July 6 – “Peppermint and a Piece of History”

Project Chase-Away has begun.  Yep.  We are after that rogue rat we saw the other day.  Chris has been all over the internet searching for ways to get rid of the critter and any of his friends that might be lurking.  Seems the two best answers were citronella oil and peppermint oil.  The first is, well, combustible.  So we decided to try out the peppermint.

And that meant a trip to WalMart.  On a Friday.  In Galveston.  On Fourth of July  weekend.  Into the fire.  Sure enough, there were tourists galore.  I saw LA Dodgers caps and New York Islanders t-shirts.  It was fun to watch the people racing around to get just what they needed for another day at the beach.  I hope they enjoyed it.  As for us, we grabbed what we needed – peppermint oil and a sprayer for Project Chase-Away, and some insect repellent wet ones and a graph pad notebook for the Alaska trip – and hit the road.  Sure was thankful for those self-serve lanes this time.

Back at the house Chris fixed up her spray concoction of peppermint.  Smelled really good, by the way.  I offered to brave the bushes and spray the offending spot where we saw the rat.  Chris happily agreed.  Thankfully the critter was not present, so I soaked the surrounding area.  Even sprayed some spots on the nearby fences to discourage use of them as a highway.  So now we wait, I suppose. 

Chris got a text from Janell across the street.  Seems they had uncovered a strange etching in the floor of their garage.  We went over to check it out, since I am the resident historian for that particular abode, having lived there for some 16 or so years, and beyond that knowing the residents rather intimately for another 47 years.  This particular oddity was easy to decipher, however.  It read “Kel.”  At issue was whether it was our oldest son or not.  It was not.  See, I often was referred to by that moniker when I was but a sprout running around those parts.  And that particular designation was not an etching at all, but a signature in freshly poured concrete many years ago.  I mean, what self-respecting youngster wouldn’t have done the same?  Kudos to my Dad for leaving it in place, though.  My place in history has been sealed.  Who need Grauman’s Chinese Theater anyway?

Romans 12:2 says, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Father, thank you peppermints and pieces of history.  Amen.