Tuesday, November 9, 2021
Our first hard freeze turned the grass and leaves from green to mostly brown and orange. A few trees are bare, but for nearly a week leaves fell like snow. It was hypnotic to watch. Now that it’s warm, bugs are everywhere. Stephanie was here this weekend and we went to Branson where she mentioned the insects. I thought they were abundant because we were near the lake, but they’re at the cabin also. In Texas, you were lucky to see two ladybugs in one day. I can see more than six from where I sit, and they’re giving me the creeps. Matt’s been researching Venus Fly Traps.
Today was overcast and nearly seventy degrees. The weekend was beautiful and we went shopping in Eureka Springs and Branson with Stephanie. She and Hayden closed on their new house yesterday afternoon. I talked to her last night and they’d had a pizza delivered and were eating it on the air mattress where they planned to sleep. That should be a good first memory there. She predicted 2022 to be the year we’re all settled. I hope she’s right.
I thought goods cost more here, but it might be due to inflation. Dollar Tree has gone up to $1.10! Ten percent increase, but still a bargain.
Thursday, November 18, 2021
I got the flu shot and the Moderna booster yesterday. Both arms are sore and I have a slight fever.
My Thanksgiving shopping is finished except for some fresh fruits and vegetables I’ll pick up on Monday. Stephanie and Hayden arrive on Sunday and stay through Friday. This will be Hayden’s first time to see the house. I’m excited, but a little sad that Ray won’t be here. As a firefighter, it’s not the first holiday he’s missed, but we were usually able to schedule our celebrations around his time off.
We’ve had a few freezes, and a lot of trees are bare. No leaves make for better birdwatching. Tonight is a full moon with a predicted low temp of 27.
Even barren, I love the scenery here in southern Missouri. As I travel the winding country highway along the ridge, golden leaves leap from the pavement like tiny dancers spinning and twirling while others gently glide like acrobats from the trees. WOW! And I thought I couldn’t write a million-dollar sentence. Maybe there’s hope for me yet. But it’s probably just my fever talking.
I haven’t yet eased back into daily writing. It’s still my goal. Bookshelves and desk were built in at our old house, but they don’t exist here. I ordered a bookshelf, but shipping was delayed. My outlines and storyboards are still boxed somewhere. That’s no excuse, and I am writing some, but it should be more frequent. It doesn’t help that Matt recently announced that he’s writing a book. I should be happy for him, but I just feel like I’m drowning in priorities while he clicks away at his project. Maybe it’s my fever. Anyway, I’ll enjoy Thanksgiving festivities and then I’ll get to work.
Sunday, November 21, 2021
Matt wasn’t feeling well this morning so I visited a church in a nearby small town. Several stringed instruments gave all the songs a slight bluegrass sound. They sang a few contemporary songs with PowerPoint lyrics and a few arrangements from the Baptist Hymnal. The service was joyful and upbeat as opposed to the “Bless God, once we get outa here and to Gloryland everything’s gonna be alright” funeral singing that Ray and Matt are so fond of. I prefer a little inspiration on Sunday to get me through the week.
It was a nice facility with fresh paint and carpet. An empty choir loft lined the front wall. Christmas decorating had begun and clusters of artificial trees were on the large stage, but they weren’t decorated or lit. Around 100 were in attendance, adults, and children of all ages.
I expected a Thanksgiving sermon, but the message was on perspective. Only two people shook my hand before the service one was the pastor. But that didn’t bother me. No one asked where I lived or why I was there which certainly didn’t bother me. The bright LED lights and the gray spots floating in my vision didn’t bother me too much. What bothered me was the stream of coffee that spilled across the carpet beside me mid-service and that the pastor used the phrase/word “you ‘uns” and “y’uns.” Y’uns understand?
Saturday, November 27, 2021
Stephanie and Hayden left yesterday. Even though they had worked (remotely) all week they said being here felt a little like a vacation. I’m glad. We had a great Thanksgiving. But I’m exhausted from going out every night to experience the local fare. There’s so much to see and do around here and the weather was nice. We took them to The Landing in Branson and shopping at the big Bass Pro Shop in Springfield.
Dollar Tree has announced the retailer will be raising prices to $1.25 by 2015. And there is a new COVID-19 variant. Each one is more contagious than the last. Flash mobs are looting stores in California and there was a mall shooting yesterday (Black Friday) in North Carolina.
I’m here on the ridge, easing back into my daily writing routine. Matt’s dedication has inspired me. He says he now understands why I went to the church to write. I appreciate his empathy although now I have to endure his grumbling about mental exhaustion and writer’s block. In case you’re wondering, I seldom complained of such things. My gripe is and likely always will be my lack of time. And I still don’t have a desk. I’m churning out words at the dining table trying to ignore the clutter and focus.