After a month gone ...

Has it really been so long since I have written here? Goodness! I'm sorry. 
Life has been busy and time has gotten away from me. I look back on the stats for this blog and I see many hits - so to all those that have been checking and reading, I'm sorry to have not posted in so long. 

Rick and I prayed about everything, talked it all almost to death ... and finally made the decision. 
Tired of being so alone at the old house in Sulphur Springs ... tired of fighting the loneliness, the quiet, the discouragement and depression.
Weary of being so much in need, and of asking for help.  
So, we packed and loaded and moved some of our things out to Joshua and Dessie's. They have an extra bedroom there, and wanted us to spend more time with them. 

March 10 - we left SS and went out there. Unloaded, unpacked, settled in. And began to enjoy the 2 week visit - well, 17 day visit. With every intention of coming back on March 27 - because of doctor appointments. 

However, we did not plan for the car to break down. 
Rick and Joshua started to town one day and it died on them 3 times in the 20 miles to town. So, to the shop it went -- and just diagnosing the problem cost us $150 (that we did not have). We had to wait at Joshua's another 2 weeks - until the next payday. 
Rick bought the part (distributor) for $130 ... and it cost $45 to have it put on -- thank you Affordable!!! 

In spite of the car breaking down and costing us $300 that we could not afford - we had an awesome time with Joshua, Dessie, Shell and Kyla!!! So much laughter, many hugs and kisses, a lot of good conversations. 
Really felt good to be WANTED. 
Rick did a few odd jobs around the place for them. Joshua is working so hard for the ranch that he doesn't have a lot of time to devote to the "honey-do's" ... so daddy got drafted! LOL 
I helped out in the kitchen and with the kids - gave Dessie a rest from some of her stress. 

Momma "K" (the ranch owner's wife) contracted with Dessie for raising some chicks. If Momma "K" bought the chicks and the feed, and Dessie would get them to a good raised size, then they would split them. 
So, 30 chicks found a home with Dessie - in the laundry room under a heat lamp. As of yesterday, only 4 have died. And their home is now an old water trough with hay in the bottom and a screen door over the top! LOL 
Not much longer and they will be transitioned over to the chicken yard. 
We tried putting them into the chicken house - was working very well ... until the heavy rains came and the chicken house leaked!!! They almost drowned! 2 a.m. Joshua and Dessie are out there fighting the wind and the rain and the hail, gathering 26 chicks and bringing them into the house. For the next 2 hours, Dessie and I spent drying them!!! Yes, we used towels and a hair dryer - got their feets all dried, and their feathers. We laughed at several - turning this way and that under the warm hair dryer. The next couple of days were spent in the back bathroom under a heat lamp so that we could watch them close. 
We opened the door one morning and a couple had flown to the side of the box - looking at us when we opened the door. Time to go out to the shop - where the trough and hay waited. 
Easy to tell a couple of them are roosters - they come up to one another and bow their chests out and peck on one another's beak ... just trying to start a fight. LOL 

Kyla's baby goat bloated itself one evening on some fresh green grass. We worked with that baby goat for 3 hours to calm it down and help it make it thru the night. Finally, quiet and calm he was put into the laundry room with a heater. 
Sadly, a week later he ate too much green grass again, and we didn't catch him in time. Kyla went out to feed and water him after supper one night and came running/screaming back into the house. Her "baby" had died. So sad. Yes, life on the ranch can be tough. Many tears later ... Kyla accepts life and death. 

We worked on spelling words and math problems with the grandkids ...
Played card games and laughed until we cried. 
Spent a Saturday morning working on crafts with the grandkids ... enjoying their creativity. 
Sat on the front porch and watched the daylight turn to night time. 
Made it thru a severe West Texas storm. 
Endured the cold of winter lingering ... and the heat of summer's promise. 
Granddaughter making Grannee "pretty" ... 
Temper tantrums because grandkids didn't get their way ... dealt with, talked out ... 
Good food ... 
Lots of laughter ... 
Hugs and kisses ... 
LIFE ... 

Thank you Joshua and Dessie for not only wanting us, but for making a place for us. 

---