We arrived home from our trike trip to Granbury on a Saturday evening and headed right back out early the next morning for the San Jacinto High Rollers Toy Run for Boys and Girls Country in Hockley, TX. Like she does each year we attend this motorcycle event, Mom moved from the back seat of Maximus the Trike to riding solo on her 2009 Honda Rebel named Yellow Jacket. (I like when she does this--then I get to sit in Maximus' passenger seat rather than get strapped to the tour pack!) It was a glorious day for riding, so hundreds of bikes participated. This annual toy run is unique from others we participated in throughout our years of riding because you get to interact with the children who reside here. They greet all the bikes as we parade into the grounds and serve us refreshments in the auditorium. Santa arrived via motorcycle and distributed the gifts that we all purchased. It warmed my heart to see the surprise and gift satisfaction of those children who received the art sets we donated.
This belongs to our friend Gerry, but I sure would like one of these myself!
It was a long ride for us to participate in the Toy Run (220
miles round trip), and we were pooped from our trip to Granbury. But that didn’t stop us from going out later
that evening to Livingston’s Pedigo Park for the “Bethlehem” reenactment
presented by the First Baptist Church. I
was excited to attend because for the first time since COVID struck,
“Bethlehem” returned to a walk-through interactive presentation rather than
just a 4-scene drive-by. The Church does
a spectacular job of providing a realistic, immersive representation of what
the City of David would be like during the mandated Census. The ”actors” range in age from adults to
youngsters, and include lots of animals, from cows to camels. Attending “Bethlehem” is always a wonderful
reminder for me of the true reason for the season.
Re-enacting the many vendors of Bethlehem, from wine makers...
...to basket weavers.
Mother and child in the manger.
After walking through "Bethlehem", we enjoyed the spiritual musical entertainment.
Visiting "Bethlehem" comes with the added feature...
...of driving through Pedigo Park to see the lighted holiday decorations!
The next day, we completed our final 6-hour shift for 2023 at
Mannafest Food Pantry. We were honored
to volunteer with such wonderful people for such a worthy cause.
But with us, when one volunteer opportunity ends, another
begins. We commenced our weekly 2-hour
shifts of bell ringing outside our local Walmart for the Salvation Army Red
Kettle Program. All money raised in
Livingston is used for those in need within our own County, so it is truly
neighbor helping neighbor. And despite
folks feeling economic woes and the pain of inflation, generosity prevailed.
We attended a handbell concert at the local Presbyterian
Church. My ears enjoyed the sounds that
resonated, and my eyes marveled at the precision and speed exhibited by this
solo bell ringer.
Our pickleball group hosted a tournament with double
elimination. Names were drawn
randomly. Mom and her partner were out
after game 3, but Dad and his partner took second place! It was a fun time and
everyone brought their A-game. We so
enjoy our pickleball group! Some of them
are fellow Escapees, some live along Lake Livingston, and some live in neighboring
towns. The camaraderie extends beyond
the courts, too! We had a wonderful
luncheon at a local restaurant to celebrate the holidays.
We had a birthday girl among us, so she got the full Mexican birthday treatment from the crew at the restaurant.
We popped into Gokey’s Old Town Emporium in Goodrich, TX, which
combines an old-fashioned ice cream fountain (serving Texas’s Blue Bell ice
cream!) with a gift and antique shop. Sugarplums
were dancing in Mom’s head when she saw all the old-school candies, triggering
fond childhood memories. Meanwhile, I
saw stars and fireworks when I laid eyes on Mademoiselle Rochelle Ratatouille,
a most refined, ravishing, and rather petite rodent who resided there. Well, she’s got a new home now—right here
with me! Between my pocket pal Nezumi,
Mouse King, Mademoiselle Rochelle, and my new Christmas buddy, Reggie, my
Rambling RV Rat Pack is growing!
Mademoiselle Rochelle, my new gal pal.
Another new friend of mine, Reggie the Rodent. He is as big as I am!
Our Hot Steppers dance troupe Christmas routines were well
received when performed at Cold Spring’s Christmas on the Square and at the
Bradford at Brookside Nursing Facility in Livingston. It was a big commitment for my parents to
transition from just taking dance lessons to participating in recitals, and we
had to forego many other activities/events we normally would attend. But the fun they derived from dancing and the
joy the troupe brought to our lives and the lives of others made it well worth the time
investment. We are so blessed to have
met such warm and welcoming fellow dancers and to have such a kind and patient
dance instructor/director.
In the prior 3 years, we decorated Big Boomer, our medium
duty truck, and entered Livingston’s Annual Lighted Christmas Parade, part of
Livingston’s Hometown Christmas events.
This year, we were only spectators due to time constraints/other
commitments. It was nice to be able to watch
the entire parade, but I sure missed handing out candy to the kiddies.
We had our annual visit to Good Golly Miss Molly’s Shoppe to
see the Polk County Heritage Society’s train village setup. It gets more difficult every year for me to
complete their treasure hunt. They are
very clever with hiding the figures within the display. When we came outside from the store, it was "snowing", East Texas style.
We rode our motorcycles to Memorial Gardens in Lufkin, TX to participate in
Wreaths Across America, a national event focused on remembering the fallen,
honoring those serving, and teaching future generations the true meaning of
freedom. We were thankful it was a
sunny, dry, temperate day, especially since the prior evening was cold with
torrential rain. We laid about 30
wreaths on the gravesites of veterans.
The following day we joined fellow Patriot Guard Riders and the family
of PFC Stuart Moore (our local hero killed in action on Christmas Eve, 2003) in
laying a wreath on his burial site within the family's cemetery.
We took a ride to The Christmas Ranch in Cleveland, TX to
see the home of Bob and Diane Hanley, who have turned their property here into a
Winter Wonderland for nearly 3 decades.
Regrettably, Bob passed away in September, so this was the final year to
witness the magic of multi-colored lights and unique displays and decorations. Interestingly, the property was featured in
2018 on the show “Great Christmas Light Fight”.
It is amazing how many people have enjoyed the Hanleys' holiday
handiwork over the years. I sure am
grateful I was able to be one of them.
We had a blessed Christmas.
It was filled with good eats and sweet treats, abundant decorations new
and old, and spiritual nourishment for our soul.
A modified version of the Italian Feast of the 7 Fishes for Christmas Eve.
Christmas Day's entree was a mushroom/spinach/faux cheese stromboli. Not pictured is Mom's faux cheese cake and array of cookies!
We spent the last weekend of the year with good friends
creating fond memories.
The Friday evening pickleball players.
My parents with friends Amy/Mike and Rosemary/Jeff.
Always fun catching up with Lisa/Jim.
Hard to believe it has been a year since Dad’s heart saga! Sometimes it seems so LONG ago,
and other times it feels like yesterday, but we have learned so much from the
ordeal. We know how fragile life can be,
that every day is a gift, that we have one life and we should live it to its
fullest. But most importantly, we know
how fortunate we are--God has bestowed us with a supportive network of family,
friends, and community, for which we are eternally grateful.
We rang in the new year with our tradition: a shot of Patron’s for Dad, shot of Jaegermeister
for Mom, and a pint of root beer for me to make a toast to good health and
happiness!
HOOK'EM! Dad decked out in his "good luck garb". Unfortunately, it didn't help his team during the Sugar Bowl.
My wish has already come true for my family: Dad has remained in sinus heart rhythm! So, we are hitching up to travel again, at least for a
few months! We are so excited to visit Southwest
AZ to dry out our bones!
All the best to you and yours for 2024! I hope to see ya down the road!
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