Sometimes, one comes across really icky things on the farm. For example, we have a very neurotic cat that is quite adept at catching, and dismembering, mice. She often is seen outside my mother's bedroom window, with a headless mouse in its mouth. Ick. We lost count at 11 mice in a two week period. The other morning, Callie the Calico Cat, really outdid herself. Instead of Callie outside the window with a headless mouse, we find the entrails of a mouse laid out on the kitty platform outside madre's window... There was no body, just the tail, and what looked like the intestines, liver, and I'm not sure what else. It really sort of looked like a mouse autopsy, or a scene from Rat CSI...
Other icky things one might see at the farm are things like the dogs dragging up a jaw bone of a javelina, or the hoof of a cow, a deer leg bone... Not really all that icky, but certainly not something a city girl like me sees everyday.
Another big ick factor thing are ticks. On the dogs. We fight the ticks with sprays and pills and potions and collars, but... the ticks are prolific. And, they love to attach themselves to our outside dogs and fill up those little blood ballons... Very icky, especially since you have to detach them by hand.... ewww...
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
The other morning, I was leaving the farm to head to work. It was daylight, but early. As I drove past the small pen to the north of the house, I noticed all the cows were facing west and standing totally still. They reminded me of the movie with Nicholas Cage and Meg Ryan, City of Angels. Remember the scene, if you even remember/saw the movie, where all the angels would gather at the beach and face the ocean? Suppposedly, being angels, they could hear music in the sunrise. Anyway, I wonder what on earth the cows were doing. It was just funny/odd to see... all the mama cows and their calves facing the same direction, standing perfectly still. Just one of the little things on the farm that make you go, hmmmm...
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Boots
I got me some boots. Cowboy boots. Black python. They are
kind of sexy cool. I got them from Dan the Boot Man up at the Warrenton antique
show. Dan is the husband of a good friend of mine, Sheryl. Sheryl and my sister
in law, Susan, rent this building in Warrenton and do these antique shows.
Susan had an antique shop in Bellaire until recently. They’ve been doing these
shows for a good while now. Sheryl does vintage linens and a variety of other
things. Susan does estate jewelry and a bunch of nice things. Dan does boots.
He’s a collector of western style boots. In his hunt for the truly collectible
boots, he finds old boots and sells them at the antique shows.
I think Dan took pity on me, after hearing of my snake
killing episode wearing my rhinestone studded flip flops and found me not one,
but two pair of cowboy boots. I had emailed Sheryl before the show and asked if
Dan could help me find a pair of boots. I have no idea what size boot I wear.
I have wretchedly wide feet and a high
instep. So, Dan brought a bunch of boots for me to try on. He patiently watched
as I tried them on, listening to how I described what was right or wrong with
the fit of the boot. He went back to his house and returned the next day with
another collection of boots for me to try. I am now the proud owner of the
previously mentioned sexy cool black pythons and a pair of functional gray
ropers. The ropers will be perfect for any future snake killing or tromping
through the cow patties in search of a lame calf or what-not that sometimes
happens on a cattle ranch/farm place.
I wore my sexy cool boots today to work. I do contract work, testing kiddos to see if they need special ed services at a school district about an hour's drive northeast of the farm. I wore a pair of jeans and a button down shirt. I felt very capable and sort of butch, but not too much... I decided that I will start calling the black pythons my "WYA" boots because when I wear them, I am pretty sure I can Whoop Your Ass. Justa kidding. I couldn't whoop your ass, unless I was heavily armed with a 2 by 4 or a loaded shot gun. What I was wearing - or not wearing - would have very little to do with it. But it sure was fun wearing those boots today. It might become a habit....
Regardless, I am able to check off “find a pair of cowboy
boots that fit” from the proverbial (and actually non-existent) to-do list. Thanks Dan! You are boot-scootin’ boogie
of a guy, and next to my husband, are just the sweetest thing on the planet!
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
the prodigal returns
Oh... I just noticed my last blog entry was dated September 4, 2011. Today is October 4, 2011. Better late than never?? The past month has just buzzed by. It's not like I live such a fast-paced life now, that I just have NO TIME to blog. It's just that I find myself saying to myself that I'll get to it tomorrow, or when I get back from Houston, or when ... whatever... before I realize it, another month is gone and my promises to blog more frequently have gone the way of my New Year Resolutions, my promises to eat better, exercise more, and several other unfinished projects, broken promises, and unrealized resolutions....
Which brings me to think of all the things I've recently left undone....
Which brings me to think of all the things I've recently left undone....
1.
Blog. Duh.
2.
Bake bread. My mother and I have been saying for
months how we want to get out her salt-free cookbook and try out one of the
bread recipes. Still no bread…
3.
Clean out closets. This is a task I just hate
doing, but always always always feel so
much better once I bite the bullet and do.
4.
Write thank you notes to friends. When I
retired, several really wonderful ladies did a bunch of sweet things for me.
And it’s been 4 months and I still have not written one thank you note. An
appalling lack of manners.
5.
Floss. It’s not that I never floss. I just
don’t do it with any regularity or
consistency.
6.
Clean out my car. It’s a mobile landfill.
7.
Call my cable company back home to fix the DVR issue that
has been a chronic problem. I am missing episodes of my favorite programs because
it says I don’t have anything recorded, or that I don’t have any space… That’s
my favorite. I’ll try to retrieve a show that I set to record. When I get ready
to watch it, It pops up a message that says I have no programs available for
viewing. Then, when I go to see how much space I have available, it says I have
no space available for recording. So, how can I have nothing to view, if there
is no space available?? If the recording space is full, wouldn’t it be logical
to assume that there IS something recorded to watch??? I mean, am I crazy?
8. Return books to the library. And, pay my late fees. And check out something new to read. Just finished Grisham's "The Confession"... very good....
9.
Spray scotchguard on my newly upholstered
chairs. I have two chairs that were recovered. They are currently wrapped in
plastic, stored in the old stucco house on my mom’s property, waiting for the
renovation on my aunt’s place to be finished and used in there… I bought 4 cans
of this scotchguard spray stuff about 3 months ago. Needless to say, they are
still in the same walmart bag I brought them home in…
10.
Research the options for wireless do-dad techno
thingy for my new laptop. I want to be able to use this laptop no matter where
I am. And I don’t want to pay an arm and a leg for it like I do for all the
techno stuff at home, like cable, that isn’t even working right.
11.
Seasonal decorating. It’s fall. I love fall. I
have a bunch of fall stuff and I haven’t put anything out yet. Where are my little mini pumpkins and gourds?? Where are my
fall wreaths… well that doesn’t count. I think the fall wreaths actually just
stay up all the time, because they look good in my house. But I don’t get out any of my seasonal stuff
anymore. I used to put out Easter stuff. Haven’t done that in years. I barely
did Christmas last year.
12. Paint the window sill in my kitchen back home. A new window sill was put in about 7 months ago. Still naked wood....
13. Pay my electric bill.
my goodness... I haven't even really begun to reveal all my undone stuff....
hmmmm... Well… I’m going to leave the rest
of my undone list, well, undone. There is
something to be said about consistency…Sunday, September 4, 2011
back to the city
I got back to "the city" yesterday around 1 pm. It's always so nice to be back home. See my husband, and my kitty. I have the added bonus of taking care of son's dog, Lucy. She is a dauschund/beagle mix and is a sweetie. She's big like a beagle, but has a dauschund's coloring. Husband is not as thrilled to be babysitting as I am, but he's ok now, since Lucy will be leaving soon... Kitty Poncho is REALLY thrilled Lucy will be leaving soon. She is not fond of other beasts, particularly of the dog variety.
This past week in Falfurrias was interesting. The town was just a-buzzin'. The 100 year celebration was this weekend. There was a vetern's salute, open houses to the museum, library, and courthouse. A parade, fire works show, music. There was a bunch of stuff going on. I missed most of it, since this is when I was slated to come back to the city for a week... A bunch of former residents, friends of my mom's and aunt's, came in from all over Texas and California. Poor woman that's been living in California nearly croaked from the heat. She was questioning her sanity for coming down in this horrible heat. It's bad for the acclimated, much less those that have been living the past 50 years in more temperate locales... The town dressed up in red/white/blue decorations, there were parties and lunches, and happy hours. I accompanied my mom to lunch at the Texas Star and had some chalupas. The ages of the people ranged from 90-somethings to my age (56). I may have been the youngest one there, but I was just driving "Miss Daisy" (Mama), and did not really qualify as an ex-resident. I'm not really a permanent resident for that matter... At lunch, we sat at a long table. I think there may have been around 16 - 20 people. So, you could really only visit with who you were sitting right next to. This one older lady never did figure out who I was or why I was there. Poor thing is deaf as she could be. I told her my name about 5 times and tried to explain my relationship to my mom. I don't think she ever figured it out. I did get to see a few people that I knew as a child, and while I did not really know them, I've heard mama and auntie talk about them over the years. One of them went to summer school during college with my aunt. They went to Colorado and took Horseback Riding and Sociology. I understand that this allowed for quite a bit of time to drink a bit of Colorado beer and did not require a great deal of academic achievement on their part. So it was fun to hear some tales about when my mom and my aunt were young and not always the wise women I know them as... It's nice to know that everyone is young once, and that we all eventually learn from our youthful mistakes and grow up...
Since this was a city celebration, a parade was in order... Some of my cousins were invited to do a family float, since their dad's family came to live in Fal before or by 1911. My family was not invited to do a family float for the parade because my great-grandfather did not come to the area until 1913. Oh well. Just a little late... I'm sure that if he had known we'd be left out of the parade in 2011, he'd arrived sooner... :) just kidding. anyway... My sister was able to take my aunt to the parade, where they watched from lawn chairs. People that Auntie had not seen in a good while were able to stop by and see her and I think it lifted her spirits some.
One of the most interesting things about Falfurrias is that everywhere I have ever lived, I have met someone that is either from Falfurrias, or is related to someone who is... It's really uncanny. My endocrinologist's mother even went to high school in Falfurrias for a few years and was on the girl's basketball team with my Aunt in the 50's.... Then, she married a man that was the superintendent at a small West Texas school district where my aunt coached for a year. It is such a small world...
This past week in Falfurrias was interesting. The town was just a-buzzin'. The 100 year celebration was this weekend. There was a vetern's salute, open houses to the museum, library, and courthouse. A parade, fire works show, music. There was a bunch of stuff going on. I missed most of it, since this is when I was slated to come back to the city for a week... A bunch of former residents, friends of my mom's and aunt's, came in from all over Texas and California. Poor woman that's been living in California nearly croaked from the heat. She was questioning her sanity for coming down in this horrible heat. It's bad for the acclimated, much less those that have been living the past 50 years in more temperate locales... The town dressed up in red/white/blue decorations, there were parties and lunches, and happy hours. I accompanied my mom to lunch at the Texas Star and had some chalupas. The ages of the people ranged from 90-somethings to my age (56). I may have been the youngest one there, but I was just driving "Miss Daisy" (Mama), and did not really qualify as an ex-resident. I'm not really a permanent resident for that matter... At lunch, we sat at a long table. I think there may have been around 16 - 20 people. So, you could really only visit with who you were sitting right next to. This one older lady never did figure out who I was or why I was there. Poor thing is deaf as she could be. I told her my name about 5 times and tried to explain my relationship to my mom. I don't think she ever figured it out. I did get to see a few people that I knew as a child, and while I did not really know them, I've heard mama and auntie talk about them over the years. One of them went to summer school during college with my aunt. They went to Colorado and took Horseback Riding and Sociology. I understand that this allowed for quite a bit of time to drink a bit of Colorado beer and did not require a great deal of academic achievement on their part. So it was fun to hear some tales about when my mom and my aunt were young and not always the wise women I know them as... It's nice to know that everyone is young once, and that we all eventually learn from our youthful mistakes and grow up...
Since this was a city celebration, a parade was in order... Some of my cousins were invited to do a family float, since their dad's family came to live in Fal before or by 1911. My family was not invited to do a family float for the parade because my great-grandfather did not come to the area until 1913. Oh well. Just a little late... I'm sure that if he had known we'd be left out of the parade in 2011, he'd arrived sooner... :) just kidding. anyway... My sister was able to take my aunt to the parade, where they watched from lawn chairs. People that Auntie had not seen in a good while were able to stop by and see her and I think it lifted her spirits some.
One of the most interesting things about Falfurrias is that everywhere I have ever lived, I have met someone that is either from Falfurrias, or is related to someone who is... It's really uncanny. My endocrinologist's mother even went to high school in Falfurrias for a few years and was on the girl's basketball team with my Aunt in the 50's.... Then, she married a man that was the superintendent at a small West Texas school district where my aunt coached for a year. It is such a small world...
Sunday, August 28, 2011
forgot a dog
I forgot to mention one of the dogs (see previous post)... I don't want to bruise his canine ego or imply in any way that he is less loved than any of the others...
So, another one of the dog clan on the farm is Oscar. Oscar came up with another dog that we named Mortimer. (not my idea... my mom picked that one...) Unfortunately, Morti contracted cancer and had to be put down a while back. Oscar is a big brown and white dog with pale blue eyes. He's kind of creepy looking, but he's a sweetheart. Kind of worthless as a watch dog. He's quite content to let the hogs roam freely in the yard at night without a peep... But he is scary looking.. just not scary acting...
I think this brings the total to 13... not counting Lupita's puppies because we don't know how many she had... That's 11 outside, and 2 inside. We really don't want to talk about how much money the vet bills and the food costs... not today at least...
So, another one of the dog clan on the farm is Oscar. Oscar came up with another dog that we named Mortimer. (not my idea... my mom picked that one...) Unfortunately, Morti contracted cancer and had to be put down a while back. Oscar is a big brown and white dog with pale blue eyes. He's kind of creepy looking, but he's a sweetheart. Kind of worthless as a watch dog. He's quite content to let the hogs roam freely in the yard at night without a peep... But he is scary looking.. just not scary acting...
I think this brings the total to 13... not counting Lupita's puppies because we don't know how many she had... That's 11 outside, and 2 inside. We really don't want to talk about how much money the vet bills and the food costs... not today at least...
Dog Days of Summer
I'm not sure what the phrase "dog days of summer" really means, or where it originated... But, I do know that it is used to describe the really hot days of summer... Which is what we've been experiencing here in South Texas, well... across Texas in general.
Here on the farm, I get to watch the dogs of summer... My mom and aunt have allowed many strays to stay on the farm and they are all part of the family now.
As of today, we have living inside Tiny and Sparky. Tiny is a small black and white rat terrier. He is mama's baby, my canine little brother. Sparky is auntie's baby, a sweet little mutt of unknown origin... some kind of terrier mix, small, hairy, black and white little girl. They are both spoiled rotten. Rumor has it that auntie sometimes hand feeds Sparky and that mama gives Tiny boiled chicken. My efforts to feed them regular dog food is not always supported.
Now on the outside, we have a bunch of dogs. They are really suffering due to the heat. We keep the grass and dirt watered down and have a bunch of water out for them. It is so hot they won't even get up for dog biscuits, which is a pretty big deal. Usually if you go outside with a bag of Hill Country brand large dog biscuits, you are practically beat to death with wagging tails and nearly drown in drool... They normally get so excited. Not today. I went out about 5:30 to move the water sprinklers and thought I'd offer them all a little treat. I literally had to just toss the biscuits to them within reach of their muzzles...
As I said, we have a bunch of dogs.
Comino is a big fat puddle of a dog. He's a lab mix that is a pretty light golden tan... He's old and fat. When he lays down, his skin/fat sort of puddles around him like a golden halo of fur. He has that hip dysplasia that is so prevalent in that breed and he limps around. He does not really seem to be in pain. And he's got a good gig here. Lots of food, shade, and dog biscuits. We were worried that he should be put down, since he is old and has some difficulty walking. The vet said to just let him enjoy his life and when he can no longer eat or pee or poop, we can entertain the notion of putting him down in the future. So for now, Comino likes to sleep near the office, which is a small building west of the house just a few feet. When my Daddy Bill was alive, we called the office the "dog house". Daddy Bill used to say that when Ruth (my grandmother) would get mad at him, he would have be in the dog house until she made up her mind not to be mad anymore. So, while no dogs actually live in the little building, it's appropriate that the dogs really love to lay in the shade the building and trees provide around there next to the "dog house."
Carlos is a chow/lab mix. He has a black tongue. His coloring is just like Comino's, but he's not nearly as fat. But, he is even lazier and moves less than Comino. He likes to sleep on the little wooden deck that is out the kitchen door, where the ramp is... You can literally step on his tail or even his leg when you step outside and he won't move. Seriously, he is the laziest dog on the place. He's also the culprit of the mauling of mama's leg... For some reason, he has a special bond with mama. If she is outside, he wants to be right next to her, and he constantly wants to put his paw on her leg, as if begging her for attention. He's been here since he was a young pup and has always felt this way about her. He does not paw at anyone else but Mama. At one time it was just annoying. But, now that Mama has tissue paper skin, this can be dangerous... as it was last Tuesday. He pawed the crap out her leg while we were trying to get out to the car... it's healing nicely now, but is still pretty ugly.
Tres, sometimes called Lucky, is a 3-legged dog. He's sweet. He's a tall gangly dog that is kind of shy and it takes a long time for him to be comfortable around you. He must suffer from phantom leg syndrome, because he still 'scratches' with his missing leg...
Mama Dog is a black and tan kind of hound dog mix. She is sweet on the surface, but she does have a mean streak at times. She eats her food in the wash house. The wash house is a room attached to the garage that houses the washer, dryer, an extra refrigerator, and additional storage for kitchen stuff, paper goods, and the like. She also has this weird little ritual thing that she does. When you drive off the property, you have to drive around from the garage to get to the main road. Mama Dog runs to the same spot north of the house, near the little swath of road that visitors usually park in and spins in a circle three times and barks at you as you drive by. She doesn't chase you down the road, she just always always always runs around in a circle at this one particular spot everytime you drive away.
Blondie is a family favorite. She is a big sweet yellow lab. She is just a sweet sweet dog. And she is a BIG fan of the dog biscuits.
Raisen, sometimes called Blackie, and Biscuit, sometimes called Brownie, came up together. We think they might have been litter mates, but we aren't sure. These two seem to be some sort of lab/pit bull/hybrid type of dog. Biscuit has these little tiny ears that are so cute. Raisen loves the water and he is often in the water trough that is supposed to provide water for the cows. But Raisen thinks it's his personal spa. Raisen and Biscuit like to chase the cows. I think it was Biscuit that I spied biting the cow by the tail and hanging on while the cow functioned like a ski boat... poor cow. Biscuit was having fun, though.
Calloway, sometimes called Max, is a beagle. He has an old face... you know how some dogs sort of look like a wise old man... kind of like a canine Yoda. But, that's where the similarity ends. He is not wise. The other day, I had to rescue Calloway from the hog trap. We have to have some traps set because we have a huge ferral hog problem. (This little problem will get it's own blog entry another day...) They have torn up my mom's yard, which irritates her to no end... You'd think with all the dogs on the property, we wouldn't have a problem. Well. One night recently, my mom hobbled out to the back deck, just see if there were any hogs in the yard. There was Calloway, on the picnic table, watching the hogs root around and tear up her yard around him. Anyway, the trap had been set, but I guess Calloway, being a beagle, smelled the trace remains of an earlier successful hog trapping and wandered into the trap. Of course, he sprung the trap and couldn't get out... goofy dog.
Yote looks like a coyote, but she is very sweet and not hairy or scary like coyotes.. She's just a sweet younger dog that is kind of low on the doggie pecking order, but I really like her. She does have a tendency to chase the cows sometimes though.
Lupita has been mentioned before. She's the one that had some puppies under the house. We still have not seen the puppies... we still hear them, but haven't seen them. She's a small dog that is probably some sort of dauschund mix... she has a long body and is classically red, but she has longer hair... She can yap annoyingly, and she is fairly exhuberant, but basically sweet.
So, there you have it, the roster of dogs at the farm as of today... I know they will be glad for cooler weather... this heat is cutting into their dog biscuit enjoyment...
Here on the farm, I get to watch the dogs of summer... My mom and aunt have allowed many strays to stay on the farm and they are all part of the family now.
As of today, we have living inside Tiny and Sparky. Tiny is a small black and white rat terrier. He is mama's baby, my canine little brother. Sparky is auntie's baby, a sweet little mutt of unknown origin... some kind of terrier mix, small, hairy, black and white little girl. They are both spoiled rotten. Rumor has it that auntie sometimes hand feeds Sparky and that mama gives Tiny boiled chicken. My efforts to feed them regular dog food is not always supported.
Now on the outside, we have a bunch of dogs. They are really suffering due to the heat. We keep the grass and dirt watered down and have a bunch of water out for them. It is so hot they won't even get up for dog biscuits, which is a pretty big deal. Usually if you go outside with a bag of Hill Country brand large dog biscuits, you are practically beat to death with wagging tails and nearly drown in drool... They normally get so excited. Not today. I went out about 5:30 to move the water sprinklers and thought I'd offer them all a little treat. I literally had to just toss the biscuits to them within reach of their muzzles...
As I said, we have a bunch of dogs.
Comino is a big fat puddle of a dog. He's a lab mix that is a pretty light golden tan... He's old and fat. When he lays down, his skin/fat sort of puddles around him like a golden halo of fur. He has that hip dysplasia that is so prevalent in that breed and he limps around. He does not really seem to be in pain. And he's got a good gig here. Lots of food, shade, and dog biscuits. We were worried that he should be put down, since he is old and has some difficulty walking. The vet said to just let him enjoy his life and when he can no longer eat or pee or poop, we can entertain the notion of putting him down in the future. So for now, Comino likes to sleep near the office, which is a small building west of the house just a few feet. When my Daddy Bill was alive, we called the office the "dog house". Daddy Bill used to say that when Ruth (my grandmother) would get mad at him, he would have be in the dog house until she made up her mind not to be mad anymore. So, while no dogs actually live in the little building, it's appropriate that the dogs really love to lay in the shade the building and trees provide around there next to the "dog house."
Carlos is a chow/lab mix. He has a black tongue. His coloring is just like Comino's, but he's not nearly as fat. But, he is even lazier and moves less than Comino. He likes to sleep on the little wooden deck that is out the kitchen door, where the ramp is... You can literally step on his tail or even his leg when you step outside and he won't move. Seriously, he is the laziest dog on the place. He's also the culprit of the mauling of mama's leg... For some reason, he has a special bond with mama. If she is outside, he wants to be right next to her, and he constantly wants to put his paw on her leg, as if begging her for attention. He's been here since he was a young pup and has always felt this way about her. He does not paw at anyone else but Mama. At one time it was just annoying. But, now that Mama has tissue paper skin, this can be dangerous... as it was last Tuesday. He pawed the crap out her leg while we were trying to get out to the car... it's healing nicely now, but is still pretty ugly.
Tres, sometimes called Lucky, is a 3-legged dog. He's sweet. He's a tall gangly dog that is kind of shy and it takes a long time for him to be comfortable around you. He must suffer from phantom leg syndrome, because he still 'scratches' with his missing leg...
Mama Dog is a black and tan kind of hound dog mix. She is sweet on the surface, but she does have a mean streak at times. She eats her food in the wash house. The wash house is a room attached to the garage that houses the washer, dryer, an extra refrigerator, and additional storage for kitchen stuff, paper goods, and the like. She also has this weird little ritual thing that she does. When you drive off the property, you have to drive around from the garage to get to the main road. Mama Dog runs to the same spot north of the house, near the little swath of road that visitors usually park in and spins in a circle three times and barks at you as you drive by. She doesn't chase you down the road, she just always always always runs around in a circle at this one particular spot everytime you drive away.
Blondie is a family favorite. She is a big sweet yellow lab. She is just a sweet sweet dog. And she is a BIG fan of the dog biscuits.
Raisen, sometimes called Blackie, and Biscuit, sometimes called Brownie, came up together. We think they might have been litter mates, but we aren't sure. These two seem to be some sort of lab/pit bull/hybrid type of dog. Biscuit has these little tiny ears that are so cute. Raisen loves the water and he is often in the water trough that is supposed to provide water for the cows. But Raisen thinks it's his personal spa. Raisen and Biscuit like to chase the cows. I think it was Biscuit that I spied biting the cow by the tail and hanging on while the cow functioned like a ski boat... poor cow. Biscuit was having fun, though.
Calloway, sometimes called Max, is a beagle. He has an old face... you know how some dogs sort of look like a wise old man... kind of like a canine Yoda. But, that's where the similarity ends. He is not wise. The other day, I had to rescue Calloway from the hog trap. We have to have some traps set because we have a huge ferral hog problem. (This little problem will get it's own blog entry another day...) They have torn up my mom's yard, which irritates her to no end... You'd think with all the dogs on the property, we wouldn't have a problem. Well. One night recently, my mom hobbled out to the back deck, just see if there were any hogs in the yard. There was Calloway, on the picnic table, watching the hogs root around and tear up her yard around him. Anyway, the trap had been set, but I guess Calloway, being a beagle, smelled the trace remains of an earlier successful hog trapping and wandered into the trap. Of course, he sprung the trap and couldn't get out... goofy dog.
Yote looks like a coyote, but she is very sweet and not hairy or scary like coyotes.. She's just a sweet younger dog that is kind of low on the doggie pecking order, but I really like her. She does have a tendency to chase the cows sometimes though.
Lupita has been mentioned before. She's the one that had some puppies under the house. We still have not seen the puppies... we still hear them, but haven't seen them. She's a small dog that is probably some sort of dauschund mix... she has a long body and is classically red, but she has longer hair... She can yap annoyingly, and she is fairly exhuberant, but basically sweet.
So, there you have it, the roster of dogs at the farm as of today... I know they will be glad for cooler weather... this heat is cutting into their dog biscuit enjoyment...
Saturday, August 27, 2011
A two-fer... Two postings in one day. I was going through the "my documents" file, when I ran across the letter posted below. I had just finished reading a book (From High Heels to Tractor Wheels) by Ree Drummond. You may know her as "The Pioneer Woman." Honestly, it was she that inspired me to blog... so, Ree, if you ever run across my blog, thanks!! Anyway, this thing below actually started out as a fan letter to her. I fully intended to write a short note, thanking her for the entertaining book and the awesome blog/webpage she has... But, this thing morphed into a 3 page ramble... Mama was in the hospital, I was on family medical leave.... in short, I was sort of nuts.... Anyway... I never actually sent the letter. My mother has already sufficiently chastised me for this, thank you very much.
So, I hope you enjoy this entry... It's just a glimpse into the kinds of things that go on here. I really can't begin to tell you about it all. But, with this blog, perhaps I can chronicle some of it.
to old friends that I once worked with.. if you are reading this, know you are missed...
And, Ree, if you're reading, feel free to comment... you were my inspiration for blogging to begin with....
Monday
April 4, 2011
Dear Ree,
I just finished your book yesterday. Loved it! I read it while waiting in the hospital with my mom. You see, my mother and her only sister run a small cattle ranch in South Texas. Her parents ran this farm/ranch until Daddy Bill died in 1972, and then Mom in 1985. By time Mom (my grandmother) finally died in ’85, Mama had been pretty much living at the farm semi-permanently, helping out, spending most of her time at the farm, but going home to Corpus (the biggest town nearly an hour and a half away). I had not lived on the farm myself, since I was 6 years old. My being 56 now, well, it’s been a long, long time… When my Daddy died in 2001, the farm became a permanent home for Mama. My aunt, who never married, retired from teaching and coaching and had taken over the running of the cows. Mama pretty much handled all the cooking and paperwork, and seeing to the non-farm animals (14 dogs, and I don’t know how many cats to date), keeping the bills paid (sort of) and all the other gazillion things that need doing when you have property, hired hands, animals, vehicles, and what-not.
The farm, as we call it, has always been a part of my life, but since I was 6, on short-term only visits. I have spent the past 20 years in the Houston area, teaching, and now testing kiddos for a large school district to see if they qualify for special education services. I am now what’s called an “educational diagnostician.” Sounds important, but it’s not really… Anyway. I’m not really a country girl. Oh, I can drink beer and drive a standard pick-up. I can wear jeans, and Cotton-eye Joe, and I know most of the words to many Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash, and Willie Nelson songs. I can spot the difference between a bull and a cow. But I’m really a city girl. I like Central air and heat. Room service. $4 coffee/lattes with soy milk – hot or iced. I like Bobbie Brown make-up, and think nothing of paying upwards of $40 bucks+ for a hair cut. I get pedicures at least once a month, sometimes twice a month in summer, and love that I can drive 40 minutes, even in bumper to bumper traffic, and be at the Museum district, the Galleria, Reliant Stadium, see the Astros get beat, get to one of the finest medical centers in the US, and see just about any movie at about any time of day or night that I want. I can get Thai food, Italian food, Vietnamese food, Indian food, Mexican food, Cuban food, seafood, chicken fried steaks, shrimp, oysters, crawdads, delivered pizza and just about anything else you can think of without too much trouble. I know where to get the coldest beer in a funky icehouse in the Heights and can find several places that serve up great Cosmos or Margaritas. There are any number of great places to have breakfast or do lunch. I have a house that needs fixin’ and a great husband of 32 years. I have a job and friends I love. All of that is back in “civilization.” I am, temporarily at least, living 3 miles outside of a small town of less than 3500 people on my mom and my aunt’s farm. There’s no hospital or dry cleaners. There’s an HEB grocery store. Since the main part of town is just off a main highway (281) that links the US to Mexico, there is a Wal-Mart, McDonald’s, Subway, Burger King, Whataburger, and a Dairy Queen in town. There’s a bakery. There’s a funeral home and a free health care clinic. There’s a vet’s office and dentist that comes once a week. It is small, hot, dirty, and there’s not much to do. The public school system is dismal. The population is mostly Hispanic and poor.
Today, I didn’t go to the hospital that is an hour and a half drive from here. Instead, today was dedicated to farm stuff and my aunt. I took a sick dog to the vet. He had thrown up on the bed, on me and my clean and freshly ironed shirt, and on the carpet in at least 3 rooms that I saw. So, off to the vet – a 30 minute drive b/c the local vet was not available. While driving there, I had to pay the direct TV bill with a check over the phone by lying and saying I was my Aunt, so they wouldn’t cut off the service. My aunt is a basketball fanatic and today is the final of the NCAA tournament. Missing that probably would have prompted a call to the only mortuary in town to pick up the body. I spoke to a guy about leasing some property south of here for deer hunting. They want to know if we are doing the contract, or is he and his partners drawing it up. I confer with my mom by phone and try to call the guy back, but he is not answering. I spent a few minutes trying to find a set of keys that my aunt needed so that our cousin could open a gate to come pick up some heifers for the sale. She was convinced the hired hand had stolen them (the keys, not the heifers) because he’s crazy and didn’t want to do the cattle work tomorrow. But that was not the case. My aunt has stage IV Liver cancer and her mind is going. She had forgotten that the keys were in the possession of the cousin that was helping her with the cows tomorrow. The bug guy came to spray for roaches and I talked to him about the growing flea problem that has resulted in at least 5 very annoying flea bites on my foot and hip. And he wanted $185 more dollars to kill the bees. We decided we’d see if the county could take care of it for free. So, I had to talk to the county guy about the horde of bees that seem to be interested in taking up residence here in an old ash tree that’s been here at least 50 years. Since the day was too windy, he couldn’t find the bees. I swear we have them, but darn if I could find them when the bee guy from the county was here. So, he said he’d come back when it wasn’t blowing hurricane force winds. Then, at some point in the day, my aunt, who is an insanely picky eater, decided that the chicken spaghetti casserole I had made (very much like the one you make) was not to her liking, so she wanted me to take her to the Whataburger to get a hamburger so she could have it while it was hot. Now, taking my aunt anywhere is a production. She has lost so much strength and coordination that she is barely able to walk, even with the help of a walker. So, I have to go out and bring the Escape around right next to the ramp. This involves dodging 9 of the 14 dogs on the place and straddling the sidewalk and paver stone next to the ramp, all the while trying not to drive too much on the grass, less my mother be pissed that her yard will be ruined. There’s 9 big huge dogs of various mixed breeds. Most weigh in the neighborhood of 100 pounds and love to dig big trenches to lie in. So, a ruined yard due to infrequent vehicle traffic seems to be the least of her worries. She damn near died a week ago. I mean, really, in the grand scheme of things, is a nice yard in deep south Texas, where there’s about a 10 year drought and a burn ban that’s been in effect for years, that high of a priority?? Really?? Anyway, auntie shuffles down the ramp to the waiting Escape. The wind is gusting at least 30 or more mph. The caliche road and sandy soil is blowing grit directly in my face. All that’s missing from this sandy experience is water and surfing. It’s like a big sand dune has decided to relocate into my shirt, pants pockets, hair, eyelashes, up my nose and between my toes. Auntie is also very skinny, her being a weirdly bizarre picky eater and having cancer. I thought for a minute that white polo shirt she was wearing that is at least 2 sizes too big was going to act as a sail and send her across the Rio Grande. So, we travel the 3 miles east to arrive at the local Whataburger. There’s only 2 cars, so I think, stupidly, “Oh goodie. This won’t take long.” I forget that I am not in civilization. I forget that this Whataburger is notorious for the worst service of all Whataburgers on the planet. So, the trip to the fast food establishment is anything but fast. We wait. I’m wondering if my aunt is wearing her Depends, or is she in regular panties?? This could be a disaster waiting to happen. We finally get to the window to pay. Young guy is very apologetic about the wait. I smile through my gritted teeth and force myself to say “no problem”. My aunt’s burger, of course, is stone cold. With Picky Eaters (notice the capitalization for emphasis) this is not good. I drive away. She makes me turn around because she wants to take it back and demand a hot burger. Not really a totally unreasonable request. But, alas, (or maybe hooray) when we return to Whataburger, the line at the drive through is longer than auntie is willing to wait in. And, thankfully, it is deemed too windy to get out and too much trouble to deal with. So… we go home. She eats part of the burger on the way, but it ends up in the trash as soon as we get home. Too much mustard, too cold, not enough salt, the bun is hard. And the fries are stale. At least I got to drink her drink, which she did not want. Glad I ordered a Diet Dr. Pepper. My favorite.
Hope you enjoyed a glimpse into my day. Perhaps I should write a book and entitle it
“Memoirs of the Funny Farm”. Or, “My mama killed a snake and I saw a dead cow.” My daughter suggested that one, because those two events were the highlight of a day we shared here recently…. You can’t make this stuff up. My city friends just don’t get it. But you… I bet you do… J
Sincerely,
the week in summary
greetings...
I have not made good on my promise for more timely postings... oh well... better late than never, I suppose...
This past week has been a hodgepodge of stuff...
I became reacquainted with the big black ugly icky slithering King Snake that lives under the house. It was out in the the yard and one of the many dogs (Lupita - PITA for short, which stands for Pain In The Ass) was barking it's fool head off at Mr. Snake. There has always been at least one of these big black snakes on the place... Unlike rattlers, we generally leave him alone since he does help keep unwanted varmits in check. But... with the small little Pita dog faced off with it and it's head up off the ground about a foot, eyeing Pita like she was a tasty morsel... well, let's just say I was reminded of how I really am semi-scared shitless of snakes.... I grabbed up Pita and held on to her until the snake slid off back under the house. Thank God. Only thing is, Lupita the dog gave birth to some puppies about 3 or 4 weeks ago... UNDER THE HOUSE... we still have not seen the puppies. We've heard them, so I'm pretty sure Mr. Snake has not eaten them. yet.... but still... I just wish she'd bring them out for us to meet them... I bet they are really cute... And I hope the snake leaves them alone...
My mom and I spied a little calf limping around in the field. So, being the big cattle rancher (yeah, right) that I am, I got in the big black pickup with my daughtern and drove out to the pasture to have a look. We discovered it having a snack on his mom (literally... he was nursing like there was no tomorrow, milk running down his face...) All I could tell was that he was favoring his right hind leg, but I couldn't really tell anything else... Like, was his leg swollen, was his hoof deformed, was there an injury??? . I would have gotten out of the truck, but I was wearing my little flip-flops, there was fresh cow patties, stickers, and sticky thorn things, and cactus in abundance, and there was this seemingly hostile cow with really big horns. Not Longhorn big, but big enough to put my eye out, or otherwise do me seriously bodily harm if she was so inclined... I decided not to risk it. Anyway, others that are more cow-savvy went out the next day and determined that the little red bull calf was intact and healthy, and he may have just had a temporary owie that did not require veternarian intervention...
I bought a toilet. As you may know, I have been trying to get the little place that my auntie used to inhabit before her illness renovated. It's supposed to be my "home away from home" while I am here helping out my mom and aunt, and it would give me and my husband a place to stay - other than at Day's Inn - when he comes to visit. This of, course won't happen until after football season, so I still have time to get it done.... Of course, I'd like to have it livable long before football season is over. I'm still staying on the porch and living out of my suitcases. One of the renovation jobs is the bathroom. We gutted it - except for the tub/shower thing - and replaced the flooring and will be installing a new vanity with sink and faucet, and a toilet, and a medicine cabinet, and new shower head.... The hold up was I had no money. So, I finally managed to get some money from my retirement stuff, and ta-da!! A new toilet is sitting in the house, still in the box, waiting for installation. It is fancy. Chair height (I am getting older and this is a much more comfortable 'squat' for me...) and it has a dual control flusher.... heehee... One for #1, and one for #2... I just hope it doesn't self-destruct if I use the #2 flusher for #1 business... It only cost $98, so if I hate it, I won't feel quite so bad about replacing it in the future... My other choice was almost $250... I just hope I made a good buy.... So, maybe sometime in the next week or so, perhaps I will have a functional bathroom. We are on 'manana' time here, however, so it may take longer than I'd like.
I killed a big ol' spider this morning. I thought of my friend Marcy who is deathly afraid and freaked out by the presence of spiders. So, Marcy, if you are reading this, this blog's for you... The spider was about an inch long, black and tan. It's spidey legs were moving in spidey rhythm, slowly walking along the counter behind the kitchen sink... I got a paper towel and squashed it.. all ooey and crunchy and threw him in the trash. If Marcy had been here, I would have probably offered to show it to her, or left it for her on her mousepad at her computer. Or I might have taken a close up picture of it and blown it up to an 8x10 and taped it to her monitor where she would have to look at it first thing in the morning.... heehee... I'm sure Marcy really misses me...
My mom is crippin' along... one of her big dumb-ass dogs loved her a little too hard on the back of her leg... Her skin is like tissue paper and even though the dog was just loving on her, his big ol' paw shredded the back of her leg... We got her cleaned up and got her bandaged, but she is really suffering. I was worried that it needed to be seen by a wound specialist, so we went to the doctor on Thursday. (this paw love fest took place on Tuesday) Her doctor took a look at it and said "my god that's just awful!" and it really is... he also admonished her and advised her to please start wearing long pants and long sleeves and shoes that actually cover her feet... Mom promised she would, but that ain't happening... Pants and long sleeves are too hot and mom hasn't really liked wearing shoes since she was a kid. Her shoe of choice is a TEVA style strap sandal... she refuses to wear athletic shoes or loafers or whatever... So, she looks like she's been in an ugly fight... all bruised and nicked and banged up...
Auntie is trying to eat better. She just really does not feel like eating much. And, her peculiar and picky eating habits don't help. Right now, she is on a pork skins kick. I've had to buy her sacks of Baken-etts... regular, not spicy!! she has also requested cool whip and cashews and ribs and large naval oranges (of which she eats one or two segments, and then tries to pawn the rest of it on to others...) Oh, and that cream cheese/olive spread that is sold in the little glass jar with the blue top. I tried to find it, but no luck. I don't even know if that make that crap anymore... And a rib-eye steak, but not the one I got her.. The one I got her had way too much fat on it. She wants a lean rib-eye. I don't even know what to say about that. A lean ribeye... isn't that an oxymoron?? And it's not that she wants to eat all this stuff together or at the same time. it's just sort of a weird collection of stuff, don't you think??
"Baby, have you made a necklace of shells for me yet?" This is the question my brother Bill's girlfriend just asked him... they are here at the farm for the day and night... She's a hoot. It's nice to see my brother. He's an interesting cat... I'll have to tell you some stories about him sometime too. He was quite the prankster, still is... But I'll save that for another posting...
I've getting a little more familiar with doing the sp.ed. evaluations for my contract job... learning new tests, learning how to do the cross battery assessment thing.. I have realized, however, that the contract job is only going to happen two days a week... at 140 miles round trip, it may not be financially feasible to do it 3 eays a week... nice thing about retirement... I can just say no to work when I need to... :)
I still miss my friends, my huband, my cat. I'm fighting homesickness, but I'll be able to make a trip back home next week. I hope to have a chance to see a few folks, get a haircut and a pedicure. grab a grilled pork sandwich and a vietnamese iced coffee at my favorite Asian bistro, Nobi... So until next time my friends.. adios from south texas....
I have not made good on my promise for more timely postings... oh well... better late than never, I suppose...
This past week has been a hodgepodge of stuff...
I became reacquainted with the big black ugly icky slithering King Snake that lives under the house. It was out in the the yard and one of the many dogs (Lupita - PITA for short, which stands for Pain In The Ass) was barking it's fool head off at Mr. Snake. There has always been at least one of these big black snakes on the place... Unlike rattlers, we generally leave him alone since he does help keep unwanted varmits in check. But... with the small little Pita dog faced off with it and it's head up off the ground about a foot, eyeing Pita like she was a tasty morsel... well, let's just say I was reminded of how I really am semi-scared shitless of snakes.... I grabbed up Pita and held on to her until the snake slid off back under the house. Thank God. Only thing is, Lupita the dog gave birth to some puppies about 3 or 4 weeks ago... UNDER THE HOUSE... we still have not seen the puppies. We've heard them, so I'm pretty sure Mr. Snake has not eaten them. yet.... but still... I just wish she'd bring them out for us to meet them... I bet they are really cute... And I hope the snake leaves them alone...
My mom and I spied a little calf limping around in the field. So, being the big cattle rancher (yeah, right) that I am, I got in the big black pickup with my daughtern and drove out to the pasture to have a look. We discovered it having a snack on his mom (literally... he was nursing like there was no tomorrow, milk running down his face...) All I could tell was that he was favoring his right hind leg, but I couldn't really tell anything else... Like, was his leg swollen, was his hoof deformed, was there an injury??? . I would have gotten out of the truck, but I was wearing my little flip-flops, there was fresh cow patties, stickers, and sticky thorn things, and cactus in abundance, and there was this seemingly hostile cow with really big horns. Not Longhorn big, but big enough to put my eye out, or otherwise do me seriously bodily harm if she was so inclined... I decided not to risk it. Anyway, others that are more cow-savvy went out the next day and determined that the little red bull calf was intact and healthy, and he may have just had a temporary owie that did not require veternarian intervention...
I bought a toilet. As you may know, I have been trying to get the little place that my auntie used to inhabit before her illness renovated. It's supposed to be my "home away from home" while I am here helping out my mom and aunt, and it would give me and my husband a place to stay - other than at Day's Inn - when he comes to visit. This of, course won't happen until after football season, so I still have time to get it done.... Of course, I'd like to have it livable long before football season is over. I'm still staying on the porch and living out of my suitcases. One of the renovation jobs is the bathroom. We gutted it - except for the tub/shower thing - and replaced the flooring and will be installing a new vanity with sink and faucet, and a toilet, and a medicine cabinet, and new shower head.... The hold up was I had no money. So, I finally managed to get some money from my retirement stuff, and ta-da!! A new toilet is sitting in the house, still in the box, waiting for installation. It is fancy. Chair height (I am getting older and this is a much more comfortable 'squat' for me...) and it has a dual control flusher.... heehee... One for #1, and one for #2... I just hope it doesn't self-destruct if I use the #2 flusher for #1 business... It only cost $98, so if I hate it, I won't feel quite so bad about replacing it in the future... My other choice was almost $250... I just hope I made a good buy.... So, maybe sometime in the next week or so, perhaps I will have a functional bathroom. We are on 'manana' time here, however, so it may take longer than I'd like.
I killed a big ol' spider this morning. I thought of my friend Marcy who is deathly afraid and freaked out by the presence of spiders. So, Marcy, if you are reading this, this blog's for you... The spider was about an inch long, black and tan. It's spidey legs were moving in spidey rhythm, slowly walking along the counter behind the kitchen sink... I got a paper towel and squashed it.. all ooey and crunchy and threw him in the trash. If Marcy had been here, I would have probably offered to show it to her, or left it for her on her mousepad at her computer. Or I might have taken a close up picture of it and blown it up to an 8x10 and taped it to her monitor where she would have to look at it first thing in the morning.... heehee... I'm sure Marcy really misses me...
My mom is crippin' along... one of her big dumb-ass dogs loved her a little too hard on the back of her leg... Her skin is like tissue paper and even though the dog was just loving on her, his big ol' paw shredded the back of her leg... We got her cleaned up and got her bandaged, but she is really suffering. I was worried that it needed to be seen by a wound specialist, so we went to the doctor on Thursday. (this paw love fest took place on Tuesday) Her doctor took a look at it and said "my god that's just awful!" and it really is... he also admonished her and advised her to please start wearing long pants and long sleeves and shoes that actually cover her feet... Mom promised she would, but that ain't happening... Pants and long sleeves are too hot and mom hasn't really liked wearing shoes since she was a kid. Her shoe of choice is a TEVA style strap sandal... she refuses to wear athletic shoes or loafers or whatever... So, she looks like she's been in an ugly fight... all bruised and nicked and banged up...
Auntie is trying to eat better. She just really does not feel like eating much. And, her peculiar and picky eating habits don't help. Right now, she is on a pork skins kick. I've had to buy her sacks of Baken-etts... regular, not spicy!! she has also requested cool whip and cashews and ribs and large naval oranges (of which she eats one or two segments, and then tries to pawn the rest of it on to others...) Oh, and that cream cheese/olive spread that is sold in the little glass jar with the blue top. I tried to find it, but no luck. I don't even know if that make that crap anymore... And a rib-eye steak, but not the one I got her.. The one I got her had way too much fat on it. She wants a lean rib-eye. I don't even know what to say about that. A lean ribeye... isn't that an oxymoron?? And it's not that she wants to eat all this stuff together or at the same time. it's just sort of a weird collection of stuff, don't you think??
"Baby, have you made a necklace of shells for me yet?" This is the question my brother Bill's girlfriend just asked him... they are here at the farm for the day and night... She's a hoot. It's nice to see my brother. He's an interesting cat... I'll have to tell you some stories about him sometime too. He was quite the prankster, still is... But I'll save that for another posting...
I've getting a little more familiar with doing the sp.ed. evaluations for my contract job... learning new tests, learning how to do the cross battery assessment thing.. I have realized, however, that the contract job is only going to happen two days a week... at 140 miles round trip, it may not be financially feasible to do it 3 eays a week... nice thing about retirement... I can just say no to work when I need to... :)
I still miss my friends, my huband, my cat. I'm fighting homesickness, but I'll be able to make a trip back home next week. I hope to have a chance to see a few folks, get a haircut and a pedicure. grab a grilled pork sandwich and a vietnamese iced coffee at my favorite Asian bistro, Nobi... So until next time my friends.. adios from south texas....
Monday, August 22, 2011
hanging on
Today, I noticed a lot of hanging on. I was just hanging on until I could get home and shuck my work clothes (read this as "bra") and get on some comfy clothes and have a cold drink. Then, when I got home, I noticed how my mother and my aunt seem to be hanging on as well. They, however, are hanging on to their walkers, or hanging on to the edges of the table or kitchen counters as they try to move independently in the house. So, we're all hanging on in our own ways it seems...
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Some blog
Well, I have not "blogged" since August 4. I have been back and forth between home and my "southern" home twice since then... I have been reluctant to tell people that I have started a blog, because I am somewhat shy about having people actually read this. I mean, really... who would want to read any of this... But, I finally admitted to my mother I had started a blog. Her response (not making this up at all) when I told her about the blog, but that I hadn't written anything in about 2 weeks, was "humphmm.. some blog." Some blog indeed. So, I will try to be more diligent in jotting down some thoughts as I have them...
One of the things I have noticed is that I seem to spend a great deal of time missing stuff, people, pets. I miss my own bed and my own kitchen. My own TV and my own remote. My own coffee maker, ironing board, refrigerator, computer, just all the silly everyday things one lives with. As of now, I'm still living in mama's house, on the porch and out of suitcase, basically... It just gets old. Renovation on the little "apartment" is at a standstill. I need to get my retirement money so I can purchase a few necessites. Like a commode... I miss my husband, my friends, my son and his wife and my kitty cat. I do get to see my daughter more often, and that's great. But, I'm really missing the old routines and even missing aspects of my old job... I've started doing some independent contract work for a suburban school district. Which I think I'm going to like very much, but I'm still in that "rookie" mode that I just hate... I just hate that being unsure of what I'm supposed to do or how I'm supposed to do it. I can't even begin to explain how I miss my husband. I just can't go there right now. I miss my Marcy and Tracy, and Susan and Jaclyn, and Jana, just to name a few.... While I don't feel truly isolated or lonely, I just miss that banter and interaction I once had with people I had much in common with. I knew things would change, and I can sense the changes when I talk on the phone with them. They are up to their asses in work and of that world I recently left... And while I'm familiar with what they are doing and where they are, I'm now an outsider and I can sense it.. It will take a while to adjust to the changes in those relationships and I'm hopeful that I will be able to maintain some connection with them all.
My aunt is hanging in there. She had an appointment last week with the oncologist. He took her off the Nexavar because she had lost so much weight and was generally not feeling well. She seems to feel better and is beginning to eat better. He wants to see how she is feeling after a month off the cancer med... Whether or not she'll be able to go back on it remains to be seen. She is sort of odd mentally. Like today, she was asking for this hair gel she had that was in a gray bottle. The fact that she has lost about 75% of her hair seems to be of little concern... She has been living in this house with her sister (aka mama) almost a year and there has never been a gray bottle of hair gel in this house. In fact, the hairdresser that sold her that hair gel has not been seen in over a year, possibly two... So, I am not sure where this memory of hair gel came from. It's just weird, her memory. She can't remember what time the game comes on, or what channel "The Glades" or "Memphis Beat" is on, or even what day they air, but she remembers gray-bottle hair gel that she hasn't probably used in more than 2 years...
Well, I have to get up at 6 in the morning to drive about 70 miles to work. And, in a little while I will need to check on auntie to make sure she gets to the right channel to watch "The Glades". It's not important that she probably can't follow the story line, but that she can watch her favorite TV show...
One of the things I have noticed is that I seem to spend a great deal of time missing stuff, people, pets. I miss my own bed and my own kitchen. My own TV and my own remote. My own coffee maker, ironing board, refrigerator, computer, just all the silly everyday things one lives with. As of now, I'm still living in mama's house, on the porch and out of suitcase, basically... It just gets old. Renovation on the little "apartment" is at a standstill. I need to get my retirement money so I can purchase a few necessites. Like a commode... I miss my husband, my friends, my son and his wife and my kitty cat. I do get to see my daughter more often, and that's great. But, I'm really missing the old routines and even missing aspects of my old job... I've started doing some independent contract work for a suburban school district. Which I think I'm going to like very much, but I'm still in that "rookie" mode that I just hate... I just hate that being unsure of what I'm supposed to do or how I'm supposed to do it. I can't even begin to explain how I miss my husband. I just can't go there right now. I miss my Marcy and Tracy, and Susan and Jaclyn, and Jana, just to name a few.... While I don't feel truly isolated or lonely, I just miss that banter and interaction I once had with people I had much in common with. I knew things would change, and I can sense the changes when I talk on the phone with them. They are up to their asses in work and of that world I recently left... And while I'm familiar with what they are doing and where they are, I'm now an outsider and I can sense it.. It will take a while to adjust to the changes in those relationships and I'm hopeful that I will be able to maintain some connection with them all.
My aunt is hanging in there. She had an appointment last week with the oncologist. He took her off the Nexavar because she had lost so much weight and was generally not feeling well. She seems to feel better and is beginning to eat better. He wants to see how she is feeling after a month off the cancer med... Whether or not she'll be able to go back on it remains to be seen. She is sort of odd mentally. Like today, she was asking for this hair gel she had that was in a gray bottle. The fact that she has lost about 75% of her hair seems to be of little concern... She has been living in this house with her sister (aka mama) almost a year and there has never been a gray bottle of hair gel in this house. In fact, the hairdresser that sold her that hair gel has not been seen in over a year, possibly two... So, I am not sure where this memory of hair gel came from. It's just weird, her memory. She can't remember what time the game comes on, or what channel "The Glades" or "Memphis Beat" is on, or even what day they air, but she remembers gray-bottle hair gel that she hasn't probably used in more than 2 years...
Well, I have to get up at 6 in the morning to drive about 70 miles to work. And, in a little while I will need to check on auntie to make sure she gets to the right channel to watch "The Glades". It's not important that she probably can't follow the story line, but that she can watch her favorite TV show...
Thursday, August 4, 2011
landfill still full
Still in "civilization." Still trying to clean up the landfill room. Well, actually, I'm still in my pajamas - ok, boxers and a t-shirt - drinking a last cup of coffee, trying to work up the courage to try again to force order into that spare room... Son did come yesterday and took away a big plastic tub and 4 boxes of his stuff. And his letter jacket from high school and his sweatshirt from the senior musical. He recently had his 10 year reunion, so I think that is a reasonable amount of time to hang on to his momentos (crap?) from high school... So, now I will have room in that closet to store all the junk/papers that I just can't deal with right now, because in about 2 hours I will be overwhelmed, say "to hell with it" and just stuff everything in boxes for another day... the true nature of a fully involved procrastinator with attention deficit... I should have taken before and after pictures... Sadly, I did not. Mostly because... procrastination combined with not being able to find the digital camera.... Oh, I see it, now - on the couch, almost hidden by yesterday's newspaper. Perhaps I should deal with the living room first??
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
back to the landfill
I've been back home for several days, and I've enjoyed it. Haven't done a lot. But I've managed to see a movie (Cowboys & Aliens - more on that later...), read a book, get a starbucks, float in the pool, have drinks/lunch with two groups of good friends, spend some quality time with hubby, see my son, made a pie, cooked a few decent meals in my own kitchen. It's been nice. Today, after I finish coffee, I think I will tackle the landfill bedroom. This is the bedroom that housed all the stuff out of the kitchen cabinets during the renovation that is not quite complete, a year+ later... And, all the paperwork/bills/mail for the past year has collected because I just did not make the time to deal with it, with Auntie's illness, my mom's hospitalization, a tough year at work, and what-not... I have to get back to south texas soon, and I hate to leave yet again with that room in such a disaster. I'm a clutter bug, and I have issues with procrastination, attention deficit, and a genetically coded tendency for being a slob, so it is a real challenge for me to actually clean something. I know how to do it, I just don't do it well, mostly because of the previously mentioned issues... So, it's back to the landfill. Maybe after this next cup of coffee.
I mentioned Cowboys & Aliens. It was... strangely entertaining. Hokey, predictable, but fun for a few hours of eating popcorn and milk duds in the dark with someone you like... And, well, Daniel Craig in tight pants, leather chaps, and boots ain't bad either. I kind of like westerns, if nothing else, to see handsome, rugged men in cowboy clothes. Tom Selleck, Harrison Ford, and that really great guy with the gravelly voice and gray hair... what is his name... dang it... anyway, they all look really great in cowboy clothes. (see what I mean about attention deficit... I am so easily distracted!! which increases my procrastination, which makes it difficult to clean, which is why I have a bedroom doubling as a landfill..)
A good friend sent pictures from her family trip to Italy. They are beautiful. I'd love to go sometime, to Rome, maybe hang out in the Sistene Chapel... sip some wine, eat some good food. Maybe after the landfill/bedroom gets cleaned... I wonder which will happen first? Save enough money to go to Italy or get the landfill/bedroom cleaned??? time will tell... until next time. If you don't hear from me for a while, come get me. I'm probably mired in a slog of old mail that needs shredding in the cheerfully painted spare landfill...
I mentioned Cowboys & Aliens. It was... strangely entertaining. Hokey, predictable, but fun for a few hours of eating popcorn and milk duds in the dark with someone you like... And, well, Daniel Craig in tight pants, leather chaps, and boots ain't bad either. I kind of like westerns, if nothing else, to see handsome, rugged men in cowboy clothes. Tom Selleck, Harrison Ford, and that really great guy with the gravelly voice and gray hair... what is his name... dang it... anyway, they all look really great in cowboy clothes. (see what I mean about attention deficit... I am so easily distracted!! which increases my procrastination, which makes it difficult to clean, which is why I have a bedroom doubling as a landfill..)
A good friend sent pictures from her family trip to Italy. They are beautiful. I'd love to go sometime, to Rome, maybe hang out in the Sistene Chapel... sip some wine, eat some good food. Maybe after the landfill/bedroom gets cleaned... I wonder which will happen first? Save enough money to go to Italy or get the landfill/bedroom cleaned??? time will tell... until next time. If you don't hear from me for a while, come get me. I'm probably mired in a slog of old mail that needs shredding in the cheerfully painted spare landfill...
Saturday, July 23, 2011
hay
Back down south...
Today, I helped Ruben roll a big giant round bale of hay off the trailer. Those suckers are big and heavy. Then, I got to drive over to this guy's place and pick up two bales of alfalfa hay. Much smaller and more manageable. It sort of looked like a bale of marijuana and sort of smelled that way too... but not really... more like cut lawn than pot. Not that I really know what a bale of marijuana looks or smells like... Anyway... I stepped in a cow patty (but it was sort of more dry than wet... thank God! I had on sandals! I really should invest in some boots.) and sweated because it was 102 in the shade today, and this was all going on at about 1:00 pm. And I got to admire the 13 calves that are going to the sale soon. They are very unhappy to be separated from their mamas, though. By Tuesday, I understand they will really be hollering. They are hollering now some. I didn't understand why we had to buy these two tiny little bales of alfalfa. It was explained to me that you take the alfalfa and mix it in the big bale to entice the calves to eat the hay. Sort of like bovine chocolate, or like when you mix baby food peaches in something you want your baby/toddler to eat that they may not have had before, I guess... What do I know about cows and their eating habits?? Not much, but I guess I'll have to learn. :)
I fixed mashed potatoes and some fried steak and fried chicken strips. Mama made the gravy. It turned out well and Auntie ate pretty good. She really has a hard time eating much. I guess between her naturally peculiar and picky eating habits and the cancer, she has very little appetite. And she is so thin. I made a pig of myself and am continuing with a big bowl of a mixture of vanilla and chocolate blue bell ice cream. I'll hate myself tomorrow, but not today.
I read "The Help" recently. Wanted to get that read before the movie comes out. It's good, I think. I recommend it, if you are looking for something to read. Not sure what I'll be reading next.
Well, that's about it for today. Trying to adjust to the slower pace and missing my old way of life and my friends. Reno on my little casasita is going slow, so I am still sleeping on the twin bed on the back "porch" and living out of a suitcase. Am looking forward to my visit back home to "civilization" on Tuesday!! :) later... rp
Today, I helped Ruben roll a big giant round bale of hay off the trailer. Those suckers are big and heavy. Then, I got to drive over to this guy's place and pick up two bales of alfalfa hay. Much smaller and more manageable. It sort of looked like a bale of marijuana and sort of smelled that way too... but not really... more like cut lawn than pot. Not that I really know what a bale of marijuana looks or smells like... Anyway... I stepped in a cow patty (but it was sort of more dry than wet... thank God! I had on sandals! I really should invest in some boots.) and sweated because it was 102 in the shade today, and this was all going on at about 1:00 pm. And I got to admire the 13 calves that are going to the sale soon. They are very unhappy to be separated from their mamas, though. By Tuesday, I understand they will really be hollering. They are hollering now some. I didn't understand why we had to buy these two tiny little bales of alfalfa. It was explained to me that you take the alfalfa and mix it in the big bale to entice the calves to eat the hay. Sort of like bovine chocolate, or like when you mix baby food peaches in something you want your baby/toddler to eat that they may not have had before, I guess... What do I know about cows and their eating habits?? Not much, but I guess I'll have to learn. :)
I fixed mashed potatoes and some fried steak and fried chicken strips. Mama made the gravy. It turned out well and Auntie ate pretty good. She really has a hard time eating much. I guess between her naturally peculiar and picky eating habits and the cancer, she has very little appetite. And she is so thin. I made a pig of myself and am continuing with a big bowl of a mixture of vanilla and chocolate blue bell ice cream. I'll hate myself tomorrow, but not today.
I read "The Help" recently. Wanted to get that read before the movie comes out. It's good, I think. I recommend it, if you are looking for something to read. Not sure what I'll be reading next.
Well, that's about it for today. Trying to adjust to the slower pace and missing my old way of life and my friends. Reno on my little casasita is going slow, so I am still sleeping on the twin bed on the back "porch" and living out of a suitcase. Am looking forward to my visit back home to "civilization" on Tuesday!! :) later... rp
Sunday, July 10, 2011
I already don't know what day it is
Hi,
Ok, been here about a week, and I don't know what day it is. All I do know is that it's hotter than hell and the air conditioners (window units) of which there are 4 in the entire house, are giving it their all and it ain't enough. The one in Madre's room seems to have finally gasped its' last breath of cold air. The one on the porch (aka my bedroom) is barely hangin' on. The one in the kitchen is working ok, but if I find myself int he kitchen, I'm either cooking or eating. Of course, auntie's AC is working fine, but her particularly peculiar sensitivity to cold means that her AC is hardly ever on. I'll go by the room from time to time to find the small space heater turned on HI, with her under a blanket and a quilt... Madre and I are sipping ice tea and taking two cool showers a day, and she's using the heater. Go figure.
Another interesting (and I do use this term loosely) thing is the dogs that have taken a fancy to the cows and the new calves, and not in a good way. They like to chase the cows and some will bite their tail, using it sort of like a ski rope while the cow tries to run away from the dog while it's holding on for dear life. The weight difference between the two critters means the cow is frantically trying to escape while the pesty dog seems to be having a grand time, much to the amusement of it's other dog friends who are barking with glee, egging the cow ski-ing dog along...this is all fine and good, except that it usually means I'm going to be summoned to try to yell at the dogs and offer them bribes of dog biscuits to return to the yard. Invariably, this summons is delivered by mother calling me in a loud voice, usually something to the effect of "Rhonda, the dogs are in the cow pens again. Go see what they're doing, the little shits..." And, I've usually just sat down in the comfy recliner in my bedroom/porch to a snack that I've snagged when I was in the coolest room in the house - the kitchen... What we are concerned with is that some of these dogs are documented cat killers, and on occasion have shown some aggression to their own kind. The fear that they might hurt some of the smaller calves, which is really not a good thing at all. so, maybe the "little shits" moniker isn't so far off the mark after all...
Ok, been here about a week, and I don't know what day it is. All I do know is that it's hotter than hell and the air conditioners (window units) of which there are 4 in the entire house, are giving it their all and it ain't enough. The one in Madre's room seems to have finally gasped its' last breath of cold air. The one on the porch (aka my bedroom) is barely hangin' on. The one in the kitchen is working ok, but if I find myself int he kitchen, I'm either cooking or eating. Of course, auntie's AC is working fine, but her particularly peculiar sensitivity to cold means that her AC is hardly ever on. I'll go by the room from time to time to find the small space heater turned on HI, with her under a blanket and a quilt... Madre and I are sipping ice tea and taking two cool showers a day, and she's using the heater. Go figure.
Another interesting (and I do use this term loosely) thing is the dogs that have taken a fancy to the cows and the new calves, and not in a good way. They like to chase the cows and some will bite their tail, using it sort of like a ski rope while the cow tries to run away from the dog while it's holding on for dear life. The weight difference between the two critters means the cow is frantically trying to escape while the pesty dog seems to be having a grand time, much to the amusement of it's other dog friends who are barking with glee, egging the cow ski-ing dog along...this is all fine and good, except that it usually means I'm going to be summoned to try to yell at the dogs and offer them bribes of dog biscuits to return to the yard. Invariably, this summons is delivered by mother calling me in a loud voice, usually something to the effect of "Rhonda, the dogs are in the cow pens again. Go see what they're doing, the little shits..." And, I've usually just sat down in the comfy recliner in my bedroom/porch to a snack that I've snagged when I was in the coolest room in the house - the kitchen... What we are concerned with is that some of these dogs are documented cat killers, and on occasion have shown some aggression to their own kind. The fear that they might hurt some of the smaller calves, which is really not a good thing at all. so, maybe the "little shits" moniker isn't so far off the mark after all...
Saturday, July 9, 2011
surfing lizards
Hi,
Well, I'm back down in South Texas. Been here about a week. I've driven madre to the doctor, and run errands for her... HEB, Wal-Mart, etc.. Nothing too exciting. It's hot and dry here. The cicadas are making noise in the yard. I can hear them from inside the house. Sometimes the noise is deafening. And that's just one of the many bugs we have around here... chiggers, june bugs, ants of many sizes and colors, spiders and more spiders, ticks, fleas, wasps, dirt dabbers, and bees. We also have scorpians and tarantulas, but I haven't run into any of them yet.
I had a funny thing happen the other day on the way back to the farm on one of the HEB grocery store run... Got in the SUV and started on my way home, when I noticed a passenger. You know those little green lizards that change colors? We typically call them cameleon lizards, but they are actually a green anole lizard... I think thayt's the name of them. Anyway, on the hood of the car, where the windshield wipers are housed, was one of these little lizards. It had turned an ugly shade of brown/gray, I assume to blend in with the charcoal gray Ford Escape of my mom's. Well, this lizard looked like it was hood surfing.. remember when we were in high school, somebody, usually male, would think it was funny to get on the hood of the car and pretend to surf while one of his buddies, usually drunk, would drive around a parking lot, hitting the speed bumps and trying to knock his friend off??? That's the hood surfing to which I'm referring... anyway, this lizard calmly walked around the hood of the car, hanging on with it's tiny little toenails, surfing the hood... Me, not being male or drunk, was driving carefully because I did not want to it to fall off and hurt it's little head and suffer traumatic brain injury. So, we made it safely home, and to my knowledge, the little surfing lizard is hanging ten ( how many toes does a lizard actually have??) with someone else. So, that's my exciting news from South Texas. More later...
Well, I'm back down in South Texas. Been here about a week. I've driven madre to the doctor, and run errands for her... HEB, Wal-Mart, etc.. Nothing too exciting. It's hot and dry here. The cicadas are making noise in the yard. I can hear them from inside the house. Sometimes the noise is deafening. And that's just one of the many bugs we have around here... chiggers, june bugs, ants of many sizes and colors, spiders and more spiders, ticks, fleas, wasps, dirt dabbers, and bees. We also have scorpians and tarantulas, but I haven't run into any of them yet.
I had a funny thing happen the other day on the way back to the farm on one of the HEB grocery store run... Got in the SUV and started on my way home, when I noticed a passenger. You know those little green lizards that change colors? We typically call them cameleon lizards, but they are actually a green anole lizard... I think thayt's the name of them. Anyway, on the hood of the car, where the windshield wipers are housed, was one of these little lizards. It had turned an ugly shade of brown/gray, I assume to blend in with the charcoal gray Ford Escape of my mom's. Well, this lizard looked like it was hood surfing.. remember when we were in high school, somebody, usually male, would think it was funny to get on the hood of the car and pretend to surf while one of his buddies, usually drunk, would drive around a parking lot, hitting the speed bumps and trying to knock his friend off??? That's the hood surfing to which I'm referring... anyway, this lizard calmly walked around the hood of the car, hanging on with it's tiny little toenails, surfing the hood... Me, not being male or drunk, was driving carefully because I did not want to it to fall off and hurt it's little head and suffer traumatic brain injury. So, we made it safely home, and to my knowledge, the little surfing lizard is hanging ten ( how many toes does a lizard actually have??) with someone else. So, that's my exciting news from South Texas. More later...
Sunday, June 19, 2011
I have about 8 working days before I actually retire. Seems like the end will never get here. I'm having some mixed feelings about it all. I'm not really retiring to traveling or what you typically think of when one retires. I'm moving, on a part time basis, to a small town and will be living on the family farm. I'll be helping out with my aunt while she fights cancer, and with my mother while she deals with her sister's cancer (my aunt) and her own health issues. My husband will stay at our home, 4 1/2 hours drive away, for at least a year or two. As the situation changes "down south", we'll reassess what/where we'll end up eventually. Lots of unanswered questions going on right now... how will we live on less $$, how we will maintain a relationship long distance, will I be having any luck finding part time work to supplement the dismal retirement income, will my car hold up... you know, all the fears one has when a major life change is just waiting in the wings... so, let the adventure begin...
Saturday, June 18, 2011
getting started
Hello. I'm starting a blog to chronicle my adventures as I retire from my job as an educational diagnostician and move to South Texas to help mom and auntie as they get older and need more help. I t hink I'll name the little place I'm moving to as "The Funny Farm" (aka "La Ranchita Loca") So, being new to blogging, I'm not sure what to expect, or how 'successful' this blog will be. So.... perhaps I'll see you later??
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