Pot luck dinner, swapping vehicles

One of the ladies in my group asked about a week ago is we had ever had a potluck dinner at this office. I told her to put the announcement together and see how it played out. As it turned out, there was far greater participation that I had thought there might be. We had a table full of great food, smoked turkey, ham and brisket, dressing corn casserole, etc. and another table full of desserts, pecan pies, cakes and cookies. It was enough to rival any church potluck I have ever been to.


As the moment arrived for us to begin eating someone asked if we were going to ask the blessing over the food, so I volunteered. I prayed a very simple prayer for the food and those gathered together to eat it. After I said Amen, one of the guys near me said, “Man, that was beautiful.” To which one of my peers responded, “You can tell he’s done that before.” It was a confirmation of the witness I have prayed to have among my coworkers; another answer to prayer.

Victoria called yesterday when I was in a meeting so I had to wait about an hour to call her back. When I did, she told me that the person in charge of the pharmacy had offered her a part time position there. She was ecstatic. Grandma, Grandpa and Mama were so excited that they all went to DQ to meet her for a celebratory lunch. That too is an answer to prayer. Victoria will still be working for Wal-Mart but her primary posting will be the pharmacy. That means no more 5 to 11 shifts. She will get off no later than 7 p.m. when the pharmacy closes.

Mama and I did drive to Quanah last night to meet Chase and Makaila so we could get the truck. We chose Quanah because it is nearest to the halfway point between Bowie and Amarillo. It worked out well. We were just arriving when Chase called and said he could not find the DQ; our preplanned meeting place. That was because there is not one there. I think it is the only town we drive through that does not have one. We met at the local grocery store and moved over to the Subway.

Makaila had Mama cracking up as she told how horrified she was by the people they had shared the road with on the drive over. She had driven the Nissan while Chase drove the truck. I think it is the most she has driven by herself. At one point she had slowed down to 50 mph to allow a trucker to pass whereupon Chase called her to find out what she was doing. After they fussed at each other she caught back up to him. After eating a sandwich together and filling up all the vehicles, we went our separate ways and headed home.

Mama does not like driving at night. Right now that poses a problem because dark comes so early. She asked if she needed to follow me and I smiled and told her that had never worked in the past, why would we try that now? So I followed her back to Bowie and when I was rounding the curve into town Chase called to tell me they were already in Amarillo. It was about 9:45, way past my bedtime. But it all worked out well.

Grandpa is excited to have the little truck back so he can start to repair the diesel without worrying about doing without a truck for the many things we have need of one on the farm; not the least of which is hauling newborn calves and baby pigs. Since the truck has a topper on it we will not have to worry about the wind on the young bulls as we haul them this winter. That was one of Grandpa’s biggest concerns about the set up we have been using to move the calves; another answer to prayer.

I heard an interesting police acronym yesterday. It accurately describes a lot of drivers I share the road with these days. Nate will have to tell me if it is accurate or not but it was told to us by a Borger police officer. The acronym is D-W-H-U-A. It stands for driving with head up -----.

You can guess the rest.