All Quiet on the Texas Front

At least by me. I had a lot of people reach out to me to ask if I was near that horrific flood that took the lives of so many children and adults while they were camping. Texas is a big state. The flooding was quite far from where I live, but the devastating news left me in shock. So many lives lost in just a few minutes.

*** 

Greg is gone for a while to help my sister move. I expect him back in about a week, where they'll stop at our house for a few days until they continue their trip on to their final destination.

It's really quiet, and everything is very calm. Greg has a tendency to bring a lot of energy into a room.

The dogs miss him. They know something is off and they keep looking at me for reassurance. Even the cat misses him. Although Greg is not a cat person, Jammy loves to sit next to him.  

As usual, my mom was worried about me being alone. I told her, Ma, I have a rottweiler who won't let anyone get near me and I'm armed to the teeth. I think I'll be okay. Odin is a good guardian. Whenever a stranger or delivery driver shows up, he simply steps out from the shadows and stands in front of me. Trust me. I'm safe. 

I have lots to do this week. Aside from my usual chores I hope to make my first blackberry jelly, freeze dry some homegrown tomatoes and okra, and make a couple of meals for a friend who works too many hours to ever feed herself properly.

My garden had a late start but finally everything is starting to produce. I accidentally started some new tomato seedlings that I'll have to grow in the house because it's too hot for them to put out flowers. Once it cools off in the fall I'll put them outside again.

How do you accidentally start tomato seedlings?

I was saving seed for the new Marmande tomato I had tried this year by rinsing them for 2-3 days in a jar. By the time I pulled them out to dry, several of them had sprouted. What the heck, I planted them. We'll see what happens.

They're beautiful seedlings. Very sturdy.

With Greg gone it gives me a chance to give the house a thorough cleaning, especially the rugs. 

One of our nearby neighbors texted me and told me she rented one of those huge dumpsters. If I had any bulk trash, we were welcome to bring it over. A stroke of luck for me!

Before Greg left, we lugged our elliptical walker machine with the tractor over to their house and chucked it in. 

I was going to list it for free on NextDoor, but I don't want strangers coming to the house if Greg's not here. The electronics stopped working ages ago. It could've been the battery but we couldn't even get the battery panel to open, so we'll never know.

Speaking of neighbors, the neighbors across the road from us are selling their house. The neighbor with the dumpster told us they went to go see it because it has more land than their current home (they have horses). The land is pretty, but the house needs a lot of work and they're not willing to remodel a house from top to bottom--especially considering the selling price. I do hope we get nice neighbors, but they'll need deep pockets for that place. 

My sister will be staying with us for a few days before she continues her journey, to give her and her husband a chance to rest. Being an invalid I want to make sure his room has easy access for a wheelchair. I'm putting him in a room with an extra low bed so it's easier to move him.

I want them to completely rest. I know how draining it is to sell your house, move cross country and live on the road for days at a time. They can't travel very far because of my brother-in-law's disability. My sister has been working nonstop and I don't want her to lift a finger while she's here.

I miss Greg. He's loud, demonstrative, and as talkative as a parrot, but I miss his boisterous ways. He's getting brownie points for Heaven for going all the way to Arizona to help my sister move. But as he always says, that's what family is for.

He'll be home soon. Meanwhile, I have work to do.

Do you have any bad (or good) memories about moving? 

 

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By the way, Amazon is having Prime Days starting July 8. I generally wait for Prime Days to buy anything that's not a priority, but has been on my wish list. They usually have the best prices. Check it out this week. Amazon Prime Days