If a tree falls…

 Does it count as a fall if it ends up like this? 

Yup… super scary and dangerous, but pretty cool, too! 

Fortunately, it’s in the woods and not over the driveway. We will tackle this in the fall - with a professional. 

Tonsil Band

Mr and I have joined the church vocal choir - affectionately known around here as the Tonsil Band. Tonight we had our first rehearsal in the sanctuary - with the organ. We had so much fun! It’s nice to be back in the church! Our Sunday service will be in the sanctuary - socially distanced, of course. 

At the end of September, we will restart Handbell rehearsals. It’s time to get back to living, singing, and ringing! Our first handbell ringing in the service this fall will be Advent 2 at one church and Advent 3 at the other. I’ve chosen some really fun music - including a postlude that, if we can play it well, will be absolutely the best surprise for both churches! 

It’s really nice to be getting back to it! 

The Pitter Patter of Critter Feet

The other day I thought I was seeing things. I found two little black mouse turds IN my house. I do NOT do mouse anything in my house. I searched a bit and didn’t see anything else. I focused on Mini. She also doesn’t do mouse in the house. She was sniffing and looking in “different” places. 

This morning I discovered more turds - this time by Mini’s bowl. I did some more searching and found a location that had been frequented by this wee critter. I promptly cleaned it all up and placed a sticky trap. Then I did some more searching and some more cleaning. 

I had to run to church, so my cleaning and sticky trap placing was put on hold for an hour or so. Upon my arrival at home, I wanted to clean and place the last trap. Mr told me that the critter probably wasn’t going to go there because there’s no food, but there is a cat box in that room. I said, no… I think we have the trap, and I want to place it. 

Not even 3 minutes after placing the trap we had our prey! I’ve left the other traps in place just in case there’s more than one critter pitter pattering around. 

Mom - 1

Mouse - 0

History Repeats Itself

 This came in my inbox this morning. Read. Understand. 

https://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/2021/08/1938-first-they-came-unvaccinated-wayne-allyn-root/

This is 1938: First, They Came For The Unvaccinated

By Wayne Allyn Root

This is the most important commentary I've ever written.

It's time for alarm bells. It's time for me to play the part of Paul Revere: "The communist tyrants and dictators are coming! The communist tyrants and dictators are coming!" They're coming first for unvaccinated Americans.

This is 1938. I'm a Jew. I now understand just a little of what it felt like to be a Jew in 1938. No, it's not the Holocaust. Nothing can be compared to the Holocaust. Ever.

But 1938 was not the Holocaust. It was the pre-Holocaust. It was the time before the nightmare, when the foundation was being laid to destroy the freedom, free speech, businesses and lives of millions of Jews.

Everything happening today to the American people ... to the U.S. Constitution ... to freedom ... and particularly to unvaccinated Americans reminds me of 1938. This is only the beginning. It gets much worse from here.

First, "the papers." Vaccine mandates and vaccine passports are just like 1938, when the Gestapo demanded papers from every German.

Republicans asked for "papers" from migrants who had broken into our country. Criminals. Democrats said, "No, that's racism." Republicans asked for "papers" once every two years for federal elections, to prove you have a right to vote. Democrats said, "No, that's racism."

Now Democrats want American citizens, not illegal aliens, not criminals, but patriots born in this country, to produce papers 24/7. We'll need papers to enter restaurants, bars, nightclubs, concerts, casinos, conventions and hotels and to board a train, plane or bus. We'll need papers to enter a supermarket, or we'll starve to death. All for the crime of being unvaccinated against ... wait for it ...

The flu.

All for the crime of being unwilling to inject an untested, rushed to production, experimental, "for emergency use only" shot into our bodies.

What happened to the war cry of Democrats: "My body, my choice"? It only applies to murdering babies, but it doesn't apply to dangerous experimental shots that we don't want injected into our bodies.

Weren't Jews injected with experimental drugs by the depraved Nazi government? Wasn't that a key part of the Nuremberg trials? That no government could ever again inject experimental shots into the bodies of unwilling citizens? Isn't that a basic human right?

By the way, this isn't about vaccines. If you want the vaccine, take it. I'd never stop you. I'd never limit your freedom, your choice. This is about vaccine mandates — forcibly injecting Americans who don't want it. That's 1938.

But there's much more in common with 1938. Mask mandates. If you're scared, wear them. I'm not scared. I don't want to wear them. Mandates are about forcing individuals to lose their freedom, choice, individuality and human rights. That's 1938.

Lockdowns are a match with the Warsaw Ghetto. Jews were locked down. Jews couldn't work. Jews couldn't travel. Jewish businesses were labeled "nonessential."

If government can force us to close our businesses, to kill our jobs, to decide who is nonessential, then this is 1938.

Stars on clothing. It's coming. The vaccinated get into restaurants, bars, concerts, supermarkets, planes and trains. They keep their jobs. The rest of us are marked as "subhuman" for life. That's the star. That's 1938.

Media and social media as the public-relations wing of the government. That's called propaganda. Remind you of 1938? Back then, the Jews' books were burned. Today, it's those of conservatives, patriots and specifically the unvaccinated. We are silenced. Our facts are labeled "misleading." Only the facts that agree with big government's agenda count. That's 1938.

Door-to-door intimidation and making lists of those who disagree with "government knows best." Trust me, that army of door-to-door vaccine brainwashers will soon be turned into a Gestapo of gun-grabbers. 1938 was the year Nazis banned Jews from owning guns. They took them door to door. That's 1938.

Only days ago, a former Department of Homeland Security official said the unvaccinated should be on the federal no-fly list. That's exactly how Nazis attacked the Jews and others who disagreed with their agenda. It was always lists. Lists of people to be disappeared in the middle of the night; lists of those to be sent to reeducation camps; lists of those to be sent to concentration camps; lists of enemies of the state. It's happening again. Maybe this time you'll only lose your job or free speech. This is, again, 1938.

It's all disgusting and disgraceful. But I'm warning you, this is just the start. It's all going downhill from here — fast. This is the end of America. This is 1938.

Unless we stop it now. Unless we take a stand now. Unless we draw a line in the sand now.

First, they came for the unvaccinated. Trust me: Next, they're coming for you

Reunion recap

The VMI Moms Reunion was attended by just a few very dear women. We had a great time catching up. My decorations and food went over very well! 

This is the drink table:

The photo booth that nobody used because we were too busy talking:

The table where we spent most of our time eating and chatting:

Mr after he finished a few last tweaks to the yard before everyone arrived:

We will definitely do it again - maybe sometime this fall… or maybe next summer! 

The porch still isn’t finished, but we know that these things take time… we are waiting on the electrical inspection. Once the electrical inspection is done, they can finish the porch. One piece of paper has stopped all progress for a week. Yes, it’s incredibly frustrating! 

We had our Brava bell concerts this past weekend and I had such a great time! We played very well and our audiences were appreciative. LLB even made the drive to see her dear old mom ring bells. She was definitely impressed! Since she is the most gifted musician in the family, her thumbs up meant a lot! I’m looking forward to getting back to it after Labor Day. 

Cleaning, primping, and general preparations

My VMI Mom Reunion party is quickly approaching. I am still cleaning and primping and preparing. I’ve swished toilets. I’ve washed floors. I’ve purged and scrubbed cabinets. I’ve wiped countertops. I’ve vacuumed and more. I just sat down to write and realized that the loveseat slipcovers need a good wash. Of course they do! I’ll tackle that on Thursday. Any sooner and Mini will cover them with hair before Saturday! Next on my list is to pretty up the napkins so they look nice on the table. I’ll let you know what I come up with. 

I’m trying to figure out where to hang my lovely welcome banner… Mini is absolutely no help! She insists she is too busy to worry about my little issues! 🤣

Really?! She claims she is busy checking her eyelids for leaks. We all know she’s napping… again! 

Speaking of Mini. She has claimed a box as her own. Mr sprinkled it with catnip and it is now fondly known as Mini’s Opium Den. She used to sleep on the couch with Mr after dinner. Not so much anymore… now she is here:

Porch progress and more

 It’s been a few busy days since I posted last. The porch is coming along. The floor is down, the posts have been faced and trimmed, the blocking for the swing is in, and the roof is unacceptable. Oh the roof… it’s silver… I hate it! It’s coming off and a darker shade is going on. The builder agreed. It’s just way too light. 

The pergola has been redone thanks to Jimmy Cunningham of Jimmy-Fix-It. The columns were replaced with posts, trimmed out, and the whole thing was painted black! I absolutely love it! 

My VMI Mom Reunion started as a big get together, but has shrunk to about 10. A super easy and manageable number. I’m still a bit put out because so many said they’d come and then backed out. The old, “I’ll put it on my calendar” back in May seemed to be a farce. I mean, if you don’t want to come, just say so. But that’s fine! We will have fun, take lots of pix, and the rest of them will wish they came. We spent the day yesterday getting the house and yard ready. This house is big and the yard is big. Ooo we were tired! I’ll wash the bathroom floors today and give the toilets a last swish on Friday. I’ll put up my banner, decorate my tables, and get this place gussied up - later in the week depending on the forecast. 

I rang my solo last week and it was great! No, I’m not signing up for another any time soon. You can see it here. I’m the prelude, so you don’t have to watch the whole service.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwTd6fDXs0A