Miss Bea

We just listened to an audio book, Plagues, Pandemics, (and something else. Can’t remember it) it was hours and hours long. (We had to make three trips to Medford, Oregon. About 7 hours, round trip) Bit of a story, here. Anyway…back to the audiobook.

Detailed, and in truth, pretty educational. 
I worked in a medical clinic for some ten years. Knew to wash my hands.

Well, apparently I did not learn well enough. I do wash my hands, but…

Now, I wash my hands, seriously, with soap. And, regularly. Like the lady said, “Wash your hands like you have been cutting jalapeño peppers, with no gloves”. Regularly.  (the consequences of not doing so will give you nightmares)
Plus, keep your hands away from your eyes and mouth. Period. Bacteria and germs have a straight shot into your system, here. 
 

Well, my latest adventure. Yesterday was our circuit assembly. Wonderful, by the way.

Day before. Working in the garden. Me, puttering away, doing in as many wild berries, as i could. Sid, my husband, getting ready to burn a dried pile of briers. It had a tarp on it. Um, garden snakes had made the pile of briars its home. About 20 of them. And three lizards. We got them out of there. And moved the burn pile, in case they had any underground homes. 
Well my hair got smoke on it. 
I had to wash it, and i had not planned on it. By now, later in the day. 
My hair is long, and, um, white. I use purple stuff to get rid if the orange mineral deposits. I grabbed some outdated stuff. When i finished, my hair was purple. I kid you not. Purple. I showed my hair to Sid, he said, “Donʼt worry about it”. (Bless his heart) 

Well, I am not going to the assembly with PURPLE hair. It’s semi-permanent. I grabbed 

Dawn soap. I had to wash it three times. I has a light lavender highlights, that are under the top layer of my hair. 
No one noticed! And I actually got a compliment.

I know this is a bit mundane, but, Iʼm still chuckling over it all.

I have special news. We have a couple, fresh from that special school for kingdom publishers, ( cannot think of the proper name) Anyway, they are on their way here, and are attending our meetings by Zoom. 
We may have, 20 attending our meetings. And, with one elder moving on to his new assignment in the heavens, one, having to move out of our area, because of health issues, the pickings got lean, elder-wise. In fact, downright scary. 
Jehovah provides. Today, we have 5 elders, plus our new couple joining our congregation. Maybe 8 pioneers. 
I feel like Jehovah has given our little congregation wings! 

If you want spiritually reassured with what is going on today, go back and listen, (I listened with audio descriptions) to the final talk) to at least the final talk by brother Lett. Um, it’s the 2021, “Become powerful by faith”, convention.

I couldnt sleep last night, and, i think it was an absolute gift. 
Lots of, “what ifs” today, with all going on. This will settle your heart, and reassure you. Things are going just fine. 
Thank you, Jehovah! 
 

Yesterday at the WT study, all my answers i dictated in the space for answers were gone. All but one answer to a review question. (Thanks to that one answer, my relative sanity remained intact)  But I had my paper copy which I studied before I dictated those answers. 
So, all went okay, for my participation. 
Then, this side bar thingy showed up. I didnʼt read what it was adverising for this time. (Last time it was, um, “nude movies I’d apparently missed) That thing popped  up, and i did a hard shut off, right qiuck. Did not read the adverisement. Taking no chances.

Then, here came my answers. 
My old brain gets tired with all this stuff. 

Our little congregation. Some 30 publishers. Eight full time pioneers, two remote Bethelites, one, dear, dear brother, at our new site. (One with a lake)

Two of the pioneers are from Brazil. (Married into our congregation)

 A new elder. Now four. 
We are small, but, I feel this little congregation is so very blessed. 

I never thought I’d feel this way, or say it. It’s almost too much for me to keep up with. FB gets a cursory glance, and, here, I read until my brain is chattering at me. 
To be blunt, it is hard to keep up with our site, and keep on my toes, with studying and service. 
Here, I just don’t have time to read it all. I suppose, eventually, I will, but not today!

We have a storm moving in, from Ałaska. 
The weather people are giving dire warnings. Lots of snow and wind. (Tornado like winds) Lots. We live on a hill. I cannot and do not drive in snow. 
Iʼd already decided to Zoom the meeting tomorrow. We got notice this evening that the meeting will be Zoom, for all of us. 
There is a group of 4 of us sisters who do hospitality. When scheduled. We are scheduled for hospitality this Sunday. 
It’s iffy for me. They do not clear the snow off our roads. We are on our own. Sometimes we are snowed in for days. 
Then someone from the tribe will show up. Either to check on us, or bring us supplies. Depending on how long we have been snow bound. 
They come up, break tracks for us, then we can think about getting off the hill. 
We are as prepared as we can be.

It is all in the attitude. 

Husband: “I have two crowns on the back of my head”.

Wife: thinking Thinking…

Wife: They are not, “crowns”, but, “cow-licks”.

Husband: “I donʼt call them, cow-licks. I call them crowns”.

Thus begins my day…

Old age can be challenging. Last friday, Sid and i were out scoping for rocks. Flat rocks for a walk way. 
I spot, he does the rest of the chore. Its something we enjoy.

I was on flat groud. I did not pay enough attention to where to put my feet. (I had my walking stick, um, in the truck) The ground was flat, with a big rock here and there. Somehowʼ i lost my balance, started to fall, but blocked myself. (Big mistake.) Friends, I sprained my hip! As in, “sometimes a sprain is worse then a break”. Sid found he could not carry me. He moved the truck as close to me as possible. And, eventually, i was able to get in the truck. 
But, i had to sit on the running board, (yes, we have one on the truck. It pops out when the door is opened. I sat on the running board, trying to catch my breathe, and was literally going in and out of consciousness, from the pain, as i sat there. 
Got me in the truck, and, off to the hospital, some 2 and 1/2 hour trip. 
I had mobility, but, very painful mobility. 
I seriously prayed my hip was not broken. Really bad news for an 80 year old youngster! 
An X-Ray and a CT scan later, nothing broken. My right leg was useless. We have crutches and a walker here at home. After falling a couple of times, i learned how to walk, sort of. 
I am healing. Dr. says it will be a month, and, i will be my old,(old, old) self. I can walk, sort of dragging my leg along. I can get up and down the stairs. I’m still in pain, but I feel it’s manageable. (They gave me all sorts if medications. For pain, muscle spams, and inflammation, etc)

Iʼve Zoomed a couple of meetings. And, plan to go Sunday. The spasms are gone. Now it hurts, for the most time, just when i move. 
Sid has been steller in taking care of meʼ, and doing everything in the house. I am being very good taken care of. And, i thank Jehovah for that fact. 
I am constantly challenging myself. I move around, and do what i can. One gets really weak, fast, not moving around. 
Watch out for falling, friends. I thought i was. Learned a lesson. I did. 

Grounding. I’m hanging in there, still. I can still rake leaves, and work in the yard. Barefoot. 
I’ve made some adjustments. I have a pair of shoes that enable you to still, “ground”. I have sort of sissy feet. I take the dog for a walk in these shoes. And they are good for rock ground.
I also bought a grounding mat. I put it where my legs and feet are, in bed. No more restless legs. And my insomnia? It’s on the run. I get sleepy like normal people. 
That means I go to sleep, early, (for me) and wake up early. (For me) And, no sleeping pills! 
It’s been interesting. I’ve always believed that we fuss over ourselves too much. Weather wise. 

I’m comfortable raking leaves, with the ground wet, and barefooted. 
When it starts to frost, it will be another story. 
I don’t dare my immune system. If I feel like some unhealthy thing is nagging at my system, I honor it. Generally with something to boost my immune system. 
But, I’m really goi g to try to expose myself to the earth. It might get touch and go, as the winter plods along. 
Sleeping and no more restless legs are just the two things I have noticed. 
I suspect there are other things that I can’t quantify, happening to my body…
Well worth it!

Came upon a new word yesterday. “Mensch”. A brother and sister were in the cart work. They spend 45 minutes at the cart, and 45 minutes, striking up conversations at a nearby mall.

They came across a fellow that had lime green in his shoes. The sister commented, and, thus a conversation was started. 

He was a Jew. 

The fellow apparently asked why they were dressed as they were. They explained they were Jehovah’s Witnesses, and a bit about our work. Jehovah’s Wittnesses? You people are, “mensch”.

If you look up that word, you will smile.

Just got back from the assembly. As usual,  loved it. But one of the experiences…and from a dear friend. I donʼt remember which talk, but her experience. He unbelieving   husband husband is retired from law enforcement. 
(This happened years ago)
While she was out in the ministry, he came upon her car group. Turned his cop lignts on, pulled them over, and told her to get herself home. 
“Wheres the car?”

“At the hall.”

“Well, go get it and come home”. 
He has softened. I sat there at one of our quick builds, with him at our lunch table. (It was snowing, and he drove her to the quick build, with some of the food sheʼd prepared.) 
There he sat. My heart was in a wonderous state. 
Then, one time, I left my rig at their płace, (Assembły time) Itʼs white, and i live on a dirt road.) 
I brought it home, spotless. 
Another time, i went to a wine tasting event on the coast. Came home to, yes, a washed car. 

I love on a dirt road…

That time the brother told me, “I couldnʼt wash your feet, so i washed your car”. The brother was an elder. 

Yes, we live just this side of paradise. 

This happened yesterday. We are having heating problems at the hall. As the meeting started, here came a sister, with an electric blanket she had heated up for us three, (well, two), older sisters,  and gifted us with a warm blanket,  (it was a smaller blanket her son gifted her with) 

And, there we sat, all toasty. With whatever we brougnt in the first płace to keep warm. 
Can it get any better?

Well, I’m on to a new adventure. Grounding!

Update…Iʼve had insommia, litterally for years. Iʼve used pills, patches, chamomille tea. You name it. My brain just wonʼt shut down. 
Wełł, last night, I had a unique experience. I actually got sleepy! Starting around 9 oʼclock.
I honored the feeling. Went to sleep around 10. (Last week, i was actually awake until 5 AM. And, ałmost did the same thing the next night) I tell myself, “If i can get 2 hours sleep, Iʼm okay)

Woke up early. 6:45, actually feeling good! 
Iʼm hooked!♥️♥️♥️

Something totally precious happened at the meeting last night. It was during the wrap-up of the congregation book study. I was sitting there, big smile on my face, totally agreeing with the answer, being said. (We had only 16 there at the meeting). 
The conductor, (whom I have a picture of him asleep in my arms at an assembly, long ago) called on me, and my hand wasn’t up.

I admitted I didn’t know the question, (laughter) and, yes, I managed an answer.  It was on how we can prepare for what’s coming up. 
Times to wrap my heart around!♥️❤️💜

Well, I’m on to a new adventure. Grounding!

Mini nighmare time. My keyboard on my elderly iPad is in a split mode. Please help me discipline the thing

I am having such a hard time. I just got back from the meeting. One of our sisters has a son at Bethel. He sent her a way to see that meeting. I am bubbling over with fantastic news. Only to know, this is not really, really public yet. I’m on page 6 of the annual meeting thread…

I fell asleep during the meeting today. Not nodded off. Went to sleep! A good half an hour. 
The WT Conductor came and checked on me. He said, “Good. I was worried about you being depressed”. 
Several came and made sure I was okay. No comments from Bea today. 
I was sitting next to a good friend. She said she got sleepy, and realized I was asleep, and had to stay awake to make sure I didn’t fall over. 
Know how you feel refreshed after a nap? I was that asleep! 
I’m thinking about old people. Yes, old people, and how I viewed them when I was younger. 
Curious. Here I am. Next. b’day, I will be 80. My memory is touch and go. I’ve lost some of my strength, but, I still can work hard in the garden, and outside. I don’t pick my feet up as I should. (We have stairs. They remind me once in a while.) 
And, wisdom? Got to think on that one?

(No, I did not snore. For which I’m thankful. I think my good friend would not have allowed that!

We just got a Tesla system, 2 batteries.  (The batteries a grant, plus 7 panels, we bought. We made 1.5 kWh from the solar.used 3.7 hours on the power wall , and .02 from the grid. 1.5 from solar and 2 kWh from the power wall. I think.if these numbers don’t drive me crazy. An app tells us what’s going on. 
We  normally use 8 kWh a day for the house. The battery can make 8 kWh a day. 
This makes sense, eventually. I think. 

I would like to listen to, “Draw Close to Jehovah”. How can I manage that? Please. 
I’m starting to recognize the talks from the conventions. (Though the last talk on Sunday never gets old!) The Dramas, been that way for years. 
I lost my app that downloads the current WT’s, so I can’t automatically listen to them. 
So, this, I want to be my next mental adventure! 
Right now, I’m listening to the Dramatic Bible Readings. (I think these are my favorites)

I woke up to Noah preparing the ark, and all that entailed, Saturday morning. 

I listen to the current postings on JW.org. But, that is a stopgap. I want to see them! 
My mind does not behave like I want it to. I feel like I always need to have it busy. Always. 
TV? Bad for me. Most of what my husband watches I’d reality shows. Gold Digging, Homestead Rescues, oh, and that vet show from Colorado. 
I have to make myself try to actually watch it. (I at least want to be playing Scrabble on the iPad) 

Oh, and I love listening to our current bible reading. 
I’m retired, but my mind isn’t!

Oh, this is not impressive. It’s sort of how I keep sane!

In reality, it’s nervousness. I’ve been that way since I was a kid. (Sitting at the table, reading cereal boxes) 

We didn’t have a lot, as a kid, but we did have a “How and Why”, set of books. Have you any idea how much I enjoyed them? I still can smell the pages. (We also had a beautiful set of encyclopedia, Britinnica(?) Untouched, as our house burned down. That was for our future. 
I also took piano lessons.

Then my Dad died. 
I became an unwanted step-kid.

Can you imagine how much I am looking forward to that first hug?

I just listened to an older talk by brother Sydlick(?) I think it was an hour and a half long. Point is, I really, really enjoy these older talks.

Yes, I love the talks on our website. I think I’m about caught up with them. 
There used to be a way to meander through many, many of them. Some of them still bring back fond memories. Is there any way to still access some of them? 
This one I listened to was on utube, and a reference from this site. 
Just wondering💐

Is anyone out there as sick of snow as I am? Zoom meeting tomorrow, and grateful for it!

Well, it happened. Our dear brother died. It was like he was a part of my DNA. I’m full of cherished memories. And so grateful.

His dear wife can start to heal. Jehovah just had his arms around her. He had cancer all over. I can still hear him saying, “I have a cough worse than Bea Nix.” (I’m known for a dramatic cough of unknown origin)  

He was a center of our congregation. I told his wife, “He grounded me”. And, that he did!

Add to broken hearts, he was of the anointed. Talk about conflicted. We knew we’d loose him, but just how.

This is a special, unique thing I may never experience in my life again. And, yes, Jehovah will help us all to heal😓