Beautiful morning. I read devo on the deck. We took showers and headed to Christ Church of the Valley a little before 10. We got our second covid shot last Sunday, so we are good to go. It has been almost a year. Covid cautious.... Glad to be with other believers. After church we walked around 77 market. Mandy and Luke and their families came to the farm to say goodby to the Jensens. It looked like they had fun sledding.
I played pickleball at 8. Sister phone call before that. We were just in the park all day, relaxing. In the afternoon we played bags on the cement pad by Doug and Jackie's trailer. We watched TV and headed to bed. I got pretty flowers from Kathy and a fun VERY FUN balloon from Joyce.
It was a beautiful morning. We were around the park. We had to charge Nancy's car battery before we could move it. At 12:30 we picked up Bill and Sandy and went to the Broken Sprocket. It was a beautiful afternoon. There were about 20 from 4 seasons there to visit and listen to the band. We left at 3:30 and went to a fish fry at Les and Julie's for us and Bransons and Kellers. The food was great; I ate way too much.
Up for devo and LS:28 clip. Mandy wished me HB. We went shopping downtown in Brownsville with Fay, Joyce, Kathy and Mary Kay. It was fun. We got home by 11:35 so Fay could go for lunch with K and O. I got phone calls from Mandy and Missy. Denny and I went to the north beach, I really enjoyed that. We stopped and SPI and had early bird snacks. Then to Louis back yard to watch the sunset. We came home and Fay, Jerry, Brad and Joyce brought cupcakes and ice cream to celebrate my 70th birthday. Luke call and then Matt called on his way home from work. Wonderful day.
Up and out the door to give Gail a hug before they drove to Iowa for a week. Then I cut up jicama and took some to Headingtons for their trip home. I also fixed potatoes and ham for supper. Jane brought food that they were not going to take back to Iowa and I invited them to eat supper with us. Denny left to go fishing about 6:30 am. At 10 Jane and I went to the beach, she walked and I just lay in the sun for an hour and a half. It was SO nice. At home Denny said they caught a lot of fish and it was good that the boat helper took off all the fish and thru back the small ones. They got 24 keeper whiting fish. Les is planning on cooking them up on Saturday night. I texted Fay and they joined us for supper. She and Keith had been playing golf this morning as 4 illegals ran into the golf course. 3 went up/into a pine tree. Fay gave the guy border patrol a ride on her golf cart to follow the 4th. Such excitement. It was a beautiful windy meal out on the deck. Lots of stories and laughs. Luv family and friends!!!
I am trying to be SO happy that Fay picked this up on the curb at Audrey's for FREE!!!
What a great find! What a lucky girl!!! That piece is amazing!
Green is NOT a good color on me. So let's not talk about it .... not now ... not ever.
Just kidding. Gail, isn't it the coolest thing?
A post from face book. I plan to send it to Nikki who is hopefully taking care of Keelie until we return to Iowa.
"Watch out! You nearly broad sided that car!" My father yelled at me. "Can't you do anything right?"
Those words hurt worse than blows. I turned my head toward the elderly man in the seat beside me, daring me to challenge him. A lump rose in my throat as I averted my eyes. I wasn't prepared for another battle. "I saw the car, Dad. Please don't yell at me when I'm driving." My voice was measured and steady, sounding far calmer than I really felt.
Dad glared at me, then turned away and settled back. At home I left Dad in front of the television and went outside to collect my thoughts.... dark, heavy clouds hung in the air with a promise of rain. The rumble of distant thunder seemed to echo my inner turmoil. What could I do about him? Dad had been a lumberjack in Washington and Oregon .. He had enjoyed being outdoors and had reveled in pitting his strength against the forces of nature. He had entered grueling lumberjack competitions, and had placed often. The shelves in his house were filled with trophies that attested to his prowess. The years marched on relentlessly. The first time he couldn't lift a heavy log, he joked about it; but later that same day I saw him outside alone, straining to lift it. He became irritable whenever anyone teased him about his advancing age, or when he couldn't do something he had done as a younger man. Four days after his sixty-seventh birthday, he had a heart attack. An ambulance sped him to the hospital while a paramedic administered CPR to keep blood and oxygen flowing.
At the hospital, Dad was rushed into an operating room. He was lucky; he survived. But something inside Dad died. His zest for life was gone. He obstinately refused to follow doctor's orders. Suggestions and offers of help were turned aside with sarcasm and insults. The number of visitors thinned, then finally stopped altogether. Dad was left alone. My husband, Dick, and I asked Dad to come live with us on our small farm. We hoped the fresh air and rustic atmosphere would help him adjust. Within a week after he moved in, I regretted the invitation. It seemed nothing was satisfactory. He criticized everything I did. I became frustrated and moody. Soon I was taking my pent-up anger out on Dick. We began to bicker and argue. Alarmed, Dick sought out our pastor and explained the situation. The clergyman set up weekly counseling appointments for us. At the close of each session he prayed, asking God to soothe Dad's troubled mind.
But the months wore on and God was silent. Something had to be done and it was up to me to do it. The next day I sat down with the phone book and methodically called each of the mental health clinics listed in the Yellow Pages. I explained my problem to each of the sympathetic voices that answered in vain. Just when I was giving up hope, one of the voices suddenly exclaimed, "I just read something that might help you! Let me go get the article..." I listened as she read. The article described a remarkable study done at a nursing home. All of the patients were under treatment for chronic depression. Yet their attitudes had improved dramatically when they were given responsibility for a dog.
I drove to the animal shelter that afternoon. After I filled out a questionnaire, a uniformed officer led me to the kennels. The odor of disinfectant stung my nostrils as I moved down the row of pens. Each contained five to seven dogs. Long-haired dogs, curly-haired dogs, black dogs, spotted dogs all jumped up, trying to reach me. I studied each one but rejected one after the other for various reasons: too big, too small, too much hair. As I neared the last pen a dog in the shadows of the far corner struggled to his feet, walked to the front of the run and sat down. It was a pointer, one of the dog world's aristocrats. But this was a caricature of the breed. Years had etched his face and muzzle with shades of gray. His hip bones jutted out in lopsided triangles. But it was his eyes that caught and held my attention. Calm and clear, they beheld me unwaveringly.
I pointed to the dog. "Can you tell me about him?" The officer looked, then shook his head in puzzlement. "He's a funny one. Appeared out of nowhere and sat in front of the gate. We brought him in, figuring someone would be right down to claim him. That was two weeks ago and we've heard nothing. His time is up tomorrow." He gestured helplessly.As the words sank in I turned to the man in horror. "You mean you're going to kill him?" "Ma'am," he said gently, "that's our policy. We don't have room for every unclaimed dog."
I looked at the pointer again. The calm brown eyes awaited my decision. "I'll take him," I said. I drove home with the dog on the front seat beside me. When I reached the house I honked the horn twice. I was helping my prize out of the car when Dad shuffled onto the front porch. "Ta-da! Look what I got for you, Dad!" I said excitedly. Dad looked, then wrinkled his face in disgust. "If I had wanted a dog I would have gotten one. And I would have picked out a better specimen than that bag of bones. Keep it! I don't want it" Dad waved his arm scornfully and turned back toward the house. Anger rose inside me. It squeezed together my throat muscles and pounded into my temples. "You'd better get used to him, Dad. He's staying!"
Dad ignored me. "Did you hear me, Dad?" I screamed. At those words Dad whirled angrily, his hands clenched at his sides, his eyes narrowed and blazing with hate. We stood glaring at each other like duelists, when suddenly the pointer pulled free from my grasp. He wobbled toward my dad and sat down in front of him. Then slowly, carefully, he raised his paw... Dad's lower jaw trembled as he stared at the uplifted paw. Confusion replaced the anger in his eyes. The pointer waited patiently. Then Dad was on his knees hugging the animal. It was the beginning of a warm and intimate friendship. Dad named the pointer Cheyenne . Together he and Cheyenne explored the community. They spent long hours walking down dusty lanes. They spent reflective moments on the banks of streams, angling for tasty trout. They even started to attend Sunday services together, Dad sitting in a pew and Cheyenne lying quietly at is feet.
Dad and Cheyenne were inseparable throughout the next three years. Dad 's bitterness faded, and he and Cheyenne made many friends. Then late one night I was startled to feel Cheyenne 's cold nose burrowing through our bed covers. He had never before come into our bedroom at night. I woke Dick, put on my robe and ran into my father's room. Dad lay in his bed, his face serene. But his spirit had left quietly sometime during the night. Two days later my shock and grief deepened when I discovered Cheyenne lying dead beside Dad's bed. I wrapped his still form in the rag rug he had slept on. As Dick and I buried him near a favorite fishing hole, I silently thanked the dog for the help he had given me in restoring Dad's peace of mind. The morning of Dad's funeral dawned overcast and dreary. This day looks like the way I feel, I thought, as I walked down the aisle to the pews reserved for family. I was surprised to see the many friends Dad and Cheyenne had made filling the church. The pastor began his eulogy. It was a tribute to both Dad and the dog who had changed his life.
And then the pastor turned to Hebrews 13:2. "Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it." "I've often thanked God for sending that angel," he said.
For me, the past dropped into place, completing a puzzle that I had not seen before: the sympathetic voice that had just read the right article... Cheyenne 's unexpected appearance at the animal shelter... his calm acceptance and complete devotion to my father... and the proximity of their deaths. And suddenly I understood. I knew that God had answered my prayers after all.
Life is too short for drama or petty things, so laugh hard, love truly and forgive quickly. Live while you are alive. Forgive now those who made you cry. You might not get a second chance. And if you don't send this to anyone -- no one will know. But do share this with someone. Lost time can never be found. God answers our prayers in His time... not ours... God doesn't give us what we can handle, He helps us handle (stands with us, and gets us thru) what we are given. In other words, God's Grace keeps Pace with what we Face!!
-----2 Corinthians 12:9
I was up and went to Gail's to watch as she and Bruce played cribbage. Bev came down to deck to watch a couple of Mandy's postings before we went thrifting. I didn't really get anything while Jane, Gail, Bev and I shopped. On the way home we talked to Denny who was walking to buy his fishing license at Gordon's. The pickle ball tournament was at 1. Don M. was my partner and we came in third out of 9 teams. Gail and Les got first. Keith and Joyce got second. About 4 the games were done. Denny and I went to LFD to look at lazyboy rockers. We didn't get one, but looked and considered. I fixed a snack that we ate out on the deck with Bruce N. Brad and Joyce came over to visit. Fun to watch videos. After walking the park we stopped to visit with Headingtons who are leaving tomorrow. At home I watched a video of Haley's game. Fun Day!!!
After breakfast Denny felt little under the weather. The pelicans are here again eating fish. I went to play pickle ball. I washed 3 loads of clothes and put away 3 loads that had been done. We took a nap, then walked the park. Jerry came over and Denny helped him with his phone messages. We tried to get it going, but perhaps we had the wrong remote. Gail fed us supper after they got done with golfing. Headingtons, Finchers, Bransons, Us, Keiths and Bruce.
I slept poorly last night, not getting to sleep until after midnight and getting up at 4 to go to los Fresnos for our second covid shot. We left the park about 4 and sat in out car until we got our shots about 9:15. Home and a nap. I watched Bruce and Denny wash and wax Fincher's trailer. Gail and I played pickle ball with Bruce and Bennetts. Bruce bought Church's chicken for us for supper. Us,Bruce, Headingtons, Finchers, Bennetts and Keith and Jane stopped in for a while for supper on the deck. SO good!! I went up to lose at Trivia again.
Matt's family joined River of Life E Free church in Elk River on Sunday.
Every day's the 4th of July. Well at least it seems like a celebration when the sun is shining and the weather is warmer. Not quite the 4th of July ... but close. Sister phone call. Gail and I finished the quilt (HURRAH) for Finchers and took it over to Fay. At 10 Denny and I went to get gas, water, dollar store and Walmart. Back at the park I went the pool and sat in the sun and visited with Bev and Jane, then I went to play pickleball at 2:30. When I came back Jane and Denny were visiting out on the dock. Bruce stopped over and ate hamburgers with us. Lovely day! Sunny pickle ball was amazing. To bed early so we can get up tomorrow for the second covid shot line up and wait. Thank you Jesus for this day!!
Up, Cleaned up baking mess, LS28, devo, I went to work on Fincher's quilt, AT 10 Joyce drove Jane Gail Bev and myself to shop at SPI. It was a fun morning. Pickleball at 2:30. Bill was visiting when we got home, Nope the DVD did not get fixed. We watched Haley's BB game at 5:30. Not a very good connection. The jv game kept repeating over and over and over. Uffda!!!
Hi Rose, we have been very fortunate. We only were without power from Monday 2am until noon. Just 10 hours, so very doable. Another RV park in Brownsville was without power 3days. Now that would have been tough.
Actually that morning without electricity I just stayed curled up in bed dozing off and on until about 1 in the afternoon (so I would have hot water for a shower.)
What a kill, I never stay in bed that long, but it was a real treat.
My sister texted and asked if I was baking something in my gas oven I said no I hadn't even gotten out of bed:)
So funny. We're getting along fine, but lots of frost damage to citrus farmers, fish in our rasaca died and we had pelicans come and eat them, and most horribly turtles struggle in cold water. Unbelievably 4700 turtles are being cared for in South Padre Island convention center.
To hopefully be released when they recover by taking them out into the gulf in boats. Don't tell Nik about turtles ... she'll be on her way to help.
Thanks for asking... I can't believe I texted SO much. Take care and google turtle info:)
Miss ya, girl!
It's been 9 years since the fun wedding on the beach!! I love watching the fun you guys have raising our 2 Grands. (JUST wish you were headed to SPI this season. )
Oh, No, No Tamales Up for Devo and to head to buy Mexican tamales with Fay ... but THERE WERE NO TAMALES!!! It was still fun to wonder how we could get some from this recommended food stand that only speaks Spanish. We went to Wal Mart. Hurrah it was open!!! I forgot to get one medicine even if I spent over $140. Uffda!! The bread, dairy, and meat shelves were empty, so I felt like I better buy 'cause it may be gone. Does that make sense? At home Bruce made salsa 'cause I got Mrs. Wages. I worked on the 12 inch addition to Fay's quilt while 4 gals played a game at Gails. At 6 we went to Headington's for BBQ ribs. YUM!!! I had a zoom meeting with LS28 at 8:30. So fun to snuggle in bed at night to keep warm. I like the soft cozy blanket I got for our bed.
I was up for day of PRAYER FOR KISC. Great way to start the day. Then I listened to Lifestyle 28. Bruce stopped over before he went to golf. We stayed around the trailer most of the day. I found these pictures as I scrolled FB. Carrie MH was Bethany's personal attendant at their wedding. T'was a fun time to put flowers together for the wedding.
It is a chilly 23 degree day. I went over to Gails to watch the Games and work on the quilts. When I got home Denny already had made breakfast. Good day to just chill in the trailer. Denny is working on airbnb info. We had no bookings for Airbnb thru all of 2020. Lord, grant us wisdom as we think about giving to Caesar the things that are Caesar's... About 4 a couple came over to visit before we went to Headington's for BBQ's Then at 5:45 we watched Zimmerman JV BB team. Go Haley!! Great JV game 2 baskets 4 rebounds and a lot of hustle. The phone call with Luke's and Missy's was really nice.
Post from Cheryl S: She was living at 4 seasons in December 2020 when her husband died unexpectantly. “Widowhood is more than missing your spouse’s presence. It is adjusting to an alternate life. It is growing around a permanent amputation.Widowhood is going to bed for the thousandth time, and still, the loneliness doesn’t feel normal. The empty bed a constant reminder. The night no longer brings intimacy and comfort, but the loudness of silence and the void of connection.Widowhood is walking around the same house you have lived in for years and it no longer feeling like home. Because “home” incorporated a person. And they’re not there. Homesickness fills your heart and the knowledge that it will never return haunts you.Widowhood is seeing all your dreams and plans you shared as a couple crumble around you. The painful process of searching for new dreams that include only you amount to climbing Mount Everest. And every small victory of creating new dreams for yourself includes a new shade of grief that their death propelled you to this path.Widowhood is second guessing everything you thought you knew about yourself. Your life had molded together with another’s and without them you have to relearn all your likes, hobbies, fears, goals. The renaissance of a new person makes you proud and heartbroken simultaneously. Widowhood is being a stranger in your own life. The unnerving feeling of watching yourself from outside your body, going through the motions of what was your life, but being detached from all of it. You don’t recognize yourself. Your previous life feels but a vapor long gone, like a mist of a dream you begin to wonder if it happened at all.Widowhood is the irony of knowing if that one person was here to be your support, you would have the strength to grieve that one person. The thought twists and confuses you. If only they were here to hold you and talk to you, you’d have the tenacity to tackle this unwanted life. To tackle the arduous task of moving on without them.Widowhood is missing the one person who could truly understand what is in your heart to share. The funny joke, the embarrassing incident, the fear compelling you or the frustration tempting you. To anyone else, you would have to explain, and that is too much effort, so you keep it to yourself. And the loneliness grows inside you.Widowhood is struggling with identity. Who are you if not their spouse? What do you want to do if not the things you planned together? What brand do you want to buy if not the one you two shared for all those years? What is your purpose if the job of investing into your marriage is taken away? Who is my closest companion when my other half isn’t here?Widowhood is feeling restless because you lost your home, identity, partner, lover, friend, playmate, travel companion, co-parent, security, and life. And you are drifting with an unknown destination.Widowhood is living in a constant state of missing the most intimate relationship. No hand to hold. No body next to you. No partner to share your burden. is being alone in a crowd of people. Feeling sad even while you’re happy. Feeling guilty while you live. It is looking back while moving forward. It is being hungry but nothing sounding good. It is every special event turning bittersweet. Yes. It is much more than simply missing their presence. It is becoming a new person, whether you want to or not. It is fighting every emotion mankind can feel at the very same moment and trying to function in life at the same time. Widowhood is frailty. Widowhood is strength. Widowhood is darkness. Widowhood is rebirth. Widowhood…..is life changing." By: Alisha Bozarth
🖤
cold, Cold, COLD!!! I stayed in bed until the electricity came on and then for another hour so the water heater had time to heat the water for my shower. That was a little strange, but doable, I just stay snuggled in and ignored the knocking at the door. The electricity was off from 2 am until noon. At 2:30 we picked up Reals and went to a show at the mall theater that Keith and Gail organized for 4 Seasons park. There were about 25 of us there for the movie News of the World with Tom Hanks. Nice time. Bruce and Reals came over for soup and kettle bread for supper. I finished coloring calendar for IFing in the year 2020 and start of 202. Watched tv in bed. Nice COLD day ... 23 degrees, (but NOT NEGATIVE 23 like it was in Ida Grove this am). So it was a good day in the valley... relatively.
Up and I went to Gail's to help quilt. Bruce had talked to Keith last night and they decided to get meat from Vera's for lunch. Great food and company. We went home to watch tv. I had made soup and bread for supper tonight, but it may keep until tomorrow.
Brr..... just stayed in bed until almost 7. We had a sister's call about 8. Bev texted and I went with her and Jane thrifting at 3 stores. I should have worn thicker, warmer clothes. I got a navy sheet to perhaps use to After I got home Denny and I napped under the covers to warm up. We watched the movie Penguin Bloom in the afternoon.
Sweet, Rose! We wish you the happiest of birthdays!! It was so fun to talk to you on facebook last night. You are right ... You are getting bigger. No wonder you can hardly wait to be four. May God continue to bless you throughout your life. We love you SO much.
Fish Fry Friday
Wow, it's cold outside. We spent the morning getting ready for tonight. I am also trying to learn how to use instagram by watching youtube videos.
I went to Hendersons while Bruce N. and Gail played cribbage. I rode with Keith, Jane, and Gail to Sam's and the flower pot, Texas thrift, and Tony's nursery. Tony's had wonderful plants; it was so fun to look at. When I got home Denny was making tartar sauce and Bruce was making salsa. So GOOD!! We ate well as we sampled what they had made. It is a rainy cold gray day, BUT SO much better that the -1 degrees in Ida Grove. At 3 I went to Joyce's and Gail was there. I had said I would go at 2:30 .. oops I went late when I realized what time it was. Uffda ... I stopped at Kathy's and then at Louise's and hung out. I worked on painting a picture.
Beautiful morning. Cleaned in the morning. Denny made a marinade for the pork chops. I made the cabbage into Ramen noodle salad. I looked for stuff in the refrigerator for things that "scotta go' and tossed out a lot of stuff. We went to the pool about 2. I played pickleball at 3. Went those to get ready for supper. Denny had marinaded pork chops. We fixed rice and ramen noodle. Janet brought apple pie and we had it with ice cream. Bruce visited with us until later.
Beautiful morning on deck. Leave at 10. Bruce, Denny and I rode with the Bransons. It was a beautiful day. We stopped at Angels, Jessica's and then to Bills to get our toes done. We ate at Red Snapper and watched Jason get citizen of the year and then we shopped some more. I bought 2 Mexican plates and some vanilla and a pack for Nancy. Before we went home we stopped at Jessica's and saw a bunch of people from the park. Denny had a visit with Teo who was mowing our lawn. We went to the hot tub. Bruce joined us there. Good night's sleep.
