Jesus is the reason for the season of Christmas and Christmas celebration.
Genie and I attended the 46th Annual Albert Lea Service Club luncheon at First Lutheran Church in Albert Lea, hosted by the Golden K1 Kiwanis Club. Next year the host club will be the Albert Lea Lions Club (my club).
We attended the Sunday School Christmas program at Central Freeborn Lutheran Church, rural Albert Lea—Genie was one of the teachers.
We attended two family Christmas parties: one in Owatonna, the other in St. Peter.
We attended the annual dinner-dance party as cotillion members at the Country Club in Austin.
We attended the annual Senior Citizens’ Christmas party at the Senior Center in Albert Lea. Genie had her name called for a scarf door prize.
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Fellow Octogenarian Father George Ross is a well-known man of the cloth in the Cass Lake/Red Lake/Bemidji area of Northern Minnesota. Genie and I are fortunate to have shared prayers, stories, meals and comradeship with him and his daughters, Pam and Violet.
When he went with the Christmas tree to the White House from the Chippewa National Forest, he promised to mouth, “Hi, Bob,” when he was interviewed on TV. A man of his word, he did as promised.
Now, he is helping lead a delegation to Israel this month. Once again, being a man of his word, he will mouth, “Hi, Bob,” when interviewed on TV.
Genie and I had time to do some of our newfound enjoyable hobby. It’s called “rail fanning.”
We enjoyed seeing the outside Christmas lights in Albert Lea. Two exceptional displays were on Brookside Circle and Eastgate Street.
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I stop at Dairy Queen in Albert Lea to purchase a $5 meal. I have a $10 bill in my wallet, plus a $1 bill. I open the car door and—wow—there is a $5 bill on the blacktop. In my wallet it goes. I go inside and order the $5 meal. I pay with the $10 and $1 bills and get a $5 bill plus some coins back.
After eating the great meal, I go to Shop-Ko to put some toys in the “Toys for Tots” barrel. Julie, the Salvation Army bell ringer, asks me if I have any $5 bills. She explains the contest among bell-ringers as to who can get the most $5 bills in the bucket. Knowing Julie, I would end up putting my two $5 bills in the bucket no matter any argument I might give her, so I put both $5 bills in the bucket.
I have other places to go that I need cash for, so I stop at Security Bank and sign for $100 out of my checking account and I’m given four $5 bills, two $10 bills and three $20 bills. Home I go, and Genie tells me she has no cash; can I give her one $10 bill plus one $20 bill, so I did.
After all those transactions, I decide to count the cash in my wallet. The question is: How much cash is in her wallet after all of the above transactions?
I counted $30—what did you get? (Maybe you should read more carefully!)
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Did you know that this is my second column in 2019? The first column I wrote was in 2002—17 years ago. How time flies when you’re enjoying life. Wow!
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Bob is a retired AAL (Aid Association for Lutherans) agent, currently working on his master’s degree in Volunteering. His wife, Genie, is a retired RN, currently working on her doctor’s degree in Volunteering. They have two children, Deb in North Carolina, and Dan in Vermont. Bob says if you enjoy his column, let him know. If you don’t enjoy it, keep on reading, it can get worse. Words of wisdom: There is always room for God.