4/14/07 SaturdayIt’s a cold start this morning. The temperature went down to thirty nine degrees and the wind came in a direction that created a breeze from our bedroom window. We snuggled a bit more than usual. It’s going to be a cool day with the temps only going to the low 60’s.
Today Stanton is having what they call the “Old Sorehead Trade Days”. They do this three times a year and it’s an event that draws in a fair crowd. I think I heard there are something like five hundred vendors that come in for the event. Stanton does this three times a year. This will be our first time to attend it. I’ll tell you how it goes and hec, I’ll take the camera and act like a tourist.
I’m gonna replant the corn as only about three percent of it survived the freeze. It looked like one of the melon seeds came up but I’m not sure what kind it is. That’s because the “permanent” marker I used on the identifying stakes washed off. Fortunately I also mapped what got planted where on paper.
Evidently I’ve been fighting something off. Some kind of stomach thing with the emanations one doesn’t talk about in polite company. Seems to be doing better now but I think it contributed to the fatigue I’ve been arguing with.
Another thing I’d like to do today is get the chainsaw out and cut down the mesquite trees that are up to almost six feet tall in the field. The CRP rules specify this must be done as the land is supposed to be like the natural grasslands that once were here? Doesn’t make any sense to me. As we’ve driven across this landscape mesquite is everywhere and I can’t say I’ve seen any just plain grassland without it. Part of this incentive is to increase the habitat for quail and other birds. We had about fifteen or twenty quail out here but they seem to have disappeared. They nest in the grass so I have to wonder if the coyotes cleaned them out. I asked about the coyotes when we stopped by the sheriff’s office. I had started by inquiring what the law said about shooting stray dogs. After learning that is frowned on I asked if we could shoot coyotes and the lady said she thought they were protected or something as a native Texas species.
We’re gonna hit the Sorehead Days early so I’ve got to make myself presentable to be seen in public. Of course my idea of presentable doesn’t exactly match Cherie’s but you know how it is. I’ll let mama dress me. It’s always good to look good though in my case that can be a challenge.
And the pendulum swings as it always does whether I like it or not. It is 8:41 right now. I just came in from planting corn where the old frozen corn was. Pretty slow now. We spent three hours at the Old Sorehead Days but I had to call it quits. I can’t stand still very long so have to walk. That reduces the pain some and helps keep the blood circulating. Fortunately there are lots of benches downtown so that was nice.
There were hundreds of booths selling everything you can think of. Most of it was knick knack stuff I had no interest in. Wouldn’t have mattered if I did. It is no fun to go to an affair like this when you have no money. I bought an old hammer head for $1.50 and thought hard before I did that but it’s something I need. I’m sure I can find something to make a handle for it.
The things that interested me most was the myriad of preserves, jellies, and dip mixes presented in many booths. In my imagination they would all have been ideal products to sell at the store we would build for the pick your own farm so we collected lots of business cards. I’ll never stop dreaming.
I was worn out and we were both getting hungry so we called it quits. We debated briefly splurging on a corn dog or one of the many foods available but there is no money for that kind of luxury. Bit the bullet and came home. Cherie fixed a sandwich and I crawled under the covers and wiped out for two or so hours. Then I got up and started planting corn. I was slowing down pretty badly and am still slow. On top of that the depression was back as my thoughts wandered to the church and the isolation we feel there. I told Cherie we will go to church early in order to talk with Kevin and or pastor Dave about that. Not even family has reached out to us.
2 comments:
Bob, I totally agree with you, you really need to talk to the Pastor about the lack of community and fellowship with the congregation. The only impression I am receving is that everyone in that church must be disabled and too elderly to leave their homes but once a week for church. I am shocked that the members of that church are such poor examples of Christianity. I am embarassed FOR them. I hope that someone from your church reads my comment. They should be ashamed that more people in other places and members of other churches look forward to befriending their fellow brother and sister, than they are....I'll be praying for you and Cherie..Have a good day tomorrow!
Amy
Thanks Amy. We looked forward so much to our move here because, in our minds we envisioned becoming part of a community, of having friends here where we plan to live out our lives. To that goal we have tread very lightly so as to not offend in anyway. When we first arrived there was a welcome in the form of two visits from the pastor and our Sunday school teacher. They brought gifts of food for we had let them know things were tight, particularly after the expense of moving. Now I must wonder if we are viewed as bums leaching from the church. When no one talks all I have is my imagination to fill in the many blanks. Because of both of our past experience with churches, that becomes a somewhat paranoid imagination, which has no foundation, probably doing a great disservice to them. While the gifts of food and later firewood are greatly appreciated I would willingly go hungry and cold in exchange for someone to talk with. There is a proverb that says a poor man's friends stay away. Perhaps there is gossip, that evil spoken of several times in the bible. I don't know, must guess at this.
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