Hoop de doo

This was a very fun day. Jill and I started the day with a brisk walk of a couple or three miles at the mall. Then we made a morning run to Winco for the Thanksgiving day groceries. It is so much fun to shop in the morning on a weekday. There just are no crowds. We took our booty home, and after lunch we met a couple whom we are counseling at church. They are struggling in their marriage and need some support. We are so blessed by this ministry, because every time we work with a couple, whether they are in a pre-marital state or in need of marriage encouragement, our marriage is strengthened.

After the counseling session, I dropped Jill at home, filled up with gas at $1.99 per gallon (!) and headed for Independence, where son Patrick was coaching the seventh grade girls' A-team basketball squad in a game against a visiting school. I arrived a little late, and the score was 10-0 in favor of the home team. The girls played reasonably well, considering that they have more days with games scheduled than they have days to practice. So, all the teaching of skills has to be done within the context of a game. Nevertheless, they led the entire game (by as much as 17 at one point) and closed out the game at 30-20. It was a lot of fun. The most fun was to see my son being an adult and doing what he loves best: teaching...basketball.

After the game, Patrick and I grabbed some dinner at the local sushi bar, and then we went home. Patrick's lovely wife, Katie, was home and we had a pleasant evening chatting and playing with the neighbor's two year-old daughter, when she and her mom dropped by. When the Portland Trailblazer basketball game came on, I knew I had better hit the road for the 75 minute drive home. I was able to hear the game on the radio all the way home. At half time, when I arrived in the driveway, the score was 62-37. Now, with under 4 minutes to go in the fourth quarter, it is 106-64. Yes, you could say that is a satisfying win...provided Portland can hold on to the lead. :-)

When I arrived home, Jill gave me a full rundown on her time of babysitting Luke this afternoon. There is nothing she would rather do than love on little ones. And since our Josiah is 1,000 miles away, she can get her Grandma fix by babysitting the neighbor kids. All in all, it was a satisfying day for both of us.