Pool of Blood

Looking back over the years I realize I'm incredibly lucky. A few stories come to mine. Once I was driving my mazda rx 7 (sporty and low to the ground) about to change lanes in Berkeley. I looked to the side and saw there was an opening after a truck went by. The truck went by and I was just about to slide over to the right when I looked again (always look twice) I noticed the truck was a flatbed set of doubles. If I had moved over without the second look I would have slid under the second set of the flatbed. I'm sure the outcome would have been certain death.

Another time in Mexico we traveled to a remote location because of the natural hot springs. We swam in a giant hot spring pool with another couple. Other than them and us there were no other visitors. Later settled down in our motel room, we heard a knock on the door and we lay there motionless. Even our dog Blue didn't make a sound, Mind you she would always bark at strangers and come to our defence. For some reason that night she didn't make a peep of a sound and we didn't either no matter the insistent knocking. In the morning we left none the wiser. l.ater back in the states we read a couple from San Diego had been brutally murdered in that same location. Reading that story ran chills down our spine because we knew we had escaped certain death that very night.

In Arkansas I was poisoned by a supposed long time friend, staying at our home to help them get back on their feet. I've had lasting health problems because of that but I am still alive today to tell the story.

I've had several operations where the doctor said I'd die if I didn't sign the consent. I refused until they changed the consent to what I thought was appropriate; all the while threatening to go to another hospital. As you see I am still alive today.

In San Francisco I had a feeling someone would steal my purse. I went to the laundromat and near the end of my time I was drying my clothes. For a minute I set down my purse while folding my clothes. Out of the corner of my eye I saw someone grab my purse. I ran out of the laundromat trying to catch them. I ran several block but they ere ahead of my much too far. I finally gave up. They had my money, my car and house keys and just about everything I needed. A family was coming back home and they offered to call someone for me and let me use their phone. Shortly after that a man with a big tired truck drove up and walked up and handed me my purse. Before I could say anything he got
back into his truck and drove away. I can still remember his face and demeanor to this day.

Lately there's been the astronomically high blood pressure readings two nights in a row with ER visits. Somehow I escaped without a heart attack or a stroke. Now on bp meds to control my high bp..

This week found me with a pool of blood on the floor. I was descending the upper stairs;  two thirds of the way down I lost my footing. I fell and tumbled down and what happened subsequent I have no idea. I landed flat on my back on the pine floor below with a pool of blood under my head. I surmise I fell over the railing and bruised my arms, knee, back of my shoulder and my spleen. I got a gash in my head after hitting the side table next to a chair in the living room that's tucked at the side of the stair landing. That's where the pool of blood on the floor came from. A bruised spleen can be dangerous so I am keeping an eye on it. No broken bones and I'm still alive, another narrow escape.

I feel like a truck has run over me. I have bruises on top of bruises. Sometimes I wonder if it's worth it suffering all these calamities lately. Then there are the hospital bills mounting up, added to the previous bills. Will I ever get them paid off. To make matters worse Gary hurt his shoulder again and he thinks he may not be able to help load and unload at the farmer's market. Whoa is me; not sure what we will do now.

What about you? Do you have any narrow escapes to tell? These are just the narrow escapes I can think of now. I am sure there are escapes we all face we are unaware of, probably a good thing. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

Redshift Tickseed

At the farmer's market I couldn't resist getting a tickseed from a local nursery grower. I was familiar with the usual yellow blossoms of tickseed but this new variety, redshift tickseed, caught my eye. Tickseed loves sun, has fern like leaves, grows about two feet tall and is hardy to -20 F. The multi-colored blooms are a delight to the eye. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

Rainy Night in Georgia

With all the rain we've been getting, pottery to replenish my supplies is drying slowly. We've reverted back to opening our windows at night and closing them during the day to save on our air conditioning bill since it's been cooler. However, the humid air doesn't encourage the clay to dry quickly. Meanwhile I've been working on a couple of other locations to carry my pottery. More about that later.


If you don't know Brook Benton have a listen to a few more of his such as "It's just a Matter of Time", "The Boll Weevil Song", "Lie to Me", "Hotel Happiness". and "Think Twice". Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

First Tomatoes

first tomatoes of the season

juliet and one lone sweet 100