August 31 - “Congrats to Mark Morgan, Sr. on his retirement”

Chris left the house first yesterday. Nothing major. Just a dentist appointment for a cleaning. I was doing some preliminary work on a wedding I have coming up in the future (next year). I also attacked some tree limbs in the front yard that have been growing dangerously close to the car and to another tree. It is hurricane season, so you can never be too careful with trees. The ground was too wet to even attempt mowing. That’s gonna be a hefty chore when the time comes.

 

In the afternoon I went over to fire station one to celebrate the retirement of one of our assistant chiefs. It was good seeing Mark feted for his years of service. And of course it was good as always seeing a lot of the fire fighters. I really enjoyed seeing Trish, the former department secretary who retired just before I did. 

 

Last night Chris and I actually just chilled on the couch and watched the Astros. Well, I also worked on the jigsaw puzzle and Chris read a book all at the same time. It was good to just hang out together with nothing pressing.

 

Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

 

Father, thanks for that relaxing time of just crashing. We both needed it. Amen.

August 30 - “Sherlock Holmes-ing”

Back to the old grind of doctor appointments of our own. Chris had one with the sleep specialist to see if the pains and problems she has been having are a result of sleep deprivation. OK. Seems a stretch to me, but I confess to being quite the skeptic regarding the whole sleep study thing. How can you measure someone’s “usual” or “normal” sleep pattern with a contraption strapped to his head or wires hanging out everywhere? 

 

After filling out the rather predictable survey of sleepy questions, the doc asked all sorts of other questions about her sleeping habits - or any lack thereof. Let’s just say that my answers would have been considerably different than hers were. I’m pretty sure they would have just bypassed the sleep test and slapped one of those masks on me. Nope. Well, sure enough, she will have to spend the night at the hospital all wired up. Hope she sleeps better than I did when I did my sleep test years ago.

 

We did make the most of the situation. Since we were in Texas anyway, and since it was lunchtime, and since we did have some gift cards … we took a little detour and headed for Olive Garden. We bypassed the busy one at Baybrook Mall in favor of the one in Texas City. Of course it is next door to Chris’ favorite Mexican food place (Gringo’s), but the only gift card we had was for Italian. Sorry, Chris. The food was good, though. They even gave Chris a bowl of soup to take home. I ate all of my lasagna. No leftovers this time.

 

I forgot to mention that we had a visit from an old Seasider the other night. Anne and her youngster Cedric came by with Grandma in tow as well. They now live in Leander, Texas, near Austin. My favorite part of the visit was the time I had to chat one-on-one with Cedric in my office. He was doing some exploring in my office, so I joined him. He greeted me with, “You used to play baseball and coach basketball. You also used to work with the fire department because there is a picture of you over there, and you have a radio and you have your badges over there. That pillow has a cross on it.  The only thing I can’t figure out is the pirate clock over there.”  Whew. He was absolutely spot on with his Sherlock Holmes-ing. I have been profiled.  Sign him up, FBI.  By the way, the pirate clock was actually a barometer in a frame that looks like the steering wheel if a ship. We sat talking in the office until Mom was ready to leave.

 

Romans 12:21 says, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

 

Father, thank you for my little Cedric interchange the other night. Be with him and his parents. Amen. 

August 29 - “Waiting Room Waiting Room”

We had a different kind of awakening yesterday. I got a text from our good church friend Sam. She was asking if we could take her to the hospital. We hurried to get dressed and drove out to Bay Harbor to pick her up. I knew she wasn’t doing so well when she asked to go to UTMB instead of up to Clear Lake to her usual hospital. She was having some pretty severe pains that needed to be checked out. They ran the usual array of tests with X-rays and scans and bloodwork. 

 

At the emergency room we had an interesting experience. Check in was great. Very easy and helpful. I pushed Sam in the wheelchair while Chris went to park the car. They issued me a face mask. Yay. They took us right back and set us up in a room. All of that went as planned. Not so much with Chris, though. 

 

When she returned and checked in at the desk, she found out that they were being pretty strict about the one visitor rule. Not a problem. She understood completely. So she gathered up her purse and phone and headed for a seat in the Waiting Room where she could settle in and get comfortable. But wait. The clerk called out to her. “You can’t wait in there.”  Umm. But wasn’t that the Waiting Room? Well, it used to be. Now it’s the Non-waiting Waiting Room. No waiting allowed. Now you have to go downstairs to the Snack Area and Vending Room Waiting Room. It has tables and chairs. That’s the new WaitingRoom Waiting Room. Well, OK then. 

 

I prayed with Sam and hung out for a while, then I went down to the Waiting Room Waiting Room to tap out and let Chris be with Sam for a while. While there I watched Seaside on Facebook on my phone. Even did communion with them. Sort of. I had an oats and honey granola bar and some leftover coffee. I found out later that Chris and Sam were watching as well, so I guess we all went to church. 

 

The doc finally came back with the results of the tests. Looks like the problem is probably related to her cancer situation. She is supposed to see her oncologist as soon as possible. She could use some prayers.

 

Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

 

Father, please be with Sam as she wades through this next step in her life adventure. Grant her relief from pain. Amen

August 28 - “Even on the road”

We woke up at the Waco Vaughan’s house, and Chris was immediately ready to go for a walk. Even on the road. We have been to here, done that here before, though. We already have a two mile course marked in our minds. So two-miler it was. Afterwards, I remembered to do the hip strengthening exercises the doc gave me. That put my workout total over the 40-minute mark. On a Saturday, on the road. Check. 

We got word through Facebook of a big sale at the Iron Wheel Antiques and Gifts Emporium (I don’t think “Emporium “ is in their actual title, but it should be. In fact they could probably do with a little “Ye Olde” at the front, too). It is located in a small community near Mansfield called

Kennedale. A friend from long ago has a booth there, and we’ve been wanting to go. So … why not? We got I. The road around 12:30 with a turkey sandwich and a bag of Cheetos. Here we go. 

We found the antique mall easily enough. We roamed around looking for our friend Pat’s booth, but couldn’t find it. That is, until she walked up to us and asked what we were doing there. We chatted with her for a long time, and ultimately Chris bought some material and a quilting triangle from her. No souvenirs for me, although I almost bought a program from an Astros vs. Cubs game in 1970. I curbed any hoarder impulse within, however. 

We finally actually hit the road for home. That was quite the detour. Only an hour and a half out of the way, but it was good to see Pat. 

Lamentations‬ ‭3:22-23 says, “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”

Father, please watch over Pat and her family. Walk with them through the craziness of life.  Help them to know you are truly there. Amen. 

August 27 - “Friday night football in Texas”

Friday night football in Texas. It’s amazing what people in Texas will do to root on their favorite high school team. Take … well, us, for example. We drove from Galveston to Waco - four and a half hours - and then on to Cleburne - another hour - to watch a football game. Of course this was Grandson Zak’s first “real” league game of the year - and of his career. Pretty big deal, wouldn’t you say? 

 

We hit the road around 9:30. Made it to Buc-ees right on schedule.  As we got very near to Waco we passed a ranch with strange critters running around. I saw emus and deer for sure. They also had the shaggiest cows I have ever seen. Or maybe it was just really tall, skinny sheep. Oh, wait. Llamas. Chris said they were probably llamas, although she didn’t actually see them, what with concentrating on the road and all. Wildlife. Score.

 

We arrived just in time to leave for the game. It started at 5 an hour away, and Zak had to be there at 3:30. So we pulled up at their house at 1:57, ran in for a bathroom break, and piled back in the car for a hasty exit.

 

Zak was there in plenty of time, and we had time to go to Sonic for a cherry limeade slush. Finally it was … game time. Small-school six-man football. My first time to watch such a game. It is nothing like high school football was when I was growing up, but it was sure exciting. Zak played a great game. He played defensive back - sort of a mix between safety, cornerback, and linebacker. He was all over the field, and he even took out the ref at one point. Actually he got blocked into the poor guy. At halftime the score was already 30-24 good guys. The refs were … interesting.  They got confused a time or two. How?  Well, they had a penchant for walking off penalties against the wrong team.  Ultimately the good guys won the game 49-39. Zak caught a pass on the last play of the game to help run the clock out. Great start to the season, guys!

 

Now that’s the scoop on the game itself. But I have to mention that those of us in the stands were nothing short of miserable. It was good ol’ TEXAS HOT. 94 degrees at game time. Exacerbated by the complete and total absence of shade and the fact that the stands were made of aluminum. Yep. Hot to touch. We had umbrellas, and there was an occasional breeze, but I guess I’m just getting too old to put up with it. I spent a good part of the second half in the shade behind the end zone where I could still see the game action, listening to a little boy play the ukulele and sing.

 

Mark 8:35 says, “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.”

 

Father, thank you for protecting those boys having to play in full pads in that treacherous heat. Amen.

August 26 - “Motion is Lotion”

We were back at the grind yesterday. On the hiking trail. Well, at least the neighborhood streets trail. And we added a half mile to the total. Two and a half miles now. As my doctor so specifically pointed out, “Motion is lotion.”  Cute, Doc.

 

Speaking of the doc, I got a text from the system saying I had been referred to Orthopedic Surgery and needed to call and set up an appointment. Wait. I thought the referral was to a sports medicine doc. A bit of a leap there, isn’t it?  I sent him a message to see what was up.

 

Meanwhile, Chris checked with April to get her take on the best orthopedic person. She had an immediate answer. I called the number from the original text. Come to find out, the one my doc referred me to only takes patients up to 50 years old. Nope. But as it turned out, the guy April recommended was taking old people, as long as I could come to his Galveston office. What a “coincidence”! I’m in. The appointment is September 1.  Score. Way to go, April.

 

Proverbs 12:25 says, “Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up.”

 

Father, thank you for these medical system “coincidences.”  Amen.

August 25 - “On x-rays and meds and steroid injections”

Once again, I woke up to a pretty hard downpour. The kind that you can hear on the roof. It stopped long enough for me to go out and get the paper and still be dry when I came back inside. It’s been a while since we have been in this tropical rainy season. I’d rather get the rain this way than all at once in a hurricane, though.

 

We spent some time together in front of the computer yesterday. Chris is working on a scrapbook of our trip to the Panama Canal, so I helped her move the photos she selected into a separate file to be sent off to make prints. CVS or Walgreens or somewhere is having a half-off sale. When you have a gazillion photos, that’s the only way to go.

 

Yesterday was my day to go to the doctor. The last few days my back has been wreaking havoc on me pain wise. Not why I was going, though. This time the focus was supposed to be the pain in my hip. The doc ordered an x-ray, which we expected. His thoughts were moving in the direction of arthritis, and the x-ray was the first step in verifying that. Preliminary results were that I have osteoarthritis in that joint. No big surprise there. The doc prescribed some stronger meds and referred me to a sports medicine doc who gives the steroid injections. Ouch.

 

We stopped at Academy on the way home. Chris needed some long-sleeved shirts for our trip to the Northeast. I got another silicone wedding ring. Got it a size smaller than before, so maybe I won’t lose this one. I’m afraid this having to propose to Chris over and over again is pressing my luck.

 

Psalms 94:19 says, “When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.”

 

Father, I admit that this pain that never really goes away does cause me anxiety. I could use a taste of your joy. Amen.

 

August 24 - “Hilton Hogwash”

I woke up to a downpour again. Not sure how long it has been going on, but it didn’t last all that long. It started up again about the time Chris got up, but again stopped pretty quickly. It stayed dry enough for us to get our two miles in.

 

Before we left I called the Hilton Hotel people. We had two very strange charges to our account for the hotel stays in Amarillo. There might have been a day when I let that slide, but that was the hotel with the bedbugs and the improperly installed shower door handle that scratched my back. I was on the line with them a long time and ended up having to wait for a call back later from the hotel manager. They assured me the unknown charges would be deleted, though. We’ll see.

 

Our evening was spent crashing in front of the TV. Pearland played an elimination game at the Little League World Series. At the same time, the Astros were playing on another channel. Baseball overload. And to top it all off, the good guys won both games.  Woohoo.

 

1 John 4:19 says, “We love because he first loved us.”

 

Father, thank you for always going first. Amen.

August 23 - “Not what I was expecting ”

I had a strange dream. In it I woke up in our bed, but Freddy was by my side, and I was petting her. I knew something was awry. She does not sleep in the bed with us. I managed to get out of bed, with my usual creaks and groans. Hey, with my array of pain symptoms these days, that’s an expected occurrence. I slowly made my way to the back door. But it wasn’t our current back door. It was a slider with a screen slider as well. The glass door was wide open. The screen was demolished, with a pink plastic child’s booster seat teetering precariously through the screen and into the house, as if someone had tossed it through. I looked around to see if I noticed anything missing. But the room was one from a house long ago and far away. It had the small bookcase where I used to put my keys and wallet at night. Neither were there. Careful not to touch anything, I hurried into the bedroom to wake up Chris. I calmly announced, “I think we’ve been robbed.”  And suddenly the dream was over. I had attempted a rollover in my sleep, and it didn’t go well. Woke up with a sharp, stabbing pain from a muscle spasm in my back. Now, as I deal with the nagging pain in my back and knee and hip -while awake - I would like to officially inform the dream thieves that they have come to the wrong house if they are looking for a big score. I’m a retired pastor. Take all the Bibles you need.

 

Chris finally had an appointment with the cardiologist who got her started on this whole heart thing. One good thing about this appointment right off the bat … no mask required. Second good thing … this guy absolutely takes his time and gives you his undivided attention. He also thinks outside the box when the “usual answers” just don’t fit. How did you like my nice way of saying that my wife is “unusual”?  He checked off her internal plumbing for six months unless something else come up, of course.

 

After the appointment we stopped off at Cracker Barrel for lunch. Thank you to the one who gave us that gift card at my retirement party. And their new take-home ice tea cup is more of a jug. I was set for the rest of the afternoon.

 

And speaking of afternoon, we left in the rain for a quick trip to Walmart. It was still coming down when we got there, so we did the only reasonable thing we could. We danced in the rain on our way inside. Really entertained another shopper just arriving. Well, “entertained” may not be the exact proper word.  At least she said, “that’s not what I was expecting.”  It was fun.

 

Last night Kel and his family came over to celebrate Jachin leaving for college. He requested some of “that stuff you serve at the Super bowl parties.”  Anybody remember what that might be?  None other than chili!  Yep. Chili in August. Who knew. We also presented him with a college goodie basket. Chris picked out most of the stuff, like snacks and things. I picked out just one thing. A stuffed blue lizard to remind him of the critter they have running around their house. Sigh. A little bit of home.

 

Philippians 1:9-10 says, “And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ.”

 

Father, thank you for Chris’ positive report from the cardiologist. Now we could use one from my doc tomorrow about my hip. Amen.

August 22 - “Tiny legs”

Great time at Seaside for church yesterday. Always great to see the folks there after we have been on a trip. And to make things better, it was Third Sunday Dinner on the Grounds. Can’t beat good food. And to make things even more fun, I asked newly awarded driver’s permit driver Micah to bring the car up closer to the church door. I went with him, of course, and he did a very good job. Even drove between the pilings under the building.

 

Back at the house we had Sno cones and watched the Astros game. Good guys finally won one against the Braves.

 

Last night we took a walk around the block. Freddy came with us. Around the block.  That’s about her limit as far as distance is concerned. Tiny legs and all.

 

Joshua 1:9 says, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

 

Father, thank you for our church. Still feels like family … like home. Amen.

August 2 - “First interception”

I trudged my way through a two-miler with Chris yesterday. My hip held out ok. It just felt really heavy the farther we went. We did get our average mile split time down below 18 minutes, though, so there’s that. We both have doc appointments next week. Chris has one with her cardiologist on Monday. Mine is on Wednesday with my PCP. I’m supposed to come clean about my hip issues.

 

After lunch Chris declared that she was going to Walmart. Invited me to join her, so I jumped at the chance. The goal was some bananas. Of course that was code for a basketful of other stuff, too. It was fun taking the stroll with her, though. Plenty of people to watch.

 

Back home, I was scrolling through Amazon trying to find a replacement wheel for the suitcase that was damaged when Jachin flew to Boston. And mid-scroll, what should appear on the front porch but the replacement suitcase from Swiss Gear. It was still under the five-year warranty. If we can get this replacement to fit even somewhat, we will have dual suitcases for our future journeys.

 

Oh, and we got word that Grandson Zak garnered his first interception in his football game. Grabbed it with one hand and smothered it against his shoulder pad. Nice job, Zak.

 

Matthew 22:37-39 says, “Jesus replied:  ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

 

Father, please protect Zak on the football field. And help him have fun. Amen.

August 20 - “Fat fickle finger of fate”

Well, that was not helpful. I had my blog for today all written and ready to transfer from my phone’s notes app to an email and then to a computer copy and finally to my blog site online. All was going well … until it wasn’t. Through some technological glitch, or more likely, some fat fickle finger of fate, suddenly everything was gone. Well, everything except the final word … “Amen.” Fittingly appropriate, I suppose.

 

So from what I can remember, yesterday was filled with frolicking. Not of our own, but of the eight extra little feet that showed up to hang out with us for an hour or two. Noa and Ezra came over. Wait. That’s just four extra feet. I said eight earlier. Well, they brought Leia with them. Leia is their dog. Hence, eight feet. Freddy seemed happy to see the little critter she had just spent two weeks with. And the two much-larger, yet still tiny humans seemed pleased to get some time away from older brothers and parents and potential schoolwork.

 

They all arrived in time to watch an episode of The Floor is Lava while I went to pick up a pizza or two. One cheese and one stuffed-crust pepperoni. I added the stuffed crust part. A little bonus for the errand boy.

 

After pizza we watched some of the Little League World Series until Mom and Dad returned to pick up the young ones. Kel finished off the stuffed-crust pizza before they left, so he was well-fed going forward. Can’t leave Nana’s house hungry, you know? 

 

The rest of the evening we watched Astros baseball with a little Little League thrown in as well. I even remembered that we had the ability to make Sno-cones, and acted upon said remembrance. We tried a new flavor. Tiger’s Blood. Some weird mixture of watermelon, strawberry, and coconut. Odd flavor. Not terrible. Just odd.

 

Galatians 6:9 says, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

 

Father, thank you for Noa and Ezra and their reckless abandon way of approaching life. Amen.

 

August 19 - “Strawberry shortcake”

Well, that was a strange one. I slept in until almost 7 a.m. Can’t remember the last time I did that. Oh, I stirred at around 4:30 and again at 5:40 or so, but both times I was able to doze back off. No particular nagging back or hip or knee pains to force me awake. That’s also been a while. Of course they showed up later in the day. Especially after we started doing yard work in anticipation of the “cold front” expected to crash into the area, leaving temperatures in the low 90’s and bringing pretty good chances for rain.

 

After voting against walking AND doing yard work, I started in on the mowing and edging. Chris began with some flower bed weeding, but as soon as she realized the weed eater had stopped, she was right there by my side, ostensibly to offer me some water. And I was certainly grateful. I think there was a bit of an ulterior motive, though. See, she prefers to sweep up the grass clippings that land on the sidewalk. I’m all for using the leaf blower and picking up one final pile. We have figured out a compromise. I get to blow grass from the farthest reaches of the sidewalk over toward the driveway, where she waits patiently to sweep and dispose. Ah … teamwork.

 

After lunch we settled in to watch the Astros game. They started out really strong. The score was 10-0 in the fifth inning. The Bad Guys started scoring, though. No need to worry. Final score? Astros 21, Bad Guys 5.

 

Last night after home group we were surprised with a birthday party. Strawberry shortcake and ice cream led the parade. Brennan also gave us some rum cake (haven’t tried that yet).  Great group of people.

 

Proverbs 22:4 says, “Humility is the fear of the Lord; its wages are riches and honor and life.”

 

Father, thank you for those folks in our home group. We sure do love them. Please bless them. Amen.

August 18 - “Searching for the un-missable”

This was an interesting day. We didn’t go anywhere. Well, Chris went for her walk. My hip woke me up aching, so I stayed home this time. I gave her the birthday present I carved. She was mystified. Even after I explained it’s potential usage to her. She came up with yet another idea for it, though, so I guess it was all good.

 

The rest of the day, off and on, we spent roughly scoping out possible routes for our next journey. Scheduled for mid-September, this one looks like an excursion to the Northeast to see some leaves change color. And of course there are a myriad of national park stops between here and there. Who knows which stops we will actually make and what other un-missable attractions we may stumble across on the way.

 

Did I mention that my birthday present came the day before?  Sno cone making machine. Pretty awesome toy, to be sure. Now I can make my own cherry limeade slushes. Well, if I can figure out a recipe.

 

Around 4 pm I headed out to get my hair cut. One of us had to leave the house, I guess. But when I got back, Chris was back at the table, hard at work on her research for a trip to the Northeast (and points in between).  She finally reached a stopping point, and we grabbed a bite to eat from what we had available in the fridge. And after dinner … Sno-cones. I need to find a local source for these syrups, though. I know I already have a favorite - lemon-lime. And Chris jumped all over the cherry. Happy birthday to us.

 

2 Peter 1:3 says, “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.”

 

Father, thank you for our simple tastes (lemon-lime … yum … oh, different kind of taste).  Amen.

August 17 - “You sure are!”

The day started with us trying to get back into the swing of things. You know - usual routines and the like. Chris was excited when she woke up and found me at my desk wearing a tank top. “You’re dressed to go walk!” she exclaimed. “Nah,” I countered. “I’m just hot.”  To which she replied, “you sure are!”  Hmm guess it was the bare shoulders showing off my ripped musculature. We did do a two-miler. Gotta say, though … it was sure, well, hot. Those hikes in Colorado at 8:30 a.m. were much cooler.

 

Chris went on into the backyard to do her stairs and weights. I cooled off a bit, then I went to my garage workshop to work on the gift I carved for Chris’ birthday. It’s an odd one this time. No critters involved. It’s actually just a slender piece of wood carved with some rounder edges. Its purpose is to help you hold the book open while you read. No idea if it works or not, but at least it wins the Unusual Award.

 

Psalms 68:19 says, “Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.”

 

Father, thank you for a day to crash and lounge about the house. Well, if you don’t count working on the Thursday Bible Study or addressing birthday cards. It was a good day.  Amen.

August 16 - “Connecting with … Old Mother Hubbard”

We spent our morning on a one hour phone call with UTMB (our doctor‘s office) and United Health Care (our insurance). I was going through all the mail that arrived while we were gone (Thank you to the Geran’s for bringing it inside for us).  And there amongst the water bill and gas bill was another one from the UTMB billing office. And it was … wrong. The front office apparently entered the wrong code, and as a result they sent a charge to the insurance company for five times what it was supposed to be. That left us responsible for the balance. Of course it “couldn’t have been their fault.”  They insisted we had to call the insurance company to get it straightened out. Sigh. We finally did make that call, and they successfully uncovered the boo-boo. Yep. Office fault. They even called the office to set them straight. So … “Ignore that bill.” Gladly.

 

After a quick lunch we headed to Randall’s for dog food and a few prescriptions.  And a pineapple. And gas for the car. Speaking of gas, we got 40 cents a gallon off this time because of all the expensive medicines.

 

From there we headed over to Walmart for some groceries. It’s always tough coming home from a trip to an empty cupboard. I know how Old Mother Hubbard felt. We had food for Freddy, though, so no sympathy there from the old lady’s dog.

 

1 John 1:7 says, “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.”

 

Father, thank you for riding with us on this trip. It is good to be home for a while. Amen.

August 15 - “Ain’t good friends grand?”

My birthday day fell on a Sunday this year, and we were not on the Island when it began. Instead we were still in Arlington hanging out with great friends, Cary and KayLynn. The night before we spent an hour or two talking about and planning some of the excursion options we have for our trip to Hawaii next April. Now we have to get with the Huntley’s to coordinate with them as well, and we will be good to, we’ll … good to pay. The good to go part comes later.

 

Now working backwards … in the afternoon we may or may not have … um … witnessed (?) the gathering up of some relatively… um … extraneous, multi-tined kitchen utensils. We took the opportunity to … um … bless a good friend who was in dire need of said eating aids. Enjoy your 61st meal, Sheri! You’ve been forked.

 

On Sunday morning we headed for church. And each of the four of us took a nice gift bag with a present for Sheri. You guessed it. Each bag contained a single plastic fork. She tried to play it off by claiming to have caught us all in camera, but it was just a ploy. We got her. She finally confessed that she had no idea. And even better … they had been at home the whole time. The Winkles and us went to lunch and had a great laugh at a Five Guys Burger Joint. But when we pulled into their driveway … yep. What goes around comes around. There, littering the walkway leading up to their front door was a pathway of forks. Bam! We had another good laugh, this time at our expense. Ain’t good friends grand?

 

Proverbs 23:24 says, “The father of a righteous child has great joy; a man who fathers a wise son rejoices in him.”

 

Father, thank you for great – (read here … “understanding”) - friends. Amen.  

August 13 - “Doing Dallas”

Big plans were on tap for our tourism minded selves this day. We took the huge step of venturing into the Big City - Dallas - for our next foray. Two stops there.  The Texas school Book Depository Sixth Floor Museum (phew. That’s a mouthful). And The George Bush Presidential Library on the campus of SMU.

 

The Bush Library was pretty impressive. Besides all the displays related to his presidency, my favorite was the special exhibition on humor in the presidency. Using my choices, I track really close to the humor of Teddy Roosevelt. Nice. He’s one of my favorite presidents anyway.

 

At the Sixth Floor Museum, we re-lived a pretty traumatic time from our childhood. Newsreels were playing from the time on a continuous feed loop, and I remembered hearing them the first time. We were able to look through the window where the shots were fired. Then we walked out onto the grassy knoll where some of the other shots might or might not have been fired from. There were two large X’s painted on the street marking the spots where President Kennedy was actually hit. That was pretty somber. But then tourists would race into the street, stand on the spot laughing and pointing down, while a friend would take a photo.  Then they would run haphazardly out of the street to avoid oncoming traffic. Absolutely crazy. And disrespectful.  I was kind of surprised at the range of emotions the whole experience raised in me.

 

On the way home we were going to stop for gas, but the line was ridiculous. Walmart was having a sale - $3.09 a gallon. So we went into the antique mall to look around. Strangely enough, we found two old books about the Kennedy assassination. We bought them.

 

We may or may not have found some other activities to do later in the day, but alas, due to time limitations, I shall be forced to expound upon them another time.  Suffice it to say for now that we spent a good deal of time gazing into a Hawaiian future.

 

Colossians 3:13 says, “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”

 

Father, thank you for the chance to relive some history. It was sobering. Amen.

August 13 - “She dragged me kickin’ and screamin’”

Yesterday began as a day of extra rest. At least for Chris. She stayed in bed until well after 7 a.m. 

 

Our outing for the day took us back into Fort Worth where we did the whole Fort Worth Stock Exchange tourist thing. In all our years living in and around Fort Worth, we never made it down there. The blame probably lies with old city boy here. None of that yahoo country stuff ever got to me, except maybe listening to the songs when I started dating my beautiful country girl Chris. “She dragged me kickin’ and screamin’ to the sounds of country music …”. That’s gotta be the lyrics to a song somewhere.

 

So back to our adventure. When we arrived, we first parked next to Billy Bob’s Texas. I guess it was too early in the day for the nightclub crowd. We realized quickly that there were no people around, so we moved. Sure enough, on around the corner, we found ‘em. Found another parking lot, too. Fifteen bucks. But we were in the very thick of things, literally right next to Stockyard Station, the hub of all the action. We took a stroll around the shops and rescued a runt of a longhorn steer to complete our trip with us. I think his cousin is already part of our heard from a while back when we were over at LBJ’s ranch.

 

We had but to step to the curb to witness the alleged highlight of our excursion. That’s right … the cattle drive of longhorns right through town. After some hoopla generated by a cowboy on a microphone, the horses carrying cowboys emerged … and then the cattle. All longhorns. Ambling along at a snail’s pace. Maybe ten or fifteen of them. Texas longhorns. I videoed the event for posterity. Exactly two minutes and one second and they were gone. Woohoo.

 

Next we took a walk looking for a place to eat. Neither of us wanted steak or barbecue. I guess that’s a Texan sin. We settled on a little spot called Trailboss burgers. Maddi took good care of us. Chris had a salad and I went with the BLT.

 

Next we walked down the street to the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame. I didn’t expect to recognize anyone, but apparently you don’t have to be a real cowboy to get in. A Dallas Cowboys football player or two appeared good enough. Also several country music singers. And the King Ranch. Yep. The whole thing. And a couple of boot-making companies. My favorite inductee, however, was a rancher. Guy name Nolan Ryan. Even had one of his Astros caps and jerseys on display.

 

As we returned to the car, I couldn’t help but be distracted by an 8-year-old, very vocal, 2300 pound, 7 foot wingspan of a Texas Longhorn named Gunner. He just kept hollering for me to come over, so we finally did. And how could I resist the urge to climb aboard when he invited me. Yep. And Chris has the photos to prove it. The youngster (20 something) who was there to help me get on noticed my knee scar upon my dismount. He asked how long ago was my surgery and continued on to tell me he has already had both knees replaced and shoulder reconstructive surgery as well. You’re way too young, Cowboy, way too young.

 

On the way out of Fort Worth we took a quick detour and completed Chris’ collection of photos of our old seminary houses. This one had a new coat of paint, but not much else was different, even down to the garage from the 1930’s. I suppose now we can move on … on to Dallas!

 

Psalms 34:8 says, “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.”

 

Father, thank you for the new trail ride experience. And take care of old Gunner for me. It’s pretty hot out there. Amen.

August 12 - “Images of the future”

Well, we said our goodbyes and officially left the Waco branch of the Vaughan family. Our first stop was actually a McAlister’s deli. Haven’t been to one of those very often since the one in Galveston shut down. Hmm. Unless we went there last week sometime. Pretty good food, anyway.

 

We drove into Fort Worth and stopped at Southwestern Seminary just to see what it looked like nowadays. It is now a very odd mixture of old and new. Lots of the old houses surrounding the campus are … well, gone. They have been razed and are now just green space. There is a soccer field that wasn’t there before. Oh, and they have started a college on campus as well. Texas Baptist College.

 

We decided to take a walk to get the feel of things a little better. It enabled us to see even more of the changes up close. We strolled through the old buildings I used to have classes in. They have all been renovated to some extent. There is now a hotel on campus. Very nice lobby. We didn’t get to see any of the rooms, but if we ever need a hotel in Fort Worth, I would stay there. There was one odd thing. We went into the library. Books are the same. Displays have been rearranged in the archaeology museum, but it was essentially the same. The school store is now in the library. Still had textbooks for sale. But the unusual thing? One tiny endcap had a minuscule collection of paper and spiral notebooks. I suppose the modern student does all his note-taking directly on a computer or iPad. Sign of the times, I suppose.

 

We also took a quick drive through the surrounding neighborhood in search of the old houses we used to live in. We lived in three different homes on the same street during our time there. And in the strangest quirk of all, I suddenly remembered the house number of all three houses. Chris took pictures of two of them. We forgot about the other one until we had already driven away, though. Maybe we can revisit sometime …

 

Galatians 5:25 says, “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”

 

Father, thank you for memories, but thank you as well for images of the future. Amen.

August 11 - “Which was which?”

We pulled out around 7:30 for a quick day trip to Liberty Hill and then into Austin. Yes, the Texas one. Our goal? First … Terry Tunes, Yard Artist. Then … the LBJ Presidential Library. One destination was particularly suited for me. The other for Chris. Hmm. Which was which?

 

Oh boy! The presidential library will have to go a long way to beat out the yard artist. These two brothers are incredibly talented, creative, and more than a little bit crazy. Their property in Liberty Hill is covered with their yard art. And much of it can only be described as … creepy. An abundance of doll heads of all conditions, many of which have been combined with trees, fence posts, watering cans, a telescope, and even themselves (picture a doll head with arms and legs but no body), to form “art.”  And don’t forget the ones with snakes and worms crawling out of the orifices. And that’s just the small art pieces. They have giant guitars, a huge shoe, a massive Texas longhorn, all pieced together with smaller toys and pieces of toys. But the most amazing thing of all? Every piece has a story behind it, most often inspired by some rock and roll group’s song from the 60’s. And I’m pretty sure the artist was alive and well and actively participating in ALL of the extracurricular activities being afforded at that time. Seriously … it was a fun and fascinating place to visit. Just make sure you do it in the daytime.  It can get a little creepy after dark ...

 

From there we headed over to the Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library in Austin. It’s on the campus of the University of Texas there. It was interesting in its own way. My favorite part were the many examples of pop culture from each era of the 20th century. Chris got a stamp for her presidential library passport. We couldn’t find a place to eat near the library. Apparently there was one that we would have had to walk to, but it was well over 100 degrees again. So … no. We ate some crackers in the car on the way back to Waco. Hmm. That sounds like a country song, doesn’t it? “On the way back to Waco.”

 

1 Corinthians 12:25-27 says, “so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.”

 

Father, thank you for even more fun and entertaining places in your world. Amen.

August 10 - “Cousin, I’m sure”

Did another neighborhood walk. Two miles two days in a row. That slave driver is at it again.

 

After lunch and a nap or two, we went to Texas Ranger Hall of Fame. That’s Rangers, not Rangers. Talking about the Lone Ranger - Walker, Texas Ranger - Bonnie and Clyde. All those folks had more to do with this spot than did a certain baseball team in Arlington.  Pretty interesting place. Lots of guns. I even found a new friend there. Horney toad. Texas Ranger outfit on and everything. Cute stuff. We even found a picture of an old guy Ranger named Vaughan. Cousin, I’m sure.

 

From there we eased across a parking lot and a big cemetery. Well, OK. We drove around the cemetery. And what should we find but the Texas Sports Hall of Fame. But the Sports Hall of Fame was definitely worth the look. Especially the baseball cards from way back (like Tris Speaker and Ernie Banks).  They had a lot of Nolan Ryan stuff, as was expected. They had one of his rookie cards on display. I have one of those. They quoted Nolan as saying he must have thrown away hundreds of those through the years. Why? People would write him and send a card for an autograph but forget to include a return address. Yikes. Apparently at the time the display was put together the card was worth $1200-$1500.  Double yikes.

 

Last night Caleb had soccer practice. Zak had football practice. Josh had a meeting at church. That meant we had … grandparents duty. Actually, all we had to do was pick up Caleb after practice, so it wasn’t too difficult. And Luke rode with us, so there was no way we would get lost. They were practicing in the gym at the church rec center. Lots of fun to watch. Because of the smaller size, there was a lot more action than usual. If I’m not mistaken, Caleb even scored a goal. Woohoo!

 

1 Corinthians 16:13 says, “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.”

 

Father, thanks for our discovery of a few more different places to see.  Amen.

 

August 9 – “I’m a Nut: Colorado Edition 2022”

You have heard the reporter’s version of events over the last few days.  Now I fear I must subject you to the more artistic model of presentation of the same, for is it not the artistic that calls everyone to attention each morning?  Besides ... AnnaGrace enjoyed it.  Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you … “I’m a Nut: Colorado Edition 2022.”

 

I’m an acorn, small and round

Lyin’ on the cold, hard ground

Everyone walks over me

That is why I’m cracked, you see

I’m a nut.  I’m a nut.

I’m a nut, I’m a nut’ I’m a nut

 

Called myself on the telephone

Just to see if I was home

Asked me out for a little date

Picked me up about half past eight

I’m a nut.  I’m a nut.

I’m a nut, I’m a nut’ I’m a nut

 

Took myself to the movie show

Stayed too late and said, “Let’s go”

Grabbed my hand and led me out

Drove me home and gave a shout

I’m a nut.  I’m a nut.

I’m a nut, I’m a nut’ I’m a nut

  

Sunday:

AnnaGrace was first to hear

Still in Waco I sang cheer

Left this temp of a hundred one

Hoping for a sixties run

 

Amarillo’s our first goal

After church we’re on a roll

DQ ice cream was a treat

Nani n DadDad are so sweet

 

Braum’s became our dinner stop

What’s the highlight of that hop?

Luke got his inmost desire

Bag o burgers he’s on fire

 

Monday:

We did have a glitch arise

“Change oil soon” to our surprise

I sought out a Firestone branch

Met them at the Cadillac Ranch

 

Zak, he conquered Mount Tall Car

We took photos from afar

Vandalism? Surely not

AG loved this new craft - lots

 

Final meal on travel beat

Big Bill’s Pizza, have a seat

This guy’s famous friends and all

Cover up one total wall

 

It was late when we arrived

Luke had words for our new hive

As the car door opened wide

“Dad, it’s freezing here” he cried

 

Upstairs, downstairs beds abound

Bed under a bed we found

Caleb worked especially hard

Hauling stuff in from the cars

 

Finally, all were settled down

To their sleep without a sound

Soon it’s to the park we’ll go

What strange critters will it show?

  

Tuesday:

When we woke up, what a view

Deck surrounds this house, who knew

Mountains, trees abound to see

God sure did good, didn’t he?

 

Luke was up to start the day

“It is freezing,” he did say

Luke was first at critter finds

Baby deer ran by behind

 

That young critter he returned

For that good grass he did yearn

When our guys went out to play

Deer jumped, Caleb ran away

 

Critters were our hope to see

More than just a random bee

So we gathered up our crew

Headed for the park to view

 

Waited in the entry line

Got inside just after nine

Headed straight for the Bear Lake

Time for hikes for us to take

 

First one ‘round the lake we go

But the boys they added more

Zak was highest, Caleb then

Luke was not far behind them

 

Here the critters came to see

These strange animals like we!

Chipmunks were the bravest sort

AG squealed with glee a lot

 

Second hike a challenge was

Climbed up higher for because

At the top was our reward

Waterfall was beauty’s card

 

There the hikes came to an end

Rain and cold we must contend

Got some stamps for Nani’s book

Saw a movie worth the look

 

Dinner recommended site

Dodged some gas pumps, went inside

In that random gas station

Good burgers and food within

 

Auto-wrestle-mania

Pitted all the Vaughan boys – uh

Luke escaped to front seat land

Caleb had Zak well in hand

 

Back at home and time for bed

“First a shower,” Mommy said

Then a treat some s’mores we ate

And saw double rainbows - great!

 

DadDad won Exploding Cats

Won again, so tip your hats

Planning meeting ends the day

Drives and hikes and town to play

  

Wednesday:

Trail Ridge Road was day’s appeal

Views up there are the real deal

Photo ops abounded true

Caleb’s fashion shoot – who knew?

 

Ag’s quote the day sure stole

“Bathrooms here are toilet holes.

One thing missing, just not there

Flushers gone, I don’t know where”

 

Casualty caught up with us

On a trail that’s paved – no fuss

DadDad tripped and down he fell

Helped back up, he said, “All’s well”

 

Here’s a new word for this yarn

Mountain lake is called a tarn

Continental Divide lake

Zak’s whole leg did almost take

 

Afternoon nap sure felt nice

Missed the Astros win all right

Then into the town we went

To Fun City we’d been sent

 

Bungee jumps got all the boys

Then the go carts made some noise

Zak and Caleb fought it out

DadDad came in last, don’t pout

 

Mexican for dinner food

Walked through town, enjoyed the mood

AG found her dear chipmunk

Ice cream in our bellies sunk

 

Thursday:

What a thing to make you glad

Morning song by old DadDad

He woke all with “I’m a Nut”

AnnaGrace said “Please, just cut!”

 

Headed back into the park

Got more hikes that we have marked

Josh said, “What? No entry line?

Works for me, hey, this is fine”

 

Saw some deer right off the bat

Eh, just deer? Now that’s old hat

Waterfall climb made us sing

Luke even did bouldering

 

Cross the street to a stream then

AnnaGrace is going in!

There we saw some fishermen

Now it’s Luke who’s going in! 

 

Saw some turkeys of all size

Josh saw dinner in his eyes

AG friended butterflies

Frolicked singing laughing “hi’s!”

 

Caleb yelped with critter newy

It’s a chipmunk, he’s named Chewy

“Did you bite him?” Christi feared

“Who’re you talking to?” We jeered

 

I can say I’m finally “in”

AG reached and took my hand

Mountain Coaster me and she

Flew on that thing screaming, whee!

 

Back for pizza challenge slice

3-foot round one was the price

Kids all gave it their best shot

One piece left they finished not

 

After that much food we ate

Took a walk just like a date

Drove out to YMCA

Where Josh basketball did play.

  

Friday:

Two does joined our Bambi fawn

Munching out upon our lawn

Gas station to donuts down

Then to used bookstore in town

 

Two more hikes around some lakes.

Boys shed shoes and caused some wakes

Shorts hiked up like diapers high

And some fish were swimming by

 

Rain and lightning flash flood watch

Back to cabin pack and such

Time to eat - Shamrock again

And Fun City, who will win?

 

One last stop for park sign pic

My, aren’t we so nostalgic

Zak won rat killer, he’s bad

AG’s cats exploded Dad!

 

Saturday:

Something strange occurred this day

Right on time we got away

Christi’s schedule can’t be beat

She’s sure tough for one so sweet

 

First stop this time kinda hard

Had to park way in the yard

One mile hike – Garden of Gods

Crowds abound, what are the odds?

 

Chose the driving tour this time

All the sights were really fine

But the people - get us free!

On that thought we all agreed

 

Chick-fil-A provided lunch

For our hungry travel bunch

In Raton New Mexico

To the potty we did go

 

Grabbed some gas and took off then

To Volcano Capulin

Long drops Christi didn’t like

Into crater we did hike

 

We left quickly once we found

Lightning angry clouds abound

Into Texas – Dalhart town

XIT for dinner down

 

Amarillo’s in our sights

Switched up drivers for the nights

Pulled in late and straight to bed

“No complaints” is what I said.

  

Sunday:

But my thoughts were oh, so wrong

Morning brought a different song

Bathrooms dirty, scraped my back

Bedbugs visit for Josh - yack!

 

Scratch that hotel off the list

It is one we will not miss

On to church at FBC

God-church worship, friends did see

 

That church had a huge bird cage

Pretty birds were all the rage

Luke said Seaside needs one too

Caleb said no seagulls do

 

Lunch in Childress Waco bound

Nani’s car got turned around

She and Siri got them back

Pretty soon we’re back on track

 

Now we’re home in Waco town

All the luggage emptied down

Now it’s time to look ahead

To next trip? No! Time for bed!