Betty’s Week

Apparently a lot of fishermen were getting in that last chance for a few days of catching a fish supper, because there were many boats with poles at Dunn’s getting bait last Wednesday. There was even one car with poles sticking out every window except the driver’s. 

For me it looked like a wonderful day for just sitting on the bank or in a boat and hoping no fish wanted my bait. Do hope everyone who had an opportunity to get out had a wonderful day enjoying God’s fabulous earth.

–––

Wednesday night is usually adult prayer meeting and young people’s study and fellowship at Woodland Hills. However, this was our assigned time to pack boxes for Compassion Ministries—one of my favorite ministry events. On this night we pack boxes and then have a short prayer session and it’s wonderful fellowship and time of ministry to our fellow man. 

I missed this one and hated to do it, but I was just so tired I went home and crashed on the sofa—became an absolute couch potato for the night. We’d had Easter breakfast and then on Monday night the church had hosted the Yalobusha Baptist Association’s spring meeting. I had lots of help, but being the social chairman I still felt a lot of pressure for each of these events to go well and they did. 

And during all this we had to get out a paper and even though this was a relatively easy one, it all just added up and I got tired—something you’ll rarely hear me say. I’m usually a bundle of energy and I do appreciate this gift from God.

–––

Going over to Batesville Thursday morning, I ran through moderate rain most of the way. Only hit a downpour about Goodnight Road, which lasted all through Eureka and almost to the Batesville city limits.  Added to the drive in the rain, when I arrived at the nursing home Mom was having a bad day. She absolutely refused to eat and the pressure is there—when she refuses to eat she dies. 

You can’t get her to open her mouth and if she does and you get a bite in she’ll just spit it out. I made her mad enough to get one bite of oatmeal in and she spit it all over her, the bed, floor and me—how does so little oatmeal cover so much area?

 Finally devised a plan to get her to eat on both Thursday and Friday. Mom likes to sleep a lot and usually after she’s been up in her chair for several hours she’s put back in the bed for a nap. Well, remembering what I did to get Jim to do something he didn’t want to when he was a child, I remembered that we’d  just take something away that he liked (also worked for punishment), so I tried this on Mom. 

All I could think of that she really wants is to sleep. So I decided to keep her awake. It worked both days, but it took me until 2:15 on Thursday and 2:21 on Friday. She’ll go to sleep in her chair, but I was determined to keep her awake and did so by standing by her, shaking her gently each time she tried to nod off. Made her hold her head up, keep her eyes open and be alert until she decided to eat. 

About ever 15 minutes I’d ask, “Are you read to eat?” 

After a little over five hours of this each day, her answer was “yes” and she did eat a pretty good meal both days. She has been on high-powered antibiotics for a UTI and a bad respiratory infection, which are both much improved. Now she is off the meds, so we hope when they are out of her system, she’ll go back to normal. 

All the staff was so concerned and so helpful and we do appreciate them—had everyone from housekeeping and maintenance to nurses stopping by to do what they could.

–––

Sunday our sermon was delivered by Bro. Mark Robertson (nephew of Bro. Dan Robertson) and he is an excellent preacher. He was unable to be with us Sunday night and we enjoyed a video sermon by Rev. Ray Newcomb, long-time pastor of Millington First Baptist. Following this there was a baby shower for baby Sophia, daughter of Kelsey Walker. 

This brought to mind all the baby birth announcements we used to carry in our “Tomorrow’s Men and Women” column. We get very few of these now and wonder why. The announcements are absolutely free and I’m sure relatives and friends would like to see the announcements of the births of these children. To get it in the paper, all you have to do is give us the information—we’d love to print it.

Also, we get very few wedding announcements and wedding write-ups. These are also free and our subscribers (and we still lave a lot both locally and all over the country) would enjoy keeping up with their former classmates, friends and relatives.

We’ll be glad to include pictures, again free, and we have forms if you need them to help you assemble the information. The only restriction is that you keep the wedding write-ups to around 300 words.

–––

If you have not been on a drive in our beautiful countryside  in the past week or so get  out and do so. The roadsides, pastures and yards are beautiful. Mr. Frank Tucker’s (assistant county agent back in the 50s and 60s and Betty Davis’s grandfather) crimson clover is in full bloom. Mr. Frank spearheaded this project in the early 50s. 

Also, in full bloom are plants with tiny lemon yellow blooms—there are masses of them on the roadsides and in pastures. More beauty is provided by wild irises, coreopsis, and other plants I don’t know the names of—need Mom’s wildflower book. I was able to drive slowly to Batesville  Friday morning, as traffic was almost non-existent until I got behind a school bus in the Eureka community. 

Then about five vehicles stacked up behind me. We were all very patient, driving safely, until one white SUV came up and when the bus stopped his flashing red lights it passed us all like a bullet. I found myself praying for the safety of children and for a Panola County sheriff’s department vehicle and then when we hit the Batesville city limits I was praying for a city policeman. That bus had been stopping every 100 or so yards for several miles, but thankfully it had picked up the last child before the reckless driver passed us. I don’t know how a person could be so impatient as to endanger the lives of children.

–––

Didn’t watch much TV over the weekend, but turned it on Monday morning and found all I‘d missed were horrible happenings—shootings, cranes falling and killing people, trees falling, and it just went on and on. The only uplifting news was Prince Harry’s and his wife, Meghan’s, baby was on the way when I left for work. Do pray for a safe delivery and for a better upcoming week.