A Creepy Thirty Minutes

from a neighbor's yard

As far as I'm concerned, Halloween could be wiped off the calendar and I would never miss it. Pumpkin pie (with Cool Whip, of course!), cheery pumpkins on the front porch, and all the other seasonal foods along with the changing colors on the trees -- that stuff can remain, I am not one to (as Gary phrased it) "embrace the ghoul" but with today's post I am sharing snapshots taken in our retirement community.

from Sue's yard

Gary doesn't get into the nightmarish themes either, although in his younger days he was into the "trick" of Trick or Treat. I learned the other day over our first cup of morning coffee that he and his teen friends pushed over a couple of outhouses in his semi-rural neighborhood. Hmmmm. 

Arlington neighborhood display

Maybe I shouldn't be too surprised because he is the third-born in a family of four sons (no sisters). He has told me when he and his brothers got into a scuffle, their mother would just tell them to "take it outside," and continued with whatever she was doing at the time. (The woman obviously knew how and when to choose the battles with her sons.)

Flipping for Fairfield

Sister and I (no brothers) were certainly not perfect, but by comparison, the two of us were "goody two-shoes," not prone to serious mischief. I can think of two times Sister was naughty.

As grade schoolers we were fussing at each other about something now long-forgotten. She hauled off and slugged me in the stomach so hard that it knocked the wind out of me and for the first time in my life, I faced possible death. Lucky for her, as she pleaded with me to not tell Mommy and Daddy, I managed to get my second wind and therefore lived to tattle on her now, these six decades later.

Ghosts and Ghouls on Strike

Her other misdeed was when as teens we were just sitting down to lunch with our mother. My freshly-shampooed hair was in curlers all over my head (this was in the 1960's). A boy I had met in youth group just the night before rang our doorbell, wanting to visit me. Since we were ready to eat lunch, my mother invited him to join us. 

It was an uncomfortable time for me, hair all bound up with those pink plastic rollers and metal clippies. To break the awkward silence over sandwiches, Sister asked me how many radio stations I could pick up with all that metal on my head!!

Black Cat blow-up a couple of blocks over

Ah well, fun as these stories are, now I will move into the Creepy Thirty Minutes mentioned in my post title. The other night I accidentally dropped my daily pro-biotic capsule down the bathroom sink. Even with my quick reaction, I was not able to grab it quickly enough before it just rolled out of sight down the drain. There was no retrieving it. 

Sebastian's contest entry

I reasoned that since it was a plastic capsule of powder, I should turn the hot water faucet on all the way so the plastic would dissolve and flush everything on through the system.

from the residents of Buckhead

However, that didn't work as well as I hoped. A sink full of water would drain, but it was a s-l-o-w process. There was nothing left for me to do but to confess my blunder to the master of the house. He was already settled into his recliner for an evening of TV, so I quickly followed up my dilemma with my willingness to wait until the next day to fix the problem. That bathroom has two sinks.

Sandalwood

He agreed the matter could wait and so the creepy part of my story began the following afternoon. We removed everything stored underneath the sink and Gary proceeded to loosen the plumbing parts that connect pipes in two locations to removed the trap from the system.

"Go Weston, Young Man" 

He asked for some raggy towels kept in the garage, which I quickly fetched in time for him to catch the drips and the grayish yuck. Handing the trap to me, which was full of slimy water, he instructed me to empty it outside. 

the Greeter to our +55 community

With brave face, quick steps and trying to not spill the nasty brew on the carpet and tile, I followed his instructions with success. At another sink Gary flushed out the trap and wiped it nearly spotless with a paper towel, leaving me to disinfect the sinks, which I was more than eager to do.

another Welcome

With the skill of a homeowner who can do just about any task based on experience and sheer ingenuity, the pipes were fitted back together, the fix was tested, and everything was put back under the sink. 

created by the club for pet owners

You're probably clicking your tongue by now and thinking, "That wasn't sooo bad." Well, read on.

entry by the Theater Club

I had just finished disinfecting the sinks when I saw Gary on the lanai with the pink fly swatter, over by a window he had opened. That meant only one thing: he was dealing with a Gecko inside the house. Clever little monsters that they are, they find the smallest openings in the window screens to enter the house.

from the Wine Club

Once again donning my Assistant's Apron (we've been through this before), I grabbed a paper towel and ran it over to my Protector. He will not abide with a Gecko inside the house, but there is a merciful gene in him that will pick up the creature as best he can with the paper towel and carry it outside to the grass to live or die (whichever the case may be).

the Volley Ball League

We have played out that scenario many times and although it's not a heart-stopping activity, it's not pleasant. By then I thought we were done with distasteful things. Nope, not yet.

a delicious display by the Kitchen Club

Back at the window where the Gecko had been apprehended, Gary spied a snake outside (yes, at least it was OUTSIDE) very near the back door entrance. 

Garden Club members

Admittedly, the snake was very tiny, possibly just a little older than newly-hatched, but a snake is a snake. Had it not been for Gary's keen eye sight, I might have not even noticed it. But the body language of a snake cannot be mistaken for anything else. And it was, as I said, kinda near the door from the patio to the enclosed lanai.

a zip line demonstration by the 
Outdoor Adventure Club

A metal pole was nearby, so once again my Hero carried out the brave and most decisive actions to  protect me and the homestead from evil.  A merciful response was not on his mind for this intruder. Beating the [really tiny] head to death, he carried out the deed and then disposed of the [really tiny] body behind our yard, beyond our property line. Should the [really tiny] victim be 'mostly dead' (quoting from The Princes Bride here) and attempt to crawl its way back to our house, well, that just seems highly unlikely.

a beautiful welcome inside our activity center

As the title of this post says, the sink, Gecko, and snake activities all took place within about 30 minutes that afternoon. It was truly a creepy time but after that calm was restored.

 

I am reminded of another really scary time nearly three years ago when I was recently widowed. It didn't take much at all during that first year to spook me with fear, misgivings, doubt, worry and so forth. Although I had been a Believer in the Lord since early childhood, my faith was put to the test like no other time before. 

Then one day I was in Hobby Lobby when I saw this piece of home decor:

a purchase from Hobby Lobby

The term, "shopping therapy," took on greater significance that day. I knew God was speaking, encountering me at my greatest point of need. 

And He has been faithful to take care of me. The experiences have not been easy at times, but in looking back I can see His faithfulness to get me through the tough times. He has used people, circumstances, sermons, podcasts, and just a gradual personal maturing about life to bring me through. I'm so grateful.

I am wiser for the experiences, too. 

Until next time, grace and peace.

autumn decor outside our ball room