Hallelujah! We Are Not Alone

Years ago, a small pecan tree appeared in my parent's front yard. I'm not sure if they planted it or if it just came up on its own since there were others nearby. Mom didn't like it. She thought it would block the view from the front porch. Dad thought it would grow into a nice shade tree. They argued a little about it before I went and talked to Mom. I told her that if it were me, I would let it grow for a while and see how it looked. That they could always cut the tree later, but once it was gone, it couldn't be put back. The pecan tree still stands and has turned into a nice shade tree. When they bought a piece of property in Arkansas, there were many trees that needed to be cleared for what was to be their new cabin location. Near the center of the property, stood a large bradford pear tree and Mom loved it. She said she had always wanted one. Dad started marking trees to be cut and of course the pear was one of them. I told him that Mom really wanted to save that o...

Rusty and I recently purchased a small travel trailer.  We took it for our first adventure last weekend and have plans to take it out again in a few weeks.   Being new to this, we had lots to learn.  The dealership went over some things briefly when we picked it up and I read through the owner's manual.  But some things you have to learn from experience... keep your fingers out of the way when letting out the awning, make sure all jacks have been raised before you start to move, AND be sure the jacks are down before you move around too much inside.  As soon as we got it home after the purchase, I was anxious to check it all out.  Rusty unhooked it from the truck but hadn't put any of the jacks down or chocked the wheels yet. It's a small, lightweight, single axle and it was parked on a slight slope.  As I went inside and took a few steps toward the back, I felt the camper move.  The door was still open, and I could see the ground moving....

Over the last few weeks, we've had a lot of rain which makes for a muddy mess outside.  Last Saturday morning, we finally had a break in the weather.  Rusty was working late, and I decided to mow grass before the next rain came in.  Because our yard is on a slight slope, lots of the water runs off and doesn't pool.  It was dry enough to mow most of the yard . I started out in front, and everything was going great. I knew the side yard would be damp but figured if I took it easy, it would be fine. I was wrong!  On the first pass through the wet grass, I was in trouble. The tires started to sink and the more I tried moving the mower, the worse it got.  Thankfully, a come-along on the Mule in four-wheel drive pulled it out like a pro.  The problem was that the damage had already been done.  A week later, you could still see the ruts that stood out like scars in the yard.  I should have never attempted to take the mower in that area in the f...

Years ago, my cousins were in for a visit, and we were in the backyard jumping on the trampoline. Though jumping was fun, we decided a little soap and water would make it even better. A bottle of Mom’s dish soap would work perfectly. One of us (probably me) took it from the kitchen. We had the best time slipping and sliding all over the slick surface in our wet clothes, until Mom discovered that we had used all of her Dawn.  After everyone went home, Mom decided to teach Amy and I a lesson about being wasteful. She told us that we had to use our allowance to buy another bottle and to make sure we bought Dawn and not the cheap stuff.  Instead of driving to Bill’s Dollar Store or TWL, she took us to the small-town grocery store where everything costs a lot more. She was making sure that we got the point. I guess it worked since I remember it some 40 years later. Fast forward to a few weeks ago when I was mending the fence while standing on the edge of an embankment. (As referenc...