March 31 – “A new dining experience”

I did another backyard walk-through with Chris yesterday.  Looks like we may be switching up some ideas to use the materials we have on hand – like bricks and decorative slate – instead of buying a load of concrete.  Al least for the time being.  Once the ground dries from this latest influx, of rain we’ll be able to determine just how much slate we have and how far it will actually go toward covering how much ground.  Ah.  Questions, questions, questions.

Next we went into Texas for Jachin’s baseball game.  Pasadena, to be exact.  We ended up taking Highway 146 instead of I45.  Seems someone ran into a construction vehicle around one in the morning, so the anticipated two out of three lane closure became a full-on freeway shut-down and detour.  Traffic was backed up for miles, and the inevitable flood of people trying to jump off the freeway through the grass or drive backwards down entrance ramps were all getting ticketed by waiting highway patrols.  Glad we missed all of that.  Then it rained at the beginning of the game.  Of course.  But this time there was no lightning. And it was a brief shower, so the game must go on.  Jachin’s team lost, but they did really well.  The opponents won in the bottom of the last inning. 

On the way home we stopped for lunch on Nathan’s recommendation at a place called Gilhooley’s in San Leon.  I wasn’t sure if we should take him up on it after the prank Chris pulled on him, but we decided to chance it anyway.  Both of us were pretty hungry.  The place was … a new dining experience.  It was … well, loud.  Really loud.  But then, it was also a bar, so I guess that comes with the territory.  The ambiance reminded us of what a Hooters might be out in the sticks somewhere.  But I gotta say … that was some really good seafood.  Even better than Stingaree over in Bolivar.  I’d certainly give it another shot.  Maybe turn off my hearing aids before we enter next time …

So … Chris just couldn’t stand it.  She had to stop at Home Depot on the way home.  She wanted to get one of those hook and eye gate latches for our new toy out back.  We found just the one she wanted and headed home.  I had about an hour and a half to get it installed before the Astros game (and the Texas Tech vs. Gonzaga basketball game) began.  The chore took me a good minute and a half.  Check.

By the way, the Astros lost a close one.  Tech won in a real upset.  Busted my bracket (I pick Gonzaga every year.  Always have.  I just like that name), but I have to admit I was rooting for Tech all the way.  Something about the underdog, I guess.  Then I made the mistake of getting into the Virginia vs. Purdue game.  Another barn burner to be sure.  That one went into overtime before Virginia squeaked their way with a victory.  I was pulling for Purdue in that one.  Upsets are so much fun.

2 Chronicles 7:14 says, “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

Father, would you send your Spirit down like this rain to our worship service today?   Amen.

March 30 – “The $50 approval”

Another full day.  Chris felt well enough to attend her quilting class up in Dickinson.  I guess it won’t be too long before a real live t-shirt quilt begins to appear.

I spent a lot of the morning trying to get next week’s church work as done as possible.  We want to go look at bluebonnets next week.  That is, if Chris feels better.  And if it’s not too cold.  It’s time for the cold to stay away.  At least until after Easter baptisms in the Gulf.  Either way I got a lot done, even if it was supposed to be my “day off.” 

At some point in the morning Nathan called for me to meet him and John at Home Depot to return the unused materials from the fence.  I told him to keep whatever he thought he could use.  That amounted to some nails and two by fours.  We still got a credit of $250.  That’ll definitely help.  And why would we need such “help”?

Well, when Chris got back home we headed back outside.  She cleaned out and weeded the little, skinny flower bed on the side of the house.  I worked on leveling the little patio area by the side door so we could put some pavers out to put the trash cans on and to walk on in case it really does rain this afternoon.  The plan is to eventually concrete in that whole area.  Oh, and we also put some decorative slate in part of that flower bed Chris was working on. 

After all that work our worship pastor Jim came over.  He claimed to be a city inspector, and he would gladly approve the job if we gave him $50.  Chris picked up on that and later began a text thread with Nathan about the rogue inspector.  By the time she got through with him, Nathan was ready to hunt down this “Jim” character and put him in a world of hurt.  Speaking of “characters,” the whole thing was so out of character for Chris.  I finally entered the texting fray to let him know his Mom was pranking him.  Got ya’ Nathan.  He finally texted Chris and said, “Well done, Mom.  Well done.”  But, uh, Jim?  You still might want to watch your back …

Psalms 27:14 says, “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”

Father, thank you for the laughter I saw when Chris was pranking Nathan.  And I’m kind of glad I didn’t see the reactions Nathan was having.  Amen.

March 29 – “Come gawk”

It is done.  The fence is up.  Oh, we had a few glitches along the way.  Issues of spacing solved by highly creative manipulation of pickets and a table saw.  Occasional nails that missed their target, solved by retracing steps, popping them back through and taking more careful aim.  Positioning of the gate latch, solved by expert use of a skill saw.  A dearth of certain supplies, like proper sized pickets for the gate and eight foot two by fours, solved by two extra trips to Home Depot.  Hurrah … somewhere I could actually contribute.  Well, I also picked up pizza for everybody, so there was that.  And Chris made the run to get Cailyn from school.  It was, as always, good to see her smiling face around here. 

We are not finished with the back yard transformation by a long shot.  I spent most of the day tearing out the makeshift pathway next to the side door.  Chris’ new idea for that space is to put down a layer of quickcrete, then before it dries to lay out the pretty slate we reclaimed on top of it.  That will mean my day is pretty well set.  I’m in charge of grounds preparation.  Yet another way to come to the end of the day sore and achy.  Can’t wait.  Oh, and we haven’t finished tearing out the back fence either.  Much to do.  However, feel free to drive by and gawk at our masterpiece of fencedom.

If you stop on your trek, you might be stuck with me as a tour guide, though.  Chris has not been feeling so hot.  She’s not sure if it is allergies aggravated by blooming bushes and sawdust–filled or a full-blown cold.  She’s supposed to have the last half of her How to Make a T-Shirt Quilt class today.  Hope she feels up to finishing that.  She really looked forward to it for a long time.

2 Corinthians 4:7-9 says, “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.  We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.”

Father, I’m keeping it simple today.  Please heal Chris quickly.  Thanks.  Amen.

March 28 – “Buried Treasure?”

So the actual fence workers, Nathan and John, were both on shift at the fire station yesterday.  That meant we were on our own at any yard work back there.  So we attacked it with fervor. 

First we dug up a huge batch of lilies.  Some will be relocated to a new flower bed Chris has envisioned.  The others will find new homes.  In fact, how would you like some lilies?  See Chris …

While digging up the lilies, we uncovered a broken off portion of the original gate to the backyard.  I mean original.  The one we just tore down was added when they built the addition to the back of the house.  That was all done when we moved in 24 years ago.  “Buried treasure,” for sure.  I had to dig all around it about three and a half feet before it loosened enough under the stress of my kicking for me to pull it out.  And I may not have been strong enough to do that, except the top third or so broke off with one of the kicks.  I did uncover some treasure.  A pretty little blue marble.  Priceless, no doubt.

After lunch I started tearing out the back chain link fence.  That’s some tedious work.  And it’s the home of the famous wisteria vine.  At one point I was trying to save one of the heartier looking branches.  Chris was even helping me pinpoint where to trim off extraneous branches and portions of fence.  After a long period of that “tedious work” I mentioned, Chris carried a segment of fence to the garbage.  I trimmed off some more extraneous branches so I could better see where we were.  Yep.  I hit the wrong branch.  Cut off the very one we had been working so hard to save.  Chris said she didn’t hear my cry of “aaaaarrrrrgggh,” but it was definitely emitted.  She did accuse me of doing it on purpose, but after all that work, I think she realized that an elderly gentleman in my precarious condition (read here “old and tired and somewhat cranky”) wouldn’t have wasted all that time.  She disappeared briefly and returned with a fresh bottle of water for me to drown my sorrows.  Very nice lady, that wife of mine.

I’m pretty sure the previous owners of the house were concerned about dogs or other critters burrowing either into or out of the yard.  Everywhere I dug to get at fence bottom, I ran into either a double stack of bricks or a brick-wide, buried strip of concrete.  I will say kudos to the person who created the wire-cutting tool I had access to.  Big ol’ bolt cutters is more like it.  The fence would not have come down without it.  So how much did I get done?  Well, I completed a section on each end, working my way toward the center.  The center.  That would be the location of the wisteria mother ship.  Staying away from that for as long as possible …

Matthew 6:6 says, “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your father, who is unseen.  Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

Father, be with the guys as they work on the fence today.  Keep them safe.  Amen.

March 27 – “A bit of a snag”

Corey came over and asked if Brennan could hang out with us at two intervals during the day.  Once while he took Janell to work and once while he was at his second job and Janell was on her way home from work.  Time to be substitute grandparents again.

Meanwhile, we finally got started on our fence on the west side of our house.  I met our contractors/hard workers, Nathan and John, at Home Depot to buy the materials.  Not that I would have any say over what was to be purchased.  I was there for my credit card.  We also had to make a stop at American Fence Company to get rot boards and an anti-sagging kit.  Who knew that you could buy an anti-sagging kit?  And at a fence store, no less?  I thought you’d have to go to a high end spa or maybe a beauty parlor for something like that.  Anyway, the costs actually came to a little less than we expected, so that was a definite plus.

The guys arrived at our house shortly thereafter, with April in tow.  She said Nathan forced her to get out of bed and come help.  Always glad to see her, though.  Oh, and I really liked her shirt.  It said, “Y’all need Jesus.”  Yup.  Sure do.

The demo phase went fairly smoothly.  We had to tear down the old fence, pull up a lot of Chris’ plants (She had plenty to spare.  She gave one huge bag of stuff to April to spread around among her friends), and chop down a tree.  And all that before the actual fence work could begin.  We also started tearing down the old chain link fence in the back of the yard.  That’s the home of Chris’ prized wisteria.  When we finish that project, it will truly be a sad day.

                                                  

Finally Nathan set the line and spray-painted the grass to mark the area for postholes to be dug.  John came behind him with the post hole digger.  Then they placed the posts and poured the concrete.  All was going pretty well.  In fact Nathan mentioned that this was the least four-letter-word-inducing fence that he had ever built.  Ah.  We should have known that was an omen of the bitter moments to come.  All the posts were set for the fence.  All that remained were the two that would hold the gate.  The first hole went fine.  And then Nathan began digging that last one. 

And he hit a bit of a snag.  Well, not a snag so much as a … water line.  And not a little crack, either.  He broke it.  Water started flowing all over the place.  We were all running around like chicken with our heads cut off.  I showed them where the meter was to shut the water off.  Of course it hadn’t been cleaned out in months (Hmm.  How are you sending me accurate bills every month, City of Galveston?).  Nathan started digging.  I located the cutoff tool and got it to John.  They finally got everything shut down.  I offered to call the plumber, but John suggested we wait and see if they could fix it on their own.  Sure enough, they patched it together.  After an appropriate wait time they checked the seal.  Not so good.  They cut that section out to try again.  This time we had to race over to Village Hardware to get some more parts.  Just got in under the wire of their closing time.  Weekend Plumber John went back to work, and this time everything held and we were back in business.  Once it dries and sets we can rebury it and move that post location over a bit. 

However, it was rapidly approaching time for softball.  Cailyn and John’s daughter Alexis both had games, and their Dads (and a certain DadDad and Nani) wanted to be there.  The water repair worked great, so we covered the hole to let the connection set overnight along with the cement in the post holes.  Now John and Nathan have to work today (both are fire fighters, so they have a 24 hour shift to cover).  That means we’ll have to go another day without a fence.  Well, I mean Freddy will have a day without a fence.  She was quite confused when we took her out and she realized the fence was gone.  Couldn’t tell if she secretly wanted to bolt or to run back in the house and hide.  We’ll see how this goes …

1 Corinthians 13:6 says, “Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.”

Father, thank you for the hard work John and Nathan put in yesterday.  Please give them a restful day at the station.  Amen.

March 26 – “How about Whataburger?”

We had an unexpected early morning call from Nathan yesterday.  He was at work already, and he had just received a frantic call from April.  Seems her phone had started blowing up with texts asking why she wasn’t at work yet.  Somehow her schedule had been adjusted, and no one thought to let her in on it.  That meant we were called into service to pick up Cailyn from school and make sure she got to her softball game.  We assured Daddy that we would find a way to suffer through the assignment. 

We started back to walking again.  It has been over a week since the weather has cooperated.  I was afraid we would be starting back at square one.  I guess my old muscles had some good memories, though.  I made my three miles and seven trips up and down the stairs to the deck.  Chris added an extra mile and three extra stair trips.  She’s my hero. 

The bulk of my day was spent at the computer.  Monday is always a grind in that department.  Got a lot done, though.

Finally it was time to pick up Cailyn.  Chris was still at her doctor’s appointment, so I had the obligation solo.  We stopped by the fire station first so Cailyn could touch base with her Dad and do some climbing on the trucks.  She needed some physical activity.  The school had done testing all day, so she was ready to stretch and move … a lot.  After picking up her softball gear at her house, we made our way home.  Chris was already there, and it was time for some supper.  Chris offered some of the homemade pot pie she made the day before.  Nope.  She tried chicken strips.  Not hungry.  I quietly made a suggestion, and Chris changed tactics.  “How about Whataburger?”  Cailyn replied, “Sure.  I could eat.”  I got everybody’s order and we had a quick supper before heading to the softball game.

And that was an experience in itself.  The girls did just fine.  A shaky first inning by our pitcher led to a five run outburst.  In the middle of it all, Cailyn fielded a slow roller and gunned a strike to the first baseman to get the runner out.  Highlight reel.  When we came to bat, Cailyn walked on four straight pitches, stole second and third, and scored our first run on a wild pitch.  We ended up tying the game.  The opponents scored just one run the next inning.  Our pitcher settled down and threw a lot of strikes.  We were just coming up to bat when the first of the lightning struck.  It was still on the other side of the bay, but it was close enough to elicit some squeals from the girls.  After a brief delay while the umpires and league officials studied the rules and the lightning app on their phones, the game was called.  By this time April had arrived, so Cailyn went on home with her.  the rain did finally come, but only after we were safely at home, watching the Baylor women’s basketball team completely demolish their opponent in the national tournament.  They were more than twenty points ahead at halftime, and things just got worse from there for their opponent.  The final score was 103-64.  Ouch.

2 Corinthians 10:5 says, “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

Father, thanks for the brief rain last night.  Could we have some dry and hot days now for a while?  Sure would like to get our fence up.  Oh, and have some warmer water by Easter.  Amen.

March 25 – “No, Mommy. I want basketball.”

Well, what we thought was going to be a low-attendance day at Seaside turned into something pretty special after all.  Typical God-move, don’t you think?  We ended up with eleven children in two different classes.  A family from Pasadena (The Texas version) were camping for the weekend.  They are regulars for our Easter sunrise service, so they thought they would check out a regular service as well.  One of our Seaside couple who haven’t been around for a few years decided God was leading them to get back in church, so they were obeying that direction.  And after church I spent some time talking with a visitor couple from Pennsylvania.  They are originally from Iowa, and moved to Pennsylvania to be a part of a church plant there.  They are missionaries as well, and have been all over the world.  I really enjoyed hearing their exploits and sharing with them some of the particulars about Seaside.  I love it when God does great things in spite of our expectations.

Our afternoon had two separate segments.  One was the brief time Chris and I spent just sitting in our swing in the back yard, listening for birds and watching the Jurassic butterflies.  The only birds we heard were seagulls, but it was nice to be sitting next to my love.  And then allergy season made a sudden appearance, and I started sneezing.  I sneezed quite romantically I thought, but still, it was probably best that we adjourn to the interior. 

The rest of the afternoon we spent watching basketball (me) and reading (Chris).  Texas Tech and Houston won their games rather easily.  Not so for number one ranked Duke, however.  Lowly University of Central Florida (and their 7 foot six inch center) took them literally down to the wire before Duke came out on top.  And that was only because of a push from behind no-call and not one, but two missed layups at the buzzer.  I texted Josh to let him and the boys know that their brackets were almost completely busted (All of them except Caleb picked Duke).  My phone rang almost immediately.  They watched it all right.  Caleb was beside himself with excitement.  In fact, when they got home, all four of them (even AnnaGrace) were shooting baskets and re-enacting buzzer beaters.  Oh, and Josh told us that when Christi pulled up to Caleb’s baseball practice the other night, AnnaGrace lamented, “No, Mommy.  I want basketball.”  March Madness is fun.

Psalms 19:14 says, “May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.”

Father, thank you for the Sunday surprises you pull on us time after time.  Keep them coming.  Amen.

March 24 – “HONGRY”

We took a big step the other day.  Chris was convinced that Freddy was sad and lonely, so we broke down and got her a companion.  Nope.  Not another dog.  It’s actually a stuffed creature.  Some kind of chipmunk or something.  Chris put it in her bed so she wouldn’t be alone at night.  So far we have found it outside and in the den, so she is carrying it around.  I’ll call that one a win.

Yesterday we went to our first karate belting ceremony.  I was expecting to see people belting each other about the head and body.  They actually did do some of that, but that was just a sidelight of the events of the day.  Noa, Josiah and Micah were the stars of our show, of course.  The kids did some all-together exhibitions of the skills they have learned.  We even got to see a team sparring match (Hence, the belting each other).  Then each one was pulled out by an instructor and did an individual exhibition.  After the “tests” were complete, all the parents came down and tied their new colored belts around their child’s waist.  Pretty impressive stuff, especially since there must have been over a hundred children of all ages, and even some adults involved. 

The thing that really took me by surprise came about midway through the festivities.  They brought out a table and some chairs and interviewed one of the instructors who was leaving to become a college pastor.  The interview turned into a personal testimony about how Jesus had changed the guy’s life.  Then they called the young man’s pastor and the karate grand master’s pastor down.  The group laid hands on the guy and prayed for him.  Not at all what I expected in the middle of a karate demonstration. 

After the kids were released we took them across the street to a Chick-Fil-A for a celebratory lunch.  Hey, that was quite some accomplishment.  They needed to be feted with a little food.  Of course the fact that the event began at ten and it was now almost two had just a little to do with it as well.  Those little athletes were beyond hungry.  They were HONGRY.

Ezekiel 36:26 says, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”

Father, than you for the expression of trust in you that those kids saw in their instructors and administrators.  It goes a long way when they see that in places other than church.  Amen.

March 23 – “Double-paned once again”

Chris embarked on a new journey yesterday.  She drove into Texas – Dickinson, to be exact – to attend a class on how to make a quilt using old t-shirts.  She’s using a friend’s old Jamaica Beach Volunteer Fire Department shirts.  Should be one for the ages in more ways than one.

Meanwhile, I stayed in town.  I had to get the old faithful truck inspected.  Gotta love that “classic” inspection cost.  Seven bucks.  And then I went straight over to the courthouse to get an updated registration sticker.  Not just seven bucks.  But at least that one is done for another year.

When I got home Nathan and John (a fire fighter buddy) were hanging the replacement door to our back patio.  That’s the one that had one frame explode when hit by a rock.  I gotta say, after watching them for a few minutes … it would have taken Chris and me all day just to read the instructions.  And even then I don’t think I would have understood them.  I sure do appreciate our fire fighter children.  Thanks, Nathan and John.  We are double-paned once again.

Miss Betty came over to visit us with her son Phil.  It was great to see her up and about.  She even said that she plans to be back at home group next Thursday.  Unfortunately, as they prepared to leave, Phil realized that the serpentine belt had exploded and was hanging loose.  He pulled it out and managed to get the car started, though.  That would have been not so fun.  He was parked behind our car, so us driving them home would have been a bit of an ordeal.  They made it home OK. 

As we settled in to watch Mary Poppins Returns, a phone started ringing.  Not my ring tone, for sure.  Take Me Out to the Ball Game is quite distinctive.  It was not Chris’ either.  In fact, we couldn’t even locate where the sound was coming from.  Fortunately the ringing continued on and on – long enough for me to follow it.  And there, embedded deep in the folds of the chair Phil had been sitting in, was his phone.  We grabbed it and took a drive over to get it to him and make sure they had arrived safely.  Sure enough, when we pulled up, he was tearing through the car looking for it. 

Well, that was enough adventure for us for one day.  We went back home, finished Mary Poppins, and watched some basketball games.  Lots of upsets.  Great fun to watch.  Next round begins today.  Here we go …

Matthew 6:11 says, “Give us today our daily bread.”

Father, thank you for the “daily bread” you bless us with, in all its shapes and forms.  Amen.

March 22 – “Bring on the moose”

We started the day with a visit to the hospital.  Our neighbor across the street, young Brennan was having a minor procedure done (Not minor to the one having it done TO, mind you).  We joined Mom and Dad and two Grandmas.  We all had prayer together before they came to get him.  He went to sleep and woke up hours later with everything (and then some) all taken care of.  He’ll be sore for four or five days, but Brennan is a real trooper.  He’ll be back on the baseball field before you know it. 

Mail call was our second big event of the day.  The final bill arrived for our trip to Alaska this summer.  Quite a hefty chunk of change, but we have been saving (and receiving lots of help) for this trip for years now.  We just need to transfer the money from savings to checking, get the check in the mail, and we are good to go.  There will be a few more expenditures here and there, but the bulk of financial burden is behind us.  Bring on the moose.

I did end up having a late night last night.  Not Chris.  She went on to bed.  But I was transfixed by the Baylor vs. Syracuse basketball game.  The two teams almost beat the record for most three-pointers made in one tournament game.  The score see-sawed back and forth through the entire game.  Baylor’s point guard played with an injury.  Toe injury.  Hey, that can really hurt.  But in the end Baylor won the game.  And with the victory comes the right to play a second round against none other than Gonzaga.  Lots of luck in that one, Bears. 

2 Samuel 7:22 says, “How great you are, Sovereign Lord!  There is no one like you, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears.”

Father, thank you for the good report from Brennan’s surgery.  Help him to have patience now with his recovery.  Amen.

March 21 – “Excursions … check”

The Alaska meeting went really well.  The travel agent outlined the special shore excursions available to us through their “intervention.”  They then compared their costs to us with the cost if we went through the cruise line.  Chris had already researched those, so we could confirm their claims.  The agency had arranged for some quite substantial discounts.  And to top it off, the three couples that will be traveling together (including us) had actually picked out the same excursions.  We were able to sign up for them and arrange to be together for all of them.  We are facing some pretty exciting stuff, not the least of which will be a white water rafting trip in Fairbanks.  Yep.  We’re a little crazy.  We stayed up past my bedtime talking things over with Cary and Kay Lynn.  We found out later that Wayne and Sheri had a hard time getting to sleep as well.  I guess all of us are getting a tad excited.  Just one more pre-trip meeting to come.

Yesterday, after a brief shopping trip to Dick’s Sporting Goods store and a walk all the way around The Parks Mall in Arlington, we went to lunch with some other friends, Larry and Diane.  Diane insisted that the restaurant, called the Lazy Dog Restaurant and Bar, did not serve dog food.  Imagine our surprise – and Diane’s – when the waitress explained that they have an actual doggy area.  And … ready for this one … a separate menu for your dog to use in placing his own order.  Hmm.  So, Diane … Lazy Dog, huh?  Actually the “Lazy” dog food we were served was really good.  But next time maybe find us a Lazy Cow.  Or better yet, maybe you guys could just come to Galveston for a visit to the Lazy Shrimp and Stuff.

We gave the Bucees in Madisonville another chance on the way home.  It is set up similarly to the one in Waller, but it’s just … squished.  Much smaller building.  And as a result, the aisles are skinnier and stuff just seems very close.  Add the large number of customers stopping in, and you have a real logjam.  It wasn’t so bad this time, though.  Guess the fact that it was midweek helped.

The state troopers were out in force.  We didn’t actually count them, but they peppered the freeway all the way down Interstate 45.  Guess it was an official “Slow down out there” Wednesday.

We hit a large amount of traffic when we got to Houston right at 5:00.  It took us a good two hours to make it through the city.  And once we got to the south side, there was a wreck slowing down traffic for miles.  Two fire engines responded along with police and ambulances and the ever-present wreckers. 

We made it to Galveston in time to drive straight to Cailyn’s softball game.  She did great.  2 for 2 and two runs scored against her good friend who was pitching.  Way to go, Cailyn. 

It was good to be back in our own bed last night.  Now we hit the ground running …

Psalms 23:4 says, “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”

Father, be with young Brennan today before and during his surgery.  And give his Mom and Dad peace as they wait for him.  Amen.

March 20 – “She is really cute”

We made a little detour on our way to our big meeting about our Alaska trip this summer (Time is counting down.  Just four months to go).  We veered across and stopped in Waco.  Christi forgot her iPad and Caleb left a deck of cards and Josh left some medicine when they were at our house for Spring Break.  We just became the return agents.

The first order of the day when we arrived was to fill out bracket predictions for the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.  Apparently we had stumbled upon a little family tradition.  They insisted I fill one out as well, and Christi even gave me her bracket.  I felt kind of like an interloper, but she insisted that she would just help Luke out with his.  Three of them picked Duke.  Well, Caleb picked Virginia, then Duke, then Virginia, then Duke again, so he might still be working on his final selection.  Luke picked Tennessee.  I picked Gonzaga.  I always pick Gonzaga.  Every year.  Why?  I just think it’s a cool name.  Don’t you enjoy just saying it?  GonZAGa.  Great fun.

We did watch a little NBA ridiculousness, but the best part of the night was when Josh put on some videos of Disney princess songs.  AnnaGrace was dressed in a princess costume, and she was dancing and whirling around, occasionally joining in with the song.  Very cute.  But even more … er … memorable … was the background karaoke singing by Caleb and Zakary.  Chris got some of it on video, enshrined for posterity.

Yesterday I was challenged to a game of indoor basketball by Luke.  That soon transitioned into a makeshift soccer match.  When Christi called halftime, Luke announced that I was ahead 18-15.  I had no idea how that score came about.  His point structure was beyond me.  After school officially ended for the day, he convinced his mom that I needed to see the movie Space Jam, starring Michael Jordan.  He watched a good five minutes with me, then drifted into something else.  I was doing some drifting of my own, especially during the cartoon parts.  We never finished that movie.  But we did watch a few episodes of Mickey Mouse with AnnaGrace.  Didn’t look like the Mickey Mouse Club I remember watching.  But she knew all the characters. And used every opportunity to dance along with the singing.  Have I said before that she is really cute?  She is really cute …

James 5:16 says, “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.  The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”

Father, thank you for the chance to slip into the world of Mickey Mouse and bold dancing and audacious singing and strange soccer rules.  Amen.

March 19 – “So long, Old Man”

Well, we had a sad start to our day yesterday.  Our 13-year-old dog Fritz stopped eating and didn’t really move from his bed for a few days.  His belly started to really swell up, too.  He would look up at us when we came into the room, but he just couldn’t bring himself to get out of bed. 

Chris called the vet for an appointment, and they said to bring him on in and they would work us in.  I just picked up the bed and all and we headed on. 

We didn’t have to wait long at all before we were shown back to a room.  Regular room this time … not the “Death Room” they have set aside.  After the tech completed his initial assessment, the vet came in and did her exam.  Ol’ Fritz was a real trooper.  Never complained.  Never even yipped.  The diagnosis was not a good one.  Of course nothing was for sure unless they did a battery of invasive tests, but the possibilities came out as a litany of … well, bad stuff.  He was probably in congestive heart failure.  It was possible his liver and kidneys were also failing.  And cancer could also be involved as well.  The prognosis was pretty much what we expected, but of course dreaded.  There was really nothing they could do for him.  It was a tough decision, but certainly best that we let him go.  They had a very difficult time getting an IV in because his blood pressure was so low, but once that was accomplished, the doc did the injection.  Fritz was already asleep from the first shot designed to relax him, so it didn’t take him but a few seconds to stop breathing. 

So now Freddy has the run of the house.  We took down the child gates that kept Fritz from marking territory in the main part of the house.  She now has food and water bowls near the back door and in the kitchen.  We’re wondering which bed she will choose to sleep in.  That would be - which DOG bed.  There are no plans for her to join us.  So far she is still the same wacky, weird dog that Chris almost ran over.  Now her life as an only child begins.  Here we go.

Hebrews 13:16 says, “And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”

Father, thank you for the compassion of the vet yesterday.  She made a tough day a little bit easier.  Amen.

March 18 – “It was just a Sunday”

Cailyn joined us at church yesterday.  Always a pleasant and certainly joyful addition to the goings on at Seaside.  She even made a new friend.  Lexi.  She will be added to Cailyn’s current stock of others … Cousin Lexie.  Neighbor and school friend Lex (Alexis).  And the exciting thing is, they might all be going with us to children’s camp this summer.  If they do, they should all be put in the same small group.  Easier to keep up with, don’t you think?

It was the third Sunday of the month, so we enjoyed dinner on the grounds again.  More and more people are sticking around for this monthly social event extravaganza.  This time our visiting couple from Canada stayed, as did a new visitor from the neighborhood.  Both said they loved the church.  The neighbor even indicated a desire to join up and get plugged in.  Good stuff is happening.  Way to go, God.

In the afternoon I managed to watch some conference tournament basketball games.  I confess.  Some I peered at through the back of my eyelids.  Some I actually remember.  Chris tried to read, but she ended up dozing as well.  Our big work day Saturday at the fund raiser just seemed to catch up with us.  Not to be deterred, however, I had a late-night fire call that I responded to.  Not that much rest for the weary.

We were going to leave town after church and head to the Fredericksburg area to do some hiking.  That didn’t happen.  Now we have to be in Arlington on Tuesday evening for the big Alaska meeting we have been waiting for.  This is the one where we get the information on excursions.  Oh, and they recommended highly (read here, “commanded”) that we bring our checkbooks.  The final payment for the trip is due by the end of this month.  I suppose they will be happy to accept early payment on Tuesday. 

OK.  So that means I have today to get my week’s worth of work done.  Deep breath …

John 13:14 says, “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.”

Father, thank you for the new folks at church.  Travel with the ones heading back up North.  And be with the family and the first responders involved in that call last night.  Amen.

March 17 – “On to P, B, and J”

We had a fun surprise the last day of the Waco cousins’ visit.  They were still here, of course, and Kel was here as well with all of his family.  That equals a total of somewhere around nine grandkids.  I lose track once it gets past three or four. 

So while they were playing I got a FaceBook message from some friends we knew back in Colorado.  Desiree was on one of the basketball teams I coached up there.  She and her family are living in Spring for 18 months or so for a job her husband is on.  They were at the Pleasure Pier here in Galveston freezing to death.  I invited them to come on over and say hi to the gang. 

Before long we had our brood of nine, plus the extra three they brought with them.  They actually have a total of eight or nine kids themselves, but not all of them came.  Their youngsters joined right in with the pack.  All the kids seemed to have a great time, and it was good to see Des again. 

After they all left the house was too quiet, so we headed into Texas to make a Sam’s run.  We had to pick up the supplies for our Jamaica Beach Craft Fair fundraiser.  Our funds this time are going toward helping the kids go to children’s camp.  We are the food booth for the Craft Fair, so we grill up burgers and hot dogs and bring in baked goods and let the people give whatever donation they want. 

Our Seasiders put in a lot of hard work, as usual.  I had a lot of chances to talk to the folks who came by.  Didn’t even have to do a lot of walking … they came to us.  Why?  Because it was cold.  The temperature was around 57 with a wind chill in the low 50’s.  We went through four or five pots of coffee and an untold amount of hot chocolate.  And we sold out of hot dogs.  Preliminary counts show we made around $1200.  We still have some burgers left, and some bacon.  But today is dinner on the grounds, so maybe we’ll make a dent in those leftovers as well.  And we have another fundraiser scheduled for the Memorial Day holiday weekend.  Ready for this one?  It’ll be a P, B, and J Breakfast.  No, not Peanut Butter and Jelly.  That would be … Pancakes, Bacon, and Jesus!

1 Chronicles 16:24 says, “Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.”

Father, thank you for the generosity of the folks at the fair yesterday.  Begin now preparing those youngsters who will get to go to camp.  Amen.