I Have Some Concerns

I don't know where to start.  Really.  There's just so much.

I hate to fall back on the traditional (and, yes I know, boring) list format, but I'm telling you today I think it's the only way to organize my thoughts.

Please forgive my lack of creativity.


1.  It rained here just a little bit yesterday. (Remember, I'm stationed here in Central Texas for the next week or so).  Daddy is stable right now in the hospital, and I am spending lots of time with him, and  with my Mom.  Weegie and I are headquartered at the farmhouse, but spend most of the time in town where my parents are.
Anyhoo, yesterday afternoon we had a little rain, and of course our regular torrential winds (but I promised myself yesterday I would quit complaining about the wind - let's see how long I can hold out...) but some apparently VERY SEVERE storms passed just to the north and east of this area.  I know this because my Mom and I spent most of the afternoon watching the Weather Channel.

I've said it before.  I live on the edge.

When I was driving back to the farm last evening there were still black ominous clouds just to the east -the direction I was driving (the farm is about 10 miles out of town).  I was a little distracted because during the rain that afternoon, in my desperation to remember how to turn the windshield wipers on in my car, I discovered all kinds of other levers and gadgets.  I had forgotten that I had a rear window wiper which I LOVE because it totally disappears out of sight when not in use.  And then there's the button that shows all the important info like miles per gallon, average speed, and the fact that I should have stopped to get gas before I left town because the chances of me making it back there today are logistically impossible.
Anyway, when I quit playing with all the buttons and stuff, I realized that lots of cars were pulled over on the side of the road with the occupants standing beside their vehicles looking up at the black clouds and pointing here and there.  There were even two ambulances.  But because I'm disturbingly slow in recognizing weather-related danger, I kept driving. Mainly because Dancing With the Stars was about to come on.

I know.  I'm probably not the girl you want to hang out with in some type of genuine emergency.

And besides, you know how clouds can be deceiving.  They look like they're directly overhead and they're actually in Louisiana.  You know.  But anyway, as I got closer to the farmhouse I worried that I may have slightly misjudged the distance.

Instead of being in the next state, they were over the barn.  Which is conveniently located near the house.

And well, after consulting Weegie, who by this time was in the front floorboard in the fetal position, I decided to kind of just sit and wait right there on the white rock road that leads to the house and hope that, well, and just hope.

Thankfully the clouds moved out pretty quickly, leaving everything here intact.

But I did miss the first 30 minutes or so of DWTS.

And then The Chief called me and I had to ask him how our new mattress was working out (it was delivered the afternoon that I left to come up here).  And he said it made his back hurt.  Then I tried to change the subject.  Because, ugh.

So, I'm just saying that I really saw very little of the show, and what I did see I don't really remember.  Because of the weather and the bed.

And Oh yes, the grits.  I made grits.




But let's move on to #2 on our list.

You should probably cover your ears and eyes and try to pretend you don't know me right about now.


I'm just sayin'.


2.  Some kind of critter is leaving EVIDENCE of their nightly visits around the kitchen of the farmhouse.

I told you to not look.

I really, really want y'all to think that the farmhouse is perfect and charming and rustic and lovely and welcoming.  I want you to envision it as one of those delightful homes that might be shown on the cover of Country Living or Southern Living or some other _______ Living magazine.

But although it is definitely some of those things, it's also a farmhouse.  A house that sits empty for days and sometimes weeks at a time.  A source of water.  An oasis for parched critters.

And if my Biology background proves correct, this critter is most likely very small and perhaps quite furry with a long tail , and particularly enjoys a nice pot of RATATOUILLE.

I will understand if you don't tune back in for the sequel.

And now I must go to the barn and try to remember which of the 42 gas containers located therein contains regular gas as opposed to diesel, which I believe The Chief may have, at one time suggested I NOT use in my car.

Lu