North Pole News

Saturday, October 6, 2018

2018 September 24 Monday

2018 September 24 Monday in Grimes, Clive, Urbandale, and Des Moines Iowa

57° start and 79° high for the day.

Facebook this morning had a post from a young friend asking for prayer. She had multiple health and emotional situations that she had been dealing with. She is going in for an echocardiogram and is fearful of the results and what it may mean.

It occurs to me that we all have that thing in our life that we fear. It may be physical, emotional, financial, spiritual, relational, social, or some other "...al". However, when that fear comes to the forefront of our lives it seems so huge that it overshadows and colors all our thoughts and actions.

It is a trick of perspective that a mountain in the distance appears small whereas a pebble, when viewed close up, appears gigantic. The evil one uses this trick to move that tiny thing that we fear closer in hopes that we will move our faith into the far distance.

However, we must keep our thoughts on whatever is right or deserves praise: things that are true, honorable, fair, pure, acceptable, or commendable.* Remember that the Creator and Sustainer of the universe is far greater than all our fears.

We were unable to get together with friends for coffee this morning because we had dentist appointments. Both of us have new fillings now.

Lunch was at a Chinese buffet which made Ella moan in pleasure at finding her favorite foods.

The last storm let us know the we had a leak ... right over our bed.

I also loaded the fifth wheel receiver hitch back into the truck. Every year that I grow older that thing gets heavier. One of these years I won't be able to do this by myself anymore.

By the way, I KNOW that it is upside down. I have to replace a spring that keeps the Jaws tight on the fifth wheel. So it is upsidedown until the spring is replaced.

It's been a busy day.

G’nite y’all!

Visit my daily devotions blog https://musingsdevotions.wordpres mys.com/

/And my sermons blog http://thomasewilliams.blogspot.com/?m=1l
All content (except quotations) © 2018 Thomas E. Williams

*Philippians 4:8

2018 September 23 Sunday

2018 September 23 Sunday in Grimes and Des Moines Iowa

50° and hazy start that reached a cloudless 76°.

Getting ready to move sure is messy.

Cutty's Cafe was open again this morning so we once again had breakfast there. I ordered two breakfast burritos. When they came, I gave one to Ella and took a big bite out of the other one. Olps! I hadn't told them not to put onions on mine. Ella gave her unopened burrito to Sue and I gave Ella my bitten burrito. I then ordered another without onions. I've had a scratchy sore throat all day.

From the cafe we went into Des Moines and church.

Here is a link to pastor Denny Coon's sermon. https://youtu.be/0HBR6I8pbCg

After church we stopped at once Long John Silvers for fish, hushpuppies, cheese curds, coleslaw, and broccoli. When you add in the soft drinks, I think we've had our fill of fats, salts, and sugars the rest of the week.

Once we were home and changed into work clothes, I put the awning away. It makes the patio look kinda bare. It had been up since mid May.

After the awning was away, I went through the yard picking up sticks and leaves that have fallen from the trees. It all went into the outdoor fireplace. It'll make good kindling someday.

After the yard was done, I worked on straightening up and cleaning the patio.

Our men's group has a Hobo Dinner* every Fall. This year (this Tuesday) I will be hosting them at Cutty's. When I set this up I'd forgotten that next weekend is the annual Spooktaculer weekend (think Halloween one month early). Spooktaculer it's a BIG DEAL at Cutty's. People come to camp and decorate their RVs, campsites, and themselves. The kids, in costumes, go from site to site collecting candies. That means, however, that the Hobo Dinner probably will not be at the spot where we've had the dinner in the past. I have to wait until Tuesday to reserve a spot. If I can't get a good one, I'll have them at our season site.

*Hobo Dinner is when we get a large pot (think witches cauldron) full of stew meat over a camp fire. Each man brings a can of vegetables and dumps it into the pot. Once everything is heated through we dip out the stew into the empty cans and that's why we eat from. We also bring drinks (it's a church group remember) chips and treats to share.

Late afternoon or early evening we invited the Stones over to play Fast Track on the patio. We played until it got too dark. My patio lights aren't very bright.

Ella captured the moonrise.

G’nite y’all!

Visit my daily devotions blog https://musingsdevotions.wordpres mys.com/

/And my sermons blog http://thomasewilliams.blogspot.com/?m=1l
All content (except quotations) © 2018 Thomas E. Williams

2018 September 22 Saturday

2018 September 22 Saturday in Grimes Iowa

47° start that reached a cloudy, breezy high of 68°.

The Cutty's cafe was open this morning at 9:00. Our coffee group gathered there for what will probably be the last time at the cafe this year.

This morning. Stoney and Sue, Sandy and Francis, Bob, Ella and I visited until around 10 when Ella and I went to Walmart to purchase some fixins' for a fruit salad. The salad was for an end-of-the-season block party with our neighbors here at Cutty's.

The party started at one and I had to leave at one thirty to get dressed and lunch packed for work. Mostly I had desserts because almost everything else had onions in it. There were some small fried fishes and a pulled pork sandwich that I could eat.

My last day of work and the clock stopped. No, really! The clock at the fee booth stopped at 8:45 p.m. I worked 2-9. Last night, as I was waiting for nine o'clock, I was tidying the desks and restocking supplies. Do you know that feeling that time slows down when you're waiting? I though that was what I was experiencing. But, no, the clock had actually stopped and it was 9:06 when I looked at the clock on my smart phone. I guess the workplace didn't want me to leave.

Sunset