%%USERNAME%%    %%ACCWORDS%% %%ONOFF%% |
 |  A Journal of our Adventures in Country Living.... |
|
"Home is where the heart is" and this is the continuing story of our life on the farm....where our heart is and where we make our home. ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** I want to thank janieruthryals for this wonderful Merit Badge: ![Merit Badge in Nature
[Click For More Info]
For the wonderful visit to your farm, all through the words in your blog.](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/genre-Nature-1125.gif) |
| I haven't meant to ignore y'all. I've just been really busy this past week. I haven't even clicked on WDC because once I do, I get addicted to reading your blogs. Then the afternoon passes by so quickly, and nothing on my list gets done. I have been doing all kinds of research on publishing. It is amazing the information you can find out there. The one thing that I have found out, that after you read so much, the info starts contradicting itself. That does nothing but confuse me even more!!!! This publisher says you need to do it this way, this one says no, don't do it that way, do it this way; then another one will say don't listen to either of them, this is the way to go. My head just spins after a while!!! I have also been doing some internet surfing regarding designing book covers. I was amazed at all the scientific studies that have been done to figure out what type of cover catches the eye of the reader. They have done individual studies on color, graphic content, font, placment of words and letters... it is just amazing. Another thing I have been busy at searching for work. I have put in resumes at two places that I would prefer to work at, one being the University in Huntsville, and the other is the WalMart Distribution Center in New Caney. I was called in for an interview at WalMart and I believe it went quite well. It was explained to me that you have to pass a three step interview process. In the first interview, you are asked some general questions and told about the job positions. If you pass that interview, your name is passed on to the next step, and they will call you and set up a time to come in. Then, hopefully, you are passed on to step three. My interviewer told me that these steps usually take up to 2 months to complete. Oh well, I thought... at least I am in the program at least. The young gal that was interviewing me was really sweet and cordial. She told me a bit about the position that was open at the moment. It is an order filling position, but said that it may not be available by the time I get through the process, but they will keep my file open for 3 months. She ask me three questions, all having to do with scenarios, and I was expected to answer them with actual situations taken from my work history. Questions like: What would you do if one of your employees was having trouble getting their work done, or: What problems have you had to settle between workers, and if you had to make changes in the routine, did it work? why or why not. She must have liked what she heard, because when the interview was over, she told me she wanted to set me right up with a second interview for next week. I am scheduled to go back at 8am on Tuesday. Wish me luck!!!!! They do have an office position open that she would like to see me get, but they have to post it first, internally. If they don't fill the position internally, then it will be open and I can put in for it. They have one shift that I am really interested in. It is the weekend shift. They work Saturday, Sunday and Monday... 12 hours a day. Because you are only getting 36 hours a week, they pay you an extra 1.30 an hour for this shift to help make up the difference. It is still considered a full time position, so you get the same benefits as everyone else. Regular starting pay is 11.85 an hour, which is considered excellent pay for around here. Tack on another 1.30 and that brings it to 13.15 an hour!! And on top of that, you have Tues, Wed, Thurs and Friday off!!! I could do that real easy. I worked 12 hour days the last summer I worked for the school district, before moving to Texas... and that was 6 days a week, and I had no problem with it besides sleeping all day Sunday!!!! Ok, one last chuckle here.... As I sat down to write this blog, Smoke, our big gray, longhaired cat started chasing something through the house. I figured it was probably a little lizard, as they are always getting into the house, and the cats love to catch them. I fight the cats off and catch the little critters and throw them back outside. They are really cute little lizards, well, they are really Anoles. They are the ones that change color depending on what they are on. If they are on a bush or in grass, they are bright green. If they are on the bark of a tree, or on the house, they turn different shades of brown. Sure enough, there was this poor little Anole running as fast as his little body could take him, trying to stay ahead of Smoke. I jumped up and intercepted, and pushed Smoke and the other 3 cats, who came running to see what was up, out of my way. The lizard had run into a corner where I have cans of dog and cat foot stored. I was moving the cans, watching for the lizard and pushing cats out of the way. They were crouched, waiting for the lizard to run so they could pounce on the intruder. Finally the lizard makes a run for it, and Smoke is right there to cut him off. The lizard runs to the only safe place he can find... right up my pant leg!! I had jeans on, and all I saw was his tail disappearing up my leg!! Thank goodness, things like this don't freak me out. I just sighed a sigh of relief that Smoke didn't get the poor creature, and tippy toed over to the door. I stepped outside onto the step and shook my leg. Out fell the lizard!! He looked around for a second, then took off for the safety of the grass. Here is a picture of an Anole... they are small, usually between 4 and 7 inches long. Their tail can be just as long as their bodies... and if you grab them by the tail, it will break off and all you are left with is a squirming tail with no lizard at the end of it!! ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** I will try to get in to read and comment to your blogs tomorrow. I have a lot to catch up on. I miss y'all!! |
| Have you ever curled up on the couch, totally engrossed in a good book, the television on in the background. Maybe your hubby or another family member is watching their favorite program, or you just have it on for noise. As you sit their reading, you come to a word and at the exact same time you acknowledge the word, they say the same exact word on the television!! This usually happens to me several times while I am reading, and I look up and think, "how strange, I just read that word." Then I get back into the characters, and lose myself within the pages again. But the other day, this event happened but it was much more extreme. Tor was watching the CBS Evening News, I was reading the book "The Halo Effect" by M.J. Rose. It is a murder/suspense story and was worth the effort to finish. I was at the point where there is a car chase in the city of New York. Just as I read the words: "They crossed the Brooklyn Bridge weaving between cars to gain headway in the evening traffic," I heard this on the news broadcast: "They just crossed the Brooklyn Bridge weaving through the evening rush hour traffic." I looked up and there were two cars zigzagging around backed up traffic on the bridge!! I mean, it was superbly choreographed, it couldn't have been done any better. At the same moment I read the words, they were speaking them on TV!! 'How strange was that?" I asked myself. The news report went on with their story, and I got back to mine.... two completely different stories, two completely separate scenes, thousands of miles apart - but at that instant, in that second, we connected!!! ******************************* I have been traveling the roads of East Texas turning in resumes and filling out applications but have heard nothing back as of yet. One of my stops was Sam Houston State University. They had several openings that I applied for. Two of them were in the campus library. It is a beautiful building with an extensive collection of books. The first job was for a full time position working afternoons, and the second was for a part time spot. It's been over a week and a half now, and I haven't heard back from them. I would have loved to have gotten one of these, preferably the full time position. I have always loved libraries. The dark stained woods, the massive bookcases, the smell of paper and ink, the hush that settles throughout the room are just intoxicating to me. I have a lot of volunteer experience working in libraries, starting from when I was a student in grade school up through high school and into college. Then when my son started school, I did a lot of volunteer work in the school district and in our small towns library. The job description stated that you only needed a high school degree and an understanding of the library system. Any actually library work would be a plus. You had to be able to run office machines and type, and be willing to work with students if help was needed. Oh well, it would have been nice. The pay was good, benefits excellent and I would have been in an element I would have enjoyed. The only draw back was that it was a 45 mile trip one way. But it was all country driving. The only road hazard I would have had to watch for was deer and lose cattle. I mentioned lose cattle because I ran into a few of them the other day. Well, I didn't actually 'run' into them, but they were standing in the middle of the road and I had to actually stop my car and chase them off. I was on my way to have lunch with Tor, and had just turned onto the main road just 1/2 mile from the house when I saw them up ahead. I knew who they belonged to and pulled into the driveway and informed the guy that he had a couple steers wandering around. Last Spring, the dogs were outside and started to bark. I walked outside to see what had gotten them all stirred up, and there were two horses just galloping down the middle of the main road. This is a two lane road, and not heavily traveled, but it is a main drive and people drive fast on it, especially the logging trucks carrying their loads to the sawmills. The two horses galloped down the road, slowed to a trot and circled around and headed back towards me. I grabbed a bucket that was behind the house and threw some pebbles in it. I started rattling the bucket and managed to gain the attention of these two animals. They slowed to a jog, turned and started to come off the highway into the yard. Just about this time, two young men driving a beat up truck came flying down the road and instead of slowing down, they laid on their horn. The horses took off at a full gallop back down the highway and around the bend. I never saw them again. I was praying and hoping that no one would hit them... not only for their sake, but someone could have been killed. Later that day, I finally did drive down the road and saw the two horses in a pasture safely behind a fence. I don't know if that is where they belonged, or is someone managed to catch them and threw them in there to keep them safe and off the road. Another time, Tor and I were heading out to town and as we pulled out of our driveway, there went a big old horse and a goat walking down the grassy area next to the road. They were just moseying along, not at all in a hurry. The horse would stop and the goat would stop along side of him. They would look around and then continue on their merry way. Tor and I were going to stop and throw a rope around the horse and tie him up in our front yard so that who ever owned these two vagabonds could retrieve them, but a truck pulled up and two people got out with halters. You never know what you are going to see on the roadsides here in Texas. One day there was a big old wild sow with a bunch of piglets walking along, they ended up turning into our back yard and cutting across to the woods behind us. We have a cougar that leaves behind his prints every once in a while, but we have never seen him. *********************************** Ever have one of those mornings when you do something really stupid and feel real embarrassed? I had one this morning. Saturday mornings I usually fix sausage and pancakes. Tor was reading blogs and I headed into the kitchen to start breakfast. I cooked some maple/sage sausage and then mixed up the egg, milk, oil and pancake mix. I added a bit of vanilla and a touch of cinnamon to the batter and folded the ingredients ever so gently so that the pancakes would be real light. I usually heat the maple syrup up in my glass measuring cup, but that was in use holding some oil I had used the night before. So I grabbed a coffee cup out of the cupboard and just poured some syrup in it and put it in the microwave to heat. Earlier, I had also grabbed a cup and put a bit of Pepsi in it. I have to have a few swallows of Pepsi in the mornings to get my caffeine fix.... I don't like coffee. I put Tor's pancakes on his plate, along with his sausage. I buttered his pancakes and went to reach for the cup of syrup. I just reached, grabbed the cup and poured. I thought, geeze this syrup is really running this morning.... OMG..... Yes, I had actually grabbed my cup of Pepsi and poured Pepsi on Tor's pancakes instead of syrup. Gawd, I can't believe I just did that. I grabbed the pancakes off the plate, but it was to late. They had absorbed the Pepsi like a sponge and were soaked !!! Well, being the 'good' wife that I am, I dumped his pancakes out and gave him mine. I buttered them and grabbed the correct cup this time, and poured the hot syrup on. I brought them to him and went and sat down in the recliner to watch the morning news. "Aren't you going to eat, Honey?" he asked. "No, I'm not that hungry." I answered!!!!!!! Gawd!! I guess I could have mixed up more batter, but I didn't want to just for two or three pancakes. I would have had to throw the rest of the batter out. I didn't really need to eat that 'good' stuff anyway!!!! Stay tuned for the next episode in "The Days Of MY Life!!!!! |
| As I was surfing the internet today, I learned something that I found to be quite interesting. Maybe some of you knew this already, and maybe some of you won't give a hoot.... but I enjoyed it! We all know that we have broken up time in many ways. We have our 24 hour days, each hour broken up into minutes, those broken up into seconds and nano seconds and so on. We have measured our Earthly trip around the sun by giving it the term 'year'. This year is broken into 12 months, months broken into weeks, then into days.... and back to our 24 hour thingy. I knew that we also measured the suns directional rays on the Earth. June 21 is the Summer Solstice (in the northern hemisphere*) where the Sun is farthest north and the length of time between Sunrise and Sunset is at its longest for the year. This is honored as the FIRST day of the Season of Summer. December 22 is the Winter Solstice (again in the northern hemisphere*) where the Sun is farthest south and the length of time between Sunrise and Sunset is at its shortest for the year. This we have labeled the FIRST day of the Season of Winter. *In the southern hemisphere, winter and summer solstices are opposite from these. Summer Solstice is December 22 and Winter Solstice is June 21. There are two times a year when the length of day and night are the same. We have called these the Spring and Fall Equinox. Equinox coming from the Latin word equilibrium meaning 'in balance'. The sun is neither north or south, it is even with the equator and an equal distance from the North Pole and the South Pole. The Spring Equinox brings forth the first day of Spring, and happens on March 20th. The Fall Equinox signals the end of summer and is on September 22nd. Again, these are dates for the northern hemisphere, the southern hemisphere is just the opposite. What I didn't realize is that Halloween is actually another astronomical holiday. It has to do with seasons. Halloween is a "cross-quarter date," approximately midway between an equinox and a solstice. There are four cross-quarter dates throughout the year, and each is a minor holiday; Groundhog Day (Feb. 2nd), May Day (May 1st) Lammas Day (August 1st) and Halloween (Oct 31st). Groundhog day originated from the old Candlemas festival celebrating the first indication of Spring. May Day comes from the Beltane festival celebrating the first sprouting of the seeds that were planted that season. Lammas Day was in honor of the first harvest festival and the time when the seeds that have been tended with care show the fruit soon to be reaped. Halloween is often viewed as the New Years' Eve for those who follow the 'Olde Way'. It marks a time of reflection not only of the past year, but of all that has gone before. Halloween marked the transition between summer and winter, light and dark and life and death. On that night, according to folklore, those who died during the previous year could come back for one last visit before leaving for the afterlife. People set out food for them and lit fires to light their way and aid them in their journey, but also remained on guard for any mischief that these spirits may play upon them. Ok, did that bore you to death? I found it quite interesting, but then I am a science groupie, finding the likes of Carl Sagan and Steven Hawkins sexy!!!! hehehe Tor just growled big time at me!!!!! ****************************** Oh, talking about Tor, if he comes up missing for a few days.... do not worry. He will just be recovering from major Mel abuse!! You women out there will understand this. I wasn't sure what I was going to fix for dinner tonight. I didn't have anything interesting in mind, so thought I would just fry a few pieces of chicken breast, make some sugared sweet potatoes and cook some cornbread. Even though this was a relatively easy meal to prepare, it still takes effort and time. So while Tor was sitting here at the computer playing around, I fixed dinner. I breaded and seasoned chicken, mixed up the cornbread and got the potatoes on to cooking. It was done within a 45 minutes. When I told him it was ready, he jumped right up and came into the kitchen to fix his plate. Since there are only the two of us, we never eat at the table anymore. We just fill our plates and I usually sit down in front of the TV and Tor sits at the computer. (The computer is right there in the living room, so we are only a few feet from each other.) Mollie, Crockett and Smoke (our two dogs and the cat who thinks he's a dog) have trained Tor real well. They sit about a foot away from him and stare at him with these big eyes that just plead with him to share. They know better than to do that to me!! I have been telling Tor to stop feeding them, and to tell them to GO LAY DOWN! They will, if you tell them with a firm voice. They will go lay down and wait for the leftovers. But will Tor listen? NO !!!!!! So I am sitting there eating my dinner and keeping my eye on Tor. Sure enough, he slips Crockett a large piece of chicken. Then he gives Mollie another large piece and a small piece to Smoke. I look at his plate, and all he has left is ONE small little piece for himself. Now I get mad. I have spent all this time cooking, and he is feeding it to the dogs. Now let me say this one thing..... it was excellent fried chicken breast, there was nothing wrong with them, they were tender and juicy and had a real nice crispy coating on them. So I get after Tor and he looks at me and says, "How can I resist those big sad brown eyes, huh?" He is such a sucker, and the animals know it!!!!! Especially Crockett and Mollie, gawd, they have him wrapped around their little doggie toenails!! Oh well, what's a woman to do???? Y'all have a great weekend!!!!! |
| Well, let me tell you the real truth behind our little visit with Dan and Linda. We left Saturday morning before the sun was up. We traveled over to Huntsville and caught I-45 North, on our way to Dallas/Fort Worth. The sun found us rolling along through gently rolling hills filled with cattle peacefully grazing in pastures. ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Fingers of fog still lay in valleys, not yet touched by the upcoming sun. The cars ahead of us would disappear before our very eyes when driving through these baby blankets of fog. Then it was our turn to be enveloped, our world turning into a gray haze for a few seconds, then just as fast as we drove into it, we would emerge out from under this blanket into the world again, just as clear and bright as before. ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** After a few pit stops and snack attacks, we finally found our way to Dan and Linda's house. They greeted us with open arms, Dan hugging me, Linda hugging Tor, Linda hugging me, Dan hugging Linda, Tor hugging Linda and... and...Dan hugging Tor!!!! I had put my camera away and wasn't able to catch that impromptu moment on film. I tried to get them to do it again, so I could snap a few shots of it, but they both just growled at me. Gawd, men can be so weird!!! I thought I might be able to make CC jealous if I had a pic of Tor and Dan hugging!!! They finally invited us into their humble adobe and gave us the grand tour of the house. I never wanted to come down from upstairs. You see, Dan has a big screen TV up there with surround sound and a couple of BIG COMFY chairs!!! Tor and I figured there would be no reason to leave that one particular room, but Dan and Linda insisted that we had to go back downstairs and meet.... MAD MAX!!! They positioned us on the living room couch, gave us a few warnings, warning that you would normally see on the back of a medicine bottle: The following contact may be hazardous to your health, you may find yourself being licked to death, you may end up with a living black lab in your lap, your arm may suddenly be nudged off your lap and onto the back of said dog!!! Ok, we agreed to all of the above. Then the door was opened.... and in bounced MAX!!! He really was a sweet dog. He is pure black and has the physique of a lab, just a bit more streamlined. Max ran over and demanded that we love on him and pet him. Dan and Linda are both becoming very well trained, by the way. Max is doing a wonderful job. Dan suggested that we head out to the local Italian Bristo and eat lunch. It was a quaint little restaurant tucked away in a small section of town. Linda and I both had parmesan plates, mine veal, hers I think was chicken. Dan suggested to Tor that he try the Tortellini Bolognese. Along with this he ordered their specialty bread, Garlic and Cheese covered Italian loaf. They also serve delicious hot buns with butter with your dinner. Linda and I ate like ladies, dainty and selectively, carefully cutting our veal and chicken up into small bites and chewing 10 times before swallowing. Dan and Tor ate like men...... they scarfed it down!!!! They didn't need silverware, they needed shovels to keep up with their appetites!!! Linda and I just sat there and looked at each other, shaking our heads and understanding how difficult it can be to take the male species out to eat at a nice place!!! By the time we walked out, Dan and Tor were both moaning and groaning in pain. Linda and I just ignored their pleas for comforting, and told them both to just hush up! Tor kept muttering about Dan trying to kill him.... Death By Tortellini!!!! Dan drove us back to the house, and he and Tor crawled out of the truck and plopped down onto the chairs out on the back patio. The sun was shining and there was a nice breeze blowing making for a wonderful afternoon. Linda quietly suggested that we all go to the park just down the road a few blocks. Oh, but wait, Max can't ride in the golf cart.... so Dan said that he and Tor would take the cart and Linda and I could walk Max. Dan said he just knew how much I loved dogs, and he knew that I was trying to loose weight, so in his little mind, he just thought that was a glorious plan!! Gawd, men are such babies!!! The two of them ran out the door before Linda and I could get a word in edgewise. They jumped in the cart and took off flying down the road at 1/2 mile per hour, while Linda looked for Max's collar and leash. ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Dan had hidden it up on a high shelf, so he knew it would take us a while to find it. By the time we got Max ready to go, Dan and Tor were long out of sight. Linda and I strolled along at our leisure, Max smelling all the bushes and leaving his mark everywhere (I guessed he learned that one from Tor, sorry guys). We entered the park and the pathway led to a small pond. There stood Dan and Tor, I could just tell they were up to no good. They had these little horns protruding from their heads, and evil grins covered their faces. The ducks were swimming around in front of them, and they were whispering and staring at the ducks with glee!! Tor came over and took Max's leash from Linda. Dan was bent down softly quacking and clucking, drawing this one poor white duck closer and closer to him. ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Before I could say a word, Dan snatched the poor duck out of the water and carried it over to where Tor was standing with Max. ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Linda and I ran down the pathway, adrenaline flowed through our bodies by the fear that we felt for the poor little duck. Max was tugging at the leash in Tor's hand. Tor was laughing and snickering!!! OH NO.... Linda and I knew what they were going to do. Dan and Tor were going to give that poor little innocent white duck to Max to play with!!!! On we ran, which was really quite a foreign thing for us, until we were within reach. Dan dropped the duck, Max jumped, Linda jumped.................. Gawd, I have never seen a woman jump like that before. She should have been on the United States Olympic team, they would have had no problems achieving the gold in the long jump!!! Max grabbed the duck at the same time as Linda. Thank goodness Linda got the whole duck, Max just got the butt end. Linda cuddled the poor little white innocent, now tail-less duck in her arms. Max was shaking his head madly, trying to get the feathers out of his mouth. I growled like I have never growled before. Dan looked at Tor and said, "man that woman has a growl on her!" They pointed at Linda holding the duck and laughed. Linda gently put the duck back into the water, and we watched as the poor thing swam away to join his buddies, his bare butt wiggling in the water. ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Dan and Tor headed back to the golf cart. "DON'T YOU GUYS GO NEAR THAT CART" Linda hollered as only a mad woman can. "MEL AND I WILL TAKE THE CART FROM HERE, YOU, TOR AND MAX CAN WALK HOME." Dan hung his head and held out his hand with the key. Tor was just chuckling away until I gave him THE LOOK. He shut his mouth real fast and hung his head right along with Dan, they both tried to hide behind Max. Max just stood there with feathers stuck all over him. ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Linda and I climbed into the cart and continued our tour of the park and the neighborhood. Tor, Dan and Max stubbornly turned and walked off. ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** We finally pulled up in the driveway, grabbed a refreshing beverage and sat down to wait for the slowpokes. The three of them finally showed up, dragging their butts behind them. They looked like children who had gotten caught, that hang dog look and lips pouting. Max just went over to the corner of the yard and laid down. He wanted nothing more to do with these two fools who got him into trouble. We sat and talked and chatted a few more hours, and before we knew it, the sun was hanging low in the sky. It was time for us to head home. We packed up the car. I had bought two table lamps from one of their neighbors who was holding a garage sale, and Dan had given Tor a office chair. Now, the sun found us driving south on I-45 heading towards Houston as it was setting in the western sky. We both had warm feelings and full stomachs.... Tor's was a bit fuller than mine though!!!!! I think he groaned all the way home and kept muttering ... "death by tortellini, oh gawd tortellini, never going to eat tortellini again"!!! Dan and Linda are wonderful people. I enjoyed our visit tremendously, and hope we can do it again soon. **************************************** So, now you have read three versions of the same trip....what do you think? Who is closer to the elusive truth Dan, Tor or myself? *author's note: No animal or was harmed in the making of this blog...or the pictures. "Literary License" was taken with a few of the pertinent pictures to lay blame where it really belong... TOR AND DAN |
| Sunday... a day of rest, a day to renew our religious beliefs, a day to sit around the house and watch some prime movies...... well, thats what it use to be for me until FOOTBALL!!! No... it's not what you think, it has nothing to do with Tor. Yes, Tor loves his Sunday afternoon football games, and yes he does watch them when he is home. But we have two TVs, one in the bedroom and one in the livingroom. So if Tor is watching football and I am not interested in the game, I can watch something else on the other TV. Now I usually check out the PPV (Pay Per View) movies, we have something like 30 channels of them. I can order one for $3.00 and we can watch it all day long. So if it is a good movie, I can watch it again, later in the evening with Tor. Last Sunday I went to the PPV movie menu and was amazed to find that all the movies were gone, there were notations on all the PPV channels that said, "PPV Movie upcoming at 8:30pm ET." So whats up with that I wondered. I assumed they were having broadcasting problems and went on to find something else interesting on to watch. Well, lo and behold, today I clicked on the PPV menu and the same notation appeared. So I decided to call Direct TV and find out what the problem was. After going through 5 minutes of computer menus pushing first 1 and then 4 and then 2, I finally reached an option to press 0 for a live representative.... boy, I dove for the 0 button on the phone. This young lady with a heavy accent answered and ask for all my pertinent account information. Then she finally got around to asking me what my problem was. I explained to her about the notation on channels 120 through 189, the PPV movies channels. She asked me politely to hang on while she checked into the problem... or at least that is what I think she said. She came back on and asked me something else, but I could never understand what it was she was asking and finally, after telling her several times that I couldn't understand her, I just said... YES! So she put me on hold again for several minutes before coming back and asking me for further information. Again, I just could not understand what it was she was asking for. So I politely just answered "YES" again, and she put me back on hold. I hung up the phone and after a minute or so, redialed the number for Direct TV. After another round of computerized communication, I finally was able to punch the 0 button again for a real live person. This time, I got a representative that could speak a form of english that I could understand. I went through the whole explanation again, and was put on hold while they researched the problem. Well, this person did find out what their problem was. It seems that they have made some sort of deal with their sports affiliates, that when they are showing major league football on TV... they will BLACK OUT the movie channels and not allow customers to order movies during the games!!!! Ok, now I am usually a calm person and pretty much understanding of any situation.... but to not allow me to order a movie because there is a football game on another channel.... now come on!!! I would not watch the game if it were the only thing on TV... I would rather read a book or play on the computer. Do they think that by taking away my option to order a movie, it will make me go watch the game???? They have to be kidding... right??? Who in their right mind would agree to a stupid deal like that? So I asked, politely, if I could talk to a supervisor. The gal I was talking to, put me on hold for a few minutes. She came back and said that none of the supervisors were answering their phones, but that she was authorized to offer me $5 off my bill for the inconvenience. I said that was fine with me, but I still wanted to talk to a supervisor or a manager. She again put me on hold for several minutes. Again, she came back and said that there were no managers or supervisors available, but she was authorized to not only offer me $5 off my next bill, but to take $5 off my bill for the next 3 months... AND... give us the Showtime Movie channels free for said amount of time. I said, fine... I'll take it, but I still want to talk to a supervisor. She put me on hold, and then came back and told me that there were no 'higher-ups' available, but I could go to their web site and email them. I said "NO", I wanted to speak to someone, IN PERSON. Again, she appologized and said the best she could do was to give me the address to the "Office of the President", Corporate Office in Los Angeles. I finally accepted that... if no one was willing to talk to me in person, I WILL WRITE A LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT, AND STATE THAT I EXPECT A REPLY!! I was doubly mad now... not only would they NOT allow me to order a movie because there was a football game on, but none of their supervisors would take my call. All this time, Tor was sitting there rolling on the floor laughing his butt off. He was just enjoying my little tirade way to much. Anyway, that is my rant for today. But at least I got $5 off my bill and Showtime free for the next 3 months!!!!! |
My home town of South Lyon use to be just a small farming community in southeast Michigan located about 15 miles from Ann Arbor. The streets were lined with Maples, Elms and Ashes. The homes were well kept with carpets of manicured grass. Painted pots of flowers led up wooden steps and lacey curtains hung in picture windows. People sat on their front porches and would acknowledge you with either a slight wave of the hand, or a nod of the head. The local market was always filled with fresh vegetables and fruits purchased from local farmers. I can remember Mr. Burns, the produce manager telling my mother that those cukes were picked by Mr. Johnson just this morning, the tomatoes were from Mary Kerns garden and the sweet corn was just dropped off by Kenny, the farmers son from down the road. We had our own large garden, so we never had to buy much when we made a trip into town. My mother would pick up milk and bread, bacon, eggs, and other staples that her pantry was running short of. My father was responsible for getting our garden ready in the spring. He would work the dirt as soon as it warmed up and dried out enough to turn over. By the time he got done, the soil would be soft and enticing, just waiting to nurture the seeds and plantings put into its depths. I would help him string the rows and I was in charge of making the little signs that designated what was planted where. He showed me the proper way to plant the different seeds, the spacing, the depth, so as to get the most out of the garden. We planted Egg Plant, Tomatoes, Green Beans, Peas, Cucumbers, carrots, potatoes, several varieties of lettuce, peppers and melons. Then we had a strawberry patch and several rows of raspberries. Over to one side, my father had put up several post and there was a grape vine spreading its tendrils over the wires strung from them. My aunt and uncle lived down the road and they also shared the garden with us. I remember one day when I was about eight years old, I found my father and uncle sitting out by the garden. I wandered over and sat down on the grass next to them. My uncle was puffing on his cigar, my father smoking his pipe. Not a word was being said. Finally I piped up and asked them what they were doing. My father looked down at me and quietly said, "we are watching the garden grow." I sat there for another few minutes and tried watching the garden grow too, but soon discovered that I didn't see a dang thing going on and went on to do better, more exciting things. They sat out there often, watching their garden grow. My mother and aunt were responsible for harvesting the produce that the garden provided. They would pick buckets of green beans and bring them into the house where we all sat on the side porch and 'did up' a batch. Each bean had to have its stem ends broken off, the string pulled and then broken into acceptable lengths. Then they would heat the water up, sanitize the jars and put up a dozen quarts of beans that day. This went on with everything we picked. By the time Fall would roll around, our pantry would be filled with jars of vegetables and fruits. One of the favorites dishes of my family (I was not terribly impressed by it at the time) was creamed peas and new potatoes. I can remember my father heading out in mid summer and bringing in a small basket of little potatoes he had dug up. My mother would go out and pick a mess of peas, and then put the potatoes on to boil. She would make a cream sauce to pour over the potatoes and then add the peas, season it to taste and let it simmer for a bit. In the mean time, my aunt would put a roast on, and by the time dinner was ready, we would eat like kings. My sister and I would ride our horses into town on the weekend. The traffic was sparse and I can still remember the sun warming our faces, the smell of country drifting through the air, and the gentle clip clop of our horses feet sounding down the street. We would tie our horses up in front of the local drug store, put our nickel in the parking meter, and splurge on a fountain drink. I always ordered a 'chocolate coke' and my sister would always get a 'cherry phosphate'. After taking that one last slurp, the drug store owner would give us a pail of water to take out to our horses. Then we would tighten our cinches and head on out to roam the trails that criss-crossed the farmland and woods. Fall was my favorite time of year. The town would take on a soft glow from all the colorful Maples that lined the streets. The limbs hung over the roads creating tunnels of brilliant color that would always ooh and awe visitors that happen to stray off the main highway and end up in our town. Yards that were once carpeted with green grass, were now showered in yellows and reds with touches of orange as the trees shed their leaves preparing for their winter covering of snow. Our house was small, but we never thought it small. To us, it was a cozy, warm home filled with love and laughter. My family consisted of my father and mother, my brother who was ten years older than me, my sister who was seven years older and then me, the baby of the family! I was one of those 'opps' babies! But I was a welcomed surprise, and my mother said that when I was born, my brother took me under his wing. He would carry me around, put me in a stroller and push me all over the place and watch over me like a hawk. Of course, I grew up to just adore my brother. He was the greatest thing on the face of the Earth to me. When he was 15 years old, I was five. If he was out catching frogs and snakes, I was right there by his side catching my own frogs and snakes. I was a true tom boy at heart, and would rather be outside, wading in the creek up to my knees in mud, chasing minnows and tadpoles than in the house playing with dolls. I have never lost that tomboy heart, and still love to be out in the woods, listening to nature and feeling the wet dirt between my toes. Winter found me out on the lake, ice fishing next to my father. I would be so bundled up in my snow suit, boots, hats, gloves and scarf that I could hardly move. My father would cut me my own little hole in the ice, next to his, and we would sit there for hours watching our little cork bubbers. It was always a thrill to catch a bluegill and pull it up through that little hole. Then we would cart our catch home, and my father and I would stand at the kitchen sink and clean the fish. Them my mother would fry up a pan of potatoes along with the bluegills, and you couldn't ask for a better meal. We all learned to iceskate as soon as we could walk. I can still remember my little double runner skates. I thought I had really grown up when I received my first pair of 'real' skates one Christmas when I was six years old. My father always kept a spot on the lake cleared of snow, so we could skate. On Friday nights, he would build a bonfire next to the ice, and my mother would make a big pot of hot chocolate. We would still be skating at midnight, the air crisp the temps hanging around zero, our breath freezing on our nostrils. The lake ice would pop and make explosive sounds as the ice froze and cracked during the expansion. You could hear the zinggggg as the crack took off and spread across the lake. Ok, I think I better end this. I wasn't going to do a blog today, I didn't have anything to say, really. When you don't work outside the house, and don't have kids around, there really isn't much to write about. So I sat and start reminiscing. Maybe as soon as I can find employment, I will have more interesting day to day events to report!!! But as you all have suggested, I will start copying these blogs and putting them in a folder to give to my son at a later date. I might as well post them here first just to keep a record of them. I will continue my life story in a future blog.... it could end up to be rather long!!!! I, myself, love to read about people and their early experiences. I am also one who loves to watch home movies and look at photo albums, when I visit friends. I know, I'm just not normal!!!!! hehehe Ok, I won't bore you poor folks any longer..... have a good weekend!!! |
| Gawd, I love Texas winters!! The days are sunny and cool with temperatures ranging from the high 60's to the low 80's. The humidity has gone to bug those in more southern locations. Nights can be refreshingly cool. Just nippy enough to crawl under the blankets and sleep so, so well. WEll.... Some of us sleep good... there are others of the 'male' species, in this household, that wake up and complain and bitch about how 'COLD' it is. They wrap themselves around me and then complain again about how 'HOT' I am. I can't help it if they don't have the same internal combustion mechanism that I have. You see, I am a 53 year old female.... and yes, I am in the grips of that age old condition called "MENOPAUSE". I can't help it if you humans of the male gender don't have this heating element imbedded inside of your body. I wasn't the one to draw up the Master Plan of human blue prints. But I get HOT!! Not hot in your normal sense of the word.... but HOT like in burning up, like in 'warning-may cause harm if touched, like sweat pouring off your body may drown the person laying next to you, like 'turn the fan on high and get these dang blankets off of me'!!! Now, this is where the problem lies. I turn off the heat at night... gawd... I don't need any help staying warm. I also have the ceiling fan over our bed on HIGH. And... I kick off the blankets. Thats fine, if you don't have a bed partner that is just the opposite. Tor lays there and tosses and turns, groans and moans. Finally, he will voice his discomfort: "GAWD, WHY IS IT SO DAMN COLD IN THIS HOUSE?" "Cold, honey... its not cold, it really comfy in here, great for sleeping." I sweetly reply. "GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR" is the only response I hear. He reaches his arm around me to pull me closer to him, and then yowls out in surprise..."Why are you wet?" "Because I am HOT, and I am sweating." I tell him. "Thats why I've got the heat off and the fan on." "GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR" is the only response I hear... again!! Then he lays there for a bit, and I have almost fallen into a blissful nights sleep, when the tossing and turning starts all over again. He wraps himself up in the blankets and quilts, he snuggles up close, he pulls the covers over his head, he growls!!! Then he starts to get out of bed. "Where are you going?" I ask. "I'm going to turn the dang heat on." He says. I sit up in bed, and stare at him. Daggers are shooting out of my eyes, the wrath of woman is preparing itself to be rained down on man.. well, the man laying next to me at least!! "TURN THE HEAT ON.... Gawd honey... ITS NOT COLD IN HERE, its just cool enough to sleep good. If you want COLD, then we will move back to Michigan, then you will know what cold is. I was going to open the windows before I crawled into bed, but I forgot." I explain to him. "MELINDA.... If I catch you opening a window, I will spank your butt," he retorts. "OH YEAH....You just think you will do that," I defiantly reply. "Oh I will spank your butt little lady.... if I wake up and find a dang window open. Now go turn on the dang HEAT!!!" Gawd, that man would freeze his butt off standing in front of the refridgerator!!! It was not COLD in the house. I think I will lay out his thermals tonight, and make him put them on before he crawls into bed. The only problem with that, though, is that he will not take them off till next summer!!! ********************************** I have just read a new blogger hulagirlmonica. Her blog was funny and very well written. But she mentioned one thing that really scared me. You see, she says she is 57 years old (although looking at her pictures in her portfolio, I would never believe it)and has a 14 month old son. Um.... 57 and 14.... thats means she was 55 when he was born? Now she didn't have to let that be known. You see, as I said, I am a 53 year old woman in the midst of menopause... and my doctor assured me that I didn't have to use birth control any longer. He said my chances of getting pregnant were just as slim as if I were on the pill... so you don't need the pill, he said. And he would not re-write my perscription. Ok, now I read this blog.... hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.... I might make Tor an appointment with his doctor....hehehe |
| I mentioned in my last blog, about how Tor had lied to me about his age. A few of you wished me to elaborate on this little story. Well, let me start at the beginning.... I belonged to a MSN Community that comprised mainly of military moms, some military personal and retired military. We would talk of our children, of their adventures in the Army, Navy, Marines... or whatever arm of the military they happen to be in. We talked of our great missage of our sons and daughters, we comforted the moms who lost their children. It was really a great community. One of the members became a good friend of mine. She had been in the Air Force. She also belonged to another MSN Community/Chat room and told me about this fellow she had met there. "He's really a nice guy, Melinda," she told me. "You ought to come on over and meet him." Well, I wasn't looking for a relationship, I had just gotten out of one relationship with someone I had met online, and I really wasn't much of a chat person. She kept bugging me to come visit the chat room and meet this person. I kept giving her excuses and reasons why I couldn't. Finally, one evening, she grabbed me on IM and told me she was going to bring me into a private IM she was having with this 'guy'. I thought, oh no.... She had given me a brief history of her friend. His tag name was 'Tor' and he lived in Texas and worked at WalMart. He was a real nice guy, and I should really meet him. "He's a lot like you, Melinda," she exclaimed. "He is soft hearted, good natured, funny, serious. He's been divorced a long time, has a few kids, and is not looking for a relationship... just wants friends to talk to. Come on, you'll like him." I went and checked out his MSN profile and it stated that he was 48 yrs old... the same age as myself. Well, what could I do? She had already asked me if I had anything planned for the evening and I had told her no. So she proceeded to drag me into this private conversation between her and Tor. The first thing I said was, "Hello David." From that point on, we became fast friends. There was something about that connection that was magical. I felt a long lost bond reforming. It was like I knew this person, from somewhere long ago. Tor and I began talking and, I must say, we forgot that our common friend was still there. She finally interrupted us and said she had to go. I am sure she signed off with a smug smile on her face. We talked every night after that, meeting on IM. He came into my MSN Community a few times, and I started going into his MSN Chat room. I don't really know why I did. As soon as I got all the hello's over with, Tor and I would head into a private whisper for the rest of the night. We talked about everything and nothing. We talked about our past lives, our hurts, our joys. We opened up to each other, told of things we had never told anyone else before. We shared some of our writing, our views, our passion. We even went to a BeeGees concert together over the internet... and got lost in each others arms! Tor was actually a quiet, shy guy (don't laugh, he really was)!! One day, I thought I would surprise him and call. We had not talked on the phone yet. I knew he was home, I had just closed my evening IM with him. So I picked up the phone and dialed the number he had given to me a few days before. The phone rang and this male voice with a REAL heavy Texan accent answered. 'Hello, David?' I asked. "This is Melinda." There was hesitation, and then stuttering... "oh my God, I can't believe you actually called me" he joyfully cried. I chuckled and we talked for less than a minute when I heard this beep, beep noise. "What's that?" I asked. "Damn, DAMN," was all I heard. "What" I said. He told me that his sons had used the phone and had not put it back on the charger and his battery was dieing FAST. Then there was silence... nothing!!! I just about fell on the floor laughing. Here he was so excited and happy that I had called, and his phone was dead!!! Well, I opened up my IM, and sure enough he was waiting for me. "I can't believe that just happened," he said. Well, to make a long story short... we started calling each other every night after that. We talked for hours. I don't know what we talked about, but I loved to lay there listening to his voice. Because of his accent, there were many times I had to say "what".... it took a while to get use to that good old Texan twang he has. One night the phone rang. I answered it, and Tor hesitately said, "Melinda, I've got something to tell you." "What happened" I fearfully asked. "Nothing has happened," he replied. "But I have been fighting with this issue for a long time. I didn't know how to tell you. I still don't know how to tell you this, but I have to, before this relationship goes any further." Of course, my heart flew into overdrive. In the few seconds it took me to reply to that statement... all kinds of things went through my mind. He's going to break up with me. He's really gay. He's still married. He's only 4' 5". He weighs 500 lbs. He's got a weird or strange fetish. I mean, its unbelievable what your mind can come up with in just a few seconds!!! I finally caught my breath and ask, "What do you have to tell me, thats got you so upset?" "Well, it's my age," he said. Ok, my mind went wild again. He's really 89 years old. He's only 25. He's........ "I'm not really 48 years old." Oh no... here it comes... the truth!!!! My heart stopped.... I waited..... "I'm really 51!!" "Huh!!! Your really 51??? You just about made me have a heart attack, just to tell me that instead of being 48... your really 51???" Oh Gawd... the sigh of relief was almost better than a climax!!!! "You don't know how hard it was for me to face you with that fact." He said. "I have not been able to sleep at night, knowing that I had lied, and I had to tell you the truth!" I just laughed and told him I didn't care one bit. 48 or 51... I still loved him. He let out a long deep breath and said... 'thats good, because I love you too!" Well.... our phone bills were a bit on the outrageous side, and I finally flew to Houston to meet him. Now, thats a whole new story! |
| Oh what bliss to wake up and actually feel a coolness in the air. Well, I felt coolness, Tor felt frigidity!!! The temperature this morning when I awoke at 5am was 48 degrees outside!!! It was a refreshing 67 inside the house. I stumbled into the bathroom to take care of morning duties, wash my face and brush my teeth. I then proceeded into the kitchen with the four cats showing me the way. Demanding meows let me know that they were waiting rather impatiently for their morning treat. The dogs ran to the door wanting to get out to smell the invasion of critters that happened upon their territory during the night, while they slept comfortably in our bed. I put the coffee on and made my way into the living room to turn on the computer. As I sat in the quiet predawn stillness, listening to the whirl and whine of the computer warming up and the gurgling of the coffee brewing in the background, I planned my day. There were a few job openings in Huntsville, at the Sam Houston State University. One was for a library assistant in the Newton Gresham Library, and the other for a staff assistant in the Criminal Justice Department. They both pay reasonably well, seem interesting and carry good benefits and retirement plans. Since they were state jobs, there were tons of paperwork to be filled out along with a resume. The college requires a Sam Houston State University Applicant Questionnaire, along with a State of Texas Application for Employment, an Applicant EEO Data Form and a Applicant Statistical Data Sheet. A total of about 10 pages of paperwork. I spent all weekend filling these required applications out, plus tweaking my resume and cover letter and also writing a personal letter to the Department Heads. On the Application for Employment, they require ALL past work history. I called last week and talked to the Human Resources Department to clarify this request. "You want ALL work history?" I asked. "Yep, we sure do. We need dates and pay scales. " Answered the voice on the other end of the line. Now this might be easy for some folks out there, but for me, it was a difficult task. I have worked since I was 17 years old at various jobs, including being self employed at different times during this 36 years of work history. And they wanted it all down on paper? I knew approximate dates, well... lets just say I could take some wild guesses and be assured that I was reasonably close, but exact dates and pay scales.... NO WAY!! I planned an taking the hour long trip over to Huntsville this morning to drop off the paperwork. Now's it 5:30, the coffee is done and it's time for Tor to crawl out of bed and face another day of, what he calls, retail hell. I softly sit on the edge of the bed and lean down and kiss him on the cheek. "Good morning sunshine." I whisper to him. "Good morning, sweetie," he replies. "Is it THAT time already?" I reach over and turn on the light on his bed stand and confirm that, "Yep, its that time again!" He throws back the covers and immediately yells out in pain..... YEOOOOWWWWWWWWWW! I quickly turn around to see what has happened and I see Tor sitting on the edge of the bed with the comforter wrapped securely around him. "ITTTs CCCCCCOLD IIIN HHHHERRE" he stutters!! "Ah, its not cold," I retort, "It's just refreshing." I have to go over and peel the blanket from around his body and forcibly make him get out of the warmth and softness of the bed. I had planned ahead of time and put a load of laundry in the dryer and turned it on. The washer and dryer are in the bathroom, and it was nice and cozy in there by the time Tor was ready to get up. He charged into the bathroom with his clothes hanging over his arm. He didn't come out until he was fully dressed, and complaining about not having his thermals on. I guess one of the things I have to do today is get the furnace ready to turn on. I just need to vacuum the ducts and get the dust and spider webs cleaned out. It's suppose to be even cooler tonight and I know I will never get Tor out of bed if we don't have heat in the house. As it was, he was going to put thermals on this morning under his long sleeved shirt and jacket. Gawd.... the man would die if he ever had to live where it actually got COLD!!! hehehe Tor left for work and I took a shower and finished up a few last minute things around the house. I wanted to head out to Huntsville around 8:30. The drive takes me about an hour. It's not something I look forward to if I happen to land one of these positions, but at least it is a pretty drive. I dress and head on out to the car. I leave the house and head the four miles into Livingston. As I pass by Wal-Mart, I wave and say hi to my honey. From there, I head northeast for ten miles, through the countryside up to the town of Onalaska, which sits about midway up Lake Livingston. I cross the bridge over Kickapoo Creek with its wide expanse of water, shallow bays and reed filled inlets. There are a few fishermen sitting along the edge of the water, lines cast out waiting for the big one to come along. As I come into Onalaska, I get behind a old pickup truck with a Black Labrador dog in the back. The driver is an older gentleman with a cowboy hat on, and he is just moseying down the highway. Apparently he is in no hurry to get to where ever it is he is going. He and his dog enjoying the cool freshness of the morning. He turns off onto a dirt road, and I continue on over the big bridge that spans Lake Livingston. The view is beautiful from the bridge as you can look North or South and see water for as far as you can see. There are several boats crisscrossing the waters, and sea birds diving and plummeting after the minnows and chad just under the waters surface. Buzzards were gliding and circling over the extended shoreline, exposed from the drop in water due to damage to the dam from hurricane Rita. From here the road takes me through the Sam Houston State Forest. Rolling and dipping up and around, it is a pleasant drive with the smell of pine permeating the air. The pine forest cover most of East Texas, with lumbering being one of the major industries in the area. At one point on my drive, the air was heavy with smoke, as the Texas Department of Forestry was burning off several hundred acres of brush, preparing the land for a renewed planting of pine seedlings. There are fields of pines in all stages of growth along my path, from the seedlings to trees 8 to 9 feet tall, to established, mature forest waiting for harvest. I pass through several small towns with names such as Point Blank, Dodge and even Hog Heaven. If you blink, you will miss these little hamlets tucked away in the forest. Finally, I find myself in the middle of Huntsville. Its a 'Big' little town, or maybe its a "Little" big town.... I'm not sure. But it is a cozy city with its roads wrapping around gentle hills and valleys. Not only is the University situated here, but Huntsville also houses the largest prison complex in Texas. The death sentence is carried out here in Huntsville. The Walls Unit Death House is where "Ole Sparky" resided until death by electrocution was replaced with lethal injection. It took me forever to find a spot to park. The University is spread out all over the southern part of the city, and each building has a parking lot. But did they make these lots large enough to handle the influx of people wanting to use them... NO. I drove around campus for at least 20minutes, in and out of parking lots and complexes until I finally was able to whip into a space just vacated. I dropped off my paperwork and was told it would be at least two weeks before they made decisions on who to call back for interviews. Ok, at least I have my applications in. The drive back to Livingston as just as peaceful and I made it in time to pick Tor up for lunch. The dogs were happy to see my return. The sun is streaming through the windows and the chill is gone from the air. It is a good day in Texas. Ok, I've got to go clean the furnace, and get Tor's thermals out of the closet. I can't have the man freezing to death, down here in the South, can I? hehehe |
| I was nineteen and working Morgan Horses for Green Oak Farm in South Lyon, Michigan. It was a typical horse farm with the main barn holding 35 stalls surrounding an indoor arena. Outside we had large fenced pastures, a dozen turnout areas and an outdoor ring to work horses when weather permitted. We also had a few outbuildings that housed several stalls each. One of these buildings had four stalls, two on each side of a wide cemented aisle way. Because of the hard, level floor, we used this small barn as our shoeing shed. When the blacksmith would come for his monthly visits, I would have four horses in the stalls waiting for him to work on. As each horse was finished, I took the horse back to the main barn and brought over another to place in the stall vacated by the previous horse. In this way, the shoer never had to wait for his charges to be brought in. Our blacksmith was an older black man who had an excellent eye and years and years of experience 'hot' shoeing a horse. The art of hot shoeing was becoming a fading art, as most of the shoes were pre-cast in different sizes and just had to be shaped to the particular hoof of the horse it was being fitted to. I loved to spend the early morning feeling the heat from the forge and listening to the rhythmatic pinging of the hammer as the blacksmith shaped the shoe over the anvil and the soft sighs and breathes of the horses. Doug was our blacksmiths name. I had worked with Doug for approximately five years now. Not only did he shoe my horses, but most of my customers horses as well. He was one of the best around for setting up a horse with the proper angles, weight, clips and wedges for that horse to perform the best he could and remain sound. But the one thing I didn't know about Doug was that he was very superstitious!! I had made an appointment with Doug to come out and trim our broodmares. They went barefoot now, their shoes being pulled when we retired them from showing and everyday riding. These mares lived a life of leisure out in a 80 acre pasture with several small sheds to use for shelter, in case of foul weather. They were grained once a day, even though they didn't really need it. They kept pretty much fat and healthy on the lush pasture grasses. I did this mainly so they would come up to me, and I could catch them and look them over to make sure there were no signs of illness, lameness or injuries. Otherwise, they usually ranged at the far end of the pasture where the grass was greener and there was a small stream of fresh water coursing through. Doug showed up bright and early and I started bringing in the mares to be trimmed. One mare was a big chestnut mare with a long mane and tail. She had been a prime show horse in her younger days, and had given us several beautiful babies after her retirement. She was a wonderful mom and loved her babies. I noticed that her mane had tangled and thought that after Doug got through with her, I would put her back in the stall and comb it out. I led the mare into the small barn and proceeded to put her in the crossties for Doug to work on. He look up and I thought he had seen a ghost. If a black man could turn white... Doug just about did!! He stepped back away from the mare so fast, he tripped over his box of tools. Nippers and files cascaded all over the aisle. He was muttering and stuttering something about witches. He backed completely out the door. I snapped the crossties onto the halter of the mare, and left her calmly standing there while I bewilderly walked out the door to see what in the world was wrong with Doug. He was standing outside breathing briskly and visibly shaken. "I ain't workin on no mare that them witches been riding," he stated. "What did you say," I asked. "I ain't working on no mare that them witches been riding," he replied again. Again I asked, "What in the world do you mean, Doug?" "Did you see them tangles in that there mares mane? There was a full moon last night, and them witches come out and put them tangles in them mares manes and hook their heels in the tangles and ride them mares all night long, until the sun comes up," he exclaimed in a quivering voice. I really thought he was joking, trying to pull one over on me. It wouldn't have been the first time that either he, or our vet or our hay man had made me believe in something that wasn't true. I had become cautious in just what facts I took as truth and which ones I took as a prank. I laughed at Doug and told him that if he thought I was going to fall for that one, he had something else coming. I turned and started walking back into the small barn. But he remained where he was. I turned and asked him if he was going to finish, so I could get on with my jobs that day. I had a few young horses to work, before customers started showing up for riding lessons. He said, "I ain't going back in that there barn until that mare is gone. I ain't touching her, I ain't touching any mare that them witches been riding last night!" Again, I thought he was just sticking with the prank and I wasn't going to fall for it. I said, "fine Doug, have it your way. I've got chores to get done. When you decide that this joke is over, go trim up that mare, and stick her in a stall. I will come back for her later, and put her back out to pasture." I walked back over to the big barn and checked on the guy I had cleaning stalls, making sure he wasn't having any problems. I started harnessing up one of the three year olds that I was training for a lady who wanted to learn to drive. The stall guy yelled at me, asking me why Doug was leaving so soon. Leaving? I walked to the door, and sure enough, all I saw was the tail end of a white truck heading down the dirt road that lead away from the farm. I walked back out to the small barn, and the mare still stood in crossties, and Doug's box of tools and anvil were still in the aisle way where he had left them. I brought the mare into the main barn and combed out her mane, gave her a few treats and then put her back out to pasture with her buddies. Walking back into the office, I called a good friend of mine who also used Doug to shoe and told him what had just happened. "Oh, did you not know that Doug is a very superstitious?" he inquired. "He was not joking, Melinda," he said emphatically. He proceeded to tell of all the things that Doug was afraid of or believed in: Witches coming out on the full moon, A bat flying into the house, Seeing three butterflies together, Seeing an owl in the sunlight, If after leaving your house you turn back to fetch something , you must sit down when you indoors and count backwards from seven in order to avoid ill luck, Before you retire to bed, you chant "Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, Bless the bed that I lie on"... it will keep away evil spirits and ensure your good health. He went on and on with the superstitions. I just couldn't believe it. I had known Doug for years, and never knew him to believe in such stuff. I was really amazed that anyone would hold onto such beliefs. I mean, we were in the 20th century, people just didn’t put much stock into these old tales - did they? Apparently Doug grew up in the old school. His parents were not educated, and he really wasn’t either. He had learned how to shoe by working for an old shoer who was also self taught. They knew horses, knew how a horse needed to move and knew what to do to get that movement without sacrificing the horse. I never had a lame horse as long as Doug was my blacksmith. But he grew up with these superstitions and carried a very strong belief in them. From that point on, whenever I had Doug come out to the barn, I always made sure that all my horses had the tangles combed out of their manes before Doug could see them. I didn't want "them there witches" riding my horses!! |
View Portfolio
Visit Notebook
Send Gift Points
Awards
Badges
Send Email
Community Newsfeed
General Discussion
Sponsored Items
Book of Trinkets
Static Items
Books
Groups
Interactive Stories
Audio
Campfire Creatives
Community Notes
Crossword Puzzles
Documents
Folders
Images
In & Outs
Madlibs
Photo Albums
Polls
Product Reviews
Quizzes
Survey Forms
Web Pages
Word Searches
