Thursday Thoughts

It has been a pretty quiet day here at the Christmas tree lot.  Leaves lots of time to think and contemplate.  So what have I been thinking about?

Let's begin with work in the future.  As many of you know we had a phone interview with Bonnie and the board of directors of Lone Star Corral (click on the underline link to see the park) an Escapees campground in Hondo, TX.  We were asked many questions and some of our answers brought laughter.  Like when Ron was asked if had any allergies to chemicals.  He replied, "None that I know of, except maybe a little work."  The phone interview lasted about 20 minutes.  The call ended with Bonnie saying she would get back to us within the week.  We both felt the interview went well and are thinking this may be the job for us.  We just have to wait and see if it is offered to us.

About an hour after that phone call we got a call from Bruce from a campground in California that is also interested in us coming to work for them Summer of 2011.  Ron and I were on the phone with him for about 30 minutes.  Now we have more things to think about.  Asking ourselves the pros/cons of each job.  

We have sought the prayers of many and we know God will clearly show us where and what we should do.  How you ask?  Because just as we contemplated going to work for the carnival last Spring we asked the Lord for that peace that passes all understanding (***Phil. 4:6-7) and we had that peace in our hearts.  And we know we will have it for this situation in our lives.

Christmas tree sales have been very slow the last couple of days.  We sold 4 trees yesterday and 3 trees today.  And right now it is pouring down rain so we don't expect too many customers yet this evening.  One thing we forgot to share about our weekend sales is that we got $15 in tips from different customers.  One lady gave us a tip just as they were driving away with their tree on their car.  There was two guys, looked about college age who saw her give Ron the tip. He gave Ron a tip too.  I told Ron that was all the change I had just given the guy.  The guy had told me he had $60 for a tree including tax.  He picked out a tree that was $55 + change with tax.  He gave the $4.00 to Ron as a tip.  We both thought that was so sweet.  With the slow sales it leaves a lot of time to think and be on the computer.  A lot of time on the computer!  There is not much to do here at the Christmas tree lot when we have no customers. 

I have done searches looking for a church to attend Christmas Eve services.  I have thought about writing an end of year letter and sending out Christmas cards which I have not done a lot of the last few years.  What I need to do is clean out the cupboard above our bed.  But I can't see the lot from the bedroom and one of us needs to be watching the lot for customers.  And I say I need to clean out the cupboard but it is really a we.  One of us empties the cupboard and the other puts the stuff on the bed.  Then we sort it out and then reorganize as we put stuff back up in the cupboard.  We will have to do it soon as there are a couple of Christmas gifts up there that I need to wrap and figure out how to get to the people they go to.

I have also thought about writing some stories.  I posted one yesterday that I wrote a few years ago.  I enjoy writing, I just need some ideas on what to write about.  I have thought about writing up some more things about the carnival life as well as writing some psalms.  My friend Marla has encouraged me to write psalms when my mind is full and running kind of wild.

The other thing I have thought of doing is some cleaning and organizing of things in the motor home.  We have hard wood floors with six throw rugs throughout the motor home.  Right now we have needles every where even though we have shaken the rugs and swept the floors every couple of days.  We also have stuff piled on the benches and the table in the dining area as well as the passenger seat and the dog house (the engine cover).  It just looks kind of cluttered right now.  And we have people in our home every day since that is where I have to do the money transactions.  I am hoping for three busy days so will set some goals of doing some of that cleaning and organizing the first of next week.  Don't hesitate to ask me how I am doing in those areas next week.

I have been thinking about if we take the job in Texas what all would need to happen before we would have to report to work.  The start date is March 14, 2011.  There are lots of people to see in Blaine/Birch Bay, Bellingham,  and Lewiston, Id, along with people we would want to see along the way in California and Arizona.  I would want to stop in Las Vegas and go to the cemetery where Royce is buried.  We don't get to do that too often and if I have a chance to even be near there I want to stop.


There are things that we would need to take to Texas with us that we don't normally carry with us in the motor home.  Like summer and winter clothes, my Americana decorations, Fall decorations and our Christmas decorations.  We usually just switch those out each season.  But with making a year commitment I would need want the decorations to be able to use.  And we would have to figure out if Ron would take any of his tools though it sounds like they have all the tools that would be needed for any job that needs to be done.


I have also been thinking about things we have learned regarding selling Christmas trees.  We have learned to get things in writing and make sure we understand things like how we get paid.  Yes I know we will get paid US currency :).  But how much we get paid, how often we get paid are two important things that we thought we understood.  Like getting a base pay and a commission or just a commission.  When payday (s) are.  And what is ALL expected of us for the job.  Also what benefits come with the job.  In our case having a place to park our little home, where we get power and water.  Hmmm....still thinking of that one.  Ron says not to worry we will get water.  I just have this fear that I will be taking a shower and will run out of water.  Just not a pretty scene to me.  Someone on one of the RV forums I read/write on suggested going to a local fire department to see if we can get water.  I told that to Ron and he said he will ask the firemen who park their big truck right by us when they go to Safeway if that is a possibility.   And where/how do we dump our tanks?  We found out after we were set up that the company that put the port-a-potty here and comes and cleans it weekly is to dump our tanks and the bill goes to Chuck.  Thank you Lord as that saves us $30 for each time the tanks are dumped.   And where to do laundry?  


On Monday I told Ron we needed to do laundry soon.  He agreed as he had only one more pair of socks.  So what did we do.  We counted how many pairs of underwear (I know too much information) we had left.  Enough through Saturday.  So we just needed socks to go that long.  So off to TJMax I went and bought Ron six more pairs of socks.  See they come in 3's or 6's.  3's wouldn't have got us to the end of the week so it was 6 I bought.  So laundry day was scheduled for Friday.  Remember we don't have to be on the lot between the hours of 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. during the week.  So tonight out comes Maggie (our GPS system) and the computer.  We were on the hunt for a laundromat, not a cleaners.  We have one of those right next to Safeway but I can't imagine taking my dirty laundry to a cleaners for someone else to do.  So we found two laundromats.  One didn't open till 9 AM, the other at 8 AM.  So we have set the alarm for 7:00 a.m.  I didn't even realize there was a 7:00 a.m. and I don't think my phone knows that time either.  So Ron, being the wonderful hubby that he is, set his phone alarm.  We will be up and at em early in the morning tomorrow.  To do laundry.  I am sure we will have four or five loads as there are two full bags and one partially full bag + we have to do sheets.  Hopefully we can get the laundry all washed and dried by 9:45 a.m. so we can be back at the motor home by 10:00 a.m. when we are to open the Christmas tree lot.

Well I think that is enough thinking for right now.  I just realized it is 8:38 p.m. and I still have not fixed dinner....now I have more thinking to do.  What to make for dinner.  We ate all the leftover.  Hmmm......Safeway is right there...maybe I will go for a walk and see if I can find something.  Sounds like a good idea to me.


Praise ~
~ for a great interview on the phone this morning
~ for the trees that we have sold so far and the people we have been able to share how the Lord brought us to this place to sell these trees
~ thanks for the tips we have gotten this week

Prayer requests ~
~ for the peace that passes all understanding about where we are to work next 
~ for us to remain healthy especially working outside in the cold, wind and rain.  It is supposed to rain
~ for me not to feel anxious about where and how we will get water

*** Do not be anxious about anything. Instead, in every situation, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, tell your requests to God.  And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.***