Thursday, June 21, 2007

The longest day of the year... rants and raves

It's 5:30 A.M., summer solstice.  The days will start getting shorter now, reminding me that winter is indeed on its way, no matter how much I'm sweating now.

The window-unit air conditioner is in place, keeping our bedroom pleasantly cool at night.  It operates for about twelve hours each day:  I turn  it on a couple of hours before I go to bed at 10; and when Cliff gets up around 8, we turn it off. 

The huge fan upstairs moves air through the house when the grandson goes up to bed.  The electric bill we received yesterday is already fifteen dollars higher than normal.  I'm braced for next months bill.

The price of gasoline keeps on getting higher, which is causing the cost of groceries to escalate at an unheard-of pace.  Good grief!

Even though it was my idea to cancel our motorcycle trip to Colorado (and I am sure it was the right move), I'm sad that we aren't going somewhere on vacation this year.

The stray, Annie, disappeared last weekend.  I really miss her.

Ticks and mosquitoes are worse than usual this year, making our daily walks and my nights in the cabin less pleasant than they could be.

I wanted to buy a cheap steer calf so Secret, my calf, would have a cow buddy.  Looks like it won't happen.

I hate that our son is laid up for the whole summer with a badly-broken leg.

Looks like our yearly drought has begun.  Everybody who lives thirty miles from here in any direction received significant rainfall last week.  We got 1/10 of an inch.

Nevertheless:

My faithful horse is willing to take me five miles in any direction and then bring me back. 

The Missouri River bottoms (my favorite place to ride) are starting to look normal again after being mudded and flooded.

Sadie makes me smile many times each day.

We have plenty to eat.

We're maintaining our weight loss.

Secret isn't complaining about her lack of bovine companionship.  She chews her cud peacefully, and literally dances circles around me when I go out to feed her.

Nobody in the family has any terminal illness, so far as I know.

We have a roof over our heads and a bed in which to sleep.  I've been to Mexico with a missions group and seen people living in houses made of wooden skids and scrap lumber, squatting  on government land.  I've seen these same people dancing and laughing in the evening as if they didn't have a care in the world.  Oh, and it's hotter in Mexico than here, and those folks don't have air conditioning.  I could take a lesson from them.

We don't farm for a living, so our income isn't affected by a drought.

I think I'll take the advice found on this little plaque I saw on one of our motorcycle trips: 


19 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am so sorry that Annie came up missing. I am surprised at that news because she followed you everywhere you went. Wonder if someone picked her up. Bless her heart wherever she is. Sounds like Secret is glad when you pay her a visit. If a person would only stop and count their blessings they would see that they are very well off indeed. Have a nice day. Helen

Anonymous said...

Sorry about Annie :(. I know you must miss her terribly.

Anonymous said...

It's seems when we count those blessings, life doesn't seem unpleasent after all! Sorry to hear of your sweet Annie traveling once again! Maybe you and hubby can get away for a couple of days for a mini vaca! Hope your enjoying your day! Take care, Katie
P.S. Love the plaque!!!!!
http://journals.aol.com/ktkamanski/AlwaysBelieve/

Anonymous said...

Our first electric bill after moving to CA was almost 400 dollars!  Holy energy crisis...we are now on the set plan where it doesn't change unless we go crazy with the a/c  and pay 145.00.   Everything is expensive in CA.

Anonymous said...

I need one of those BIG GIRL signs to put right in front of me...I love it !  Thanks for sharing !  'On Ya' - ma

Anonymous said...

I love the plaque...I needed that.  Sorry that Annie went missing.  I sure would like to know what happened to her.  She was such a sweet, loving dog.  Sorry.....
I'm like you I need to count my blessings instead of dwelling on things that are out of my control.

Anonymous said...

I love the plaque!!! Thats too cute. Its easy to take alot of things for granted, but then when we get to thinking about it, things arent usually too bad!! We got a little rain the other day, but boy could we use alot more!!! Have a great evening.
Hugs
Carrie

Anonymous said...

sounds like you should be listening to "In Spite Of Ourselves" by John Prine and Iris Dement......yes..
..In spite of ourselves
We'll end up a'sittin' on a rainbow
Against all odds
Honey, we're the big door prize
We're gonna spite our noses
Right off of our faces
There won't be nothin' but big old hearts
Dancin' in our eyes.
There won't be nothin' but big old hearts
Dancin' in our eyes.

enjoy...........Marc :)

Anonymous said...

Big girl panties and a can of "whoop ass" always comes in handy.  What the heck has become of Annie.......bet she'll turn up!   Anne

Anonymous said...

I wish I could spend more a quality time with the critters around here. I quess that loss of individual contact is another price paid for having so many. Perhaps when I FINALLY getthem all out on pasture more of the have to routines will have eased up some. Enjoy your Secret and Blue.
I thought real neat the cows coming to greet me and my brother walking home from school so many yars ago. They always seemed to know the exact time.
And, it's said cows don't make pets. I thought ours were but then we never had more than four bovine critters at a time. Pigs also made great playmates way back when.
http://journals.aol.com/fmgruber/FernansShorthornFarmLife

Anonymous said...

All I can say is GOOD. I was sitting here reading and I could hear your voice saying all of these things.
We do the AC just the opposite. I use the fan at night and the AC in the daytime.

Anonymous said...

I'm going to make my own version of that plaque and put in my blog soon!  Love that!!

Russ

Anonymous said...

Sorry to hear about Annie (and your son, for that matter). I had quite a bit of catching up to do here. 84 entries behind!  Darn those kids of mine for hogging all my (former) time on the PC. ;-)

Anonymous said...

Yes most all of us have so much to be thankful for but i think its human nature to complain a little. You are going to learn to love the a/c if it is as hot there as it is here. Paula

Anonymous said...

That doesn't sound like Annie to run off...she was always wherever you were when she could be. I wonder if some kids took her. You said she was so friendly, she would go up to anybody wouldnt she. I felt sorry for Derby being alone at first, thought he might need someone to keep him company outside when we werent out there...now I am not so sure...he seems well adjusted and it makes him look forward to the interaction with us humans, even though we will never measure up to another horse...he seems to make do and be our friend and love us. It sounds like Secret is going to be the same way. Fern says they can't be pets? I bet Secret is...already. :)

Anonymous said...

Love this!  I like to whine but I usually follow it up with thankfullness too!
Traci

Anonymous said...

We had wanted to take the boys to San Antonio to Sea World for a vacation...now it looks like we may be staying closer to home because of the high cost of gas. Yesterday it was $2.87 in Oklahoma.

The skeeters are awful here too, gigantic. Skeeters on steroids.

Lots to be thankful for........I need to keep reminding MYSELF that.

Anonymous said...

God takes away, God gives.  It all comes out in the wash anyway!

Anonymous said...

LOL that is the cutest sign I ever saw and you have a marvelous attitude.  I try to keep smiling also as God blesses and brings harder times too.  We are working all the time to make ends meet and have a home of our own and boy, oh boy is it hard sometimes.  I am amazed that he keeps bringing hubby work and good side jobs for our little side business and that is such a blessing, but he sure is wore out.  I pray for his strength now too a lot.  Hugs,
Lisa