And So, Life Goes On.....

Forgive me but this post is kinda willy nilly all over the place, here goes:

How do you brighten someone's birthday when it is the day her husband is dying?

A cake would be the last thing on one's mind and so were flowers, but my sil brought me 

both. She didn't realize when she came in the door that this would be Roger's last day with us.

yet, I love this woman so much for trying desperately to bring a smile to my face and to try to 

brighten my day. I took several photos of the arrangement a couple of days later. The colors 

were still quite beautiful, her thoughtfulness still fresh on my mind.

There had been one closed tulip and for some reason when it opened it was high 

above all the other flowers. I guess one is always looking for some kind of sign that 

there is one who reaches for heaven in all it's beauty. I don't know, I just don't know.

That same week there was a knock on the door and the delivery person handed me this huge 

potted ivy plant that was sent from my cousin Petra who is a cardiac cath nurse in Texas. I 

put it on the oak plant stand that my husband had made in his wood shop 3 years ago. It 

looked like it was meant just for that plant. 

There were other flower arrangements and I tried to salvage what I could from the 

ones that were wilting. I had 4 other vases of flowers all throughout the house. They 

lasted about a week.

I have been taking my time and trying to get back to normal, whatever that may be.

Life around here has not been normal in a long time and now there is someone missing 

and it just doesn't seem real at times. Then there are times it seems all too real and that 

is when reality strikes and I have my moments. I take time to enjoy the little things, one 

being my grandson Holden. I love my coffee and my favorite mug is the one my girls bought 

 their grandma years ago. When she passed it became mine.

It is kinda ironic isn't it, that for 43 years I had a toaster that only did 2 slices of bread at 

a time. I would do Roger's toast first and then have to do mine last. He would be about half 

done with his meal sometimes before I would sit down to eat. Last December my youngest 

asked me what I wanted for Christmas and I told her a 4 slice toaster. My 2-slice 

toaster would be just what I need now. Should I laugh or should I cry over that one.

I did make an effort to be neighborly and went to see my friend Jeannie. She and 

I became acquainted years ago when she had her yarn shop. She had called me as 

soon as she heard about my husband passing. She lost her husband a year ago last October.

We had a good visit on the phone and she told me she had all kinds of sizes of circular 

knitting needles and for me to come see her and I could pick out all that I wanted. How 

sweet was that! So I didn't want to go empty-handed and I baked up a beef roast and 

pulled it apart, much like pulled pork, then I added a pint of my canned hot banana peppers.

If you have ever grown banana peppers, you know that they usually bear a ton of 

peppers, so many that you don't always know what to do with them. We always 

raised a few plants because I make my own spaghetti sauce, but there is always plenty 

extra. So, like I said, I added the pint and mixed it well into the shredded beef and 

spoon it on hamburger buns and you have a zesty hot beef sandwich. My family always loved 

these and the guys always came back for 2nds and 3rds. 

Here is the recipe:

Then I was at my kitchen sink 2 weeks ago and happened to look out and what did 

I see but this. I ran for my camera. The fox was jumping all over the place and I knew 

he was hunting mice. I think I got a dozen pictures, but won't bore you with but a few, lol.

I have seen deer out there and also in my back yard before we had the 5 foot chain link 

fence installed, but never a fox this close. 

I wish you all could have seen this creature, much like a cat with a mouse. Watching and waiting.

I think he got his dinner.

Then of course in these past weeks I have been having issues with my arthritis and my

hands hurting me, especially my left thumb. So I ran across this old time remedy that I 

saw in one of those ad booklets that Jerry Baker the master gardener is always sending 

in the mail......the gin and raisins remedy.

You take 1 box of Sunkist Golden Raisins and add 2 cups of gin (yes, the booze) and let the 

raisins soak up the gin. It takes about 4-6 days to plump them up. Then you eat just 9 raisins daily, 

but folks, I have been eating 10 or 12 ( not all raisins are the same size) and doing that in the morning and at bedtime. Now people, 

I am not a lush and I am hardly a boozer, and that small amount is kin to soaking a fruitcake in rum or 

what have ya, but honestly you won't get drunk and I honestly think it is helping. My hands feel a 

lot better and I have been doing this about 2 weeks now. You don't have to refrigerate them either, 

they are soaking in alcohol, lol. I do cover them and let them sit on the counter top so 

I remember to take them daily. Remember Paul Harvey, the radio announcer, well supposedly he 

swore by this remedy......someone asked me, "and just what did he die of anyways?" Heck, I 

don't know....old age, maybe, lol. I hope it wasn't from eating too many raisins, lol. I did mention all this to my doctor and he said if it helps then go ahead and eat the raisins.

Lastly I promised in my last post to share a pic of the sweet little angel Debi made and 

sent to me. I love it Debi, and thanks again. I have it lovingly tucked away in The Bible.

My next post I will catch you up on our little Holden's 1st birthday party which we celebrated on 

March 2nd although his actual birthday was Wednesday March 6th. I have not been idle

but doing some deep house cleaning, 

you know the kind where you tear everything out of the closet and wipe 

down walls and rid out what you no longer use or need. In the past 2+ years I have done nothing 

more than give this house a lick and a promise to eventually do a good cleaning. So far I have 

2 closets done. I won't tell you how long it took me to accomplish that much, but it has helped 

keep my mind off of the loss of my spouse. I have also pulled out the crochet thread and made 

4 doilies and now working on a 5th. As soon as that last one is completed and I get busy and 

block and iron them I will post pics. 

I just want to thank you all for standing by me and being such good friends. I know I have 

missed many fun things going on in your blogs. I have tried to keep up with several these

past weeks. I am still working on paperwork, on and off, but there seems to be 

a light at the end of this tunnel, which reminds me I have been reading too. I will share the books 

with you and tell you what I think. In the meantime, may God Bless You All, keep you safe and 

give you comfort and peace.