Pig area, coop upgrade, class, a video

Tuesday evening, I worked on getting an area ready for piglets in case we bought one or two of the ones Mama found when we delivered the goats to our buyer in Weatherford. Mama had waited to call the sellers again until I had an area ready, but now that I do, we cannot get in touch with the sellers to see if they still have any piglets for sale. Regardless, the area can be used for any of our smaller animals whether pigs or goats or even a small calf. The nanny goats, who are very soon to kid, will need to be separated from the little ones about eight weeks after the kidding. So, the finishing the enclosure will not be a waste of time, effort or materials. From my perspective, it was nice to have the energy to get the enclosure ready to the point I was able that evening. I will finish it this evening. Plus, I got to use some materials that have been just lying around the farm at various points allowing me to clean up some areas as I got the enclosure put together.

Before I started working on the enclosure, I retrofitted a ceiling fan Mama and I had recovered from one of our rental houses and hung it in the East side of the chicken coop. On that side we have had only a bare light bulb while on the West side we have a ceiling fan with a light kit. Now at least, the sides are equally equipped. The drawback is that the chickens do not like the ceiling fan spinning overhead. It makes them seriously nervous. In fact, one particularly warm evening when Mama had left the ceiling fan running, the chickens would not go into the coop to roost. They found places to roost outside the coop. Mama and I had to take each chicken into the coop and put them on the roost after dark – as well as shut off the fan. So, why did I install the fan into the coop? Mama and I use the fans when we are cleaning the coops – just for the added air flow – and it got the fan out of my shop and put it into a useful setting. I thought about using it in the shop, but I do not need a light kit on any of the fans I will install there. The light kit causes them to extend too low. The coop was a good use for the extra fan.

I had a long class yesterday. It was a good class. I had only five individuals in the class, but all of them were talkative and well engaged. It was good for the most part to be able to teach again. My voice, which is a tool that grows weak if not used, was strained by late in second part of the class, but we made it through. Next week, I have only a short class to teach. That will be good since Nate, Cori and the kids will be with us that week. Fortunately, we will have a long weekend the weekend they arrive since the following Monday is Labor Day. I cannot turn the Wednesday class over to anyone that week, but I will be free to get ahead on our visit while they and some of our other children and grandchildren are with us next Saturday for Mama’s birthday bash; Sept 5^th. We are looking forward to the day. Regardless of who is available to share the day, we are going to make it special for those who are there. Life is busy for everyone, so taking a day to enjoy a respite is a break we all need.

This morning I was watching some of the videos posted on a conservative website from the Republican National Convention. The following four-minute video came up. In the video a Catholic nun speaks very eloquently about the imminent danger to the unborn in or country. It is worth a few minutes to view: https://youtu.be/WZrlXvNO9VQ. It reminds me of the sisters I worked with in a Catholic hospital when I was in a Lab Tech program at and the University of Houston. They were wonderful people. Firm believers in our Lord. I did not agree on some of the fundamental issues of the faith with these precious ladies, but I had to admire their faith, their sacrifice, and their commitment. Although I eventually dropped out of the program and reenrolled in a different major, my time in the hospital was a very eye-opening experience. There were several Sisters I prayed for for several years that their faith would be placed in Jesus alone for salvation rather than their works.

I may get to see the results of those prayer in the future.

The coffee bar update, an interesting video, back on schedule, planning

 Yesterday evening I was able to get the shelf hung for the coffee bar. I did not think I would be able to do so because I could not find the wall anchors I needed for the project. It is not particularly heavy, but the shelf is not light. It weighs about fifteen pounds since it is made from oak recovered from a pallet. Once I did find the anchors, I started to line out the hanging process. When the anchors were in the wall, I put the metal art inside the shelf and tried to get the screws in place at the points provided in the metal art. That was a no-go. The washers welded into the metal art were inset more than an inch and I could not hold the frame, get the screw into place and line up the holes in the shelf with the anchors in the wall. It was very frustrating. What I ended up doing was starting all the screws in the shelf brackets, through the washers in the metal art to get all the screw in place before holding the shelf in place. Then, with the screws started I had to hold the shelf and art piece up and try to locate the first anchor in the wall. It eventually worked out, but it was a frustrating process to get there. All in all, it looks good where it hangs.

The only issue we had once the shelf was hung is that the hooks I put on the shelf to hang mugs were to small the accommodate the thick handles of most of our mugs. Mama and I will have to go to Lowes to get larger hooks before we can hang any mugs. The holes for the hooks are already made for those new hooks so it is just a matter of removing the small hooks and replacing them with larger ones. We should be able to get those hooks today when Mama goes to get Aubrey for her daily preschool lessons. Mama is having a little bit of an issue getting Aubrey to learn her alphabet – enough to recognize the letters in any meaningful way. Once we get past that mental block, she should learn quickly.

Bro Shaw encouraged me to look at a video that he was sent by someone who is a student of prophesy. The link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtATSQx3cjI  - will take you to a video produced in 2018 by a group who presents the idea that the entire timeline for human history (including the End of Time) is represented in the very first word of the Bible which we translate, in the beginning. The entire video is about an hour long but the drawing that accompanies the dialogue is so well done and entertaining, that the time passes quickly. It is worth looking at if you have the time to accomplish it in one setting. The idea presented outlines a very short timeframe before the rapture of the Church. Whether the timeline is accurate or not, we have to come to terms with the idea that the time we are here is a very short time and we must prioritize our work for the Lord above all else in our lives.

I am back on schedule as far as the training schedule for my work is concerned. I will pick back up on that schedule this week. I have at least one class per week. Some weeks there are two class scheduled and in the first week of October I am scheduled to present an in-person class in Houston on a Saturday. Hopefully, Mama will go with me to that class and we can go to Galveston that weekend. Time will tell. I missed two weeks in my schedule due to my medical issues, so the company is very happy to have me back on track. Those who scrambled to backfill me are extremely relieved as well. No one is more pleased than I am to be able to cover my schedule.

Mama is stressing out about putting together a fabulous day for our birthday bash September 5^th. We are trying to get some things together to provide games and fun activities for everyone who will be here. Covering the age groups is a challenge, but I am sure she will figure it out. Bounce houses are not available and the Laser Tag she was looking at is very expensive for the hour they allow to use the range they set up. So, we are looking at some unusual yard games and other activities. I am sure we will have fun. There is certainly a lot of thought going into it. Meanwhile, I am looking at the menu we will use during the time everyone will be here – much of which will be smoked or grilled. Accumulating those food items will be first on my agenda. It will all work out. We just have to plan our work and work our plan while we empty our savings to do so.

Just kidding. We have a budget for the event. That really frustrates Mama.

Almost normal, church, Walter, house guests

Last weekend was almost normal as far as my health issues were concerned. I was able to work Saturday as I typically would have in the past with the caveat that I did not do any heavy lifting. I will be restricted on lifting through the end of the week, but after that I should be able to return to normal. It felt good just to be able to function at near normal capacity versus having to sit down after thirty minutes of working. I used the tractor for a couple chores just to be sure I did not overdo things as I work my way back to normal. Several bales of hay needed to be moved for the goats and the calf, but I was not allowed to carry them to those locations. Instead, I raised the bucket to slide them into the bucket from the loft in the goat barn and dumped them in the required locations. It was not as neat as I would have liked, but the goats and the calf did not mind.

I was able to complete the shelf that will hang above the coffee bar. I had to make quite a few cuts to make the pieces for hanging the shelf, but I was able to make all of them out of recycled wood from pallets I used for the shelf itself. Once I got everything glued up and screwed together, I had to sand the shelf for a long time to get everything smooth enough that Mama can dust it once it is in place. That done, I put on the final coat of varnish and let it sit. By this evening it should be dried enough to hang. That will finish a project a long time in the making – mostly because of my medical setback.

Sunday, I was able to lead the singing for both services. Bro. Zach was very thankful to have me there because he was preaching both services and if I had not been there, he would have had to get someone to volunteer that morning. Or he would have had to do it himself. Since I pick the songs for the services, it is always a little unsettling to Zach if there is a song on the list that he is not overly familiar with. It was good to feel well enough to do my little part. Grandma went with us to the morning service. She enjoyed it thoroughly. I could tell as we were traveling home that she really enjoys church and misses it terribly, but she was trying to justify her and Grandpa not going to church. Grandma went with us because Grandpa and Norman was in Dallas working on a project for Norman’s wife, Casey. Sunday, if you do not go to church, is just another weekend day. Grandpa does not typically work on Sunday’s, but this week Norman talked him into it and with Grandpa absent Grandma needed some company.

Walter got an up close and personal introduction to the wildlife in Upper Michigan. He got stung by something as they were exploring. No one is sure what insect got him, but it left an impressive mark on the inner side of his upper right arm. Maggie called to see if any medical intervention was needed, but it did not seem so to me. But that diagnosis was made from a picture and a description of the symptoms. It did not seem that anything other than some Benadryl and loose clothing to minimize the discomfort was needed. He’s a tough kid for the most part.

We are crowding closer and closer to the time that Cori, Nate and the kids will arrive. Mama is slowly getting ready for that week. The spare room is ready, and the house is being continuously cleaned because of the shedding that is going on, which is slowly getting less and less. Especially as Victoria spends evenings brushing out the loose hair from both Kira and Kobe. The hair left lying in the yard once Victoria brushes the dog it looks like an animal attack took place in the yard. I know the birds like the extra hair made accessible to them, and I would far rather that hair be in the yard than in the corners of every room of the house.

Also, in preparation for house guests, Mama had Don’s Pest Control to spray the house and farm areas close to the house. He spent more than an hour putting down the chemical he uses – which does not cause harm to any of our animals. I think he put down over 40 gallons of the spray. I will probably not be able to tell if it makes a difference, but I am sure it will. Our animals will certainly know the difference. The outside dogs will be the most positively affected by the treatment. They were getting pretty overloaded with fleas. It was certainly time to have the treatment done. It had been over two years since we have had Don over.

I hope we are ready to entertain by the end of next week. If not, we will wing it.

Better, Scripture and song, Mama’s thinking

Having limited my meds, I am feeling better. Yesterday I got through the day without feeling like I needed to rest every little bit. I even got a couple little things done outside late that evening. That was a significant improvement over the past two weeks. My blood pressure is a little higher than I would like but the tradeoff is worth the risk for now.  Just having gotten back in from helping Mama feed, my blood pressure was 130/76. Not bad. If I can work with the doctor’s to get onto and properly adjust the dosages of the blood pressure medications they are wanting me to take – without killing me in the process – I should come out of this alright.

Mama and I have a habit of doing our Scripture reading every morning. It is a good habit. It keeps us in the Bible and allows us to read through the Bible each year. However, I still struggle to memorize Scripture. I have a lot of verses in my head and my heart, I just cannot always remember the reference of many of those verses. Fortunately, it is easy to locate the references by just using a Bible app on my phone. I have committed to doing better this year and I am making progress, but I am more inclined to remember the words to a song than to remember the address of the scriptures I know. That is why it is important to know songs of doctrine and faith that are based on the scriptures I am trying to learn to reference properly. I have been going to bed reciting (with their address)  and have been waking up each morning with a song. Today the song was:

I found a friend who is all to me.

His love is ever true.

I love to tell how He lifted me and what His grace can do for you.

Saved by His power Divine.

Saved to new life sublime.

Life now is sweet and my joy is complete,

For I’m Saved! Saved! Saved!

 

What a way to greet the morning!

This weekend, I cannot do much of the things I might feel well enough to do because of my lifting restrictions but Mama and I might make a rather long drive to pick up some hay. We will make the calls later this morning. The seller is about two hours away – East of us. We need the special hay for the goats otherwise I would buy hay locally. I hate to have to spend five hours just getting hay for the goats, but we have very few options to buy the hay we need any closer to us. At least, none that I have found yet. I have been feeding the goats some coastal hay, but they do not like it. They eat it only when there is literally nothing else to eat and right now, there is literally nothing else to eat.

I started working on a shelf for the coffee bar Mama and Victoria set up. I am making slow progress, but that could take a giant step forward this weekend. I have been running through ideas on how to mount that shelf and I think I have finally settled on a design I can live with. Other than making those mounts and getting the final coats of varnish on the wood, the shelf should be ready very soon. Mama and Victoria will be pleased. I will be happy to get some of the mugs out of the cabinet and hung on that shelf. We have way too many mugs but hanging some on the shelf will spread them out somewhat and help with the clutter I struggle with in the cabinet.

Mama was comfortably sitting in her office when she realized the time. She had set an appointment for Mocha to get groomed and was very close to being late to that appointment. Mama’s day is not measured in hours or minutes. It is measured in events. Today those events include getting Mocha to the groomers, getting Aubrey for a couple hours and cleaning a corner of the house. Those three events make for a busy day for Mama. Mama rarely allow more than three events on a single day. That, to her, is overwhelming. It took me a while to figure out the process by which she fills her day since my mind works completely differently. But I think I have gotten the thought process down on that scheduling process. I have learned to work her events into my day as part of my routine – which is set up in hour increments. An overwhelming view of a day for Mama. Together, we make it work.

I am hoping to be well enough to lead the singing Sunday. At the rate I am improving, that should be achievable.

  

Dr appt outcomes

I had a doctor’s appointment this morning. It was a sudden appointment. What I found out was that the cardiologist who did the procedure requested that my primary physician do an immediate follow up. During my visit this morning, we discussed the exhaustion I have been feeling lately. The doctor and I agreed that the issue is that my heart rate is too low for me to function properly. That is a pharmacological issue. Right now, my heart rate is about 58-60 beat per minute while resting. That is a great thing. However, when I begin to exercise, that rate does not go up enough for my muscles to get the oxygen needed to keep me going. Within a few minutes of beginning to do anything that requires any effort at all, I tire so quickly it is very frustrating. My primary care physician is not inclined to make any change to my medications until I have done my follow up with the cardiologist, but she is completely okay with my experimenting with the dosages. I am okay with that. We will see how that works out I can make the adjustments I need to the doses of my medications to enable me to not so dramatically lower my heart rate.

Mama is out this morning with Grandma and Grandpa. They are doing their monthly shopping trip to Sam’s and WinCo. They have Mama drive them around Denton or Wichita Falls whenever that shop those two areas because Grandpa’s eyesight is failing enough that he does not feel safe driving in a lot of traffic. The way Grandma was feeling this morning, I do not think they will be out very long. Just long enough to get the items they need to stock up for the month. Lately, she has more bad days than good days. As I spent five hours lying flat on my back watching the clock slowly crawl through those hours, I can sympathize with Grandma about the length of a day when you are dealing with significant pain as well as immobility. Plus, Mama wanted to get few items we did not get Tuesday after my procedure. She is itching to do some shopping, but that will not happen today. Today will be minimalist, but it will still allow her to get a few things and take Grandma and Grandpa out for a birthday lunch. If we continue to do our shopping this way, I may actually save money.

As far as saving money, when Mama and I went to Sam’s Tuesday we bought a rotisserie chicken. When we got home, Mama would not allow me to help unload the groceries. I was forbidden to lift anything over a few pounds because of the wound to my groin. In getting the few items we bought into the house, she forgot the chicken. I found it the next evening. Needless to say, we did not eat it. The dogs got a very good treat. I made salmon patties instead of the chicken we were going to have with our salad. That turned out to be a great choice since Mama discovered she liked the salmon patties.

Victoria has me on several oils to try to lower my blood pressure. I do not know if the oils are working but I smell like I spilled a jar of spices on me. I am also amending my diet to lower salt and fat. A colleague of mine in West Virginia posed the idea that there was a nutritional triangle of fat, salt and sweet. Each food, he postulated had to fit into a balance of those three basic flavorings. If you were avoiding sweets, the food you had to eat would be heavier in salt and fat -think sausage or bacon, and deep fried foods. If you were avoiding salt, the foods available would have to be heavier in fat and sweet contents – think doughnuts or ice cream. If you were avoiding fat, the foods to choose from would be heavy on sweet and/or salt – protein bars, trail mix, and breakfast cereal. I am finding a lot of support for his idea. So, as I try to avoid all three of those basic nutritional varieties, fats, sugars and salt, there is very little available to me that has any flavor. I suppose bland is not the worst flavor for lowering my salt intake and my weight – think oatmeal with honey, or lightly oiled or steamed vegetables.

Not impossible to do, just a habit change.

 

Outcomes, prognosis, work

Concerning the procedure yesterday, everything went very well. Some of the people at the hospital were a little bossy concerning the mask issue, but for the most part, the staff were professional and efficient. Mama and I were there very early. My paperwork said I should be at the hospital by 5:15 am. We were there at 4:45. Unbeknownst to us, the day staff do not begin arriving at the hospital until 5:30 am. So, we had to wait a while. Once things got going, it moved very quickly. I was prepped and in the OR by 6:30. Out by 7 am. Our cardiologist met with Mama right after the procedure and explained that I have a fully occluded artery, 100% blocked, but the heart seems to be compensating for the loss of that blood low. That compensation is called collateral circulation. When a second doctor – called in to consult by our cardiologist – talked with Mama, he seemed to indicate that he would not recommend clearing the blockage. He left Mama with the opinion that that blockage was not the cause of the issues I was dealing with. Yet later that day my cardiologist called to let me know another cardiologist would be calling me to talk about doing what the doctor Mama talked to last was not interested in doing. Clearing the blockage. We will see how that conversation goes.

For now, I am nursing a small incision in my groin, just below the belt line on my right side. It is uncomfortable but not debilitating. I have to be aware of the wound for several days and avoid lifting anything over a very light weight to avoid rupturing the site, causing me issues I do not want to deal with. As far as dealing with the overall health issues I have been dealing with, one doctor says the blockage is not the issue while another doctor seems to say clearing the blockage will give me very obvious relief. Meanwhile, Victoria, Mama and I are going to try herbs and oils as well as changing up the dosages of the medicines I am taking. Today and tomorrow, I will not take my prescribed blood pressure meds. Friday I will begin with a half dose of one of the two meds. I did discontinue one of the two last week, but Victoria thinks it is the one I should be taking and foregoing the one I continued. On the bright side, it is somewhat doubtful that my heart is the issue. Were it not for the conflicting opinions, we would have a better prognosis, but that will all work out in the next week or so.

On the not so bright side, I am not sure what to do for work. They still need me to teach a class every week through the end of the year. I was not able to teach last Wednesday or today. I am hoping I will feel better quickly as we change my med doses. The other alternative is to try a different medication. But the overarching need is a drastic lifestyle change. I am praying that the Lord will help me learn to like the food items that are good for me and switch my taste buds to actually like those things. I cannot imagine myself craving a cucumber or desperate for a salad. I cannot imagine myself gagging at the thought of eating pizza or grossed out at the thought of eating a steak, much less fried chicken. Reconditioning my taste buds will require some work on my part but I am not too late as far as my heart is concerned to capitalize on that change. It will all work out to God’s glory and to my good at some point. I just have to decide that it is worth the effort. I told Mama I am not concerned about my mortality, but I am concerned about my legacy. What I leave behind me when I go.

The nurse that worked on me through the discharge process, Jain (pronounced Jane) was of obvious Eastern Indian descent. As we chatted about the discharge he asked if I was Pastor. I told him I was not but was active in our local church leading the song service. He told me he was a born-again Christian, having gotten saved in Southern India, which is predominantly Orthodox Christian. He got saved after hearing the Gospel presented clearly to him. Something the Orthodox Church is not famous for allowing.  He speaks five languages fluently. English being his newest language. It was pleasant to carry on the conversation as we worked through the paperwork. It was good to be a witness and encouragement. It was good to be easily recognized as a believer in Christ.

Mama and I were out of the hospital about 1 pm. We ate a leisurely lunch at Cheddar’s and shopped a little bit at Sam’s. I had to leave Mama to finish up the shopping because my surgical wound was hurting too badly to keep walking. Once we were home, I laid down and slept until 6:30. Today I am uncomfortable but not hurting badly – as long as I sit in a way that does not put undue pressure on my wound.

We will see how the rest of the week goes.

Goat delivery, news from Lawton, Pastor quarantined, rain

 

Mama and I headed out Saturday morning to meet our buyer for the two goats Mams sold– our little male and one of our young females. Bonny, the buyer suggested we meet on the parking lot of Target in Weatherford. It is about an hour drive for us. A little less for her. We go there in plenty of time. Enough that I could run Mama to the Lowe’s adjacent to Target and let her use the bathroom. When we got to the part of transferring the goats to her vehicle, they were a mess. The little male had peed – a lot -  in the crate and must have spent the entire trip laying in his own urine. He was a mess. The little female had also peed and pooped in her carrier, but was not as wet or as messy as the male. It was just plain nasty getting them from the crates in the back of the truck into the crate in the back of the buyer’s car. My gloves were soaked with urine by the time I had handled both of the goats over to Bonny, but she was very happy with the goats. Bonny has the Texas bloodline of the myotonic goats. We have the Tennessee bloodline. In the near future we are going to trade some young ones to get into the Texas bloodline. That should be fun.

After the goats were dropped off, we went to lunch. I was not excited about eating since right now nothing has much flavor to me.  We also did a little shopping while we were in a place to do so. Mama got an organizer she had been looking for and a couple other little items. The organizer was not marked with a price so we had to wait at checkout to fund out he cost. I am not sure if the store employees were communicating clearly on the item because we got it for about a quarter of what we expected. We did not argue.

We did not stay long in Weatherford even though Mama’s shopping drive had fully engaged. I was not up to doing too much. I was ready to go home. However, on the way to Weatherford, I spotted a sign advertising Duroc piglets for sale. We went home the way we had come so we could find the place again and thought we had missed it. It was further out from Weatherford than either of us had remembered but we found the place and got the number. Mama called to see if they had any piglets available. They do. We may get a couple. We will see. Mama and I both miss having pigs on the farm. We are going to wait and see how things go tomorrow before we commit to anything else to care for in our feeding routine.

After several texts to Glenn, we got word back finally. He told us that this week our home on Dover Ave in Lawton will be complete and ready to be rented. In my last text to him, I let him know that I am going in for heart surgery tomorrow and was wondering if anything happened to me, would Mama have any income coming from our two houses in Lawton. He was inspired to respond to that text. Anyway, we are making progress albeit very slowly. Our coach told us when we first started this journey, be patient. She was right in that. I cannot argue with the pace of the progress. Right now there is nothing I can do to help hurry it along.

I went to church yesterday morning. It was more of a struggle than I had thought it would be. I did not attempt to lead the singing. I had to lay down as soon as we got through with lunch. I slept for almost four hours. That afternoon Pastor called to tell me he had been exposed to someone with the COVID virus and would be in quarantine for two weeks. He had helped a relative move over the weekend. That relative was suffering from pneumonia. It was not until he got to the hospital and was tested for COVID that he realized he had that infection as well. We will be praying for him and our pastor. Our main concern is for our Pastor’s wife, Joyce. She is terrified of getting COVD. We are certainly praying the he does not get it.

I stayed home last night. I was able to listen to the entire service online. It was a great service. Pastor had an evangelist preach and sing last night. He was entertaining and instructional in the message he preached. It was not the same as being there, but it was better than missing entirely. I hope to be leading the singing next Sunday. We will see.

Just as Mama and Victoria left for church, a storm started to blow through. It was a fierce one. The winds were over 50 mph, blowing in from the East. The temperature dropped from 103° to 76° in about thirty minutes. The rain came much later. Mostly overnight. We ended up with about a half inch of rain in total. That was a blessing – especially with the lower temperatures. Any rain we get in August is appreciated.

Mama and I will be leaving the house at 4 am tomorrow. My procedure is scheduled for 6 am. Hopefully, we will know a course of action from that diagnostic work. Hopefully.