Friday, December 8, 2017

Thursday, Dec. 7th: Tour stop #6: The Journey of Lights

It's Friday and my drive today isn't as long, and I've time traveled back another hour, so I thought I'd take a break and settle in at Starbucks to blog while I'm feeling fresh.  It's a beautiful day here in La Grande, OR.  I'm on my way to see old friends Mark and Tracy Zembruski in Woodinville, WA.  I've known them since I went to their display on my first tour in 2010.

Speaking of old friends, on my first tour I went to Fruitland, ID, to Terry Hurrle's display.  I went there again in 2012. Terry and his wife have become wonderful friends, and, when our family dog Buffy passed away in 2012, they sent us a lovely handmade ornament of Buffy with angel wings that goes on our Christmas tree every year in loving memory.

Anyhow, Terry has retired from decorating, but at both of those shows at his house I met another decorator, Tyson Schmidt.  Tyson and his wife and four children live in Boise and he decorates their church, which is called The Journey:  a Church for the Spiritually Curious.  I'm not really sure what that means, but I like the idea of a person being able to question and look for answers to spiritual matters. Anyhow, I'm getting off track.  Since Terry wasn't doing a display in 2014, Tyson invited me to come sing at the church, which I did, and it was so much fun!  His whole family gets involved!

When he found out I was touring again this year he invited me back, and this time he offered to do the concert inside the church.  Hooray!  A warm place to perform in a pretty dress without a coat and hat and gloves and all that was quite welcome!  The charity they chose was Siah Smash.  Siah was a little boy who passed away several years ago (his full name was Josiah) and his parents have begun a charity in his name.  They are planning to visit hospitals in a high-tech superhero suit (Siah was REALLY into super heroes!) and cheer up the kids and bring them goodie bags, and provide encouragement to their parents as well.  A great cause!  Siah's parents and grandparents and siblings were there last night, and it was wonderful to meet them.

Tyson collected raffle prizes and many tickets were sold.  They had great prizes- including a couple of my CDs- and lots of happy winners!  It was a banner evening!!  I felt so warm, both literally and figuratively, surrounded by all that love and faith.

I do want to talk a little bit about the drive there.  Philip, my travel consultant and hubby, and I debated which way to go from Casper to Boise.  He was encouraging me to take the highway, but, being adventurous (and stubborn) I took a chance and went the back way.  I did, however, rely on the advice of a kind gentleman at McDonald's, who heard me talking to the cashier about my trip, and advised me not to go quite the way I was going because it would've taken me through treacherous territory ("2004 Toyota Van with nearly 550k Miles Flies off Ice-Encrusted Road"  I probably wouldn't even get in the headline.  It was would be about the van!).  So I went one way the GPS didn't advise, and that turned out okay. The back roads were all clear (except for the one that had taken me to that McDonald's in the first place. That one was really icy and a both-hands-rigidly-on-the-wheel deal).  The scenery was just gorgeous...hills and valleys and rivers and lakes and even some hot springs where I could see the steam coming off from them.  Nary a McD's in sight, but thank God for that little general store in the middle of nowhere where I was able to use a clean bathroom and gas up!

I made it to Boise in time to shower, get gussied up and head over to the church, where a good time was had by all.

OH...one thing I wanted to mention about the show in Casper, WY the night before. Brian Wagner contacted me and told me his donation bin for Joshua's Storehouse was FULL in the morning!  Maybe some people saw the concert on the news that night and came over with donations?  I'd like to think I had something to do with it!

I"ve now been on the road nine days and have so many wonderful memories as I head for the farthest west point on the tour.  From the carillon bells in Lititz that were chiming Christmas carols as I walked from the inn to the fire station for my big ride to the display, to Jason Reph's little cousin, a survivor of rheumatic fever this year, who was having fun at the concert and who inspired the Reph's to make the Ronald McDonald  House of Philadelphia their charity, to the wonderful visit to the Christmas Story House (they were actually sucking Flick's tongue with a suction tube through a hole in that pipe, and that's how they made it look like his tongue was frozen to the flagpole!), to the wonderful Santas along the way...especially the one at Lights on Edison Road who sat in a royal throne behind me during my entire show!, to  A Dicken Christmas, where I met the brand new baby of the couple who got engaged at my 2012 show there, to being serenaded by the Wagner's daughters on the piano at their house while I ate delicious home-made beef stew, to the warmth and love I felt last night...and at every single tour stop so far!  THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS SUPPORTED THIS TOUR ...monetarily, through prayer and good wishes. I am grateful to you all!

Now, on to Washington!!!

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