Texas and Two More Hills
Well, the US tour is winding down…
We’ve been on the road nearly two months now, and have a week with 3 concerts left, if Hurricane Harvey doesn’t interfere. It’s raining in Dallas, but nothing like what Houston is experiencing. We wondered why no concerts came through for Houston this year, as we really wanted to go there and were so disappointed that we couldn’t meet our goal of finding a Houston concert for this very weekend, but once again, we tip our hat to the all-knowing God who can plan around what we cannot see coming.
Sunflowers on the side of the road (Georgia?)
I’ve been a complete failure at taking photos this year. I am chalking it up, at least partially, to fatigue. Remember we left for this tour a mere three days after finishing a month of radiation treatments, and this has a way of wearing one out.
Randy prepares for a house concert at the Bauer house (VA)
Adrenaline kept us going for the first month, but slowly and surely, a tiredness like I have never experienced before has crept in. It’s a surprising kind of tiredness—one that makes it a little harder to focus. The work gets done, and I am enjoying the concerts, but I crash and burn well before midnight, and my mind is not as sharp as I’d like.
Please do not operate machinery until you know how your brain is affected by recent events.
I’ve absolutely loved being on the road and getting to visit so many friends and family. Being able to hug these people who have supported us in thought and prayer, with cards and notes and emails this past year.
with Mom (SC)
Cousins in NC
It has been a deep kind of good to be in the circle of conversation with those we have visited; I just haven’t been very good at participating. For days at a time, I seem to lose my ability to carry a conversation, and I suppose what I want to say is that I’m sorry if I seemed out of it, and thank you for carrying the conversations.
Listening to others has been so nice! Over the course of this tour, I got free tickets to Hall and Oates and Tears for Fears, we opened for the Hollands in Wisconsin, had fantastic bands back us up in Illinois and Michigan, enjoyed an opening set by Canadian songstress Katrina Kadoski in Baltimore and were joined on stage by Naked Blue and Greg and Rebecca Sparks for amazing harmonies. Speaking of harmonies, have you heard John & Michelle Thompson lately? Or Michelle and Trinity Thompson sing together? Or just Michelle and anyone…my former roommate and backup vocal partner has always been great, but her voice is really and truly divine these days.
Mother daughter harmonies: Michelle & Trinity in Nashville!
The Hollands at Cup O Joy (WI)
Patient friends make all the difference. Rebecca Sparks in Pittsburgh.
Singing new songs and meeting new people has been a good gift too. We look forward to more of that this fall and winter, as we pursue more bookings in Ireland, the UK, and Europe.
New friends the Timmons (NE)
This fall through spring, we’ll be working around Randy’s school schedule—oh yeah, Randy is a student now! He has enrolled at Irish Bible Institute in Dublin, so he’ll be in class two days a week, and will have lots of homework. We’re not sure how all of this is going to work just yet, but we’re just trying to do what we say at the end of each concert:
FOLLOW THE LEADER.
TAKE ONE STEP AT A TIME.
YOU WILL BE AMAZED THAT YOU CAN DO IT
AND YOU WILL SEE AMAZING THINGS ALONG THE WAY
So, stay tuned, and come alongside, as we strive to move onward and upward, with 3 more concerts, 2 long flights, 24 driving lessons (required for Irish drivers licenses), and at least two more hills to climb…
THANKS TO ALL WHO HAVE SUPPORTED (and are supporting) THIS TOUR
STAY TUNED FOR WHINS AND WEATHER CD RELEASE DETAILS
