Safe travels, buying things, improper singing, Blake’s injury

Mama and I got to Cori’s and back without any real problems. On the way home we came up to an accident that tied us up for an extra hour or so but other than that we had no difficulties at all. It is always a moment to remember when in stop and go traffic with Mama. I can never find the right lane to be in because whatever lane I am in the other lane is going to be doing better than mine – according to Mama.


We had a great visit with Cori, Nate and the kids. It was busier than some in the past because of Thanksgiving and rearranged church services; so busy in fact that we did not even get to the beach for Mama to get some shells. We had picture appointments, shopping appointments and all the other appointments that go along with live in general. We shopped from 7 p.m. on Thursday night until 4 a.m. Friday morning. (Maggie stayed home with the kids.) Then we entertained one of the young ladies from our church who is attending PCC on Friday evening, taking her back to the campus late that evening.

We almost ruined our stay by buying two Keurig coffee makers. Cori found a good deal on Craigslist and woke me twice to tell me about it. She finally met the seller who agreed to come to Pace that evening and she and Nate brought them home.

One was a display model and was missing the cover for the water reservoir. The other was supposed to be new in the box. We talked back and forth for two days which one Mama and I would take and which one Cori and Nate would keep. The seller had told Cori he would make it right on the missing parts for the upscale model so we looked at the other one to compare the two. When we opened the new one, it turned out to not be new. In fact, it has orange spray paint on the water reservoir and the chord and is missing the cup stand. Cori was extremely unhappy.

I had already loaded up the unpainted one but the morning of our departure Cori was still very unhappy so I unloaded the better one. She made me take it back but I am not convinced it was the right thing to do. We will know later today or tomorrow as she contacts the seller to see if he will replace the painted one. It nearly ruined out time there.

We got back to the farm and I could tell Grandpa and Grandma were not happy with the way things were going but I was not sure why. I believe mostly it is a money issue. He and Grandma have spent themselves out buying cattle and truck parts. We do not have much to spare and Mama and I have been spending it on things they consider unimportant. I expected that. What caught me off guard was the scolding I got from Grandma for singing; specifically singing something other than what she had playing at the moment. I was told that was disrespectful to her.

Those of you who know me know that when I sing at home it is almost a whisper. I sing to the Lord and to myself. It is never my desire that anyone would hear me, but it bothers Grandma that is can sing “I shall come froth as gold”, or “I’m Amazed” while she had Squire Parsons or the Good Shepherd Quartet playing. I am not sure where the offence is but she is offended by it so I told her I would not sing any more; to which she took offence.

My theory is that it was Sunday and for the umpteenth Sunday in a row she would not be going to church because Grandpa was not going to church and she would rather take offence to something I or anyone else was doing rather than take offence at Grandpa. Mama encouraged me to keep doing what I always have been doing but that may not work – until we have a place of our own.

While we were at Cori and Nate’s, Blake fell out of bed and broke his collar bone. We were not sure at first what the injury was but it was not obvious that there was any displacement or break. We left it alone and watched since it was a holiday and most places they would ordinarily take him were closed. On Thursday Nate bound the arm and Blake seemed happy with the fix so we waited until Friday to get it looked at. It is a hairline fracture that the doctors feel will heal in a few days. They were impressed with the sling Nate had made and encouraged him to keep it that way as long as needed.

All in all, it was a good visit and it is good to be home.