WHO STOLE THOSE THREE DAYS??

Wow, I don't know where those days went, well, I guess I do.  After the five to six hour trip to get here, I don't usually feel like sitting down to relate my exciting life.  Then the next day, we go to Fredericksburg for provisions.  I don't haul a week's worth of food.  That is just too much, so we go grocery shopping then have lunch.  This time we needed to buy a ladder because our neighbor, who owns anything and everything that has to do with hardware and had the BIG ladder, had the nerve to go to Sanderson to work on his property there.  AND he took his big ladders!! The very idea.

So we bought this huge ladder - I think probably a twelve footer, but I no longer get involved with that stuff. Then it was back to the grocery store to get corn to go in my house feeder.  It lasts about 10 days there. What, you see something different about buying corn at the grocery?? Yes, it is a tad unusual.  Their corn is even apple flavored.  Don't ask.

When we came home, I began reading the book for church.  I didn't know I was going to be included in the "church leader study" because I didn't know I was a church leader - that is until I had to write a report for the annual meeting describing what the women's group has done and where we are going.  I was positive instead of complaining "if you b*tches don't get to the meetings, we are going to fold!"  Enough of that.

When I found this book was really about "the e word" (evangelism), I almost said that I appreciated being considered, but I don't do evangelism.  Nope - not me.  So then I started reading.  This book is really about "the p word" that is almost as scary to me with the exception that I can do this in private - alone, quietly.  I am referring to prayer.  This book is teaching us how to pray effectively.  By enriching out prayer life as individuals and as a congregation we will be doing evangelism thus increasing our numbers in church.

Well - I was afraid of this book.  I am not into those evangelist you see on tv.  I usually do not like books about evangelism and prayer.  We Lutherans are a staid bunch.  We kind of stick to ourselves.  In fact, as with my little church in San Antonio where is first became an organist, and G and I were married, they stayed to themselves so much that the church finally became just old people and didn't have enough people to keep the congregation going.

Well, the book isn't too scary.  In fact, it is interesting.  We have prayer partners, and mine is our Associate in Ministry who is a lovely person.  We talk by phone.  Last night it was my turn to pray.  Hey - I don't pray extemporaneously regardless - especially with one "of the cloth."  I know I am not alone in this.  When I talked to daughter who went to Monday's meeting - there are a lot of the group who feel that way!

Anyway - to Wednesday.  We have SIL S and Daughter's old(ish) Dodge truck up here as a farm truck.  It has not been well taken care of - surprise.  We decided to take it to the little store to get more corn, and have lunch at the referbed restaurant.  We got on the county road, and it began making a horrible noise.  We ascertained that  it had something to do with moving.  It wasn't the a/c fan or anything like that.  We drove about seven miles  when G decided we would turn around to come home because we had no idea what was goiing on.  About 500 yards after turning around, there was a soft bump and the noise stopped.

I thought something had fallen out, so we turned around, driving slowly up the road.  Fortunately we were on the paved part.  After a bit, we found a part on the road.  I looked closely at it, and I could see scrape marks on it.  So that was obviously what was making the noise, but what was this part??

The manufacturer was nice enough to put a part number on it.  I came hope and used my (WONDERFUL) internet to look it up.  It is the gear shift retainer rod.  So now we know what it is, and I think it must be pretty important, but what do we do now???  I need to do more searching for this question.  There is always something.

I would check with our Mr Fixit neighbor, but they left today to go to the Houston area.  We retired people need to  stay in one place for longer periods of time!!

Peace.