When Life Gives You The Finger

 

Such a true statement, right?! No matter what life or circumstances throw at us God's got this. Yesterday He really held me close!

I've been put on light duty for several days. Maybe a month or more. Why? My Facebook friends know already, so, apologies for repeating myself. Y'all get to hear the story again. Lucky you.  😁 I am having to type all this with one good hand.

Tammie (hiding), Rev. Bob and his wife Jackie

Me (standing) and Peggy

Steve

Yesterday we went Rehab visiting as planned. Ms. Jackie seems to be improving daily. I think everyone had a dandy time. I know Steve and I did. These folks at our Church are just the salt of the earth: kind, generous, thoughtful and true Prayer Warriors. 

After the visit, it was the Noon hour but for some reason I've now forgotten, couldn't decide on where to eat. So we went our separate ways. We went on to Southern Sippin' in Blackshear. Had my weekly sugar-free Hazelnut Frozen Frappe since it was also a fasting day for us. Jesus was further protecting me for what was next!

Next we stopped by the Courthouse Annex to vote in early Primaries. I had my answers of "Yes" or "No" to the long list of local questions to vote on. I pushed all the Dominion machine buttons to send my opinions to the Chinese overlords, handed in the printed sheet they give us to be counted, started walking down the new long hallway they put in to leave, and promptly tripped on a pipe laying across the hallway! I must have fell slightly to the right but hands straight out. I was so stunned I laid there feeling like a fool when I glanced at my left hand and saw this ...

Yes, the bones on my pinky are separated. The technical term is: Dislocated Finger. There was very little blood or even pain. I had stood back up thinking I was none-the-worse for wear, only a bruised ego, but this changed our entire afternoon. I looked at the damage and my knees started to buckle as Steve grabbed me in a sweet bear hug to protect and comfort before I went into shock. Everyone, I mean everyone in that small sphere, stopped to offer aid. The Deputy on duty immediately dialed 9-1-1. The Fire Department was there so quick it was like they were just outside the door. Right behind them was a lovely young lady named Ellen, whom I later learned is a Nurse or other medical professional, who had come by to pay her property taxes, came over to comfort and advise. I had already gone into Survival Mode by first removing all jewelry (over the injury before it swelled!), holding my arm pointed up, and remaining calm. Ellen and everyone kept encouraging me in my predicament saying I was so brave. I told them over and over that it was Jesus holding me together. He knows where I am, what was happening and what the outcome would be. The EMT's arrived directly. I walked out to the ambulance, climbed in after they practically had to remove Steve's shirt from my good hand I was gripping so tightly, I plopped into the gurney, gave them all my vitals, they pumped me full of drugs, and off we went to Hospital 20 minutes away. Steve followed right behind. Thank heavens he rescued my scattered personals after the fall. 

By the way, that drug they gave me for the free ride in a County vehicle, was simply dreadful. After I finally came out of the stupor, I told them to NEVER give me that junk again. It's called ketamine. It would take too long to describe how horrible that stuff made me feel. I'd rather have the pain. For real.

So, I'm having to fly on one wing for awhile; can't ride or do any heavy lifting. If I'm not commenting or posting much, this is why. I'm Ok. It's merely an inconvenience in a world full of much bigger problems.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope your day is peaceful and full of His grace.

💙🙏💙🙏💙

Wednesday

 

It has gotten so dry .... I think I even saw a camel caravan go by. 🐪🐪😅 We need rain. Seems like I'm spending all my time watering the plants since the wet stuff quit us. The dirt road is so sandy I wouldn't dare try to ride down it on street tires. My allergies have gone wacky(er). 🤧 Since there's so much land the grass is on it's own. This makes me especially thankful I planted centipede grass. It's wonderfully drought tolerant. Takes very little care to maintain it. 

Having a subscription to BritBox streaming is wonderful now that our area has high-speed internet. I don't think I could ever go back to being tethered to cable or satellite TV. I'm hooked on watching all The Doctor Blake Mysteries (Australian) and also the Kavanaugh Q.C. with John Thaw (British). After all this time of watching many Brit TV shows and films, John Thaw has become one of my favorite British actors. It's a shame he passed so young.  

Anyone else taking Desiccated Thyroid medications, or any other drug for that matter, that are having trouble getting refills without breaking the bank? 💸 My NP Thyroid has shot up from $39 for 90 days to $133! No inflation my big toe Joe! 😡 Apparently there's a shortage because of the Government. For me and thousands of others this medication is our lifeline to good health. Without it, I, or anyone else with hypothyroidism, will stop functioning. None of us are going to survive this criminal 🤥 Admin if they're not all removed soon. 💩

Sometimes, I just want to sit and cry, but, I refuse to dwell on it. That's pointless, right? Some how we'll cope. We always do. I chose to give it to God. He promises (paraphrased) that His yoke is easy and the burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30) He never gets tired, fails to keep promises or lies. Amen!? 🤲

So, today we meet some of the Church ladies to go visiting at the local Rehab center in Waycross. Our Pastor's wife Jackie is there, hopefully healing, from blood clots, double pneumonia, infection, and other awful things. She's a dear. We all miss her so much. Afterwards the group plan to lunch at a local restaurant. Since we don't eat a Noon meal anymore I think Steve & I will stick with the coffee. ☕ Saves money. Besides, I don't need so much food anymore. I mostly only want to spend time with our precious Church family. They always lift me up spiritually. "Iron sharpens iron". (Proverbs 27:17) I appreciate them all so much. 

I hope y'all have a great day full of happy memories. Thanks for stopping by. Ride safe and ...

💙💙💙

Tuesday Tidbits

 

Gosh, it's gotten hot all of a sudden. This morning was cool but it's creeping up to 90*+ as the day progresses. 

I watered everything early when it was at it's coolest (about 62*). The air felt very nice. This is what I look like whenever I'm out in the yard now that the biting flies have hatched. Southeast Georgia has Deer Flies, Yellow Flies, Horseflies, Mosquitoes, and on and on. Then there's the non-biting ones like gnats. They simply drive one mad what with getting in our eyes, ears, noses, etc. So I'm covered up! I wish there was a hat or net for doggies so they wouldn't have to walk around snapping at these pests the whole time. They really suffer but always endure, for awhile, so as to be close to me. They have their own pet door so as to pop back inside (or out) whenever the mood moves them. Ok, I spoil 'em. I admit it. I would want to be treated the same way. 

Thank you for the kind words about Tommy yesterday and his situations. The air conditioner can not be repaired. Oh well. Time to take another tack. Not concerned as God's got this. At least Tommy has lots of fans and he says he can take it. He's tougher than me! I would have been whining to high Heaven about the heat already. Just ask my husband. He's had endure a moment when on a blazing, hot 4th of July ours quit working. Yeah. I'll bet they heard me fussing in the next county! 😂😂

I cooked more dog treats this morning. We've been feeding our three fresh cooked, locally raised chicken gizzards for treats. It's so much cheaper and safer than anything the Chinese conglomerates churn out plus it has no grains or artificial chemicals or additives. We're saving boo coo bucks and helping them be healthy too eating the same way we do. Win-win! All three of them stay in the kitchen with me, salivating, watching my every move. They are so cute.

I also cooked my specialty Keto no-sugar added Chocolate Treats for us. It's something I fix on the stove. It usually takes only about 8 to 10 minutes tops. Those are all the ingredients and utensils above: Amish Butter and Lily's Dark Chocolate Baking Chips (no-sugar added). First, I gently melt about 1/2 the stick of butter. Be careful not to burn the butter. Then slowly add one overflowing cup (1 cup) of Lily's Dark Chocolate Chips. Stir well until completely melted. I add it to an ice cube tray with a long metal spoon so I won't burn myself. Refrigerate. Do not freeze. *boom* You've got a low-sugar treat! For the ice cube tray I bought these silicone ones on Amazon. They're only $9.99 for 4 of them or they may be available locally for y'all. We live way out in the boonies. None of our stores carry these but keeping these trays around is very practical. They are good for ice cubes too.  😉 

Well, mail's in. Guess I'll go see if anyone has sent us a Million Bucks. 😁 First I have to suit up again with the net, hat, long sleeves ... 😬 the fun never ends. 🙄🤣 

Isn't wonderful that He always is! 💓 Thanks for stopping by. Have a blessed remainder of the day my friends. 

💙💙💙💙

Monday Musing

 

The weekend was uneventful: Saturday we worked around the property with lots of resting, Sunday was Church. 

Not much going on today either. I did laundry earlier, then watered all my pretty flowers. 🌻 We sure need rain. It's dry as toast out there. 

We live way out in the country, about 14 miles or more from the nearest town with stores, therefore, we try to always consolidate errands to save on gas. This morning I had prayed that God would put someone in our path that needed help or to hear His Gospel or whatever suits His will. God always answers prayer! After a cup of coffee we headed towards said town for supplies. As we arrived on the outskirts, there was one of our indigent neighbors, Tommy, that many of us have been assisting as best as possible. Tommy is 56. He used to work but has lost his vision to cataracts which renders him nearly blind. Now he only has a couple of beaten up, hand-me-down bicycles with balding tires for transportation. Well, Tommy was over 16 miles from home in this 90* heat on that busy Highway 84 and it wasn't even Noon!! Even though we were nearly at our destination Steve quickly turned around to meet up with him at a storefront. We gave me a lift back to our community. He was so hot he was shaking like he was on the verge of heat stroke. Poor guy. Then, of course, there was a train blocking the way home which made the journey even longer but it was God's will because it gave me a chance to learn some things about what he needs. Tommy lives on others charity in a run down ramshackle trailer that has no air conditioning in this terrible heat and humidity! That won't do. My husband can fix nearly anything. Steve further volunteered to pop by there soon and look at the A/C unit to see if it can be repaired easily. Please pray that it can be repaired as buying him a new one can't be done by us. Thanks. Tommy is a sweet guy, he's simply down on his luck because of poor health. Plus, he's a true orphan (grew up in an orphanage in Jacksonville, Florida) and we all know what the Holy Scriptures say about taking care of widows and orphans. 

What was true then is still true now. Amen?! 💓 God never changes. Went back out again to said town to continue with our errands. We stopped to buy gas and only purchased a few groceries. After spending $120 for so little it left me in a blue funk but it'll pass. ☹️ At least I have a home to come back too that's peaceful, air conditioned, safe and clean. My life is absolute peaches and cream compared to what others must endure. Thank you Lord for this blessing and more. 

Well, that's it for today. We're cooking breakfast sausage for our mornings. It's so much easier to just microwave it in the morning instead of making a mess to be cleaned up. The house is smelling so yummy! 

Thanks for stopping by.

💙 💙 💙

Friday Fotos

 

Welcome to Friday Fotos!

💖💖💖

Thank you everyone for the kind words yesterday. Y'all are the best.

I took a stroll around the property. I have a new FujiFilm XP camera (water proof & shock proof) I had to try out. It's supposedly just like the other yellow one I accidentally dropped in the woods when the land clearing was going on. The chipper chewed it to itsy bitsy bits. So, these are the images that stood out the most. Enjoy!

First attempt. Maggie moved. She was looking so cute too, all curled up and snuggly. Little stinker.

Of course, I had to snap a pic of our "pretend" veg garden. Yeah, ok, it's 90% flowers. I admit it. The veg's are on the corners. We're mostly carnivore's anyway. That's how we've both lost 45 pounds. I'm down to 160 from 205 now! Woot woot! 🥳💃

The Windmill

Down by the road (above)

Royal Purple Petunias (below)

Yellow Petunia's (above)

White Petunia's next to my old chair (below)

Petunia's in an old repainted wheelbarrow (above)

Petunia's next to the gate keypad (below)

The Catalpa tree bloomed this year. (above)

Confederate Jasmine (below)

And, last but not least:

Steve is changing the oil and filter then performing general maintenance on his motorbike (2018 Honda NC750X). I think his is prettier than mine. 😎

Then, lastly, my nearly constant companions. Maggie in the foreground, Sam next to her (white) and Jack next to the junk pile. I circled him because in the bright sunlight he nearly disappeared! I didn't notice that at the time.

I hope y'all enjoyed the tour. We've got places to go and people to annoy. 🤭 Prayers that the rest of your day is pleasant, profitable, edifying and full of the joy we receive from the Holy Spirit. Every day is a gift from God. I hope I always remember to enjoy it. 😇🙏

Ride Safe, 

Thursday Thoughts

 

I'm sure that almost everyone who follows or reads my blog is a praying Christian. I can tell. Thank you for being a Prayer Warrior. We need to suit up, have courage, and keep our lamps trimmed. The days are growing darker and we're closer to when Jesus will take His Church outta the way then all h*ll will break loose. Literally. I pray for those that will be left behind. As our Pastor once so rightly said, there will be no good people left. You think it's dangerous now ... 

The temperature was still pleasant earlier today, so, I took my ride out for a spin. Steve needed the engine warmed up to do an oil change. I was happy to oblige! Our dirt road was already getting dangerously sandy. Plus someone had decided that the little dirt intersection between us and the pavement would make a good spot to spin donuts with their 4 wheeler. 😡 (Don't get me started on how I feel about 4 wheelers ... it's not fit to print.) We need rain again to pack it all down.

She's getting all purdied up. 😉

Now I'm ready for more riding. Steve's pretty red & silver NC750X is to the right. 

Whilst Steve was being a good little Do Bee, 🐝 I went to the barber shop to get a haircut. Yeah, our local barber does ladies cuts too. How cool is that!? She does a good job. 

I finished reading "Lily's Promise" by Lily Ebert, a Jewish Holocaust survivor. I think I enjoyed "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom more because she is a Christian. Anyone have any suggestions about what to read next? I like history, British history & mysteries, and almost anything that doesn't have vulgarity. Also, Christian publications can be good. Beth Moore has a couple that I enjoyed. 

I think that'll be it for me for the day. We may laz around on the back deck 🌺 to enjoy the flowers and watch the bird's again, if it's not too humid with scads of biting bugs. 🦟 I do have a fan there but it's so noisy with it running I can't hear the bird's! Kinda defeats the purpose.

Whatchy'all doin' today? Hope it's something pleasant and edifying. 🤗 Remember, Jesus loves you. I'm so thankful for your friendship.

Thanks for stopping by.  

💕🙏💕🙏💕

Welcome May And Catching Up

 

That was nice to take a little breather from many social media's. After awhile they begin to "own" you body and soul if one isn't careful. 

It's been so terribly busy here at Red Bird Acres: planting, gardening, yardwork, clearing more land, and so forth. You'd think we owned 20 acres the way I've found so much to do! (There's "only" 6 1/2 acres.) 😁 This is my hobby for now, until the health can no longer support the desire. God is good to have blessed us with a pleasant, quiet, tranquil, safe area to live in. Oh, it has it's non-plus's too but I try not to go there, like, the warmer weather brings out the biting bugs. 😥 One simply wears the appropriate cover ups and carries on. And I could definitely do without whomever the neighbor(s) is that keeps littering our beautiful countryside. 

There's lots of birds either migrating through or here to stay for the Season. This year, we have at least one nesting pair of Summer Tanager on our property! (below) When the resident Mockingbird allows, they are scarfing up the Mulberry fruit. The tree is huge this year. It's gorgeous. I'm going to try to find another Mulberry to plant near this one. That spot must be just dandy for fruit trees. 

Summer Tanager (male)

Summer Tanager (female)

Our View Off The Back Deck

There are only a few Ruby-throated Hummingbirds at the moment but I expect more will arrive soon. They do love all the Red and Purple Salvia's that are planted along the back deck and in pots. The veg's are taking their own sweet time but we did get to harvest one Zucchini. I'll be glad when they all ripen so we can have them all through the Summer. 

Maggie and Sam

Jack in better days

All three of the brats (dogs) are still with us. Jack is not doing well, though. He's always had poor health. His digestive system is messed up or something. It seems to be catching up with him. Now the frequent vomiting and poor eating habits seems to be affecting his mind. I watch him walking down the hallway to get to one of his beds but now he stops mid-stride and acts confused. Earlier today he was digging at the basket of toys I have for them. He was acting as if his mind was vacant and troubled. I guess he's in pain somewhere. Poor dear. The Vet is mystified too. Could be simply old age. I'll keep him as comfortable as possible for as long as possible. All my fur-babies are so precious to me.

That's it for today. We're off to the Big City to get our weekly sugar-free frozen frappe's. Thanks for stopping by. I hope everyone has a lovely remainder of the day. Keep looking up because The Rapture gets closer every day! 

Ride Safe, Sparky💙