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By Ruth Gadberry
The weather man kept saying it was going to rain and he sure got it right this time! We had showers here and there, now and then, with lots of thunder and lightning. Then Monday, it RAINED! Rained some more. Then some more. Water in the yards looked deep enough to go swimming in. Flash flooding warnings were all over the place. Lakes rose, ponds ran over, creeks kept getting deeper and faster as they rushed along, headed for the nearest lake. The weatherman said we would get more rain before its over. Like possible rain almost every day this week.
This must have been a big disappointment for all those folks who had looked forward to Memorial Day weekend. You know, the holiday that introduces summer. The time when folks head for the lakes with their RV’s camp trailers, tents or whatever, ready to spend a few days in the great outdoors. Boats, bathing suits, sunscreen lotion; everything necessary for a weekend on the water. Well, Actually, the sunscreen lotion wasn’t really necessary. Well, at least they had running water. It was probably running all over the place. You didn’t even have to go out in the boat to be ‘in the water’. Anyway, sitting in the tent or RV, playing cards or dominoes, just isn’t quite like being out on the boat or hiking along trails or doing all those other fun things you planned to do but not in the rain. That’s the way things go sometimes. Just accept it and go on, letting the weather take the lead when you plan activities.
You did stop to remember what Memorial Day is all about didn’t you? A time for remembering the sacrifice so many men and women made so that our nation could remain free? Maybe thank Almighty God for those people?
Have you noticed that some days just don’t feel like the days they really are? Have you ever said ‘this seems like Saturday’ or some such thing? Well, Sunday morning sure didn’t feel like Sunday. Church services were canceled for several weeks because of the Coronavirus thing that was raging. Then they started having drive-in services and Ruth rather liked that. Then Saturday night the word went out that there would be no drive-in services at Stringtown First Baptist Church on Sunday. It was supposed to rain and all that electrical equipment the preacher and music people use just doesn’t do well in the rain. Not at all. So, services were canceled except for Internet services and Ruth isn’t a facebook or internet person.
Next Sunday morning they are supposed to go back to inside services, with two services. The ‘old people’ will meet at 9:30 and the younger people will meet at 11:00 o’clock. Is that right Preacher Joey? Ruth didn’t hear all your announcement last Sunday when you were competing with the train and the train won. So it seems, they will observe social distancing during the services. You can’t just go up and sit by whoever you want to; you have to leave a six foot space between you and the next person. Something like that. Are we supposed to wear masks Preacher Joey? How will it work? We should know more about that next week.
Things are beginning to open up again. Is it too soon? Should they wait a bit longer? Should places of business, churches, sports events and everything else have been forced to close at all? There are no answers to those questions. We just have to try different things and hope they work. Things just can’t close down forever. Just imagine what that would do to our nation.
Through it all, aren’t you glad Almighty God is still in control? He knows what is going on and we can trust Him. For some reason we may not even realize He is allowing this pandemic to go on. Is He trying to get our attention and let us know we need to turn back to Him? Do we still think we can do whatever we want to do and handle things without Him?
The casinos have lost barrels full of money by being shut down for several weeks. Someone suggested that they just put a drop box by the door of the casino. That way people could just drive by and drop their money in the box and not bother about going in and losing it playing the games or whatever they do in the casinos. They would have a much better chance of not getting the COVID-l9 disease.
Someone else reported that the pawn show business had changed due to the virus. Fewer items are being pawned and more items are being redeemed.
JC and Ruth went to Oklahoma City to the eye doctor last week. They thought they were going to the office in Ada but the Dr. didn’t come to Ada this month, and probably not next month. Everyone was required to wear a mask and they checked temperature on everyone entering the office. Well, at least it was the Eye Doctor, not the Dentist. Masks would have been a bit challenging at the Dentist office.
So, JC and Ruth got out of house arrest for a few hours. At the place where Beth and Ray took them to eat, all the restaurant personnel were wearing masks and gloves. That must be a nuisance for them but they were abiding by the rules. And tables were farther apart, or some tables not in use; that sort of thing.
Jaelin, Jaelin; what’s this we hear about your two small sons? Did we get this right? That Gunner was chasing a skunk across the yard? That he caught it? By the tail? His little brother, Westyn, was right behind him? The skunk did what skunks are known for? Sprayed? Now, if you should hear Jaelin refer to her little boys as ‘Little Stinkers’; BELIEVE HER!
Yes, Jaelin is well aware that a skunk who allows a three year old to catch it could quite easily be rabid. Jaelin is a country girl and works for a Veterinarian and knows about these things. Her top priority is finding the skunk and destroying it. It’s not likely either of her small sons will try to catch another skunk!
Now, fast forward a bunch of years; a big bunch. There is Grandpa Gunner, telling HIS grand kids about life in the ‘olden days’, when he was young. Will they believe him when he tells them that he caught a skunk by the tail when he was just three years old? Of course, with that many years going by, the skunk is sure to grow a lot. Become much fiercer. It will become a huge, terrible monster and brave little three year old Gunner will risk his life to catch the beast and protect his little brother, Westyn. JC and Ruth really do have interesting great grand kids, don’t you think?
Beth is becoming quite domesticated lately. Making jelly, including Root-Beer jelly, growing all sorts of plants, baking a new cake for her Dad, JC, every week and doing all sorts of things. One morning when she checked the flower pots on her patio she discovered some of the plants had been dug up. Now, what did that? She re-potted them and stuck up skewers in the pots to, hopefully, stop whatever it was who was digging up her plants. Cactus might have helped but she didn’t have any of that so she just used skewers. It seemed to work!
Something dug up Ruth’s begonia and messed up her chocolate mint. She put some of those big glass rocks in the tub with the mint, peppermint, and chocolate mint and it looks better. At least for now. What’s digging? Squirrels? There are lots of them around and quite often Ruth seems one scampering along the porch rail or playing in the yard or the trees. Both has squirrels too so, maybe…. Ray dug up some oak trees for Beth to set out in their yard. They were in flower beds where Ruth had other stuff planted. Did squirrels plant the acorns that grew the trees? They’ve been known to do such things.
Sunday evening the Gadberry Gang, along with Aunt Ann, came out to JC and Ruth’s, unloaded Zack’s camo-car, all got into it and headed for the creek or pasture or wherever they wanted to explore. It rained. Not a lot, like it did Monday but it did rain some. And when they came back, some of them were REALLY wet. It seems that Brooklyn and Carter just had to go swimming. Some of the adults were wet as well. Of course you can’t let the kids have ALL the fun! Zack reported that the top was blown out of another big tree in the pasture. The weather has definitely been active this year.
Some people insist there is a great advantage in living alone. You have no one to please but yourself. You can do what you like, when you like. If you want to stay up all night, there is no one to stop you. If you want to sleep all day, go for it. You can cook what you want to, when you want to, IF you want to. There is no one to disagree with you. You can watch the TV programs you want to watch, listen to music you like and do everything your way.
On the other hand, there is definitely an advantage to living with someone. Companionship, of course. Someone to talk to, even disagree with and argue with. Someone to share everything with. Someone to build memories with. Someone to protect you.
Well see, it’s this way. Monday morning Ruth was standing at the kitchen sink, ready to fill the sink with dishwater and start breakfast. Just behind the faucet on the sink she saw something. It was all scrunched up behind the faucet. What was it? Her first thought was that it was a wasp but it was too big to be a wasp. Could it be a humongous bug? One of those big, furry, tarantulas? Maybe a small toad? How would a toad get into her kitchen?
Anyway, JC walked by about that time and she asked him what it was. He looked at it, picked it up, and said, ‘It’s a leaf.’ Probably a leaf from one of the house plants she had just moved out to the porch from the window seal. Oh well, it was all dry and brown and scrunched up. When you can’t see very well it can look like all sorts of things. She had someone to rescue her and folks who live alone don’t have that.
It’s JC and Ruth’s plan to break out of house arrest and go to town this week. They have several things that need to be done. Besides, they want to be a part of the opening up again thing. They’ll wear masks, when needed, and be careful not to be too friendly with other people. They’ve done quite well at staying at home and now they think it’s time to start venturing out a bit and adding a few regular activities to their life again.
Real leaders are ordinary people with extraordinary determination.
