October 9, 2022
We’re back in Missouri, but not without more Jeep trouble. Here’s the short version:
Car repairs, $983.11. Extra lodging costs while waiting for car repair, $339.12. Rental car while the car was in the shop, 341.40. Flight from El Paso to D/FW for Lauri to attend a funeral, 229.60. The cost for a vacation full of sleepless nights spent praying for healing and speedy car repairs—priceless.
And the parking brake alert bell and light on the Jeep lit up on the way home.
The weather was cool while we were gone, but the heat returns this week.
President Biden says the US hasn’t been this close to Armageddon since Kennedy was in office. The US purchased $290M of anti-radiation drugs during Putin’s nuke threats but the White House claims that’s normal procedure.
Wednesday, October 19, 2022
We had company last week and went to Johnny Morris’s Top of the Rock Lost Canyon Cave and Nature Trail. You ride a golf cart through the canyon and a cave with spectacular views of the fall foliage, cliffs, waterfalls, and even some wildlife if you’re lucky. And there’s an amazing museum of Native American artifacts at the end of the drive.
I met Stephanie in Hot Springs this week. She worked on-site at the credit union and I visited with her and had my own writer’s retreat. Well, it’s been mostly a shopping retreat, but today I was productive. Hot Springs had their first freeze as did the ridge and surrounding areas. Warmer temperatures are predicted to return this weekend.
Inflation is at eight percent causing the US to increase Social Security checks to reflect that amount.
Tuesday, October 25, 2022
I’m back at home and the ridge got about four inches of rain today. If you’ve never driven Hwy 7 between Hot Springs and Harrison Arkansas in late October, you need to. It’s absolutely beautiful. The trees are golden this time of year. I loved it.
Ray and I watched Ticket to Paradise yesterday afternoon. It’s a cute and clean romantic comedy starring George Clooney and Julia Roberts. We both enjoyed it.
My birds have flown the coup. A predator bird has scared all my songbirds away. I’m saving on bird seed, but I miss watching the birds.
Dr. Fauci predicted a winter with Covid and the flu since we’re gathering and not wearing masks. And children’s hospitals are facing record numbers of RSV patients. This is very early in the season for so much RSV.
Putin claims Ukraine is going to bomb him with radiation. Officials fear he will bomb Russia himself and blame Ukraine. We’re so blessed to live in the US.
Sunday, October 30, 2022
The Ozarks Writers League Fall Conference was this weekend. My story, Harlan Meets the Howler, took second place in the Juvenile Short Story-Fiction Category. They misspelled my name on my certificate but got it right on my check.
Last night when I let the dog outside there was a little wren in the wreath on the door. I startled it and it flew inside the house. It startled me, too. It took three of us to shoo it back outdoors.
The weather has been cold, cloudy, and rainy all weekend.