Starting a New Year (January, February, March 2024)
2024 started quiet and slow. But it soon became the busiest year of our life.
Texas
Tammie’s mom had some health issues, and we found ourselves in Texas for a couple of weeks in January. We would end up in Texas five times this year helping her mom with health issues, beginning phases of dementia, clearing her house to put on the market, and helping her move into an assisted living apartment. While at her mom’s house, I enjoyed my morning walks around the lake and often ran into some four-legged visitors.
Cherokee Point: Near Pittsburg, TX
Home Fitness Center
In late January and early February, we completed our home fitness center by purchasing a treadmill and a multifunctional 150 pound home gym station for total body training. Our home fitness center now has a stationary recumbent bike, treadmill, home gym station, dumbbell station (from 2 pounds - 30 pounds), a weight bench, a small elliptical machine, and a yoga mat. All of this is strategically placed in an extra bedroom. This room gets used every day.
February Activities
In early February, we attended a comedy show at the Peace Center in downtown Greenville, SC. The Peace Center is a performing arts center located in Greenville, South Carolina. It is composed of a concert hall, theater, and amphitheatre. We went to see comedian John Crist. It was a great night out.
At the end of February, we attended a retiree dinner hosted by Bob Jones University. It was nice to get together with about 125 retirees and catch up on what several of them were doing.
March Activities
One of my favorite activities is picking up my grandchildren from school and taking them out for ice cream. I was pleasantly surprised one day to find that my granddaughter’s school had a “dress up like what you want to be when you grow up day.” She was dressed as a school teacher.
Every spring, Bob Jones University hosts the Allen Jacobs Memorial Prayer Breakfast. They invite law enforcement to attend and have local businesses sponsor tables. At the event they have a law enforcement guest speaker, prayer from several participants, then awards are given to local law enforcement for acts of service and bravery. Funds above the cost of the breakfast are added to the Allen Jacobs Criminal Justice Scholarship Fund. Every year we are invited, and we try to bring family members with us. This year our two grandsons attended with us. If you are interested in donating to the Allen Jacobs Criminal Justice Scholarship, just hit the link. When you get to the site, click on the Make a Selection tab to choose the correct scholarship.
In late March, we were invited to attend a portrait unveiling in honor of our son, Officer Allen Jacobs, by the Rupert Huse Veterans Center sponsered by Upstate Warrior Solution. Allen's portrait is the first one in the Law Enforcement area of the Hall of Heroes which is located in the new Rupert Huse Veteran Center on Pelham Road. All three of our grandchildren got to meet the artist of Allen's portrait, local artist Chris Pelicano.
Before the ceremony we were given a tour of the Veteran Center facility and portraits of armed services heroes from the Upstate by Theresa Thompson, Chief Operating Officer of Upstate Warrior Solution and wife of the Chief of Greenville Police Department Howie Thompson. Chief Thompson, Greenville County Sheriff Hobart Lewis and dozens of police officers and deputies were among those in attendance at the ceremony.
A big thank you to everyone who was involved.
We ended the month of March by attending Living Gallery held at Bob Jones University. Since we are donors to Bob Jones University we were invited to a reception and free tickets to the event. The unique Living Gallery program combines original drama, music and breathtaking live portrayals of classic works of art to celebrate the story of Christ’s life or resurrection. It was a fantastic and moving experience.
So, a relatively quiet start to 2024 with only one trip. But things were about to get much busier.