All Work and No Play Makes Jack a Dull Boy

This evening I arrived "house" after a week-long trip of business and pleasure (sometimes ‘tis best to mix the two). My journey consisted of stops in St. Charles, St. Louis, Neosho, Joplin, Springfield, and Branson, each a Missouri city. Accompanying me on each leg of the trip was my good friend Mark Stubblefield.

Mark and I started our week on Monday by setting up the Vision Forum booths at the CHEF of Missouri home school conference in St. Charles. We successfully located our inventory, changed our minds about table setup arrangements approximately 17 times, and eventually completed our display. Tuesday morning we arrived back at the convention center (which is brand new and quite spiffy, by the way), and spent the majority of the next two days exhibiting. Many thanks to CHEF for allowing us to be a part of their 2005 conference.

On Wednesday Mark and I enjoyed the very competent and gracious assistance of the Zes young ladies, long-time veterans of the Vision Forum book tables. Many thanks to Sarah, Rebekah, and Hannah for bringing the missing femininity to VF’s booth (Mark and I just weren’t up to the task). Thanks to Mr. Zes, as well, for allowing his daughters to lend their respective hands to our exhibiting endeavors, and also for his invaluable aid in assisting all of us as we packed our materials at the close of the conference. It’s so much fun to have friends and allies all over the country, and the Zes family once again proved themselves to be such this past week.

Lunch with the always-hospitable Serven family was the first order of business for Mark and me on Thursday. Mrs. Serven had attended the conference with several of her children, and she had graciously invited us to her home during one of her visits to the Vision Forum booth. After concluding that our schedule was open for lunch on Thursday, Mark and I were very grateful to accept! Nathanael Cordz, former co-intern and another of my Missouri friends, joined us for the mid-day meal at the Serven home, and all of us enjoyed sweet fellowship and excellent food courtesy of the Serven family. (In my capacity of field reporter, allow me to mention that the Serven’s home is quite lovely and that they should be finished with their basement modifications within the next three weeks.)

Nathan Serven and Cordz joined Mark and me as we traveled to David Fry’s house in St. Louis to visit him and receive a St. Louis tour, David Fry style. To those of you who have not been afforded the privilege of meeting the inimitable Mr. Fry, please accept my condolences. David is a hard-working, book-reading, fun-loving, aesthetic-conscious, hat-wearing, consummate gentleman, a rare mixture to be sure. David showed us his latest work projects, including his own house, took us to his favorite St. Louis dining establishment, O’Connell’s Pub (greatest burger I’ve ever eaten, and that’s high praise from a burger connoisseur like myself), drove us around town while offering insightful, entrepreneurial commentary into house-building projects throughout the city, introduced us to one of the hat shops he frequents, and wandered the shelves of a local Borders with us as the capper to our day. Thanks, David, for a fantastic afternoon and evening!

After departing David’s house, Mark and I drove the approximately five hours necessary to reach his home in Neosho. Gratefully Mark was successful in staying awake without my help, because my waking abilities were more or less nil toward the end of the trip. (An idea of my level of sleepiness: while singing in an effort to keep Mark awake, I fell asleep mid-sentence. That’s not easy to do.) Eventually Mark and I arrived at his home and gratefully tumbled into our respective beds.

Mark and I spent most of Friday visiting his home-towns past and present, as well as the Precious Moments facility where he sometimes does independent contract work. Although neither Mark nor I profess membership in Precious Moments’ fan club, its complex is rather amazing. Featuring countless pieces of artwork from founder Sam Butcher, as well as a variety of museums, miniature castles, a wedding chapel, an RV park, and numerous gardens, Precious Moments Inspiration Park is truly a sight to behold.

During our tour Mark showed me the house where he grew up, as well as a waterfall and river which he used to visit on hot days. We also hiked around another body of water and soaked in the beauty of tall trees, rolling hills, and placid lakes, each of which are regularly missing from my normal environs (sigh). Good times.

Dinner was provided by Mrs. Stubblefield (Mark’s mom, for anyone who is wondering) and was delicious. We ate lasagna, bread, green beans with bacon, and salad, followed by a tasty strawberry cake and ice cream. Mark showed me some old family pictures, and I enjoyed fellowshipping with Mr. and Mrs. Stubblefield (now I know why I have such a great friend). A fine dinner, to be sure.

Later that night Mark and I headed to the local tennis court. Alas, I was beaten. Still searching for a suitable excuse. . .

Saturday, the final full day of my trip, was spent primarily in Springfield and Branson. In Springfield Mark and I visited the national headquarters of Bass Pro Shops. What an array of sights! We saw huge catfish, monstrous bass, turtles, snakes, and a wide variety of mounted animals. For one’s purchasing pleasure, Bass Pro Shops stocks just about outdoor amenity one can imagine, from boats, to ATVs, to firearms, to camping gear, to golfclubs, and everything in between. Waterfalls, streams, and ponds complete the image of an indoor outdoor paradise that is Bass Pro Shops.

The remainder of our day was spent in Branson. Mark generously treated us to dinner and a show on board the Branson Belle, a three-million pound riverboat. That was a treat! Later we played miniature golf, in which I redeemed myself from the ignominy of Friday’s tennis games.

Many thanks to the Stubblefield family for their tremendous hospitality. I immensely enjoyed my time in Missouri, thanks in very large part to their gracious hosting. May God bless them mightily as they faithfully serve Him through service to His saints. Special thanks to Mark for putting up with me all week, and for so generously giving his time to serve at the conference. Until California, Marcus!