Many blessings

The morning was usual. I did walk around the park and was very comfortable in a light long sleeve shirt. We had cereal but cooked some steel cut oatmeal for future breakfasts. I began work on installing our new magicJack, a telephone connection that works through the computer. I had many problems and took a break for lunch. We finished our chicken tamales. Evelyn even ate 2! We talked about going to the Horseman in the afternoon but couldn’t find anyone to go with us. We did go to the flea market to look for a bicycle seat for me. I also looked for a portable phone to use with the magicJack but couldn’t find one. I did find a great pineapple and cauliflower. I went to the bicycle shop downtown and bought a seat. I will ride it around tomorrow to see if it is large and cushy enough. If it isn’t I can return it. We took a ride around the parks anyway and then returned for supper. We wanted to go somewhere today for recreation but couldn’t find any place. We watched “Evan Almighty” while I worked on installing the magicJack. I succeeded, praise God and made 2 calls but I couldn’t be understood. I could understand the called party but they couldn’t understand me. I got some good support from them but will have to try for more help tomorrow. I was also able to somehow log on to Armond’s new wireless router so I could be on both computers at once: one with my air card and one with the router. We also thank God that Emily and her family closed on their house in Xenia Ohio today. And, oh yes, the sun came out again for the first time in a long time.

Hockey with friends

I didn’t sleep well or late. I went for a walk before it rained. It was cold and spitting rain even then. Evelyn exercised and we ate breakfast before going to the Bible study. We had more today but the man who knew the most about Islam was only there because the rain had caused the postponement of his softball game. We had a great discussion. We came home for a light lunch at 12:30 so we could go to have Evelyn’s eyes checked. We had to go to 3 places for her to be scheduled. She learned that she needs a slight increase in her prescription. She also said we should use eye drops. Neither of us tolerates that thing very well. I had her bring me home so I could work instead of sit in the office waiting. I cut our 100 foot extension cord in two so I could make a shorter cord to reach the golf cart. I had to attach a male plug to the new cord and a female to the now 90 foot cord. Evelyn returned and ate before going to a movie with Rose, our neighbor. Armand went to the hockey game with Hamel and me. Sue decided to stay home so 3 guys went. The game was pretty good but our team lost. Armand played hockey into his 50s and knows a lot about the game and how to play it. I must observe here that we are just a few miles north of Mexico where it is hot much of the year, yet the arena was packed with around 6,000 people. Granted that many Canadians are here in the winter and attend hockey but around half of the people were Hispanic. The front office of the team has done a great job of marketing the team and the game itself. It is for sure that few of the Hispanics have ever played the game. We were home by 10:50 even though we had a 25 minute drive and had witnessed an overtime and shootout to decide the victor. I had taped the Purdue/Iowa basketball game and watched much of it when I came home.

New car blues

This morning was cool and windy but nice for a walk. I did that while Evelyn exercised. I found our friends, the Drews, and invited them to our Bible study tomorrow. They also agreed to announce the Bible study at their park meeting tomorrow morning. We came home and ate some casserole and went off to look for a car. We went to the local Ford dealer because we don’t want to buy an Obamamobile--GM or Chrysler. We talked with a nice young man until 2:30 about a Taurus and an Edge. We made an offer then went home for lunch. Evelyn was so tired she went to sleep for half an hour while I prepared lunch and washed the dishes from last night. After eating, we returned to the dealership but couldn’t strike a deal. We were $2000 apart on the price. We were looking now because of the Obama tax credit. We never did find out how much it was but will try to find out tomorrow. We then went to look at golf carts which can offer a $4100 tax credit. Of course we have to spend around $2700 more than that to get it. We decided to just buy new batteries and keep our current cart. It is also quite likely we will keep our Saturn. We came home for soup and walked around the park in the crisp winter air. Rain is predicted for most of tomorrow.

Relaxing at home

We were blessed with Holy Communion. 42 of us enjoyed the supper of the Lord. We came home, changed clothes, started a breakfast casserole and went to Wal-Mart to see if there were any Christmas decorations marked down. We should have gone yesterday because there were none left. We bought some incidentals and returned home for our brunch casserole. We cleaned up the kitchen and then parted. Evelyn to the living room to read and I to the computer to begin work on next weeks service. Evelyn took a nap while I watched some football. I called some former friends from Ft. Wayne and got a cool reception. We called the traveling Beelis and were told they were going to Albuquerque for a fuel pump. We continued working until time to go to our evening’s entertainment. A man who did magic tricks, juggled and told jokes was the main act. His wife and daughter supported him. The daughter did several acts with hula hoops. I thought it was a mediocre act but we enjoyed it. I also made plans to go to a hockey game with 3 other people on Tuesday. Evelyn seems ready to buy a car. We don’t want one run by the Federal government. We can get a rebate or tax credit if we buy one before the first of the year. I am also interested in a new golf cart for the same reason. We tried to find something interesting to watch on TV while eating some popcorn from last week. We refreshed it in the oven and it was pretty good. We talked with the Beelis again and were surprised to learn they were in Amarillo. They are supposed to be in Dayton Wednesday to close on their house. That probably means they won’t be able to stop at the Gateway Arch in St. Louis. We keep praying for them.

On the second day of Christmas....

We slept late as on a usual Saturday. We were supposed to have kitchen band practice at 9, but only Evelyn could go because I had to wait for the DISH guy to come. He came around 9:30 and was finished at 10. He had to realign the transponder and then fixed the TV so that we can watch the VCR. I waited for Evelyn to come home so we could get Jim and Phyllis. We got them at 11:30 and drove to McAllen to eat lunch at one of the best Mexican restaurants in the Valley. Jim especially likes it. We shared a Sombrero and then went to get our Communion wafers. From there we took them to Sun Harvest to see all the bulk items they sell. He bought Phyllis some Alaskan king crab legs as a gift. We then spent a lot of time driving to Sam’s Club to see about having Evelyn’s eyes examined but found no optometrist. She will likely find one in Weslaco. We were home by 4, and Evelyn went straight to bed. She was hurting quite badly in the right hip. She slept until almost 6. I worked on pictures while watching some episodes of “Band of Brothers”. We ate what was left from lunch, and then I went to the hall to post pictures on the blog. It was rainy when we started the day but was quite mild during the night.

Bike party

Our bike club had a great carry-in dinner for Christmas.

More Mexico

More Santa distribution, and a mom and kids going home happy.

Mexican Christmas

These are pictures of some of the food bags we took to the colonia south of Nuevo Progreso. We also have a new Santa since the other one died over the summer. It was Merlin Brunkow but is not Jack Roberts. The children are quite delighted to receive candy and presents as are their parents.

More Christmas 2009

Our choir rehearsing and another decoration in our park.

Christmas decorations in our park

The first 2 pictures are of our house. The others are in front of other Christians who announce the truth of the season.

Merry Christmas

We slept in this morning even though Evelyn said she was going to exercise. The alarm sounded but we went back to sleep. I tried to figure out how to send some pictures as an attachment to an e-mail. I was unsuccessful even though I tried until noon. We got ready and went with our neighbors to our Christmas dinner at Lin’s Chinese Buffet. The woman who plans this venture always makes it very festive. I led the prayer, we ate and then introduced ourselves. We also sang Christmas carols before coming home. We were both tired and took a nap. I worked on the service for a while and tried to get our satellite problem resolved. I called DISH twice and spent much time working with them In the end, they had to call a technician to come out tomorrow morning. The transponder was probably blown ary during a recent high wind. We invited the neighbors on our east to come for eggnog and cookies. He is an recovering alcoholic and she is allergic to chocolate. We had a nice visit anyway. They left and we watched some of the news because the local channels are working for some reason. I finished this and went to bed. The Beelis are at the Grand Canyon and may be stuck for a while because their rental truck is not running properly. We pray things work out so they can get to Dayton in time for Pieder to go to work.

Christmas Eve fun

Exercise for Evelyn. I rode to the hospital to see when Denise wanted me to sub for a volunteer. It was this afternoon, and she wanted both of us. This didn’t please Evelyn but she went anyway. It was quite windy so we couldn’t ride our bikes. The wind blew from the south yesterday but was from the north today. We ate lunch at home and then drove to the hospital. We had only 1 other lady working with us and were very busy. A grandmother was dying in intensive care, and all of her family must have been there--over 30 were sitting in the lobby. Evelyn took 4 patients from day surgery to their cars via wheelchair. There was a lot going on although there was hardly anyone working anywhere. Those that were there generally went home early. We left at 5 and went to get Evelyn’s ring. It was very lovely, and I will try to post a picture sometime soon. We changed clothes and went to the Christmas Eve service. We sang 4 numbers with the choir, and she read the Epistle lesson and I read the Gospel. The entire congregation sang 6 Christmas Carols and 3 hymns. The pastor had no adult sermon but did have a children’s message. He read a 20 minute story that seemed to be over the heads of the children and was excessively long. We began at 7 and ended at 8:40. We came home changed clothes again and went to our friends for a party featuring cookies and coffee. We were home in time for the news. The radar showed the storm well in front of our family driving a U-Haul truck towing a trailer holding Pieder’s Mercedes. Emily drives their Suburban. The kids are divided and no doubt will rotate on the trip.

making great strides

Exercise and breakfast. I rode to the pharmacy for my medicine and went to a doctor’s office to pay a bill. Like many down here, they will settle for half of what is owed. We worked on our different projects and then had lunch. Evelyn went shopping, and I worked on making copies of the introits for the upcoming Sundays. She went to a jeweler to ask about getting her marquis diamond ring resized. I went to Armond’s next door and we planned to go play golf after lunch. We decided to just play the par 3 course and were finished by 2:30. I didn’t score well but did make some shots that I felt good about. When I returned, I got the mail and continued working. I even worked in the evening as we watched a dumb Danny Devito movie and a good one: The Story of the Nativity. We went to bed at the usual time. Evelyn’s hip has hurt for nearly 2 weeks now, causing her to not walk as much. She has been sleeping, however, and has not been forced to resort to the Ambien yet. I finished all the introit preparation for the entire season. I thank God because that will be a real timesaver later. I also have made copies of all the readings to give to the readers from the congregation. We learned that the Beelis are planning to leave CA tomorrow, headed for the Grand Canyon. The weather prediction is for terrible snowstorms in the upper Midwest. We pray that they will be far enough behind the storms that they will travel into areas that have been cleaned up.

Christmas for Mexicans

We were up and at the meeting site. There were 18 vehicles assembled, some loaded with food, fruit, blankets and clothing. We headed out to Mexico and a colonia south of Nuevo Progreso. We usually drive but rode with the neighbor across the street in their truck loaded with bags of food. We, and the other vehicles were unloaded and Santa distributed many toys and much candy to the children attending. We had leave at 10 because Judy had to cook a ham. We were saddened to encounter more than a dozen children coming for gifts and candy on our way out of the area. We were almost a mile from the school where we had taken the items and knew all the toys and candy were gone. But here were children walking there to get some. We had none and could do nothing to help them, so we drove on home. Evelyn rested a bit and then prepared a salsa cheese dip for our bike club party. We drove the golf cart to the hall and enjoyed the carry-in potluck. As always we had the best luck. I was honored to be asked to lead the prayer of Grace before the meal. We ate with Bob and Theresa and then helped clean up the hall before we left. We came home and I started loading the pictures from today’s adventures. We had only light snacks during the Purdue basketball game. I also began reviewing next Sunday’s message.

Challenging afternoon

Monday brings the weekly park meeting. We had nothing to say but did buy chances on an outdoor angel. The profits go to the Mabel’s clinic Christmas party in the colonia south of Progreso. We came home and waited to eat until lunch. Instead, we got our account closing form notarized at Joe’s office, lunch at Burger King (yes, we had a coupon) and took some small bills to the bank to exchange for larger ones. We brought lunch home and ate because Evelyn had to go to the hospital for a biopsy of her thyroid at 1. She had received a call that her physical therapy at 3 had been cancelled . She was at the hospital until 5! She then went to have artificial fingernails applied and didn’t get home until 6. I spent the afternoon sending pictures in an e-mail. I don't think I like the new gmail features of the new computer as well as that on the old computer. We ate a light supper of leftover sweet potatoes and went to choir practice to practice with the cellist. We will sing on Christmas Eve. We then went to Dairy Queen with the entire choir for a blizzard. We used to do that after each practice 5 years ago. Perhaps we will continue in the future. We came home after giving Joe and Bonny a plate of Christmas cookies and watched “The Closer” I had recorded.

beautiful Sunday

We were blessed in our worship this morning. 37 attended and seemed blessed by the message. We left there and went to Walgreen’s for some supplies. We ended up with an $80 + bill, but we bought only things we needed. We think our home has a questionable odor and want to make it less offensive. We returned home and I barbecues 2 fillet mignons and 1 T-bone steak. We ate only half of the filets and some more of the leftovers. I began to select some sermons for use later in the season. Evelyn reminded me that I needed to smoke the country style ribs, so I did. I don’t have a smoker that works as well as the 1 in NC so I think they are a bit dryer than they need to be. We rested in the afternoon and took some photographs of the flora to send to some friends in Waynesville where there have been deep snowfalls. We took a ride around the park and then came home for popcorn. Evelyn also made some brown bag caramel corn. We both admitted that it was not as good as usual. We watched “A Christmas Carol” starring George C. Scott. It was very well done. I spent a long time ordering a special girdle for Evelyn on the computer. She needs something special to support her back. We have looked in several retail stores but finally found one on line from Macy's. Evelyn has a busy day tomorrow with doctor appointments. I will work on more sermons so I can get ahead and have more spare time later.

Feast of Sharing

Saturday is sleep in day. We got up at 9:30, deciding not to have breakfast because we planned an early dinner. Lloyd and I tried to fix the motor on the fibre optic tree but found the transformer is not working and can’t be fixed. I just reassembled the base and used the tree with just the lights that came on the tree. Evelyn heated many of the items from Thursday and we ate lunch early. We then went to the flea market. We were looking for a cream pitcher and an ice cream scoop. We found both items and went to the location of the Feast of Sharing. The HEB Texas grocery chain gives a free meal to several locations in the Valley and even in Mexico. Everyone in the area is invited to the ham dinner. We have served with almost a hundred others for 3 previous years. Our shift was from 2-4 but few people came after 3 so we left after cleaning up most of the large hall. We had planned to eat there but it was still too soon after lunch even though we had eaten early so we could. We came home and I watched some of the Purdue basketball game. During the half I buffed some of our scratches from our Saturn. I got the mail and began on final preparations for tomorrow. In the evening we ate the leftover sandwich from Schlotsky’s before watching the Saints/Cowboys football game. I also addressed some Christmas cards to people in our park. I have been working on distributing more money to various Christian charities. We still have around $1500 to give away. I have $300 remaining.

shingles vaccine at last

Friday I went to the exercise class to talk with the woman who knows where we can get a shingles vaccination. She gave us the address so after breakfast, we took off for Pharr. We found the health department and got the shots for $14 each. I feel rather guilty because the vaccine is expensive. We tried to get some Communion wafers but didn’t buy any because we don’t know if our friends, the Bruhns, have already bought them. We were near a Schlotsky’s Deli and shared a sandwich for lunch. We also went to a really great market called Sun Harvest and bought some really delicious looking T-bones, filet mignon, and country style ribs for me to smoke. We returned home, rested, and dressed for our volunteer obligation at the hospital. The children of the employees came to a Christmas party. There was a clown, a Santa for the kids to be photographed with, tongue depressors glued together in a frame, a place to color and make chains with construction paper cut into strips. We were there until 6 and came home to go to the Friday night dance. Evelyn’s hip hurt too much to stay past 8:30 so we came home and talked with Emily and Rosalie on the phone. I have to work on the service again tomorrow.

Thursday fun

It was overcast most of the day but the sun shined later in the day for the first time in a couple of days. Evelyn did yoga with the group today. She came home for breakfast and continued with meal prep. She worked until lunch and then went to therapy in Mercedes. I spent much time trying to find someone to help repair our fibre optic tree. The couple who started me on the project were leaving for lunch at Fat Daddy’s with the bike club and were gone the rest of the day. I couldn’t fix it. Evelyn returned and we continued arranging the chairs and cooking the remainder of the meal. It featured center cut pork chops, stuffing, sweet potatoes mixed with peaches, loaded mashed potatoes, Raman noodle slaw, and crescent rolls. Bob Theresa, Roger and Judy arrived exactly on time, and we all loved the meal. Before dessert and coffee, we played 3 games of Sequence. We offered a choice of Marie Calendar’s razzleberry pie or Evelyn’s home made pecan pie and ice cream. We all parted quite full. We cleaned up the kitchen and then relaxed before retiring.

Wednesday rain

We wakened to rain--hard rain--which lasted all day. Evelyn had to drive the car to exercise. I tried to repair our fibre optic tree. I finally got it apart and tested the bulb but couldn’t find any loose wires. The bulb was fine. I didn’t want to take the device to Lloyd’s because we would have to work on it inside. I also took the vacuum sweeper out and swept the Texas room floor but waited on the others until Evelyn finished the preparation for tomorrow’s dinner. She returned and began working after breakfast. She wanted me to vacuum the Texas room furniture so I did. We have stains of some sort on the couch and love seat, so we sprayed them with Resolve and Easy Clean. I didn’t think it made much difference. In short we spent much time cleaning and cooking for tomorrow. Evelyn got a call from the hospital saying that she was scheduled for a biopsy on her thyroid tomorrow at 1. She asked for an different date since she has physical therapy tomorrow at 12:30. That won’t be fun for her. We took a nap in the afternoon. Both of us seem to tire more rapidly than in the past. We didn’t eat much supper because Evelyn wanted to buy a peppermint blizzard at Dairy Queen after choir practice. We went to the Advent service with 12 other people. It was too cold and rainy for most people to get out. In fact Bonny wasn’t there either so we didn’t have choir practice. We brought our blizzard home and stopped for Evelyn’s Ambien on the way. We watched a vulgar movie, “Meet Wally Sparks” that I had recorded in October. Rodney Dangerfield was the star, and we watched, hoping there would be some clean humor. There wasn’t much. I don’t think we would watch it again.

Preparation for shingles vaccination

After exercise we shared an omelet I had cooked and went to Bible study. We had 6 including us. A devout couple who just arrived came to be with us when I went to their trailer to inform them of when we met. We then went to do some shopping at HEB. We needed some supplies for our dinner Thursday evening. We also checked on the cost of shingles vaccine--$187--and I went to Dr. McDougal to see why I didn’t receive a prescription. The receptionist gave it to me before I could complain much. We brought the groceries home to discover that John and Sue had not come for the refrigerator they bought from us. Evelyn and I had a dispute about where she had to go for an eye exam. She remembered that 4 years ago we had to go to Elsa for our insurance to cover our treatment and eyeglasses. I looked everywhere for the telephone number but had no success. I even called the grocery in Elsa to see if the doctor was still at the previous location. No one knew. She then went to one on 6th street near us. The optometry will check to see if they can take our insurance. She also went to Wal-Mart to buy a poinsettia for our worship at Trail’s End. I took a nap while she was gone. She worked on making sweet potatoes and pork chops for our Thursday dinner. Then we had popcorn for our supper since we had eaten carne guisada with the carolers Saturday night. We also watched part of “Gone with the Wind”, Evelyn’s favorite film as a young teenager. It was still good. We retired around 11.

Don and Janice Waters--friends but no relation

Janice is dead center of this picture. The trio singing is usually standing in front of her.

This is the big finale of the uplifting, God praising Christmas concert at the Rio Hondo Baptist Church. The quartet is church men and are called the Deep River Boys. Do you know any Spanish?

The choir enters the auditorium and greets people on the way in. Janice is always on the opposite side of where we sit.

Here are Don and Evelyn waiting for me and for the choir to enter.

a caroling, a caroling

Two choir members at the supper following our caroling on December 12. The bald guy didn't go with us but the other did.

This home belongs to the golf pro at one of the local courses. There are 4 generations in this picture.


Some of the carolers are entering the nursing home and then singing to the lady in the wheelchair. Does anyone envy us in our early autumn outfits instead of survival coats, boots, etc.?

This is Evelyn outside of a restaurant we have visited twice. It has a French/Cajun theme and delicious muffins for sale.

Christmas concert

Our worship attendance continues to slowly grow. We had 38 in attendance this morning. We also picked up a pianist so John won’t have to be there every Sunday. I was only satisfied with the message but have felt the hand of the Lord in the preparation. We went to Mercedes to sing with the choir during the late service and came home for lunch. In the afternoon, the Hamels came to look at our old refrigerator. We sold it to them for $100. It is worth more but would cost a bit to fix the ice maker. They don’t need one. We will use this money to buy a small “dorm” refrigerator to leave in NC next spring. I wanted to check on the Purdue score from last night and was shocked to learn from the website that they had won! I then remembered that I had recorded the game so was able to see the rest of the last half where they came back to win. We took a nap and then drove to Rio Hondo to the Baptist Church to listen to their Christmas choral concert. It is always good but was fantastic this year. We meet our friends, Don and Janice Waters, there because she sings in the choir. We all went to dinner at Dennys after it was over around 8. We had a nice short visit and then returned home around 9. I watched some TV and then went to bed before publishing this blog.

Christmas carols for shut-ins

Saturday is our sleep in day since exercise and worship happen on the other 6 days. It is especially good for me because of the sinus infection (self diagnosed) that I have, making me tired. We had breakfast and I began working on the message for tomorrow. We had only a light lunch and took a nap until 3 when we met at the church with 7 others to carol some of the shut-ins from there. Seven of us went in Joe Winston’s Suburban while Pastor and Deana Edge went in their truck. We drove to Harlingen to visit 2 in a nursing home, the luxurious home of the golf pro who attends the church at least 5 times each year, and then back to an RV park for another. We continued to another home for a dedicated, joy-filled member who is 93. There were 2 other nursing homes and a home in Ranchero Village to complete our visits. I used to call on several of these people when I worked for the church and it is a struggle for me to see them as they currently are. We returned to the church for a supper of carne guisada, a beef stew, ruce and beans. We had all brought appetizers or desserts. Afterward we exchanged presents we had brought. We drew numbers 1-10 and went to the table to select a package that caught our eye. Number 1 opened the gift and number 2 had the option of taking it from number 1 or selecting another from the table. As it turned out, the first gift was taken the maximum 3 times. Evelyn was 7 and I was 10. She selected a gift we had brought, and I took the final gift because I saw nothing I wanted. We returned home and I began watching the Purdue/Alabama basketball game. I gave up when the Boilermakers were behind 16 points early in the second half. The score was not so depressing as the way the game was going. Purdue could hardly get the ball into the front court because of the intense press Alabama was applying. I needed the sleep anyway and was asleep before 11.

Canadian spring

Today was like Canadian spring, according to our Canadian neighbors. It was cold and rainy. We stayed indoors after exercise. We had talked about going to South Padre Island over Christmas. La Copa Inn has a very good deal: 3 nights, 3 breakfasts, 4 event tickets (including a dolphin watch) and a Christmas Day dinner for 4 (they mean 2 adults and 2 children). I consulted Accuweather and learned that rain is predicted throughout the Christmas season. We decided not to go if the weather is bad. Armond came to talk, and I learned that we are still in trouble with the water line. His water line is still under the corner of our shed. We will have to explore the options further. We rested in the afternoon before going to the hospital Christmas party. We had our supper there. They always have a nice buffet for the staff and volunteers. They also have a drawing for some nice prizes but we couldn’t stay for the second drawing. We came to the park and set up for the dance. There were only 56 people there and the floor was not crowded. We were at home by 10:40 and ready for bed. I had taken the camera to both events but did not remember to take any pictures.

An inspiring film

Exercise for 1, bed for 2. I have a sinus infection so I went to Walgreen’s for some medicine. The pharmacist recommended Zyrtec for the drainage so I bought the Walgreen store brand. We got home about the same time. I also bought some corn pads for Evelyn. We had plans for the evening so we rested during the day. I actually took a nap and didn’t feel much better. We left for Harlingen at 4 and went to visit Shirley Pierce whose husband died last summer. They always traveled in a 5th wheel and were the 2 who introduced us to the Valley. She lives in a mobile home in the park we stayed in our first year here. She seems to be doing very well and is happy to be here with her friends from the past. We went from there to the local theater to see “The Christmas Sweater”, a book acted out by the author, Glenn Beck. I strongly urge anyone reading this to either read the book or see this film. I imagine, like the writings of Garrison Keillor, the telling of the story is better. It is very insightful and inspirational, emphasizing how important it is to go through the storms and become a victor in life, not just a survivor. We were blessed to find the Kohl’s store open after 9:30 and bought some toys to take to the boys in Mexico on the 22nd. We returned home for deep sleep.

The elusive water line

Our neighbor, Armond from Canada, worked hard looking for our shut off valve that controls the water flow to both our houses. He dug the dirt out of the shed to find the repair in the line, dug out back of the shed to find the line from his house (it runs under the corner of our shed) and then found the shut off valve before building a box so we can find it again without digging up the yard. I will put the dirt back into the trenches he dug. We thank God for the fact that he enjoys doing this kind of work.

Zig zagging across McAllen

We couldn't do our normal duty at the hospital because Evelyn had an appointment with the Endocrinologist at 9:30. I went to start the car to pick Evelyn up at the hall, but it wouldn't start. Armond and Tom came to the rescue with a car and a set of jumper cables (mine must have a break in the wire) and got me started. I think, since we had not driven anywhere for 2 1/2 days and had left the GPS system plugged in, I had run the battery down because the car started all day long. After exercise, we drove to McAllen. Since it had been 6 months since we were there, I had trouble finding the office. We were just on time. The doctor reduced the dosage to half a tablet of Tapazol for 3 months. We left there and went to Sears to return the coat left by a delivery man who brought the refrigerator and get our $10 refund. We then drove to Mimi's, a French and Cajun style restaurant, for lunch. We had a coupon that had expired Saturday, but they honored it anyway. We continued to the radio station to get the tickets for Thursday's showing of Glenn Beck's "The Christmas letter, Michael's for some bon bon papers, the Baptist church for tickets to the pageant, the grocery for candy makings and were home by 2:30. We then rested until time for supper and Advent service. We rehearsed with the choir afterward and then came home for the night.

Finding the water line

We began our morning in the usual way but learned that the flea market was over and the outback empty when it was time for our Bible study. We had another person in our group, making 6 plus us. We learned more about the Qur'an. We came home, and I went to our neighbor's while Evelyn prepared lunch. We agreed to meet and dig inside the shed where the line was repaired. He found it since he did the digging. He said he liked to do this kind of thing when I volunteered to dig some. He continued digging behind the shed and found the line running from his house. He followed the line and found the shut off valve he needed to find. He now has a way to shut the water to his house off when they leave in the spring. Our good news is that the line only runs under the corner of our shed. We have to decide whether we want to move the shed or run the line around the shed. Most of the decision will rest in the hand of the park manager. We rode around the park with the bike club before I took my new meter to Lloyd to learn how to use it. I also took the base from our fibre optic tree because I couldn't get it loose. After much work, he got it loose, and we found what I suspected all along: the bulb was bad. We tested it with my new meter. We decided to invite him and Marilyn for spaghetti. She brought a salad and some cheese bread. We really like them and enjoy being with them.

Jazz concert

Today was warm but a bit humid. We went to the park meeting after I posted some pictures on the blog. I put a sign out that advertises the dance this coming Friday night. I came home, got on my bike and rode to Country Sunshine to deliver a poster about the Bible study. From there I rode to Trail’s End to give Sharon the readings for next Sunday and then rode back to Ranchero to tell John and Sue that we would go with them tonight. They told us about a jazz concert at a high school in McAllen. I rode home and learned why our friend, Fanny, is selling her park model. She is from Canada and the health system won’t let her go out of the country. I got the phone number of her son who lives in San Juan. I will call him to inquire about her e-mail address. I returned home for a light lunch, thinking we would have to eat supper early. I then cut the grass for the first time this season and then took a nap. I dressed for the concert and learned their would be no supper. We were picked up at 5:30 and were at the high school by 6:30, the published time the concert was to begin. It finally started at 6:45. The big band sound was really good although I heard many mistakes. We returned home and ate the chicken salad I thought we were to have earlier. We watched part of a new program, “Men of a Certain Age” and enjoyed it somewhat. We will need more than 1 program to make a valid judgment.

Excitement in the Rio Grande Valley

Evelyn is resting in her hammock chair after her vigorous bike ride. The woman you don't know is Estella. She helps us with the initial cleaning when we return to the Valley. Finally, we have just completed the planting of our winter garden. I will try to post a picture of the growth as it comes along.

These are pictures of our Christmas decorations for 2009. We get many compliments on our nativity scene. The other is of our screened in porch in front. Have a blessed Christmas!

Violence comes near to us.

Friday was to be quite cold and rainy. It was both until noon. In fact there was a freeze warning for last night and tonight. After Evelyn's exercise, we had breakfast and worked inside on baking and sermons. We wanted pizza, so we called Joe and Bonny, inviting them to come at 6. I went to get the pizza at 6, but they didn't arrive until 6:35. We ate some boudin and then pizza. After that we played Sequence.
Saturday is Evelyn's day to sleep in so we did until 8. We arose and I ate some leftover pancakes but Evelyn ate nothing. She had a brunch meeting at 11 and wanted to wait until then. Bonny picked her up and then I worked on getting some of the Christmas decorations out. The centerpiece I had put up last night inspired her. I got involved with 3 projects at once. I removed the outdoor nativity scene and star that hangs above it. It is not easy getting the things from under the porch. I also got involved in chopping out some "pups" growing from our Sega palm. We want to get rid of that anyway. When I checked the lights in the star, half of them wouldn't light. I had to spend about an hour with Tom Crouch looking for the faulty bulb. We found it and then Evelyn and I put the star and the nativity scene up. Evelyn erected the Christmas tree on the porch while I was lorking on the star. Our neighbor, Armond, put our outdoor screen back together for me, so we took them to Mercedes for the fish fry and paid their admission. We were both embarrassed about how bad the fish was. We returned home and I worked on tomorrow's service. As I watched the news, I learned that there was a shoot out in Neuvo Progreso, Mexico. It is the first time any violence has occurred there. There have been many problems in nearby towns but not here. This makes me think that there will not be much traffic there for the rest of the season. I am not sure how many times we will go either. I imagine I will be going alone from now on. It is a real shame because lmost all of the income to the little town is from tourism.

Unsuccessul Bible study

It was cold today when Evelyn went to exercise. I walked to Newcomers to see if they would go with us to Mexico. Evelyn needed to buy a gift for her secret sister. After exercise we picked them up and left for Mexico at 11. It was not as windy as expected when we walked over the Rio Grande. We went right to a farmacia for some drugs for Tom and Sharon and then down the street to a small shop called Anita's. The owner was a friend of Tom and Sharon. We found some 3 part candles but wanted to look further. We tried 2 other stores but couldn't find any better. We returned and bought those. We went on to a restaurant for lunch. Tom and Sharon had gone there several times and really recommended it. We had gone there several years ago and didn't care for it. We think we were right. Our food--Evelyn's fish and my tacos--were poor. We were surprised to hear Sharon say, "Excellent food" as we left the restaurant. We made one more stop to buy 2 bottles of Kahlua for our friend Shirley back in Indiana. I try to take several bottles back for her because it is so much cheaper in Mexico. I had delivered invitations to a Bible study here at home for tonight. When I tried to preview the video, I was surprised to learn that it won't work. I went to the Outback to see if we could use the one there and returned home with the good news. But the Lord, in His sense of humor, must have laughed because no one came. I really expected at least 2 of the 7 I had invited, but even they didn't come. At least 4 of the others were playing cards in the hall. Thursday is a bad night for this study. The big disappointment is that not one of them told me they couldn't come. We watched some TV before going to bed.

First Advent service

I was up an off to the hospital before 8 and Evelyn to exercise. I drove the car and returned to get her at 10:45. It was a cool but bright, sunshiny day. We worked at the information desk but are considering moving to the gift shop after the first or the year. We finished our shift at 12:30 and went to the Stars drive in for lunch. We also went to the HEB grocery because Evelyn needed so hair coloring. She had an appointment for a haircut from a lady here in the park. She returned and decided not to use the hair color until tomorrow. I delivered some invitations to the Bible study here tomorrow and went to the pharmacy to get some medicine I needed to refill. I noticed that someone had been digging in our back yard. It was the neighbor looking for the water line. In the process he piled the dirt on top of one tomato plant and much of our cilantro. He felt bad, but I assured him that they had been given to us and there were more where that came from. We went to Advent service at 7. On the way I stopped to look at a Cricket telephone store. I don’t think they have service in Western North Carolina but will check again later. We had choir practice after worship and after that I asked Joe if they were interested in the cruise in April. He said they would talk about it. I tried to emphasize that I wanted to not harass them if they were not interested. We came home and watched an episode of “The Closer”.

Continuing heavy rain

We wakened to a continuation of the rain that began yesterday. It rained virtually all day until after dark. We wouldn’t have left the house by choice but had none. Evelyn led exercise even though no one showed up. She returned home and went with me back to the building where we had our Bible study. Only 5 other people showed up but we had a good study using the Men’s Network study comparing the Bible to the Qur’an. The attendance may have been down due to the weather. Even we had to drive due to the rain. We returned home for lunch of leftovers. Evelyn laid down while I worked on making some invitations to a Bible study for men that I plan to host beginning Thursday. I thought Evelyn had a meeting at church to select carpeting for the altar area at 2. As it turned out it was at 3 instead. I was somewhat miffed and took the recyclable material to the site and continued to Big Lots to get mustard and other things. I went from there across the parking lot to check on Verizon’s deals that would provide me with a Myfi unit. The cost will remain around $100 per month for the phone and Myfi. I returned home for supper of delicious tortilla soup. Through the grace of God I happened on to the Purdue/Wake Forest basketball game. We watched as we ate and were delighted that Purdue won. We watched some reruns of “Monk” and went to bed after the news that told us the rain had stopped--for 2 days. Despite having virtually no rain from January to September this area is right at the annual average for rainfall.