Vacation? Livestock, birthdays

I will be off for the next two days although it would be less work on me personally to be at my job. We will be moving most of the time in order to get ready for the final move – the one we will need help with – coming next Friday or Saturday. We have the house on Fairfield rented through the middle of October but we planned to be in Bowie the week of the 10th, so we need to plan our move accordingly. We have a lot of stuff and some of it needs to get to the farm over the next several trips, but that is another move altogether.


Yesterday afternoon, on my way home, I stopped to look at some chicks that someone in Fritch had advertized for one dollar each. They were listed as Rhode Island Reds and Barred Rock chicks; both of which were at the top of our list. I found the place and the trailer was a dump with trash and valuables left in piles across the yard the porch and the driveway. But since I was there I knocked and told the lady who answered the door why I was there. She was expecting me.

She fought back her five little dogs to answer the door and asked me to go to the corner of the fence where she would meet me – with all five little yapping dogs. It was a low fence without any gate, “They hadn’t made it that far yet.” she examined as we stepped over the fence into the yard which was attached to the animal area.

They had built a very nice chicken coop and horse shelter and had recently adopted a horse from the local shelter – which was so friendly that he opened the door and followed us into the chicken coop as we were looking at the chicks. She had a passel of them. I knew from the shipping boxes left on the porch that she had recently bought the hundred or so chicks that were scurrying all over the place as we entered the area segregated for the little chickens and brooding hens.

I was impressed with the setup they had and the chicks looked very healthy, much better than ones we had looked at only a few weeks earlier in another location. I offered to buy fifteen of the Reds and five of the Barred Rocks, but later bumped it up to twenty and ten. The biggest problem was finding a way to keep the little stinkers in a container to count and transfer them. She got one of the shipping boxes that had a lid and we fed them into the box several at a time while I opened and closed the lid as required. Seeing this large woman stoop to catch the fleeing chicks was both hilarious and gross – all at the same time.

The livestock waited in the truck as I went to the hospital to visit one of the men from our church that is being treated for an ulcer on the bottom of his right foot. Then I met Victoria and Mama at the Jennie house to show off my purchase. They were both impressed and we scrambled to find something to put them in for the night and to give them water after their harrowing experience.

Later Mama and I bought a cage, food, feeders and water dishes for the herd and set them up for the night. It will be a mess to deal with until we get them to the farm, but it is a fun mess for now. I have no idea how many will survive but I know Mama will morn the loss of even one should that moment come.

Two birthdays tomorrow and September will be all but over. It has been a fast paced month and the pace shows no signs of slowing as we charge toward the holidays. I am trying to do some advance preparation but it does not look like I will get too far along. We will just have to take things as they come and pray for the best; especially as I am torn in different directions at work and at home. We will see how things work out as we finish the local move. Moving to the Decatur office may follow next year, but until then Mama and I will split ourselves between two homes and two callings and do the best we can.

I can sense how my father felt as he and mom were building the home in Chappell Hill.

Chase’s birthday

Mama and I are not sure what to get Chase for his birthday. He is a very difficult person to buy for. One of the girls he “hangs out” with had him to ask Mama if she would get in trouble if she bought him a hermit crab. Mama was not thrilled. I think it could be a great gift. When I was younger a friend had a hermit crab as a pet. I asked one day to get it out of the cage and discovered that it had been dead for quite a while. We later figured out that a mouse had been eating the food he faithfully put out for his dead pet. Sounds like the perfect pet for Chase; that or a pet rock.


As we move into the house on Jennie, Mama has promised me an office but there is a caveat; all the kids must be gone so it can be set up in the second bedroom. I will eventually have to build our house in order to have a designated office space, either that or set up the herb shop.

Speaking of the herb shop idea, I am beginning to wonder if I really want that. I have spent a lot of time and money getting the background and education to be able to really consider it an option, yet I am doing nothing in my daily life to make it a reality. Sounds to me like a lack of desire - or an overwhelming fear. It is difficult to tell the difference since I am the problem.

I often compare it to Mama’s desire to learn sigh language. Maybe that is not a good analogy but in general it works for me. Mama has the ability and the desire but it has never been enough to overcome a debilitating fear. There has never been a need either. Need often drives us past our fears and allows us to accomplish things that desire alone was unable to produce. It is something I consider on a daily basis.

For Chase’s birthday he has asked me to provide him with a drivable vehicle. I did not delve too deeply into the request but I could easily offer him the Lincoln which is now tagged and titled properly. My assumption is that he would rather drive the Breeze but there are things he would like to be fixed before he would feel comfortable driving it. Victoria has driven it in its current condition for several years so I am not sure what embarrasses him most about it but it will be fun to find out. His driving the little van is pretty much out of the question for now since it is our only “good” vehicle.

Work is a whole lot more like work with the new boss we have. It is not that he is oppressive or overly difficult, he is just very driven. I get emails from him through the night so in return I send my responses before 6 a.m. every day. Since they are sent from my computer he knows that I am at work when I send them. He remarked about them last time we talked.

For those of you who are wondering, I have already taken care of Mama’s birthday present although I promised to help Chase and Victoria pay for what they have ordered for her. Once again, everyone cleans up but Daddy.

Relocation, new neighbors, Maggie and the kids

Grandma and Grandpa are officially residents of Bowie, TX. Even their licenses are changed to reflect the new location. They had to get the license updates before the bank they would like to use would allow them to open an account. It is a very local bank but they are excited about getting everything in order to start over one last time. That was one of the many things Mama and her folks got done on Friday and Saturday of last week.


The tractor and related equipment were delivered about 3 p.m. on Friday and even tough everyone was tired from moving into the rental Thursday evening we still put it to work for several hours after delivery. For right now we are concentrating on brush-hogging the land so that as the rains continue to come there will be a chance for the new grass to grow through the stubble without having to compete for precious water with the larger brushy plants that are covering the landscape. What we were able to brush hog looks better better.

Mama and I got a chance to meet one of the neighbors and we exchanged numbers so we can get in touch in an emergency – or just for general conversation about the adjoining properties. She seemed very nice and hugged Mama right away. She was relieved that the farm is going to be put to use again. Mama and I will be able to get a wealth of information about the place from her.

This will be Grandpa’s first full week at the farm. Grandma is already put out that she will not have him sitting around nearby. She has become very used to him coming every time she calls out or moans and she realizes that those times are over. I think she will adapt very well and I know she is happy to see Grandpa so excited. He is back on a farm again. I am pretty sure we have them both set up well for the new venture.

Maggie had the grandkids for a couple of nights last week and they were incredible impressed by her house. Grant and Mykenzie were asking her about the size of her house and Maggie was explaining that is was only a small apartment but as they pulled up to the complex Grant could not get over the size of the place and remarked over and over at how big her house was. He also could not get over the number of friends Maggie had in her house. In his short life everyone coming in and out of the same building lived together so, in his mind, Maggie had a lot of people living with her.

He is potty trained now and has had few accidents since he got the idea firmly fixed in his mind as to where such physical deposits are to be made. He is, like most mastering the duty of proper toileting, impressed every time he checks out what has come out of his body. Last week he pooped out a snake in one sitting and a small alligator in another. Realizing the mystery involved for such a little one, that out of some mysterious opening which he cannot see, his body produces some substance that when properly deposited in the water of a toilet excites his Mommy beyond understanding, he must study the extruded lumps to try and understand what is so important.

Mykenzie was more impressed by Maggie’s church building which had an upper level she had never seem before. When Maggie told her what it was it must not have registered so she came up with something that was more relevant and continued to refer to the structure as a “bow the knee.”

Aaron is due home today. I wonder if Maggie is excited.

Moving in, more work ahead, our new ox

I got to the place Grandma and Grandpa are renting only a few minutes after they got there. Despite the threat of rain all day they were about an hour behind it all the way from Amarillo. It took them about an hour longer to get here than it normally does but all the vehicles and the trailer made the trip without any issues. The little truck was Grandpa/s biggest concern because of transmission problems he has been having, but it is here now and we can take our time getting it repaired.


Our poor little van looks so empty now since I took out all but one of the backseats so Mama could load it up. It will not go home empty though since we have to take back a bed that was taken to the farm some weeks ago when Grandma and Grandpa made their first attempt to stay there. Victoria wants to downsize since she and Chase are going to share a room at the house we are moving to. Her larger bed will help stuff the garage.

Grandma and Grandpa are in a very nice place for the moment. It should be one of the very last moves they will have to make. Mama reminded me that the last will be to the farm at some point possibly next year. That should be an easier move. Like the one Mama and I are making it will be a relocation of only four miles or so.

But for the moment there is some rest. There is plenty of work to be done, but it will be the patient, persistent, plodding type of work characteristic of running a farm. I know Grandpa is looking forward to that and so am I. Mama and Grandma are anxious to get started too. They were really getting into the area as we sat on the front porch, drinking hot tea and watching their neighbor practice calf roping. He was out there for over an hour throwing his loop, roping the calf then letting it go and doing it all over again. Even though we were a good distance away, it was fun to watch.

We watched the sunset paint the sky the most beautiful orange. It was even more impressive since the horizon was full of large oak trees almost as if it had been planted for the effect we were enjoying. I am confident there will be a repeat performance tonight, something unique to the night. God is infinitely creative that way.

Today our equipment is being delivered to the farm. We are all very excited about that. I imagine, back in Bible times, a farmer and his wife lying in bed talking about the oxen they have bought. The delivery is tomorrow. They are excitedly sharing with each other the vision they each have for the increase the animals will bring to their humble farm, how much more they can do, how much more they can plant and reap, the stalls they have built to house them. It is the same with me and Mama as we see our modern day oxen delivered tomorrow.

Livestock will be coming soon. I will wait on Grandpa to begin those purchases after the stalls are ready.

Fall is here, the convoy, wildlife

Tomorrow is the start of Fall as far as the weather watchers are concerned and tomorrow will feel like Fall for about twenty four hours. It will be cool, rainy and very windy. The problem is that those conditions will start this morning and Mama, Grandma and Grandpa will be in convoy from Amarillo to Bowie. I am already in Decatur. I drove over last night so I could be here when they got here. It made more sense as far as being able to help them unload once they arrived. I wish they could have come over last night as well but it was a bit too much for all of them.


Rain is in the forecast for the area but the heavy rains will stay north of us. All the area needs a thorough soaking so I can’t be disappointed about how much it will rain, I am just thankful that it is finally beginning to rain.

I stopped by the farm last night even though it was well after dark, not so much to see the land but to listen to the night sounds. It was very soothing. There is a business on the highway near enough to our property that the lights from the yard there send a good bit of light onto the high areas of our property. I do not think we will have to install too many dusk to dawn lights of our own, we will mostly use theirs.

On the way out of the driveway I ran over a large copperhead. He should still be there since I heard him pop as my back tires completed the rupture. On the way to Decatur I ran over another large snake which I thought to be another copperhead. We will have to be careful in the next several weeks as they look for places to hibernate during the coming winter weather. It scares Mama a little for Grandpa to be working the farm alone – especially with the snakes we have seen there.

I told her those worries were unfounded because we had more snakes on our property in West Virginia than we have seen here and Grandpa worked a farm there for over twenty years without incident. I was the only one who got bitten by a snake in our time there.

I am more concerned about their finances. While they were close we were able to help them out either directly or indirectly but now we will see them only a couple days per month. That is one of the reasons I would like to time my week in Decatur to be the second week of the month. That is when their money is generally at its lowest. I know it will all work out and Grandpa is going to look for a small part-time job in Bowie so they will be able to build up some savings, but until they get there I will keep a close eye on their needs.

Along with the snakes the deer were also out. On my way out of Bowie towards the farm there was a good sized doe standing in the other lane – right in the middle of the lane. I am pretty sure the eighteen wheeler barreling towards town smashed her just a moment after I passed by. I slowed down after that and used my high beams as much as possible. I was hoping to see some deer on our property but there is no good access right now.

Soon enough that will change.

Early morning beggars, looking forward

It was cool enough this morning that I had to put on a jacket as I was filling the truck with gas. While I was doing so a man approached me and gave me his sob story about a breakdown and how he only needed sixteen dollars more to pay the mechanic to fix it. Mind you, this is at 4:30 a.m. I did not give him anything but I was unsure if he was legitimate or one of the best cons I had come across in a while. At least, he maintained a non-threatening approach. I wondered as I was driving to work if he would have approached Mama or Victoria in the same manner and just the thought of that worried me a little.


I wonder if this morning was a harbinger or things to come.

Chase spent the evening with friends – mostly girls – at the fair. He had talked about getting a week long pass but that fell through when his friends finally decided that they were not going to go more than once or twice. I think he told me that the picture he entered in the photo contest at the fair got an Honorable Mention. Victoria’s, on the other hand, was hung upside down. They discovered the mistake as we were looking at cattle Monday morning. Needless to say, she did not win with that entry.

I have had a very busy month so far and it does not look like it will be slowing down for some time. Mama and I are beginning to forecast my time commitments into early 2012 to see what we can schedule for Thanksgiving and Christmas. It is pretty certain that both holidays will be spent in Bowie, but we have to keep our commitments in our church here in Amarillo as well as help Chase with maintaining his schedule of work and study.

We are expecting that late this year Victoria will move to Bowie and in January of next year Chase will go to New Jersey to finish his senior year. But we are not there yet so we have to stay flexible in order to get the majority of needs met. We will never meet every need in full; such a life exists only in books. But we are coming reasonably close right now.

As we were loading the truck last night Grandma pulled a chair out into the front yard and was hollering at each of the neighbors as they either arrived at their houses or as they were leaving telling each of them that they were moving to Bowie to start a farm and that Mama and I were moving into their house as soon as we could. I do not know if anyone was really interested, but she was certainly was having a time telling each one she could.

I was looking at the space available and wondering how everything was going to fit. We will find a way to make it happen but it could be a real challenge. Although it may not be as difficult as it was getting into the house we are currently living in. That was probably the biggest downsize we have done since we originally moved to West Virginia from Texas when Victoria was not even crawling.

It’s a good thing. Our wagon is too full anyway.

More on moving, news on Becky, serving the Lord

Mama and I packed up some boxes yesterday in preparation for our move but the focus of our efforts is across town at Grandma and Grandpa’s. I have to admit that the visits are better when there is a focus on something other than sitting around and yakking or listening to yakking. Also, since Bella is gone the home seems more inviting. I am not sure why, it just seems less stressed.


I have to give Grandpa kudos’s for the effort he has put into preparation for the move; getting the trailer ready, getting the trucks ready, packing up the working garage and the house. He has been very busy. I know Grandma has helped, but the weight of the work has fallen to Grandpa. He is incredibly excited about getting to the farm, getting the tractor, getting out from under the financial load he has been carrying. November should be a month when they can breathe a sigh of relief – hopefully. It all comes together in the next couple days.

I am beginning to change our address on all the paperwork that accompanies our financial lives; bank statements, driver’s licenses and ID’s, credit card statements, utility bills and local government registrations, insurance statements (medical, dental, life, auto and home), voter registration, Post Office address, and the list goes on. Of course Mama is resistant to making the changes since we are unsure how long we will be at the new address. I keep telling her, “By law, we have only thirty days to make the changes on our driver’s license.” That does not sit well with her, but it is the law. Though she is a person who would never lie, she hates being told what to do.

Becky texted me at 0530 this morning. She is transferring to a discharge unit and should be home early in October. I know she is ecstatic over the news and Charles is almost equally excited at the thought of getting his bride home. It seems that absence truly does make the heart grow fonder. It is nicer when that fondness endures for a lifetime. There are enough unpleasant distractions and interferences in life that can affect how we feel about each other, but love is still a choice.

I made my pastor aware of the changes in my schedule since I am pretty sure it will affect my ability to serve in the ministry there. Since I will be missing one Sunday night and one Wednesday night service per month as well a soul winning during that same week I may not be able to meet the requirements for service as set forth by the church. I hate to give up any of the thing we are doing, choir, Children’s Church, special music, etc. but I do not want to violate the rules in place. It is the pastor’s call. I will continue to serve as long as we are there, but I will only do so if it does not compromise the discipline established there.

Mama and I are hoping Grandma and Grandpa will go to the church we have visited in Bowie, Bible Baptist Church. Mama said Grandpa really liked what he saw when they went together several Wednesday nights ago. I just hope they find somewhere to serve since there is little possibility for growth without service and there are few avenues of service, Biblically speaking, outside of the local church.

I go back to the flight illustration of several months ago. As we make a turn in flight if we do not increase our throttle and forward speed we will lose altitude without realizing it. Any turn we have to make in life requires an increased focus on service for the Lord or we lose momentum and altitude; Bible reading, prayer, Church attendance, personal devotions all need to be stepped up just to maintain our current walk.

If Mama and I lose our place of service we must be very vigilant to maintain our current spiritual walk so we can still grow in the Lord. Time to step it up a notch. No coasting allowed.

Farm weary, the fair, the moves

Mama and I worked only a couple hours on the farm before we headed home on Saturday. For some reason we were both pretty worn out. It had been a very productive time in Decatur and we actually got to see some rain while we were there – mostly as we traveled back from Costco in Grapevine. That was not goods timing for Mama but anytime it rains here is good timing.


Mama got the trailer license so we could legally use it for the move this week and I got to spend about two hours with my new boss. There were several positive outcomes but the most relevant to Mama and all concerned is that I will work one week per month out of the office in Decatur – at least until we are moved into that office. Right now the focus is staffing the office for increased drilling activity in that area. My position will not come there until next year, but it will be relocated to that office eventually. (The only caveat is what to do for Chase as we are gone during that week since we will not have Grandma and Grandpa to fill in for his required transportation.)

Mama, Victoria, Chase and I went to the Fair this morning. We were particularly interested in seeing the miniature Hereford show. I am very interested in starting with mimi cattle although Grandpa is not sold on the idea yet. In the long run I think we will be as well off if not better off by raising the mini’s. Mama and I talked with several people and found where the main supplier is here in Texas, for both stock and show quality Herefords. From there we will branch out to the other breeds as we gather information before starting our herd.

It was fun to have a six and eight year old tell us about their heifers. One was named “Salty” and the other was named “Ice Man”. The little girl actually showed twice while we were watching. Mama and I got to pet the two show heifers and talk about how long the family had had them, how they were to work with, and special needs relevant to their size, etc. We had a great time even though both Chase and I had to get to work after only a couple hours there. The really great part was that we got in free.

The main focus of the next few days is packing up Grandma and Grandpa and planning their move. In conjunction with those activities we will be packing and planning our own move to the house they are vacating. Our new address will be: 4219 Jenny Amarillo, TX 79106. I will have to make all the changes required for Texas, our insurance, our creditors, etc. The unfortunate part is that I may have to do it all over again in less than a year.

Only God knows at this point.

Rain, transportation

Here in Borger we were able to look out of our office windows yesterday afternoon and see something I have only seen briefly one other time since I have been here – rain. We all knew there was rain in the forecast but to actually see it was far better. Mama and I will see how much rain we are getting at the farm later this evening, but Amarillo and Borger can rejoice this morning at the blessing of rain. The forecast is for rain over the next several days; let’s hope that it is as accurate as yesterday and last night’s prediction.


As we were leaving for church last night Grandma and Grandpa came over so Grandpa could mow the yard for us; Grandma wanted to watch something we had recorded on TV. Mama had called to tell him about the rain that was coming and as it turned out, it was a good thing he did come. It rained through the night. Rain will continue through the day today and into this evening, but the work is done and the timing could not have been better.

If it rains at the farm the timing will be pretty good also, since the tractor will be scheduled for delivery late next week. Knocking down the overgrowth will give new grass a chance to grow. We may actually see some green on the ground rather than a dead tan-ish brown. It is encouraging to see prayers answered and to be able to measure progress, or in this case, growth.

With my company transportation being taken from me, I am looking at options for transportation in my commute to work. I do not like the idea of going back to driving the Breeze, but the only other options are the little van and the Lincoln. I am not as enamored with the Lincoln as Maggie and Victoria are so there is little chance of me driving it in my round trips to Borger. The little van is Mama’s baby, so I am back to square one.

I have toyed with the idea of purchasing another vehicle but there is very little appeal in that idea because of the funds it sucks out of our limited resources. Those same funds could be used to grow a harvest which would produce an income from which I could then purchase another vehicle. The problem is that the need is more immediate than would be accomplished through the sale of produced goods. So you can see where this is heading. Victoria would be relieved for me to take over the Breeze for now and Chase is talking about taking it to New Jersey rather than Grandpa’s truck, which is in need of some repairs. So even it’s use to me is short-lived.

With the loss of the company truck also came the loss of reimbursement for mileage when using my personal vehicle while on company business – if I take Mama with me. My former boss kind of winked at the policy that my current boss is enforcing with some attention from his boss. I told my boss that I would rather have Mama with me and lose the money than to travel without her during times when it makes sense for her to be with me. Overall it will be a small loss, but it totals up to a substantial loss of some really nice perks.

Next weekend will be the big move. I am not sure what will follow but there is noticeable momentum carrying us toward Bowie. I was told only Monday by one of the HSE people here in the Borger office that the rumor was that I was to be moving to the Decatur office. My only response was the old proverbial expression, “From your lips to God’s ears.”

Not that their ideas make a bit of difference. God really is in control.

Travel, moving, chickens, pottery

Mama and I are going to be in Decatur for business this Thursday and Friday. I will leave Borger Thursday afternoon after I officiate our monthly safety meeting, so we should be leaving around 1 p.m. from Amarillo. It will give us a chance to get the trailer title and plates worked out in Decatur and to check on the dumpster that was to be placed at the farmhouse. Grandma and Grandpa will be using the farm dumpster so they do not have to pay extra for trash pickup at the rental house; a pretty good idea. Grandma also told us last night that they were going to use the farm address as their permanent address; another good idea.


We got another piece of good news yesterday when Mama talked to our landlord about our intent to move out of the house at 1909 S Fairfield. He told her that not much money would have to change hands since we would be getting a $500 deposit back. So our out of pocket expense for the half month will be about $125. That will be a big help in paying the fuel costs of the move for Grandma and Grandpa.

Grandpa has the trailer we bought looking pretty good. We bought a light kit yesterday and he has it installed already. We also bought some black paint to repaint the entire trailer and Grandpa has that already done. The wheel bearings are repacked and short of having to replace one tire, it is ready to go. Mama, who was questioning it at first, is now very pleased with her purchase.

We went last night to a home here in Amarillo to look at chickens. This man and his wife have several dozens of chickens ranging from incubated eggs to six month old laying hens. They have about six varieties of chickens as well as four kinds of ducks and three kinds of turkeys. What drew Mama to the add was the guineas he has for sale but once we got there they took a back seat to all the other fowl in the building.

I think one of the primary focuses of the farm will be readying the chicken coups for new arrivals: which we did not purchase yet. We learned which breed laid the earliest, which laid the most consistently, which was the most docile, which was good for eggs and meat, which laid the largest eggs and which Mama and Grandma liked the best; Buff Orpington. Chickens should be less work than cattle or hogs which I think will come very soon.

One of the things I anticipate as we develop the farm is the influx of undesirable critters. It will not take long for the mice and rats to find out there is food and water being delivered to a group of laying hens. It will not be long after that that the snakes see a feasting ground in the same area. So things will spiral up the food chain because both water and food are scarce in the area. I am interested to see what creatures move in and how soon. Chicken’s mortal enemies include skunks, weasels and minks, raccoons, foxes, coyotes, birds of prey, and certain snakes which will eat the eggs and the chicks. The battle will begin soon so stay tuned for updates.

Maggie is getting into pottery with some of her friends from church. I am anxious to see what comes out of that since I have never credited Maggie with a high level of creativity. (Shame on me!) I do remember when Mama and I were into ceramics – as it was called at the time - and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Joshua was just a toddler back then – that’s how long ago it was. I suppose pottery has a more “green” sound to it than ceramics.

I think Maggie is interesting Mama in the pursuit.

Becky’s release, birthday month, relocation for some

I got a call from Becky the other day – I think it was Sunday – that she should be going home very soon. The doctors are not certain what she had but it was serious enough to let her out of her contract, which is a pretty good outcome for her and Charles. I think she said she would be home within two weeks. It will be a great birthday present for her. After all, this is birthday month.


Chase was showing me something last night that we could get for Mama for her birthday. She pretended not to know what was going on but I know better. She does not like surprises and she does not like us to buy anything for her – so she says, but it is birthday time and we have to do something!

I got some mixed news yesterday. I did find out that I will not be getting a truck. My new boss is going to review the needs of various positions and assignments and take away a lot of the vehicles we now have from other non-qualifying individuals. I will continue to drive the truck I now am using until the final edict comes down or until I am asked to give it back, but that was a disappointment. I also found out that the Borger office will probably be shut down over the next year. The current lease runs out in October. That is going to be a huge disappointment to many here but it may facilitate my move.

My boss asked for my resume because he was told that I do not really have the qualifications to be in this job – that is to say my skills may be better suited to another part of the organization. This day and age, with two years of unemployment benefits, it is tempting to consider the idea of being laid off as a benefit rather than a tragedy; but we won’t go there. I planted the idea of relocating the office to Ft. Worth from Decatur to attract better candidates to work for us and the idea was well received, but I do not know how it will pan out.

There is quite a bit of angst in the company right now, not only in our area but nationally as ConocoPhillips seeks to divide into two companies. I hope to stay where I am both geographically (north Texas) and occupationally but I am not sure what the Lord has in mind. I am pretty sure we will be in Amarillo for another year and that is not a bad thing since we are growing stronger spiritually and financially. Having a place to stay when we are at the farm will be a real blessing. Over the holidays we are really looking forward to it.

Grandma and Grandpa are getting ready to relocate. They are extremely excited. At least Grandpa is: being closer to the farm will be a great benefit for all of us – especially Grandpa. We are tentatively scheduling the tractor to be delivered on the 23rd. That is when Mama and all will be delivering the goods to the new house for Grandma and Grandpa. It is only four miles from the farm so it is about as good as we could have hoped for until the farmhouse is habitable.

For those of you who might be wondering, the fires that are charring the state are quite a ways south of us. I cannot imagine the losses suffered this year; tornados, floods and fires have wreaked havoc on the country. The rains are thankfully, coming to our area. Bowie is predicted to have seven consecutive days of rain starting on Wednesday. If the predictions are accurate, it will stop on the day we are planning our move.

I have, by faith, crossed that off of my master prayer list.

I

Seeing God work

Last week as I was traveling from Bartlesville, OK to Decatur, TX Mama and Grandpa were in church at Bible Baptist Church in Bowie. They had come down to spend some time on the farm and to look at houses for Grandma and Grandpa to rent. As Mama was talking about the need to some of the people in church, one lady volunteered that they should talk to a realtor that was locally known and well liked. They called the realtor the next morning and she showed them a mobile home that was perfect for the need. They could not wait to show me when I got to the farm later that evening. I have to agree, it is perfect. The only drawback is that the rent is a little higher than many others we looked at, however the location and amenities make it worthwhile and I think it will make a good place for Grandma and Grandpa to spend the next year as we develop the farm.


Thursday at lunchtime I met Grandpa and Mama at the tractor dealer in Decatur. He offered us the best deal we could find not only in the area but everywhere we looked. We have looked at tractors online and in person and have traveled several hundred miles to do so and have been disappointed at every turn with the price vs. quality issue. So we decided to purchase new and pay it off as quickly as possible. The New Holland/Ford dealer in Decatur offered a 55 hp tractor with a front loader, a 6’ brush hog and a 6’ box scraper at a very good price. He also offered it at no interest for 60 months. We put $2100 down because of our currently healing credit report which leaves us enough for the well to be drilled and some minor things as we move Grandma and Grandpa into the area – more or less permanently.

On the way home Grandpa and Mama stopped to look at a trailer we were planning to buy. It was fairly cheap but in need of some very minor work. I insisted on getting a temporary pass to get the trailer home and we really liked doing business with the DPS office in Decatur; no lines, no waiting and three people to wait on us. We were in and out in fifteen minutes and the cost was $5. Mama and Grandpa had the money already in hand although Mama had to stop to beef up the kitty since we spent $300 on a deposit for the rental property in Bowie.

I swung through Wichita Falls to check out an office leased by ConocoPhillips in the town. I had no idea what to expect but I had heard that we had some space leased there and I wanted to know if it was viable for expanding our shrinking capacity in the Decatur office. It turned out to be a very pleasant visit with the two people in that office but not a solution to our needs. I kept tabs on Grandpa and Mama as I tried to catch up to them. I was about forty five minutes behind but with their bathroom breaks and the ATM stop I actually got ahead of them by several minutes. I pulled over in Hedley and waited for them for about three or four minutes. Then I followed them home because the trailer did not have working lights. It turned out to be a very good purchase.

Yesterday in Children’s Church Mama was thrilled to have one of the little ones who had never uttered a word to us finally start opening up. We had a great day overall but that was the highlight of her morning.

Maggie called us on Friday night to tell us that she had settled her salvation once and for all. It is wonderful to see her in a good church and to see her get involved and continue to grow. It makes the loneliness and separation easier for both her and Aaron.

As I was getting ready for church I happened to look across the street at the fire station to see the firemen lined up on the front lawn facing the flag, heads bowed remembering the tragedy on September 11, 2001. It was a very humbling thing to see and it reminded me of how personal the loss must feel to many. We should never forget.

Travel, moving, planning ahead

I will be on the road most of next week so there may not be much time to write. I will be traveling to Bartlesville, OK for training, Tuesday and Wednesday. Later on Wednesday I will travel to Decatur to work in the office there on Thursday. Mama and Grandpa plan on meeting me in Decatur so we can look at a couple of tractors. Friday I will head home. It will be a busy week.


I kind of talked Mama and Grandpa into making the trip because it looks like the only time I will be able to get to Decatur this month. You have to understand that when I say Decatur (that’s where the office is) I really mean Bowie (that’s where the farm is). With the preparations to move Grandma and Grandma into a rental property in Bowie or Montague fully under way, we are looking for every opportunity to get there and back as often as possible. Thankfully, if I plan carefully, my company helps provide accommodations – even thought the hotel is thirty miles from the farm.

We are actually looking at moving into Grandma and Grandpa’s house after we get them to Bowie. It will save us over $500 per month in rent and utilities. The biggest drawback is the one bathroom. Mama and I have not had to deal with that since we lived in the first trailer on the farm in West Virginia. I have her pretty spoiled and our current rental has only added to the royal treatment she is used to.

There are advantages to the other house; two garages, a large yard, more parking space, lower utilities, a large covered patio, closer to Chases work, etc. Not having to compete daily with the neighbors for parking would be a real stress reliever. Depending on the length of our stay I could set up a study area for myself and Mama and I could try a small garden – if we can keep Ketsia out of it. There are disadvantages also. It is further from Victoria’s work, which is a small inconvenience, and it is an older house with only one bathroom. So when we have visitors, it compounds the problem; nothing we cannot deal with. One thing Mama likes is that there is room for a Christmas tree in the living room.

My boss is encouraging me to assume more and more responsibility within the business unit, which is a good thing. As long as my job has real value to him, I will have a good job. If ever my job or I lose that value I will be forced to look for another one. For now things seem moderately secure, but that is subject to change without notice; especially in this economically perilous time.

It is best for us not to have any illusions about what could be coming at us. There is little hope of a bright economic future in the next several years. God will always take care of us but it would behoove us to be prudent about what we can do to pare back in areas of our lives where we can and plan for tough times. My greatest concern has always been that I arrange my life so we can give more to missions. Sometimes it has been difficult. God has always blessed.

I feel we are heading into very difficult times which is why we are pressing to get the farm going while arranging our finances to protect our ability to give. Keeping a proper focus has been difficult, but a proper focus on money is always difficult to maintain especially in our spend-happy world. It is one of the main reasons we have always sought missions minded churches.

Right now there are millions of people in the northeast part of our country that wish they had made better preparations. Such planning takes time, money and careful consideration.

We have a chance to plan ahead, let’s not waste it.

Electronic connections, dreams, rivalries, teamwork

I got a call from Becky last night as we were getting ready to leave for church. She has her cell phone back and she was thrilled. She never ceases to amaze me; what she gets into and then out of, what she makes it through unscathed, is beyond imagination. She will be released from her contract with the National Guard later this month. It will be a simple discharge, “Failure to Adapt”; no honor but no dishonor in the release – simply “you are free to go home.” She is giddy with the idea. I am not sure if there are lessons learned for her in the episode, but I am happy for her…especially with the return of the cell phone. -


I drove the company truck into the driveway last night with the fuel level alarm light on. I was curious to see how low I could get the tank without running out of gas. I was pretty sure I would get to the gas station this morning – and I did, not difficult in Amarillo where there seems to be a gas station every several blocks. The bad part was that, through the night, I had multiple dreams about running out of gas; strange how your mind works. Like one missionary wife said recently, she prays and leaves things in God’s hands but then feels free to help Him worry about it.

I will be going to Bartlesville, OK next week for some training so I will get to see the place where it all started for Phillips Petroleum many decades ago. I do not think I will take a lot of time for sight seeing – not like there is much to see there besides some Phillips 66 memorabilia but I will be passing through pretty quickly. It will be an overnight stay and then on to Decatur. The assistant pastor at our church warned me to spend as little time in Oklahoma as possible – it is part of an old rivalry from his high school days. Pastor shut him down when he warned, “Get back to Texas as fast as you can. Don’t even eat there!”

It was all in good fun. Everywhere we have lived there has been a sense of pride in the state and in the community and that is as it should be. I have to confess that other than West Virginia I have not allowed myself to adopt such a pride. One day I will have to apologize to Missouri and New Jersey but for now Mama and I will try to sink some deep roots here – in Texas. Besides much of the pride centered on some sports focus, whether it was high school, collegiate or professional and that has never been a focal point of my life.

The teamwork in moving toward getting the farm going is proving challenging but that is to be expected. Grandpa has never been the best communicator and relaying his thoughts through Grandma is problematic at best. We will work it out soon enough if we learn to speak freely and openly. I have never put overbearing restrictions on communication in our home – only that it be respectful, well thought out if possible, but respectful at a minimum.

We’re all human so we have each violated that requisite at times, but it’s nice to have rules in place. It gives the semblance of order. Sometimes we worry so much about tact that the message is lost. Obviously that is not productive communication and Mama learned years ago that I am pretty poor at picking up on hints so it is better to just say what needs to be said. With what we are risking and the potential gain, I hope Grandpa and I learn to be honest with each other; as honest as two people can be, at least. Our pastor has taught the congregation to say, “Teamwork makes the dream work!” That thought will apply to our efforts especially well.

Maggie is pretty thrilled about the church she is becoming a part is. She is in Gulf Breeze, Florida with a friend (Liz) from church whose husband is out on assignment also. This friend’s family lives there and she goes there often when he husband is out of town. They stopped to visit Cori and the kids on their way down and Grant fell in love with Liz.

Family and friends close by, that’s a good thing.