A Beautiful Day

This is the Natchez Trace. It is part of a national park that runs through all of our state and up into Tennessee. It was a part of the Indian Trails and is set aside land not to be developed. It is really a beautiful ride by car, motorcycle, or bicycle. We were headed up to Kosciusko yesterday. You know about that little town, it's where Oprah Winfrey came from. It is also where a lot of Jimmy's kinfolk live.

Jimmy enjoys the drive. I enjoy the ride we always like to go for rides together, we should get out more often. It's saying something when about the only time you go somewhere is because somebody died. I'm thinkin we should improve on that.

I asked to stop for a few minutes at the reservoir and see the boats, it's always cooler out there by the water, it makes me feel blissful just to look at the view. I would really enjoy going out on a boat ride sometime. We talked about that, renting a boat for a day. Then I can call him Captain Hunny.

It was a perfect day yesterday.

Mississippi can be really gorgeous at different times of the year. Yesterday we had perfect weather with a cool breeze blowing across this huge body of water, blue skies and fluffy pretty cotton candy clouds.

The funeral was held at the First Methodist church of Kosciusko, an old brick church that had beautiful stained glass windows in it. It was lovely. Old Southern towns are always built in a square, the state buildings, court houses and churches will all be close together in a city block. This church is close to the city hall. I like all the bumpy roads and tall curbs that happen from the changes in the clay. Old towns here are interesting and full of character.


This was the inside. I know you are glad that I am sparing you a close up portrait of that open casket. A Southern tradition that is practically sacred, it is expected that you go up and pay your last respects and admire all that paint and thick makeup. The expected comment is that the deceased looks so "natural," natural my foot. They look like a mannequin, not my favorite last memory. I am not one to look and linger over painted up remains. After seeing so many people die I am comfortable with the real deal but I do understand that I am a minority in that area. I just go with the flow.

The service itself was lovely. We sang "Be Thou My Vision," and heard "On the Wings of a Snow White Dove," her daughter read sweet memories about her mother and had the composure to do it and to speak loud enough for us to hear. That takes admirable strength. Then we went out to lunch with them and I ate like a pig, cheeseburger, strawberry milkshake, and Cajun french fries. An all American lunch to end a lovely day, and celebrate a sweet ladies life.

"Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.---what is mortal will be swallowed up by life"
2 Corinthians 4:16-18, 5:4

Great Flippin Fantastic News!!!!!

The good news is I DON'T have to have ANY surgery right now. In fact he said it could have been a "misread" it might be some transient osteoporosis. Keep losing weight, work on the calcium and Vit D get blood flow back in there and maybe it will be alright. He said I could go back to work.

I haven't been able to get in touch with my manager this afternoon. I faxed over the return to work slip. That will be another hurdle to cross but it will be ok!

I am so relieved!! Besides all of this crap I have had a bad respiratory infection and coughing up a lung or a gut or whatever and have been sick as stink. I didn't want to mention that, too much doom and gloom and I could have like zero readers you know?

My whole outlook has brightened considerably! Doctor #2 said the only reason to do the hip replacement is #1 if it fractures and we have no choice or #2 because I have unbearable pain. He said anytime in the next 10 years that you want to have it done. It really isn't bothering me now. It's possible that my little herky jerky moves caused some edema in there. It's also possible that the MRI went overboard on the "read."

All I can say is PRAISE GOD!!!! The plan is to watch and wait and check again in 3 months. Keep losing weight, have lost 11 pounds. Ordered some fancy cod liver/butter oil for bone health and am working on fixing the low VIT D thing, and you know what? In 3 months there may be nothing at all wrong with me! In 3 months I should be able to get off at least 25 more pounds maybe 30. That will take a load off---ha ha that's a joke. Get it? I can live with this!!

Yes sirrrrreeeeeeebob this is my kind of a day. Man I am so ready for some new kind of abuse, let me go to work, being a patient can kill you! Not to mention what it does to your wallet. Let me go, let me at em! I'm ready, I am so ready. Oh Lord Jesus I feel like I have received my pardon from death row, honest to God. No, I am not dramatic at all. I am calm, quiet, and level headed at all times, and totally in control of my emotional response. YEAH RIGHT!!! Can your read shoutin?

Where are my uniforms? I am going to get some high top shoes and look out mama; back in the SADDLE AGAIN!!! whooooooooooooohhhhhoooooooooooooooooooooooo
slaps legs, throws hat, bangs head on desk, falls out, hollers, cries, and shouts some more!!
Yeah buddy that's what I'm talkin bout!!! Keep yo knife to yo-self!
yipppeeee iiiiii oooooohhhhhh yiiiiiippppppeeeeeeiiiiiii aaaaaayyyyyy I'm back in the saddle again! Singing glory glory hallelujah glory glory hallelujah!

Frequent Rain

Have you wondered why it is so hard to take a picture of rain? You can see the drops hit the ground but you cannot see them in the air and yet in this scene the rain is pouring down. These thoughts led me to think about the seen and the unseen.


Sometimes the plans we make get tangled up. What starts out so neat and clear and in a happy arrangement gets cluttered up as life takes it along, but it still works. Just like this little area in my garden has decided to get quite out of hand but it appeals to me so I have left it alone. I call these messes in my garden "happy accidents." The plans I made turned out very differently than I expected but it is alright.

I read something this morning. "I will run the way of Your commandments, when You will enlarge my heart." Ps 119:32

Focus is everything. Where we look, what we look at, if we are looking in at ourselves and the circumstances we face; or if we look out and up in hope and believing.

I had a dream last night. Really it was a nightmare. In the dream I had gone back to work and had two horrible situations to deal with. The other people were sitting down talking and laughing and I felt all the stress that I had experienced in this job. In my dream I thought, "I hate this job." With all that has been going on, my focus has only been on the paycheck not the job.
The dream was a good reminder.

God knows our hearts. He has provided a way of escape from an experience that gave me a great deal of stress and frustration. I am walking a path that I would rather not take but I am not alone.

When I change my focus from the circumstances, to the Savior and how big he is and how faithful, then the rain in my life becomes waters of blessing. It is a storm now but when the sun comes out the rain will have caused the growth to come. The plans laid are changing but just as the garden can produce a happy accident so can my sweet Lord produce good from what seems so evil now, and the good news is, He will.

Pondering Possibilites

This post is going to just be a little update. The place out there is livable once cleaned but that in itself is a huge proposition. Since we don't have the money to invest into it I think we are going to pass. The good part about that was we could have reduced our monthly expenses, in theory, however a very big question would be what kind of problems are out there. It looks like a money pit. It was fun to look at.

Talk about being between a rock and a hard place. I heard from my manager this morning. I don't qualify for anything else at work. They don't have an available desk job. They can't hold my position for me anymore. Time for the resignation letter. Stink. I cried again, but just for a few minutes.

My appointment is on Thursday to consult the surgeon. I have $11,000 in bills on my desk right now just for the feet. We may end up in a trailer. I am trying to keep a positive attitude about this but it isn't easy, in fact it's going to take a major effort on my part. I sure do wish I could skip this. When I am up and moving around during the day my hip really kills me at night, so it has to be done. I just hate it that it is going to take a huge hunk of home equity to pay for it.
We have fallen between the cracks here and don't qualify for anything, so much for government assistance and programs. If my taxes weren't so high I might be debt free right now. We were awfully close. We could see ourselves there in the next 3 years. Instead we are going to go backwards at an alarming rate. I'm sorry I'm discouraged, but this is just plain hard.

I still don't want government health care and stimulus packages. We will figure this out. Our lives may take a big change because of our age and how long we have to work and pay for things but we can manage. We can make it because frugal has become a part of my mind set.

A friend was here and showed me a pair of cute pajamas that she said she gave $40 for. I almost choked. I have reduced my grocery tab at Walmart to that. She wanted to go shopping and I said pass. We drove around in the car and I showed her the sights and took her down to the Old Capitol building museum which is free and she enjoyed that.

We were at church and I saw where a lot of money could be saved in just a few places, raise the thermostat and save on energy bills, change our bulletin to something smaller and not glossy.
My brain is just running along those lines. We have been eating great. I bake bread, and make veggies from the yard and pick up others at the Farmers Market. We missed the fall planting times I think. I was looking at a catalog and saw that pumpkins take 120 days. We don't know what fall crops grow here and when they are supposed to go in. I do want pie pumpkins they are awesome for all kinds of dishes and they are expensive to buy. I make a great pureed soup with coconut milk and ginger.

Who knows maybe we will build a small cabin from scratch out in the country. I am not sure. We have to do something though, we can't just go into thousands and thousands of dollars of debt. Any southern farmers know about fall crops?

Maybe Shopping?

I read an add about a piece of property about a half hour drive from here. It's out in the country.

This is a loft in the middle sized cabin. This property has a main cabin and 2 others in close proximity to each other. There are also 2 little cabins whose foundations are in desperate need of repair or forget about it, and let them fall down. They could be nice though and they have good hardwood floor in them. They would be great for studio's or workshops. I didn't take a picture of them. 5 buildings in all.

This is the outside of the 2 medium cabins joined by a concrete patio.

The laundry hook up is in the main cabin and everywhere you look there is DIRT. This a utility closet for the washer and dryer.

and beauty, 5 acres of beauty and it's quiet. I took this from the upstairs and there is a sliding glass door. No deck or balcony yet.

This is one of the views from the upstairs in the main cabin. This makes me want to clean this place up. My hunny says it would take 10 years. He looked at me and said, 'When would I ever rest"? All of these beams are dry, everything needs cleaning and oiling or varnish. It needs something. But it is outrageously cool. This room is like a chapel. I would hang cool quilts over the railings. I can see us in this place and I love the picture in my head. I get great ideas but never know how much work is involved. Like the project the hunny just did. He did an amazing job and it took him about 3 weeks to get it done. Would this really take 10 years?

The other side of this room has this little loft, perfect for a reading nook. The beams are yellow long pine and they were salvaged from a cotton warehouse that was built on these timbers. They are termite proof and about 150 years old. The trees grow about 1/4 inch per year so it is very hard and strong. The floors have a gorgeous patina.

The downstairs, this is a shot of the wall and ceiling, a real cabin with chinking. I love it.

The downstairs main cabin. I would ask for that bed frame to be left there in a deal, it's a beautiful bed. There are two small closets lined with cedar chip board, smells good. I would like this area to be the main dining area with hutches and some seating. We would make the upstairs a living room and the loft a book nook. We'd have our bedroom in the middle cabin and an office over there.

Stairs going up to the main loft. These photos don't show all the dirt and how dry everything is. We would have to get gallons of oil. I think we should take a pressure washer inside and have at it and then vacuum up water with a shop vac. Maybe the oil or sealer could go on with a sprayer.

One bathroom, it works, that's all I can say for it. There is also a full bath in the smaller cabin. Kayla would have that, she could have her own little house in the woods. It's my least favorite of them all it needs something and I haven't got any brainstorms on that yet.

The kitchen actually has a dishwasher but I couldn't figure out anyplace for a refrigerator to go. In a pinch we could just use this as is. But if we were in a position to put money into it I would tear all this down up to the main cabin and build a new kitchen, bathroom, laundry room, and master bedroom, plus a half bath. This place could be amazing but it would take money and work. Sweat equity.

The main cabin, the foundation is concrete block couldn't be sturdier. It says build a wrap around porch, don't you think?

Another view from outside.

It comes with 2 dogs I guess. The owner is an old man. He comes and feeds the dogs every day and they have a blast running the acreage. They are friendly guard dogs. We didn't have any trouble snooping around and they loved Jimmy. All animals love him and I am the dog lover, go figure.

I looked at it because it's less than our house. Running numbers we could maybe make $30,000 selling ours and buying this. That is not including what we would spend on it except for cleaning it. Spending would be a question of if, and when we have the money, not borrowing to make it great. There are a lot of questions. It's on a septic tank, there is no central air or heat. He has little window air conditioners everywhere and portable heaters. We could build a big fireplace in the medium cabin and put a wood stove in the main one. The air conditioner is a question. How much does it cost to run all those? If we added on we could put a central air unit in the addition.

We could just live in it and clean it, if we wanted to buy it. It's not so bad that you can't just clean up and move in. We would have to build a bathroom and a closet on the medium cabin and get a wood stove before winter. It would be so cozy in the winter.

It's very unique. The wood inside is just amazing. I love the setting, the property is beautiful. It is a big mess and needs to be cleaned up,(how many times have I said that?) by a small army of strong men. The driveway needs to be graded and gravel put down. It would be a country place. If I can go back to work we could really fix it up. If I couldn't we could live there and enjoy what there is. We would be able to reduce our debt load by the $30,000 which would make living on the hunny's income manageable. I would finally get to live in my cabin in the country.

I don't think I am not going to work anymore. I will work. So the real question is would this place work my husband to absolute death? He thinks it might. It's so pretty out there, but my first reaction was to run. Then today when I went back I liked it more. Would I really like being a country woman? 5 acres is the perfect size. It is a rectangle shape and all usable land. The soil seems very healthy. Our place in Felton was a horrible mess when we got that. It's what made the price tag where we could afford it. This one has a good price tag too.

Jimmy found some kind of big bug shell, I don't know what it was, something horrid. He put it on his head and when I looked at him I just started freaking out. Youurrrr HEEEAAADDDD!!!! He was asking me to get it off and I was yelping "I CAN'T!" Totally freaked me out. Of course about the time I have peed myself he busts up laughing and shows me it is a shell. Looked like a small crawdad, maybe it was an old june bug. Lord have mercy, nearly gave me a heart attack. We also found a little bitty tree frog, that was fun.

So that is how we spent some of our Saturday, looking at this place and thinking it over. We came back to our nice clean house and I just sighed. To buy or not to buy that is the question.

Treasured Gifts

My birthday was last month and as always my English Auntie had big surprises for me.
When the package comes I know it is going to be special, because she always makes it herself, or it is some heirloom treasure she has saved. My heart will beat a bit faster with the anticipation of a child on Christmas morning. I love that feeling of expectant glee.

Ooooo and the first thing is this beautiful hand made piece of linen with it's story written out in a note. It was made by a stout lady from England who lived with them, she had dark finger waved hair.


The little red pillow is needlepoint that she made and it is sitting next to the pillow she gave me last year which is also a treasure. That won't be it's final spot, it is a good photo op, two for one.

Which led me to the idea to post a hall of fame to Auntie. And show you some of her artwork. This little painting is a 10x13 very precious. Somehow she captured Kayla's essence in that child because even though you can't see her face the child in the painting is Kayla, the little stance, posture, hair is all her. The big newfie is an imaginary buddy, if he materialized he'd be right at home. All near a field of lavender be still my heart.

This painting is also a little 10x13 I love the smaller sizes because how many large paintings can you hang? This one is of our home with her little suggestions to the landscape and the color of the trim. That is a portrait of my beloved dog Rasmus. She does wonderful portraits of dogs and will do them from photos for a reasonable commission. If you want one let me know. I can ask her for you.

This is my large painting and it is wonderful. My Aunt has always loved the water, oceans, seas anything that blows fresh air and clean smells. I'm the one in the middle when I was a young woman or so she said.

She also has a fun sense of humor as evidenced by this pin dot picture. I have this one framed in the bathroom isn't it delightful and fun?

Another pin dot sent at Easter time. Beautiful details.



and a card that was cute not to frame and add to the hallway.



This years painting a tiny little one maybe 4x6 and absolutely precious! She said it took her one afternoon to make. I am so impressed. I am not sure that I have ever had that much creativity in a day, but then since I don't paint I can't help but be dazzled. The inspiration for this one was her own little girl. They say you can't chose your family which is true, but you can chose how much you love them and how much you bless them. I don't have to say to much more to let you know how special she is and how grateful I am that she loves me.

Somethings Cooking

Have you ever seen fresh picked pinto beans? The aroma from my kitchen today is mouthwatering. We stopped at the Farmers Market and I bought more than I should have. Everything looked so luscious.

I had saved a ham bone from a large ham and it is going to turn these beans into something so fine! Cornbread is coming and fresh sliced cantaloupe. Maybe even some sliced cucumber and tomatoes. What a feast!


We have had a ton of rain. It has felt like we were in Florida around her with a daily thunder shower. All this rain makes the grass grow thick and green. It made a mess of the garden can't get in there and pick anything because we'd sink a foot deep into the mud.

However some things are perched for easy pickins.


Something that is the best tasting, sweetest crispiest, most delicious ever! I thought home grown tomatoes were good! This is incredible!

Gourds and squash taking over and trying to survive the heat and the rain.

This is okra. Okra makes the prettiest flowers and it is a heavy producer. It is also about 6 ft tall right now and no end in sight. I guess it will topple over.

A close up of this fat round watermelon that was sweet all the way to the rind. Haven't tasted one this good since I was a child in Texas. Come over and have some.

This is one magnificent specimen of a garden spider. I wonder how old it is? We sure have plenty of bugs to keep it healthy. I'm not a spider fan but my brain overrides my emotions when it comes to beneficial insects. It is a pretty cool looking spider don't you think? It's huge. If I would've put my hand up there you could gauge the size to be about the same as the palm of my hand, but no you will just have to take my word on that.

What's cooking at your house?