Will it warm up before we leave the Valley?

Thursday was still cold today.  There was also a heavy mist most of the day making it even more miserable.  We thought we might receive a call from the stock show regarding our passport pictures but heard nothing.  I spent most of the day working on sermons.  I am trying to get ahead of the curve in sermon preparation before the beginning of Lent.  I also vacuumed the carpets as Evelyn did some cooking.  We took a nap and dressed for the Gideon’s Pastor Appreciation Banquet.  As usual, the speakers were quite good and inspirational.  It is very good to hear how God’s Word changes the lives of people who read it.  I was not invited to the banquet as a pastor as I was last year but was asked to give the closing benediction,  It was cold walking to and form the car but quite comfortable sitting on the heated seats. 

Friday was regular: kitchen band and hospital volunteering.  We went to the nearest nursing home where a young man named Eric sang Cielito Lindo in my place.  He is Hispanic and knows how to make the lyrics fit the music much better than I do.  I normally play a “bass” with our band.  It is a large dowel rod attached to an upside down five gallon bucket by a thick string that makes a good sound when tightened by my pushing on the attached dowel.  Today, however, it broke while I was leaning on it.  I was blessed to not fall forward when it broke.  We came home ate lunch and drove to the hospital.  In the past we were able to ride our bicycles, but this winter has been too cold and windy.  Today was no exception.  Emily called during the afternoon to talk about a program that offers discounted cruises and vacations.  It is complicated but research has shown that the company is not trustworthy.  That is if the company is the same one evaluated by several groups and condemned by past and current customers.  The confusion is in the name’s being close to the program but not exact.  We will continue searching for information.

We mostly relaxed on Saturday.  It was a milder day than had been expected.  We went to Big Lots looking for some imported bread and spaetzle, but there was none to be found.  It seems as though whatever we discover and like sells out never to returned.  I did work on the sermon until late afternoon when we trimmed our double hibiscus plant that had grown quite large over the summer.  This was one of the few days we have had fit for working outside.  Earlier I had tried to resize Evelyn’s picture for her passport since the first one was rejected.  I had no success, so I asked Marilyn and Lloyd to come to try their skills.  We had a drink together and some snacks while she worked but had no success.  She has helped us in other electronic situations.  There was a dance in our hall, but we didn’t go.  Evelyn had said she wanted to go out for dinner but didn’t do that either.

Sunday was almost non stop.  We began with worship at Trail’s End followed by our singing in the choir at Immanuel.  We took our car to Winston’s and rode with them to Harlingen where we had lunch at Jason’s Deli.  We went on to Port Isabel to hear a talk by Pastor Ken Klaus, the former speaker on the Lutheran Hour and currently the man who delivers the daily devotion for the LHM.  He had a very interesting presentation about how the perception of Christ has changed over the centuries.  His point was that young men are looking for a Jesus who is more active, and they want to serve with Him.  We went on to Pelican Landing for a shrimp dinner.  It was a very inspiring day for us.  We watched more of the winter Olympics during the later evening.

Monday we packed for our trip.  We have to take more hanging bags than usual because we have a formal dinner/dance to attend while in San Antonio.  It was also Sue Hamel’s birthday, and they arrived around 11 to talk about my XM radio.  We found that I was paying for the old one and the new one in the car.  They enjoyed the banana cream pie Evelyn had made for her.  After lunch we rested a while and then went to Snow to Sun to meet them and dance to Diego.  The large hall was packed almost to capacity.  He is a very popular entertainer here in the Valley.  John and Sue went to the Longhorn Steak House for supper.  We were both surprised and disappointing that they didn’t ask us to join them.  We came home for leftovers and watched the Olympic downhill skiing for a while before retiring early.  We get tired from driving long distances more than we did in the past.  We will see Tom and LuAnn and are trying to think of something to take to them even though we will not be staying with them.  We may find something for them along the way tomorrow.  WE took a walk around 7:30 and had just started when a cold front hit us in the back.  This was the second time within the past 2 weeks that I have been outside to experience a drop of temperature about 20-30 degrees in a matter of seconds.  Earlier in the morning I had taken the broken bucket bass that I use in the kitchen band to the director of the wood shop.  He glued it back together and returned is to our house.  It will have plenty of time to season and set up before I have to use it next Friday.