Family, work ahead, relief

Last night was a good night. Of course we did not get to do anything at the farm since it was a church night but just the fact that we made it to church with our missionaries in tow – and with Victoria also – made it a pretty good night to begin with. We had a great service. As tired as I usually am on Wednesday night it is always good to be with family. Last night was no exception.

I am taking tomorrow off so that I can make the repairs I have waiting on me at the farm. I have to replace the heating elements in the hot water heater in the mobile home. Victoria has been without hot water for most of the week now. I am hoping it is only a matter of replacing the element and not the entire water heater. Either is a bother but the element is far less expensive that the entire heater.

The repair Mama is most anxious about is the repair I have to make to the little truck. It has been idle for about two weeks now which leaves her without a vehicle; not that she has any desire to go anywhere most days, it just feels better to have the option to go if she wanted to. I have ordered the part and expect it to be arriving today or tomorrow. I am looking forward to getting back to driving the little truck. As old and ratty as it is it still gives me the ability to shop for items I would never try to carry in the Flex.

Mama’s eyes were a little red last night, not to the point that they had been recently but red enough that I am glad to be doing the feeding of the hay to the horses and cattle for the next several days. She has been on the tractor brush hogging the last of the pastures also and we are not sure if that contributed to the new puffiness, but I can take over that as well – after the repairs are done.

We are starting to see some life in the fields and in the yard near the house and shop; enough so that I will have to buy a lawn mower to get us started this spring. Mama and Grandpa are still hoping we can get a zero turn mower as our primary lawn care machine but we will always need a smaller mower to do some areas – unless I want to do them all with a weed eater. That is something else I need to buy since all the weed eaters were taken to West Virginia. The “needs” list is growing ever longer as spring approaches.

I did get some good news on the financial front. When I checked my bank account I saw a deduction for the income tax debt we have been paying on for almost two years that was not the typical amount. It was smaller by about twenty dollars which led me to believe that it could have been the final payment for that debt. I called and after almost forty minutes on hold I was assured that it had indeed been the final payment.

Hallelujah!