Thoughts For Today

Seems like this year is flying by.  But February always gives me that feeling.

January was crazy busy.  We were in movie mode for the whole month.  I was VERY apprehensive about the whole thing.  This was definitely out of my comfort zone.  More than once I found myself praying to make it through what we were doing at that moment.  It made me feel better.

Then it was over.  I think my body and mind are still trying to recover. The thing about movie making is that sometimes it’s so busy you can’t think……but then there’s times you have SO much time to think.  Here’s some things I’ve been thinking about………

I’ve been to more funerals since my Grandma died last June than I had been to in the previous ten years.  I have more empathy for people who have lost someone now.  I think that’s a good thing.

I wish I hadn’t spent my twenties and most of my thirties just waiting to get married.  Somewhere in my late thirties I realized it’s ok to be single.  That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t like to married,  but I sure don’t want to be married just for the sake of being married.  Desperation leads to poor choices and misery.  God wants us to be content.  That doesn’t mean complacent, but happy in the circumstances we have found ourselves in at the moment.  I have times when I doubt the choices I made, but then I think of how my life would be so different at this point and I realize I’m where I should be.  I still get frustrated, but I’m much more settled about my life.  I wish I’d figured that out sooner!

A couple of the boys who worked with us on the movie in January were so much fun.  They are both cowboys in their early 20’s and were super nice and very helpful.  They didn’t seem to mind when I called them boys or told them what to do.  At least they didn’t act like they did.  They aren’t afraid of anything!  If a team was running off they instinctively knew what to do and jumped right in.  They made me want to be more aggressive and not so scared.  I just tried to forget that I was old enough to be their mom!

Just goes to show you never know who you can learn from!

Have a great week everybody!

 

 

It’s 2014

Hey Y’all!  It’s a new year! 

I fear I’ll start sounding like my parents if I start saying how I’m feeling about time going fast and all that.  So, I’m gonna skip all that.  What I am gonna say is I’m glad 2013 is over.  I know others in the world have had harder times than me.  I know there is suffering everywhere.  I know I should be thankful for every minute of my life.  

 I wouldn’t want to relive 98% of last year.  It was a tough one. 

We all have those years don’t we?  You know, the kind of year that when midnight strikes on Dec. 31, if one happens to be awake, we breathe a sigh of relief that it’s over and are hoping the next 365 days are better. 

Here’s my resolution…….I’m not gonna wish this year away. 

I’m a pro at wishing things will be different and not doing a stinkin thing about it.  All of a sudden I’m 44 years old.  Realistically speaking half of my life is over. There’s no time like the present to stop wishing and start living!  No, my life isn’t what I thought it would be.  Oh well.  Time to stop wondering why I’m on this earth and start being thankful that I am here. 

Happy New Year!

p.s.   I haven’t had a Dr. Pepper since Sept. 17, 2013!!!  Just wanted to slip that in.  That is in the 2% of good that happened in 2013.

 

 

 

A Sad Day

I went to a funeral today.  I didn’t really know the young man who died, but his aunt is married to my cousin.  I just wanted to show support to them.  He was 23.  I was sitting there during the service thinking to myself that I’m not sure how I could deal with losing one of my nephews or nieces.  It wouldn’t matter how it happened or how old they are……I just don’t know how I could get through it. 

This boy’s parents are good people.  They are strong Christians and always have been.  The only way they will get through it is with God’s help.  He will get them through.  Their lives will never be the same, but they will get through it because of their faith in God.  The man who led the prayer said something that made so much sense to me.  In his prayer he said that God knew exactly how the family felt because His Son, Jesus, had also died.  He knew how hard losing a child was no matter what the circumstances.  Of course, I knew that, but hadn’t thought of it in that context before. 

I also went to a funeral the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.  It was for the grandmother of a lady I know from church.  The grandmother was 94.  I hope this doesn’t sound tacky, but it made more sense to attend the funeral of a 94 year old woman who had a full life.  Her family was grieving, but it wasn’t for her.  Their grief was for themselves because they will miss her. 

Today we were all grieving for the 23 year old who laid in the casket.  His life had barely started and it didn’t have to end the way it did.  Please pray for his family.   They won’t even know we are praying for them, but God will hear us. 

 

 

 

A Bizarre Incident

 A friend told me a story a few days ago about a “farmhouse ghost”.  I’m not a ghost believer but weird things happen sometimes that may seem “ghostly”.  At about 3am this morning one of those weird things happened to me.

Last evening I went to a friends house for a cleaning products party.  Fun right?  I guess that was in my head because I dreamed I was at her house and her husband was using some type of machine that makes noise.  Well, the husband quit using the machine and the noise just kept going.  I finally woke up and realized the noise is coming from my bathroom.  I thought to myself, “What in the world?!!”  I laid there a minute not moving trying to figure out what this noise was and where it was coming from. 

It finally dawned on me that it was my battery operated toothbrush!!! 

I have been making some homemade toothpaste that is kinda gritty from the sea salt and baking soda.  Apparently, some of this gritty toothpaste has gotten in the button because I’ve been having trouble getting it turned on and off.   Last night I had to take the batteries out to turn it off and used a safety pin to get in the crevice and clean it out.  I thought I had it fixed.  Guess not. 

Let me tell you this…….when you all of a sudden hear a little motor running about 6 feet from your bed in the middle of the night…..it seems a little “ghostly”!!!!

 

It’s a Twister…..It’s a Twister!

Or at least it was in my dream the other night!!!!  How is one suppose to get good restful sleep when one dreams about tornadoes?

I’ve been dreaming crazy stuff the last couple weeks.  I think it might be the change in the weather.  Or maybe the changes in my life.  I don’t know, but I’m ready for it to end. 

Since some of my close friends who read this was in my tornado dream……I’m gonna share.

For whatever reason a couple of my friends were with me at my Grandma’s house.  I know Sage was there, but I’m not sure if the other one was Tera, Sarah, or Anna.  And, I’m not sure what we were doing there, but I guess that’s not important.  I came out the back door and saw there were storm clouds.  I was just about to holler to the girls to come take a look when a tornado formed right there to the south.  I flew back inside at that moment.  When I came out I saw a furrow that the tornado had left in the ground that went right by my house.  In this crazy dream my house(it’s really a trailer house) was closer to Grandma’s than it is in real life.  It appeared that there was some damage to the outside but it was still standing.  I thought that was good news! 

However, I opened the door to look inside and the whole floor was caved in and laying on the ground.  As I looked around all I could say was, “MY COWBOY DISHES ARE GONE!”  I guess that shows what I think is important.  The cabinet and everything was no where to be found.  I then ran down to my folks house, which was in the place that mine is in real life, and they were taking it easy in the living room.  I then exclaimed, “A tornado just hit my house!”  My dad, in a very calm and collected way said, “Are you sure?”  Needless to say I was very agitated!

Then I woke up. 

When I told my mom this story she says, “Well, it wouldn’t take too much to figure that one out.”  I asked what she meant.  She said, “You are feeling overwhelmed and the bottom is fixing to drop out.” 

Thanks Mom……I feel so much better!

 

 

 

 

Things Kids Say

Well, this could be the last post I ever try to write!  I’ve had two disappear from this blog in the last couple weeks.  I’m sure I did something wrong, but if this one winds up missing……I’m outta here!

These nieces and nephews of mine are hilarious.  I’m sure all kids come up with funny stuff, but I don’t know all kids.  So…..I’m gonna say my group is extra special.  Here’s a few stories.

I was on the phone with sis#2 the other day.  I hear her say something to Snort, but I can’t understand her or him.  She then tells me that he said to her,”I have a ball in my throat and it’s jumping up and down!”  She replied, “It’s your Adam’s apple and it’s going up and down because you have the hiccups.”  He said, “Oh.”  That was it.  No more explanation needed.

My brother has gotten into the custom hay business this year.  That means it consumes pretty much the whole family for most of the summer and early fall.  The other day something in the baler broke.  He had to park it by the shop to work on it.  When my sis-in-law and Ruby pulled into the driveway Ruby says, “Oh no!  The baler’s in the driveway.  It must be broken!”  A day or two later she was looking at a farm implement magazine brother always has at the house.  She tells her Grammy that she’s looking for her daddy a new baler.  She’s 3 1/2!

Sweet little Rosy, that’s Ruby’s little sister, is fixin to turn 2.  The terrible’s have already started.  She still looks like a little sweet blond Gap baby, but she will pull your hair or punch you in the nose in a second.  I’m afraid she acts just like her dad!  Anyway, last Sunday night we all went to our favorite Mexican food place for supper after evening worship services.  Papa asked Rosy for a kiss.  She shook her head no.  Then he asked again.  She said, “uh uh.” That would be the sound for no. Papa really wanted a kiss so he asked again.  She then looked at him and yelled, “NO!” 

At least she didn’t punch him!!

 

 

Redneck Gardening Pt. 2

So…..it’s September 23rd!  I didn’t realize it had been 2 months since my last post.  Crazy!

Here’s why I don’t garden. 

This beautiful plant…..

 

Now looks like this…….

I DESPISE squash bugs!  It looked like an atom bomb had been dropped right in the middle of my patch!

But…..there is a little joy to be shared.  I picked 9 cute little punkins.  I thought that was funny since I have 9 cute little nephews and nieces.  Well, some of them aren’t so little anymore, but  they’ll always be cute and little to me!

Sad part is there was probably at least twice this many pumpkins the bugs ate.  There were some very happy squash bugs out this way!

Oh well.  There’s always next year!

 

 

 

 

 

Redneck Gardening

I’m no gardener!  I’ve tried.  My lifestyle just doesn’t let it happen.  However, I may have found my thing.  Maybe I should try this every year……and then maybe every 3 something will grow. 

About 5 years ago I threw the old nasty pumpkins left from Thanksgiving decorating into the front pasture.  The next summer we had a huge pumpkin plant.  Surprise!  Last fall I thought I’d give it a whirl again. For me the weirder a pumpkin looks the more I like it.   I thought I’d put them in different spots around the place and see what happens. 

So…..sometime last December I was pitching soggy pumpkins over the fence in areas that I thought might not get brush hogged by my Dad.  And then I didn’t think about it again. 

A couple weeks ago my sister asked about the plants in the old horse pen north of our folks house.   I told her I had forgotten all about putting those pumpkins in there.  She said she thought there might be babies.   I forgot about them again until this morning.    Look what I found!

I couldn’t believe it! I was so excited. I hope the kids will be too. I know Jessie Jane will be. She loves everything. Now I need to go kill some squash bugs!

Snort

In case y’all have forgotten, Snort is my youngest nephew and 3rd son of sis#2.  He is 3 1/2 and quite the comedian, roper, and all around good kid.  Thankfully, he’s outgrown most of his anger issues! 

Yesterday sis#2 sent me a text with the following story:

Me this morning as I’m carrying Blaine: “This sure is a heavy sack of potatoes!”

Blaine laughing: “I not potatoes…..I onions!”

This boy could be the next rodeo clown of the family!

A New Chapter and Act

We had our first roping gig yesterday since Grandma has been gone.  We were mostly too busy to think about it much while it was happening, but before and after it was kinda hard. 

It wasn’t a high paying job nor very prestigious.  It was at a day care/school and the oldest kids were 7.  Try keeping 60+ 7 year old kids to infants age attention!  Dad had a big job there as the announcer/narrator.  Is that what we call it?  I don’t know. I never really thought about that.  He’s the one who does the talking.

Anyway,  we changed a few things around and decided it was time to add some of the kids tricks they are learning.  They all did good!  Buzz has a new trick he thought up a week or so ago.  He is quite the thinker!  Buzz has a pogo stick.  Why I don’t know, but he does.  His mom, sis#2, sent me a video last week of him spinning his rope while on the pogo stick.  We decided to put it in the act yesterday.  I wish I had a photo!!!  He had on his chaps, wild rag, and big brimmed straw hat.  Dad said he looked like he was riding a bucking horse and spinning a rope!  The kids all loved it!

Things change.  We all know that they will.  Dealing with it is harder for some of us than others. And sometimes we don’t really have a choice.  This is one of those times.  That’s just how life goes!

But hearing what one little boy from a foreign country said to his teacher makes it all better.  This boy’s dad is in the military and moved their family to Oklahoma.  The boy said, “I’ve never seen a real cowboy before!”

Hearing that and seeing my nephews and niece perform was just what I needed!

But don’t think I’m gonna be getting on a pogo stick anytime soon!!! How stupid would that be?!??!