Class yesterday, church, Aaron’s promotion, travel tomorrow, failing test

The online class I taught yesterday was a good class, but a very quiet one. I had some very long, very awkward pauses as I waited for someone to answer a question or offer a response, but someone eventually would. It was a little surprising to me because all the attendees were from the South. There is only one southern state that I have always had trouble engaging a class and that state was not represented yesterday. I made a few changes to the presentation I give in these online sessions to lengthen the morning session just a little. I need to add an extra thirty to forty minutes in order to balance the class between morning and afternoon sessions. I was able to make up that time yesterday without doing anything extreme. I was pleased with that and will continue to practice that routine in the future.

Mama and I were able to go to church last night. It was the first time in two weeks – maybe three. I have lost track. It was good to be back. Erin and her family were back last night as well. They have been out for about six weeks as they dealt with sickness. Some of it COVID related and some not. But it was very good to have her back at the piano last night. She has been sorely missed. Mama and I will unfortunately not be in services this coming Sunday because of the class I have to teach in Houston on Saturday. We will be traveling back from that class Sunday afternoon after I take Mama to the beach in Galveston following the church service Sunday morning.  

Barbara was not at church last night. Her husband, Jerry, is in the ICU at our local hospital with COVID related pneumonia. Twice in the past several days the doctors have talked about putting Jerry on a ventilator to help him breathe, but for now he is holding his own and his blood O2 levels have been acceptable. Another gentleman at our church is also in the hospital with COVID related pneumonia. His wife is at home with a lesser case of the virus. Obviously, these two men are a grave concern to the church. We have not lost anyone from our congregation to a virus-related illness so far and we are praying these two gentlemen recover as well, but at the moment, they are both in dire condition. Following the preaching, instead of an altar call, Pastor asked all the men of the church to come to the altar and pray, for our sick folks, for our president, for our country. All of which are in desperate need of prayer.

Maggie called this morning to tell us that Aaron had been promoted. He and she both were very pleased with the advancement. I am not sure of the rank he has achieved, but the next rank for which he could strive is that of Chief. Yeah, Aaron! Keep up the great work.

Mama and I will be traveling tomorrow. Headed to Houston. I am hoping that we will have time to go to the beach tomorrow late afternoon, but that remains to be seen. We are looking forward to the time away. It has been many months since we have traveled together to any destination not related to the farm. Galveston is not Navarre or Pensacola, but it is the Gulf and Mama and I both have been itching to get to the coast – somewhere. My immediate supervisor will be in the class with me Saturday. Neither of us are sure why. My thought is that the company wanted to offer her the chance to get out for a day. At any rate, she will do an audit of the class as I teach it. That is something we are required to do annually. She has family in the Houston area, so it is a good get away for her as well. Whether or not she is bringing her family with her I am not sure, but it would b a great opportunity to do so. At her recommendation, I changed hotels and put me and Mama in a Hampton Inn. That hotel is in the immediate area of a large mall in Houston. That will offer Mama plenty to do while I teach.

The only drawback to Mama and I traveling is the care and maintenance of the animals at the farm. Victoria will be on her own for Friday evening through Sunday evening. I am not sure what time we will be back on Sunday, but we will probably be listening to the evening service as we travel home. Neither of us will be in any great hurry to head home. It is possible that Britany Wycoff will come and spend the weekend with Victoria to help her with the feeding and watering of the animals. That would be a great help to us.

Cori is being retested for COVID this morning. Please pray she fails the test; that is, she gets a very sure negative. With that, Nate will schedule the flight home for next week. Before which all of them will be retested for the virus. All will be required to be negative before they are allowed to enter the country. It is a matter of earnest prayer.

They are anxious to get home We want to help pray them home.