Katie arrives

We have a puppy, didn’t want a puppy, but we have a puppy. She is half Chow Chow and half German Shepard; cute as a bug and smart as a whip. Humphrey is nearly 12 years old but he sure is acting a lot younger around the pup. I estimate her at 3 months of age. She had gotten away and was in the highway so when I found the owner I told them they couldn’t have her back and they said OK. My yard is big and fenced and they know she will have a great life. Husband is crazy about her and she him. She is the only animal around here that likes him so that is a plus. The chickens sure have been entertaining; their communication skills are remarkable. For acting so dumb they sure are smart. The crocus are breaking through, Spring is coming and boy is my yard going to look great. Speaking of looking great, a neighbor came by today and handed me a Merry Christmas box. I took it in, set down with husband, and prepared to eat cookies. What a surprise to find gardening tools. Good ones, not the 4 pieces for a dollar I had. Once again I found myself almost giddy with excitement. It really makes me happy when people acknowledge my work. Not really work, but effort to provide as pleasant a world for husband as I can. Those simple tools will be a big help in reaching my goal to have the most kick ass yard in the hood this coming year and for years to come.

A Day in Life

Husband sleeps on the couch. When he wakes up he turns up the volume on the TV (the TV is never turned off, just turned down - it gives him a night light); that is my alarm clock. This usually happens around 4 am. I get up, turn on his light, get him something to drink, usually a soda, and take away the pee jugs. There is more than one because if one should get too heavy he could drop it; and that is no way to start your day. Once I have him settled I lay back down and cat nap till around 6 am if I’m lucky. He can’t drink coffee until he has been up at least one hour so by the time I get up he is ready. We drink coffee and watch shows taped the night before. At 7 am it’s pill time and time to stop watching tape for about 30 minutes and watch the morning program, usually NBC. After we finish the pot of coffee it’s breakfast time, usually around 9 am. He gets a 12 ounce glass of apple juice after the coffee. Breakfast is malt-o-meal and at 9 am we watch Regis & Kelly, followed by Price is Right and Young & Restless. After he finishes his juice I make another half pot of coffee. About the coffee, it must be Columbian and strong with a little milk. After coffee then it’s a couple of glasses of tea until its coffee time again around 3 pm. At noon we turn to dialing for dollars on channel 4 and stay there till 2:30 when we go back to tape. Stay on tape until 4 pm when we watch Ellen. Lunch is at 1 pm along with round two of meds. Dinner around 5:30 while watching the news then another half pot of coffee. Last of the days pills at 7 pm. Husband falls asleep between 8 - 10 pm, usually 8 unless something really special is on and we are taping something else just as good. We always tape Letterman and Craig. After spending entire day sitting on the sofa husband then sleeps on sofa at night. Before he lays down the blanket he sleeps on needs to be switched around so he isn’t on the same spot each day and the cushions on the sofa get flipped and swapped for the same reason. During the day the only time he is up is to stumble to the bathroom, he must walk with assistance so he uses a cane since it’s so small in here. This place is only 8’ wide. Now imagine this is your life day after day, week after week, month after month, and year after year.
You may be asking yourself, what his problem. It’s one of those rare nerve diseases that is just waiting to attack thirty somethings. His is Guillian-Barre’, a peripheral nerve disease that one can usually recover from. Husband got better after the initial bout in ‘92, but he is in the small percentage of people that it came back on. First the weakness, then seizures, then a couple of strokes. His mental function has improved over the years but the physical conditions still sucks. Have you ever had you leg go to sleep? His whole body did that and his legs are still numb. That’s why he can’t walk, he can’t feel his legs. His grip strength has improved to where he can now hold a glass without a handle and the seizures are few and far between. All things considered he is better than he was a few years back. The biggest challenge through this has been his mental attitude. It was hard to go from taking care of me to me taking care of him. He was suicidal for years and to this day it would be real hard to kill yourself in this place. He thought he would be doing me favor by dying so I could move on with my life. A nice thought but not the right thought. He told me his theories and after a while I found myself almost agreeing with him. That’s when I petitioned the courts and had him involuntarily committed. That was in ‘97. In ‘99 he was back in but that went in on his own. Now we have reached a point where he looks forward to tomorrow. The biggest threat we face now his keeping his sodium level up. One of his seizure meds. Pulls sodium out and he keeps some low numbers. He has been down to lethal levels but didn’t die. I think it’s because the decline in sodium was gradual and his body adjusted. It wasn’t like an athlete losing everything in one day and collapsing. It is low enough that a bout of food poisoning could take him out, so boy am I careful.
And that is our how we got here and what here is each and every day.

Christmas week

Wow, what a week. Carolers came by one evening (and by carolers I’m talking 25-30 people) and sang to husband thru his window. It was very moving. They also gave us a can of homemade goodies, all kinds of goodies. As if I needed more sweets. With my current life style I’m just amazed I can still get my butt thru the door. But I digress, back too an incredible week. We were given some ham by one of husband’s aunts. It was good, but then a ham showed up that was awesome. Who ever smoked it knew what they were doing plus it hadn’t had a bunch of water added like the store bought ones sometimes have. It was by far the best ham I have had in years; and it was huge. It got here in time for me to share it with husband’s attendant and then he stopped and shared some of his with another family. Remember the old story about the fishes and loaves? I have no problem believing that story as impossible as it may seem. Husband was blessed with a new TV and we were able to return the neighbors to her. Bless her heart, she loaned us her only TV. We received a new coffee pot which was sorely needed. The old one still worked but it had this river of water that ran out the side while it was brewing. I don’t think it’s normal to have to keep a washcloth next to the coffeepot. Speaking of washcloths, we received a dozen washcloths and half a dozen towels. Boy was I glad to see them. We are far enough into this adventure where things are starting to wear out and I can’t replace them myself. I have said it before and I’m saying it again, this is the greatest Hood in the world. I can’t imagine anyone feeling more cared for than we do nestled here in the Ouachita’s .

Current Events

Can you believe our president? This was not a war of last resort, it was illegal from the start, but here we are. This administration’s “holier than thou” attitude is getting old. The military’s job was completed years ago; marines are not trained as diplomats so it wasn’t fair to hand over the job of “winning hearts and minds” to them. Can you believe Paul Bremmer got a medal for his contribution to this debacle? The fact that no one has been fired through out this ordeal but medals have been handed out left and right bothers me to no end. For the record, I wrote the president and the vice-president prior to the invasion explaining that even if we knew for sure they had nuclear weapons, that would still not justify an invasion. We lived for what, 30 years with Russia sitting there, it’s finger on the button, and it all worked out in the end. I hope everyone has learned a lesson from this adventure... it is vital that the leader of the free world and commander of the world’s greatest military be a patient person. Diplomacy is a dying art. Speaking of art, I have noticed that not everyone listens. Almost everyone is born with the ability to hear, but listening is an art; an art possessed by fewer than you would think. It became apparent after special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald gave his presentation regarding Libby. Listening to and reading comments about his presentation showed not everyone was paying attention. The only point I caught was Fitzgerald was having trouble running an investigation because someone (Libby) had kept kicking sand in his face. The Libby problem had to be addressed so an accurate account of the events could be obtained. I still can’t believe one president gets impeached for lying about sex, and this president is getting away with far worse. It doesn’t seem to be good for the country to have one party in power. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. That is a good line and I sure hope I got it right and sure wish I could remember who said it first.

Ouachita Mountains

Welcome to the Ouachita mountains, the second oldest mountain range in North America (the Appalachians are a little older). We are unique in that our range runs east-west, unlike the others running north-south. Perhaps that is why this is a geologist dream. The quartz crystal capital of the world, Mt. Ida, is towards the eastern end of the range and at the far eastern end is Hot Springs National Park. It's drives me nuts that Hot Springs doesn't emphasis the age of the water from the springs, it's an average of 4,000 years old. Years ago I meet a lady whose home well water tested out at over 9,000 years old. It was an amazing experience. I knocked on her door, introduced myself and asked her for a glass of water. The only water she had coming into her home was a hand pump at the kitchen sink. Sweetest little old lady you ever met and perfect water. Just think, 4,000 years ago while the pyramids are Bing built, the rain falling in Arkansas is just now bubbling out of the ground. How cool is that. Needles to say I love this place and hope to share more of special attributes with you as we go along. I am a news junkie so will often have an opinion on current events, will be keeping the family posted on happenings (which aren't much), and basically vent. I love the fact I can sit here in the back woods of Arkansas and share my thoughts with the world. A big shout out and THANK-YOU to cousin Susie, without whose help none of this would be possible.

Dog & Cats

One day back in ‘94 a good friend showed up telling us about the puppies his chow had after a cocker spaniel came over the fence. He asked if we wanted one that looked like a cocker or a chow. I explained that we really weren’t looking for a dog and he asked again…do you want one that looks like a chow or a cocker? This man was a very dear friend so I said a cocker would be nice. Humphrey is still with us but showing signs of serious old age. He has been a good friend for nearly 12 years now and it sure hurts to see the changes, going blind and deaf, trouble climbing the stairs to come inside, can’t get on the bed anymore unless I lift him, but through it all, most of the time he is quite perky. Having all the other animals around helps; he loves to chase the cat and the cat loves to be chased by him.
We have two cats, one in and out and one that has never set foot on the ground. Blue, the in and out cat, was born in the field behind us. His mom had been around a couple of years and wild as could be when one day she came by with two kittens in tow, just showing them that there was shelter here. At the time my VW bus was parked outside the fence. (the VW has a story similar to the trailer story) The kittens were probably about 4 weeks old when the mom didn't come back. She had been hit by a car down the highway. It took awhile, but I tamed them and now Blue is the best cat ever. He knows he can trust me. His brother left home after getting scolded for attacking the rabbits, but at least he was fixed before he left. The indoor cat, Cozy, is almost three years old, been treated great her whole life, and has no appreciation. Blue knows how lucky he is, Cozy takes everything for granted. She was supposed to be for husband, to sit on his lap. Don't see that happening anytime soon.
We got almost 3” of snow last night and the chickens made it through OK. Leroy and Jr. didn’t come down out of the cedar until after 8am. Boy, there were a lot of birds today. But the grackles are back & I hope they are just passing through. They are a big black bird with a beautiful iridescent head. They may look good but they are too aggressive; they scare off the songbirds.

Feathered Friends

The birds are back. Yesterday the yard was full of mourning doves and turtle doves. One really cool bird showed up, a Carolina wren. Did you know they eat flies? Well, they do. I have some limbs hanging under the porch roof and they were covered with cold flies. Not any more. After he ate for a minute or two he left and then returned with the Mrs. I have found with my bird feeders it‘s the same as when you have guest over and offer them a place to sit. The more places to sit, the more birds hang out. These limbs have increased the number of birds coming up to the window and hanging out during storms. We may not live under the trees, but sitting on our couch and looking out the window you would sure think we do. Today we have had blue jays, mocking birds, doves, sparrows, finches (purple & gold), tufted titmice, black-capped chickadees, cardinals, red-shouldered hawk (saw him yesterday). I have three feeders on the porch, one with sunflower seeds, one hanging house type with mixed seed, and one cylinder with mixed seed. The chickadees and titmice eat just sunflower seeds. I grew some for them this year, but they are almost gone. I plan on growing a bunch this next year. The finches come up and eat from all three and the sparrows eat just the mixed seed. Speaking of sparrows, there are more varieties than you can shake a stick at.
Back last spring a man showed up with a rooster in dire need of a home. He explained that if he didn’t find a home he would be slaughtered that day so I took the rooster. Within two days he had left and went back home about 2 miles away. They brought him back with a hen, she stayed but he left again. They brought him back in a cage which I left him in for 8 days. As soon as he got out, away he went. They brought him back and I kept him in the cage till I found him a home far away. So there I was with a hen and no rooster. It was a Sunday morning when low and behold a rooster came walking down the highway. I couldn’t believe it when I looked out about 7am and here he came. I went out and opened the gate and in he came. Come to find out he was homeless. His owner had moved several months before but couldn’t catch him before he left. Leroy, the rooster, has been here ever since and is happy to be here (unlike the previous one). You see, we were a step sown for the first rooster but a big step up for Leroy. I forgot to mention what had happened to make someone think I would even be interested in a rooster. Tyson trucks go by here quite often and one day a chicken fell off. I called her chick-chick, she grew and grew but was all alone; till the first rooster. Eventually she was obviously a he and had to go because Leroy was here by then. I call the first hen Jr. because she is a bannie and looked so small next to chick-chick. Jr. and Leroy became parents to 7 chicks which needed a home. They were born the end of June and have been away but today came back. Their owner is working out of town so I’m chicken sitting. She is also going to be bring 3 turkeys, 2 white and one bronze. The bronze is fat but the white ones may try to leave. I don’t have a chicken house, Leroy and Jr. roost in the big cedars. The chicks are in a pen on the ground, and the turkeys will just roam the yard. At least it is a big fenced yard. The next few days should be entertaining.

Lessons from Poverty

The decent into poverty was a drag to say the least. But once we finally hit rock bottom, less than $2000 in assets, then I was able to find assistance in caring for husband. Along the way into poverty, you reach a point where you can’t afford food but don’t qualify for help. At that time you begin to learn about food banks, a wonderful thing. A word about food banks; keep giving the mac & cheese but if you can, throw in something that cleans. (shampoo, dish soap, laundry soap etc.) When the food banks have these items they hand them out and you can’t imagine how exciting it is to get soap. There was a time when I would see someone who was poor and dirty and think, well, the least they could do is be clean. Wrong! Soap cost money and that isn’t always available. Also I wondered how someone poor could be fat. Easy. You should see some of the things we get in our food boxes, mostly sweets and starches. Cheap food is fattening food. So next time you see someone who isn’t as clean as they should be, go easy on them. It is really possible that it couldn’t be prevented.
Last year I became quiet desperate and sent begging letters to ten family and friends. The response was sad to say the least. The only commitment I got was from the same cousin who is providing my internet access. She is the only one in the group, as far as I know, that has experienced true poverty. In all fairness, none of the rest of them have seen us in years and don’t have a clue what I am dealing with. The positive outcome was that the lady who made the copies of the letter for me made a copy and distributed it throughout the neighborhood. There was even a copy in the post office. This community responded beautifully, but then they know what is going on. You really never know how things are going to turn out. With literally millions suffering around the world, I sure can’t complain. Just this week I was down to my last pair of shoes and the glue and rubber band was no longer working. I went to the post office and to the local gas station & deli and let everyone know my need. Today I have three pairs of shoes. Yea. Our TV went out a couple of days ago and that is definitely bad. Husbands whole life is on the couch with TV entertainment. One of the neighbors brought us a small one out of their camper till we could find a regular size cause by small I mean 5”. We got another one the next day but it had not been used for years and was really old; only lasted 15 minutes. Later that day yet another neighbor brought us a huge TV. This neighbor has her own problems and cut off her satellite. She doesn’t have an antenna because she gave it to me a few years back. When I say this place is awesome, I ain’t kidding. Thank God for the locals.