Betty’s Week

  On the paper route last Wednesday, traveling from Sylva Rena Grocery down Hwy. 32, and then across the By-Pass to the Shell I realized that the Fourth had come and gone, in less than a month the Water-melon Carnival would be history, and that I’d be on the road with school buses again. Yes, in less than a month the young folks will begin the 2014-15 school year. This year is certainly flying by.
  In addition to all of this I have a school reunion this weekend—Crowder High, Class of 1955, on carnival weekend I’ve been invited to Ed’s class reunion—WVHS Class of ‘53—and then on the weekend following the Carnival we’ll have a 100th birthday celebration for Mom—Lord willing. Looks like I’m going to gain a few pounds, but it will be great fun.
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  Last week I enjoyed a phone visit with Russell Turner, editor of the Greene County Herald. Mr. Turner had passed through Water Valley, stopped for a bite to eat and picked up a Herald. He called to ask about our posted ads and I told him all I knew about them and them we talked about both our papers and areas. He was very complimentary of our paper and our city.
    I haven’t seen a Green County paper in many years—we use to exchange with most of the papers in the state, but as we all had to cut staff we no longer had time to read all our fellow papers and I do miss it. As they arrived on Friday we’d all take time to scan each one and it was so much fun to keep up with all the happenings around the state—news you’d never get from TV or radio coverage.
    Russell says he left the family paper, realized he missed it and so he came back to become a newspaper person again, this time as owner and editor. I told him that ink really does get in your blood.
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    I had a tough time this weekend. Sitting with Mom became very stressful as she developed a kidney infection and her blood pressure went sky high. Meds are taking hold though and she’s getting back to normal. I sat one night, in addition to my days, and that gets to be long and tiring. She did eat pretty good for me, though, because I’d taken in some purple hull peas, lima beans and spaghetti—all cooked the way she likes them. For dessert she had chocolate pudding, bananas and other fruits. She does not like cake or any tender crisp cooked veggies. One day she was served green beans, barely cooked, without seasoning, and she took one bite and says, “These are not good.” Rice was also undercooked and meat was tough—was glad I’d brought food she’d eat.
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  Our pastor, Bro. Lynn Jones, his wife, Danielle, and son, Blake, are vacationing at Gulf Shores this week. We are so fortunate though— we have two excellent preachers on staff. Our youth minister, Justin Pierce, filled the pulpit during both the morning and evening worship service. His morning subject was “Don’t Forget Your First Love” and the night message was admonishing us to not just attend church but also get involved and he gave us guidelines as to how to do this. Think we all understood that we’ve  been falling short of our commitment to God and as we discussed his sermons many of us expressed a hope that we’d do better.
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  I’ve had the baptismal towels and table clothes on my sofa for a couple of weeks now. After a sandwich Sunday I though I really do need to get these clean and back to the church—they just might be needed. Put the towels in to wash and then went about other duties. Heard the washer stop, so it was back to the laundry room to transfer them to the dryer. Now I’ve been counting my blessings this year because I’ve not had a lizard in the house. Well, in front of the washer/dryer there was a big one (about eight inches long) standing guard. I told him to just stay there that I’d be right back. Went out to arm myself with bombs, chemical warfare, and a weapon. Bombs came out of the bookshelf (picked out a half dozen heavy books), got the flying insect killer off the front porch, and picked up the heavy sponge mop. Didn’t expect the enemy to be there when I got back, but he was still standing guard. Sprayed him with the wasp spray—didn’t phase him, he is fast. So then I dropped one of my bombs and missed completely. He disappeared. Very carefully got the towels into the dryer, then left. Blocked the doorway and waited. Sure enough, he reappeared in about 15 minutes. I threw another bomb—missed again. Usually I’m very accurate and kill these little pest with a maximum of two throws. At 15-minute intervals I bombed, sprayed and hit at this beast all afternoon. Finally had to return to church, with a lizard still sharing space with me. This is a very unsettling living arrangement. Got back from church and took up my battle station again. I stayed there for hours and I have not seen a lizard again. My hope is that the wasp spray killed it, but I doubt it. I’m sure it’s just in hiding, waiting to jump on me.
  In the meantime I have two doors between the laundry room and my bedroom. I have them closed tightly and have sealed all the cracks. Also have placed big towels on the floor against the doors.
    Then on Monday night, I remembered Mark Anthony, who told me to call him whenever I need help. Mark doesn’t live far from me and He came right over and relocated the beast.     
    Thanks Mark, it’s a relief to know that this one is gone. Hopefully he doesn’t have family members lingering to torment me. If he does, I know who to call now.