I was just thinking about October

I was just thinking about how I love October! Especially Octobers that are so cool. I have lived through 81 Octobers and that is a lot of Octobers. Some of those run together and were the same every year, and I like to forget those! Like when it is still like summer and it is so hot and dry, and Daddy would be a bad mood, muttering and talking to himself as he worked on the tractor, or any work about the farm. When you saw Daddy talking to himself, you wanted to stay far away and not do anything that would  get him to cussing and yelling!

But I love to remember all the cool Octobers, and rainy Octobers (of which they are seldom in South Texas). But this October the weather makes me happy and remembering the best Octobers. It has been so rainy and cool...I hope it last forever. Makes me want to get in the kitchen and cook...a big pot of chili, or soup, or stew.  Or bake something. Yesterday I made banana nut bread. Yumm, it was from a recipe in my dietetic cook book that I bought to cook for Eddie all those years. It doesn't have a lot of sugar, and it is dee-licous! Julie and I had a piece last night, slathered in butter and cream cheese!

On days like this on the farm, Daddy would be in a good mood, and like i have written before in my book, rainy days were my favorite days, because he had mother roast some peanuts (they called it "parch") and then we would all sit on the front porch and eat peanuts and watch the rain come down! Heaven!

Daddy was in such a good mood and he would sing songs for us!

Then I remember going to school when it was cold in October, and we would all sit by the wood stove or heater, and read during recess since we could not go outside. Or we played games like I-Spy, Blind Man's Bluff, or Gossip. 

I still remember one of my favorite books to read when I was in the 2nd or 3rd grade, was a book about a squirrel that hunted for acorns in the fall, and always wished we had an oak tree, or pecan tree, so we could gather acorns of pecans. All we had to gather was Mesquite beans in the summer...but we didn't know about how they were good for smoking barbecue then. We just left them laying there, or fed them to the pigs.

In October the week before Halloween, in school we all made, Jack-o-lanterns and witches made out of construction paper and put them on the windows. Then of that day, before we went home, the teachers had a party after lunch for us. I think maybe Mother  was one of the mothers who brought cookies and the teacher furnished punch and we had a Halloween Party! We bobbed for apples in a wash-tub full of water and played other games. It was the highlight of October for us on the farm. No one ever heard of trick-or-treating.

But when my kiddos were little ... I only remember them going trick-or-treating in the 1960's. Julie was an Indian Princess (I had made her an Indian dress when she was in Campfire Girls), and Derek was a cowboy, and Kristi was a little witch. Trent was too old-a teenager- so he gave out the candy at the door.

Then when we moved to Hurst, in North Texas, Octobers were the best, because it was always cooler up there. I could not get enough of the trees which had leaves that turned to gold, orange, and red in October! The October we moved to our new house on Yucca Trail, the kids and I went over to Chisholm Park and picked up firewood for our  new fireplace. The trees were so colorful and the park was under construction then so we had lots of firewood when we got home. Somehow that days stands out if my most favorite memory of Octobers. I had never seen trees that beautiful and when we got home, we had our first fire in our new house. I think we popped popcorn that night too. On one of those poppers that you held over the fire in fireplace. That night all of the family gathered around the fireplace in the den, and had a good time. I wonder if any of my kids remember that.

This October reminds me of that day. I wish we had a fireplace. Eddie loved our fireplace. One October he and I went to Jacksboro to find some wood. We did! It was a beautiful drive and we stopped for lunch somewhere and came home with our trunk full of wood, and an order of a cord of wood to be delivered later that week.

Then there was in 1991, in October I went to New York to visit Gerry in New Rochelle. I stayed a week and it was glorious. One day we went walking for hours and the trees and foliage was so vibrant and beautiful, it took my breath away. All the trees seem have turned all colors of Autumn, gold, orange, yellow and red. I took a ton of pictures. I need to find them. One day we went up to West Point and then over to Connecticut and drove all over and that was even more spectacular. It was like I was in a wonderful dream and it was not in black and white - it was...in color!! I didn't want that week to end. The picture above was taken in Connecticut - though I didn't take it, I took many just like that!!!

Later I will tell about my trip to Durango, Colorado to see Kristi and Taylor and it was in the fall! O my...that was another good trip. See why I love October?

I love October! Especially cool and rainy days!

Let my house be a haven of rest

It's Monday morning in Floresville. I sure hope this week is a good one. I just can't stand to watch the national news, or read the paper these days because there is so much bad news, tragic news, or worrisome news, and when it is like that, it fills my mind with negative things. I pray "Lord what is going to happen to us", "What is going to happen to the world?" Maybe it is the end times...doesn't it say in the Bible, "there will be wars and rumors of wars, but the end is not yet in sight"?

A Time to Rest

A TIME TO REST

I think God is speaking to us these days about rest. Everywhere I go or talk to someone, they tell me about working so hard without rest. The job is so important and they are needed there. I talked to a friend who lives back in my hometown of Hurst on the phone the other day, who works at Daystar Television. She is in the prayer ministry – she may be the one who prays for you when you call for prayer. She and I used to be prayer partners. When she prays for you – you know God hears. She has been working long hours for weeks and months. She needs a rest; she wants a day of rest to not do anything – but fun and relaxing things. But there are so many things that needed done at home.

Then my son who works in construction  - remodeling people’s homes- was saying he has been working too hard, and needs a rest. They have not had a vacation in three years. They just need to take a weekend off and go somewhere and do nothing but rest. His wife and he work very hard. When you have your own business is usually a 24-hour-a -day thing.

I have several other loved ones who work very hard. They all need a rest. In this economy people sometimes are working two or three jobs!

Well, so God has been bombarding me with words for these people. Everything I read, or receive in emails, or watch on TV…is about taking time to rest.

My friend in Hurst said last weekend their pastor, Robert Morris of Gateway Church, had an awesome sermon about taking time to rest. She sent me the link to the sermon.  I listened to his sermon on the Internet. It was awesome! He said the bible in Exodus, where Moses reads the Ten Commandments on the stone tablet, says the 4^th commandment is “Keep the Sabbath keep it Holy”. That means you shouldn’t do any work on the Sabbath. Whether your Sabbath is a Saturday, or even a Wednesday or any day of the week, you should do something for fun, relax, turn you cell phone off, or don’t answer the phone. Play games with your kids, just have a relaxing day that does not have to do anything with work. He has learned to do that. This is a day for him to rest and do something for fun.

I keep hearing praise and worship songs that talk about just resting and resting in God’s presence and soaking in His love.

He wrote this:

“I'm not saying to drop everything. There is a season of accomplishment, but there is also a season of rest and there is a season of evaluation. Understand that five times zero is still zero. Some things are not worth doing even if you can do them five times faster. So I threw away my to-do list. Maybe if it's not important enough to remember, it may not be important enough to do. I turned off my computer and took a golf lesson.”

Even God rested -
And on the seventh day God ended His work. He rested on the seventh day from all His work, which He had done. Genesis 2:2

⁹ There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. ¹⁰ For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. Hebrews 4: 9-10

Well, I think my time of rest has come. I am so glad I don’t have to go to work anywhere. I am so blessed  - I have several Sabbath days every week. 

Getting in the mood for Christmas

 I read the Harker Heights newspap. Liked the stories Kristi wrote.  Especially her column!!! I think the city will like the positive stories, she was telling us about how the Nolanville city council complained because they didn't get any favorable press! That is because the city government doesn't do anything to be proud of or be positive about...I am proud of the way she stood up to them at the City Council meeting one night. I especially liked the story she did about the young boy Daniel. Such a heartwarming story!

Tomorrow, Saturday, Floresville is having our Festival of Lights. The day will begin at 2 p.m. with activities and entertainment around the courthouse square, with vendor booths set up on the courthouse lawn. And the parade at 6:00 or 6:30.  (the pictures are ones I took a couple years ago here) We missed it last year, because we were in Round Rock "celebrating" at Round Rock Hospital!!

 We watched a new Hallmark movie last night..."A Christmas Wish"...I liked it and it had a good ending!!!  I can count on Halmark Movies to make me feel fine!!!I felt so good after watching it.

 But then we watched The Office, and I was so repulsed by some of it, I don' want to watch it any more. I am glad it is in it's last season!

And then we watched Nashville. and I sort of like it, especially the music, but some of it does not lift my spirits at all...I wish it were not such a "dark" drama!!!

I am going through my library to see if there is a book I can read over again, and give me a good feeling...I need something good and interesting to read!

Oh, the last two issues of Texas Monthly was very interesting. Both had the complete story of Michael Morton by Pamela Collof in Part one and Part two. "The Innocent Man". Wow it was so good I could not put it down. Because I knew how it ended. I knew this man served 25 years for a murder he did not do! And he is not bitter, angry, but is a changed man, because he found the Lord in prison. He had not seen his son in years, and they established a father son relationship now. I felt very good, when I finished this month's edition.

Then the last issue has a picture of Willie Nelson and an awesome story about him and his music, and songs writing...such a positive story. I loved it.

Then today I got my new issue of "Mysterious Ways, more than a coincidence" put out by Guideposts, and it made me feel soooo good, and built my faith even more. The stories in there are so great...true stories of God's mysterious ways and things that happened to where you just know there is a God. No explanation .....but God.

Some people probably don't like me writing about the LORD so much because you cannot tell anyone about God and they will believe you. You have to experience God to believe. If a person is not a believer it is hard to believe the things a believer tells you. I know, cause I was once there. I don't blame them for having a hard time listening to someone talk about God, Jesus, or the Holy Spirit. I was just like them once.

Well, I need to go see if Julie wants to watch TV with me, or watch it in her room. I probably will have to get really mad and make her get up. But lately she has become very sedentary and sleeps too much. She falls asleep watching TV with me, at every show we watch. I don't know what to do about that. Liz and she needs to do something where she has to walk a lot! I am getting worried about her. Well, I am worried about my life style too. ha. Like mother like daughter.

Tomorrow is going to be a good day. Just you wait and see!

Joy Comes in the Morning

So I am posting on Blogger today. LiveJournal keeps changing things so I don't know what to do or how to write. I have had Live Journal since around 2005 or 2006. I really liked writing on there, and my granddaughters and Kristi and some friends used to comment many times. You could comment as anonymous if you didn't belong to LJ. Nowadays, I guess it is hard for people to comment, because I don't get any feedback...except on Facebook. But i know people read my blogs, because I now know how to see my stats (hits) and see how many people went to my page, and hopefully read it. Maybe they just go there and then don't read it! But lately I have been encouraged because there has been lots of "hits" like 70 or 80.
So I will try Blogger again today.
If anyone has been reading my blogs, they know I have been going through  a really blah and depressing time....for the last month or two. I am not excited or look forward to anything these days. If you never have been like that, you don't know what I mean. If you have, you know how hard it is get out of it. Even if you have lots of faith, and pray, and read your bible, and try to think positively, it is like you are slogging through the mud and can't get anywhere. You make yourself get dressed and go somewhere, but you can't wait to get back home, and go into your cozy nest and hibernate some more.
That is not like me. I used to have so much energy, and vim and vigor and so many irons in the fire, the day was not long enough. I never was bored.  Cause I made something happen, if there was nothing happening. I had so many friends, and my kids had friends, and our house was always full of people.
Well these days  I just am tired. I am tired of making things happen. I have to force myself to plan something.
Yesterday, Kristi called me to see how I was. And we had a long conversation ...3-way..cause Julie was on the phone too! It is so good to talk to my daughters and we have a great conversation....we all talk ....and before we hung up, I was feeling so much better, we laughed and talked, about everything. Kristi suggested I go back on my Lexapro, the antidepressant I have taken for 10 years, since Eddie first had Alzheimers....I decided to stop taking it, about 2 or 3 months ago. Maybe that is why I am so darn blah and depressed. I started again last night to take it.
Last night Julie said I need prayer. So....she prayed for me. She prayed a great prayer. I told her to cast that spirit of depression out of me. So she did!
I am only going to watch inspirational and positive shows on the TV. I have stopped watching shows I usually like to watch...in the past...like The Good Wife, Cold Case, Criminal Minds, Dateline (mostly shows about wives murdering their husbands and husbands murdering their wives), and now I am going to stop watching Parenthood. So many unhappy depressing things going on there in the family. I am depressed when it is over!
We live in a depressing time for America and all over the world. I don't need any more heaped upon me. I started reading an Ann Tyler book this week...I was so depressed reading it, at what was happening with the family in the book, I put it on the shelf. I am not going to read things like that to make me depressed.
This morning  I was reading my bible. I always read the Psalm for today. Since today is the 30th, so it is Psalm 30...where it says "For His anger is but for a moment, but His favor is for a lifetime or in His favor is life. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning."

That is my promise from God today. I pray the Lexapro starts working and the prayer Julie prayed works. After all, I choose life!

Police Departments, Policemen, and a 94-year old friend

 

Police Departments, Policemen and 94-year old friend

-The other day I went to Jim Miller's Photography in Floresville. I like Jim. I met him 4 years ago. He is a good photographer. He took the pictures out at my family reunion in 2008, at the Floresville City Park by the San Antonio River.

-Jim is running for city council in Floresville. We need something good to happen to our city government and we need it fast. The politics here are so terrible, and people have been slinging mud as they say, and the Internet makes it worse. But people need to be careful, because all your dirty laundry is out there for everyone to see. I think Jim Miller is one man who can change things for good. I had gone by to get a sign from Jim, to put in our yard. I hope he wins. He will be a great councilman.

- When I went it, I saw Jim in the back room and as soon I came in the door, he called out to me. "Hi Lois, come on in". I didn't even know he knew who I was. I asked him if I was interrupting something, because I saw three men with him.

-He said, "No we are just discussing crime in Floresville."

-I found out that there was the police chief, and two of his policemen in there. I joined them. I got to hear all about crime in Floresville, the statistics from the last few years. And where the most crime occurs and what most of the crime is. Well, of course it is drugs.

-I got to hear how the police department needs more policemen. They are short handed - especially since the Eagle Ford oil boom. Floresville is growing by leaps and bounds. I can attest to that. Traffic out on Hwy 181 is terrible.

-The only place I can drive in the "slow lane" these days are in the residential areas, like ours.

- When they finished I introduced myself, and finally met the police chief face to face and his men, and told them where we lived. They agreed with me, that we live in peaceful. And there hardly is any crime out here. Thank you Lord.

-Policemen and women have a hard job. They put their lives in dangerous situations all the time. I applauded the police chief and his men for the good jobs they are doing and I am so glad I got to meet them in person. And it was a positive situation!

-Brad Parker, my grandson is going to be a Ft. Worth Policeman next week. He is graduating from the Ft.Worth Police Academy next Friday. I will be there. Brad has already put his life on the line, having done two tours in Iraq and a Marine.  He knows what he is facing. He has a wife and Kendall and two little girls, Ava and Allie. I have never stopped praying for Brad and his little family, and I will continue to pray for them forever.

-I called Eleanora Talley this week to see if she would for us to take her out to lunch some day. She loved the idea. So when Julie and Liz get back from Jettie's, our hair stylist, we are going to go over and pick Eleanora up and take her to lunch. I think we are going to Laguna’s up on Hw 181. Eleanora is such a sweet little old lady. I can call her that, because she is even older than me!! She is 94. Her daughter lives with her. Sandra has been the one constant thing in Eleanora’s life since Troy, Eleanor’s husband died many years ago. I don’t know what she would have done without Sandra. She takes care of her mama. I got to know Eleanora when I did a story about her two years ago. I am so blessed to have her for my friend. She is so bright, chipper and has a fantastic memory! She has had quite an interesting life.

-As usual, if I want to have a life - I am the one that has to do it. So I am not bored as long has I have the sense to plan something. But it beats me why no one else plans things and invites us. Why doesn't anyone ever call us and ask "You want to go to lunch today?" or "I am going to eat lunch at Jack's Cafe or Delilah's  - so do you want to meet me there". Well, I have always been a leader or a go-getter, so I will do that till the day I die. But then I am the oldest of 8 kids, and some people think I am bossy. So be it. I have learned if you want something, go out and get it. Don’t wait around for things to come to you. And make things happen!

Laughing at myself

Laughing at myself

Most of the time, I sit at my computer and start writing. I don’t think about what I am going to write. Usually it works out okay. Because my thoughts are not like everyone else’s. Well, I don’t think anyone’s thoughts are like any one else’s.  So it is interesting to see where it will lead me.

Sometimes when I get to the end of a blog, or a story, or a status on Facebook, I read it and delete it! I think, “Where did that come from? No one wants to read that!”

But then sometimes I mull it over and think, “Well maybe someone will think this is funny, or quirky, but maybe they will think it is dumb and stupid, but it’s okay, cause I know what my feelings were when I wrote it.  People will know what I mean.I just don't want to be boring!

Well, then sometimes they don’t get it. Maybe that is because of what they are going through. They can’t relate. If I write about simple, funny things that happens to me, if they are in a hospital with a sick child, they may think it is petty and small and ridiculous. I should be sympathetic and empathetic. So, the writing goes on...I will not stop.

The other day I started writing my status on Facebook, and the words just flowed. I was not feeling anything but annoyance, and smiling to my self, at the ridiculousness of it all. I had to laugh at what I had written. It was the one where I had just gotten a tiny check from a publisher for my last book. That was about the 3^rd check like that I had received from them, in the 4 years that is has been published. That book has cost me a lot of money and I have not made a penny on it. But I knew God wanted me to write it. It was not written for me to make money.

That day as I left the house to go to Cooper’s Garden Center to buy some flowers to plant, I passed by the bank and decided to cash the tiny check. Well, that was a ridiculous day from start to finish. I had to laugh at myself, and glad I had a sense of humor, every time something happened that was so annoying and stupid, I smiled to myself and said,“I need to write about this”.

The first thing that happened was even though I was the only one in line in the drive-through after a few minutes, it took a long time to cash that little bitty check…cause they had to go to the back and look to see if I had an account there and see how much money I had in there, in case the check bounced. (It was so big. $1.35)

Finally after 20 minutes they gave me my money and I drove to Coopers. It is south of Floresville half way to Poth, down a country road. Usually it is a nice drive and I love browsing through the gardens. Well that day it was hot and dry, and the road was dusty  as I drove through a cloud of sand…and the gate was closed, as they were not open that day!

Well what to do? I asked God “Where do you want me to go?” He said, “Just drive”.

I went back to Floresville, spotted the Sonic and pulled in there to get a Root Beer float. Do you know Sonic uses real ice cream? They have several flavors too. I sat there and drowned my sorrows in that float and I felt very happy.

Then I kept driving and saw the Dollar General on the right. Ah ha, I needed some things from there. I love shopping at the Dollar Store …more than HEB or Walmart…they are too big for me.

When I left there, I started to go home, but decided to go by Walmart and see if they had and flowers. That was a mistake. I hate Walmart. I can’t find anything there and the people that work there sometimes don’t know where anything is. But surely if I went in the garden store I could buy some plants or flowers.

I would not have to walk miles to find something. Well, I went to the garden store, looked around and could not see any flowers. I finally found a man who worked there and he said they didn’t have any flowers!!! This was a Super Walmart!!!

  They expected a truck in later this week or next week. I just laughed to myself and said, “That figures! Story of my day!” So, I bought a couple of green plants to plant in my pots on the porch. I drove home and chalked it up to one more day of annoyances.

But I was so glad they were annoying things, and I could laugh at myself, and I could always find something that had happened that was good. That is my philosophy you know - look for a silver lining in the dark clouds – there is always one if you just look.

I am so grateful that I can still drive a car, walk (though with a limp), see to drive without glasses, type on the computer (though my hands are crippled with arthritis), read with a Kindle, go to the Girls High School Volleyball games in Poth, go to an awesome church, and the list goes on….I am so glad to be alive still…

So today I am also happy that the Texas Rangers and the Dallas Cowboys won last night, and I am going to have a nice quiet day reading my new book, by John Grisham, and this weekend it is going to rain and we will have a "norther" and the weather will be cooler. And I can sit on the porch and it will be cool! Even in the shade these days it is 100 degrees!