My Reading Blog

This typewriter image has been an intrigue to me since the beginning of the SOS blog.   An old black Royal with a carriage and paper bail, keys that were hard to press, a return lever, ribbon on a spool - stuffed in a closet until my Dad needed to fill out a form.  This was the very first typewriter that I ever used when I was in elementary and high school (just a few years ago!). When I was in high school and took a typing class, I learned the keyboard and used another manual IBM typewriter - somewhat easier to use, but no speed.  As the year progressed, we got to use the Selectric IBM typewriter that had a ball with all the letters and numbers on it.  The speed increased and we were graded on that.  No backspacing to make a correction - erasures only.  You had to be very careful when erasing as you could easily tear the paper.  And then there was the carbon paper - one, two, three carbon copies - whatever you typed you definitely did not want to...

With everything that is going on in our country and world, I find myself being very thankful for all that I have been blessed with each day. The sunrise in the early morning Time to reflect and contemplate A good book or two or three Time spent with friends An apron display at the library Creating cards to send to those I haven't seen in a while The hummingbirds that seem to be peering in the window to see if we're watching The dragonflies in abundance flitting around Homegrown tomatoes, green peppers and cucumbers Enjoying pizza and game night with a dear friend Zooming with Michelle & Girls on Thursdays Listening to all of their adventures Watching their faces as they see themselves on line The list goes on and on.  The days, weeks, months seem to be flying by and yet there is still all of the sickness and turmoil in our country and beyond.  I feel sheltered and hopeful and blessed.

As hubby would tell you, I have a routine (aka rut to him) that I do every morning.  But this consistency (in my mind) is what gets my day started and propels me thru the day. I'm an early riser and enjoy my morning time to myself.  I check e-mails and then proceed to my "happy place" aka the front porch and read my devotions and offer my prayers to God.  By that time, hubby has gotten up to start his day - with a hug and kiss and off for his cup of coffee. I'm headed to "my room" for 30 minutes of exercise and then for my cup of coffee and crossword puzzle.  Hubby joins me on the front porch - he has trouble going outside the box for answers to the clues, so he bring Google with him. Breakfast follows and we're off to another great day. So should this be recorded as consistency or rut?

Last week while I was sitting on the porch enjoying my cup of coffee around 7:00 a.m., I looked toward the entrance of our subdivision.  To my surprise I saw 3 figures dressed in dark blue clothing with a yellow jacket and white hard hat with a white pack on their backs carrying a spray nozzle. They were around the subdivision sign and then poof , they disappeared into the brush and trees.  Hubby came out to join me just as the last one was vanishing out of sight. I said to him, "I think the Martians have landed".  He looked at me as if my coffee was laced with something.  But he did get to see the last one disappear.  A few minutes later, here comes a pick up truck with an ATV on the trailer.  He stops at the same exact place, drives the ATV off the trailer and poof he's gone too!  A few minutes later, he reappears, puts the ATV back on the trailer and drives off. When I took my walk later that morning, I noticed several markers where "they" h...