Just Today!

[Esther]

Well as some of you know I have been expecting company to come from out of state. So as most folks do for company you try and go the extra mile. So let me share with you my most frustrating day thus far!

1. I get ready to make Hawanii bread in my breadmaker. I have used the machine maybe 6 times, and as recently as 2-3 weeks ago. I plugged it in and it just starts making a ticking noise. Bottom line...it didn't work!

2. I put a pound cake in my oven, (which I have never used to bake a cake) and set the timer for the required 1 hour and 10 minutes.

3. I hear a clicking noise and ask my husband it the timer is going off? No, he didn't think so. So I get off the computer and go and try to discover the source of the noise. It sounds like a timer so I turn the timer off my oven. Guess what it was NOT the timer on the oven. Did I pay attention to what time I put the cake in the oven? NO! I depended on the timer. Discovered the noise was coming from the refrigerator we had fixed two months ago. I ask my husband do you want me to call the repair folks? NO, don't bug them, it is just making a clacking noise.

4. Entire house electricity goes off. Seems they decided to turn the entire street off without advance notice. With my cake in the oven!

5. Talk to neighbor next door and inform her after she gets off her mower that the electricity is off and will be off for at least another hour. Shared with her my day thus far. She comes through like a champ and said use my bread maker! It's never been used. So I agreed.

6. Electricity comes back on and I take my cake out of the oven. It appears done, but some miracle!

7. Put bread in NEW bread machine.

8. Company arrives. I notice the bread machine is off. My husband says check the refrigerator, sure enough it is off also. Break was thrown. Resets breaker, throws again. Unplug refrigerator, bread machine works. Now we have to take everything out of the refrigerator in the house and put in freezer and refrigerator in garage. Finally, convinces husband to put the refrigerator in the kitchen from the garage. Fortunately, my other BIL stopped by to visit. What timing. Three men to move two refrigerators.

9. Bread maker doesn't give up beating the bread. Finally turn it off empty the container and MAY try it again tomorrow.

Why does this happen when you have company!!!

[Esther]

Oh I forgot to mention my upper lip decided to go numb in the midst of all the excitement!

You had a great day!

[Cindy]

[Margies3]

Originally Posted by Esther

Oh I forgot to mention my upper lip decided to go numb in the midst of all the excitement!

You had a great day!

Why is your upper lip numb? That's the part that worries me! Unless there is a good explanation that you already know about, I would highly recommend that you go get that checked out. I'm serious!

[Blubayou]

Wow! What a day and you have to be nice to company too!

[Tina]

Esther... you need to go to the doctor. The lip going numb and the headaches you've been talking about aren't good symptoms...

[Falla39]

Dear Sis. Esther,

Sometimes it seems everything that can happen, does happen...all at the
same time. We've all been there, done that, in one way or another.
Well the only way we can handle these situations and frustrations is to just
give them to our Great Lord God. His Word tells us what to do. Cast all your
cares upon ME, for I care for you. How Wonderful! We can believe His Word
for His Word is TRUTH!!!
May the Lord God turn all these things that have happened into a tremendous
blessing in disguise. Sounds like you and your neighbor have connected. No
telling what will come out of all this, if you just trust Him with it all, in Jesus
Name!!
May He touch your body, soul and spirit, in Jesus Name. Sounds like a lot of
stress has been on you, with expecting out of town/state company, etc.,etc.
May He give you wisdom to do what you need to do regarding the numb lip
and headaches, in Jesus Name!

Blessings,

Falla39

[Kay B]

Dear Sis Esther so sorry your day has been so hectic. Praying for you and for the numbness of your lip. Hope it wasn't for biting it.
God Bless

[OneAccord]

See? I sent ya the following by PM to help you prepare for the visit... you didn't listen. You had no PINTO BEANS! Gots to have your PINTO BEANS.They ain't no Alabamaian ever been born who knows what Hawanii Bread is (I sure don't). But we do know what biscuits and cornbread is! And, remember what I said about Alabamians fixin' stuff? Give 'em a butter knife, some matches and some duct tape and they'll build you a jet engine. ("A MAN could take these here matches, and duck tape....") That bread maker would be workin' just fine with a little oil and a few good whacks with a flyswatter!

Hope the rest of the week goes well! Tell 'em I said "Hey from Alabama!"

1. Do you have ample supplies of PINTO BEANS? (Not the accursed canned variety, but the dry beans that required close inspection to remove bad beans and the occasional small pebble?

2. 'Taters? Not canned, not frozen and certainly not instant. Real, honest to goodness 'taters (Never, ever refer to them as POTATOES) that are grown in the dirt and still has dirt on them? Can you fry them, boil them, cream them, bake them, and whatever else it is people do with 'taters. Remember, Alabama ettiquite requires 'taters at EVERY meal. (Breakfast, Dinner (Alabamians don't do lunch), and Supper.)

3. Tea. Not iced, but SWEET. (And its pronounced "Sweetea"- one word. Gots to have gallons and gallons of sweetea. And it HAS to be served in a gallon milk jug. Alabamians prefer that to pitchers.

4. Fly Swatters. Yes, surprizingly, fly swatters are a necessity. Good for swatting any thing that crawls, flies, squirms or wiggles while sitting on the front porch that isn't suppose to crawl, fly, squirm or wiggle, incuding kids. My wife always had a good supply of flyswatters. So many in fact, I thought she collected them. You could sit anywhere in this house (including the bathroom) and be within easy reach of a flyswatter. Nothing crawled, flew, squirmed or wiggled without being whacked... including kids.

5. If a conversation arises, mostly from the male species, that begins with the words "A man could take...." (Example: "A MAN could take this here field, plow it up to yonders fence post, plant 'taters, and grow enough 'taters to feed every livin' person on earth for 1 whole year), DO NOT say outloud (you can think it, just don't say it), "A WOMAN could do that too". A women cannot do that, and saying that would disrupt the entire conversation and will more 'n likely lead to someone getting their feelings hurt.

6. DO NOT, under any circumstances, ask an Alabamian for directions (but, you know this- your husband is from Alabama). You will learn where Rufus Brown shot a 'possum back in '56 ("or was it '55, no..it was '56 cause thats when I cut that big oak tree down that fell across my shed, now what was I a-sayin'?"), you'll know where that ol' red barn was that burned down twenty years ago, and you'll know you done went too far if you see the bridge where the direction giver use to catch crawdads, but you will never, ever find where you are going. You will learn only one thing. You cannot possibly get there from here.

7. Don't ask an Alabamian to cut down a big oak tree that is within 5000 yards of anything you'd like to keep... like a shed, a car, or...or you. And while you are at it... hide all tools. 'cause Alabamians "fix" stuff whether it needs fixin' or not. I say again... hide all tools, which includes forks, spoons and knives, 'cause to Alabamians eating utensils double as tools. (Remember that bent knife in your utensils drawer that your husband used to fix that loose screw?)

8. Never, ever ask where YONDER is. Yonder is a place in the speakers mind and its inconcievable that a listener doesn't know where yonder is, or how far it is and what direction it is. Yonder is... well...its just there. Nod, grunt a couple of "Yeps", and leave it at that.

9. Answer a question that begins with the words "I wonder if he's any kin to...." by saying "Yes, he could be". Example:

(STATEMENT
"Oh, Pastor Jones of Houston Texas is a fine man".
(INEVITABLE QUESTION
"Yeah, reckon he's any kin to the Joneses that use to live down by the bridge where I use to catch crawdads in Skirum?" (NOTE: I know this question is a little confusing, most Alabama questions are that way... and yes, Skirum is a real place... its... over YONDER)
BEST ANSWER
"Yes, he could be"

[Pressing-On]

Esther!! Sorry about your day!! What do you mean - your lip went numb?!!

I bought some Sage tea today at the Health Food store. I really like it!

I read it can interfere with your iron intake, so I'll have to check more into that.

How are your headaches?