May 31 - “Celebrity Searching!”

We got word early (like 6 a.m.-ish early) that our Alaska missionaries had touched down in Houston. Everybody was headed home to get some sleep. 

Meanwhile, we had a few things to get done on this fine, tourist-filled Saturday. 

Home Depot. Weed killer and a bush. Not a booger one though. Plumbago. No plumeria. I don’t know. One of those plums. Named for the color of its flowers maybe? They are, well, plum-colored. 

Randall’s. Whole list of medical stuff. Prescription, tears (how do they collect tears and bottle them and resell them? Do they hire people to cry?), special mouthwash for dry mouth syndrome, arthritis grease. 

Walmart. Bananas, chicken, chicken broth, oranges, chocolate milk, salad stuff, and seven other things I forget what - it all added up to 14 items. Self check - check. 

There was lots of traffic, so … People watching! Celebrity Searching! I’m pretty sure I saw David Letterman. Or maybe it was his non-bearded double. And Chris commented that wrapping a towel around you doesn’t really count as wearing a coverup to go into Walmart. 

After lunch we had a slice of watermelon on the back porch. That led to Chris watering all her outside plants as well as the new patches of grass we just put down. I grabbed the weed killer and sprayed a bunch of the weeds popping up all over the back lawn. The St. Augustine is trying its best, but we’re hoping this will give it a little extra help. 

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭1‬:‭17‬ says, Learn to do what is good. Seek justice. Correct the oppressor. Defend the rights of the fatherless. Plead the widow’s cause.

Father, thank you so much for the safety of our missions team. Bless them for their efforts. Amen. 

May 30 - “Creepy Myrtle”

Yardwork Day once again. Shortly after 8 we began tackling our neglected yard. I started with mowing and edging. Chris handled sweeping. But I did get a lot of it swept for her using the massive blow dryer (my affectionate name for the leaf blower). And after that I grabbed the hedge clippers. It was time for some serious bush trimming. The main culprits were the three oleander bushes. Then came the Creepy Myrtle. (OK. I typed in crepe myrtle and spell check corrected it to that. Hey. I kinda like it. The Creepy Myrtle Tree (apologies to all the ladies named Myrtle out there).  Definitely has a ring to it. 

Anyway, I also lopped a few Sycamore branches and under Chris’ meticulous direction trimmed up some lantana bushes. But that was not all. Back in the back yard we moved around some heavy plants-in-pots. Then I dug up a couple of plants from the yard, and we replanted them in pots. I think that was the final chore of the morning. It was definitely time to cool down and grab some lunch. 

Speaking of cooling down … Chris needed a little of that cool down time for two different reasons. One, she found out that the PT office canceled her appointment for Monday. And they blamed it on her. Nope. She kept her cool pretty well, though, even if the visit was finally rescheduled for 7:30 am. Not her favorite time of day, for sure. 

And two, she tried again to delve into the dark world of the UTMB business office. She’s still trying to straighten out the double charge they made on her a few weeks ago. They gave her some instructions as to what further information they needed, so we got that sent. Now we wait. 

‭‭John‬ ‭15‬:‭2‬ says, Every branch in Me that does not produce fruit He removes, and He prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit.

Father, the Alaska contingent’s flight home began last night. Not sure when they will arrive (or have arrived). Thank you for their chance to serve in a unique arena. Amen. 

May 29 - “on the road home”

After a good breakfast with Larry and Diane, we headed out for home. Well, after a stop at Kroger for gas. Thanks again for the hospitality, guys. 

Our Bucees stop was a quick one. Bathroom break. Stretch our legs. Grab a light lunch (breakfast biscuit sandwich for me and turkey and cheese and pretzel cup for Chris). Back on the road. 

A little traffic slowed us down through Houston (of course). Chris handled it magnificently (also, of course). We also stopped in LaMarque (after a little backtracking because we forgot) to check on the windshield job on Jachin’s car. All looked good. 

We finally made it home around 2:15. Just in time to do a frantic house cleaning before home groupers arrived. 

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭9‬:‭10‬ says. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

Father, thank you for our safe trip home. Thank you for giving Chris the ability (and desire) to drive so much. Amen. 

May 28 - “A Harvard Revelation and an Astros win”

Breakfast and lunch turned into a regular experience in itself. There we were, gathered together with the Huntley’s and the Winkles. Always a recipe for … something!

We had plenty of time to talk in depth about many things. Of course, paramount in our minds was our upcoming journey North to Alaska. Come on now. How many of are humming that tune right now? How many will have the song stuck in your head for a week, at least? 

“North, to Alaska. We’re goin’ north, the rush is on.”

That wasn’t the only thing we talked about, though. For some wild and insane reason, we talked for hours - at least - on that burning, trending, hot topic … how best to fall down stairs. We left the final word to that bastion of integrity, the Harvard Medical Review. Yes, sports fans, they actually had a rather extensive article on the topic. I would share their insight with you, but their list was eleven or twelve items long. Seriously. 

Well, last night was the culmination of the trip - the ultimate reason for our journey into Texas. Baseball night in Arlington. The Texas Rangers were playing host to none other than the Houston Astros. It was an incredibly close game, but the good guys came through. Actually it was one particular good guy. Yordan Alvarez hit two home runs. And he came up to bat in the top of the ninth and was walked intentionally, or it might have been three. Oh! And I almost forgot. None of us fell down the stairs, so we didn’t have to try out our newfound Harvard-driven knowledge. Go Astros! 

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭9‬:‭7‬ says, Each person should do as he has decided in his heart — not reluctantly or out of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver.

Father, thanks for the safety you granted us driving to the ball game and back. Amen. 

May 27 - “… with aplomb”

We woke up with an intermingling of preparatory concerns. Chris called UTMB to dispute one of the charges on our account. She got lost in the maze of computer voices. She also had a physical therapy appointment. It was the one where she not only does the prescribed workout, but also informs them about her upcoming surgery. There were three or four appointments she needed to cancel or reschedule. 

The other point of prep was for our trip to Arlington. That’s the one where we hook up with the Huntley’s and go to the Astros vs. Rangers baseball game. Woohoo!

Oh, and I forgot another thing. I tried to connect with the Safelight people about the windshield for Jachin’s car. Just wanted to make sure the technician knew where the key was. The automated nanobot answering machine gave me a number to call. It rang and rang - until it said no one was available. Three times. And then, when I least expected it, the technician called me. He was changing the time up a little bit, so I had a chance to explain where the key was. That freed us up to head to Arlington. Good luck, Jachin. 

Chris handled her PT workout with aplomb. Always wanted to use that word in a real sentence. Always thought it meant confidence, grace, style, elan (yep. That’s another crossword puzzle special).  I looked it up. I was pretty close. But if that’s too ritzy for you … she done good. They’ll have to switch some things up after the surgery (of course), but all was as well as could be. 

We made our usual quick stop bathroom and snack break at  Buc-ees. Then it was on to the final leg of this journey and our ultimate destination - Midlothian, Texas. 

After a great dinner of chicken cheesy spaghetti stuff and banana pudding, we hung out and talked until I for one was struggling to stay awake. Now many years ago that would have been an indication that it was approaching at least midnight. But no. It was around ten. Yep bedtime for sure. 

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭2‬:‭5‬ says, Make your own attitude that of Christ Jesus

Father, thank you for the Huntley’s and their great hospitality. Bless ‘em. Amen. 

May 26 - “The Race”

Well, I must have been really beat. I slept all the way through until 6 am. Can’t remember the last time I made it much past 5, much less to 6. Yawn. 

It was a quiet Memorial Day for us. We planned to get in a walk, but it rained. Of course. Instead I paid some bills. They keep on coming. 

For lunch we grilled some pork chops and corn on the cob. I enjoyed my pre-lunch critter entertainment. No less than five squirrels raced along our fence (affectionately known as The Critter Highway). 

They reached the telephone pole in the corner of the yard and didn’t lose a step. Well, except for when the dude in the lead suddenly whipped around and soundly swatted the second place character right in the head. They all kept going until there was no more pole to hold onto. Up and down they went. Not sure, but it really looked like they were a bunch of siblings playing for all they were worth. 

And it did tire them out. At least one of them, anyway. He finally flopped down on the Critter Highway and took a nap. Great fun. 

Oh. We took another stab at a walk. Got just around the corner and the bottom dropped out again. Back home in a hurry. 

After lunch I volunteered to vacuum out the car. Why? Two reasons. One, the back seat was covered with white dog hair. Two, Chris was going to do it. Not what shoulder of hers needed. It was hot out there. 80 plus. Welcome to summer. 

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭23‬:‭3‬ says, He renews my life; He leads me along the right paths for His name’s sake.

Father, thank you for the critter show out back. Fun stuff. And the hummingbird was a cool topping on the cake. Amen. 

May 25 - “Fell right onto …”

It was an interesting day at church yesterday. A little strange because Pastor Kel and his family and several other Seasiders were in Alaska on a mission trip. Our worship pastor Gregg did a great job holding down the fort, and the guest speaker Jim shared a really insightful teaching on prayer. 

We made a trip into Texas after lunch. Apparently the basketball goal in front of Kel’s house blew over in one of the storms. Fell right onto Jachin’s car. We had to drive up to see it and make sure it was covered. We tried setting up a visit from the world-famous Safelight company. Closed for the long weekend. And after Chris’ physical therapy on Tuesday, we are leaving town. I finally connected with Safelight, though. Fortunately, you don’t have to be present for the appointment to happen. Got the appointment set up for Tuesday. Only issue now is communicating to Safelight where the key is hidden. 

We stopped by and chatted with Cailyn and eventually her parents. Had to see her soccer gold medal for winning state. We also dropped off Gavin’s graduation gift. Anxious to see what he thinks of it. I picked it out myself. 

Traffic coming back onto the island was pretty backed up. We did the old avoid 61st Street maneuver. Drove down to 57th and did some back tracking with a few other locals. Good thing, too. There was a major accident on 61st with a hit and run. Glad we missed it. 

‭‭Acts‬ ‭4‬:‭31‬ says, When they had prayed, the place where they were assembled was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak God’s message with boldness.

Father, be with all the tourists pouring onto the island this weekend. Amen. 

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.