January 21 – “Super Blood Wolf Eclipse”

Yet another fine day at Seaside has come and gone.  We had guests from as far away as Missouri and even Canada.  The folks from Canada are here because they want to do the “Texas thing.”  Seems they are from Alberta, the province of Canada that has a similar sort of “people are strange, rebel-types” reputation as Texas.  So they want to see first-hand what the Texas aura is really like.  They plan to head out to the Alamo today, so somebody gave them good information about the proper Texas pilgrimage.  I explained that as “unusual” as Texas is, they are staying on an Island off the coast of Texas.  Unusual times two or three.  They seem to be really enjoying themselves in spite of the cold weather, which, of course is not cold at all as far as they are concerned.  Oh, and they requested a copy of the visual verse so they could mystify and amaze their pastor when they got back home.  I like these people.

Last night we joined millions of other people enveloped in darkness.  Nope.  We didn’t lose power or anything.  We just kept going outside to bay at the moon.  Well, at least to look at it.  It was the Super Blood Wolf Eclipse Moon.  I hope I got all the adjectives in there.  One of the talking heads on TV finally explained what all that means.  Eclipse I had no problem with.  I’m old enough to have seen an eclipse or two, and I did have that lesson back in school.  Way … way … back in school.  It was those other words that really had no meaning.  Well, here are the answers you have all been waiting for.  At least those of you who didn’t hear the explanation seventeen times on TV last night.  “Super” is what they call it when the moon is in its orbit closest to the Earth.  “Blood” is just a description of the dusty, orange-y, reddish glow that happened when the eclipse was full (One of the coolest parts of the experience, by the way.  That’s what made it worth staying up for me).  And finally, “Wolf.”  That was pretty obscure, but actually it is the simplest of all.  Somebody back in the day just decided that the first time there is a full moon in January, he would call it a Wolf Moon.  Guess his idea just caught on.  The unusual thing about last night was that all of those things were happening at the same time.  Won’t happen again for eighteen years or so.  Not sure I’ll stay up then.  Been there, done that …

Psalms 135:1-2 says, “Praise the Lord.  Praise the name of the Lord; praise him, you servants of the Lord, you who minister in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God.”

Father, thanks for that unusual experience last night.  It was a pretty awesome glimpse at your creation at work.  And a special thank you for my new friends from Canada and Missouri.  Amen.

January 20 – “843”

In the midst of the cold weather we managed to get a little bit of work done yesterday.  Well, OK.  So the work entailed getting online and ordering some stuff.  But it counted.  Just ask Chris.

Oh, we did do the indoor portion of our workout.  That means the theraband-on-the-door routine and some dipsy doodles down the hall.  It was quite the sight to behold.  Chris was going after it at one end of the house, and I was flopping up and down the hall at the other.  At least that was better than when we were chasing each other – walking sideways with therabands holding our legs together at the ankles. 

The first order we made online was for some outdoor chairs for our newly vacated patio.  That was a Home Depot find Chris made.  Everything in the particular style she liked was half price.  And to make it even better, they will deliver it to our house.  That will be convenient.  The first two will arrived next week, with the other two coming the following week.  Not sure why, but delivery was free, so we didn’t argue.

The second order was a little more complicated.  In fact it has been two years in the making.  Chris has been wading through the thousand plus digital photos we took on our once-in-a-lifetime trip to Disneyworld with Josh and Christi.  It’s when Mickey Mouse revealed to us all that Christi was pregnant with AnnaGrace.  Pretty special occasion.  Chris has planned all along to immortalize it in scrapbook form, but first she had to choose which pictures she wanted to include.  That’s what took so long.  It also gave us time to save up enough extra pocket change to cover the cost.  The crowning blow came when CVS Online announced a sale on developing that was too good to resist.  All we had to do was upload the pictures to their website and they would have them ready at our nearest CVS pharmacy within an hour.  Well, “within an hour” would be for relatively normal orders, I suppose.  I knew it might end up taking a bit longer than that when it took literally all morning to upload them from our computer.  They finally finished around 2 p.m. and the order went in.  The computer and the subsequent email assured us they would be ready by around 3. 

I finally called around 5 to see where they were.  Nope.  Not ready.  In fact they were just on number 260 something out of our grand total of 843.  But she assured me that it would take very long to finish now that they were rolling.  Less than an hour.  Right.  I called again about 6:30.  Nope.  Not ready.  On number 650.  Seems they had to change out a tape of some kind on the printer.  Wore it out.  She assured me that she would call as soon as the last one came out.  Finally, right at 8:00, the call came.  I answered and identified myself and the first sound I heard from the other end was … “Finally.”  I think she was happy to have us out of her hair. 

We hurried over to pick them up so Chris could get a quick look at them before bed.  But “quick look” would not be a very accurate description of what happened next.  She spent the next hour or two thumbing through them, putting them in order based on their position in her computer lineup.  I finally gave up and left her to it.  From the looks of things this morning, I would say she’s more than half way finished.  I think I know how her spare time will be going for the next few days …

Psalms 134:1-2 says, “Praise the Lord, all you servants of the Lord who minister by night in the house of the Lord.  Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the Lord.”

Father, thank you for memories and pictures that jog them.  Amen.

January 19 – “Speaking of adding work …”

I really upgraded my home exercise/therapy routine yesterday.  Chris was ready for her walk, as usual, so I agreed to join her for part of it.  In an aggressive move, I added a half mile to the end.  A mile and a half.  Whew.  There’s a step up.  But I didn’t stop there.  When I arrived home I actually did a few dipsy doodle lines out on our front sidewalk.  I suppose it was quite the frightening sight.  Why do I say that?  Well, our neighbor was out on her porch when I got home.  About three seconds after she saw what I was doing, she shook her head sadly and hurried back inside.  Maybe she was just jealous.  Or maybe she didn’t want to witness the ensuing carnage.  But the negative never came.  I completed the runs and headed inside. 

Back inside I went straight for the thera-band workout targeting my knee specifically.  Well, my knee and then that horrible one that strengthens hips.  Walking sideways with my ankles tied together.  It’s like a flashback to a gone-horribly-wrong youth fellowship game.  From there I added one other horror story.  I decided to walk up and down our deck stairs for three minutes.  Why the time?  No idea.  Three minutes seems to be the time of choice for my physical therapist, so I decided I’d start there.  When Chris got home she went to do some stair work as well.  She usually just counts her repetitions though.  Come to find out three minutes is roughly equal to six trips up and down our deck steps.  Just in case you ever need to know it for a future trivia game.

Speaking of adding work, we also dove into our next house project.  What to do with the back porch now that the hot tub has found a new home.  We emptied it out completely so Chris could have a look at her blank slate.  Once that was accomplished, about all we could do was sweep it off, reorient the barbecue pit and table, and trash some of the old and broken chairs and toys.  Oh, and begin making plans for the future, of course.  I have one assignment when the weather clears (We were further restricted in what we could do by a sudden rainstorm.  It’s supposed to get into the thirties tonight.  Nooooooo).  I have to move the bolts for one of the swings so more than one child can be going at a time.  Then we have to roll away the big round “cable table” to be carried away by the trash men.  Then comes re-leveling the patio, which will mean getting another load of dirt.  The iron table and chair set needs to return to its spot upstairs.  And we need to add whatever new chairs Chris decides on for the space.  Finally, we (read here, “me”) want to install an outdoor ceiling fan and some “mood lighting” (Chris is in charge of the lighting).  Sounds like quite the undertaking.  Maybe by next year sometime we will … begin.

Psalms 133:1 says, “How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!”

Father, thank you for the great home you provided for us.  Help us as we try to “steward” it.  Amen.

January 18 – “Dipsy doodle”

Well, now I suppose I have advanced to the upper echelon of physical therapy patients.  I have made my way through the excruciating balance machine.  I can walk on the squishy balance beam pads toe to toe.  I can even do a treadmill hike going uphill all the way.  So what could possibly be next? 

She thought of something.  Not anything I would have expected, but I can see how it would be helpful.  She asked me to move along a line sideways, alternately switching which leg went in front and which went in back.  She even had a name for it, but once I realized what she was doing, I told her she had the name wrong.  See, if you just speed it up a little bit, and maybe pick up the knees a bit higher, you have none other than the dipsy doodle.  And what, you may ask is the dipsy doodle?  Ah, well anyone who did time in the defensive backfield at Weis Junior High School under the tutelage of Coach Alcala way back in the late 1960’s no doubt still remembers the dipsy doodle.  Great football drill for warming up before a game or for just passing the time or for getting everyone good and tired before letting us go home.  Who would have thought that a weary football drill would return some 50 plus years later to haunt me?  Sigh.  Oh, well.  Another of those “I’ll never use this in real life” teenage schoolboy whines proven wrong.  Who knows what will be next … Trigonometry?  Physics?  Any foreign language?  Elementary Analysis?  Yikes.  Bring on some more dipsy doodles …

Psalms 130:5 says, “I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope.”

Father, thank you for strange and wonderful and somewhat familiar movements that help my old knee get back into shape.  Amen.

January 17 – “A Jesus birthday …”

Just thought of something this morning.  Today is my birthday of sorts.  Or anniversary.  Some 48 years ago I made the decision to love God back.  To become a Christian.  To decide for myself to follow Jesus.  There are a lot of ways to put it, I guess, but the end result is the same.  The Holy Spirit lives inside me and I’ll never be the same again.  So glad for that.  Wow.  48 years.  That’s almost half a century.  You would think I’d have this Christianity thing figured out by now, but I sure still feel like a baby most of the time.

I got embroiled in one of those Galveston mini-traffic jams yesterday.  I went up to the church to meet the bug guy very early.  It didn’t take him but 15 or 20 minutes.  And on my way home the traffic suddenly came to a screeching halt.  I could see up ahead a fire engine and an ambulance blocking the road, and one little white truck with its flashers on behind the engine, but I couldn’t see any vehicles that would have been involved in an accident.  I put the car in park and settled in for the long haul to wait it out.  After a few minutes I saw movement in the brush to the side of the road.  And from that brush emerged a firefighter pushing aside weeds and tree branches, followed by paramedics carrying a patient on a stretcher.  I found out later that a single car was involved.  Apparently the driver lost control and flipped several times into the underbrush on the side of the road.  Not a pretty scenario at all.  As I waited, the cars around me started doing what they could to turn around.  And before long a police officer tapped on my window to let me know it was OK for me to turn around as well and take the alternate route. 

Since that alternate route took me right next to station seven, I stopped in to check on the guys of the day’s shift who were doing the fire trailer burn training.  Once again the guys did their best to get me to join them inside the burn.  Maybe next year when I can handle the kneeling a little better …

Later in the afternoon we went up to LaMarque to meet the newest member of that Vaughan family, Leia.  Yep.  After a misfire or two, it looks like Josiah finally got his Christmas present, a cute little dog.  Not sure what kind she is, but it’s something close to whatever Freddy is, only a tad bigger.  She seems to be settling in with the family well.  Enjoys dozing in or near the nearest lap, and doesn’t seem to mind the kids hovering all around her.  She also does well inside her crate so they don’t have to worry about her when they are gone.  Looks like we have a win …

Psalms 130:2 says, “O Lord, hear my voice.  Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy.”

Father, please be with the victims of that car accident.  Thank you for the actions of the crew of engine 8 as well as the responding paramedics.  Amen.

January 16 – “Burn Trailer”

I was invited to witness one of the fire department’s training sessions yesterday.  The Texas City Fire Department brought down a big 18-wheeler-type trailer and parked it behind one of our stations.  Then they built a little house inside and topped it with a lot of straw.  It was like I was watching one of the three little pigs build his house.  The whole thing was then set on fire.  Then the group being trained entered.  All types of fire situations were covered, and the fire fighters were able to actually see the fire rolling around and over their heads.  In the words of one of them, “It is beautiful.  Just beautiful.” 

The city public information officer had already been there, and she suited up and entered the trailer with one of the groups.  Armed with that tidbit of information, the subtle and not-so-subtle urgings began for me to follow in her footsteps.  When they saw that I wasn’t going to succumb to their prodding to suit up and enter the fire (I have a beard, so no mask would give me a good seal.  Plus, they were all complaining about how sore their knees were.  Hmm.  Sore knees.  Not something I need extra help with right now), our Assistant Chief took me to the end of the trailer where a pile of debris was smoldering, occasionally flaring up again.  It was the pit where they threw the burned and burning wood from inside after each demonstration.  He assured me that this was THE place to watch what was happening, partly because the fire would keep me warm (The wind was pretty chilly at the time, so I was glad to have followed his lead).  I was unclear as to how I would be able to see anything though.  That is until I heard a loud crashing sound, like … well, like a hammer on the side of a trailer might sound.  And it came from inside.  Apparently that was a signal that the teachers inside were ready for the window to be opened.  And that’s when the whole experience entered another level. 

From my perch of safety I could still see the fire raging and rolling.  And the chief took the time to explain to me what the guys inside were hearing about fires and how they operate.  I was fascinated.  The fire behaved differently when different vents were opened in other parts of the truck, and a fan kept feeding the fire with plenty of oxygen, so it never came close to going out.  And when they finally began spraying water to extinguish the fire, the smoke almost instantly became white instead of black.  Fascinating.  Almost made me want to put the suit on and just hold my breath.  Or as one of the guys suggested, “We have a razor in the other room ...”  Wisdom and common sense prevailed over childlike foolishness, however.  I assured them that I would continue to trust them to deal with putting fires out, and I would be there to pray for them and support them … on the outside.

I did join our guys on duty at the station and the Texas City trainers and the Assistant Chief for lunch.  It was a lot of fun being a part of the banter that makes the fire service such a fascinating family.  I am certainly proud to be considered a part of it. 

Psalms 128:1 says, “Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in his ways.”

Father, watch over those fire fighters.  The power of the fire was awesome and beautiful, and obviously dangerous.  Grant them your special touch.  Amen.

January 15 - “Spring cleaning?”

I stayed in most of the day yesterday and did computer work and tried not to cough too much.  Oh, and lots of fluids, of course.  Still trying to drown out this gunk.

I did get out of the house twice, though.  First time was just to run a few quick errands.  Just to the bank and to Randall’s Pharmacy to pick up a prescription.  I was going to take the truck, but the battery is stone cold dead again.  Guess that will have to be a WalMart trip by itself one day when I have the time. 

The second trip was over to Nathan’s house.  We wanted to check out his progress on the new steps he built in their house.  He completely replaced the ones they had and now he is staining the top part and putting several coats of poly over that.  The riser part of each step will be painted white.  They look very nice.  They have all new windows, too.  They had damage from Hurricane Harvey that they are finally getting taken care of.  Now they just need to replace their siding and they will be all set.  Well, until the next thing.  They are homeowners, after all.  Oh, and he is talking about building our fence soon as well.

By the way, our old hot tub has finally found a new home.  When we got back from Waco on Saturday, Lauren and Ed had a relocated hot tub in their back yard.  They seem pretty excited to have it fixed up, and Chris is definitely excited about all the room we have on our patio now.  That’s the biggest single Spring cleaning item I’ve ever had done.  It’s a real blank slate for her come actual Spring cleaning time.  Too cold right now, though.  I heard it’s supposed to be in the 30’s this weekend.  Nope.  I’m done with winter. 

Psalms 127:3-5 says, “Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from him.  Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one's youth.  Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.  They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate.”

Father, thank you for the sons you blessed us with.  Oh, and help Lauren and Ed as they figure out how to incorporate that hot tub into their back yard footprint.  Amen.