Reptile issues, bathroom remodel, Chase, Mother’s Day storms

The snake that had shown itself to the mail carrier on Friday was enough to frighten her to the point that she refused to deliver the mail on Saturday. I do not know how she was able to spot the snake Saturday since he was hiding in the top pipe of the fence that abuts the column which houses the mailbox; but she did spot it and even sent Mama a picture. I had to stop what I was doing in the master bathroom and deal with a harmless reptile to assuage her fear. He will die where I entombed him in the pipe. I only hope that will suffice.

Saturday Mama and I worked in the master bath getting the flooring redone and both vanities installed. It took me all day to get the work done – and we only had to make two trips to the hardware store for fittings to hook up the sink on my side. I was just getting the tools put away when Brittany and Andrew, Makaila and Chase drove up.  All in all, it turned out well enough that Mama is anxious to get the rest of the cabinets painted and the countertops redone.

They all had a good evening playing a card game and arguing about who really won. Chase was taking credit for winning overall but there was the usual amount of dissention in the various opinions. We did get a great chance to tease Chase about the way Makaila does everything for him. It is no different in my eyes than when he was growing up – other than the fact that his wife is now doing the work done by his Mama and his five sisters. That did not stop us from making him feel just a little bit guilty as Makaila made him a sandwich from ingredients sitting right in front of him.

All of us went to church Sunday morning so Mama could have a full row for Mother’s Day. It was a good thought and it did pretty much work out that way but when we got to church we found out that there was no power in the sanctuary. We met in the gym/fellowship hall. That would have been okay if not for the rain that began to fall shortly after the service began. Pastor had to have the volume raised several times on the portable PA system just so we could almost hear him.

We muddled through the service and it was good overall, even with the songs being sung acapella. But the rain only got worse as the morning progressed. By the time church dismissed there were rivers of water running down the sidewalks we all needed to cross to get to the flooded parking lot. Eventually we decided to make a run to the vehicles since the rain showed no signs of stopping and Chase and Makaila were on a constrained schedule. As is common, though we were soaked from the rain we walked through to get to the truck, we drove out of the rain into the sunshine within a few miles of Decatur.

I think Mama had a good Mother’s Day in spite of the storms.

Big rains, big plans

I forgot to mention that on Wednesday night we got our test results from the first FBI exam back; Mama and I each made the same grade, 97. Mama was thrilled. Neither of us expects to do as well on the most recent test we took. There were two people that made over 100 out of a possible 104 points but I do not expect to be able to get perfect scores; passing, yes - perfect, no.

I was in a teleconference meeting yesterday from 8 a.m. until 12:30. That makes for a long day. It was a very productive meeting so it was not a complete bore. It was a preface to what is coming to the office here next week when we will be having such meetings through the entire week. When I got home I was really wanting to do something more active. After some discussion, Mama and I took the tractor, detached the brush hog and cleaned out the barn stalls.

The forecast is for heavy rains and severe thunderstorms through the weekend into next week so dropping the implement from the tractor was the right choice; besides, we needed a shorter profile to get the tractor into the corral area of the barn. As we worked in the barn we could see and hear the storms approaching but we took the time to get to the point that we could walk away satisfied with the effort before we put the tractor up and headed for the house. By that time the storms were upon us.

It intensified through the next couple hours. I did not think much about it until I got a text from one of the ladies who work for me. Her text was pretty anxious. The center of the storm – the tornado and large hail producing part – was to pass through Chico within the next half hour. That changed our focus a little. Meanwhile, Mama was getting Facebook updates from people in the church about hail and strong winds damaging their cars and houses.

Although the storm intensified greatly around that time we did not see any of the destructive parts of it. We had gotten two inches of rain by the time we finally went to bed. The patio flooded due to the volume of rain that fell but the ditch I dug a few days ago managed to keep it at a manageable level and it had drained by this morning. The koi pond is clear full but I have the pump set so Mama can get it emptied before it refills this evening. We will go through the same exercise every night and following morning for the next seven to ten days.

Mama has big plans for me this weekend. All work will have to be inside work so we have scheduled to complete the bathroom vanities on Saturday. That includes the floor repairs under the vanities, the painting of the cabinet between the vanities and the installation of both vanities. She even wants the mirrors painted and rehung. (That may be overreaching.)

I am a little ahead since I installed Mama’s vanity a couple months ago, so hers is already fit – although I will have to pull it out to do the flooring and the painting. There is still a lot of work to do to get it to the point where Mama will call it good.

Should be fun.

Rain, applications, cattle, raising kids

As I left the house this morning I looked at the rain gauge and was pleased to see that we had gotten ½ inch through the night. But when I started hearing how much other nearby areas got I was really thrilled that we got only the ½ inch. Bowie got 5”; Alvord got 2.8 and some parts of Denton got over three inches. Our little bit is far better in the long run.

Mama and Victoria spent the majority of the day in Decatur yesterday as Victoria put in applications at various companies. They worked from the library for most of the early afternoon so Victoria could use the internet to fill out online applications. (Not having internet at the house presents a challenge for us every so often.) I do not know what she applied for but what I heard covered a large variety of job types. I believe the one that really interests her is at Wise Regional Hospital. She would appreciate your prayers as she looks into moving away from Walmart.

As time allowed yesterday I looked up a few items of Craig’s List. One thing that I try to keep an eye on is the price of calves. When we bought bottle babies just two years ago the price was $60/head for Holstein bull calves. That price is not $400/head. Beef calves go for almost $900/head. Knowing that that is not sustainable, I have tried to keep an eye on the market.

Yesterday I found a bred back nurse cow for sale with three calves at her side for $3000. That may seem like a lot but the going price of a nurse cow is between $2000-2500. That puts the calves at about $300 per head. Not necessarily a bargain, but in today’s market it is a fair price. I showed the ad to Mama after church last night and she liked the looks of the pictures – so she called the seller. We may go down to his farm on Saturday with the intent of buying the cow and calves – if she is still available on Saturday.

Cori called yesterday to tell Mama that Mykenzie had passed out a couple times yesterday. The first was while Mandy was trimming her hair. The second was shortly after and is more than likely the result of her not being fully recovered from the first episode. A nurse at Cori’s church told Cori that is not uncommon for young girls to pass out while standing as someone is brushing their hair.

She suggested that somehow stimulating the scalp causes the brain to open the blood vessels in the head and allow the blood to drain our – causing a fainting spell. I do not know, but it sounds reasonable. Personally, I have not combed my own hair in thirty years and my daughters rarely had me comb theirs. They are going to the doctor today to have her evaluated but we are not sure what will come of it.

Meanwhile Grant and Blake can freefall from the bunk beds onto the tile floor and laugh about the purple bruises the get as a result. Parenting is a broad field of application of small bits of information which, when you have figured only some of it out, you get to watch your children follow the same process with your grandchildren.

As grandparents, however, we get to sleep through the night.

Rain, being close, success, sad news

The rains came as expected yesterday and will continue through this week into next week. As night fell last night the storms intensified with lightning and thunder for hours. I do not think we got much precipitation out of the display but it was fun to hear the rumble and see the flashes of lightening through the closed window shades. Mama and I have always loved storms. She just does not like to travel in them.

In spite of the early evening rains we went to Sam’s after late meetings I had to attend at work. It is nice to be situated where we are because, for us, it is conveniently close to everything we need. Many would not consider it so because to travel the ten miles from Decatur to Bridgeport is, to them, a troublesome drive. When Mama and I talk about going to places hours away (and returning the same day) you would think they would have to take a couple days to make such a trip. “Close” is all about perspective.

I have to admit that there are days when Mama does not even want to leave the house to go to Chico –three miles away. I do not mind such times. It costs me far less to have her at home than out shopping. To date she has not discovered the ease of shopping online. I rue the  day we stumble across that avenue of commerce.

In spite of the issues we have had – and will continue to have – with this home it is nice to be here. Mama and I were going over the plants in the twilight last night checking for progress in their growth. Her rose bushes gave her the biggest thrill. They are putting on new buds like crazy. The blackberry and black raspberry bushes have berries ripening on them – they have only been in the ground a week. The tiny blueberry bush we planted a few weeks ago has four berries on it.

The little fig has several figs beginning to develop. The nectarine has fruit developing – even though the birds are pecking at them. We have one lone apple on the young tree in the garden. The older apple tree is not going to give us any fruit but the pear tree will make up for it. It is encouraging to finally be able to see things grow so well; things besides weeds, briars and nettles. The only drawback is that I want to keep buying plants and trees to augment the blessing; but Mama told me I have to stop for now.

On a sad front, Victoria’s friend Heather who, with her husband of three years, has been serving at a mission’s work in Peru lost her husband yesterday. He had suffered a head injury and did not recover. Throughout the time he was in the hospital her testimony has been incredibly uplifting. Even at his death her heart’s expression for love for the Lord was what most of us hope we will have the grace and wisdom to say at such a moment. Mama and Victoria were both deeply affected by the news.

A stark reminder of just how brief our life really is.

Tests, dogs

Mama spent a good portion of the morning in Bowie yesterday. Her CAT scan was scheduled for 8 a.m. but they had her come in early so they could put in the die required for the test. She told me that neither of the punctures she got for the blood work or the die insertion caused her any pain at the moment but she had some pretty big bruises in the crook of each elbow. We will hear the results in the next several days.

While she was in Bowie she followed up on our van which has been at the shop for over a week now. Roger Truax has done our maintenance and repairs since we came to Bowie and we really trust and appreciate the work he does; so do a lot of other people. He stays very busy all the time. Mama found out that he should have the van repaired by Wednesday evening. We are not doing too badly without it but Mama misses having her own vehicle at the ready.

Last night we had our second test in FBI (Faith Bible Institute). It was not a difficult test but it followed a very difficult week. We were all cramming to get the information into our overflowing little brains and invariably some of the references got confused. I think we all did well enough but it is frustrating to think you know something only to find out you cannot accurately reproduce it when needed or get confused about certain little points of comparison.

The idea is not to graduate Magna Cum Laude. The idea is to study the Bible and fall in love with the Word of God; to live it out in a more intimate and practical sense in our everyday lives. That we are able to do regardless of the number of test questions we answer correctly. However, it is nice to see grades that make you feel good about what you have done versus walking away thinking poorly of yourself. I often wonder how God is grading the entire situation. There I do not want to fail.

This last pup Victoria and Mama picked up is having a hard time getting the idea that it should not pee in the house and as it gets larger the problem is only growing in volume. I came to the realization last night that I could live my life without the dogs. I do not think either Mama or Victoria feel that way so I will be living my life with the dogs regardless of how I relate to the issue; but I think I could do without them.

The remainder of this week could be trying on that front since we are expecting rain – some significant amounts on various days – for the next seven to ten days. When the dogs cannot move about freely outside we have to deal with the potty-ing issue as best we can. Because of the wet ground there will be a large amount of energy spent in cleaning paws for re-entry into the house. Mama ends up worn out every day on those kinds of days. But she expends the energy because it is required if we are to keep a relatively clean house and share it with the dogs.

She loves the dogs and I love her so we work it out – daily.

Busy Saturday, medical tests, FBI tests

Saturday was a pretty productive day. I was able to get out early and use the tractor to scrape, pull and drag, the dirt in the portion of the back yard nearest the septic tanks and get it looking a little more like a back yard. I was not able to get it all leveled out but that portion looks better. Even after seven dry days the deeper parts were too wet to rearrange.

On the other side of the yard it was still way too wet to get to the damaged part with the tractor. I tried but almost got stuck in the soft ground. I did do a little leveling on the outermost edges but I had to get in with a shovel and make the last few changes I could manage. It will have to dry up a good deal more before I can help Mama out with that gouged mess to where she can actually mow the whole yard.

I put the string head on the weed eater and trimmed around the house and trees – as well as the areas where Mama has not been able to mow because of the trenches left from the backhoe work we had done a couple months ago. So, all in all, it looks less unkempt but still far from what I would like to have.

In the afternoon I loaded up the tiller to go to the Cantrell’s so we could get Kim started on a garden. While I was getting ready to tie down the tiller I was getting out of the truck bed and my slick, dusty glove slipped on the side of the truck bed and I fell out of the truck. I did not get hurt but my phone clip caught on the bed and got ripped from my belt. It splintered in several pieces. It is the third one I have broken in as many years. Maybe they sell them in multipacks.

When we got the Cantrell’s we started on the garden patch right away. What was to become a garden was a grassy area so I went over it four times – in differing directions – with the tiller but still could not get the depth I wanted so Mama and Kim began raking the tilled up grass out of the rows and I re-tilled in those cleared patches. That got the job done. By the time we left we had planted several rows of vegetables. With the rains that are forecast for this week she should be off to good start.

Mama is headed to the hospital in Bowie this morning to get a CAT scan. She has been suffering pains and burning sensations off and on with a place on the back of her head and now is the time to get it looked at. While we were living in the apartment in New Jersey she passed out in the kitchen and cracked her head pretty hard.

Neither of us knows how long she lay there but the blood was almost dry when she came to the bedroom to get my help. It took a good bit to clean her up. The doctor we saw after the incident did not seem concerned about it. We all chalked it up to dehydration.

Now, however, with the uncertainty of my job going forward we thought it was time to get the tests done so we could rule out anything medically pressing. We do not expect any bad news but it will be nice to eliminate even the possibility of bad news in the future.

This evening we have our second test in FBI. With Mission’s Conference all last week none of us have had much time to study so we are all cramming today. We’ll see how that turns out.

Mama, a look ahead

The last few days have been pleasant enough that Mama has overexerted herself working in the flowerbeds. It seems that the pup – or perhaps a rabbit – has an affinity for the bulbs she and Brittany planted in a flowerbed at the side of the house in our back yard. She put some fencing around it yesterday as she pulled the last of some stubborn weeds from the bed. She was hurting last night as we sat through our three hour FBI class.

Since the fellowship hall was being used for basketball we met in the smaller fellowship hall in the church. It was easier to hear the presentation in the smaller space but it was easier to disrupt the presentation with side conversations – and Erin was in a really chatty mood. (She does not get much adult conversation.) I had to threaten to separate her and Barbara at one point. Later they got me back as Victoria and I were talking about the spelling of the word “choir”; which is not pronounced anything like the word oink although they are spelled alike. It was a fun night but it was a late night.

Tonight is RU. We have gotten several new attendees lately and one is a single mom with two older children – a third grader and a sixth grader. With the four year old twins it presents a bit of a challenge to make the night educational as well as entertaining for the two of them but we manage. Lee and Laura are thrilled about the increase in participation and those now coming seem genuinely interested in applying the program to their lives.

This afternoon I have to take Mama to a doctor’s appointment in Bowie. We are still down one vehicle with the van in the shop and I do not want her to miss this appointment. She is asking the doctor about the sore spot on her head that bothers her from time to time. Although she had been having phantom pains in that particular spot before, it seems to be related to a time when we lived in the apartment in New Jersey prior to moving to Amarillo.

Mama was sick for a few days and on one occasion passed out in the kitchen of that little apartment and cracked her head on the tile floor. It was a hard enough hit that she bled from the scalp wound it caused. No one knows how long she was on the floor but when she came to get me after the fall it took us some time to get her cleaned up. Anyway, she has put off for too long getting answers to the incident and has suffered recurring pain from the area over the years. Hopefully  we can get the necessary testing done and get some answers before this job plays out.

We do not have to do much cooking for RU tonight since we conspired to have some of the leftovers from the big dinners we had before services in our Mission’s Conference kept at the church for tonight. I told Mama tonight will be the most taxing of all the nights we have spent at church so far this week. It is only a few hours so we will scrape up the energy to make it through. (God always supplies a little extra.)

Saturday is still up in the air as to whether we will go to till a garden spot for Kim Cantrell.