April 17, 2019 - Msg 112082: I was believing it was you, Ro ,up to the point where the $250,000 was mentioned.Then when the person got snippy about me asking for the nickname of our mutual friend, I knew it wasn't you. You would have immediately given the name to me. Like I said, I'm ok,I've been hit with nasty words online before,but I sure hate it for you that some interloper has gotten into your phone/ Messenger/ Facebook account. I hope it will be an easy fix and you won't be bothered by it anymore. Again, I'm sorry you have to mess with this right now,but thought you needed to be informed.

**************
possum u.a.r.
April 17, 2019 - Msg 112083: And I'll sweep while I'm at it! (I'd prefer to take a broom to that creep who is messing with Ro's phone!)

possum again
April 17, 2019 - Msg 112084: Last night Sean told me “Romeena got hacked”. He showed me the same kind of message you got Possum. When it showed up in his messenger he knew right away and didn’t engage the person. It happens a lot these days and is the last thing Ro needs to deal with right now. Creeps!

Boo
April 17, 2019 - Msg 112085: You're right about that,Boo. I dreaded even telling her,but she needed to know. Hoping she can get everything straightened out without too much aggravation. There are some real sicko type people out there to be doing things like pretending to be someone they're not and spewing such garbage-ugh!

possum again
April 17, 2019 - Msg 112086: Great to be here, I love The Taylors Front Porch! https://www.medicinehatroofing.com/
April 17, 2019 - Msg 112087:
Message 112086, we like it here too, but we do try to refrain from 'advertising' here. This site is mainly to discuss all things related to the Andy Griffith show, or about our lives with a TAGS twist to it. I hope you understand and have a wonderful Easter! Jesus loves us all so-o-o much! :)
MDC
April 18, 2019 - Msg 112088: Good Morning gang !..I-HOP for breakfast on Possum and I ...Bad weather headed our way after midnight...storms..well let me get started...wheres my Coffee....SPOT
April 18, 2019 - Msg 112089: Supposedly 80 degrees today WooooWhoooo!....G-F
April 18, 2019 - Msg 112090: Good morning all.
Boy GF, Sounds like you better get the a/c stuff ready for the season. I was just thinking yesterday that this time of year at work was pure heck! Getting everything ready for spring was a huge undertaking. Whew, getting tired just thinking about it. Where's my Wheeler? lol

Sorry to read about Ro being hacked on top of everything else. I declare, these folks who make a living trying to scam honest folks. As Andy would say, they ought not do that!

Nice sweep Possum. Do you do windows? :)

MDC, Are you doing a trip to Santa Barbara this year? That sure is a nice area. Even though it is full of hollyweirds elite. There and Monterrey.

Well I am off to mow the yard. Finally dry enough I can do so.

Prayers for all for a safe day, and extra prayers for Romeena.

Asa
April 18, 2019 - Msg 112091: Romeena and all...so much had happened recently that has affected so many of us here on the front porch that I just wanted to say on this Holy Thursday how we have all been so supportive of each other along with our verious problems and situations.
I think back to my own health challenges, and deaths in our families and of porchsters, most recently Tom, Frankie's mother, and now Ro's Toystar, other family
situations, etc, and we have supported each other with lifting up our faith in God thru our prayers and love. I do miss those who have not posted recently such as PH, Sterling, John, and others, and do hope that all is well with them, but I also pray each morning and night that the Lord will be present to all of us. God bless us every one! :)
We are planning to have about 12 family members over on Easter for an outdoor BBQ.

ASA--Yes, it is in my plans to be in SB in July! So nice there. We also hope to go to Yellowstone this year.
Spot--good to see you. Hope the storms pass you by this time. I heard that Dallas got hit again tho.

Well, gotta get back to dusting, etc. the house. Spring cleaning time too.
Later,
MDC

April 18, 2019 - Msg 112092: vArious!
April 18, 2019 - Msg 112093: Good afternoon, porch. I apologize for being so scarce lately, but I'm sure you understand. I'm just lost without my sweet baby, and torn between wanting to find another little friend immediately, and the fear of going through this again. At my age, there are many factors to be considered.

What I want: Another tiny female Maltese, under five pounds, or at the most, six pounds. Full Maltese, not a mix. Difficult to find anywhere but through a breeder, and the expense is beyond my means these days - $1500 to $2000, and that's for a pet-quality pup, not considered show-quality ($2500 and up). I certainly don't need show-quality, but still, they're too expensive. I paid $1800 for Toye Starr, and she was worth every penny and far, far more, but I can't afford it now.

What I can afford (and what I'd love to do if I could find the right pup): Get a rescue pup. I have always advocated rescues for someone who is just wanting to get a dog. For someone who has a specific breed in their heart, as I do, it's very difficult. I have checked out the Maltese rescue sites online, and have found dogs listed as Maltese that were a foot tall and weighed fifteen pounds, and even some with black or brown markings, which a true Maltese never has. They're solid, pure white, (unless their mom dyes their ears and tail pink!). Most of all, I love them for their temperament (sweet and gentle) and their personality (playful, loving, and a little bit naughty.)

Puppy or older dog: At my age, I have to realize that a puppy will likely outlive me, and therefore I have to consider who in the family would be willing to inherit her. An older dog might pass before I do, and I will have to deal with this grief yet again. So, is a puzzlement.

I have just asked God to find the right puppy for me, to give me the smart to recognize it when I see it, and to let it happen when it should happen. I don't know what else to do, but I've got to do something. I'm running out of tissues, and the tears won't stop.

G-F, you asked how I came to give Toye Starr her name. Well, when my husband bought Sugarplum for me, we picked her up and were in his truck, heading for my parent's house to show her off, and I was trying to think of a name. I held her up in front of me, little chrysanthemum-fluffy face, with big brown eyes looking at me, and I said, "Oh, you're just a little sugarplum!" Dale grinned at me, with his eyes twinkling, and said, "I think you just named your puppy." He was right. So, I was counting on that idea to spark a name for my new little one, and Eloise was aware of it. We went to see her at the breeder's home when she was just three weeks old, and about the size of a stick of butter. The first thing I said was "Oh, my stars!" as I picked her up. Eloise mentioned it on the way home, and I said I would register her as Oh My Stars, and just call her Star. A few weeks later, after having her at home for a couple of hours, I was calling her Star, and remarked that she looked like a little stuffed toy. Suddenly it just clicked, and Toy Star popped into my mind. Naturally, I had to fiddle with the spelling, and she became Toye Starr. I get a laugh out of exotic spellings on the name of some ridiculously cute little dog. Sugarplum's registered name was Sugarplum Faerie, using the Old English spelling of "fairy." Also, I had a friend with a scruffy little fellow named Diogee. (D-O-G) So, that's how my baby became Toye Starr.

I have been reading, just couldn't gather the motivation to type. I have prayed for you all, that God would meet each one at their point of need, and supply them all. I actually tried once, had a long post written, and hit something - I'll never know what - and it all went poof! and was gone. Anyway, know that I have thought of you all, and know that I am okay, it's just taking a little time. I loved that little dog, and we were together for nearly twelve years. Blessings, friends. --Romeena
April 18, 2019 - Msg 112094: Romeena, Quite a unique way to name your puppy. Don’t know why I never asked before, but now I know!..G-F
April 18, 2019 - Msg 112095: On the other hand, growing up we had Boston Terriers, when “Muggs” died after 16 years Dad went to a breeder in Pennsylvania and got another one to surprise us with. By the time he got home he already had a name “Bumps” because Dad was driving and he hit som bumps in the road and it woke him up!...Hence...the “Bumps” name...But on his papers he was registered as “Sir Bumpstead” Go Figure!...

G-F
April 18, 2019 - Msg 112096: Nice sweep possum.
Romeena, so sorry to hear about Toy Starr. When I had to say goodbye to my last dog Buddy, it just broke my heart. I have not been able to get another since losing him. Maybe some day the right dog may come by.
G-F, we got up to 80 today also. Will be the same tomorrow also. Had to get my fan out of the shed.
You all take care,
Frankie
April 19, 2019 - Msg 112097: Oh, Romeena, I know there is so much to consider. We were very fortunate to have come across our pup when we did and she is a perfect fit for our family. She isn't always easy but I was just telling Bruce yesterday that she makes me laugh everyday. I was sitting on the loveseat and Bruce joined me and snuggled up to me for a kiss. Poopsie treated him like she treats the cat when I try to pet it. So funny! She was jealous. Not in a mean way, but she just tried to sandwich herself between us and was visible agitated. She isn't the kind of protective that a chihuahua is, but just very impish and didn't want me to give to much affection to anyone else. I just love her and we have only had her 6 months. She scares me, though, because she is boundless energy and tries to escape the house. More than once she ran for the street and thank God there wasn't a car coming. We have goats across the street now and she just had to get over there and see what she was smelling and what was making that crazy noise. Once Erin carried her over and let her she, she lost her obsession. She is so fast, though, that if she takes off there is no way to catch her. She ran past me yesterday and got as far as the garage door but Bruce was out there and hollered at her and she stopped. She is learning to obey but it isn't easy with this one. She has too much terrier in her for that. lol I am praying that the right dog or pup finds you, Ro. As far as names go, it seems I have a pattern of calling out the first thing that comes to mind and no matter what name we decide, I always end up using that initial pet name. My poor pup is forever Poopsie, I'm afraid, even though her official name is Bailey. Something else, Ro, Poopsie reminds me of Sugarplum and how she would shred the mail. Poopsie tears into books and anything paper like you wouldn't believe. We have to be very careful about what is out and around. As I speak, she is tearing up the cat's scratching post (its made of cardboard). There is always something to clean up around here. You may want to consider a young, grown dog. :) We will see what the Lord sends your way, but for now, I pray for your healing and comfort as you wait. Bless you, this has been such a difficult year for you. Your friends here are thinking of you often and know that you may not feel like checking in much right now but thank you when you do.

Well, Sean took his test to get licensed to be an auto inspector and passed it so he is very happy. He should get some sort of raise now and is really enjoying his job. His boss is great and he works with two other guys who are older and established. He doesn't have to put up with the terrible work ethic and cussing he had to put up with when he worked with younger men in his last job. One of the mechanics he works with is about 60 and has so much experience. He has been including Sean in a lot of his jobs to teach him, which is great.

We are going to try to put Erin back in school next week. She hates the online school and wants to try again in public. I just don't know. She has a good counselor now and the anxiety is better than it was two months ago. I just don't know how it will go. Please pray that she can make it so she wont get so behind that she cant graduate next year. Thanks.

Well, its a beautiful day here and the sun is shining after a terrible storm yesterday morning. The grass is so green! Hope you all have a good day. I am off to do some chores. I am working all weekend so may not see me for a couple days but I will try. Love to all,

Boo
April 19, 2019 - Msg 112098: By the way, G-F, Muggs is the best name ever for a Boston Terrier! lol

Boo
April 19, 2019 - Msg 112099: Lol Boo...Muggs WAS the Best Dog Ever!..Boy he sure could jump too!..Very gentle and self sufficient too!..Always went to the field next door to do his business...He was a Free Range Dog who never took to being on a leash. He would only go out of the yard to go across the street to Grandma & Grandma’s for leftover handouts...Yep being a Free Range Kid with a Free Range Dog was the BEST EVER!...

G-F
April 19, 2019 - Msg 112100: "GOOD FRIDAY" to all! mdc
April 20, 2019 - Msg 112101: Good evening, porch. Thank you, all of you, for your kind words, prayers and thoughts for me. I am missing my Toye Starr so much. I picked up the little box that holds her ashes from the vet today. A pretty, gracefully shaped little cedar box, with a gold lock and key, and her name on a plate on the top. Broke my heart.

I spent part of the afternoon touring our local animal shelter -found nothing there but some large, lanky, lonely, pitiful dogs with the saddest faces and eyes I've ever seen. I wanted them all, and I wanted none of them. The rest of the afternoon, I was online, and got an education. There are numerous "Maltese Rescue" sites,complete with pictures of dogs and puppies that are no more Maltese than I'm a flying jenny. Lots of colors, long legs, short coats, standup ears, and plume-less tails. Their great granddaddy might have been a Maltese, but only a DNA test would show it. I did find one little female that was cute and fluffy, may have been just one generation away from a Maltese, and they wanted $550 for her. I learned something about Craigslist, too. Apparently there's a rule there that businesses are not allowed to sell their wares. It's intended to be for individuals to get rid of unwanted cars, tools, furniture, whatever. Sort of an online garage sale, so to speak. Well, a dog breeder would not be allowed to regularly sell the puppies born in their kennel, because that would be a business. So, they call themselves a "Rescue" and tack a "re-homing fee" on their dogs, and some of those fees ran as high as $750. So, I've made up my mind that I will get a dog, and have asked God to help me find her, or help her to find me. In order for that to happen, I will have to continue my search, and make myself available for that encounter to occur. God is not going to send her to me by Fedex. Meantime, I guess I'll have to get used to seeing all the Shepherd mixes, hound mixes, endless poodle/whatever mixes, all with sad eyes and furrowed, depressed-looking faces. It's just pitiful. Why don't people spay or neuter their animals, to reduce the population in shelters? One of the shelter volunteers told me that it's not at all uncommon for them to arrive in the morning and find a box of puppies on the doorstep. Somebody didn't spay their female dog. Then you have the breeders who intentionally harvest puppies from some weary, caged-up mama dog, and charge obscene prices for them. It's just awful.

Boo, I'm so glad you're enjoying Poopsie, and I love that name. Robbi's beautiful Golden Retriever, who died a while back, was named Whoozit, and that was my fault. Robbi hadn't named her yet, and while talking to her one day, I wanted to ask about the puppy, but hadn't heard a name yet, so I asked her "How's little Whoozit getting along?" Robbi started laughing, and said that might just become her name, and sure enough, it did. What a loving, wise, intelligent and beautiful dog she was, with such a ridiculous name.

Well, now that I've thoroughly depressed everyone, I guess I'll go to bed. Blessings, at the close of this Good Friday. --Romeena
April 20, 2019 - Msg 112102: You didn’t depress me, Ro. you sound a little better and I’m glad for that. By the way, what on earth is a flying Jenny?!😊

Boo
April 20, 2019 - Msg 112103: Good morning all.

Romeena, I am so happy you have elected to get another companion. I will, if I may, join you in prayer to make that connection with the right one.

Boo, sounds like Poopsie is a keeper. I loved the story about her getting a bit jealous about Bruce. Our Sammy was that way. Barney not so much. It sounds like Sean has found a good place to work. Glad to hear that. That should help him a lot. And my prayers that Erin will do ok in school this time, bless her heart.

We got in to the mid 70's here yesterday. Beautiful day, sunny and pleasant. Well it was perfect is what it was.

Frankie, I bet your grass is going gang busters after the weed and feed and then all the rain. I have a friend who does commercial spraying and he does my lawn for cost. Having a full acre of grass, I do appreciate it. I have told him I would pay full price, but he says nope, you have done some welding jobs for me over the years. So this is just payback time. What a nice man, as Floyd would say.

Romeena, I was going to mention that this morning I was looking in my spam folder (I hardly ever go in there) and I had an e-mail from you in it. So I opened the mail, and all it said was something along the lines of "I saw this and it reminded me of you", and there was a link to something else. Well it didn't pass the smell test. I did not click on the link. But I am pretty sure it wasn't from you. I thought it odd that it went to my spam folder. This was back in February. Just thought you should know with what others have mentioned.

Well I hope everyone has a blessed Easter weekend. I am going to Stacey and Matts house for an Easter dinner after preaching tomorrow.

Asa
April 20, 2019 - Msg 112104: Good morning, my dear friends. It's just beautiful here today, not a cloud in the sky and a gentle breeze blowing. Irises are blooming all over my yard now, and the amaryllis are sending up buds. They're not the typical garden amaryllis, these are the huge cultivars that I order every year, bring them into bloom in the house in January and February, and then plant outside when their bloom is over. Some don't survive being outdoors, but most do, and they are really show-stoppers. As for the iris, there's a big clump right now that has at least fifteen huge purple flowers, each at least 6-8" across, and standing four feet tall. They are so pretty! There are clumps of little yellow sundrops all over the place, each started as one little $1.49 plant, and is now a mound about three feet wide, just covered with those sun-gold/yellow flowers. They come back every year, and bloom their little heads off.

Boo, a jenny, as you probably know, is a female mule, and they don't fly (much like pigs, who don't fly either) so using that term, a flying jenny, puts a big doubtful negative on the subject at hand. I think the flying jenny predated "when pigs fly" by a decade or two or five. It was a term I learned from my grandparents. Somewhere between the two, there was a transitional saying - "when donkeys fly." Fairly recently, someone decided that a flying pig would be even less likely than a flying donkey, I guess, and it caught on. I even have a ceramic piece, bought it at Hobby Lobby, that is a pig with wings. It sits on the hearth of my fireplace. I see it as a reminder that even the most seemingly impossible things just might happen, and with God's help, they often do.

Asa, the email to which you refer definitely was not from me. If you still have it on your computer, look at the email address. It carries my name, but that's all. The address is different. That little annoyance circulated a few months back, and would you believe - it even sent one to me! I got several, all with the same message, and all from people whose names I recognized, but the addresses were different. This is what happens when people forward stuff and don't remove the addresses in the history of the forward, and when they refuse to use BCC when sending out multiple emails. I use a group list frequently, but always, always, use BCC, so the addresses are not displayed. Creeps! The people who do this sort of thing are as useless as, well, t..ties on a boar hog. Now, how's that for a country expression? (I've got a million of them!)

Blessings, friends. --Romeena
April 20, 2019 - Msg 112105:
HI ALL, hotmail has recently started a feature when you 'hover' the cursor arrow over the person or place an email is from it shows the email address.
For example, if it says it is from Chase, but when I hover over it, it shows it's from abcxyz@whatever I know it is definitely not from Chase. Just a thought for ya all. :)
We had a beautiful Good Friday service yesterday. Very moving music as we
went thru the stations of the cross. Tonight is the wonderful Easter vigil Mass and celebration of our risen Lord! Amen. :)

RO and BOO, prayers continue for you both. Praying that Erin can again get engaged in her school activities.

HAPPY EASTER to all!
MDC

April 21, 2019 - Msg 112106: Good Sabbath and happy Easter to all my porch pals.
He is risen!

Asa
April 21, 2019 - Msg 112107: Wishing y'all a Blessed Easter.

***********
possum u.a.r.
April 21, 2019 - Msg 112108: Happy Easter Porch
You all have a Blessed Day.
Frankie
April 21, 2019 - Msg 112109: Great day today! We had 12 for an Easter luncheon in our back yard. perfect weather under our big ash tree. Even did an Easter egg hunt even tho the youngest was my 21 year old nephew. Hope y'all had a good one. So sorry tho about Shi Lanka. Man, the world sure has some terrible people.
PRAYERS for all!
God bless,
MDC
April 22, 2019 - Msg 112110: EGGtraordinary.....MDC...Did you “Glen Ford” your new flower 🌵🌷🌾🌻🌳🍄🌸beds?...G-F
April 22, 2019 - Msg 112111: GF, It sounds like MDC had an eggciting Easter eggstravaganza.

Asa
April 23, 2019 - Msg 112112: It appears like many have taken a day off from the porch. It was another beautiful day here, about 85 degrees, birds chirping in the trees, and lizards scurrying about our back wall. They are really good little creatures, eating up all kinds of bugs.
Next to Christmastime, spring is my favorite time.
Oh yes GF, my wife was beaming showing off the flower beds.
More later,
Prayers,
MDC :)
April 23, 2019 - Msg 112113: Good morning all.

MDC, I am pretty much the same concerning the times of the year. I really enjoy autumn as well, although it is somewhat throttled back because I know what follows. But being retired now, winter does not depress me like it used to. :)

Frankie, I hope you are doing ok.

Romeena, How goes the search? Well I hope. Somewhere there is a little furkid (a lucky one) waiting just for you.

Boo, I hope Erin is doing ok in school. I had a dream about you last night Boo. I hope it was just a dream. You were really having a battle with life in general, and with your faith in particular. It is so difficult in these troubling times to stay on that straight and narrow path. There are a lot of competing voices out there. You are in my prayers dear.

GF, I had to bail out of the podcast early last night. I am not sure if it was my computer or what, but I had to keep refreshing the thing. I finally gave up and shut it down.

Prayers for all for a wonderful day. We are supposed to have a dry and warm week, getting into the mid 70's by Friday. Hot diggity dog!

Asa
April 23, 2019 - Msg 112114: Good morning, porch. I trust everyone had a wonderful Easter, time to remember what Christ did for us, time to be with family, and just a joyous day. I was with David and his family at Eloise and Jerry's home, but came home early. There were eleven lively people in a relatively small area, with a Ranger game on TV, so lots of noise and with my faulty hearing, it was not comfortable. I was missing my little angel, and while Diesel was there and stopped by my chair frequently with a lick and a big doggy grin, it just got to be too much and I left early. As for the search, it's not going well. See #112101 above. Nothing has changed since I wrote that. Dogs like Toye Starr just don't end up in shelters, and since I retired, I don't have the resources to go to a breeder. I'll keep looking, but I don't have a lot of hope.

I'm getting new hearing aids. My old ones are five years old, and there is some new technology now that has made a vast improvement. I saw my audiologist yesterday, she put a pair of the new ones on me, and I was absolutely amazed at the clarity and crispness of what I could hear. She has ordered them for me, I'll get them on May 3. They use radio technology, so that the one in my right ear (the deaf one) "hears" what is happening or being said on my right side and sends it to the aid in my left ear, so that I hear it. As it is now, if someone is sitting on my right and talking to me, I cannot hear them. It drives Eloise nuts, because when we go somewhere, I drive and she navigates, but I can no longer hear what she says, unless she speaks very loudly. That feels unnatural, and her voice soon drops back to a conversational level, and I can't hear her anymore. With the new aids, I will hear her, it will sound as though she's on my left, but I know she's not, and my brain will adjust the interpretation. The audiologist said it will never fully give me binaural hearing, but it will approach it. The brain is a wonderful thing, and will make adjustments to try to make sense of things that don't make sense. I can hardly wait to get those new aids so I won't feel so "out of it" anymore, but I wish I could have spent part of the money on a puppy. For that, I'll just keep trusting and waiting on the Lord. Somewhere, He has a baby that's meant for me.

Well, guess I'll get on the internet and "puppy hunt" for a while. Blessings, friends. --Romeena
April 23, 2019 - Msg 112115: Thank you, Big Maude. So thoughtful, and so appreciated. May God richly bless you. --Romeena
April 23, 2019 - Msg 112116: Asa, interesting that you had a dream about me last night because when I was at work, I noticed a scripture that someone had taped up on the wall and it was the one from Matthew about giving and account of every idle word we speak. It triggered something in me and I just had this fear come over me that was so difficult. I believe it goes back to my years in a fundamentalist-type church in my 20's, where I was just anxious all the time because of the kind of graceless teaching I received there. I was about to have a panic attack there at work, but when I went to pass meds on the girl's unit, the man that holds bible studies for the girls on Monday night was there and I could hear what he was saying and it really helped me. I do, indeed, have enormous faith struggles, particularly at this point in life and it is a painful thing. Sometimes I am just so confused and hear so many conflicting voices. It can drive me about to insanity if I don't stop thinking sometimes. I am really putting all my eggs in Jesus' basket, so to speak. I am counting on him to get us through somehow because I am a mess. Thank you so much for your prayers and concerns. It means more than I could ever express.

As far as Erin and school, the jury is still out on that one. I guess we will see. Today one of her friends was here putting makeup on her because she is going to prom with a friend in May and they wanted to work on how to do her makeup. I haven't seen her with any makeup in years and you should see her. She looks really beautiful. I cant believe she will be 18 in 3 months. Some things are going better, some worse. I fear her relationship with her Dad only continues to get more distant. He can't understand her and she resents him for it, I think. Its awful sometimes and I think she may move out before I think it is wise for her to do so. Time will tell but she certainly needs our support if she is going to make it.

Thinking of you often, Ro, and hoping you are feeling less sad. I pray things will work out as they should, but I know it must be very hard for you right now.

Well, I am a bit drained emotionally and think it might be time for a bit of TAGS this evening. An escape to mayberry is what is needed and I will do it, for the love of Mike.

Boo
April 23, 2019 - Msg 112117: Asa, Yes the grass is really growing out front. My brother is going to give it one more mow job before he leaves back to Washington. It has been so nice having him here for support and all the help. He built me a flower bed out in the back yard yesterday. Looks great! He also has been planting out some nice flowers for me. He knows how much I like lemons and planted a lemon tree and it is loaded with baby lemons.

Been going to Daily Mass`s at church in the mornings. It is a wonderful way to start the day.
Have another busy day tomorrow. Today I had two companies come over and inspect the roof for bids. Will have to put a new roof on the house. It will cost a lot but it has to be done. I should find out tomorrow on some prices. May call and have another bid. Last week I had a tune up on the central air before the real hot weather hits us.
You all take care.
Frankie
April 24, 2019 - Msg 112118:
BOO, I am so glad that Sean has finally settled in a job that he likes, and also has decent co-workers.
Praise God for that for sure. My prayers continue daily for you and yours. Things have changed so dramatically in your family the last year or so. I didnt mention this earlier, but actually I had a bit of a faith crisis going thru these past two years of health challenges. I literally 'balled Him out" about what was happening. Only my wife knew about this before now. I really think it helped me tho because it was very cathartic, and slowly, slowly my faith grew again. One interesting tidbit was this...I asked Him, "Why don't you give signs like you did in the old days?" And in my soul I heard..."I DO, they are all recorded in my love book to you! Just look!" Wow, yes indeed, they are! I just read Matthew 5,5, and 7 again, and it is all there.!! :)
FRANKIE, So happy you are able to get to daily Mass. Your mom is pain-free and happy, and you are enjoying springtime. Be sure to check yelp and BBB on those roofers. Some come and go pretty quickly!
ASA and GF-- I keep saying that I will join the podcast, then I forget all about it because I begin to watch Roadshow! It is suppose to get close to 'dang hot' here on Thursday... our first 100 of the year. But now that our compressor is working like it should we should save some money this summer.
Speaking of electronals, our city's water meters were just changed over to electronic readings. So now electric, gas and water bills are all added up that way. I guess meter readers are going the way of encyclopedia salesmen. :(
ROMEEna--My hopes and prayers continue for you too. So neat what modern things can do! My wife can control her hearing aids from her phone!
Well my friends, hang in there, love ya,
MDC

April 24, 2019 - Msg 112119: should be 5, SIX, and 7
April 24, 2019 - Msg 112120: Romeena..You Ok?...Just saw on the news you had a big storm go through...Stay Safe!...G-F
April 24, 2019 - Msg 112121: Good morning, porch. I'm okay, but yes, we had a terrible storm last night. Eloise and Jerry and I had gone out to Saginaw for Landry's "Senior night" and final baseball home game. Jerry was driving, I'm happy to say. I had driven to their house, and rode out to Saginaw with them.

The senior recognition was so nice, and we were so proud of Landry. Then the game began, and at the start of the second inning, it began to rain, and at the end of the inning, they called the game. It will pick up where it left off, either on Thursday night, or sometime on Saturday. We all left, and went to a favorite Mexican restaurant, and while we were there, the heavens opened and an old-fashioned Texas frog-strangler began. It was a deluge of Biblical proportions. Roaring winds, and pouring rain so heavy we could barely see our car which was just about 20 feet away. The restaurant closed, but allowed us to wait inside while they were cleaning up. Finally we realized it wasn't going to let up, so we just ran for it, got soaked, but got in the car and headed home. It never slowed down, and Jerry drove in blinding rain all the way to his house.

When we got there, I got in my car and headed home. It was terrible. I drove around downed trees, through high water that was over the curbs by several inches. This was on streets that I've never seen flooded before. Cars were drowned out all along the way, but my Tillie just coughed and gagged a lot, but kept going. The engine sounded terrible, but would smooth out as soon as I got to higher ground and it could spit the water out. I finally made it home and into my garage, and just sat there and thanked the Lord!

This morning, I've got water standing everywhere in the yard, because the sump pump isn't working (again) but I don't see any limbs down anywhere. Actually, the pump is working, it's trying, but the water isn't going through the pipe. I've got a call in for a plumber to come and snake out the outflow pipe, which may be clogged. My guess is that a rat, looking for water, has crawled into that pipe and died from eating the bait that Orkin put in my garage. I hate poisons, but I'm not fond of the mechanic bills to fix chewed wires in my car, either. The rats are smart enough to steal the bait from the traps without tripping them, so a poison bait is the next option. Ugh!

The puppy hunt continues, without any luck. I'm trying to be patient, but this house is so empty, and far too quiet. I know somewhere there's a little girl puppy who needs a mommy, and this mommy definitely needs her. The shelters and Petfinder, etc., have been no help at all. Patience, Lord. Give me patience!

Boo, my complaints sound so trivial compared to the issues you're dealing with. Know that I pray for you and yours, that healing and understanding, and trust will abound. I do think your fundamentalist background set you up for a lot of this. My experience with that mindset, which admittedly is limited, leaves me with the impression of a belief system that ignores grace, majors on works and behavior, and is overall just bleak and dreary, with little to be happy about. They have the cart before the horse, it seems to me. It's like baptism. So many people believe that we Baptists think our baptism saves us. It does not. I was baptized because I was saved, not saved because I was baptized. Similarly, I try to do good works and behave myself, in gratitude for God's grace and the sacrifice Christ made for me. I don't receive God's grace because I've done good works and behaved myself. Our childhood experiences set us up for this mistake. Mom says, "If you'll be good today, and clean up your room, and help me around the house, I'll get you some new skates." Good deeds = reward. With God, it's the other way around. God says, "Because I love you, I will sacrifice myself/my son for you, to pay the price for the sins you have and will commit." In return, I try to do the very best I can, in gratitude for what He did for me.

Well, at least that's how I see it and understand it. It's so simple that many find it difficult to accept. They think they have to earn God's love, and that's just not true. John 3:16 puts it in a nutshell. Blessings, all. --Romeena
April 24, 2019 - Msg 112122: AMEN Romeena, Amen! :)
I saw your pix on FB with Landry.
Wow, what a great achievement!
So glad you made it thru the storm, and that you are safe. So many drivers here try to go thru flooded washes when it rains and get stuck!
Glad Tilly got you thru with flying colors! :)

BTW, just let me ask you all for prayers once again for Sri Lanka!
Looks like 320 is the death cont. So sad that these islamics do these terrible attacks. Thank you

I have a day full of honey-do errands today, so off I go! :)

Peace,
MDC

April 24, 2019 - Msg 112123: Glad you made it home Ok Romeena...What they were showing on the news sure looked like what you described.
It was raining cats and dogs!...With my twisted thinking, I kinda hoped one of them little fluffy white ones would drop right into your lap!...Oh..My...Thru the eyes 👀 of a Goob!

G-F
April 25, 2019 - Msg 112124: BOO--I forgot to mention earlier today that I wish we could all have a
big group (((hug ))) with your whole family!
All our prayers continue to flow for you, but u know that!
Like Jesus said, we keep knocking on the door! :)

I grilled steaks tonight for dinner. About once every 6 weeks we splurge for some T-bones! So good with some Bush's beans, and a garden salad.
Have a good evening,
MDC
April 25, 2019 - Msg 112125: Yum! MDC, those grilled steaks sound so good. Next time, I'll drop by for one, but I'll bring mine, since I'm a boneless ribeye gal. Make mine rare, please.

Speaking of supper, I've got a pot of lentil stew on the stove, and it sure is smelling good! The repair tech from Spectrum was here to fix a loose connection that was causing my phone and computer to cut out, and when he came in the house to check that all was working, he asked me what was smelling so good. I told him, and he remarked again that it really smelled good! He was a young guy, probably mid-20s, so I asked him if he had somebody to cook for him, or if he was on his own. He smiled, and said he was on his own, and usually just picked up something on the way home. I checked my lentils, they were almost done, so I spooned up a bowlful for him in a bowl I don't need back, told him to take it home and cook them about 15 minutes longer, and enjoy. He lit up like a Christmas tree! He'll like them, they're pretty good, if I do say so myself! So easy it's just funny, and so good. If you like lentils, that is, and I do.

As he left through the garage, I gave him his choice of a cold soda from the garage fridge, and he left with a bowl of lentils and a Sprite, and wearing a big wide grin. Most fun I've had all day!

The sun is shining so brightly, everything is green after all that rain, and new irises are setting buds. Looks like we've got some pretty days ahead, and then more rain starting next Tuesday. Jerry came by and fixed my sump pump so it's running now, and I was able to cancel the plumber. Jerry wouldn't take any pay, so I'll make him some cookies or something. At least now I don't have to worry about the house taking on water when it rains again. However, if it didn't do it Tuesday night, I don't know what it would take. I never saw such a heavy rain.

Well, I think I'll go have a small bowl of those lentils. They are really smelling good. Asa, if you and Debbie like lentils, I'll be glad to tell you how I do them. Prep time about ten minutes, cooking time under an hour. Eating time? Until you can't eat any more!

Blessings, everyone. Prayers for us all in these troubled days. --Romeena
April 25, 2019 - Msg 112126: The grilled steaks and lentil stew are making me hungry. We should have a big pot luck. I have some left over ham and cherry pie.
Frankie
April 25, 2019 - Msg 112127: ROMEENA, the adage is so true, "Its better to give than to receive." :) And the Lord loves a cheerful giver! So you are two for two!
Are you going to go the rest of Landry's baseball game? He sure looks like a very tall, strapping boy! As for the steaks, drop by any time!

The next big thing on our agenda here is getting the carpets cleaned in early May.
We have not moved any furniture the last couple of yearly cleanings, but this year I am up for the challenge. I will take it slowly tho, and not try to do too much.
Got my errands done yesterday, well after my stop at Ace Hardware, I had to hurry with the rest. I think I have mentioned that we have an ACE about a half mile from the house, and just like Home Improvement, the owner always has a pot of coffee on,
and some of us from the 'hood stand around and jaw a bit! Our homes are by the same builder, and seem to have the same little quirks that come up. Plus, the owner purposely has things on hand, like circuit breakers, that he knows we have on our homes. It's good for us, and good for business, the old Win-Win!

Gotta go for now. Prayers ,
MDC
April 26, 2019 - Msg 112128: Good evening, porch. MDC, that adage is absolutely true. I'll guarantee you, I got more joy out of the big grin on that young man's face as I gave him those simple little things, than he got out of receiving them. As for me personally, I've already had my third meal out of that pot of lentil stew, and there are about two more in it. I like leftovers, but I think when it's gone I'll be very glad there isn't one more!

As for Landry's baseball game, if they ever decide when it will be played, I'll be there if at all possible. Yes, he's a big boy, and he's not through growing and filling out. He's about 6'3" or so, and weighs 210, at age 18. His dad is 6'5" and didn't stop growing until age 21, so Landry has at least another inch, maybe 2 or 3, before he's finished. I think he'll be a little bigger than his dad. David is taller and a little heavier than his father was, so I guess the trend continues. Landry's brother, Hudson, is not as tall, but is of a heavier build than Landry. At 16, he's about 5'11" and also weighs 210, so you can see the difference in the way they're built. He's also a ball player, plays catcher, and is quite good at it. He's our musician, who plays the bassoon and the piano, and probably can play anything else he might pick up. I'll just never understand that. I can read music, and can "play" the piano if I'm alone. Hudson reads music, but doesn't need to. He plays the piano with not a note of music in front of him, he just knows when it "sounds right", according to him. Amazing.

Still no luck on the puppy search. It sure is lonely around here. She was the other heartbeat in the house. If anybody knows anyone who has a tiny Maltese puppy, a female, that needs a home, let me know.

Well, back to my reading. Blessings, friends. --Romeena