I'll Stay Home and Read a Book

Last summer Polly and I stumbled upon the Longview Arboretum. It happened to be closed that day, but the Powers That Be let us in* and invited us to wander around those beautiful gardens at our leisure. Two hours later, a very hangry Polly drug me out out of that green wonderland with threats to pick the ickiest nursing home she could find when the time came if I didn't leave right then. I've always wanted to go back.

This coming Thursday, the Master Gardeners are planning a field trip to the Longview Arboretum (90ish miles). 

And though I'm usually up for an adventure, I'm digging in my heels. You see, someone in the Master Gardener group decided to throw a side trip first. After all, if we are already going to Longview, why not stop by Mount Pleasant and see someone's garden there too? And that would make sense if Mount Pleasant was anywhere along the route to Longview. But, in this case, it is driving 70 miles out of our way to then drive another100 miles. ** 

Or, to put it in Arizona terms: if you are heading from Mesa to Tucson, take a side trip to Gila Bend first for a half-hour to chat with some stranger. Sure, it is technically on the way, but why???  

What I'm finding the most bizarre about this is that I'm the only one who finds this the least bit crazy.

And did I mention we are supposed to have thunderstorms on Thursday?

I'm throwing the maps out on here anyway. I'm not sure it really supports how crazy the thinking is behind the planning of this trip.   

Wake Village to Longview. All forest roads.  

 

Wake Village to Mount Pleasant and then to Longview.
Don't let I-30 fool you. It's 1 lane, and under
construction for the next 15 months.

*Pro Hack: when traveling around Texas, if you say, "I just came from..." and mention a place more than an hour away, the locals will move heaven and earth to accommodate whatever they can for the traveler. That includes opening up the Longview Arboretum for Wake Village residents on a day when the place is closed. 

**In the name of full disclosure I'm willingly heading to Mount Pleasant on Saturday. More on that later. I doubt I'll be seeing a garden. 

Plants

My pal Joy and I decided not to go for tea or lunch today. Instead, we walked around the plant nursery as our social event. She said she would only buy what she could carry. 

Joy's never been a mother.

I carried my lilies and her peppers and her hibiscus and a few other pots while she speed dated several other flowers she couldn't live without. 

The reason I was prudent today is I found a porch swing I think I absolutely have to have. Perhaps Marty and I will go back over this weekend and pick it up. 

Okay, I did buy this. Look at that color! 

Now then, I've been admiring this vine that's been growing from the wood's side of my backyard fence. So pretty. And it is spreading all over the back fence. Lush. Deep green. Three leaves. Never saw a plant with a red stem before! (Quickly takes picture and puts it into the plant app) Well then. Never mind. 

A small potion of the poison ivy growing along my
back fence. There's enough oil to contaminate East Texas. 

Lessons in Gratitude

Last week I got a text from Corona Gail. "Let's have lunch today. Meet Deb and me?" You see, Lunch Bunch was cancelled that day. However, Corona Gail and Deb, the Queen of the Coronas were hungry. They thought to include me. Just me. Not 25 other people we all know. 

Just me. That isn't a humble brag. It is a floored realization someone thought enough to invite me to lunch. 

I process this often. Each time I'm overwhelmed in an abundance of gratitude. 

After living in the same place for 50+ years and then starting over, I never take for granted these kinds of invitations. The invite from Krissy for a Girl's Trip to Branson and another from Deb to tag along to Little Rock for the day. The plants dropped off on my doorstep from Master Gardener pals. A local writer sending me a sample from his book and asking for my opinion. Calls, texts and follow-ups from those who heard I'd been battling some sort of weird fatigue/infection (I'm better now). Even a simple last-minute invite for tea makes my heart swell.

But it isn't just the folks I met here. This entire experience intensifies how much I cherish the friends I left back in Arizona. I don't think a day goes by where I don't have flash memories of homeschool park days, meeting up for tea or lunch, hiking, chatting with a Bonus kid's mom, great real estate clients, and other moments with the ones who helped shaped me and loved me first. Moving here has given me a deeper appreciation for those I left behind. 

Here's the ugly truth: Though Texarkana was 100 percent Marty's idea--he was raving about this place as early as 2014--he doesn't like it here. I doubt, long-term, we are staying. This isn't the same kind of wanderlust we had when we were in Arizona and wanted out. I'm resigned to this fact and I won't talk him out of it. It's okay. There are legitimate reasons to leave--though it will break my heart to do so. 

A future move isn't happening today, tomorrow or next year, but I know it is on the docket when he retires. What I've discovered with this bit of knowledge I don't share beyond my family and this blog, is that invitations like Gail's last week are so much sweeter, knowing there may come a time when I'm going to have to start over again and navigate through new relationships again. I don't take these invitations for granted and I'm beyond grateful to be included. 

Wait for It...

A bit of humor for y'all. 

I've been under the weather this week. I missed Friday's Corona Night. When I texted Her Majesty the Queen of Everything Texarkana (Deb), telling her I wouldn't be there, she told me she'd been under the weather too and considered cancelling the entire festivities. 

Additionally, last Thursday, the two of us, had lunch with Corona Gail, who is now also a bit peaky. Corona Shelly and Corona Leah are also a little sick. I saw Corona Leah on Wednesday. Gail saw Shelly earlier in the week.

I pointed out to Deb we are spreading a new (ahem) Corona Virus. 

My Mother's Day Gift

I had to bring over a desk, but no biggie.
It worked out well. 

Not gonna lie, there are years where Marty and the kids have completely forgotten me for birthday and Christmas. To his credit, my dear husband has always made a point to remember Mother's Day. This year, he gave me the whopper of all Mother's Day/Christmas/Birthday gifts evah!!! 

You see, for weeks I was trying to finish my manuscript. Every time I'd catch the creative flow, interruptions happened. Though my loving family means well, my patience was on the edge when a few Saturdays ago, a family member came in for the seventh time, just to ask me if I'd seen the blue sock, or did I know we were out of milk, or what time was something going on downtown next week. At that point, Marty suggested if I truly wanted to finish the story, why not just run away from home. So I did. I moved three miles from our house to an AirBnB. 

What do you know?! For the first time in months, I didn't have Luna alerting me that her best pal, the Amazon driver, is on Arizona Avenue. Wait! The driver didn't stop. Why??!!!! Wait! Do you hear that? The driver is back. Wait! They drove by again without saying hello! The closed bedroom door only accelerated the challenge. Luna wants out. Luna wants in. Luna wants out. Wait! There's a squirrel! DID YOU SEE THE SQUIRREL!!??? To be fair, if the young adults are home, they often take her (after flopping on the bed and chatting with me for several minutes--unaware I'm typing and just nodding).  

Additionally, I didn't have the innocent comments such as "Hey Mom, because you aren't doing anything would you..." or "I don't want to disturb you but..." 

Or, "Hey Mom, Dad tried calling you a million times but your phone is off. So, he called me. He needs you to call him asap." (Me calling Marty only to find he figured out the password to our internet provider's web site on his own--because he originally set it up). Or... I can keep my phone on and have 387 text messages from well-meaning folk who feel the need to "like" every post on the text thread about what to bring to Deb's prayer group meeting three weeks from now. (Bonny: "I'll bring lettuce." Six others: adding a thumb's up or heart emoji to Bonny's text).

In the three days I was gone, I typed more than 20,000 words. I like this story much better than my last one. I like these characters better. This one is a mystery--which means the story telling is layered differently than a simple boy-meets-girl romance. My ending did not turn out the way I expected it to, but I like it better too. 

My manuscript is finished. It is now brewing on my computer drive, waiting for me to start the edits--in a few weeks, thank you very much. In the meantime, I'm building a quilt and playing with plants. 

Random Texarkana

 I've been under the weather this week. It didn't really slow me down until yesterday afternoon. 

Today I talked to a friend who innocently asked how the garden was doing. The tomatoes are great--I only have 90 zillion tomato plants. The spinach and lettuce are also thriving. My pepper plants are growing. The cucumbers are flowering. And I discovered something is eating my radishes and strawberries--which are at different parts of the yard. 

Unfortunately, the okra is also growing. Lucky Marty. 

Later, Luna sat in front of the storm door, crying to go outside. I saw what she was alerting to: a brindle-color cottontail. As much as I would love to have let her out to chase the bunny and bring honor to my strawberries, I didn't want to finagle a mangled rabbit out of her jaws. So, the bunny left on its own and Luna pouted. 

The veg garden surrounds the green house.
Most everything is in early stages. 

Bottom right is 8 more tomato plants, top right is okra, top left is strawberries.
The bottom left was supposed to be nothing. I was going to empty that plot and start over. However potatoes which did not grow last year are now cropping up. So, I guess it's a potato patch.  

_________________________

My bathroom has a garden tub. Between Polly and myself, I think we've used it three times. I have too much sewing stuff. Last March, while in Arizona, I borrowed my brother's jig saw with the intention of making this storage space. This past weekend, I made this. Fortunately, we are all meeting up in Florida next month. I'll give the saw back to him then. 

There's about 687 pounds of fabric and notions in plastic
Dollar General bins under that wood.
Eventually, there will be plants atop of that wood.


_________________________

 

And finally, brace yourself for kitten cuteness.

For the record, this is Buckaroo's desk. They were napping while he was at work. 

I moved them from the desk. Roosevelt's neck is fine.
His brother (Leon) doesn't weigh enough to pin him down. 

New Additions

Buckaroo zipped over to the tire shop today for a rotation. About an hour later, I got a phone call, "I'm at Petsmart, can you come over? I found a cute little kitten and I want your opinion if it is healthy enough to adopt." 

Well now, what's better than one kitten? A brother to keep him company. We have two new additions to our family. Luna is a bit disappointed they don't want to play with her, but I suspect that will probably change--most likely at three a.m. when the rest of us when want to sleep. 

Buck is the new papa of Leon and Roosevelt. 

Leon

Roosevelt

 

Luna also got a "big sister" toy today--a new cow baby doll--that she
is lovingly and proudly carrying around. 

 

Beds for Kids

This past week, I got together with several ladies to build beds. The ministry, Beds for Kids, is run by a pretty awesome couple. Their mission is to bring beds and bedding to local foster care kids. For my Lunch Bunch birthday this year, I asked for donations to this group instead of presents. I'm told five children got new bedding, complete with comforters, with the money given from these ladies. 

Anyway, we spent a few hours in a warehouse drilling, sanding and nailing. We made 10 beds. Here's two of the results. 

    

Today's Victory

I found an editor! 

Now to pop some Tylenol arthritis, slip on compression gloves, and get into the writing zone. 

 

Check out the New Century

I just reordered checks. Why? Because the 21st century hasn't caught up to some places around here. 

The City of Wake Village needs a check for the water bill. My bill arrives sometime between the first and the seventh of the month. The water bill is due by the tenth--no excuses. The City of Wake Village refuses to allow for payment via their web site. If I have a check sent from the bank, it will arrive late and then there's a $50 fee they add to my $50 water bill--okay, the bill is only $50 in the winter. Still! It's a nice little racket the city has going.   

My lawn guy only takes checks or a cash app (I don't "cashap"). He does not want a check sent from my bank either. He wants payment the day of service. 

Bowie County will take a check for the property taxes. Or, I can pay a $50 service fee to have them take the money from my debit card. 

By the way, I'm paying property taxes today. I have two checks left. One for Bowie County and one for the City of Wake Village.