Farm kids learn early not to make pets of livestock. There’s no way those friendships won’t end badly. Knowing this, kids still sometimes get attached. My younger sisters Connie and Marilyn bottle-fed an orphan calf until it was old enough to be put out to pasture with the rest of the cows. Long after he ran with the big boys, he’d hang around Continue reading
Month: March 2015
Bossy, Budgetting. and the Raffle
I hate to give the impression I’m countrified, but I won a cow once! How many people can honestly say that? Way back yonder, when I first got married, I dipped deep in my grocery money to buy a two dollar raffle ticket from my little sister-in-law. Her 4-H Club was raffling off a heifer. She hadn’t had much luck peddling her tickets, so we sacrificed for her pride, left the pound of ground chuck ($.89), four ounces of loose tea leaves ($.29) ketchup ($.29), and a bottle of imitation of vanilla ($.69) off our grocery list. That brought us close enough that we managed to stay under twenty dollars, but I had to really shop the specials. Mother helped out by giving me a dozen eggs, so we may have even come out a little ahead!
A couple of days later, I got the good news! I won! I won! I’d never won anything before. My win including having my prize hauled to the farm of my choice. Since I had no farm, Daddy said my cow could board with him, a fine, generous offer. As I gloated in my victory, I got another call. Tragedy! Bossy had jumped out of the truck and was lying on the road with a broken leg, getting ready to become hamburger. Fortunately for me, Farmer Brown, the original heifer donor was kind enough to put her out of her misery, scoop her up tenderly with his backhoe, haul her to the meat processing plant, and pay for her transformation into over five hundred pounds of steaks, brisket, roasts, stew meat, and hamburger. I loved Bossy so much.
Cookies for Peace
Bud went on a diet. This means he’s polished off everything easy to grab in the pantry so never plans to eat again. After forty-five years, I know his habits. Trying to forestall a late-day panic, I asked early in the day if he’d like me to make something light. I was thinking, fruit salad, jello with fruit, something like that. “No, I am on a diet.”
He went all day till he caved about five, Dinner was pinto beans with lean pork over brown rice, a nice salad, and cornbread. Dinner again at seven with pinto beans, pork, rice, cornbread, but to cut calories, no salad. About eight, he jumped like he’d been poked with a hot-shot, exclaiming proudly “I know what I want! Tea cakes!” You’d have thought he was an astrophysicist with a new theory,
Deep in WordPress, I’d already settled for the evening. “I asked you earlier today if you wanted me to make something and you said ‘No.’.”
“But you didn’t say anything about teacakes.” This could end peacefully only one way. He said he’d help.
He got all the stuff out. I measured and put them in the bowl as he told me about a dozen things I was doing wrong. I ignored him. I’m the best cook I know. In about ten minutes the cookies were done. There are four of them left. He will probably be on a diet till about three. If you hurry, you can get here while the coffee’s still hot.
If I Die Before I Wake
http://007pandas.com/2015/03/05/httpsdailypost-wordpress-comdp_promptlast-words/
Nomadic Adventurer’s beautiful post(see link above) and conversations with Edwina’s Episodes and Erika Kind have me feeling reflective this morning If I die this morning, I have nothing to regret. I love and am loved. I have a wonderful family, friends, and have done meaningful work. I’ve have the opportunity to encounter so many people, animals, places, experiences, nature, and been given the gift of spiritual growth. All my needs are met and I know the joy of sharing. I am thankful.
Thou Shalt Not Thong
The pastor’s vocabulary could have used a little updating before he addressed his concerns that the young people were taking casual dress at morning services just a bit too far. “I’ll bet half of the young ladies out there are wearing thongs this morning.” Though he was thinking of the ” flip flop” shoes of his youth, not sexy underwear, he certainly had everyone’s attention.
How Much For That Blanket in The Window?
This is a 45 x 45 inch reversible infant blanket with a cozy flannel side and a soothing satin side, with a fluffy hand crocheted edge. I’ve made many of these for gifts. How would I price this for sale?
Move Over, Medusa, We Got Ya’ Beat!
First Grade School Pictur
To curly-haired people Mother might have seemed mild-mannered enough, but beneath her calm exterior she nursed a sadistic streak, committing home permanents with malice aforethought, ignoring her helpless daughters’ protests that “I like my hair this way.” and “nobody but old ladies has THAT kind of hair.” squashing arguments Continue reading
The Bearded Lady, Wet Panties, and My New Brother
I remember the day my brother was born. I’d just turned three. I woke up to find Mother gone, something I’d never experienced. Grandma had come to stay a few days to help out, but had broken a rib in a fender-bender the day before, so she wasn’t up to much, but that’s a whole other story. A neighbor stayed till with us till mid-morning, when a bearded Amazon identifying herself as Aunt Cynthia showed up to take care of us all. I’d never seen such a thing in my life. She must have been overdue time off from the circus to be free on such short notice.
The whole crazy scenario was too much for my tiny mind, especially, the strange bearded behemoth. I wasn’t buying any of it, so headed for the hills, in this case, the shrubs in our front yard. Eventually, tiring of calling me, “Aunt Cynthia” hoisted Grandma out of bed long enough to gain my trust, luring me in with the promise of scrambled eggs and strawberry jam. I was mortified to have wet my pants while in hiding. It took me forever to make Aunt Cynthia understand I needed “panties” not “pennies.”
Despite the psychic trauma, it ended well enough. Mother got home in a day or two with my new brother. Grandma was back on her feet. Aunt Cynthia went home, but for some reason I never really bonded with her, maybe because she kept offering me pennies instead of dry underwear. That’s kind of weird.
OOPS!
Just went through my follow list and found I had somehow unfollowed so many of my favorites. I don’t know how that happened. I hope I have it fixed now.
Nutsrok 