Looking Back, Staring Forward

Christmas (and my birthday) has come and gone and there are only a few more days left of 2010. This week one year ago I and a friend drove up to Kerrville, stopped at my realtor’s office to pick up the keys to the house I now live in, and then we drove another hour arriving late in the day. It was the first time to set foot in the house since viewing the property the past October. We walked into a cold, dark, house full of trash. The first task was to get the electricity on before dark. The second task was to unpack the car and set up our air beds so we would have a place to sleep that night. The third task (now dark) was to figure out how to turn the pump on so we could have running water. That first night in this house was truly and adventure.

Twelve months have now come and gone and I am staring straight into the second year of my life (and AOCCCI) here. This past year has been a year of many changes and progress towards the ultimate goal, a place for people with MCS to come and live. The work towards that goal will continue in 2011.

Occasionally when I am in San Antonio people will ask me if anyone has come out to live here yet. The answer is no, but I have had some serious inquiries.

The first inquirer came via a friend of mine currently living in Montana. I had sent out a ministry letter and she passed it onto a friend who could not face another cold winter in Montana. Since it was spring I suggested to him that he remain in Montana tell summer is over with and then travel south to a warmer climate. I have no idea what he eventually decided to do but I have not heard from him since.

The most recent person to consider coming out first contacted me this past fall. After numerous emails she asked me to help her come out here. At the time she was in El Paso and her health was pretty bad. This request came right before Thanksgiving and I had a few commitments preventing me from traveling out to El Paso. Besides, her situation was not desperate, as she did have a place to stay. Around the holidays we kept in touch, she asking me many questions about this place. In the end she decided to drive out to Pleasant Valley Ministries in Georgia. A decision I think was the right decision for her.

I have had a number of other inquirers between these two, but so far no one has decided to come live on this land. I guess no one wants to be the first. But that is okay, since getting this place ready for folks is taking a lot longer than I expected. I am hoping that this time next year, whether or not there are other folks living on this land, that the infrastructure is in place for at least a few folks to live out here. In order for that to happen God is going to have to supply volunteers and donations. It takes money and workers to build. Please pray.

Finally, Happy New Year!

Differences Between City and Country Life

I have been awake for several hours but the sun has just risen on this first day of a new work week. One advantage of working out of my home is that I can accomplish business and personal tasks at the same time. As I sit here typing I am also washing clothes. I have already eaten breakfast, read my Bible and prayed, read a chapter of a book, ran the dishwasher, and checked my email. If I had to travel to an office away from home, there is no way I could have accomplished all this before 8 o’clock in the morning.

In the past few weeks I have attended two Christmas parties. The first one was for my Rocksprings Church Sunday School class. The second one, just last Friday was for my San Antonio Church Sunday School Department which is made up of several Sunday School classes. I had a great time at both parties. Both parties had lots of yummy food.

The first party we had a White Elephant present exchange. For those who have never heard of a White Elephant present exchange—each person buys one gift and then at the party we all draw numbers and in numerical order pick a gift. If we like a gift someone else has already picked, we can steal that gift or we can pick from the unopened pile of gifts under the tree. The gifts can be nice, a joke, crazy, or whatever. I walked away with bookends made from horse shoes.

The second party we had a musical group as guests. This group is made up of church members who visit a nursing home every Friday to entertain the residents. They are really good and we all enjoyed being entertained, even joining in to sing with them sometimes. It was really nice seeing my old friends and getting lots of hugs. Everyone there was happy to see me too.

I have made several trips to San Antonio this past month and the difference between city and country, big city church and small rural church is very striking.

Folks in the city are more conscience of how they dress. Almost everyone was dressed up at the San Antonio party. While some were dressed up at the Rocksprings party, many were a lot more casual, I do not remember a single dress. The same can be said for Sunday Morning. It is rare to see a suit jacket in Rocksprings, whereas jeans are very common. People dress nicely in both churches, there is just a difference in attitude.

When I drive up to the San Antonio church I see manicured lawns, pruned bushes, flowers, etc. When I drive up to the Rocksprings church the lawn is mowed, but chickens are always roaming the property. Lately there have also been turkeys and even the occasional deer. It is amazing how noisy a flock of turkeys and a few roosters can be.

I have noticed a difference in personality and ruggedness among the members in Rocksprings compared to San Antonio. Though there are a number of frail members in the Rocksprings church, they just seem less frail then those in the city. I know a disabled woman in Rocksprings who must use support to walk. Even with that support she often falls, but she just picks herself up and goes on. This woman never hesitates to get on a tractor and is looking into buying a few goats. I cannot imagine anyone with her disability and limitations who lives in the city doing even half of what she does. But it seems out here no one gives it a second thought. Even those folks who are frail with age related health problems try to do more than their doctor probably advises. I have known many folks in the city who are full of excuses, whereas here in the country people just keep trying. And when someone really is unable to do something, others pitch in and help.

Which is another difference; folks out here help each other. I have received help from church members getting large items delivered out to the house. I know one person who drove to another state to pick up someone’s son and bring him home. His father has health problems and could not have made the trip. I have a neighbor who I often shop for when I go to San Antonio. She has occasionally picked up a few things for me in Kerrville. I could go on and on with such stories. People just help each other out here.

Though there are folks willing to drive people to the doctor, take them to the store, change a light bulb and help out in other ways in San Antonio, I also have witnessed a lot more selfishness in the big city, especially among certain populations. It saddens me how often I was unable to find a ride home from church because people were just too busy to drive a mere 2 miles out of their way. I often had no choice but to walk home. If my car was to break down in Rocksprings, I cannot imagine being stranded there. I am confident someone would help me get home, even though I live 15 miles from town.

Life out here can be hard, but there is a peacefulness too. At night instead of hearing sirens or other loud noises, I listen to the sound of the wind, animals, of just the quiet stillness. I love it out here.

This is difficult land though. Farming is not a possibility out here. Ranching is. This is goat and sheep country. When I drive to Rocksprings I always see goats, sheep, and cows. Sometimes I see deer and other wildlife too. A few weeks ago three people sitting near me were discussing when they could get together to have a church financial meeting. One man could not meet at a specific time because he had to feed. It takes him 2 hours to feed all his livestock, a task I am sure he does daily no matter what the weather is like. On another Sunday after church we had our monthly pot luck meal. The discussion turned to goats. The disabled woman I mentioned earlier wanted to purchase a few goats and so a rancher told her the price of a goat ($80 and above depending on the breed, gender, and age of the goat), and other issues that have to be addressed. I sat there listening with great interest. I love hearing people’s conversations because I learn so much. Life is very different out here and I am enjoying it.

These are just a few examples of the differences I have witnessed between the city and the country. I could share a lot more but these are the ones that pop into my head. It has now warmed up into the mid 50’sF (mid teens C), so I should put on my work boots and head out the door to tend the kittens, take the kitchen waste out to start composting, and tackle a few other outdoor jobs.

I pray both you and I have a good day.

The Newest Feline Residents

The other day I promised to share some more of what is Happening at the Hyatt House later. So let me keep that promise and share a story.

Any good story one must start at the beginning. It was Christmas morning 2009 when a cat showed up at a neighbor’s home. They named her Chrissy (because of the day she first appeared) and started feeding her. A few months later she had a litter of kittens, three of which have survived and are now 9 months old. My neighbors are elderly and on a fixed income. Just the cost of feeding all these kittens has been financial hardship, so spaying all four cats was out of the question.

I have mice. This past summer I have caught in traps at least 3 mice in my bathroom. I can honestly say having to remove dead mice from my bathroom is not something I enjoy at all. I want them gone. The best way to keep mice away is to have a barn cat. My neighbor has offered me kittens. There has just been one problem. I do not want to have a kitty population explosion here and getting four cats spayed is expensive. It would just be wrong to take a couple kittens and have only those spayed, letting my neighbors deal with a population explosion. So I have only thought about this problem, nothing more.

The Saturday after Thanksgiving I returned home, passing through Kerrville (like I always do) and noticed tents. I instantly realized it must be Market Days and decided to stop and take a look. Market Days happens monthly and allows crafters and others to display their wares for sale. I saw lots of booths, wasted money on a food treat, and spoke to lots of people. One booth I stopped at had a program of spaying/neutering feral cats and returning them to where they were found. So I asked someone manning that booth how much does it cost to spay a cat. She pointed me to the booth next door, Freeman-Fritts Animal Clinic & Shelter. So I walked over to that booth and told the story of the kitties and asked about the cost of spaying. I never got an answer. Instead the woman I spoke to said I might be eligible for a grant. She took my name and number and I left.

The next week she called me at home and informed me there was grant money available and all four cats would get spayed and a rabies shot for free. An appointment was made for the following week. I was thrilled beyond measure and so were my neighbors when I told them. This was a huge blessing. Having to get up before 5am in order to get the cats to Kerrville was a small sacrifice to make on my part. I was just thrilled to be able to help us both out.

It has now been almost a week since the kitties’ surgery. Everyone is doing very well. Chrissy and one of the kittens, Yeller, are back home enjoying being barn cats. The other two kittens, Tiger and Little Bit, are with me. It took some time but I and a friend finally were able to make a home for them inside the cabin. They need to stay enclosed until they become attached to me and decide this is a good place to live. Since they were born only a few miles away this is a more difficult task compared to if they had come here on their own. So every day, several times a day, I go check on them and spend time petting and talking to them. Hopefully when they are released they will stick around here and start killing those unwanted mice.

Breakfast Sausage

okA lot has been going on this past couple months which I plan to share in future blogs when I have more time. Right now though I only have the time to share what I am doing right now, this is making Turkey Breakfast Sausage. I first came across this recipe more than a decade ago in The Yeast Connection Cookbook, by William G. Crook, M.D. and Marjorie Hurt Jones, R.N.

1 pound Ground Turkey
¾ teaspoon sea salt
¼-1/2 Teaspoon black pepper
½ -1 teaspoon dried sage
0r
10-12 fresh sage leaves

Mix all the ingredients together, using a fork or a food processor. Shape into 6 thin patties or links. Fry until brown. Leftovers can be frozen.

I find it just as easy to use my hands. I also have found a big round cookie cutter helps me get the patties a more uniform size. I also add other ingredients. I personally like fennel seed. I buy the seeds and use my blender (or you can use a seed or coffee grinder) to grind up the fennel. Sometimes I am in the mood for spicy sausage so I add red pepper flakes. I also leave the salt out, just don’t need it. Basically, you can do whatever you want when you are making your own sausage. And if you prefer pork sausage, just look for ground pork or ask your butcher to make you some. If you are allergic to sage, then just leave it out and find something else you really like in sausage. Be creative.

I love those egg and sausage sandwiches sold at most fast food restaurants, and even in the freezer dept. of most grocery stores. But they are so expensive and commercial sausage usually contains MSG, nitrates, nitrites, and other ingredients’ harmful to our health. But I love those sandwiches, so I make my own. I make them with mini bagels, which usually are found on the bottom shelf in the bread isle beneath the bigger size bagels. I just toast the bagel, add my sausage patty, and an egg. I personally do not like cheese on my breakfast sandwich so I leave it off, but when you are making a sandwich from scratch you can do whatever you want. I found at Wal-Mart an egg poacher for the microwave, making it very easy to prepare the egg for my sandwich. To reheat my sausages, I just pop one into the microwave for a few minutes. Use the reheat button and don’t let it stay in the microwave to long or it will turn hard.

The final tip I have it buy large containers of ground turkey. Some brands add Natural Flavorings (which is a method used to hide MSG in product). I spend a little more money and get a huge container of ground turkey. I used half of it the other day to make a batch of sausage and finished the package today. Today’s batch will go in the freezer.

If you have been avoiding sausage but miss it, why not make your own. It is so easy to do.

More Photos of Scenes I Enjoy All The Time

Pictures taken around 6pm. Full moon is to the Northeast of house. Sunset is to the Southwest of house. When the moon is full it is so bright outside it is like I have street lamps.

Benefits of Country Living

Sunrises two days in a row.
Right: Nov. 14. Below: Nov. 15

Vegetable Garden and What To Do With All Those Rocks

When I think about the folks that settled this land I often wonder about their ruggedness. Homesteading was not easy no matter where they settled, but it must have been much tougher on the Edwards Plateau. It amazes me how different the weather is here compared to San Antonio. Because of the elevation I get a lot more wind. As I write the wind is gusting outside. I recently bought a little weather station that included a wind speed indicator with storm detection ability just to find out how windy it is outside.

Wind is not the biggest problem out here, it is rocks. Rocks are a major asset and a major pain in the neck. There are rocks everywhere. I have lived in areas before considered to have a lot of rocks but nothing compares to this place. I can look out of any window in the house and see hundreds of rocks. They latterly dot the landscape.

One of the goals I had for this land was to grow food. In most parts of the world if you want to plant a vegetable garden you simply rototill the land, plant some seeds and water. Not here. Sometime last spring I started clearing the rocks from an 8 by 12 foot area of land. Once the larger rocks were relocated, I began the tedious process of digging up the grass and small rocks. I soon learned that a hoe works much better at digging up the rocks then a shovel does, but both tools were needed. Once the top layer of rocks and grasses were removed, I slowly, layer by layer, started “hoeing” up rocks. When there was enough gravel and dirt accumulated I would shovel it onto a metal window screen positioned over a wheel barrow. Of course specks of rocks would fall through the screen but the majority of the small rocks and gravel would remain while most of the dirt would fall through into the wheel barrow. The soil here has a high clay content and most of the clumps of clay were too big to fall through the screen.

When I started the work on the first garden plot I had hoped to finish in time to plant some vegetable seeds but the work was slow and tedious. Frequent trips to San Antonio and Kerrville also slowed the work down. But mostly it was all those rocks that made the work so slow. I am guessing I removed over a million rocks, of all sizes, from that 8 by 12 foot plot of land. In the end I was able to dig down about 5 to 6 inches before reaching solid rock.

I started working on this garden plot last spring. I finished the first phase today. This morning I removed my last rock from the garden plot. There is no more digging to be done. I may not have finished in time for the 2010 growing season but I will be ready to plant in the spring.

As I removed the rocks from the dirt I needed a place to put the dirt, so as I finished one side of the plot I returned the dirt to that side. But I also added grass, some prickly pear, and other items to form a compost bed. I am hoping come spring it will all have turned into compost, turning the dirt into fertile soil. This morning I poured several buckets of water on the heap, along with compost starter.

A good foot of soil is needed to grow vegetables so I plan on building up the sides of the garden plot by about 6 inches using rocks. Then I will have a raised vegetable garden. I will have to purchase some good black soil to fill in the plot, but that can wait tell next year. For now I am just celebrating my accomplishment. In years to come I plan on building more vegetable plots so that even more food is grown. The more vegetables that are grown the less have to be purchased at the store.

All those rocks I removed from the ground are being put to use. After pricing how much it will cost to wrap a deck around the house, I decided to reduce the size of that deck and instead make a rock walkway in front of the house. After removing the grass from between the front door and the pipe to the septic system, I placed wagon loads of the small pebbles, gravel, and cliché (clay) so that people will be able to walk to the front door without having to step over the septic pipe and/or walk in mud. Today I basically finished that segment of the walk, though in the future I will probably add some stepping stones. But first a rock wall (skirt) around the mobile home needs to be installed.

I have also been using the gravel and cliché to fill in pot holes down the road from me. This land is located on a road the county does not maintain. Since all the other land owners on this road are absentee, meaning they actually live somewhere else, it is basically up to me to fill in the pot holes.

Even though I did not finish the garden plot in time for the 2010 growing season, I did grow some vegetables. Five large pots full of good black soil were left in front of the house by the previous owner. I have grown lettuce and zucchini in those pots. The tomato plant did not do very well. Neither did the first zucchini plant. Someone ate it one night, leaving barely an inch of stems. So I had to plant new seeds late in the year. That is one danger of having an unfenced garden—critters will help themselves. So a fence is going to have to be built around the garden plot I just completed today. I enjoy seeing the wild animals out here but I do not enjoy sharing the vegetables I work hard to grow with them.


Top Picture: garden plot (the front is filled with dirt, dead grass, and other stuff for composting).
Middle Picture: walk way between stairs and septic pipe.
Bottom Picture: I placed most, but not all, of the large rocks outside the the garden plot as I removed them. The medium size rocks I located elsewhere.

Renewable Energy Roundup and Green Living Fair

I am currently sitting at my friend's computer here in San Antonio. It has been a very busy week, which started last Saturday when I drove to Fredericksburg, TX, to attend the annual Renewable Energy Roundup and Green Living Fair. I have attended several times before and always walk away learning something new. This year I attended two workshops.

The first was on solar cooking, which is a great way to cook for people all around the world who live in sunny environments. There are several non-profit groups trying to provide solar cookers to folks in Africa where coal and wood for cooking is expensive and hard to come by. But more and more folks here in the US are using solar cookers to prepare some or all of their food. It is great for camping too. It is an efficient way to prepare food and once the cooker is made or purchased there is no more expense. The only must have ingredient is patience. There is tons of free sun at The Ranch and so I intend to purchase a solar cooker in the near future. I heard the prices really drop in winter, so I am waiting for cold weather to make my purchase.

The second workshop I attended was on solar water heating. The presenter first discussed all the different technologies available for heating water, pointing out the good and the bad of each technology.
When he finally got to solar water heaters, he discussed the different technologies out there and again discussed the problems and benefits to each one. Since he lives and works in Texas his talk was focused on our needs, which is very hard water but tons of sun. I walked away with valuable information.

Just walking around looking at all the booths is always educational too. This year I learned about a toilet technology, The Enviro Loo, that is legal in Texas and does not need a septic system for disposal. Composting toilets are illegal, but installing septic tanks is not only extremely expensive but difficult in the rocky terrain of Edwards County. The septic tank on The Ranch is only partially buried. This product looks like it could be a great way to provide bathroom facilities for folks living at The Ranch. Of course more study is required.

After leaving the fair I drove straight to San Antonio. I had decided to come on Saturday instead of Monday to save gas, but coming early turned out to be a blessing. Mary fell on Sunday requiring seven stitches in her hand. Mary helped me out when I broke my foot and again last March when I had surgery. It was nice to be here to help her out.

On Tuesday Mary flew to Omaha for a college friend's reunion. I am house sitting for Mary and had my six month checkup with the surgeon on Tuesday and my annual eye exam on Wednesday. Both appointments went well and I got excellent reports. Both doctors want to see me in one year.

This afternoon I will go pick Mary up from the airport. Then tomorrow I plan to return home with a friend who wants to see the bats before they return to Mexico. People come from all over the world to visit the Devil's Sinkhole, a large cavern or collapsed cave, where millions of bats sleep each day and exit at night to go eat trillions of bugs. My friend's car is in need of repair so I said I would take her with me when I return home and bring her back early next week.

It has been a busy week and I will have another busy weekend but every moment has been worth it.

Women's Prayer International

Every year Women’s Prayer International (WPI) has a celebration dinner, which is part fundraiser and part educational. It is a time where members can invite friends to learn more about this important and life changing ministry. WPI is women coming together once a month to pray for our families, our schools, our communities, our government (all levels), our military, our pastors, and more. We meet once a month in a neighbor’s home. We are Catholics and Protestants. We come from mainline denominational churches and non-denominational churches.

I had decided not to attend the dinner because of expense and time. The last week of September I have to be in San Antonio for doctor appointments so it did not make since to come just for an expensive dinner on September 17. But then the founder, Joan Bond-Courtney called and asked me to share my testimony. Last year I had written her a letter and it was that story she wanted me to share. So I changed my mind and last Wednesday drove to San Antonio, returning home on Saturday.

The testimony I shared at the WPI Celebration Dinner:

I became acquainted with Women’s Prayer International after attending a city wide prayer gathering. There was a woman signing up people who wanted to be part of a prayer group. I signed up, but it turned out there were no groups in my neighborhood, so I was assigned to a group quite a distance to the west of me. At the time I did not have a car and therefore was depended on the bus system to get around. God knew, but I am sure Joan and the volunteers did not know, that bus route 90 passed only 2 blocks from my apartment and went directly to the home where that group met.

Last September a friend and I decided to attend the Renewable Energy Fair, which is held in the Texas Hill Country annually. We drove up there Saturday afternoon and shared a motel room.

I tend to be an early riser and found myself wide awake by 5am. My friend on the other hand was still sound to sleep. Since I did not want to wake her up, turning on the light or TV was not an option. So I started praying. I prayed for my own needs and anyone else I could think of. About 10 minutes later I ran out of friends to pray for. Not wanting to lay in the bed bored, I asked God for help. Immediately the president and government popped into my head. So I started praying for my government officials and any related issues that came to my mind. After I had exhausted that topic, I once again asked God for help, and immediately another topic came to mind. I kept up this pattern until after awhile it suddenly occurred to me I was praying the WPI prayer guide categories I pray monthly with my neighborhood group. I was just praying the categories in a different order. Later when I arrived home I checked and I had prayed every single category on the list.

The last thing I shared with the audience is I now live in Edwards County and while I am excavating rocks, clearing out Mountain Cedar branches and other mindless activities, I often will think of one of the WPI prayer topics and start praying.

In closing I just want to add that I use to find it impossible to pray for an hour so I assumed I could not. I tried methods such as ACTS, but without success. But I learned last year that I can pray for an hour, I just needed the right guide to help me. I have found it. You do not have to be part of a prayer group in order to follow the WPI prayer guide (or prayer focus). You can download a copy of the prayer guide and simply follow the suggestions.

Making Progress

Progress is being made at the ranch. A new floor was installed in the community room and the spare bedroom. The carpet had to be removed due to urine stains and odor in those two rooms. One of the uses I planned for the community room is a library. Now that the floor is in I am setting up bookcases and filling them up with lots of books I have collected over the years. Also, the desk I purchased last month has been delivered and I have been slowly unpacking boxes and getting organized.

Now that the carpet has been removed, the spare bedroom is available. At the moment the room is empty but once God brings the right person to live in it furniture will be obtained, if needed.

Outside I have been very busy too. I spend a couple hours every morning on one or more different projects. The project I have been devoting most of my time to lately is the garden. In order to put a garden in I first have to remove as many rocks as possible from the area. I have been digging down 4 to 6 inches removing dirt, rocks, and occasionally other debris. This garden bed will be about 2 yards by 3 yards and will be a raised bed, since rocks are everywhere. I have removed thousands, possibly even a million rocks from this one small area.

This land is covered in rocks and is layered with rocks. With all the rocks available it makes since to use them for multiple purposes and God has given me lots of ideas.

One idea is to use the rocks to build stone buildings. The first building I envision is a bathroom/shower/laundry facility for folks living in campers or out of their cars. By building such a building I can provide the necessary facilities quickly for people to start living here. Eventually I hope to build some stone cottages, but a multipurpose room such as what is available at camp grounds will at least provide facilities for folks who are in need now. Until a multipurpose building is built, the main house is always available.

I also have many other ideas for ways to use these rocks, all of which in the long run will save money. Instead of buying lumber or other supplies we can just use the free rocks. But there is no way a single person can accomplish all that needs to be done. Volunteers are a must. Volunteers are needed for both outside jobs (building, gardening, etc.) and inside jobs (web site design, bookkeeping, cleaning, etc.).

If you have any interest in relocating to The Ranch, please let me know. I fully understand that each person with MCS and related diseases has different needs. When I was ill I was exhausted all the time and basically bedridden. On the other hand, a friend found physical work (including sweating) actually made her feel better. If you are someone who at the present time cannot imagine even volunteering one hour a day, do not let that stop you from inquiring about coming to the Ranch.

Finally, on September 7 tropical storm Hermine passed right over San Antonio, TX and then the Hill Country, causing flooding and lots of damage. Some areas received a foot of rain. Here at The Ranch the rain gauge recorded ¾ of an inch of rain. If it was not for satellite technology I would never have known Texas was being bombarded by a tropical storm.

Back On The Ranch

My house sitting ended on Monday when I drove to the airport to pick up my friend. The airport is about a 5 minute drive from her house, which makes picking up folks pretty easy. Just sit by the phone and wait for the call. No waiting at the airport. Pretty easy.

There were a few things we needed to do together so I stayed another day. Basically, I am her computer tech and had to teach her and help her with some computer tasks. No big deal. It was nice to spend a day just visiting and getting things done.

I drove back home on Wednesday, stopping in Kerrville to run a few errands. I usually spend the first part of the trip listening to KLOVE, switching between the San Antonio and Fredericksburg stations, but at some point the static is to much for me and I switch to a Kerrville country music station. It is on that station that I heard an ad for Kerr County Produce. This store sells fresh produce at wholesale prices to the public every Wednesday. After inquiring where A St. is, I eventually made my way there and was happy I did. The store had a great selection of produce at fantastic prices. For example, red bell peppers cost $0.69. I bought 3. Everything there was much cheaper than the same items in the local grocery store. I filled up a paper sack for less than $11.

Besides grocery shopping, I also looked at a desk that a friend wanted to sell. It will fit in the office nicely and take care of the many needs that I need in a desk. The desk and the gas for them to bring it out here only cost me $130. She and her husband are scheduled to come out this Saturday, which means I have been very busy cleaning out the space the desk will occupy. Currently there are file cabinets and a computer in the way.

I also picked up the baseboard and transitions to finish the new floor that is occupying the community room and spare bedroom. The actual floor was installed before I left to go house sit. He is scheduled to come out on Monday and it should only take him a couple hours to finish. Then I will finally be able to finish the unpacking. A mini library is planned for the community room.

I also purchased a can of paint. I really hate painting and am hoping a second coat of paint is all that is needed to finish that living room. After that, only a few more tasks to be completed and this house will finally be what I have envisioned all along.

Though this house is my home, it is also a community center. What the builders meant to be a family room, I am turning into a community room. The walls will be lined with bookshelves for the mini-library. Chairs and/or a table will sit in the middle of the room. It is a great spot for small group meetings and other activities. This is a 3 bedroom house. I occupy the master bedroom. One of the spare bedrooms I turned into AOCCCI’s office. The other spare bedroom is available for anyone needing someplace to live. Currently there is no furniture in there, but I plan on getting at least a bed.

As I write this it is almost 7 am. Before I took off to house sit I would have been outside working. I like to spend the cool mornings outside removing rocks from the future garden, gathering up cedar branches to burn when the burn ban is lifted, and many other outside tasks. Only 10 days ago by now the sun would have risen enough for me to see what I am doing. But as I sit here it is still pretty dark outside. I can see the beginnings of the day, but there is not enough light to venture safely outside.

When I lived in the city I rarely paid attention to the sun rising or setting. Now that my daily activities are governed by sun I am noticing just how quickly the days are becoming shorter. It is truly amazing the daily changes in the sun’s rotation. I am pretty far south. I am sure the changes are much more dramatic farther north, especially in Canada.

With each passing minute I am seeing more light outside. By the time I post this, get my shoes on and do everything I need to do before venturing outside, there should be enough light to safely walk in the tall grass. So by for now. May God bless each of our days.

House Sitting

Monday I drove to San Antonio, where I have been ever since. I am house sitting for a good friend who is at her high school reunion. My duties have been pretty simply, feed the cats (former strays that live outdoors), water some plants, and just watch the house. I brought a lot of work with me, so I have been keeping pretty busy this week.

Tuesday morning I took my friend to the airport and then visited a few stores. Didn't spend much but did get some good ideas of how I can solve a few problems back at the ranch. Spent some time visiting with a friend who live only a few blocks away. I also worked on a computer issue for the friend I am house sitting for. I happen to be her computer tech.

That evening when it was not as hot, I washed my very filthy car. Living on a dirt road means the car is always filthy. Since I already had everything out and was wet, I washed my friend's car too.

Wednesday morning I worked on future newsletters. Then after lunch I went to my former church and put in a few hours working in the library. I have been on the library team at that church for years and it was kind of nice to get out of the house and see some old friends. I put in about 3 hours in the library and got a lot done. The exercise was helpful too.

Thursday spent the entire day working on newsletters. Just assembling one newsletter takes about a day to complete and I am currently working on assembling enough newsletters for the rest of the year. I continued this task on Friday. I have made great progress but still have a lot more to do.

A few months ago I began to notice my lap top occasionally felt hot. Then one day it shut down unexpectedly. These symptoms continued to occur and grew more frequent. The last time I was in San Antonio I stopped by the computer store hoping to get it fixed. Unfortunately there was a back log of computers needing to be repaired. We discussed my symptoms and the decision was made to just order a fan and I could bring the lap top in later. It wound up taking three weeks for the fan to be ordered and delivered (not the store's fault, but the parts company did not respond quickly). The fan arrived on Thursday. Yesterday morning I took my lap top in and it was repaired by the afternoon. Hopefully I will have no more computer problems.

Last night I started reading The Federalist Papers. Fortunately my friend has a good dictionary because I need it. The Federalist Papers is not light reading but it is very enlightening. There is a lot about the history of this nation that most of us just do not know about.

My plans for the rest of today is to meet someone for a business lunch. Then I will probably return to the house and do some reading or other work. Tomorrow (Sunday) I will go to church in the morning, have lunch with a friend from Church, and then return to the house. Monday evening I will pick my friend from the airport.

I knew my friend wanted me to house sit for her but knowing how busy I am she did not want to really ask. God though kept showing me work I could do here and as you have read I have been keeping quite busy. I doubt I will complete everything I brought with me to work on. But that is okay. Least I have taken care of my friend's home and gotten a lot of personal work accomplished too.

Progress Is Being Made

It is Sunday afternoon as I write this. I had a wonderful time at church this morning. I really enjoy my Sunday School teacher which is saying a lot. Having completed half the required classes for a Master of Divinity degree, I often get bored as I know more than most lay teachers, but this guy does an excellent job. I also like the simple country ways of the preacher. His simple sermons are to the point and perfect for this country community.

In San Antonio I attended a rather large city church. The membership population of the church is a lot larger than the entire population of Edward’s County, the home of AOCCCI. The church I now attend in Rocksprings is your basic country church but it is growing and doing a lot of good things in the community. God is really using it. Another unique feature of this church, which you will never find in a large city church, is that chickens live on the property. Often one can see the rooster and chickens roosting in a tree behind the parsonage. Today I saw a mother hen with half a dozen baby chicks following her. All I can say is they were sooooo cute.

Edwards County is basically a dry county and water is precious here, so all efforts to conserve water must be employed. Before I moved here I attended a rain water catchment seminar where each participant was sent home with a rain barrel. I positioned my rain barrel in a spot where rain water naturally falls off the roof. It has filled up several times since I moved here, but is currently running on empty. I also positioned buckets in spots where rain water naturally falls off the roof. All this water has gone to watering the garden. Not only does this save water but it also saves electricity. The only other source of water on the property is from the well. It takes electricity to run the well pump that pulls the precious water out of the ground. The Edwards Aquifer is large, covering hundreds of miles, but San Antonio (one of the largest cities in the country) also draws its water from the same aquifer, so conservation is a must. Capturing rain water just makes a lot of practical since.

In case you do not know, an AC produces a lot of distilled water, which most is just wasted. I had seen the white plumber’s pipe lying on the ground. I had no idea why it was there. Earlier this month I spoke to an HVAC (heating, ventilation, air conditioning) expert. About a week later I walked by the white pipe. The air conditioner was running and I noticed the ground was all wet where the pipe ended. Then it occurred to me, that pipe was draining the excess water the AC was producing. My eventual goal is to feed that pipe into a rain water barrel but until then I have lifted the pipe so the water can flow into a metal watering pan. My hope is the deer find the water soon and start visiting the house. It is pretty dry outside since it has not rained in awhile and I know the deer are thirsty.

This has been a very busy week for me. No house is perfect and shortly after getting the key I discovered one big problem. The previous owner’s dog had used two rooms in the house as his toilet. I shampooed all the carpets in the house but the family room and one of the spare bedrooms was not salvageable. The stench was just unbearable. I purchased new flooring for the rooms months ago but not until this week were they installed.

God has been good in leading me to several excellent handymen. In July a handyman replaced all the electrical sockets in the living room (they all had been painted), ceiling fans installed in the two small bedrooms, and a small plumbing job. Another handyman installed some solar shades for me in the living room. The shades allow me to look out onto this beautiful land but block out the harsh sun. After three weeks in Florida, the first handyman returned and on Tuesday he called to see if he could come out and start on the floor. It took three days of hard work but now the pee soaked carpet is gone and family room (future community room) and the small bedroom (which I plan to rent out to someone) have a beautiful new floor. I am so happy. It won’t be long now and this place will start looking like I envisioned it back in January.

Company

Another very busy month has come and gone. It is hard for me to believe it is already August. Though it feels like yesterday, actually it was eight months ago that I signed the papers on this land and started the process of moving myself and the ministry here. Time sure does fly by fast these days.

The first part of July I was pretty busy. I have never taken the time to sit down and make a list of all the different projects I am working on, I just know there are a lot. Every day I pick whatever I am in the mood to do that day and start working. Slowly I am making progress but I really could use some help. There is just too much that needs to be done for any one person do accomplish. I am doing my best.

The second half of July I did take a break to play hostess. On July 23 I picked up my mother’s best friend from the airport. Back in the late 1970’s my mom and Christine worked together at the Department of Health Services for the State of California. Both were young attorneys and became lifelong friends. I was in high school at the time. So Christine is like family to me and I have wanted her to come out and see the Ranch for some time. Christine now practices law in Jacksonville, FL and getting away was difficult for her but she managed to squeeze in a few days to come out and see me and this part of Texas for the first time. She loved the rural countryside, this land, seeing me, and everything we did. It was a quick trip but she really did enjoy herself.

There was one surprise that neither of us could have predicted. Saturday after a leisurely morning, we went outside to go for a nice walk on the ranch, only to be greeted by three dogs; a Jack Russell Terrier, a pure white Shepherd mix, and a Bull Mastiff. All three dogs were soooo loving and wanted nothing more than some food, water, petting, and rest. I had just purchased a bag of cat food and so we fed the dogs some cat food and filled a container with water. The dogs ate up the food, drank the water and then laid down for a much needed rest as Christine and I went for our walk. The dogs never left the front yard but got up to greet us every time they saw us. We both fell in love with the dogs.

The dogs’ behavior made it clear these were pets who most likely were dumped on the side of the road, unfortunately a common practice among people who can no longer afford their dogs or just do not want them. The Bull Mastiff had a choke chain on and the other two dogs were wearing very old flea collars. All the dogs were covered in fleas, ticks, and showed signs of injury. The terrier clearly got to close to a prickly pear cactus as we pulled a lot of stickers out of her. Our hearts just went out to these poor dogs. That evening we drove to Rocksprings and purchased dog food and some bones for our visitors. The next morning I left a huge barrel of water for the dogs, the entire bag of dog food (minus what they ate the night before) and gave them the bones. Christine had fallen in love with the terrier and thought a neighbor (who just lost a dog) would love her too and might want to adopt her. So on Saturday Christine purchased the terrier a plane ticket and we took her with us. I dropped both off at the San Antonio airport mid Sunday morning.

I fully expected the other two dogs would still be at the house when I returned on Tuesday but sadly both had taken off, leaving most of the food behind. I have not seen them since. I just pray a dog lover found them and is taking good care of them. Some ranchers will shoot stray dogs because it is impossible to take care of all the dogs people dump out in the country. But these dogs are so loving I know they will make wonderful pets.

I did not return home alone on Tuesday. I brought a good friend, Mary, with me who I have wanted to see the ranch since it was purchased. I stay with her every time I go to San Antonio and share with her everything I am doing. She had a wonderful time seeing the ranch, visiting Rocksprings and going on the tour to the Devil’s Sinkhole (a collapsed cavern), a Texas Natural Area where millions of bats sleep during the day each summer. It is quite a site to see these bats exit the sinkhole at dusk to fly 60 miles south to eat millions of bugs each night.

I took Mary home on Thursday. I then did a few things in San Antonio, including having lunch with another friend on Friday. Saturday morning I picked up an order of Angel Food and that afternoon I drove back to the ranch. It is good to be back home.

The past couple of weeks have been an exhausting but exhilarating time entertaining my friends. I am so glad both were able to come out and see my world and that both had a great time. Now it is time to get back to work.

Service, Work, Donations, and Blessed Rain

It has been a little over a week since my last trip to San Antonio. I made the trip to attend a friend’s memorial service on June 21. Sue was 85 years old and had been sick for the last year of her life. Her daughter informed us all that this was a party and it certainly was as we sang many of Sue’s favorite hymns. It really was a joyous time as we all knew Sue is now happy, healthy, and full of life in heaven with Jesus.

I took advantage to my time in San Antonio to visit my Women’s Neighborhood Prayer group friends and attend the monthly prayer meeting. Since moving I have only been able to attend two of those meetings and it is always a joy to see those women and to pray for our country with them. Whenever I am in San Antonio the last week of the month, if it is possible I make an effort to attend that prayer meeting. The US (including local governments, families, schools, etc.) is in serious trouble and we need to pray.

Last December Norm Grimmett (church deacon) and I had visited two home-bound seniors, taking them the Lord’s Supper. Both Kay and Helen were really grateful and we enjoyed the visit too. The Care Team may think our purpose is to minister to and bless our home-bound church members, but the truth is we get just as much blessing from reaching out to them as they get from us. Well, in May I received a post card informing me the deacons wanted to provide the Communion to the home-bound again. So I contacted Norm and told him if it could be arranged I would like to accompany him to provide the Lord’s Supper to Kay and Helen again. Both women were upset with me moving out to the country and I knew they would be thrilled to see me again. After a few phone calls were made, that Wednesday Norm and I carpooled to Helen’s home (a 30 minute drive) and visited with her before all sharing in the Lord’s Supper together. After that we drove to the Assisted Living Facility Kay had moved to after falling last February. Once again Norm and I had a nice visit and then the three of us shared the Lord’s Supper together. Both women were grateful we had made the trip to bring them this sacred sacrament.

It was time for lunch when we left Kay’s room. So Kay went off to lunch at the facility and Norm and I went to a local restaurant. Afterward I returned to Kay. Kay is still in the process of cleaning out her house to be sold. She wanted to donate a bunch of tools to AOCCCI. So I picked her up and drove her to her house. While she looked for some things in her home she wanted to take back to the facility, I selected tools out of the shed I thought would be useful here at the ranch. I came home with several metal rakes, a bunch of shovels, a hoe, pick ax, and a few other items. Afterward I took Kay and several bags of stuff back to her room at the facility. She was very grateful the tools were going to good use and I am thankful for the donations.

Thursday I made the long drive back to the ranch, where I have been for the past week. It seems no matter how much I get done here there is still more to do. Friday and Saturday I had to address the water well pump quitting on me. Same problem both days—it doesn’t take much for the pressure switch electrical connection to be disrupted. Causes include rust, ants, other insects…. A neighbor helped me on Friday but Saturday I had to drive to town and purchase new parts and emery boards which cleaned off the pressure switch allowing the electrical connection to occur.

Sunday evening Rocksprings Baptist had an old fashioned Baptismal service at the river, where more than half a dozen folks were baptized. Afterward we had a church picnic. It was a lot of fun.

Monday I painted the living room. Looks a lot better than before but is in need of a second coat of paint.

Tuesday the wind that had plagued the area all month was finally still, allowing me to burn a bunch of paper (bills and other private documents), an old tattered flag, and lots of cedar branches. I managed to get it all burned even though rain threatened all morning. I also hauled a bunch of rocks to the house. Wednesday I hauled even more rocks. Plans are to build a rock wall skirt around the house.

Thursday morning I drove to Rocksprings where I spent an hour volunteering in the library and ran a few errands. I then returned home.

Though Hurricane Alex hit Mexico Wednesday evening, Texas also has been touched by this storm. Of course the gulf cities received most of the rain, but I have seen rain off and on all day yesterday and today (Friday). Since Edwards County was in danger of going into stage 1 water restrictions if we did not get rain this week, this rain is a blessing.

In anticipation of the rain I placed 5 gallon buckets and a garbage can in strategic places to catch water as it poured off the roof. Around noon today during a lull in the rain I went out to check. Since Thursday morning the rain gauge measured about 3.5 inches of rain and every container is filled to the brim with water. The rain barrel is now half full.

It is possible to live a modern day life without a well or access to city water. In the Texas Hill Country a family is doing just that. All their water comes from catching rain water. Water wells around here tend to have low pressure and can supply just so much water. So it makes since to think about the future and install more rain water barrels. There is already a cistern on the property that can hold a lot more water then my little rain barrel. Hopefully it can be converted into a rain water storage container. It sits next to the cabin so it should be easy to convert. It is also nearby an area perfect for gardening.

Finally, I want to share I have twice now spotted a rabbit running under the cabin when I walk by. Clearly the critter has a home there. The question is: is this rabbit a he or a she with a nest full of babies?

And lastly, for those in the United States…Happy 4th of July!

Busy in June

It is hard to believe June is half over. Once again time seems to be flying. On June 6, right after church, I headed to San Antonio. I had several doctor appointments to attend. Monday was for an annual appt. Tuesday was a checkup with the heart surgeon. Then on Wednesday I saw my primary care physician. I have wanted to get a tetanus booster for some time now, but learned I had to have a doctor appt. if I wanted insurance to pay. Insurance companies can be so dumb. They won’t pay for a $60 vaccine without a doctor diagnosis of an abrasion, but no problem paying for a hospital stay and months of therapy due to lock jaw. Sadly, people do contact lock jaw every year. 1 and out 5 who get the virus, which is found in soil, will die. The rest will have lifelong medical issues resulting from the virus. A tetanus shot prevents all this. They say we should get a booster every 10 years but you can become at risk sooner than that. With all the work I am doing out here, I am getting scratched and poked, resulting in mild bleeding frequently. Getting the shot is worth the peace of mind.

I came home Thursday, June 10. Always nice to get home but it can be a long drive. I had to make a number of stops in Kerrville. One of those stops is always at the grocery store for food.

Saturday Pastor Albert and his wife Karen Green hauled my mattress in their truck from the mattress store in San Antonio and delivered it to my back door. I can now sleep in my new bed in the master bedroom. I had been sleeping in my old bed in the office. The master has a ceiling fan, the office does not. Though while in San Antonio I bought ceiling fans for the office and spare bedroom. It is hot in those rooms and a ceiling fan is necessary to save on cooling costs. I am very thankful to Pastor Albert and his wife for bringing me my mattress. The person who originally promised to help me get it here has been unable to do so due to his elderly father’s declining health and multiple hospital stays.

I have been busy working ever since I got home. Outside I have gardening to do, rocks to haul, and much more. Today I filled a 5 gallon bucket half full with caliche and carried it about half a mile to a pot hole in the road. Still needs more but I need a wagon to haul anymore. I am collecting rocks to build a rock wall skirt around the mobile home. Need to get the north wall done as soon as possible. The back door is on the north wall and those stairs to the door are dangerous. They were never built properly. Once the skirt is built on the north wall, a deck and new stairs will be built there.

I have been busy working inside too. There is always bookkeeping to do, computer work to finish, emails to read, and much more. I spent last night cleaning the two bathrooms.

Last fall I started feeling an urgency to go looking for land. That is when I hopped in my car and took off for the Texas Hill Country. I had planned on visiting a number of realtors and assumed it would take awhile to find the land God wanted me to purchase. Instead the very first realtor led me to this property. I am once again feeling that urgency. There is so much to do here, so little money, very few volunteers, and an urgency to get it done. Places need to be built for people to live in. The other day stone buildings occurred to me. There are a number of old stone houses in Rocksprings. There are plenty of rocks on this land with which to use to build with. God just needs to supply people who know how to construct a stone building. I am sure He will.

This Saturday I will be returning to San Antonio. A dear friend (Sue McClellan) passed away a few weeks ago at the age 85 and her service will be held on Monday. She had been sick for awhile and now is healthy, well, and mentally alert in Heaven. Her sister, Polly Wiggins, worked with me in the church library for years. I had a wonderful visit with Polly last week. She is moving to a retirement community in the Phoenix area next weekend and will be near her daughter. Polly will be 90 years old on July 4th. I probably will never see her again on this side of eternity. So it was good to spend a little time with her.

Please keep Sue’s loved ones in prayer as this is a difficult time for them. And pray for workers and donations to come to this ranch. People are contacting me and it is just a matter of time before folks start showing up.

Mission Opportunities

Living out in the country has both its advantages and disadvantages. The advantages are obvious; the quiet, beauty, nature all around.

Disadvantages also exist. If I crave something but do not have it in the house, tough. There is a small store in Rocksprings, a Super S. But the nearest decent size grocery store and Wal-Mart is an hour away in Kerrville. Believe me; I keep paper attached to the fridge so I can keep a running list of what I need at the store. It would be a real drag to drive to Kerrville and forget something at the grocery store. On the bright side, I no longer succumb to fattening cravings.

It can be very inconvenient living so far from civilization. It is hard to get large purchases delivered and when the company will deliver, they charge a lot. A few months ago I purchased a mattress. A friend had said he would help me bring it home since the company refuses to deliver so far away. Unfortunately things came up and he has been unable to do so. I have found someone else with a truck who can pick it up for me and I am anxiously waiting.

No matter how inconvenient it is living out here or how lonely I may get at times, it is worth it because I am here doing God’s will. For over a decade I have been making decisions based on God calling me to help people who are sick like I use to be, who need help, and who still need to discover God still heals.

I will admit though that at times this project seems overwhelming. There is so much to do. No single person can get it all done, let alone have all the needed skills. I have been doing what I can do and praying for volunteers to help with the rest. The need is great and urgent. Just last week I received a letter from a woman in need. She is very ill and had a long list of medical problems, so many she can no longer take care of herself. She also mentioned a couple with Multiple Chemical Sensitivities (MCS) who also are in need. Then last Friday I received a call from a man who also has MCS. He is not sure what he is going to do but does not want to spend another winter in Montana.

If you have a desire to spend a few days out in the country spending some time doing missions, let me know. I have plenty of room (1,700 sq ft house) for people to stay. I have two airbeds, a twin bed in the office, and soon a double bed in the master.

Volunteer Opportunities:

Install a laminate floor in the community room;
Build a small deck (8ft by 19ft) and stairs off the back door;
Build raised vegetable gardening beds (rock walls);
Convert a cistern into a rain barrel for catching and storing rain water for watering the garden;
Minor house repairs;
Sawing/trimming dead Mountain Cedar trees to be used in building projects, burning off the left twigs;
Cleaning out a cabin/shed;
Painting;
Plus more…

ao_communities@yahoo.com

Outdoor Activities

There are several outdoor chores I tackle on a regular basis. One is tackling the many piles of dead Mountain Cedar trees in view of the house. Mountain Cedar is not actually a cedar tree, but is related to Juniper. Each pile contains 2 to 5 dead trees. The trunk branches of the trees I am saving for various purposes. My first goal is to build a compost bin. I bought a plastic compost bin at Lowe’s but it started breaking within a few weeks of use. It was a colossal waste of money. I still use it but only until I have built a better one. I plan on using the smaller trunk branches for the compost bin. I am saving the really big branches for fencing. Many around here use Cedar for fence posts. The smaller branches and twigs I am burning, along with other waste. Hopefully I will finish this project by the end of the summer.

Another project is my tiny vegetable garden. The previous owner left some planters with wonderful black soil. Last March I cleaned out the dead plants and planted some vegetable seeds and baby vegetable plants. Because there is no fence I have been in battle with raccoons. Friday I discovered my 8 inch tall pepper plant had been completely eaten. Today I took the seeds from a red bell pepper I purchased on my last trip to Kerrville and went out and planted them all. Hopefully some of the seeds will sprout and the raccoons will leave these plants alone. I am praying for my plants protection.

Besides the little vegetable garden I have planted a lot of watermelon seeds right into the ground. So far I do not have watermelon plants but I keep hoping. If I ever do get a bounty of crops, I plan on sharing. At the moment there is only me, though I pray that changes soon. But even so it will be awhile before there are enough folks here to eat everything that is grown. There are a lot of hungry poor people around here to share with.

Friday I spent four hours in the morning working on these two projects. My pile of Cedar branches is growing. I was able to burn two tree trunks. I then filled my watering can with rain water from my rain barrel and watered my little garden. I obtained the rain barrel last December when I attended a rain water catchment seminar in San Antonio. I learned a lot and am very thankful for the rain barrel. I brought it out here on the first trip of the move and we just put it in the back of the house where it stayed until yesterday. The first time I checked out the barrel after moving here, I was surprised to discover it was more than half full. We had placed it in a great location for water to flow into the barrel from off the roof. Within another month the barrel was totally full. Just one problem, we had placed it on the ground and I was unable to attach a hose to the spigot to get the water out. It needed to be elevated. A wooden platform was lying around so I grabbed it and moved it near the barrel. I had to wait for someone to come help me lift the now full barrel onto the wooden platform but once I got that help I was able to screw the hose onto the spigot and start drawing water from the barrel.

It didn’t take me long to realize I did not like the barrel behind the house. Everything I needed to water was in front of the house. So every time I wanted some water I had to grab my watering can, go fill it up from the rain barrel or the only outdoor water spigot, which also is in back of the house, then walk around to the front of the house to water the plants. Then I would make another trip around to the back of the house to refill the watering can. This became very old real quick.

Well, Friday I emptied as much of the water as I was going to be able to empty. The water was now coming out at such a slow rate I just left the spigot open to let it drain onto the ground. Saturday’s I like to do relaxing jobs and just stay inside. There is plenty to do inside too. But Sunday after church I decided to go out and try and move the barrel to the front of the house. It was easier to do then I had expected. Once everything was moved to the front, I positioned the platform on some rocks to elevate it even more. Then I hauled the barrel onto the platform and hooked the hose to it. I made sure to place the barrel at a spot where the rain would likely flow off the roof.

Now all I needed was some rain, but rain had not been in the forecast. Saturday through Monday wind was forecasted and it has been very windy. The rest of the week was suppose to be partly sunny. But not once had I seen rain forecasted for the entire week. So I expected a long wait before my rain barrel started filling up.

Guess what, this morning it started raining. I went outside to see if the barrel was catching any rain and noticed the rain was missing the hole by a couple of inches. So I put some shoes on and went out in the rain to move the barrel so the water flowing off the roof would land right in the hole. I also took the lid off the compost bin so it would get a little water. So far today I have seen three short storms. Not much rain has fallen but it doesn’t take much to fill up a rain barrel as even a little rain pouring off a roof is a lot of water.

An hour ago when it started raining again I decided to check the forecast. It had drastically changed from just a couple days ago. Rain is now forecasted for Wednesday and Thursday. I just heard thunder way off in the distance. At this rate I should be able to use the rain water to water my little vegetable garden in a short amount of time.

Thank you Jesus for today’s rain.

Busy Trips to San Antonio

It is hard to believe it has been an entire month since I last shared what is going on. It feels like it was just the other day. There is so much to do that every day I look around and decide what I am in the mood to do and get busy doing it. With so many things needing to be done I guess it is just easy to forget about this blog. For that I once again apologize.

Since last writing I have made two trips to San Antonio. The first trip was a spur of the moment decision. The first Thursday of May is the National Day of Prayer. For years now I and a hundred(s) other people have gathered at the steps of the San Antonio City Hall for a prayer service. Somehow it just doesn’t seem right to not gather with others in prayer for our country on the National Day of Prayer. Since I no longer live in San Antonio I went to the National Day of Prayer web site to see what prayer events were taking place near me. I was saddened to discover nothing was scheduled for Rocksprings. I did find an event in Kerrville, which is an hour away, but nothing closer. After thinking about it for a few hours I decided I would just head to San Antonio on Wednesday and return home Thursday afternoon, after the prayer event was over. Besides prayer, I also made this decision because I knew the Sam’s Club had filing cabinets for sale and I have needed to purchase several. So I called my friend Mary and told her I was coming. Thankfully she is always happy to have me stay with her.

My closest full time neighbor is Lionel. I don’t know him very well but he has made it clear anytime I need help I can call on him. I returned home late on Thursday, so Friday morning I drove over to his place and asked for help. With Lionel’s help the two of us were able to get the filing cabinet into the family room. Over the weekend I cut up the box and removed the filing cabinet.

Saturday I spent several hours loading my car with flat rocks perfect for stepping stones. My friend Mary has a bad mud problem. When it rains, the area right outside her kitchen door becomes a muddy lake. She is always helping others and I wanted to help her. So I loaded my car with the stepping stones and then right after church on Sunday I headed to San Antonio. Mary had no idea what I was planning.

Mary is a volunteer chaplain at the University Hospital. Every Monday she visits all the patients on one particular floor and I knew she would be gone for several hours. That morning while she was getting ready I went and purchased over 20 bags of pea gravel. Then as soon as she took off, I put my hiking/work boots on got to work. A mutual friend, Frances, came over to help. The biggest help was bringing her gardening wagon she had just gotten for Mothers’ day. I really didn’t expect to get everything done before Mary got back from the hospital, but with Frances’ cart and assistance, the two of us were able to unload my car and get everything in place long before Mary returned. I was even able to take a shower before she got home. Believe me; the look on Mary’s face when she saw what Frances and I had done was worth every penny spent and every drop of sweat I perspired. We even got to see our work in action as San Antonio got a 2.72 inch rain storm the morning before I left. No muddy lake.

Tuesday I spent running errands, including paying an arm and a leg to get my car washed. I hate spending the money because I know it will get dirty on the outside just driving home as I live one mile from a paved road. But after piling all those rocks and bags of gravel into my car, it was pretty dirty on the inside too.

Tuesday morning a prayer meeting met in Mary’s house. I joined them. Tuesday evening there is a prayer meeting at church. This is truly a prayer meeting, no talking about prayer needs in advance, we just pray. I attend it every time I am in town. Then Friday morning Mary had the Women’s Prayer International prayer meeting also meet in her home. I stayed for it once Mary told me about it and it is a good thing I did. If that prayer meeting had not been scheduled I would have left bright and early and been caught in a down pour. It rained so hard none of the members of the group were able to come. By the time it stopped raining in San Antonio there were tornado watch boxes on Hwy 41, which I have to travel most of to get home. So I stayed put in San Antonio until Saturday. Better to be safe.

Wednesday I had a luncheon engagement at the pastor’s home. They are inviting different Sunday School classes over. I had a wonderful time seeing many of my old friends and seeing their beautiful home. This pastor is fairly new to the church, less than two years. Saw more friends on Wednesday night when I went to the weekly dinner/Bible Study at church.

Originally I was going to leave on Thursday and by now I was anxious to come home, but Mary had a table to fill up at the annual Agape Pregnancy Help Center fundraiser. It was underwritten. I had a great meal and the key note speakers were fantastic. I really enjoyed myself. This ministry is saving lives, both women and babies. Keep them and/or your local crises pregnancy center in your prayers.

As stated earlier I had intended to come home on Friday but the weather kept me stranded in San Antonio tell Saturday. I had a very long fruitful week there but was very glad to come home and get back to work here. Before leaving San Antonio I again stopped at the Sam’s Club and purchased another filing cabinet. Thank you Lionel for helping me get it into the house. I also filled up my gas tank. I have discovered gas can be as much as 10 cents a gallon cheaper at the Sam’s Club gas stations. Since this discovery I make Sam’s Club my last stop before heading home.

There is a lot to do here and I really am in need of donations and volunteers. Since returning I have been back at work sawing Mountain Cedar branches, cleaning and organizing the house, moving rocks, cleaning out the storage cabin, and more. My workload is never ending. There have been volunteers out here but no one has come in the past month. Pray for volunteers. I have received some donations, but since moving I have had major problems getting mail forwarded and donations are way down. Pray donations pick up soon.

Feasting on Rain

The past week has been a very soggy week. In case you are unaware of Texas weather, south and west Texas got hit hard by rainfall. When it comes to rain, in South Texas it is either feast or famine.

For the past couple years it was famine, one of the worst doubts in recorded history, making Texas a dry, hot and dusty place. Last summer in San Antonio, every high temperature record was broken and then broken again. In fact every day that summer we broke between one to three records as we reached 100f (38c) or above day after day. So when the rains began to come, everyone in Texas began to praise God.

This past week it has been feast. The first three days I saw drizzle to light rain, about 0.20 inch rain daily. Then on Thursday I saw down pours that were unbelievable. At times I could not even see out my windows as they were covered in sheets of water. That evening the rain subsided again into light rain so I trudged through the standing water to my rain gauge to see just how much rain had fallen that day. My gauge only holds 6 inches and it was all the way to the brim. Friday I would see another 1.60 of rain and Saturday a mere 0.25 inches of rain.

This land is very rocky and so it takes awhile for the rain to seep into the ground. As I look out the windows day after day I have felt like I am living in a swamp. I can see pools of water out every window. I literally am living in a marsh right now. Because of all the water I am stuck inside and suffering from a severe case of cabin fever. I want nothing more than to get outside and enjoy nature while I do some outside work. But right now the land is to wet for any outdoor activities.

When I first purchased this property I had plenty of ideas of what I could do to quickly make it a viable place for people in need to come live. But during the past couple months I have realized those first ideas are not practical. At first I thought about a campsite, and though I will allow folks to camp here until better accommodations can be built, this land is very windy. I have lived in windier places but when the wind picks up I think trying to live in a tent would be uncomfortable. Living in a car would be better. Another problem with a camp ground is this land is rocky. Rocks are everywhere and many of the rocks cannot be moved. So, if people want to camp out on the land it will be permitted, but I do not think very comfortable.

Then I got over 6 inches of rain on Wednesday. During the times I was able to look outside the windows I noticed the rain seemed to flow from the north side of the house towards the south side. Though it has not rained today (Sunday) the south side is still full of water while on the other sides of the house the water has soaked into the ground and I just see mud. But on the south side I still see pools of water. This is valuable information. While most of the 20 acres are to the west of the house, I now know how the land flows by the house. It is also apparent to me that all buildings need to be built off the ground. Due to the feast/famine nature of rain around here, placing buildings on cement slabs is dumb. All buildings need to be off the ground so when heavy rains come, the buildings won’t flood.

I admit I am tired of the rain. The forecasters say we should have one more dry day and then more rain is due. Today I learned I had more rain than anyone else I know at church. Most of them got 3 to 4 inches, but one guy saw none. So I am happy to share with him. May God move next week’s rain clouds onto his property. But whatever happens next week with the rain, no matter how bad my cabin fever gets, this past week of rain has given me valuable insight into the land I now live on and is the home of AOCCCI.

Volunteer Help Came For A Visit

Another very busy week has passed. Last week some friends drove up from San Antonio to volunteer their time. They completed a lot of minor repairs that needed doing around here. They did not have the time to stay to complete any of the bigger projects. But least the toilet seat stays in place and the dryer works now, along with another dozen small maintenance repair jobs. There is a lot to do out here that I just do not have the skill knowledge to complete and I really value these friends who come out and give me a hand. But these friends all have responsibilities elsewhere and can never stay long. I really need someone living here full time to help complete the many tasks that still need to be done. A few of the more urgent tasks to be completed include replacing the back staircase (not up to code and is dangerous), installing a floor in the community room, and building raised garden beds.

So far most of the expenses out here I have been footing, but I am quickly running out of cash. Donations are a must, but as I tell people—sick people don’t donate. Which means donations have to come from those individuals who are able to give. Every little bit helps. It will be impossible to purchase or build cabins for people to live in unless there are donations to cover the cost. Right this moment I could take a major step towards fulfilling a goal of this ministry if AOCCCI had $30,000, but it doesn’t. I have been praying for the money to come in. Please join me in praying for this money and if you can make a donation, no matter how small, it will be greatly appreciated.

Last week the Texas AgriLife Exension Service, which is part of the Texas A&M System, offered well water testing for only $5. When the house was inspected before sale, the inspector had the water tested and bacteria were discovered. Everyone always believed the bacteria was due to no one living here for the past year. The water was treated and a $35 home test found no signs of bacteria. I knew though that the water needed to be professionally tested and when I read about this service in the Texas Mohair Weekly, I made sure to participate. Saturday I received the results and the water passed all the tests. There are no bacteria, nitrates, or anything else bad in the water. Though this land is over the Edwards Aquifer, the same source of water for San Antonio, the distance is so great that it might as well be two different aquifers. The water out here is a lot better then what I drank when I lived in San Antonio and any contamination that occurs in San Antonio will not affect my well.

The needs here extend farther than just maintenance. It has been apparent to me from the day this property was purchased that a new web site needed to be created. A web site is a very time consuming job to take on. I know as I have done a number of them. But paying someone else to do it will cost thousands, which AOCCCI just does not have right now. Unless someone volunteers to do this job, I will have to do it. But first I need to purchase web design software. What I have always used in the past is very out of date. Web design software is not cheap, but a must. After that I will have to take time out of my very busy days to work on the site. I have been praying for months that God would provide someone else to do this job, but no one has come forward and a new site really needs to be completed. One thing about web design, it does not matter where the web designer lives, the Internet is everywhere. So someone volunteering for this job would not need to even live in the US.

I have had several inquiries from people who have a desire to come out here or know someone with MCS who is homeless. The individuals who have expressed a desire to come here all had a valid reason why the trip is undoable. The homeless person has yet to contact me. If anyone does need a place to stay, they can camp on the land. Eventually (hopefully in a few months) the spare bedroom in this house will be available for someone to live in, but at the moment it is being used for storage.

Hopefully before the year is over with there will be others living on this land, but right now it is very quiet outside. There are spring flowers blooming. The vegetable seeds I planted in a few garden pots are sprouting. I threw melon seeds out in the grass and rocks which hopefully are also sprouting. It will be nice to have a little bit of home grown food in a few months and hopefully the raccoons and other critters will leave enough for me to share with others.

Good Friday

I returned home on Monday after spending almost 3 weeks in San Antonio. On March 13 I attended a brunch fund raiser for the Women’s Prayer International (WPI). I really enjoyed the speaker, Betty Moni, and even purchased her book, Butterfly Life In A Caterpillar World, though I have only read one chapter so far. On March 16 my old (WPI) prayer group was meeting and I was able to attend. It really felt great to spend time praying for our nation with them again. Then on March 18 I had a cardiac procedure to close a PFO (patent foramen ovale—specific type of hole in my heart). It was successful and I got great care while recuperating in San Antonio.

By Sunday the desire to return home started to grow. My friend Rick had wanted to return with me so I would not be alone, and install a new floor for me, but his dad has been having health crises and he was needed at home. So Monday I drove home alone. I enjoyed staying with my friend Mary and will be staying at her house in the future, but it is great to finally be back home.

Since coming home I have spent most of my time doing indoor work. I have so much paperwork to accomplish it is unreliable. I really need help out here. Until yesterday I have had been restricted to how much weight I can lift, which prevents me from doing much outside. But I have started doing some minor gardening. I planted some seeds in pots left by the previous owner. I have also tossed cantaloupe, bell pepper, and water melon seeds out in the weeds. No idea if I will get some plants but the seeds came free with my produce purchase. I had prayed for rain this morning and it was predicted, but none fell. So this afternoon I had to water the seeds in the pots by hand.

So that is what I have been up to. My plans are next week to drive back to San Antonio, purchase a desk, and bring it and Rick back to the ranch. Once the floor is in and the desk is put together, I can start organization this place.

This morning I got a call from a former WPI member about a woman she met who is chemically sensitivity. Apparently she is living in her car with her teenage sons. The friend has given her AOCCCI’s brochure. She is going to give her my phone number for her to call. No idea if she will chose to come live on the property. Except for a spare bedroom, I can only provide a place to park her car and pitch a tent. Time will tell. I have had a couple people express a desire to come live out here but most of them had reasons why it was impossible. For instant one woman currently lives in Europe. I need help but I am leaving it all up to God.

Well, today is Good Friday. It is a day of hope. If Jesus had not died on the cross in our place, we would have no hope. Nobody deserves to go to Heaven, but Jesus paid the price for us. In a few days we will celebrate the wondrous resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. I will be attending services in Rocksprings. If you are physically able to, I pray you will attend services too.

Country Living

Living out in the country sure is an adventure. It seems the more I do, the more things I see that need to be done. I have paid a few people to do things for me and a number of friends have come and volunteered their time, but the to-do list just keeps on growing. Some of the tasks I have accomplished is getting a new fridge (the old one was very small and hardly held any food, ordering new flooring (which a friend is going to install for me), and staining the well house (which I paid someone to build). I also painted half the living room with sealant (to cover over the very dark paint the previous owner chose). I have made many trips to Rocksprings and Kerrville for supplies. For instant I bought a compost bin in Kerrville and am now actively composting all my food scraps. I also spread about 20 ounces (bag contained 24 oz) of Texas Wild Flower Seeds. So hopefully in a few months the view out the windows will be even more gorgeous then it already is. This week I learned where I can take trash to for disposal. The cost is $3 a bag. It is high because the trash must be trucked to the dump in another county.

This has been one of the coldest winters in history, following the hottest summer ever in Texas. Spring though has finally arrived and the last few weeks I have been spending a few hours a day collecting rocks. Rocks are everywhere and I mean everywhere. The goal is to build a rock wall skirt around the mobile home. Considering I will never run out of rocks here, it makes since to use them and save money. I average about 5 wheel barrows of rocks a day. Slowly the pile is growing larger and one day there will be enough for my friend to get to work and build the skirt rock wall.

A raised garden vegetable bed is in the planning stage. There are so many rocks in the ground that planting straight in the ground is not possible. I have picked the best spot for a raised garden and next time my friend comes out we will purchased the materials to build it. Today though I planted some apple seeds (I ate the rest of the apple). I have no idea if any of the apple seeds will find a pathway through all the rocks to grow into a beautiful tree, but I am hopeful. There are plenty of Mountain Cedar trees on the property so I know it is possible. I also tossed the seeds from my cantaloupe out into the wind. Hopefully I will have cantaloupes this summer and the critters will leave some for me to enjoy. I plan to do the same thing with watermelon seeds later on.

Speaking of critters, I was told the previous owners had a lot of trouble with raccoons and I believe that report. I have had to pile rocks against the doors to the compost bin to keep them out. One morning I found a large rock moved away from the compost door, the door opened, compost pulled out, and a half eaten apple about a yard away. I hope the raccoon enjoyed the treat. I put the compost back in, put the door back in place, threw the half eaten apple back into the compost bin and went got some more rocks. My friend said he will build me a raccoon proof compost bin.

Even with all the work, I love it out here. I enjoy the solitude, but I also enjoy the company. Though I love having my friends visit me, I really look forward to the day the Lord brings me a roommate. Right now that extra bedroom is being used for storage, but it won’t be long before those boxes will be emptied and the person the Lord brings here can move in. I know it will happen in the Lord’s timing. Until then, I will keep the air beds inflated and the door open for my friends to come and give me a helping hand.

Tomorrow I head back to San Antonio where I will remain for a couple of weeks. I am blessed with lots of friends who are happy to open their home to me when I must be in the big city. I will be attending a fund raiser brunch for Women’s Prayer International on Saturday and then later next week will be having a medical procedure. I hope to return with my friend Rick who has promised to install the new flooring in family room (which I plan to use as a community room/library). So please keep me in your prayers.

The Move is Complete

I have been intending to share what has been going on with me, but the truth is I have been so busy I just haven’t had the time. I spent the entire month of January moving. I made multiple trips between San Antonio and “the ranch”, each time filling my Rav4 with stuff. Many of those trips one or two friends accompanied me. They helped me clean, do repairs, unpack the car, and much more. Even though I made multiple trips and rented a U-haul, I still have a few things left in San Antonio to pick up. Thank you to the friends who are storing my stuff for me.

This is ranch country, mainly because the soil is very rocky. Angora goats are plentiful here, though not as plentiful as it once was. Back in the 80’s the market for angora wool apparently plummeted, but high school in Rockspring Texas’ mascot is the Angoras. Besides goats, there are many ranches with cows, horses, and exotic wildlife is everywhere. Most of the exotics around here are raised for hunting, though the other day some friends and I went for a drive and came across a preserve where we saw animals native to Africa including a couple giraffes.

The Ranch, the new home of AOCCCI, consists of 20.08 acres, a 3 bedroom double wide Palm Harbor Mobile Home, and a few other rundown buildings: a ‘cabin’ which is mainly used for storage and a camper trailer which would take a huge amount of TLC to be livable and probably does not run. Honestly, if someone wanted the trailer and was willing to pay to haul it away, I would happily give it to them.

This land is very rocky, has lots of Mountain Cedar trees and a few other species, and other types of vegetation. This place is rural which has always been the plan. I bought this property to be a place where ministry to folks with Multiple Chemical Sensitivities (MCS) could take place. The MCS population has a high incidence of homelessness and needs help. To accomplish this goal it is going to take a lot of money and sweat equity, but the first step has occurred—AOCCCI now has land.

According to the phone company putting in a landline will cost almost $6000. I would be expected to pay around $4500 of that expense. Maybe someday God will supply the money but right now it is not in the budget. Only AT&T cell phone reception is available here. And even that is spotty. But least I get pretty good reception inside the house. A Direct TV satellite dish provides television, and a Wild Blue satellite dish provides me with Internet, which is much slower then DSL or Cable. If money is donated for a telephone line, then we would be able to get DSL out here.

Several friends have come out here to help me clean, do repairs, and other tasks. Their help has been greatly appreciated. Even though everyone comes out to work, they have all enjoyed being out in the country. Working vacations can be very relaxing and so far everyone who has come out here has not wanted to go home. In fact several times people have decided to stay an extra day because they love it so much.

As I said earlier, the house has 3 bedrooms. Of course I took one bedroom and a second bedroom is being used as an office. I am looking for a roommate for the third bedroom—someone who either for a season or more permanently wants to be a part of this ministry. There is so much that needs to be done and I can’t do it all by myself. If you are interested in learning more, let me know.

This house also has a family room which I intend to line with bookcases for a mini library and make into sort of a community room.

Snow is rare here, but this has been an usually cold winter. It snowed here once in January but at the time I was in San Antonio. It snowed again this past week and I was able to take pictures. The next morning some of the snow was still around, especially on my back stairs where a raccoon clearly had visited me.