Asides and Such

 We were talking the other day about how easy it is to be brushed aside and in our lifetimes we too have brushed aside others. It isn't a good habit or practice but it seems to happen. As we do early in the mornings, after I have had least my first cup of coffee, we have great conversations and discussions about lots of things. Before Roy retired, he didn't have time for this. This has been one of the best things about living a retirement life. I don't remember how the conversation drifted toward the topic but we both remembered the cardiologist that brushed me aside back in 2008. With a heartrate of 180 bpm and only 10% of my heart working, he sent me home with three prescriptions and basically said, good luck. The staff was so surprised when I showed up for the appointment two weeks later. They thought I would die over the weekend. That sound have raised a flag but when you haven't dealt with this kind of stuff before in the medical field, how do you really know. Even in the midst of all the appointments and visits, it was much later that the nurse took more concern for me than he did, she giving me some instructions to see my regular doctor. When Dr Riley realized what was happening she sent me to a specialist in the Med Center and he got me on the right track. That first cardiologist looked at me, on that first day when the tech worked me in to his schedule, at the Lord's prompting by the way and when this Dr looked at me then, briefly I could tell my being in a wheel chair...way way over weight...like way overweight. My clothes too tight, hardly any makeup or much done to my hair, he had decided I didn't have much to contribute to life and he would help the world be rid of someone such as myself. Later in the afternoon I looked to see if this particular cardiologist was still practicing. The answer yes with most of his reviews one or two stars. Same complaints that we had and now staffing seems to be an issue. That wasn't a problem back in the day. 

The other aside other than brush is just the aside comment. Therein lies the truth of the matter. Not the main topic but the aside comment about the main topic. The other aside is the famous meat and three sides. Okay, it doesn't really qualify as an aside but around here those three sides are pretty dang good. Yum!

We left for the Post Office and Publix in snow yesterday afternoon. Snow didn't stick nor was the snowfall heavy. It was a gentle snow shower. What couldn't be seen was felt as the heavy moisture in the air hit your face. Some were calling for a dusting of snow but that didn't happen but it sounds like next week we could once again be ripe for snow if all the conditions are right. 

Since we are at the end of the month as well as the year, our practice is to stay away from the roads in a local city that is famous for speeding tickets. A couple of weeks ago Roy came through the small municipality and was trailed by a policeman till he reached the border of their authority. He was rather animated telling the story of the follow. I wondered if it was the cop that stopped and ticketed me in 2017. Really, it seems rather disappointing at times when we feel the observant eyes of law enforcement as they pull even with us to see an older type driving the Mustang. And I might add usually doing the speed limit. 

In the category of everyday life, we ordered some flannel sheets. Thicker than what we have and if I thought I was in a flannel board bed before, truly truly, I say unto you, it is really like being a figure on a flannel board. 

Say I am one of the elephants going to the ark, I would not make it cause I cannot move on the sheets due to my flannel jammies. It takes great effort to move. The other night I was trapped on left side sleeping position due to my hip hurting. The pain getting a little more intense yet it hurt to move. What to do? I needed a flannel graph teacher cause I'm telling you waking Roy up from a dead sleep to help you, while very funny so many times, it will cause more harm than good. From past experiences waking him up, he has run straight to the front door. Now that we have stairs and an alarm with me in an unable to move position, we would be more hindered than helped. That is if he makes it running down the stairs. Now I know the obvious solution to this situation but frankly my dear, it is too cold. I found that if we put the bedspread farther down on the comforter, I can move better. Last night no sleep incidents but I did get up at 4:00 am. I moved to the front bedroom with my beloved heating pad. I need to get my hip checked out but don't have an orthopedist here. It will take forever to find one taking new patients or it will take forever to get on the schedule. Probably the best solution is to go to the ortho emergency place. 

We had a little bit of snow falling but I think that is the snow event for the day. 

Lesson studied and written out...watched the sky turn from gray to patches of blue then back to gray with bright patches of reflected light in the south. Pot roast slow cooked and vacuumed downstairs. Not a bad way to close out the last Saturday of 2023.  

A Glimpse of Mountain Life

 Happy Boxing Day! Happy St Stephen's Day! Happy rainy Tuesday! Oh, Happy Day! Take it Edward Hawkins and the Hawkins Singers. We are recouping from our not so very busy Christmas. I recouped by sleeping in and Roy is now taking a morning nap. He is learning a pace of life from The Boys.

So fun to see Christmas Day pics on FB. Before you think well, you just showed us cats...and I could have shown a whole bunch more, do not feel sorry cause we had a fabulous day. Roy said last night thank you for a great Christmas Day. If it hadn't been raining for much of the day, we had planned to take a little day trip as we are wont to do on holidays. Hint, it involves Buc-ees. Alas, so content to be around with books to read and football games to watch. All those trauma induced holidays make the fact of no plans to be the way to go and most welcomed. Even makes the slow days of January inviting. Lots of local shops close or have limited hours during the first month of the new year. It can clearly upset some. That's the beauty of local shopping and buying. It adds to the charm of living in the mountains. 

In the middle of the night, there was a flash followed by thunder. Just one episode but old wives tales says if you hear thunder in winter it will snow within seven days. There are a few forecasts that says we might get snow but one never knows around here. Several have said if it had been colder with this precip we could have had snow, blizzard like 1993. Hey, we were no where around here back then but I have heard stories. 

The end of produce stand season, at least how I celebrate it, happened on Christmas Eve. Barbers Orchard closes then and will reopen August 1st. Now, lots of other stands reopen or stay open all year but now comes that waiting season of strawberries, peaches and apples. 

I began studying for the lesson this week and then I nodded off and took a decent nap. My study partners influence me with their napping habits. 

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Happy I haven't a clue what day is today but I think it is Thursday. Although every evening feels like Friday evening for some reason. We have been taking it easy this week and not too project driven. Roy has been doing some reading and I have too. We went to Publix on Wednesday before the horde of old people arrived...we consider ourselves the younger set of that bunch. Well at least in attitude. We were happy to see strawberries are still on sale. Roy got his dinners and while he was in line to check out, I went over to sale table where lots of Christmas stuff had been marked down. The best find was two packages of Eggnog Coffee. We had used the one bag Roy bought the week before Christmas. These bags, deeply discounted...Yahoo a festivus miracle. Been watching a little bit of Seinfeld this week. Also got some cloves and they expire in 2028. All in all a good thrift savings at the Publix. 

I actually got two Christmas gifts mailed, okay Roy took them to UPS, before Christmas. In both cards I mentioned that the gift was just a glimpse of the mountains or mountain life. That will be a key phrase for 2024 I believe as well as finding my one word for the new year. This year, my one word was joy. Like I have mentioned previously, it was a hard year but it also was a year of joy. I love the conversations that Roy and I have at breakfast. We would talk about our lessons but he is till in Mark and this Sunday is the last of field trip Sunday lessons. We will get to Genesis after this Sunday. The past couple of days we've talked about moving and living here. The difference it has made in our lives. 2024 marks the tenth anniversary of buying our home here. For this we rejoice. 

My Christmas heating pad has been a god-send. It is helping so much. Too bad I can't wear it everywhere I go. Well, I could but....yeah, someone would always be tripping on the cord. Could I plug it into the EV charging port for cars? 

This morning around 3:30 I went to the front room to wrap up in that heating pad. Before falling back to sleep I prayed for my friend's brother who is having open heart surgery today. Then I got to thinking back to memories of a friend who passed away on Saturday. Lots of laughs for sure but she truly helped us by riding with Roy to Lafyette when I fell and broke my hip at the Cracker Barrel. She drove the truck home for us. She and Dena organized our Cinco Ranch kitchen. She came up here in 2015. The first official visitor. Several years ago she got a diagnosis and that diagnosis is what overtook her. But, we know where she is and will welcome us. Hope she saved me a seat in alto section of choir cause I always sounded better when I sat next to her. 

Merry Christmas!

 Merry Christmas from the rainy and windy mountains! Looking out on the valley one would think that snow waited in the wings, but we will only be getting melted snow on this Christmas Day. I don't mind the weather one bit. Last year we celebrated with bitter cold temps. Like cold but not bitter cold. 

Here are a few random thoughts and things on Christmas 2023 in no particular order.

First those Dollar Tree videos drew me in this year. Then got hooked on watching Penny, the talking cat. Those Penny reels helped bring me out of a crippling brain fog that had been going on for almost two years. Loved taking apartment tours of NYC via reels. Never been drawn to NYC and the prices of rent or ownership not very appealing. It is kind of like our game we play watching House Hunters. Now, I am hooked on watching chiropractic adjustments. Roy hears all the cracking sounds and asks how can you watch that?  

I made it to Christmas Day not hearing one time Happy Birthday, Jesus. Not one Mary Did You Know? I actually like Mary Did You Know but there for a while it was a SOS, song over sung. Also heard Shepherd's Pipe Carol several times and I still can sing the alto part. It is like it will never leave. Burl Ives, Holly Jolly Christmas...I heard a lot before Christmas Day, the old song gets repetitiously played. And wild and sweet the words repeat of it's the best time of the year. 

On this rainy Christmas Day, we have reopened The Garage on the Catmore Estate. We served brunch, milk punch and added cold deterring mats underneath the kiddy swimming pools filled with blankets and such for warmth. Word got out slowly that we had reopened but by evening they should all be in the fold and ready for Christmas supper. 

We grilled Taste of Texas steaks for our Christmas lunch. They were delicious. We used cast iron skillet with blue cheese butter and finished the cooking in the oven. The key to keeping the smoke down was putting the pan in the over while it got to 450. It was ready then to grill. They were so absolutely  delicious. Sides were pecan sweet potatoes and green bean casserole. We ate a later lunch cause we had a big breakfast complete with tea biscuits. 

Last night we went to the Candle Lighting service at First Presbyterian in Weaverville. A wonderful service and add liturgical to it and I love it. We were briefly Presbyterian when Roy was finishing up law school. The schedule worked better for Roy to be able to attend a service and be able to get to his study group. It's a beautiful church built in the early 1920s. Afterwards, we drove around a bit to see the lights and then came home. Oh, I also like light fixtures in churches and take a pic when I see a rather unusual and beautiful one. 

I don't know if I have done anything or if it is just arthritis but my hip that was replaced has been bothering me. I didn't ever have a bit of pain when I broke it but this has been bothersome. Fortunately, when we couldn't find our, we got one overnighted from Amazon. It has helped tremendously. This heating pad is great because it is flexible and I can wrap it around my hip. Yes, one must be getting old when one seems to love a heating pad for Christmas. 

The Boys have been so good today. They have got along and even napped together which is rare.

Yesterday's lesson, well it was a little different but I think it went well. I totally went a different direction with the lesson on Friday morning. Think we will have one more seasonal related lesson till we jump back into Genesis. Wait, we never jumped into it. Well you know....

Merry Christmas! This wasn't a bad year but it has been a hard year in many ways. We are thankful for our blessings, our friends and family. We are thankful for the Gift given to us and to the world. God sent His Son. 

Merry Christmas Eve Eve!

 Good Friday morning! We welcome not such chilly temps with a little warm up this afternoon. The Garage at the Catmore Estate basically is on a pause till next week when temps drop again at night. The littlest cats enjoy a nap or two in the garage so we will accommodate them cause they know how to leave and not hide behind stuff out of fear. 

This morning I looked through pics from FB memories, probably about thirteen years ago when we first moved to Rancho de Five. Close by, a neighborhood had fantastic Christmas lights, some coordinated with music but all lavish productions. Sight and sounds that overwhelm the senses but now looking at some of the pics, there in a corner of a yard with lighted trees, reindeers, Santas and Snoopy, was the nativity. A spotlight, rather small in nature, dedicated to the display drew attention but only if you were looking. Now this is nothing new and thousands of Christmas devotionals, thoughts and blogs have been written on looking for Christ in Christmas when our attention and distraction causes us to gaze at bright lights and all that goes along with yard and neighborhood decorations. Or distracted by chaos, comparison and competition. Look at me being all Baptist using alteration and three points. Some years that nativity is front and center for us, so welcoming, a great reminder of the gift and the Giver. 

As I have been working on the lesson for Sunday is certainly is in a fluid state. Kind of thought it would go one direction but went another way totally. Even this morning it has changed and is developing. I do love when this happens but I also don't like when it happens cause the closer to Sunday I feel sometimes the less familiar I will be with my notes. Although sometimes, it works out for the best. Leaving it to The Lord is all I have to write, right now. 

I don't know that I have wrestled with an angel like Jacob, but my hip surely hurts like Jacob's did and I am walking with a limp. Unlike Jacob, I don't want to walk with a limp the rest of my life. Why has it been hurting this week? Haven't a clue. Sometimes Bio Freeze helps and sometimes it doesn't. When I move around asleep, believe my I am not a still sleeper, I awake from the dull throb of pain. It's the hip that was replaced and I expect it to behave better than this. 

Our Christmas lunch will have a touch of southern dishes and an entree of Texas. We were given Taste of Texas fillets this year and yes, we will grill them in a cast iron pan. Served with blue cheese butter. For this we give thanks. We will also have pecan praline sweet potatoes and green bean casserole. I'm not a big fan but Roy loves green bean casserole. 

Fido came in for a bit. All The Boys were around Fido in the bonus room. Only Mr Mo hissed and there isn't any surprise about that. Fido was happy to lie in the window and watch his family on the driveway or over in the garden. He is such an easy cat. This evening GMoey spent a long nap on my lap and would still be there except that Mr Mo decided to start a wrestling match and I don't play when two cats take swipes. It is a lot of fun until someone gets hurt and it is usually me. 

Came across several pics from ten years ago when we came here for Christmas. Our room didn't have a great view but it was huge and besides there are a lot of views elsewhere. I think that is when we began the conversation of buying something here. After several years of recovering from all that heart stuff, when I could climb that trail across from the Inn, without incident it seems that is when Roy got to thinking about my health and how I did so much better here. That was a great stay. The Christmas stay includes dinner in the dining room and a buffet dinner using their meeting rooms. I asked if we could do the buffet both nights. They were hesitant but once they heard Roy had fancy dinners often, they decided to accommodate our request. It wasn't cause we wanted to eat a ton, it was more like food we really liked to eat. In 2019 we ate Christmas dinner at the Deer Park on the Estate. That was the last time Roy consumed a tremendous amount of ice cream and caramel sauce. He gave the dipper and saucer tips since he went back so many times. It snowed on Christmas in 2010, our first Christmas trip. Now these are some joyous Christmas memories for many reasons. 

Merry Christmas Eve Eve!

Joy to the World, Memories

 I remember my mom telling me that if my father had let her get their home remodeled that she would have never been so emphatic about moving. Thus began the great adventure turned disaster when my parents sold their Houston home and bought a house in Georgetown TX. Their Georgetown home was spacious and beautiful. Friends encouraged them to buy new furniture and get a brand new start in this hill country home. Alas not taking anyone's advice, my father decided that what they had was plenty alright for this new home. Worn and meant for a room much smaller the setting of the living room was awkward, having to place all the furniture so far from other chairs and the couch.  They had moved to be closer to some long time church friends but it wasn't too soon afterwards that health issues meant their friends needed to head back to Houston. From that point forward my father punished my mom for making them move. He could cut so deeply with words. The fact that they were ostracized out of the church they joined had nothing to do with my mom but my father teased and joked about a member who was like church royalty. Their family back in the 1800s started the church. It wasn't too soon after that my parents got the left foot of fellowship thus starting their TV church attendance. My father stressed out my mom and in his play for attention and being the victim began mowing their lawn in the middle of summer afternoons when temps are unbearable. He didn't want to die of course, but did just enough to warrant concern. Sadly, no one there really cared thus stressing out my mom even more. I think they might have spent only one or at the most two Christmases there before moving back to Houston. That Christmas was memorable, that's for sure. 

My father had asked his doctor to give him meds for anxiety because his family would be present for Christmas. After a few more questions and conversations, the doctor suggested that maybe the family needed the meds more to deal with him. I never met that doctor but I immediately liked him. Several weeks before my brother and family and Roy and I were to come to their house, my father called me. He suggested that Roy and I stay home for Christmas. There would be other Christmases to celebrate. He was belligerent in his request and then added there wasn't any room in the inn (their home) for us. Georgetown at that time only had one motel that didn't look too inviting unless your need of a hotel was rather sordid. We used points and stayed in north Austin. A little bit of a drive to Georgetown. In hindsight we should have stayed home but that was the Christmas that we got the girls an Easy Bake Oven. Ya have to be around for that fun. If looks could kill, I would be dead because for those two days, I got his cold hearted stare of hatred. Since he couldn't get any meds he medicated himself on St Johns Wort. Didn't help. It is just as if everyone celebrated Christmas but him. In spite of his attitude and silent treatment we just kept ignoring his attempts to sabotage the holiday visit.  In the years following I brought up that Christmas once with my mom. She asked me to never speak of it again. She was embarrassed and mad at how my father had treated us. Looking back he probably harangued her into shingles over the fact she hadn't backed him up nor had she paid solo attention to him while we were there. She loved being with her granddaughters. 

It was in January that I realized his action of don't come this Christmas was a reaction from earlier in the year when I called him out on some duplicitous actions on his part. I called him out privately, not as to embarrass or reveal what he was doing that was oh so wrong. But being a true narcissist, he waited his time to enact his sabotage and then play the victim. 

Even in the midst of that emotional chaos and hard cutting hurt, there was Joy to the World the Lord has come in my heart. There were other Christmases that held those same elements of deceit and mayhem and although I dreaded the holidays, there was always the song and the truth of Joy to the World. Is it easy to hold fast to truth in these situations? No! But it is so rewarding. Your emotions and insides are calm and can join in with, let heaven and nature sing. I always have the doubts of the world not knowing that JOY has come, to the world by God's divine nature to send his Son as a baby. This year I have thought often of Mary. Thinking of how God chose her, having all the right qualifications but more so having the right heart and response to the angel. See Zechariah's response for comparison and all in all it worked out for him as well. I would have not been chosen for various reasons, a LOT of various reasons. In the memories section of FB, a blog post from long ago showed up. Written while I was working at church and fighting sometimes for joy. My first Christmas working full time at church, I didn't have vacation days to take off like the rest of the staff. I believe there were only three of us there, God, Cindy Robinson and me. Out of the silence in the office, my phone rang...it was a mover and shaker that attended church there and had a ministry she also ran. (this is not Beth Moore) She had the gift of procrastination and the background of no one telling her no. Till that day when I did. She threw out a name of a high ranking staff member asking me how much he would like to see these copies made. I responded how long have you known you needed these copies. It was like a week ago and further more I did not have the copy code for that department. If we were going to be legalistic about anything there, it was do not make copies for anyone outside your area of ministry. Again I reminded her, there were only three people at the church that day, God, Cindy Robinson and me, and I was probably in the best mood of the three.  I would have done the copies most probably if they were regular 8x11 copies, on one side. I did not know how to do legal size, double sided. She kept pressing, I pressed back until finally I suggested she go to Qwick Copy, pay to have it done and turn in the receipt for reimbursement. I had no clue if I would have a job after Christmas or not, but I had Joy. Here is a portion of that blog post:

Joy to the World, I have been reading and pondering Luke 1 and 2 this Christmas season. How unique! Ha ha.... Anyway I have been looking especially at the 3 times angels are involved in telling Zechariah, Mary and the shepherds what is about to happen. More so, the responses of those have me very interested. Zechariah answered out of unbelief. And out of the three, Mary and the shepherds, he was actually involved in God's work as a priest. Ya know, it was his job. Mary asked the angel because it seemed out of how this will happen and then quickly responds with obedience. The angels declare joy and peace of a baby lying in a manger who is the Savior, the Messiah. The angels leave and the shepherds are like, dude let's go see what this is all about. Zechariah was the only one to respond out of how can I be sure, the odds aren't good. And as we learned at Converge, this is the one time in his whole priestly life he would get to enter the temple and burn incense. His heart should have been open to receive a word that night. Hey, I am not going to be too hard on the old guy cause we have all been there in unbelief. I just like thinking of the comparison. Sometimes working at a church dulls the heart to true joy, to true peace, to a true Word. We see the bad side to ministry and we must fight cynicism and apathy if we want to be lights in the darkness of joy to the world. We are brighter to the world, but to our own brothers and sisters, we can be dim and off key in our joy to the church world because we've seen it or heard it before.

🎵All Flannelled Up. Well Bless My Soul🎵

 The big weather system our area anticipated dispatched itself over to the middle and eastern part of the state. We had light rain and overcast skies. A dreary day but not of the heart. Roy and I loaded the truck Saturday night for all the things we needed to take for Sunday morning. My class had a little Christmas party so a few more decorations, cookies and gifts needed to be ready to roll. We even went earlier than usual and the time flew by while setting up. As friends came in, they volunteered to do the fine tuning or completing a task. The Joy Class knows how to have fun and we also know the power of prayer and studying The Word. The class knows my love language is books, so I possess a gift card that I will put to good use after the holidays and once bookstores settle back into the regular routine. My gifts to the class? Christmas socks. Warm and cozy toesies for Christmas. I am so thankful and grateful for our class. Generous to a fault and they put up with me. We sure do love one another...

Sunday afternoon we returned home and ate the pot roast I fixed on Saturday. Pretty good. Then we divided and then froze the Amish hamburger meat we got on Friday. Think we got about ten containers for the freezer. Lots of taco soup in the future. 

Sunday evening, well late afternoon, we went to First Presbyterian for a Christmas concert. Oh my goodness it was so beautiful. A blend of sacred classical, traditional carols and string quartet. It has been a couple of years since attending a Christmas concert or play. The gift on top of it all is, finally being inside a church that fit the description of churches and chapels in Gail Godwin's books. It felt like a church you would find in the mountains of WNC. I would say Mitford series instead of Gail Godwin but Jan Karon is just an author whose narrative style and my brain don't mix. Have had the set twice and twice given to Goodwill or to our church yard sale, not even making it through the first book in the series. We met friends for the concert and also saw friends that we had thought they moved. The pastor gave a brief, not a sermon or talk but I guess a Christmas encouragement of rejoicing and joy in the newborn King. We all stayed afterwards for refreshments in the fellowship hall. Beautiful stone fireplace and the refreshments were pretty good. Hot apple cider and hot chocolate with all the fixings. The drive home was quite entertaining as we ooohed and awed at the Christmas lights.  We have missed out on seeing these lights over the years but I think that renewed refresh of maybe being too comfortable in the routine might just get us out more. These rural roads especially at night can be an adventure. Back to the music for a moment, several musical pieces reminded me of Pageant days. One song that we used back in the day in Pageant is The March of the Kings. I never knew there were words to the song. The choir here, not a large choir by any means, but a choir with a great sound and a fabulous director. 

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This morning I read about the Baylor University Christmas program. There isn't a station near that is televising it but I will be sure to catch the Baylor You Tube channel to hear it. I love since Baylor is known for their music dept that they also list the arrangers of the music being performed. In the article they talked about the healing in music and why we need the beauty of music. Not being a music person by training but simply one that appreciates the work to produce these sounds, I always find music and music people interesting. Through the years in choirs I have picked up enough to be dangerous but not enough to be useful. On Sunday night I tapped on the shoulder a woman dressed in all black holding a choir folder and I said something stupid like, you must be a member of the choir because you are wearing and holding the accoutrements as a singer. She was rather grouchy in her response which made me think she just might be a soprano but in choir placement she was an alto. One of the two altos. No altos had solos...okay I know that isn't a usual thing but I thought hmmm, maybe I could get a solo in this choir. If Shepherd's Pipe Carol had been on the program, I just might have run up there to help because the alto part is so hard. You just have to sing ahhhhh ahhhhhh ahhhhhh ahhhh till page 17 and then you get to sing, On the way to Bethlehem. 

We are trying to get a few at home projects done this week. With the temps being in the 20s and no desire to get cold, all the sudden these long procrastinated projects might come to completion. Before beginning the projects, taco soup assembled, made and now cooking. This truly is the time and temp for taco soup. 

It looks like all the work, at least the big things, has been completed on the houses across the street. Over the weekend all the ground was leveled and machinery moved. The one story home is under contract. 

For this coldish day I am all flannelled up. Flannel lined jeans, long sleeve t-shirt and a big thick sweatshirt. 🎵I'm all flannelled up...uuuuhmmm hmmmmm all flannelled up!🎵

Embellished Tales and New Members of the Feral Fam, Maybe

 If I hadn't earned my old lady papers yet, I surely earned them this morning. I had come downstairs to do a couple of things in the kitchen. Please don't faint. Anyway, I looked out the window and saw a young woman running on the gravel road. She didn't have on jogging clothes. Soon enough I could hear a hunting dog baying. Mr Mo was in the window making loud chirping sounds. Looked out the front window and there was the young lady trying to catch this dog. He had Fido treed in the firs between our house and Josh's. Good thing my flannels matched today. Have on jeans, my Baylor Christmas shirt and a Christmassy flannel shirt. Threw on my muck boots and my puffer vest, without brushing my hair or my teeth for that matter. Got a dish from The Garage on the Catmore Estate, put chicken cat food along with some dry food and headed toward the front yard. The dog was barking and running around and the young woman looked to be at her wits end as she begins apologizing for all the ruckus. I held out the bowl of food and Maggie, but I didn't know the dog's name at the time, came running towards me, friendly and ready for some grub. I grabbed her collar while Danielle made her way up the steps. We got a quick visit in. Her daughter just had a baby and the dog was Grandma's responsibility. She had been chasing Maggie for an hour and a half. I apologized for my appearance cause it is always good to let the young people know you know how you look so they don't have pity on you and then say bless your heart. Oh and see is the youngest grandma I have ever seen. 

I tried this serum last night on my hair. Yes, thinning hair is making my forehead seem to grow overnight. I remember Aunt Amy and while I loved her so much, I don't really want thinning hair and forehead to just stand out. So, you put it one and massage into your scalp. Then wait twenty minutes and wash your hair. I like the fragrance. You do this 2-3 times a week for the best results. I am awaiting those best results with just one application in.  

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Yes, I remember when we had to have our new router shipped to us. It finally came the next day after ordering. We walked five miles in snow to pick it up at the end of our driveway. We only had our electric lights for Roy to replace the new with the old. We ate pinto beans and cornbread to give us strength. This is when Little Orphan Annie came to our house to stay. To wash the cups and saucers and brush the crumbs away. And all us other children when the supper things was done, would sit around the fire and have the mostest fun. Listening to the witch tales that Annie told about and the goblins are gonna get cha if ya don't watch out. Well, I am working on my embellished story of living in the twentieth century for a couple of days before happily arriving back to the twenty first century. No time travel, wouldn't be possible anyway cause our Wi-Fi and internet not working or barely working. After hours on the phone and hours working on the replacement, we were back in business except we weren't. Something was still wrong. Back on the phone as well as ordering a new connector or cable or something...I didn't pay attention. That solved the buffering and outage problem. Speeds so fast, sugar plums were dancing in Roy's head. He was so excited after testing each TV and computer at the speed. In between our lives between centuries I was able to get the Amex payment scheduled. Also the auto ship delivery of Chewy. Whew! Taking care of those important things. 

This morning we were getting things in the ready position and that always takes so much energy. Doing those things you should have done several days ago, but well...things happening and...okay, I read, napped, played and shopped... Anyway, Roy got out the door with the stuff needing to be mailed. I got a roast started and paid the post office box rental. That was kind of weird. My account had been disabled so I did the next best thing, called the US Postal Service. After the fiasco from yesterday's cancelling our SiriusXM service in the truck, I wasn't going to do the text thing again. It was offered and I just said no. The PO got everything taken care of and I was happy to do the survey at the end of the call. This is what I loved, they give an option of what type of hold music you'd like to listen to. I picked holiday. It was rather nice. 

Well, I need to quit going into the kitchen. It is the number one place to have an accident in the home. I looked out the window and there, right in front of me is a kitten, about six weeks old, that looks like Blazey only the blaze on its face is opposite of his. I'm looking around to see if there are anymore. So far none. The baby was in the garage when I then went out there but quickly ran out. I can only think that Camo once again has abandoned a baby here, knowing it will be taken care of. She has been around a lot lately. She did this with Charlie several years ago. Before that she dropped off Strawyer and Punky. 

Thursday evening the lights flickered and then flickered again. Usually that is a sign that a tree has fallen on power lines or that a vehicle has hit a pole. Neither one of those were the case. A small plane landed on I-26 near the airport and burst into flames upon landing. Both people in the plane got out. On the way to landing though they took out a major power line. I read where the lights flickered far and wide in the area even up to Erwin TN. The freeway closed down of course and the time to reopen kept getting pushed out farther. We saw the traffic and knew we would not make it to Roy's doctor appointment on time. Called their office and made a U on 26 going the opposite direction. We headed for Troyer's. We had preordered Amish ground beef, no hormones or artificial feeding. We got there and the huge crowd had not arrived yet. We were able to do a little more shopping, other than the beef, without too much fuss. Roy got some muscadine apple cider. We got a sample taste. It tastes like communion juice. Got the Pennsylvania Christmas cookies and a few other things. You know, grocery shopping, you know the prices are higher but you don't pay too much attention to that cause it is just life but we haven't "shopped" Troyer's with the exception of ordering peaches in the summer. I really noticed the prices and how much they have gone up. Not unreasonable, but the Christmas cookies were $9.00 the last time I bought them and now they are $14.00. Their chex mix is also higher. I am not complaining just an insight into how much the prices of things increases without a blip on the radar. That didn't stop us from buying snacks.

I still have more to write but I will close out this post with this thought...the one kitten? I know more on that situation. This afternoon Camo sat and watched her three kittens play and play and play. A couple of the last liter of kittens were quite interested in these three. Their colors? Two Camo types and the black and white. Guess one of the fathers was the orange cat that we didn't know, who was hit crossing the street. Those two Camo types are most likely females. Roy said this morning Camo was playing out back with one of the tunnels, very unlike her, unless there are kittens involved. Dena said Camo knows where to spend Christmas, you get fed, warmth and beds in The Garage on the Catmore Estate and treats. Don't know about Christmas presents yet. 

Living Christmas, Cats and Slow Internet

 The fragrance of Christmas has over come the essence of sloppy joes, finally. Cranberries, slice orange, whole cloves and cinnamon sticks on a low heating setting penetrates the downstairs. It was so Christmassy, I ate two Christmas cookies. 

When will shoe and boot manufactures and makers realize there are women in this world who have big feet. Hi, my name is Nancy and I wear a size 12 shoe. Now I would really look silly if I wore a size 7. There would be numerous instances of toppling over which by its own right is a whole set of a-nother problem. Too late for me but now many carry size 11. I'll have to take the good attitude route and just say, well, I am saving money if they do not have cute boots or shoes in my size. The End. 

Our class will be having a Christmas party this Sunday, so I don't have to study for a lesson. I had great plans on getting projects taken care of but today, my body just wasn't having it. Before lunch, I told Roy I needed to lie down for a bit. Mr Mo and GMoey decided that was a good idea, thus joining me on the daybed. This fall and now turning to winter, the front bedroom is my retreat. I partially got the project desk cleared off, so I wasn't totally unproductive this morning. 

Since we have been going to Erwin at least once a month, something that I have noticed is this separate freezer just for frozen tea biscuits at the end of an aisle. Usually it is either empty or maybe not a good expiration date, but last week we hit paydirt and bought a package. This morning since we would be easing into the day, it seemed like a great idea to make a couple of those biscuits. Oh my goodness!!!! They are pretty dang good, although not as good as Roy's, but almost. I opted for sourwood honey on them. Our neighbor gave us a quart jar of this liquid gold from their bees and it is delicious! 

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We are back to living in the 20th century again with low wi-fi and internet problems. Roy has been on the phone with Spectrum. They called last night saying they had fixed the problem...uh no they haven't. 

This morning I got up briefly when Roy did and before falling back to sleep I saw a post from a friend asking about reading. How do you make time and other things you might do. I answered back before getting in that last little bit of sleep. Since 2020 and I know I have written about this before, I lost my ability to concentrate on anything much less reading. Someone would send a clip of something funny asking me to watch it. I couldn't my attention span was zero. I had really bad brain fog and I was fatigued. I blamed some of this on a new med that hadn't been adjusted for my particular requirements but I also thought it was somehow vaccine related. I tried to explain it to both of my doctors but they dismissed it as stress or most probably old age or something. There hasn't ever been a time when I didn't have at least two or three books going. Now, this didn't stop me from buying books thinking and hoping someday the interest would return. I do think the stress of Roy being robbed in Mobile and all that came with that contributed in 2021, but what I was dealing with happened way before that. My attention span or lack thereof probably cost a friendship. This year one of my favorite authors published a new book. So excited and ordered it. Sadly, I never finished it, because the F word was just about in every other sentence. I don't need to read that word or hear it cause I live in fear I might say the word especially at church if heard repeatedly. The book went into the Good Will box. Without going into more details of coming somewhat out of the funk, I tried reading for pleasure again. Hit and miss. I did read a book on Vivian Vance that held my attention but it helped that I'm a fan of I Love Lucy. Last night I picked up a novel and enjoyed it. I am looking forward to reading more this afternoon so there is a spark of joy in that. 

Once it gets above freezing I am heading out for a couple of errands. 

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I did run those errands to Burnsville and to Marshall. Had a great time enjoying the scenery and singing Christmas carols in the truck. Have to watch that though, I don't watch my speed when doing that but I did maintain. 

Looks like the little homes across the way are getting finished up. It seems odd to have them there yet it doesn't. 

The news came unexpectedly Monday evening that a friend from church in Houston had passed away. Our friendship mainly consisted of exchanging peculiarities based on far fetched ideas. Now that sounds strange, but we spent years talking about the bell covers I would create for her bells in the bell choir at church. We both knew that was never going to happen cause I don't sew but we arrived at outrageous designs. Then when she no longer rang bells we had to come up with other uses for my sewing and design ideas. Stalwart in  her faith and compassionate. Her husband passed away several months ago. They were a formable couple in life and at the church. 

We swept and cleaned The Garage on the Catmore Estate yesterday afternoon. Our guests are relatively neat but there are a few who ruin it for everyone else. They also figured out how to open one of the storage containers of dry food. We had to fix that. I pulled out a few Christmas things while we had their beds moved out. I can look at different decorations and remember the years of animal ornaments, angel emphasis, and my favorite wooden ornaments from Home Goods many years ago. We reopened to a small crowd last night but this morning everyone made it for the breakfast buffet. 

There is talk of Sunday evening becoming a rain, heavy rain turning into a snow event. Rain will be good cause we've been in a drought and snow, well snow would just be beautiful. 

We will have one of those stories that gets exaggerated in the re-telling. Roy has been on the phone with Spectrum the past week and a half due to our Wi-Fi and internet coverage either being totally out or spotty at best. Yesterday, between Roy and Spectrum, they found the router is bad. Router should be here today and we can live full time in the twenty first century. Roy was like MacGyver last night piecing this and that together to have a low output of gigs or whatever runs this whole thing. He was happy for TV. I needed to check the Chewy auto ship scheduled for next week. I happily read last night with the only background noise of thundering cat paws upstairs as the big chase was on.  Retelling this story will probably involve snow, candles, and whatever other hardship I can think of to enhance the hardship of slow internet speed. Nest up T-Mobile and the diminished bars.

Christmas Stories, Part 1 and Russian Tea

 Low hanging clouds across our mountain view this morning, completely covering our long range view. The layers are so artfully arranged and of course we know who the author of this scene is. Saturday started differently. Roy slept in. Last night he came home from a wild game of rummy with men from our church. He was a bit wired and happy that he came in third place. Since I could barely keep my eyes open, I encouraged him to take a sabbatical morning from his meeting. So, when I let the boys out of the bonus room, they were a bit surprised to be greeted by the waitress not the butler. We went downstairs, put out their food and turned on the coffee pot. Before my first cup of coffee I cleaned up throw up from GMoey. Ah, good morning! 

This morning not by searching but by chance, I have read several really good Christmas stories. People sharing their nostalgic stories as well as relatively modern ones. Lots of different traditions that come and go as children grow up. My mom still did Christmas stockings up until the time she forgot how to do them. She still bought us Christmas ornaments from their trips that had kind of become going to Branson twice a year. She made sugar cookies and gingerbread men for me, well the whole family and for my brother, his favorite cookie, peanut butter. Seems like the most tradition we had going was this, my father sabotaging any celebration but looking back it strictly came from his inside feelings of unrealistic expectations. Thus, we became the scapegoats. It rotated but I would think that most Christmases it was Roy and me. We can laugh now at some of his antics especially those Christmases of turning his big wingback chair to the corner to open his gifts. Didn't really matter much cause everything he was given would always be a disappointment. It didn't matter if we witnessed it or not. We only spent one Christmas with him after my mom passed away. We took him to our church and then out for lunch at a Chinese restaurant we loved. It took him totally by surprise, that he couldn't complain until much later sometime in January. Our home in Cinco Ranch was close by a lot of his old salesman stomping grounds, so we drove him around pointing out changes and such. He mentioned numerous times that Doug and I hated Sunday afternoon drives and mostly where we were driving that day were the very routes from long ago. He would stifle a laugh sitting smugly in our backseat and I tell you, I wanted to say something like, I still feel the same way having you in a car with us, but thankfully, the Lord gave me a way out of that temptation. It wasn't that he liked those drives, it was my mom. Her most famous line on any drive or vacation was, can we see it from the car? Mom, I totally get that sentiment now. I also wish I appreciated her request of taking Sunday afternoon drives. I totally get that now as well. 

Peggy always had great traditions when the grandchildren and nieces and nephews were very young. They made a birthday cake for Jesus. They also did the nativity scene and with the costumes from the crime closet, they transformed into sparky yet authentic Bible characters. Roy and I had a tradition, I put out all the Christmas decor, tree and ornaments. Roy put them all up. He has always been good with the tedious tasks. The first year we were married, we decided to buy a tree but we couldn't afford lights or ornaments. Someone gave us some cast off lights and I made ornaments from salt dough. Used cookie cutters to make them. Of all the ornaments I made, only two survived all these years, the two with our names and 1977 on them. One red and one green. Usually during the holidays Peggy and I would do several Mildred and Gertrude things for different church groups. 

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I will wrap up this post. Our chilly day is sunny with temps dropping again tonight. We didn't get any snow but I am sure somewhere there is some black ice. We just went above freezing, so that's good. Sunday was cloudy and rainy. Came home from church and ensconced myself in the front bedroom to nap and read. I made some sugar free Russian tea so that will taste good in the coming chilly days. 

Study, Play or Nap

 A great way to begin the week, hair cut and six month dentist appointment. It has been quite sometime that I haven't spent a majority of time in the dentist office. I think this is my fourth straight appointment without immediate concerns. Hmmm...I kind of like this. 

The higher elevations received snow overnight but we are at the elevation this is getting freezing drizzle, that is not sticking because the temps are above freezing. We opened up The Garage of the Catmore Estate yesterday evening. Tonight we are in the 20s but a good and gradual warmup begins tomorrow. GMoey has an appointment this afternoon with the vet. It might be time to take care of his stomatitis. 

We don't have snow but sleet is falling. No bleak mid winter song about sleet, but maybe there should be. We've had a couple of rounds of sleet and the sky right now looks like a snow sky. 

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I read a Christmas devo Sunday morning. Only it wasn't the one for the day assigned. I know that Christmas devos are building toward December 25th. The one I chose for this year goes through Epiphany. This particular devotion book is not so much inspirational nor is it comprised of teaching points. It is not the turning of a familiar quote by changing up word order and claiming it as the author's own. Nope, this is one of those kinds of devotions that stops you from what you are doing and meditate on the scripture as well as the author's thoughts and writings. I used a few of the thoughts in the lesson on Sunday, but I bogged down in it. The whole lesson felt bogged down and thus I quit on the way home in the car. That's the thing, what might have been for me wasn't really for a Sunday School lesson. It did not help that last week I read several good articles on dealing with a narcissist. Nothing really revealing from dealing with one so many years, yet it was. The author took time to go into the minutia of the deep emotional whys. It seems with all that reading the lesson accidently took a direction, using Psalm 107 that just wasn't right for Sunday. Thus, quitting on Sunday afternoon in the car on the way home from church. On Sunday, I will apologize and not pick up where I left off. We will go in a different direction. 

In the process of shutting down The Garage on the Catmore Estate last week, we took the time to do a little bit of sorting and such. The weird cot went to Good Will. I found boxes of Christmas stuff that I had forgotten all about. Last year I made the fake fireplace with candles and greenery of the fake sort. This year there are too many books to sort through and find a home for to mess with the fake fireplace. Somewhere out there are the little fake battery operated candle sticks for the window. No tree this year, neither fake nor real cause the immaturity of some of our household will not let us have one. Hopefully by next year maturity will set in. Buddy was not interested in Christmas trees one little bit. She might sleep under it but that was the extent of holiday spirit for her.

GMoey will have surgery in February to remove his teeth. His stomatitis has worsened, thus the extraction is necessary. For many reasons I am thankful for finding the Penny the talking cat reels on FB and then on YouTube. After being in a huge brain fog for over a year, with no attention span for watching or reading, those cute videos brought me out of the fog. Now along with that, Penny had to have her teeth extracted this year over the same thing. The vet who is doing the surgery has two cats at home with extracted teeth and says they are doing fine. At lunch today Roy and I rewatched the episode of the teeth extraction. Since the subject seems to be cats, I will say, had a scare today with Cha Nay Nay. On our area/neighborhood/rural community group on FB a pic of a calico cat on the side of the road, near us was posted. I went out to the garage and she was all curled into one of the cubbies we have for them out there. I was so glad to see her cause it was a very close likeness. 

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Roy's doctor appointment is rescheduled from today to next week. Since we were up we decided to take advantage of the Plus Sam's membership and go early. Wow, that makes the extra dollars so worth it. We consider from time to time dropping Costco but dang, I like Costco a lot. All the extra road construction in SC has deterred our trips. We made that quick Sam's run and returned home in about an hour and ten minutes. 

Think I got the mix up settled and fixed with my pass holder card for Biltmore. I went ahead and renewed because I got a better price. Was $299 then they marked it $229 but I got it for $139. I don't think Roy is renewing his. I did just in case someone comes to visit and spring is rather beautiful there. 

Well, off to study or play then study or nap, then study. Oh it's Friday, still have Saturday to study or play or nap..... 

  

December 1st, It's Christmas Time, Memories

 

December 1st, the Christmas countdown is moving toward us at warp speed. Never being a Star Trek fan I don't know why I used the vernacular from that show. Guess I mean, Christmas prep is gathering speed and soon those who schedule and plan will soon face the unpleasant fact that time is running short. Personally, I have done my part by not wearing anything festive, waiting until December. I must admit that festive for me these days is what Christmas t-shirt will I be wearing with a flannel shirt. Yes, I have pulled out the two flannel Christmas shirts and that only means black buffalo check and red buffalo check. Truthfully, if we really thought about it, why would we want to wear anything that is associated with a large animal? Especially when the holidays open up more opportunities for deliciousness. Desserts, extra sweet potato souffle and creamed corn. Odd choices I know, but during the holidays these prepared veggies are on the top of the consumption list. 

The past few days I have remembered Christmas Past. Another odd reference since I am not a Charles Dickens fan...please don't judge. I was wasting my time following Honey Boo Boo. Most Christmas's early on really aren't worth remembering except for the fact my mom was alive and even that some years my Grandma B spent time with us at Christmas. She and I shared my room when she came. I was not a good sleeper in childhood but I am happy to report, for the most part I am now. So, I would be awake when she came to bed. We would laugh, then she'd remind me I should be asleep and then we would laugh some more. Sometimes my mom would come in the room and playfully tell us, we should be asleep and then all of us laughed. Those are great nostalgia memories. If my Grandparents D came at Christmas, well it was on a whole nother level of stress. Not so much them but my father's intense dislike, read hatred, of his mother. I will give my father credit for this, we never knew as children he didn't like his parents. 

I also thought about Christmas as a grown up. Please be kind toward me with that statement. We owned a Mustang convertible in the mid 2000s and had such fun with it at Christmas. If our nieces were here we'd put the top down, go to Starbucks for hot chocky and drive around looking at Christmas lights. This was as close to riding around in a one horse open sleigh as one could get in Houston. A couple of years my friend from work and her daughters and I would do the same thing, ride around Houston looking at lights. Her daughter named it the Royal Ride and it truly was, Kings and a Monarch. My friend Dena and I for many years would do the River Oaks light shows but beforehand we would eat dinner somewhere nearby. I was with Dena when we discovered Scary Angel. That angel is a whole nother story but if you Google scary angel river oaks, my blog post from 2007 comes up if you'd like to learn more about that iconic, it isn't Christmas until I see Scary Angel, Christmas light tour. In 2016 the owner of the angel posted a comment about the angel, how they arrived at getting her and put her up every year because people expect to see her. She also noted they did some improvement work on her. They did, her face became less scary. Roy and I had a tradition after the Christmas Eve service at church we would drive around and look at the lights of Christmas. Post Oak Blvd was always on the map of our trips.  When we were young enough we did the Christmas Eve service at First Baptist that started at 11:00 pm. Then as we got older, the 7:00 pm service at St Martin's Episcopal fit our life styles and ability to stay awake schedule. Loved those services at St Martin's, the fragrance of Christmas mixed in with the fragrance of scotch and whiskey. At heart I have always been a liturgical girl and it provided memories for Roy growing up Catholic with kneeling and going to the front to receive communion. Yes, complete with wine. As a joke, the first year Roy was a deacon here and the discussion of Lord Supper prep was discussed, Roy jokingly asked what kind of wine was purchased. He said, you could have heard a pin drop until he explained his growing up years. Ah yes, it is always good to stump a Baptist. He is quite funny with it. 

Our neighbors above us have Christmas lights on their barn and house. Now that the leaves have fallen from the trees between us, it is a joy to see all those bright lights. Nancy was taking horse, uh leavings, to the compost pile yesterday when we were planting more tulip bulbs. Had a great time visiting and catching up. We see each other all summer but winter temps brings a little more solitude to the yards and pastures. She also gave us an invitation to help ourselves to the compost pile. Yahoo! Those tulips are going to be beautiful! 

We went to TN this morning, in the misty cold morning. Beautiful drive with a little wind but by the time we were returning the wind had died down. We were able to grab a quick lunch at Pals. If you can get in line before noon, that helps quite a bit. With the morning drizzle not too many were out looking at trees and such. 

It is kind of sad looking over toward Mary Joyce's house. Even though she had been suffering with dementia it was always comforting to see her outside with her little dog or sitting at her outdoor table with the umbrella. 

Well, the rest of the lesson needs to be finished so I better keep on moving.