May 24 - “Darker and darker. Closer and closer”

We jumped into our Saturday morning tasks with abandon. We didn’t walk because of the massive amount of thunder and lightning. Can’t dodge bolts like we used to. 

Instead, Chris bathed Freddy. My job was to vacuum. Freddy acted a little strange when I turned the machine on. Usually she takes off and runs to another room. This time she just slowly changed from one cushion of the couch to the next before she finally jumped down. 

And then, as I prepared to head to the office, I glanced back. She was having another seizure. Chris was Johnny-on-the-spot, though. She comforted Freddy as only she can. Fortunately, this one didn’t last long. She was noticeably tired afterward, though. So was Freddy (tee-hee!).

We made a dash over to Walmart. Supposed to be a quick grab of some Capstar, a flea med for the dogs. We also planned to get some steps in. Well, we waited too long to do any effective walking. Too many people. And they didn’t have the dog stuff. We did get to see our lawyer out of uniform, though (no suit and tie). A pleasant connection there. 

We had to go to plan B for the Capstar. PetsMart. That meant bravng 61st Street on Memorial Weekend Saturday. Not a fun prospect on the best of days. Fortunately, this was not the best of days. The rain and prospects of even more certainly took its toll on the tourist trade. We managed to get what we needed and head back home fairly quickly. 

Meanwhile, the clouds grew more and more ominous. Darker and darker. Closer and closer. They seemed to be just offshore and bearing down. I definitely would not want to go to the beach. The bottom did finally drop out of the sky around 1:30 or so. Freddy wasn’t at all happy about it. And it continued throughout the evening. Galveston stayed under a flood warning all evening. 

‭‭Acts‬ ‭1‬:‭8‬ says, But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

Father, keep all the folks safe who have to be out in bad weather like we’ve been having. Amen. 

May 23 - “I’m threatening to cancel”

We got our two miles in kinda early. Well, by “early” I meant we left the house a little after 8. Plenty early for a walk in the morning. 

I had to make my semi-yearly (does that mean twice a year?) AT&T phone call. Our monthly bill for TV, internet and house phone suddenly jumped up by almost $50 a month. Had to call the “I’m threatening to cancel” line to complain. Somehow they managed to come up with a miraculous $25 a month savings, but that’s the best they could do for the channels we wanted access to. Oh, well. Be chatting with you again in October, AT&T. 

In a surprise development, the Astros had an afternoon game in Chicago. And to top it off, Spencer Arrighetti was pitching. He’s my current favorite. He was really nice when we met him on our Spring Training trip. And for added sprinkles … Astros won!

‭‭Romans‬ ‭10‬:‭14‬ says, But how can they call on Him they have not believed in? And how can they believe without hearing about Him? And how can they hear without a preacher?

Father, just wanted to say another quick prayer for the Alaska mission team. Keep them healthy and safe. Amen. 

May 22 - “Shoulder Day”

Shoulder Day. Yep. Phase two of the falls injury repair struggle. Phase one was X-rays and MRI and beginning physical therapy to help improve balance. Next step was the orthopedic surgeon to see what the steps are to deal with the tears in the shoulder. Oh, and to ask about the ongoing pain  and weakness in her knee. Not to mention the pain in her hips. 

OK. Shoulder stuff. She has two rotator cuff tears (1 complete and partial of another, so 1 and 1/2 tears in the doc’s words). Also, the biceps tendon has shifted and is inflamed. Her humorous- wait. That should be spelled humerus. Nothing funny here! - bone is, as a result moving up and down. And of course, there is arthritis. “When you reach a certain age …”

Phew. So she is scheduled for arthroscopic surgery on June 9th (Happy birthday, Zak).  Lots of long, medical/Latin-y-sounding words for the actual procedures. All I heard was there will be screws and stretching and scraping involved, and no lifting for six weeks. She said that means I have to wait on her hand and foot. I replied that I already do that, so not much changes here. She looked at me kinda funny …

The doc is squeezing her in around noon so she can be out of the sling in time for trips by August. 

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭29‬:‭25‬ says, The fear of man is a snare, but the one who trusts in the Lord is protected.

Father, thank you for Chris’ new doc. He seems to really know his stuff. Amen. 

May 21 - “The Big R Triumph”

May 21 - “The Big R Triumph”

Well, one Big R trumped another yesterday. Rain wins out over Run once again. This time, however, Big Rain was accompanied by his two older brothers, Thunder and Lightning. No contest. 

So instead, Chris manufactured some other stuff to take care of. We cleared off the bar, first of all to remove clutter. But the underlying real reason was to clear off some room for the really cool Mother’s Day present she got from Cailyn (and her folks). It’s a candle warmer that masquerades as a cute little table lamp. All you do is put the candle under the light, and it releases the perfume-y stickiness within. 

We also cleared off some time in our schedule to go over to Walmart. Along with the requisite bananas, we needed some cheese (to hide doggie medicine within), grapes, oranges, juice, eggs, milk … you know - the usual stuff. Oh, we also needed two kinda different things. 

Masking tape. We had a hard time locating that one. Oh, I found which aisle it was on through the app. But that particular aisle wasn’t labeled. I tracked it down on my own in spite of the help Chris garnered by asking. 

And the other? A nightlight. Yeah, I’ve been getting a little scared at night. Just kidding. The one we keep in our hall bathroom died. Not just the bulb. The whole mechanism. And it gets really dark in there without it. We found that one with no trouble. Easy peasy. 

And what better way to end the day? Breakfast. Bacon and eggs and biscuits. Can’t beat it. 

‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5‬:‭16‬ says, I say then, walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.

Father, thank you for providing such great things for us to eat. Amen. 

May 20 - “Inspecti

I got up early yesterday. Actually I got up at 4:30 am. No particular reason. I was just awake. It happens. But it gave me opportunity to go through my whole morning routine, plus get the Bible study for Thursday night done. 

And then (about 6:40) I headed over to Firestone. The plan was to get the car inspected and get an oil change. But as usual, they came up with a boatload of other stuff. Sadly, it was all stuff we knew was coming. And we knew we would have to have it done before any trips we wanted to take. The rear breaks were 80% gone. The brake fluid was dirty. It needed a tune-up (after nearly 150,000 miles, wouldn’t you?  Fortunately, our Firestone card allows for 6 months without interest. 

Now we have to go somewhere. Chris’ doctor appointment? Waco? Beyond? Actually, everything is on hold until we find out about that shoulder of hers.  

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭8‬-‭9‬ says, For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift — not from works, so that no one can boast.

Father, thanks for folks who know how to fix cars. Amen. 

May 19 - “Is he an orthopedic surgeon?”

Medical news flash … 

We still haven’t heard anything about Chris’ x-rays from a few weeks ago. HOWEVER …

We did get the results of her MRI, which was just Friday. Uh oh.  That fast? Can’t be good, right? 

Nope. Not good. She has a complete tear of the … blah, blah, blah … rotator cuff … blah, blah, blah. I don’t know. Lots of other stuff. In a nutshell, she really messed up her shoulder and has been referred to an orthopedic surgical specialist. Yep. She will probably need surgery. Wonderful. 

Her concerns? “They better hurry up. I have things to do and  places to go.” Sounds like Dr. Seuss. Hmm. Is he an orthopedic surgeon?

In spite of the diagnosis, we still walked our two miles. And I mowed the grass and trimmed up the evil thorny boogervilla bush. Chris swept the grass off the sidewalk and then watered the new grass rectangles. That was plenty for one morning. 

Chris had another physical therapy appointment in the afternoon. Not sure how that’s gonna work going forward with that diagnosis this morning. Guess we’ll find out more at the surgeon appointment on Thursday. 

We didn’t stay up for the Astros’ latest loss. They had a two hour rain delay in Minnesota before eking out a 6-3 loss. But on a positive note, Jeremy Pena returned from the injured list … just as Jose Altuve found his way on. Gotta keep that injured list roster filled. It looks lots better than the AAA one we’re playing with now. (Don’t get me wrong … I like watching those youngsters).

Oh, and we got word that our missions team arrived in Alaska. Woohoo!

‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭3‬:‭15‬ says, but honor the Messiah as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.

Father, thank you for the safe flights our mission team had. Amen. 

May 18 - “A Little White Grandog”

We had a boarder show up at the front door yesterday. Didn’t expect that. It that little white shedder dog that belongs to Kel and crew. They are heading to Alaska on the Seaside mission trip, so Leia is bunking with Freddy for a week or so. Granddog settled in … check. At least for the granddog. All the excitement proved a bit much for Freddy. She had a seizure. Didn’t last long, though. And she was back up and strolling around. First one in a long time. 

We forgot about something. Yesterday was the third Sunday of the month already. Dinner on the grounds at church. Totally forgot until Christina mentioned it. Oh, well. We don’t usually eat much anyway. As usual, it was all excellent. Lots of food. Plenty to choose from. 

Of course the afternoon had to begin with the Astros. Sadly, we used up our two decent pitchers already in this series. This guy pitched above his pay grade for five or innings, but defeat came crashing hard. Sigh. At least one of the Zack’s got a few hits. 

‭‭John‬ ‭16‬:‭13‬ says, When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak whatever He hears. He will also declare to you what is to come.

Father, please give the missionaries a safe flight to Alaska and on to the camp. Amen. 

May 17 - “Back outside again”

We struggled to get back on the walking trail yesterday. Not that the two miles were particularly difficult. The hard part was actually doing it. 

Chris followed up that excursion by watering the new sod chunks in the back yard. We took a break for some lunch. But Chris was soon back outside again. This time she had to water the plants back there - the ones that live in pots. In spite of their limited spatial opportunities, they are looking really good as well. 

I watched some college girls softball. University of Texas won their game by the mercy rule. Tennessee was well on its way to doing the same, so I switched over to Pirates of the Caribbean. Or was it Wonder Woman? Or maybe it was The Hobbit? Maybe a bit of all three?

‭‭Romans‬ ‭5‬:‭8‬ says, But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us!

Father, after all the work Chris puts into that backyard, please bring growth. Amen. 

May 16 - “The Main Event”

Yesterday we roamed around the back yard. No particular rhyme or reason. Looked at grass. Pulled dead leaves from the sunflowers. Dropped poison on the myriad of anthills that have risen from the ashes. Chris said she was “almost pleased” with how the back is looking. There are still a few more tricks up her sleeve, though. 

Meanwhile, I also managed to fit my one puzzle piece in (actually, it was three, so I’m still days ahead). 

After such strenuous activity, we decided to make our run to  Randall’s and Walmart. Just needed a few over-the-counter meds from Randall’s - arthritis cream and Thera-tears. Walmart was a run for the green. Green bananas, that is. Well, green-ish. They last longer than strictly yellow ones. And of course, a good $150 worth or so more made its way into the basket. 

After some lunch we got a text from the Huntley’s. They wanted to know if we could swing coming up there to watch the Rangers play the dreaded Astros in a week or so. I assured her we were in. The Winkles may join us as well. 

Then came the Main Event of the day. Chris had a big MRI of her shoulder scheduled. It meant driving into Texas, so there was that stress added to her significant claustrophobia. And then … they couldn’t give her as big a dose of calming juice as they wanted to. Why? Because she has fallen a few times. So they gave her what they could, then stuck on her shirt a piece of cloth with some lavender-stinking stuff on it. Supposed to calm you. Pee-uuuu.

As it turned out she had a very patient tech. She gave her a warm blanket and bent over backwards to find ways to work around the claustrophobia. In the end, Chris handled it like a champ. They got the pictures they needed. Now it’s a race to see who reads first - X-rays or MRI’s. 

Back at home, Chris had a bowl of potato soup, then pretty much crashed out on the couch. That was a tough day. 

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭10‬:‭19‬-‭20‬ says, But when they hand you over, don’t worry about how or what you should speak. For you will be given what to say at that hour, because you are not speaking, but the Spirit of your Father is speaking through you.

Father, thank you for helping Chris  get through this test. Could you please give those guys who read these things a little boost so we can see where to go from here?

May 15 - “on our end”

It was Thursday. That means one thing. It was time to clean house. A lot of it was already done. Chris got a head start the day before. She finished up the sweeping and mopping. I did the vacuuming. Ready for home group. 

After lunch Chris took off for her latest round of physical therapy.  It was just the inspection round this time. There was a problem, though. When she paid, they said it didn’t go through “on our end.”  She ended up trying three times before “our end” showed it as recorded. Back home we checked our Discover account. Sure enough, there were two charges back to back. At least there were only two of the three attempts. She’s planning to start the complaint process by calling the physical therapy department this morning. Come on, UTMB. Get it together. 

While she was gone I hit the typewriter again. Well, the computer word processor. I finished up redoing our family and friends phone/address directory. 

Kaylee and Micah came over for an hour or so. Micah had a job interview at the same place Jachin is working, so Kaylee went along to hold his hand through the ordeal. Just kidding. She said she waited in the car and read. Sounds like the interview went really well, even without Kaylee’s calming presence. He starts June 1st. 

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭12‬:‭2‬ says, Indeed, God is my salvation; I will trust Him and not be afraid, for Yah, the Lord, is my strength and my song. He has become my salvation.

Father, thanks for the tone hanging out with Micah and Kaylee. Bless them. Amen. 

 

May 14 - “Impressive singing”

Most of my day was spent in front of the computer. Really brought back memories. I was updating my birthdays/anniversaries list. Lots of people on that one, and I didn’t even get to the fire department one. 

I did take a break for lunch. There kids and I (OK - all three of us kids) went over to Whataburger to pick up some stuff to eat. I was impressed with Noa trying something new and with the sheer volume of what Ezra put away. Impressive on both counts. 

Speaking of impressive … the kids spent a few hours in the afternoon playing the uke and singing worship songs. Ezra played and sang and Noa sang along. Lots of fun to listen to the two of them hammering out who will sing what and whether the cord should be strummed down or up and when the singing should begin after the intro. Loved it. 

Last night we delivered them to a youth/children’s group activity at Bay Area First Baptist Church. Not sure what Ezra did, but Noa was beside herself about the youth group activity. It was a silent disco extravaganza. Interesting … weird … but impressive, nonetheless. 

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭13‬:‭20‬ says, The one who walks with the wise will become wise, but a companion of fools will suffer harm.

Father, help those two younguns keep on developing their musical talents. Amen. 

May 13 - “Living history??”

Anita came over yesterday. She is in charge of the church’s 30th anniversary coming up at the end of July. She needed some addresses of former members as well as any photos we may have that would help compile a history of the church. We are the old timers now - living history and all that jazz. We added considerably to her rapidly growing stash of celebration stuff.  Can’t wait to see what she comes up with. 

Chris took a little nap in the afternoon, so I joined the kids watching some TV. They had a unique system worked out. They alternated selecting programs. Noa chose things like Restoring Galveston. Ezra invariably chose something related to baseball. Everybody was happy. 

Last night (after a great supper of leftovers from Nathan and Ezra’s kitchen and some fresh Mac and cheese by Ezra), we took the kids up to Dickinson for their Karate lessons. Ezra needed to wale on somebody his own size after his intense sparring matches with Cailyn and Gavin. And Noa needed some socializin’ seconds. 

‭‭Romans‬ ‭10‬:‭9‬ says, If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

Father, thanks for riding with Micah and Josiah and their parents. Keep them safe. Amen. 

May 12 - “The Collecting Micah Saga has officially begun”

We’ve got rain. Well, at least we had it yesterday in the morning. Slow and steady. Just what those new sod squares - er - rectangles needed. 

We called Josiah to wish him a happy birthday. They made it to their first hotel about midnight, and were at the car rental place. The Collecting Micah Saga has officially begun. 

Last night we all headed into Texas again. Nathan and April and Cailyn invited us for dinner to celebrate Mother’s Day. Nathan and his sous chef Ezra barbecued some chicken, grilled some veggies, and made some green beans. The sous chef handled the macaroni and cheese pretty much on his own. All in all it was some delicious food. Thanks, guys. 

We also got to see Cailyn’s boyfriend Gavin. Oh, and by the time the night was over, April had been crowned incoming president of the Santa Fe High School Lady Indians Soccer Team. Congrats, April. Proud of you. 

‭‭Mark‬ ‭16‬:‭15‬ says, Then He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation.”

Father, help April as she embarks on this year as president. Bless her efforts. Amen.