November 28 – “Turkey Bowl”

The Turkey Bowl did take place once again this year.  The tradition continues.  In honor of new starts and Galveston's new normal, we went back to the early days of the Turkey Bowl.  The game took place out in the street in front of our house.  That's how we used to play back when I was in junior high school – "Two below" out in front of my cousins' house … in the street.    We didn't begin at High Noon, though.  Our participants slowly arrived in true Galveston time form.  Nathan and April.  Cory and Josh.  Kel and Jachin.  Marcus.    April did play. In fact she completely took Nathan out on one play.  Tackled him right in the street.  Then she smacked him right in the face on another one.  They had quite the little rivalry going.    Jachin played, too.  He's just six years old.  On his first kickoff we gave him the ball and he raced the length of the field – er, street – for as touchdown.  It was better that Texas vs. A&M.  We all played strictly for fun.  And we had fun.  None of us wanted to quit, but we were rapidly approaching our breaking points.  Nathan asked me if I was tired, and I told him, "I started the game tired.  Don't use how I feel as a benchmark."  He asked Cory, and the decision was made.  Halftime.  Which, by the way, in a Turkey Bowl game traditionally means the game is over.  Once we stop it is next to impossible to get started again.   We were drinking some water that April brought out when we noticed Mom sitting on the floor near the front door.  Yes.  On the floor.  Chris and I rushed over.  She had slipped on the rug.  A few of the guys came over and helped her up.  She said she was fine, but she may be sore tomorrow.   After sharing a piece of pie, everybody left but family.  So we began the process of decorating for Christmas.  That's quite an ordeal when you have no idea what decorations you have.  Nathan crawled up into the attic where we stored what little we were able to salvage as well as the many things people gave us last Christmas.  We got the new tree put together, and Christina and April strung more lights on it than we have ever had – with a little help from Nathan.  We had to totally rearrange the furniture, and Nathan and Kel took their orders in that department pretty well.  Chris will go through the rest of the boxes and see what we actually have.  As soon as we can get some of those hooks they make, Nathan and April said they wanted to help us hang our outside lights.  Ho.  Ho.  Ho.   Ephesians 1:3 says, "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ."   Father, thank you for a really fun day.  I'm exhausted.  I will be very sore tomorrow.  But today was very special.  Thank you.  Amen.

November 27 – “Happy Fiftieth Birthday, Sue!”

This morning we went to WalMart.  No, it wasn't at 5 a.m. to catch all the Christmas bargains.  We did pick up a Christmas tree, though.  And some rope lights to replace the ones lost around our deck.  So, that made it not really a Christmas run.  This was housing stuff.  Still replacing Hurricane Ike losses.   After lunch we ventured off the island, but again, it was not to inject ourselves into the madness of the Friday after Thanksgiving.  That adventure we left to April.  You'll have to check her Facebook page for an update.  We just went to Sam's to pick up some church supplies.  Next Sunday night is our version of  Hanging of the Greens.  We have a snack party and decorate the sanctuary.  That means we'll need plates and paper towels and hot chocolate and coffee.  And there are also Christmas caroling and dinner on the grounds and the Christmas Eve Candlelight Lord's Supper Service coming up.   We had to go back to WalMart.  We measured the deck and didn't have enough rope lights.  We also needed an extension cord to bring the lights some juice.  That was a fun trip, though.  We saw Rick and Traci looking at a Charlie Brown tree.  I got a hug from one of the wedding coordinators from the San Luis.  She sure looked different in her "civies."  Kel and Christina and the boys were there, too – in our truck.  They borrowed it to pick out  a Christmas tree.  I also saw a lady who smiled and waved from a few rows away, so I waved back.    I had enough time to remove the old rusted screws from the plastic rope light holders, but not enough time to do any installing.  Tomorrow.   Speaking of tomorrow, Nathan and April and Cailyn and Kel and Christina and the boys are supposed to come over to help us put our new tree together.  We also need help getting the Christmas stuff down from the attic.  That's going to be interesting.  Pretty much all of it was given to us last Christmas, so we have no idea what we have.   My sister-in-law Sue just turned fifty, so we went to a dinner party in her honor (memory?) this evening.  That's why she got the title billing.  Fifty.  That's half a century.  Quite the milestone.  The party didn't start until six.  Mom was ready at 4:30, and started pacing around five.  Shortly thereafter she started asking when we were leaving.  Hmm.  Role reversal.  I have a vague recollection of someone doing the same thing when he was a little boy.  It must have been my little brother, Stan.   John 1:16 says, "From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another."   Father, thank you for the "one blessing after another" you have given us.  Amen.

November 26 – “Eat Turkey Day”

Well, Sam, that big ol' turkey you gave us was perfect for our Thanksgiving gathering today.  Chris' Mom and Dad came.  Josh and Christi were here with Zak and Caleb.  Kel and Christina and Jachin and Micah came over.  April and Cailyn came.  Three of Chris' brothers came with their families, and Chris' niece from Virginia was here, too.  Nathan and a friend of his even came by in the fire department rescue truck to say hi to everybody and give the kids a thrill.  Counting me and Chris and Mom, it was twenty-four people.    The food was great as usual.  Along with the fried turkey, we had ham and corn and green beans and mashed potatoes and dressing and sweet potatoes and fruit salad and several things I had no idea what they were.  Desserts included apple, pecan, pumpkin, and peach pies and a birthday cake for Chris' Mom, one of her niece's, and Jachin.  There was a toss-up for my personal favorite between Chris apple-cinnamon pie and Christina's chocolate chocolate pie.    The fire department guys borrowed our turkey fry pot.  Seems there was a guy down at the station who was going to fry a 25 pounder in a smaller pot than the one Nathan and I used yesterday.  They were worried that maybe some grease would spill over the top and hit the flame.  It could cause a fire.  Wouldn't want that at the main fire station in town.  So glad Nathan and I could help.   Well, the Cowboys are winning, and the Aggies play the Longhorns in a little while.  In the meantime we are watching I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus.  What a way to end the day.   Isaiah 44:3-5 says, "For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants.  4 They will spring up like grass in a meadow, like poplar trees by flowing streams.  5 One will say, 'I belong to the Lord'; another will call himself by the name of Jacob; still another will write on his hand, 'The Lord's,' and will take the name Israel."   Father, I'd like that kind of blessing for my offspring.  Please make it be so.  Amen.

November 25 – “Turkey Fry Day”

Yes, today really was Turkey Fry Day.  It started early.  I was at WalMart at 8 to buy some propane to power the two fryers.  Chris took Mom to a doctor appointment.  By 8:30 the fire was burning and the grease was heating up.  Josh and I started in at around 9:00: pull two turkeys out of the fridge, hook them up to the lowering contraption, gently ease them into the grease, adjust the temperature, wait an hour, pull the first two out and put the next two in, wait for the first two to cool, carve the first two, throw away the bones, and start the process all over again.  We did that until we had fried eight turkeys.    Then we got to number nine.  He was a big one.  Sam gave us this one.  Twenty-two pounder.  And our fryer pots are supposed to hold no greater than thirteen.  But Ol' Tom was already marinated.  And Nathan was here, so we had a fireman present.  We decided to go for it.  He and I headed out back, turkey in his hand.  I had the pot lid in mine.  I was shield bearer for the mighty turkey slayer.    We circled the pot, staring at the hot grease and mentally figuring just how much of it would be displaced by Ol' Tom's bulk.  Unknown to us, we had an audience.  Every nose in the house was plastered to a window, watching … waiting.  What would happen?  Would they really go through with it?  Finally, our eyes met.  Nathan broke into that huge grin I remembered so well.  I had seen it on several occasions.  Like when he roller bladed off the roof of the house.  And I knew.    Slowly he lowered.  Carefully, I maneuvered into shielding position.  Up rose the scalding hot grease.  Higher.  Higher.  Until it began to trickle over the edge, racing down the side of the pot in search of the flame that would cause it to spring to life.  And the trickle became a stream, and the stream an overflowing fountain.  Just a few more inches and the mission would be complete, the turkey would be submerged.  Tongues of flame licked out from beneath the pot, devouring as much of the tasty liquid as it could.  By this time the ground was saturated beneath the cooker.  Fritz the dog was licking his lips in anticipation.  The shield was in place.  Nathan shifted his weight to remove the handle.  And it was in.  With minimal extraneous flamery.  The shield held, and I dropped it in place over the pot.  We all – finally – exhaled.  And the final wait began.  Eighty-eight minutes.  An hour and a half.  That's a long time to fry something.  And Chris proclaimed, "This turkey we shall eat on the morrow."   Proverbs 16:27 says, "A scoundrel plots evil, and his speech is like a scorching fire."   Father, after watching those turkeys today, I want to watch my speech.  Save me from scoundrel-ry.  Amen.

November 24 – “Grandma Texas”

This morning was supposed to be the big kickoff to Frying Turkey Day.  I was especially looking forward to it after watching the new TV show called Trauma last night.  It's about a paramedic crew.  One of the segments showed a guy getting ready to fry a turkey.  His wife kept asking him if he knew what he was doing.  He said he had looked up everything there was to know about frying turkeys on the internet.  He sent her to bring it to him.  She got the bird out of the freezer, took it to him, and returned inside.  He held it out over the pot of hot grease and let go.  As soon as the frozen bird hit the grease it exploded and covered the guy (no, they didn't show that part – Just the paramedics coming to the rescue).    But it was raining.  So much for frying turkeys.  Instead I worked on the sermon for Sunday.    Grandma Texas came over for a visit with Mom.  That's the nickname of one of her best friends from high school.  She now lives in Arkansas and drives one of those old VW's.  She loves Texas so much that she tells everyone in Arkansas to call her Grandma Texas.  I always love it when she comes to visit.  She is fun to talk to and has a treasure trove of stories, but Mom is always so excited to see her.  That makes it worth it.   We went to Cailyn's apartment today.  Her Mom and Dad were there, too.  They have already decorated for Christmas.  So guess who wants to get decorated now?    Josh and Christi and the boys are due in around midnight, so it'll be a long night.  And tomorrow will be Turkey Frying Day.  Rain or shine.   Psalms 119:2 says, "Blessed are they who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart."   Father, I really want to do whatever you say.  I know I'll need your help.  Amen.

November 23 – “Always something more”

Chris was gone today, so I wanted to do something around the house that she would notice and appreciate.  That sometimes happens to me when she leaves.  I become a hopeless romantic.  I got together my "To Do" list for the week first, and took care of the crucial, "must be done on Monday" stuff – like paying bills and sending birthday and anniversary cards.  I figured I could work on the teaching tomorrow and be well on my way before Josh and Christi and their boys get here late Tuesday night.  I'll just have to focus – in between frying turkeys, which is already scheduled for tomorrow.    I decided that the most obvious thing of all would be to catch up on some yard work.  We're only about fourteen months behind, and those two new sycamore trees are going to think we are evil step-parents if they don't see some work soon.  That led to my first decision.  Do I go to Kel's and borrow the lawn mower, or do I just use our weedeater?  I really didn't want to go get the lawn mower.  I don't know if I was just feeling lazy or what, but I came up with some great reasons not to go.  They probably wouldn't be there.  If they were there, I'd have to stay and play awhile.  Then I'd have to lift it into the truck.  Hey, there was my clincher.  There was no way I could lift it by myself.  Now maybe that was the voice of my conscience / wife going off in my head, or maybe, like I said, I was being lazy.  I used the weedeater.   The front yard wasn't too hard.  We only have grass on half of it anyway.  It's trying to spread over that mud that we got from our neighbor, but it has a long way to go.  And speaking of that mud, when it gets wet it is the slipperiest stuff I have been on since playing broomball back in the 80's and watching our friend Rob hit the ice hard.  There was a lot of dew when I began, so I had to be careful trekking across the mud.  I about had the grass trimmed when I noticed the palm tree in the front yard.  It was looking pretty sick, so I got that long saw on a pole thing and cut the dead branches.  There's a pretty nice pile now.    I moved to the other side of the driveway and started on the part of our neighbor's yard that touches ours.  Our neighbor.  I guess that would be "super-corporate mortgage company backed by government bailout money" now.  I got enough of that yard done that I could put the trash out, then remembered that I still had to do the back yard at our house.  That would be the one not backed by government bailout money.  I packed up the weedeater and headed into the fray.  The back yard is a puzzlement to me.  There is a lot of grass back there now.  More than we have had in years.  But there is also a lot of weeds.  And some of them were my personal deadly nemesis – stickerburs.  I cannot abide stickerburs.  So I started pulling them up by the roots – by hand.  Took longer, but it's the only way to get rid of them effectively.  I continued cutting, but as I neared one section, I remembered Chris saying, "If you mow, be careful, because some plant is growing back there."  Actually, she said the plant's name and all, but I don't remember it.  So when I reached that point I pulled up the grass and weeds by hand so I would be sure to miss the special growth.   Then  I realized that I would have to move the lawn furniture around to get under them, and then I would have to rearrange it all in case someone wants to sit outside on Thursday.  And then I saw that I needed to make the little slide accessible, just in case.  And then the patio needed to be swept.  And then I remembered that I hadn't swept the front sidewalk yet.  And then I looked over at the abandoned house and realized I had never finished cutting it.  There was always something more.  I finally had to quit.  I'm going to be seriously sore.  I guess it'll be a good test for this weird arthritis.  It most definitely hurt while I was working.  Now we see how bad it still hurts tomorrow.  Always something more.   Philippians 1:6 says, "being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."   Father, I know for sure that I'm not complete.  I find out every day that there is always something more I need to work on.  Thanks for your promise to stick with me.  Amen.

November 22 – “Texting during church”

Church at Seaside this morning was kind of fun.  I set up the teaching as a classroom situation where feedback was encouraged.  I never know how the folks will respond, but today there was a lot of talking.  They really got going during the Visual Verses segment.  That's where we memorize scripture using visual cues I make up.  I am not known for my drawings of animals – especially bears.  Well, this one had not one but four drawings of cows – heifers to be exact.  The word they represented was four-heifer – "forever," obviously.  With a start like that, how could we not have fun?   We had a new couple there who have moved from Kentucky.  She has been praying for her husband to go to church for seven years – the length of time they have been married.  He joined her today, and they both seemed to enjoy what was going on.  She plans to come to our home group.  He said he will probably still be working late evenings.    She met one of our other couples.  They came to home group last week for the first time.  They are one of the funniest couples I have ever met.  She has had all kinds of medical problems, but every time I talk to her she says something outrageously funny.  Today we had a debate about kindness (the subject of the teaching).  How do you debate whether or not to be kind?   And speaking about kindness, we got a Rark today while we were at the pharmacy getting Mom's prescription filled.  A Rark is a Random Act of Radical Kindness.  That comes from a teaching years ago.  And the person who did it was around then.  In fact she is one of the few left at Seaside who was around back before I came.  Sam brought us a turkey.  A big one.  It was a real surprise.  I'm not even sure it'll fit into the turkey frier pots we have.  Chris may have to actually bake it.  She hasn't done that since the first year we fried one.   Chris headed for Bay City this afternoon.  Her Mom's chemo is tomorrow morning.  Kel came by around 5:30 to pick up his drill that I borrowed some time ago.  He invited us to go eat at First Baptist Church.  They were having a "Love Feast."  We had thirty minutes to get there.  Mom sure moved fast.  It was a traditional Thanksgiving meal – turkey and dressing.  Their praise team sang and people shared testimonies about things they were thankful for.  It was nice.  Seemed a bit convoluted at times, but overall, nice.    I did something during the sharing and communion time that I have always secretly wanted to do – text messaging during church.  I see it all the time, but it would be hard to explain if the pastor stopped to send a text during the sermon.  The funny thing is who I texted.  Kel sent me one from two seats away.  I answered him.  Then Chris started texting me from Bay City.  It was a lot of fun for me.  She finally found out where I was.  I confessed. She said something along the lines of "Shame on you!"  And for some reason her texting stopped.  I'll have to ask her why.   1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, "Be joyful always; 17 pray continually; 18 give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."   Father, thank you.  Amen.