Journal - Good News and Bad News

So last week was our nation’s birthday. Happy Birthday America! We didn’t go anywhere to watch fireworks but we ended up seeing quite a few anyway. Four nights in a row we could see fireworks in Kearney from our back steps. There were usually 3 or 4 different displays going on each night. They were far away of course, but it was neat seeing all those fireworks at one time. On the night of the 4th there were at least 6 different displays going and that was rather spectacular. One of those nights there was a display at a lake community just a few miles up the road from us, just this side of Fort Kearney. It was a good display and close enough so that we could see it pretty well.

It was a good way to pass the week while I waited for my new glasses to come in at the Walmart Vision Center. They finally called me on Friday to let me know that they were in, and we went in on Saturday morning to pick them up. The glasses fit fine and right away I noticed that I could see a lot more detail so I was happy with them and was anxious to get home and really try them out.

The glasses really help at the computer although it didn’t take long to discover that I would still need my magnifying glass in some cases. Sometimes the print is still too small and I also have trouble with odd fonts or with italicized print. I can read print on a piece of paper now as long as it isn’t too small and as long as the lighting is good. I was disappointed about my comic books though. Last week I had pulled out a box of comics and started reading them with the help of my magnifying glass. I was hoping my glasses would be good enough for those but it didn’t turn out that way; I still need the magnifying glass. That’s partly due to the type of font and also partly due to the lack of contrast. Instead of black on white, comics are often black on other pale colors like orange or purple or something. It’s just not quite enough contrast for me.

At any rate, I was mostly excited about getting my driver license. Now that I had my glasses we planned to go into Kearney on Monday to get my license. I had called the DMV in Minden (since we live in Kearney County) previously and found out that I would probably have to take both the written and driving tests. This was because I haven’t had a license for so long; about 3 years. I also found out that I could go to any county office to take the test. That was good because the driving examiner is only in Minden once a week, Kearney County being rather unpopulated. Their day in Minden is Wednesday and I didn’t want to wait that long.

So first thing this morning, Monday, we headed into Kearney. I’ll admit I was kind of nervous. I had been taking practice tests online and while many of the questions are pretty much common sense, just as it was when I was a kid, they also now have a lot of questions about specific fines for things like parking in a handicapped zone or riding with an unsecured child. Those were the questions I was worried about.

Well, we got to the DMV in Kearney at about 9am. I filled out the application form and gave it to the man, and then he had me do the vision test. That’s when I got the bad news. He said that with my vision being what it is, there would most likely be some heavy restrictions on my driving: daylight only, geographic restrictions, and possible maximum speed restriction. My heart kind of sank when I heard that. He also said that I would have to go to Minden for the driving part of the test. I’m not entirely clear on why, but I think it had something to do with the geographic restriction. But he went ahead and gave me the written test and I passed that with no problem. Of the 25 questions on the test, I had already seen most of them on my practice tests so it was good that I did that. The guy had already taken my picture so after the written test I was all done. He gave me a paper to take in to Minden when I go. We had kind of decided to go ahead and go straight over there and get it done, but them I remembered the driving examiner is only there on Wednesday. So that’s what we’ll be doing on Wednesday morning.

I’m pretty disappointed. A speed restriction on my license is no big deal, but daylight only will be hard. And that geographic restriction, he said it will be up to the people in Minden, but I could be restricted to driving within 5 or 10 miles of home. We don’t even live within 10 miles of a town and I think it’s safe to say there are no job openings within 10 miles of my home. Well, I’m getting a little ahead of myself. Nothing is decided yet and like the man said, it will be up to the people in Minden. Please God, let them be merciful.

Romans 8:28 we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. ESV

Psalms 118:8 It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. ESV

Journal - Fourth of July

On Friday, we all got together at Bobbi and Mike’s house for our Fourth of July celebration. We had it a couple of days early because Kylie is leaving for Camp Merrill on Sunday. Gathered at the house were Mike, Bobbi, Brian, Elliott, Brandon, and Kylie. Mike’s parents, Cliff and Francey were there, and Bobbi’s and my mom too. Cliff’s sister Marsha came over, and Mike’s sister Elaina with her husband Greg. Also there was Mike’s step-daughter Courtney, and her two little girls Samantha and Hannah. And, of course, Joni, Adam, and myself.
The weather turned out just about perfect. It had been a hot day, and was still about 90 degrees when we left our house at 6:30. We all wore jeans because we were afraid the mosquitos would be bad, so I thought it might be pretty uncomfortable. But not long after we arrived, it started to cool down and it was a very pleasant evening.
First, we had supper. Mike had started up a good sized fire and we roasted hot dogs. There were also potato and macaroni salads, deviled eggs, and an orange salad that Francey had brought. That orange salad was very good and I found out it’s made with tapioca pudding and orange jello. Sounds gross, but it was good.
After that there was birthday cake. Samantha was celebrating her seventh birthday, and there was ice-cream cake for all. I didn’t have any cake because I had already eaten too much: three hot dogs and two helpings of everything else. I did manage to squeeze in a few toasted marshmallows later on though.
After all the food was put away, we sat outside talking until it was dark. Then the fireworks began. Brandon, Kylie, and Elliott brought out a rather large box of fireworks and put on quite a show.
It was a very enjoyable evening. Lots of good food, good company, the weather was beautiful, and the mosquitos weren’t bad either. I think it was about 11:30 when we got home, happy but tired.

Hebrews 10:24-25 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. ESV