Author: Sassy

Wife, Mother, G'ma, Catholic, Conservative

05.07.2023

59⁰ F clear W@12mph SR@0611 SS@1944

Morning Offering given

Sierra Blanca is peaceful

We slept in again or at least it feels like it. At home, it’s our normal waking time.

Just heard this morning that our G’daughter Keziah A and the Wartburg College choir were honored to sing during Mass at St Peter’s Basilica on May 6. May it increase their desire to know and serve the Lord.

Congratulations to Haley C who will receive her 1st Holy Communion today at Our Lady of Miracles. We are honored to be here with her, not only as her G’parents but as her Baptismal sponsors. She’s grown into a beautiful young lady.

Proverbs 8: 17 I love them that love me: and they that in the morning early watch for me, shall find me. 

God came to Solomon in a dream (1Kings3:3-15) and told him to ask for whatever he wanted. Solomon humbly asked for Wisdom to lead God’s people. Here in Proverbs we find that all of us can find wisdom if we look/watch for it. Wisdom is the first and highest gift of the Holy Spirit. It is the perfection of faith, through which we come to value properly those things we believe through faith. It is applying that knowledge into our everyday life.

Our time here in Sierra Blanca will soon be over. Our long trek home will begin. We will take the time to meet old friends 5 hrs down the road and catch up with the past 30 yrs.

Send up a few prayers for our safe return to the North Country.

Know we are praying for you.

The Ranch in bloom…

My son D has 120 acres of rock, sand, gullies, cati, and rattle snakes. Today, many things were in bloom. The view was breathtaking. The border patrol is working overtime. Yesterday, at this check point, 200 entered legally and probably more than that illegally.

This is not forgiving country. Water is scarce, heat can be unbearable, shade isn’t often found. Yet, trash is everywhere from humans who passed through.

05.06.2023

57⁰ F sunny W@14mph SR@0615 SS@1944

Morning Offering given

Sierra Blanca is peaceful but busy

We slept in (630 here)

Coffee will have to find some

The air is dry here…my body loves that.

Today I ponder “How do we get to know Jesus?”

He doesn’t come with an instruction manual. There are no shortcuts to him. One has to make the journey themselves. The journey can be hard and painful. You will need honesty. There is no prayer that will …POOF…make you intimate friends with Christ. You must do the work, of cleaning out your soul to make room for him. Put away all the toys, and focus with your heart. Listen for the still small voice…ask him to speak to you…tell his you are listening, and do just that. Those nudges telling you to or not to are Christ. That booming voice you hear in your mind…the one you haven’t been listening to because it is telling you to do something you believe is too hard or will take too long or you just don’t want to do…listen to it.

It was back in the ’90s, we’d been foster parenting for a few years. I was a Deputy Sheriff for the Dubuque Co Iowa Sheriff’s Department, I was standing in my kitchen, back to the room, stirring something on the stove. I heard a voice behind me, it said “Quit your job.” I laughed and responded “Oh yea right. You’re quite funny today.” (I thought it was my husband speaking to me) I turned to look at him…seeing no one and realizing at the same time he had gone to work ages ago. The .voice went on to say “I will take care of you, remember the sparrows.” I’d been off work due to a work-related injury for weeks and was just now going back to light duty. I pondered that voice all day. I recognized it as the voice that had spoken to me on another occasion when our second daughter (T ) had decided to run off with some older guy towards the end of her senior year in high school. That time he told me to just let her go, there was nothing she was ready to hear. I would hear him again as the years rolled by, generally at some crisis or turn-point. From experience, I can tell you He can be hard to ignore, and He can be very persistent, to those of us who have a stubborn streak or are afraid to take the next step.

You cannot learn about him or connect with him by following a manual. The only way is to spend time with him, listening.

Know you are prayed for.

Sierra Blanca, TX

We arrived here this evening at 2130 hrs, Mountain time. The Americana Inn staff is always so very welcoming, it feels like coming home. Unless my eyes are deceiving me it looks like the Inn has received a paint job. Or perhaps it has always been sage green and cream. Regardless, the look is welcoming.

Today’s drive was punctuated with many road accidents. It wasn’t because of a high volume of traffic, I believe it to be because the highway speeds are 70-75-80 along with the tire debris left by overheated tires that peel off in the heat. Indian paintbrushes colored the medians along with other wildflowers.

We stopped in Sweetwater to order a Whatta Burger…our favorite jalapeno cheeseburger can’t be beaten. We don’t have Whatta Burgers up north so our yearly trip south is always a special treat. The sweet tea really quenches your thirst.

Oil rigs (many) were drilling, pump jacks pumping. The lowest gas price we saw was 2.82. The pump at home said 3.59 when we left.

Businesses here are feeling the lack of willing workers in the service industry. Love’s truck stop had 1 cashier and 17 waiting to pay to turn on the pumps. The housekeeping staff was lacking as well. The Super 8 in El Dorado was experiencing a lack of staff as well as needing a facelift and replacement of equipment in their breakfast nook.

Sinus’ are loving the low humidity and have been draining all day. For this I am thankful as it has been a long winter with stuffy ones up north.

Looking forward to a good night’s rest and seeing the children and g’children in the morning.

Know you are prayed for.

05.05.2023

58⁰ F overcast SE@15mph SR@0627 SS@2021

Morning Offering given

El Dorado KS is up and moving

Tonight we’ll be in Sierra Blanca,TX

Yesterday’s drive went well. The weather was beautiful. Traffic wasn’t too bad, not even in the cities. CJ Box’s Secret Treasure has been a great audiobook.

Had a good phone conversation with Tom. From the sounds of things, he failed to comply with treatment, Making his stay much longer. I realize some people just can’t comply, or think they can’t. The ins and outs of treatment don’t make much sense to me. My thought process is just to get it done. Do what they ask, take it to heart, get it done, and get well. I can’t handle the beating around the bush thing.

Lots of vehicle accidents on the roadways yesterday. So many people in their own little bubble, traveling at a fast rate of speed, switching lanes to get ahead one more spot. Not for me, give me twisty old Cty U where I can meander and enjoy the countryside.

Gotta get a move on, I NEED COFFEE

Know you are prayed for.

05.04.2023

41°F overcast SSW@12mph SR@0551 SS@2009

Morning Offering given

Village peaceful

Coffee good

The man sleeps, we were up much too late last night

I did not sleep well. I can hear this sound, like an alarm warbling, all night long. No luck in finding it, although I cased the entire house. I can still hear it as I sit here. high, low, high, low long…sending me out of my mind. It must be something with tinnitus because the man hasn’t been bothered by it. Gotta love the golden years.

Rest in peace Aunt Louise (1997)

From the Margin… from the BVM… “Silence and obscurity”, that is what I ask of you. Let the light of the Lord shine through you in your daily duties. Many misunderstand this and think that they must be in the public eye to do great things for God. It is often quite the contrary. Silence and obscurity-as I was in Bethlehem and Nazareth.

Question of the Day… Whose feet are you washing today?

Saint of the Day… St Hilary. Bishop of Arles. He found himself prey to a violent interior contest. “On the one side, I felt that the Lord was calling me, whilst on the other hand the seductions of the world held me back.” and “My will swayed backward and forwards, now consenting, now refusing. But at last, Christ triumphed in me.” I’m thinking many of us today could say things like this about our spiritual journey. As I look at myself I can certainly see it.

Guess I’d best stop lollygagging and get the suitcase packed.

Know you are prayed for.

Planting by the Light of the Moon

We are heading out on a small (time frame) trip but long in miles this morning when we get our life in order. At the rate we are moving right now at 0022 hrs it won’t be an early leave trip. Last evening we decided the flowers need to be planted so there we moved planters, planted them, dug in flower beds, and planted them. We live in a quiet neighborhood, we would be what the young people call “two old farts”. Now they are probably thinking we are two old farts that have lost our minds.

Our children have grown, married, and are raising their own children. Our pets have been deceased for a couple of years. Both of us are retired, and set in our ways and routines. Normally we’d have been sleeping by 10, but happening here right this moment is the washer is running; Things getting put in order… because well should we die on this trip the house must be clean for those who would drop by. I know old-timers thinking.

Suitcases, which should have already been packed, haven’t even been pulled out from the closet. Items to go in them are spread across the dining room table, the bathroom countertop, and the kitchen table, well you get the picture. My normally organized way of living seems to have turned into some kind of chaos now that the children are gone. I don’t even have a list made out…unheard of!

There are still a few vegetable plants that need planting when the sun comes up, it was too dark out there in the garden area tonight. Someone still needs to be contacted to pick up the mail. Porch plants still need good watering. No way are we ready for this trip.

Who knows, we may just blog the trip. Oh wait, I did remember the audio books we will need.

Regardless, know you are prayed for.

05.03.2023

32°F clear NNW@8mph SR@ 0552 SS@ 2008

Morning Offering given

Village sleeps

Coffee good

The man cooking breakfast

Today I finish up with the yearly medical stuff.

Need to sort more things for the garage sale and need to get that garage set up and items put out.

Belated congrates to Sessi on the anniversary of her 1st Communion (May 2 2010)

Remembering Quinn H we passed in 2017 (2nd)

Congrates to Robert S on the anniversary of his 1 Holy Communion (1992)

Know you are prayed for.