rvingfulltimewithtomandella

2018 November 15 Thursday

2018 November 15 Thursday in Cedar Park Texas

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28° and clear sky to begin with. It warmed up considerably today. It reached 65° and then the clouds moved in.

Once again Santa got plenty of hugs but few photos were purchased. I head a pair of middle age women come for a photo. And later three young women from the Starbucks shop came for pictures with Santa.

This event is coming soon to Lakeline mall. This is my favorite time of the season. I do enjoy working with these children no matter their age

Two shots of the sky on our way home today.

To quote Forrest Gump, “That’s all I have to say about that.”

God bless and G’nite!

Visit my daily devotions blog https://MusingsDevotions.wordpress.com/

And my sermons blog http://ThomasEWilliams.blogspot.com/?m=1l

2018 November 14 Wednesday

2018 November 14 Wednesday in Cedar Park Texas

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Today began at 21° but water to 51° in the early afternoon. By the time I arrived home from work it was 49° and sunny

My Santa boot’s tops tend to droop when I’m not wearing them. Then it’s harder to put them back on. However if I insert two large plastic cups, they don’t develope that droop.

Today I had a young child who got onto the set only as far as the camera. He then got down on the floor, covered his eyes, and buried his head against the carpet. No amount of coaxing or threatening from its parents would get him to move. So Santa got down on the floor with him and copied his pose. He looked up saw what I was doing and got up on his knees and started crawling around. His mother came through the set and he followed her. So she would lead him back past me so that the photographer could get a picture of the two of us on our hands and knees on the floor. Eventually I was able to get him up on the chair, but he was crying. However in one of the photographs it looked like he was smiling, even though he was crying. So it’s all a matter of timing. The parents bought the package with all of the digital photos downloadable.

This afternoon I saw a grandfatherly gentleman with a pre toddler in the baby cartage. I went out of the set to talk with him. He told me that they were from Russia and that there were older siblings so the would return for photographs. I reminded him that, though I deliver presents on December 6th in Russia, I would be bringing them early on December 25th in America. I then said, “Sasibo I do svidaniya,” (thank you and goodbye) Which is all the Russian I know.

That was the highlights of my day.

Visit my daily devotions blog https://MusingsDevotions.wordpress.com/

And my sermons blog http://ThomasEWilliams.blogspot.com/?m=1l

2018 November 13 Tuesday

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2018 November 13 Tuesday in Cedar Park Texas

29° that feels like 18° because of the wind. Overcast clouds kept it from warning much. It reached a high of forty. The forecast for tonight is 19° by morning.

Last night I covered the water hydrant and wrapped the water filter with insulation. The supply house is heated so it is not wrapped. I let the water drip a little overnight just in case. I also filled some containers with water. For drinking, cooking, and flushing. Washing can be done with wet wipes as needed.

However, none of that was needed. But it is supposed to drop below freezing every night for the next couple of nights.

I was able to get in a little exercise, walking around the balcony above the Santa set before anyone came to let me into the dressing room.

Both of us work at the mall today.

It was a slow day. Only a few kids stopped to talk with Santa. And fewer yet had photos taken.

The above photo is not me. That’s Charlie my lookalike stand-in.

By the end of the day Ella was hardly able to talk. She was also coughing and sneezing. She doesn’t work tomorrow and will probably stay in bed the whole day. Please pray for her.

God bless and g’nite y’all.

Visit my daily devotions blog https://MusingsDevotions.wordpress.com/

And my sermons blog http://ThomasEWilliams.blogspot.com/?m=1l

2018 November 12 Monday

2018 November 12 Monday in Cedar Park, Texas

Cold (for Texas) all day. Reached a high of 46°. It got down to freezing by midnight. There were some pretty powerful wind gusts also.

This morning I dropped Ella off at the Leander Senior center to play games and have lunch. She played until 2 when one of her friends took her to the library. She stayed there until I picked her up at about 4:45.

I arrived at Lakeline mall at about 8:50. I had time to get some exercise walking and some Tia chai.

Around 9:30 a mall employee unlocked the room where the photographs supplies are stored. This it’s also where the bathroom and changing room are located.

I was dressed in my Santa suit and ready to go when the set manager arrived.

There was some technical problem or operater error with the camera. This gave me extra time with the first family of the day. I enjoy having time to really connect with the kids. I think we get better photos.

There was one young one who the photographer and parents could not get to look up at the camera. So, I grabbed a book and set it on his lap. It made a nice photo.

The next to last child I saw was a tiny toddler. She was shy and standoffish at first. But once I gained her trust, she about talked my ear off. What a doll. I wish I had copies of all these photos so l could relive those special moments.

That’s all for today

God bless and g’nite y’all.

Visit my daily devotions blog https://MusingsDevotions.wordpress.com/

And my sermons blog http://ThomasEWilliams.blogspot.com/?m=1l

2018 November 11 Sunday

2018 November 11 Sunday in Liberty Hill Texas

41° and overcast. It stayed overcast most of the day and started raining in the early evening.

Praise the Lord, no floods, no fires, no hurricanes and it is the Lord’s day. What a great day!

Pastor John Saint had a wonderful sermon. We recognized the veterans. I was surprised that there were only six of us veterans at the nine o’clock service. I don’t know how many there were at the 11 o’clock service.

There were prescriptions to fill at Walmart. Ella’s also needed a card and gift for a baby shower. While there we also got a few groceries.

I was going to take Ella to her favorite Chinese buffet but it was closed (permanently). So we went to IHOP.

The next stop was Costco for supplements and over the counter medications.

By the time we were done at Costco it was almost time for the baby shower at the church. I dropped Ella off and went home to unload the groceries. There was time for a nap before going back for Ella.

So ends my day off.

God bless and g’nite y’all.

Visit my daily devotions blog https://MusingsDevotions.wordpress.com/

And my sermons blog http://ThomasEWilliams.blogspot.com/?m=1l

2018 November 10 Saturday

2018 November 10 Saturday in Cedar Park Texas

Today started at 41°and clouds. The 89% chance of rain forecast for overnight near materialized. Today peaked out at 49°.

This morning before going to work, I got the carpet cut to size and stapled to the deck floor. It was a piece of indoor outdoor carpet that we’ve had for years. Ella vacuumed it several times today and got a lot of dirt and dust out of it.

I was on the Santa throne from 10 to 2 today. I got home around three and Ella had our lunch/supper nearly ready.

I got a shot of the cresant moon tonight. I haven’t seen much of the moon lately because it is following the sun so close that they each set at nearly the same time.

God bless and g’nite y’all.

Visit my daily devotions blog https://MusingsDevotions.wordpress.com/

And my sermons blog http://ThomasEWilliams.blogspot.com/?m=1l

2018 November 09 Friday

2018 November 09 Friday in Liberty Hill and Cedar Park, Texas

43° windy and cloudy that feels damp. The clouds lifted in the afternoon and it got up to 54°. It dropped to 45° at bedtime with an 80% chance of rain.

Mrs. Claus and I began our work in Lakeline mall today. It is the same set as last year but arranged differently.

Santa’s very first visit this year was a toddler who was deaf. As she left, she signed “thank you” and I signed “you are welcome.”

Later a group of four “special needs” girls (young women) were going past the set. I waved to them and they eagerly waved back. I invited them in and spent time talking with them. As they were leaving, their care giver, with tears in her eyes, hugged Ella and I and thanked us over and over. Some of these girls had never before been to Santa.

God bless and g’nite y’all.

Visit my daily devotions blog https://MusingsDevotions.wordpress.com/

And my sermons blog http://ThomasEWilliams.blogspot.com/?m=1l