I’m sitting here Sunday evening, waiting for the really bad weather to hit. When it does, I’ll have to get up and make a big pot of soup. Seriously, I have to. Some kind of instinct drives me to it. But if the cold front delays just a little, maybe I’ll be strong and eat my really good leftovers first, and make the soup tomorrow.
The other thing you do when expecting a siege of freezing weather, is go to the grocery store and stock up. So today when I passed Brookshire’s I just had to go in. I couldn’t help it. I walked all over the store, and couldn’t find one thing I needed. Seems I’d already stocked up. I left empty handed and kind of let down.
Aren’t the leaves wonderful? Both John and Carl swear the leaves are much more colorful than they used to be. I think we just got older and slowed down enough to appreciate things more. We all have certainly been appreciating and marveling at the leaves along the highway, nudging one another, saying, “Look at that!” “Oh my goodness! Look over there!” But I hadn’t paid attention to the colors at my own place. Then I just happened to look out my living room window and really see what was there. It just knocked my socks off. Gorgeous, brilliant colors right here in my yard, and I wasn’t even noticing. I hope this new cold front won’t strip them bare right when I start appreciating what I have here.
Mostly in this column I just rattle. But every now and then I find out something that might be useful to somebody. This is a tip for Internet users who live in the country: DSL– high speed Internet, just may be available where you live. I live half way between Malakoff and Cross Roads and I just discovered I can have it. I didn’t think it was available, but thought I’d ask. So I emailed Century Link. Then I couldn’t wait for my answer, so I called. I was told yes, I could have it. “Don’t kid me,” I said, “Don’t break my heart.” She assured me it was available, and scheduled me for a hookup. A couple of days later I got a reply to my letter. It said they regretted they couldn’t serve me yet, but hoped to soon. Broken hearted, I called back the lady who signed me up to see why they had backed out on me. “No, we’re coming,” she said. And sure enough…. Some nice young men with a big machine that digs a trench and buries a cable at the same time have now been here and done that. Now I’m just waiting for them to get the cable tunneled under the highway. They say it won’t be long. I’m so happy. So my tip to you is this: If you are interested, don’t write Century Link. Call them.
Looks like I’ve lost my battle to keep Randy Rader in Malakoff. She has located a nice apartment in San Antonio near her daughter. I thought for a while she was going to stay around and be Cedar Lake’s Number One Volunteer Social Worker. Randy has great things to say about Cedar Lake Nursing Home, especially the Rehab Department folks. She says she has witnessed lives being changed here. She is great advertising for us, except she is going to be too far away for the advertising to be any good.
John came down Saturday, but went home Sunday morning, to avoid driving in the bad weather. Saturday night was nice, however, as we went to a great reception and art show in the Grand Lodge at Jim and Barbara Stewart’s beautiful Mill Creek Ranch Resort in Canton. Two of my very favorite artists, Christi Barrett and Charlie Bullock were there, showing their stuff and looking great. Charlie has adopted a Willie Nelson look, which I love, and Christi had on her standard really cute look. Christi had already sold a sculpture and a painting, and of course was overjoyed.
I took a lot of pictures and have posted them on www.facebook.com/aroundthetown.