Memorial Day anniversary.

Sunday was a day of worship.  We had made plans to go to a Bavarian Restaurant with Tom and Melanie Tabor.  They arrived around 1 and drove because they wanted to go to Sam’s to buy some items for their house.  They were impressed with the décor and the food.  We walked them around the rooms that had all of the taxidermy and figurines.  We all shared meals but had plenty to eat.  The owner came to our table to visit for a short time.  The waiter is very good and professional.  I think he may remember us by the time we use our coupons for dinners.  We went to Sam’s club for their shopping needs and even bought some muffins for Evelyn’s hosting of the Bible study on Thursday.  We also bought some candy and a huge bag of peanuts for our future baseball games.  We returned here for some wine and conversation.  They are really nice people.  He is a retired Physician Assistant and she is a home economics teacher at a high school in Swain County.  After they left we had our popcorn and some candy.  We watched some more movies and went to bed.

Monday was Memorial Day and our 52nd anniversary.  I had thought Evelyn wanted to go somewhere, but she decided against what we thought we would do.  The plan was 78 miles away.  Instead we went to exercise and spent the rest of the day at home.  I did get to watch the Cubs break a 12 game losing streak.  When the game ended, we went to walk around Lake Junaluska.  Evelyn was not convinced she could make it all the way.  We stopped to rest about half way, but she did make it.  Doris, our neighbor, invited us to have a piece of strawberry pie.  We did enjoy it very  much.  We came back home and watched a movie that I had recorded on our DVR.  There were 2 incidents of note today.  The first was that we had planned to go to a Memorial Day observance at an orchard on the Blue Ridge Parkway.  I think there was a big celebration planned, but the distance caused Evelyn to think it was too far.  The other was that ,while I was watering the plants in front of the house, our neighbor, Jim Rogers, who had forwarded me some pornography a few years ago, came toward me while walking his dog.  When he saw me, he turned back and went toward his house.  I had planned to say something nice but didn’t have the chance.  I don’t know if he will ever have the nerve to apologize and confess.  He needs to know God forgives him but will likely not hear that from me.

Visiting with the Georges grandchildren

We were up and off to exercise.  I walked while Evelyn went to the class.  We made our daily trip to the grocery for last minute items for our guests.  We returned home for lunch and a nap.  It rained nicely and then Evelyn went to get some plants.  She returned with 3 tomatoes and pepper plants.  She planted them in our pots and front yard.  We just stayed home and rested in the evening.

Thursday our family arrived at noon for lunch.  Olivia and I left for Hartford, TN and our whitewater rafting adventure.  We were very early and explored the campground nearby.  I had thought it would be rather cool on the river, but the day was bright and sunny.  A young man gave a humorous talk about what we should do while in the raft before boarding the bus to the launch site.  We had donned our helmets, life jackets and picked up our paddles after we met our guide, Jennifer.  She did a great job of steering.  She got us off a flat rock we were forced upon and impressed me.  The ride started just below the dam of the Pigeon River.  The water is not released on Fridays, so we had to go today.  There were what our guide called class 3 rapids on several occasions that made the trip exciting.  Of course we were soaked many times as we hit waves on our down stroke.  We were with a family of 4 from Oklahoma.  Our guide made 7.  We showered off and drove back through the gorge.  I was tired and fought sleep much of the way.  We returned home for supper and relaxation.

Friday we went to the rec center while the kids slept late.  We returned to find them barely moving.  We had a breakfast before running some errands.  We delivered all of our remaining Folkmoot brochures.  We picked up some Subway sandwiches  for lunch.  Afterward I took Peter to the army surplus store in Clyde.  He is very interested in war memorabilia but was disappointed in that they had none of the items he asked about.  We tried to play some cards with the kids instead of their watching their electronic devices.  We could only hold their interest for 4 hands.  They disappeared after supper.  Evelyn and I watched about half of On Stranger Tides.

Saturday morning Evelyn fixed bacon and I fried eggs for a late breakfast.  The kids then began packing things for their trip home.  Tom and Stacy returned around an hour after we finished eating.  They brought us gifts.  Mine was a coffee grinder.  I have never bought coffee beans in my life, but she does and wants me to begin grinding my own beans.  It will be a long time before that happens.  They left for home after we ate our lunch from Taco Bell.  We then went to bed for a nap.  We had committed to ushering at the HART but made a plan to go to lunch with some friends tomorrow after church.  We won’t get to eat until around 3.  The play was really entertaining.  It featured 4 young women singing at their senior prom and then at their 10th reunion.  On the way home, Evelyn noticed the set of her ring, which we had bought and had set about a month ago in Cherokee, fell out.  We went back to the theater and found it, thanks be to God.

Back in our busy routine

We were up early on Tuesday morning and left for NC. We stopped in Franklin for lunch at a restaurant we had tried to eat in for over a year. We could never get there after 11 when it opened. We had also filled our tank with gasoline because the prices in Georgia are 30 cents lower than in NC. We enjoyed the lunch and continued to Waynesville. We stopped for a few groceries and were home in time for a nap before going to dinner in Asheville. We went to the Jerusalem Garden Café for middle eastern food that was far superior to the things we ate in Israel. We then met Dallas and Karen at the ball park. We always have a good time with them, and tonight we also saw a good baseball game. The Tourists have won 6 consecutive games and are hitting very well. There were so many hits that we received several freebees as we left after the game. One of them was a coupon for a Krispy Kreme doughnuts. We went with our friends to the nearest store. We shared one and took 2 others home. We also had carryout boxes from our dinners so our car was full of cardboard. We were home very late and stayed up even later. We had our jet lag and late doughnuts had us up until 2 AM

The first of a long line of high school graduations

We have had a wonderful visit with the Beelis. Saturday was the home school graduation ceremony. Despite some technical glitches, it was a good service. It began with a slide show of the graduates when they were children or doing something they enjoyed. The speaker was a pastor and father of one of the girls graduating. Afterward there was a very nice reception hosted by some of the moms. We had gone in separate cars so Pieder brought us home while the others went to the home of a graduate for another party. We napped and began a game of hand and foot when they arrived. We only got through the first hand. We had 6 players, so the game progressed quite slowly. In addition some had some food although I don’t know how they could eat anything. We also did some outside work in their garden that was overgrown with weeds and grass. I also helped Noah and Andrew install the repaired gate that is to corral the goat. An interesting side is that the goat is bigger than the new Chesapeake Bay Retriever. The dog ran from the goat who had bitten some hair from one of its ears. We retired a bit earlier than usual.

Sunday was “home church” day, although it was really a time when Pieder set the stage for a Bible study that he will lead, directing people to his “Christians don’t sin” theory. They will discuss words that he thinks have been mistranslated. It was interesting to hear the 4 ways they will look at the Greek words in the future. The couple who had loaned the Beelis their Suburban came to the church. The boys had been house sitters for them and their 2 dogs. They stayed around after the lecture stopped and gave advice and insight to dog rearing before leaving. The active family members went to play Ultimate Frisbee again while Pieder stayed and saw the reminder of our Israel pictures. When the others returned we had some food while we played the rest of our hand and foot game for the rest of the evening. The kids did their regular milking chores as they do everyday. They get around 5 quarts each day and drink it all. Pieder mixes some with coffee grounds making a somewhat disgusting drink. He seems to be the only one who likes it and takes 2 quarts to work each day. I learned to like the milk too and drank too much while we were there. I am relatively certain I have gained some weight as a result. We took some time during the afternoon packing for our departure Monday. The kids did our laundry for us again and dried it enough to travel with it. We talked with Stacy and learned they will come to the Airport in Atlanta to get us and take us out for our anniversary dinner. We had planned to go to dinner in Asheville next week, but Stacy has to come back to work.

We were up at 6 and off to the SLC airport by 7:30. We had to drop Pieder at the AFB and go from there. Elizabeth, Stephen and Emily dropped us there for our flight. The SLC airport has a unique feature for pick up. They have a waiting area where the engines are to be shut down. We have not seen that anywhere else. The flight to Denver was smooth, and we have a layover in Denver of 4 hours. We don’t have to run anywhere to catch a flight. It was quite a change from the flight to Utah. Evelyn read much of the 4 hours we waited for our flight. I tried to get on line. I was able to do that but couldn’t get my Internet Explorer to work. We ate some of our lunch before we heard the call. We finally boarded and set off for Atlanta. The flight was smooth and a bit early. Stacy and Tom were right there after we retrieved our luggage. While on the plane, I knocked a cup of coffee into my lap. Praise God it was not hot—but it was wet and uncomfortable during the remainder of the flight. After getting the luggage, I went to the rest room and changed shorts. We drove to a nearby restaurant for a delicious dinner given to us as an anniversary gift. It had stormed in Atlanta nearly causing us to delay landing, so we drove in the rain to the restaurant and then to their home. We were happy to have a place to sleep.

Finding invaluable items

These are the girls in fashionable period hats while touring the museum in Syracuse. 

The kids and I stayed home and cleaned the house while Emily took Evelyn to the location where they got free food.  That’s right!  A local grocery gives some of there slightly out of date food to a Mormon family that is friends with the Beelis.  They brought home a tremendous amount of meat, fruit and fresh vegetables.  We spent a good amount of time treating it and putting some away into the freezer.  They are blessed to have virtually no food expense.  Pieder makes considerably less in this job than he did last summer in Ohio.  We had bought strawberries a couple of days ago and made 2 pies, but this morning they brought another 3 quarts, several pints of blackberries and several pounds of grapes.  We had lunch and then went to Hill AFB.  We didn’t get started as soon as we had hoped and spent most of the time shopping at the thrift store.  The great finds were the rice cooker and dehydrator that will help make much of the fruit preserved.  Dehydrated fruit is very good.  After that we picked up Rosalie who was at rehearsal with the other members of the Romeo and Juliet cast who are getting ready for a group competition with other home school groups presenting Shakespearean plays too, and went to the Syracuse Museum.  It featured many artifacts from the town when it was being formed in the late 19th century.  The Mormons came west and established their own town.  We came home and I helped prepare the stir fry for supper by cutting some of the meat.  Have you ever cut frozen meat?  It is cold and hard to cut.  I did it anyway.  While waiting for supper, I read some writing contest entries by Elizabeth and Rosalie.  Rosalie had won some money in a local contest.  It was sort of fun grading papers with 2 kids wanting to improve their writing.  Bedtime was early so that we can get more visiting done tomorrow.

Walking the swinging monkey bars

Hill AFB

Shopping at the thrift store on the Air Force Base where Pieder works.  Elizabeth looked very nice in the dress but decided she didn’t need it.

Moving around the ski lodge

Snow Basin Ski Lodge, UTAH

See a moose or bear, ride a moose or bear.

Up to a ski lodge

We left for the mountain location where the Beelis ski in the winter and hike sometimes during the summer.  We drove up the winding road,and I was was getting nauseas by the time we reached the top.  The top meaning the site of the lodge.  The mountain continued to where the skiers begin their descent.  The lodge is very ornate, but we could only look though the windows because it is closed.  The crew was preparing the site for the hiking season.  We had taken the new dog, Cody, with us and Rosalie took him far up the mountain where he could play in the snow.  He traveled with us in the dog carrier they had purchased a few days ago.  The dog is more than 50 pounds and is difficult to get into the back of the Suburban, so we had to lift him.  I decided at the lodge that we should put him into the large carrier before lifting him into the vehicle.  This worked much better because we had something to grab onto.  Emily did the lifting with less difficulty but plenty to spare.  We drove to a park for a picnic.  We wanted to let the dog run, but there is an ordinance requiring all dogs to be on a 6 foot leash.  A friend of Emily’s got a ticket costing $45 for a violation.  The trip through the mountains was breathtaking.  Much of the trip took us beside a rushing stream.  We saw a cabin that looked like one Evelyn’s cousin has in McColl, ID.  I would like to own it and travel to Texas for the winter as we currently do.  Trips to 2 libraries finished the afternoon.  I don’t know how those kids read all of the books they bring home.  The bag Elizabeth carried had to weigh at least 20 pounds.  We came home, and Evelyn and I crashed.  Just riding exhausted us.  When I wakened I went to help Stephen pull weeds out of his garden plot and plant 2 watermelon plants.  Everyone went to bed early because we have a big day of some kind tomorrow.

Keeping up with the Beeli-arshians

The Beelis (especially Emily) seem to be constantly busy.  The girls make most of the meals but the boys clean up.  They all take turns at milking the goat (they get around 5 quarts each day), except for Andrew.  Rosalie, Elizabeth and Stephen enjoy playing Phase 10 with us, taking some time each day.  Rosalie has been rehearsing and performing in Romeo and Juliet with some other home schoolers.  The older boys sat with the house and dogs all week.  They sometimes take turns and sometimes are both there together.  Rosalie and Elizabeth are also in some sort of dance troupe and dopped h with about 20 other youngsters with “talent”.  The family was good enough to take us to a close LCMS worship on Sunday.  The pastor made a nice connection between Mother’s Day and the Bride of Christ—the church.  Afterward we took the family to a Chinese restaurant for a big buffet meal.  After changing clothes, we went to a park so the family could play Ultimate Frisbee, a game similar to football using a frisbee and avoiding bodily contact as much as possible.  I watched them.  I wanted to play but have to accept the constraints of age.  I did get to walk a bit while Evelyn rested in the borrowed Suburban.  Rosalie was with us, having finished the play performances.  We had a quiet Sunday evening at home but hit the ground running again Monday.  I walked to a local WalMart with Stephen on the Ripstick and Elizabeth on a unicycle.  That is an exhausting thing to ride since it has no coasting capability.  Stop peddling and it falls over.  Another thing is that there is a constant fight to keep balanced.  I finally bought some after shave lotion. We played more cards after lunch and rested before Pieder came home.  We then accompanied him to his massage therapy which took an hour and a half.  We learned some things about the therapy and enjoyed talking with the therapist as she worked.  Elizabeth has problem with her spine and had her own treatment.  We came home for a late supper.  Tuesday morning we had errands.  We picked up Noah, went to a nearby town to the 4-H office to rent a cotton candy making machine, brought it home so the girls could make cotton candy.  It was difficult to learn the technique, but they got pretty good at it.  They ate some while we watched the finish of Captain America, the movie we started yesterday.  Noah joined us but left to work on repairing a gate the goat had knocked down.  They had all seen the movie, so he missed nothing much.  He had to remove some of the frame and replace it.  I went to help him and keep him company.  He got a good start but had to quit because he had to relieve Andrew.  We dropped him and Stephen, picked up Andrew and went to the home school artists’ performances.  We had not had any supper so we went to a walk up hamburger place that Andrew has wanted to go to since they have lived here.  It has also been featured on Diners, Drive ins and Dives on the food channel. 

It is dry here in northern Utah.  It reminds us of the trips to Arizona.  WE don’t itch as much but our noses get very dry. We are using excessive amounts of Vicks salve as a result.  We both struggle to breathe at night and are dry in the morning.  It has been very warm here since the cool temperatures we experienced when we arrived.  The days have been bright and sunny, allowing us to enjoy the outdoors.  This makes it pleasant for the milking of the goat, the caring for the rabbits, and playing with the dog in the yard. They just took possession of the dog yesterday and have already had fun in their yard.  The spring here is almost over and summer has begun.  But it is beautiful surrounded by mountains.

Layton, Utah

These are some of the beautiful views in the Utah mountains.

Fun at the dog sitting house.

Big dogs in their back yard.

The actress and the old guy eating potatoes.

Evelyn in her favorite room.

Pieder, Emily’s husband, deep in study.

Elizabeth loves the camera.

Noah Beeli and Lugar, the younger canine monster.

Oh, fun!

Polka dot girls; Emily watching a JibJab Mother’s Day car, Drill Sergeant Mom; Grandma accepting the rooster decorated lazy Susan.

Rosalie and Grandpa

Rosalie as the apothecary selling poison to Romeo.

Granddaughter Rosalie and parents

PICTURES

rushing to cover misjudgments

We exercised again Wednesday.  I walked a mile in the gym and then went home to finish packing.  We have searched everywhere for our camera but can’t locate it.  We had leftovers for lunch but ate out in the evening.  We slept well in preparation for out trip tomorrow. 

We were on the road by 8:15 and stopped in Franklin to get our boarding passes on line.  Southwest Airlines has no assigned seats but has boarding tiers for its passengers.  Once in the plane, we can choose any seat.  We ate lunch at a Taco Bell and arrived at Stacy’s around 1.  We had a nice visit with her and Tom because he had worked at home.  He went off later in the afternoon and bought some beer which we enjoyed.  We took the family out for supper at Marlowe’s Tavern and came home to try for a good night’s rest.

Friday we were up and dressed by 5:15.  We thought we were to leave for the airport via the MARTA at that time.  I had the time mixed up and Tom wasn’t even up at that time.  We waited until he arose and rode with him to the station.  He was going in early to make sure we knew how to ride.  He looked up the departure time for our flight and thought it was 8:15.  This caused us a bit of stress, but I was sure it was 9.  We had 4 bags, a computer and a lunch cooler to wrestle to the check in counter.  We did rush a bit but did not need to.  We boarded the plane and had a restful flight and ate half of our lunch.  We arrived in Las Vegas and called Maders who came to pick us up.  I thought they were on Mountain time, but they were on Pacific.  This gave us a bit more time to visit with them at their home.  We left their later than we should have and were running through the airport to make our flight to Salt Lake City.  We made it just in time and enjoyed the hour trip.  I was really proud of Evelyn because she moved very quickly through the airport.  Emily, Elizabeth and Stephen met us with a sign and then took us to Ogden.  The 5 of us enjoyed supper with the extra company of Andrew and Noah.  Stephen and Elizabeth milked the goat and fed the rabbits in the evening.  The older boys are house sitting for some friends who have 2 large dogs.  The entire family works together on almost every project. 

Old friends and volunteering

Sunday was a day of worship with Holy Communion.  Sometimes it is thrilling to receive the Body and Blood of Christ because I can feel the forgiveness it brings.  This was one of those glorious times.  The choir didn’t sing today because we had not rehearsed this past Wednesday.  We took 2 elder divorced ladies, Jo and Rolene, with us to a German restaurant in Asheville.  It was small place that had many stuffed animals in each of the 4 small rooms.  It really looked German to me.  The food was good but not what we were used to. For example, the German potato salad was hot but had no bacon in it.  We had trouble finding our way around Asheville as usual but did finally find our way.  We came home, and I watched the Cubs while Evelyn napped.  She gets tired easily and needs to relax her back.  Popcorn and a movie followed.

Monday we exercised.  I found a man to buy my extra Groupon for an oil change so I only exercised for half of the class because he was leaving.  I waited for Evelyn and then we went to town and picked up some brochures about Folkmoot.  We distribute them around Clyde, our area and Lake Junaluska.  We worked in the yard until lunch after which Evelyn took a nap.  We got ready and went to Asheville the slow way, delivering brochures in Clyde and then a few in Canton on our way.  We looked for fabric to match the cushions she had made for our picnic table.  She needs about another yard to do what she wants but can’t find it.  We met Dallas and Karen at Pack’s Tavern for supper.  We both had Groupons.  Karen was feeling much better, and we enjoyed reuniting with them.  We had a delicious meal and then proceeded to the ball park to watch the Tourists.  The game was very good, but I was a bit cold.  It had been warm when we left home but cooled down.  I should have anticipated the drop in temperature.  I had to wrap our car blanket around my shoulders to get comfortable.  We drove home in time for the news.

We had wanted to exercise Tuesday but slept very late in the morning.  We missed it.  We did do some exercises in bed.  We had a late breakfast and went to town to get more brochures.  While at the Folkmoot center, we made our donation of $150 and got our tickets to the gala opening.  They have a special show of dancers and then some refreshments afterward where we meet the dancers.  Most of them don’t speak English but are friendly.  There is also plenty of beer and wine with the hors doerves.  Last year there was none, making the evening much less fun.  We also went to the local soup kitchen and registered to volunteer a couple of times each month.  We were surprised to learn that the pastor who runs the place had divorced his wife who ran the thrift store next door.  Christians have the same troubles as the rest of the world.  We didn’t have any lunch until around 2 because we had eaten breakfast so late.  I went to visit our neighbor, Gene, who had been to the hospital to have a hernia repaired.  He was pretty sore but still talked a lot.  I moved most of our bucket garden off the mulch areas because the landscapers are applying fresh mulch to our neighborhood.  We don’t want anything in their way.  It had rained last night.  It seems half of the country needs rain while the other half is flooded.  We spent the evening at home and ate late snacks.  I watched the Cubs and Evelyn ironed while watching Dancing with the Stars.

Finishing the week.

Evelyn exercised again Wednesday but I stayed home and got dressed.  We drove to Asheville to run some errands.  First we drove around to find Dr. Dodd’s office where Evelyn got a blood draw—a painful blood draw.  She has an appointment with him later in the month to check her thyroid.  We then looked for a place for lunch.  The coupon I had chosen was for a restaurant that didn’t open until 5, so we had to find another.  We found a pretty good Latin one and ate there.  We then went across ktown to Hancock Fabric and Bed, Bath and Beyond.  We bought some material for our deck table and closet storage for Evelyn.  We also went to Lifeway Christian Bookstore so Evelyn could get a manual for a study she will lead later.  We drove to our friends the Norrises and learned that Karen was ill with pulmonary trouble.  She has a chronic condition.  We came home for the evening, planning to meet them next Monday for dinner and a ballgame.  We stopped on the way home and bought a gallon of fresh strawberries.  We eat a plethora of strawberries in the spring here.  They are huge and delicious.

Thursday found us working in the yard.  Each year our slope is covered with small twigs that have broken from our River Birch trees and fallen.  This past winter one of the medium size branches had broken, so I borrowed the neighbor’s saw to cut it off.  It is always a thrill working from a step ladder on a 10% slope.  Evelyn had to steady me, but we accomplished the job.  We had to cut it into smaller pieces to stuff into our galvanized metal garbage can kept for just that purpose.  We called our friends who have some property nearby and received permission to take them to their house to add to their burn piles.  They have many more stray branches than we do.  That was in the afternoon.  The morning was spent studying God’s Word.  Evelyn had a study with some women of the church while I studied alone in the pastor’s office.  He and I had a good talk with him concerning what we might like to use for an evening study if we want one.  He will peruse the material and get back to me.  We watched a movie during the evening.  Evelyn also cleaned the strawberries and made a pie.  We had a long talk with Andrew who plans to attend the University of Kentucky in the fall.  We can visit with him for a couple of months before we leave on our October cruise and to Weslaco for the winter.  He has a good full ride but will need additional money.  We wonder why he called us?

Friday we exercised and went shopping at 10 after finishing at the rec center.  Evelyn needed some sandals and pajamas.  I delivered some old shoes to Mast General Store to include in their collection for the indigent.  We rushed home, I showered, grabbed our Bible study materials and left for the study at noon in the church basement.  Evelyn made sandwiches for our lunch as I got presentable.  The study is a sort of survey of the history of Israel—the major content of the Old Testament.  I surprised myself as to how much I remembered and even corrected the pastor on a minor point of information.  We and 1 other woman were the ones who brought lunch.  Our friends, the Ramseys, were not there because Susan was ill.  We returned home and Evelyn worked on finishing the coverings she had made for the table on our deck.  We now have cushions to sit on and a table cloth of the same material.  We talked some about our trip to Utah and took a drive looking for a Relay for Life.  We couldn’t find one and returned home to watch a movie.  We had planned to invite someone to watch the Kentucky Derby but couldn’t. 

Saturday was sleep in day.  I wakened before Evelyn, but, when she got up, I showered and we went to the monthly flea market.  We bought some vegetable plants, and I also found a pizza stone for $1.  We have one here in NC but none in TX.  Now we have to be sure to find a way to transport it to TX next fall without breaking it.  We went to WalMart to exchange the elastic band Evelyn had bought to help her right knee.  The medium was too tight, and we learned the large was too.  We will have to exchange for an XL.  The top and bottom of the piece cuts off her circulation, leaving a band mark on her skin.  I don’t know if any will not do that.  We had lunch and then she worked on hemming the new screen “door” and I looked for a pressure washer to borrow for cleaning our anti gravity chair.  The neighbor I borrowed from has lent it to some family member who has not returned it.  He has big septic tank problems to consider and doesn’t need me to bother him.  We planted the vegetable plants in our buckets.  Doris will water them while we are gone next week. 

Outdoor NC

Does this location look familiar to anyone?

Trip to Cherokee, NC

Evelyn arranging to have a stone replaced in her ring.

The outside of the store above.

Painted bears along the streets of Cherokee. 

Recent pictures

The metal sculpture from Safed, Israel.  They mean Passover; we see the Lord’s Supper.  We placed it on the wall next to the Walk to Emmaus.

First half of the week

Sunday was a glorious day of worship.  It began with an exciting Bible study, went on to the sermon followed by Holy Communion.  We went on to a fund raising dinner with Wycliffe Bible Translators.  There were testimonies as to the power of God’s Word translated into the local languages of the people.  There was also a talk by a man who works for them in developing and installing a solar panel to power a notebook computer to help them in checking with others about the correctness of their translation.  We were blessed to have money to give to the organization.  We support other translators too from different organizations.  We didn’t get home until after 3 and rested for a short time because we had invited Gary and Linda to play games and eat popcorn.  They always prefer playing Phase 10.  Evelyn showed them some of the pictures of our trip to Israel.  They were impressed with our metal sculpture showing the skyline of Jerusalem and the Bread and Wine of Holy Communion.

We were off to exercise on Monday.  I was glad Tim was doing something else so Linda had to lead the class.  It was better than usual because she explained what were were about to do and gave us time to get ready.  We went on to town for some breakfast juice and then came home for lunch.  Evelyn was somewhat tired and lay down.  I talked Marty into going to play golf.  We learned that Monday is seniors day where we get to play 18 for the price of 9.  This was great news when we began but tiring when we finished.  I played a good first 9 but got very tired and was back to ordinary on the next.  The course is only 9 holes.  I don’t know how the same course can play so much differently.  Evelyn had treated the front of the doors to the bottom cupboards in the kitchen while we were gone.  She saves the top for me.  We had don’t the top of the cupboards themselves on Saturday.  Most of the times I enjoy working with Evelyn in cleaning and cooking—if being the souse chef counts as cooking.  It has been beautiful here during the days but was very hot on the golf course today. 

Tuesday we didn’t exercise but finished the top of the cupboard doors instead.  Evelyn wrote a letter to Elizabeth as I worked.  This took most of the morning before lunch.  I had also begun to prepare my smoker to cook my favorite smoked meat: country style ribs.  Our neighbor, Gary, came to help me install our magnetic screen that will allow us to leave the door to the deck open.  The breeze seems to come from the west despite the mountain being in the way.  We learned that the screen from Harriet Carter doesn’t fit our door.  We had to make some adjustments so it would work at all, but I still don’t like the way it works.  Regardless, it does keep it cooler in the house.  Evelyn finished treating the cupboards in the bathrooms and mopped the tile floors.  I vacuumed the carpets.  We watched the elimination round of Dancing with the Stars.  Tomorrow we go to Asheville.