1/28/2026. Battery

          Took back the battery to Auto Zone. The battery was no good according to their machine. And their records said I got battery in the beginning of October so I'll try it this morning. Always something. So DS said to chill, so I'm chilling with a little less hair. Oh and it ain't fun. All last year since February I have struggled with this car. A lot of times get in and it would not start. Always thinking what to do next. I thought I was set. Almost all new parts and then to have my expensive brand new battery fail. That is weird,  even for me. But there is nothing left to do than persevere. And to look for things to be greatful for.

         Edit: I was waiting for road service a from by insurance Co and they weren't showing up. I said DS you handle it. 10 minutes later I see a guy in parking lot giving some lady a jump. I run out there and he's putting the cables back in his pickup. Can you give me a jump. Yes. So I got the car running and left it run til I got to Auto Zone. Do the ask then the action by me looking out the window. Get  DS  working for you. I'd probably be still waiting another hour or two if I didn't call on DS.

1/27/2026. God Chill

         So there was a plan. It was working and then 1 day the apple cart gets turned over. Do that's where I'm at. Quite frustrating. Then one day I'm in Walmart and I see a gal wearing a pink hoodie that says God on top and below that Chill all in caps. That there is what you call a waking dream. Big letters for me so I didn't miss it. Got it. So I've been chilling figurtively and literally with ,-4 degrees out there. Thanks to Fern. Tried my car dead as a doorknob even though I bought a $ 220 battery back in August. Sucks. So Divine Spirit set this up and now I have to be patient to see it get resolved. Tomorrow I'll get this battery checked out by Auto Zone. Never a dull moment around here. I knew 2026 was going to be tough but I didn't see this coming. The only thing you can do is trust God. So be it.

1/14/2026 Black Oil

         This is the best bird seed for our our feathered friends. We have 2 Wallmarts nearby. Store 1 close by and the other (2) 15 min away. Last year store 1 didnt't have the 40 pound bag,  but at store 2 it did.  It was tucked away near camping supplies for some reason. They would have about 3 bags there. I would get 1. This October I noticed there were no more 40 pound bags to be had. Now it was 20 pound bags. Last January I paid 18 dollars for a 40 pound bag. I went to store 1 no 40 pound bag. I found a agriculture store like Tractor Supply where I got it for 18 dollars on sale in October. This store was about 35 min away though. So end of December I bought a 20 pound bag at Wal-Mart for 17 dollars ( store 1).

         So, I was thinking of finding a 40 pound bag again. Which started the end of December. Two weeks later I'm in store 1, where I just bought the 20 pound bag. There on top of the 20 pound bags was a 40 pound bag. This the store that never had a 40 pound bag. I bought the bag, $21.00.  Way cheaper than 20 pounds.  3 dollars more than last January.

        So, I just thought about the 40 pound bag briefly. And it appeared a week later. Only the one bag. Well that is what I call a gift. Thank-you DS.

        

1/07/2026 Duh

        December 2025, I'm at an Aldis in a checkout line. I'm doing the scanning and I'm almost done when a woman comes by and grabs her phone from the little shelf next to the pay station. She came back from her car to retrieve it. I didn't even know it was there. I took note. January 4th, my first trip out in the new year. Off to Wallmart. In the parking lot I exit the car check my back pocket and yep you guessed it,  no wallet. Duh, left it in my other pant's pocket. After all that talk about mindfulness. Humbeled once again. Drive back home and start over. When I'm cashing out with a person checker, they have a small shelf at a pay portal, where I put my wallet and sometimes my phone. Now, this time I put more concentration on that small ledge. After the sale, I get both items back into my pocket. So, the Aldi experience was a refresher course for me. I do need re-freshing.  Still messed it up. That''s ok,  still go forward. I think I will put a note to me and tape it to the dashboard.

        Today I got around to fixing that leaning coat rack. I thought of a better way to make it work. Now it stands straight.

        Also been working on these puzzles made with lego bricks. They come with books on how to put them together. The first one was a big O gauge  steam engine called a Big Boy. 1818 parts to it. Took me a month, off & on. I learned more about patience while doing this. Made some mistakes that required back tracking. It is fun though.

                    

1/1/2026 Happy New Year

         This year is going to be something alright. Maybe this year rely on  DS even more than ever. I know that I will be taking my own advice.

        In 2025, I tried to live in the moment. It is very hard to do. But I did have some successes. Mainly concerning the wallet keys and phone For the most part. Saved me time and money. I go a new microwave. It has a feature that the other one did not. You have o press a button to unlock the door. So I' ve been yanking the door to open it and you can't. Have to press the release. But it seems I forget on a constant basis. This shows I'm not living in the moment. Or yesterday I drop my keys on a 4 ft cabinet on the corner but this time they hit the floor. Lack of focus. So what does that mean. More than likely it means to slow it down and actually think what am I doing in the moment. Say you have a kid and they come up to you with a question and your busy or stressed. Well no matter what you slow it down and you listen to them. They will feel valued by you and trust builds. This is your priority. So this day is a reflection on your life from the last 365 days. I've seen improvements fir myself and I am happy about them.

       . This year I will continue the same course. Always work with DS and continue to focus in what I hope to accomplish.