Stampede
The phone clicked its “camera” snapshot sound, indicating a message coming in. Filly had chosen the sound as her own little joke for herself, after learning about how the government spied on everyone…it was like a constant reminder that made her laugh silently. Filly looked at the screen and the message was from Uncle E. He was asking if he could come into town and prepare his famous chicken soup for Filly and her husband. She had let him know about recent events and since he was a much beloved son in law, whom they thought of as a son, he of course wanted to be solicitous.
Filly was not at home, when the text came in. She was out “shopping” because she was still trying to snag a “we own the west” shirt,v(still unavailable) but she responded that she would be able to ask her husband as soon as she got home.
Filly had then gone to the post office. She was mailing a package to two little girls on the west coast because the first package she had sent had not arrived at their home.
The box was stuffed with clothes and books but Filly had stopped to get some craft supplies and kids make up to add to the box to make it more fun for the girls to open. She had decided not to send candy this time because all of her kids were strict about sugar, the way her mom had been when she was a kid. NO soda, no sugary fruit drinks, no candy. Her mom HAD made homemade cinnamon rolls or orange rolls or apple turnovers. But those things were a special treat, not a daily occurrence. One of filly’s favorite treats at breakfast was cinnamon toast that her mom made with butter, cinnamon and sugar.
Filly got out of her little spark car, in the narrow parking space into which it fit at the post office, and went around the back of the car, to get the box (that was still un-taped) so she could add the three items, she had purchased at the store. As she leaned in the back door to get the box, she noticed a baby sitting in the car beside her in a rear facing infant seat in the back. The car was running and the drivers seat and passenger seats were empty and no one else was in the car. She could see the smooth skin of the baby’s little legs.
The baby had to be less than a few months old and Filly could see toes wiggling, and yet the car was running so the temperature inside was probably fine, but Filly waited to see if the mom would come out of the post office soon, because she did not want to leave with the baby sitting alone in the car.
The mom did come, and she opened the drivers door that she had left unlocked. She got in, never noticing that Filly had been temporarily keeping guard over her baby, which was ok. Filly tried to guard all babies as best she could when in such a situation…a small change but a helpful one.
She had done the same with Mister and Tater, one time, letting them wait for a minute in the car, only they were old enough to know how to stay in, or get out of the car and had the keys, car running while she ran in to get them a drink. She knew that she should not even do that again, seeing it from the perspective of someone parking nearby, but since Tater was almost nine she had thought it was less hazardous. Worrying about babies was stressful, but the mom had been right there moments later and all was well gratefully.
The phone message, from E. in contrast was not stressful and was a bright spot in her day.
Then Uncle E. thought to ask if other people would be at the house and Filly responded “yes”, that Tater, Mister and her daughter would all be there. So the meal was to became more of an “event” and everyone was excited. Filly got in line at the post office and noticed that one employee was having her last day of work for the post office and had balloons at her counter. Filly mentally wished her well, paid for her box, and got back into the car.
Filly went on to do her original search of the stores selling Astro’s gear and after she scoured more shelves, she figured out that the shirts still had not arrived, so instead, she got some outfits for the kids. Then she got back in the car and drove to Freebirds where she got her husband his version of a burrito…full of beans, meat, tomatoes, corn, and more…the size of a double wide hot dog. Lots of bang for the buck according to her husband. Then she drove right home to get it to him before it got cold.
Of course her husband wanted to see Uncle E., when he heard about the text, so the plan was set in motion, and Filly got busy finishing the mulch in the yard (it was labor intensive) finishing weeding (also labor intensive) raking the sandbox, cleaning up the sand toys, cleaning off all the chairs and tables outside, and watering the plants. Filly loved how clean and inviting the yard looked after all her work.
The day Uncle E. was to arrive, the sun should be brilliantly shining in Texas, in spite of the floods and hurricane in NC. and the air should be crisp and not humid….quite a rare treat.
Filly thought about how things had changed for a lot of people. Some changes were small and some were big. E. in particular had been married but now was single, a significant change. Had lived in several nice houses but now lived in a very tiny house…his car actually. He had put solar panels on the top, and had built in a kitchen in the back, and a bed and storage for clothes, his guitar, and his computer and phone accessories. He worked remotely and had an office in Austin. His “home” was quite efficient and brilliantly designed by him.
At first Filly had felt sad for him leaving the house, but he was from Mongolia and his life as a nomad was not unpleasant to him. He was a wonderful example of someone making a life for himself as a LEGAL immigrant in this country in spite of how difficult circumstances had changed his life. He originally had married but his wife had been told by her boss that she was a man, and she had believed that lie. He had begged her to not listen. He was a PhD. and had become very close to Filly and her family because of his kind and gentle mannerisms. He also loved children. E. and his wife had ended up getting a divorce.
E. was not the only person who had experienced dramatic change. The life of her friend had changed too, dramatically. The lady was a fellow workout person, who loved dogs and fitness and church, and had been moved to a care facility because she got lost easily. Filly had searched high and low to find the facility and her friend, initially without much success.
She had not known the name of the facility or her friends last name, and had finally found the location after much researching. The difficulty came about because it was difficult to be asking about someone who might be “ill” because it was disconcerting to the family, and awkward to the friends of the family. Filly asked anyway.
She thought of how this person might feel abandoned with this big change in her life, and did her best to keep in touch if it meant something to anyone. She was not this person and her experience was unique to her, but she thought that her friend might like to have a visit.
When she walked into the facility, later, it was homey, friendly and open, and the patients all seemed alert and more mobile than most. Her friend who was sitting in a circle of ladies watching TV kept saying she was “cold”, so when the thirty minute visit was over, Filly decided to go shopping to find her a soft sweater.
Filly’s sister had said that sweaters for people in these places, needed to not go down past the butt to make them easy to put on and off, and be front open and be really soft. Her sister had worked caring for patients in care places, so Filly tried to find a sweater that matched that description but could not find one. That was still on her list of things to do.
She had been sad that her friend was in such a place but realized that no matter where a person is, God is there with them. She trusted that the woman was feeling God’s love even when surrounded by strangers.
She sat down and ate a package of Bevita cookies waiting for Uncle E. to come visit, her comfort food lol. Tater was busy playing in the new sand box and Mister was playing with play dough, also waiting for E. The new sandbox sand was a small change that the kids loved.
When E. arrived it was with much ado, and the kids were excited. They all sat outside and drank ice tea and listened to the music (a lovely new change) on the new outdoor sound system, and looked at the water fountains that had finally been installed, one a large green mineral and the other a lovely statue of a lady with a pitcher. After an hour of relaxing and talking, E. stood up and announced that he had to go to the store to purchase things for dinner. He scooped up Mister, who looked like a mini E. and took him along too.
He came back a half hour later laden with bags full of chicken thighs, celery, carrots, potatoes, onion, broccoli, green onion, and two freshly made loaves of French bread. He proceeded to chop and dice and slice for the next hour while various family members chatted with him at the bar that spanned the length of the kitchen.
The aroma of soup filled the house and the whole family gathered at the round table for the meal. Soup and bread for dipping. The soup was rich with yellow broth and piping hot and full of colorful vegetables and tender meat. Filly relished it. Everyone ate every drip of soup in their bowls.
Then Uncle E. started his laundry. One negative of the tiny car house, was there was no washing machine. But he did have a shower, a bed, kitchen and work area as well as a fan and other electronics powered by his solar panels. It was quite genius.
He seemed happy and thoughtful and well intentioned as always and chatted as he worked. When he spoke to Filly’s husband he sat on the floor, legs crossed, looking up, interested and bright. Filly called him “Mr. Hollywood” because of his long dark thick hair and handsome features. He had very few possessions but what he did have, he made sure was of very good quality and durable. His cooking skills were exceptional.
Filly looked at her bible verse for the day and it was about how she was being given a land with milk and honey, which made her think of the dinner E. had made. Milk and honey made her think of her real name, not her nickname, which meant bee, or honeybee.
Outside of her personal home, it did not seem like the land of milk and honey was being handed to her or God’s people, with the current democrat leader. Instead it seemed like her country was being handed to the EU and illegal immigrants, but Filly trusted God and God said that he was giving the land to her. That would be a good change from the current “leaders” political stance.
If Milk and Honey also signified prosperity, it seemed that a lot of family money had ended up in bitcoin in someone else’s wallet. Having money stolen and landing in Binance, seemed like neither milk nor honey, but appearances could be deceiving.
Filly knew that sometimes good people had to infiltrate, be patient and do the right thing consistently and patiently, in order to do their good work. Stealing someone else’s money was not Godly and it was breaking the ten commandments. In the wallet, the money as milk and honey, which was the people’s legacy for their families, seemed lost, but was also traceable providing a pathway so that the bad guys would get caught” when it was used for fraud. Binance had said it would cooperate. Filly was patient.
The bad guys “appeared” to be people from India. All the communications and fraud and theft that Filly knew about had been made by people of that nationality. And when she looked up who the CEO’s were, of a substantial portion of the fortune 500 companies, they were from India. Filly had heard that in India, right across from Google, were a multitude of large office buildings and google employees would walk across the street at five pm and go to their second job “scamming” at these unregistered office buildings. On the outside all of this looked very bad.
But India was not in the EU. Filly believed that those at the CEO level who supported the EU, had been infiltrated by moles at many levels, who were watching, documenting and doing God’s work, reporting abuse and fraud, and doing good, so that evil would be revealed and removed. The fact that her life and her family’s lives had drastically changed, would be for a purpose, to help in the advancement of good and would not be permanant.
Changes like sickness, financial loss and romantic break ups would lead to bigger blessings, higher ideals and more appropriate priorities.
Filly knew most people like herself, who had witnessed the power of God in action, could not be marketed to by Evil. No amount of commercials promoting abortion, or promoting illegal immigration, normalizing evil, would be effective. Filly knew God was watching. He was implementing “cool change”, like the song. Only it was not climate change…it was good. Only Good. People in every situation, joining together, along with Filly’s family, doing good, in the image of God. Filly decided to rewrite the song.
Good stampede
If there’s one thing in my life that’s a blessing
It’s the time that I spend in prayer
Grateful for the warm and bright clear Father
There’s lots of the churches steeples
They’re showing me ways to go
So I never want to lose their inspiration
Time for the open range
Galloping out on the wide open range
And now that my life is so unrestrained
I know that it’s time for the wide open range
Well, I was born from a mom and dad
And it’s there that I feel my best
The shepherd and the flock make me feel glad
It’s kind of a special feeling
When your not one of the lost sheep
Staring at the full moon like a lover
Time for the open range
Galloping out on the wide open range
And now that my life is so unrestrained
I know that it’s time for the wide open range
I’ve never been only semantics
And I will always care
I know it may sound human,
But machines don’t breathe the air
Yeah, yeah
Machines don’t breathe the air
If there’s one thing in my life that’s a blessing
It’s the time that I spend in prayer
Grateful for the cool and bright clear Father
It’s kind of a special feeling,
When your not one of the lost sheep
Staring at the full moon like a lover
Time for the full range
Galloping out on the wide open range
And now that my life is so unrestrained
I know that it’s time for the wide open range