It’s the Little Things

It’s the Little Things

Yesterday while talking to my daughter, she asked if I had come across any hand sanitizer lately?  She was concerned that Will did not have any to carry in his truck. Agriculture is considered an essential industry so he has been leaving home each day to work, and was having to stop by feed stores, and fill his truck up with gas regularly. 

I told her I did not, but I would certainly look for it when I went to Walmart the next day to grocery shop. I had several items on my list including a couple of health and beauty items, and usually I make a bees line to that department first, and then finish up with the groceries. 

Today I decided to do just the opposite in case the store had been picked over by the weekend shoppers. Luckily, it was well stocked, and I was able to get everything I needed. 

Then I made my way to the vitamin aisle, but sadly there was no vitamin C left. While I was checking the shelves to see if I might have missed it, I heard an employee say, “Wow! I can’t believe I just found this. Do you need some hand sanitizer?”

Sure enough she was holding up a small travel size bottle of sanitizer in her hand. Excitedly, I told her that I did need some for my son-in-law. I asked for two bottles, but she explained they could only sell me one. 

Then she did something completely remarkable, and selfless. She pulled out a small bottle of homemade hand sanitizer from her pocket, and offered it to me. 

Now here she was going to work everyday so that the items delivered each night would be stocked on the shelves, and she was offering me her own personal hand sanitizer. She was  risking her own health each day, and yet she felt compelled to help out my son-in-law. 

I quickly turned down her generous offer, and told her she needed it more, but I was touched by her kindness. 

As I was walking away I heard her offering the extra bottles that she had found at the bottom of her stocking bin to another customer. They probably weren’t even supposed to be there, and had been overlooked in the storeroom. She was just as surprised as I was to find them. 

As I thought about it, what were the chances that I would just so happen to be in her aisle at the exact moment that she came across the out of place hand sanitizers? If I had followed my usual shopping pattern, and gone there first, I would have completely missed out. 

Big and small we surely can be blessed by God. Not only was I blessed by the sanitizer I needed for Will, but by the kindness of the Walmart employee putting my needs above hers. 

After checking with the post office, I was able to mail the sanitizer, and it should be there by Wednesday. 

We’ve still got a long way to go before we are over this, but there are some really good people out there, and that truly is a blessing. 

The Power of Prayer

The Power of Prayer 

Wow! This Corona Virus just got real. As you probably know my brother-in-law was hospitalized on Thursday with a suspected case of Covid 19. 

Remarkably we are still awaiting results of the test to confirm he actually has the virus, but the doctors are convinced he does. During the last few days things took a turn for the worse, and it is truly a miracle that he is still with us. 

During this entire ordeal his family, including his wife, my sister, have not been able to be by his side. I cannot even imagine how difficult this has been for them. 

However, what I do know is that the POWER of prayer has been evident throughout. Just like the contagion of a virus, friends and family began praying for him with a mighty contagion of prayer.

God’s hand has been on us throughout as we have leaned on him for strength and peace. I want to personally thank everyone who has stood with our family in agreement during this difficult time. 

Please continue to pray for both him and his family as we are not completely out of the woods yet. 

Our God is mighty, and we trust him completely. 

A Creature of Habit

A Creature of Habit

How are you faring during these uncertain times? Chuck has been working from home the last few days, and I think he’s beginning to feel the effects of not having the freedom to come and go. 

I on the other hand seem to have settled in rather nicely, except for not getting to be with my friends and family. I am a creature of habit by nature, and have found myself creating a daily routine. By doing so I’ve felt pretty content. 

With the access to Zoom, my days have not been too much different than before. I’m still able to join my Bible Study and Weight Watchers group so I’m not feeling the isolation that I would have felt prior to this technology. Add on Face Time and getting to see my grandsons, I’m actually feeling blessed. 

In addition, getting outside has been the saving grace of this whole ordeal. As I sit on the back porch drinking my coffee, I’ve discovered that a new bird family has claimed the other bird house. I guess they are taking advantage of sheltering in place as well. I am not exactly sure what kind of birds they are. They are brown with a white chest, and make an extremely loud, and distinct sound. 

One thing I thought I might do to shake things up here is try something new from the grocery store. A fellow Weight Watcher member picked up some artichokes on her last grocery run, and when I commented on how I had no idea how to cook them she humorously informed me that you could learn to do brain surgery on You Tube! She has a point, so I think I’ll check them out. 

Being a creature of habit has worked in my favor up until now, but I know that soon I’ll probably be feeling more restless, and I will need to make a conscious effort not go stir crazy. What are you doing to keep yourself engaged?

What a Difference a Day Makes

What a Difference a Day Makes

It’s amazing how much a little sunshine can contribute to my happiness. We’ve spent the last week locked up in our homes looking out the window at a sea of gray. Today the sun is shining, and I’m sitting out on my back porch enjoying this beautiful day.

You’ll be happy to know that the baby bluebirds have hatched, and Mama and Daddy are busy bringing them dinner. Each time they land on the bluebird box you can hear the chirping sound of the babies inside. Their reaction to their next meal reminds me of my own. 

They are unaware that the world is standing still at this moment in time due to something called the Corona virus. I checked in with my 93 year old aunt today, and I can tell her spirits are waning. She can leave her room to walk up and down the halls, but her life has definitely been changed in the course of a week. 

I’m wishing everyone a good day, and sending my prayers your way. Like I reminded my aunt, we are all in this together. Don’t forget to reach out to someone today. 

The Redneck Beach

The Redneck Beach

You gotta love country kids. No need for a fancy country club membership to the pool when the big puddle in your gravel driveway will do just fine. 

This is the first week of the Corona Virus quarantine, and unfortunately the weather hasn’t fully cooperated. Especially when you have a two year old and four year old who crave the outdoors. The days of rain have saturated their backyard playground, and has left Great Lakes sized puddles in the driveway.

But not to be undone my daughter has beautifully handled the situation by allowing the boys to take a trip to the beach right outside their front door. In fact, it was the two year old who first gleefully said, “I at the beach!”

Meanwhile, the four year old has became a seasoned fisherman while catching imaginary fish with his bare hands. Come to think of it he might actually have a future in noodling one day. 

As I Face Timed Brittany today I couldn’t help but laugh at the antics of these two. They are unaware of the troubles of the world, and only know that playing in a puddle is the highlight of their young lives. 

Living in the moment comes so naturally to this age. Thanks Brittany for being such an awesome mom to your two boys, and allowing them to live their best lives.

The Attraction

The Attraction

Okay, I’m going to begin with the backstory here. Several years ago Chuck purchased a foam exercise roller to help with some back issues he was having. The roller sat inside our closet propped up against some shelves when not in use. 

One day I entered the closet, looked down, and noticed the roller had about a hundred bite marks all up and down it. Apparently the cat had gone to town exercising her cat given right to bite it to shreds. I had no idea what the attraction was except that the cat seemed to have been compelled to destroy it. 

Fast forward to about a year later when the cat was spending more time outside in our fenced in backyard. At the time we had a pool, and a couple of pool noodles that were easily accessible to anyone who felt inclined to use them. 

One day I reached down to pick up the pool noodle when I noticed that it too had been attacked by the cat. In fact, both noodles had succumbed to her fangs. If you’ve ever tried to float on a scratched up pool noodle it is not a pleasant experience. 

After moving to our new neighborhood, with a neighborhood pool, I purchased a couple of noodles for Chuck and I to use on our occasional jaunts to the pool. I kept these out in the garage without giving it much thought. 

A couple months back Chuck was doing some garage organization when he brought in the two pool noodles for my inspection. They both had been repeatedly bitten, just like the old noodles. 

Now how could this possibly be since the cat was a completely indoor animal at this point? As I pondered the mystery it hit me that a few weeks back the cat had accidentally spent the night in the garage. I had left the door open while I was doing some cleaning in the evening, and she must have snuck into the garage from the house.  

I hate to say it that I never noticed she was missing.

 that night, but the next morning I was quite surprised to find her waiting for me on the other side of the door. Of course, I had no idea how she had really spent the night before. 

Apparently, as she nosed around the garage she had come across the unsuspecting pool noodles, and had wasted no time in obliterating them. I have no idea what her fascination is with these things, but what I do know is that thanks to her I’ll be replacing these things once again. 

Luckily they are inexpensive enough, but I’ve learned to purchase them early in the season, as if you wait too long they are no longer available. 

Once again this “darn cat” has kept me on my toes, and has challenged my own “noodle” to outwit her uncontrollable attraction to pool noodles. I wonder if it’s kind of like popping bubble wrap?

Which Came First?

Which Came First?

Well the saga continues. If you’ve been following the story of my daughter’s chickens it gets even better. 

As you may recall “the girls” as I like to call them, had their coop destroyed back in the fall by extremely high winds. Even though, Chuck was able to reassemble it much to their relief and delight, they never got back into the routine of laying their eggs inside the coop. 

One day Will discovered about twenty eggs underneath his flatbed trailer.  After a quick Google search Brittany was able to determine that the eggs were still edible by doing some sort of float test with them. 

Over the months the chickens would search out new places to lay, and sometimes Brittany and Will would find them, and sometimes not. 

That is until just recently when one of “the girls” discovered the perfect place to lay her eggs. She now makes her way each day to a patio chair, and lays her egg in the comfort of a cushion provided by Brittany and Will’s recently acquired backyard patio set. 

How brilliant of her, and how gracious to deliver her egg right outside the back patio door. Talk about farm to table. 

The other day my daughter caught the hen in the act, and sent me a National Geographic 

quality video of her actual laying her egg. Now to be honest after seeing this it gave me pause about ever eating an egg again. 

Sometimes too much information is not a good thing. There’s a reason God gave the chicken a plethora of feathers. You know, “Out of sight, out of mind,” as my mother used to say.