MERRY CHRISTMAS

Just a quick entry today.....

Dear Lord, don't let us miss You this Christmas season. Help us to simplify our activities and traditions so we can focus our celebration on Your birth. Thank you for being the Prince of Peace, and I ask You for that supernatural peace to reign in our hearts. Thank You for the simple but life changing message of Your love for us. In Jesus' Name. Amen and Merry Christmas. Love Pokie......

HOG MONEY....

A dear friend sent me a copy of this letter in 2012 and I thought it might bring a chuckle in these times. 

My friend Billy just received a check for $987 dollars from the federal government for not raising hogs. I want to go into the "not raising hogs" business next year. What I need to know is what is the best breed of hogs -- not to raise? I want to make sure I approach this important work in keeping with all government policies. I would prefer not to raise Razor Backs, but if that is not a good breed not to raise, then I will just as gladly not raise Yorkshire or Durocs. What do you recommend? As I see it, the hardest part of this government program will be keeping an accurate inventory of how many hogs I haven't raised. If I get $987 for not raising 50 hogs, will I get $1974 for not raising 100 hogs? I plan to start out small the first year. Then I can afford an airplane. I have another question. These hogs I will not be raising will not be eating 90,000 bushels of corn I understand that you also have a program that pays farmers not to grow corn. What size of a payment can I expect for not growing 90,000 bushels of corn that I won't need  that I am not going to feed to the 5000 hogs that I am not going to raise? This estimate of potential income is needed so that I don't exceed the level the president has set -- where I, become a rich person and my income must be redistributed. I am also considering the "not milking cows" business so send me any information you have available....Have a great day. Love ya Pokie

Helen Lowrie Marshall

I will tell you more about this fine lady in later posts. I wish I could have met her along the way instead I bargain for one of her tiny books of poems on ebay for a quarter.....A great deal

LOOK UP AND LIVE

This business of living was meant to be more

        Than plodding along each day

With head bowed down and eyes on the ground

         While time ticks the hours away.

God made this world a delightful place

          With beauty everywhere ----

The grass, the flowers, the trees, the sky,

           The tang of clean, fresh air ---

A world to be lived in, laughed in, loved,

         To be met with joy and zest,

A world with a challenge for each of us

         To give it our very best.

This business of living was never meant

        As a treadmill sort of thing;

There are rivers to cross, and mountains to climb,

        And glorious songs to sing!

Amen and love ya Pokie

          

THERE'S WORK TO DO.....

Well here we are hurrying into Christmas. Not much to it this year for me. Lots of cleaning and sorting through things.  I just feel kind of lost in the scheme of things. I have the best of intentions but when I get right down to it I run out of steam. Years ago I would have my tree up by Thanksgiving and started my cookie baking the first week of December. Shopping was worked in as I could afford it and I can even remember one year buying gifts Christmas Eve and going to the park and wrapping them before going home to go to candlelight services. My husband at the time was born on Christmas Day and had a love for divinity, so Christmas Eve, for me, was an all night cleaning and making divinity and having everything perfect for Christmas Day when the house was fun with relatives and joy.
Parkinson's and the chance of seizures have taken those time from me. Even though two years ago my Neurologist held my shaking hand and said, "You doing have PD just "PDisum". Which means my organs don't just shut down and I can sometimes manage my left hand shake by telling it to stop. The only problem being my strength and back pain. The only pain meds I take or extra strength tylenol after being on over forty pills a day for very many years. I guess my doctors think at seventy I should be slowing down but I miss the excitement so this is my new mission.......
I will rearrange my house the way I want it. I'll try at every step along the way to sort the pictures and mark who they are for. There is always a possibility that someone might be interested at another time. The antiques I am so proud of having, have me at a mystery. I guess I could sell them a little at a time but they have been with me so long.. I have quilt tops to be quilted, pictures to be framed I had found these things on weekend excursions, when with no money, me and the kids would go to farm sales and garage sales and load up for close to nothing. Then I made a mistake....My dad retired and was so bored so what did I do? I introduced him to antiques so now with him and mom both gone, I have buildings stacked to the top.
Well need not worry, I have no time to die and I seriously belief God won't take me till I get this straightened out.  So with that, I am back to work and wishing you well. Thanks for all your comments and kind thoughts. You spur me on.     Love ya Pokie