Booyah!

 

The cover concept includes a sunflower.

I celebrated my big July goal by by going to the movies yesterday and watching Superman. I had the entire theater to myself for the morning show. It was so strange to have three hours without animals and people up in my space. 

My manuscript is done! The Redeemed. 

It's off for editing. 

And then rewrites. 

And then copy editing. 

And then rewrites. 

And then proofreading. 

And then rewrites. 

Want to know how long it takes an indie author to publish? I just booked my proofreader for March.  

I'm spending August not writing (so far). 

Bird Watching

The Overlords have a new hobby. 

For the record, before I went to bed last night, the plant on the right had a lot more leaves. 

That red thing on the bottom of the window (outside) is a bird bath.

 

Very Random Texarkana*

Jesus is everywhere.
He's about an inch
and a half high. 

I uttered, "Hold the mayo" on my Taco Tuesday taco order. 

People who've just met will ask for classifications such as, "Are you part of the Ashdown (Arkansas) Johnsons?" or "Which church do you attend?" or "Where do you like to fish?"

On the Texas-Arkansas state line, the State of Arkansas, in their certifiable wisdom, is changing the Interstate 30 on-ramp with traffic lights and replacing it with--I'm not making this up--a traffic circle. 

It had to be explained to someone in my presence that a Southern accent does not equal a lack of intelligence. I thought everyone knew that. 

I was part of a group text this week asking if anyone had a "spare" half-bag of potting soil.

There's a bunch of tiny and rubberized Jesuses floating around, everywhere. I got mine from Deb, the Queen of the Coronas. 

I've been at Bob's Quilt Shop four times in the past week. I've bought zero fabric in that time. FOUR TIMES. In fact, I'm currently not working on any sewing projects. 

I might have accidentally made the sign of the cross during a prayer at a Baptist church recently.  

I've come to the conclusion that if someone on Facebook calls you out for being, "rude," it's the biggest insult imaginable. And to call out a worker at a business for being, "rude" might get the company boycotted.  

Overheard: "Why is your shower so high?" "Because my wife is tall." 

Me: "Mr. Jerry passed away last month." Other person: "Are you sure?" (I sent a sympathy card, so yes, I'm sure.) 

People quote Bible verses in normal conversation as evidence when argue their point--whether or not the verse applies. AND people defer to Scripture for the last say on topics--also whether or not the verse applies. 

I was talking to a woman who told me picking figs is "harder than picking okra." (It isn't.)  

People freely give canning recipes and directions with the same amount of authority. "Go past the Dollar General on Kings Highway--the one on the South, mind you..." and "Add just a bit of sugar--white, not brown, mind you."

Sometime in the next few days I guess I'm making fig preserves.  

Saying, "be safe," or "take care," is how people around here say good-bye. It's the equivalent to, "you matter to me."  

I don't care what anyone thinks. Sweet tea is just uncarbonated soda. 

If one were to leave their car windows down for any length of time, they'd mostly find zucchini from someone's garden in the front seat and a colony of yellowjackets in the back seat.

*I'm in the middle of a ton of edits. 

Service

I truly believe we are called to serve. 

This is a value I've instilled on my children. They've been known to drop everything, to feed a neighbor's chickens, rake a lawn or help a stranger carry groceries. During the lockdown, when my nephew Patrick stayed with us for days on end while his parents worked, both cousins jumped in without being prodded, engaging Patrick with activities. That's who my children are. To them, this is a part of regular life. 

This past month, Buck has been heading over to a local game store and helping the owner. He's bartering some "game cards" (that's the best I can do) for help with a major project this small business owner doesn't have time to tackle. He's spent hours there helping this dude out. When I asked my son why he's taken this project on, he looked at me like I have six heads. Oh yeah... the guy needs help. Plus, "game cards"--duh--, which apparently have a lot of value. But knowing Buck, he and the guy hit it off and this is no big deal. 

And let me just say, this does my heart good. I may have caused trauma and potential years of therapy in other aspects of my young adults' lives, but when it comes to serving, I'm just fine tooting my own horn.

Praying for Another Pause

Marty and I are part of a Church of Christ "life group," which is a small group of couples who get together once a month to eat barbecue and visit. Generally someone throws in a Jesus conversation--but that isn't necessarily because this is a church sanctioned event, and more because, well... welcome to the South. 

We were initially invited by Corona Gail and Her Majesty, Deb, as a way  (in my estimation) to cement Marty as a member of the Church of Christ. It hasn't worked. But we're in. So, there's that. We've been part of this group for about eighteen months. I enjoy these visitsi. [=8???????????????

 ik./g;]7\ 

(Thank you Leon, for yo]ur help typing)}.] 

hh

Leon is now on my shoulder and batting my hair. 

Where was I? Oh yes, our life group. There are about twenty of us. I very much enjoy these afternoons. Marty comes and sits in the corner more or less--but I've noticed he's becoming more social, which is strange because between the two of us, he's the extrovert. 

Anyway, in our life group, there's a real estate broker and his wife. The Mister and I talk shop on occasion. His wife has been battling ovarian cancer. This sweet woman is about my age. She has a wonderful outlook on life and a perpetual smile on her face. 

Ovarian cancer is one of those cancers which doesn't have a cure. It has a pause. And then it doesn't. Unfortunately, last I heard, her pause is over. At this time, the family is asking for privacy and the word, "hospice" is being bandied about.  

What I'm discovering is this is hitting Marty hard. 

Do I have a dress for a hypothetical future funeral? How will boss react* about him taking time off for a hypothetical funeral? Let's plan on bringing the Mister a meal or two after his wife passes. No! Let's make sure we take him out for a beer once in a while. --All of this is from Marty. 

My friend's cancer has been on my mind too. Dying is always tougher on the living I think. Anyway, today I went to Amazon and bought a black dress because it turns out I don't have one any more. Hopefully the first time I have a chance to wear it, it will be for a happy occasion--like a cocktail party or party and not for a hypothetical funeral. And perhaps my friend will have another pause and we'll be able to laugh with her and her husband some Sunday afternoon during our life group. 

*There will come a time when I will write in greater depth about Mary's boss. She is a work-a-holic who doesn't believe anything less than a 50 hour week is acceptable and vacations mean "being allowed" to leave the office, but take one's laptop with them and log in for at least three hours a day (which happened on our vacation).  

They Like Their Football in These Parts

Please file this under, "things that make you say, 'huh?'." *  

Most of the teens around here are respectful and rarely does some kid's poor choices make the local rounds. Correlation? Coincidence? Random occurrence and I'm trying to extract causality? Yeah... probably that one.  

There are two high schools in Texarkana Texas (plus a handful of others in the outskirts). Of the two high schools:  

Texas High School (Texarkana, TX) is ranked 3rd in Class 5A division for the entire state. (250 5A schools)

Pleasant Grove High School (Texarkana, TX) is ranked 5th in Class 4A division for the entire state. (218 4A schools)

*Because I felt a need for a deeper dive, in comparison, Arizona has 29 5A high schools and 51 4A high schools. One can fit 4.35 Arizonas into Texas. 

Luna Update

A couple of months ago, Luna became ill. She refused to eat. She ignored the kittens. She didn't want to go outside and bark at the dogs next door--Ace and Bobo. She didn't even want her toys. Our poor Luna went from 70 pounds of muscle to 65 pounds and then to 55 pounds as the infection ravaged her and we sat by stroking her head, telling her we love her. 

Doc P was awesome. But even a three day IV drip didn't exactly bring her back. When she returned from the hospital, I'd hide her appetite stimulation pills and medication in hot dogs and spam and she would turn up her nose. I even resorted to lifting her on to our bed--her favorite sleeping place where she could lay in a sunbeam. Among the Sunshine clan, we whispered among ourselves. Was she in pain? Was she suffering? 

And then last week, Leon was playing with her blue bone--one of Luna's favorite toys and the one she earned in obedience school in Mesa. I watched as, much to Leon's astonishment, Luna marched up to her and snatched it away. Luna then walked to her food bowl, sniffed the kibble and ate a couple of morsels. Figuring this was a good sign, I put together a smorgasbord of Luna-centric flavors, chicken, spam, sweet potatoes, canned fish and mixed it with the kibble. Luna ate it all! She then went outside and barked with Ace and Bobo. Afterwards, she took a very long nap. But the switch had been flipped!

Every day we are seeing more life in our dog. We still have a long way to go before we see a 100 percent healthy Luna. She still needs the appetite pill. She still has bladder issues here and there. She's showing signs of playfulness. She greets the Amazon driver. She's patient (mostly) with the Overlords. Her ribs aren't showing. My dog food grocery bill is skyrocketing. 

And we are all pleased to have our Puppers back.