Yours truly procrastinated until this last week. “Good news”: Today, I turned my back on Ancestry.com and began the simple task of filing my Income Taxes with TurboTax. I knew it would be “simple”; I (frankly) just had things deemed “more important.” Not only did I e-file–at 1:09–I received confirmation–at 1:39–that it was accepted. It’s 1:50 as I type this and the sky is black, and beginning to rain hard. No Internet reception but I still have television. The local TV stations have provided details about conditions in the Houston viewing area.

“Bad news”: My refund is $1,000.00 less than last year. I’ve heard the reports of folks owing… when they received refunds in previous years. I didn’t expect the new tax law would affect me, too.

OMG!! A very, very strong wind just hit my little home, and yard–at 2:07. I can hear things being blown around.

1:45 PM and the rain is pounding the roof of the “pole barn.”

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Wet pants!! After picking up limbs, and cleaning up after the storm, I planned to sit in the rocking lawn chair. OMG!! The cushion was full of water!!

So inspiring; please watch this video about beauty among the ashes.

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Yesterday, a yard sale customer told me the name of the tree blooming in my yard. Brand-new information! Last year, the tree didn’t bloom. I feel “rewarded” for thousands(?) of hours in the yard. (Didn’t bloom last year because this property was vacant for years, and [sadly] neglected.)

Gray, gloomy day. No rain yet but meteorologist’ indicate “it’s on the way.”

At ten o’clock, I planned to write and say “no rain.”  However (at 10), two ladies arrived and admired my garden. We visited…, they spent $5.00 before the rain forced them to run to their vehicle. ~~ One lady took two cobalt blue bottles. I wish folks were interested in my many bottle displays.  Earlier, I added a freshly washed green Tabasco bottle to this collection. (Not a “perfect” picture because the “patriotic” [red, white & blue] is directly behind it. Double “click” to enlarge [second] better picture from thirteen months ago.)

The storm took out the Internet, and TV, for a period of time. So “the old lady”  sat in her rocking lawn chair, under the carport, and enjoyed the rain–and her cup of coffee.

Ancestry.com provides such interesting, and valuable, information. I’m still “trackin’ the Traxlers.”  Now, I found the death of a “cousin” in Venezuela. I asked myself “Why was he there?”  So I dug deeper and learned he died of self-inflicted gun shot wounds to the heart and head. The correspondence between the decedent’s brother, and the Venezuela Consulate, is available. Reading further, “cousin” was “ill with fever for about six months.”  In the correspondence, the answer to my question “Why was he there?”  He was a Civil Engineer, hired by Shell Oil Company, with a three year contact, as Civil Engineer and Geodetic Surveyor. To add “insult to injury”: “Regret to inform you, Venezuelan law does not permit disinterment sooner than five years following burial.” ~~~ I love to find, and document, details about extended family. ~~~ Further in the correspondence, attending physician lists “myocarditia induced by amebiasis of lungs and pernicious anemia.”  (“Myocarditia induced by amebiasis of lungs and pernicious anemia.”) ~~~ I love Google. ~~~

…they entered the ark. Two by two, the plants are leaving Lorraine’s garden.

My only complaint: Only the small plants are going “bye bye,”

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Heavy rain predicted for Saturday and Sunday!! In fact, it started to sprinkle rain just before two o’clock as a customer drove away with half-a-dozen plants. They may come back for the “free” greenhouse. Surprisingly, there have been a parade of people in my yard but most just walk away empty-handed. That’s OK; I enjoy visiting with the folks. ($32.00 in my pocket, today.)

<<< Kathy Lee Gifford said it–this morning on the NBC Today Show.  “Thank you”  for that reminder. Rejected by my children and grandchildren; evicted from the CARE Center, etc., etc. This morning, rain putting a damper on my yard sale!! My “purpose”: Accurately document my family (and collateral lines) in Ancestry.com. ~~ Donate more?!

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