Mama’s other world, transportation issues, small worries

When I called Mama yesterday evening I had to wait over three minutes while she talked about things she was seeing or doing or planning on doing before I got a turn to ask her a question. So be warned, when she is at the farm she is VERY distracted. For the next two weeks it will be difficult to communicate with her. If you have very important topics to discuss with her, you might want to hold off a few days.


She told me about the strawberries – only two of the bargain plants we picked up at Wal-mart on the 50% off table and planted on the farm actually lived. She told me about the garden and the potato patch and the grape vines, etc: all of which I am going to see later today. She was on her way down to the big tank, what Victoria calls the “Great Pond”, when I called last night. It was hard to hold on to my thought as I waited my turn to talk but in her hurry she had forgotten several things and I needed to know if they needed to be brought today as I go over; they do and I will.

I got a call from Victoria yesterday concerning a pump Grandpa wants me to pick up on my way out of town today. She was mock complaining that she and Grandma had been left behind by Grandpa in his hurry to get to work at the farm. “He abandoned us cripples” was how she described the situation. Grandma has not been moving very fast for some time now and Victoria fell pretty hear last week and sprained her hand to the point of concern that she may have broken her thumb. It is swollen, black and blue and not quite functional. So I know Grandpa is no Marine because he left the wounded behind. Maybe it is a good thing I am taking my own car. With my back in the shape it has been in lately, I may have to find my own ride to and from the farm…at least until we are all living there.

I went to bed a little after 9 p.m. and as I was almost asleep I realized I had not called Mama before I lay down. I debated getting up, which meant waking up and losing the time I had already been in bed, to make the call so I did not. I will get fussed at this morning when we talk, but I know she had plenty of conversation going well past the time I was asleep.

I got a ride to work this morning rather than leaving Chase’s truck parked in Borger for two weeks. I was supposed to pick up a company truck at a shop in Amarillo last night but it will not be ready until late today. I drove our truck to Borger on Wednesday of last week thinking I would drive the company truck to the shop for a two hour repair. At the shop someone drove it into a pole in the parking lot and the bumper had to be replaced and the passenger side had to be repaired and repainted.

Now someone else will have to pick it up but all our vehicles will be where they should be and I will not have the added worry of one being parked at work for two weeks. We have someone coming to the house to keep an eye on things in our absence but we are taking most of the plants with us this time. They will have to be kept inside so the pups do not chew them up – they are murder on a garden or anything freshly planted. If you plant it they feel compelled to dig it up or chew it up. My patience is wearing very thin with them but Mama wants to give them one more chance – they are still pups.

I just want to give them their shots - .22 caliber.