August 26 - “Piling trip stuff”

OK. Chris has finally entered full-on Alaska trip preparation mode. How do I know that? She has started piling trip stuff on the bed in the spare bedroom. Of course, we’re still waiting for the winter clothes we had to order yesterday to arrive. And last-minute emails have slowly begun to seep in between us and the travel agent or us and the Winkles and the Huntley’s. I guess this one is getting real. About five and a half weeks to go. 

We both tried to get in touch with our exercise side. Chris walked a little around the table, and then went through her considerable regimen of strength-building exercises. 

I didn’t get nearly so exotic. I just did some plain old walking. Of course I did switch some things up. I moved around some furniture and developed a kind of double figure eight course. Ended up walking two segments (one in the morning, one in the afternoon). Total distance finally hit two miles. Whew! Felt like I was gonna wear a path in our office rug. But exercise … check. 

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭100‬:‭5‬ says, For the Lord is good, and his faithful love endures forever; his faithfulness, through all generations.

Father, thank you for Chris’ attention to detail about this trip. Amen. 

August 25 - “Searchin’ for longjohns and leggings”

Chris was back at it at physical therapy yesterday. She said the therapist really stretched the arm, too. Actually, she arranged it so Chris was stretching the arm herself with her other arm. Ouch. 

As has become my custom during her therapy, I walked around the building’s interior. Numerous times. I was just watching the time Chris was scheduled to be out. As it turned out, my watch measured two miles. That’s a lotta steps. 

On the way home we stopped at Academy. Still looking for some of that cold weather gear for our October trip to Alaska.  Wicking shirt for me (whatever that means. Something about being a wicking base layer under other clothes). We also got a gaiter to keep Chris’ neck warm. 

Next we stopped by the bank. They are gonna get sick of me. Sadly, there has been no response yet on the whole account dispute. They still revert to the promised 7-14 business days window. She did send an email to her superiors and requested an update. I reminded her that $3000 was a lot of money to us … And that the bank IS insured by FDIC. Don’t think it helped. 

Back home we had lunch of leftovers. Then we ordered some longjohns and leggings and hiking pants online.  Our good ol’ local Academy doesn’t carry that cold, cold weather stuff. At least not yet. Man. I’m glad I live on a tropical island paradise. 

‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5‬:‭14‬ says, For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement: Love your neighbor as yourself. 

Father, be with all our kiddos as they head back to school. Amen. 

August 24 - “Porch Goose??”

Great worship yesterday. 

Our worship pastor’s son and daughter, along with regulars Corey and Krissy and Brennan, led the singing part.  Kel was still on his sabbatical, so the teaching was done by the youth pastor from a nearby church. Always good to be reminded that we worship the same Big God. 

Back home we were greeted by Corey and Janell. They just adopted one of those porch geese and wanted to introduce us. But it was a trick. They really wanted to show off their boogervilla bush. It is blooming like crazy. 

I warned Corey that it was a trick. Anything to get you close enough for it to grab you and stab you with those massive thorns. I advised cutting it down and burning it. Janell was thinking more along the lines of tying it to the fence. Nope. That would involve getting within striking distance of those thorns. At least chop off the branches hanging over the sidewalk. We’ll see. 

Meanwhile, let’s go back and admire that Porch Goose. Looks like it’s dressed for Halloween already. A little early, but hey … it’s a goose. What do they know?

I did some walking in the afternoon. The Astros game was getting more and more out of hand (they blew a 6-0 lead), so I hit the indoor walking trail. That would be the figure 8 path through our office, kitchen and dining room. Went for 28 minutes. Didn’t help the Astros any, but maybe it burned a few calories. 

‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭6‬:‭5‬ says, Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.

Father, bless Jesse and the worship team for their efforts at church. Amen. 

August 23 - “No power tools”

Back in the yard. This time I had free rein over that Attacking Wisteria. Well, almost free. Well, Chris was watching my every move. No power tools (Sorry, Hedge Trimmer. He was sad. Felt very disrespected). All done with hand clippers. And not even hand hedge clippers. All I used was Tree Branch Loppers. One offending tentacle at a time. And after finishing that bush and one other, I was tanked. Oh. And I found out that when Chris says, “We’re done,” she means, “You’re done.”

After lunch and two bottles of water and some Gatorade to fend off the dehydration, we cooled down enough to … go back outside. Chris sat where she could watch the Bird Wars. That would be the ongoing battles to take and/or defend the fresh water in the bird bath. I watched for a few minutes, then went over to the swing. Gotta keep those legs moving, you know? 

After getting cleaned up, we touched base with a few things concerning the upcoming Alaska trip. Mainly, we wanted to confirm our cold weather gear with the tour company. Of course the first attempt bombed. The email didn’t go through. So I did the next best thing. I asked our travel agent. Still waiting to hear back from her. 

‭‭John‬ ‭1‬:‭14‬ says, The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We observed his glory, the glory as the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Father, thanks once again for keeping us from getting dehydrated working out in the heat. Amen. 

August 22 - “A brief reprieve”

Chris watered the grass. I helped move the sprinkler. That’s as far as we got at working some more in the backyard. I’m still gonna chop all over that evil wisteria, though. Just a brief reprieve, that’s all. 

Oh, so why the reprieve? A friend of ours from Washington State (formerly of Galveston) was in town. She called and asked to get together for some coffee. She also wanted some help scattering some of her husband’s ashes in the ocean here. It was great talking to Kathy, and I think the scattering went well. 

After some lunch we made a quick Walmart run. We needed some of those $45 bananas they sell. Not that the bananas cost that much, but that’s all we went for, and the bill for the bananas’ cart buddies was $45. Just like usual. 

The rest of the afternoon we watched a Hallmark movie and some Little League World Series baseball. Great afternoon. 

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭19‬ says, Don’t store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal.

Father, walk with Kathy as she nostalgically remembers her time here in Galveston. Amen. 

August 21 - “Attacked!”

First things first … Social Security checks showed up. Whew! Now we can pay some bills. 

We attacked our overgrown yards. Started early. Before 8 a.m.  Even then, it was HOT. 

Front and back mowed and edged. Used the blower to sweep up the excess. Well … until Chris showed up with a broom and dustpan. Finished up the old-fashioned way. 

Next I grabbed the electric hedge trimmer and headed to the back. There was a two-fold reason for that (in spite of the fact that Chris questioned why I wasn’t gonna use the hand clippers).  

#1 - the hand clippers take way too much energy. 

#2 - The wisteria literally attacked me when I was mowing. Seriously. It was like I was trapped in a cartoon. 

As I attempted to pass underneath with the lawn mower, totally minding my own business, those creepy, long tentacles reached out and grabbed me. First it was my arm. Then my shoulder. Then a leg, then they ganged up on me. Several wrapped around my neck. The more I struggled, the more tentacles gripped me. Tighter and tighter. Another one. And another. Whichever way I moved, there were two more … no three! Aaaarrrgghh!

And you want to know the funny thing about this entrapment (other than the obvious cartoonish struggle I was frantically engaged in)? Through it all I kept my hand on the lawn mower so it would not stop, as if somehow the noise that tiny small engine was making would frighten the alien branches away from me.   It did not. 

Now do you see why I am determined to attack that creature with a power tool? (Oh. Did anybody notice that I switched verb tenses? That’s because Chris put her foot down and forbad me from working any further in the 90 degree heat. So I was put off until today, assuming my body can handle two days in a row).

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭113‬:‭3‬ says, From the rising of the sun to its setting, let the name of the Lord be praised.

Father, thank you for those silly social security checks. That’s a little more peace of mind. Amen. 

August 20 - “Hmm. That’s interesting”

OK here we go again. 

PT for Chris was first on the docket. Well, unless you count the fact that I couldn’t eat anything. I had one of those fasting bloodwork things. Checking to see if I’m a diabetic, I guess. The results have all come in, though. I’m well within normal range in just about every category they could come up with. No idea what all the categories mean, but I got the Chris Seal of Approval. 

I also had an X-ray of my sore shoulder. Aside from the weird positions that were obviously designed to find just the spot that is tender, it only took a few minutes. 

That still left time for me to walk for a little over 20 minutes. I finished up just as Chris was coming back into the waiting room. 

Our other stop for the day was Randall’s. We got a text that one of Chris’ prescriptions was ready for pickup. And I needed a few of the over the counter meds that I take. We almost missed it, but on our way out we stumbled across a very special sale going on. The Monday Madness fried chicken special was being extended just for this weekend. Guess what we had for supper last night?

Social Security direct deposit was due yesterday to come into our new account. But … the deposit was not there. So we went to the bank … again. The teller had no idea what to do. Her tell for when she is stumped is,”Hmm. That’s interesting.” I gotta say, this whole saga has been more than “interesting.”

The only advice she could offer was to wait until one or two o’clock to see if it came by then. Meanwhile, she suggested we try calling social security and make sure they have the right address.  They’ve been sending our deposits here for around 8-9 years. They know where to send it. The bank manager (currently on a cruise) told me any direct deposits would automatically be directed into the new account. Sounds easy enough - naught but a carefully crafted stroke of the keyboard. But the deposit was not there. So I waited. One p.m. Two p.m. Maybe today … 

‭‭John‬ ‭13‬:‭34‬-‭35‬ says, I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.

Father, please help our bank and now our social security situation get straightened out. Amen.