January bits & pieces

My how time flies when you're stuck indoors trying to stay warm and dry... not! As for the dogs, they continue to stake out their favorite places to cuddle up or while away the hours. Our rather aloof old girl Pepper is fine in her recliner or the loveseat. But our youngster Finn, who we've about decided has some husky in his bloodlines because he's so vocal, likes to keep us busy. Throw the toy. Take me outside to roam the yard. Let me sit on or right next to you. Listen to me bark at the neighbor's horses and goats from my perch in the master bedroom. His antics are equal parts sweet and annoying.

Right now there's an axis deer buffet directly across the street from the gate onto our property for the local and highly appreciative vulture population. We're not sure what happened to the axis, but it didn't look particularly old or ravaged by infirmity when I spied its fresh carcass several days ago. Alas, the circle of life being played out in gruesome detail as we enter and exit our casa. 

A couple days ago I went online to purchase tickets for the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam. I'll be traveling there in about six weeks to visit a school chum I've known since we were in fourth grade. Oh sure, I've already been there a few times when we were living in England. However, this will be my first visit as an empty nester with no real agenda to work through since we already toured the highlights as a family. I did decide to get in a second visit to the Anne Frank House since the first time was back in 2011 with kids in tow. The rest of the time I look forward to strolling the canals, eating some good meals, wandering through a couple art museums, checking out antique shops and enjoying time with my old friend who has some amazing views from her architecturally significant building.  

Hibernating season

We've hit that stretch of the year in Texas where the weather takes us on a rollercoaster ride. Oh wait, that's pretty much every season, ha-ha! One weekend it's in the low 70s, while the next it's over forty degrees cooler. The only season we DON'T get those fluctuations is in summer when the heat is unending. But back to my story... We've been hunkering down to stay warm after winterizing outdoor pipes and faucets. For me that also entails cooking lots of soups. I enjoy them all year, but most especially in the coldest months.

Last week it was Mexican cornbread and big pot of pinto beans. This week it's supreme pizza soup and cheesy garlic bread. My mother found the bread recipe years ago and we thoroughly enjoy it. What's not to love - a stick of butter, mayo, garlic, onion powder and chopped black olives toasted on French bread until it bubbles. I'd dip that into just about anything.

The dogs haven't seemed to mind the wet and cold too much. Pepper enjoys snuggling down into her fleece blanket in the recliner, while Finn likes hopping up to hang out with the husband in the evenings. The dogs and I scoured the yard last week after a bit of sleet fell, along with temps into the teens, and did locate a few icicles on the rain gutters and well house eaves. Our yard's dormant Bermuda grass was a bit crispy, but that didn't deter them from nosing around so long in the frigid temps that I had to shake the treat bag to lure them back inside. I'm glad I got our propane tank refilled a couple weeks ago because we've been enjoying our gas fireplace almost daily this month. I'll never go back to the mess of wood burning now that I've owned several homes with gas logs that put out some heat. I'll leave that wood rigamarole and smores routine for our outdoor fireplace under the pool pavilion that the husband can wrangle.

Two years ago today...

On January 16, 2022, my mother Linda Ruth's soul passed from earth to heaven when her tired old cancer ridden body gave out. It wasn't the easy death that some get, but rather one filled with persistent pain for over a year. We tried to stay on top of it with meds as the disease took over, and yet it kept its evil claws in her for much of the time. Though her faith seldom wavered, I know she prayed to the Lord asking why she had to suffer so on her way to Him.

Because I believe that life is intentional, that God uses all sorts of things in our lives we may never fully realize to draw us to Him, this week's anniversary of my mother's death found me studying John 11 when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. I dove deep into one of my favorite commentaries, leaning into God's reminder that death of this humanly body He gives us to use for a little while is inevitable. From the minute we are born, we are headed towards death. And with death comes the pain of loss for those left behind. Grief is the price we pay for love here in this temporal world. Yet God, y'all.

This chapter has served as a timely reminder of God's love, will and plan for all our lives. That even though our time on earth has an ending, we have eternity set in our hearts (Eccl 3:11) so that we can look forward to that while serving our Creator's purposes here on earth. Praise God that we can find peace and comfort in His promise that one day we will be awakened to rise up and meet our Savior in a new imperishable body (1 Cor 15:52-54). Death is the consequence of sin in our world, but I rest in hope while contemplating the upcoming verse we'll be studying in John 16:33. "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." Thank you, Jesus, that it is not death to die for those who trust in you!

Old man winter is ready to roar

We are truly spoiled, with all of our long range forecasts and prepping we can do in advance of inclement weather. Our poor forefathers had no warning when the Fahrenheit was about to dip a solid forty degrees and they needed to bring in wood for the fireplace and stove. Or take care of their livestock so they survived. They'd get a good laugh at me calling up the propane company for a top-up, and pulling out a couple doggy sweaters for the cairns.

This afternoon I saw several folks with big baskets of groceries at the supermarket. As for me, I gathered up the ingredients to make a big pot of pinto beans and Mexican cornbread. I already had the fixin's for chili in my freezer in case we need it. It's nice we've got a gas stove and fireplace in this house, as well as outdoor grill. Then I pestered the law student a bit. Our younger daughter in Dallas will be even colder come the weekend. We sent her back for the spring semester with several big candles and lighters, two new phone chargers, a portable power station and instructions to set in a supply of pantry goods and bottled water in case she loses power or her pipes freeze. Our older daughter will be working at the office in Chicago for the next month, where it's forecast with not just single digits, but negative numbers. That's a genuinely miserable thought to this Texas girl. No amount of down, wool or cashmere would make living in that sort of cold climate palatable to me.

Cinderella's new coach

With my aging eyes, I decided it was about time to upgrade my vehicle. Something that would give me a more commanding view of the road. Lots of beep-beeping and cameras to keep me from running into or over things. My current SUV served me well for the past five years, but I was ready to say goodbye to the now rather outdated silver bullet.

In October the husband ordered me a new SUV, with all of the safety bells, whistles and details I preferred. My go-to as an adult has always been silver or white exteriors with a light interior. Easier to keep clean. Dark colors here in Texas are to be avoided, as far as I'm concerned, where it gets surface of the moon hot for a big chunk of the year. 

This time I opted for a nice light champagne exterior color with shale and teak interior. We picked it up at the dealership on Saturday. It's really pretty, and I feel like I can see everything while driving. It floats along and I'm really enjoying it thus far. Now I just need to decide if I want to get a champagne painted grill guard for the front. I seldom drive at night, but deer here in the Texas hill country have been known to come leaping across the road in daylight, too.

 

Back in the saddle

I've kicked off the first week of January with my next Bible study lesson on John 9, when Jesus heals the man blind from birth. It's well-known, and yet the Lord has mercifully given me new insights via some of the wonderful commentaries He led me to read. If you aren't familiar with Warren Wiersbe, I can highly recommend his books to help deepen your understanding of the Bible, God's holy word.

Our younger daughter rang in 2024 in Austin, then hotfooted it back to Dallas on the first to buy the last of her textbooks in advance of the spring semester kicking off today. In law school, there are always assignments to prepare in advance of class. Even the first day.

I've been so happy that as our girls have gotten older, they've become closer. With an almost six year age gap, I often wondered if it would happen. What a blessing that they enjoy each other's company, and doing things together. It tugs on my heartstrings when they send me pics like the two above. I recently forwarded them this screen shot below that I took from an online news article. Nothing would please Nan and Da (our grandparent names) more than to live close to the girls in our retirement, so that we can share in their lives as they settle down to marry and start families. Our dream is a farm and/or lake house set up so we're a destination the kids and grands want to visit on weekends and holidays. Pygmy goats to pet. Fish to catch. Lure them over and enjoy them is my game, y'all. And probably take them along for some travel, too.