Back in church for the first time since December 15—too long an absence—we heard a great sermon by Pastor Bill Duke of First United Methodist Church, Mission, Texas, about the new American dream:  affluenza (trying to be affluent), credititis (borrowing up to one’s eyeballs to have what the neighbors have), and entitlement  (society owes us).  Using the recent “Fiscal Cliff” debacle, he addressed these ills as related to our faith journey, our personal finances, and our government finances.  Whether one was a liberal, moderate, or conservative, the message hit home and was well received.

After church, we made the quick drive to Walmart to pick up a few groceries and some hardware to repair one of our infamous Strongback chairs.  A key bolt supporting the chair structure sheared the other night during the movie.  Fortunately, the chair did not collapse on the floor while I was sitting in it.

Back at the RV resort, we cleaned the motorhome and Kay washed clothes.  It seems like forever since we’ve been able to do anything “productive”.  We opened windows and vents to air out a little. And then we enjoyed a long walk in our first decent weather in several days.  Amazingly, the ground soaks up water like a sponge, and everything—and everybody—is drying out. The first photo is taken at the end of the park, the back, from where we are near the front. It is called the wedge because the area in the background of the photo with all the 5th wheels is wedge-shaped.  The second photo is along the fence, and the “back-in” sites are super sites with large concrete pads, a small storage building, etc. The third photo shows our circle, and our motorhome—second from the left.  It is among the oldest parts of the park, but many view it as the most desirable because of the sense of community shared by neighbors. We all have trees, grass, and landscaped sites.

The palapa filled quickly at 4:00 PM as all the neighbors came out to socialize after being cooped up out of the cold and wet for several days.

A quiet evening watching the newest episode of Downton Abbey, a sensational British “soap opera” set in the early 1900s and shown on PBS, wrapped up a great day.