My First New TV

 Tomorrow, I will buy my first new television set. (At least I don't remember ever buying a new out-of-the-box set before.) I have either been given my television by my son after he's purchased another one, or I've bought one from a rent-to-own place, which was cheaper if it had been used. Even if it had only been used for a month or so at a hotel, it was used, and therefore, I can't say that I've actually purchased my own television.

    I will say this, and it's really funny too, I won a TV once. I went to a Christmas party for one of the companies that my ex-husband worked for, and I won the TV that was given away as the door prize. I kid you not, before we got it loaded into the car, my husband gave it to his boss to give to his son. The TV was a small 13" Magnavox. I remember that. He gave it away, so he could earn "points" with the boss -- yeah, OK...you can see why he is an ex, right? (No, I won't go into it.)

    I'm not a big TV watcher, and I've never really been too glued to the set -- except OK, I was for those years I was unable to get the internet and I had three kids at home and no other way to entertain them. Sure, we watched a lot of TV then, but that was close to 22 years ago. I watch 90% of my television online, on demand. I don't turn the set on unless I'm watching severe weather on a local channel or I'm watching OU play someone, and again, on a local channel. We don't have cable television. We have an antenna.

    The $10 antenna I have is for "most" televisions, so the one I bought on Amazon will likely be OK with it. The one I have now, not so much. I can watch all the local channels, and because I can use the "Fire" aspect of the TV with my Wi-Fi, I think I can watch other things, but will I? I don't think so. Laura may end up watching TV, but we just don't do it, so going from a 55" TV to a 43" one isn't a problem for us. The new one is 4K and High Definition, whereas the other wasn't. We'll like it more.  We can turn off the Smart features, too. We prefer dumb TVs.

    I walked through Sam's Club looking at their TVs and thinking about which one I wanted to get.  I ended up going with Amazon, not only because it could be delivered the next day, but the EXACT model was $15 cheaper - why give it away? I can use $15 to buy more chocolate! Priorities!! Anyway, I barely found a TV under 55" and the only reason I did was because I told the man at Sam's I really didn't want a bigger one. He looked in the back and said he could order a smaller one, which would take a week. No. No, thank you. Not everyone is into huge screens when a good-sized screen will do.

    The smaller-sized TV will also give the cat more room to sit on the cabinet and to jump from said cabinet to the top of the bookshelf - he won't know what to do with himself; he'll be so happy.  I'll let you know how it works out. Still, I'm thinking it will probably be rather seamless -- the good news is, the antenna will work for it - no more duct taping it in a certain position at a certain angle because our old TV is not included in the word "most," apparently -- it sort of fits. The antenna is one year old, the TV is about 12 years old, and I got it 7 or 8 years ago. Before that, I had a 36" JVC tube television - yes, I did.

    This one is an Insignia with Amazon Fire something. It's flat, like the one I have now, but it's half the thickness—progress. I hope I can keep this one dust-free.

Photo Credit: Amazon.com 

My Weekend So Far.

 Oh, how we look forward to weekends around this house. I love my job, love my job, but yeah, I'd rather not be working and just relaxing. Of course, like anyone else, I would rather be reading a book, sleeping, eating donuts, just being a slug. Being a slug sometimes is the best thing to be. 

    I've incorporated a lot of things into my life recently, which have allowed or assisted me in becoming he slug that I so hope to become. I work from home, so I can stay in my pajamas when working. Actually, I do have to dress in my pajamas because I sleep in a big tee shirt and panties; I know, too much information, but the fact is, I wear my jammies to work. 

    My groceries are delivered now because I can't stand dealing with people. I do, however, force myself to get out there into the big, bad world sometimes. I did it today, and as soon as I pulled into my driveway, I felt like kissing the concrete of my carport. It's just not worth it being out there where people roam these days. Not for me anyway, and I'm an extrovert! I'm supposed to love people. I do. I just don't want to see them in person now. (If that rings a bell, let me know)

    I drove to the post office to drop off 3 books that I am sending to people. Luckily, I was able to just slide the books into the outside boxes because there was an endless line in the post office itself, and there were no parking spaces left. There were two cars trying to get into the parking lot, but they had to wait for others to leave first. No, thank you! I am forever grateful to have bought stamps online and have them delivered, and then I can take the package to the boxes- easy!

    I went to UPS to have a label printed so I can have a box picked up. The box didn't fit in my car. Because the box won't fit in my car, I have to pay $15 for the 3rd party seller to pick up the box using UPS - if I could get it to the store to have sent back it would have cost 1/2 that, but the thing is, I have PRIME so it shouldn't cost anything. That service isn't guaranteed with 3rd party shippers. (Note to self)  Then, I walked out of the UPS store to find an OKC Fire Engine parked directly behind me. No fire...they were rescuing a man in a car who was drugged up, and yes, I waited. What else can I do? I could have parked in the back of the lot and walked in, but no, I didn't know there would be an emergency.

    Turns out the man was resting in another person's car. She left the door open while she went into the nail salon. Yeah, don't leave your car unlocked. It's incredibly sad that you can't, but don't do that. He urinated in her car, threw up in her car, and no, she will not be assisted with that - she will have to deal with that. DO NOT leave your car unlocked in public places! (Note to self)

    I drove about a mile to a certain Whole Foods store about one mile away because it sells something I can't get at the online store.  I walked in and noticed that I was probably the only person in the store with a slight weight issue. I am also the only person in that store who probably voted for Trump. I am also probably the only person who would allow someone with only one item to go ahead of me -- I waited for them to pay, complain, and try to get a coupon that didn't go with what they bought, to be honored. I waited. This is WHY I DON'T DO PEOPLE!!

    When I got to the parking lot - I kid you not, another OKC Fire Engine was parked behind me. I shook my head. This can't be happening. The good news is that I could pull forward as no one was parked in front of me. I was the only car that could do that; the others would have had to wait -- just crazy! Crazy people doing crazy things. If it's happening here, it's happening everywhere. The parking lot was a maze. I got through it, pulled up to turn right BEHIND an idiot who was trying to turn left at NOON on a SATURDAY on a major street. WHAT THE HECK, PEOPLE - show respect, please.

    I drove home. I drove straight home. I texted my daughter to let her know I had been through quite a bit and was ready to just eat some pulled pork sandwiches. She agreed, and when I walked through the door she handed me one; and on the plate with the pulled pork sandwich were cheddar goldfish crackers, and grapes...but my favorite part was the 3 Vienna Finger vanilla cookies -- awwwww, my daughter loves me.

    I will write today. I will watch videos. I will watch 3 or 4 more Law and Order shows, read the Bible, pray, brush my teeth, and go to bed. That is the plan for the first day of the weekend. I hope tomorrow is even less PEOPLE-FILLED. We decided to buy a new TV using the money I get back from the desk I'm sending back to Amazon. For the same cost of the desk, I can get a good 4K smart TV (43" I think). We watch TV 3 or 4 times a year -- mostly during this time of the year. We watch one channel -- News 9 ...for the weather. I live in Oklahoma. The only other time the TV is turned on is for a few OU games -- maybe two.  I should watch more, but I don't. (I'm told I can turn the "smart" part off and I'll have a dumb tv)

    That's my weekend so far. I'm pretty sure my car is being pooped on by the birds I insist on feeding. They aren't aware of how annoying they are. I pull the car out, park it in the driveway, and let God wash it -- I figure if I can feed His birds, He can wash my car -- it's been a thing for years. I am quite grateful for His blessings. He can keep all those people He made. I have very little use for them in person -- I love talking to them otherwise. There are some really good ones out there if you know how to find them.

Photo Credit: Reddit

How Many Books Have I Written?

     I found myself answering the question, "How many books have you written?" quite often, and of course, as time goes by, the number changes. I began counting about a year ago, because I couldn't remember if it was 14 or 15, then I wrote more books, so the answer I had in my head was moot. (Hint: I used to say "mute" before I realized I was using the wrong word. I won't tell you exactly how old I was when I stopped doing that, but I was out of high school.

    If I don't count the countless hand-written journals I have continually written since about 1980, I've written 18 or 19 books. I've published them, that is, not just written them. The journals, which are all between 200 and 300 pages, would count if they were printed and published, but that's for someone else to worry about after I die. They would be less than interesting - well, most of the time. I literally say the same things over and over again, and I wouldn't even read them.

    I began publishing books in 2005, although it's not the same today as it was then. Back then, I had to pay someone to edit, pay them to format, print, distribute, and even to register my books with the Library of Congress.  I don't do that anymore. Times are so very different. Gone are the days when authors need or rely on an agent, a publisher, or anyone. We can do this by ourselves!! (This is not the printing and publishing part, but the cover's design, writing, editing, and formatting.) 

    Let's rattle off the books.

1.  With a Little Faith 
2. Faith Alone - Stories of an Amazing Dog
3. Faith Walks
4. Jude's Almost Daily Blog Book
5. Jude's Almost Daily Blog Book 2
6. Jude's Almost Daily Blog Book 3
7. Jude's Almost Daily Blog Book 4 (seeing a pattern)
8. Periwinkle (Poetry)
9. Of Kilted Pleasure (historical romance)
10. Murder Book (first Nick Posh Thriller)
11. Pinball (sequel to Murder Book)
12. 1211  (3rd Posh book)
13. Mesa (4th Posh book)
14. Stratford (5th Posh book)
15. Edinburgh (romance modern)
16. Bay Sorrel Ranch (drama modern)
17. The (drama modern)
18. Dion (drama modern)

The current answer is 18.  I've written and published 18 books. I'll continue to write and add to the number. In 2025, I plan to write and publish three more books:

19.    Cask (7th Posh book)

20.    Legacy (historic drama)

21.    Shadow (8th Posh book)

I have plans to write 5 books in 2026. They are:

22.   Kingdom (9th Posh book)

23.   Tulsa (drama modern)

24.   Stollen (10th Posh book)

25.   Death Mask (11th Posh book)

26.   Babe  (my journey as a fiction novel)

I have plans for 2027 as well -- five books each year. 

27.    Boom (12th Posh book)

27.    Slick  (13th Posh book)

28.   M.E.  (drama modern)

29.    Deadline (modern romance)

30.    Dance (14th Posh book)

So, there you have it—my writing plans for the foreseeable future. How many books have I written? I guess 18 officially, but maybe hundreds. It's all perspective.

www.judestringfellow.com 

 

Photo Credit: Canva.com 

Publicly Educated

    When I was teaching, I would often throw together little pop quizzes that had nothing to do with the discipline of English, or Language Arts, as they preferred to call it. I created little 10-question quizzes to challenge the kids' brains in my classroom. I would often allow them to get together in groups of 2, 3, or 4, depending on how hard I thought the quiz might be. They couldn't use their phones or laptops, but I would set them free in the library to look up the answers; they could use books or other available media.

    One such quiz was "Name the State by its Landmark." Here you go—no cheating. If you know, you know. You can't Google it if you don't, but you can look it up at your nearest library. Ready?

1. The Grand Canyon
2. The Golden Gate Bridge
3. The Statue of Liberty
4. The Liberty Bell
5. The Alamo
6. The Space Needle
7. Mt. Rushmore
8. Times Square
9.  The Sears Tower
10. Cape Canaveral

See how many you know, and then take the International version.

1.  River Thames
2.  Loch Ness Monster
3.  Eiffel Tower
4.  Mt. Calvary
5.  The Colosseum
6.  The BIG Jesus Statue (Christ the Redeemer)
7.  Niagara Falls (two answers)
8.  The Blarney Stone
9.   Parthenon
10.   The Taj Mahal 

    For grins and giggles, I would try these quizzes out on my own kids to see if they were capable, if they knew the answers. I didn't mind if they needed help looking it up, but I wanted to see if they were trained. I wanted to know if their teachers had given them the education I feel every kid in our country needs; we need to know these things. I don't mean that we need to know so we have something to talk about over dinner, but we need to know because the surrounding states matter, the world and its achievements matter.  People are not being taught the basics anymore.

    

    Anyway, that was me. I was that sort of teacher. I loved it when the kids asked for help, and I'd give them clues, and they could grasp those clues and figure it out. I remember telling one kid that the Blarney Stone could be kissed more easily by a leprechaun than it could be by a normal-sized person. She got it! Then, she turned and told me that leprechauns weren't people!  LOL...loved that!! That's a thinker!

    

PHOTO CREDIT: PINTEREST.COM 

Averick!!

     Grammas are pretty hearty people, you know. We can take a lot of things, and let most of them just roll right off our backs. When my son Reuben and his wife Josie told us the day their little girl was born, rather than letting us in on the fact that they were having a baby, we were all -- especially me-- just a little stung by the news. It was INCREDIBLE news, of course, but to find out after the baby arrives that you're having a new granddaughter, I have to say, was a little nerve-wracking too.

    So, when Josie became pregnant again, just months after Evie was born, she and Reuben decided my old heart wasn't strong enough to surprise me a second time, even if the new baby was due on my birthday!!  When the time came for little Averick to join his big sister Evie, I have to tell you, he did it with style. He came a little early, like his dad. He came by C-section, which, of course, is scheduled, but a bit more painful for his mom. Averick didn't know that he was born into a military family with his parents being Army veterans!! Josie took both births, two within 11 months of each other, very, very well. 

    Like is sissy, Averick was born big, strong, an healthy. He has the coloring of a rich and healthy glow. His hair was thick, but nothing like his sister's...geez Louise; that girl had thick hair. Josie could braid it in the hospital; that's how long and thick it was. Averick was a bit more conservative, being heavy on the hair side, but not overdoing it. He is so handsome, so attentive.

    At just six months old, he's sitting up and looking at everything he can. He's taking notes whenever big sister decides to school him. He's probably going to get taller than she is, but for now, she's a head taller and able to tell him later when they compare photos. Averick isn't my new grandson's first name; he was named for his father, Reuben, but he goes by one of his middle names. Both kids have really wonderful names. 

    It was "Take Your Kid to Work" day yesterday, so Reuben took Averick with him and then stopped by the house to show him off to Gramma. I love it when they swing by. He can do that with either kid or both, and he can do it as often as he wants. I wish I lived closer to them; I'd be THAT Gramma, I'm sure. I would love that opportunity. I really haven't had it with my other grand. 

    Nothing says love like new babies, and nothing is more beautiful to a woman than her own kids or the kids that her kids have. So yeah, I'm a little prejudiced about who has the best-looking kids these days, but I always knew it would happen. I always knew Reuben would make a boy even better looking than he was!

Evie!!

     So, there I was, as I usually am, minding my own business, and I get the shock of my life! It was a good shock, but it also came with a bit of a pang. It was just before Christmas 2023, just 10 days before, when my son called me out of the blue to let me know he's a father. He didn't let me know that he was going to be a father, or that his wife was pregnant, and they were expecting their firstborn, no, he said, "Merry Christmas, it's a girl".  He and his wife Josie had kept their "secret" from most people. Maybe out of necessity, Josie did tell her family and employer, but we were all very surprised, for the most part.

    When I say I was over the Moon, I mean it. I love babies, and my kids' babies are the only ones I love more than my own.  I won't give you her full name; we call her Evie.  Evie was born on December 15, 2024, and of course, because she's lucky, she was born in the Great State of Oklahoma. My other two grands were born in Indiana; they're Hooisers! Evie is now about 18 months old and running everywhere, keeping her parents on their toes. Her snappy, dark eyes and thick, thick, thick brunette hair set her apart from all the rest in our family; she certainly took after her mommy.

    It's been a minute since I got to play with her, but Gramma always says that the minute they leave my house. I would love to live closer to them and see them more often. It would make me happier than a Golden Retriever meeting someone for the first time; that happy. I would be happy if I could see my grands more often. They all mean the world to me. Evie is no exception. She's so pretty, sweet, and smart, and of course, you know I'm not just saying that because I'm biased.  No, if you ever meet her, you'll have to agree. It's simple. It's the truth.

    A few months after Evie was born, and because I told my son how it hurt not to be a part of her coming into the world, he and his wife decided to tell us when she found out she was pregnant again! Wow! Woot!!  Evie would be a big sister, and she just barely got here herself!! What a birthday present!  "Hey, kid, what did you get for your first birthday?" Well, her little brother came about a month before Evie turned one, but she's already the quintessential big sister to little Averick. When I say they are two peas in a pod, they are. They are both dark, have lots of hair, and are by far the cutest kids in their city. I won't say where that is -- but trust me, there are a lot of kids there.

    I love my little Evie and my little Averick!! I'm sure I'll kiss them soon, and she'll have to tell me all the things her little brother has been doing that annoy her!

Perry Mason and Me

     Not everyone who knows me knows that Perry Mason and Della Street are my parents. I don't go around bragging about it, because you know how some people can get...all uppity and whatnot. People try to one-up each other when they find out a friend or colleague has famous parents; it's only natural. I decided to tell the truth, now that both have passed.  I haven't kept it a secret that they are my parents, I just don't mention it to everyone. It's not the first thing out of my mouth when I'm introduced; you understand.

    I think the fantasy began around the time I could sit up and stare at the television set. I wasn't fixated on that particular show, not by any means. I had many, many favorites, but as I grew and as my imagination kicked into gear, it became more and more apparent to me that I would need to keep up the ruse about where I came from if only to see the looks on people's faces when I told them. I always say it with a straight face, and usually as it is almost an afterthought. 

    "Perry Mason is my father." I say, and when they ask who my mother is, I tell them, "Della Street, of course." No matter who I'm speaking with, they always answer me "Of course!" I've never had anyone tell me I was lying or that I didn't have all the rocks I know I have in my head. It's a simple fact, and we all deal with it.  I can't think now if I ever have mentioned it to my pseudo parents, Wayne and Becky Stringfellow. They may or may not be aware. It's been too many years; it's a moot point by now.

    Perry and Della had such an impact on my life, and if it wasn't for them, I couldn't tell people why I ask so many questions, why I dig deeper into matters that most people either don't care about or they steer away from. I don't steer away, I call in the reinforcements, the Paul Drakes if you will. I get in there, and I get to the bottom of things. It usually takes me longer than 47 minutes to do it, which is how long a Perry Mason show lasts, but I do find the culprit, and I do make my point known.

    Della, for her part, was always the faithful one. When I worked for Mr. Moler all those years (the attorney employer in my life) I tried to be as dutiful, but there was no way the man was going to ask me to work past 5:00 p.m., allow strangers to bunk at my place, or send me on some wild goose chase in the middle of nowhere while wearing heels and pearls. That didn't happen -- Della was always better than I when it came to stuff like that. I answered the phone, made coffee, and kept the books. I did what I was paid to do; I think Perry and Della had a bit more going on than an employer-employee relationship. In fact, I know they did, because I'm their kid!

    I've seen every Perry Mason episode and movie ever made. I own every Perry Mason television episode and movie ever made. I watch them over and over again.  I quote the man, and I listen to his wisdom.  Erle Stanley Gardner is my hero of heroes among authors. You can keep your J.K. Rowling, Grishom, and Tolkien...nope, give me a good old-fashioned murder book by Erle Stanley Gardner anytime; over and over again. He makes sense to me. He challenges me. I love that man.

    When the chips are down, as they have been, I usually have Perry Mason to see me through things. I couldn't go out to eat or pay my bills, but I could always count on a book being on my shelf if my electricity was turned off, and those times when I had to keep the kids fed instead of myself, those reruns of that show made it that much more bearable. I think my kids know about my parentage; they've asked if I got any royalties...to which I had to answer in the negative. Maybe I should have spoken up sooner about it. I don't know. It is what it is.  I'll survive.

Photo Credit: Max Allan Collins 

Jude's Almost Daily Blog Book 4

     I am in the middle of writing or rather organizing the 4th installment of my Jude's Almost Daily Blog Book series. It will likely be my last, but you can never say never, right? Since they don't sell, they may not be necessary, but then again, it's never known who will buy the books, when they will buy the books, or even IF they will buy the books. As strange as that may sound, I don't write them to sell them. I write them because I'm a writer.

    Jude's Almost Daily Blog Book 4 will be a little different from the others in that it will have recipes in the middle, not poems. The last three books in the series have about 80 blogs and 15 poems. This one has about 80 blogs and 15 or 16 recipes—mostly those I use often or ones I like. You may like them too; I tried to make it interesting and entertaining. 

    I had a bear of a time designing the cover. I had one thing in mind, and changed it. I then changed that one and finally came up with the one I have now. I will keep this one. I like it because, as a writer, I look out my window(s), drink coffee, and have other books on my desk. I have dogs, cats, and lizards near me, and I like butterflies. It's all good. Mostly, the blogs are about my life and/or my experiences, of which dogs, cats, lizards, butterflies, and kids are a part...my life, and I tried to reflect that on the cover.

    These blog books are relatively easy to produce because I write the blogs throughout the year and then when I have 80 or so that I can gather up and bind together, I just pull them off the blog page, copy and paste before formatting. It shouldn't take me more than a weekend to put it all together; the next week or weekend, I'll go through it for mistakes and spacing. Then...boom! It's up and loaded on Ingram Spark, and my 19th book will be complete.

    It's my 19th, I think. I could be off one. I'll have to count. I just sent "Dion" up for publication and then ordered a copy. It arrived last week, and I went through it this week, made a bunch of corrections, and reloaded it for the final publication. If there are still errors, my readers must forgive me. It's close. I try, but I'm not perfect - hence the blog books! They let people know exactly who wrote the other books they may be reading.

    "Dion" was so far out in left field from who I am that it was challenging but fun to write.  My lead character, Elle Finlay, is young, ambitious, a law graduate from Pennsylvania who has a bit of clout and financial standing. She's a bit of a minx and not that grounded in some ways, but is in others. She fights for what is hers, but she's a little loose around the edges, and that was a challenge for me to write because I tend to put my own personality or experiences in my characters. I had to NOT do that with her and others, but it's not as easy as you may think.

    The fourth blog book will be fun to read and quite informative. I hope you like the recipes, and know I got permission to post the photos. In fact, I went to the free sites to get some. I love the resources we have now for writing. Woot!! A book may cost me $50 tops to write, format, edit, and produce. It's the marketing that will get you! OUCH!!

 www.judestringfellow.com 

Photo Credit: Me.

    

New Washer! (It's the Little Things)

 It really is the little things in life that excite me and keep me smiling as much as I do. I can be really put off by the negative attitudes that some people I speak to during the day can have, and then, out of nowhere my joy is restored by seeing a cute puppy in a car window smiling at me, or maybe I'm getting gas (like I did today) and realized that the prices have gone down! Woot!

    Over the weekend, my really inexpensive used washer that I purchased about a year ago decided to do a less-than-stellar job, so I decided to replace it.  Knowing I have about 100 choices around town to choose from, I began my search on Marketplace on Facebook, thinking—and even hoping—to find this one guy I know from years back, who sold used appliances that he had personally refurbished. I trust him; he's a good guy, but alas, he has retired.

    I did find the man, but he told me he sold his shop, and he wouldn't even recommend buying from the guy he sold it to. He told me that getting out of the business was a difficult decision, but he thinks he made the right one. He did tell me where to go to get a good machine, and I checked them out. However, for virtually the same price, I can get one at Sam's Club, and the delivery is free. They also haul away my old one for free.  I'm talking $70 difference, and the machine is new, still in the box.

    The old machine may be repairable, and someone can use it. I thought about donating it, but they wanted me to help load it, and that's not going to happen. The next group of people I tried said they could do it for a $50 donation....wait, what? I'm donating the machine! No thanks, I'll let Sam's third-party guy or gal have it, and they can do with it what they want. The delivery, hook-up, and haul were included in the price. I only had to pay taxes over the cost, and that's it.

    Lowes, Home Depot, Buy For Less, Appliances 4 Less, and other places had different stipulations, but all had stipulations. There were delivery frees, tips, requirements for repair insurance, hauling fees, etc...well, no thank you. Sam's Club did it right. They've got my business, and they'll keep it too. I went in today to look at the machines, but they are only online. However, while I was there, I walked down the candy aisle. It was on my way out the door, you see.  I picked up a HUGE bag of Easter Cadbury eggs (the little ones with hard shells) for $8.71 (MONSTER big bag). Yes, I bought it.

    So, May 16 at 2:00 p.m. I will have a new 4.1 cubic ft top-load washer with an agitator for $525 + tax. My old one is an Amana 3.5 cubic ft, so I think I'm OK. New is good. I realize now that this is the first new machine I've bought. I've always allowed myself to buy a good used one, which is fine, but this time I'm going for it -- warranty and all. (two years included) I will probably wait a month and get a matching dryer to go with it -- no sense in working the other one into the ground. I'll see if a church wants it before allowing the Sam's people to take it too. 

    Woot! I'm a happy girl -- just me and big ol' bag of chocolate eggs...and yes, a new machine on the way. Gotta love the little things in life. 

Photo Credit: Samsclub.com 

Losing Dad. (A Reflection)

     He didn't go quickly. We had a few years of watching his decline, and knowing that his appointment with Jesus was coming, so we tried to see him as often as we could. I moved back to Oklahoma a year or so before Dad passed, thinking I could help Mom and my daddy close down their farm and get things in order. That didn't happen, at least not in the way I thought it might. I guess when I was planning things, I didn't take my siblings (or one in particular) into account any more than she took the rest of us into account.

    Needless to say, after his passing, the dynamics of the family altered to the point that virtually no one who knew us would have recognized what was left of the Stringfellows.  We had not been raised to be friends while we were growing up, so it was no surprise to any of us that we weren't close after we reached adulthood. I think (somehow) Mom was still surprised by the lack of concern or interest we kids had for one another. It is what it is, and what it is certainly isn't begging to be made into a Hallmark movie.

    When Dad passed, I noticed an immediate change in the way things were handled; he hadn't even passed, but was lying in the hospital room when my sister thought she could take control of literally every aspect of my parents' lives and drill the rest of us into whatever corner she chose.  If you know me, and you may by now, I didn't listen to her. She can talk and scream at me until she's blue in the face, and I'll give her that smile I give just before I walk away. She has never been able to tell me what to do, which is part of the dynamic she was hoping to change.

    With Dad safely in the loving arms of Jesus, my Mom stepped into whatever it is that she stepped into. I think I've seen her a couple of times over the past seven years. When she was hospitalized and in rehab over the summer of 2020 (could have been 2021) we weren't allowed into the room with her, and had to literally stand outside in the weather talking to each other by cell through the window. At least dear sister wasn't there to stop me then! Again, it is what it is. I wasn't set up to take Mom into my place, and I am very grateful that she is comfortable, even if she is predominantly sequestered from literally all of us.

    Losing my dad let me reflect on my childhood, my upbringing, how he influenced us, and what it meant to be his favorite child....Oh, yeah, sorry, I just put that part in there. I'm sure he didn't have a favorite, unless he did and told all of us the same thing.  My daddy was a good man, a Christian man, a believer and follower of Christ. He was a Navy man, a quiet man, and a man so in love with his wife, he didn't even know what it would be like to think outside that box. He really was a very very good person.

    I decided to dedicate this book to my dad (Jude's Almost Daily Blog Book 4)  because he did so much for us growing up and he probably never realized the impact he would or did have on us. He built us a giant treehouse without a tree, it was a fort on stilts, and with his knack at carpentry, let me just say people could have lived in the fort rather comfortably if they had a mind to jump the fence, fight back the dogs, and defend themselves against all of us and our friends who used it year round. He drove us places, took us to work with him, fished and camped with us. He cooked while Mom baked. He worked and paid the family bills; no kid thinks about that. He never missed a beat.

    My daddy was the one man I could always depend on, and I did depend on him. He's still watching over us - and no one can convince me otherwise. I love you, Daddy. I always will. 

My dad. Reuben Wayne Stringfellow