Just got out of a long hot shower I took in order to thaw out my hands and feet. You know that horrible feeling you get when your toes are thawing out? Yeah, that was it. OUCH! I think tonight set a record for possibly the coldest it's been when I've done one of these concerts. Or actually, the coldest I've felt! It was around 25 degrees in Casper, WY tonight, and there was frost on my keyboard and I could see my breath while I was singing. But you know what? That's the risk I take when I plan these tours! About 25 hardy souls came out to sing and dance with me at Brian and Danielle Wagner's "Christmas in Wyoming" display. Brian said the last time I was here it was 45 degrees! I knew I didn't remember it being this cold. The stars were shining in the big sky over Casper and it was a beautiful night. When I was packing up I noticed Orion and thought how funny it is that I see him over my house in New Hampshire every night this time of year and now I'm all the way out here and there he is. Small world, big universe.
A cameraman from one of the local news stations was there, and he recorded me doing "The House on Christmas Street" with Brian's animated display. It's supposed to be on the local news tonight but I'll probably be asleep before it comes on.
Even though it wasn't a huge crowd I did see some people putting stuff in the donation box for Joshua's Storehouse and that made me happy! Thank you, kind people, for braving the cold and donating to those in need.
The Wagners are wonderful people. Danielle filled me up with homemade beef stew before the show and I was serenaded on the piano by their daughters. They have a warm, beautiful home with lots of cool Christmas decorations inside too, including Santas that Brian has had since childhood. It was Danielle's birthday today so we sang happy birthday to her at the conclusion of the show.
It was a seven hour drive here today but I left early and stopped a couple of times along the way to search for Weird Things I found on RoadsideAmerica.com. If you are ever planning a road trip with kids, I highly recommended this site. You just look for the map of the states you're driving through and it will show you every strange roadside attraction out there, and ranks them in order of fun. I love it! You can have a lot of fun even if you're traveling without kids!
There was a time during today's drive when I thought the Orca II was going to give up the ghost. Suddenly she began losing power. Then I realized that, even though the road seemed pretty level, elevation must be increasing. I called hubby to check it out and that's just what was happening. It didn't help that there were wind gusts of 40 mph out there as well. Believe me, I was praying out there on the highway watching tons of tumbleweeds go flying across the road. My van has been faithful and true so far on this trip but we still have a long way to go together, and I'm counting on her. Tomorrow we're going to drive over nine hours to get to Boise, ID and the Journey Church where Tyson Schmidt invited me to do the concert inside this year. Hooray!
Thank you all for your prayers as I make this journey. I know God is listening. I admit that tonight, with a small crowd and not a ton of donations coming in because it was so cold, I had a moment where I thought, "Why am I doing this?" But I trust that somehow God is working. Maybe there was a person there tonight who needed a little fun, who needed to be cheered up, who just needed to get out of the house for a while. I don't know, but I know there's a reason I was meant to be there, and I just trust in that. I am praying every day that God uses me on this tour, not just to help the charities but also to bring some fun and happiness into people's lives. I've been on the road a week now, with over two weeks to go. I really miss my husband and my dog and cats, but I look forward to the people I'll meet in the coming days and all the interesting things that are just down the road! I hope you Christmas season is filled with lots of love and special people as well.
Hope to see you out there somewhere!
A cameraman from one of the local news stations was there, and he recorded me doing "The House on Christmas Street" with Brian's animated display. It's supposed to be on the local news tonight but I'll probably be asleep before it comes on.
Even though it wasn't a huge crowd I did see some people putting stuff in the donation box for Joshua's Storehouse and that made me happy! Thank you, kind people, for braving the cold and donating to those in need.
The Wagners are wonderful people. Danielle filled me up with homemade beef stew before the show and I was serenaded on the piano by their daughters. They have a warm, beautiful home with lots of cool Christmas decorations inside too, including Santas that Brian has had since childhood. It was Danielle's birthday today so we sang happy birthday to her at the conclusion of the show.
It was a seven hour drive here today but I left early and stopped a couple of times along the way to search for Weird Things I found on RoadsideAmerica.com. If you are ever planning a road trip with kids, I highly recommended this site. You just look for the map of the states you're driving through and it will show you every strange roadside attraction out there, and ranks them in order of fun. I love it! You can have a lot of fun even if you're traveling without kids!
There was a time during today's drive when I thought the Orca II was going to give up the ghost. Suddenly she began losing power. Then I realized that, even though the road seemed pretty level, elevation must be increasing. I called hubby to check it out and that's just what was happening. It didn't help that there were wind gusts of 40 mph out there as well. Believe me, I was praying out there on the highway watching tons of tumbleweeds go flying across the road. My van has been faithful and true so far on this trip but we still have a long way to go together, and I'm counting on her. Tomorrow we're going to drive over nine hours to get to Boise, ID and the Journey Church where Tyson Schmidt invited me to do the concert inside this year. Hooray!
Thank you all for your prayers as I make this journey. I know God is listening. I admit that tonight, with a small crowd and not a ton of donations coming in because it was so cold, I had a moment where I thought, "Why am I doing this?" But I trust that somehow God is working. Maybe there was a person there tonight who needed a little fun, who needed to be cheered up, who just needed to get out of the house for a while. I don't know, but I know there's a reason I was meant to be there, and I just trust in that. I am praying every day that God uses me on this tour, not just to help the charities but also to bring some fun and happiness into people's lives. I've been on the road a week now, with over two weeks to go. I really miss my husband and my dog and cats, but I look forward to the people I'll meet in the coming days and all the interesting things that are just down the road! I hope you Christmas season is filled with lots of love and special people as well.
Hope to see you out there somewhere!
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