The Spiders in My Life.

     If you are a spider, and you think you're going to live rent-free in my house, you may have to rethink your last thought. I am not as spider-friendly as some. In fact, there are times when I would just as soon smash one that is crawling around on my floor as quickly as possible. I may end up throwing an article of clothing over it first before doing the wild and crazy necessary dance, but I don't just allow these things full access. I say that, then I remember the three years I lived with a Daddy-Longlegs in my bathroom. To be honest, it wasn't my bathroom, but my parents' bathroom. 

    I can't remember the exact dates, but I was living off and on with my mom and dad for weeks or even months at a time between going back and forth somewhere. I would hesitate to take a bath, knowing that the little creepy dear was watching me. He'd been given a name. You can't just sweep down a menace if he's been given a name. I have no idea to this day whether or not it was a boy spider, but since it was a Daddy-Longlegs and not a Momma-Longlegs, it went without saying that Henry was in fact a boy! He can get back at me later if I was misgendering him or her; someday, when we're all in Heaven, and he finds me again.

    Henry unceremoniously lived in the bathroom because it was quiet, and it was warm and sometimes steamy. He'd hang out on the ceiling, edging his way over to the shower. If I saw him anywhere near the shower head or any of the faucets, I would simply postpone my bath or shower until he decided to move again. It wasn't often that he forced me to change my mind. He was, in that regard, a very likable and amicable roommate. I did learn a bit about the species from talking to others. Every now and again, I'd see a fly or something caught up in a web in the corner, and I knew Daddy-Longlegs aren't actually spiders in the first place. They can't make webs. There must have been something else in the bathroom bringing Henry food.

    I'd exit the bathroom, and my mom would call out, "Say hi to Henry for me!" I'm not sure if she was mocking me, or if she was as sick as I was for not just killing the damn thing.  The spider I saw in my house today is just lucky I didn't have a blow torch handy! I just really don't do spiders. I'm not jumpy when I see them, but I don't want them hanging out where I can see them. I know the old adage that we're only 10 feet away from a spider at any moment of our lives. I get that, but I don't have to see them, do I? I don't have to interact. I can still hate quietly and either walk away, or find something to pick it up and assist it going outdoors where I think they belong.

    Of course, we could try to see if from the multiple-eyes view of the hairy little monsters, and say maybe I'm invading their space. Maybe they were here first, but they're not paying the mortgage, I am. They will either stay out of sight or face the bug-bomb if I see them too often. Then there's Laura. She defends every one of them unless it's a Recluse or Black Widow. She'll go to bat for every Wolf spider on the planet, explaining why they are so needed. Fine, he can feel needed in her room, not mine! He needs to understand that.

    I didn't have anything handy to squish him with before he (again, me assuming the spider's gender) under the baseboard and found safety. I did fumigate his fuzzy little butt with 1/4 a can of spray disinfectant. My room smells good now, and it will be germ-free for weeks. The dog can't go into the space for another hour or so, but the spider, you know, will survive! He will likely scurry his little self over to another place, another space, and just hang out again -- until he attacks me in my sleep or something. He may have to be found.

    I was a little rattled by it, so I did what I thought was a good thing to do. I ate a Hostess Ding Dong, gulped down a 20-oz bottle of water, took in a few deep breaths, and told Laura she needs to try and find him because if I do, he may not survive it. She's still sitting at her computer, laughing at me. If she keeps it up, I'll grab the entire box of Ding Dongs and not share. I am not above that. I know how to punish that woman. I gave birth to her! You'd think she could at least save me from the grips of a harmless insect now and again.

    Photo Credit: Thrive Pest Control (this isn't really Henry, but this is what he looked like) 

Food / Grocery Comparison. (I love this)

     I love food. I'm sure you do too. It's something we all, more or less, have in common. Yes, of course, some eat more of it, and those who eat different types, but we all have to agree, we all love food. Well, I now live in a different city than I have lived in for over 11 years. Before I lived in the bigger city of Oklahoma City, I was in a large city in Indiana, and I never got around to doing much of a food comparison because it didn't interest me. I would buy something at this or that store, and if I found it cheaper somewhere else, I wasn't going to drive around town to pick it up because it would waste time, energy, gas, etc. 

    Now that I'm older, living in a smaller town and able to do so, I have been checking the prices of food at the local United Supermarket, whose name brand is Best Choice. I think Best Choice is mainly associated with a group called "Associated Wholesale Grocers".  Homeland stores carry the brand as well. We have one about 1.5 miles from my house. I pulled into the parking lot today around 9:30 a.m. (Saturday) And I counted the cars. There were 12.   Twelve cars, and that did include the workers as well.  

    I walked around the brightly lit store, and I was virtually alone.  I had a list, a prepared list of things we needed, but also things I hadn't recently purchased anywhere. I wanted to get my long receipt and compare the prices with both Walmart and Kroger to see which store(s) were cheapest and most reliable. The result of my little experiment may or may not shock you. I was able to get everything on my list, and then I picked up something else that was NOT on the list, but I absolutely could not have refused it -- they were not only on sale, but they were also practically giving them away.

    Frito brand chips were 3/$5.00, and they are the 9.25 oz size bags! You bet I did that. I bought the honey BBQ twists, the chili cheese, and a bag of original chips so I can make Frito pies. I never buy corn chips, but did today! Laura was quite happy when she saw them.  At $1.66 a bag, I'm not saying no. Someone I know says, "You can't leave them on the shelf at that price", and I agree wholeheartedly.  They came home with me, along with beef franks, Polish sausage, olives, pickles, frozen veggies, milk, sour cream, butter, and a few other things that you can get at all three of the stores I was using for the comparison.

    Once finished, my bill was $119.35 after tax. Oklahoma doesn't charge a food tax, but there is still a city and county tax to pay. I'm happy it was only 4.5%. It makes a difference when you shop online at Kroger, and they charge more. Walmart had literally everything United had, no exceptions, but their Frito products were upward of $3.79. Where that's not a bad price, we just never buy corn chips. Now, I suppose if I'm driving around and get a hankering for corn chips, I'll pull into United before I pull into Walmart. They are also located closer to the front of the store. 

    OK, so here's the final tally -- and like I said, it may or may not surprise you.  United is 3% cheaper than Walmart (generally speaking) on the items that I purchased, but there were several times that Walmart was cheaper. It's just that what I ended up buying today favored United. If I shopped mostly at Walmart for staples like flour, sugar, meats, and produce, Walmart would win every time. Kroger, sadly, even though I wanted it to be different, failed. They are upwards of 27% higher than United and 22% - 25% higher than Walmart. Then, when you tack on the tax and tip -- well, they lose.

    We recently bought a week's worth of groceries at Kroger, just to get things started at the new home. I paid $102.00, and it lasted 6 or 7 days. I just spent $119 at United, but I didn't buy the meats or produce, so I can't say for sure how long it will last.  I'm positive, however, that if I were to buy my meats and produce at United, it would be at least 10% higher than Walmart. I do have the added benefit of going to a store that is virtually empty, and I can get in and out without any issue. That is a big factor, and it will make a difference depending on when I'm out and about doing my weekly shopping.

    Walmart, unlike Kroger or United, has many more things in the store to pick up if I'm already there. I could never, and I mean never, do that in Oklahoma City proper, for fear of being followed, stalked, or even accosted.  Any store that has to have metal detectors and people scanning your receipts to see if you stole from them is not a place I want to shop at or give my money to. I want peace. I want tranquility. I like good, friendly, genuine customer service, and I get it at both the El Reno Walmart and United Supermarket. (I get it at Kroger too, but that's because it's online shopping.)

    There you have it. United for the win if I'm running in to pick up this or that. Walmart is my main shopping spot, and I don't think I'll hit up Kroger again. Sadly, they are probably out the door. They do, however, have orange DreamCycle ice cream, and I can't get that at United or Walmart. It's a sad thing, but true. I have Braum's! I don't know if they have that flavor, but I can write to them and ask them to start making it. When I tell you it's great, you have to know, it is SO VERY wonderful. 

Photo Credit: Me

That Didn't Take Long!

     If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times, the best thing about horse people is their dogs. It's so true. It doesn't matter who the people are, and I'm including myself in this mix, but no one tells the complete truth when it comes to the horse they are trying to sell or trade. It just doesn't happen. Well, it does happen when we sell or trade. It's like online dating; when I was stupid and did that for a while back in the late 90s, I always told the truth about my age, height, weight, etc., but I was the only one who did. 

    So, here we are, just one day into having the horses on our land, when it became very apparent that the people we got the Paint mare from didn't exactly tell the whole truth about her. Sure, they said she was likely pregnant, and she is, but they also said they believed she had been ridden in the past and that she had been out in the pasture the last year or so.  They said she was around 15 to 16 years old, and she's not. The good news is she's younger than they said, but the bad news is she's not really even halter-broke. She is, but she's only had one on her face a few times. She didn't know how to lead.

    Not to worry. I will sell the mare immediately, and then, instead of getting myself another horse, I'm just going to let Laura keep all the horses. I'll feed them, groom them, watch them, love them, and video, but I don't need to ride. I thought I wanted to, but I really don't. I don't think my hips can take it. This cold air is really doing a number on me, so if I did manage to get up on top of the animal, I may not have the control I need, and that could turn out disastrous for me. If I got up there and couldn't get down, I can't guarantee any of the firemen in our area wouldn't laugh and post about it later. 

    Nope, I thought I wanted a horse. I really did. When they arrived last evening, and it was just over 30 degrees outside, and my mare decided to stay where she was in the big trailer she'd spent a few hours in, I stood outside shaking and freezing myself to the bone, hoping to get some sort of video. Laura had to put a little training into the situation, and when we got the mare into the paddock, she almost immediately began testing the fenceline. Nope...she's outta here! I asked Laura to post her on Facebook, and within a few minutes, we had several people interested. She's gorgeous! She's also pregnant, and a lot of people really like baby horses.

    Am I sad? No. Actually, I'm not. I'm happy, really, because it means Laura gets another horse for herself, and I don't have to pay for feed, vet bills, tack, or anything. I'll continue to buy the carrots and treats, though. I will forever be the treat-lady. That's me. I can do that. I can brush them when it's warmer, and I'll hang out with them, but no, I don't need to ride. I'll have hundreds of millions of years to ride when we get to Heaven, and I won't worry about breaking something. I can just see myself falling off, being bucked off, or just not being able to get down from it - and needing to roll off. No, thank you.

    Laura's little Arab-cross mare (Lady Sif) is an amazing girl. She's pretty, pristine, and polite. The paint is gorgeous for sure, but she's nosy, bossy, marish, and pushy. I don't need that. She'll make someone a good ride when they get her trained. We don't have the patience or time for that. With her being pregnant, she won't be able to be trained until after the baby is born and weaned. It will be June or July before the training can begin - I don't want to keep paying for feed and bills on something I can't use. If Laura wants to do something that, or if someone else wants to, that's FINE, but not for me. I only keep horses that are both useful and rideable. Anything else is wasteful. (for me)

    At least I can always find Laura now when I don't see her inside at her desk. She's been non-stop hovering over the two horses since they were delivered. She's checked on them at least a dozen times to my once, and she's so giddy and happy...you'd think she had won the lottery -- she may need to. Horses are expensive. The other thing I always say is, "If you have horses, you need money because you won't have any if you keep them."

Photo Credit: Me (Jace) 

My Obsession with TSC.

     Some people have a hard time going into a bar and spending more than they should. It isn't uncommon for a few people I know to go into a bar, drop a $100 bill for a few drinks, and maybe a little something to eat. They'll stay two hours or so, and meet people, dance, and talk. They think it's worth it. They enjoyed themselves, and I would never tell them they shouldn't have fun.  Likewise, there are those who find going to the casinos more fun than going to a bar. They'll spend so much money trying to win so much more. I'm not into it, but hey, if they are, that's their gig.

    My obsession now, and I suppose it's an older one, is Tractor Supply.  I am that person who walks into the store thinking I'm picking up a bag of dog food, only to realize my horse may or may not need something. Usually, the horses don't need anything, but there I am looking up and down those aisles...you know, just in case.  I mosey past the car and truck stuff, not even thinking about what Stephen (my car) may want. I find myself in the clothing; I find myself thinking about boots. I could always use another pair of mucking boots, right? 😏

    I won't exit the building (usually) without dropping over $100 for feed, food, fleece, or footwear. Today, I was on a mission because the horses we rescued are coming tomorrow. They were going to come on Wednesday, just two more days away, but with the winter vortex hitting just north of the Oklahoma border, the hauler (a woman in Kansas) decided tomorrow would be better. It's OK, it saves me $60! I love saving money, but we weren't ready for them, and I needed to make a trip to my happy place.

    Since Laura won't let me lift anything, I engaged the help of a young worker named Bryan. He was truly a sweet, very cute kid, around 19 or 20. He told me he's not from our city, but goes to school and needed a job. He's driving farther to work than I would, but I think the Tractor Supply in his area was fully staffed, so he took a shift way out this way. He's like me; he can't break away from the words "on sale" or "clearance".  He told me Black Friday and Cyber Monday are his two favorite days of the year.

    I'm going to save up for next year's Black Friday special if it's anything like this year's special on ATVs. I could use a $3000 savings on a Gator! I think honestly, though, if I had to guess, I'd end up buying something used and keeping it on the farm rather than dumping a whole lot of money on a new vehicle. I can't see myself spending $6000 when $2000 will do the trick. It is fun to look though. I'll stick to my several bags of feed, dog food, cat food, litter, and that long-sleeved Carhartt T-shirt that I didn't need. You know I won't forget the pecan rolls, Charleston Chews, or Cow Tales. Nope, those are a staple.

    I like Tractor Supply a lot, but if my city had an Atwoods, I might switch loyalties. Not gonna say it loud or anything, but I could see that happening.  One of the great things about living on land and needing to fix something every week is that Tractor Supply is only 1/2 mile from me. If they don't have it and I'm forced to go to Atwoods, I only have 10.6 miles to go.  I can see myself doing it just to be doing it, if you want the truth. I could sneak over there, maybe pick up a sandwich at Earl's BBQ (Yukon), and make a day of it. I could swing by Ollie's too while I'm living large in the moment.

    People in El Reno like to say that folks who live in Yukon are rich and uppity. It isn't true; not for the most part, but it is fun to listen to the people talk about their neighbors the way they do. We came from Oklahoma City, another two cities west of Yukon, and I can tell you, not one of us ever thought those living in Yukon held a candle to what we had in the Big City. Still, it's fun to see the small-town rivalry extend beyond the football field into the streets and byways. I'm an El Reno Indian now. I've even got the T-shirt to prove it. I will take Jeannie to the game next fall too; she'll like that.

    Recently, my Tractor Supply addiction has forced me to pick up fencing supplies for both the horse and dog fences. I've got a co-worker helping Laura put up the two fences, and he's loving the freezing weather so much more than I would. You should have seen the restraint I had while walking through the store today, picking up the new 40-gallon rubber trough, feed, a few treats, medical aids for the horses, and an 80-foot garden hose. I did stop by the dog food, picked up a sack, and I did happen to get Laura her fix (the pecan rolls and Cow Tales), but I did not, did not, did not, purchase anything else -- I was so good!

Photo Credit: TractorSupply.com 

Differences and Challenges.

     Obviously, when you move to a new place, no matter where it is, or what the differences are regarding the type of housing, you're going to find that there are both good and bad differences, and even some that don't really fall into either of those two categories, but they are in fact differences. There will be challenges, good or bad. There is simply no way a person can move from one place to another without realizing that things will no longer be one way and that things are definitely another way, now that the move has taken place. We're in the middle of all that now.

    I'll start off slow and give you all the things that come to mind right off the top of my head; they may or may not mean much to you. This is my blog, and I'm writing it for my family and friends. If you're reading it and we're not related, you probably should go ahead and count yourself among my online friends. If I don't remember your birthday, I apologize.

    To start, the biggest difference is that I now live in a city of about 17,500 people, as opposed to 500,000. My old zip code had twice as many people as we do now.  You see it, and you feel it. You notice immediately that there aren't as many people driving around, roaming, or just in parking lots, stores, or on the streets. This means I can (and do) drive around without the noise, the loud booming music, the crazy drivers, etc. I love that.

    I pull into my drive and drive about a 1/4 of a city block before reaching my house. I literally lived on the street in the last house. There was the street, which was busy all the time, and then there was a curb, a three-foot sidewalk, and another four or five feet before you reached the edge of my porch. That is not the case now. My mailbox is about a football field length from my house. The one in the city was on the house.  I pull into a garage now, not a carport, and no one is inside my garage when I do. There have been times when the homeless and just passersby would be standing in my carport, which is upsetting at best. 

    The dogs aren't barking as much because they're still cooped up inside the house at this point, but when they do go outside (when the fence is up), they'll be able to bark to their hearts' desire. They can bark and bark, and then, if they want to, they can keep on barking. We were tattled on at the old place and received a warning from the city. We bought shock collars, and we monitored how long the dogs could stay outside. If they barked through the high-pitched sirens on the collars, we brought them in immediately. We can't afford $170 fines! That will not happen where we live now.

    We have carpet in the bedrooms. I'm OK with it, but I will have to watch the dogs as they tend to think it's a softer place to squat when they haven't been walked enough. We need to get that fence up as quickly as possible. It's going up this week.  We love the color of the new carpet; it's between silver and grey. The hardwood flooring is nice throughout the rest of the house, and with the living space being so much bigger than it was in the last house, we see a lot of it. The living room is literally twice as large as it was before.

    Laura is using the dining space as her office. She really couldn't do that in the other house. It wasn't set up correctly and had both an opening to the living area and a side or front door, depending on which side of the house you considered the front or side. She's able to set up her little space the way she wants, and in time we'll wall it off to give her even more privacy. This is such a good thing. She's already opening up and enjoying herself like she hasn't in several years.  I like seeing her this happy.

    We have a real working fireplace. It's gas, which isn't my favorite, but as soon as it is serviced this week, we can use it. We haven't had one. We had a fireplace in the apartment for 9 years, but were unable to use it because the complex never had it serviced. This is a great addition to our happier mental selves, as we plan to use it often. You know Laura will make me watch a few YouTube videos first, but we'll get it done. What in the world did we do before YouTube? I guess we just figured things out on our own. God forbid! 😆

    Our kitchen is larger here. It has a Maytag dishwasher that works. It has a little more storage space, but the big news is that my dad made the cabinets many years ago, and just knowing that makes this place all the more dear to my soul and helps me to cope with just about anything that is out there to bother me. He made mostly great decisions, so I lean into those memories when I'm in the kitchen, the bathroom, and even the hallway because there are vanities and a gun cabinet that he made as well. The other house was nice, but nothing can compare to what your dad makes.

    Last thing for now, we have horses. We haven't had them at our own place since October 2012. We owned a 25-acre place with a really bad house for about three months until we couldn't close because it was just so bad. It didn't and would never have passed inspection. We kept the horses, but had to board. We have always boarded, and it's always been damned expensive. It's still expensive; don't get me wrong. We're paying more for this place than we have ever paid before, but when you consider that I'm paying a normal price for the house and what I would have to pay for board, we're good.

    We have 14 acres, of which we can use 9.2.  We can have 6 or 7 horses if we want, but we'll just have our two and Laura will quarantine four more for the county, and earn a little money to help offset the costs.  We could never have done that before. We can walk out the back door and see our horses soon. They arrive on Wednesday.  She's always loved horses, as I have, but she has a deeper and more spiritual connection with them. Having them outside will not only help her mentally but also boost her spirit and give her many more reasons to work out physically. This is her time to shine. We have only God to thank, and we do.

    There you have it. There are tons more things to discuss and so many observations to go over. We have a few nut and fruit trees in the yard. We'll have to find someone to cut the hay-grass in the spring, but we're just so blessed and happy to be where we are. We're genuinely hoping to be here until Jesus returns. If that happened today, we would not complain. If He waits, we will not complain...too much.

Photo Credit: Me. (Jace, my Paint mare)

Black Friday and Me.

     I have so many memories of not shopping on Black Friday, just because when we were growing up, my mother didn't want us to be hurt by all the "crazy mothers" out there who push through the throngs of people to pick up whatever doorbuster was on sale. It would have been Sears, Montgomery Wards, or maybe even TG&Y, but even back in the day, my mom was concerned about all the would-be dangers that could happen to any one of us four kids. She was also not going to place herself at risk. I remember that. It stuck in my brain, so when I grew up and could make decisions for myself, I was leery of going to any store that advertised 'too-amazing-to-be-true' sales on Black Friday.

    One Black Friday in particular, which I do remember, happened about ten years ago. Jeannie and I went to Target after all the early bird specials. We weren't going into the store to get presents for ourselves or anyone. We were going to get her hair gel, and I think I wanted cat litter or something. What we were purchasing isn't the reason I remember the event. About an hour after we had shopped, I was notified by my bank that someone had tried to use my credit card. Because it was after 5:00 p.m., the bank was closed, and this was long before banks could print another card. I lost the use of my only means of paying for anything - and  I lost it for a week!

    I had to drive to the bank to withdraw money, and I was only allowed to withdraw $300 a day. I had bills to pay, but no checks. The bank gave me desk checks, and I had to write my name, address, and phone number on each one. One was rejected, and it was just such a hassle! Times have changed, and I'm so grateful for that. Recently, after a fraud notice, my bank "captured" my card, but I was able to drive to the branch and get another card with a different number immediately. It was still a hassle, but nowhere near as inconvenient as it was that Black Friday weekend.

    I think I may have purchased one big-ticket item on Black Friday while in a store on that day, and my memory wants to say it was a television. I just don't go into department stores on that day. It would have been in the late 1990s. I'm not pulling the complete memory out of my head at the moment, but I will say that since the invention of the internet, I have faithfully watched the uploaded "crazy mother" videos that show way too much open hostility. It's calmed down a lot since the invention of online shopping, but it's still a treat to watch the funny crazies out there pulling each other's hair out to get the last big whatever is reduced to a ridiculous price.

    This year, because I could and really wanted one, I bought a countertop air fryer-toaster oven that also bakes. It's a Hamilton Beach model, and it has all the bells and whistles I need. I think Laura and I will use it more than we will our conventional oven. I bought it online (Amazon). Their Black Friday specials started this past Monday. It's easier to use, uses less energy, and is compact, fitting perfectly in our new kitchen. I did get it on a Black Friday special, but it's still Thanksgiving, so I'm not sure if that counts as cheating.  I don't think it is. I waited for it to go on sale rather than buying it before we moved. I saved about $27 by waiting.

    Walmart does have them, but only 2 are in stock, and their Black Friday price was higher than Amazon's. I'm not driving to the store, waiting in line before dawn to get the thing. Nope. I ordered it, and I'll wait for it to be delivered on Monday. I'm OK waiting for it. We have our menus planned out for the weekend. I will say this: shopping in-store on Black Friday is still not going to happen. Jeannie is coming over tomorrow, and we'll go to Walmart if she wants to, but I'm not using my card. I know it's not the same, and I know that fraud or security measures are so much better now, but I don't care. If we don't need to go, we don't need to go. 

    I don't think we'll get a discount at our favorite Mexican restaurant, but you just never know. They may have a special. It's worth checking it out, and unlike the lines in Oklahoma City today for an open restaurant, all of our food places in this city are generally uncrowded and just waiting for you to walk through their doors! I love this place. 

Photo Credit: Walmart.com

Thankful!

     Yes, we're in the new house, and it's Thanksgiving!  So, besides my birthday, which was the 22nd and the day we actually moved a lot of the stuff into the house, this is the first real holiday.  We've been here a few days and nights, but Laura and I both feel that it's still unbelievable that we are really here. It just doesn't seem real to us yet. It will, but right now we're dealing with putting everything away and finding the right spot for things.  It hasn't sunk in that we're here for the long, long, long haul, and that as time goes by, we'll add this fence, that addition, etc.  We're making all sorts of plans, but will likely have to wait until late spring to do most of the projects.

    Moving at the end of fall and/or start of winter puts a damper on the plans for improvements. She's putting up the horse fence today and tomorrow, then the dog fence. We were going to do it the other way around, but it didn't work out that way.  She's just doing a 60x60 paddock right now, and then, again, in the spring, we'll do more fencing to allow the horses to roam. We'll take them on walks until then. In winter, they may not want to walk much. We wanted to use the shed we have for protection, but that's not going to happen. It isn't safe without making drastic repairs, and to be honest, we don't want to do that. We'd rather save up, tear it down, and build them another one.

    This winter, they'll be covered in blankets and protected by the two trees. The shed does provide a block for the wind, so they can use it that way. In the spring, we'll demolish the big structure and put up either a double loafing shed or two smaller sheds - one for each horse. (Mine will be a double as my horse is having a baby in the spring as well.)  This is yet another thing to be thankful for. We'll find a way to block off the weather - probably using pipes and tarps, but it will be done.

    There are just too many things to be thankful for to name them here in the blog. I couldn't start without stating shamelessly and unequivocally that Jesus is the reason for all of my happiness, my joy, and, of course, my gratitude. He truly has been so very wonderful in making all the tiny pieces fit together that had to come together for Laura and me to get this house. We wanted it. We saw it, and we wanted it. We began praying, asking God if it was His will, and if so, we'd like to have it. We asked him to literally open every single door to make the process happen -- we should have asked Him to make the process easy, too!! (It wasn't)

    Now that we are here, we're gearing up for the horses' arrival next week. We're gearing up for winter and need to weatherize the windows with draft stoppers. This place has a lot of thin windows. We're looking forward to making chili, soups, and good hot meals for the season. We're looking forward to Christmas, the changes that are bound to be plenty. We're so excited about the little things as well as the bigger things. We're learning every day what it's like to own a home rather than rent one. Just today, we had to put off hooking up the washing machine until we figure out how to stop the cold water valve from dripping! 

    We're super excited about this being our first Thanksgiving in the house. We're not making a big dinner; in fact, I'm going to the city to eat with Reuben and his kids. We're meeting up at Golden Corral. Laura is exhausted and wants to save her energy for the horse fencing. We just put the kitchen boxes away this morning, so no, we weren't prepared to cook and have a big meal yet. It will happen. We're thankful for the bigger kitchen. We're thankful for the dishwasher!! We'll use it too, just as soon as I go to the store and pick up some dishwashing tabs for the machine!  😁

UPDATE: Reuben and I ended up going to our favorite Indian restaurant in OKC rather than fighting the lines at Golden Corral. I'm telling you, restaurants really should stay open on holidays, if they can. There were so many people standing outside of Golden Corral waiting for folks to get in, eat, and get out. There was even a man standing in the parking lot with a sign that read "Please be considerate of others, do not stay at your table when you have finished eating."  There was at least a two or even three-hour wait. No, thank you. There is nothing in that restaurant worth that sort of wait. We had his kids, too, so that wouldn't have happened even if we were willing.

    The Indian restaurant served really good food, and they were so kind. We were followed in by a dozen or so others. We had plenty of space, plenty of food, and we were able to stay at the table and talk without feeling rushed. I love the place - and if that ends up being a family tradition, I wouldn't complain.

Photo Credit: Pinterest.com

Did the Math!

     I did the math. I don't always do Math. In fact, to me, Math is a four-letter word, and I choose not to use it most of the time. I will refer to it if needed. Today, is one of those times when doing the math actually paid off. I may do it again if I keep getting these types of results.  I typically shop for food online at Kroger because I lived in the city, and not just in the city, but in the center of the city, and the grocery stores near me were always crowded and not with the most favorable people. I didn't feel all that safe.

    Not only did I not feel safe in the stores, but I also hated parking far enough away so that people didn't ding my car, scratch it, key it, or just walk by and kick it for no reason. No, I didn't live in Hell; it was Oklahoma City, but it's becoming increasingly bad; the behavior of the younger set has become outrageously dangerous in some cases, and just overall uncomfortable. I had to move, so I did. Now that I'm in a much smaller city, I can (and I will) shop at the stores instead of ordering online, and here's why.

    Kroger Delivery is a great place to shop. It truly is. It has just about everything you can imagine, but it is, if you can imagine, a little more expensive than a Walmart Superstore. Not only will I save on the overall costs, I won't have to tip the driver $10 each time they come out -- which was about 3 times a month, so $30 a month, is in and of itself worth going to the store myself as long as I feel safe and I don't have to stand in a long unmoving line to get to the cashier who could really care less if you're there or not. This was the experience I had over and over again in the "Big City" Walmart or just about anywhere I shopped except maybe Trader Joe's, but that's a whole other story, right there.

    I did the math. I went to Walmart in my fair city today, and I bought $77.63 (after tax) worth of food. I didn't buy anything that wasn't edible. I did this on purpose to make a true comparison.  I drove home, unpacked my food, sat down at this very computer, and pulled up the Kroger website. I entered literally every item I had purchased earlier, and if I couldn't find the exact thing, I found the closest match. I was trying to be as fair as possible. When the total was tallied, the Kroger price tag was $90.78, and that doesn't include the $10 tip I gave the driver. So...$100.78 - $77.63 = $23.15, and we'll round it up to about a 22-23% difference.

    At Kroger, I am at their mercy as to whether they have something I ordered or if they have to substitute. I suppose the same thing can happen at another store, but I'm the one who makes the substitution if I choose to. Also, I pick out my own produce, which I will say, Kroger has always done a great job. Still, 22% over time is a big savings. I'm going to enjoy not shopping for groceries online, and because the stores here are rarely crowded, I'll be in and out with ease. Another thing, and this is huge, at Kroger, because they have refrigerated trucks to bring your food to you, the bread can become wet from condensation; ick!

    I'm not a huge fan of shopping for food now. I used to love it. I used to live for it, but now I'm more or less just ready to order it online and be done with it. Maybe being at a great store and with less drama while shopping, I'll begin to love it again. It gets me out of the house and allows me to walk more. I'm doing the steps again - not up to 10,000 or anything like that yet, but I am mobile again, and that makes a huge difference in my overall attitude and my physical well-being. Gotta keep moving...moving...moving...at least that's what I'm told.

    Another thing, and this has nothing to do with food prices. I am going to buy a toaster oven thingy that is an air fryer and all sorts of things. It's a Hamilton Beach product, and at Walmart, it is $77, but online at Amazon, because they have to deliver it, even though I pay for Prime, it's $89.  So that's another 14% savings, and it's the very same thing. No difference whatsoever except I have to get into my car and go get it - which I'll be out and about anyway, so why not? I'm thinking I'm going to buy a lot less online at Amazon now that I live in a little town with a great store.

    Walmart is not the only place to shop in my town. I don't want you to think that. There are three larger grocery stores, actually, two Dollar Generals, and a host of Mom & Pop shops that rival anything you can find on Etsy. This place is amazing. Because it's off I-40, there are a lot of little, cute shops for the passing-through visitors, and some amazing restaurants too. We have nearly every fast food chain of course, they line up around the highway. We have dozens of small, quaint, and robust joints that serve every imaginable kind of cuisine. We're the last stop as you leave Oklahoma City before you hit the wastelands -- people stop to fuel up and get what they need for the road. Because it's on Route 66, there's always something memorable to buy or give as a gift.

    So, having done the math, having put the pencil to it, I can say that I'm looking forward to saving about $100 a month on food and close to another $100 on products I found online that I didn't want to go into the Big City stores to search for. I don't go to malls anymore, but believe it or not, I don't really need to. I don't miss it.  One thing that hasn't changed since I moved to the smaller city is the internet - it's the exact same price, so no savings there.  Dog food was cheaper here - I forgot to mention that. Walmart and Sam's Club are supposed to be around the same cost, but believe it or not, the wet food I buy for Ginger is $3.49 cheaper where we live now! Woot!

    I guess what I'm saying is, I'm looking forward to being here and more so now than I was before. I was super happy to be moving here -- and now that I'm here, I'm so very happy to be so, and no, I don't think I'll make another move anytime soon. Nope...not unless it's straight up in the air!

 

Photo Credit: Pinterest.com

We Made It!! (Thank You, Jesus)

     Laura and I are safe and sound in our new house. We are 100% in the house and will spend the next few days unpacking and putting everything in its rightful place. I'm so grateful for Laura's great help, and for my son Jon and his friend Juan!! Everyone did just an amazing job!! I had the easy part; I only had to pay for it, but I did drive the 10-foot truck back and forth one time on Friday. Jon drove the larger one on Sunday. We used Saturday to rest, relax, put things away, and break down a few boxes to take back to the old house to load up again. Now, we have about 30 good boxes to give away. I'll put them on the Facebook page (our city has a couple) and see if anyone needs 30+ good boxes. They'll have to buy tape for the tops.

    OK, so we're in, and we've slept a couple of nights here. We slept here on my birthday, Saturday night, and it was awesome to be in the house that day. We ordered the truck around noon on Friday and kept it until noon Saturday. I went with U-Haul, as I always do. They've just always been so reliable. I went 54 miles, and the 10-footer cost me $121. I put $12 of gas in it and only used about $9, but I wanted to bring it up to the mark, so I wouldn't be charged. The 15-footer cost $141 after all was said and done, and Jon ended up putting more gas in it than he needed. The man at the store claimed it was full, but it was only 3/4 full -- dog gone it!

    It's really important to check the tires, take photos of all the corners and sides of the truck, and check the gas level. Both Jon and I forgot, but he put in a lot of gas, and it wasn't full. I told him I only spent $9 on my trip, which was the same distance as his. The clerk obviously misrepresented the gas level. The kind people at U-Haul trusted me; they only charged me what I should have been charged, and I'll take Jon out for a big, fat, hefty burger when he comes out to see me next time. That should make up for it! He's such a great man. I really love him. 

    Juan works with Jon, and he couldn't have picked a better guy to come out to help. Juan took every tiny thing, big thing, bulky thing, and put them into place like a puzzle. That truck was absolutely full, and we didn't need to make more than one trip for the big things (furniture and appliances mainly).  Laura did the same thing with the smaller truck. I just wound her up and watched. She put it all together, and basically, I just assisted. GREAT help. Could not have been better -- and God was so very gracious to hold off His rain until the very last minute. So good.

    We're slowly moving things around, unpacking, placing, deciding where things go. Laura hooked up my computers, and she has been deciding where everything will go in each room since I have to work and don't have time to do it.  I will say this: I would SO much rather work than move again. Yes, I told my boss, I will take working over moving any and every day! He agreed with me. Two other co-workers moved this past weekend as well. It must be time of year to move to a new house! All of us went from renting to owning -- very nice.

    I just bought a bunch of fencing at Tractor Supply -- Laura is going to put up a horse fence now. She is doing the horse fence first, and then the dog fence. It won't be as big as we will do it later, but it will give the dogs a place to go and have fun outside, as well as a place to do their business. Right now, we're having to walk them, and that's not a lot of fun, really. The first day, we got up at 4:10 a.m. to do it, that's for someone else -- not me. I'm not good at getting back to sleep once I get out of bed. It's all good. We'll make it all happen -- God has made it all happen. So super happy right now.

    I probably won't use Kroger delivery as much now; we have a really good and almost empty Walmart. We have a United Supermarket as well, and I can't wait to see how their prices compare. I think I'm going to actually save money living in our new city. Several items on my Kroger list are at least 15-20% lower at Walmart -- this could be a game changer. Also, if I can get something at Walmart as opposed to Amazon, I'll do that as well. I didn't do it in the big city because the place was always so crowded, ugly, and the energy was terrible. Here, we literally see a few people each time we go - maybe 50 in the entire store, and that includes the workers!

    Pulling into my garage, closing the door, and hearing it shut makes all the difference to me. I've not had that in over 10 years. Washing dishes in a dishwasher is nice too, and ours is a Maytag. We didn't have a dishwasher, washer, dryer, or doorbell at the apartments. We did have a washer and dryer at the house, but not a garage or doorbell!  I go outside sometimes and just ring it to ring it -- I'm like that. One funny thing, and then I'll let you go. My bedroom door doesn't shut all the way. That's hilarious because in a number of places I've lived, it's always been my bedroom door that has had an issue with properly closing. Geez!

Photo Credit: Me

Good Plans - Real Outcome.

    So, yes, it should have happened, but it didn't happen. Then, when it did happen, it still didn't happen.  Crazy, yes. I'll explain.  Laura and I were supposed to drive out to our new city to pick up the keys to the new house, and I was to write the check for the first month.  The plan was to take a carload of stuff with us, pick up the keys, shake hands with the previous owners and their realtor, and set off the bug bombs before we left. We were then going to drive home, rest, and wait for the morning so we could pick up the big truck, bring it home, load it up, take it back to the new house, and be done. Again, that didn't happen.

    I took off work at 2:00 p.m. as planned, but God had other plans for us. He had heavy thunderstorms planned, so our trip to the new place didn't happen until this morning. We were supposed to meet our realtor with the others at 10:00 a.m., and, of course, she texted to say she'd be late, so we were just to sort of talk until she arrived. THAT, also, didn't happen. The best-made plans are not always going to come to fruition. It's just the way it is.

    We got up, ate breakfast, drove 26 miles west, met the people sans my realtor, and, even though I had met the owners just weeks ago, he didn't recognize me when I came through the door. He couldn't recall who I was! Hello, I'm buying your damn house!  I had to tell him who I was again, and I introduced Laura to him and his wife. Their realtor had Googled me; she had seen my website, so she knew exactly who I was. She was even asking me to give her signed copies of my books. (I'm nice, I did that. I shouldn't have, but I'm really rather ...no, I'm too nice.)

    Before my realtor arrived, the owner (the man, not the woman) began telling me how things would go. He had demands, and I was going to do exactly what he wanted. I almost laughed, but contained myself. I simply said no. I reminded him that we have a lease-to-purchase agreement he can't get out of; I will live in my house the way I choose. He said he was keeping a set of keys. I did laugh then because I knew I was changing the locks.  He started reminding me that he still owned the house; I reminded him that he needed to read the contract. That's when his realtor stepped in. She told him to settle down. His wife was oblivious; she was never involved to begin with. 

    I signed the check and handed it to him. Told him I would mail the checks to him monthly, as the contract states, but he tried to say he would come by to pick them up. No, he won't. FHA requires six months of on-time lease payments before giving me my down payment, but the contract is irreversible unless I breach it, and I'm not about to breach it. Call me stubborn, I know, it's not only true, it's very true. I am also obstinate and rude sometimes, and if you push, trying to corner me, you'll realize that my bite is much worse than my bark. He came very close to finding that out - but I wouldn't want him to think he had the upper hand, so I just smiled.

    Anyone who knows about a Southern woman knows exactly what happens after she smiles and goes silent. She'll ice you over quicker than a llama can spit. He knew; his wife knew, and the realtor, very smartly, suggested we hold off on our conversations until my realtor could arrive. She wasn't wrong. I texted Amanda, asking her if she was close -- telling her "these people are stupid". She got the text and stated she was minutes away. Thank God.

     In just another minute, that old man had gone from zero to 90 again when I suggested their realtor take her sign out of the front yard. The house was no longer for sale. "The hell it isn't," He started. "You ain't bought it yet. If I can find someone to pay me cash, that's what I'm doing." He seemingly let someone's cat out of the bag!  If Amanda had been in the house, his realtor wouldn't have allowed him to talk. He stormed out of the house, and she apologized for him, saying she'd known him for 40 years and that he could get hot. I don't care -- he's a rude son of a bitch and needs to realize when he sells a house, it's no longer his. We have a contract! He was under the impression that until I closed it was still up for sale. That is not the case!  I can't help it if both he and his realtor are ignorant of the laws.

    I gave their realtor a stone-hard stare. She couldn't have missed my meaning. The second Amanda walked through the doors, and after the hugs, I told her straight what they had just stated. Her assurances were warranted and appreciated. The house is mine; it's under contract, and as long as I uphold my end, it's safe.

     Not to be rude, or maybe a little rude, their old realtor is climbing the age ladder herself, around mid-70s. She doesn't use modern technology; her email is an AOL account, and she prints everything off to be signed. Needless to say, we were held back more than a half dozen times in the process because her toner ran out, or she couldn't find the keys to her office to reach the printer!

    This has been an uphill battle from the get-go, but it's been made so much worse because not only are the owners clueless (when I say that, I mean that my realtor had to point out to them and their realtor that the survey showed they owned 14 acres of land, not 7. They were trying to sell me a random plot of land that wasn't surveyed. They genuinely did not know they owned 14 acres of land. They believed it was 7.) they are ignorant to laws, methods, procedures, and just standards! Their old realtor was so out of date and out of touch with new methods that my realtor had to tell her, remind her, and show her the new laws over and over again. It was a nightmare dealing with both of them.

    If we hadn't really wanted the house and land, we would have just found something else. From the moment Amanda called their realtor, she knew she'd have to fight the whole way through. The old gal hadn't used anything digital; she was all paper and pens. I'd be stunned if she had a smartphone.  Amanda would schedule something, and their realtor would try to fit it into her 10-4 p.m. hours, Monday through Friday. She couldn't be bothered. We were pushed back, and pushed back a number of times, because she hadn't told her clients about the new plans or taken the file to them to review or sign. She gave them three days to consider our offer! THREE DAYS!

    Anyway, needless to say, we didn't get to the U-Haul to pick up the truck until an hour after our scheduled time. We were OK, but exhausted from the stress of that old man and their old realtor, who couldn't bring themselves to face 2025! He was under the impression that women needed a man - he said so. He asked me why I wasn't married. He asked me if I had been married. I didn't answer; his realtor shut him down. She wasn't too much better, however, telling Laura, "Your momma would get more flies with honey than she would with vinegar," to which Laura smiled and retorted, "My mom would rather kill the flies."

    We picked up the truck and brought it home. Laura loaded it, stuffing it full. We'll take it out to the new place in the morning and return it. We'll do a load or two with the car and bring the animals home. Then, just because we can, and because he was available, we will pick up our new tuxedo cat. He's three months old, and he already lives in our city. He's being fostered after being surrendered to the shelter. He's black and white, and Laura named him Pippin. I think we're full now; four dogs, three cats, and two horses. That'll just about do it.

    Just because plans didn't work out the way we thought they would doesn't mean we're not on track. We are rested now, and we've got work to do - but we'll do it with a happier spirit tomorrow. It's my birthday, for one thing, and it's a Saturday. My fridge is being delivered, Laura and I will eat a good lunch somewhere, and we'll just have a great day -- when we bring that truck back and clean the old house, we'll be 80% done. Sunday, Jon brings the big stuff -- and we wipe the baseboards, check the rooms one last time, and surrender the keys to the little slot in the wall at the Lake Stella office - and be done.

    Ten years in one place is a good record for anyone. We have both enjoyed and appreciated our time here. The complex has been around since the 1970s. I've lived in it several different times in my life. It was the first apartment for all of my kids; they've been in their own units as well. This last stint with Laura and I was 8.5 years in one upstairs 2 bed and 1.5 years in the only house in the complex. It's been good - but it's time to move on -- past time.

Photo Credit: Lone Star Art