Though I spent sleepless hours last night due to back pain, and I am tired, I am grateful for this day. I'm blessed to see another rising sun in pretty good health, all things considered.
I'm grateful for Ben Gay, that wonderful, warm ointment that penetrates pain and gives some relief to the areas that get so achey sometimes. When that isn't enough, there is Tylenol or Aleve....which I try not to take often. Also a blessing is the creation of those throw-away heat belts and patches that have no odor, so I can go to places where I couldn't if I was chained to a chair with an electric heating pad.
This may sound silly, but I'm thankful for our straight-backed wooden counter stools and my kitchen island. When things are too painful to be able to stand longer than a few minutes at a time, I can sit and chop and mix whatever creation I've a mind to. Today it was using up the last of our Italian tomatoes and some of the peppers and eggplant from our now-dead garden. As we speak, the fresh sauce is simmering on a low heat, and the smell is permeating the house, making me hungry!
I'm glad for our church which records our morning and evening worship services on cds, which are available just for the asking. On days like this, when I feel that I am too uncomfortable to join the congregation, I know I won't miss the service,the music and the sermons. I do, however, feel the desire for the fellowship of my friends there.
There are so many things that we could complain about in this life, but I choose, today, to count my blessings instead.
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Oddities
Because things I've seen are not always what we'd call 'normal', I entitle them 'oddities'. I will share a few here today, things I've seen recently that have caught my attention.
Yesterday we went over to the church to drop off some things for today's BBQ fundraiser. On the return trip, we stopped at a gas station that we frequent from time to time. I noticed a man who was pumping gas two pumps to my right. I paid him no attention until he was pulling out of the service station lot. He was driving a fairly new pick-up truck, with a double cab and a good sized bed on it. He was towing an old, rusty,small utility trailer. Nothing unusual about that in these parts. But, as he pulled out unto the road,I noticed that the right rear wheel had an shredded tire that was flopping around as he drove. Cartoon-like. He stopped at the traffic light, and when he started on his route again, he turned left on the same road we take to our house. As he turned, there was a good deal of clunking going on, and I noticed that the wheel wasn't turning at all! The rim was dragging along the blacktop...leaving a trail. We could have followed the guy home by what he left behind him. I have no idea where he was headed...hopefully to a junk yard!
At the same gas stop some months ago, we were parked in front of the convenience store. I was in the van,waiting for Mike to pay for gas, when a Jeep pulled in next to me. It was one of the big,square, SUV types, not an open military-type of vehicle. The driver got out of the car and went inside. When he came outside, my window was open. He spoke to me, as is quite common in this area. He joked, "Watch your arm, I'm going to get into the car." I say,'joked' because there was absolutely NO door on the driver's area! I asked him if that was legal. He told me that the police had stopped him and let him off without a ticket, but said it wasn't illegal,although it wasn't very safe. I'm still scratching my head about that one. When the young man left I offered him a farewell and added, 'be safe!'
On another note,the other day we visited our grocery store. While walking to the door, a gentleman stepped out, from between two parked cars, into our path. I immediately gave him a big smile, which he returned. Mike and I exchanged short conversation with him on our way into the store, and once inside, we watched people's reactions as he passed them. Some smiled. Some looked confused. Some totally ignored him. Children flocked to look at him or to speak to him. We were amused at the reactions. What's more fun than people-watching, especially when one of them is a nice, older gentleman who stopped on his way home from a birthday party to buy his dinner? By the way, the man's name tag read 'Buttons' and he was dressed in the full regalia of a circus clown...huge, funny shoes, white face paint and all!
It is the 'oddities' of life that make it all so interesting!
Yesterday we went over to the church to drop off some things for today's BBQ fundraiser. On the return trip, we stopped at a gas station that we frequent from time to time. I noticed a man who was pumping gas two pumps to my right. I paid him no attention until he was pulling out of the service station lot. He was driving a fairly new pick-up truck, with a double cab and a good sized bed on it. He was towing an old, rusty,small utility trailer. Nothing unusual about that in these parts. But, as he pulled out unto the road,I noticed that the right rear wheel had an shredded tire that was flopping around as he drove. Cartoon-like. He stopped at the traffic light, and when he started on his route again, he turned left on the same road we take to our house. As he turned, there was a good deal of clunking going on, and I noticed that the wheel wasn't turning at all! The rim was dragging along the blacktop...leaving a trail. We could have followed the guy home by what he left behind him. I have no idea where he was headed...hopefully to a junk yard!
At the same gas stop some months ago, we were parked in front of the convenience store. I was in the van,waiting for Mike to pay for gas, when a Jeep pulled in next to me. It was one of the big,square, SUV types, not an open military-type of vehicle. The driver got out of the car and went inside. When he came outside, my window was open. He spoke to me, as is quite common in this area. He joked, "Watch your arm, I'm going to get into the car." I say,'joked' because there was absolutely NO door on the driver's area! I asked him if that was legal. He told me that the police had stopped him and let him off without a ticket, but said it wasn't illegal,although it wasn't very safe. I'm still scratching my head about that one. When the young man left I offered him a farewell and added, 'be safe!'
On another note,the other day we visited our grocery store. While walking to the door, a gentleman stepped out, from between two parked cars, into our path. I immediately gave him a big smile, which he returned. Mike and I exchanged short conversation with him on our way into the store, and once inside, we watched people's reactions as he passed them. Some smiled. Some looked confused. Some totally ignored him. Children flocked to look at him or to speak to him. We were amused at the reactions. What's more fun than people-watching, especially when one of them is a nice, older gentleman who stopped on his way home from a birthday party to buy his dinner? By the way, the man's name tag read 'Buttons' and he was dressed in the full regalia of a circus clown...huge, funny shoes, white face paint and all!
It is the 'oddities' of life that make it all so interesting!
Friday, August 3, 2012
A Cottage Near the Pond
We've been hoping to get to see Charleston for five years now. Somehow, it hasn't come to fruition. But, be that as it may, this is the year! We've been, correction....I've been ....searching out places to see and where to stay.
In the past, our vacation accommodations involved tents and sleeping bags. As age has crept up on us, waking from a lumpy, hard ground and attempting to work out the body's kinks and aches in the morning has lost it's glamor. So...we 'graduated' to KOA cabins. While they are comfortable enough for sleeping, there aren't 'facilities' in the smaller ones, which means waking and marching along a dark route to the bathroom in the middle of the night. Between the two of us, that might mean multiple trips. (yes, I'm being brutally honest....aging has it's advantages...and disadvantages. Frequent potty breaks is one of them!)
So...we're in the market for a different sort of option for accommodation for this trip. We both abhor motels....so I began to seek out rental homes for our one week stay. I have found what I believe to be the perfect spot. It is a two bedroom cottage, set on seven acres, with a nice porch that overlooks a huge pond. It is a short drive to Charleston and surrounded by many attractions and beaches. The best part is, it is affordable!
I spoke on the phone to the owner, and though she said she's 'very picky' about the tenants she accepts, she sounds as if she's a friendly and sweet woman. I've read all of the former tenants comments about their stays, and they are all complimentary and positive. Today is the day when I will call and firm up our reservations! In a few weeks or so, I'll let you know what we thought of our trip and our "home away from home!"
In the past, our vacation accommodations involved tents and sleeping bags. As age has crept up on us, waking from a lumpy, hard ground and attempting to work out the body's kinks and aches in the morning has lost it's glamor. So...we 'graduated' to KOA cabins. While they are comfortable enough for sleeping, there aren't 'facilities' in the smaller ones, which means waking and marching along a dark route to the bathroom in the middle of the night. Between the two of us, that might mean multiple trips. (yes, I'm being brutally honest....aging has it's advantages...and disadvantages. Frequent potty breaks is one of them!)
So...we're in the market for a different sort of option for accommodation for this trip. We both abhor motels....so I began to seek out rental homes for our one week stay. I have found what I believe to be the perfect spot. It is a two bedroom cottage, set on seven acres, with a nice porch that overlooks a huge pond. It is a short drive to Charleston and surrounded by many attractions and beaches. The best part is, it is affordable!
I spoke on the phone to the owner, and though she said she's 'very picky' about the tenants she accepts, she sounds as if she's a friendly and sweet woman. I've read all of the former tenants comments about their stays, and they are all complimentary and positive. Today is the day when I will call and firm up our reservations! In a few weeks or so, I'll let you know what we thought of our trip and our "home away from home!"
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