June 21 – “Distraction”

I had to mow the grass today.  It was getting out of hand.  I thought if you neglected something it would do what you didn't want it to do.  I wanted it to grow, so I figured it wouldn't.  Not so with grass.  It kept growing and growing and growing.  One of the times I came back inside, there were all four of my Galveston grandkids.  Cailyn's Mom had class and her Dad was at work.  Christina brought the boys over because they were having some work done on their house.  She found out last night that the group would be there today.  So she packed up the boys and the dog and went for an outing.  I noticed something when I would come inside to get rehydrated.  The boys and Cailyn played very well together.  Until I showed up.  Then they started an arguing match over who was going to play what with DadDad.  I was more of a distraction than an effective playmate.  I managed to spend some playing, though.  How could I not?   It sure is different to have the trees chopped down next door.  And they even came by sometime yesterday and picked them up from the front yard.  Boy, does that house ever look different now.  Another of the trees in the back yard fell last night.  We didn't hear it, but it was down nevertheless.  There was a cluster of small diameter trees back there.  The city cut down the worst of the four, but the other three were dead, too.  They couldn't be cut because they were "too small."  So one down when we woke up this morning.  I hopped the fence and tugged gently on another one.  And it toppled easily to the ground, smacking the side of that house on its way.  I was feeling rather Samson-ish, so I went to the last one and with all the force I could muster, I pushed.  And  I tugged.  And bounced.  It wasn't that the tree was miraculously alive again.  It was the roots.  The system was so big that it wouldn't let go of that last tree.  The whole root ball wanted to make landfall, or nothing would go down.  This was a job for chain saw man.  But he was at work, and I was really hot and tired  by then.  So the last tree remains standing.  Right next to an overly aggressive weed that has grown so tall it actually looks like a living tree.  Maybe we can nurture it a bit and name it Phoenix as it rises out of the ashes.  Or not.   The doctor came in to see Chris' Mom late this morning and said they were still waiting for the culture to see if the infection was completely gone.  If it was, then they would schedule the tube insertion, get it done, and send her home.   Of course that would all depend on the surgeon's schedule.  She also said that the next time Chris comes up, she should bring some food that her Mom would eat.  She is refusing to eat the hospital food they bring her.  She took them a bag of snacks yesterday, but sounds like they are already almost gone.  Chris plans to go up in the morning to get her Dad to a doctor's appointment.  Luckily, the office can be reached by crossing one of the sky bridges.  It's kind of a long walk, but he should be fine.   Psalms 121:8 says, "The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore."   Father, thank you for reminding me that you are watching.  Sometimes that is disconcerting.  Always it is good.  Amen.