Monday, February 16, 2026

Makings of a Sitcom – only I’m crying instead of laughing.

 I heard the censor go off and thought that the missionaries were walking up the driveway.  Before I could get the door opened I heard Richard call:  “The goats are on the porch!”

They are Not our Goats! They were not our Chickens! and I have Absolutely no desire to be a homesteader! EVER!

Sugar likes to escape and lately Cocoa has been following her.  Last night they were both on the porch.  And then Bonnie got out and ran into the street to torment a dog larger than her. The larger dog was on a leash and being walked. Walker not happy with Bonnie.  I don’t blame him.

So Richard and I are trying to capture the goats with another neighbor.  None went after Bonnie.  And when Richard uncomfortably escorted Bonnie back in the house the goats got in.  Sugar climbed onto the coffee table to help herself to some bananas piled on the top of a bowl of fruit and Cocoa peed on our couch.  Richard fell during his struggles with Bonnie and I whipped Sugar while she dropped the bananas which had been yellow but are now badly bruised.

I did not sign up for this.  I should not have to deal with this chaos.  I want out! 

When we tried to coral sugar back into the yard (with more fencing in place, and Sunday attire once again) she hid behind the pepper planter and then decided to crawl underneath after Richard made efforts to torcher her with Bonnie’s leash)  I don’t know if they are still in the yard.  Nor do I care.  I am upset.  And I have shed tears over what hopefully one day I will be able to laugh at.  Because really, if I were to watch something like this on TV, I probably would laugh.

It's raining, but we did put up another fence - this time allowing them only a small portion of our yard rather than the entire yard.  Richard seems to think it will do the trick.  That's what he's thought at each attempt he's made to secure the yard.  We need to put a Bungi Chord around one of the gates to keep Bonnie in.

Bonnie does not feel well. She threw up by our bedroom door.  I don't know what it was.  

I washed her blankets and the bathroom rug. And now I am posting this to my blog.  I will send a link to Jaime.

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Sunday, February 15, 2026

Valentine’s Day

           We spent the majority of the day not home – and still outside when we got home.

          We left the house at 5:30 to drive to Medford and did back to back endowment sessions at the temple.  Left without stopping so that we could let Bonnie out of the house.  She is showing some major discomfort right now.  She has become almost as stubborn as the goats.

          After our return Don (a neighbor across street and corner) told us that the goats (although I think it was just Sugar and not Cocoa) escaped but he was able to corral  Sugar back to our yard and blocked the fence so she could not crawl beneath.  I found her trapped between two fences.   I don't know how long she'd been trapped. Serves her right, I guess.

          I should have probably left her there, for they found a small hole beyond the deernet and went into the vacant house next door (evidently they have better grass than we do) and so Richard had we walk around the corner to coral them back into our yard.  Neither one of us dressed appropriately for chasing goats or putting up fences.  Although I was not wearing my Sunday best, Richard was.

       (side not:  Richard and I had gone to the open house last week.  They want too much money - though the house was nice.  I would not mind living there - but not for 2,000 a month.  I think we're already overpaying with our mortgage as it is.)

          We finally got the goats back into our yard. 

          Finally ate some lunch (it was after two)

          Watched “Song Sung Blue” and then made our way to the Valentine’s Dance at the Stake Center.  Richard was definitely excited about taking me.

          Initially an activity for the singles, couples were invited.  They had a really nice spread of food – assortment of desserts, fruit and cheese displays.  I should have not taken any of it as food and dancing don’t mix well for my metabolism – plus the fact that I had been chasing goats.  I know we hadn’t been there for  a full hour before we left.  Richard said it looked like I was having fun.  Glad he thought that.

          Still not feeling well.  I’m dressed for church but will not be attending today.  Hopefully our yard is fully secure as I will not even attempt to chase the goats today.  I’m okay just sitting.  Standing is a problem right now.  Keep me near my own personal bathroom.  I guess I will take something to assist in the discomfort.

            Meanwhile a huge box of chocolates awaits me.  I don't think I will be eating any until March.



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Thursday, February 12, 2026

Tablet Games

 

I think Cryptograms are my favorite puzzles.  I enjoy the thoughts for the most part or the trivia found in Pictograms.

It's great that so many are smiling.  My expression
would mostlikely mirror the guy on top of the driver




I always wondered how the fruit vs vegetable
difference.  Now I know.  Thank you Pictograms!



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Tuesday, February 10, 2026

Naughty Sugar

 




          Before he passed away, our neighbor purchased two small goats as he was unable to mow his yard.  The goats are named Cocoa and Sugar.  Cocoa is the smallest of the two and happily chows down and makes no attempt to leave the yard.  Sugar on the other hand . . . she is a naughty goat who has shown more interest in escaping the yard than eating any of it.  Why chew on grass when there might be plastic on the other side of the fence.

          Our neighbor has left the gate open so that the goats can start mowing our lawn – though I don’t imagine we would want our yard to look as desolate of hers.  But there is plenty of grass to go around.  However, I think we have spent just as much time searching for and corralling Sugar back into our yard.  I have actually lost sleep over it.  That isn’t right.

          Our neighbor looks drained.  I thought death could claim her before it took her husband as she’s not in the best of shape either.  Though she did seem somewhat better.  At least yesterday.  She looked haggard this morning.

          Sugar’s eyes are not the same color as my son’s dog – but there is something about her eyes that remind me of his.  They both have these wide round eyes that seem to present themselves as innocent when I know darn well that they’re not.

          She is back in our yard.  As Cocoa continues on the lush green grass, Sugar has decided to attack our blueberry bushes.  She seems to desire human company.  Cocoa could care less.

 



         

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Saturday, February 7, 2026

Lousy Neighbors

 We are lousy neighbors.  House to our right is for sale.  We never met the people who lived there though we did know their names. Their house is evidently in a trust.  I don't know why they moved.

We have met the neighbors to our left - though we haven't seen them for a while.  I learned just today that he died a month ago.  An entire month has gone by since our former bishop and his brother-in-law stopped by to inform us that our neighbor was on hospice and they had been by to give him a blessing.  He must have died right after that. 

Her son was living in our ward until recently.  We were supposed to pick up their oldest two to take to the temple with us - but were informed they could not go.  Perhaps our neighbors passing is what changed the plans.  I don't know.  I feel so out of the loop.  How terrible of me.

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Thursday, February 5, 2026

Just Give Yourself Time to Think About It

 I like to read and watch mysteries.  

I like to see if I can figure out who is the killer, the thief 

or what have you.  But in real life I would not 

be sticking my nose into the crime scene like 

some of the characters who get involved.  I always think - 

"stupid, stupid" not "oh, that's a good idea" or 

"not bad" "how clever".  I usually shake my head.

 "Oh, girl . . . you are cruisin for a bruisn.  Why?"  

Often I view the story as a comical situation rather than 

a realistic encounter.  In real life I would keep my 

mouth shut and not get involved.  I doubt I would make 

a good witness or jury member.




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Wednesday, February 4, 2026

Absent from the Web

 Ever since I changed the appearance of my blog, my posts haven't had any views. Coinsidence?

It isn't important I guess.  What's important is that power is restored to so many across the nation who are without.  That our nation can be restored to a strong civil nation and not such a disgrace. 

I would like to wish everybody well.