Story Broken Yet Rising
- Thread starter Kathy in FL
- Start date
Chapter 72
So yeah, I have a long chain that I wear a ring on under my clothes so no one else can see it. It was his mother’s. The ring I mean. It was the first wedding ring his father gave his mom. It is a thin silver band with a little emerald in the top.
“It isn’t really a wedding ring but something he picked up at a pawnshop in Panama City where they went for their honeymoon. It was the only thing he could afford at the time.”
“It’s pretty,” I told him honestly. Kinda different but kinda cute too. On either side of the emerald are this art deco squiggly lines. I’m pretty sure the ring is an antique and Derek just doesn’t realize it.
Hunching his shoulders Derek muttered, “Yeah, well … I want to give you something more … er … when the time comes. Something better.”
Giving him a look I imagine my mother would have recognized I said, “I don’t think the flash is the sentiment the ring is supposed to be about.”
“Maybe not, but I want people to know that I value you more than … just some rinky dink bubble gum machine ring. I mean this one works for this, but I want to be able to do more for you. Right now the stupid gold restrictions …”
I put my hand on his arm and told him, “I’m not a bling kinda girl. I’ve been wearing the same pair of hoop earrings for a long time. This ring is nice. And it’s just as nice as if it is the only ring I’ll ever have. It’s the sentiment, not the sparkle.”
“Look … I need to say something.” At my nod he said, “I’m not comfortable with you being so much younger than me. I … I just … don’t want to lose you either.”
He made me blink. “Huh?”
“Lose you. I don’t want to. I know it sounds a little pathetic, but that’s the way I feel. At the same time … things are so crazy right now. I’ve got Daniel. You’ve got the twins. Uncle James being sick and … maybe … when he’s gone things will change so much I might not stay with the Firm. Do you understand what I’m trying to say? Am I making any sense? I don’t want this to just be about lust. I mean there is that too but I don’t want to talk about that because it will make you think that’s all I’m thinking about. I want you to know I’m not my dad. I want to give us the best chance. I don’t want to make the same mistake my parents did.”
Understanding maybe better than he thought I would I said, “You want to make sure this is more than about kids, friendship, and loneliness.”
He leaned against the van. “Damn you cut to the chase. In the courtroom I always have all the words I need. With you I can barely breathe sometimes, yet you know exactly what I mean.”
“Well, that’s on the positive side. On the not so positive side I’m still learning to leash my mouth … and learning when it is okay to speak my mind regardless of other people wanting me to. And just like you don’t want to be your parents, I don’t want to be mine. I loved them, still do. They were good for each other and good parents … I just don’t want to … to repeat some of the family stuff they did because of who they were.”
“I definitely understand that. As far as your mouth goes … I like who you are Mina. Just give me a chance to keep up. We can work on the rest of it.”
“Okay.”
“Okay?”
“Okay. We’re … promised … or whatever you call it.”
“Can I kiss you?”
“Er … um …”
Wow. I suspect that is one thing we aren’t going to have to work up to but we better work on behaving ourselves. Of course with the caballeros around, I kinda have a feeling that’s not going to be the problem it might otherwise be.
# # # # # # # # # #
Talk about finishing off April with a bang. Both the good kind and the not-so-good kind. Getting back across into Florida took nearly twenty-four straight hours. Good thing the van has a bathroom in it and I stocked some food for just in case. And some extra water for just in case.
When we got to the state line we had to allow a Florida State Trooper (teamed with a National Guardsman carrying a freaking huge rifle) to come in the van and check out everyone that was in it … looking for illegals and enemy combatants or something though they never really explained … and we had to show all of our documentation.
“You appear to have your documents … very handy.”
“Handy? It isn’t like you’ve been blearing it out for hours and hours.”
Derek cleared his throat and said, “We brought all the documents for the children because they are our wards and given the state the country is in, we didn’t want to take the chance in being separated from them just for lack of a paper or two.”
That’s when they found out that Derek was a lawyer and I was a paralegal. We were motioned through after receiving a sticker we had to put on the windshield. We’d need to apply for additional stickers for Derek’s jeep and my minivan once we got home.
We finally made it to the other side of the state line when Knox said, “We need to get us some business cards like Dad used to flip people off with when they didn’t believe who he was.”
Everyone in the van said, “Knox!”
“What? What did I say?”
sssarawolf
Has No Life - Lives on TB
Very big thank you.
Chapter 73
Having a promise ring changed things only marginally. While we were growing our confidence in each other, we weren’t yet at a point where we felt like sharing it with the world. The kind of complications that could cause just isn’t what either one of us is willing to risk, especially in a small town.
As far as other changes going on in our lives, travel has become a great deal more complicated. Now you must have a US Passport just to cross between states. The only exception to that is if you are a long-haul trucker, crossing multiple state lines and only then if you have the special decal on your driver’s license and semi tags. It was also harder to get a commercial driver’s license. As in you had to have so many years of experience with no at-fault accidents or tickets (grandfathered in), or you had to have a certificate degree from a government driving school. There was some noise made about all those changes, but it was put down to war powers and to mitigate the migration of so many illegals that are trying to stay one (or more) jumps ahead of the government deportation orders. Truckers never run solo these days. Usually there are two drivers and two “shotgun” positions. They also run convoy style so that there are security backups. Makes for cramped quarters in the cabs, but better than some of the alternatives that reach the news about truckers and their loads being hijacked … or worse.
They also say the travel restrictions are a way to deal with some of the AWOL individuals that escaped before they could be transferred overseas. Also, escapees from the “work camps” which were more and more sounding like prison camps. Derek and I have discussed it a bit and neither one of us completely believes the rationales being given but we don’t have enough information to do much more than be suspicious. Other states, even more than Georgia has, are trying to control in-state travel. NY, Michigan, California, and Texas all have fierce travel restrictions. Thus far it isn’t quite so bad here in Florida so long as you strictly observe the curfews in place.
Nationwide, any migrant overstaying their green card, or not getting it renewed, are being arrested and sent to a work camp rather than just given a court date. Anyone caught hiring someone that is illegal and/or someone that has overstayed their green card or work visa is also arrested and held until their court date. Anyone in the states on a work visa for health care has been given the opportunity to join the medical corp and work their way towards expedited citizenship. Not as many are taking the government up on that as was expected. If they weren’t in an essential or medical specialty considered essential then they were given the opportunity to self-deport or risk prison. By the end of the summer there is reportedly going to be a real problem finding medical care unless some are willing to come out of retirement.
Changes have been coming at us left and right. Mr. Dayton decided that with the cost of everything going up that it didn’t make sense to have the offices open except three days a week; Monday, Tuesday, and Thursdays. Appointments by video could be made for Wednesdays and Fridays, but only for special cases or if a Judge requires an in-court appearance.
Another big change for the community is that public school had to end in Mid-May, instead of the end, due to the fact that the state has started using the school buildings to temporarily house refugees from up north. We’ll be taking some in from NYC as they are vacating the city due to some things occurring around the UN building and complex. There’s rumors that the US may bomb the complex to make it unusable. The UN is trying to build their own army on US ground. I mean can you believe that? They are calling in assistance from their member nations and while some have made some noise to help, most are saying just give us our people. However, it looks like some people don’t want to return to their country of origin and in fact want to start a new country inside the US borders. What they think they are going to accomplish I don’t know. There’s some rumors that they have a significant amount of gold on hand which is how they are paying for the smuggled in fuel to run generators after their electric and water were cut off, but there are also rumors that this is being instigated by China and their Asian Confederation.
Here at home, I am down to two days a week in the office and one day a week helping Derek with the foreclosures. They are slowing down, at least in our area, due to all the legal constraints being put on lien holders. There is also the potential problem of squatters if the buildings are left vacant too long. While squatters are illegal here in Florida, that doesn’t mean that people don’t try it. Or, that other types of criminals don’t try and take adverse possession of a property and put illegitimate renters in, or claim they are selling the property when they don’t have the legal right to do so. The Firm is picking up a bunch of cases like that all up and down the I10 corridor from Pensacola to Jacksonville. I hear it is even worse in places like Miami, The Villages, and anywhere there were a lot of “second homes” or short-term rentals that aren’t occupied full time.
Mr. Dayton has put together a team of cleaners and evictors to handle the foreclosure cases. So far he doesn’t have them working around here but Mr. Taylor says it is just a matter of time and having enough people to manage the workload. I sincerely hope that Mr. Dayton isn’t trying to turn into a version of Harrah and Harrah, or Morgan and Morgan. Firms like that serve a purpose but Derek isn’t thrilled with the idea of working for such a firm. He doesn’t think Mr. Barnes will go for it either, but we don’t know how long Mr. Barnes will continue to practice due to his health.
On those days that I’m not in the office, and therefore have the kids with me … and Rosie as well on some days … the garden takes up a lot of my time. I’ve been harvesting greens, cucumbers, potatoes, tomatoes, bell peppers, carrots, squash, strawberries, sweet corn, and onions. Mom’s trees are giving me nectarines, peaches, plums, strawberry guava, mayhaws[1], pomegranates[2], Chickasaw plums[3], and Cherry of the Rio Grande[4]. One of the bigger projects is I’ve gone over all of the property picking wild blueberries by the bucketful. The kids (again, including Rosie) eat as many as they pick but that’s okay. It means I don’t have to fix them any snacks on those days.
Another momentous change that was made in May is that Derek finalized his decision to home school Daniel for 5th grade and that we’d reevaluate it from that point forward. I decided we’d school year ‘round, the caballeros just wouldn’t realize it. I remember Mom doing this with Tessa, Mitchell, and I when I was little. We’d do different stuff over the summer, have a little more relaxed schedule, but Mom would count it as school in our portfolio. And then Junior threw me a curve ball asking if Rosie could participate on those days I was in the Office.
“Junior … I’m not sure that will be strictly legal as far as the Home Education Program Office considers it.”
“Maynard says that part is okay. He and Mom just want her to get used to the idea of it. They’re still wondering what to do about Rosie when the regular school year starts. Mom’s worried about her job as they are cutting hours that the store is going to be open again. Uh … don’t let that get around, they aren’t starting that until July.”
“About when the northern refugees start arriving?”
Junior nodded. “Yeah. And it is going to suck. The Feds are supposed to make them work but you know making people work for their keep ain’t gonna be easy. They had a hard enough time just getting people on the dole to work a little bit for their checks. I hear them people think they are going to be assigned office jobs and the like only they ain’t got them kinda spots around here. Between you and me, you might want to say Maynard and I overheard that they’ll get up early and be bussed to munition plants or field work, but it ain’t gonna be no office job and whatever check they get is going to be missing what it costs to provide room and board.”
The stupidity was almost breathtaking. “Oh wonderful. Are they trying to start another riot?”
“Shhh. Not so loud. I tol’ ya, we ain’t supposed to have heard this stuff. But, that’s exactly what is likely to happen when them people find out they ain’t getting’ the long list of free stuff some of them northern politicians have been promising them. The ones being sent out west are going to have it even worse. They’re going to be living in tent cities and they’re going to replace the big tractors at the giant corporate farms out there supposedly to help save fuel. I can hear it now. The new era of slavery.”
There are a lot of people wondering how this is all going to play out.
[1] Mayhaw Uses: Learn How To Use Mayhaw Fruit
[2] How to Preserve Pomegranates
[3] Chickasaw Plum - University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences
[4] Cherry of the Rio Grande Gene Joyner.
Jeepcats27
Senior Member
Thank you for the nice evening chapters treat Kathy!
Somehow I am now signed up for USU's email topics, but they sounded so interesting!
Somehow I am now signed up for USU's email topics, but they sounded so interesting!
sssarawolf
Has No Life - Lives on TB
Very good, I'm so glad I checked back in 
feralferret
Veteran Member
Kathy, thanks!
Chapter 74
I feel so blessed to have Mom’s trees and bushes and so thankful that Mitchell insisted on bringing them all to the Homeplace to add to the ones already here. I’ve gotten Anna apples[1], Barbados cherries[2], capulins[3], Chickasaw plums, Jamaican cherries[4], dragonfruit[5], Surinam cherries[6], plums, elderberries, apricots, and passionfruit[7].
From the garden I’ve gotten beans, beans, and some more beans and I’m happy to have every single one of them. The cucumbers are producing like mad. Hurray. I’ve probably made every pickle[8] I have a recipe for and eaten all of the cucumbers in salads as I can get away with too. Peppers are all sizes, shapes, colors, and heat. I’m experimenting making my own hot sauce[9] since I have an abundance. I’m thankful for the peppers because of the potatoes. I caught a mouse – on a sticky pad – near where I store the potatoes. Derek says he still has the occasional heart palpitation from the war cry I gave at five in the morning when I found the disgusting beasty. He just managed to stop me from using my bat that thinks its name is Lucille. In hindsight I’m glad but at the same time … first blood.
Tomatoes[10] are giving like gangbusters as well. All shapes and sizes, mostly red, but there are some green, orange, and yellow ones in there too. There’s even a brown variety that is kinda gross looking until I dice it up or add it to a recipe. Then there are the red, yellow, and orange fleshed watermelons. My oh my. It took some convincing but now Derek thinks I grow the orange and yellow-fleshed melons to give him something to look forward to after a hard day.
My field of peanuts has turned into a good experiment. Now if I can just convince Mr. Dunst and his son that they don’t need to guard them. I would have given them a share, but they insist on trading. Derek said to let it be, that Mr. Dunst is old-fashioned and should be allowed to have his pride, especially as I refuse to take rent for them living in the pine forest. I’m not going to take rent when the man has already done so much for me and by him and his son living there, it keeps riff-raff from setting up camps on my land.
I’ve got a surprisingly good crop of Egyptian walking onions[11] and garlic. Hardly anyone grows garlic around here and Derek said we are going to keep what I do grow under wraps. He’s more than just a little fond of the pickled garlic[12] I canned for the pantry. Definitely not going to let Taylor hear about it as lately he has done nothing but complain about nothing tasting right.
“They only eat convenience foods so what does he expect?” I asked, tallying one more thing on the side of not understanding Taylor and his wife.
Cautiously Derek answered, “Let’s just make sure the kids don’t … er … share what we have.”
Walking through the kitchen Knox said, “Got it covered Derek. No one is going to take what isn’t theirs to take.”
Derek watched him walk out of the kitchen and turned to me. “Something I need to know about?”
“That new client that Dayton sent to Taylor. The one that is running that program to use foreclosed properties to house refugees. He was talking about how things needed to be redistributed more fairly and some other stuff I wasn’t listening to him bellyache about, but that Knox caught because it upset Nat.”
“What new client?” Derek asked suspiciously.
“One that came to the office when you were in Jacksonville for those two days.”
Derek muttered, “So that’s why he had me go instead of Taylor.”
“What?”
“I’ve noticed Dayton dealing with some clients that Uncle James never would have taken on. I mentioned something to that effect. Dayton didn’t say anything at the time, but maybe he was listening to me after all.”
“Oh that doesn’t sound good,” I said worried about office politics getting stranger than it already was.
Derek showed his ambivalence. “Uh … well … look, it might make good business sense right now, and we need it the same as any other business; but, long term I’m not sure what that means for the future of the Firm.”
I knew it was something that was concerning Derek but it brought up something else. “How is Mr. Barnes doing?”
“Aunt Maggie says the infection has stabilized along with his white blood cell count. I talked to Charles.”
“And?”
“He says that if the white blood cell count doesn’t start going down that Uncle James needs to get in to see if the cancer is back.”
“What?! No!”
Derek put an arm around me. “I don’t want to think that either, but Charles knows his stuff. He wants to specialize in long term care.”
“When will they know? What does Mrs. Padfield think?”
“Aunt Maggie is resigned. Their father died of cancer, but that was back before they made all the advances in treatment we have today. It’s possible that they didn’t get all the tumor like they thought. Charles thinks it is also possible that the antibiotics encapsulated the infection but it is getting to where another surgery could be needed so it doesn’t start leaking back into his blood stream. Without a scan we just won’t know and … it takes a while to get an appointment.”
Derek could tell I was upset. I know I should be more realistic after everything life has thrown at me but there are just some things … people … that … no … I just don’t want to think about it.
“Hey, guess what?”
“Uh … that’s some look on your face and I’m not too sure I trust it,” I told him. I was trying to throw off the mood that was forming – I’d also been wondering about Tessa and the littles which hadn’t helped. When he saw I was trying, and trying to play right back at him, he gave me a big grin. “I got you a pass to go to the State Farmers Market.
I noted his odd phrasing. “You got me a pass?”
“Yeah. I’ll keep the kids … we’ll work on some of that Egyptian Unit Study stuff. Maybe I can even do my part and help them to mummify a chicken[13] and count it both history and anatomy … or at least science. I need to bone up on my anatomy, I’m going to renew my license, for just in case.”
[1] Anna Apple tree - How to grow & care
[2] Barbados Cherry: Tart Tropical Cherries You'll Love
[3] Capulin cherry - How to grow & care
[4] Everything About Jamaican Cherry Tree Care
[5] 7 Health Benefits of Dragon Fruit (Plus How to Eat It)
[6] Surinam Cherry - University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences
[7] How to Eat Passion Fruit: Instructions and Recipes
[8] Pickle Recipes
[9] How to Make Hot Sauce - The Ultimate Guide
[10] 75 Types Of Tomatoes From A to Z (With Photos!)
[11] How to Plant and Grow Egyptian Walking Onions | Gardener’s Path
[12] How to Make Pickled Garlic
[13] How to Mummify a chicken, Science Sunday
Siskiyoumom
Veteran Member
Thank you!
sssarawolf
Has No Life - Lives on TB
Wonderful addition, thank you.
Chapter 75
I don’t know if Derek sneaks things in on purpose like that, or if he just expects me to have already gotten to the idea ahead of him or something. I put it down on the list of “relationship things” I needed to think about. I didn’t play stupid exactly, but I just encouraged him to follow through on renewing his EMT license if he thought it was a good idea, that I supported him all the way. That’s when he told me he wanted to advance to holding a paramedic license.
“Can I ask you … um … why?”
He nodded. “I know you have to wonder why I would give up the pay of a lawyer to go back to emergency services.”
“Actually, it isn’t about the pay. I’m just wondering if you miss healthcare or something. You told me you liked being a lawyer.”
He blinked in surprise. “Well you should be wondering but … kinda grateful you aren’t. And … I like being a lawyer the way Uncle James ran things. I’m … not sure I’m liking the direction Dayton is taking the firm.”
“Okay. I can understand that. I get tired of being run ragged because Dayton won’t or can’t hire another person for the office. Kinda hard on some days to keep all the balls in the air that I’m supposed to, but I just figured that’s the way things run.”
“No. We need at least a law clerk and a receptionist so you can focus on the paralegal end of things full time. If we weren’t so busy it would work out okay, but Dayton keeps taking on out of town clients and expecting us to take up the slack in his office. As a result we’re losing market share here. I know of at least two lawyers that have come out of retirement and claim they are local cases only. The only thing we still have over them is that they are relatively new to the county and don’t have our contacts and one has already managed to irritate several people down at the courthouse, including Clerk of the Court.”
Already knowing the two lawyers in question by reputation … from the noise being made at the courthouse … I asked, “What about Taylor? Has he said anything?”
“The only thing he complains about is when you aren’t around and he has to do things himself that he’d normally pass off to a clerk. What he should be concerned about is the firm charging for his hours instead of a clerk or paralegal’s which cost less. You know the drill and are on the receiving end of complaints about how expensive things are even more than Taylor and I. That said, the way Dayton has it set up I personally feel that the clients aren’t getting the best deal. If the clients start figuring that out, the firm could get complaints against it and the Bar get involved. But so many young lawyers and clerks have been drafted that there’s just no real pool of people to hire from, especially here locally except for those two that have come out of retirement. At some point that is going to come up. Right now, as I understand it from clients, our caseload is primarily people that are just grateful to have found a lawyer able to take them. I may not like how choosy those two other lawyers can be, but Dayton needs to weed out some of these cases he is taking on. I don’t want to see the Firm get a reputation of being ambulance chasers.”
“You think maybe he is looking to set himself up for retirement? He’s a little young but …”
“What I think is he is trying to get up enough money in his offices to buy Uncle James out early and become the senior partner.”
“Uh … Mr. Barnes was pretty clear last time the subject came up that he intended on ‘dying in the saddle’ or something like that. Like his uncle who he took over for.”
Derek nodded. “I know it. You know it. I know Dayton and Taylor know it. But if Uncle James’ health worsens … or if he can’t practice because of any damage caused by the stroke … I’m not sure if he is going to be left with any choice. Not if he is going to have enough money to survive on. He never planned to retire so hasn’t been saving that kind of money. After Aunt Jean passed, the law firm became his entire life … except for getting into people in the family’s business.”
“Like you?”
“Yeah. And Junior and his mom. And Aunt Maggie. A few others here and there. You notice Dad and Lorena don’t visit.”
“Actually, it isn’t any of my business.”
“It is now,” he said surprising me. “Lorena made the mistake of saying something after I got out of the hospital. It wasn’t necessarily a mistake to have an opinion, it was that she aired that opinion where Uncle James heard it. Uncle James went to Dad and there was a big blow up.”
“Mr. Barnes?!”
“Yeah. And Dad too. They’re both normally easygoing but for whatever reason they’ve never really got on, even when they were boys. It got worse when Dad refused to have anything to do with the law firm. On Dad’s side he was always bent that he was treated like a stepkid just because his mom remarried after Uncle James’ father died. They were half-brothers and aren’t all that far apart in age. Aunt Maggie always tried to build a bridge between them – even when they were all kids – but the Barnes side of things created some problems because of how quick their mother remarried – not even a year – and how quick Dad came along after that.”
“So you’re saying there are reasons your dad acted like he did.”
“Yeah, there is. I’ve tried to be understanding. And understand him better after getting caught by the Barnes-Musgrove tug o’ war myself. But understanding doesn’t mean I want to make the same kinds of decisions.”
“That I can understand because it is the same for my parents. The Homeplace is just one part of that. But that still doesn’t tell me why you are thinking about advancing your medical training instead of focusing on maybe building your own practice.”
Chapter 76
I could record that entire conversation, but I won’t. I had to pull it out of Derek a piece at a time when he could have – as he says of me – cut to the chase and just said it. I could tell he was relieved, but it made me angry that he was worried for no frickin’ reason.
“Derek, I’m not promised to you because you are a lawyer. I didn’t promise myself to you because you used to be an EMT or have a lot in common with Mitchell. And you better know I didn’t promise myself to you because of future financial benefits.”
“Uh …”
“Yeah. We need to get that straight right now. I promised myself to you because you’re you in spite of all that stuff and all the other things we have in common.”
“I’m a man Mina.”
“No kidding.”
“Don’t. I’m being serious here. Um … I was engaged before I lost my eye.”
“I’ve heard the rumors.”
“Well they aren’t rumors and she Dear John’d me after seeing me in the hospital the first time. Then when I went to work for Uncle James she shows up and flat out explains she just didn’t know how we were supposed to make a life together if I was unemployable but that she’d be willing to see if things worked out since I was going to be making even more money than I had as an EMT.”
“Ew. I hope you explained that error and sent her on her way.”
“Eh … I did in the end, but I also almost made the kinda mistake Dad had … because of loneliness. I had passed the Bar, but hadn’t left my emotions behind.”
“Do you still care about her?”
“No. And no, it didn’t end as bad as the Dear John letter. We both just decided we’d moved on too far to make it work. But I also realized I shouldn’t have even tried to salvage things. I … learned that she wasn’t able to be supportive of my choices.”
“Well, if you’re wondering, I’m fine whether you’re a lawyer, a medical person, or dog catcher. Just be happy in it. My dad … he was good at what he did, way more than good, but sometimes I look back and wonder if he liked what he was good at or if he let his OCD control things that … maybe … he should have …” I stopped and shook my head. “That’s one of my problems on trying to figure out what I want to do for the rest of my life. There’s things I can do, but I’m not sure what I want to do. Right now, it all has to deal with the twins … and now Daniel and us … but one day they won’t need me the same way and I don’t want to wind up like Mom was looking at feeling … an empty nest and not knowing what to do with herself. She filled up her time, but she lived for us kids and Dad and her parents. Losing Tessa and then her parents nearly took her health … mental and physical. I don’t want to be that. I just don’t know what it is I do want to be. But if I want freedom of choice then I need to give that to you too. We’ll work it out when we figure it out.”
And then I got a humdinger of a kiss. Bent over backwards and the whole nine yards.
“Whoa. What was that for?” I asked once I’d gotten my breath back and could see half way straight.
“For being prosaic. Now tell me if you want to go to the farmer’s market or not so we can plan out the day.”
Well, whatever, I’m glad he likes me being prosaic. I’m pretty sure I like him liking it quite a bit. To the point that it made my ears pop.
Siskiyoumom
Veteran Member
I am really enjoying your story. Thank you so very much.
Jeepcats27
Senior Member
What nice chapters to wake up to! Thank you Kathy1
sssarawolf
Has No Life - Lives on TB
Many thanks Kathy, had to come read this after morning chores were over with .
.
Texican
Live Free & Die Free.... God Freedom Country....
Kathy,
What a wonderful story that I finally had the time to read.
Have been working on three projects and did not have the time to read your stories, but the projects are completed and a reading I will go...
You are an outstanding author.
Texican....
What a wonderful story that I finally had the time to read.
Have been working on three projects and did not have the time to read your stories, but the projects are completed and a reading I will go...
You are an outstanding author.
Texican....
Chapter 77
Mummifying a chicken was a hit with the kids. They were a little grossed out, what Mom would have called part of the appeal, but they got the concept of how crazy the ancient Egyptians were about the afterlife. Other projects we did for the unit study included making our own bricks[1], sand slime[2], learned about hieroglyphics[3], free printables[4] on the subject, and lots of other educational activities[5] I found online. We even learned about math[6] and geometry. Derek said he wished school had been like this for him, he wouldn’t have dreamed of skipping days so much.
Since Ancient Egypt in June has turned out to be so great according to the kids I’ve decided we’ll do a new theme each month assuming it continues to work. The kids also like doing the weird holidays declared for each day[7] but I found it hard to keep up with along with everything else I was doing. Even if I can see the appeal of National Donut Day (6/2) and Corn on the Cob Day (6/11), by the time I got to National Catfish Day (6/25) I was kinda just over it and all the work and planning involved.
Plus, I was trying to keep up with what was coming in the from the garden and orchard plus with what I picked up at the farmer’s market from the “invite” that Derek had gotten for me. At the farmer’s market the limits were strict but reasonable as it allowed for the fact that people were there for resale purposes. I still use Dad’s LLCs and I take turns keeping them active for various activities. I renewed them all in March and so far that’s all the state asks of me. And unless I am earning money from them, the FinCen regs don’t mean much though I finally got around to putting my name as the beneficiary of record.
At the farmer’s market there was local produce available, and I got what I could, basically doubling what came in from the garden. What made it all worth going however, was the other stuff I was able to pick up; raspberries, avocados, coconuts, carambolas, guavas, mangos, mushrooms, papayas, and garlic and onions to give me enough to do more than just use fresh and a few jelly jars of pickled garlic. I’m glad that I left up those jury-rigged curtains on the back of the minivan windows. Way too many curious people as I was driving back to the Homeplace.
I wasn’t home long before I got a call from Mrs. Padfield wondering if I would come over the next day and help her and The Girls pick blackberries out of their fence rows. She got word that someone is night harvesting from people’s lots and gardens. I’m gladder than ever that Mr. Dunst was able to help me get that deer fencing and encouraged me to set up cameras just for the garden and orchard … and big signs that I had them.
For the last couple of days about all I’ve done is pick blackberries. The fridge is overflowing and I need to get to preserving them before they start molding. But tomorrow I also need to make time to plant okra, cantaloupe, lima beans, and I’m going to give a couple of eggplants a try. Supposedly there is a way to cook them so they aren’t slimy. More research to be done on top of everything else I have going on.
[1] Hands-on Ancient Egypt: Israelite Mud Bricks for Kids
[2] Egyptian Sand Slime
[3] Free Ancient Egypt Printables and Worksheets
[4] FREE Ancient Egypt Printables for History Studies
[5] Ancient Egypt Study Unit - Mosswood Connections
[6] Ancient Egypt for Kids - Ancient Math - Ancient Egypt for Kids
[7] Checkiday.com
Mummifying a chicken was a hit with the kids. They were a little grossed out, what Mom would have called part of the appeal, but they got the concept of how crazy the ancient Egyptians were about the afterlife. Other projects we did for the unit study included making our own bricks[1], sand slime[2], learned about hieroglyphics[3], free printables[4] on the subject, and lots of other educational activities[5] I found online. We even learned about math[6] and geometry. Derek said he wished school had been like this for him, he wouldn’t have dreamed of skipping days so much.
Since Ancient Egypt in June has turned out to be so great according to the kids I’ve decided we’ll do a new theme each month assuming it continues to work. The kids also like doing the weird holidays declared for each day[7] but I found it hard to keep up with along with everything else I was doing. Even if I can see the appeal of National Donut Day (6/2) and Corn on the Cob Day (6/11), by the time I got to National Catfish Day (6/25) I was kinda just over it and all the work and planning involved.
Plus, I was trying to keep up with what was coming in the from the garden and orchard plus with what I picked up at the farmer’s market from the “invite” that Derek had gotten for me. At the farmer’s market the limits were strict but reasonable as it allowed for the fact that people were there for resale purposes. I still use Dad’s LLCs and I take turns keeping them active for various activities. I renewed them all in March and so far that’s all the state asks of me. And unless I am earning money from them, the FinCen regs don’t mean much though I finally got around to putting my name as the beneficiary of record.
At the farmer’s market there was local produce available, and I got what I could, basically doubling what came in from the garden. What made it all worth going however, was the other stuff I was able to pick up; raspberries, avocados, coconuts, carambolas, guavas, mangos, mushrooms, papayas, and garlic and onions to give me enough to do more than just use fresh and a few jelly jars of pickled garlic. I’m glad that I left up those jury-rigged curtains on the back of the minivan windows. Way too many curious people as I was driving back to the Homeplace.
I wasn’t home long before I got a call from Mrs. Padfield wondering if I would come over the next day and help her and The Girls pick blackberries out of their fence rows. She got word that someone is night harvesting from people’s lots and gardens. I’m gladder than ever that Mr. Dunst was able to help me get that deer fencing and encouraged me to set up cameras just for the garden and orchard … and big signs that I had them.
For the last couple of days about all I’ve done is pick blackberries. The fridge is overflowing and I need to get to preserving them before they start molding. But tomorrow I also need to make time to plant okra, cantaloupe, lima beans, and I’m going to give a couple of eggplants a try. Supposedly there is a way to cook them so they aren’t slimy. More research to be done on top of everything else I have going on.
[1] Hands-on Ancient Egypt: Israelite Mud Bricks for Kids
[2] Egyptian Sand Slime
[3] Free Ancient Egypt Printables and Worksheets
[4] FREE Ancient Egypt Printables for History Studies
[5] Ancient Egypt Study Unit - Mosswood Connections
[6] Ancient Egypt for Kids - Ancient Math - Ancient Egypt for Kids
[7] Checkiday.com
Chapter 78
Here it is July. About the only thing people talked about for a while is that Barnes and Musgrove wasn’t closed for the month and the 4th of July parade didn’t have any floats this year due to fuel restrictions. A few alternative fuel vehicles took their place as curiosities … there was a methane fueled car, a moonshine fueled tractor, and even a wood gasification contraption. The moonshine tractor was nearly as loud as the three marching bands combined.
Everything was very old-fashioned. Popcorn and lemonade were the only snacks available. There were big barrels of grits and you could have it with crawdaddies or catfish. If you didn’t want that there was bowls of rice and beans with pepper sauces to heat it up if you were so inclined. Some local politicians got together and there were sparklers for the kids once it got dark rather than all of the fancy fireworks last year. Munitions and those types of supplies aren’t easy for the common man to lay hands on, and it is even harder to get permits to set them off. That means that gun shops are having to be extra careful as they are about the only places still able to sell that type of stuff.
The 4th was a fun day that temporarily took our minds off our struggles. They’ve extended the brown outs. Power goes off at 6 pm and doesn’t come back on until 8 am. That might not seem like such a bad thing until you take into account sunrise and sunset times and that it is freakin’ hot as Hades this time of year. For instance, on the 4th morning twilight started at 6:08 am, sunset was at 8:39 pm but full dark didn’t hit until 9:05 pm. That was a lot of “daylight” where there was no power for most people to even run a swamp cooler with. Of course, ice is a luxury unless you can get out ahead of the power going on. Most people can’t do leftovers because they’ll sour in the heat overnight.
Junior’s mother said they have even turned off most of the coolers at her grocery store and are only selling shelf stable versions of milk and margarine. They sell cheese by the pound off large wheels of cheese and meat orders have to be placed in a few days in advance; and paid for in advance as well. Nothing can be purchased or ordered on credit. About once a week they’ll have a fresh meat sale and people are lined up around the building and praying there’s some left by the time they get to the front of the line. I’m beyond thankful for the original two cows that Derek bought for the freezer to give me time to preserve them. He got another two last month and I managed to finish getting all of that meat preserved (canned or freeze dried) and Derek said it wasn’t likely to happen again as the government has started buying “spare” meat to provide all of the military personnel with enough calories to keep them healthy.
They almost don’t need to draft regular soldiers anymore as they have plenty of people enlisting. What they are still shy of are specialty fields like computer engineers, rocket scientists, and nurses. And no, I’m not kidding. That’s exactly what the news reporter said on TV when he was quoting a speech the President gave.
All those northern refugees? They said they’ll move up along the Canadian border until it heads into Winter and then they’ll move South. Florida said, “Think again. You don’t come now, you won’t be welcome later. Refugees don’t get the same privileges as Snowbirds.”
I’m fairly certain those refugees are going to find they’ve sunk themselves by acting like prima donnas. The Whitehouse was petitioned by a bunch of them via a politician that thought he was more important than he was. Whitehouse said, “Go away kid, we’ve got a war to win. Either play by the rules the state governors set, or don’t cry about the consequences. And if you are due an order of deportation …?”
When they got to that part, most people shut up. Especially after it was made known that the entitlement rolls had been under quiet scrutiny and a lot of people were going to start losing bennies if any fraud or incorrect paperwork has been found. And a lot of people that were using disability to avoid the draft? Not no more Charlie Brown.
Derek has asked me – pretty diplomatically all things considered – to keep my opinions on certain topics to myself and also avoid, as much as possible, being dragged into conversations on those topics even if I keep my opinions to myself.
“Mina, people are losing their minds. I mean they are just turning mean and stupid, assuming that’s not what they already were. I’d just … look … aw hell …”
“Relax. I get it. I have the caballeros to protect. And I promised myself to you, so I don’t want to upset you either.”
Aggravated he said, “And I don’t want you to change who you are because there are way too many idiots in this world.”
Using my mother’s technique on how she handled Dad on occasion I headed off his mad by being reasonable and saying, “But there are, and we both know it. Mrs. Shepherd says … she called it ‘going gray’. I won’t hide or lie precisely, it will just be part of that ‘it’s nobody’s business’ thing we have going on. The kids already get it. Even Knox.”
He stopped and I knew he wanted to make some kind of comment but was choosing not to. As far as apples go, Knox and I didn’t fall far from our father’s tree.
Not to mention we were all too tired most of the time to bleed snark. I’ve had to set Knox and Daniel watching Nat to make sure she isn’t getting too hot, and I’m watching all three of them to make sure they aren’t getting dehydrated. It stays roasting hot at night and I’ve dealt with that the best way I could by taking one of the spare rooms and hanging netted hammocks in three of the four corners. They can throw a sheet in the hammock and there’s more air flow than if they were on a mattress. It also means there are less sheets to wash and I don’t have to worry about their beds souring even with a protector on them. Pillows can still get bad but we’ve gotten into the habit of bringing their pillows down when they come for breakfast and they get hung on a line I’ve strung on the porch.
Here it is July. About the only thing people talked about for a while is that Barnes and Musgrove wasn’t closed for the month and the 4th of July parade didn’t have any floats this year due to fuel restrictions. A few alternative fuel vehicles took their place as curiosities … there was a methane fueled car, a moonshine fueled tractor, and even a wood gasification contraption. The moonshine tractor was nearly as loud as the three marching bands combined.
Everything was very old-fashioned. Popcorn and lemonade were the only snacks available. There were big barrels of grits and you could have it with crawdaddies or catfish. If you didn’t want that there was bowls of rice and beans with pepper sauces to heat it up if you were so inclined. Some local politicians got together and there were sparklers for the kids once it got dark rather than all of the fancy fireworks last year. Munitions and those types of supplies aren’t easy for the common man to lay hands on, and it is even harder to get permits to set them off. That means that gun shops are having to be extra careful as they are about the only places still able to sell that type of stuff.
The 4th was a fun day that temporarily took our minds off our struggles. They’ve extended the brown outs. Power goes off at 6 pm and doesn’t come back on until 8 am. That might not seem like such a bad thing until you take into account sunrise and sunset times and that it is freakin’ hot as Hades this time of year. For instance, on the 4th morning twilight started at 6:08 am, sunset was at 8:39 pm but full dark didn’t hit until 9:05 pm. That was a lot of “daylight” where there was no power for most people to even run a swamp cooler with. Of course, ice is a luxury unless you can get out ahead of the power going on. Most people can’t do leftovers because they’ll sour in the heat overnight.
Junior’s mother said they have even turned off most of the coolers at her grocery store and are only selling shelf stable versions of milk and margarine. They sell cheese by the pound off large wheels of cheese and meat orders have to be placed in a few days in advance; and paid for in advance as well. Nothing can be purchased or ordered on credit. About once a week they’ll have a fresh meat sale and people are lined up around the building and praying there’s some left by the time they get to the front of the line. I’m beyond thankful for the original two cows that Derek bought for the freezer to give me time to preserve them. He got another two last month and I managed to finish getting all of that meat preserved (canned or freeze dried) and Derek said it wasn’t likely to happen again as the government has started buying “spare” meat to provide all of the military personnel with enough calories to keep them healthy.
They almost don’t need to draft regular soldiers anymore as they have plenty of people enlisting. What they are still shy of are specialty fields like computer engineers, rocket scientists, and nurses. And no, I’m not kidding. That’s exactly what the news reporter said on TV when he was quoting a speech the President gave.
All those northern refugees? They said they’ll move up along the Canadian border until it heads into Winter and then they’ll move South. Florida said, “Think again. You don’t come now, you won’t be welcome later. Refugees don’t get the same privileges as Snowbirds.”
I’m fairly certain those refugees are going to find they’ve sunk themselves by acting like prima donnas. The Whitehouse was petitioned by a bunch of them via a politician that thought he was more important than he was. Whitehouse said, “Go away kid, we’ve got a war to win. Either play by the rules the state governors set, or don’t cry about the consequences. And if you are due an order of deportation …?”
When they got to that part, most people shut up. Especially after it was made known that the entitlement rolls had been under quiet scrutiny and a lot of people were going to start losing bennies if any fraud or incorrect paperwork has been found. And a lot of people that were using disability to avoid the draft? Not no more Charlie Brown.
Derek has asked me – pretty diplomatically all things considered – to keep my opinions on certain topics to myself and also avoid, as much as possible, being dragged into conversations on those topics even if I keep my opinions to myself.
“Mina, people are losing their minds. I mean they are just turning mean and stupid, assuming that’s not what they already were. I’d just … look … aw hell …”
“Relax. I get it. I have the caballeros to protect. And I promised myself to you, so I don’t want to upset you either.”
Aggravated he said, “And I don’t want you to change who you are because there are way too many idiots in this world.”
Using my mother’s technique on how she handled Dad on occasion I headed off his mad by being reasonable and saying, “But there are, and we both know it. Mrs. Shepherd says … she called it ‘going gray’. I won’t hide or lie precisely, it will just be part of that ‘it’s nobody’s business’ thing we have going on. The kids already get it. Even Knox.”
He stopped and I knew he wanted to make some kind of comment but was choosing not to. As far as apples go, Knox and I didn’t fall far from our father’s tree.
Not to mention we were all too tired most of the time to bleed snark. I’ve had to set Knox and Daniel watching Nat to make sure she isn’t getting too hot, and I’m watching all three of them to make sure they aren’t getting dehydrated. It stays roasting hot at night and I’ve dealt with that the best way I could by taking one of the spare rooms and hanging netted hammocks in three of the four corners. They can throw a sheet in the hammock and there’s more air flow than if they were on a mattress. It also means there are less sheets to wash and I don’t have to worry about their beds souring even with a protector on them. Pillows can still get bad but we’ve gotten into the habit of bringing their pillows down when they come for breakfast and they get hung on a line I’ve strung on the porch.
kyrsyan
Has No Life - Lives on TB
Out back of my grandparents' "shack" was the screen bunkhouse. When we were kids and the houses were overflowing, that's where we slept. Screens on all sides to let the breezes through. Us kids loved it.
To this day, I wouldn't mind sleeping outside on a screen porch. Ot using an outdoor bathhouse.
To this day, I wouldn't mind sleeping outside on a screen porch. Ot using an outdoor bathhouse.
Chapter 79
One thing I do to help is I do all the cooking I can in the outside Summer Kitchen. It keeps the house from heating up like a furnace. I wouldn’t do any cooking during the day at all except that is about the only time I have to preserve everything coming in from the garden and I keep at least one canner and one pressure cooker going at all times; beans, cantaloupes (though we eat most of the melons fresh), cucumbers, garlic, onions peppers, potatoes, tomatoes, black eyed peas, and watermelons. I pull peanut plants and hang them in the barn to finish drying until the peanuts are cured and ready to come off. From Mom’s bushes and trees I got atemoyas, bael fruit, bananas, Barbados cherries, Nanking bush cherries[1], pie cherries goji berries[2], capulin, button mangosteen[3], elderberries, pineapple guava[4], Jamaican cherries, jujubes, passionfruit (maypops), peaches, pineapple, dragonfruit, Surinam cherries, and prickly pears though there has got to be a better way to get the stickers off those things. I get so tired and irritated trying to get those little sharp hairy prickles out of places they don’t belong.
More normal things I’ve been harvesting are the Pristine variety of yellow apples. It is producing even better this year than last. I think it is the year ‘round care I’ve been giving all the trees. Same for the Flavortop nectarines, Early Harvest green apples, and Fantasia nectarines. I got a crop off the AU Rubrum plums, but not as many as I should have. I fed me a raccoon to the gator in the swamp area on the solar farm once I found out why. Some people might have thought that was mean (and I didn’t tell the kids what I’d done though Knox probably suspects), but I’m not going to put up with a nasty animal stealing food out of my family’s mouths. I got quite a harvest of rabbiteye blueberries, but the deer got their fair share as well. That’s fine. Deer eat and then we’ll eat deer when the weather gets cooler. Derek says he’ll teach me to hunt and process the results. I may Gak my way through the first time or two but if I can learn to catch a chicken, wring its neck, skinny it out of its feathers, and gut it and all the rest there’s probably not an animal I won’t or can’t process.
Why can I do chickens? Because Mr. Dunst showed me how. His ex-daughter-in-law decided to pick up and leave for a more favorable climate and basically dumped over a hundred chickens on Mr. Dunst and Tory because she couldn’t just leave them to run around or her landlord wasn’t going to giver her back her security deposit.
Mr. Dunst told me the story after coming to find me and said, after a grunt, “The girl ain’t gettin’ her security deposit back no how. I saw what she let them kids o’ hers do to the bedrooms they were given to stay in. Girl is slovenly and that’s a fact. Now about that ol’ dog run …”
Essentially Mr. Dunst was gifting me with part of the flock in exchange for helping him to can the ones he was culling. We canned chicken[5] in pints, canned chicken soup in quarts, and then I showed him a few things my mother and grandmother taught me including my mother’s recipe for white chicken chili. The “exchange” suited us both and now I have more eggs than I know what to do with. Every time I save up five dozen extra I will run the freeze drier and then vacuum seal those eggs for use in the future.
From some people at church the kids and I picked figs and pears in shares for clearing trees. Everyone knows the kids are part monkey and they learned from the best teacher … me … how to do it fast and safe.
Everyone is picking things as fast as they ripen even if they would have left stuff to spoil in years past. If you don’t get what belongs to you first, it is pretty much a guarantee that someone will come along and clear your plants and trees during the night even if it just spoils that drop to the ground. Most people use spoils to feed their animals with so even the loss of what used to be considered garbage can’t be tolerated. These garden pirates have been known to poison dogs that people set to guard their stuff and now families that can afford to set human guards. Sometimes neighbors join together. Duff said there’s rumors the harvested items are being taken out of the area and sold or traded to the local drug dealers who then sell it out of the area. He also warned everyone with kids to keep them close as in Alachua County there’s been a few cases of kidnapping and ransom. Same for women of any age. If it is in Alachua, it won’t be long until they try that crap here in the northern counties. I for one am glad I don’t have to leave our kids home alone. Not everyone is so lucky … or smart.
Made my own contacts this time and made it back to the State Farmers Market. Mostly I was after imports like avocados, coconuts, carambolas, guavas, mangos, mushrooms, and pineapples. I didn’t keep it all for myself but did some trading with a few trusted people. Mr. Dunst and his son came with me as protection. I know most people consider Tory “simple” but I wouldn’t want to ever tangle with him. He’s built like Paul Bunyan. He is a gentle giant for the most part, but I’ve seen him pick a large man up and throw him down hard enough to make him bounce when he pointed a gun at Mrs. Shepherd when she was running the register at Sheepdog Tactical.
Derek was there five minutes behind the cops as he has taken to listening to a scanner in his office and knew I was heading that way. When the man’s partner tried to make out like Tory started things and he was actually trying to protect Mrs. Shepherd from the crazy simpleton Derek went over to Tory and Mr. Dunst and said, “You have legal representation. Don’t say another word.” Then he turned to both men and said, “I’ll see you on a prison barge in the middle of the Red Sea if you so much as try the crap you are tuning up to sing. There are cameras all over this store that will prove the facts. At the very least you are going to be charged with reckless endangerment by swinging a loaded weapon around in a crowded store.”
Before he had to go any further Duff looked at the Statie that was there “observing” and shrugged and grinned, his way of saying if you want jurisdiction, you can have them. The Statie says, “I’ll book these two at County and then transport them to the Tallahassee holding facilities until they can make their first appearance. It will make them easier to find in case anyone is looking for them.”
Things calmed down quickly after that and people went back to their business. I’d been there to make a quiet trade of pineapples for some reloading supplies. Surprise, surprise but Derek knew how to do all that and already had his own equipment which we set up in one of the third story rooms that we plan to disguise the entrance to.
After the transaction Derek walked out with me. “Everyone all right? I saw Mrs. Shepherd’s oldest was watching the kids.”
“So I didn’t have to bring them into the store,” I explained. “I hadn’t expected it to be so busy. Or for there to be a couple of crazies with something in the works.”
I could tell he wanted to hug … whether for my comfort or his I wasn’t sure … but we’d agreed to stay circumspect when other people were around.
“I have to get back to the office. Taylor already cussed me for rushing out without explanation.”
“Taylor can just deal. He walks out all the time to ‘stretch his legs’ when no one is looking.”
“You mean to go smoke those damn, smelly clove cigarettes he’s gotten addicted to.”
I shrugged. “You say po-tay-to, I say po-tah-to. As long as his wife doesn’t expect me to restrict their use, his lung cancer in the making is his issue, and none of my business.”
“Mouth.”
“And your point is?”
Derek gave an unwilling grin and after asking and hearing from Knox that ‘everything was covered’ he left, and I wasn’t far behind them. The kids and I had a date with some buckets where we were picking blackberries and raspberries from the hedges before the day got too hot. And after that the kids were going to MOC their version of the Erechtheum on the Acropolis. Yep, we’ve spent July studying ancient Greece.
[1] How to Grow and Care for Nanking Cherry Bush
[2] Vermilion Sunset® Goji Plant - Stark Bro’s
[3] Mangosteen nutrition facts and health benefits
[4] https://feijoarecipes.wordpress.com/2017/09/25/feijoa-jam
[5] Canning Chicken (How to do it Safely) • The Prairie Homestead
One thing I do to help is I do all the cooking I can in the outside Summer Kitchen. It keeps the house from heating up like a furnace. I wouldn’t do any cooking during the day at all except that is about the only time I have to preserve everything coming in from the garden and I keep at least one canner and one pressure cooker going at all times; beans, cantaloupes (though we eat most of the melons fresh), cucumbers, garlic, onions peppers, potatoes, tomatoes, black eyed peas, and watermelons. I pull peanut plants and hang them in the barn to finish drying until the peanuts are cured and ready to come off. From Mom’s bushes and trees I got atemoyas, bael fruit, bananas, Barbados cherries, Nanking bush cherries[1], pie cherries goji berries[2], capulin, button mangosteen[3], elderberries, pineapple guava[4], Jamaican cherries, jujubes, passionfruit (maypops), peaches, pineapple, dragonfruit, Surinam cherries, and prickly pears though there has got to be a better way to get the stickers off those things. I get so tired and irritated trying to get those little sharp hairy prickles out of places they don’t belong.
More normal things I’ve been harvesting are the Pristine variety of yellow apples. It is producing even better this year than last. I think it is the year ‘round care I’ve been giving all the trees. Same for the Flavortop nectarines, Early Harvest green apples, and Fantasia nectarines. I got a crop off the AU Rubrum plums, but not as many as I should have. I fed me a raccoon to the gator in the swamp area on the solar farm once I found out why. Some people might have thought that was mean (and I didn’t tell the kids what I’d done though Knox probably suspects), but I’m not going to put up with a nasty animal stealing food out of my family’s mouths. I got quite a harvest of rabbiteye blueberries, but the deer got their fair share as well. That’s fine. Deer eat and then we’ll eat deer when the weather gets cooler. Derek says he’ll teach me to hunt and process the results. I may Gak my way through the first time or two but if I can learn to catch a chicken, wring its neck, skinny it out of its feathers, and gut it and all the rest there’s probably not an animal I won’t or can’t process.
Why can I do chickens? Because Mr. Dunst showed me how. His ex-daughter-in-law decided to pick up and leave for a more favorable climate and basically dumped over a hundred chickens on Mr. Dunst and Tory because she couldn’t just leave them to run around or her landlord wasn’t going to giver her back her security deposit.
Mr. Dunst told me the story after coming to find me and said, after a grunt, “The girl ain’t gettin’ her security deposit back no how. I saw what she let them kids o’ hers do to the bedrooms they were given to stay in. Girl is slovenly and that’s a fact. Now about that ol’ dog run …”
Essentially Mr. Dunst was gifting me with part of the flock in exchange for helping him to can the ones he was culling. We canned chicken[5] in pints, canned chicken soup in quarts, and then I showed him a few things my mother and grandmother taught me including my mother’s recipe for white chicken chili. The “exchange” suited us both and now I have more eggs than I know what to do with. Every time I save up five dozen extra I will run the freeze drier and then vacuum seal those eggs for use in the future.
From some people at church the kids and I picked figs and pears in shares for clearing trees. Everyone knows the kids are part monkey and they learned from the best teacher … me … how to do it fast and safe.
Everyone is picking things as fast as they ripen even if they would have left stuff to spoil in years past. If you don’t get what belongs to you first, it is pretty much a guarantee that someone will come along and clear your plants and trees during the night even if it just spoils that drop to the ground. Most people use spoils to feed their animals with so even the loss of what used to be considered garbage can’t be tolerated. These garden pirates have been known to poison dogs that people set to guard their stuff and now families that can afford to set human guards. Sometimes neighbors join together. Duff said there’s rumors the harvested items are being taken out of the area and sold or traded to the local drug dealers who then sell it out of the area. He also warned everyone with kids to keep them close as in Alachua County there’s been a few cases of kidnapping and ransom. Same for women of any age. If it is in Alachua, it won’t be long until they try that crap here in the northern counties. I for one am glad I don’t have to leave our kids home alone. Not everyone is so lucky … or smart.
Made my own contacts this time and made it back to the State Farmers Market. Mostly I was after imports like avocados, coconuts, carambolas, guavas, mangos, mushrooms, and pineapples. I didn’t keep it all for myself but did some trading with a few trusted people. Mr. Dunst and his son came with me as protection. I know most people consider Tory “simple” but I wouldn’t want to ever tangle with him. He’s built like Paul Bunyan. He is a gentle giant for the most part, but I’ve seen him pick a large man up and throw him down hard enough to make him bounce when he pointed a gun at Mrs. Shepherd when she was running the register at Sheepdog Tactical.
Derek was there five minutes behind the cops as he has taken to listening to a scanner in his office and knew I was heading that way. When the man’s partner tried to make out like Tory started things and he was actually trying to protect Mrs. Shepherd from the crazy simpleton Derek went over to Tory and Mr. Dunst and said, “You have legal representation. Don’t say another word.” Then he turned to both men and said, “I’ll see you on a prison barge in the middle of the Red Sea if you so much as try the crap you are tuning up to sing. There are cameras all over this store that will prove the facts. At the very least you are going to be charged with reckless endangerment by swinging a loaded weapon around in a crowded store.”
Before he had to go any further Duff looked at the Statie that was there “observing” and shrugged and grinned, his way of saying if you want jurisdiction, you can have them. The Statie says, “I’ll book these two at County and then transport them to the Tallahassee holding facilities until they can make their first appearance. It will make them easier to find in case anyone is looking for them.”
Things calmed down quickly after that and people went back to their business. I’d been there to make a quiet trade of pineapples for some reloading supplies. Surprise, surprise but Derek knew how to do all that and already had his own equipment which we set up in one of the third story rooms that we plan to disguise the entrance to.
After the transaction Derek walked out with me. “Everyone all right? I saw Mrs. Shepherd’s oldest was watching the kids.”
“So I didn’t have to bring them into the store,” I explained. “I hadn’t expected it to be so busy. Or for there to be a couple of crazies with something in the works.”
I could tell he wanted to hug … whether for my comfort or his I wasn’t sure … but we’d agreed to stay circumspect when other people were around.
“I have to get back to the office. Taylor already cussed me for rushing out without explanation.”
“Taylor can just deal. He walks out all the time to ‘stretch his legs’ when no one is looking.”
“You mean to go smoke those damn, smelly clove cigarettes he’s gotten addicted to.”
I shrugged. “You say po-tay-to, I say po-tah-to. As long as his wife doesn’t expect me to restrict their use, his lung cancer in the making is his issue, and none of my business.”
“Mouth.”
“And your point is?”
Derek gave an unwilling grin and after asking and hearing from Knox that ‘everything was covered’ he left, and I wasn’t far behind them. The kids and I had a date with some buckets where we were picking blackberries and raspberries from the hedges before the day got too hot. And after that the kids were going to MOC their version of the Erechtheum on the Acropolis. Yep, we’ve spent July studying ancient Greece.
[1] How to Grow and Care for Nanking Cherry Bush
[2] Vermilion Sunset® Goji Plant - Stark Bro’s
[3] Mangosteen nutrition facts and health benefits
[4] https://feijoarecipes.wordpress.com/2017/09/25/feijoa-jam
[5] Canning Chicken (How to do it Safely) • The Prairie Homestead
Jeepcats27
Senior Member
Nice after dinner surprise! Some more info and recipes, Yeah!!!!! Thank you Kathy!!!
Chapter 80
I can’t believe they did it. They really did it. Someone went and lost their mind and set off a dirty bomb either inside the UN Building or in the courtyard right outside the main entrance. The phones going off so early in the morning scared the crap out of all of us.
“Waaa! Waaa! Waaa! This is the National Emergency Alert System. This system was developed by broadcast and cable operators in voluntary cooperation with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Federal Communications Commission and local authorities to keep you informed in the event of an emergency.”
There is nothing quite as auditorily nauseating as that tone they use. I think they made it that way on purpose. As frightening as it all has been, I have to say that the other memory that tries to take over that day is that I saw Derek in his skivvies.
It was too hot to sleep in sweat pants and to be honest I wasn’t in much more than Derek was, but growing up with a brother that had a serious thing about modesty, I at least thought to throw on a robe before running into the kitchen where our phones were plugged up.
We both came to the realization at the same time and I jerked around and didn’t look (no matter how interesting I found it). “I’m not, not looking because of your scars so don’t get all whatever. I’m not looking because I’m the girl and I’m supposed to be modest and stuff. But you better not be looking as hard as it feels like you are. I got enough distractions on my mind at the moment.”
I swear I think he was actually trying not to laugh while he hustled back to his room to put on more than his Fruit of the Looms. I’ve been washing them for a while, I’ve just never seen him in them and like I said, there was enough going on for me to deal with.
It took me a few minutes but I ran to throw on a sundress so I could get back to the phones that were hooked up to the charger that the kids and I had built since the power was still going to be out for a few hours.
Whatever humor that might have come from the whoops flew out the window when we realized how serious the situation was. It wasn’t fifteen minutes later than Derek’s phone started blowing up with calls from Mr. Barnes, Taylor, and Dayton all wanting his attention at the same time. They had active phones because the kids and I built them chargers as soon as we’d perfected ours. Some of it was Firm business and some of it was of a more personal nature. Mr. Barnes just needed reassurance that Derek had gotten the EAS and that if something happened to him, that Derek and I would look after Mrs. Padfield. I’m not sure what that says about Mr. Barnes’ opinion of Taylor but that’s not my business. Mr. Dayton said he was considering moving to the space above the law offices, but Derek got him calmed down and told him not to panic and jump a direction he might regret. I think that is what Mr. Dayton needed. And to be honest, having Mr. Dayton looming over us all day, every day was not the least appealing, especially when it didn’t sound like he was bringing the staff from his office with him. Taylor wanted to know how we were set up for food because the groceries and everything were going to be closed at least a day or two.
“Tay, you told me you have two weeks set aside.”
“We do.”
“Then make do with that. I doubt you would eat what we do … mostly beans and …”
Quickly his response was, “Well I was just wanting to make sure that you had done what I suggested. With our boys well …”
“Oh I understand Tay. You might want to have a word with Aunt Maggie.”
“Er … hmmm … after I get a better handle on the situation that was the plan. Have to talk to the wife first of course.” Blah, blah, blah. Guess that’s why Mr. Barnes wanted a back up plan for his sister.
Then Derek gets a funny look on his face and answers another call. “Felicia, stop yelling, I can’t understand you. You’re where?! You told me you were in Vegas.” He looked up and behind me and then looks at me before heading outside. I turned and Daniel is standing there white as a sheet. Nat is leaning on him; her version of comfort, and Knox has his hand on his shoulder. I opened my mouth but Knox beat me to it, “Got it covered Mina. Just come up and explain things as soon as you can.”
“Will do Monkey Man.”
Ten minutes later – the only call to me was an automated text from the Church prayer chain – Derek walks back in and if possible he is whiter than Daniel was. I got a chair and got it under him just in time.
“Derek?”
“My idiot sister is in NYC.”
“She’s … she’s where?” I stammered.
“She hooked up with some guy in Vegas and they went to NYC on a lark to see what the fuss is about. They were outside the Grand Central Terminal. Just screwing around. The guy she was with saw the flash, her back was to it. She says it lit up everything, night into day. She was knocked down but managed to get back up before being trampled. It took them a while but emergency services took the guy to a hospital … he’s got flash burns on his retinas if I had to guess from her description. She wanted me to come get her … but I can’t. They’ve got the city … hell, it sounds like most of the Eastern Seaboard … completely locked down and cordoned off. I couldn’t get a pass to even get close enough she could walk out, assuming they let her.”
“Tell me what you need. I’ll …”
In deep resignation he said, “There’s nothing you can do Mina. There’s nothing I or anyone else can do. Her choices have …” He leaned over for just a moment like he had a pain in his stomach before sitting back up straight. “I have to call Dad and make sure he doesn’t try and go find her.”
“Maybe …”
“It was a dirty bomb Mina. We watched that documentary together. You know what that means. Right now there is no one but God that can help Felicia, and she turned her back on Him a couple of years ago. Can you … I hate to ask but … Daniel … can you … just until I talk to Dad.”
“Got it covered.”
He finally looked me in the face. “You’ve been through this. When the terrorist killed your parents. How … how …?”
“One day at a time. One hour at a time. One minute at a time. Sometimes just a breath at a time. And I wasn’t alone. Mitchell was there. And you aren’t alone. I’m here. We’ll do this together. It’s the only way.” He turned his face into my stomach, where I had come to stand beside the chair and put my arms around him. It was only a couple of minutes but when he sat back the grief-crazy look that had been in his eyes was gone. “I gotta make some calls.”
“I’ll go up to the kids.”
I started to move back and he grabbed me for a moment but then slowly turned loose. “You’ll be here.”
“Of course. Always. Same as you’ve been for me. Even before we thought about making promises.”
He nodded then turned to look at his phone and slowly pull up his contacts. I gave him some privacy and went to try to see Daniel through things the way I’d done for the twins. I knew these feelings, knew the days ahead were going to be challenging. But most of all I needed to make sure Daniel understood he wasn’t alone, the same way I’d tried to do for his uncle.
I can’t believe they did it. They really did it. Someone went and lost their mind and set off a dirty bomb either inside the UN Building or in the courtyard right outside the main entrance. The phones going off so early in the morning scared the crap out of all of us.
“Waaa! Waaa! Waaa! This is the National Emergency Alert System. This system was developed by broadcast and cable operators in voluntary cooperation with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Federal Communications Commission and local authorities to keep you informed in the event of an emergency.”
There is nothing quite as auditorily nauseating as that tone they use. I think they made it that way on purpose. As frightening as it all has been, I have to say that the other memory that tries to take over that day is that I saw Derek in his skivvies.
It was too hot to sleep in sweat pants and to be honest I wasn’t in much more than Derek was, but growing up with a brother that had a serious thing about modesty, I at least thought to throw on a robe before running into the kitchen where our phones were plugged up.
We both came to the realization at the same time and I jerked around and didn’t look (no matter how interesting I found it). “I’m not, not looking because of your scars so don’t get all whatever. I’m not looking because I’m the girl and I’m supposed to be modest and stuff. But you better not be looking as hard as it feels like you are. I got enough distractions on my mind at the moment.”
I swear I think he was actually trying not to laugh while he hustled back to his room to put on more than his Fruit of the Looms. I’ve been washing them for a while, I’ve just never seen him in them and like I said, there was enough going on for me to deal with.
It took me a few minutes but I ran to throw on a sundress so I could get back to the phones that were hooked up to the charger that the kids and I had built since the power was still going to be out for a few hours.
Whatever humor that might have come from the whoops flew out the window when we realized how serious the situation was. It wasn’t fifteen minutes later than Derek’s phone started blowing up with calls from Mr. Barnes, Taylor, and Dayton all wanting his attention at the same time. They had active phones because the kids and I built them chargers as soon as we’d perfected ours. Some of it was Firm business and some of it was of a more personal nature. Mr. Barnes just needed reassurance that Derek had gotten the EAS and that if something happened to him, that Derek and I would look after Mrs. Padfield. I’m not sure what that says about Mr. Barnes’ opinion of Taylor but that’s not my business. Mr. Dayton said he was considering moving to the space above the law offices, but Derek got him calmed down and told him not to panic and jump a direction he might regret. I think that is what Mr. Dayton needed. And to be honest, having Mr. Dayton looming over us all day, every day was not the least appealing, especially when it didn’t sound like he was bringing the staff from his office with him. Taylor wanted to know how we were set up for food because the groceries and everything were going to be closed at least a day or two.
“Tay, you told me you have two weeks set aside.”
“We do.”
“Then make do with that. I doubt you would eat what we do … mostly beans and …”
Quickly his response was, “Well I was just wanting to make sure that you had done what I suggested. With our boys well …”
“Oh I understand Tay. You might want to have a word with Aunt Maggie.”
“Er … hmmm … after I get a better handle on the situation that was the plan. Have to talk to the wife first of course.” Blah, blah, blah. Guess that’s why Mr. Barnes wanted a back up plan for his sister.
Then Derek gets a funny look on his face and answers another call. “Felicia, stop yelling, I can’t understand you. You’re where?! You told me you were in Vegas.” He looked up and behind me and then looks at me before heading outside. I turned and Daniel is standing there white as a sheet. Nat is leaning on him; her version of comfort, and Knox has his hand on his shoulder. I opened my mouth but Knox beat me to it, “Got it covered Mina. Just come up and explain things as soon as you can.”
“Will do Monkey Man.”
Ten minutes later – the only call to me was an automated text from the Church prayer chain – Derek walks back in and if possible he is whiter than Daniel was. I got a chair and got it under him just in time.
“Derek?”
“My idiot sister is in NYC.”
“She’s … she’s where?” I stammered.
“She hooked up with some guy in Vegas and they went to NYC on a lark to see what the fuss is about. They were outside the Grand Central Terminal. Just screwing around. The guy she was with saw the flash, her back was to it. She says it lit up everything, night into day. She was knocked down but managed to get back up before being trampled. It took them a while but emergency services took the guy to a hospital … he’s got flash burns on his retinas if I had to guess from her description. She wanted me to come get her … but I can’t. They’ve got the city … hell, it sounds like most of the Eastern Seaboard … completely locked down and cordoned off. I couldn’t get a pass to even get close enough she could walk out, assuming they let her.”
“Tell me what you need. I’ll …”
In deep resignation he said, “There’s nothing you can do Mina. There’s nothing I or anyone else can do. Her choices have …” He leaned over for just a moment like he had a pain in his stomach before sitting back up straight. “I have to call Dad and make sure he doesn’t try and go find her.”
“Maybe …”
“It was a dirty bomb Mina. We watched that documentary together. You know what that means. Right now there is no one but God that can help Felicia, and she turned her back on Him a couple of years ago. Can you … I hate to ask but … Daniel … can you … just until I talk to Dad.”
“Got it covered.”
He finally looked me in the face. “You’ve been through this. When the terrorist killed your parents. How … how …?”
“One day at a time. One hour at a time. One minute at a time. Sometimes just a breath at a time. And I wasn’t alone. Mitchell was there. And you aren’t alone. I’m here. We’ll do this together. It’s the only way.” He turned his face into my stomach, where I had come to stand beside the chair and put my arms around him. It was only a couple of minutes but when he sat back the grief-crazy look that had been in his eyes was gone. “I gotta make some calls.”
“I’ll go up to the kids.”
I started to move back and he grabbed me for a moment but then slowly turned loose. “You’ll be here.”
“Of course. Always. Same as you’ve been for me. Even before we thought about making promises.”
He nodded then turned to look at his phone and slowly pull up his contacts. I gave him some privacy and went to try to see Daniel through things the way I’d done for the twins. I knew these feelings, knew the days ahead were going to be challenging. But most of all I needed to make sure Daniel understood he wasn’t alone, the same way I’d tried to do for his uncle.