Sunday, October 3, 2021
We attended the small church on the ridge again today. They had a special singing group and a potluck lunch. The singers had family in the area. It was a great crowd—over 70 people—so it was a full house. We enjoyed it. I was a little nervous since it was close quarters and I’ve been avoiding crowds since Covid.
At the luncheon, a woman thought I was Matt’s wife. This is the second time we’ve experienced this, and it’s very irritating to me. Matt is worried that he looks like a fifty-year-old. Both commenting women expected me to be flattered. I wasn’t. A sincere compliment is nice, but implying that I appear to be thirty just shows that these two women were ignorant and talked too much.
The Dairy Queen here doesn’t make the steak sandwich, but they have fish. I miss Whataburger and good Mexican restaurants, but things could be worse.
Ray flies in on Wednesday. I’d hoped to be unpacked in the kitchen and living area before he arrived, but I don’t think it’s possible. My new goal for October is one room—any room—to be free from unpacked boxes.
It rained yesterday, but warm, humid eighties temperatures have returned. A few trees are turning golden. We met a fellow Texan at a shop and she told us the fall here looks like Fruity Pebbles. I was very excited, but the old owners said the colors depend on the amount of rainfall. It has rained a lot compared to what we’re used to, but the natives say it’s been dry.
Friday, October 8, 2021
Ray arrived in the rain on Wednesday. We accomplished much with his help. I reached my goal—no boxes left to unpack in the kitchen. The house has finally started coming together and we look a little more normal and a little less like hoarders.
Matt and I kid Ray about all the fun he’s had without us. He’s gone boating, to a concert, and to the Grapevine wine fest while we’ve worked sunup to sundown on the house. Couch surfing seems to suit him, but I know his heart is here. He said he wore the same shirt to the same restaurant three nights in a row. The employees likely thought he was the cleanest homeless person they’d ever seen.
I’m working alone today while the guys are in Springfield rounding up a few hard-to-find farm and home improvement items.
Today is sunny and warm.
Wednesday, October 27, 2021
Ray flew back to Fort Worth today. We had our first visitors this week. It was great to see fellow Texans and the weather was perfect while they were in town. The last couple of days have been cool and wet and the rain is predicted to stay through Friday.
I’m in theatrical heaven here. We took our guests to see “Jesus” at the Sight and Sound Theater. Everything about the place and production blew me away, and I went with high expectations. Then Ray and I had a date night at the Stained Glass Theatre. It’s a Christian Community Theater in the nearby town of Ozark. And we found a good Mexican restaurant there. Not Tex-Mex, but spicier than you typically find around here.
Stephanie has not seen the place yet. She is scheduled to visit the first weekend in November.
I bought a large metal cutout of Big Foot and Matt stood it between two clusters of trees. My Sasquatch was the talk of the church on Sunday. One old man couldn’t pronounce it, and he said, “I heard you have a sass sas-catch-you-on, and I’m going to have to see what everybody’s talking about.” Clearly, not much goes on in these hills.
Tonight on the way home a deer ran into our Jeep. Thank God that we weren’t hurt and there wasn’t even a scratch on the car. I don’t know about the animal’s condition because my car’s camera doesn’t work, and I didn’t leave the car to check since it was pouring rain.