Everly was teaching me some American Sign Language. I showed her this chart.

OYB!

Español!

I walked 1.81 miles while I studied.

Beautiful morning. Cool and crisp.

Saw this house on my walk.

Had a fun talk with my buddy, Anthony.

I got a sad text about my brother Lester who had a stroke. Please pray for him as the doctors decide what needs to be done.

We played together in the band Cruz.

And my brother Tito.

I finished the editing of our new Donor 2023 spreadsheet.

Good chat with my brother Bennett. I hope to get together with him and a few other of my friends soon.

Went to the Post Office to mail my Mom’s calendar that Ashley made for her for Christmas. While I was there, I helped a lady mail a package. She was so grateful. I just wanted her to get finished.

Deposited checks.

Took the left over supplies from the Middle School Xmas party yesterday to our storage area.

A neighbor shot this picture of a Bald Eagle by the river at the bottom of our hill. WOW!

Went by Dunkin’ Doughnuts to get goodies for the younger kids today. I had a really interesting chat with a young Bengali man named Nur about my work here in Chamblee.

Always great to hang with the grandgirls.

Warmed up pretty well.

Helped the kids at the mission with their homework. Big crowd today.

Listened to radio from Spain on the way home.

Made progress.

Español!

Cold morning!

One of my resolutions is to reach out to my best friends. I did a lot of that today.

Refilled my quart of oil bottle with my big container as well as my windshield wiper fluid reservoir.

Walked 1.65 miles while I studied Spanish.

Listened to radio from Spain.

Helped the kids with their homework.

Had the Christmas Party for my Middle School kids. We had pizza and doughnuts. They loved it.

Gorgeous sunset.

Checked the mail at my office.

Picked up my groceries.

Tough group. It’s the finals. Second, third and fourth places keep swapping.

Released one of my best podcasts ever called “The Present 2.0.”

Did well last week. I learned a lot.

I just ordered this book. Teddy Roosevelt is one of my heroes and perhaps my favorite president after Jefferson.

OYB!

Español!

Had a good walk while I studied.

Always great to talk with my Mom!

Listened to Tito’s bilingual sermon.

Gassed up the car. Made it to Birmingham and back on 3/4s of a tank.

Added some oil.

Always great to see the grandgirls!

I liked this sticker we saw on the way to the Post Office to mail Nana’s birthday card.

The girls helped me enter information on the computer, in particular the zip code.

Then put it in the slot!

Went to my office to check the mail.

Put all my supplies from the mission conference back into my storage area in the church.

The apartments across the street continue to rise up.

Listened to radio from Spain.

Helped the kids at the mission with their homework.

Beautiful sunset.

Kanan is one of my favorite Star Wars characters. SW Rebels is a terrific show.

I found this article interesting. All in Spanish!

OYB!

Español! Walk!

K and I listened to Tito’s sermon on the way to Alabama.

We had a fun trip, although the driving got tiring.

I liked this art in our hotel room. It has pitcher plants!

We didn’t sleep that well although the beds were good.

Español!

I got a very warm reception from my buddies Ben and Liz Birdsong and the members of Christ Church in Birmingham.

I got to the church at 7:45am. Greeted people for two services and then gave a presentation to the folks who are planning on visiting us in Atlanta. Amen.


I thought our display looked great.

Kathy wasn’t feeling well, so she stayed at the hotel until I picked her up around 2PM. We went for a late lunch at Pablo’s. So good.

I couldn’t spend quite as much time today studying as I normally do. The conference had priority.

Still did well considering I’m competing with the best students in all of Duolingo. I thought I was only against fellow Spanish students. I actually compete against ALL the diamond league students throughout all the Duolingo languages. Wow. No wonder it’s hard.

My goal is 10,000 per week.

I’m tired. I drove about three hours in the rain, most of it in the dark. That sucks.

I like this.

Did some research on mission trips offered by Georgia Baptists and NAMB.

New words!

Cold morning.

OYB!

Español!

I studied Spanish the entire time I was walking.

I have listened to every sermon my buddy Tito has preached that was on his church’s website. I’m back to listen to the new ones. Always fun as well as a learning experience. He preaches a few sentences in English then translates into Spanish. I like translating while he’s preaching and seeing how close I get to how he puts it.

K and I are going to Birmingham tomorrow to take part in a conference for Whirlwind. I worked on cleaning the inside of the car and the windshield and windows.

Ate at Hot and Cold buffet. Haven’t been there in a while. It was really good.

Came home and talked with Jessi for a long time. Fun.

Had a good rest. My back is still bothering me but it’s better. I’ve been trying to walk regularly and sometimes that makes it worse. So it goes.

New words!

Colder.

OYB!

Español!

Set up a meeting with my buddy, Tito!

Cleaned the front glass door.

Brought the distilled water inside from my car.

Walked while I studied Spanish.

I always enjoy shooting pictures while I’m at Stone Mountain.

I like lichen and moss.

Fixed my outdoor clock.

Recorded a new podcast of Verbal Surgery. While I was there, a coyote walked past my car.

On the way home I picked up an order of birdseed and dog food. Put it in my storage bin.

Swept the kitchen.

Watered my upstairs plants.

Had a fun Christmas Party for the kids. We decorated Christmas cookies. I told the story of baby Jesus and we let the kids pick out toys.

Helped the kids with their homework.

Beatiful sky!

Just keep going.

Released a new episode of Verbal Surgery “Mistake Fear.”

I was a Republican for over forty years. What the party has become now is unrecognizable and just stupid.

It rained almost all night long. Over 3.25″.

Always learning new words.

OYB!

Español!

Watered my indoor garden.

Studied Spanish while I walked 1.78 miles.

Mileage.

Had a good talk with my buddy Ben Birdsong about the conference I’m going to this weekend. Hopefully, K will feel well enough to come with me. It’s about three hours to get there.

I followed a garbage truck that leaked oil on the wet asphalt. I thought the patterns were interesting and beautiful.

Broken mirror on the side of the road.

Cleaned out my trunk so I could store the supplies for the conference.

I put all the Christmas gifts and supplies in garbage bags and put them in my storage area at the mission.

Got the newsletters folded and stuffed and in the mail.

I’m starting to listen to my buddy Tito’s bilingual sermons again. I’d listened to them all months ago. Going back to catch up with the ones I haven’t heard. He preaches a few sentences in English then translates them into Spanish. It’s interesting to see how much closer I am now to how he translates and what I think he’s going to say.

Both he and his wife had Covid over the Christmas break. Fortunately, the symptoms were mild. His son Sammy, however, had to have emergency surgery. Glad they are all ok now.

Sunflower.

Gassed up my car on the way to the mission. Checked the fluids.

Had fun with the girls at the mission. I told all the kids getting off the bus that the party will start as soon as they get home tomorrow. SO glad that Kathy and Ashley will both be there to help me.

We had a good FaceTime with my Mom!

Took the girls to McDonalds and then to the park for a picnic. I told them over Christmas break that my goal was two words: Fun and Excitement. We are continuing the tradition.

Listened to Tito’s sermon as well as radio from Spain.

Full Sun Moon.

On the way home, I stopped at Walmart to pick up some distilled water. It wasn’t available at the Walmart near my house where I pick up my groceries.

Just keep going.

I liked these resolutions.

The grandgirls and I went to Waffle House this morning. We met a guy named Moussa from Senegal. Gave me a chance to speak French and show the girls were Senegal is.

Always learning or making my knowledge deeper.

OYB!

Incredibly mild this morning.

Español!

Ashley and the girls had a play date yesterday with some friends. They gave the girls some bags of clothes. Everly and I worked on organizing some of them. We cleaned out one drawer so there was room to put stuff and separated those that could be given to Goodwill. Most of the families we work with are really not into used clothes. Occasionaly, the kids will go for jackets if the weather is really cold.

I let the president of our board know when we are going to have the Christmas Party. Too cold to do it earlier!

Dropped my newsletter off at FBC Doraville. The secretary has Tuesdays off. She’ll do it for me tomorrow.

I got this text late last night. It looked suspicious to me. The girls and I went to Bank of America to verify that indeed it was a scam!

The girls danced around while we waited.

We went to the Dollar Tree (now $1.25!) to get presents for the party on Thursday. One cart of toys was about $250!

The girls were a big help.

Then to the church for me to organize the things I’ll be taking to Birmingham for the missions conference there this coming weekend. I’ll also be speaking to the youth group and their parents to encourage them to come this Summer. It’s the only team we have for sure so far. Several others are on the fence.

The girls skated while I worked.

Then to Walmart to get cookies to decorate and plates for the party.

Grandgirls start back to school tomorrow!

Rainy afternoon.

Good weather for napping.

Radio from Spain on the way home.

Studied hard last week.

OYB!

Español!

Walked 1.10 miles while I studied.

Incredibly warm today.

I got a $20 late charge because the USPS delivered this check nearly two weeks late! I’m contesting the charge.

Repaired a shirt for K.

Got a trace of rain. Most of this missed us.

Went to the Post Office to get stamps for the newsletters. Last two times they’ve printed individual stamps instead of the sheets of ten. Takes a long time.

Listened to radio from Madrid.

Filled up my water jugs. I took the insulation off of the outside faucet I use. I have the proper type coming this week from Amazon. I hope.

Filled up my feeders. Cleaned the birdbaths and the St. Francis shrine.

Cleaned my outdoor carpet.

Printed the labels and got the envelopes ready for the newsletter once it’s printed. Hopefully tomorrow, but probably Wednesday.

Recorded a new episode of Verbal Surgery called “Just Right.”

Paid bills.

Just keep going.

Wow!

Countdown!

OYB!

I’ve been using the One Year Bible for nearly thirty five years! This is my second one. I’ve really enjoyed the NIV version better than the Living Bible.

Español!

I walked 1.08 miles while I was studying.

Foggy this morning in our neighborhood.

Had a fun lunch with our family including Donnie Duval, Bill and Deborah Doverspike, David Doverspike, Jr., Jason and Anne Sullivan, and Kathy.

Incredibly mild!

Radio from Spain.

Packages for Ashley.

Went to Stone Mountain to record Verbal Surgery “The Present.” Very good.

Released Verbal Surgery -995- “Habitual Discipline.”

Started a new folder for episodes released in 2023.

Produced and printed out the January edition of my newsletter. Also did all the labels. I’ll work on getting the envelopes ready tomorrow.

My goal is to break 10,000 points a day. That equates to about an hour and a half.