December 31, 2021

 The last day of 2021. It has been an unusual year in so many ways. What will be usual on this last day of the year is, we will stay in tonight. No party going, no going out for supper or anything of that nature. That has been our new year celebration for quite sometime. When we lived in Houston we might meet friends for a very early dinner before everyone who wants to party came on the scene. 

There is so much to be thankful for in 2021. God has taken good care of us even through some challenging days. 2021 held such a feeling of loss, well just until recently. 2021 held a lot of good as well, selling our home was a huge item off the to be done list. We lived there nine and a half years. Roy found a condo that was almost just about perfect for him. Close enough to the office to make the commute manageable and comfortable in an area where we had lived for almost eighteen years. No real learning curve of streets. We lost Hector Protector in July and Buddy in September. I spent most of the summer distracted and unable to really focus on too much of anything. We both had a few health scares, no maybe that should be concerns. There has been much prayer yet also much laughter this year. 

With the pandemic still going on not too many came here to visit. My long time friend Beth came for Memorial Day and we had a blast. Doug, Megan and Katie came in August and unfortunately for them it was in the height of my sense of being overwhelmed and distracted. It was fun seeing them and doing the Leicester Studio Tour. 

The biggest change this year, Roy retired. I was thrilled for him to get out of Houston because it just seemed like such a mean place but he confronted meanness in Mobile instead. He is alive and for this I am thankful. Throughout the year I could hear it in his voice, the weariness of managing people. Several times we talked and prayed about could this be the year? Honestly, I was so ready for him to be here and he said this is the first year he knew I was just about done doing most things alone. His flight he had scheduled to return to Houston was a 6:00 am flight, one I wasn't looking that forward to on Monday. Ah, not having to drive that early to the airport, for this I am thankful. After hearing the snow forecast for Monday morning I am very happy to be as snug as a bug in a rug Monday morning. 

2021brought about a simplicity to life. No more blonde highlights, not wearing a lot of make up, eating at home, and really another year of generally sticking close to home. Kind of like 2020 but now I am more used to the simplicity and I am all for that. 

Happy New Year, Friends! Thank you for stopping in and reading the ol Monablog from time to time. This blog has to be the most consistent thing I've ever done as a hobby or interest. It began in 2007. I used to write edgier things, you know more than loving a new grocery store across state lines. More stuff was written back then when I went to my fearless zone much more than I do these days. 

Now we look forward to 2022 and what it holds.  

Daily Wanderings

 We are probably having the last of warmer temps until March. Sunday is a pivotal day weather wise. The highs will reach 60 and them plummet and then maybe snow into Monday. Roy has been enjoying the spring like days but he will soon be bundling up even more. We just ordered him more heavy fleece tops because he lost his favorites in the December 18th robbery. 

I would also like to announce we have truly entered the world of old. We have a new favorite grocery store and it is across state lines. We discovered it around Thanksgiving and now we are registered ValuCard loyalty customers. Yesterday, we drove in rain that looked to be clearing and it did. The prepared fruit is reasonable and fresh. Dr Enuff is a full dollar cheaper and Roy drinks those like water some days. They always have cat food. No cream cheese in our area, the cases were full. Yogurt cheaper there as well as a few other things. Now, on somethings, they are more expensive but overall, we are liking the store. Then came the total blast from the past, Sta-Flo liquid starch. I realize it is owned by Purex now, but back in the day my father was a salesman for A E Staley and selling the household products is what brought us to Texas from Chicago. I told Roy we are like the Progressive commercial, not so much becoming our parents but older types because there is a rest area on the way and coming back home if needed. We stopped at Publix on our way home to see if they had their street tacos, no, but we got more strawberries. When Dena called last night I told her about our adventure in grocery store shopping and she got the biggest laugh out of it. Really, it is rather funny. To make it more real, we went to $5.00 day at The Fresh Market. Pizza, boiled shrimp, rotisserie chicken only costing $5.00. I warned Roy on Thursdays at Fresh Market feels a lot like Rice Epicurean did in Houston. He noticed right off the bat that the observation was true. 

Last night Fed Ex notified us of the most glorious delivery, Three Brothers Bakery gingerbread men. Roy had told me to order some since his delivery went with someone else in Mobile on that fateful Saturday morning. So today, after a delicious tuna salad sandwich, I opened the box and ate one. Yum! 

Yesterday, out of the blue when I went out into the garage, the tiniest meow got my attention. It sure sounded like Toupee and when I followed the sound, it was Toupee. She has been gone for about a week and a half. Little on the skinny side but boy, it was a good feeling to see her. She ate a little bit and wanted to be petted, then she was out the door and back into the woods. She was here this morning too. She and Sweetie still hang tight together. Sweetie reminds me so much of HP personality wise.  In fact, we had a bit of a packed house for breakfast this morning. The newest kitten doesn't seem to belong to anyone and I'm wondering if it just happened upon this refuge? He doesn't hang around with any of the cats and just wants to come in, eat and leave.  

No new reports for the pride then slide episode. We did get the compost spread out evenly. I am looking forward to spring and planting wildflowers again. Tulips might come up if we are lucky but they were planted a little later than usual. Roy is planning on planting kiwis this spring and maybe a couple of cherry trees. 

This week's Ezekiel lesson is really, really difficult. Really. Ezekiel 28 is the main focus and truthfully, it feels like it is above my paygrade. Thirty minutes for a packed out chapter and the teacher needing Ezekiel for Dummies to help. 

Roy is adjusting quite nicely to retirement so far and I think he sees how the hours can get away here. Slower pace yet the hours go by quickly. We need to take a desk and chair to Habitat today and it probably won't be our only trip. We need to go to UPS again as well as nothing is every quite as easy taking care of paperwork. 

Pride Before the Slide

 It was so good being at church yesterday. Being among friends, wrapped up in God's love and provision, the encouraging words that will return to our remembrance while we toil away at getting paperwork righted and the like. I think the lesson made sense, I was all over the place but it felt like all the men of Christmas got covered, with a bit of a slight to the shepherds, but they were out in the fields watching their sheep and probably didn't realize it. The background and context of the times was so interesting to study. It gave such a great background why God sent His Son at that time. While reading Matt 2, I can always hear Charles Reat being King Herod in Pageant. The story of Joseph became more real this Christmas. Never speaks a line of conversation but we see his obedience.  The sermon was insightful and good. We returned home for leftovers for lunch. Roy is still getting acclimated, so Sunday afternoon hit him hard and he napped. Something he rarely does. The afternoon was warm but not oppressively hot. Spent some time outside playing with the Feral Fam. Several of them like the chase the rubber fish on the end of a child's fishing pole game, Sweetie being the main player. 

Roy's declaration of getting up at 5:00 am was a one day practice. Haha! I love watching him shed off the obligations of a career and working. He is really taking advantage of our down time because we will be ramping up, good mega church word, in the coming weeks as the stuff of Houston life arrives and we give away or make room. In fact Roy spoke with the movers and the possibility of them being here toward the end of next week is good. I think Roy is adjusting to retirement and a change in the landscape rather well. 

We began rearranging thing in the garage with the movers coming in mind. We worked a bit on that and will continue in the coming days. Mary, Jesus and Joseph are stored away until next Christmas as well as the little red Christmas tree truck. We can also knock off a few more things on the paperwork list. Roy sticks with it and has patience for it but not this child. My oh my. 

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It's a rainy morning here. It has kind of changed the timing of our plans to later or to another day. Late yesterday afternoon our neighbor called and asked if he could put the compost out at the top of our flowerbed before the rain started. Sure, this is some of the best compost ever. Last spring I used it for flowers and they were prolific. Roy and I pulled on our muck boots and headed out the door with rakes and shovels. Ah, the mixture of horse poop, sawdust, and leaves. Steve gave us four front loaders full of this compost gold. We began working it into the flowerbed. Now this particular flowerbed is on an incline. I'm telling Roy to be careful, he still thinks like a flatlander, and then I added, I do this kind of chore all the time, so just follow my example and we will get this knocked out in no time. In hindsight, I should have ended the sentence with be careful because I have been studying for the lesson in Ezekiel 28 and included in this lesson is one on pride. Yep, it's funny how God can make a point of a lesson for you with full application. These piles of poop are getting slippery with all the shoveling and raking. Instead of standing behind the pile, I stood in front of it and as I was raking it toward me, the pile crumbled and I tumbled. As several have said, I was slip sliding away. It was as if I was sledding on snow only it was horse poop and I didn't have a sled. The trusty rake wasn't too helpful and after sliding the length of the flower bed, I called out to Roy who had missed the whole show, help! I've fallen and I can't get up. No cute guy from the commercial assured me that help was on the way, it was just the sound of laughter coming from Roy. I was laughing as well but knew I could not let it go uncontrolled because that would not help a thing. Being surrounded and immersed by poo Roy is telling me to let go of the rake and he will pull me up. No, cause the rake is keeping me from putting my hand in the compost. Did I have on gloves? No. He begins pulling me down to the driveway for sure footing in order for me to stand as well as him not being pulled into the mess. In the background the noise of Steve and the front loader is getting closer. My goal is to get up before he arrives back at our flowerbed so he doesn't offer to help me get up by using the front loader. I look at my right foot to make sure it isn't leaning outward cause I slip slided on my right hip, the one that has been replaced. Straight up, should be good to go. With one mighty tug, Roy had me on my feet and the first thing he said is, you can keep the shirt. I had on one of his denim shirts over my tshirt since it was feeling a tad cooler. My backside was covered in compost. I took off my boots, didn't pass go, went straight into the house, throwing my clothes in the washer as I passed by, then headed for the shower. 

My artistic rendition of the event. To say that Roy has had a lot of fun with this whole compost event, would be putting it rather mildly. We were watching the Miss State and Tech game and he would say, I smell compost, do you? Haha, it is to laugh. Then he said he didn't follow directions to do as I did and slip down in compost. Let's just say, for this particular episode in not being prideful, Pride comes before the slide. 

These exciting days. 

Merry Christmas Part 2

 This morning, while eating breakfast, we laughed and remembered Christmas past. Our first Christmas, we were so poor. We didn't have extra money for much. We decided to buy a tree and make Christmas ornaments. Who cared if there weren't any lights on it. We brought it home and the weeks before Christmas I made salt dough ornaments, then painted them. Out of all the ornaments only two survived, Nancy 1977 and Roy 1977. I saw them this month while pulling out minimal decorations and they always warms my heart to remember that Christmas. We talked about our Christmas celebrations  over the years and those spent at the Inn on the Biltmore Estate are some of my favorites. 2010 is snowed nine inches and we had to stay an extra night, oh the pain of having to do that. In 2013 we spent Christmas once again at the Inn. We had the best room, not scenic sights from the window but it was a huge room and it was so wonderful to spread out and not be too confined. They had a Christmas Candy Bar for guests that was over the top good. Then Christmas 2014 we opted for the Holiday Inn because we were having work done on the house we bought in October of that year. 

I had read on Twitter last night, everyone should have to work at least twice in retail during the Christmas season. The stories that people told! When I was in high school and coming back during the holidays and in the summer, I worked at JC Penney's. My first year I worked in costume jewelry, hosiery, and purses. The store closed at 6:00 pm on Christmas Eve and people were still coming in a few minutes before 6:00. I think I worked till about 7:30 finishing up with customers and putting away or straightening the mess they made. After the holidays, I worked in housewares. There was quite a bit of learning to be done as for the kitchen and I were not really good friends. Sometimes in the evenings, housewares was not all abuzz. You can only straighten merchandise so many times. Friends would drop in and if there wasn't anyone around to wait on, we would talk. If a customer came in, all conversation stopped and I helped them. Sometimes the manager or assistant manager of the store would see me talking with friends and they would "punish" me. Once and only once, they made me work behind the candy counter. Math and fractions not being my best thing, I just put a scoop of candy in the bag and charged them for a 1/4 of a pound or whatever fractionalized amount people wanted. That candy line was long when kids found out that you could get more bang for your buck at the candy counter. Management never made that mistake again, no they doled out an ever worse punishment. They'd send me over to the junior dept. to hang up clothes left in the dressing rooms, then put them back on the racks. Even being six feet tall and weighing only 120 pounds, I never shopped in the junior dept. I had no idea where any of the clothes went and it was time to go home. I just took those little bitty garments and stuffed them behind the dressing room mirrors. Got the job done quickly and I was out the door. A few days later I told my friend who worked in security, followed shoplifters and the like, I had heard two girls talking about stuffing clothes behind the mirrors in the junior dept. dressing rooms and they planned to come back later to steal the stuff. Why, I was certainly thanked for the tip. They had found loads of potentially stolen clothes behind the mirrors in every dressing room. A crime spree had been stopped before it began. All I could think was, don't y'all ever do that to me again... The next few Christmases, I worked at Grahams Men and Boys Clothing Store. That was a lot more fun and folding shirts and ties was better than straightening mixers, toasters and coffee pots. 

We made a delicious Christmas lunch and we even had collard greens. Love them! We worked on the Feral Fam's corner in the garage. We got most of the inside decorations put up this afternoon. It's not like I did like regular, but we had a sweet flocked artificial tree filled with sheep and one Buddy ornament...the cat not the elf. 

Our day was good, Christmas was good, God is good. 

Merry Christmas!

 It is a quiet Christmas morning. Roy isn't even snoring and he is sound asleep. I don't know if sugar plums are dancing in his head. Probably not, since he has cut way back on sugar. It was a late night for me, staying up till 10:00pm. We watched The Preachers Wife and The Bishops Wife last night. Two of our favorite movies. We didn't go to our churches Christmas Eve service as the afternoon got away from us and it was 4:40 when we realized we wouldn't make it. Only a call from the cell phone customer service tech, it was just about the only thing we took care of with the current business at hand. We think the list of items stolen is near completion and ready to send to the insurance company. Roy realized an original painting done by a friend of my mom was stolen last Saturday in the great Mobile heist. It was an unusual picture of a scene by a river in a small town. When you saw it from a distance, it was dark with a few splotches of color but when you got closer to the picture, you saw people. It was the most unusual painting and I loved it. So did my mom.  

Our neighbor stopped by last night with a tin of homemade cookies and a beautiful flower arrangement in a Christmas theme. What a wonderful and delicious surprise. It dawned on us the week before Christmas when we are engaged in Christmas gifts or thoughts, that we had given the majority of the week in taking care of business at hand. We apologized to Nancy, we had nothing to give, no gift. I taste tested the cookies and one of the cookies a molasses cookie, reminded me of my mom. She made those molasses cookies, as well as iced sugar cookies and gingerbread men. She once did a self portrait as a gingerbread woman, but Roy accidentally threw it away when he was cleaning out the freezer years ago. My mom had such a whimsical and fun spirit about her. When we moved into our new to us home in the suburbs all those many years ago, it was a home without a fireplace. She got construction paper and made a fireplace on the wall. That is where we hung the stockings. She also made some little felt elves with small Styrofoam heads. I wish I appreciated then what she fought against to bring in that little bit of Christmas fun. 

We made one last grocery store run yesterday. We decided to go up to Madison County to drive the scenic roads that bring me such great joy. Picked up a few items at the store and then went to Penlands in Marshall. This year with a much simpler Christmas, a few cards got a thought or two, but we didn't buy anything. Unusual not to. I did look at a flannel nightgown cause they are made by retired textile ladies and I love their craftmanship and work. Saw some quilts but out of my price range. We came on home and took it easy. Roy has been through so much. Last night, we talked about the week anniversary of our suddenly and I confessed I would have a difficult time this morning when that moment arrived. Roy had texted at 8:02 he was loading the car and at 8:20 came the news he had been robbed and left with fifty cents. Thankfully, he didn't have to surrender his watch or wedding ring. That is what we focused on cause I teared up at the memory and the suddenly to our lives. Not at the loss but at the gain of spending another Christmas with Roy. Even though we no longer give each other presents, these past few years of uneventful Christmases, are welcomed and cherished after so many years of unhappy Christmases with my father being the chief troublemaker and causer of tears. This morning I almost recreated a Christmas from 1979, I think. Our apartment seemed to have all the doors installed backwards. Our bedroom door opened into the hallway, not into the room. We were coming home from church on Christmas Eve, I was going down the hall, without turning on a light and ran smack dab into the edge of the door causing me to have a bit of a black eye. Now you know the old excuse, I walked into a door when something more sinister had happened, no I had really walked into a door. This morning, wanting to let Roy sleep, I had pulled the bathroom door almost shut. We have a motion nightlight in there. I forgot I had done when I came back into the bedroom that and walked smack dab into the door, my forehead taking the blunt of impact. Thankfully, a hard head hitting a hard door didn't wake up Roy. 

It just came to me, this year's Christmas theme, besides the obvious is stolen...no make that stollen as in bread. Think I would rather have coffee cake. Barbers Orchard closed for the season yesterday, until August 1st. A little bit of sadness but that means it won't be long and strawberry season will issue in produce stand season, the most wonderful time of the year. 

The Feral Fam got a few new toys for Christmas. We had a new visitor at breakfast but there will be more on that later. Got the Fam fed and maybe Camo is hanging around here more these days. The security camera showed her asleep on the chair on the front deck earlier with an unrecognizable black and white cat or mainly black cat. Mama Cat came inches away from me this morning. That is closest she has ever come near me in our years of knowing one another, since 2017. Biggio was here yesterday but is out and about once again on his rounder ways. 

Roy just fixed our Christmas breakfast and it was delicious. With the movers coming in the coming weeks, I am going to go ahead and get Christmas decorations inside put away. It is constantly moving from thing to thing, but don't mind it a bit. Roy has retired and he is here. 

Just More Thoughts Along The Way

 My friend Philippa wrote a lovely thought to me yesterday and with all that has been going on, I wasn't able to respond until today. She wrote, "What a horrible middle to the end of Roy's working life weekend. You know he called you as he walked out of work for the last time, and look what happened in the end, you both ended up driving home together and pulling up into the new home you both have created."  Those words have meant so much to me today as we still work through all of this. 

We have an angel working at CVS and I do not know how she did it, but all three of his prescriptions that he just had filled before leaving Houston were filled and ready today, here. She also got two of my prescriptions moved up a couple of days and the cheapest I have ever paid for those two meds. Roy has spent most of the day working on the insurance claim. We received a very nice call from our agent's office in Katy today. Roy is only replacing one of his Toastmaster recognitions. We also talked with the cell phone company and kind of have an appointment tomorrow. 

On Sunday our pastor called us to check in and see if there was anything he could do. He said they had just prayed for us as a family. I also talked with him on Saturday while driving to Mobile. The great advantage of attending a local church.

An observation while listening to phone conversations, even call backs with people, when Roy is asked to tell his story. He is consistent and has told about the crime the same way. He said did you notice the change in attitude when I told her I have a case number and gave her the name of the detective? Guess there are people who commit fraud. The first year living here two guys tried to make a rear ended accident and it should have worked, but God. I just happened to be on the phone with Roy because Adult Protective Services had called him. I was distracted a bit.  My father had filed another fraudulent report on us and I needed to call APS back and not return the call from the grocery store. Long story short, I did not hit the back of his truck and when the guy in the car in front of him, pulled over and got out of the car yelling, I saw everything. I saw her rear end you...and there hadn't been a hit or a scratch...they moved on really quickly. 

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This morning Roy said I think I am returning to normal. Of course I'm thinking of him processing emotionally everything from the past week. No, it was finding his routine, his new normal in retirement. We decided last night unless there was a call back or an emergency kind of thing, he would stop working on all this paperwork at 5:00. It is important for him to have a schedule and now that he has his blood sugar testing kit and the like, it adds more to the start of a routine in a normal day. It is important for him to have an evening of leisure, sleep comes easier and much more relaxed. Roy processes life so much differently than most. He is level headed and it is not that he stuffs things compartmentally, he just logically checks things off inside him just like he does any of his lists. There have been a few times I have seen him get emotional, once was my first ablation. He told me later he had no idea how serious those procedures are and he began to understand what I had been dealing with. I think that is when he began thinking about where we should retire so both of us would have a quality of life. He is such an Ephesians 5 kind of guy, loving his wife as Christ loves the church. 

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Not too much time to write yesterday. We were out the door early hoping to be the first or second customer at T-Mobile. We were the fourth customer at 10:03. This gave Roy a choice of looking around at phones. He has been a android person phone wise and I am happy to report he has left the dark side and has come into the right, he bought an iPhone yesterday. The new free iPhone 13 is not available to Sprint customers, who now are a part of T-Mobile. You feel welcomed but you don't always get the same deals because you were a part of Sprint. I don't know how that really worked but nonetheless, got the phone because they had the medium sized one in stock. Supposedly the switch over fro Verizon, I am the Sprint customer now with T-Mobile, was to go smoothly. Roy had all the info from his former company. After about three hours at the store, we came home, fixed lunch and I was checking on the Feral Fam when T-Mobile called to let Roy know there had been difficulty in switching over from Verizon. Long phone calls and customer service at both companies were so dedicated to helping Roy and we thought they had fixed the problem. Nope, Roy made another call and so most probably it will be Monday when this is all fixed. His phone still has a burner number associated with T-Mobile or maybe Sprint. The last customer service representative was very helpful as well. No matter what, Verizon is loosing a customer not out of spite or anything, the T-Mobile deal is better and all the free stuff offered by Verizon, Roy is not all that interested in. Verizon was one of the companies that EPD used. Back in the day they dropped Sprint as one of the companies. Oh well....

Since today is a holiday at most offices, Roy is taking off Christmas Eve Day as well. Of course, that doesn't apply to things being done around here. It will be 71 tomorrow. Last year it snowed over Christmas. Monday morning Roy told me that he will be getting up at 5:00 am every morning. It's almost 7:30. I think I will cut him some slack. 

It seems so strange that our car has seemed to disappear off the face of the earth. It has probably been chopped up for parts or has now found a lovely home in Mexico. I checked out the social media of Holiday Inn while waiting in T-Mobile. Read some of the tweets and it looks like everyone affiliated with that company passes the buck back and forth. Robbed? Well, contact the local HIE, they can do more than the corporate offices. The other responses have been just as tepid. Where is the hope of having anything rectified when the management of the I 65 HIE in Mobile hasn't even contacted Roy. Basically, we just want the late check out fee waived.  Not on Saturday, not since returning home. Roy said it is probably a franchise and thus corporate isn't too concerned. My friend Lynnie has given us some good copy to work with as we get to that point. Hope we can afford her rates. Roy's decisions are thought out and processed, since he is taking time he must be composing a doozy of an email. He will walk in love but he will make his point. 

Throughout this week I have thought so much how I learned as I watched Carole Lewis trust God in hard seasons of her life. She once told me in a conversation, I am grieving but I will not grieve how some of my friends want me to. That is a trust in God statement for sure. God knows how we are made, cause He made us, Psalm 139. He is with us. That is what Christmas is all about, Emmanuel. Thank you Carole for teaching me how to walk in the disappointments in life and still have fun. What an impact you have made. It is finding those things in which to be grateful. Like the screw in the tire last week. It was small and hadn't done any damage but who knows what might have happened if I hadn't just came upon it last week. Icing on the cake, no waiting. They were able to look at the tire immediately. Yesterday, some of our what ifs crept back in and we both looked at each other and said, we have to stop this what if-ing. 

Works and Plays Well With Others, Robbed at Gunpoint

 In the continuing saga of regathering up life before the morning of December 18th, we have made a huge dent in the journey but there are still a lot of miles to go. This was the kind of day that we decided to take off and get some things accomplished. We got out early and made a lot of stops along the way taking care of putting in supplies and of course we are on the never ending quest for cat food. We hit pay dirt in that area so the Ferals can have a variety of flavors to choose from. All of Roy's medicine and blood testing kit were stolen so we were on search for the basic blood sugar monitor and we found it at the last place we stopped, Walmart. Not our super store but a smaller one along the way. Found what he was looking for and they had almost all their checkout lanes open, so truly it was an in and out experience. It was a Christmas Miracle! Before arriving home, we stopped for a late lunch, delicious Mexican food and they have really, really, really good salsa. Really. Now if someone would just add chili gravy to the enchiladas, it would be so appreciated. 

Sunday through this morning when we wake up, Roy says to me, I would order you some gingerbread men from Three Brothers, but....I don't have a credit card. Then he laughs no chuckles. I smile but it is a slight smile. We are learning to share the one computer and my cell phone. We are going to make an appointment so he can get his replaced. In the midst of it all we are having fun despite the circumstances that kind of linger in the back of our minds. 

Saturday morning, after leaving the rapture looking house, I began the trip to Mobile. I think it rained the whole length of the trip. Some being very do-able and some of the rain so heavy, like driving though hurricane kind of rain. Alabama needs to remark some of their lanes over bridges as they rebuild Alabama. The only thing I could think of was, if something happens to me, go off the road or be in a wreck, what would happen to Roy? I do believe friends would have helped him and that is comforting to know. Before leaving, I gave him a bunch of phone numbers to close accounts and keep him occupied, but clearly not enough to keep him busy while waiting for his rescue. We would check in every so often and friends were calling and keeping me company. The strangest thing, my Bluetooth would cut in and out on the road. I would be where all the bars were filled in and a ton of dropped calls. Then, the Bluetooth and phone would not connect again, so I would use the speaker phone. You have to be careful in Georgia because it a no hands phone state. Another thing, you don't want to be messing with everything and try to dive through the deluge. At one point, I had exited to find a bathroom and chose a Cracker Barrel and it was hiding from me. My trusty CB side kick Dena was not there to help me find and then navigate the parking lot. While going back to the freeway, there it stood, the CB. I was talking to Peggy at the time and I was so exasperated with the entrance and then finding a parking place in the most illogical parking lot ever! I do believe I cussed and then apologized but sometimes, a little cuss word helps the medicine go down. I was planning on picking up some sweet sustenance to keep me awake, but the line to check out was very long. Decided to check them on the flip side. Peggy is saying to me, be careful, don't trip and break your other hip. 

While driving to Mobile and in prayer for Roy, for me and for so many others, I kept reminding the Lord that Roy REALLY needed me to get there and not skid off the road in deepest darkest Alabama. 

An employee at the HI Express bought Roy a couple of hamburgers for lunch. He was starving. He called me around 5:30 to check in with me and get an estimated time of arrival. He said, we will have to pay a late checkout fee, so you'll have to come in and take care of that. What????  He is robbed in the parking lot, the parking lot that doesn't have a camera then he is robbed later that evening when we paid for the late checkout. HI Express sent a survey and a review of the hotel. I don't think they will let that one be posted. We were honest and truthful, but not spiteful or meanspirited in what we wrote. If we were mean, we would have talked really loud about Roy being robbed at 7:20 am, in the daylight while paying the $71.00. Then we would have said, don't park out front, there are no cameras on that part of the parking lot. 

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Good Wednesday morning! Nothing will make you move faster than thinking fraud on one of my credit cards had occurred this morning. Off to the phone to check on things and everything is fine. Just a new addition to what is emailed to you. If the 18th hadn't happened, I would have figured it was a phishing scam. We slept in a bit today, well I got up at 3:30 am to get the roast in the crock pot and then came back to bed. Roy had stayed up till midnight working on the claim for the insurance on the contents of the car. Man, he did a good job packing. We just said we are looking forward to a day which is just normal but then I thought of friends and others whose days will never return to normal. We both thanked the Lord for non normal days, together. 

We are still processing the 18th in our minds and emotions. Sometimes we find ourselves doing the "what ifs" and we are pretty good at stopping that line of thinking, but it creeps in for sure. I listened to Roy explain to the insurance person what happened that morning. She was asking for details yet compassionate in her responses to him. The more he talks through the experience the more we are wondering if this had been an inside job. Who knows? Well, someone does and they are not telling us. He asked when he checked in if the front lot was safe and was assured it was. He said he almost moved the car but didn't. See, there is one of those what ifs. Roy has said it was one of his calmest moments in the scariest moments of his life. That is the Lord's doing but as he went through the details with insurance, his voice cracked a couple of times. 

Sometimes the odd response is given to situations. ABCCM, ministry here, was looking for large sizes in women's shoes. Oh, yes, I can help with that. I had just taken some shoes to Goodwill, just to get them out of the house and told my friend when she asked my shoe size, dang I don't have any right now. She said to me, yeah, you're probably one of those people who can't throw stuff away that isn't any good, so you gave them to Goodwill. Uh, I was so shocked at what she said, I didn't even respond. That was probably a God thing. When I got home I wanted to call her and say, they were new shoes, several pairs of tennis shoes. She doesn't know me very well but throwing away or getting rid of stuff or the best, giving something away that is good is right there in my sweet spot. Someone made an odd comment about the robbery and such. Y'all, with the robbery, it is Roy I am the happiest about and while there are sentimental things that were stolen, I have the memories of the joy they brought to my spirit. We have never one time talked about revenge, like God go get them. We have prayed for him and we call him the young man when we talk to the Lord. Now, when Roy has to repeat the story to police, insurance and banks, he uses the term criminal but not to God. We want the young man to come to know Jesus not have a come to Jesus meeting.  Really, if all the paperwork was returned, we would be exceedingly happy. We lost a lot of cash in the robbery (hurricane funds), keepsakes, daily convivence items, clothing and the SUV and the young man could keep all those things. Yes, even the delicious gingerbread men and the Goode Company BBQ sauce. The important was Roy but paperwork would be nice. Maybe we come across as materialistic to this person...well, there was a day but it was a long time ago. 

It's time to give Roy the computer to finish with the claim and then begin the next phase of taking care of items. 

Raptured Home Coming

 Well, where should I begin? There is much to process. The hardest and most scary part of this story hasn't been fully thought through nor has it resolved itself entirely, so I will begin where I can. Starting with this, Praise You Lord for keeping Roy safe and unharmed during the meet and great with the young man that robbed him at gun point in the Holiday Inn Express parking lot in Mobile, Alabama. Thank you for keeping Roy calm so that he didn't do anything that startled the young man to take physical action against him. Thank you Lord for keeping me safe on the drive to Mobile during a particularly rainy day and in those moments before reaching Mobile when the rain was so heavy, it was difficult to see the road. We praise God for the encouragement extended and prayers lifted on our behalf by friends and family. 

Sometimes in novels the author begins with the ending so readers can traverse the story with some knowledge in hand. We arrived home around 1:30, to sunny skies and cool temps. That last two hours of the trip was beautiful and scenic, low level clouds draping the trees and heights. We passed by the antique mall we love to walk through and those little local restaurants that we've planned on visiting in the spring. We saw state parks that we didn't know anything about and made a note to add these to our list of photography spots. As we came closer to home we only made a pit stop at a rest area. While always believing we live in a beautiful and wonderful place, the colors of the soon to be winterized trees, the blue sky and the bright white clouds looked even more spectacular. Think we were both appreciating our circumstance of coming back home because it could have been a much different ending. When we arrived home, I said to Roy in honor of your retirement, let me unlock and open the doors for you...oh laughter, thank you for your buoyancy to our spirits. Our welcoming committee of The Feral Fam greeted and ran. We were sure they were running away in joy to spread the good news of Roy's arrival...truthfully, they probably ran to tell the others not in attendance, lunch would be served soon. I had briefed Roy on the status that I was in the midst of last minute cleanup, when I learned his news. Being in shock, I couldn't think clearly...just did what had to be done in order to get out on the road as soon as possible. So, the crock pot got unplugged. I got cleaned up, decided on no makeup, wore a Baylor Christmas shirt because it was multicolored and would hide food stains if any food dropped onto my shirt because of on the road eating. Wore the best fitting jeans possible, grabbed a rain coat and a puffer vest, made sure I had a mask or two and hit the road. I forgot to take my meds before leaving nor did I bring any with me. No changes of clothes for us...nothing. Just a cooler with drinks, power bars and Lance Cheese and peanut butter crackers. Only the essentials to sustain. Getting back to getting home, we walked in and there was unfinished toast on a plate, coffee mug filled, notes on the desk getting ready to be assembled into a Sunday School lesson and various things out of place. Roy turned to me and said, we have returned to a house where surely the person who lived here was raptured. Things here and there, unmade bed, clothes in the dryer, clothes in the washer, rewashed them last night, just the general disarray of a home left in a hurry. A raptured house, now that is funny.   

Another moment that has given us a few smile, the realization of stuff lost. Most stuff doesn't matter but a few things do. Saturday night, in the middle of the night I sat up in bed, asked Roy was your mouth guard in the car? Yes. Eddie Bauer jacket that keeps one warm to 32 degrees below zero? Yes. Of course the gingerbread men, gone and the Goode Company BBQ sauce too. Thankfully, like Paul we can say, bring the books and the parchments...we don't have parchments except for the baking sheet kind. The movers have all our books. Just thought of this, but my mother's little glass doll, gone. And her little china set and my china set from childhood, gone. Oh, and the Bethlehem glass vases and such from trips to Israel, gone. Our Burma Shave sign and our English stained glass windows. That's okay, these losses hurt a little but not a lot. I'd rather have Roy than all those things. Maybe someone has written a song similar to this thought. 

In the midst of driving to Mobile, my brother Doug called to check on us. It wasn't maybe an hour or so later I got a text from him saying, my day is about as good as yours. He had been t-boned at a light, he had green, the other car, red light. It pushed his big ol' truck on its side. Both he and the other driver walked away without injuries. On one weekend, December 18th, I could have lost my hubs and my brother. So thankful that they are both okay.

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The rest of the day was filled with a couple of errands, a lot of online work and waiting on the phone for the next representative. Out of all the people Roy talked with yesterday, their was only one person who was so rude and I might add when he confirmed what he thought to be his drivers license number with the first representative, she said yes that's it and not you are a number off. We couldn't do anything online for a replacement till he called again, waited again and the helpful young man at Texas Public Safety customer service was wonderful. We got that in motion, talked with insurance people, took that car off the Harris County Toll Road account and a lot more. The detective called, no news but asked for us to check out gas cards for activity. Just our activity, thankfully. He got the process started to have his meds refilled. Our break for the day was grocery shopping and getting our Christmas meal together. 

We also made one purchase of a big cutting board. While fixing a pizza Sunday and I moved the crock pot over and it accidentally turned on a burner, the burner I had the cutting board on top of. Thought why isn't this board level, picked it up and it looked like melted marshmallow cream but no it was the white cutting board. Guess we could use the board as a funnel. Living on the edge I tells ya. 

We pray for this young man to come to know Jesus. I was telling Dena yesterday, I had asked the Lord to give us wisdom in ridding ourselves of stuff. Note to self, be more specific when praying that kind of prayer. 

More Memories

 There is a ton of stuff to do but this morning the thoughts of Roy retiring fills me with some good memories and those lean times memories of all these years. Several days ago Roy was debating on whether to keep his hard hat from the Howell Petroleum days. I'm thinking sentimentally because he wore that hat when he went down in the coal mines in Kentucky. His whole Kentucky experience is memorable. He went to the office in that small Kentucky town only to find out that the last person who had come to check on things, well let's just say, his body hadn't been found...yet. Roy has always had a calming influence and didn't come into any job with an ego, that probably kept him alive in his Kentucky travels. He drove over to go to a Kentucky football game, got lost...before GPS, and checked into a small motel until morning or the fog cleared. When he got back out on the the road, the next turn he needed to make was just about a block from where he spent the night. The company plane came to get him after all his Kentucky work and the plane almost crashed on take off. He has jumped onto offshore oil rigs from a helicopter and spent some cold days out in a pipe yard, auditing the pipeline count. He went on a six week fraud investigation of a pipeline where kickbacks had taken place and it seems the quality of work placing the pipeline might have been an issue. He could not tell me where he was or what he was doing, but once he called to give me instructions on picking up some critical boxes of files from an oil and gas company, whose name has left me long ago and most probably not even in business anymore or bought by a larger firm. He gave me the instructions and I was to follow them exactly but in the case that someone realized I had those files, if confronted to give them up. I felt so espionagey. He was out of town, on the case thus my involvement. They had at their disposal on this investigation all kinds of wonderous things and when they would bring a person in for information, they'd play Roy is a lawyer card to help get any info. I don't even remember the end result of this work, but we moved those boxes of files several times, just in case. Finally after about twenty years, Roy got rid of the files.  Along with the adventures, he had those boring jobs, well to me, of just number crunching. He did some tax work on the side in those early years and met some interesting people along the way. He clerked one summer and then part time on the side again for a small law firm. He learned that while he loved the aspect of contract law and such, he did not want to be a courtroom lawyer. He really didn't want to practice law at all, just use it in his career for better decision making and better contract reading. Because of Covid, his goodbye party had to be limited in number but he was pleased that the EPD law department wanted to come to his party. He loved talking law with the company lawyers. In the 80s for several years, I worked with Roy and yes, we are still married. We traveled a lot for our work and spent too much time in Oklahoma City and Amarillo, sorry Marty 😀. If it was now, we would love it cause y'all are there. We audited an oil well that was about twenty miles from our house, but we audited it in Westport Conn. The offices were in an old mansion. We traveled on the weekends while there to the surrounding area, like Plymouth Rock. A guy in a VW with a huge megaphone on top drove by a lot saying, Plymouth Rock is a fake! Truly, I was disappointed that it was a smaller type rock than I had imagined. We worked for six weeks auditing properties in Denver, Co. So, we were out the door every weekend seeing the sights. 

Roy went to law school at night. He had made a high grade on the LSAT but he didn't know if that would be enough. He made an appointment to see the Dean about attending. If he hadn't gone in person and talked with U of H, he probably would have been turned down due to his age, but after meeting, talking and seeing Roy's transcripts, plus LSAT, he admitted him on the spot. He had vacation to use the first year but the following three years, he was working for himself and on contract accounting jobs. He never had weeks of vacation to use for studying. He sold the review courses to his fellow students so that he could take the review class for free. He wasn't able to go to another review but his friend gave him the notes and review for it. 

When he sat for the CIA exam it was the same day that I was leaving with the University Club tennis team going to Hilton Head for a tournament. He dropped me off at a friend's house. We were riding together to the airport. When he shut the trunk, his thumb got jammed and he most probably should have gone to get stiches, but he went onto the exam. I told y'all before where he placed. 

I have thought about Roy's career all day while doing chores and errands. The good times and the lean times. 

He's Retired

 Well, the brain keeps on thinking, which is good, but I can usually tell when I wake up in the middle of the night if I can go back to sleep or if I just need to get up. This was one of those great getting up mornings. Have a hair appointment a little later and will probably make a grocery store stop. I am also thinking of Roy, his last day at the office is today. He is leaving after his exit interview. The past few months have had such a range of emotion, especially the last few weeks as he came to the conclusion that retirement is on the horizon. Today is no longer the horizon but a new day as he begins a new life of adventure and living here in the mountains of North Carolina. He has a few things to wrap up tomorrow and he is hoping for the 7:00-9:00 am window of the movers coming Friday. Then he begins his drive here with Houston in the background. One morning last week I gave a minute's thought of, what if we have made a mistake about moving here. I mean, I have never given that one thought, ever. No, this is one of our best decisions and we have known the Lord's leading all the way. We were talking last night about 2021, especially that call from a realtor interested in knowing if we were in the market to sell our house. As the conversation went on, he was really more interested in selling us a place once we sold. He said he would call back and never did. Got the discussion rolling and the next thing you know, we have put a message in for Ryan Langford and as they say the rest is history. This would almost be too overwhelming if the house hadn't sold in three days, the estate sale done by Bill and Peggy, and of course Roy who oversaw that everything was taken care of without me having to go to Houston. So here's to twenty two years and two days. Roy has finished well. From his start at Pennzoil, hired while in college as well as passing the CPA exam to all the work he did in between including getting a MBA in finance, law degree, Certified Internal Auditor, Accredited Petroleum Accountant and whatever other initials he has after his name. He is direct, doesn't like gray areas and figures out how things can be done. He is also very helpful and loves to see people succeed. He was an excellent recruiter at La Tech and he helped the Toastmaster club at work be successful and helped people network as well as becoming a good communicator. I called Roy this morning before he went to his workout to wish him a happy day, one that has been prayed for and to tell him I love him. December 15th. 

This afternoon, after his exit interview Roy called me so that we could "walk" out of the building together as he left downtown for the last time as an employee of EPD. I am probably more emotional over this than he is. He told me this afternoon, that's what was, EPD, and he is looking forward to getting to what will be. Tomorrow he takes his modems back to Comcast, just might pick up some gingerbread men for me from Three Brothers Bakery and get everything packed into the Sequoia and wait for the rest to be packed up to move Friday morning. His landlord there at the condo told him he had been the ideal tenant. That's nice to know. 

This morning I got my hair cut and then made a Target run. I found $125.00 in Target Gift cards when I was cleaning out some drawers. So, I went to pick up essentials and even stayed under the $125.00. Each time I go to a store I observe what shelves are empty or there is a short supply of. Read that dairy will be the next shortage, don't know why. Publix was emptied out of cream cheese, but I wasn't looking for that. Publix is putting limits on several items while Target is limiting Pokémon cards. Someone can have my allotment. I don't even know what those are. I stopped in at Publix because I had eaten all my dinners and the like. I still might have cereal and yogurt for supper though. 

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Roy and I spent a lot of the evening talking last night. Going through details and making those last decisions on what stays and what can go. We also talked about his twenty two years and two days working for EPD. Lots of good memories, a few challenging experiences and the personal and professional accomplishments that were his in those years. There are several others that are retiring soon and Roy said in the next few months a lot of knowledge will be walking out the door, meaning they have done their jobs for a long enough time that not much unsettles the process. But like before they came there, others probably felt the same way when the young people started the process that is a professional life. When I first moved here, I heard the term corporate America a lot. I don't know that I ever heard that term very often in Houston but then Houston has headquarters and large offices for many corporations. It was the way of life for most of us. The corporate life helped employees keep up with their continuing education hours, pay for their licenses each year, and the like. It is such a benefit cause when one has as many as Roy has, that's a lot of money. Roy never took a sick day or missed a day of work because he was ill. He didn't go to work sick, the timing of not feeling good hit on the weekends. 

He started at Pennzoil, wore many hats through the years, auditor, fraud investigator, accounting manager, gas accounting, hedges, derivatives,  Sarbanes/Oxley enforcer, and there are others but in the mix of it all, don't remember. Roy worked in the oil and gas industry his whole career. We still laugh at his adventures when he worked for Howell Petroleum back in the hay days of the oil and gas industry. If he flew, it was mainly on the company plane. They refined fuel for race cars, sponsored them and they had coal mines in Kentucky.  He retired from EPD. I sure am proud of him. He worked hard, got things accomplished and 98% of the time came home in a good mood. 

This morning when I woke up a little before 6:00 am, Roy had already texted me he was up and moving. Some things don't change. Roy is the most consistent person I know. Once he is enjoying mountain life, I am sure his wake up time will be a little later. I am so proud of him and love him so much. Saturday cannot get here soon enough. 

Little Sanctuaries

 This morning I need to decide on what lesson we will be having on Sunday. The Sunday before Christmas is on judgement and Ezekiel's wife dying. Merry Christmas! What were these Lifeway people thinking? They were not thinking of tidings of comfort and joy, Comfort and Joy, oh tidings. The Christmas lesson is the Sunday after Christmas and most larger churches opt out of Sunday School when it is so close to Christmas and people traveling or recuperating the day afterwards. 

Yesterday morning, got to church a little early to take down the fall leaves on our bulletin board and hang some frosted snowflakes. No artistic touch on it just the change of seasons. Our lesson was in Ezekiel 11 and the process of studying the lesson was quite different than usual. We looked at the false leaders of Jerusalem and their denial of any punishment or war because they had the temple in their city. They were profiting at the expense of the people and leading them astray. God's presence had left, but they told people, kind of mocking Jeremiah, go build homes...cause that is a peaceful time activity. The picture they painted for those in Jerusalem, the city was the cauldron and the people inside were the meat...the picture being of safety. Of course being meat in a pot doesn't give me those warm cozy feelings and one commentator said, the meaning of this example, metaphor or simile definitions of these escape me now, is lost to us. God tells Ezekiel use their words and turn the meaning upside down to prophesize what is really going to happen. Ezekiel is concerned that God is forgetting His people and God lets him know, He has a remnant and He will bless them, they won't follow after idols and they will worship God. And here it is, God will be a little sanctuary for them. Well, once I read that, I was all into this lesson. The fact that a BIG, HOLY God would become a little sanctuary for us. Last week while making a quick trip to Ingles after parking the car, I looked across the way toward the bank next door. Behind the bank was the most beautiful, still holding onto golden leaves, tree. That small moment was sanctuary. God's presence and handiwork in creation. I went back to Ingles a few days later and all the leaves had fallen to the ground. That special moment of little sanctuary had been noticed and enjoyed. I am glad I didn't miss it. I got passed on the River Road the other day in the 35 mph area. That little silver car was going so fast. When there are just a few more weary days and then, my speeding ticket will be off my record, I am not flying down the road. Got a blessing in the speed limit travel, I saw a young deer cross the road. Now that was special. 

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I heard Merry Christmas Darling twice yesterday, in the car and in the grocery store. The Holiday Traditions channel plays a lot of Baby It's Cold Outside and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. You can hear those songs by various artists each hour. Sometimes it is too much. 

Today is Roy's last Tuesday in the office. His bosses took him out for lunch yesterday. They wanted to take him out for dinner but Roy is so strict on what he eats and he doesn't drink, so he was very happy to just do lunch. He has said for the longest time, no one at the office ever asked him what he did before coming to EPD. Yesterday, they asked him how he got started in derivatives and he told them he taught himself about it. When he was first hired there, he had been hired in the IT department, then all the mess with Plains Energy happened, and they moved him even before being officially employed there. They also brought up his work on getting them not so tied up with Enron and that paid off in not losing as much as they could have. Roy started there twenty two years ago on December 13th. His last day is tomorrow. His spin bike arrived yesterday, the appreciation gift he chose. That thing is heavy and I finally got it from the top of the driveway into the garage. He is getting things checked off the list and will be eager to leave after the movers pack our stuff up. 

To think that we both have lived in Houston a long time. My father was transferred to Houston when I was four. So it has been a long time there and Roy was transferred to Houston when Pennzoil left Shreveport. Pennzoil will always hold a special place in our hearts. And Friday, Roy starts toward our home here. It seems strange to now really be leaving Houston with just occasional trips back. Over the years we tried so many times to leave the area but it never worked out. Of course now, I am glad it didn't work out. Love Colorado but love the Blue Ridge more. We will have to be patient for spring because Roy will be taking pictures. Many times when he was here for only a week or ten days, photography got pushed aside for the necessary. Last night when we were talking I said, well, we will have to get this done before you leave...silence...then I said, oh yeah, you're not going back to Houston after the holidays. Yahoo!

In these weeks leading up tomorrow I have certainly experienced God's little sanctuaries. Here and there, refuge. Encouragement and wisdom for decisions we are making. This time last year we had no idea what this year would hold, lots of changes, lots of moving. We were celebrating making it through the rough pandemic year. We didn't know that this year would be so much more. 

Monday, Sunny and Happy

 Today, I may spend a little more time outside because the highs this afternoon will be in the 60s. Joseph gets knocked down a lot in the nativity scene by either The Feral Fam or by every wind of doctrine...or maybe it's just the wind and as we boomers know, the answer is blowing in the wind. Only I haven't asked any questions. With the last statement I would say that day 3 experiment with the new med is working and I'm just about back to normal or as much of normal that is possible. 

Breakfast attendance this morning was rather sparse but gained participants once the food bowls clanged together. Junior made an appearance after a lengthy absence. Neither Mama Cat or Punky came around but they have been late risers of late. 

This morning I will begin to write out the lesson for Sunday. Who would have thought that Ezekiel would garner my interest. Well, God did but I've been dragging my feet a few weeks prior. 

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Sixty degrees this morning and Roy said the temps are falling in Houston. Our rain comes later this afternoon so hopefully, I will get back out to finish dead heading roses and getting things I cut back yesterday bagged up. I kept an eye out for any stray bulls and one of the big dogs that lives down the way. He got out the other day and his usual trek is across our front yard. By the look of things, strapping down Joseph has worked so far. I got out the trampoline anchors that I used this summer for the hammock stand in the front yard, secured the anchor and strap, and Joseph hooked up. Mary and Jesus are a little more protected. The project for next year is building or buying a little wood shelter for them. 

Roy has heard from several retired people from EPD. The CEO and several Vice Presidents. I love the affirmation from them acknowledging the contribution he has made over these past twenty two years. One said, you were always the voice of reason. Wow! Several current and former employees have homes up this way. Before meetings began those who come up here often talked about the mountains. They mostly have homes in Highlands, Brevard and Biltmore Forest. We have a home in a more rural area but I noticed yesterday that the long range hill in our view will probably be filled with houses by the end of 2022. When we began our house search in 2014, we wanted our home here to be totally different from our home in Rancho de Five. That included the setting. I looked at golf communities and even considered a gated community then realized, been there, done that. Well, not gated but it would just be moving to the same kind of place, with the same kind of residents and probably the same kind of HOA. 

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Monday morning, it's 23 outside but it looks to be a warmer type week during the afternoons. Maybe a warmer winter is God's mercy to Roy so he isn't totally in shock with the cold. No snow so far this year and several of us who walked into church using the same entrance commented on the woolly worm on the sidewalk that was totally brown. Folklore tale meaning a mild winter. 

I noticed on the way to church that the home that had displayed vintage tractors with lights on them in the past, had a tractor in their front yard. This brings me tidings of great joy in the hope that this year they will have the tractors decorated for Christmas. With all the road construction maybe that is why they didn't do a display last year, but happy so happy to see the hopeful beginnings of a display of tractors at Christmas. 

FB memories held a treasure trove this morning. Lots of good memories to look at and remember. 

There are chores to be done and Sunday School lessons to prepare for, oh and breakfast, I need to eat some breakfast. The Feral Fam has been fed though. It is so fun when Biggio is around. He runs to greet me at the backdoor with Toupee not far behind. Tippy comes with them but he remains a little distant. He will get close to Biggio and Toupee and kind of work his way to where I am petting them, but hasn't made that brave move to be petted. 

 

Day 2, So Far So Good

 Day 2 of the experiment is going well. My resting heart rate is nearly normal and my energy level is up. Yesterday was one of the first days I have felt good since beginning this med. Hoping that the same experience is true for today. On Monday I could not talk myself into going to the road and picking up the trash cans. No energy and besides it was kind of raining. Tuesday morning before taking the new med, I went and got the trash cans without a problem, except I was racing our neighbor who has a dump truck for space on the road. He kindly waited for me to retrieve the cans. Tuesday evening Nancy the Neighbor called to check to see if I was okay. She was leaving for Pilates and thought she saw me on my hands and knees in the corner of our front yard. She came back around to check and called. No, not me but I did go out on the porch to see what she thought might have been me. It was our large portable hose cart. Yes, I do see the resemblance. I texted her and said you saw the hose cart we had moved it down a little more into the yard. She was apologizing saying, you don't look like a hose cart! Out here in the early morning or at dusk, heck even in the middle of the day, things look different than they seem. Tree stumps look like animals, a tire shred along the road looks like a dead dog or cat, big oak leaves look like small dead rodents...it is quite uncanny. As a joke I'm going to send a picture of Roy standing neat the cart and wish them a Merry Christmas from the Monarchs. She will get a kick out of that. 

It dawned on me yesterday that soon Roy and I will be entering the next phase of life, going to appointments together. Older couples that rely on one another to get them to and fro. I always noticed them in Houston and here. Mostly they were mad or impatient with one another and certainly I can see that happens. We all can't be our best every single day including performance days, you know days out in public. Once Roy knows his way around we can do the separate appointment thing. This dawned on me as I looked to make appointments at the DMV. Nothing is available in Asheville and the Marshall office is closed. We will have to traverse to another city to make appointments. Most of the available appointments are toward the end of January. The infrastructure hasn't caught up to the growth this area is experiencing and Covid hasn't helped cause the workforce doesn't seem to be enforce to want a job. Roy mentioned all the retirees moving here and I said, yea, we get one more next week. It took him a second, but he started laughing. Roy seems to be processing this life changing event well, slowly but well. Roy has never been one to dream of retirement days. When a co-worker was asked several years ago what he was going to do with all his time, the co-worker said, I am going to watch the grass grow. Roy could not think of anything worse than that. Let's just say I am enjoying my ease into the morning days while I can. Although Roy shocked me at Thanksgiving by having a few mornings like that himself. The insights into this change that Roy is seeing are worth listening to. When he told his personal trainer he was retiring, she has had a change in attitude toward him. Not much longer contributing to her payroll seems to have sparked an attitude. What's so ironic, Roy is a catalyst. When he began using the company gym, he brought many with him for training as well as spinning class. One thing that his trainer told him after he asked her to send his workout schedule to me, because of loosing his personal email address until he makes a new one, she said I control his life too much. What??? He just smiled and realized their gap of understanding of what he is trying to do has widened. Yes, that is my goal and dream to control Roy's life by making people email me. If she only knew that I have asked him to stop using my email for things he doesn't want to receive cause I don't want them either. Hahaha! The list is in excel and just that fact alone keeps me from looking at it. Roy will miss Toastmasters, he was an area director and very active in their club at work. There are two Toastmasters groups in the Asheville area and one meets in the day. I sure hope he likes the daytime group the best. 

Saw something strange at Ingles today. A well dressed man was let out of a car. He had a crossbody briefcase and a bag of trash. He put the whole bag of trash in the container in front of Ingles. He walked in and stood in the Starbucks line. What a strange thing to see. Almost like the suit, dress hat and such was a costume or a disguise. Again, this reminded me of a tennis friend from back in the day. Her husband had been an early developer of Houston and made quite a sizeable fortune. You'd never know it looking at her. She wore old frumpy tennis outfits, drove an old car and didn't draw any attention. She did this on purpose. She said no one would rob an old frumpy lady with a broken down looking car. 

Took more stuff to Habitat Thrift and then the trip to Ingles. Stopped at the Post Office and then made a quick trip into Tractor Supply. They had cat food so got some and the Feral Fam will be oh so happy. 

Blazey let me pet him this morning, without food being offered. Mr Biggio is back and greeted me enthusiastically, as well as Toupee. Tippy comes up with them but stays in the background. The happy wanderers who show up now and then haven't been around this week. I am sure they are still around. Saw KH this morning, yuck. 

In Times of Experiments

 The experiment begins. I am not going to take the morning dosage of the new med this morning. I have an appointment for a flu shot and really, truthfully, I do not want to nearly faint or faint in CVS. Hmmm, I wonder if the care card would get a discount on ambulance service? When I take the new med alongside of the other heart med, my pulse is going down into a resting rate in the 40s. When that happens, I have no energy and feel the significant need to rest. Well, maybe this could work to my advantage in the future...don't want to vacuum and such, pop one of those heart meds and go down like a rag, limp and totally useless. 

I had energy yesterday afternoon, so I continued working in the front bedroom. That room and the dining room table seem to hold much of life that doesn't have a place or needs a place. Last week with the furniture rearranged and with all the daybed coverings washed, dried and returned to their useful place I began working in the closet, the closet of promise of projects that get dashed after a few months. I had a tennis friend who had a whole room dedicated to her unfinished projects. We used to ride bikes a lot through the Memorial area and when she placed her bike in that room, I knew she wasn't going to ride much after that. She had a weaving loom, easels with unfinished paintings, a sewing machine that held an unfinished work, her tennis racquets and of course stacks of books. She lived in a beautiful home and her husband was one of the handsomest men ever. She was beautiful. When those two walked into a busy restaurant, people stopped and stared at one of the most beautiful couples anyone would ever see. We went out to dinner with them a couple of times and just because of their looks, complementary food always filled the table. He liked to talk, a lot, but I didn't mind cause then I got to look at him legitimately and not sneak a peek.  Yet with all the money, experiences that came through her godfather, not the mafia kind, but the oil and gas kind, the best looking man in all the county, she was so unhappy. I talked with her constantly about this and the answer for her but she always came back with the same story. She once knew a woman in the tennis world, that was a Christian and as soon as she could put a notch on her belt of winning another one for the Kingdom, she dropped the friend and went onto finding another conquest for God. My friend always expressed that I would do the same thing. What is funny is this, she dropped me as a friend.  We lost touch but heard they sold their Memorial home, moved out to a horse ranch in Cypress and then I had heard, moved to Colorado. I always wondered if she kept a "room" in her new homes and did the horses move in once she tired of them? 

Well, that was one bunny trail when only telling of cleaning out a closet. 

Another week, another lesson on Ezekiel. This is a hard book. I got to the point on Monday that I Googled Up, Ezekiel for Dummies. After reading and rereading the commentary and lesson quarterly, which is so unusually helpful. I didn't think I would every say that about Lifeway Sunday School material. The scene, the background, the context came clearer and then I saw the lesson for Sunday. That's good cause I was thinking we might draw Christmas trees or something cause, Ezekiel is hard but finding out that studying this book is so rewarding. At least this week and last. Oops, that doesn't sound like faith, nah, it's hope. 

The flu shot was uneventful, yay! I asked for the single dose cause I got the double dose in 2019 and it about did me in side effect wise. Never had I ever reacted to a flu shot. Picked up a few groceries afterwards and came on home. I do feel a nap coming on but that could be just a normal day every once in a while. 

I think the experiment is working. I have not had one low energy time nor have I felt a little lightheaded. Maybe just taking the new med just at night is the best option right now. The difference in how I feel is night and day. My resting heart rate is in a normal range. There isn't a realistic way to keep feeling how I was feeling. 

Just talked to Roy and he is off for his last appointment with his Dr before leaving Houston. Had his eye Dr appointment and has a dentist appointment coming up. Getting all those last minute things out of the way. He received the nicest email from his landlord. Said he had been an ideal tenant. Yep, that would be Roy. 

Well, in the pursuit of welcoming Roy to his home, I am once again making room. So that means I have some work to take care of and oh the joy, I have energy to do so. 

Leave It Right Here

 Back in the saddle again, so to speak. First Sunday back teaching Sunday School since the first of September. Why not make a splash and start Ezekiel. Well, not my choice but Lifeways. I likened teaching from Ezekiel as to my mom when we'd take a Sunday afternoon drive as a family. Any stops along the way to see a point of interest, my mom would always say, can't we just see it from the car. That was my approach a couple of weeks ago, let's not go too deep but alas, I think we dove into the deep end this morning and we only covered the first three chapters. 

Yesterday was an absolutely fun day. I went to the Madison Christmas Market. So many new and diverse vendors. I didn't buy much because my Christmas list is much shorter this year and I have already bought gifts at the last market in the fall. I met up with Jan and Kari for some quick conversations and then headed toward Mars Hill. A few groceries at Ingles and then over to Burnsville. First stop Christy's crafts. Love her shop! We got to visit a few minutes and then drove back to downtown Burnsville where the end of a Christmas parade still lingered. Fun to see the floats, kids and tractors. When I got back to Weaverville, then end of the Christmas parade finished up. Once again floats, kids and tractors. I love living in a rural area. I needed to pick up a few things as Publix, on sale, so after that stop I was homeward bound. 

This morning the sky really looked like a winter one. The grays over the mountains and low clouds. It was a bit coolish after several days of afternoons of warm temps. 

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Roy worked really hard this weekend giving or throwing away and several trips to Goodwill. I am glad he is asking on some of this whether it should move here or go to trash or Goodwill. I rescued a couple things that would be nice to have here. Any kitchen utensil duplication is heading out the door and now that the bike is out of the way, he will begin the process of packing books. He wasn't going to keep a Bible Dictionary but I think I would be able to use it. What strikes me as funny, now, is the Pottery Barn explosion of shopping that happened for both Cinco Ranch house and a little bit here. Now, most of the Pottery Barn furnishings have moved on or will be used for a less than desirable reason up here. 

I didn't stay for big church but came home to listen to Carole Lewis's lesson on Zoom. They use the quarterly too but she said, Ezekiel in December, no way! Had to rub it in a little with her in a text message, well I had to teach....haha! Carole's lesson was so good and I'm glad I treated myself to Zoom Life Bible Study in Houston. 

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I was so tired yesterday. No energy and got very little done. Couldn't take a nap but rested. Hopefully, this is not a repeat today. Maybe before taking any meds, I should go get the trash cans while I have early morning energy. I'll wait till the sun rises cause we have one neighbor that drives too fast on our road, doesn't always pay attention. I did get the trash cans from the side of the road, whew! Our other neighbor that drives a huge dump truck started up his engines while I was on the way down to the road. He was warming up the truck, so I was able to get the cans and bring them back to the driveway before he started on his way to work. 

Roy ordered his retirement appreciation gift yesterday. We are both so excited that one of the choices was a spinning bike. He ordered it and it should be here by Christmas week. That's what he wanted for Christmas. He is getting things done at the condo to be able to make the trip home less stressful. He had his last eye dr checkup in Houston yesterday and to get established with a new dr, Roy asked me to make an appointment at my ophthalmologist's office for January. I laughed cause he will have to get used to the fact that it doesn't always work like that here. I need to look for the name of the Dr I saw cause it isn't on my calendar. I'll work on that today for Roy.

I love the movie Rebecca. I read an article about Dame Judith Anderson, the actress that played Mrs. Danvers. In the article I learned that eighteen years later Judith Anderson played Big Mama in Cat on A Hot Tin Roof. What a range! I think I will leave this post right here. 

Such An Eventful Week

 This has been an eventful week. We were able to make Roy's decision public that he is retiring this month, there was a bull in my front yard and going to The Cove to hear Beth Moore. For me, in the now, this is a pretty busy week but not compared to some weeks in the long ago of Houston. Three big things? I needed a nap. The pace of life is much slower here and it does me a whole lot of good. Think I used to thrive on chaos because I didn't have time to slow down or to think about things. The chaos was a barrier and a coping skill. Now, all that chaos would send me to nap land. 

Brenda, Inez and Judy went with me last night to The Cove. I had never officially been only going into the prayer chapel. This is way back in 2002. You had to have event tickets to get in past the chapel. It is a beautiful campus, just so lovely. We were arriving just before the sun starts to set, so we were treated to the beautiful scenary. Christmas decorations were everywhere and just made this a festive and perfect beginning to the season. We hung around, went through the bookstore and waited in line to get in the auditorium. Ah, just like old times on Tuesday night Bible study. I was shocked, I tells ya shocked that others copied my idea of wearing red and black buffalo plaid shirts. 

 

As the music welcomed us into worship of The King, the choice of music was especially poignant to me. As we sang Christmas songs and songs that aren't necessarily Christmasy but used in the season I felt a sense of closure, of the circle in this arena of living. Roy soon and I now,🎵 soona I will be done with troubles of Houston.🎵 We can now focus on our lives here in the mountains. Some songs reminded me of people and some of the music reminded me of Celebration and of Pageant. There in the midst my mind went back to where I was on stage, Silent Night always reminds me of Darrell Taylor cause he escorted me to Bethlehem and then we waited for the Wise Men and a camel to make their entrance with all the other choir members. He had to get me there cause no glasses wearing in recreating the scene. Worshipping the King and lost in the fun memories, the heartfelt memories and the memories of times not so good, circumstances, but God redeemed those difficult times by His Presence, using the lyrics to help my wounded spirit. I am so ready for Roy to be here. People ask me if he is excited, not yet. Remember, he is an overachiever and a plan man. He's checking things off as he gets them done and it probably will be after he is on the road, he will let that excitement in. His first big challenge will be learning how to drive the narrow roads out here in the country. I don't think the roads were intended for dump trucks, logging trucks and any other big rigs. 

I am timing my low spell due to meds better. I will be getting out and about in a bit and would prefer not to have the low energy at the grocery store. 

Well, the timing was good, had the low energy at home before leaving the house. 

Roy and I spent about an hour going through the things to bring, the things to give away and the things to throw away. We did a pretty good job. Tomorrow between appointments and such, he will be taking things to Goodwill. We had some good laughs about how now, some things that we have moved over the years, isn't making it to NC. A set of glasses, ice tea and juice size have been with me since college days. They were so beautiful and I bought one glass per paycheck. Bought them at Meyerland Shopping Center when it starting to look scuzzy before its spiffed up days. Roy said he was getting rid of the shredder and I said no we can have one upstairs. I was talking about paper shredding and he was talking about a veggie shredder. We found a good home for the recumbent bike. Tonight I researched the value of some Royal Wessex plates and I believe those too shall find a new home. We will have enough stuff making the trip to occupy us for a while but it is feeling like we will be mean and lean in what we do move here. I am glad he is bringing the extra big crock pot, the things that make me happy now, and we will pack up the small one I kind of use here. The medium sized one is the one mostly used around here. Isn't this such interesting reading, crock pot usage. 

2:43 am

Well, when one goes to bed at 9:00 pm, one can almost bet I will be wide awake by 2:30 am. So here I am sitting at the computer. It would be good if I sat down to fine tune the Ezekiel lesson for Sunday. Other than him seeing the wheel way in the middle of the air, I didn't know too much about him. This week we look at the first three chapters when he is called and commissioned. My teaching style leans toward application style and I have been pleasantly surprised the life lessons we can take from these chapters. Mostly I am in awe once again at the glory of God, that Ezekiel experienced and saw it. Surely it gave him courage to keep prophesizing to the people who would not listen. I am using a Eugene Peterson devo book or some his thoughts from his journals and sermons and he taught so many times the extraordinary in the ordinary. We can see the glory of God if we look for it.   

Had a good phone visit with my brother this evening. Always good to catch up. Neither one of us are phone people, so we said both of us are going to do better, more than just think, oh yes, I need to call. 

Talked with the pharmacist today and will schedule a flu shot soon. I inquired about getting the regular dosage, not the double dosage for old people. They said that is do-able. For this, I am happy. Well, since I am still up, I scheduled a flu shot. I'm also beginning to get sleepy again. 

When the Bull Comes to Visit

 Yesterday, held those kinds of anxieties that can only be worked out through prayer and fasting...okay, prayer part good, fasting, not a practicing one but one who forgets to eat a meal kind of faster. Instead of fasting, I did projects around the house that I have been putting off until I got word from Roy that the announcement had officially been made at the office. Got lots done because they didn't announce his retirement until 4:00 pm. The front room, with the big window and daybed, rearranged. When the triple dresser arrives, it will go in our room and the repurposed chest of drawers or as I heard it , chester drawers, can move into the front bedroom. In all the moving about, hidden underneath the daybed, one of Buddy's sheep. Her signature move in all her sheepdom, the face ripped off. It caused me to stop a moment, maybe shed a tear or two in remembrance, and then placed that little face tore off lamb on the daybed. I also got some more Christmas items out which meant a trip to Lowe's for batteries and a few more Command Strip hooks for lights around the front porch. The work in progress is the delivery box. Moving it just a bit away from the gate post. If the lid on the box hits the gate post, the electric eye is off and has to be adjusted. Don't mind it in warmer months but when it is cold and the wind is blowing, I don't want to be out there trying to get the thing lined up again.

This morning Mr Biggio met me at the backdoor, in fact, he almost made it into the house. Tupac and Tippy were right there with him. Biggio always but this morning Tupac briefly took part of the petting of cats. Tippy is in it for the food. Well, they are all probably in it for the food but Biggio seems to really want to be petted. Sweetie and Cutie still run away but not as quickly. Progress! 

Last week as we began the journey of Roy retiring we talked a lot about all the changes we've faced in the past six years. We also talked about where we have grown in this season. I've become a little more patient, emphasis little. In the past this disruption of a move and not being able to get everything done in one day, unrealistic,  would be driving me up the wall and soon Sergeant Nancy would show up. The pace of life is slower here, but I think the little bit of patience has come about in this past year and a half, pandemic style. 

Dear Diary,

Today there was a bull in my front yard. He was a big one and he began walking toward me. I was on the porch, then picked up his pace a bit and heard some snorting. I moved rather quickly inside. The bull walked over to the neighbors, then ran back into our yard and tried to cross the road. Cars were slowing down, honking trying to get the bull out of the road. He crossed over and then ran back across the road and headed east. I would like to tell my story in the form of a biblical narrative

And there was a woman attending to the nativity scene on her porch when suddenly a big bull showed up in the yard, with snorting, the fear surrounded her, she was sore afraid. 

You know in these moments, who do I call? Just like when I saw a bear in the Cracker Barrel parking lot. Not 911, bull running the roads and bear in a parking lot are not emergencies. I can't think enough to look for the non emergency number to the sheriffs office. I posted the info and pic I took on our neighborhood group. Someone knows the person who owns the pasture across the way and called them. I don't know where that bull landed or if he found his way back into the pasture, but that was a pretty exciting thing. I texted Roy with the picture and he has yet to check on me to see if I have become mince meat from a bull trample. 

The only other encounter with a bull here was several years ago when Lisa P and I were driving down Newfound Road and a bull was loose. A man and a woman were trying to coerce the bull back in the pasture where he belonged. He was looking for love in all the wrong places. We found that out when the woman told us, a bull that has spittle all around and drooling from the mouth is looking for love. I did not know that. We told her we were from Texas but didn't know a thing about cows and bulls. 

Well, these are the thrills and chills and goings on of late.