Year end thoughts

This may be one of the last if not the last blog entry for 2011. It has been a year of enormous changes in the lives of several of my children. If I am remembering right, every one of our children as well as Grandma and Grandpa all moved this year; some moved twice. Joshua gave up his business. Nate and Cori bought a house and moved into it. Becky and Charles moved within the state of Arkansas. They also bought a house. Becky joined and left the Coast Guard within the year. Victoria moved in with us, lost two dogs and is seeking a transfer to Bowie with Wal-Mart. Maggie married Aaron Ledford and moved to Mississippi. Brittany moved to Colorado Springs and is now engaged to Andrew Kim. Chase began home schooling, started working for Chick-fil-A and is preparing to go back to New Jersey to finish out his senior year; leaving what looks like a moderately serious relationship on hold until he returns. (I hope we don’t move during the time he is in New Jersey. That would break one little girl’s heart.)


Mama and I moved, bought a farm and gained a son-in-law. It has been a very busy year for all of us and the coming year should prove no less busy and full of changes – in all of our lives. Mama will turn 50 in 2012 and we will celebrate our 30th anniversary – if the Lord allows. We will fix a house, perhaps build a house, and populate our farm with animals. We hope to reap our first harvest, sell our first hay crop and can our first produce from the garden we are planning.

I know all of our children have their plans, dreams and wishes for the coming year and I hope they will succeed in most if not all of those aspirations – if they are properly focused. I do sometimes wonder if it is possible to step back and look at life as our very young grandchildren do; each day is sufficient if they are fed, clothed, housed and cuddled. They will happily wake up tomorrow and begin the very familiar process all over again. Their faith in the provision of mommy and daddy is absolute. Not all children are there, but my grandchildren are. At times, I feel that in my relationship with God I should be much more like that.

I realize I am a steward and in that capacity have multiple responsibilities, but I am not the source of the supply that is given to me, that comes from God in many ways; a good job, good health, His blessings on my family, my automobiles, and my earthly possessions. Plan your work and work your plan is a great axiom, but not the best. Bathe everything in prayer. Philippians 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. Philippians 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Have faith in God. Proverbs 3:6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Those are better.

My faith needs to be less impressive to me and more dependent on God. He has asked us to take some financial risks (especially in giving), but He will never ask us to take a spiritual risk. All we need to know is already written down and if our decision does not line up with that written Word, we need to go another way. I need to trust my heart less and His Word more.

I have often said that the idea of celebrating a new year is more than a little disingenuous. Nothing changes. No debts are wiped clean. It is a continuation of what is already in progress in our lives. There is no starting over. This is not dress rehearsal. It is only a change of a date on a calendar – unless there is a change of heart.

What heart change do you need to make the next twelve month different from the last twelve months? If nothing about your circumstances changes, will you still praise the Lord? If things get worse – from your perspective – is God still in control?

I remember reading one time about a daughter who, in despair, went to spend some time with her father who was a chef. I may not have the story completely right, but as they began to talk he put three pans of water on the stove. In one pan he put an egg. In one pan he put a carrot. In the third pan he put some coffee. The water boiled as she spilled her heartache out to her patient father.

After he had listened for some time he began to show her the three pans of water; his object lesson. The egg, he explained had hardened in the boiling water. The carrot had been softened and made virtually worthless. Then they looked at the pan in which he had haplessly put the coffee. He hugged his daughter and said “The water changed the egg and the carrot. Only the coffee changed the water.” She understood immediately that the choice of the outcome was hers to make. Her attitude would determine the outcome in any trial. She went on to say they sat and enjoyed a wonderful cup of coffee.

Are you the egg, the carrot or the coffee?

Success, dog troubles, storage and sales, children

Mama worked yesterday evening to get accustomed to the CPAA and had some success. As I kissed her goodbye this morning at 4 a.m. she excitedly told me she had made it most of the night with the machine on. At least she is determined to make this work and I am glad she is. It is her health that is at stake.


Victoria’s pup has a bad case of worms which will have to be taken care of if we are going to keep the pup for long. We are still wrestling with house breaking and the worm infestation complicates the issue by raising the need for potty times as well as food being thrown up without its control. She and Mama are going to start some worm treatments today to see if they can get the pup well. It has become one of three pups we are treating for one cause or another.

The farm dogs are doing very well and Grandpa is going to let them out during the day from now on. It will be great for them since they have been cooped up since before Thanksgiving. He will pen them up at night to keep them safe from larger predators until they can effectively defend themselves, but at least they will be free to roam some. Mama wants to bring them back to Amarillo for a few weeks to get them used to her attention, but I think with a wormy pup and a cantankerous older dog already on the premises, it may be a little much. One back yard can only handle so much poop.

Some of the furniture and other items we have been holding for a young couple at church will begin to make their way out of our storage and into the new home as of today. As cramped as we are in the little house it will be a huge relief to get the space back. We have items on the patio, in the attached garage and in the detached garage. It will really free up a lot of space for me. Maybe I can finally organize the garages to my liking and be able to find what I go looking for.

One of the families at church with younger children is buying our Wii. I am happy to see the money come in for something we rarely use. It will be a blessing right now and it is a great value to the family buying it. I am not sorry to see it go. I never used it the entire time we owned it. Chase is also selling his X-box and the “connect” that goes along with it: also not a sad thought for me. Both are being redeemed at a fair price and the money is of far more value presently that the electronic toys are. That will be two less things Mama and I have to learn to use, to maintain and eventually to move.

Mama and Victoria are looking into the possibility of taking in foster children. I think it is a great idea and encouraged both of them to pursue the idea as far as the Lord will allow. It would be a source of income for both of them while doing something they dearly love; helping children. It mostly came about because a lady we know through the bus ministry had a need she expressed to Mama concerning some children she used to have in her care. They were placed with family and after several months had to be removed and placed back into the foster care system. It is a sad circumstance we will not be able to help with at the moment, but it is a drive to explore the possibility to help in the future. The caveat is that it may require us to move yet again to be able to provide a larger house.

It is obviously something we will bathe in prayer.

Mama’s struggles, Christmas cheer? Real giving

Mama did not have a good night last night. We had a wonderful evening baking pies and a cobbler, but she did not sleep well at all. Last night was the first night with her new CPAP (Constant Positive Air Pressure) machine. I was a little apprehensive when she told me she and the tech had chosen the one that fit under the nose rather than the full face mask, but it is worth a try. It did not work out well for her on the first night.


All the doctor said to her during her follow up to the sleep study was, “Well, you got it good.” The study showed that she stopped breathing about every 50 seconds. That means that the brain would wake the body, reposition the tongue and neck and then go back to sleep – without any conscious memory of the event. That would happen every minute through the night; no wonder she is exhausted. It will take some time to get used to the device but once we settle into a routine of using it I think Mama will be able to tell a difference. At least she will really sleep.

As the week wears on the temperatures predicted for the end of the week are steadily climbing and lessening the chance of snow. That makes a big difference to Mama and me in our plans to leave Amarillo after church Sunday evening. That puts us in Bowie for the morning start to Maggie’s. Mama says she will drive to Bowie while I sleep but we both know that will probably not happen. We should arrive after 1 a.m. and if we leave the next morning at about 9 a.m. we should get to Maggie by 8 p.m. or so depending on our stops en route. So things are coming together. (I am looking up recipes for barbequed cat right now.)

My week has been slightly busier than predicted but things will slow down after the Safety Meeting tomorrow morning. There are a lot of big projects in the works over which I have the majority influence and this being the end of the year, all of them will drag into next year. So we should start with a bang in 2012. If only our finances were not a bust.

I almost got in the Christmas spirit while I was out shopping with Mama on Monday. Despite recovering from the near poisoning of my body to empty my colon, it was fun to look and try to plan for the coming celebration. But, alas, the mood did not take hold. One look at the account balance vs. life’s needs and reality set in. I have to struggle in this world of hype and empty promises to remember that presents and purchases are not the reason for this season at all. They have been marketed as passable substitutes for love or interest in a person, but if our driving interest was the eternal future of any given person our focus would surely shift away from what we can purchase to what we have to give. But ridden with guilt and not wanting to appear cheap we struggle through the season buying and wrapping our gifts in the hopes they will be well received – not thought too cheap. We will lick our financial wounds in January.

Mama and I have avoided that this year to a large degree but neither of us are guilt free in the exercise. I have to remember that that feeling of guilt does not come from the Lord but rather from our sense of not having met expectations – of ourselves and those to whom we give our less expensive gifts.

Sad, isn’t it?

I have no gift to give Mama this year. Giving will come later as our plans take hold and begin to develop. What I can give is myself and the promise that as much as is within my power I will be beside her every day for the coming year. Though it will be year number thirty for us, every day will be brand new.

I plan on living each one as a gift to be given.

Good report, Grandpa’s new vocabulary, why kids love Mama

I got through the colonoscopy yesterday without too many issues. I always have a difficult time recovering from any anesthetic and yesterday was no exception. I think I slept for several hours after the procedure and then stumbled through the day with Mama as we finalized some Christmas shopping. We should finish it off late this week as we pack to go to see our southern children and grandchildren. It is not much but we need to get it done the next time I get paid.


My bowels are still in recovery mode. I told my dad that even though I got a clean bill of health yesterday from the doctor, my belly did not fell like it had a clean bill of health. I belched all over Amarillo as Mama and I looked at various stores for our final selections. She encouraged me with every resonant outburst, realizing it had to come out somewhere and that was the lesser of two evils. She offered to take me home several times but I realized it was the last opportunity we would get to spend any time shopping together before we left next Sunday night – if those plans do not get snowed out.

Grandma called yesterday to let us know that Wise Electric had run electric over to the well so we can begin the process of getting the well outfitted for service. It has been raining in the Bowie area off and on for several days so we were all surprised to have the work completed. One step closer. Grandma was also telling Mama that one of the roosters is trying to crow and it sounds pretty pitiful. The chickens start to stir every time they hear the truck pull into the drive at the farm and Grandpa will crow to the rooster who will answer with his best response. So far Grandpa sounds better. Grandpa is also talking to the pups – which are still in isolation – in their own language. I think Grandma is thinking Grandpa is spending too much time on the farm.

Mama is thinking the pups will come home with us on our way back to Amarillo after Christmas. I will have to see how that works out. They will certainly have to be cleaned up thoroughly. Besides with Victoria’s dog and Rosie at the house in Amarillo, I think it may be a little too much, but I am not the measure of such things. I do feel it would be better for the pups to have a bit more oversight in the next few, developmental months. At least Victoria and Mama would closely supervise their menu and encourage the female to get her fair share of the feed put out. Right now, with the two of them together, the male, who is quite a bit larger, is getting the major portion of the food Grandpa puts out for them.

I thought yesterday as Mama talked to Maggie about getting the grandkids as we were staying with her, that I can understand why children love Mama so much; because no matter how difficult, time consuming or inconvenient doing things with children seems to the rest of us, it is rarely any bother to Mama. She loves doing things with children and the work that is involved in those events rolls off of her like water off a duck’s back. It does not faze her the way the rest of us are affected and children notice it without being ale to know what they are seeing. I saw it in Children’s Church yesterday also. It is a pleasure to watch it play out – especially when the kids are really rowdy, as they were yesterday.

My last four days of work here are going to be very busy as I finalize many things for the year. It is almost overwhelming to look back and see how quickly this year passed by.

Good and bad days, the kids

Yesterday was a very busy day for me with meetings taking most of the morning and all of the afternoon. I am pretty sure it was a productive time but I will know more as I work through the assignments I was given. It is reassuring to know that I still have a place at the table in the leadership team. I am investigating office space for the support staff, now located in Borger, in Amarillo. My boss told me pretty clearly to leave that alone. I am to look north from here in Borger, not south. We’ll see.


Also yesterday, Mama and I officially ran out of money. No, our accounts are not empty – totally. Just the spendable portion of our income is gone until next payday. I told Mama in the morning that we had only $37 left in our account and I did not want to transfer anything form the savings account I am holding for the well equipment. So she only bought two items; one for $14.50 and one for $50. That did not work out well for us.

She had returned about $160 worth of stuff to Sam’s and was somehow thinking the money was available to spend. None of the items purchased were outside of what we had talked about. One was an inspection on the little van and the other was a prescription for the procedure I am having on Monday. It is mostly my fault for not having the cash to give to her. It is more obvious when that runs out.

Chase got a new cell phone recently and he has been talking it up quite a bit. Every day he seems to discover new features that excite him more. I hope the enthusiasm will last past the next new upgraded gadget that comes along, but that is doubtful. Victoria is going to buy his old phone which has more gadgets and features than she will ever use.

Victoria got a call from the Wal-Mart in Bowie yesterday and they seemed interested in her coming to work for them. There were three fulltime positions open as a stocker or a cashier. One of the stocker positions was an overnight position and none of us felt good about that one. The other two are daytime positions. The HR person is beginning the paperwork to see if she is the candidate they are looking for. We should know next week. When they call for the transfer it will be a done deal and she will begin to report to Bowie.

Maggie is pretty sick right now. I think she is recovering but still feeling weak. She we complaining about the ways in which her body is exercising its right to reject food and eliminate waste but I told her it was an efficient weight loss program – not the most desirable, or the most healthy, but clearly the most efficient. She is taking the good (weight loss) with the bad (excess excretions). Aaron will be home soon.

Chase, Victoria and Brittany are planning a gift exchange for Christmas. I do not know the exact dates of Brittany’s travel but it will be largely dependent on the weather, not so much her time off. Mama and I bought a gift for her but we took it to Bowie since plans were to have Christmas there. With our plans changing so quickly, her gift is still there and will have to be shipped to her after Christmas.

Becky and Charles may still come down to Bowie after Christmas but there are no firm plans that I know of at this point. They are on the emotional roller coaster of financial troubles. All young couples I know of have gone through it. Some have higher highs and lower lows but every couple wrestles through it. Those who come together and work out agreed, workable solutions generally do very well in all the other areas or their marriage.

The only advice I would give is the advice I may have to follow soon: terminate all contracts – cell phone, internet and TV – pare down to purchasing only the essentials – food, shelter and clothing. Get your internet and news at the local library or internet hot spot. Write letters to stay in touch and get a cheap, pay as you go, phone. Use it only as absolutely necessary. Don’t just find ways to save on what you are spending, quit spending. It is amazing how loathe we are to do those things.

Still no word from Joshua.

Little things, weather woes, home

I have been having trouble getting started this morning. We had a dinner at church last night. It probably should be called our Christmas dinner but it has been called the Holiday dinner. That name was acceptable until one of the men asked in jest if we were trying to be politically correct. So now we have to adopt a new name for the event. I thought the entire exercise was cute but unnecessary.


It was a big event. I am not sure how many people attended but it was more than we usually have on a Wednesday night. We did not get out until 9:30 p.m. which is at least an hour past my bedtime. I woke up about an hour later than normal and after getting dressed sat in one of our recliners and slept another forty five minutes before leaving for work. I will catch up to the activities of the day. I will not so easily catch up to the missed sleep.

Sadly, Mama left the evening with her feelings hurt because the ladies in charge of the kitchen and the food assignments fussed at her because she brought more than she was assigned. I have a very difficult time understanding how that could be a problem, but it has turned into one for the moment. I will only let it go a little while before I say something. It tends to be little things like that that build into unnecessary problems. When you couple with that the fact that we seem to keep fighting with another couple for the seat we usually sit in, it breeds tension. But we are creatures of habit seeking to control our environment and when that control is threatened, when we are required to be “out of the ordinary” it quickly becomes uncomfortable. This too shall pass.

The morning temperature was near freezing this morning which is a good thing. It should be warm enough today to melt some patches of ice that still remain on our secondary roads. The next predicted morning temperature above freezing is next Tuesday. Of course with the weather patterns we have here on the high plains, this morning’s temperature could be the high for the day.

We plan on leaving for Bowie after church Sunday night next week. I am looking at the extended forecast to see what the predictions are for that night, bearing in mind, it is only a prediction and subject to change without notice. The good news is that when we get to Bowie, we will be south and east of the more severe winter weather patterns and probably safe in our travel from that point on. Again, only the Lord knows but tomorrow morning the outlook for that day should be posted on the ten day forecast. Technology is a blessing and a curse.

I love my children and grandchildren and am looking forward to seeing them and spending time with them, but I have to admit to looking forward to the last week of December when I can spend a few days on our farm. I appreciate the generosity of Maggie and Aaron in helping us make this trip and I want to devote my full attention to them while we are together but I am able to better understand my father’s devotion to the work on the homes we restored in Chappell Hill.

With the stress I am under at work and the financial burdens we have taken on to develop the farm, it is a blessing to have that kind of work to do, that kind of long-range plan to put in place, that kind of release of energy in a totally different manner. If all goes well it will be our home soon.

It is already beginning to feel like home.

Results and answers, national identity, Christmas plans

Mama got a call on Monday afternoon that there were several cancellations for the sleep study if she was interested in coming in that night. I had come home from work early due to weather and I told her to go ahead and take the slot. Snow had been accumulating all day, the roads were packed and icy so I could understand the reason for the cancellations, but for me it was an answer to prayer. I had prayed for the test to be done that night so we could go to Bowie for the remainder of the week and not miss an opportunity. Turns out, our travel plans were cancelled also.


Prayers were also asked that Mama would sleep as she usually does and that the technicians would immediately see her need for help in breathing while she slept. As I picked her up on Tuesday morning she told me they had awakened her after about two hours and fitted her with a CPAP facemask and she spent the next five hours sleeping with the mask as they regulated the pressure to her airway. That saves her going back to have the adjustments made in an additional sleep study. Praise the Lord! Mama is now a little disappointed that our follow up visit to the doctor is not until the 13th of this month. All in all, there were several answers to prayer in that one night.

I stayed home on Tuesday due to the weather but by late in the afternoon the streets were beginning to clear as the bright sun beat down on them. It is amazing to watch. The temperature never got above 25 degrees but the sun was able to melt away the layers of ice covering every exposed spot on the blacktop. It made travel easy this morning even though the outside temperature was 15 degrees – three times what is was on Monday morning.

Also on Monday I started to research Mama’s background to begin the process of applying for her to become a member of the Cherokee nation. Her great grandmother was some part Cherokee and I would like to get her instated into her Native American heritage because of the many benefits our government offers to descendents of that culture. It would benefit Grandma and her siblings greatly if we can succeed. Time will tell.

As it turns out, I met with a fellow employee for lunch yesterday to discuss some issues related to the office her in Borger. His name is James Journeycake. I asked the background of his unusual name and he explained that he is a direct descendent of a Delaware chief who negotiated the treaty to let the settlers in the early colonies build their towns in Indian lands. He is one eighth Cherokee. He is also an attorney. I asked if he would be a resource to us in our search and he happily agreed.

With our travel plans cancelled for this week, it leaves Grandma and Grandpa pretty much alone for the Christmas season. It is a good thing they are in a church. At least there will be someone to share the time with. Mama suggested they come over to Amarillo but Grandpa would not leave the farm animals for any more than an overnight visit and that would not be worth the fuel spent on their part.

Times are a little hard, but we have seen worse and gotten through. We will get through this also.

The coming weeks, Victoria, decorating for Christmas

One week from today I go for my colonoscopy and one week from that we are leaving Bowie for Mississippi and then Florida. It will be a very pleasant change to travel to see some of our children and grandchildren. The medical testing will not be so pleasant, but it is far better to have it done than to allow something like that to go undone.


I am praying that Mama will get her sleep test done before we leave for Mississippi. It would be very good to know what our options are for helping her – and, by extension, me. Lots of testing going on; physically, spiritually, emotionally, and financially. Testing is not fun. It is especially unsettling when you are unsure of the results. There is so much fear in all of our lives today and I am not sure how to effectively mitigate it. I think less television, less internet, less live news could help, but how is that balanced against our need to be informed and thereby prepared?

Have faith in God. He knows the truth of what lies ahead and though the cries of the doomsday prophets is loud in the ears of those tuned into their broadcasts, only God really knows. I prefer not to have my head in the sand, but there is little I can do that would profit my family other than be about the work of the Lord and allow Him to guide me to the place of His protection. He has and always will be able to care for His own. I am glad to be one of them.

Victoria started the process of seeking a transfer to Bowie. I am still a little worried about her spiritual growth in the church there, but again, I must trust the Lord to get us to the place where he can use us most effectively and since there seems to be a need for her there, I am praying that the Lord will make the choice obvious for her. I know she can be a help to Grandma and Grandpa on the farm. I am not sure if now is better than in the Spring, but she has been advised by her HR that now is the better time due to predictable cuts in hours that follow the holiday season.

Victoria’s new pup is a funny little ugly thing. He has adopted her – which is what she has been looking for. It would premature to say he is already house broken, but he does seem to be getting the idea that his potty place is outside the house. With the bitter cold we have had lately it is a challenge to stay outside with him until he decides to complete his business.

Rosie is not thrilled about the recent adoptee. She is tired of raising pups and in her old age she seems unwilling to share her love seat with anyone, least of all a rambunctious pup. She likes the hollow between the cushions and if anyone or anything takes that spot it frets her noticeably. I like to put things there just to see her reaction since about 90% of her time is spent curled up there.

Mama and I spent Saturday setting up the Christmas tree. It is a fake tree, tall and skinny. It is perfect for the home we are now in. If fits in a small space and does not encumber access within the small living room where we have it set up. There are huge totes of unused decorations yet stored away, but we really may need them when and if we get to build our log home. It was fun for Mama to rummage through them and find everything she needed.

She was disappointed to be reminded that I left two huge totes of Christmas lights at the house on 6 Gifford. I thought it unwise to keep them since we were moving into an apartment and had no plans of buying a house in the near future. Besides, Christmas lights are notorious for not working more than one season. I suppose we will have to restock after Christmas this year when the price on such items will be more in line with what I am willing to pay.

Grandma and Grandpa will be alone for Christmas. Victoria, Chase and Brittany (if she makes it down to Amarillo) will be together for Christmas in Amarillo. Becky and Charles will be coming over for a few days near Christmas. I have no idea where Joshua is or what his plans are but Mama is thinking he will come over in the weeks before Christmas. We will be with Maggie and Aaron in the days prior the Christmas, then with Cori, Nate and the kids on Christmas day. Mama’s mother hen instincts are kicking in and she is lamenting the fact of our separation during this Christmas, but I see no good alternative.

There will perhaps be many more Christmases to follow much like this one. Only God knows.

Sick, doctor visit, shopping

I was out sick yesterday. I got to feeling badly late Wednesday evening and stayed home from church; which is very rare for me. When I got up in the morning, I just got right back in bed. I got to feeling better through the day, so between sleeping in and eating carefully, whatever was making me feel bad worked through my system. I must not be totally recovered because I woke up seriously late this morning, but I got up and made it to work.


Being off yesterday gave me the chance to go to the doctor with Mama. She saw a sleep specialist. We are investigating the possibility of sleep apnea. Over the past few months her symptoms have gotten worse and we finally agreed that the time had come to see what can be done to help us both. We both liked the demeanor of the doctor. Mama does not care at all for the overnight observation required of her for the diagnosis. She is allowed to bring her fan and a book to read – nothing else. She is truly dreading it; a dozen electrodes glued to various places on the head and face, two elastic bands across the chest and abdomen, and a special instrument resting below the nose make it a lot less like a hotel room than they tell you it is.

Her appointment is scheduled for early January, but with the changes we are going to have in our health insurance, we are trying to get her in before the year end. In order for that to happen we will have to be on “hot standby” for a cancellation. It might be better that way. If it comes about suddenly, it could be easier for Mama. The nurse scheduling the appointment told us there were almost always cancellations through the week so we will continue to pray.

We spent the entire day out. Good thing I was home sick. We went to the insurance agency, three stores and Sam’s, and finally, the Laundromat. I spent way too much money trying to plan for the time we will be gone this month. Since Victoria and Chase will be alone much of the month and since Brittany is planning on coming to Bowie to spend Christmas with them, we needed to stock up on foods they could easily prepare – translate that put in the microwave.

Victoria, like her brother Joshua, does not mind cooking but also, like her brother, does not like to clean up. While we were out yesterday, Mama and I stopped at a baked potato place to try their special; a baked potato covered in pot roast and gravy. It was delicious. While there we spent quite a bit to time talking to the owner. When we talked about cooking he explained that he liked to clean up as he went and often used the same pan for several items before he was done. It sounded very much like me and Mama remarked so. I am not sure my children have adopted that method – or if they even noticed it happening as I cooked. Chase won’t even put the lids back on the peanut butter and jelly many times, much less prepare any food. So don’t even think about him cleaning up outside of Chick-fil-A.

I am not sure if we saved anything but we got a lot of items for the money we spent – which in Mama’s account book is saving. We have a store called Panhandle Salvage and as Mama and I shopped there yesterday we found several items we will go back and pick up for our food storage supply. We are taking three steps forward and two steps back with the implementation of food storage. When we have been out of money and needed something, we pulled it out of our supply which is the correct manner, I suppose, but it does not seem to accomplish what my idea tends toward; then again, I have never been a hoarder.

Like building the ark, it is difficult to follow through on an idea whose time has not yet come.