Remember that film from 1954? It was filmed in 3D black and white…allegedly a horror film about this slimy green creature that climbed out of the…well yeah…the Black Lagoon. I never found it particularly scary. I was mowing this weekend and thought maybe I had stumbled upon the creatures distant cousin…lurking in our field.
It was a patch of green slime mold. I have no idea how I knew but as soon as I saw it, I knew what it was. Maybe I saw it as a kid and my dad or PopPop told me. Anyway, I was kind of surprised to see it so I looked it up. It is actually called Nostoc and is a phylum of bacteria. It has chlorophyll so it gets its energy from the sun.
Melissa gives us a tour of the greenhouses on her parents’ farm.
One of the special treats Mr. FixIt and I enjoy in the summer is a lovely evening drive through the country. The temperature cools down. We don’t need the air conditioning. The light shifts to a soft green glow with touches of pink and blue. The world seems softer and gentler. A kind and safe place for sharing some love.
I’ve been vacillating for weeks regarding my big camper. Honestly…the only time I camp in it is at home. My truck isn’t powerful enough to pull it up hills, let alone mountains. Mr. FixIt and I love to camp together. But he doesn’t quite see the point in sleeping in the camper at home like I do. So…if I want to get him to camp with me, it’s going to have to be in a camper more suitable A) to the size of my truck, and B) to suit us at our age.
The other night, Mr. FixIt and I went to our local pizza establishment to get our twice-weekly ice cream to take to the park. As with most food service establishments, they have had issues about getting and keeping help. There have been signs saying they were training a whole new crew and to please be patient. Hey, I’m retired. I’m rarely EVER in a hurry to do anything, let alone pick up some ice cream.
In my self-imposed “retreat” out in TOW-Wanda, I’ve been reading a lot of devotionals. About fear and anxiety. About family and strength. About marriage. Whenever I feel I’m heading off center, I like to step back and do a little inventory and a lot of soul searching to find those areas where God wants to improve me. I’ve learned, if you ask to be shown…you WILL be shown. And, it isn’t sugar-coated, believe me.
Neurodiversity. It’s probably not a term you are familiar with. More than likely, that’s because you are neurotypical. Neurotypical people are your everyday, garden variety humans that do things and feel things and say things like most people. But the human brain is infinitely varied and weird and wonderful. Instead of calling a neurodivergence a “disability”…we become more inclusive if we recognize each other as beautiful and profoundly human and as varied as a rainbow.
I had an appointment in town yesterday morning and snuck out without waking Mr. FixIt. I stopped for a coffee and read my morning devotionals while I waited for my appointment time. Once I was done, I got a text from one of my bonus granddaughters asking if she and the kids could come swim. Turned out TWO bonus granddaughters and all three great grandkids arrived. It was so much fun, but I told them there was a reason God gives children to young people. They were SO busy!
I’ve always imparted this little tidbit to young people. “You can’t possibly live long enough to make ALL the mistakes. Learn from the mistakes of others.” It’s a lesson that I’m still living out.
I got a friend request from someone over the weekend. I knew absolutely for certain we were already friends, so I took a screenshot and sent it to her asking…is this you? Turns out, it was. She’s been on Facebook for over ten years. Yet, a couple of weeks ago, someone hacked her FB account, changed the password, hijacked a credit card she had on file to use for FB ads…racking up a pretty hefty bill. The money wasn’t what upset her…she has coverage for that and will get it back. However…there’s so much she’ll never see again.
My Pop-Pop sitting by the cupboard. It sat in the dining room till the late 60’s when my great grandfather brought some antiques over to the farm. A gorgeous glass china hutch took its place.
It’s been a fixture at the farm since I was little…around four or five years old, I suspect. Grandma’s jelly cupboard came into my life by way of an auction. An auction at the old house two farms down from ours. The property Frank and Beans own. The day I met them on the front porch, they called out… “We’re your neighbors!” THAT property.
I Spy, with My Little Eye…Something PINK! Do You See?
We went to the farm to mow yesterday. The new owners, who I affectionately call Frank and Beans, have been gracious enough to let me visit and/or stay out at the farm whenever I can…which has saved me so much heartache over its sale. I told them, if they would provide me a riding mower, I would be happy to mow in exchange for their generosity. So, yesterday was mowing day.
