The visit with 2/3 of the Beeli boys

Friday we were off to Lexington around 9.  We went, as planned, into Tennessee on fumes.  Gas is so much cheaper there and causes me to drive with white knuckles.  We left gas at $3.33 but found $3.19 at our first opportunity which happened to be next to the Russell Stover outlet store.  Actually we were headed to both locations.  We bought a large bag of chocolates and went on.  We went for an hour before going to a McDonald’s for breakfast.  We arrived at the motel around 3 but didn’t go to UK until after 4:30.  We took about half an hour locating Andrew who was playing Frisbee on a field we couldn’t find.  Finally we met each other and went to the field where we had originally looked to watch him practice with his flag football team.  We had brought our camp chairs along and sat on them, facing the sun while we watched.  We transferred our box of goods to him, and he took it to his room.  He has a food card that expires each month and is renewed at the beginning of the ensuing month.  He had enough left to buy our supper.  After that we returned to our room.  I had chosen a very nice Comfort Inn on the south side of town.  Evelyn was very pleased because the room was large and clean.

Saturday we went back to campus after noon to meet Noah coming from Columbus.  We waited with Andres and met him in a parking garage.  It was a home football weekend at UK, and we were concerned about finding parking places.  We were relieved to learn that Kick-off was not until 7.  We transferred the many items we had gathered up for Noah.  He seemed to want all of the items that might help him set up housekeeping.  The boys passed the Frisbee around before Andrew took us on a tour of the campus.  While touring we happened to meet the president of the university.  He was very personable and talked with us a few minutes.  We continued and met other friends Andrew has made.  Most of them belong to the Navigators with him.  It is good to meet so many Christian young men.  Andrew and Noah played a short game of Ultimate Frisbee while we watched.  We had thought we would have a lunch but were still waiting at 4.  Finally we went to a local college hang out called Ramsey’s that happened to be full of alumni waiting for kickoff.  We had a good meal and conversation about what the boys were doing, especially Noah since Andrew had given us a tour. He attends a home church and helps with an inner city mission in addition to working with his heating and AC business.  We are impressed with the things they are doing.  We went off looking for a place where Andrew could get a haircut but found nothing open.  we then went to Trader Joe’s.  I nearly got us broadsided by 2 cars because I had misjudged the speed of a 3rd car.  Thankfully the Lord was merciful and nothing happened.  We had bought some things, especially ice cream, and took it back to the motel to eat and let the boys swim in our pool before taking them back to campus.

We picked up the young men and went to a neighborhood Baptist church to worship our Lord.  The service was more animated than we are accustomed to but very uplifting.  The message was also different but nice to consider.  We had not slept well last night (Evelyn didn’t sleep until after 1 and I had wakened at 4:45 before just getting up to dress for the day), so we told our grandsons that we wanted to leave for NC early.  We took them to lunch but didn’t eat because we had eaten a large breakfast and weren’t hungry.  We knew we would have to stop for a nap on our way home.  We went as far as south KY before I pooped out.  We stopped and slept for nearly half an hour.  We stopped at a Hardees and then drove on.  We talked about selling our house in Texas this coming winter but will have to leave that to the Lord’s will.  We were home by 7:30, made popcorn and unpacked before going to bed.

A weekend with Andrew and Noah at UK

Grandma and Andrew on Friday evening.

Andrew has a meal card that expires at the end of each month.  He had some “swipes” left, so he bought us our supper on Friday evening.  We ate late and the restaurant closed, driving us outdoors.  We were all comfortable and satisfied in our outdoor picnic.

Noah and Andrew in the parking garage across from the library.  Noah came from Columbus to meet us.  Andrew stayed in the garage while Noah went down to the grassy area below to catch the Frisbee thrown to him.  They had a great deal of fun.

Andrew found a Baptist church for us to worship in on Sunday morning.  We went to lunch afterward before heading home.

A great party

Steve Whiddon plays at Ronny and Cheryl’s birthday party attended by the Haywood Dancers club members.

Our friends, Karen and Dallas Norris, in the near right foreground just past the man in the yellow hat.  The large concrete pad worked well as a dance floor and a place for a great cookout.

Dancers building up energy so they could dance without suffering from low blood sugar.

Evelyn’s birthday garden gate

The draw of the town

The world famous NC hot springs. 

The tubs themselves are very modern but filled with the rich mineral water pumped up from underground at 104 degrees.  The air temperature was comfortable.  We wouldn’t have needed to dress for this because behind the camera was a wooden privacy fence.  Of course we look better in the picture when dressed.

If you look closely at the background, you will see the creek below offering privacy from the front of the tubs.  We didn’t stay in the tubs for the full hour we paid for.  Long stays are not good for those with high blood pressure.

Another creek, another hike

This is at the trail head along the Big Laurel Creek.  We hiked the left side for about a mile before the trail became too muddy.

Beauty in the mountains.  It was cool that morning but warmed in the afternoon.  The hot tubs were our next stop after lunch.

Around Hot Springs

This is a caboose in Hot Springs.  The town used to have passenger traffic on the railroads.  Now it is all freight, mostly wood chips headed for Canton from which paper will be made.  I pretended that this was our lodging for our stay.  Our real room was posted earlier.

This is the lovely lounge area.  The Iron Horse Station restaurant is below the banister on the left.  There are no TVs in the rooms but a nice big one in the lounge.

Hiking part of the Appalachian Trail near Hot Springs

The trail going along the French Broad River.

This is one of the small falls we passed.  We had a canoe years ago that would not have made it over this one.

An overhang that was beginning to show some fall color

I am in the evening glow on the River.

Taking the stair back up to the highway after finishing our short walk on the Trail

Room for Evelyn’s 73 birthday trip

Our “Pullman Sleeper” in Hot Springs.  Note the bathroom on the left and the circular shower stall.

Inside our cute bathroom.  We got this room for 2 nights plus 2 $20 meal vouchers for $108 through Living Social.

Several good parties

Tuesday was the day for returning home via “the Rattler”.  We had to go to the Iron Horse Tavern to get our left over sandwich and ice pack so we could have them to use again.  The ride home was slow because we got behind 4 trucks going to a small area called Spring Creek to do some repair for them.  We arrived home earlier than expected but had dressed in our hospital uniforms this morning.  We did unload our car before going to serve.  It was a very pleasant day but warmer than expected.  I had changed into my long legs but found myself too warm.  We went to our lunch at the hospital.  I had eaten a chicken sandwich yesterday at noon, a chicken breast last night and thought I should not have a grilled chicken salad sandwich as usual.  Instead I had tortellini which happened to be chicken.  Gary and Linda had invited us for supper to celebrate Evelyn’s birthday and served pasta and chicken.  I thought I might grow feathers.  We had a good visit and a dessert of her apple dumplings.  The entire meal was delicious.  We left before 8 so Linda could watch the initial episode of the new season of NCIS.  She loves that show and never misses it.  We needed rest and went to bed early. 

Wednesday brought an all day rain.  Jack Churchill and I had made a T time for High Vista Country Club but didn’t go because of the rain.  I could have gone with Evelyn to exercise but wanted to work on some sermons.  To my disappointment, the computer has failed me.  I had worked some time ago on them but couldn’t find them.  I know just enough to save each document, but that didn’t work this time.  That took most of the morning.  I also packed the car with the items we want to take to the grandsons next Friday.  This took all of the space in the hatch.  We can pack our clothes in the back seat on the way because we won’t have nearly as much to bring back.  Other friends had invited us for an evening of dessert and cards—Hand and Foot.  They have been playing that for the past 10 days with other people.  They must love the game.  We talked much about his job.  He walks dogs for other pet owners.  He gets $10 per visit and $.50 per mild driven.  I don’t remember how many visits he makes per week.  He sometimes walks 3 dogs per visit but still gets the same price as if he walks 1.  I might do that next summer because he says there is a great demand for that service in this area.  We were home by 10 and happily enjoyed our little cozy home.

Thursday morning I went to have my fasting blood draw for the doctor to see if the additional pill has done to lowering my cholesterol.  I was able to walk right into the lab.  I had a young girl do the draw from the back of my right hand and didn’t feel anything.  I have easily accessible veins there but have never had a draw so completely painless.  One odd thing was that somehow I had an order for a PSA draw.  I knew that I had had one recently and the lab confirmed that it was in August.  I wonder how that was mixed up in the doctor’s office.  I will ask him next Wednesday when I see him.  We worked on some “buckeye” candies for the boys who love them.  We also worked on some campfire beans to take to a party for the Haywood Dancers by the leaders.  We were finished in the morning and were able to rest in the early afternoon. We left for the party around 4:30 and made stops at the bank, CVS and the library.  We were early for the party despite the stops.  We helped with the preparation and waited for the other guests to arrive.  When they did, the “Piano Man”, Steve Whiddon began to play his keyboard.  The area at the Deans was a large concrete pad big enough to dance on.  There were many tables set up around the perimeter and a large barbecue grill.  Everyone brought a covered dish, and the offerings were delicious as they always are at carry in dinners.  We invited Karen and Dallas came to our house for some Baily’s Irish Cream before going home.  We worked on some last minute packing before retiring.

A busy day in Evelyn’s birthday trip

After listening to trains blow the horn 5 times during the night, we were up around 9.  We decided to skip our breakfast bars and take a walk around town.  We found a more elegant bed and breakfast.  I had a talk with the owner concerning how silly it is for any business to belong to the Groupon program.  The price is to be half the regular price to the consumer, but Groupon wants half of that.  It does seem almost silly for any business to remain solvent in that environment.  Evelyn found a very spiritual couple who had been through some severe medical problems.  She had a hip bone that was shriveling, and she was treated with success.  He had accompanied her to a cancer treatment center in Illinois where people prayed together and for each other.  He was very changed in his spiritual life.  They were delightful to talk with.  We left there and visited the Visitor Center.  We got some good advice on trails to walk, so we drove to a trailhead and walked beside the Laurel River for over a mile along a beautiful rushing river.  We returned for lunch at one of the restaurants for which we had a $20 certificate that went with our room.  We sat overlooking another wide creek that flows through this mountain town.  We returned to our room for a rest before going to the hot spring tub site that the town is named for.  Hot mineral water is pumped from underground into modern hot tubs that are surrounded by board fences.  They are secluded individually even though there are 17 of them.  I thought we could walk there because it looked close enough.  The problem was that the welcoming sign was a long distance from the tub sites.  We didn’t stay in the tub for the entire hour we had paid for, but that was long enough for us.  I walked back to the hotel and got the car to pick up Evelyn and the bag of swim wear.  We rested for a while and then took a walk through a residential part of town.  From there we went to the hotel lounge to watch Special Report.  It is located above the restaurant, so we went down to use our second $20 coupon.  We enjoyed our dinner and returned to the lounge to watch Dancing with the Stars before we went to bed.

Off to Hot Springs for a holiday.

Sunday, after worship, we had brunch at a local bed and breakfast that we had visited before.  We like it, especially the stuffed French toast that Evelyn likes instead of the egg dishes.  We returned home and rested before packing our car and driving to Hot Springs, NC.  The trip takes a windy, steep road for about 37 miles.  Evelyn got a bit nauseous as I would have if I hadn’t been driving.  The town is a small mountain town that attracts bikers because they enjoy driving “the rattler” containing many curves.  We checked in to what we thought would be a railroad car but was an older hotel room instead.  We carried our clothes (Evelyn always takes too many) up over 20 steps to our room.  It had an interesting design unlike any we had ever had.  The deal gave us 2 nights and 2 $20 vouchers for meals at some interesting looking restaurants.  We decided to take a short hike and found a section of the Appalachian Trail that runs along the French Broad River which is flowing quite heavily due to yesterday’s rain.  When we return home, I will post some of the pictures we took.  We had purchased some microwave popcorn and had that for our supper.  It was not as good as what I make in the Stir Crazy but did continue our Sunday evening tradition.  There was no TV in the room, but there is a common lounge area where we ate and watched some football and “Duck Dynasty”  We talked briefly with Noah who called to wish Evelyn happy birthday before going to bed.

Busy weekend.

Friday my beautiful, spirit filled wife became 72. We took pictures of Evelyn with her desired gift of a garden gate so we can send them to the girls.  She then went to the local college for a cut and set.  She came home looking lovely but only somewhat satisfied.  We had an $8 coupon that expired today so we went to the grocery to buy some of the things we might need for our football party in a couple of weeks. We took a nap in the late afternoon.   In the evening we dressed and went to the monthly ballroom dance.  I had told Karen of the occasion and she had made a delicious cake.  The people in charge presented it to her and the people there even sang to her.  We danced well this evening.  It was also a time when some money that had been collected for the people who do the work of organizing the monthly dances.  They are Shirley and Ronny Dean.  One of the ladies contacted the dancers and asked for us to donate some money as a thank you to them.  They were quite appreciative.  Prior to this evening, they had planned a cookout to be held next Thursday at their house.  We and Norris plan to go.  We hope many others come too.  This will probably be the final time we meet with Dallas and Karen this season. 

Saturday began with a light rain.  Gary, Jimmy and I had planned to play golf and met there.  We had to wait for the owner to arrive so we could get our carts.  We played the first 9 in a continuing light rain.  The rain intensified when we finished, so we decided to go home.  It was a blessing because it rained at our house all day.  I played better and beat my partners.  Evelyn was waiting lunch for me when I arrived home.  She had rightly guessed that we would not continue playing in the rain.  After lunch I took a shower and then slept for about an hour.  Evelyn continued working on her upcoming Bible study she had begun this morning.  I watched some of the Purdue/Wisconsin football game until time for us to leave for the hospital volunteers picnic.  I may have sold some more German dinner tickets but won’t know until next week.  On the way home we stopped at CVS.  At home I watched the remainder of the football game I had recorded.  It got worse for Purdue.  They just can’t tackle well, and the offense is quite weak.  I then found a new movie on a channel called UP.  The movie is called King’s Faith.  I only saw the ending but was able to record it.

On the sales path again; birthday surprise

Tuesday was our day at the hospital.  Both of us had uneventful days.  We did walk in the evening.  We had thought we would get some rain during the day, but none came.  The day began cool but heated up during the afternoon.  This weather as been very pleasant for the past week.  I really enjoy the cooler weather and Evelyn does too but not the cold.  Ergo: Texas.

Wednesday we went to the rec center and on to our service at the Open Door.  While at the center, I sold 2 German dinner tickets to one of the staff.  He goes nearly every year. There were too many servers at the soup kitchen but some disappeared when it was time to clean up.  A mom and 3 daughters (all under 5) to eat.  They were from a nearby town of Canton, and we told them of another soup kitchen there, hoping it would save them some time and money if they attended there.  They were Hispanic, giving me a chance to stumble through my Spanish.  The oldest little girl spoke some of both languages, and I encouraged all of them to learn both languages while young.  We also met a retired dermatologist volunteering.  They were there for the first time.  I was able to sell them a couple of tickets too.  We dropped off some of the many books Evelyn reads at the library and came home for the afternoon.  We attended choir practice and learned that widower and his fiancée will be married during one of our Sunday worship services, but we will be gone those Sundays.  I have been able to sell 10 dinner tickets thus far but can’t remember some of the people I have sold. 

Thursday Marty and I went to High Vista to play golf.  I had 2 groupons left for there.  I thought we had used them.  I played much better than before partly because we chose to play the front 9 twice and skipped the back 9 which has some impossibly difficult holes.  On the way home we went to the Antiques Tobacco Barn so I could buy the garden gate Evelyn wanted for our home.  It will be yard art for us.  I think the idea is somewhat silly because we have no fence and no garden.  We loaded it into the Saturn on top of the golf bags.  I also showed Marty around the huge barn that is full of many items most people would call junk.  Evelyn had returned from her Bible study and was indoors, so I could carry the gate out to the slope where it will be placed.  She didn’t see it.  She was taken by the notes and gifts from the Beelis.  The kids had made some earrings out of beads.  She wanted a picture of her wearing a pair so we went to the deck where she posed and finally saw the gate.  She was both surprised and delighted.  She never thought I would approve the purchase.  I shouldn’t have but know how much she wanted it.  She has done a myriad of things for me over the years, and I thank God that we have enough money that I could do it.  We enjoyed the evening at home.

2 controlling events: dinner and dancing

Sunday we had a great worship and Bible study.  Holy Communion is always a highlight of any week.  We fellowshipped with several friends and then came home with the intent of finishing some leftovers that seem to grow in our refrigerator.  We did get some German dinner tickets and posters that we can try to distribute.  I watched some NFL football while Evelyn rested.  Around 4:30 I popped corn for us to take to the band concert in Maggie Valley.  I had agreed to make enough for Linda and her guests as well as for me.  The concert featured some off beat Christmas music and the band wore Red shirts and other holiday items.  We came home and talked briefly with Andrew.  I needed to know some of the streets around his dorm so we can find him next weekend.  We have a great deal of things to take to both boys when we visit them.

We were very tired this morning.  Evelyn had not come to bed until 2:30 so we both slept until 9:30 before getting up.  We dressed for the day and invited our neighbor, Wanda, to join us for lunch.  To our surprise, she came.  We had pulled pork sandwiches with a broccoli salad Evelyn had made yesterday.  I love to hear her tell of many of her mountain adventures before her husband died 2 years ago.  We had to leave to deliver some announcements about the German dinner.  I took a written announcement to each of the print media, the Mountaineer and the Smokey Mountain News.  I had already emailed copy to the local TV and radio stations.  We also went to the GO grocery for some staples we had used up.  We returned home and worked on the computer while resting.  I have made a mistake about motel reservations and learned a bit about posting ads on Craig’s List.  I listed it.  We had a light supper and Evelyn walked with Joretta.  She tried to get her to agree to give her a ride to Bible study on Thursday because I want the car to take Marty to play golf.  I also want to look for the garden gate Evelyn wants for our “garden”.  I only want it for her birthday.  The 17th season of “Dancing with the Stars” began tonight, driving me to the alternate TV in the bedroom.  We have only 1 TV in Texas so I either do something else or get interested in that program. 

Tying to avoid leftovers

We slept a bit later and worked around the house until time to go to the Rec center for Zumba Gold.  Evelyn went to the class while I worked on the machines.  I had not dressed in my athletic clothes and didn’t want to get sweaty.  We have not heard from Andrew about some streets we can use to find the campus.  We did get a call from one of our friends saying that she had hurt herself exercising on Wednesday and didn’t feel like coming to the Purdue game tomorrow night.  We went to Lowes to get a mop head, oven light and nonslip pad for our rug in front of the sink. After lunch Evelyn rested and then took a trip to Belk to look for some Sunday clothes.  I stayed home and watered the outdoor plants and installed the oven light and mop head.  I had thought we might go to Asheville for supper because there is a special deal in Biltmore Village Restaurants.  A 3 course meal for $30 at 5 different restaurants.  One of them is Ruth’s Chris Steak House.  I couldn’t find anyone who could go with us, so we just went to Maggie Valley to Country Vittles restaurant because I had bought coupons for it.  We thought the food was only fair, but it was generous.  We brought most of it home.  We normally share a meal but had to buy 2 in order to meet the required spending level.  We were home and in bed early.  I had to wear long pajamas because the temperature had dropped, headed for the 40s.

Saturday we forgot to go to the Farmer’s Market in Waynesville.  We wanted to complain to one of the vendors because the mums we had bought in the fall had died.  But as I said, we forgot.  Evelyn wanted to return a pair of slacks she had bought yesterday that were too large.  She thought she would be to return them in Asheville when we went for the supper we had missed yesterday.  She was on the phone for about 45 minutes and learned they didn’t have the pair she needed.  She found that the local Belk had a pair in her correct size.  After lunch she decided she wanted to walk up the mountain behind us.  I was shocked because she has refused to do that for several years.  But we went.  We walked on the street.  Evelyn can’t walk far on stones or uneven ground, so this was an almost ideal walking trail.  After we rested we drove to Belk and made the exchange.  It took longer than it sounds here.  It was nearly 5 by the time we finished, and decided to just eat at a local restaurant.  We had a coupon for a Thai restaurant and had delicious meals.  Again we had to buy 2 meals instead of sharing.  We have a refrigerator  entirely  full of leftovers.  We have to eat at home all day tomorrow.  I watched Purdue play Notre Dame much tougher than I ever expected them to.  They went into the 4th quarter with a lead but lost it in the end.  They may play the season better than anyone expected.

Good golf in the rain

We were both awake shortly after 5 but stayed in bed until after 6.  I was to play golf at Smokey Mountain with Marty.  Our T time was at 9:40, but we had a 45 minute drive.  It was still early, so I made an egg, bacon and cheese biscuit for our breakfast.  It was pretty good.  Marty and I left for Whittier, and Evelyn went off to church to help assemble layettes with other LWML ladies.  We began play inside a cloud and finished the back 9 in a gentle refreshing rain.  We didn’t play well, but we had a good time.  We had taken our lunches as usual.  Somehow we play worse on a full stomach.  We were home by 3 and I took a shower and talked with Evelyn about her project.  She had done well and had eaten from a large buffet that our friend, Susan Ramsey, had prepared.  She is a devoted Christian as is her husband, Brent.  We are blessed to say they are good friends of ours.  The ladies had fully assembled 21 layettes and had 24 more partly assembled.  We had half a hamburger leftover from Memorial Day!  We both decided we would never buy 93% lean hamburger meat again.  I was very tired but didn’t take a nap.  It was a struggle but I did it until after the final episode of Burn Notice.  We went to bed.

Volunteering

Tuesday we went to the rec center but were late for the Silver Sneakers class.  we went anyway.  We had to come directly home to dress for our work at the hospital.  We get a free lunch on the day we work, and I usually go, hoping they will be serving their delicious gumbo.  They weren’t today.  It was much warmer than I expected it to be.  As I waited for my first client, I noticed the golf cart was low on gas.  This had happened once before, so I knew what to do.  I got some money from the office, took my car, drove to Clyde, filled the gas container, and drove it back to the golf cart.  I went in to ask for help because one person can’t hold and manipulate the nozzle to release the fuel.  No one ever came so the fuel is still in the can.  I didn’t run out of gas.  I picked up Evelyn and then went home.  It was cool enough for the ladies to walk before dark.  We spent the evening at home. 

Wednesday morning we went to the Rec center again.  We could only work on the machines because we had to go to work at the Open Door.  We had a blessing this morning. One of the friends we made at We just met was intending to take a cast iron skillet to a charity.  We had been looking for one to give to Noah.  She gave it to us.  At the Open Door we just passed out drinks under the new system.  It is amazing that there are so many different people coming there than when we first began working there 8 years ago.  I guess that shouldn’t surprise me because many of them were getting old.  There are some “lifers”, however, who will likely be there after we are gone.  There seem to be more families with children that come.  We have become friends with a couple that washes the dishes often when we work.  I feel ashamed because we have done everything to avoid getting that job, but they willingly do it a couple of times each month.  After all, we are serving there as a service to Christ for giving us eternal life.  They are more willing servants than we are.  We left for the library after cleaning up the dining area to get Evelyn some more books.  We went to BiLo to get some diapers for Evelyn to take to the LWML meeting tomorrow.  They are making layettes for poor mothers and need items.  We also went to Dollar Tree to get some receiving blankets and other small items.  We came home and rested until time to go to choir practice.  We were released early because the choir is beginning to work on a Christmas Cantata.  We won’t be here.  We were surprised that it began to rain for the first time in over a week.  We spent the evening at home.

Shopping for Noah

Friday we returned to the rec center for exercise, and then we went to the GO grocery and BiLo to buy many things for Andrew and Noah.  We plan to meet them in Lexington at the end of this  month.  Evelyn wants to buy many cereals and other foods to provide them with enough food to last until we return to NC in the spring.  We have received an email from Noah about things he would like to have for his apartment.  We asked him what he needed and wanted.  He requested some things that we have or can get: a toaster oven, a basketball, a DVD player, some knives, baking items, and other things.  We went to 3 different thrift stores and got many of those we didn’t have as extra equipment.  We brought them back in boxes and made 1 for each young man.  We stayed home for the rest of the day.

Saturday we went to 3 flea markets looking for a cast iron skillet.  We didn’t find one but did find a DVD player, a basketball, I also found a boom box that plays cassettes.  We were home by noon so I could watch Purdue play Indiana State.  It began with a bang, Purdue scoring on the opening kick-off and ended with a Purdue interception.  The game was tense, especially in the 4th quarter.  It no doubt is a harbinger for the remainder of the season.  ISU was one of the weaker teams they will play.  I did some cleaning of an Omaha Steaks cooler I had bought for Noah in the afternoon.  I also went to drink a beer with Gene, our neighbor, but he couldn’t drink because they were going to a dance.  I debated about asking Evelyn if she wanted to go but didn’t.  We stayed home again.  It seems we are gone all the time for a while but then settle down longer than anyone would believe.  DirectTV was running a promotion for movies, so I spent a good share of the evening searching the channels for some movies I could record for later viewing.  I also watched some of the late football games before falling asleep.

Sunday was worship day.  The interim pastor is beginning a series of Bible studies focusing on the church year and what Grace means to Lutheran Christians.  It began well.  We always have to leave early to practice our anthem for the day.  I then had to ask the congregation if anyone might have our copies of “The Truth Project”, a Bible study I had led last summer.  I thought I might have loaned the DVDs to someone who had missed a session or 2 thinking they might be returned.  Time will tell.  After worship we went to the local Shoney’s with Brent and Susan for lunch.  We then went to the home of Frank and Tory Costas, a couple celebrating their 65th wedding anniversary!  All of their family was there as well as many friends from our church and other places.  They live directly on Lake Junaluska shores in a lovely but small home.  The rooms were packed.  The family was introduced and Pastor Roseman gave a wonderful blessing for the event.  We were home by 3 and I watched some of the NFL games.  Many of them were preempted because, while we can record 2 movies at once, we can’t watch other programming at the same time.  I had to go to the bedroom to see any of the games.  I remembered things I wanted from CVS so went back to town to use the coupons before they expire.  I tried to watch the news at 11 but fell asleep.  It is a delicate time in our country because our inept President cannot decide what to do about the uprising in Syria.  The voting populace may be catching on to this sad condition, however, because his push for war is very unpopular with the very people who were duped into reelecting him.  I pray that God leads us away from another war.

Monday we decided to stay home from the rec center.  We cleaned ourselves and worked on making chicken salad out of what was left of the roasted chicken we had bought last week.  We went to our appointment with Dr. Thomas, our dermatologist.  He found an area of concern on each of us and cut them both out.  We then went to the local college with a cosmetology program on the chance I might get a haircut.  I was blessed that they created an opening and made an appointment for Evelyn on her birthday.  We visited a lady of German descent on the way home to encourage her to come to church.  She had visited family in Deutschland a couple of months ago but has not returned to worship since returning.  She appreciated the visit and will likely return next week.  We came home and visited with 2 of our lady neighbors and Gary and Linda.  They gave us some information about the town of Hot Springs we will visit 2 weekends from now.  Evelyn walked with Doris until dark and worked on her next Bible study for the
Thursday after next.  I had to watch Sunday night football in the bedroom because I was recording more movies.

Back to normal living

Tuesday we awoke to a heavy rain.  It had stormed during the early morning before daybreak leaving everything quite wet where we had planned to work.  We ate the breakfast Evelyn had made, and then Don went to work again.  He had cut the planks yesterday with Gary’s skill saw.  He finished around noon and had Evelyn’s delicious gumbo for lunch.  Don and Janice wanted to return to Billy Graham’s Training Center the Cove because it had been closed yesterday.  We had 5 tour guides in different parts of the building.  The first was a man who told about how the chapel was planned.  Then another volunteer showed a film that featured the history of the building process.  A third met us in the chapel proper where some services and weddings are held.  It had a pulpit more than 400 year old and a beautiful piano on hardwood floor.  We had seen a room with Billy Graham memorabilia before coming up there.  We then went to the prayer room where we knelt and prayed together before returning home.  We were tired and knew had to rise early in the morning, so we went to bed after supper.

We had planned to arise at 6 AM to leave for the GSP airport, but somehow I had changed our clock, causing it to wake us at 5.  We could have gone back to sleep but didn’t.  We were on the road by 6 and stopped just south of Asheville for breakfast.  We enjoyed our final hours together and arrived at the airport exactly 2 hours before their flight as the government recommends.  We bid them adieu and went off on our way home.  We did not travel the Interstate back because we had driven past a long line of stopped traffic heading north as we had driven south.  We had to go through cities but at least we kept moving.  We also filled our gas tank with $3.20 fuel.  It is always delightful to visit SC where the gasoline tax is low.  We went through Asheville on the way home so I could get an insurance quote from GEICO.  I had received a quote on line but wanted to make sure I got an apples to apples quote.  I have to get one from Texas because the agent in NC can’t do that.  We were home for lunch and went down for a nap shortly afterward.  We went to choir practice at 6:30 and went to bed at 10:30 after watching TV for the evening.

Thursday I talked Marty into playing golf at Iron Tree.  Evelyn had her ladies’ Bible study and had 12 women in attendance.  We had a normal round of golf.  I did break 100 but must remember that is an “accurate” score.  We have legitimate scores and accurate scores.  We might take some “mulligans” and hit an extra shot on occasion.  We do take penalty strokes most of the time but not always.  Hence the “accurate” label.  It happened that Evelyn and I arrived home at very nearly the same time.  We had lunch before I showered, and then we both took a nap.  I have never understood why getting in and out of a cart could make me so tired but it does.  Strangely enough, Evelyn wanted to walk around Lake Junaluska so that she could get some exercise, but she learned a hard lesson.  When we got half way around, she was pooped.  She continued but struggled.  I stopped to talk with some Church of the Brethren people from IN.  They were attending a conference at the lake.  I encouraged them to contact our friends the Musselmans to learn about the Brethren Way of Christ.  I pray they will.  E. and I finished the walk alone.  We came directly home from the lake although we could have gone to town. 

Day 2 of our tour guide job

Monday was a travel day.  But first, I forgot to mention that as we left the Grove Park Inn yesterday, we saw a bear cub in the middle of the road that led to the Inn.  This was a populated neighborhood, and I was concerned.  We were safe in the car but momma bear was around somewhere.  The cub ran to the right. The car in front of us moved and we saw momma and the cub cross the street.  We had to move because of traffic behind us.  But back to Monday.  Janice had wanted to see the indians in this area, so we went to Cherokee.  We drove there on the Parkway to show them some of the territory.  They were fascinated with the mountains and the green trees.  We drove into the Smokey Mountain National Park a short way so they could say they had been there.  We also went to the Harrah’s Casino.  They wanted to see it and have lunch at Paula Deen’s restaurant.  We learned that her restaurant had been replaced.  I was ready to leave because she had been railroaded and betrayed, but we ate in a food court that was there before she was.  As in most of the things we did, just a portion of it was enough for them.  We took them to the Oconoluftee working Cherokee Indian village, but, after about half of the tour, Janice developed another asthma attack and wanted to leave.  We came home, and I asked Don for some advice about how to repair our back step.  Before long he had torn up more than I had intended, measured for materials and talked me into going to Lowe’s to get some wood.  We returned with the equipment, and I went to Gary’s to borrow his skill saw.  I thought Gene might have one, but he didn’t.  He did have an square Don needed.  Don began sawing and cut most of the needed wood to length.  Evelyn had been resting but had been up preparing the the country style ribs for our dinner.  Afterward we decided to finish the project tomorrow morning before leaving for our travels.

The first 2 days of visitors

Saturday was the big day.  We drove to the Greenville-Spartanburg airport to get our guests.  We were a bit early, but they were right on time.  As we left the airport, the downpour began.  We had to run through the rain with 1 umbrella and 3 pieces of luggage.  The blessing was that we were able to park close to the baggage gate.  We drove to Asheville in the rain until we left SC.  It was a beautiful day from then on.  We went to Pack’s Tavern for dinner and were blessed to get a table on their patio.  From there we could hear the music from the Shindig on the Green.  We enjoyed a delicious dinner and music.  Don and Janice were impressed with the Bluegrass and the performers, especially the cloggers.  Don is a bit impatient but lasted until 10.  We drove home and surprised them with the fact that they would be sleeping in our bed.  Did that cause a struggle!  They did almost everything they could think of to convince us to let them sleep in our short futon bed , including a threat to go to a motel.  They automatically lost that one because we wouldn’t take them.  They lost the struggle, and we all went to bed willingly.  We were all glad to be together.

Sunday we had a muffin for breakfast before going to worship.  All but me went directly to the Bible class.  I went upstairs and finished practicing my reading of the Scripture for today.  I joined them after practicing and had a good experience.  Janice commented with a relevant experience.  She is not shy in any experience.  We meet as a choir at 10:10 just feet from the Bible study and told the choir director of Janice’s talent.  We needed another woman’s voice since both Rolene and Dorothy were ill.  Janice graciously joined us and made our anthem much more full.  We left soon after the service and drove to Frankie Bones for brunch.  D&J enjoyed the meal but are not much impressed with more upscale restaurants.  We left there and drove to Billy Graham’s Training Center,  the Cove.  Unfortunately it was closed due to a conference there.  We went on to the Vanderbilt Estate but couldn’t get in.  We had been there with Dallas and Karen earlier in the summer, but they had an annual pass.  We were able to go to the visitor center to find some information.  We went from there to Grove Park Inn.  We parked and walked into the reception area.  Janice sat down, coughing and searching for her inhalator.  She was having an asthma attack because of some pollen.  We had to leave there and come home for supper.  We did ask them to attend the concert given by Raymond Fairchild in Maggie Valley.  They enjoyed the concert featuring the banjo skills by this former gold record winner voted the national banjo artist for 5 different years.  He is 74 now and doesn’t travel anymore.  He just stays here and plays nightly.  At least something worked out for us today.  More bed “discussions” before retiring.