Lately, we feel splattered to the point we seem to look like a Rorschach Inkblot Test. Things have been tight around here. Our jobs are losing hours, which means the income is slowly dwindling. Even though the Country Boy has recently taken on part-time work, things are still tight.
Trouble Just Keeps On Coming
The truck is on its last leg; the drought has affected our hay and has sent our cows to the Bovine B&B across the road. The water bill has gone up, trying to water at least part of the pasture. If we are careful, we can pay the bills at hand. And then the quarterly insurance bills show up in the mail. Okay. If we pay this first…move this to next week…haul some scrap….well, maybe. And then…
Wilson, our German Shepherd, made our lives a little more…shall we say, interesting? He was walking across the floor in our bedroom and his hind foot went through the floor, up to his ankle joint. He did such a good job, I can see the dirt underneath the house. We live in an old house which was moved onto this property in the early 60’s. Originally, the house sat on the edge of a cotton field in Shreveport, so there is no telling just how old it is.
Our bedroom was added shortly after they moved the house, and we are now seeing that it was done as cheaply as possible. My bedroom sub-floor is particle board. Seeing as how we are on pier and beam, it seems winter moisture has finally wreaked its havoc. Pulling up a little more of the floor shows that the other boards aren’t far behind. So, we are looking at approximately $700 to fix it and put down new flooring.
It only took me about ten seconds to grab a towel and stuff it in the hole. You see, about a month or so ago, I happened to find one of the biggest copperheads at the corner of my house. It seems he (or she – I didn’t take the time to look or ask) had made its home underneath the house. From all indications, if you find one, you find another. Considering I haven’t seen the second one, I wasn’t taking any chances that it would take an opportunity to crawl through that hole and climb into bed with me. I just do not like snakes that much.
It Takes a T.E.A.M.
With all this going on, you would think I would just throw up my hands and give up. But I can’t. My farm is my life, my dream, my heart. So, what does a poverty-stricken Farm Wife do? She calls in the T.E.A.M. – as in, The Eternal and Me. Yep. I go straight to God, and ask the Holy Trinity for any and all help, guidance, advice and direction They have to offer. From there, it just comes down to one day at a time, while I wait for my answer.
Long ago learned the benefits of asking the Holy Trinity to be the significant part of our team. The Country Boy and I depend on Them for so many things, and so far, it has worked out beautifully. No, we don’t always have an excess of income. No, problems don’t slip away into the night, never to return. In order for us to ever get anything done around here, we know it takes T.E.A.M. work.
We don’t know what is going to break or come loose, but in all honesty, we aren’t too worried. We work with a great T.E.A.M., and I plan on keeping Them around. If nothing else, it keeps me from literally throwing in the towel – or pulling it out of the hole and being eaten by snakes in my sleep.
I’ll be home late on August 10. We need to get together. Call Mike and ask for hep with the floor!
Thanks, Kathleen! We have a temporary fix for now. But when we’re ready, we will call Mike if we need him!! Safe journey, my friend.
We will definitely get together when you get back!