Four Months today -

We lost our Sweet Ruth Girl four months today. It seems so surreal. Smiles, at the thought of her and the joy she brought us, has now replaced the tears. I will tend to her graveside, along with Sara's and Sadie's, this afternoon. Bud mowed the orchard's perimeter, I'll finish, then will hand edge around our girls' handcrafted headstones. Then everything will be nice and spiffy.

It's interesting how Ruth had some personality traits that neither Sara, Sadie, or Beth has/had, but Anna, who entered our lives after Ruth, now shares:

• While standing, she hikes her back leg whenever we are scratching her tummy so we can also better scratch inside her leg.
• She chases (and catches) flying bugs
• "Bites" at water rather than simply drinking it
• She bites at the trees when she's trying to get to a runaway cat
• Rather than merely jumping down off the porch, she gracefully flies off, looking forward or up.

Anyway.... today will be a good day. Each day does get better. I knew it would with time. Time is a healer.
Thank God.

Skunks and Snakes

This week has been interesting.

One evening about 8:30, while looking for/checking on Anna, I saw two skunks out in the south field behind the house! I went up to the house window and asked Bud to get Anna in the house with Beth, shut the doors, and bring out the shotgun!

I kept my eye on the skunks until he got out there then he focused on one while I continued tracking the other (staying far away!). He quickly took care of business on both! After he scooped them up, and we were walking back to the house, around, and outside the front gate, both girls were watching us carefully. It was so cute. That was the perfect way to introduce Anna to skunks!

On another day, Bud was out clearing cedars from the south/north field fence line and saw a 5' diamondback rattlesnake coming toward him. Actually, the snake was heading for a hole underneath a cedar that Bud was walking toward. Of course, Bud didn't have any type of firearm with him, and the hoe had too short of a handle to tackle the creature with without getting too close. Bud packed it in for the day, came home, and got the tractor ready with the mower. The next morning he began mowing the field! Between constantly filling up a front tire and getting low on diesel, he only got a few passes mowed around the perimeter. This nine acre field takes about 8 hours to mow. He's got about two hours done and will continue once it dries out some.

Yesterday, we received over 2" of blessed slow rain!

This morning, before sunrise, we put the flag out. Fortunately, the spotlight still worked (otherwise, it would not have been flown until daylight). I hope the wind doesn't come up and make us take it down. The Texas State Trooper, who lives along our road to town, had a much heavier flagpole than ours and rarely took his flag down. We had some mighty gusty winds a while back and we saw what happens when you don't take the flag off... their pole just snapped.

Since this is Memorial Day, it was very important to us both to have our flag out. Now, I'll keep my fingers crossed that it will stay up, not only today, but for a long time.

Attitude Adjustment

I am working on my attitude adjustment. It's hard. I need to get back working on my 2009 goals. Some I've maintained and/or improved successfully. Most of all I need self-discipline, strength of mind. For example, to post here and on my other blog on a regular basis!

I'm in the process of reading, Candace Haven's Charmed & Dangerous. It's a different approach, one I've never read before - it's more like a diary written in 1st person - and has taken me a while to really get into. I've spent some time on Amazon, using their "Look Inside" feature, reading passages from different authors, researching and learning more about writing styles. It's been a very informative process.

I've finished two major projects for Christmas gifts, working on the third one now. The next time in Dallas, I need to pick up the fourth color needed for the final one. The Wal-Mart in town sucks when it comes to a selection. I've tried, but just can't seem to master knitting. I enjoy crocheting while watching TV in the evenings. I can't just sit there and watch shows without doing something with my hands. Several other gifts are made and in the drawer, waiting for the gift wrapping paper!

Gosh, the stock market dipping really gets to me. Because of the low bottom interest rates, we don't want to spend the capital savings so we don't have the interest to complete the house renoviations. I use part of the capital for stock purchases, for what that's worth! It's a vicious cycle making it hard to keep motivated around here to do anything, since we can't finish anything! I know it will work itself out and I need patience!

Saw a shooting star this morning... made a bundle of wishes upon it! Mainly hoping/wishing to help me with my attitude adjustment!

The other day I reflected how this year to date has really screwed with my mental state... January, with Ruth getting sick and leaving us, then February and March dealing with our loss and a itty bitty puppy. April, and now May, things are getting better. I'm not crying anymore at a drop of a hat. Anna doesn't need eyes on 24/7. Which is a good thing. I keep waiting for the time I can get 7 hours (in a row!) of sleep, life will be grand again!

I am so thankful for what and who I do have in my life. I am blessed.