Sunday, October 4
It was with great pleasure and surprise that we found the service at First Baptist had returned to a more traditional/contemporary type of worship service. We find that we have become the old fogies that we once thought our parents were and don’t really enjoy a strictly contemporary service. Anyway, it was good to be back “home” and find the type of worship that our wounded, tired souls needed this morning.
Once we returned to Big V, we decided that we just looked too nice not to take a couple of photos before changing into our usual hum-drum selves.
While it had been an absolutely and unexpectedly gorgeous day, the southwest winds cranked up to full force about 2:00 pm, chasing us inside until Jim went over to Jean’s to enjoy the sports’ scene and visiting.
Monday, October 5
Another wash day is all we can think of…Jim did some plumbing chores around Big V during the afternoon and then went to Jean’s to watch Monday Night Football. I’m certain I did something worthwhile, but just can’t think what it was.
Oh, yes…the highlight of the day was when I went outside and found that we had an unexpected guest…see photo on left…The live snake disappeared under the sidewalk in front of the barn before Jim could kill him so I keep a watchful eye out for him any time I’m outside!
One other aspect of country living in New Mexico is the awesome view that one has the opportunity to witness. Tonight as we sat outside, the moon and clouds appeared to be playing peek-a-boo with each other. It was another Kodak moment. Tuesday, October 6
Since it was too early to check in the motel, we went to the Travel Center for a little bit. Jim and Jean enjoyed the restaurant’s Rueben sandwiches while I tried the taco salad before heading to the motel. Since church isn’t over until after 8:00, it’s necessary to spend the night…driving down the mountains in the dark is not a very wise thing to do since the deer and other critters like to roam around.
Barradine, a friend we had met at the country church, had emailed that the church is renovating the kitchen area so there would be no meal; but the Good News Band begins playing at 5:30 which means that anyone there gets to sing along to the old gospel songs. Therefore, we left Jean at the motel to rest and headed to J-Bar-J with eagerness as this would be the first time that we would get to worship in the new building.
When we arrived, we didn’t see Barradine and Harold so just had a seat, grabbed a hymnal, and joined in the singing.
At 6:00 the band took a short break and we located our friends and conned some other member of the congregation to take a quick photo of the four of us. It always amazes us that even though we don’t get to attend church here that regularly, we always feel at home and by the end of the evening we are basking in the awesome spirit of the Lord.
Since Barradine and Harold are going to a motorcycle rally in Galveston at the end of the month, we asked them to stop by Big V and let us fix them breakfast. So…with hope and best wishes, we bid them farewell and returned to the motel to pick up Jean for another visit to the Travel Center.
Wednesday, October 7
After a great night’s sleep and a good breakfast, the three of us journeyed back down the hill to Artesia. Jean let us out at Big V and she returned to work while Jim and I unpacked our meager luggage and prepared for the traditional Wednesday Chaos lunch. Susie even surprised me today with an apple fritter she brought over from Hobbs! (Can’t get them here except at Wal-Mart and they aren’t that good.)
Jim spent part of the afternoon cleaning out the rock garden behind Jean’s dining room. That is also where the bird feeders are kept and the dropped seeds seem to grow better in the rocks than anywhere else.
Thursday, October 8
Jim spent the morning cleaning out and trimming the rest of the rock garden on the north side of Jean’s house. By the time he had finished, he had Little Red piled high with green tumbleweeds, wild grasses, and other assorted organic matter. Just as he finished loading Little Red, the southwest winds fired up and he just barely had time to get across the lot and dump everything on one of the trash piles before losing it all.
Earlier in the week sometime, I had told Becky that I would love to help her color some learning center activities since she has one full schedule. This girl teaches Sunday School, sings in the choir, volunteers for lots of things at First Methodist, during the week works as a Special Needs Aide, and is involved in the community arts program which means that she now is having rehearsals almost every night for the musical Nun-Sense! I’m certain I’ve left out a few activities, but it makes me tired just listing what I did! Anyway, Jean brought home 3 folders filled with sheets to be colored and I began revisiting my old teaching memories by coloring while Jim went over to Jean’s to watch more baseball games.
Friday, October 9
Happy Birthday to Jan Jividen, Kelly’s Mother in Arizona
Yay! Today we went to Roswell to see my sister Carol and brother-in-law Cal as well as Jim’s brother Jerry and wife Jane!
First stop though had to be at the used book store since I have read everything around our house! There’s just something about shelves of books that bring us such pleasure. Thankfully, Jim is a reader, too, and in most cases we enjoy the same type books…adventure, mystery, CIA, etc. However, one author we do not agree on is Stephen King…I just can’t get into his mind set and Jim just can’t stay away from him…He has, even now in the motor home, every book King has written. Well…he was missing one but today he hit the jackpot and found the one he lacked. So…he was a happy camper.
Next on the hit parade was to go over to Carol and Cal’s. How great it was to see them after all this time! Of course, any visit there means Carol and I have to go out by ourselves shopping or shop browsing while the guys talk their way through all kinds of topics!
Today was a special trip out though, since tomorrow is Carol’s 67th birthday and Jim and I decided that she needed a treat. Therefore, it was Wal-Mart here we come! We found 2 really cute blouses for Carol before we did the usual grocery shopping she needed to do.
Returning to the house, Carol fixed us a sandwich spread that was fitting for a king! Right after lunch, Carol got another birthday surprise when her granddaughter Tanya from Truth or Consequences, NM, came bee-bopping through the door. Tanya didn’t have school today so thought she’d spend the week-end helping Carol celebrate. Needless to say, both Cal and Carol were delighted to see her as were Jim and I. We just wonder where that little girl Tanya we used to know went! See photo…
The bottom left photos are of Carol in her new birthday blouses…She really looks good in them!
The headache I had been nursing all day long really started pounding about lunch time and by the time we headed for Jerry and Jane’s I was grabbing the Tylenol again! I don’t know if it’s the wind or what but Jim and I both are finding that headaches seem to plague us lately. Today he was fine, but I wasn’t.
Jim: Anyway…enough “medical” talk…on to Jerry and Jane’s house. Because of Jerry’s job as supervisor of night security at New Mexico Military Institute, it is difficult to work in visits with them; He “starts” his day around 3:00 pm, a time when we are usually beginning to wind our day down. However, we had visited with Jerry via email and made arrangements to extend our stay in Roswell by an hour or so in order to come over and get caught up.
As with Cal and Carol, we had a really nice visit…got caught up on family matters and Jerry and I discussed schools and students. What I’ve learned from Jerry’s stories about his work is that students are students, whether in public or private schools, and that includes military schools.
Anyway, we did have a good time and agreed that when we are all feeling chipper, we’ll schedule a visit to include a meal out, just like regular people.
Saturday, October 10
Happy 67th Birthday sister Carol! (Have I mentioned that you are 67?)
Barbara: I began the morning at 5:00, determined to have all the folders ready for Becky by the time I saw her today. That meant coloring until I thought my hand would fall off! How she has time at home to get these kinds of chores done is a mystery to me. Of course, it’s really not since I really can remember my old teaching days and how you do what you have to do to complete your assignments. But…it does make me thankful that I no longer have to keep my nose to the grindstone! Thank you, Lord!
After doing a few household chores, Jim tackled some yard work for Jean. The grasses and weeds have grown up along the fence lines since last spring and Jim wanted to start getting the place “winterized.” So, with a hoe in one hand and a rake in the other, he started chopping out the unwanted vegetation, raking it into large piles, and hauling it away in Little Red to the trash piles. Along the way, he discovered that Jean’s pecan trees were already dropping nuts and hulls, so he gathered up the ones that were in the way of the weed removal project. Then, he discovered some ant beds that needed killing and some gopher holes that needed treatment with bubble gum (it really does work to get rid of those burrowing little critters)…there’s always something!
Tonight Jerry and Nancy treated us to a visit to La Fonda for a Mexican dinner before we all went over to their home to play Chickenfoot. I can proudly say that I excelled tonight by having the largest score. Oh, yeah, that’s right…the object is to have the least points…guess I forgot that!
Becky had had dance rehearsal all afternoon for the musical and was really beginning to show signs of getting ill by the time we finished the night.
“You can’t worry and pray at the same time.” – Church sign in Roswell, NM
Still at our “Little” home on the prairie,
Jim/Dad/Gramps & Barbara/Mom/Grams
