The Big Chill

The last of January I put on a short sleeve t-shirt. The highs were in the 70’s and it was a beautiful sunny day, perfect to go out and spend a few hours doing outside chores. I love days like that.

Around 1:00am on February 1 I was woken up by gusting howling winds, hard rain, thunder and lightning. The storm the weathermen had been promising us had arrived earlier than expected. Unable to sleep I got up to hand wash a few dishes. I have a weather station monitor near the kitchen window and every time I looked at it the temperature had dropped. Around 2:00am I decided it was dropping to fast and decided to bundle up and go lock the cats in there kitty condo (formally a makeshift cabin the previous owners lived in). The cats greeted me with lots of meows (not normal for them to meow so much) and were thrilled when I filled their dishes full of food. I left, closing the door behind me. Now the cold air would have a harder time chilling the kitty condo off.

I was able to fall back to sleep around 3:00am, only to wake up to bitter temperatures. For the next three days it would remain below 20F. Records are not kept out here but if they were kept I am sure a few records would be broken, or some close to being broken. I know San Antonio broke a few records this week. I stayed inside as much as possible, but I have 10 month old kittens to take care of so several times a day I would go check on them. One result of such cold temperatures is their water kept freezing up. So every few hours I would bundle up and walk out to the cabin with room temperature (or often a bit warmer) bowl of water to replace the now frozen water out in the cabin. I also would get up in the middle of the night to exchange warm water for frozen water, so my cats always had water to drink.

One danger of freezing temperatures is frozen pipes and frozen well pumps. Out here our pipes cannot be buried, only covered with caliche. Monday I did walk the length of my pipes to make sure there were no exposed areas. I also have a heat lamp aimed at my well pump.
When I woke up Tuesday morning and realized just how cold it was outside I quickly started turning on faucets to let them drip. Unfortunately the pipes to the small bathroom had already frozen up. I still had water to my bathroom and the kitchen, which I am very grateful for. I have several neighbors who have not been so fortunate. Wednesday morning I learned of several nearby friends whose water had stopped flowing. Since then I have heard of others. I have taken water to my neighbor and a little food.

Another consequence of rain followed by freezing temps—the backdoor lock is frozen. I can turn the deadbolt lock on the inside but I cannot put the key into the key hole. Obviously some water got into the key hole and froze up.

One nice thing about living in South Texas is this kind of weather is very rare and when it does hit—lasts only a few days. It is suppose to start warming up and tomorrow I and the rest of the folks out here should get above freezing.

Before it does warm up though the one event that many children in South Texas never see happened—it snowed last night. I saw on the news this morning that San Antonio basically shut down, partly because they got freezing rain last night before the snow arrived. I went outside around 3:00am to exchange the cats water bowls only to discover it was snowing. We didn’t get a lot of snow, but even a dusting out here is a big deal.

As I write this it is mid-morning and the temperature outside has reached 26, the highest it has been since Tuesday before the sun came up. After days of clouds the sun has come out. We are all now counting the hours tell we can put the thermal underwear back in storage. I am sure the ranchers out here are even more anxious for warmer weather then I am. I personally know folks who must spend hours outside daily feeding livestock. My heart goes out to them as I find it tough just running outside to give my cats’ thawed water. Though it has been a tough week for the ranchers, I have to think about those ranchers in the northern climates. Many of them deal with weather much worse then what I have been living through, not just once in awhile but every winter for months at a time.

So today as you sit down to eat, remember the rancher who went out in freezing temperatures to feed that cow or chickens or…. Some of those ranchers and farmers braved temperatures well below zero with wind chill factors of minus (pick a number). Without them you and I would not have food on our table today. So we need to thank God for them and pray for them daily. They have a very tough job.

The Picture to the right--left side is the kitty condo.

The open door is a small shed.

What Happened to January?

As I sit here the sun began rising in the eastern sky less than an hour ago. I have been awake for several hours and face a to-do list so long I doubt I will be able to cross off even one item. That is just the way life is out here. If I do manage to complete a task, there are many more waiting to be done. Maybe that is why a month has passed since I last posted, though it feels like only a week ago.

Today began like most mornings. I usually wake up around 5am. Sometimes earlier and then after breakfast I fall back to sleep, but 5 is typical. Since I still live alone I turn the heater off at night. If it is expected to be a chilly night I turn a space heater on in my bedroom and shut the door. Last night was not cold, so no space heater. Upon waking (and after a short struggle) I haul myself out from under my warm covers and go turn the heater on. As soon as possible I am back under those covers.

Once it is warm enough I once again haul myself out of bed to make breakfast. I rarely eat much first thing in the morning, but my body needs something. One of my favorite breakfasts is a breakfast sandwich. I make my own. I like to buy those mini bagels, which I toast. I have a microwave poacher for my egg. I make my own breakfast sausage and just reheat one patty. Put them all together and I have a breakfast sandwich. One sandwich with a cup of tea or orange juice and I have just the right amount of food. Depending on how warm it is in the house, I usually eat at my computer, where I check email, or back to the warmer bedroom to enjoy breakfast.

Since it is winter outside and therefore cold, I usually return to bed after breakfast. I like to snuggle under the covers as I read my Bible. Today I read the first three chapters of Amos.

According to the U.S. Naval Observatory, the sunrise for Rocksprings occurred at 7:33am. Shortly before that I did what I do every day. I put on my shoes and coat and opened my front door. Tiger is usually on the porch to greet me and often her sister, Little Bit, is nearby. They know it is feeding time. Today they ran ahead of me into the cabin where I feed them and have their bed. They jump on the counter eagerly waiting for me to dump some dry cat food in their bowls. Sometimes I give them a quick pet, but today I just hurried into the warm house. I will go outside later today and spend some time petting both kitties and in return they will lick my hands and fingers. (Little Bit-red collar/Tiger-blue collar)

That is how I spend most mornings. In the summer I am out the door as soon as it is light enough to do gardening and other tasks before it gets too hot. But in winter it is hard to motivate myself to get out of bed and do anything. I much prefer to lie in bed under those warm covers, reading a book and praying, and occasionally falling back to sleep.

Even though I am anxious for spring to arrive, it seems like winter is passing by way to fast. There is so much I need to do inside this house and I had planned to get it all done during the winter months. I still need to get that office organized, bookkeeping completed, other rooms organized, etc. From the way this house looks it doesn’t look like I have done a thing.

I have been busy. Right before Christmas I accompanied a friend to San Antonio. She had to take her husband to the airport and really did not want to drive around that city alone. Since I know the city I did most of the city driving. It was a there and back trip, making only a couple stops for shopping.

On January 12 I returned to San Antonio with a different friend. This neighbor is elderly and I had promised to take her to the Sams Club in San Antonio. I buy a lot of stuff for her at Sams Club and this was a chance for her to see what the store had for sale so on future trips she could just hand me some money and a grocery list. It was a very fruitful, but exhausting trip.

I have had to make several trips to Kerrville. Both times I took a third neighbor with me. Over a year ago J lost her house in a fire and then a few weeks later a tire blew and she rolled her truck, breaking her back, but fortunately not suffering any spinal injury. Because of his job, her husband is gone all week, leaving her all alone and isolated on her very rural land. She always welcomes any excuse to get out and go anywhere. Both trips she was very thankful that I had invited her and I was thankful for the company.

This past week it has been warm enough to go outside for an hour or two so I have enjoyed doing some outdoor chores. On those very cold days I often find myself sitting in my rocking chair under a throw reading and trying to stay warm. I have gotten a lot read this past month. The rest of the time I work on the computer of find some other task that needs doing.

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.