The Call of the Wild | by Linda Brendle

Published in the Rains County Leader on February 25, 2020:

First, let me say this column is not about the Jack London novel or the new Harrison Ford movie. It’s sort of about a dog, but it mostly about me being a fraidy-cat.

This week David and I are visiting with Spike, our occasional canine son, while his people visit the Holy Land. Their flight was a late one, so the plan was for Spike to have his supper before they left and stay in the house until we arrived after Home Group was over. Then, we’d walk him one more time before bedtime.

It was a good plan, but the problem was that David didn’t feel well, so he didn’t go to Home Group. That meant I had to go back home to pick him up before heading out to the ranch. These things always take longer than expected, and it was late and very dark when we arrived – and the coyotes were out.

An evening at the theater | by Linda Brendle

Published in the Rains County Leader on February 18, 2020:

David and I had a new experience last week. At lunch at the Senior Center on Thursday, our friend Peggy approached us with an offer of theater tickets for that night. She had won four tickets in a call-in contest at Radio Station KMOO in Mineola, and two of her guests couldn’t make it. How could we turn down and invitation to the annual KMOO Valentine Date Night that included dinner and a performance of Skin Deep, the 2020 season opener of the Lake Country Playhouse at The Historic Select Theater in Mineola?

Peggy told us to be there no later than 6:00 pm, but in order to get a good parking place and a good seat, to try for 5:30. We made it a little before 5:30, and on that cold and windy night, there were plenty of parking places. Since the doors opened at 6:00, we decided to battle the crowd rather than the weather and stayed in the car until a few minutes before opening. Fortunately, KMOO didn’t overbook, so we were able to connect with Peggy and get in out of the cold quickly.

KIDZ Church | by Linda Brendle

Published in the Rains County Leader on February 11, 2020:

I had a new experience Sunday morning – I helped with KIDZ Church, a program at Believers’ Baptist for children from four years old through second grade. These children begin the service in the Sanctuary with their families where they experience worship in prayer, singing, and presenting offerings, and on the last Sunday of each month, they stay in the Sanctuary for the whole service. The rest of the month, though, they are dismissed to the KIDZ Church room in the Family and Children’s Building when Pastor Jason stands up to preach, and there they experience worship aimed at their level of understanding.

In order that no adults consistently miss Morning Worship, volunteers serve as teachers and helpers on a rotating basis – usually two adults and two of our older students for one month a year. This week they were short one adult, and when Betsy sent out a request on the church Facebook page, I said I would help. It wasn’t a difficult task – mainly to be present to help maintain some semblance of order. One thing to keep in mind when working with young children is that you will never achieve perfect order. There will be noise, talking, wiggling, inattention, and more, but the goal is to walk the narrow line between tyranny and anarchy.

Predicting the weather | by Linda Brendle

Published in the Rains County Leader on February 4, 2020:

Punxsutawney Phil didn’t see his shadow this morning (Sunday), and that’s supposed to mean an early Spring. I guess he was right. It’s 79 and sunny in our part of the world this beautiful Groundhog’s Day. The boy next door is playing on his trampoline in shorts and no shirt, and the neighbors on the hill are having a great time racing each other around the circle on their four wheelers. And seven deer wandered across our back yard throughout the afternoon. I’m not sure what kind of goodies they were finding under the carpet of fallen leaves that escaped mulching when the lawn mower threw a crucial bolt, but they seemed to think whatever they were finding was quite tasty. I’m just glad they didn’t find the lone daffodil that is blooming in the front yard.