Home a day earlier than expected.

We had decided we couldn’t attend a worship service this morning because the churches didn’t begin until 10.  That would make us get into Roswell too late to visit Stacy.  We noticed the fuel prices are quite high the further east we drive.  We did fill for $3.35 in Meridian but realized things will go up from there.  When we crossed into GA and were opening the phone to call her, Stacy called us.  After talking briefly, she said that most of her family was sick with some sort of cold like symptoms.  We all decided that we didn’t want to risk our health and decided we would not stop this time.  We were in another traffic jam in Atlanta, something we didn’t expect on Sunday afternoon.  We got through it regardless and got fuel in Clayton.  The price is now $3.79, although some places are cheaper.  We were home before dark and went to the grocery for milk, bread and a bag of popped corn.  We couldn’t remember whether we had left some here to pop.  I also hooked up our Direct TV receiver but had to call for help in getting the local channels.  Yesterday we had heard about tornado possibilities in the east and were reminded of it today.  We stayed up until nearly midnight because a tornado warning had been reported for our area.  I didn’t hit here, so we went to bed and slept the night.  More is predicted for this afternoon.  I made a big mistake.  We invited 2 lady friends to go with us to the cancer survivor’s dinner that I mistakenly thought was this evening.  I was reminded that the date was the 29th.  We will go tomorrow.

continuation of yesterday

We went downtown around 2 because we thought some music etc. was to betin in the afternoon.  It wasn’t. It was about 88 degrees with a very soft breeze.  We finally found a large number of booths showing craft items that I thought would be of interest to Evelyn.  They were but not so much that it alleviated the heat enough.  Things were still not functioning by 3:30, so she could not take it anymore.  I was blessed to find a couple willing to pay for the tickets I had bought last night.  We were back in the motel by around 4.  I dropped Evelyn off and went to The Best Stop for some boudin, crawfish tails, Andouille, and frozen shrimp.  I also stopped for gasoline on the way back.  I had talked with the desk clerk who had agreed I could put my purchases into their large freezer, so I put it in there.  I had a large tub of water, ice packs and now frozen sea food.  We didn’t go out for supper but ate out of the snack bag and refrigerator.  I ate the link of hot boudin I had bought but forgotten to mention above.  Evelyn finished some of the Easter ham she had got from Bonny.  I also finished off the beer I had brought Texas.  We retired a bit earlier than usual.

We were up by 7 and eating breakfast by 7:30.  I had connected the car and trailer last night with some help.  I used the scissors jack I had bought yesterday but needed help.  One of the workers staying at the motel helped me because the trailer needed to be held so it didn’t roll backward and fall off the trailer hitch.  We were successful.  That means we could load early.  We were only driving, so we wore the same clothes as yesterday.  We still had to carry our hanging bags back as well as the suitcases and the stuffed coolers.  It was hot so Evelyn chose to not open the sun roof on our Cadillac.  She had wanted to use it as we drove north but was now afraid it would be too hot.  She was probably right.  Those things don’t block the hot sun.  As we drove, I noticed the check engine light on.  I checked the oil and asked a mechanic at WalMart to see if I really needed to add oil.  He said no and suggested I go to the O’Reily auto store and have the car checked to see why the light was on.  After lunch at Hardees, I went there and a young man reset the computer so we could continue driving.  Had he not done that, it would have stayed on.  By resetting it, I would notice the light’s returning and know something serious was wrong.  We drove straight to Meridian although I wanted to go to a museum.  We loaded the motel room and then went to a local restaurant called The Family Fish Camp.  We had trouble finding the place and wished we had not.  I didn’t think it was worth the effort.  We came back to our room that had been given to us at the employee rate: $25!  This was because I had complained to the previous manager in Lafayette about the TV’s green tint and the non working telephone.  The room here is smaller than his but well worth the price. 

Louisiana fun

We slept poorly again but weren’t up as early as I planned.  We finished off some of the breakfast items, Evelyn finished covering all the drains with Saran, I turned off the water and electricity and set off 3 insect bombs before we left at 8:30.  Since we were staying at a Comfort Inn about 20 miles closer than usual, I thought it would not make a lot of difference.  It didn’t.  We arrived in Winnie, TX around 4.  We had no trouble and made good time.  Even though we had decided we wouldn’t, we ended up eating at Al T’s. a Cajun restaurant that serves a big Cajun platter that we had eaten before.  It was about twice as much as we should have eaten.  We keep talking about losing weight but can’t seem to stick to any viable plan.  This different motel was outstanding.  We may have to begin using this level of Choice Hotels in the future.  I know for sure we will stay at this one if we come back next spring.  We went to bed early.

We were up at a normal time but were in no hurry.  It is a short trip to Lafayette.  In fact yesterday may have been the longest day or driving on the return trip.  It was such a short day that we took a trip from exit 20 down through a natural wildlife reserve to almost the Gulf.  The landscape was made of marshes and ponds that attracts the migrating birds.  We found a small restaurant in a town called Creole for lunch.  I had gumbo that was the strangest I have had.  It had no discernable roux, the major ingredient in gumbo.  That is what gives it the burned flavor that distinguishes it from chicken/sausage soup.  The flavor was good but not gumbo.  We returned to near the Interstate, but I made a wrong turn and drove on another back road.  The soil is as rich as that in the Valley, and the farms looked very productive.  The return to Interstate 10 was disastrous.  When we were around 20 miles from our exit, we hit a traffic jam that must have been caused by an accident although we never learned what it was.  We had planned to rest before going to the international festival, but used the extra time in transit.  We stayed in our usual Sleep Inn in Scott, LA and drove from there to downtown Lafayette.  The evening was quite temperate, and the festival was crowded.  Evelyn doesn’t enjoy walking around in large crowds and drinking beer.  We did make our way to both of the band stages where most people gather.  After about 3 hours, she decided we should leave.  I had a good time.  The beer had to be paid for with purchased tickets, and I had bought $10 worth.  I only used $5 because beer was only a reasonable $2.50 per can.  We had planned to return tomorrow afternoon and planned to use the remainder then.  We watched several episodes of Duck Dynasty before going to sleep.  The TV picture was green.  I will report it tomorrow.

We slept poorly again and didn’t rise early.  Evelyn was especially tired, so I brought her breakfast in bed.  Actually, few can eat in bed, but I did bring it to the room for her.  In both motels this trip I had fresh scrambled eggs and sausage of some kind.  When we left I had some errands to accomplish.  First I wanted to go to a junk yard and get a scissors jack.  I finally found a junk yard and was sent into the area to find my own jack.  I have never walked in such trenches made by huge front loaders.  I am surprised I didn’t sprain an ankle.  I tried many trunks but couldn’t open many of them.  Finally I found one and bought it for $10.  I need it to lift the trailer so I can connect it to the ball hitch.  We drove farther than needed to a CVS pharmacy to get some items Evelyn needed.  I had a coupon for 25% off.  We finally found one and bought the items.  It was almost noon and noticed a Popeye’s Chicken across the street.  We had brought coupons from Texas and thought they were nationally accepted.  They weren’t.  The manager was very gracious and accepted them anyway.  We like Popeye’s chicken.  We went to the Piccadilly cafeteria to get a gift card for Simon and put it into the box containing the costume he had loaned me last spring.  Since he has decided he wants to never see me, I took it to his house and put the box on his car.  We drove away and never saw him.  I pray he reads the notes I put into the box and enjoys the etouffee he usually ate when we met for lunch.  It is getting late and the drive tomorrow may be long, so I will finish the record of the day tomorrow evening in Meridian, MS.

Last day in the Valley

We slept poorly again tonight.  I was up before 6:30 and worked on the computer for a while.  I then began loading the tubs into the trailer while Evelyn worked on washing out the refrigerator and packing items into the cooler we carry back and forth.  I was skeptical about getting everything inside but did.  I decided to take the new battery for the Lectronic Kaddy with us because it should be charged each month.  I also decided to take the larger cooler I won last Christmas.  I had made a large chunk of ice in an old plastic ice cream bucket and will not open it for several days.  The cooler is supposed to keep things cold for a week.  We will see.  We rested and napped in the afternoon and then went to Joe and Bonny’s for a farewell supper she had prepared for us.  We enjoyed our visit before returning home to hook up the trailer.  That is when the trouble began.  First the new lower ball used for towing was too low to hook up.  The trailer was too high in our driveway.  We tried to seat the tongue but couldn’t.  A neighbor came to help us and had some good ideas but eventually knocked the tongue onto the concrete.  Now we had to get the tongue up onto the hitch from the driveway.  The trailer was too heavy to lift, so he went to get a scissor jack to lift it.  We eventually got it up and seated onto the ball.  I was praying a lot and thank God for answering in a positive manner.  In the end, I had everything loaded into the trailer and should be able to finish loading the car in the morning.

Holy Week 2014

Actually Holy Week began yesterday, but Tuesday came after that. Today was both Passover and Federal tax day.  We had filed our tax return some time ago and await a huge refund.  I hate any refund because the crooks (both parties) have used that money much of the year for nothing.   Alas!  So goes living.  We continued packing things into our plastic tubs and suitcases but didn’t get much loaded into the trailer.  Evelyn has many spices and other things to take from the kitchen and bathroom and seems to always find more.  It is difficult to get them from the trailer when needed.  For example, she needed some shoes that had previously been packed and had to dig them out.  We have been walking in the evenings when it is cool and enjoy that. 

Wednesday of Holy week does not feature a Lenten service because we worship and commune on Maundy Thursday.  We also had no choir rehearsal this week—at least on Wednesday.  Evelyn has been slow to recover from her cold.  She seems to be hit much harder than I do, causing her to be slow to recover.  She has been coughing up phlegm for more than 2 weeks.  She is improving but frustrated at the slow progress.  We are trying to consume the food in the refrigerator before we leave.  We know that we will have to give some items away but sometimes have trouble finding someone to take them.  Most of our neighbors have left for their summer homes already.  We seem to gather up more leftovers due to my interest in eating out but are chipping away.  We went to Silver Sneakers this morning and then to the Christian Women’s Connection luncheon at noon.  I take Evelyn and then go to a small restaurant for lunch.  I have a coupon requiring I spend $15 and requires I bring some home as a carry out.  We ate some of that for supper.  You see, I keep adding leftovers to an already full refrigerator.  On the way home we stopped at Bonny and Joe’s to invite them to our hall for Easter dinner.  They agreed to come because their family has other commitments.  Later in the week, their daughter asked to come from Austin, so they had to cancel.

Thursday was the Maundy Thursday service.  It was a very moving service and featured a very good sermon.  I have discovered a listen device that makes it possible for me to hear more clearly while sitting in the balcony where we sing.  We sang 2 numbers before the Holy Communion supper.  Reflecting on the terrible agony of Jesus in Gethsemane always is quite emotional for me.  He had a huge burden to carry knowing the horrible suffering He would endure tomorrow.  After the service we had to stay and rehearse more for Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday.  We can’t practice after the Good Friday service because we close the service in silence as we leave.  Therefore, we had to rehearse for an hour or more on Thursday. 

Friday was worship again.  I don’t want to sound bored or abused here.  It is a real privilege and delight for both Evelyn and me to be able to worship and praise our King.  It does take some additional commitment on our part,  but Christ had a big commitment to us and fulfilled it by going to the Cross to remove our sin.  We are blessed by the week of worship.  We went to Chili’s for a late supper that we should not have had.  We are both overweight and had many leftovers at home.  Even though we normally split a meal, we still have more leftovers.  I guess I just like to take my sweetheart out so she doesn’t have to cook as much.  We had originally planned to take Don and Janice to Good Friday worship and dinner afterward, but Janice called and said they couldn’t come because Don had a problem with his pacemaker and would have to have it replaced Monday morning.  We prayed for both of them.

Saturday was a cloudy but pleasant day.  We accomplished much in our packing but had little that made it into the trailer.  We have tubs sitting in almost every room.  We continue eating left overs.  Evelyn did a lot of baking and delivered some pineapple fluff and pie for them to share with Cathy and her family on Easter dinner.  It was a warm cloudy day, so we decided to wash the car.  It is impossible to wash a car using this water in the sun here if it is bright.  The water is so full of salt, it leaves a residue when it dries.  The brighter the sun, the faster it dries.  I have bought a chamois to dry things faster but have to beat the sun.  We waited all day for a call from Sylvia asking us to take her to worship tomorrow, but she didn’t call.  We also decided we would not attend a sunrise service tomorrow.  We took a walk around our park and were invited in to a park model for a drink and visited with them a short while.  We have very few people here who ever invite us to do anything, so we were very blessed by them.  We also made plan to play golf on Monday morning.

Resurrection Day was beautiful.  We were blessed by singing during the celebration.  We had a French horn, trombone and trumpet to celebrate the overcoming of death and the grave by Jesus.  The service was at 9:30 so we were able to be home by 11.  We took our dishes to share to our hall along with our table service.  We still had 2 hours before dinner, so we came home to rest a while.  We were back there by 12:30 and circulated visiting many people.  A couple prepared the ham, we paid $2 each for it and enjoyed the dishes the women brought to share.  We sat with the couple, Ray and Mary Burchill, that we visited yesterday evening.  We had a very good time but were tired when we came home.  We both took a nap until Joe and Bonny came to play cards and eat popcorn.  We will have dinner at their house on Tuesday before we leave Wednesday morning. 

Monday Ray, Mary, and I went to The Palms at Mid Valley to play 9 holes of golf.  Armand and I used to play there often when he lived next door.  The weather was slightly warmer and more humid than yesterday.  We had a good round, but the Burchill’s didn’t like the course.  I don’t either but it is cheap, close and flat.  It is easier to walk than some of the other courses around here.  I was surprised to shoot 0nly 49 for the 9 holes.  We had a beer afterward, and I was surprised to see Dan, Ginger and Harry from our church at Trail’s End come to play.  I was home by noon and had lunch.  After showering, we took a nap.  I had been up since shortly after 5 and was very tired.  After supper we drove to Harlingen to visit Don and Janice in the Harlingen Medical Center.  He seemed to be doing well and we left them with the hope that they will visit us again in NC this summer.

Finishing most of the Lenten season

The highlight of Thursday was the Gideon picnic.  It was supposed to be a sort of thank you to the winter Texans who come south and join in the work of our camp.  I have done a few things but not many because I usually work on sermons.  Once each year I have a speaker come to our service and I go to the Christmas party and the Pastor’s Appreciation Banquet in February.  Several WT go to these events but they have returned north for the most part, leaving very few to enjoy this picnic/potluck.  We met at the Alamo Country Club where a few of the brother Gideons live.  We had a good time and enjoyed the beautiful evening. 

Friday we worked what will likely be our last afternoon for this season.  We had a very slow day but enjoyed talking with the people we work with.  We checked out at 5, came home, rested and dressed to go to dinner with Joe and Bonny.  They picked us up at 6:30 and took us to Lansky’s and brats.  We ate on their sun room.  It was fine because it was late afternoon.  We were again blessed to use our reduction coupon for each couple despite being at the same table.  We shared a panko breaded shrimp meal and a huge baked potato.  I am not fascinated by shrimp, but Evelyn loves it.  I am happy to share it with her.  We learned something we had mildly wondered about: we found what brats is.  I happened to see the word on a door and found a small, smoky bar room with several people there drinking and talking.  This was the 4th time we had been there without knowing what the last part of Lansky’s and brats was.  We visited a long time and were home late for us and went directly to bed by 10:30.

Saturday was the Hildalgo County Relay for Life.  We were at the RGV Stock Show grounds for a “breakfast”.  It was doughnuts and coffee.  We did find a banana to eat.  A golf cart drove us around to look at the many themes of the teams that were planning to walk in the Relay.  A friend told us there were 139 teams of walkers that were to walk for 12 hours.  The earlier relays lasted 24 hours, but that was obviously too much of an imposition.  It is just a blessing to see communities come together for cancer survivors. Survivors and caregivers are the first to walk a lap, and everyone in the crowd stands and cheers for the walkers.  I walk too but am almost embarrassed to receive the cheers when it is the survivors who deserve the adulations.  We went to have the provided lunch of a barbecue sandwich and chips.  We returned home after going to the grocery to get some supplies for our popcorn party evening.  I also came home to invite some people to worship with us tomorrow morning.  During the evening we drove to the adjoining park to talk with a couple who has expressed a interest in our home but have a 2006, 40 foot diesel motor home with 4 slides they want to get rid of first.  They want to move here full time.  I don’t think we can afford to invest the difference thy might want to make a trade.  I then practiced the service for tomorrow.

I had called Blanca, our choir partner to sing for us during the service, and she came at 8 to rehearse with Sharon, the accompanist for the day who plays the accordion.  They couldn’t work it together so she sang acapella.  It was also a blessing that 3 who work with us at the hospital and another couple from the neighboring park came to worship with us.  I was blessed by the message and hope everyone was.  We left very blessed with the season we were given by the Lord and the faithful people who support us.  We took Blanca and went to Immanuel to sing in the choir there.  Since I discovered the hearing devices available, I have been able to hear Pastor Edge’s sermons.  The one today was one of his best.  After worship Joe and I went to get the pizza he had ordered.  It was to be ready at 12:15 but had not even been started until then,  We went back to a small classroom to eat it before we rehearsed for the Holy Week worship services.  It happened that a Presbyterian church rents the social hall at noon and uses the same classroom for the children’s Sunday School  that we chose to eat our lunch in. We tried to reward the children by giving them a cookie.  They seemed to be attentive even while surrounded by pizza, etc. We went to the choir loft to rehearse for an hour.  We came home, rested and then entertained 2 couples for popcorn and drinks.  They were Ray and Mary Burchill and Pat and Peg Vaughn.  They are both from Minnesota.  We had a very nice get acquainted visit, although we have learned to accept the fact that we will not likely develop any type of lasting relationship.  We had a good time anyway.

Monday was make medicine for the week, and I had to get some medicine to fill out this week and our travel week.  I had to take my vials to the pharmacist.  We went to Silver Sneakers and then to WalMart to get some black bias tape to add to Evelyn’s Easter dress.  She had to spend most of the day sewing it onto the dress.  We also got 50 pounds of onions to take to NC.  This time we got some medium size onions instead of the large beautiful ones we usually get.  The smaller ones are easier to slice.  We returned home and had lunch before Evelyn began her sewing project.  The day was in the high 80s until about 2 when a windy cold front came through dropping the temperature 20 degrees.  I thought we would get some much needed rain but none has fallen as of this writing: 9:00.  I can’t reconcile my mind to the fact that we have most of our things packed into the suitcases but not in the trailer.  We have over a week to finish.  We enjoyed Dancing with the Stars as usual on Monday nights.  Many of our favorites keep winning.  We even have our medicine ready for the duration.  Evelyn also wants to take our bating suits, even though we spend all winter next to a swimming pool that we never use.  This winter was unusually cool, but we wouldn’t use it even if it were hot.  One of the highlights of the day was a call from Noah, our grandson, telling us he has asked his girl friend to marry him.  He hopes they can get married this year sometime.

Confession

Wednesday we began packing some of the trailer.  We had more room because I had removed out mounting iron and trailer hitch from it and stored it at Joe’s house.  I always try to get the heavier items to the front where most of the weight can be on the tongue of the trailer.  We have quite a few bottles of vanilla to take to friends in the north and they are heavy. Since we had gone to Silver Sneakers, we went to get some orange juice and did not return home until after 11.  Evelyn put some leftovers together, and we ate lunch.  It was after lunch she noticed the tire on the left side of the trailer was flat.  I discovered that our Cadillac SRX has no jack, so I was a bit confused as to how to jack up the trailer to remove the tire.  Actually I knew someone around the park would have one and asked a firefighter from Indiana to use his tomorrow.  I hung a couple of bags of clothes in the front hanging bar because Evelyn had them ready.  We went to Lenten service at Immanuel, and I used a hearing device that was available.  I actually heard the sermon while sitting in the balcony.  I had only heard snitches of those before.  Church ended before 8 and we began choir practice.  It ended just before 10.  I am ashamed to admit I was seething inside.  Bonny, the director, had been gone several Sundays and Wednesdays making us behind on our rehearsals.  We had to practice songs for Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter.  Normally we had 2 songs for each service.  I am ashamed because I am blessed to be able to sing praises to God and should have been more calm in rehearsing.  I will not be in the choir next year if Bonny is going to be gone so much.  I would rather practice each Wednesday than pack 6 rehearsals into 2

Another partial account of a week’s activities

Tuesday, The first week of April is a blur.  We had no choir on Wednesday because Bonny was gone.  Since Joe was home, we invited him for dinner.  We then watched the first of the Bible series.  He had not seen many of the series.  We enjoyed it as our Lenten service.  Friday we had planned to take Janice to see God’s Not Dead, but yesterday, Don said he was too busy to go.  When Janice called to check on our date, she spoke to him and he changed his mind.  We met them in Harlingen at a Cinemark theater after losing our way.  We all loved the Spiritual uplifting provided by the film.  The Lord has provided a powerful witness to His existence.  Afterward we went to a local Ihop and enjoyed some delicious pancakes containing walnuts and almonds.  Saturday I played golf with the Lutheran men’s golf league at Tierra Santa.  I had called Dan from our worship service at Trail’s End who brought another friend.  It was a cloudy cool day and I had a good time and played fairly well.  Dan invited us to a small supper at his house after we finished, but Evelyn had vomited just before I came home and didn’t want to go.  She wanted me to go and I did.  They were disappointed I had come alone and sent a bowl of soup home with me.  We didn’t eat it until Sunday.  We had a moving service on Sunday and 23 were there.  At least 6 of our people plan to leave before next Sunday.  We came home and ate Evelyn’s rendition of the soup sent yesterday for her.  Evelyn made it delicious, not that it wasn’t before.  I thought we would have a couple come for popcorn but they couldn’t.  We spent the evening alone.  Monday morning I joined 3 other Gideons to replace Bibles at the Victoria Palms motel.  I was finished and was able to pick Evelyn up from the Silver Sneakers she had attended.  We found some orange juice at the HEB and came home for more delicious soup.  I tried to go to The Palms to play golf with the Trail’s End group, but there was a high school tournament that caused us to go home.  Evelyn and I went to get the trailer and brought it home.  We were told by Christian that they were on the way from Dallas.  We had trouble getting the trailer to connect to the car but got it home anyway.  We just left the car and trailer in the street overnight.  I scrubbed the top as Evelyn wanted and then worked with the trailer hitch.  A couple came walking by and we jiggled around until we connected the 2.  He suggested that it might be easier to connect if I turned the hitch over making it lower.  I will try to do it tomorrow.  Evelyn was able to watch the episode of Dancing with the Stars.  Tuesday I attended the park meeting of those still in the park.  There were 2 intense arguments at the meeting as well as some warnings about break ins in other parks.  I took the trailer and filled the tires with air.  I wanted to put grease into the trailer axels, but the grease gun is broken.  In trying to get some information, I was stuck on a small hill between our parks because I did not have enough power to get up a small hill in my golf cart.  A young couple helped me push it up.  I charged it up and then took the car to a man who had 2 pipe wrenches.  He was able to loosen the towing ball so I could turn the hitch over.  I parked the trailer in our drive and the car in the neighbor’s drive.  They have returned to Alberta.  We can begin loading our trailer after cleaning the interior.  Joe and Bonny could not come to dinner that Evelyn had prepared for them during the day, so we invited Paul and Donna Zopfi for the same meal.  We played some Phase 10  after dinner.