Transitioning From Winter To Spring

We had our share of low nighttime temperatures in Texas this year—especially during early February. But there were also a lot of warm, sunny days. We made many trips to Waco and Temple for doctor's appointments, but at our age, no one can accuse us of being hypochondriacs. Jerry was referred to an endodontist for a mysterious black spot under a crown. After enduring an hour and a half of drilling, the man with the drill still did not know if he could save the infected tooth. After shooting it full of meds, and waiting for a month, the molar was saved. Now comes a new crown, which will need to wait until fall.

Gloria had the most interesting procedure. She stayed all night at the Scott & White Sleep Clinic under the watch of a video camera and with all kinds of sensors attached. Oh how she thrashed her legs, but she does not suffer from sleep apnea. Rather, it was concluded that she needed heavier doses of her Parkinson’s medication. The results have been positive, and she is almost back to normal as far as her ability to sleep all night. It should be noted here that her sleep patterns have never been truly normal. Of course, she could not let Jerry outdo her with dental maladies. She, too, ended up with a similar infected tooth problem. Her need for new glasses had no affect on the above, nor did her treatment for facial spots. Maybe the Republican health care initiative is what our government really needs: “Just don’t get sick.” Speaking of health, Jerry got on a fitness kick during the holidays and joined a club for three months. He worked out three days per week and also participated in aerobics that many days in our park. One of the goals was to lose some weight. His reward was that he did restore some muscle but lost only four pounds. In addition, he overdid it on one of the weight machines and developed a hernia. So much for fitness! Now he is still overweight and has a squishing gut for sound effects. Surgery is scheduled in two days.

Topping everything else off, our Airstream needed some significant repairs. The right rear of the coach body had separated from the flooring, and our new brakes were out of adjustment. We also

needed two new tires. We traveled 150 miles south to get the repairs done at an Airstream dealer in Buda. Campers Clinic has done quality work for us before, and there is a convenient RV park across the road for those times when an overnight is necessary. As well, the park is next to Cabela’s and close to our daughter Stephanie’s family. It’s always refreshing to spend a few extra days with them. A few weeks later they came to Hillsboro to visit

us. Steph and the children can hold their own at our weekly Joker tournament, and our residents seem to enjoy interacting with young people. We took them to the Homestead, a Christian community similar to the Mennonites, located near Waco. These dedicated, talented Believers work to maintain and impart to their children the values of yesteryear, while selling the items they produce. All of their furniture and crafts are handmade using no power tools. They farm with horses and buy old barns which they rebuild and sell.

One of our most exciting ventures was spending a week with our Campers on Mission (COM) friends at Camp Tejas located 60 miles southeast of Austin. This Baptist encampment is known for its 800,000 lights on bushes and trees that help create a weekly masterpiece light show and

fabulous Christmas display each year. This was a year to remove many of the lights temporarily so that shrubs and bushes can be trimmed. Gloria worked on that task, while Jerry helped cover the concrete floor of a multi-purpose room with a special clay-based paint. He also helped construct a small pump house. In addition to accomplish many work projects for Texas Baptist camps and other Christian organizations, we have a lot of fun at rallies and projects. When we work, our RV sites are free as are our meals. Each evening we have a devotional led by a volunteer member, followed by a rousing game of Joker--men vs. women. The competition can be fierce, but by the next morning the bruises sustained from the women's elbows have gone away. They do hate to have their marbles sent "home." In addition to demonstrating their strong voices and emotions, they usually win.

NTAC sponsored a week-long computer rally here in our park this month. Jerry provided a four-hour block of instruction on how to use the computer in conjunction with digital photos.