The play, elderberries, Mama’s big win

The Christmas play will be upon us very quickly. With that thought in mind, practices have started for the play. Mama was selected to play a bit part in the play and as much as she boohooed about having to be in the play again, she enjoys doing it. She came home from practice excited about her role and the overall selection of those who have been given parts in the play. One of the parts is being acted out by Gracie Echeveria. Her dad is playing the part of a crochety old man who is being solicited by a young girl to buy some Christmas items for a church school fundraiser. The old man tells her not to listen to the nonsense about the Christmas story and the play progresses from there. Mama plays the part of the in-home nurse caring for the old man; talk about being typecast. It is a good play. It should be fun – as long as the choir can get their parts together for the musical portion of the play and cantata.

Mama and I are going to make a final harvest of the elderberries this week. The bushes are so loaded the that the branches are straining under the weight of the ripened berries. Once we cut the fronds from the plants I will cut the plants down so they can begin their winter sleep – hopefully to regrow next year. Mama and I were talking about the way the plants showed up on the new fence line this year. The placement of the plants could not have been better for maintaining the yard the way Mama likes to and it could not have been better for me to keep the plants watered and otherwise tended to through the dry, hot months of summer. The elderberries are the most successful fruit bearing plants on the farm – and I had very little to do with their placement or excessive growth. All I did was recognize the plants for want they were in their infant stages. That was all God. It has been and should continue to be a great benefit.

After Mama got home last night – about the time Victoria got home as well – she and Victoria logged into Facebook to watch an online “show” for LulaRoe. It has replaced the Beanie Babies hunt in our lives. Anyway, I did my best to talk them out of watching too long because the longer one of these displays is watched and the more you see others purchasing the items displayed, the more you feel the need to make a purchase also. Mama continued to watch long after Victoria had shut her link down. As the show progressed a game was played concerning pets owned and Mama entered the true number of all the animal charges she has on the farm which won the contest. In doing so, she won a “Randy” - whatever that is. (At first, I was jealous but I got over t pretty quickly.) Mama was ecstatic over her victory. I think she got up excited this morning riding on the emotion that the contest outcome generated. My fear is that she will be further drawn in to the online shows. So far, her resistance to using electronic devices has saved me hundreds of dollars.

Those days may be quickly coming to an end.