Guest Blogger Becky Buller - Final Update on Valerie Smith and Liberty Pike in Florida!

Becky Buller

Hey, everybody!

What a beautiful Florida sun-shiney weekend it was!

We didn't get around to any early Friday morning fishing at Roger and Kathy's because we were rehearsing our gospel sets for the evening. Roger squeezed up some fresh juice from oranges in their grove, which were still on the tree only an hour before. You haven't really experienced orange juice until you've had it that way. It even lost its magic after being in the refrigerator for a bit.

First Baptist Church At the Mall show

Friday evening's show was at 1st Baptist Church at the Mall in Lakeland, Fla. Literally, the church used to be an entire mall! It was enormous! We were playing in the area that was formerly Montgomery Ward. The event was fundraiser for a project the church has just embarked on called RS7, which will be planting self-sustaining, reproducing churches pastored by indigenous people on all seven continents within the next three years. Friday evening's focus was Australia and South America. I found it very interesting that Australia teaches the Bible in their public schools.

While the concert was a lot of fun, the audience very responsive and with us, and the desserts brought by the church ladies incredible, my favorite part of the evening was eating supper with Ms. Ginny. She was a marine in World War II. A marine! She enlisted because her brother, who has horrible asthma, couldn't go. For four years, she was over a dormitory of airplane mechanics at Camp Legeune in North Carolina. She said she'd run down the bakery and buy them pies. (Shane said she was a sergeant.) She showed us all a picture of her during wartime in her uniform, which she says she can still wear! Ms. Ginny, we salute you! Thank you again for your service to our country.

Under the big top at the Int'l Market
World bluegrass fest

Greg finally drove us to Wal-Mart after the show...

Saturday morning we were up by the crack of noon and off to International Market World for their bluegrass and clogging festival. It was a hot, hot day under the big top. Found out the wolves were only dogs. (Oh well.) David found the alligators, but they were already off-duty for the day...so he didn't get to hold one and have his picture made. The promoter was bit by a pig. (No, really! He was

I think all the chaos was due in part to the moon being the closest to earth that it has been in 19 years. Did you all catch a look at it? I think they call it a "super moon."

It was great to see Ken, Maria and Paul, the Yoders, Mike and Mary of the Gospel Sing ministry, and all the gang. (Mary - we'll get together in Perry!) Thanks to Jerry Williamson and Charlie Basford on sound and everybody's favorite MC Evan Carl. Larry Gillis, I sent "Walk Like An Egyptian" out to you again, but you had already left. Bluegrass Express, The Clark Family Experience, Roger Bass and Hillbillies were all with us as well. (If I've forgotten someone, I'm very sorry!)

Val adopts kids everywhere we go

Sunday morning Val and I went back to 1st Baptist Church At The Mall with our friends Nolan and Nancy. Their Sunday school class was celebrating the Jewish feast of Purim, which remembers the victory of the Israelites over the evil dude Haman (Boo! Hiss!) as chronicled in the book of Esther, with a great breakfast. One of the ladies even made "Hamantashen," which means "Haman's Pockets" in Yiddish, triangle cookies full of fruit. In Jewish, they are called "Oznei Haman" or "Haman's Ears" because when he entered the King's treasury he was bent over in shame and humiliation or, literally, clipped ears. (I was excited about the cookies because my mom makes them.) A couple shared about their family's recent trip to China, which was incredible and empowering.  The service was awesome; all in all, a very nice way to end out the tour.

In front of the Auburndale Civic Center
for our last show of the tour

But that wasn't the end! We played a fundraiser for the Auburndale police department's Relay for Life team at the local civic center. Then it was off to a pickin' party BBQ with Roger and Kathy and their gang.

VS Phone Home

Now were limping through construction in Florida, watching out for a fruit stand with strawberries as we make a run for the border and a week or so at home. We'll be back down this way for the Florida State Bluegrass Festival in Perry on April 1 and 2 then to Bushnell for a house concert at Hollowpoint Farms. More info is on our schedule at: http://www.valeriesmithonline.com/tour.cfm .

More of David's gator buddies

This is my last installment for the Prescription Bluegrass blog for the time being. I sincerely thank Brian and all you fine folks for letting me bend your ears. See you down the road very soon!

[Editor's comments: Only  the last post for Becky temporarily.  We surely enjoyed reading about the adventures and look forward to hearing from Becky again in the future]

Val & David

Shane jamming with
members of Bluegrass Exprerss

Over and out!

Becky
PS All the photos by David Tousley.