Still Here

I decided that you all might like to know what I have been doing the past few months.

In January we had quite a few foggy mornings and days. About the middle of the month, I was heading to town to substitue. It was REALLY foggy. I WAS driving slower than usual. I say tail lights ahead of me. Next I realized the lights were not moving. I REALLY put on the brakes but did not get stopped until I hit the bumper of a feed truck turning off the road. The bumper was high enough that it did not hit my bumper; so the air bag did not go off. I was not hurt and neither was the feed truck - not even a scratch on the feed truck. (Feed truck bumpers are steel not plastic.) My Trail Blazer needed a new hood and engine among other things. It was not totaled. After seven weeks of driving two different cars and pick-up (that also had a problem and left me stranded on the highway), I got the Trail Blazer back. There is still a small part back ordered.

I spent about three days with Aubrey, Luke and Jackson while Jerry and Jennifer were in Mexico. That was fun. I also got to shop and have lunch with a friend who had moved there from Leoti a few years ago. After that I went on a Walk to Emmaus - a church retreat.

Next I went on a mission trip to a children's home in Mexico sponsored by our church. Our youth pastor had planned it as a trip for teens, but only two teens signed up to go; so it was opened up to anyone who wanted to go. There were ten of us - four over sixty (older teens).
The youth pastor had prayed and told God it was His trip and whoever He wanted to go should go. There was also a group from Texas there who we did not know was going to be there until we got to the border. They had planned a Bible School for the children at the home and from the village across the road. No one from the Texas group spoke Spanish. We had two interpretors with us! Two couple who operate the home but don't live in the houses with the children live in fifth wheel trailers on site. They wanted their trailers hooked up to the gas line for the shop and kitchen building next to where they are parked. A man with our group works for the gas company in Leoti. He knew just how to do it! One of the houses for children was empty and they wanted some of the rooms repainted. I thought - I can do that. Then they said they wanted the kitchen cabinets strippped to be repainted but they wanted that done by someone who had don stripping before. Guess what - myself and another lady with us had stripped furniture before! Isn't God amazing? One day they wanted someone to accompany two of the men to town about thirty miles away I and another lady went along to do that. Where do you suppose we went in a town in Mexico with a population of at least a million? Wal-Mart and then to Sam's Club. The men had gone to Home Depot to get parts. All of our group thought it was a really worth while trip and would go again.

During the winter I went to most of Jason and Paige's basketball games. Now I am going to most of the high school track meets. Paige runs the 3200, 1600, 4 X 400 and sometimes the 800.

Jennifer and I went to Winfield to Margie Harmon's funeral. We were glad we went.

I am still making Teddy Bears, teaching the 3rd-5th grade Sunday School class and am now mowing yards. The weeds and grass are growing like crazy. The young couple who lived in the south house moved to Texas. Within a week another couple and their two little girls moved in. I am glad to have someone living there. With all of my busyness I do miss Bob greatly. Keeping busy helps. It is good to have Gwen and Jason, Paige and Lane close. I don't know what I would do without Jason and the hired man Russell. It's also great that Jennifer and Jerry and family are within easy driving distance.