June 13 – “Quiet a day (that’s not a typo)”

Cailyn got to spend the day with us yesterday for the first time since school let out.  It was hard for her to leave me alone to do the computer work I needed to get done, but Chris was great about convincing her to join her outside to water flowers or swing.  But once we shifted gears and all of us left the house for our “field trip” all was well.  We ended up making three stops.  One I knew nothing about.  As we were driving along down 23^rd Street, I think, Chris suddenly pulled into a parking lot and declared that we were stopping here for a minute or two.  Well, OK.  Her declared destination was a little antique store.  I was willing to give it a try, and actually was pleasantly surprised.  It was a jumble of junk and treasures, all seemingly tossed together into a make-your-own-way-through maze.  That’s the kind of antique store I like to visit.  It had the expected furniture items here and there, and a myriad of trinkets.  But it also had a few baseball cards (none were very old, though) and several stacks of comic books (Best thing about them was that many of them were DC.  It was like reminiscing through my old stacks of Superman and Justice League and Action comics).  It was definitely a place I would make a return trip to when there wasn’t a five-year-old tagging along who wanted to touch everything. 

Next stop was the library.  We had signed Cailyn up online for the summer reading club they sponsor.  That entitled her to a free t-shirt to start out, and then prizes throughout the summer as she completes up to 20 books.  Greta way to keep kids engaged in the fun of reading, and you don’t even need batteries or a charged up Kindle.  Cailyn was kind of reserved in picking out her books, though, because there were lots of children present.  It was almost like several entire classrooms of schoolkids had been dropped off and turned loose.  She always gets a little shy in large groups, but she managed to find ten books and we got them all checked out (after Chris took care of an earlier fine.  $12 for overdue books.  Chris asked if she could just take home a book for that price.  I don’t think the lady appreciated her humor). 

Last stop was across the street to the fire station where Daddy was on duty.  It had been a fairly quiet day for them so far.  Nathan came downstairs and we sat on the back of the fire engine in front of one of those really big fans and talked.  I always enjoy watching the interchanges between Cailyn and her Daddy.  Must be nothing quite like having a daughter.  Not that I would trade a moment of the time we had with our three boys. 

That part of our excursion done, we came on home.  I had to finish preparing for the home group Bible study and I had to go to a memorial reception for Joe Murphy, the dad of one of our old Seaside kids, Matt.  Matt has now graduated from college and is managing a set of apartments here in Galveston.  Great to see him again.  All in all it was a pretty quiet day.  I needed it, too, because I have been fighting a sore throat.  Not the ailment for someone who has to talk a lot.

Numbers 6:24-26 says, “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”

Father, be with the families of Joe Murphy and of Neil Goodman as they walk through their time of grief and come out on the other side.  They could sure use one of your hugs.  Amen.