A tribute to Julie's animals

                                                                    I see the sheep.

The sheep see me!

I see the rooster.

The rooster sees me!

                                                               I see the fish.

 

The fish see me!

I see Roxie!

Roxie sees me!

I see the bird.

                                                                  The bird sees me!

I see the (shy) bobwhite quail.

                                                             The bobwhite quail sees me!

                                                                        I see the cat.

 

The cat sees me!

I wanted to get really creative in this tribute but did not want to take the time to paste the food pictures over my clothes so all you saw was a food bag with arms and legs.   

This tribute marks the end of my time of caring for Julie's pets.  There are many good memories associated with all the pets and some bad, such as headless chickens, dead chickens, snakes in the henhouse, SNAKES PERIOD, watching the older animals slow waaaaaay down.....

God is calling me to invest my time in Waylon and Roo. I am look forward to this new mission but it is a little scary.  My housesitting money helps pay the monthly bills so this will also be a time of me trusting God to meet my financial needs in a different way.  For way too many years now, I have worked 1 full time job, 1 parttime job plus did housesitting.  I am wearing out.  Perhaps it is time to slow down just a bit.

Epiphany

So I am a little slow on the uptake.  While doing some re-organizing to make the house more Roo friendly,  it dawned on me.  All that simplifying and uncluttering God put on my heart made it possible for Waylon and Roo to have a place to roost.  Took way too many weeks for the dotted lines to connect. 

Thank you Jesus for getting my butt in gear all those months ago.

Kristina took Roo

Kristina took Roo with her to East Texas this morning.  She is bringing back her half sisters who are supposed to help her with Roo this summer.   

God, my heart is heavy.  Please protect Roo.

Getting to see old friends

If you find a good deal on a new brain at a garage sale, would you please buy it for me. I need one that has a GOOD memory.

Davey called to let me know what time he would be bringing Jimmy and his family by the house Friday.  I HAD TOTALLY FORGOTTEN THEY WERE COMING!!!  I will lay the blame on unexpectedly housesitting for Julie and Don instead of a faulty brain.

Jimmy is Davey's uncle, who is not much older than Davey.  Jimmy was married when I met him and divorced not long after.  Davey, Jimmy and and I were the singles of the fishing group so we always shared a room and a boat.  Jimmy irritated most of the family but he and I always got along.  Due to his work, like Davey he is a plumber, he couldn't always come.

Jimmy decided he wanted to slow down in life so he moved.  I haven't seen him since before I moved here to Marble Falls.  Davey is bringing Jimmy and his new wife by for a visit.  Jimmy's son is supposed to come too.  Jimmy chased women his son's age and his son, always chased women his dad's age.  Believe me, it could get comical when everyone was together.  Sure wish I could remember Jimmy's son's name.  See, I told you I had a faulty brain.

It will be good to see Jimmy and meet his wife.  Too bad it will only be for a short time.

Roo

My heart hurts.  I miss Roo.  Sure did not take me long to get addicted to having him around everyday.  It can be rough on the heart being a mamaw.

I miss Roo

Kristina has Roo this weekend.  I miss him already.  Next week is my last week with him, supposedly, before Kristina starts having him during the week and Waylon has him only on the weekends.  I am praying that does not happen, that we can have him most of the time.  PRAYING BIG TIME!!

 

So many changes

The storage room is organized.  There is room for improvement but not right now.  A friend is coming today to install a light over my dining room table.  Once that is done, most of my electrical issues will be complete:  ceiling fans: front porch, living room, Waylon/Roo's room,  storage room, and my porch.  Lights in storage room have pull chains affixed.  Used paint can keys to dangle so I can reach to turn them on and off.  Motion lights installed on front and back of storage room and one replaced in carport.  New light in mom's bathroom.  Why the previous owners wanted to light the ceiling is beyond me but now mom can see. 

On to the other repairs such as the gate, deck etc.  Plumbing repairs will have to wait.  Feels good to get some more things done.

Waylon has moved in and most of the time we have Roo, which makes it hard for Waylon to spend a lot of time looking for work.  Meanwhile, I am enjoying Roo all that I can.  Waylon has been helping mom with yard stuff, which is a good thing.

When I shared with one of my prayer partners about Waylon and Roo, she goes, do you remember when God told you that your mom would be living with you.  It has been hard but there has been healing for you and your mom.  Then she said, do you remember when God gave you a vision that John would be coming back into your life and Waylon's?  God did a major healing in your life.  Then she asked if I remembered telling her that God gave me a vision that Waylon and Roo would be moving in.  Alright Candi, yes, I know.  God is healing a family.

I have peace!

Authors I enjoy

I have always enjoyed Richard Paul Evan's books.  His "Walk" series is very good.  Sadly, the 3rd book will not be out until April 2012.

I have since found another author I enjoy a little bit more than Mr. Evans.  Charles Martin's writings make it possible to feel as if you are right there with the characters.  His book, "The Dead Don't Dance" was movie optioned by Hallmark and then dropped.  His new book, "The Mountain Between Us" has been movie optioned by 20th Century Fox.  Sure hope this one does not fall through.  Because he has changed publishers, his next book will not be released until May 2012.  Look forward to reading "Thunder and Rain", a story of a retired Texas Ranger.

I have now found another author. Ginny L. Yttrup is a freelance writer, speak, life coach and ministers to women wounded by sexual trauma.   Her debut book, "Words" is very good.  The subject matter is very difficult but her way of handling it compels me to keep on reading.

Who are some of your favorite authors?  I know, there are the main ones like Francine Rivers, Teri Blackstock, Karen Kingsbury, but have you found a fairly new author whose a good read?

Got more done

Came home from work Wednesday not feeling good.  Allergies were kickin my butt and I had a low grade fever.  Got up Thursday feeling even worse.  Had a higher fever and could hardly get a breath in.  Took the day off from work, loaded up on mucinex and Aleve.   Took awhile but finally the mucinex kicked in, my fever broke and I could breathe.  Breathing meant I could start tackling the storage room.

I managed to get the storage room about 97% organized.  I can now work on getting the loom put together.  Hopefully the lady who said she could help me is available soon.   I feel such a relief getting the storage room tackled.  I have rid my home of so much stuff and lightened my load although by how much I have to dust, it doesn't seem to be less.  Where did all that stuff fit in my house and storage room? 

Now to read lots of books and start clearing my book shelves.

Getting there

Slowly but surely, the storage room is getting organized.  2 ceiling fans have been installed, the pegboard is getting filled and mom has diligently been putting nuts, bolts, screws etc into stackable containers.  My plan last night was to put up one last shelf and organize what was going back into the desk drawers.  Due to a bad allergy attack, that did not happen so hopefully today after work, I can't get it done.

The opportunity for the weaving loom to get put together is getting closer.

I had messed up my wrist.  One night, as I stretched out my in my sleep, my wrist popped and pain insued.  Then , while taking care of Dottie, the muscle from the elbow to the injured wrist got pulled and torn.  I was doing ok with the anti-inflammatories and pain killers when needed for sleep.  At least I was doing OK until I took care of Roo.   I picked him up and my wrist, well, let's just say, I am glad I did not drop Roo.  Guess healing will take a little longer.

Kristina is back to saying she wants a divorce and all those men she has gone to dinner and a movie with were just friends and that they weren't having sex.  Waylon says he feels like he is losing his mind.  She wants a divorce but wants Waylon to live in the apartment with her.  TROUBLE!!!  Waylon doesn't see it that way.  He thinks they will be able to work things out.  WAKE UP WAYLON!!!!

I had a major mother's day meltdown but I finally have some peace. Right after my meltdown, I was listening to Chuck Swindoll teach on the Holy Spirit. He referred to Ecclesiastes chapter 3:  There is time to be born and a time to die...... vs 3 says, there is a time to kill and a time to heal.

Chuck Swindoll spoke about that if God appointed our time to be born and our time to die, wasn't it likely that he appointed our time to heal??  For the first time since mom moved in, I have peace, I don't hate her being here, etc.   Perhaps Mother's Day was my appointed time to heal!  Over the years, I have been in counseling, some group therapy, done studies etc, praying to get over my past.  It just seemed to loom about my head but not since Mother's Day.  So my healing was 50 years in the making.  Who is going to argue with God's appointed time?

I bought some windchimes that sound like churchbells.  I don't mind it so much that the wind continues to blow.  I think I want a few more sets of them.

Thank y'all so much for listening to me, for praying with me and for me through the years.