February 10 - “Dismantling”

Chris had her exercise class yesterday, so I spent the morning working on that wonderful yearly opportunity … income tax. I think I got all the paperwork together and ready to send to the accountant. Not trusting my own manipulation of the data for the final send-off. 

I also began the process of compiling the paperwork from Sam’s estate to get that all ready to turn over to an accountant as well. That part kinda scares me, to be honest. Guess it’s because I’ve never done anything like that before. And I found out that my accountant does not do estate taxes. I may end up at H&R Block or something. 

We watched a Hallmark movie with our supper. Cute one set In Melbourne, Australia. Couldn’t finish it then, though. It was time to head over to Ball High’s soccer field. Cailyn was playing there in the varsity game. And our friends’ daughter Alexis was playing in the JV game. Two birds with one stone and all that. And two cute birds, at that! 

As it turned out, Alexis’ JV team lost 8-0 in the first game. Kind of mixed emotions there. She was playing for my Alma Mater, after all. But she was playing against the school Cailyn goes to (Santa Fe). Oh, well. I’m still proud of you, Lex. 

In the varsity game Cailyn’s team (SantaFe) pretty much continued the dismantling of my old hometown team. Ball High lost 6-0 in that one. Good job, Santa Fe! And I’m proud of you, Cailyn. 

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭94‬:‭19‬ says, When I am filled with cares, Your comfort brings me joy.

Father, thanks for taking care of those girls in what turned into a pretty physical game. Amen. 

February 9 - “Commercials”

We had a guest riding with us to church yesterday. Ezra jumped out of their car (with Leia) on their way. Leia stayed at the house and entertained Freddy while the rest of us headed out to Seaside. 

After church Christina and the kids came over. They used our oven to make a cake for their Supper Bowl party. In the meantime we watched the Texas Tech basketball game. 

The Supper Bowl Commercial Party seemed to be a pretty good success. All of our home group regulars were there. It was a lot of fun to give out door prizes to everybody. Ezra even won the Bingo game. Lots of good food and snacks all around. Nobody really cared about the football  game, so we could just concentrate on enjoying each other’s company. 

As far as the commercials go, the singing toilets was my favorite, with the renegade Coke Bear choosing Pepsi in a blind taste test a close second. Of course everybody liked the baby Clydesdale / baby Eagle one, too. 

‭‭James‬ ‭1‬:‭2‬-‭3‬ says, Consider it a great joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.

Father, thanks for another fun time together. Be with Ed. Help him to keep on healing. Amen. 

February 8 - “Home again”

We slept in yesterday. I didn’t get out of bed until 5:45. Chris was … some later. And it was back on the road towards home. Well, after a stop for gas. 

It felt kinda weird to have such a huge gap with nothing but driving and Facebook and napping to fill in the time. Chris was back in her element with the driving. I handled the other two. It was the least I could do. 

We made our usual stop at Buc-ees for gas, bathroom and lunch. Chris got her usual turkey and cheese and pretzels cup. I switched up and got a crispy chicken wrap. Lots of cabbage in there. Just like eating Cole slaw. 

Traffic from there wasn’t bad until we got to Houston, of course. Saturday or not, traffic was bad. Actually, we have experienced worse. We made it through in pretty good time. We were back home a little after two. 

That gave us plenty of time to finish up the last little bit before our Super Bowl Commercial Party. Quick trip to Walmart. Quick stop at the computer. Slower stop to eat some supper. And we were done. Let’s go!

‭‭1 Timothy‬ ‭4‬:‭8‬ says, for the training of the body has a limited benefit, but godliness is beneficial in every way, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.

Father, thank you for the safe trip home. Be with our various churches today. Draw many to you. Amen. 

February 7 - “Finals”

Basketball not quite so early this time. 9:15 instead of 8. That was Luke’s game time. Caleb’s wasn’t until 10:15. 

Luke’s team gave it a valiant effort, but it just wasn’t quite enough. The water pretty effective in shutting down the other team’s best player (he scored 50 points in their first game). Our problem?Luke wasn’t hitting at all. Just happens some days. We really missed his hot hand. The final score was 23-18. Next game was for third place. Proud of you guys!

In Caleb’s game the opponent was one of the teams we defeated the day before. They apparently didn’t learn enough from the defeat. Our guys ran three different defenses and as many offenses. There just weren’t many holes this time. Good guys win 48-24. Championship game is next!

The third place game for Luke’s team was a good one. Pretty low-scoring, but exciting nonetheless. Final score, 22-15. Third place winners! Nice job, Luke and team. 

In the championship game, the varsity had a rematch with the team that played them the day before. The really physical one. This indeed was more of the same. Unfortunately, the opponent’s game adjustments proved too much for our guys to overcome. It was a riveting defensive battle, and we lost by just three, 28-25 (Yes. That’s an extremely low-scoring game). But that second place finish assured us of a pretty favorable seeding in the state tournament next week. Let’s go, Caleb and gang!

Next we went with Josh and the gang to Chic Fil A. It was our opportunity to say goodbye (until next week). They were leaving for home from there. Seems they are hosting a DiscipleNow group of junior high boys at their house for the weekend. Ah. I remember those days well … 

We also made a very brief stop to walk around Target, but Chris wasn’t feeling too hot, so we cut it short and came back to the hotel. It’s been a long couple of weeks. We are bushed. 

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭12‬:‭1‬ says, Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us

Father, thank you for a good few days of basketball. The boys (and the girls’ team, too) really played their hearts out. Hello then now to get some rest. Amen. 

February 6 - “Basketball!”

Early start for basketball. First game was at 8 am, so we left the hotel about 7:15 or so. Caleb’s game was first. Seriously hard-fought battle. The good guys finally scrapped it out, 51-47. 

Luke’s game followed immediately after. Not such a good outcome. Good guys lost 40-11. On a positive note, though, Luke had 9 of those 11 points (3 3-pointers).

Caleb’s next pool play game in this TEXAS regional tournament was against a select team from OKLAHOMA. Hmm. Figure that one out. It was a very physical defensive game, and the good guys won it, 39-22. 

Luke’s second game was … not close. Their opponent was - shall we say - way outmatched. The bottom of the bench played the entire second half. Final score: 30-7 good guys. 

We had a special treat for lunch. Cary and KayLynn met us at the sports facility, and we found a quaint little Tex-Mex restaurant not too far away. The enchilada was actually one of the best I have had in a long time. Especially compared to the feeble attempt made by the cruise ship chef. And of course the company was grand. 

So grand, in fact that we adjourned first to stop by the pizza place where the team was gathering (to say hi to Josh and his crew), then to the hotel to continue our chat in our hotel room. It was a great couple of hours. Never enough time when you’re with folks you love. 

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭12‬:‭25‬ says, Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs it down, but a good word cheers it up.

Father, thanks again for the friends you gifted us with in Carry and Kay Lynn. Thank you for her good news surgery wise. Please continue healing in her. Amen. 

February 5 - “On to basketball”

We got on the road again. Headed to the basketball tournament in Fort Worth. We left about a quarter to 10 … and were promptly detoured. Working on the street. We backtracked a bit and finally got moving again at 10. 

We started looking online for a possible new car. Now, our old one is still fine, but we’re approaching 150,000 miles. It’s driving fine so far. Just looking ahead. I think we would stick with an Equinox or maybe a Trailblazer. Hope we don’t have to find out anytime soon. 

We made our obligatory stop at Bucee’s. Lunchtime. We split a chopped beef sandwich, a hot apple pie, and a tub of cantaloupe. I lamented that we arrived 20 minutes too late for the biscuits. 

We stopped at our friends’ house on our way to the hotel. Larry and Diane have always been more than hospitable to us. And they’re fun to hang out with. 

We took what amounted to a shortcut through the countryside from there. Lots better than staying on the freeway, except we were heading almost due west at 5:30 in the afternoon. Tough sun. Chris handled it admirably, as usual. 

We got checked in at the hotel and found a nearby Jason’s Deli. Great baked potato soup. Chris had some broccoli cheese soup. We both had a sandwich of some kind to go with it. And to top it off? Free soft serve ice cream like the kind on the cruise ship. Flashback!

We made back to the hotel by 7:40 or so and crashed. Watched a college basketball game and a Hallmark movie at the same time. Back and forth, anyway. 

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭7‬:‭12‬ says, Therefore, whatever you want others to do for you, do also the same for them — this is the Law and the Prophets.

Father, be with the boys playing basketball today. Keep them safe from injury on the court. Amen. 

February 4 - “Here we go again”

We started our morning out with an eye on travel again. We signed up for our last cruise excursion coming up (the behind-the-scenes look at ship operations). As far as I can figure, the only thing left for us to do is fill out their  pre-cruise medical form. Can’t do that until the middle of March sometime. 

Then we turned our attention back to the land. We already had a reservation for a hotel this weekend (Wednesday -tomorrow  - through Sunday) for Caleb and Luke’s regional basketball tournament. All set to go on that one. Go Texas Wins!

If Caleb’s team ranks high enough in regionals, they will then have a state tournament in College Station next weekend. No hotel info available yet on that one, so we are waiting patiently …

Our next reservation was for the hotel we’ll be staying at for Zak and Lindsay’s wedding. That hotel is in Fairfield, so we locked in a room for those couple of nights. All set there. Well, except for writing the ceremony, but I’ll do that when we get back from Spain. 

Last night Jachin came by after work and had a slice of pizza here. It was fun hearing him talk about work and church and his new car and the World Baseball Classic. 

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭23‬:‭4‬ says, Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff — they comfort me.

Father, thanks for Jachin. Be with him at work and home. Amen. 

February 3 - “On naps and dreams”

I remembered a classic word of wisdom that I heard on the cruise. One of the staffers was signing off of a session. He offered these words:

“Don’t give up on your dreams; Take more naps.”

That’s one I can sure get behind. 

Yesterday morning we hit the ground running. Chris had a mammogram appointment at 8:30 (she had to be there by 8), so no rest for the weary around here. All was well, by the way. The doc said top come back next year and do it again. 

We made some stops on the way home. First we went to Academy. Janell told us they were having a massive clearance sale. Best we could do there? I found an errant dime in the parking lot. Yay. 

Then it was on to Randall’s. I had a prescription ready to be picked up. In and out. Better than a fast food joint. 

And finally back home to keep going on the clothes washing. 

We got word in the afternoon that our neighbor and good friend’s mom died. We headed over to the hospital to support him. His wife joined us so that she could ride home with him. Please keep praying for Corey as they walk through these tough steps. 

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭12‬:‭10‬ says, So I take pleasure in weaknesses, insults, catastrophes, persecutions, andin pressures, because of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Father, please grant Corey comfort and wisdom and most of all peace. Amen. 

February 2 - “Back Home”

Back in port - Galveston port - and off the ship by around 9. April finally fought her way through the traffic and got us on the way home by a little before 10. 

For lunch we heated up some pizza we found leftover in the freezer. Nothing else to eat in the house except some candy and stones of the snacks we took on the cruise with us. 

After lunch we chatted with Janell, Brennan and Corey for a while. They, as always did a fabulous job talking care of Freddy while we were gone. 

We had to make a quick Walmart run. Absolutely zero groceries in the house. Feels good to have that taken care of.  

We stopped at Whataburger on the way home. Hey.  It’s not Guy’s Burgers on the shop, but you can’t beat Whataburger. Welcome home. 

Speaking of welcome home … we had a bit of a late night. We went up to the hospital to be with Corey and his family. His Mom was taken to the emergency room. It took forever for him to get in to see her. I mean to say, we were in the family waiting room for literally hours. Long enough that I feel asleep. That was a first for me. Hey. Guess I can’t handle late nights anymore. We all finally left around two after he got to see her. 

‭‭Luke‬ ‭1‬:‭46‬-‭47‬ says, And Mary said: My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior

Father, thank you for all the great experiences we had over the last two weeks. But it’s sure good to be home for a while. And please be with Corey’s mom. Amen.

February 1 - “Galveston”

Hmm. Galveston. Somehow that sounds vaguely familiar …

We were up and at ‘em by around 6 yesterday. Last full day aboard ship (at least for a couple of weeks. We already had to check in from here for our Royal Caribbean cruise). 

We attended another of the random sessions they offered. This one was to go over the Debarkation info. Actually, it was the same stuff that was on the handout we got the night before. But, hey. Some people are auditory learners. 

Just outside that session the ship store was having its final sale of the decade (well, of the two weeks, anyway). This one was a sale on their destination themed t-shirts. We found a few that we liked, so we used up the last of our onboard credit (that we just discovered we had).  Chris’ says Caribbean. Mine says Galveston.  Gotta support the home port, right?

Did I mention that it got cold again? The closer we got to Galveston the colder it got. Back to long sleeves and jeans. At lunch we decided on a Guy’s hamburger. That meant going outside and standing in line. The wind was gusting up to 40 miles per hour. My fries didn’t even stay warm! Good smash burger, though. 

We made it to one show in the afternoon. Staff combined with cruisers performing music and dancing from the 50’s. Best music all week. Well, except for the violins. I liked the violins. 

The rest of the afternoon we spent packing. Yep. Last day. That means today is departure day. Or disembark. Or whatever they call it. Here we go!

Oh, wait. I forgot dinner. I may or may not have been recruited by the waiters to join their evening dance event. I think I have figured out how to do the YMCA dance. At least the way they did it. It was lots of fun. That’s three good fellas we got to know. 

After dinner we went to the evening show. Some guy who came in fourth on The Voice season 22. He had a really powerful voice and some incredible range. 

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭10‬:‭24‬ says, And let us be concerned about one another in order to promote love and good works

Father, thanks for a pretty amazing couple of weeks.  Bless all the folks we met for the first time. And bless Ibrahim and Atma and Gusti. Amen. 

January 31 - “Dinner Dancing (not dirty)”

We went to school yesterday. Yep. Of course we were late for class, but we didn’t get scolded or anything. OK. It was the Origa-towel folding class. In our 30 minutes there we folded a towel to look like a dog, then a bear, and finally a penguin. The one little girl nearby (watching over my feeble attempts) said I could take it back to my stateroom, but the guy with the mic was pretty adamant that we turn the towels in before we leave. 

We were so encouraged by our raging success at origa-towels, we decided to go to another class where they showed us how they cook the food we have been eating. The executive chef was a guy originally from Boston who lives in Alaska now. His presentation was a lot of fun. The guy had a great sense of humor. Reminded me of the famous TV baker who is based on the East coast (I guess not that famous. I can’t remember his name). 

He (well, actually his assistant chef did all the work) showed how they made a salmon chowder, Alaska style. The taste of the soup part alone was kinda odd. But when we mixed it with the biscuit they gave us, it wasn’t all that bad. (But I still don’t really like salmon).

After some lunch we adjourned back to our room. Yup. Nap time. We just couldn’t help it. 

Then we went up to the Lido Deck. We wanted to see if we could get a glimpse of Cuba as we passed by. Guess we were too far away.  Nothing but water. 

I must confess. I took part in some dancing last night.  Dinner dancing. Not dirty … dinner. After the meal the waiters all break into a dance. I have consented to join them each night. Most of the time the dances have been semi-choreographed. This time, however … free style all the way, baby!  One of the ladies at our table even joined us this time. I heard that the performance was captured for Facebook stardom. The guy sitting next to me predicted 250,000 hits by morning. I don’t know about that. I haven’t seen that video. But I did have fun. 

‭‭James‬ ‭1‬:‭22‬ says, But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

Father, thank you for the good-natured waiters and fellow cruisers for their encouragement on the dance floor. Bless them all. Amen.