Got computer issues again, should be back online sometime next week. Stay tuned, you will get your fix ASAP.
In the mean time....how about a little tidbit to tide you over?
I just made a trip on the north road. Am half way to my destination, on a sad mission.
Noted a couple of things on the drive. The rolling hills of southeastern Oklahoma are turning into a wasteland to match the wasteland of east Texas. Brown hills now, instead of green. Swaths of trees through the richly forested hills are dead. Evidence of fires. Brown sticks everywhere. Red River is as low as i have ever seen it. South Canadian River is BONE dry. North Canadian River is barely a creek. And passed A LOT of cattle trucks headed north, and a lot of hay trailers and trucks headed south. Will be interesting to see how things look as i head further north tomorrow.
Hay is at higher prices than i have ever seen them. Don't know what round bales are running in my area (we use square bales,) but in west Texas the going rate is $165. I do know that square bales of coastal in east Texas just hit $10 a bale. I remember when hay went from 75 cents a bale to $1, and everyone was all upset. I also remember getting 20 bales of timothy for my birthday about five years ago (funny, there was once a day when i would have gotten excited about a piece of jewelry, but in this life i get excited about really fabulous hay) that ran $10 a bale, and being shocked at the price, but it was worth every penny. Now COASTAL is that price. YIKES!!! Gonna be a tough winter.
Which brings me to the saddest think i have seen in a very, very long time.
Wish i could say that the drought has been broken (or that the heat has broken,) but we have had a few cloudbursts the last couple of weeks. Nothing to speak of, very short in duration, and most of the time they don't even wet down the road, just tamp down the dust a bit. All over the cars.
Anyway, i was in town during one of the heavier cloudbursts, and saw a truck pulling a trailer with about a dozen round bales on it.
Uncovered.
My heart broke for him.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Friday, August 26, 2011
It's Still Hot Round These Parts, Fellers
Just so ya know.
This poor cow is resting in shade that is usually less than accessible.
It is in the bottom of a creek bed that is famous for flooding.
In fact, this is the first time we have seen the creek bed.
Remember the bovine hot tub?
Last week i looked at it one day, and thought "Huh, looks like the hot tub has a little algae thing goin' on."
The next day i looked at it and went, "hmmmm, wonder what that is growing in the middle of the pond?"
The third day i looked out and hollered "OH MY GOSH!!!! That is the bottom of the hot tub!!!"
This week there is but a crescent of water around the edges.
Guess we are gonna have to round up Jesse and Owens and throw them in with Isabell and the Bobs.
That's gonna be ugly.
And for the record....
7:11pm 108*
11:07pm 96*
Also for the record....
All that rain that everyone keeps talking about getting?
Missin' us.
Friday, August 19, 2011
Welcome To Chaos, Agent 99
The last couple of weeks have been insane...and this week--mind numbing.
Every day this week, we have had to be somewhere on time to do something. Yesterday we left the house before the sun even came up. Ok, the sun was up, but just barely. (STOP LAUGHING, SUSAN!)
Please note that we live in a time warp here.
First of all, we don't wear watches, we kinda operate on our biological clocks, and the position of the sun.
Supper happens around 9 or 9:30 p.m. at Tails Up, sometimes as late as 10:30 in the summer, when it is light longer.
Susan Dear Susan says that i operate in football time (10 minutes = 2 hrs) and i swear that she counts every other minute ("It'll take us about half an hour to get there" = breakfast, lunch and potty stops not included.)
The Baas and The Crew only live 20 minutes away from us, but we live 30 minutes away from them.
If you want us somewhere on time, you have to tell us to be there 30 minutes early. I have said for years that i wanted to be wheeled in to my funeral 30 minutes late, but was informed last week that Liz Taylor stole my thunder. I just want it noted that i thought of it first. And i will be eternally ticked with her for ruining a perfectly good straight line.
Staci used to look at me with loving disgust and tell me i had a blatant disregard for time.
She was right of course, can't argue with the truth.
But Staci knew how to deal with it. There was a lecturer at her church one time that she knew we would enjoy (we did, he was amazing) and she invited us, telling us to be at the church at 7pm sharp. Sure enough, that evening, we were pushing the envelope. I was driving like a bat outta you-know-where trying to find the wormhole that would magically deposit me 40 miles away in her church parking lot right on time. Musta found it, coz we pulled into the parking lot at 7:01. I was SO proud. We did it!! Went into the church, and found Staci and her girlz sitting all alone in the back of the sanctuary. We came in and sat down, and i got to looking around, and saw that there were not a dozen people in the whole place. I noted my surprise to Staci, who smiled slyly, and said, "Oh, it will be a packed house, all right. The lecture doesn't start until 8:00. I just wanted to make sure you got a seat."
So after a gruelling week of keeping to the rest of the world's schedule, FINALLY, today, there was nothing on the dance card. This morning we did what we had to for the health and comfort of the animals, and have spent the rest of the day loafing. I haven't even cooked anything. Everyone has been on their own. Ellie May has either painted or laid on the couch reading.********* I have read and snoozed in bed. Jethro has been in and out (i would worry about a 10 year old boy that laid around all day) but has been extremely low key.
Maka Kilo, Guardian of the Couch, has given herself a lateral promotion to Guardian of the Bed, and has been on duty pretty much all day. Apparently she has been worn out this week with Couch duty and watching us as we fly by.
At one point, Jethro was lounging on the bed with the bedbug, and i walked thru to check on them. Maka twitched her tail in acknowledgment of my entrance, but didn't move another muscle. Jethro commented on how nice it was to finally have nothing to do, and how great it felt to be lazy. I told him that everyone needed down time, even Maka.
Maka truly understands the value of a day of rest.
********Speaking of reading, may i highly recommend the book The Help by Catherine Stockett. It is wonderful, and immediately went into my Top 5 list. I let Ellie read it, although i did a bit of editing for her, and she put it in Top 5 as well. Said it had been a long time since she had read anything that made her FEEL like this one did. Somewhere in the middle of the book, she put it down, looked at me with a mixture of awe and anger, and said, "It is a great author that can make you want to reach out and smack one of the characters." Know there is a movie out, and have heard good things, but i am not gonna see it at this time, don't want to ruin this beautiful movie in my mind. READ IT!!!
Every day this week, we have had to be somewhere on time to do something. Yesterday we left the house before the sun even came up. Ok, the sun was up, but just barely. (STOP LAUGHING, SUSAN!)
Please note that we live in a time warp here.
First of all, we don't wear watches, we kinda operate on our biological clocks, and the position of the sun.
Supper happens around 9 or 9:30 p.m. at Tails Up, sometimes as late as 10:30 in the summer, when it is light longer.
Susan Dear Susan says that i operate in football time (10 minutes = 2 hrs) and i swear that she counts every other minute ("It'll take us about half an hour to get there" = breakfast, lunch and potty stops not included.)
The Baas and The Crew only live 20 minutes away from us, but we live 30 minutes away from them.
If you want us somewhere on time, you have to tell us to be there 30 minutes early. I have said for years that i wanted to be wheeled in to my funeral 30 minutes late, but was informed last week that Liz Taylor stole my thunder. I just want it noted that i thought of it first. And i will be eternally ticked with her for ruining a perfectly good straight line.
Staci used to look at me with loving disgust and tell me i had a blatant disregard for time.
She was right of course, can't argue with the truth.
But Staci knew how to deal with it. There was a lecturer at her church one time that she knew we would enjoy (we did, he was amazing) and she invited us, telling us to be at the church at 7pm sharp. Sure enough, that evening, we were pushing the envelope. I was driving like a bat outta you-know-where trying to find the wormhole that would magically deposit me 40 miles away in her church parking lot right on time. Musta found it, coz we pulled into the parking lot at 7:01. I was SO proud. We did it!! Went into the church, and found Staci and her girlz sitting all alone in the back of the sanctuary. We came in and sat down, and i got to looking around, and saw that there were not a dozen people in the whole place. I noted my surprise to Staci, who smiled slyly, and said, "Oh, it will be a packed house, all right. The lecture doesn't start until 8:00. I just wanted to make sure you got a seat."
So after a gruelling week of keeping to the rest of the world's schedule, FINALLY, today, there was nothing on the dance card. This morning we did what we had to for the health and comfort of the animals, and have spent the rest of the day loafing. I haven't even cooked anything. Everyone has been on their own. Ellie May has either painted or laid on the couch reading.********* I have read and snoozed in bed. Jethro has been in and out (i would worry about a 10 year old boy that laid around all day) but has been extremely low key.
Maka Kilo, Guardian of the Couch, has given herself a lateral promotion to Guardian of the Bed, and has been on duty pretty much all day. Apparently she has been worn out this week with Couch duty and watching us as we fly by.
At one point, Jethro was lounging on the bed with the bedbug, and i walked thru to check on them. Maka twitched her tail in acknowledgment of my entrance, but didn't move another muscle. Jethro commented on how nice it was to finally have nothing to do, and how great it felt to be lazy. I told him that everyone needed down time, even Maka.
Maka truly understands the value of a day of rest.
********Speaking of reading, may i highly recommend the book The Help by Catherine Stockett. It is wonderful, and immediately went into my Top 5 list. I let Ellie read it, although i did a bit of editing for her, and she put it in Top 5 as well. Said it had been a long time since she had read anything that made her FEEL like this one did. Somewhere in the middle of the book, she put it down, looked at me with a mixture of awe and anger, and said, "It is a great author that can make you want to reach out and smack one of the characters." Know there is a movie out, and have heard good things, but i am not gonna see it at this time, don't want to ruin this beautiful movie in my mind. READ IT!!!
Thursday, August 18, 2011
A Safe Haven
The Baas has a pair of German Shepherd puppies that are just beautiful. Both of them females. As they are reaching maturity, Baas is trying to prepare for their first season in advance, so as not to be caught by surprise and have a little...um...accident (or several little accidents, as the case may be.)
Of course, the "go to" resource for all information animal is Susan Dear Susan.
When asked if there was a foolproof solution to the problem, Susan shared the following very important information with us, and it was such sound advice that i thought i would share it with you all as well.
SECURING A SAFE ENVIRONMENT FOR FEMALES IN HEAT
First, you must pour an 18 inch concrete foundation, and sink 8' chain link fencing into the foundation.
Then run a hot wire around the top of the enclosure that is strong enough to knock out a cow.
Finally, you must post someone outside the fence with a shotgun.
NOTE: Susan also recommends this method for protecting teenage daughters.
Of course, the "go to" resource for all information animal is Susan Dear Susan.
When asked if there was a foolproof solution to the problem, Susan shared the following very important information with us, and it was such sound advice that i thought i would share it with you all as well.
SECURING A SAFE ENVIRONMENT FOR FEMALES IN HEAT
First, you must pour an 18 inch concrete foundation, and sink 8' chain link fencing into the foundation.
Then run a hot wire around the top of the enclosure that is strong enough to knock out a cow.
Finally, you must post someone outside the fence with a shotgun.
NOTE: Susan also recommends this method for protecting teenage daughters.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Yeah I'm The Type of Cow That Likes To Roam Around....
...I'm never in one place I roam from town to town......And I'm a wanderer, yeah I'm a wanderer
I roam around around around around hmmm
I roam around around around around hmmm
The following article was forwarded to me by ALA. Not to get in the habit of posting things written by other people (after sharing this and the 401-keg plan,) i felt that this article was far too good not to share.
It especially tickles me because The Baas and i tried to finish out a cow a couple of years ago, and Meatloaf had wanderlust as well. Wadn't a fence could hold that cow, either. We never had to employ a cow psychic, tho. Meatloaf was either more predictable or less cunning than Yvonne, as she always turned up in the neighbor's pasture. Or on the side of the highway trying to hitch a ride. I figure that never worked too well for her because of the thumb issue. But that is just my opinion.
Yvonne the runaway cow brings fame to Bavarian village but no milk
€10,000 reward offered for Yvonne's safe return as Zangberg mayor revels in animal's wanderlust
Waltraut, the sister of runaway cow Yvonne, lies in the forest near Zangberg, Muehldorf. Her owners hope she will attract her sister back home. Photograph: Picture Alliance/Photoshot
A €10,000 reward is being offered in Germany for the safe return of a cow called Yvonne who went on the run in May after apparently sensing she was about to be sent to the slaughterhouse.
Yvonne, a six-year-old dairy cow, has, in the words of one newspaper, become "a kind of freedom fighter for the animal loving German republic" since she escaped from her field in the village of Zangberg, 50 miles north-east of Munich, on 24 May.
Having been fattened up, she was due to be dispatched when she managed to breach the electric fence surrounding her farm. For months she led a quiet life grazing among the fir trees of nearby forests, until she nearly came a cropper crossing a road into the path of a passing police car.
As word spread of this invincible cow, animal protection activists got involved, incensed that local hunters had been given permission to shoot Yvonne on sight. Gut Aiderbichl, an animal sanctuary over the Austrian border in Salzburg, agreed to buy Yvonne from the farm for €600 and has offered her a paddock with grass to graze on for the rest of her days.
Now a fight is on as the bovine protectionists are pitted against the trigger-happy Bavarians, who shot and killed Bruno, the first bear to be seen on German soil for 170 years, in June 2006.
Gut Aiderbichl are pulling out all the stops to catch Yvonne alive. Last week they enlisted the help of a bull called Ernst to try to lure her back home. Ernst has "a deep baritone moo that will appeal to Yvonne", as well as a particularly manly musk, said the sanctuary's founder, Michael Aufhauser. "He is the George Clooney of bulls." Sex is not on the agenda, however, as Ernst is castrated.Aufhauser also called on an animal psychic to communicate with Yvonne from afar. Franziska Matti, an animal communication expert from Berne in Switzerland, said she had managed to contact Yvonne using telepathy. "I spoke to her yesterday and she said that she was fine but didn't feel ready to come out of hiding," said Matti. "She said she knew that Ernst had been waiting for her but that she was scared. She said she thought that humans would lock her up and she would no longer be free."
Since the German tabloid Bild offered a €10,000 reward for Yvonne's safe capture on Saturday, the race to find her has heated up. In Monday's Bild an 11-year-old boy called Sepp claimed to have discovered a fresh hoof print from Yvonne in the woods near his home. The boy had been tipped off by his grandmother, he said, who had spotted a cow while out collecting mushrooms two days previously. "I know that I will find her. My dad has 18 cows. I often have to help him feed them and take them out to pasture. I know what I'm doing," he told Bild.On Monday Aufhauser said he had leased a helicopter to track down Yvonne. If that did not work, he had a secret weapon: Yvonne's two-year-old son, Friesi, who was previously believed dead but turned up alive at a local farm. Friesi was offered by his owner to Aufhauser, and was on Monday undergoing "intensive training" to learn how best to call to his mother. "We know that the bond between mother cows and their sons is very strong. She will not be able to ignore him," said Aufhauser.
Franz Märkl, mayor of Zangberg, said he was delighted Yvonne had decided to go missing during the traditional summer news lull known in Britain as "silly season" and in Germany as "Sauregurkenzeit" – literally "sour cucumber time", a reference to the days when good vegetables are scarce.
"We trained the cow well for the summer [news] vacuum," Märkl told the Süddeutsche Zeitung. "Now everyone in Germany has heard of our lovely village."
Monday, August 15, 2011
Investment Advice
"Just a little investment humor during this not so humorous time...
If you had purchased $1,000 of shares in Delta Airlines one year ago you would have $49.00 today!
If you purchased $1,000 of shares in AIG you would have $33.00
If you purchased $1,000 of shares in Lehman Brothers you would have $0.00 today.
But, if you purchased $1,000 worth of beer, drank all the beer, turned in the aluminum cans for recycling, you would have $214.00.
Therefore the best current investment plan is to drink heavily & recycle. It is called the 401-Keg Plan..."
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Birthday Bash '11
Ellie May, Jethro and The Baas all have birthdays within the span of one week, so we had one big party to celebrate everyone. We rented a cabin at our favorite little Wilderness Gem, and i think it is safe to say a grand old time was had by all.
The requested birthday menu was:
Hamburgers
Steak
Rabbit
Mochiko Chicken
Lamb
New England Chicken
Beef Jerky
Hot dogs
Carrots
I looked at the list, and asked Ellie and Jethro why they bothered to put carrots on the list, and Ellie said, "Well, we know you are gonna cook them anyway."
So we kept something on the grill at all times, and had a whole bunch of meat. And carrots.
When dinner was served, there was a bit of a seating issue. There were eight kids, four adults, six chairs and a couch. It was kinda a fend for yourself thing. At some point during dinner, the mom's did a head count, and found one missing. Movement outside the window caught our eye, and we found the Petite Delicate Flower aka the Goat in a Girl Suit.
The requested birthday menu was:
Hamburgers
Steak
Rabbit
Mochiko Chicken
Lamb
New England Chicken
Beef Jerky
Hot dogs
Carrots
I looked at the list, and asked Ellie and Jethro why they bothered to put carrots on the list, and Ellie said, "Well, we know you are gonna cook them anyway."
So we kept something on the grill at all times, and had a whole bunch of meat. And carrots.
When dinner was served, there was a bit of a seating issue. There were eight kids, four adults, six chairs and a couch. It was kinda a fend for yourself thing. At some point during dinner, the mom's did a head count, and found one missing. Movement outside the window caught our eye, and we found the Petite Delicate Flower aka the Goat in a Girl Suit.
Yes, she was sitting on the roof with her plate in hand, dining al fresco.
After dinner, we did the present thing (SQUIRREL!!!!!!!) and every prezzy Jethro received, he shook, and asked, "Is it food?" There were absolute Howls of laughter when he shook the envelope from ALA and asked, "Is it food?" and then opened it up to find a Sonic gift card.
All the Crew babies spent the night, and then we made pancakes for breakfast. Not just any pancakes, either. I put six different colors of pancake batter in squeeze bottles, and let them make their own...we had houses and trees, grapes and flowers, squiggles and shapes. Very fun. Wound up with more pancakes than we all could eat.
Twenty-four hours of swimming, games, canoeing, food, laughter, and a whole lotta love. And no chores. It was wonderful.
Maybe I Should Have Saved It For TWO Hundred....
When i had the inspiration for One Hundred, i figured it would take me a couple of days to list one hundred things that i loved and/or am thankful for. Thought it would be a work in progress. I actually did it in less than a couple of hours. However, i have been unable to turn off the faucet. I keep thinking of things that i love. Things that i am so very grateful for. I am truly lucky.
Since i used some of my hundred for the running air conditioner gag, i want to reclaim those spots. these absolutely MUST be on the list!!
#6 The goatie girlz watching me move around the yard, all lined up at the fence, chewing their bubble gum
#37 Baby goaties with Zoomies or Happy Feet
#53 My Custome Home (don't really like it, but am most thankful for it)
#99 The ability to stay at home and raise my children
This has actually been a very interesting excersize...you ought to try it some time, just for fun.
Since i used some of my hundred for the running air conditioner gag, i want to reclaim those spots. these absolutely MUST be on the list!!
#6 The goatie girlz watching me move around the yard, all lined up at the fence, chewing their bubble gum
#37 Baby goaties with Zoomies or Happy Feet
#53 My Custome Home (don't really like it, but am most thankful for it)
#99 The ability to stay at home and raise my children
This has actually been a very interesting excersize...you ought to try it some time, just for fun.
Friday, August 12, 2011
One Hundred
I wanted to do something special to commemorate my one hundredth post.
Thought i might write about the one hundred days of one hundred degree weather, until i realized that that was 1998. This year it has only been 40 something days, even though it feels like two hundred days, an it wasn't always 100 degrees, most of the time it has been something like 106 or 110. And besides that, we are all miserable and nobody wants to be reminded of how hot it is.
Then i thought about telling The Pig stories, because she was such a special little critter. There are some really great stories about her, and she lived to be 98 in dog years, and that is really close to 100, but then i decided that it was close, but no cigar. Will save her stories for another day.
This morning, i was pondering my existence which was making me want to be cranky, so i forced myself to start counting my blessings in order to keep my head in Happyville. Or Obliviousville. Whichever.
And then it came to me...what to do in honor of the one hundredth posting of Tales From Tales Up.
The following is a list of One Hundred Things I Love And/Or Am Thankful For. In no particular order.
And please note that some of the things i am thankful for, i do not necessarily like. #35 for example. I do not necessarily like, let alone LOVE broccoli, but am ever so thankful to have it for it's all around nutritional value.
Also note that some of the things i love, i do not actually possess at this time in my life, but have had in the past, and am certain that they belong on this list. See #12.
This list is meant to be, to quote the very first post, "a kind of funky prayer of thanksgiving to my Father for the Great Good Blessings He has bestowed upon me in this poop rich environment."
Which is what the entire blog is all about.
One Hundred Things I Love And/Or Am Thankful For (in no particular order)
#1 My Creator, His word, and His infinite mercy and grace
#2 My two legged babies
#3 My four legged babies
#4 Our homestead
#5 Freedom
#6 Central air conditioning
#7 Paul Adeen, Boo, and the Other Brother, and their respective wives
#8 Mom, Aunt Lu, and Miss Trudy
#9 ALA, Mrs. H, and Dr. H
#10 Susan, dear Susan, who does all the research, shares her knowledge, and never complains about me riding her coattails
#11 The Crew (i am Especially Fond of each and every one of them)
#12 Clean, 600 thread count 100% cotton sheets (bump them up the list if someone else made the bed)
#13 Cars that start when you turn them on, particularly the ones with good air conditioning
#14 Friends. All my amazing friends. Especially the ones that play Ethel to my Lucy, never questioning my reasoning or motive, just trusting me, who then willingly bust tail to help me achieve the goal
#15 Superfluous shoes
#16 Books...all kinds of Books, and lots of them
#17 Dictionaries, Encyclopedias, and Thesaurus'
#18 The Best Friends Book Club, and those Beautiful Best Friends (it's all about the food)
#19 Bunco and The Bunco Babes
#20 Dishwashers, washing machines, freezers and all machinery of luxury and convenience, including air conditioners
#21 Quiet, gentle rain
#22 Good health
#23 Good hair, and Debra that always cuts it just right
#24 All my Dogz, past present and future (originally included in #3, but upon further reflection, deserving of their own spot on the list. Remember, the list is given in no particular order)
#25 Fresh pointy Sharpies, especially the kind you can put on your key chain
#26 Creative energy, regardless of it's source
#27 Hot water
#28 Brand new paper products and writing/drawing instruments
#29 Bodies of water, especially our "Little Gem," in which you can get in up to your nose, and look down and see your toes
#30 Kona coffee
#31 The angels that Father keeps sending me to get me through this life
#32 Chocolate
#33 Red wine
#34 Ozarka
#35 Broccoli
#36 Zorba the Greek, A Prayer for Owen Meany, Don Quixote, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Help, The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid, and anything by Robertson Davies or Michael Perry (see notation for #24)
#37 Central Air conditioning
#38 A pantry filled with rows and rows of home canned sustenance
#39 Cooking for and feeding my peeps
#40 Cream cheese and Eagle Brand Milk
#41 Little dogs grumbling because i am taking up too much space/blanket/pillow, or otherwise disturbing them--in my own bed
#42 Indian Runners running
#43 Springtime
#44 Fresh snow
#45 Travel
#46 My daughter's artwork and stories
#47 My son's imagination and beautiful blue eyes
#48 The amazing sense of humor they both have
#49 My eyesight. Such as it is. And my hearing
#50 Chickory B eating a banana, a licorice whip, or any long, floppy food item
#51 Bawdy Maudy escaping her bonds to come see what i am doing
#52 The "Who Me?" look of complete innocence associated with #51
#53 Walking into a shop that is running the air conditioner full blast
#54 Central Market and Whole Foods Market
#55 Cookbooks, old and new
#56 Memories
#57 Games and puzzles
#58 The ability to learn to do anything i have ever really wanted to do
#59 Denim...heck, anything sturdy and cotton
#60 East Texas
#61 Bread
#62 My babies when they were babies (and now, too, of course)
#63 Tender red meat and baked potatoes
#64 Smooooooth scotch
#65 Fireflies
#66 Music
#67 Mechanical pencils
#68 Sleeping dogs--even better...dreaming dogs
#69 My barn full of hay
#70 Hurricane popcorn
#71 Big full long skirts with lots of pretty fabric that swirl around your ankles
#72 Our water filter
#73 Friends that turn the air conditioner up and point the vents directly toward me when i come in the room
#74 Happy donuts
#75 The birds and the bees, and the flowers and the trees, and all that stuff
#76 Fresh eggs
#77 The color "rainbow"
#78 Desdemona
#79 Hats with wide brims
#80 Old movies
#81 Peanut butter
#82 Peacock feathers
#83 Earl Grey tea, hot or iced
#84 Sonic ice
#85 Paved roads
#86 Letters in the mail
#87 Swimming
#88 The pony. As deep as the steaming pile is in my life, there absolutely HAS to be a pony around here somewhere
#89 Thick, fluffy bath sheets
#90 Pot luck gatherings with lots of kids running around playing and hollering
#91 Dancing
#92 Booklights
#93 Knitting
#94 The Momma Chair
#95 Pearls
#96 Beautiful wood and woodwork
#97 Jacuzzi tubs
#98 Spending the night in a hotel
#99 Air conditioning
#100 My friends and family that check into this forum to see what is happening in our world, and for their comments and inspiration. Keeps me on task, so that some day i will have a lovely volume to present to my babies, so they will never forget how much their momma loves them.
Thought i might write about the one hundred days of one hundred degree weather, until i realized that that was 1998. This year it has only been 40 something days, even though it feels like two hundred days, an it wasn't always 100 degrees, most of the time it has been something like 106 or 110. And besides that, we are all miserable and nobody wants to be reminded of how hot it is.
Then i thought about telling The Pig stories, because she was such a special little critter. There are some really great stories about her, and she lived to be 98 in dog years, and that is really close to 100, but then i decided that it was close, but no cigar. Will save her stories for another day.
This morning, i was pondering my existence which was making me want to be cranky, so i forced myself to start counting my blessings in order to keep my head in Happyville. Or Obliviousville. Whichever.
And then it came to me...what to do in honor of the one hundredth posting of Tales From Tales Up.
The following is a list of One Hundred Things I Love And/Or Am Thankful For. In no particular order.
And please note that some of the things i am thankful for, i do not necessarily like. #35 for example. I do not necessarily like, let alone LOVE broccoli, but am ever so thankful to have it for it's all around nutritional value.
Also note that some of the things i love, i do not actually possess at this time in my life, but have had in the past, and am certain that they belong on this list. See #12.
This list is meant to be, to quote the very first post, "a kind of funky prayer of thanksgiving to my Father for the Great Good Blessings He has bestowed upon me in this poop rich environment."
Which is what the entire blog is all about.
One Hundred Things I Love And/Or Am Thankful For (in no particular order)
#1 My Creator, His word, and His infinite mercy and grace
#2 My two legged babies
#3 My four legged babies
#4 Our homestead
#5 Freedom
#6 Central air conditioning
#7 Paul Adeen, Boo, and the Other Brother, and their respective wives
#8 Mom, Aunt Lu, and Miss Trudy
#9 ALA, Mrs. H, and Dr. H
#10 Susan, dear Susan, who does all the research, shares her knowledge, and never complains about me riding her coattails
#11 The Crew (i am Especially Fond of each and every one of them)
#12 Clean, 600 thread count 100% cotton sheets (bump them up the list if someone else made the bed)
#13 Cars that start when you turn them on, particularly the ones with good air conditioning
#14 Friends. All my amazing friends. Especially the ones that play Ethel to my Lucy, never questioning my reasoning or motive, just trusting me, who then willingly bust tail to help me achieve the goal
#15 Superfluous shoes
#16 Books...all kinds of Books, and lots of them
#17 Dictionaries, Encyclopedias, and Thesaurus'
#18 The Best Friends Book Club, and those Beautiful Best Friends (it's all about the food)
#19 Bunco and The Bunco Babes
#20 Dishwashers, washing machines, freezers and all machinery of luxury and convenience, including air conditioners
#21 Quiet, gentle rain
#22 Good health
#23 Good hair, and Debra that always cuts it just right
#24 All my Dogz, past present and future (originally included in #3, but upon further reflection, deserving of their own spot on the list. Remember, the list is given in no particular order)
#25 Fresh pointy Sharpies, especially the kind you can put on your key chain
#26 Creative energy, regardless of it's source
#27 Hot water
#28 Brand new paper products and writing/drawing instruments
#29 Bodies of water, especially our "Little Gem," in which you can get in up to your nose, and look down and see your toes
#30 Kona coffee
#31 The angels that Father keeps sending me to get me through this life
#32 Chocolate
#33 Red wine
#34 Ozarka
#35 Broccoli
#36 Zorba the Greek, A Prayer for Owen Meany, Don Quixote, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Help, The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid, and anything by Robertson Davies or Michael Perry (see notation for #24)
#37 Central Air conditioning
#38 A pantry filled with rows and rows of home canned sustenance
#39 Cooking for and feeding my peeps
#40 Cream cheese and Eagle Brand Milk
#41 Little dogs grumbling because i am taking up too much space/blanket/pillow, or otherwise disturbing them--in my own bed
#42 Indian Runners running
#43 Springtime
#44 Fresh snow
#45 Travel
#46 My daughter's artwork and stories
#47 My son's imagination and beautiful blue eyes
#48 The amazing sense of humor they both have
#49 My eyesight. Such as it is. And my hearing
#50 Chickory B eating a banana, a licorice whip, or any long, floppy food item
#51 Bawdy Maudy escaping her bonds to come see what i am doing
#52 The "Who Me?" look of complete innocence associated with #51
#53 Walking into a shop that is running the air conditioner full blast
#54 Central Market and Whole Foods Market
#55 Cookbooks, old and new
#56 Memories
#57 Games and puzzles
#58 The ability to learn to do anything i have ever really wanted to do
#59 Denim...heck, anything sturdy and cotton
#60 East Texas
#61 Bread
#62 My babies when they were babies (and now, too, of course)
#63 Tender red meat and baked potatoes
#64 Smooooooth scotch
#65 Fireflies
#66 Music
#67 Mechanical pencils
#68 Sleeping dogs--even better...dreaming dogs
#69 My barn full of hay
#70 Hurricane popcorn
#71 Big full long skirts with lots of pretty fabric that swirl around your ankles
#72 Our water filter
#73 Friends that turn the air conditioner up and point the vents directly toward me when i come in the room
#74 Happy donuts
#75 The birds and the bees, and the flowers and the trees, and all that stuff
#76 Fresh eggs
#77 The color "rainbow"
#78 Desdemona
#79 Hats with wide brims
#80 Old movies
#81 Peanut butter
#82 Peacock feathers
#83 Earl Grey tea, hot or iced
#84 Sonic ice
#85 Paved roads
#86 Letters in the mail
#87 Swimming
#88 The pony. As deep as the steaming pile is in my life, there absolutely HAS to be a pony around here somewhere
#89 Thick, fluffy bath sheets
#90 Pot luck gatherings with lots of kids running around playing and hollering
#91 Dancing
#92 Booklights
#93 Knitting
#94 The Momma Chair
#95 Pearls
#96 Beautiful wood and woodwork
#97 Jacuzzi tubs
#98 Spending the night in a hotel
#99 Air conditioning
#100 My friends and family that check into this forum to see what is happening in our world, and for their comments and inspiration. Keeps me on task, so that some day i will have a lovely volume to present to my babies, so they will never forget how much their momma loves them.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Monday, August 1, 2011
Please Pray For Rain
Okay, it is officially August. The hottest time of the year. Don't know if i am up to this. Been hottern H-E-double toothpicks for....seems like forever. Ask me for stats later. Expecting 108 - 110 this week. That little tidbit blew what was left of my sanity.
Ask me if i'm cranky.
I'll tell you, "Of course not. I can't stay vertical long enough to get cranky."
Then ask Ellie May and Jethro if i am cranky.
The heat really does me in. Drains me of energy and brain power.
I much prefer colder climates. I figure you can always put on more clothes, but you can only take off so many before they arrest you or run away screaming. Either way, doesn't matter. I will just have to deal, coz there is no place else for me but Texas.
The hot is one thing, the drought is another. Very scary. Obviously there will only be one cutting of hay for us this year, and we were darn lucky to get that. Nothing but brown sticks everywhere, now. Overheard a couple of codgers at the spit and whittle club talking about paying to have round bales brought in from Nebraska, and alfalfa from even further north. Prices on hay right now are higher than they were in the dead of winter. When you can find it. Fear it is just gonna get worse. Saw a sign in front of the Farm Bureau advertising "Hay Insurance." Tell ya anything?
Gardens shriveled up long ago, and young landscaping around town is toast. Old, OLD trees are dieing. Leaves turning brown and dropping off. Had a windstorm come through about a month ago, and huge trees were knocked over, roots up.
We have been in drought for quite a while now. Have been dealing with all kinds of herd health issues as a result of mineral deficiencies in our grasses brought on by lack of rain. It looks like it is just gonna get worse. Lots of folks selling off livestock. Getting out.
Don't mean to sound doom and gloom. And everyone around these parts KNOWS it is hot and dry, they don't need ME to tell them. But there are people in other parts of the country that are reading our story---heck, we are international, folks! We get hits from all over the world (only continent we haven't picked up yet is Australia) and even got us a regular reader in Germany (Howdy, there, Germany, so delighted to have you checking in every week--makes it double fun for us rednecks to know you are out there!!)
But this is serious folks.
Need some prayers for rain here.
My usual joke is "say prayers, light candles, rattle chicken bones, what ever you do..."
But this is beyond jokes. Not gonna risk ticking off The Big Guy on this one.
Please pray.
Pray for gentle, soaking rain.
Storm rains are just gonna run off, coz the ground is too hard. We need prolonged, moderate, cleansing, soaking rain.
Thank you for your support.
Ask me if i'm cranky.
I'll tell you, "Of course not. I can't stay vertical long enough to get cranky."
Then ask Ellie May and Jethro if i am cranky.
The heat really does me in. Drains me of energy and brain power.
I much prefer colder climates. I figure you can always put on more clothes, but you can only take off so many before they arrest you or run away screaming. Either way, doesn't matter. I will just have to deal, coz there is no place else for me but Texas.
The hot is one thing, the drought is another. Very scary. Obviously there will only be one cutting of hay for us this year, and we were darn lucky to get that. Nothing but brown sticks everywhere, now. Overheard a couple of codgers at the spit and whittle club talking about paying to have round bales brought in from Nebraska, and alfalfa from even further north. Prices on hay right now are higher than they were in the dead of winter. When you can find it. Fear it is just gonna get worse. Saw a sign in front of the Farm Bureau advertising "Hay Insurance." Tell ya anything?
Gardens shriveled up long ago, and young landscaping around town is toast. Old, OLD trees are dieing. Leaves turning brown and dropping off. Had a windstorm come through about a month ago, and huge trees were knocked over, roots up.
We have been in drought for quite a while now. Have been dealing with all kinds of herd health issues as a result of mineral deficiencies in our grasses brought on by lack of rain. It looks like it is just gonna get worse. Lots of folks selling off livestock. Getting out.
Don't mean to sound doom and gloom. And everyone around these parts KNOWS it is hot and dry, they don't need ME to tell them. But there are people in other parts of the country that are reading our story---heck, we are international, folks! We get hits from all over the world (only continent we haven't picked up yet is Australia) and even got us a regular reader in Germany (Howdy, there, Germany, so delighted to have you checking in every week--makes it double fun for us rednecks to know you are out there!!)
But this is serious folks.
Need some prayers for rain here.
My usual joke is "say prayers, light candles, rattle chicken bones, what ever you do..."
But this is beyond jokes. Not gonna risk ticking off The Big Guy on this one.
Please pray.
Pray for gentle, soaking rain.
Storm rains are just gonna run off, coz the ground is too hard. We need prolonged, moderate, cleansing, soaking rain.
Thank you for your support.
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