NOW IS THE TIME TO GET GROUNDED

I don’t suppose there’s a person who owns an iphone or computer who hasn’t heard of Hollywood stars, Amber Heard and Johnny Depp. The details of their toxic marriage and months-long mutual defamation trial has attracted more viewers than any other news story. In a way, I can understand it. In the wake of the bloody Ukraine War and tragic school shootings, we’re all looking for some comic relief. After awhile, bombings and shootings and domestic abuse begin to seem the stuff of normal life. But they’re not. Now is the time to get grounded, before we go crazy, wondering where we fit into this manic world.

You won’t find peace of mind by watching television news shows. We used to be news junkies, but now we find something else to do between six and seven in the evening. We know the war in Ukraine is veering toward World War III. That’s been made very clear for months on end. But there is really nothing that we can do to change the situation in a significant way. We can send money to help the refugees, and support our government’s effort to provide aid, but at our age, we can’t go galavanting off to volunteer with organizations like the Red Cross.

If you have ever lost a loved one to violence , there is only so much you can take when watching videos of school shootings. You know too well that empty, hollow feeling of having lost a a son, daughter, father, brother or mother to a senseless crime. . You wonder how much worse it will get for future generations.

Many people find peace of mind in nature. But hiking alone in the wilderness can sometimes bring on feelings of unreality. You can run away from sorrow, but you can’t escape it.

You can go to rock concerts and see pumped up musicians screaming their hearts out and jumping around on a stage. But when it’s over, it’s over. The next day you feel exhausted or hungover.

Strangely enough, I feel most calm when shopping at a farm and home store. The parking lot is full of pick up trucks. There’s an earthy smell when you walk in the door. Nobody is wearing designer clothes and you’ll seldom see a woman with false eyelashes. In our local Rural King, folks can even bring along their dogs. Their purchases are pretty down to earth. Fertilizer? Blue jeans? Car Batteries? Baby chicks? Welcome to the crowd.

At the checkout, you can observe what people are buying and imagine how they’re going to spend their time today—painting, planting, or working on their farm equipment. You’re with ordinary people who know there’s a war in Ukraine, and that schools are no longer safe. But they just keep moving on– growing food, planting flowers, raising animals, and hoping that better days are ahead.

Now is the time to get grounded.

October 5, 2020October 5, 2020

HOMELESS MAN COOKS SPAGHETTI IN PARK

One of my favorite pastimes during this pandemic is walking in the park along the Wabash River. It’s not a stylish spot like our other parks. You don’t see fancy running gear, people walking pedigreed dogs, or upscale vans. You’re more apt to see folks in parked trucks and old model sedans. I suppose that’s because it’s not in a very good neighborhood. Nevertheless, the joy of seeing the bend in the river, and sunlight over the water, is an exhilarating experience. Yesterday, I observed another person enjoying the riverfront : A homeless man cooking spaghetti in the park.

Homeless man cooks spaghetti along the banks of the Wabash River — Homeless Man Cooks Spaghetti in Park. A folding stove provided him with boiling water.

At first, I saw a folding stove, with a pan above the flames. This held my attention, because I recently purchased a similar stove after going through the last power outage. Although it was warm weather, and we weren’t feeling cold, we desperately needed a cup of coffee. Luckily, our son found a McDonalds that was serving coffee, so we made it through the next 18 hours. The following day,, I found a survival stove and cubes of fuel at Rural King , which can be used indoors. No matter what, we will have our coffee, even if it’s just instant.

The homeless man impressed me when he opened a box of spaghetti and broke some into the pot of boiling water. He was having a homecooked meal right next to the river. No canned spaghetti for him!

He appeared to be middle aged, and wore a clean jacket and pants. He had a beard, but it wasn’t overly long. I thought about him as I walked by his encampment, consisting of nothing more than a backpack and a few scattered items.. Out of curiosity, I turned around for another look. And then, I saw that he was walking a short distance behind me.

Immediately, my friendly interest turned to fear. There was no one around. Was I about to get mugged? I had nothing but my cellphone, since I’d left my purse in the car. I quickened my pace and sprinted to the playground, joining a mother and her two children. Now I felt safe. Looking back toward the sidewalk, I saw that he was still walking.. Obviously, he hadn’t been following me at all. He was merely talking a walk while the pasta bubbled over his folding stove. As if on cue, he turned around and returned to the stove.

At that moment, I realized how deeply ingrained our biases are when we see a homeless person. We assume that they’re bad people. And I’m sure some of them are. But realistically speaking, how dangerous could a person be who’s cooking spaghetti on the banks of the Wabash River?

June 3, 2019June 3, 2019

WHERE DO HAPPY PEOPLE HANG OUT?

Where do you see the most happy people? In a bar or restaurant? At the beach? On a cruise ship? Actually, those places are often jammed with people TRYING to be happy. But if you want to be among truly content, satisfied people, look no further than your local home improvement or farm store. Regardless of their economic status , men and women congregate in home improvement stores, every hour of the day, any day of the week. They don’t have to dress up; they’re relaxed, and they’re shopping for something to improve their lives. I’ve never seen an angry person walking through a farm store. Here in Flyover Country, these are places where happy people hang out.

You see more happy people in home improvement stores than you do in bars and restaurants. — SHOPPING IN A FARM OR HOME IMPROVEMENT STORE IS FUN AND RELAXING

Most of these stores started out as something simple. Rural King was where you went for chickens. Lowe’s began as a hardware store. Menards was originally a pole building business. These retailers slowly expanded, and appeal to customers who are quiet and serious, and enjoy shopping for toilets and cone flowers. Couples wandering the aisles in these places seem more content than the average twosomes you see elsewhere. Let’s face it, you must have a fairly good relationship if you’re looking at new kitchen cabinets.

Unlike department and clothing stores where fashions fade each season, what you buy in a home improvement store is going to give you a longer lasting enjoyment. I’d rather have dirt in my fingernails from planting roses than bright, acrylic fingernails that will chip and crack. I’d rather wander the aisles at Rural King eating free popcorn, than try on bathing suits at Macy’s.

Now of course, you won’t set foot in these down-to-earth places if you’re the glamorous type. But I have to tell you, a new rose colored light bulb will do more for your reflection in the mirror than a slathering of expensive Estee Lauder foundation.

Maybe that’s why stores like Macy’s and Carson’s are closing, while places like Menards are expanding all over the country. These are happy people hangouts.

November 28, 2018November 28, 2018

Help! Squirrels Are Eating Our House

Who doesn’t love squirrels? For years, we’ve put out ears of corn to keep them fat and happy. And then, a few weeks ago, we opened our side door and two squirrels scampered away. We were amused by these frisky little fellows playing on our porch. But when we returned from a Thanksgiving holiday in Indianapolis and began to unpack, we saw a gaping hole at the square base of a porch pillar. Looking closer, we saw another hole on the side. It was puzzling. Years ago, wasps had eaten away that same base, causing the pillar to collapse. But wasps in the snow? It didn’t make sense. And then it dawned on us. Help! Squirrels are eating our house.

We found squirrels eating our porch — SQUIRRELS CAN DAMAGE YOUR HOUSE

We turned to the internet to confirm our suspicions. And sure enough, there were pages of horror stories about squirrels eating you out of house and home. One person had to spend $10,000 replacing a squirrel damaged roof. Apparently, squirrels will eat wires, man made wood, asphalt shingles and lots of other things in your house.

One squirrel lover sternly admonished that it was our own fault for not providing enough squirrel food. The critters were eating wood because they were hungry. Guiltily, we realized we hadn’t provided the ears of corn this year. But wait a minute, thanks to our neighbors’ trees, our yard is full of black walnuts and acorns. You’d think that would satisfy their hunger pangs. Other experts stated that the squirrels eat wood to sharpen their teeth. That doesn’t make much sense, with numerous surrounding tree branches to chew on.

I hopped in the car and headed for Rural King. As I was getting a bag of free popcorn, I asked a salesperson if they had a product to help someone who had squirrels eating their house. Nearby customers looked at me with astonishment. They had never heard of such a thing. But sure enough, there is a pepper spray squirrel repellent. No, you don’t spray it on the animal, but on the wood, so that it doesn’t taste very good. Trouble is, rain and snow washes it away, so we will be going through lots of the squirrel repellent this winter. For good measure, we covered the holes with duct tape.

Tag: Rural King