In a day, a given number of times, we have received alerts for rain. It seems that nothing substantial has come from the alerts, very little to no rain. We have hope. Roy is faithfully watering his apple trees and the tomato plants. He also waters all the newly planted zinnias. The first year here we experienced drought and we are in heading that way.
Wednesday morning around 5:15 I woke up with some pain. It was on and off all day. So, I practiced what I preach and forgave myself for not doing anything productive except to feel better. Bit by bit it is working but it emphasizes the need to have a routine and sticking to it. I've not done so the last few days and paying the price now. Some of the strongest pain I have ever felt and yesterday morning I considered if I needed to go to the ER. But, it subsided and was gone by mid morning. Last night I finally had a solid night's sleep. Today we have scraped our original plans mainly to set a routine that will help until the tests are scheduled. Got one on the calendar yesterday.
Roy went to the grocery store for us. He used to have to do all the grocery shopping while I recovered from various procedures related to my heart. Then he shopped for himself in Houston. Pretty soon he will know Publix like the back of his hand. All during the pandemic grocery shopping had been my excursion out of the house but since, at least for now, we are going to more things, I don't need the trip like I did.
Roy has certainly changed his tune about The Feral Fam. He has fallen for the Moe's and that is what he calls Tappy's kittens. He always greets them when he goes into the garage and he has been helping me feed them by working as the enforcer as well as serving the meals prepared. Haha! His presence keeps the bigger cats out from underneath my feet and can get food served quickly. This morning he did an admiral job at keeping Mama Cat from swatting any of his Moe babies. There are four left. I ordered some antibiotic animal cream to help with the eye boogers. This morning Mo-nay was eating and looked much better. So glad I learned about what could really help them. Mo-nay has strong consideration as a keeper. Just have to watch and see which other kitten she bonds with and make it a package deal. Sweetie looks to be recovering from some kind of attack. A couple of weeks ago she looked like she had been stung by the side of the mouth. The swelling went down but she lost a good bit of her fur underneath her neck. Two puncture wounds, looks like from another cat. I believe that is when she lost her kittens. She had them in the garage and then moved them outside. King Herod usually does damage to ligaments in the back legs, so I don't know if it was him or not. I think that's why she took such an interest in Barney. Yesterday, she had Barney, Benny and Beanie nursing from her. She is not the mom and they are too old. The vet once talked about the trauma of cats living the feral life. It is terrifying for sure.
The rare occurrence has happened, reading two good books in a row. I finished up The Deepest South of All this week. Published in 2020, I purchased it and it found its way onto the TBR pile. Since reading has of late held little interest in the past year, reading it was delayed. It is not at all what I thought it would be and not only was it entertaining because of eccentric people, it held deep truths and how a town is trying to overcome it's racist past. It is a slow journey but progress and reconciliation are being made. The stories of the recent past coupled with the story of an African Prince sold into slavery in the 1800s is powerful. I've ordered a book written about his life, out of print but found a copy online. Now I am reading The Ballad of Laurel Springs. The story is situated around NC/TN as the Great Smoky National Park is coming together. The author brilliant in how she is telling the story building it chapter by chapter and the literary device she uses to emphasize the narrative.
I just read an article on an author's early love for the library. It stirred up those memories of Mom taking my brother and I to the Meyer Branch Library. In a life with little excess, the library filled that need by checking out numerous books and taking them home to read and ponder. During the summer Mom set aside time in the afternoon for reading, resting or playing. Doug in his room and I in mine and I'm sure Mom took that time of quiet to rest or recover from energetic children with a propensity to fight with one another, everyday. I loved that quiet time. Getting up on the bed with that stack of books, oh my, no better feeling to see what to read and then the accomplishment of what I read, all stacked in front of me. Horse stories were the majority of the books or stories from the olden days. Once I began spending six weeks or longer with Grandma in Illinois, out in the country surrounded by farm land, I brought books or found comic books at the grocery store. My grandmother never learned to drive, so no trips to the library but she had Reader Digest Condensed books. A quilt, books, and lemonade out in her side yard under the trees certainly was a lovely way to spend an afternoon. Sometimes I brought coloring books too but it was difficult trying to color with only grass and a blanket providing support.
I finished up the Laurel Springs book. Wow, just wow. It is one of those books that after you finish reading, you need to go back and read the first chapter again. It all comes together then.
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