FBC Waco Valentine Banquet

It was six in the morning and still in darkness as the white pickup and trailer rolled to a stop in front of our house. Anna and I were standing in the driveway waiting with a bass fiddle, mandolin and our clothes anticipating a great day of friends, food and bluegrass music. Sam and Reva were in their traveling positions in the truck with fresh donuts on the dash. As we pulled away we wondered about Stuart who was in Grapeland and Boyd and Debbie who had gone ahead to spend the night somewhere between Dallas and Waco. We were on our way to the First Baptist Church in Waco where our former pastor and friend Dr. Randall Perry had invited the Hard 2 Git Bluegrass Band to perform for their senior adult valentine banquet. Dr. Randall is the father of Jonathan Perry who was with the H2G band during its first five years.

As we rolled on toward Dallas the sky was clear and we discussed how we must have missed the fog that had been predicted by the weather people on television and on the computers. As the first hint of daylight became evident in the eastern sky and we were into in to our favorite time to travel, eating donuts, drinking coffee and cokes and having a good time in general we noticed something like fog setting in. We should have known those weather men don’t miss and by the time we passed over the high rise overpass just this side of Dallas we could hardly see the front of our truck. Sam kept peddling, Reva kept praying and Anna and I were just glad to be alive and going somewhere. Before long we found ourselves traveling down interstate 35 with the sun shining and wondering if we were nearly there.

As we exited on 4^th street with instructions to travel down frontage road to 6^th street and turn right we made contact with Boyd and Debbie. They were in the area and had made contact with Stuart. Stuart had played the night before in Trinity with Tammy Huff and Highway 19. He was on the way and would be there soon. As we pulled up to the fellowship hall building and was removing the cones that was holding our parking place for the truck and trailer we were getting a call from Dr. Perry, checking on our whereabouts. As he came out the door to greet us it was so good to see our good friend again as we eagerly anticipated the arrival of his wife Debbie, son Jonathan and wife Lindsey, daughter Emily and husband Jeremy and their sons Hogan and Miller. It was to be not unlike a family reunion as they have become like a family to the Hard 2 Git members. We soon had our sound system in place and were amazed at the size of the room . all the tables, chairs, and people filing in as they came from the church service that Sunday morning. It was considered a sell out for there was hardly an empty chair.

As we made ready to eat we were told that Dr. Perry had prepared the meat for the banquet. That piece of information excited us for we had memories of eating his cooking on the smoker at our church and at his home in the past. He is a pro at cooking and the meal was just as we expected. ( Slap Yo Mama ) It was so much fun to see Debbie and all again and it reminded us of all the H2G shows they attended through the years. It brought back so many good memories.

During our performance that day we invited Jonathan to come up and do a couple of songs with us. He did The Red Clay Halo and The Orphan Boy and it was just like old times. Boyd and Stuart were firing on all cylinders, Anna was striking on the Bass and Sam and Reva were singing like canaries. The people were a great audience and expressed their approval with a standing ovation and wanted another song. It was a special time for H2G and we became friends of the people of First Baptist Waco right there. We parted with more CD’s than we had in some time and it is good to know that someone in the Waco area might be listening to our music as I write this message.

After much visiting and many hugs we departed and as we traveled along in three different vehicles we were wondering how we were blessed with such good friends and how lucky we were to be able to do what we do with our music. When we approached Greenville on the way home someone suggested that we stop, not just to eat again but to share all the good things we had experienced and it was decided by all that God is Great.

James Martin