September 30 - “The infamous Rocket Ship Park”

After a homemade breakfast quesadilla, we went for a walk. Chris made it two miles. I added an extra mile to that. We started around 8, but it was still really hot. Phew!

Back home we started on washing clothes. A day late from our usual laundry day. 

Things are starting to pile up in this final few days’ home stretch to Alaska. Chris started weighing her backpack in anticipation of the puddle jumper flight to the Arctic Circle. I think we are allowed five pounds each. So far she is right on the money. I, on the other hand, haven’t started. Maybe by Thursday?

Noa and Ezra dropped by. They had been playing with some friends at the infamous Rocket Ship Park over at the airport. Why infamous? That’s where Nathan broke his arm really bad back in the day. Sadly, the place lived up to its name. One of the youngsters they were there with fell and broke both bones in his arm. Whoa. Déjà vu all over again. Remember that, Nathan?

Our afternoon schedule was pretty much set in stone. The Astros had their first playoff game against the White Sox. Didn’t turn out so well for the good guys. But they play again this afternoon. We’ll see …

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭4‬:‭23‬ says, Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life.

Father, be with that youngster who broke his arm. Ease his pain and heal him quickly. Amen. 

September 29 - “Beach Witch”

Chris physical therapy appointment was an early one, especially for her (NOT a morning person). She had to be there by 8:15. She did well getting up, though. When 6:30 rolled around, she dragged herself out of bed. Gotta love that woman. 

The therapist worked her shoulder over pretty good. Whether Chris can tell it or not, she has come a really long way since the surgery. I did get in my two and a quarter miles. I did get a bit sidetracked, though. I stopped to help another Astros fan in a wheelchair get through a door. He was wearing Astros pajama pants. Way to represent. 

I saw something I had to look at least three times before I could truly fathom what it was. As we drove along the seawall, I saw a witch flying on her broom along the sand out by the water. Very gracefully draped long dress topped off with the pointed hat and everything. On my third or fourth stare, I finally made out that the apparition was indeed gliding upon the sand, only on one of those one-wheeled skateboard things that moves on its own. Eerie sight, indeed. 

At Walmart (not for bananas. They do sell other things) we ran into not one, but three of our friends from around Galveston. Julie just moved back here after a long hiatus in the mystical northlands beyond Texas. Doug was standing in line at the bank, so we let him be. We did get a quick hug from Charlette,  though. Great to see you guys. Hey. What’s a Walmart for if not to connect with friends?

After a brief stop at the house we were back in the car again. Chris was finally getting the teeth cleaning she had to put off last week. I went with her and read a book in the lobby while she was in the back. Well, I may or may not have also snuck in a little nap. 

The reason for my accompanying her was more than just enjoying her company, although that is certainly the case. We had a few stops to make on the way home. Academy was first. I had hoped they would have some Astros division champs t-shirts. No luck. In fact I looked online. The only place they were available was MLB.com. $45 was a bit steep for my blood. 

From there were stopped at Randall’s.  I had a prescription to pick up, and it was, after all, Cheap Chicken Monday. Eight pieces of dark meat for $6.99. Good stuff, too. 

Last night we took in another Little League game with Ezra as the star, of course. He laid down a perfect drag bunt for a hit. The good guys won the first game 11-5 and the second one 6-4. Woohoo!

‭‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭11‬ says, And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, then he who raised Christ from the dead will also bring your mortal bodies to life through his Spirit who lives in you.

Father, be with Julie and Charlette and Doug. Bless them every day. Amen. 

September 28 - “Astros win!”

We had a fill-in worship guy yesterday. Jonathan did a great job, as did his daughter who played the keyboard. He’s not looking for a ministry position, but if he was, he would certainly have an edge. Great guy. Thanks, Jonathan. 

The order of the day in the afternoon was to watch the Astros game. Last game of the season and the division championship was still up for grabs. A win by the Astros or a loss by the Rangers would put the Astros in the playoffs. Lots of drama, huh? 

Well, the drama didn’t turn out to be all that great. The Astros jumped off to a 9-0 lead. They coasted the rest of the way. And to top it off, the Twins tended to the other order of business. They defeated the Rangers 6-4. Both scenarios meant the Astros won the division by a full game. Woohoo!

‭‭Mark‬ ‭4‬:‭9‬ says, Then he said, “Let anyone who has ears to hear listen.”

Father, bless Jonathan and his family in their home life and ministry. Amen. 

September 27 - “Two in two”

We were on the road early yesterday. We had to drive to Pine Island, Texas. That’s a small town out in the middle of nowhere, somewhere near Waller. We were attending a memorial service (our second in just 2 days). This one was for our friend and former member of the youth group at Langwood Baptist Church many years ago when I was the youth pastor there. 

H.C. Elsner was probably in junior high or early high school when I first met him. Of course, I was just 18 or 19 myself and I had been a Christian for only a year or two, so that youth group and I kind of grew up together. 

It’s kind of strange what you remember about people. The first memory that pops into my head about H.C. (Other than that his girlfriend at the time was the music pastor’s daughter) involves the time he was in the front passenger seat of my car. 

We were driving to get some lunch  at his house when a car turned left in front of us and crunched into the front of my yellow Ford Maverick. Everybody was pretty much OK. H.C. banged his knee on the dashboard, but nothing demanded medical attention. I remember we waited literally hours for the police to arrive. 

Finally the father of one of the girls in the youth group drove by on his way home from work. He just happened to be a police officer assigned to the mayor’s protective detail. Imagine the dispatcher’s chagrin when his call sign demanded an officer to his location immediately. Let’s just say … they came. 

H.C. went through some really rough times in his life. He definitely knew Jesus, though. I’m sure his soul is at peace now. 

It was good to see some of the Langwood folks from years ago, but we have to find a better way to get together, guys. 

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭6‬:‭11‬ says, Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil.

Father, be with Carl and Barbara and David as they walk through this difficult time. Amen. 

September 26 - “The Return”

We have returned to the outdoors. Well, in the sense that we walked outside for the first time since before Chris’ surgery. We both agreed that it feels more like a workout when we’re outside than when we walk in circles here at the house. I found myself comparing our route with the route I have at the physical therapy clinic. It was actually kind of fun. 

We did a taste of yard work after lunch. Well, Chris watered all of her outside plants. I did a slight trim of the wisteria bush. I left the boogervilla alone, though. It figured out the way to avoid my desired major trim job. Now it has purple (or maybe it’s pink) blooms. And the trick? It shoots its blooms out at the very top ends of its longest branches. And of course Chris won’t let me chop off any blooms. That’s just not fair. 

I found a really cool show on the History Channel. It tracks the history of totally random things. How did pizza delivery come about? What was it like to have unlimited access to fireworks and BB guns? Why did parents allow kids to play at construction sites unsupervised? (The answer to the “why’s” of all these things is always, “Because the parents did it when they were kids). Great show. Hazardous History with Henry Winkler. Check it out. 

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭33‬:‭14‬ says, And he replied, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

Father, thank you for the cool morning. Sure made a difference walking outside. Amen. 

September 25 - “Major ouch!”

Early appointment again yesterday. But not physical therapy. This time Chris had her yearly eye doc check-over. That puts her all set for another year, at least in one area of her body. 

From there we headed over to one of the local funeral homes. The husband of a lady who used to go to Seaside died. Dennis from home group performed the ceremony. It was kind of unusual in that it started almost 45 minutes late. Good reason, though. Because of a snafu in a Facebook post regarding the service time, they were trying to give the deceased’s sister time to get there. Dennis did a good job handling the service. 

On the way home we stopped for lunch at Shrimp n Stuff. That’s when the notable event of the day happened. As we walked into the restaurant, Chris brushed against one of their outdoor tables. Not very hard, but just hard enough. She peeled back about a two square inch patch of skin on her arm. Major ouch! 

We rushed inside and requested a first aid kit. The young man rushed away to get it. Meanwhile, the arm started oozing blood, So Chris sat down and used a napkin to quell the flow. The guy finally returned with some wide bandaids, so we got her all fixed up. At least temporarily. 

We did still make our order, but we switched it to take home. And bless the young man’s heart … he gave us a rather hefty employee discount. And we were able to cover the whole thing with a gift card we had been given. Best cheap meal we’ve had in a long time. 

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭9‬:‭6‬ says, The point is this: The person who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the person who sows generously will also reap generously.

Father, bless that young cashier who helped us out. Amen. 

September 24 - “Restored!”

It was my turn. That all-time, proverbially dreaded trip to … The 

Dentist. That always calls to my mind some old war era interrogator who uses “dental tools” to torture - er - extract information. 

But actually I really like my dentist. She is a very sweet, cute young thing, who really knows her stuff. I did good this time, too. There are a few places that she wants me to cram super-fluoride toothpaste into, then not rinse. Interesting new evening brushing routines ahead … 

We went straight from there to Chris’ physical therapy appointment. She discovered which exercise is her nemesis. She has to hold a ball against the wall and roll it around in a circle. Mark that one. Oh, and it seems her therapist is more excited about our trip than we are. She can’t wait to see pictures. 

In the meantime, I got in my two and a quarter mile walk. And I had a unique greeting from a fellow Baby Boomer. A lady about my age grinned as she passed me, held up two fingers and said, “Hey.”  Now that wasn’t the V for victory sign. Oh, no. That was a peace sign all the way. Us hippies have to stick together. 

Oh! Almost forgot. As we were coming out of the dentist office, my phone rang. It was Brandi, the manager of our bank. She had just heard from her higher-ups that our stolen money was due to be replaced later in the day. Gotta admit, I was pretty skeptical. But sure enough, when I checked around noon, there it was. Restored! That’s a load off of our mind. 

P.S. Walmart - bananas

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭19‬:‭14‬ says, May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, LORD, my rock and my Redeemer.

Father, thank you for our dentist. And for the hygienist. They are top notch. Bless them. Amen. 

September 23 - “On the bubble”

Early exercise time for me. I got started before Christmas got up. I started out with my version of the arm workout. Thera-bands and wall push-ups and some light weights. I managed to incorporate a 2.25 mile walk as well. And I finished it all around eight. Whew!

Chris had a dental appointment later in the morning. I stayed behind so she would have a chance at her first solo drive experience since the surgery. Of course she did fine with the drive. Not so much the cleaning, though. That didn’t happen. She was apparently “on the bubble” of their timeline for dental work after surgery. They called the surgeon to see if he would OK it. He didn’t call back before she left, though, so she had to reschedule to Monday. My appointment is today.  No bubble for me. All I have to remember is to take a mega-dose of antibiotics because of my bionic knee. 

Last night we went to Texas to watch Ezra play baseball again. The good guys totally outclassed the opposition this time. Ezra walked two or three times across the two games. Scores: game one  - 13-0. Game 2 - 10-1. Success. 

‭‭Galatians‬ ‭1‬:‭10‬ says, For am I now trying to persuade people, or God? Or am I striving to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.

Father, please be with me today at my dentist appointment. Amen. 

September 22 - “Touchin’ base X 2”

Chris got us started with a very early physical therapy appointment. She had to be there at 8 a.m.  Not her favorite time of day. She powered through, though. And I actually walked two and a a quarter miles. She did have to wait a minute or two for me to round the corner. Her take on her session? Somehow our trip to Alaska came up, and the therapist had to convince her that  October actually begins next week. Which means, we leave next week. Yikes!

We stopped at Randall’s on the way home to pick up a prescription. Easy enough. Then we went into Walmart. Yep. Bananas. In fact, I had just said to Chris that my list only had the one item on it - bananas- when who should round the corner but our friend Traci. That would be the Traci who always has something to say about my regular banana runs. Glad you could be an actual part of one, Traci. 

Out in the parking lot we were tracked down by another friend, Krissy. She’s the one who was Chris’ personal trainer until the shoulder incident. Always good to touch base with a fitness guru friend. 

‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭7‬:‭9‬ says, Know that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps his gracious covenant loyalty for a thousand generations with those who love him and keep his commands.

Father, thank you for friendships that thrive in Walmart. Bless Traci and Krissy. Amen. 

September 21 - “Another blast from the past”

We had a real blast from the past at church yesterday. We stayed over for church in Waco at Columbus Avenue. A lady approached me after the service and asked if I was Kelley Vaughan. Somehow I recognized her right away. 

It was Sherry, a girl who had been in the youth group at University Hills Baptist Church in Denver. She now lives in Germany with her Air Force husband. Her daughter attends Baylor and plays violin in the church orchestra at Columbus. Great to reconnect with long ago faces. 

We took off after church for the trip back home. We made the usual stop at Buc-ees for some lunch. And then we stopped in Santa Fe at Nathan and April and Cailyn’s house. They weren’t home, but Chris needed the bathroom. As it turned out, we were able to let the dogs out of their kennels for a potty break of their own. Nathan texted that they would be home in about 20 minutes, and I confess I was already kind of absorbed in one of those Asgardian/Thor adventure movies. We stayed. Enjoyed chatting with you guys and hearing all about plans for making  the homecoming mum for the ages. It’s gonna be amazing. 

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭9‬:‭1‬ says, I will thank the LORD with all my heart; I will declare all your wondrous works.

Father, thank you for the chance to see Sherry again. Bless her and her family. Amen. 

September 20 - “Coon Crusade”

I was beginning to think my watch was stuck on Eastern Daylight Time. I didn’t wake up until after six. A function of the amazing bed here, I’m sure. I had a cup of coffee. No movement.  I did my quiet time. Still no one. I even took a walk around and around their den. Not sure how far. I didn’t set my watch, because I figured someone would walk in. 

Finally Luke appeared. Then Chris. I pulled up and reined it in right there. I forgot to mark the mileage though. I’ll just check my steps at the end of the day. 

The excitement of the day came when Josh announced that he needed help going on a coon hunt. Yep. They had raccoons in their attic that woke them up in the night. Josh dressed in his best camouflage outfit. He pulled on one glove. He loaded up his BB gun. He grabbed a flashlight and crawled up the ladder, ready for the ‘Coon Crusade.” 

Caleb was right behind him with his BB gun and a flashlight. Luke drew the assignment of banging on the ceiling to awaken the critter. Can’t let that critter get too comfortable. Apparently, Josh locked eyes with one of the interlopers. A shot rang out. Then another (OK. That’s some literary license there. A BB gun doesn’t actually “ring out.” More like “Pffft.”) either way, the critter either escaped the way he came in or found a hiding place deeper within. 

In case it was the latter, and in anticipation of further encroachment, Josh then dragged a critter trap up there and baited it with some marshmallows. Will the entrapment be successful? How long should he leave it alone before checking it? Ah, questions. We shall see …

I forgot to mention that Zak and Lindsay came back over. We had a few minutes  fore departing for football games, so we played a few rousing rounds of Uno. Not the traditional one. This one had the randomizer machine with the tiny guy inside who pushed a button that spit cards at you if you couldn’t play. Problem was, AnnaGrace was best friends with the tiny guy inside the machine. She whispered to him the whole game. Didn’t seem fair to me. Kind of a conflict of interest, wouldn’t you say?

The football games began around 3:30. Actually there was a JV game earlier than that, but Luke’s junior high game was where our initial focus lay. Then Caleb’s varsity team followed in the nightcap. 

The varsity won in a landslide, as has been their usual all year. They do fall behind for the first time all year, though. 6-0. But they followed that with 56 unanswered points. Caleb played an awesome game on defense. Even finagled a personal foul on one of the opponents when the opponent retaliated against Caleb holding him (note: no holding penalty was assessed) by shoving Caleb to the ground. No one was hurt, and we gained half the distance to the goal line. Tricky, Caleb. 

Luke’s team did right well, too. Their score was 52-12. Luke scored the first touchdown on a diving grab of a pass in the end zone. Later he ran 60 yards for a touchdown on a designed end around play. But the run was nullified by a holding penalty. So what did Luke do? Nothing much. He just took the next handoff on an identical play, and proceeded to run 70 yards for a touchdown. Take that. Can you tell who might be a tad proud?

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬ says, I give thanks  to my God for every remembrance of you

Father, thank you for random takes of Uno and sweaty football games and most of all, family to share them all with. Amen. 

September 19 - “Saturday Afternoon Sweats”

We took another road trip yesterday. Well, not anything new and glamorous. We went to Waco. Hey. High school football is alive and well. And we have two grandsons playing six man football right now. Luke is on the junior high team and Caleb is on varsity. That style of football is high-scoring and incredibly exciting. Not to mention we have someone in particular to root for. Not exactly Friday Night Lights, though. So … Saturday Afternoon Sweats it is. Go Skyhawks!

We made it to Buc-ees just in time for lunch. As it turned out, we got there at just the right time.  A high school football team from somewhere (The Vikings) and their entourage were everywhere in the store. But by the time we got out of the bathroom, they were all outside, taking a group photo surrounding the big ol’ Bucee statue outside. 

We finished our meal in the parking lot, then hopped back on the road toward Waco. Not a whole lot of traffic, so we made pretty good time. We did have to get gas as soon as we got to Waco. $3.93 a gallon. Ouch. 

Nobody was home except for Maddie Belle when we arrived. She was very kind when I came through the gate. Didn’t even bark. She just led me to the back door, then strolled back over to her dog door and went inside. Good greetin’, there, MaddieBelle. 

Zak and Lindsay came over to do some laundry. Actually she pretty much just dropped him off and headed to work, so Zak got to play Mr. Mom. By the end of the night Zak and Luke were playing football in the living room as we watched the University of Houston vs Texas Tech football game.

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭3‬:‭7‬ says, Don’t be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and turn away from evil.

Father, watch over the guys playing football in the heat today. Amen.