Happy Easter!!

We really enjoyed the Emmaus Walks we made. They were like the Cursillos we did in the 60s, but very improved and Emmaus had some extra surprises. Being sponsored by the Methodist Church, they were more truly ecumenical, not being tied to the Catholic rituals. It was a lot of fun for me to be an “insider” at Cathy’s weekend. I have gotten into a group reunion of 5 or six men to help with my spiritual growth – Cathy still has not found her “group”. Maybe she will form one at St Francis Xavier.

We have both lost weight and inches on the Dtour Diet and are now at the point of picking and choosing those meals that we prefer from the plan and introducing some of our own preferences. We have also been walking at the CNRA and Cathy has gotten out an aerobics DVD for rainy days.

Speaking of rain – we just had gutters put on the house and last night they got tested out and worked just fine. Now that we are getting into the rainy season I will be putting more of my efforts into yard work. David is coming up on Thursday to help us get some flower beds established and I want to do some weeding and seeding on the lawn to take advantage of the spring rain.

Our addition to the back yard that I mentioned in the last blog has turned out to be just that! The trailer will never be moved due to three reasons. The primary reason is that Cathy feels that, at her age, she doesn’t want to be left alone in the house all night. I have let the park know that I will not be hosting in the campgrounds. They are going to put me on at the nature center as a volunteer interpretive ranger instead. Reason #2 is that it is illegal to take it to the park or anywhere else without a license and, although I have a bill of sale, I cannot get a clear title. The serial numbers no longer exist on the trailer and the tag agency rules require either the old title or the serial numbers. Reason #3 is that the frame is not stable enough to move very far. Bottom line – it will be made into a guest house for visitors. The repairs are coming along pretty good – I almost have the plumbing fixed to the point of having a cold water supply. It looks like there will never be hot water, except by heating it on the stove. The main bed is ready for use and the dinette bed is ready for use. The upper bunk needs a new mattress and I have yet to find a source. The remaining repairs are the toilet supply line, the A/C fan (it’s stuck), the entry door framework, and a little cosmetic treatment for the water damaged walls. It’s still a fun project as far as I am concerned.

Cathy has been busy making quilts. Quilts for the quilt guild’s charities, quilts for Japan, quilts for baby showers and gift quilts have all kept her busy.

I was very involved at the parish for the Easter Week and am glad that I had this Easter off to write this blog. Our priest has to come from Ada to do mass, so our Saturday Vigil mass was our last mass of the week.

Gary has been moved to Hightower TDCJ facility for his final session of incarceration and we are now making plans to go visit him there. Since it is a long trip we will probably combine that trip with visits to our other friends and relatives in the Houston area. This is still in the planning stage! I’ll let you know what happens on the next blog!