Can You Smell That Smell

December 17, 2021December 17, 2021 ~ Sparky ~ 12 Comments

Steve returned safely from his Florida excursion earlier this week. It’s an 7-8 hour trip down and the same on the return. He said the traffic was wall-to-wall and tree top tall. There are so many people living there now. He said that will probably be his last long trip on 2 wheels, and possibly no more even in the truck. Well, he is 73. It took a lot out of him. Whenever he returns from those visits I have to do the laundry right away. His sister uses some brand of smelly detergent that has such a raucous odor I call it The Entity as it seems to have a life of its own by permeating everything near it. Ugh. I have a sensitive sniffer. In the photo on the right, it’s his brother-in-law Don, Steve, and his nephew Bobby.

Yesterday, we met Steve’s Mom at a local Oncologist for a 2 month check concerning her platelet levels. They had been way too high, but now the Doc said she is normal. A few months previous, by mutual consent, it was deemed much safer for her to take the medical transport available through the Nursing Home. They keep her strapped into a wheelchair so that she remains level, calm and stable. The ride is easier on her rather than trying to shove her into one of our tall pickup trucks. While waiting for the doctor, she shared with us that after being weighed this week, she went from 98 lbs to 91 lbs. That’s quite a significant loss for such a small framed woman! Since I hadn’t been near her for a month, I noticed that she is suddenly getting much more frail. Then, twice while waiting, she had to use the bathroom. I have to go with her for obvious reasons. As always I turn around to give her privacy. This time, though, she couldn’t work the paper, and the odor that now comes from that frail body! Oh. My. Word. It smells like (forgive me) the worse kind of vomit and I’m accustomed to cleaning up after dog sick and other accidents. Wow. I didn’t mind helping, of course, but on the ride home I felt mentally exhausted and kept fighting back the tears. I can see that she is slipping away. Inch by inch. Miserable day by miserable day. Poor dear. And she never complains. I really admire her courage. I’m so glad she believes in Jesus so I don’t have to worry about her final destination. What a comfort He gives us all.

In the mornings, we try to watch the Greg Gutfeld (Fox News) Show that gets posted to YouTube. On one of his shows this week, he talked about a young girl who’s Famous For Being Famous that is now selling a product called Fart In A Jar. Now, I do not for one minute think the product is real back-side emissions. She’s replicating it somehow. But it shows yet another sign of our declining times, don’t ya think? P. T. Barnum was right. There’s a sucker born every minute.

Joy, Sadness, And What’s Between

December 15, 2021 ~ Sparky ~ 9 Comments

No Wordless Wednesday today. There’s too much to be said. My, what a week this has been. Like all things in life, it’s mixed with joy, sadness and the little things that happen betwixt and between.

The joy: Steve took off for the far off land of Florida to visit with his sister, Cindy Gaye, and her family. By all accounts he had a nice visit. He’s not quite returned yet but I’m sure he will have loads of photos from the visit. The other inmates are Amberlee (niece) who will be 18 (what happened?! lol) next year, Bobby (nephew) who is almost 30 and still living at home. Yeah, there’s a story there. He is a bit of a disappointment but it is what it is. We all have to chose our way through life. Guess he’s chosen his. Oh, and also her husband Don.

The sadness: God called a very dear soul Home on Saturday. Liam is the son of one of my best friends, Simply Linda and her husband. Such wonderful, kindly, Christian folks. Liam had a dodgy heart, and when the State of New York locked their home down with no medical treatments because of their demonic religion Covid, the stress took his life. I keep feeling a mixture of anger (at how it lead to this event), sadness (that he’s not here anymore) and joy (at his being with Jesus forever). I still keep bursting out in tears. It’ll pass. Probably sooner than it should but I will continue on and remember this dear boy always. It’s what God wants for us. We have work to do!

The between: Sunday, we exchanged gifts with one another and sang happy Christmas songs. The photo on the left is a gift from our Pastor’s wife, Jackie. She makes the loveliest things. Jackie is the one that has encouraged me to make those nice felt blankets for the dogs. 🐕 We are also doubly blessed to have Pastor Bob & Jackie as neighbors. Anyway, the gifts are quilted place mats. And the mugs are from them both. Starting Monday, while Steve was in Florida, I’ve stayed as busy as I could without reinjuring my neck and shoulder. I moved Longleaf Pine straw to another part of the yard for decoration. Then I cleaned the outhouse after all the summer use and tidied the house, did extra laundry, like what the dogs lay on and such. And so forth and so on. 😁

Guess I’d better hit “send” or I’ll never get this posted. 😉 Thank you for stopping by. I pray your day, and the rest of your week, are full of joy, happy moments and nothing but good news.

Down For The Count

August 4, 2021August 3, 2021 ~ Sparky ~ 14 Comments

I’ve injured my right shoulder and neck. Again. How? Earlier this week we had bought 6-40 lb bags of water softener salt and a 50 lb bag of sunflower seeds for the wild birds at Ace. It was so hot by the time we got home I put off unloading the truck. Naturally, I forgot they were back there. Yesterday morning we needed to run errands in town, so, in the drizzling rain, we both proceeded to put the bags in the storage shed. Well dummy me, I got too rambunctious, lifting at rapid speed, and put my shoulder out. Now I’ve got that biting pain from an old injury. Why? ‘Cause I’m stupid, that’s why. Sometimes I forget I’m not 18 anymore. 😀

I had dumped all the cookies off this laptop in preparation for taking it in for repairs. It’s a security thing I had been taught to do before any repair work is to be performed. The cooling fan is rattlin’. When it overheats, it suddenly shuts down. Very annoying and probably not too good for it. So, we drove all the way to Waycross in the rain, in the morning heavy traffic, to drop it at the only shop around and the stinker wasn’t even open!!! This happens so often here it seems. And, no, it’s not because of the head cold hysteria plandemic this time. Small businesses have been like this since we moved to Southeast Georgia in 1993. Good work ethics are definitely becoming a rarity in these modern times. It’s no wonder so many of them go belly up in the first year.

Disappointment in check, we headed towards the Home-20 in the now lighter traffic but still raining and stopped at the local meat market. The order wasn’t ready and had to wait. And wait. And wait. That’s Ok, we’ve got time, but it was setting the pace for the day. Back home I started inputting the passwords at my websites, and some of the passwords didn’t work. “Now what!?” I yelled at no one in particular. So, I had to keep fiddlin’ with this dadgum thing. Now because I got impatient, I’m locked out of one of the websites, and, like I said, the pain had took over, which put me down for the count. Couldn’t move without being in discomfort. Stopped what I was doing because I had to put the heated bean bag ❤️‍🔥 on my shoulder (old injury-heat / new injury-cold), use the massager to stop the ✨ crackling noise in my neck and seeing stars ✨ from the muscle clinching, take a pain killer, and sit v.e.r.y s.t.i.l.l. like a Good Little Do-Bee. 🐝 I’m happy, it just weighs on my mind when this happens. The pain brings back such unhappy memories of sitting around or trying to sleep for days on end in agony. It’s my own fault, though. I know. I swear, sometimes I’ve got the memory and the patience of a 2 year old.

It just seems like it was one thing after two others yesterday.

As compensation last night, not only did my super sweet, loving, angel, husband cook one of his usual award winning suppers, he also cleaned up for moi. (That’s usually my job.) Isn’t he a gem? 💎 And I promised 😇 on a stack of Bibles to not lift anything heavy like that again ……. until next time. 😂 😜

Anyway, on to something happier.

Spurred Butterfly Pea
(*Clitoria ternatea*)

On one of my evening prayer walks the other day, I noticed that many of our native “Spurred Butterfly Pea” are in bloom. Sorry the picture’s not too good. The light was too harsh. There’s more about them here. The flowers have a soft lilac color. They’re pretty for such a tiny flower. And for me, their appearance, like the Sulfur Butterflies, always denote that Summer is heading towards the end, for which I am very grateful.

Which brings me to the end of my post, for which I’m sure YOU are grateful. LOL Thanks for stopping by. I hope your day is truly blessed!

It’s Friday?

October 30, 2020October 30, 2020 ~ Sparky ~ 8 Comments

Maybe we should revive Funny Friday? Whaddy’all think?

Since I’ve retired, the days don’t really mean a whole heck of a lot, except in cases of when I want to do something. Then I’m like “What day is it? Is it open? Do I have to get dressed?” *lol* Our adventure today is to do a turn-and-burn to Jax. Steve sold a spare Honda CB1100 motorcycle seat to a fellow enthusiast on the Honda Forum. Rather than ship the seat all the way to the buyer half way across the Country. Then that buyer would have to turn around and ship it back across the Country to the custom seat manufacturer that is not too far distant from us. That would be silly. So, he asked if we’d mind taking the seat directly to said custom seat manufacturer if he sent us the money and info. Being one’s that are always up for a little adventure and a chance to be kind to a fellow motorcyclist, we both said, “Sure!” The buyer did as he promised and thus the trip.

Also, tonight is scheduled our first FAITH Riders Meeting since the hysteria started in March of this year. The plan is to meet up at our now former Baptist Church, then ride to a place to eat and socialize. I haven’t seen most of my fellow FAITH Riders since March (don’t know why, we didn’t quarantine, lazy on my part, I guess). There’s very little to no restrictions in Georgia. It will be good to be on the two wheels after this long, hot summer of hiding in the A/C. I don’t ride when it’s over 80 degrees anymore. Too dangerous ’cause it makes me seriously ill. I’ve almost wrecked because of it. Steve is excited about showing off his new 2018 Honda NC750X. It gladdens my heart when I see him happy.

Guess I’m gonna have to get my ride painted to keep up? (Say yes.) *lol* Not a fan of black vehicles. My favorite color scheme would be a two-tone French Racing Blue with White or some variation that’s close. Yeaaaahhhh … [dreamy look in my eye]