Southbend, IN Hospitality

Even though the tour ended technically at the close of October, Brian and I joined Abbye and Jeff Pates for a quick drive from Memphis, TN to Southbend, IN to meet some friends at the Catholic Worker Community there. We arrived at the drop in center and set up some of the equipment. It was the first Friday of the month and so they had Mass and a massive potluck dinner. We enjoyed being together at Mass.

At the potluck, I sat at the table with one of our new friends, Biff, and a family with all six of their children there. They took up the whole table nearly and it was easy to see their parent's features in each of children's faces.

Speaking of children, I read the common revised lectionary before I went to church this morning. It struck me how the passages all seemed to relate to inheritance, children, redemption, righteousness, and reward. In Isaiah 58 the suffering servant receives a reward for giving up his life - an inheritance. In Hebrews, Jesus the Great High Priest, reclaims for the household of God many children. God redeems, gives righteouness, we become his children again sharing in his inheritance. Somehow though, and it isn't all clear in my mind (maybe because I just loaded up on Nyquil) the theme is that whole eternal family is the reward of righteousness and the goal of redemption.

I could feel some of that as Brian and Abbye and Jeff and I traveled together this week. I could feel it in some of the conversations that I was surrounded by at the Catholic Worker Hospitality House. I could hear and see it in the way the folks joined together in the liturgies of the Mass before dinner. It was there when we sang and shared songs and stories for the folks that stuck around to listen.

Good quick trip. I hope to make it up there again someday. Thanks Southbend. Thanks Margie and Biff.

End of October

Here are a few pics from the last bit of the October tour. We're back home in Oxford, MS now and adjusting to the strange lack of movement of a stationary lifestyle! Ha! Looks like the plan now may be to get into the recording studio with Brian and get started on a CD of his songs. I'll keep updating here as we go. Meanwhile, please be sure to sign up to the right here on the mailing list. I send a monthly-ish newsletter. Next time the road calls I hope that we see many of you again!



We traveled down from Holland, MI to Columbia, MO to visit Matt and Laura Pinkstaff. They're old friends from SOS Summer Camp days in Memphis, TN. They've been living in India for the past few years so it's been a while since I've seen them. In fact, I've made three CDs since I saw them last. Here's a pic of Brian building a cd castle on their kitchen table after the concert.



A lovely silly group pic from the Pinkstaff's house. Everybody did a good job in this one. Bravo. We had lots of fun playing with the kids and visiting with our friends after so long.



Brian jams with our good friend Eric Papp. I think there may be a dancing Pinkstaff kid out of frame somewhere. Eric has helped set up house concerts in the past so we should be back around the Columbia area again in the future. Eric, hope to get breakfast next time we're through town.




Some Holland, MI friends Josh and Kim invited to dinner before we left town. We were appalled to find strange dead sea creatures all over our glassware as we approached the dinner table. Could be attributed to bad eyesight on their part, but honestly how could you not notice how poorly washed your dinner glasses were? And did they really expect us to drink that nasty ketchup that they poured in there? Besides that though the dinner was spectacular. Josh and Kim are just married and we heard fun stories of their romance. Great last evening in Holland, MI.



Lemonjello's is a favorite coffee shop hangout in Holland. We had several meetings there with friends. We hung out there several times, and read or journaled.



The cups at Lemonjellos are yellow. That could be because lemon jello is yellow? Or because it rhymes? I don't know.