Month: May 2018

A Week of Loss

Earlier this week my mother-in-law, Saint Helen, called to let us know that her beloved brother-in-law, our Uncle Junior, had passed away. Junior was one of the best men I ever met. He always had a smile and a story to tell. Every Sunday he’d call Saint Helen and they’d share their week’s adventures. Even in his last years Junior would be out on his large property in Oklahoma tending to chores that would be daunting to much younger men. He was quite a man.

I also lost a friend I met in a Facebook group of political progressives, and while we never met face to face, Thom’s death hit me hard. He was a retired Methodist minister who lived a life of service to others. His heart was huge and his sense of humor kept us all on our toes. He shared his beautifully written prayers with us along with his calming and deep wisdom. Even in his last days he was posting puns on Facebook to cheer us up. The world has lost a great man.

Then just this morning I learned that a friend from my hometown was hit by a car and killed. I hadn’t seen Roy in years, but he was like a big brother to me when I was in high school. He had a big personality and an even bigger heart. I’m so sad for his family and for all who knew him. Another good guy gone.

Life is short. Hug your loved ones, cherish your friends.

Peace, people.

Oldie #2: Close Encounters of the Bear Kind

I’ve been seeing this video of a bear climbing into a tree right beside a hunter who is perched in a hunting blind. The guy is remarkably calm.

https://www.facebook.com/780outdoors/videos/1703911269686007/

Here’s how I behaved in a similar situation.

nananoyz's avatarPraying for Eyebrowz

Our bear wasn’t this cute, or this small, or waving at us…. Every now and then I wake up in a cold sweat remembering this day.

https://nananoyz5forme.com/2014/09/06/close-encounters-of-the-bear-kind/

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What Do You Hear?

https://www.facebook.com/wxyzdetroit/videos/1419588421519790/

Have you listened to this clip on social media? It’s a brief audio clip of one word being repeated several times. Some people hear one word, others hear a different word. There are those who hear both.

I’m purposely not mentioning the words to see if that makes a difference in what my readers hear–that is if the link works. I believe I prejudiced myself to hear one of the two words when I was given an either/or choice.

Let me know if you are unable to access the link and I’ll see if there’s a way I can make it accessible. This is kind of fascinating.

I give you a totally irrelevant photo of a raccoon sniffing a flower to cleanse your palate.

How Saving My Brother Resulted in My Burps Smelling Like Peppermint

My brothers and I were free range children, left to our own devices in the town of Floydada, Texas, over the three long months of every summer. As the oldest, I was placed in an undeserved position of authority while both of our parents worked full time jobs. I’m still amazed that brothers K and B will still talk to me after the horrible and random punishments I inflicted on them.

In my more self-forgiving moments I imagine that my poor efforts at babysitting equipped them both with survival tools far beyond what two small town boys might’ve gained otherwise. I mean, we had no cougars or grizzly bears to challenge their respective skill sets back in the 60’s. I was the next best thing.

I did teach them how to escape the lava that unexpectedly bubbled up in the living room from time to time. By carefully leaping from couch to chair to chair and back again we could keep our feet from becoming molten stubs. It was imaginary lava, but still. And I taught them how to scavenge for loose change in between the couch cushions and inside dresser drawers so we could walk to the drugstore downtown and each have a “baby” Coke on a scorching hot afternoon, so I wasn’t all bad.

Over the years both brothers have forgiven me for my cruelties, or at least they don’t mention them every time we’re together anymore. Instead we have edifying conversations. Just a week ago brother K and I were discussing our respective irritable bowel syndrome issues. He recommended a product called “Heather’s Tummy Tamers” with the caveat that they’ll make my burps smell like peppermint.

I ordered a bottle and indeed, my belches, along with other expressions of gas and bodily emissions, now have the distinct odor of peppermint. But they work beautifully on alleviating gas and acid reflux. I’m so glad I never actually tossed him into the lava.

Peace, people.

My Twitter Issue

Like many of the bloggers on WordPress I automatically share my posts on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. 98% of the time it’s a smooth process and my posts magically appear in the Twitterverse, but occasionally there’s a glitch requiring a reset. It’s usually a quick fix and the mundane aspects of my life are once again available for folks to like, comment on, or best of all, retweet.

This past week while I was battling diverticulitis I noticed that Twitter wanted me to change my password. Apparently they’d had an issue with an entity gaining access to their passwords. Well, I’m not the most tech savvy person in the world, and I couldn’t quite figure out how to change the password, so I thought I’d log out and log back in. Seemed simple enough.

Except that Twitter wouldn’t allow me to merely sign back in, forcing me to create a new account. And now, I can’t get WordPress to let go of the old Twitter account so that I can share my posts on the new account. I mean I realize there are bigger issues at hand in the world right now, but this is annoying. I must be feeling better if I have the energy to be bugged by this.

If any friends have suggestions I’m game, just remember to type really slowly so I can understand.

Peace, people.

Happy Mother’s Day

My mom has been gone for many years now, but there’s not a day that I don’t think of her or need her or miss her. We seldom saw eye to eye, but we usually saw heart to heart.

Happy Mother’s Day to the woman who insisted I use good grammar and who modeled great reading habits. I owe her everything.

Peace, people.

I Feel Almost Human

I would personally like to thank the makers of Excedrin Migraine for helping me feel somewhat human today. The diverticulitis has been a real b*tch, but the accompanying headaches have compounded my intestinal distress. You, dear readers, should be counting your lucky stars that you are nowhere near Doright Manor. I have been a whiny, icky mess.

Studly Doright, fresh off of back surgery, has had to take care of me even as have I tried to care for him. We’re like a pair of topsy turvy turtles trying to right each other.

https://youtu.be/HETr3Y9s3to

Neither of us is old. Yet. But this experience has begun to make me think about the days to come when we will surely need assistance. Our kids assure us they will find us a quality assisted living home when the time is right. I just want a place that will feed me three square meals a day and bring me Excedrin when I ring a little bell. I can’t get Studly to do that.

Peace, people!

And then Mike Pence says: ‘It’s time to wrap it up’… 😃😆to Robert Mueller 😂😆🤣😅🙄

Great piece by alotfromlydia.wordpress.com. Love her term for pence: “omniphobe”

alotfromlydia's avatarA lot from Lydia

Radical Christian omniphobe, Vice President Mike H(HeKnew) Pence, whose indictment dodging game plan has been to fly under the radar, is trying a new strategy, which is to call Michael T(TrumpNeverMetHim) Cohen’s scrutinized business relationships a ‘private matter.

That is likely a run on sentence, so I’ll re-phrase it in a different run on sentence:

Robert H(HoldMyBeer)Mueller’s investigation, into Russian interference in the 2016 election, has bled into multiple connected crimes. Michael S(SoScrewed) Cohen, whose style of lawyering is thuggish extortion,

has been busted taking bribes from corporations who have since directly benefited from Donald J(JustKiddingDon’tWannaBePotus)Trump’s policy changes. At the risk of repeating myself, (as if anyone is reading), I’ll only say: banks, Fortune 500 companies, Russian oil, internet, drug companies… I’ll stop there, my thumbs are cramping up.

Back to omniphobe Mike Y(YouCan’tDoThatWithYourUterus)) Pence. He has inadvertently shown his cards…

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What Would You Do?

Studly Doright came through his surgery yesterday with flying colors. He’s quite proud of the fact that, according to the surgeon, his was quite easily the largest extrusion he’d ever seen. Studly is one competitive man.

Of course, as I drove him home from the hospital last evening I almost pushed him out the door of the car for his constant criticism of my driving:

“Why are you in this lane?”

“You’re going too slow.”

“Slow down” (this said immediately following the previous statement.)

“Don’t let him cut you off!”

“Why’d you take this route? Monroe is faster.”

I pointed out that I’d been successfully navigating for many years, and that I’ve driven many miles quite well without him.

“It’s a wonder,” he said.

What’s a wonder is that I didn’t withhold his pain meds last night. It’s good to be in control.

Peace, people.

So Far Behind

While I’ve been sick with what I’ve come to believe is diverticulitis, also known as “Hell’s Great Fury Unfurled” I’ve fallen way behind in reading the blogs of others. Studly Doright is having surgery today so I am going to use the time waiting for him to emerge from the procedure by reading your blogs. Now, if all of you could just hold off writing any new posts until I’ve caught up, that’d be great. I’m talking to you. And you.

Have I mentioned I can’t have caffeine for awhile? Yeah, so that’s a bummer. In addition to all the diverticulitis stuff I’ve also been dealing with caffeine withdrawal. My headaches have been monumental and debilitating. Only yesterday did they begin to ease off. If I live through this I will never have another cup of coffee. Maybe.

Oh, and no alcohol is allowed for the foreseeable future. That’s not been hard to deal with for me, but the cats are getting anxious.

I do believe I will survive now, but I could sure use a cup of coffee.