How to Make Fear of Bears, etc. Disappear!

The day before, there had been a bear in our yard. In fact, Husband was in the woods, just beyond the house with Bonnie, our dog. The bear was between Husband and the house. Now, this was not Smokey Bear, or Yogi Bear or any of the famous ones you were taught to love as a child. This was a bear, that if in a foul mood, can slice your head off with one fell swoop of his claws. Which are four feet long. At least.

Husband was standing on a slight rise, and Bonnie was not, so she didn't see the bear and the bear didn't see her. No wind was stirring, so nobody smelled anybody else, either. 

Husband decided to do the manly thing, so he raised his arms above his head, spread his legs and hollered really loud. The bear looked at him, and slowly moved on down toward the creek.

A few days before that, I was sitting at the kitchen table and saw a coyote watching our house. This is creepy.  Give me the bear. The coyote wanted to come in the yard, but he'd stare at the house, move on down in the woods a little, and start to come in the yard again. Then he'd stare at the house. He finally moved on down toward the creek, too.

As you can imagine, this has caused some caution to raise its head as I have come to and from the studio, or to the car or even out on the front porch.

However; I got over that fear, and here's how:

I was in the studio, editing my upcoming (I hope) book. I was stretching my arms over my head and ran my fingers through my hair. On the back of my head in all my hair, was something that was not a part of me, but did not remove itself.

I hightailed it back to the house with  nary a thought of bear or coyote. In fact, they're lucky they didn't get in my way. I hollered at Husband as I came through the door, "I've got a tick in my head, come get it off!"

That sucker had just attached itself, it  hadn't drawn blood yet. 

And it never will.

Anyway, since then, we've been without electricity for 38 hours and now our water is not working. We've called for help, because Husband and I have done everything we know to do. 

I reckon it ain't meant for us to bathe ever again.

Just remember that if you see us in town.

Stuff

Here we are in a new year. Happy New Year.

Winter has finally arrived, calendars are purchased, I want a fire in the fireplace.

Last night Husband and I were coming home and a coyote jumped off the bank in front of us. We missed him (or he missed us) by this much. He was gone into the bush, obviously after something. he was running full tilt, almost on the ground. If he ever even saw the car, he didn't acknowledge it. 

Boy, howdy. It was scary, but only after the fact.

We finally have our Christmas decorations up.  HA!

I ain't takin' 'em down for a few weeks. I'll get itchy and suddenly want shed of it all, but not yet.

I'm about to embark on drinking kefir. Pray for me. If you don't know what this stuff is, let's just say it's alive and supposed to balance all your bacteria and stuff in your gut. I've tried everything else for a little over two weeks, and nothing has cured me.

But I'm tied of being chained to the outhouse like a goose on cod liver oil, if you pardon the graphics. 

It's just gonna take a little getting used to eating something while it is still alive. I'm used to eatin' my food dead.

An x-ray has shown something else wrong with my back. But I can't deal with that till I fix my innards elsewhere.

I know there are  many people praying for me, which I appreciate more than anyone ever knows. May I take this moment to say thanks.

I sold thirty-four books in December, which is a lot considering I don't have a new book out. 

I am working on a book. Mostly at this point making notes because my studio doesn't have a bathroom.

I guess this bathroom stuff is "TMI", but heck, this is just between us, right?

And I have no vanity anymore. I guess the older one gets, the less one worries about what everyone else might think.

If I get any worse, Husband won't let me out of the house.

Or blog.

Oh, and speaking of that (sorta okay, not really),  I'm sure  you've already seen the headlines from last week where the woman in Wal-mart was riding around in one of their carts eating sushi, chicken and drinking wine. They finally had her arrested. I don't know if it was because she was drinking red wine instead of white with the chicken or what. 

I promise I won't do that, anyway. I ain't eatin' sushi, I am a teetotaler, and the bathrooms are too far away in Wal-Mart to be joy riding in a cart.

Plus, I really do want to keep blogging, you know.

I'd  miss you guys if I was in jail.