Feels like 104 degrees.

Sitting in my air-conditioned trailer home, working simultaneously with two computers, “climbing the family tree,” erases thoughts of the extreme heat and humidity outdoors. Yesterday TV meteorologist said “feels like” temperature reached 111 degrees. Today will register similar temperatures.

I “planned” the image (above) would record 20,000 individuals in my Ancestry family tree. However, without warning, everything came to a halt. (And I’ve paid my Internet bill, [lol]; I’m “here” in WordPress after creating the image in Picasa.)

For several weeks, I have devoted time and attention to the extended families of two dear cousins. I commented in an earlier message. I feel compelled to repeat “thanks for the memories.”  Fellowship with my Old German Baptist Brethren cousins was a treasure. It is an honor to weave the interrelated families in an enduring database. Descendants will be accessing information for decades to come (if the Lord tarries and we don’t destroy the earth). I say “enduring” because (decades ago) I had forty-thousand identical individuals in a genealogy software program that became “corrupted” and beyond repair (and “back up’s” too).

No, this is about the nightmare on Serrano Street. I couldn’t sleep; I was “living in the past.” This blog message had a proposed variety of titles: (1) “Forty Years and Counting,” (2) “Aunt Irene,” (3) “Life in the slow lane,” (4) ….

“Senior citizens”are notorious for “living in the past” and subjecting the listeners (and readers) to unwanted narratives. I suspect this will be a long message so I “publish” at this early hour as a harbinger of things to come (lol).

Continue reading →

After collecting new data, it was important (to me) to hang the information in the “Well house.” I was accused of “meddling“ in things that are none of my business BUT (imho) the plumbing project demands completion.

Mystified!!

What happened? I believed the young man was going to follow me home. He seemed eager to earn money by digging more dirt from around the water line. It’s 4:00 PM (six hours later) and “no show.”

Four PM the next day (20th) and proposed, intended “helper” has not arrived. Because it is a miserable job (that is “too much” for “the old gray mare”), I intended to pay $100.00 for his labor; I told him I’d be “very generous.” ~~ (How often have you read my lament that I can’t hire handymen? This is the poorest County in Texas and nobody wants to work!)

In three short weeks, the tomato plants have exhibited rapid grown and several blooms.

The heat and humidity is robbing me of strength and energy. (Under the best of conditions,I have limited strength and energy.)  Even inside my air-conditioned trailer home, it feels like a hot blanket wrapped around the outside, pressing in through the six windows. The TV meteorologist’ predict actual afternoon temperature to reach mid-90’s but the meteorologist’ add another eight or ten degrees for “feels like” temperature!! The only thing I can do: Sit at the computer and climb the family tree.

Yesterday, absolutely nothing accomplished. Imagine my frustration: My mind says “do” but my body says “don’t.”

Ignoring “do’s” and “don’ts” (and “depression”), the old gray mare mustered “determination” to do “dirty” work in the yard. (As Mike Rowe says: “Somebody’s gotta do it.”)

Neighbors had sections of trees break and fall. My yard had limited damage. At 10:25 AM, my “disposition” is half-way between extremely happy and extremely depressed.