The Story That Terrifies Me

I'm not sure when I read The Monkey's Paw by W. W. Jacobs but it terrified me.  A movie is out. I refuse to watch it.

Basically The Monkey's Paw is a tale of three wishes.  What I came away with was never wish because there is a price.  If I wished, say for money, I would say, "I wish for money without any harm coming to anyone I know or love".

I was so terrified by this story it has stayed with me for years!  It is well known in my family if someone says, "I wish..." that I start screaming  "Monkey's Paw! Monkey's Paw!"

The reason I find this extremely unusual is I gravitate toward dark writing.  I am an avid Poe, King, and Koontz fan along with many other authors that make my hair stand on end.  I write darkly.  I love the thrill of a good scare.

Yet The Monkey's Paw takes the cake.  I will not read it nor see the movie.  And that's final!

What story, book, movie scares you like this and why?

Gratefulness and Two Shoes in Texas...

Six Sentences with Two Shoes

During this unusual winter I am grateful for many things I had taken for granted.

I am grateful for indoor plumbing, power, fuel and food and am also grateful that I know how to make do. I am grateful for friends and family.

I mention indoor plumbing twice because I remember the out houses, hauling water, breaking ice and freezing my buns while the wind made the wall paper move.  Nothing colder than an outhouse on a winter's day with your behind bare.

Wishing you warmth and blue skies...and indoor plumbing!

Doing Things Differently

Along with the cold we have had lots of high winds.  Tree limbs falling and old tin roof trying to fly away.  We decided to fasten them down on the old house

and the smokehouse.  

Hubby did it Sunday.  I am usually the one in the bucket.  This day Hubby decided bravely I would control the up and down of the bucket and he would risk his life inside.  Obviously I don't understand the word "smoothly" because nothing about his ups and downs was smooth.  He bravely stood as I jerkily raised and lowered him.  I think he was tired of me screaming from the bucket. I didn't cause him to scream once.  He just said, "Smoothly".  

When I returned him to the ground safely I said thank you.  I was so grateful not to be gripping the bucket for dear life. I did learn a new game...Bouncy Bucket.  Hubby didn't like playing it.

The winds are still strong but I hear no tin roofs flapping.  Such a relief.

Sorry for the butt shots but we had a lot of help and it's difficult to maneuver a bucket while taking pictures.

Sunday Was A Spring Day...

Ice was removed from the water gardens and fresh water added.  So far so good.  All the chickens, dogs and birds enjoy these gardens as much as I do.

Got my boots wet

and muddy

Pruned the fig, removed dead wood, wisteria and rose limbs

Now it's ready for spring with waste to burn.

Trimmed a lot more bushes here and there and decided to quit when I got my last owie.  I keep Walmart in business just with band aides and antibiotics.  

We accomplished a lot more Sunday but I will save some excitement for another post.

The temperatures are dropping but we had one day to play.  We were grateful for that day.

Stay warm.

The Mill

For The Mag.  Thanks, Tess.

The Mill by Andrew Wyeth

The mill was silent.  The stream frozen. The last wood was laid on the fire as the family gathered around the table to pray for spring.