Backing away, play practice, another busy weekend

Mama found out yesterday that the house we put a bid on for Victoria to buy – and did not get the bid – is not open for bidding again. This time our realtor was able to get us some more information on the dwelling. It is in need of about $                15,000 worth of repairs. Which would not be overwhelming or difficult if Mama and I were buying it to fix up to live in. However, it presents a major obstacle to Victoria and her grandparents since I will not be funding the repairs. In light of that we have backed away from it.

Yesterday evening, Mama got home a little after I did because she was at the laundromat in Chico getting the dogs blankets and towels watched. And just after she got home Grandma called to tell me she and Grandpa were at our barn unloading some miscellaneous items – it was mostly junk but would be useful in the right situation. We went over to help them and spent a few minutes visiting before they headed back to Bowie and we got ready for play practice.

We were at play practice from about 6:30 to a little before 9 pm but it was a great time. We went through the entire play and none of us had ever seen it put together. To this point Sam Echeveria has worked with all the scenes independently. It is going to be an effective presentation of how much one life really matters; of how an enduring faith leaves a tangible mark on the lives of others.

This coming weekend we have a short reprieve from practice.  We will not get together again until next Thursday but we will practice every evening from then through the weekend. At that time we will be adding lights and other theatrical effects to the presentation – like where we stand during our lines or how we sit and still face the audience rather than each other, how loudly we need to speak, etc. It is fun. It is rewarding. It is tiring. But every time we are done with things like this, we realize just how much we enjoyed it and doing it well.

Friday night we have RU, Saturday we will be loading more items from bowie to bring to our new farm and Saturday night we have the adult Sunday School Christmas Party. We are preparing Mexican food and having a Chinese Christmas. That is where, at your turn, you select a gift from the pile and open it in front of the group so everyone can see what you got. Any person coming after you can exchange what they got for what you have. The only rule is that a gift can only change hands three times.

The goal is to get what you want and make sure you are the final, or third, recipient. None of the gifts are expensive. I believe there is a five dollar limit so none of the losses of gifts are great; however, the competition is fierce.

Since I do not enjoy such competition, I do not enjoy the game and last year I did not participate. I supplied a gift for someone who did not have one to put into the game and I watched from outside the circle. This year I do not think I will be allowed to do that – either by Mama or the folks at church. Boy, am I looking forward to it.

My new boss is a breath of fresh air. Time will tell how things will work out for my position in particular but for the moment I am enjoying discussions aimed more at giving my folks every perk available to them rather than taking the easy out and denying them something that takes a little effort and coordination to implement.

I am cautiously optimistic.