Well, we could have expected a cool period during the Easter weekend.  There’s a saying “It’s never too early to plant a garden…the first time.” Edith just planted our tomatoes.  The early potatoes and radishes look rather dismal.  Even one of our shade trees in our yard is having a hard time.  We have really tried to take good care of the trees, but have replanted about half of those due to the ice storms and dead trees.

We should not be complaining about anything if we consider the plight of the tornado victims in Texas.  With all our technology we are still helpless to stop storms from their devastating effects.  Seeing those pictures of large truck trailers being thrown around like tin cans was awesome.

Thursday evening I helped at the Pryor FFA speech contest.  There were 13 contestants in the AG Business group.  They were allowed six to eight minutes, plus a three-minute question time.  They were judged on the content of the manuscript, presentation of speech and the response to questions.  It was quite obvious that they had done their research and knew the subject they spoke about.

It took nearly three hours to process our division, which was the last one to finish.  With three of us judging, it was good to see how close the top three speakers were on points.  We placed them all, but there were only three trophies.

There were approximately 150 contestants that came from all over Green Country.  A lot of the younger members had memorized the creed.  The seniors had several years experience and were more relaxed in their delivery.  The covered subjects were on photography, horse slaughter, fresh produce and alternative sources of energy.

The buses were pulling out of Pryor around 10:30 p.m. with several having a two hour travel time home.  It takes a lot of effort from the teachers, advisors and sponsors to attend all of the events.

Saturday, P and K Equipment, the John Deere dealership in Pryor, had open house.  They had an Easter egg hunt for the kids with over two thousand eggs.  As a joke, the employees put a $250 coupon in one egg with the message to turn it in to Eric Mathis, the store manager.  He nearly had an anxiety attack when the young lad presented it, demanding the money.  Everything settled down when it was exposed as a set-up with the boy and his mother by the employees.

Edith and I went to Tulsa around 3 o’clock Saturday.  The consignment sale on 412 west of Chouteau was still going strong.  It looked like this month’s sale was a large one.  After shopping at Animal Health Supply, PetSmart, Sam’s Club and Northern Tool, we ended up on 71st Street.  It had started to rain as we went through the Krispy Kreme drive- through window to pick up a couple of crème- filled donuts.

Traveling up Highway 169, we had rain all the way home.  As we passed the consignment sale at 5:30, there were still people leaving with loads of purchases.  The rain must have speeded up the sale and especially hurried the loading.

Easter morning as we left home there was a Black Angus calf outside our fence.  We chased it through the hole in the fence where a wire had broken.

There were several guests at church for our Easter service.  Sermon topic was on “Empty Tombs” by Pastor Duey Matthews.  He used the scripture from Mark 15 and 16.  He mentioned the courage of Joseph Arimathaea to ask Pilate for Jesus’ body to proceed with a proper burial in the garden tomb.

All the evidence that came forth when the stone was rolled away and the tomb was empty gave the message to the women who came early in the morning was “HE IS RISEN”!!

We came home, ate a snack and I took some tools to repair the fence.  The Black Angus calf had gotten out again.  The livestock always thinks that the grass is greener on the other side of the fence.  In this case it really is, but there is enough in the pasture for them now.

Edith and I went with Jack and Ruth Detweiler, Ernie and Flora Conrad and Carl and Lana Helmuth to McAlester Sunday afternoon to give a two-hour service at the Jackie Brannon Chapel at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary.  We sang, the inmates sang and Brother Carl had an inspiring sermon from John, chapter 20 on the resurrection of Christ.

The inmates were quite vocal in their appreciation for our group coming down to do a service on Easter evening.

We missed the Easter program at our church, but were blessed by being with that group of fellows that have a testimony on God’s goodness.

Have a good week.  God Bless…