseeing on the TN river. This is one of the few times while going to Knoxville I haven't been driving. It's a beautiful drive. We had a delicious lunch and then we were free to roam about. I roamed about taking pictures cause there were many bridges over the river and I loves me some bridge pictures. I took way too many but that's ok, they will just get deleted in time. Thursday night I went to bed at 8:00 pm. Guess so much excitement, bus riding and river boating just wore me out.

Last night we had choir practice after a three week hiatus. I enjoyed having Sunday nights at home but was ready to get back to work and worship. Our pastor did a Q and A for Sunday night church last night and since I had everything done that needed to be done, I went for that. Very interesting and his approach is so well thought out.

Last week as rain pummeled parts of Houston, Roy and several co-workers were in Ruston La on a recruiting trip for their company. They prepared if they would have to delay their return trip and they did stay an extra night due to the rain and not being able to get into Houston because of flooded roads. They got home safe and sound but this morning Roy said the tales that are being told from co-workers who were not able to get home for hours or ended up getting a hotel room and spending the night downtown are fascinating. Think he was happy to spend the extra night instead of dealing with all that. He discovered Coke, root beer and Dr Pepper floats are at almost every restaurant in town...not all flavors together, though. Cheapest dessert on the menu and he was a happy camper.

Well, I was getting ready to close this post out when Punky came back to the yard. She ate a little more then moved to where a flat rock in the yard is covered by shrubs and butterfly bushes. I had thought maybe this is where she had moved her kittens but then saw her go down the gravel road. The kittens are on that flat rock. Heard little meows and see some movement. I think and I can't see them well, but it does look like there might be an orange and white kitten and maybe a calico. I can't show too much interest because she will move them farther from the yard. So for now, from a distance.....

While Cats Nap, Hummingbirds Buzz and I Work

We are anxiously awaiting the cool front coming through tomorrow bringing temps where they normally would be for fall. The little cool front is just a hint of cooler weather to come but it is looking like it will be warm again over the weekend. We got a little bit of rain last week but it looks like I'll need to get out and do a little watering. Buddy and I are on the back porch this morning. It is still in the 60's and the back is still shaded from the sun. The sound of repairs accompanies the birds. Our neighbor, one house away had a tree do some damage to all three floors of their home during a storm in July. Just this week the construction has begun in earnest.

Punky is much skinnier which means she probably had her kittens Sunday night. She came to breakfast yesterday not as big and today, she is back to her trim youthful figure. She and Mr McBeavy played and wrestled last night and she hasn't been doing that too much in the past few weeks. I think the kittens are under the house, not the deck. The Mr is beginning to hang out more with Strawyer and he spends time up on the gravel road which really isn't a good idea. The do stay around here the majority of the time and aren't so prone to wander...do you feel it...from the food and shelter they love. I hope they really like the cat house and the covering I ordered. The covering should be delivered this week.

Last Sunday we studied Elijah and Elisha. This week is the only week we look at Elisha and his ministry in just one situation. So, I am researching and looking at all his miracles that happened through God's anointing and power. So we will have a more well rounded look at him.

There is a magazine from the Netherlands that I love and can find if one is fortunate at Barnes and Noble. I have considered a subscription and did that one time but it sounds as if the delivery is problematic. The theme of so many of the articles is on mindfulness and being present in the moment. From the sound of the reviews, customer service is pitiful. No one answers the phone, no responses to email and so the ever looming bad review is posted for all to see on the web. Seems to be somewhat ironic.

On Saturday I made my way over to the Candy Corn Market at the Haywood County Fairgrounds. Doug and I went to the spring market and found some fabulous things. Since I am not one that likes traffic or difficulty in parking, I decided if I went, I would get there around 1:00. The market closes at 3:00. Yes, there was still good stuff available for purchase. There is another one of these in November and I think I will go back to the lady who makes shower bombs. Oh my goodness! A great price and the best I have used so far. I found a Christmas sheep, chenille dog for the other twin bed, dried hydrangeas, and the cutest alpaca socks. It was supposed to be a cooler type day but it was downright hot, so my time is always limited if the possibility of getting hot presents itself.

One of my favorite authors passed away last week, Ann Rivers Siddons. Years ago, when I discovered her books, that was a very happy time of reading. When Ann, cause I know she would want me to call her by her first name, came to Houston at the Ritz Carlton for a book tour that included high tea, my friend Linwood and I were there. Such a delightful time and she took Q and A before signing her latest book. I did get brave enough to ask a question about one of her earlier books and the question so obscure, she didn't remember what she had written and kind of brushed off the question but we were richly rewarded in the book line. Linwood, who had lived in the same apartments after college, she of University that is in Tuscalooser and Ann, of Auburn in Atlanta. Many of the characters of her stories are based on those she met while living at  these popular apartments with the hipsters of that generation. Linwood wasn't a hipster but she did like to be where the action is. So, she and Ann had this great conversation about people they knew from the apartments and that their time had overlapped and what a shame, they didn't meet. Linwood also knew Ellen Gilchrist's mother in Jackson MS. Another favorite author. Linwood's mom played bridge with her on a weekly basis. She got several books signed for me when she went home to visit. The infamous Linwood also went with me to a cancer fund raiser and the speaker was Winston Groom of Forest Gump fame. I have one of the few first editions of Forest Gump and I brought it along for him to sign when he signed his newest book. Linwood brought her University of Alabama yearbook, they graduated the same year and had him sign it. She made the news. Linwood is the most southern woman I have ever met...and I mean it in both the nicest ways and in the "well, bless your heart" way cause southern ladies can be some of the meanest ever but in the most mannered way.

Well, the cats have all settled in for the mid morning nap, that includes Buddy, but Strawyer has been awakened to chase something. As for me, even though I have been up since 4:00 am with Buddy, there are things to do and maybe a few places to go.

Encounters of the Wasp Kind, Junior High and September 11th

Truthfully, I haven't felt like writing lately which is unusual for me. There have been a lot of good thoughts and things crossing my mind but when it came to sitting down behind the computer, that simply didn't appeal to me. Circumstances keeping me busy are the most likely culprit but the fire to write is on a slow burn but it is not completely extinguished. It will fire right up again but for now its a low burn and glow.

I had an encounter with a wasp yesterday. It had flown into the car but I thought I had shooed it on its way. Driving to meet Judy W at church, I literally came face to face with that bugger. The wasp had positioned itself on the dashboard, looking straight into my face. I was glancing to the left and right trying to find someplace to pull over and put the top down on Sam to give it every chance of escape...I was surprised not to have been reported on the scanner site on FB of erratic driving cause that wasp started flying right into my face. 🎝The first time ever I saw your face....thank you Roberta Flack...it buzzed about my head, not Roberta but the wasp, circled a couple of times and came to rest in its original position on the dashboard. Dang... I rolled down the window, wasp made another head pass and returned to dashboard. A gust of wind got that wasps attention and out the window he went. Thankfully, no going over an embankment or sliding over the line in the road or running into a tree.

This week has also had a junior high school throw back in that I got a zit...sorry not to offend, anyway the kind I used to get back in the day. Hated them then, hate them more now cause this is not supposed to be happening when someone is in their mid sixties. Well, that is also when I was in junior high, so maybe my body and hormones,what's left of them, got a mixed signal. Anyway, I think the worst is over with this stupid thing and hopefully my skin will resolve itself with the help of my skin care products that have rectified the problem over the past few days. Thank you Rodan and Fields!

I have also now realized if something happened to me that would be reported on the news, I would be described as an elderly woman. What? No way! Ugh! Yes, an elderly woman with acne no just one big jr high zit...how can that make me be old?

Yesterday some of us from our Sunday School class went to see our friend and fellow class member whose son died on Monday. We took sandwiches, chips, drinks and dessert. We sat there and let her talk and then we all talked. Two of the ladies had sons that passed away and were such an encouragement to her, really to all of us.  The service is tomorrow and the days ahead will not be easy yet we know that God is there and He will carry the family and friends. I rode with Judy W and I shared with her before getting into my car, hearing these stories of people and places here...adds such a rich texture to living here, the sad stories, happy stories and just the stories. I love when all the ladies were connecting the dots of people they knew, who had remarried or were the distant relatives of this one or that one. The pastor that is leading the service tomorrow stopped by and as we excused ourselves so they could talk, plan and pray...I visited with him for a few minutes while waiting my turn to hug my friend. He too grew up in these here parts. I love living here!

It was ironic on September 11, 2019 as we visited that September 11, 2001 wasn't too far from my thoughts. We will never forget! It's personal. Many of you know that we would have been in NYC on September 11th, Roy would have been at Windows of the World that morning in one of the towers at a conference. I never had peace about the trip and God gave me several opportunities before this fateful day to know the not having peace with several chance of a lifetime trips, had no peace and didn't go...each of those trips that I didn't go on had something happen that made me know I made the correct decision. How good of God to give me those chances. I've written extensively on this in prior years, so it is easy if anyone wants to read about this just go back on this date especially in the early years of Monablog. Then September 11, 2008 holds the memory of being rushed to a cardiologist office for an echo cardiogram and finding only 10% of my heart was working. The cardiologist office didn't expect me to live through the weekend, the weekend that Ike hit. God has been so good to me on this date as well... they gave me five years to live, ten years if I was lucky but this is year eleven and I am not lucky but fortunately blessed by the Lord.

We here in the dry ridge area received the quick gift of some rain. The trees of the field clapped their hands but the shrubs were indifferent.

Last week we had a group of scam artists come up our little road. I was going to the Google as I watched their van go house to house. When it came time to turn into our driveway, they stopped and didn't turn in, went on down the road. A little later I called Brenda to tell her about it and so we have a phrase I can use that will let her know, all is not well.  Not that I am anticipating anything, but it is good to be prepared. 

The new heated cat house for winter arrived today. I am not going to set it up yet as it is quite warm but I also need to put up some type of covering over it. It is water resistant but I would feel better with something over them and the door, that way my feet stay dry or somewhat dry.

OK, that's all I have for now....

Finally, A Blog Post

First of all, something I learned yesterday and not at church but in the kitchen. The room that is merely where I pick up something to drink or assemble something for meals, no real time is every spent there...well except in winter when I tend to cook. Anyway, after zonking out for the afternoon, a big ol' nap, cause Buddy and the heat caught up to me, I began to get the trash ready to go out. I had found some really old blackberries in the freezer and had let them defrost in the sink. The plan was to put them down the garbage disposal but I looked at the container and decided the whole thing could just go into the trash. Well...I put the container in a bag before putting it in the trash bag and went about collecting from the various receptacles around the house. That being done, I pulled the trash bag out and blackberry juice went everywhere...all over the floor, my pants, my bare feet and on the kitchen chairs. Goodness, I carried that bag out so quickly to the garage and came in and attacked the juice before it could stain the hardwood floors which are a light color. Then I realized I was making juice footprints, so put on the old gardening shoes and went about cleaning up the mess. From all the 2020 episodes or Dateline I now see why people get caught when they cause blood splatters in the home or business. That juice was everywhere! I mopped and cleaned up everything and I am keeping an eye out for any missed splatters. So what I learned is, go with the original idea of garbage disposal and then throw away the container.  Better yet use your frozen blackberries in a timely manner.

These past few weeks I have stuck around home mostly keeping an eye on Buddy. Last Saturday I got her into the vet on an emergency visit. They gave me some meds for her and if they worked, they would call a prescription into the compounding pharmacy down the street from them. The combo meds have helped Buddy so much. She has night dementia and really bad arthritis. Looks and acts poorly during the day, comes alive at night with super cat powers. Since she doesn't want to sleep in the bed anymore I don't feel as guilty about shutting the door after she leaves the first time. It has worked out pretty well but there is usually a 3:00-4:00 am window where she cries outside the door. Sometimes I let her back in and sometimes not. No matter the door shuts again or stays shut cause she can't settle at night. The past few days she has seemed a little more lively and that is a happy sign.
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Just when I think we might be on the road to recovery Buddy has a bad night. It wasn't the worst night she has had but it did make changes for today. Sticking around home instead of venturing off to where I had planned to venture. So, I will work on the lesson for Sunday and re-mop the kitchen to make sure all the blackberry juice is taken care of.

This past weekend was the studio tour and even though I didn't get to as many sites as in years past, it was a productive day. The past few years I begin at Addison Vineyards where several artists display their craft. My favorite is a self taught blacksmith. I have bought several different things from him over the years and he saw me looking at a gate he made. He asked if I was interested and I always am but big pieces like that are always expensive. In the words of The Godfather, he made me an offer I couldn't refuse. Being in the Mustang meant coming back later in the truck to pick it up but I continued on with the day by going out to Sandy Mush. Love the artisans whose studios are out in that scenic beauty. Found a couple more things and had a wonderful visit with the Biltmore blacksmith. Also an herbalist who is new to the tour had her studio open. Very interesting woman. On then to Twisted Laurel for lunch, came home got the truck, got the gate and this morning I finally unloaded the gate. Only thing I put a huge gash on my shin trying to get it out of the bed of the truck. Okay, maybe not huge, but a nice sized gash. I thought maybe it could be used on the front deck but the gate is too wide for that. It is probably going to be more of a decorative thing. So until it gets a home around here, it will be in the garage awaiting further placement.



Buddy and I were watching the evening playtime of Strawyer and Mr McBeavy last night. Sometimes it didn't look like play with Strawyer but then he would return to his normal personality of gentle giant of a cat. The more I look at the Mr I am thinking his father was Mr Meany. Facially and body type is making me think that but Strawyer includes him and keeps watch over him when danger seems to be in the air. Mama Cat showed up on Sunday after a three week absence. She looked like she has been in several battles. Saw Camo once last week. It's mainly the little family of three. This morning the black and white cat was back and I think that is Cali's son that our neighbors adopted. They try to keep him in but sometimes he escapes into the great outdoors.

Weather alerts are sounding off on my phone and thunder is resounding so now to close this and go check on the skies.

Could We Take It Any Other Way?

A relaxing Sunday afternoon that included a nap on the back porch, a little reading and a light lunch was much appreciated. The little family of three hangs around the ladders and plants in the side yard. so it is a continual jockeying for the coveted spot under the flowerbed chair. They seem to take turns so that is a nice thing. Buddy spent most of the afternoon on the porch, moving from sleeping spot to the next as the spirit or the warmth of the sun moved her.

Last week Buddy had a bit of a health scare and although she seems better I don't know if we are out of the woods yet. I was anticipating another good night's sleep after the successful night of rest on Saturday, but it was not to be last night. The vet is calling today for updates and maybe the continued use of the muscle relaxer, for Buddy, not me. It has calmed Buddy, but she is so lethargic. It was a welcomed sight to see she had eaten some of her food during the night and the treats she had ignored. We just spent a good amount of time sitting together this morning. She has not given any indication she would like to go out on the porch this morning.

I went into Sunday School prepared to teach but a little concerned for the last part of the lesson since I had not written it  out and had only jotted notes because of the additional concern for Buddy. During my prayer time Sunday morning I told the Lord, I am depending on You, but this morning I am really depending on you. He didn't fail me. We looked at the facts of Ecclesiastes and then looked at those nuggets that get overshadowed by vanity, vanity...under the sun...everything is meaningless. We were looking at these twelve chapters from a different vantage point and asking the Lord to open up His Word to us. Karen B gave us a great example as she told us about a group tour she went on to NYC. Instead of staking out the seats they sat in the first day, they changed seats often to get different perspectives of the city. I asked if anyone wanted to change seats with me and she said, the bus driver doesn't change seats. That quote is going into my journal. We finished the one and done Sunday look at Ecclesiastes with Chapter 12 in the beautifully written description of what happens as we age...Solomon the great builder of buildings, gardens, homes, navies and cities deconstructed the building process as a building falling in. I had a "you are old moment" Saturday morning at the vet while giving details to them about Buddy's behavior, I said something to the effect that what I had just told them...couldn't remember what day that behavior happened. The young vet responded, it's Saturday. Today is Saturday...well, I knew that and thought about responding, well, it sounds like you are listening to every 5th word...Okay, back to the chapter at hand... I also found a rather humorous view of what those verses mean. Funny, I never noticed or paid attention to those verses in the past but now...they have my full on attention. We ended the lesson though contrasting the ending verses of Psalm 92...where we that are older are to flourish in the courts of the Lord and still bear fruit. Velda gave us a perfect example of that to end the lesson as she recounted a shopping experience and small details became very useful as each person involved in the story contributed to a good outcome. It was also a monumental day, Inez read out loud from her Bible which had a great in-depth look at the verse we were reading.

During the week while studying, many times my remembrance of August 2014 came to mind. Roy gave me a month here to help me health wise miss the hot August of Houston. While here for that we also had on our schedule to begin the search for a home here. Originally, we thought about a condo for just summer/fall but Roy realized a house would be better especially for whenever he retires. In the midst of searching there was so much time to read and write or just sit and think. So the good ol' blog became a diary of sorts of comings and goings, roads, wonders, cows and of course the mountains themselves. In this period of time I experienced the kindness of God like never before and the scripture I was reading was mainly out of Ecclesiastes. On the outside of mountain bliss, circumstances all kinds of chaos was happening, it was the month of "come get these boxes" by my father a message delivered to us by his posse along with phone calls of investigations of being falsely accused of elder abuse and all other kinds of horrible, untrue accusations. In the midst of this, God's kindness...just a very little example...I do not like tunnels and would cringe beyond cringing while going through the tunnels on the Blue Ridge Parkway. There was always someone with me but during that month, I drove through 11 tunnels by myself, knowing God's presence as I was going through lightly, the valley of the shadow of death. I know, hyperbole....but I hated tunnels.

Last night in choir rehearsal we had the nicest surprise. Our pastor came in and just wanted to thank us for leading our church in worship on Sunday mornings. He appreciated our hard work and the passion we brought to the music, both with the congregation corporate worship as well as our piece prepared for each week. He thanked us again...and we thanked him for coming in to encourage us. It was refreshing the simple thank you and not adding a teaching moment to the mix as some pastors are wont to do.

Buddy is fussing, over what I don't know. Her imagination is not captured by treats this morning. She has been on the front and back porch. She has sat in my lap a lot. In fact, she is here right now and typing is difficult. She has never been much of a cat that rubs against you but she has become one over the weekend. Last night I got a lot of her putting her head against my face. Into the day we go, just me and Buddy, living in the mountains, taking it one day at a time...like we could take it any other way, ha!

Celebrations, Cake, Buddy and Ecclesiastes

The rain cooled air has dropped the temps with breeze and we didn't even get any rain to enjoy the evening cool degrees. Buddy has been on the back porch all afternoon with intermittent naps between keeping an eye on Mr McBeavy. After a fun birthday yesterday it was an ease into the morning kind of day. Buddy took advantage of the available lap and I began reading up on Ecclesiastes.

Needing to run a couple of errands, one being grocery shopping for staples...not like for a stapler which is probably what most would think I needed. Anyway, picking up mail, prescription and a brief stop at Publix were quick enough and got home to put things up and check on Buddy. She was upstairs but when she heard the familiar sound of a porch door, she made her way slowly. In fact she spent the greater part of the afternoon asleep on the daybed.

Sunday held lots of fun and deliciousness. After church Brenda, Lois and I went out for lunch. The fried shrimp was our unanimous choice. We left way too full but I had two errands that had to be done, so I waddled to the car and began the drudgery but I also knew that upon completion of these errands, there would be strawberry cake. I made a quick check on Buddy before going over to Brenda's to celebrate with strawberry cake. Brenda knew how tired I was and sent me home to take a nap...which I did.
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It's Thursday. My attention has been elsewhere. Buddy wasn't her normal cat self Sunday night...and normal isn't really a definition cause Buddy changes normal several times a day. It was an up and down night and I finally settled in a chair downstairs, which seemed to help Buddy. Monday, Buddy was still struggling so I kept close by. Monday night, I was concerned that she would not make it through the night. Her breathing shallow and labored, neurological facial tics, and she was so warm. It was a night of crying and praying. Buddy was wobbly and struggled a bit on Tuesday but seemed to have some improvement. On Wednesday, I felt I could leave for a couple of hours to get my glasses adjusted and to run to Walmart...for a few things. Got home to a sound asleep Buddy who was more than happy to move her nap out to the back porch. She stayed there all afternoon and into the early evening. Last night was a tough night but not a rough night. She has started coming back upstairs after a little bit of not coming up this way. She had a few moments of thinking she was lost and she had a few moments of fighting things that are not there. She and I have been having some good talks this week, about life together these past fifteen years. This morning after lying on my lap for a bit, she has taken her sleepy self out to the front porch where personally, I think it is too hot. There have been several times in the past two years that seemed like Buddy's time on earth was up. Monday night is the closest to that fact. I'm keeping watch and hope she pulls through like she has done in the past. It is now Friday morning and Buddy had the best night last night that she has had in a long time...which means I got sleep from 11:00 to 3:30. She came upstairs mournfully crying and sat at the end of the bed...with the low tone whimper. I got up and sat her on the bed and once I settled in, she got right beside me and stayed there until 5:30 and I got up at 7:30. This morning she has been perkier and as always she is eating well and staying hydrated. She takes after me with the eating well...hydration, she gets from Roy.

I was talking to our neighbor Nancy yesterday afternoon. They have had lots of animal drama happening up on their farm. From the death of their goat and having to put their puppy down because of a large tumor on the spine. Their horse Zoe had a near death experience while they were away all day at a horse show in SC and they had to decide whether to have the surgery at UT Knoxville or put the horse down. Zoe had the surgery and is still in Knoxville with a detailed and elaborate wellness plan once she gets home.

This morning, once again I was looking at Ecclesiastes for the lesson on Sunday. Lots of directions to take the lesson but no clear direction on what to include. This morning the Lord brought it together and I feel better about it all. Now to get it written down so I don't forget. So that's what I am going to do now...It has taken almost a week but finally a blog post. 

Happy Birthday Buddy!

This is the first picture of Buddy that was on an email to the staff at Houston's First Baptist from Lisa Lewis. Her cat had kittens and she was looking for a home this little gray kitten, who at the time was thought to be male. I fell in love with this face and called Roy to tell him about a picture of a kitten that had stolen my heart. Long story short, Buddy came to live with us. She was born on August 4, 2005. Does that make her a millennial cat? 

Buddy is fifteen years old and in cat years that means she is nearly 80. She is somewhere in her late 70's but I am too lazy to do the specific math. She is definitely slowing down and has dementia moments especially at night. Nothing like that mournful cry at 2:00 in the morning. She is even more than before a whiny meower. If she was human she would have already had a hip replacement but there are days she moves and jumps like a ten year old cat. Buddy has always had a bit of a temper but things that used to make her take a swipe at me, well, they don't seem to bother her anymore and she knows I think, that I am trying to help make her comfortable.

This is one of my favorite pictures of Buddy that Peggy took. She caught that iridescent shine of her gray fur and that little smile. 

My life changed for the better when this little gray kitten came in my life. I don't know, it was like the Lord added her to help me and this little cat has helped me process and think through so many things. When I was so ill she hardly left my side, sleeping next to me all day and following me to the bathroom or kitchen. She is also the little sneaker that has hiding places and doesn't reveal them easily. Many a time I have called this cat and she remains stealth and silent as I desperately search for her.  

Buddy doesn't like change....of hardly anything but she survived two major moves and she has flown more than me in the past five years. She loves her some time on the porches, front porch in the morning and back porch from the late afternoon on into the evening. She'll work you for a treat, it is a constant that is for sure. In the midst of not liking change, she herself has changed her routine. Her favorite napping places remain unused. After nearly 15 years of sleeping on our bed with us for 95% of the night, she now sleeps elsewhere. It took some getting used to on my part but the quality of sleep has improved for both of us.

So, Happy Belated Birthday Buddy! I started the post on Saturday but I was enjoying my birthday festivities and was too tired last night to finish this up.

Fruits, Veggies and Isolated Incidents

August 1st, opening day for Barbers Orchard. On the first day I am not going for the apples, it is more for the produce and honestly, the baked goods. Inez and I decided we needed to go to opening day, so we met at church and headed over Barbers way. Lots of cars but it wasn't too crowded. The line for the bakery wasn't too bad and once the woman with a large order got it all paid for, the line moved quickly. Taking care of the most important purchase of apple cider donuts, we were able to peruse the fruit and veggies. We got that done and decided lunch would be at Haywood Smokehouse. It was delicious as usual. Before heading home we decided we should make a quick stop at Duckett's in Clyde. We got lemon melons and right now mine is cooling off in the refrigerator. I took our bakery purchases to the truck and I felt the breeze with a hint of fall in the fragrance and temperature. Some of the first trees that show the change of color, well the top leaves are beginning that precursor to autumnal pigmentation.

The late afternoon held some rain but mostly lightening and thunder. The temps cooled down and made for a pleasant late afternoon on the back porch. Buddy was interested in the little family of three but soon the urgent need of a nap overtook the curiosity. I need to move one of the little chairs for flowers alongside the one that is already outside near the porch cause all that little family loves the chair. The zinnias that occupied the chair have seen better days especially since they've been smashed down even with the soil.
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The wonderful, good beginnings of Solomon is on my mind this morning. In a few minutes I will begin writing out the lesson for Sunday. In the past few days several words and phrases have stood out and so I have studied with those words leading the way. Buddy has decided she wants to contribute to the blog this morning, like most mornings when I sit down to write. The call of the window has overtaken her desire to contribute. Think she made the best decision.
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No, the call of the window did not get to me like Buddy but the call of writing out the lesson for Sunday and a few errands took precedence. Also, the supper invitation from Brenda was too good to resist, so the blog post kind of fell by the wayside.

It was shocking to read of the untimely death of a young woman's husband this week. She worked in the ED Suite, as it was known back in the day. She might have been an assistant to me for just a little bit of time before becoming the full time admin for Married Young Adults. I don't remember. She was falling in love while she worked at First Baptist and married this fine young man. He died of a cancer I had never heard of. Then this morning I read about the owner of The Pink House passing away this past week of breast cancer. She had been fighting the fight for a long time. Sadly, The Pink House is going through the closing process. Over the years we had found several pieces of furniture and all kinds of interesting things at her local shop.

Brenda served a delicious country supper filled with veggies and her homemade rolls. Yum! We visited for a bit after supper. Roy had called but I hadn't heard the ring cause I don't have good coverage at her house. He had spent the afternoon out in the yard with the sprinkler guys. Two of the seven zones of our sprinkler system had never worked correctly because they had been wired wrong. The lines were not color coded nor labeled. In the midst of the work they must have cut the cable in the yard. Roy thought it was the modem and took it in to Comcast but it wasn't that. The sprinkler guys are coming back this afternoon to finish up the work. Roy is at a seminar and will head home quickly after it is over.

I have been out in the yard cutting up weeds and pulling up flowers that have done bloomed. It is a dried up mess to deal with. The trees that needed extra watering got attention this morning as well. It is looking like it might not rain this afternoon but if it does, it's because I watered trees and a few plants.

Last night just as I was falling asleep I had the first major afib moment in over a year. I have gotten so used to being in rhythm. There were a couple of things on my mind but nothing too troubling and although the last couple weeks have held some added stress, it didn't seem like anything that would knock me into the world of irregular beat. It could be that I had caffeine after 2:00 yesterday. But today, I can feel the fatigue from my heart working overtime when it didn't need to. My prayer is that this is an isolated incident.

July 31st...Where Did The Month Go?

The end of July is coming to a close. This summer has gone by quickly but August holds Barbers Orchard opening and all the goodness contained there. Lora and I have made tentative plans to meet there for a peach/apple slushie and who knows what else?  Oh apples, yes. Well, not so much in the beginning. But by the end of August the honey crisp are ready and available for purchase. Yahoo!

We looked at one song last night in choir from our Christmas music. It is an enjoyable song and fun to sing. All the music we worked on last night was so good, several songs we have sung before and a few new ones, well new to me.

Just looked over the first fall reading list from Square Books. Now all of these lists are online but I remember checking the mail with the hopes the latest Dear Reader would be in the mailbox. When the anticipation was nearly taking over, there it would be. Slowly, I would go through all the new releases and circle books that I was interested in. This is before Amazon and before local bookstores carried little known genres. I would order from Square Books and when that box came, it felt like Christmas and nostalgia wrapped together because the books were wrapped the individually with brown paper. Square Books is celebrating their 40th anniversary this year. For so many years we made a detour to Square Books in Oxford MS on our way to Nashville or to Asheville. Such a fun detour, at least for me, and throughout those early years I've experienced stories from their local Mississippi authors that were probably self published thinking about it in hindsight. That is where I found Augusta Trobaugh novels that are such delightful, thought provoking and funny reads. Ya gots to love good stories that have all the elements needed to flesh out characters and the dailiness of life.
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I found myself on some back roads yesterday in east TN. The rolling hillsides, all manner of crops, dairy cows and the like certainly drew me in. From time to time I had to stop and enjoy the view. A good smattering of old farmhouses mixed in with newer construction. It was one of those times where the view is committed to heart not a camera. Numerous fields with hay in preparation for baling. There is nothing like the sweet fragrance of hay in the air.

Last week a friend and I were commiserating over the decline of customer service at The Nord. The Nord in Charlotte since my first visit there has been referred as the sub par Nord. The selection, the restaurant and finding someone to help with a purchase is a constant consistent. Sounded like from my friend's observations that the Nord near her in Texas is experiencing the same problems. That prompted me to go online and see if this was a universal problem or we were just fortunate to have the sub par experience. No, it seems like the general consensus is huge decline. The Nord has a great online presence but traffic in the stores has decreased. Now you'll find most sales people looking at their phones and standing around. One interesting comment from a review that Nordstrom's problem is lack of training for their personnel, nothing like it has been in the past when training and service were recognized by those in the industry and those outside of it. I had also heard that the stores are taking more of a Nordstrom Rack mentality...which is great at a Rack store but not so much in a signature store.

Our class finished up with the study of David by looking at Psalm 23. There is so much in that Psalm for daily life. We begin looking at Solomon this week and it's funny, after talking to my friend Carole yesterday she mentioned her class's study of Ecclesiastes, it looks like in a couple of weeks we too will be spending a Sunday in that book. They had twelve weeks, so feeling pretty good about just the one. We are looking at wisdom and how God blessed Solomon to rule with wisdom this coming Sunday. 
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We might get some rain this evening. We got enough yesterday that I didn't have to water anything. Don't want the wind gusts though.

It is a good thing I got new glasses today because I wore navy leggings with my black and white dress. Oops. The navy discovery came though while still wearing the old glasses. Oh well... So that meant I didn't cross my legs today at the funeral of Shirley Israel. I didn't know Shirley very well but she had always been kind to me. So, I got my new glasses, ate Mexican food for lunch, ran over to Marshall for a quick stop, came home and then went to church.

Well, I should fix supper...thinking of a Cuman D tomato but no runny eggs on the side.

Sunday Night Top Off

Buddy wants out on the back porch. She hasn't a clue that it is 1:15 am. Who knows what creeps around at night and maybe a screen wouldn't be enough to keep her from harm. This is hard on both of us and I can only hope that she will soon settle down and sleep a couple of hours. I am torn on whether to take her to the vet or not. She needs her nails trimmed, although she let me trim them a little without any fuss. She could probably use a steroid shot but after the last one which caused her such stress and over a week to recover, I hesitate. This little Buddy will be fifteen in a week or so and these past few months have been difficult for her. I used some organic lavender to calm her down a bit knowing that essential oils can be hard on cats. She finally went back downstairs and went to sleep. Meanwhile I was wide awake. So, all in all I think I got about three and a half hours of sleep last night. Two hard nights in a row of sleep deprivation doesn't make me that alert.
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Well, the above was several nights ago. Buddy did well two nights in a row and then last night was a rather sleepless night. So it makes Sunday truly a day of rest for me. Even with a good dosing of meds yesterday the dementia fought through the fog and Buddy was chasing invisible foes altering that with some blank stare time. We went downstairs around 2:00 am, gave her some treats, set the Dwell app on the book of Luke and waited for Buddy to settle, get on my lap and fall asleep.

My hair appointment was changed this week, so I went Thursday afternoon to a new stylist, to me, at the salon. She and I hit it off and we are happy with the new association. Christine is doing a lot of seminars and classes, really cutting back...haha...on her chair time. Before the appointment I had lunch at La Cantina and did a little window strolling through Biltmore Village. They are fixing the brick sidewalks not to be such a tripping hazard.

On Friday such a delightful afternoon with friends from Houston. They had been in the area and we met for lunch and then came back here for a bit. We did a little drive by sightseeing and ended up in Marshall. Always love a trip to Penlands and there is a fried pie lady from Burnsville that brings fried pies to the store during the week. She had brought 54 of them and when we were there Friday afternoon. four were left. Got the strawberry fried pie and it was really good. The girls left for their cabin and I began writing out the lesson for Sunday. It felt like it would be a little different than usual in the prep this week.

It pays to go to choir practice...well, sometimes when you get homegrown tomatoes from a friend and another friend is inquiring about an Asian cuisine lunch sometime. It's all good.

I am hoping for a good sleeping night but I'm not too sure. Buddy is downstairs starring at the wall. I will go get her in a few minutes if she doesn't come upstairs soon.

Weather, Psalms, Cats and Gardening...It's Tuesday!

It must have rained off and on all during the night and you'd think I would really be knowledgeable about that because it was another long night with Buddy. Around 2:00 am I got up, came downstairs and let her sleep in my lap. Sleep didn't come for me so I read and listened to scripture. Finally, after a little over an hour, I went back to bed only to be awakened around 4:00, 5:15, 6:20 and then finally getting up around 7:00. 

The first time I read about Dwell was on Twitter. So to the app store to check it out. About $30.00 a year with a seven day free trial. What I like about it is, different voices can be chosen for the reading as well as background music. There are playlists, like I listened to all the parables last night from the gospels. Then started the book of Mark. Such a wide range of choices. Usually I keep away from audible because my attention strays and then if a book, I have to re-listen cause I have lost a huge chunk of the story. The playlists are divided up by subject or by the book. Think Dwell is sticking around after the seven day free trial.

This Sunday we are studying Psalm 23 as we take our last look at David's life before moving onto Solomon. Sometimes teaching very familiar passages is harder because they are well loved, often memorized and our attitude, while not with malicious intent, we can skip over meaning and new meaning just due to familiarity. Yesterday, while working on the front bedroom and getting things together for a Goodwill run, I thought about the 23rd Psalm, remembering maybe my first memory of it. Seems like my cousins and I were given children's Bibles by our grandparents. The cover was Jesus with all the little children. Inside the cover was Psalm 23 and the back inside cover was The Lord's Prayer. So it must have been around the second or third grade being at my grandparents for part of the summer and being able to go to VBS at their church. It seems we were studying Psalm 23 and by the end of the week we were to have it memorized for the all important star by our name of completing memory work. Upstairs, in the bedroom I slept in while there, I remember sitting by the window gazing out on the gas station on the far corner and memorizing the Psalm. When I got to the part about, "yea, though I walk through the shadow of death, Thou art with me..." back in the day the King James version is all we had...but somehow I began to think that the cedar closet in that bedroom was the shadow of death. We weren't allowed to open that closet door and with my grandmother reciting the poem, Little Orphan Annie...which is complete with goblins, before I fell asleep each night, the closet became shadow of death...goblin home. I do remember that I memorized the Psalm and was so happy it was on the inside cover so I didn't have to thumb through the thin pages to find it each time I did memory work.

I am trying an experiment today. The little family, Strawyer, Punky, and Mr McBeavy come into the garage now and then when their food is being prepared. With all the rain from last night and trying to make the screen around the porch not be too attractive to investigative scratching, I left the backdoor to the garage open. Punky came in and guess Straw and the Mr have come in as well. Trying not to bring attention that it could be a big deal being in the garage out of the rain. It is just so stinkin' wet and almost have had three inches of rain. They are looking for a dry spot so they are getting an option other to hanging off the ledge around the porch. **Update** It looks like at least for now, Nancy's ark I mean garage is closed for business. Punky and the Mr just left for the great outdoors and Strawyer, he might still be asleep in the garage but I will go check in a little bit. **Update** Strawyer wasn't asleep in the garage and had probably gone out wandering before Punky left the friendly confines.

Just read an interesting article about the new CEO of Barnes and Noble. He has been successful in turning around bookstores in the UK. With the recent closings of Lifeway stores I read the article with those closings in mind. I avoided Lifeway stores if at all possible. They were stark, cold, full of junk and the arrangement of the books didn't facilitate browsing. I had found better selections at the nearby Barnes and Noble store. It might happen that B and N will warm up a bit in tone and arranging books for more browsing opportunities. This will be interesting to keep tabs on.

I broke my vow of not assembling anymore furniture but it wasn't too difficult. Ordered teal chairs to go with the dining table on the porch. Most of the time metal chairs come assembled, but not these. It was a quick assemblage before the rain and storms came last evening. 

Before the sun came through the clouds and after the rain it was a brief attempt at weeding the front flowerbed. It is overgrown with grass and weeds in the very front part. I'm thinking of making up some of that vinegar, Dawn and Epsom salt mix to spray carefully around the plants. I worked till the sun made the temps too difficult for work. Even in the low 70's with a breeze cannot compete or overcome the sun at this elevation. As evening draws near, I will get back out there and get the weeds that did get pulled into trash bags.


Wrapping this up and thinking and studying Psalm 23.