Mama, Chase

Mama finally made it to New Jersey yesterday afternoon. After spending the night in St. Louis she was reassigned to a flight that left at about 9 a.m. for Newark. It was almost exactly twenty four hours from the time her original flight departed Amarillo. I had to text her to see if she was there safely because I was pretty sure she was in Newark but had gotten side tracked with the end of flight ritual of meeting Chase and getting to baggage claim.


She and Chase were headed down Highway 1 & 9 because they had missed the turn to get on the turnpike headed south. Later yesterday evening we talked and she had already been to the doctor with the Fisher boys (and she managed to squeeze in lunch at 25 Burgers) and was on her way to Starbucks for Mrs. Fisher. Things have not changed much since we were last there. It is life on a dead run but Mama is having a good time already.

Just before I lay down for bed last night we tried to talk but there were too many people telling her things in the background and I was tired after getting home from church so we did not talk long. Those of you that have been in on a phone conversation with Mama while someone else is talking to her know what I am talking about. She did mention that she had failed to tell me that a bad storm that ripped through Bowie had torn the roof off of the pig building as well as the cover I put over the logs for our log home. That news, especially the way it was delivered, kept me awake for a little while but I eventually got to sleep and slept to the alarm – which is rare for me.

I am planning on going to the farm today. I am not sure if I will make it. I can always work out of the office in Decatur on Friday and not really miss a beat, but I am pretty tired today and for some reason the four hour drive seems wearisome. That is not usually the case, but I am wrestling with that thought today.

I drove Chase’s truck to work today since I was planning on taking a company truck to Amarillo for some service work, then on to Bowie. I have everything set aside for the trip and it will be a full load if I do go. Grandpa really needs the air compressor I have at the house in Amarillo and it makes sense to have it there rather that here. I also have the little table saw setting aside to load on this trip as well as various items Mama has slated for travel to Bowie.

I am sure Mama and I will talk at some point today but I do remember her mentioning that of all the children in the church, none had changed as much as Marcella. Mama said she did not even recognize her when Marcella first approached her. Most everyone else was quickly recognizable to her – and her to them. She should have a great time on Sunday when the Children’s Church kids are all there to see her.

It seems Chase is glad to have Mama there. I am disappointed that I am not able to be there. Mama and I talked about me coming up for a day or two but the price of flights is out of reach at the moment. Besides, I could end up stuck in an airport like Mama was for more than the expected time. These things are best not left until the last minute. Chase and I knew there was a pretty strong chance things would work out this way when he headed north. I only hope it will not be a point of contention in the years to come. At this point, it has been all we can do just to give him the opportunity to be there for his graduation.

I spoke to the De La Grazas last night after church and Bobby especially was disappointed that we did not bring back Lucy with us. I am sure Andrew and Brittany are enjoying her.

Mama’s travels, rain, Kudos to Becky

Mama left Amarillo about 9:30 a.m. yesterday on her way to Newark, NJ. She made it as far as St. Louis, MO. The plane was delayed for several hours due to weather in Newark until finally the flight was cancelled altogether. After several frantic phone calls she opted for an overnight stay at a hotel near the airport. It was not at all in our financial plans to include that in her trip but what can you do? I will pull the money from somewhere to make it work. At least she does not have to worry about Chase coming in rush hour traffic to pick her up.


She and I talked early this morning and the flight is delayed until some time around 9 a.m. I have no idea if she will make it there today or not. The tropical storm southeast of the area seems to have stirred up some severe weather patterns and the multiple flight delays resulting from that has made Newark International overcrowded with flights. The pilot dispatching the bad news upon Mama’s arrival to St. Louis yesterday afternoon said that Newark was experiencing a traffic jam of their own. Hopefully she will get to New Jersey today – early; but at this point we have no promise of that.

After praying for rain at the farm I checked the weather report for the area and saw that over two inches of rain fell on Monday night and another ½ inch fell last night. I think it is safe to say that Grandpa will not have to water the garden for a couple days. The bad part of the forecast is the predicted winds. For the next couple days the sustained winds are supposed to be thirty miles per hour. That tends to dry things out pretty quickly.

It seems we go from dry to soaked but I guess that is the normal weather patterns for the area. If we can get the moisture to soak down deeply enough that the grasses we have planted in the meadow can sustain themselves through the dry periods we should have a good cash crop in the spring of next year. This year we will have to settle for one cutting late in the year, but it is better than nothing and significantly more than when we started our meadow projects. It will be some income from what has become a very demanding financial project.

Yesterday afternoon while Mama was waiting on delayed flights Becky took her final test to become certified as an EMT. The test yesterday was the National Certification Test. She got off to a rough start because as she and Charles were leaving to go to the test center she could not find her wallet. She needed her license as an ID for entry into the testing center. It must have worked out because she called me several hours later to report that at question 75 the electronic testing machine cut her off. She still had over an hour left of testing time so she is unsure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. Personally, I think it was a good thing, but we will know tomorrow or Friday.

She already has two job offers from different ambulance services, so she is excited and nervous about the test result. In the brief moment Charles and I spoke he tried to take credit for her success by explaining that he made sure she studied hard, but I think the lion’s share of the credit must go to Becky – even if Charles did help some. After all, she is the one who while working two part time jobs completed the course of study with a high enough composite GPA to make the dean’ list. Kudos to you, Becky.

I am planning on going to Bowie tomorrow afternoon. That remains to be seen. I have things I really need to do in the office there, but I have a few things to finalize here also.

I have always thought that as I slowed down, life would also. It is not working out that way but maybe I am not really at a slow part yet.

Graduation, Scenery, Mama, work

On Wednesday Mama, Brittany and I attended the graduation of the Class of 2012 at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO. Brittany’s fiancé, Andrew Kim was among the graduates. It was quite an event. There were over one thousand graduates and each marched across the stage, saluted the Secretary of the Air Force and the President.


We were not thrilled to have the President there, but he is the President of the United States and he did shake the hand of each and every graduate as we roasted in the stadium. Also in attendance were Andrew’s grandmothers. His paternal grandmother had not ever met him. For her especially, it was an event to remember. Andrew’s brother Peter was also there and it was good to see him. He and Andrew are friends from church in New Jersey. Mama found out from Brittany that the grandmothers are staying for the wedding at the end of June.

I took over three hundred pictures the day of the graduation. We were invited to the stadium early to have breakfast with Andrew’s host parents who parked their RV in a field just across from the stadium. After the graduation we went back for a cook out as we waited for the traffic exiting the event to die down. You can imagine the family associated with one thousand graduates.

The scenery and the company made it delightful. On the following day Andrew took us to the chapel on the Air Force base. It is truly magnificent. I would have loved to hear someone play the pipe organ in the chapel, but we had to settle for pictures. I even laid on the floor to get a picture of the stained glass lined spires that make the design of the chapel so unique. It was fun.

Mama and I left the next morning to drive to Red River, NM. We had heard so much about it from people here in Borger and Amarillo that I wanted to make the trip over since we were within eighty miles of the town on our trip back home. We were a little disappointed. Not because it was biker weekend and there were thousands of bikers in the tiny town, but rather because it seemed over commercialized. In the same travel time (six hours) we can go to Colorado Springs where the scenery is just as spectacular and the list of activities is enormous. Who knows if we will do either, but if we have the opportunity, we will go north rather than west.

Mama boarded a plane this morning bound for New Jersey. She will arrive at 5 p.m. in Newark. Her greatest fear about the entire trip is that Chase will be driving Tammy Fisher’s car to the airport to get her – by himself. Of course, Chase does not see that as an issue; but he’s not Mama. I should hear all about it this evening. Mama will attend Chase’s graduation on Friday. Sadly, I am not able to go, but Mama will proxy for me. She will be returning with Chase and Jake on the 7th. Then things really get fired up as we prepare in earnest fro Brittany and Andrew’s wedding. Andrew’s host parents will also be attending the wedding. That should be fun.

I have several really big issues to take care of at work in the next several days. None of them are overwhelming there are coordination issues between several people and several departments. Lots of phone conversations as well as creating the proper email trail. It will take some time and will most likely not be finished until I get back from Florida. So what I am beginning will hound me for the next four or five weeks.

It’s all good.

Becky, traveling, Brittany and Andrew

I failed to mention a bit of news that is rather significant. Becky called several days ago to tell me that she had made the Chancellor’s List. The certificate for such an accomplishment is awarded to those students who complete fifteen hours or more with a GPA of 3.5 of higher. She did that while working constant night shifts as a waitress and getting her clinical hours completed for the EMT program she was enrolled in. That really is quite a feat. She will hang the framed certificate next to the one Charles received several semesters back.


Now Becky has to complete the National Certification test and she will be a registered EMT. She is planning on going on to complete the paramedic program offered at the same college and hopes to have it done in one year. We will know soon enough if that is possible but I did not want to gloss over the accomplishments to date. She and her three dogs are extremely proud of the achievement. I suppose Charles is too even though her certificate is more recent than his.

Mama and I should be in Colorado Springs tonight. I plan to leave work at noon or a little earlier and be on the road by 2 p.m. It will put us in too late to make it to the ceremony at the Academy tonight but we will be there for the graduation Wednesday. I think Brittany and Andrew have some type of ball to go to tonight; sort of like a college prom. I never did attend any such event and would find it intolerably uncomfortable since dancing and drinking are the focus of the evening. Besides, you know how much I love crowds; especially non-church crowds.

Mama and I are planning on taking our time coming back to Amarillo. We were looking at a map last night to find points of interest en route and have come up with a couple strong contenders. Great Dunes National Park and Red River, New Mexico are at the top of the list. We have heard so much about the area that it would be silly not to go while we are in the area. That is, we will be within 50-80 miles of them. The only drawback is that we will have the pup with us. It is not a major complication, but it is a complication. Not to worry, Mama will overcome.

Being strained financially makes the whole venture less comfortable than it would be if we had a surplus of money, but it does not cost to look and there should be plenty to see while we are traveling through the area. We have Victoria’s camera with us to make the most of the opportunity.

Mama is both anxious for and anxious about her upcoming trip to New Jersey. Money concerns are a little more prominent in that arena. I am not sure what she wants to do while she is there other than eat at Twenty Five Burgers and go to some of the malls. But she is already worried about not having enough money for whatever she has not gotten around to telling me is so important to accomplish (or purchase) while she is there.

She is painfully aware that only days after she gets back to Texas, she and Jake will go to the farm en route to Florida and Brittany’s wedding to Andrew. I have a clear conscious in matters concerning the wedding. I was brutally honest with both Brittany and Andrew about issues I have had on the matter and the two of them seem undeterred in making the commitment – which is as it should be.

It is not that I am against the marriage. I am for it. What worries me is that neither of them thought it was necessary to get any pre-marital counseling to help them get some of the tough questions asked before they are committed to spending all their time in each other’s company; before they start to learn about those unspoken needs. Before they begin to learn all those annoying little habits each of them have that will drive the other crazy; before they learn the needs, wants and expectations of one another and both of them have some serious expectations – yet unspoken. Before they learn how big a part of their private life extended family will be especially with the cultural differences they must consider since Andrew comes from a Korean family; all those little things that should have been addressed with some oversight prior to the honeymoon.

Will they make it? Of course.

Are they in for a rude awakening? You bet!

What’s really funny is that rather than call me and Mama when those issues come up, Brittany will more likely call the seasoned veterans in her family – Maggie and Cori.

That will be interesting.

Eating, graduation jitters, the wedding

The dinner Mama and I had planned with church friends went without a hitch even thought the husband of Mrs. Patrick’s daughter is a less than pleasant fellow. I am sure they are hoping that I will have the chance to befriend him but there are pretty strong odds against that. For Mrs. Patrick’s sake we will keep the invitation to visit open ended but I cannot go too far out of my way. There are some people that it is dangerous to befriend. He is one.


Mama and I took the 4th and 5th grade children’s church this week and we had a ball. My lesson for them was pretty long but they listened well as I explained why we do some of the things we do in church, why we talk about the same verses, why we tell the same stories. Then Mama had a game for the kids. She put a half of a twizzler on a plate and buried it in whipped cream. The kids had to put their hands behind their backs and get the twizzler chewed up and swallowed first to win. We had fourteen kids who competed two at a time. They were really getting into it by about the third set of contestants. A few even took the plates with the left over whipped cream and licked them clean. After the game was over Mama sprayed the remaining whipped cream into their open mouths. It was a mess but everyone had fun.

Grandma called to let Mama know that the zucchini were ripening fast and she needed the recipe for zucchini relish so she could start canning them. After Mama had given it to her she called back to report that one zucchini had made five cups of the relish and Grandpa had told her that there were at least twelve more just like it getting ready for picking. It is funny when I think that Mama was lamenting the fact that we had only planted three zucchini plants. When the ten okra plants start to produce we are really going to be in trouble.

Mama and I will leave tomorrow afternoon to drive to Colorado Springs in order to attend Andrew’s graduation. Brittany called on Saturday evening stressed out because she and Andrew were on their way to the airport – in separate cars – to pick up his mother and four other guests who are staying until Friday so they can also attend the graduation. She was worried about the visitors and what might be expected of her to entertain them. She was worried about what an inconvenience it was to Andrew and the schedule he has to keep leading up to the graduation. She was angry that he cannot seem to tell his mom, “no.” The whole thing should sound familiar to all of you newly weds. I am just hoping we do not have a “bridezilla” on our hands…especially for Cori’s sake.

I think what may really be bothering Brittany is the big deal everyone is making of Andrew’s graduation. It’s not like he is graduating from the Air Force Academy or something special. Oh, wait. He is. And it is a big deal. It diminishes her wedding significantly for the moment but it will come to prominence soon. The spotlight will once again be redirected and all will be well. She really has done quite a bit of planning for the wedding and I am praying it all works out well, but for right now, Andrew’s graduation is the focus of the moment. I hope to enjoy it.

Mama and I picking up Lucy, Brittany’s dog, from the De La Garza’s this evening. She will make the trip with us so she can have a play date with her mama. With the guests in the immediate area I do not know if taking the dog is a good idea but we have already made the commitment. It could be fun to see how she is received by the foreign nationals. (Don’t worry. She is way too small to eat.) The dog will come back home with us to be kept by Bobby and Sandra while we are in Florida at the afore mentioned wedding; after which we will take a few days of vacation.

That seems a long way off.

Lucy’s play date, dinner

Sandra De La Garza called Mama while she was at a bank near the house and asked if Mama would like to see Lucy. Of course, Mama loved that idea. I was late getting home yesterday from a meeting two hours away and, as it happened, I pulled up to the house at the same time Sandra was getting Lucy out of the car. I don’t know if the pup remembered me or if she is just that excited to see anyone but she was pretty excited to see me. She was overwhelmed to see Mama.


She ran all over the house in the next half hour finding her toys and attacking each one with mock furor. She still has not learned to stop in the absence of carpet and slammed into walls in every room of the house – especially the kitchen. It is the longest open space and she is able to get up quite a head of steam before trying to make an abrupt stop. It just seemed to her that the wall came up too fast. She was not deterred at all. She hopped from one toy to another, one room to another, one person to another until Sandra took her back to the car. Sort of like the grandkids visiting.

Mama and I are having people over tonight. Mrs. Patrick, her daughter Charlotte and Charlotte’s husband, Terry. Mrs. Patrick and Charlotte are fun to be around; Terry, not so much. Charlotte has confided in Mama the problems that she and Terry are having and it seems especially sad since they are both in their sixties, both on their second marriage and neither willing to seek the help necessary to mend the relationship.

We will do all we can to make the evening enjoyable. I will be cooking on the grill and Mama will be fixing all the fresh produce from our garden. I was able to get two boxes of rib eye steaks left over from the lunch yesterday. None of the steaks was cooked well, most were rare and some were really rare, so they will be perfect to finish out properly. We have chicken and fish to fix also, so at least we will eat well.

I realize that entertaining people at our home is a powerful way to build relationships, encourage fellow believers and to witness to lost friends but it is a lost part of our cultural heritage – especially among Anglo Americans. We have grown accustomed to our privacy and our “down time”. We are afraid to offend, intrude or wear out our welcome. I have a feeling we had better get over it, especially in this faltering, floundering, friendless culture we have developed.

I am firmly convinced that the days are coming when the only solid foundation we will have for life is our friendships, the community we have taken time to foster and build, and the fellowship of a good local church. Many things around us are beginning to shake, to become unsteady, especially our fragile economy. The relationships we take time to build now will help soften the blow when times get debilitatingly difficult.

I am not a dooms day crier. But I do worry that too many of us have allowed TV, cell phones and social networking to save us from developing the skills required for face-to-face interaction. We need to get past taking the easy way. We need to learn to use the extra words required for personal, interactive conversations and expand our circle of friends – without trying to sell them anything.

Tonight’s dinner reminded me how long is has been since we had people over – even people from the church. Mama and I used to be much better about it, but I think the appearance of the house we are renting, the time we spend away from Amarillo and the busy-ness of my job have provided an excuse for us to neglect those relationships that we really do want to care for. So we are going to start scheduling these soirées and reacquaint ourselves with the ministry of hospitality.

If times get really tough, it might be only beans and cornbread on the table but it not what is on the table that builds friendships, it is what happens around the table that accomplishes that.

Meetings, church, Lucy and Rosie

Yesterday was a meeting day. I was in meetings from 8 a.m. until after 4 p.m. It was not unprofitable but it was not enjoyable. Today will be more of the same with the added bonus of having to travel an hour away to get to some of the meetings. So added to the meeting schedule is four hours on the road. It is looking more and more like the schedule my boss keeps.


The panhandle division of our business is celebrating two years without an incident or injury. That is a monumental accomplishment for the industry we are in. So, there is going to be a steak lunch given to about two hundred people to congratulate them on the accomplishment. It will be a three hour event with the lunch and the following presentation. I have to arrive an hour and one half early for meetings with my staff. It will be a long day.

Church was great last night. We ended up staying after the service was over so I could practice with the group I was assigned to sing with. Our song leader picks certain men to sing a song and puts them on the music schedule which is then handed out to those who sing special music. So it is always a surprise announcement for most of us. Fortunately, the schedule is handed out way in advance so we have time to get a song ready.

Two of the men in this particular group love to sing but can’t so we are always arranged so that the two of us who can sing get closest to the microphone. No one seems to take offence to it and the congregation and pastor seem to enjoy the variety, so who am I to suggest anything different? Besides, with Mama and I out of our home church so much the past few months, such a singing arrangement works out pretty well for me.

Victoria went to church in Decatur last night and until we talked to Grandma after we got home from church we thought she had gone by herself. We found out that Grandma went with her. Her excuse was to be with Victoria since she would be driving home after dark, but Grandma really likes the church. Grandpa refused to go because he feels it is too far to drive; that’s sad. We will be going every service we are in Bowie and Victoria will be going to every service she can attend. Families from the institute will be going once that restarts so there will always be a way to get there. Three trips to a church thirty miles away each week seems a manageable expense, besides it is for the Lord. He will provide if we are willing to go.

Mama and I will do whatever we can to be in a good church and I am proud of Victoria for making the effort as well. I am not sure what it will take to motivate Grandpa to service on God’s terms but that is something he will have to work out on his own. As long as he allows Grandma to attend with Victoria so she can sit under the preaching of the Word of God there will be some growth between the two of them.

Mama had arranged to pick up Lucy, Brittany’s dog, from the couple that is keeping her after church last night but practice took so long that she rescheduled. Bobby and Sandra De La Garza really enjoy the little dogs company so they were not offended by the time being extended. I don’t know what the new plans are but I will go along with whatever arrangements are made.

The original plan was to take the dog with us to Colorado next week to see her real mama, but I am not sure if that is still in the works. For the moment, the little dog has a happy home and our pup sitters are completely thrilled with the arrangement. By the time Lucy gets back to Brittany, she may be a little confused who her human owners actually are, but I think she will cope with however it works out. She will be spoiled regardless.

Rosie is at the farm gaining weight under Grandma’s not so watchful eye. Mama is worried about that especially with Rosie’s age. A little too much weight on her could have severe consequences to her health, but to this day Mama is the only one who has been able to keep her trim and very healthy.

Too bad those methods do not work on me.

Stuck for now, travel, Chase, Saddle sore Victoria

Yesterday was a busy but profitable day in the office. When I am gone for some time from this office there are always questions waiting on me when I get back. I know I am needed here but this is not particularly where I want to be. Like a decision we are making about advancement for one of my direct reports, she wants to advance to another job within the group but what she is doing is critical business work and I am not sure I can let her go without experiencing a significant business interruption. In other words, she might be stuck for now; just as I am stuck for now.


Today is all meetings. I have the Safety Meeting this morning and our leadership team meeting tomorrow. Tomorrow I have to drive an hour away to Spearman, TX for a ½ day meeting which will largely consume the day so it is a good thing I was able to get a lot of work done yesterday.

Mama and I had the opportunity to go soul winning last night but I was in bed at 7 p.m. instead. I only got about four hours sleep on Monday night so I was a good deal behind on sleep. When she and I went soul winning on Tuesday several weeks ago we did not get home until after 9:30 p.m. That was followed by services on Wednesday night and the same time getting home. I was really struggling the following Thursday morning. So, even though the opportunity is there, we do not often go on Tuesday night soul winning.

Mama and I are gearing up for travel next week to Andrew’s graduation. It is only a six hour drive for us but I still have to start the day in the office next Tuesday. We will not get there until after 7 p.m. if I follow that schedule. The trip Mama is really gearing up for is her trip to New Jersey. She will have virtually no money to spend while she is there – which is a real bummer for her – but she is excited none the less.

I will have to miss Chase’s graduation but at this point in time there is no possible way to make it work for me to get there; especially with Brittany’s wedding coming in the same month. I know it will be disappointing for Chase, but even as he and I talked before he left last year, I had a very strong feeling that it would not work out for me to be there. Getting Mama there is the best I can do for now.

They were talking as we drove home on Monday about how to get her to Somerset from the airport in Philadelphia. It turns out that Chase will have to drive over to get her by himself since the Fishers are busy that evening. She arrives at the worst possible time – 5 p.m. That little tidbit of information really added to Mama’s concern. If Chase has a GPS he will do fine. If he has to rely on someone’s directions, it could get complicated.

Chase told Mama about the plans for the senior trip coming up. I think they may actually be on the trip right now. They are going to Washington, D.C., then on to Sight and Sound with a backstage tour, and finish up at Hershey Park. Something close to that. I only heard secondhand.

He told Mama he is very excited to see her and wants to make sure he is at the airport to get her. That really pleased Mama.

Victoria called Mama last night and complained that no one told her that the first time you get on a horse you should not continue for an hour.

Home, Victoria and her horses, getting the message, produce

I worked half a day in the Decatur office yesterday so Mama and I could drive home on company time. We did not leave until after 2 p.m. and we took our time getting home with several stop – including dinner. We ended up in Amarillo about 7:30 p.m. When we hustle the trip takes us four hours. Yesterday, we did not hustle.


Mama and I are now at an impasse. Having found a good church in the Bowie area, we are more than ever drawn to the farm. As a consequence, Amarillo feels less like home to us. I am bound by my work to be in Amarillo as a home base, but there is a strong draw to be on the farm. Still, we will wait on the Lord.

On the way home I think Mama got ten or more calls. And she made a couple calls on top of that. Normally she would take a little nap. That was not the case. Several of the calls were from either Grandma or Victoria. Wes came back to the farm yesterday evening to help Victoria work with the filly. Misty, Grandma reported, was much easier to handle last night than she had been on Saturday afternoon. We were told that she took the halter easily and did not fight the lead rope. Victoria, who she seemed to respond to very well, led her easily and then got her to walk in a controlled circle several rounds. They were all pleased and excited.

Wes then took Grandpa and Victoria to the institute to ride the horses they keep over there. I do not know if Grandpa actually saddled and rode a horse but Victoria did. She said she rode a big bay mare named “Pumpkin” for about a half hour. I think this is the first time she has ridden a horse. She was thrilled.

What was funny is that Mama and Victoria were talking and Victoria was recounting the experience and she started to tell Mama about something Wes had invited them to do and the call dropped. Mama frantically called Grandma to have Victoria finish telling her about what the invitation was only to find out that Victoria and Grandpa were still on the road headed to the farm. I don’t remember how much later it was before the sentence was completed to Mama’s satisfaction but Mama had to draw it out of Victoria. It was something about a ride to be scheduled in the LBJ Grasslands.

What was really funny was that Mama called Grandma all excited about completing the thought with Victoria and she was trying to relate the need for Victoria to call her as soon as she got there. For some reason Grandma’s mind ran with the sense of urgency and she thought something was terribly wrong. I guess that is what happened because I kept hearing Mama say, “No Mom. I just need Victoria to call me as soon as she gets there.” No, Mom. She just didn’t finish telling me.” “No. They are okay.” “Well I’m sorry.” “I want to know what she was invited to do!” “Never mind. Just have her call me.”

When ever you talk to Grandma she is spooling up stories in her mind and getting ready to take over the conversation as quickly as possible. It often takes several false starts to relay the necessary information while the whirl slows in her mind. I just listened as I drove; happy to be outside the conversation.

Before we left the farm we picked some of the produce from the garden; green beans, peas, zucchini, yellow squash, onion, and potatoes. If all else fails we can still eat well for a couple months as the garden continues to produce for us.

We also brought back either four or five dozen eggs to sell. It’s not much but its fun.

Horse help, church, egg sales

On Saturday we attended the graduation for the students at the Bible Baptist Translation Institute. All in all, two single ladies, one single man and six couples graduated from the nine month study. They will now go on deputation to get the financing to go to their various works. The pastor they got to speak the commencement message was phenomenal. We felt like we had been to church. Afterwards we went to the dinner they had – fried fish and lots of fixings. We really had a great time. I learned some about the function of the institute and got to talk with the director at length. It is a ministry we will find a way to connect to.


A man from East Side Baptist Church, Wes, came out after the dinner and helped Mama and I with some saddling lessons. We were sorely unprepared. The bridle we had at the farm was way too large for this horse and the binding straps for the cinch were way too long so we were not able to put the saddle on Toi where we could ride her, but he went through the exercise of reacquainting us with the process. Toi did wonderfully through out the process.

After we let Toi go we got the filly and pinned her in the chute at the calf barn and got the bridle on her. When we did the fight was on. Wes had the lead rope already attached when he slipped the bridle on and he let her find the end of her rope pretty quickly. She pulled. She flipped and flopped – literally. At one point she came down on her side so hard that I though it knocked the wind out of her, but she scrambled up and continued the struggle.

I handled her for about n hour and learned when to give in and when to control her struggling. We had her on the lead rope for about two hours. She was a sweaty mess when we finally let her go to her mama. Rain, her mama, had pretty much ignored her through the process of getting her used to the halter and lead but after several hours she was ready for her baby to nurse. Wes gently went through the process of slipping the bridle off then back on to help convince her that there was no ham to her in it. When she finally relaxed, he slipped the bridle off and let her go. It was quite a learning experience for me and Mama.

He is supposed to come back this evening so he can work with Victoria to help her with the filly and with Toi. If that all works out, it will be very instructive for Victoria. We have had a difficult time getting the right kind of help, but we may have gotten there finally. The institute has multiple horses to ride and we have an open invitation to take them on the many trails they have designated for just that. I could be great fun for the kids and grandkids this fall.

We went to a church in Decatur yesterday. I had stopped by the church Friday evening on my way home but the pastor was not in. I spoke to the youth director/school principal while I was there. At the graduation on Saturday I pointed him out to Mama and after the service I introduced her to him. While doing so, he pointed out the pastor of his church so we introduced ourselves to him also. His name is Pastor Horton. Since we know several Horton’s it should not be difficult to remember.

We had a great time at the church yesterday –Immanuel Baptist Church. By the time Sunday School was over Victoria was ready to join. It is a little more than thirty minutes from the farm and Grandpa has pretty much dismissed the idea of attending there (based on the fuel cost) but Grandma went with us last night and she really liked it. Many of the students from the institute go there so there will always be a way for Victoria to get to church if she does not feel comfortable driving herself, but I have a feeling she will work it out since she liked it so well. Mama and I won’t look back. We will go there when we are in the area.

Mama got a voice mail from the lady at our church in Amarillo. Mama had left her two dozen eggs to sell as well as giving her a dozen for herself. It seems she was able to sell the two dozen very quickly and had to sell her dozen to meet the demand. She has orders for five dozen more and would really like a dozen for herself. Mama was laughing so hard as she listened to the message that she could not tell us what was being said until some time later; Charlotte has a funny way of expressing herself.

We are taking all the extra eggs back today but it still may not meet the demand.

Visitors, horses, plans – sort of

Pastor Reed and his wife came over last night and we visited until after 9 p.m. He is the pastor of East Side Baptist Church in Bowie; the church we have been going to recently. I wanted to bring up the question of his divorce but was not sure how to go about it. It turned out that I did not have to, he openly told us about his marriage to a young woman – while he was still in the army and only 18 years old – who left him for another man after several years of marriage. She was the daughter of the pastor of the church he was attending in those early days; seemingly a good Christian woman. It sounded very much like June and Norman and what is going on with them right now.


I will still have to make it a matter of prayer whether or not we can continue there, but they are really delightful people who are doing a work for the Lord and the congregation has matured a lot under his ministry. He said he would understand if we chose not to continue going to his church. There would be no hard feelings. I appreciated that.

Grandma and Pastor Reed’s wife talked the entire time. The two of them wore Mama out and Victoria, who came in from work about and hour into the visit, stayed with the men for the better part of the evening. The pastor and Grandpa have a lot in common, farming, raising hogs, making do with what is available, etc. He even has an old square baler we may be able to repair and use for our first cutting of hay this year. We took him on a short tour of the farm to see the garden, the horses, the pigs and the chickens. It was a fun evening.

It began raining last night – as predicted – and hopefully we will get the ½ inch forecast for the area. We really need it. It could rain throughout the day today, clearing up tomorrow for the festivities at the Language Institute. Pastor Reed was telling us that there were over a dozen horses at the Institute that we could ride almost any time we wanted. We are excited to find out tomorrow. He even suggested we bring one of them to the farm and ride it there as often as we wanted to. We will probably make use of that invitation when the kids and grandkids are with us.

Grandpa diagnosed several problems with the little van yesterday. None of them are difficult or expensive to repair so we will coordinate the repairs for the next time we come to the farm in early June. That should put us in good shape for the trip to Florida for Mykenzie’s birthday; oh, and Brittany’s wedding. Until the repairs are made we will be praying for the little van to keep going. We have the little car now, but we still need the little van for many of our travels to and from the farm and when visiting our kids.

As usual, I have had a productive week in the Decatur office. I have gotten to meet with my boss several times and cleared up a lot of the little things we have been working together on, but I do miss my nice office in Borger and at this point it looks like I will be there for another year. We are probably too close to the lease expiration date to make the moves my boss has been looking for. I don’t mind too much. I am not relishing an office move to Dumas, TX and we are not ready to be on the farm full time yet since we have no place of our own to stay if we were to be here all the time.

At Mama’s and my age we are not ready to move back in with her parents.

Church, Saturday, animals

We went to church here in Bowie last night. It was a different but enjoyable service. It opened in a hymn and prayer then whom ever wanted got up to sing a song. There were several solos and several mixed groups. The men sang a hymn together and a family sang a song that I had never heard about looking for a salvation that is not a do, do, do but rather a done, done, done.


The sermon was terrific and the spirit of the church was worshipful. I have to admit that the though of going to church with Grandma is not thrilling to me. It is hard enough for Mama to concentrate on the sermon under normal circumstances, but when Grandma is giving a running commentary, she is double distracted. But overall it was good to be in church.

Grandpa did not go. He is bothered by what we have heard about the pastor. It is our understanding that he is divorced and thereby should not be in the pastoral position, but the church seems to be doing the right things and the services and sermons are on track with the Word of God. The people are soul winners and seem to have a maturity we did not see in Bible Baptist Church, so I will reserve judgment. Grandma invited the pastor and is wife over tonight so we could get to know them better. She promised to keep quiet so the men could talk. We will see.

I do not know what she wants me to ask of how, or if any answers given will settle Grandpa’s mind, but I will be praying about the issue through the day. When God is obviously blessing the work a man is doing, it is foolish to tell him he is not qualified to do it. I am not sure we can sit under his ministry long term, but I will let God direct our decision in that. Our only other options are in Decatur and Wichita Falls – each about forty five minutes to an hour away. We will do whatever we need to do to be in a church that is doing what God expects from His Church, but I have to admit it would be helpful to be close to the church where we are serving.

One of the men from the church will be coming to the farm to help us with the horses Saturday afternoon. He has almost a dozen horses of his own scattered around Bowie but he is going to take the time to answer a few questions for us and get us started with Toi. None of us have saddled or bridled a horse for many years and some refresher training would be invaluable. Mama is desperate to have things ready before she returns with Jake. We will meet at the graduation of the Language Institute and go to the farm after the luncheon following the graduation. We may be riding her regularly after this weekend.

By Saturday we will be picking green beans and peas. We are going to have to begin to can the produce from the garden. We have so much planted that it would be impossible to consume it as it ripens, but that was the idea all along. With Grandma and Grandpa living on the farm it makes the process much more doable than when they were living at a different location. Even still, it will be a lot of work. But what a great reward for our efforts.

When Mama and I got here Tuesday night we heard the hogs thumping around in heir building and wondered what could be going on. Mama wanted to go over to see but it had rained all day and there was no non-muddy way to get to them, so I was not interested. The next morning Grandpa, who feeds the hogs early every morning, discovered that they had torn their trough loose and had somehow managed to toss it over the fence that encloses their pen. I would have loved to have a video of that.

He nailed it back in place, but now that they have discovered a play toy, it may be hard to keep it in service.

Sunset, PJ’s, Maggie’s pains, water sports, procurement

Mama and I got to the farm in time to unload the things we had carried over with us and to sit down for a few minutes to watch the sun set. It is amazing how quickly it happens. Once the sun nears the horizon it is only a matter of minutes before it disappears behind it. The colors were spectacular and the sun seemed to squish flat onto the horizon as it disappeared. It was worth the time.


Yesterday the farm had a significant amount of rain so everything will be wet for at least today and possibly through tomorrow. It is a good thing that the work we can do right now is limited because we have no money to do anything other than day to day chores. Even buying diesel for the tractor will have to be carefully planned out. A week or two of respite will be a good thing. There are things I need Mama to do inside the home so we can begin to set up our bedroom.

As you can imagine, she does not look for opportunities to stay inside right now. She even went out last Sunday morning to feed and water the pigs and chickens in her pajamas. It was hot that morning and she was a mess by the time I got out there to help - I got dressed first – but the only thing she needed my help with was watering the horses and donkeys. We have an arrangement of hoses that have to be swapped around to get water to various places – the garden, the calf lot, the spigot for filling buckets, etc. She had the valve opened to water the horses but did not have the hose attached to deliver water to that line. It was an easy fix.

I do not know if she will go out in her PJ’s this morning. It is about 54 degrees; at least right now it is. By the time everyone at the farm gets up and out it will be closer to 70 degrees. It is quite wet with dew and there was a heavy fog, but we are happy for the moisture in any form.

I wish I had a few days off now while the weather is pleasant but I have to save that time for later in the summer so I can help put up hay – Lord willing. All the rest of my considerable time off is being spent for other family obligations. I am just hoping to have some time I can take during hunting season this fall. We will see.

Maggie calls Mama or me several times per week to give us an update on her aches and pains. I think what is happening is that her body is catching up on all the normal wear it should have had over the past decade as she exercises and settles into a working routine. It is all new for her. She was not our most physically active child and now that she has discovered the benefits of activity, she is paying the price with slightly older parts that should have been strengthened years ago. It is better late than never. It is still painful but I know she can hear the smile in my voice as we talk.

I do not know when Aaron deploys again but I know they are enjoying the time together while they have it. She talked about renting a boat Aaron had available for use through his Coast Guard ties and taking an older couple out onto the bay. That would be great fun. We never had much opportunity to get out onto the water as the kids were growing up. There were not too many people willing to take a family of nine for an outing onto the water. It was not until Steve Whidden got his boat going that we were able to do any activities on the water; although we did take a canoe trip down the Guadalupe River that got most of the kids involved. That was fun.

I am looking for a canoe to have available to use on our big pond at the farm. I had thought of getting kayaks but Mama is more in favor of a canoe so we can get up to three in at a time. It would not be a very long trip, but for the grandkids it would be a memorable one and I would be fun to fish from a canoe.

Cori and Nate are tentatively planning on bringing the kids over in the fall, but no dates have been set yet – and that is a good thing. Once Mama gets something set on her calendar there is no painless way of rearranging the event- especially when it relates to the grandkids.

Cori is in the process of teaching Mykenzie that Grammy does not have to buy everything she needs. Every phone or Skype conversation Mykenzie has with her Grammy she lists the things she needs at that moment so Cori thought it was time to let her know it is mommy and daddy’s responsibility to get things for her that she needs. Grammy can then get her the things that come at special times like birthdays and Christmas; that translates into Mommy, Daddy and Grammy buying things for her.

I could almost hear my granddaughter saying to herself, “Cha ching!”

Unmet goals, Becky’s success, Brittany

One of my friends from New Jersey (now residing in California) emailed me yesterday to get an updated address. He has written a book and wanted to get me a copy of it. It contains some of the ideas he bounced off of me during our long hours of night shifts. I can not be credited with the contents of his book but I thought it was a very nice gesture to send me a copy. I told him I was jealous because he was published first, but it is no surprise. He is a much more focused person than I am.


I have often thought about how I could work out the time needed to complete any one of the stories I have in progress, but I am at a loss. There is so much work to do aside from writing and all of it seems to be far more critical than spending time at a keyboard. I do not think there would be any time at the farm and I am equally short of time while in Amarillo. I have to give Mama credit; she can leave me alone while I do computer work – especially if she knows I am trying to write. I cannot say the same for Grandma. I fear if she knew anyone was in the house with her she would feel obliged to talk to them.

It is one of my many unmet goals that I fail to put enough emphasis on to get done. I have to admit to it being one of the more difficult goals to accomplish, but it could be done. It is not a lack of ability. It is a lack of focus. My sincere congratulations to my friend on his success.

Becky left me a message last night that she had passed all he local tests to become a certified EMT. She now must pass the national registry test to fully certify, but having two difficult tests safely behind her, she has reason to celebrate. She called yesterday very early in the morning to express her concerns. At that point she had no idea if she had passed the written test. Passing that was the ticket to taking the practical test. Now it is done. It is a significant accomplishment. If I understand correctly, Charles is also working so the two of them should be okay financially very soon; as financially sound as is possible for them.

Mama and I will be leaving for Bowie this afternoon. I am almost caught up on sleep, almost. I need a few days in the Decatur office this month and the following three days are all I have. Next week is pretty full with safety meetings and training and the following week Mama and I will be leaving to go to Andrew’s graduation. Right after that Mama will be going to New Jersey and when she returns we will be going to Brittany and Andrew’s wedding.

Speaking of Brittany’s wedding, Brittany called last night with some concerns about the wedding so be praying for her and Andrew as they finalize those plans and make their plans going forward from the wedding. Brittany wants to go back and finish her degree at Champion; timing is the issue. She really regrets not having finished her course of study. I think the real regret is leaving in a huff when she left Champion. Being there for her friend Paige’s graduation really struck Brittany hard.

Andrew is in favor of the idea so I do not see a huge issue, but I asked Brittany to call Pastor Miller and get his counsel on it – preferable with Andrew’s participation. To date they have had no pre-marital counseling and I think that is important. Be in prayer for them.

They are on the verge of learning that in life there are thousands of little disappointments and hundreds of major disappointments over the course of years. This becomes more obvious as your life gains in depth and breadth – marriage, children, grandchildren, jobs, etc. The key to happiness is to set well thought out goals and realize Romans 8:28 is still in the Bible. See also Phil 4:5-6. Learning to make practical adjustments is how God’s plan plays out in our lives.

Mother’s Day is coming. Thank you all for the preparations you have made for Mama. I hope I will do my part well.

A tiring trip, a good church, help, Lucy

Making the day trip to the farm wore Mama and me out more than we had thought it would. We got home late yesterday and just sat for a while before going to bed. We were too late for church here and very tired but we did enjoy the church in Bowie yesterday morning. Since I was dressed in a suit I was asked several times if I was a missionary or a preacher. The man who heads the language institute there was the last of several to ask and when I explained that I was not either but only a layman, he remarked that it appeared my mother-in-law would get to preaching if we were not careful. Very insightful.


Since the pastor mentioned that he had worked as a cowboy in his earlier years I asked Mama to see if he would be willing to help Victoria and her with the horse issues we were having – training, saddling, riding, etc. He told Mama that he would not be the best person to take care of that but he introduced us to a local man in the church that made his living as a cowboy. We got his name and number and will probably get him to come over this week. Mama and Victoria were very excited.

We brought the saddle back with us so Mama could take it to the saddle shop and have them help her outfit it. We may actually need it very soon. Tio has been ridden extensively in the past but I have a feeling it has been several years since she has been ridden regularly so there may be a few surprises waiting for us as we attempt to put her back in service. Rain will not be ridden. I am still pressing to have her sent down the road as soon as the filly is weaned. We will see how that plays out.

We are trying to get Vonage for the farm so Grandma does not have to sit outside the mobile home to talk on the phone. I think we got all the questions answered and all the necessary information submitted to get the service ordered. Otherwise, Grandpa and I will have to set up a chair on top of one of the sheds so we can sit and talk on the phone. Not quite as bad as “Green Acres” but crowding it closely.

I will have a very busy day today with a new contractor starting here in Borger. I am hoping the natural tendency for women to congregate and talk will fill in many of the details for her because I am not sure where to begin. The one particular person I have here who has taken on the variety of tasks that she will need to take over will be busy for the next several days so the lot will fall to me to get her started.

Mama and I are planning on going back Tuesday evening and spending the rest of the week t the farm. We are already invited to the graduation at the language institute on Saturday afternoon. I am not sure how it will work out. I still have to confer with my boss who is returning from a two week vacation today. He may have other plans for my work week.

We left Rosie at the farm but we did bring Lucy (Brittany and Andrew’s dog) back with us. We were too afraid of her being stepped on while no one was looking. When we introduced her to the big dogs they were noticeably excited about the new play toy. The Great Pyrenees pups stand about 40” tall. Lucy stands about 4” tall. Lucy was not too excited about the introduction and kept trying to find protection under mine or Mama’s feet. As the day wore on Dodger kind of adopted Lucy and would run interference every time the large dogs got too playful. It was fun to watch.

Lucy slept very well that night.

Radio options, dogs, our weekend trip

I took my car to a shop near the house that specializes in tinting and stereos. I have not had reception on the radio and I had assumed the antenna was not hooked up. What they found is that I was half right. The antenna was hooked up – just not properly. It was plugged into the back of the radio with the proper adapter but the antenna in this particular make of car requires a separate power line to tell it when the radio is in use. I suppose since it has five or six different inputs, the antenna is only active when the tuner is in use. It almost makes sense.


While I was in the store waiting I got a long look at their displays of radios and multi media players. There was one in particular that caught my eye. For $299 I could put a DVD player with a 7” screen in the place of my radio. For cars that have a smaller opening for the radio there is a flip screen model to fit the opening. The unit still serves as an AM/FM radio and a CD player while allowing you to watch DVD’s when selected. I thought that was pretty awesome. I am not sure how safe it is, but the concept caught my attention.

Now there is no need to pay the outlandish price for having a factory installed DVD player. For about half that amount you can put an after market player to fit almost any make and model of car. They can do the same with an in-dash GPS, backup cameras, etc. It does cost, just not as much as having the dealer or factory do the installation. And the work they do is just as good. I will probably schedule my car to have the windows tinted after we get back from Brittany and Andrew’s wedding. Summers here almost require some tinting on car windows.

Mama is starting to enjoy this little rat dog. In the evenings I do too. She is constantly at my heels throughout the evening which presents a problem. Mama is worried about keeping her rugs free of pee and poop – especially in our bedroom. Getting into the room without allowing the pup access is a real challenge. She seems very smart and has quickly adapted to Mama’s routine. She responds fairly well to Mama, especially the scolding sound Mama makes when the dogs are out of bounds in something they are doing. She knows which door to go out of to relieve herself and will stay out and play each time she does go out.

The neighbor’s dog is not quite sure how to treat her. I don’t think the older Golden Retriever knows if Lucy is a canine or a rodent – so she barks and chases her away whenever Brittany’s little runt is in our yard. I thought it was frightening the pup at first, but once she recovers from the first startling bark of the neighbor’s dog she begins taunting the older dog. We have a good fence between us so there is no danger to the pup – and I think she is aware of that fact. Maybe it is a game for both of them. I really don’t know.

We have three dogs at the farm already and Mama and I are taking two more for the weekend. I will ask Mama and Victoria to be very careful with the pup around the larger dogs. I am not sure how they will react to the “almost dog”. I am hoping they will recognize the canine familiarity but with the size difference and their propensity to hunt rats and mice, we could be in for a problem.

Since it is only a weekend trip we are taking the little car to save on gas. With a trunk full of scrap plywood and limited space in the back seat because we are taking two dogs and all their paraphernalia, we will not be taking a lot of extra items to the farm on this trip. I am still not sure if it is even worth the trip, but I made the offer and I will follow through on it.

At least I will get a full day on the farm out of it.

The pup, dumpster diving, bite counts

I have to admit to being a little upset at the pup we are keeping for Brittany. I thought there might be a problem with my mornings but I did not expect it to be as bad as it is. I get up at 4 a.m. every weekday morning so I can do me Bible reading before I leave for work. Unfortunately the pup wants to get up with me. I do not enjoy the distraction or the frustration. I have a limited time set aside to go through my morning routine and I have not made it one morning this week without the whining and barking for attention.


Yesterday morning I let her out to go potty and though I am sure she enjoyed the relief, it was no fun for me. She was ready to begin her day – regardless of the hour. I put her on the couch with me and Rosie. Rosie immediately snapped and growled at her, so I put her back in her little wire crate. That was obviously not what she wanted and the protests began.

Rosie was so traumatized by the disruption that she got off the couch (four hours early) and nosed open the bedroom door hoping to get in bed with Mama so I had to go get her out of our bedroom before she woke Mama. I did not enjoy the morning. Today was no better even though Mama put the pup in the second bedroom. I left the house at 4:15 without doing my devotional reading because the whining started as soon as I was out of bed. I will get my reading done, but it is not the manner in which I had hoped to accomplish it.

One of my fears is that on the farm it will be far worse. Grandma and Grandpa are both light sleepers and I can usually move about the house without disturbing them. The noises from a protesting pup will cut right through their sleep. It is a disruption I hope to avoid but I am not sure how to go about it. Saturday and Sunday mornings will be a test run, but the real test will come the first morning I get up to go to work while we are staying there. I enjoy the little thing well enough when everyone is awake; not so much when there are those in the household still in bed.

I had been debating our overnight trip to the farm this weekend but the weather predictions for next week sealed the deal. Rain is predicted for Tuesday through Friday so what we are able to get done during that time may be seriously limited by the weather. Saturday is predicted to be dry, windy and hot; much more conducive to getting gardening and outdoor construction projects done.

Mama and I stopped by a pallet making company after church last night and went dumpster diving. Their dumpster is usually filled with pieces of plywood which are too small to be of any use to them, but perfect for some of the projects we are working on. We got enough plywood pieces to make several shelves as well as some scrap pieces we will use in the garden as stakes for various plants. We were limited in how far we could go into the dumpster because we were in our church cloths so next time I will take a pair of coveralls along…Not! (Although Mama might go for that idea.) Seriously, if Mama has a flashlight; I probably would need to do that.

Last night Cori was telling us about a meal they had just finished. The fare was not the favorite of our grandchildren and they were asked to complete the meal by eating a set number of bites of food. Mykenzie and Grant got into discussion about who had eaten the most of a particular item on their plate and the numerating concept word, several, was offered by mommy to reckon how many bites Grant had already taken from his portion.

Mykenzie was satisfied with the assigned bite request and was pacing herself through the exercise of finalizing her dinner. Grant was curious. He held up three fingers and said, “Mommy, this is three.” Once acknowledged he switched to four fingers and offered, “This is four.” Correct again, he opened up his hand and said, “This is five.” Not sure where this was going his parents acknowledged that he was correct.

Having laid the proper foundation for his question, he asked, “How do you do several?”

Working out, a run to the farm, storms

Mama and I went to the gym last night. She has been going regularly while in Amarillo but I usually do not. It tends to be more crowded in the evenings when I have opportunity and you know how I live a crowd. But there was one particular machine that she wanted me to see, one designed to work out the lower back, so we went over after dinner. We were there only about forty five minutes trying out the machine we went to use plus exploring several others so Mama could decide on a routine for her mornings, but we were both sore from the little that we did while there.


After we got home we took the dogs for a walk. That was interesting. Brittany’s little dog about chokes herself to death as she kicks it into four legged drive and drags along whoever is holding the leash. The only reason Rosie is not choking herself in the same manner is that Mama has her outfitted with a halter. At one point the pup laid herself flat in the grass. She was worn out. Both of them strain at the restraints as though there was something life critical just up ahead. It is not a pleasant experience to take them out since we are constantly restraining them.

I think Mama and I are going to the farm Friday evening to spend Saturday working there. We will still go next week so I can spend some time in the Decatur office but the need seems almost urgent – at least to Grandma, but what isn’t. The weather looks like it is going to continue to be dry this weekend so we would actually be able to get some of the little chores done. Next week, rain is predicted for much of the middle of the week – about the same time we were planning to be there. We need the rain, but we need to help also. So, in spite of limited funds, we will make the extra trip.

I am planning on bringing the saddle back to Amarillo to get it outfitted for use. We may not be able to get it done before we return to the farm next week, but at least it will be here for us to work on. I am hoping that is the best way to get it done. There were casual promises made by an elderly gentleman in Bowie but he has been taken off of Grandpa’s list when he changed his mind about letting us put lime on his fields. It left me holding the bag for about $850 worth of Aggrand Lime but we will eventually use it. I am still confident that once people see its benefits we will get the business Grandpa and Victoria are praying for; although I cannot imagine two worse sales people to market the product.

Hail hit in Dumas, TX Monday night and the damage was extensive. One person in the Borger office who lives there lost all the glass in both his company and personal vehicles. His RV was severely damaged also. There are reports of animal deaths from the baseball sized hail. I cannot imagine. Mama and I saw pea sized hail in Amarillo but the storm was short lived. When I got to Borger Tuesday morning there were remnants of hail that had fallen there, piled in the grass near the office building. These severe thunderstorms and weird weather patterns will continue into late August according to the locals.

What fun!

Work news, timing and money issue, preparatory play

Today is the day the company I am working for splits into two distinct companies. I am not sure how everything will pan out but I still have a job. I am still working for ConocoPhillips but many of the people I used to work with in New Jersey are now working for Phillips 66. We have a big luncheon today to mark the celebration. Since I am the highest ranking person in this office I get to officiate and pay.


Mama and I are anxious to get back to the farm; not only because the news from Victoria and Grandma of what is happening there but the need for additional help keeps the pressure on us. I am sure everything that needs to get done will eventually get done but Mama is worried that it is too much for Grandpa. Somehow he manages.

We talked last night about going over this evening but I am not sure I can work it out. With all the additional tasks associated with the company split and the loss of my office person here I am pretty well covered up. Maybe we can get over there next Tuesday evening. At least then, my boss would be back from vacation and we could cover some of the items of business he has me working on.

Mama went to the saddle shop yesterday to buy a saddle blanket and to see what else we needed to complete the saddle we bought several weeks ago. She found out that the setup will not be too expensive. They told her to bring in the saddle and they would put everything in place on the saddle to fully equip it. It would be a good teaching experience for Mama. It has been a very long time since any of us saddled a horse – and it is easy to forget the mistakes we once learned to overcome. She is anxious to have things ready for Jake when they get back in June.

I took time to show Mama our finances last night. Putting it down on paper is a worthwhile exercise. I have been cautioning her for several months that we are running very close to living paycheck to paycheck. With the recent expenditures for the mobile home and its set up we spent most of my reserves and even with that it was going to be tough to make the obligations I have for travel these next two months. I have also had to make some drastic changes to our taxes being withheld on each paycheck to meet the tax debt we owe for last year.

The only reason we can even consider the trips for graduations and a wedding is because we will be staying with our children at the destinations and each trip is a day trip – not requiring an overnight stay in a motel. In New Jersey, when Mama goes up to attend Chase’s graduation, she will be staying with friends but I do not think she is fully aware of how limited her spending power will be. Time will tell and time will heal our finances. If we stay the course, by the end of next year we will be in very good shape.

Cori tells us that Grant and Mykenzie were playing house the other day and Grant became quite frustrated with his sister/wife who is much further along on the manipulation curve that he is. Each of them carrying a baby, they exited the kitchen. Mykenzie instructed Grant that they needed to go the way she was going. He did not want to go that way. She was intransigent. In frustration, he threw the baby doll to the floor and marched off to his room. Unphased, Mykenzie continued on her way while issuing the threat of vey limited play for her brother in an ‘Oh, by the way” manner. Later, beaten and remorseful, Grant sidled up to his sister and said, “Mykenzie, you’re driving me crazy.”

Oh, how I echo the sentiment.