Getting In The Christmas Spirit With Sean Dietrich and Family

Prologue…

These are strange and unsettling times that we find ourselves in.  I usually begin my day by reading the daily blog of Sean Dietrich.  I have found that this routine usually makes me laugh (or cry!), makes me think, and, most importantly, uplifts my spirits for the day ahead.  Dorothy and I have had the privilege of meeting Sean and watching him perform on two prior occasions, first in Nashville, Tennessee at the Grand Ole Opry, and then in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  We thoroughly enjoyed each of these occasions.  So, a few months back, I was delighted to learn that Sean would be performing in Mineola, Texas, on December 3, 2023.  Wanting to share this experience with someone we loved, we invited my brother, Ray, and his wife, Angie, to meet us in Tyler, Texas, and attend Sean’s performance the next day in nearby Mineola.  When they accepted our invitation, a trip was born.

A Weekend in Tyler, Texas…

We met Ray and Angie in Tyler, Texas, on the afternoon of Saturday, December 2, 2023.  We decided to stay in Tyler, since the pickings were pretty slim in Mineola, and it was a short drive to that sleepy little town.  We enjoyed a nice dinner at F.D.’s Grillhouse and had an entertaining visit, with lots of laughter as we talked about old times.  After dinner, we spent a little time enjoying the Christmas lights, eventually ending up at The Children’s Park of Tyler.

Sunday morning, we had breakfast at our hotel, The Sleep Inn and Suites.  Once again, our coversations over breakfast were quite enjoyable.  And, on the topic of hotels, we were pleasantly surprized at how nice the moderately- priced Sleep Inn turned out to be.  Anyway, my brother Ray is a family historian of sorts, and, during one of our conversations, he mentioned that our grandfather, Roy H. Biser, was pastoring a church in Mineola when he died.  So, we set out that morning to attend a 10:45 a.m. service at First Christian Church of Mineola, where our grandfather had served.  We enjoyed the church service, and the members were very friendly and welcoming.  Unfortunately, we found no one at the church who remembered our grandfather, nor did we find any pictures or plaques at the church that mentioned him.  While writing this blog, a quick google search revealed very little about our grandfather.  Below is the only picture I found of him online, from a book about Floyd Collins a famous cave explorer from Kentucky, whose funeral our grandfather presided over.  Also below is a picture of our grandfather from his passport, which I found among our sister Molly’s belongings after she passed away in 2017.  

I had hoped to find my grandfather’s obituary, or perhaps something related to his service at the church in Mineola, but it was not to be.  I will look some more, and, if I find anything, I will update this blog.  Rest in peace, Grandfather Biser!

After church, we had an enjoyable buffet lunch at Paredes Family Restuarant.  Our waitress was kind enough to let us linger after our meal, so, once again, we swapped memories and laughed a lot until it was time to head to the Mineola Civic Center and R.V. Park (no kidding!) and Sean’s show.

Sean Dietrich Shines, Deep in The Heart of Texas…

Sean’s  show was set to begin at 4:00 p.m., with doors opening at 3:00 p.m.  We arrived at the venue a little before 3:00 and found the auditorium already beginning to fill up.  By the time the show began, it looked like the place was a sellout.  Sean put on a spectacular show, and, for Dorothy’s benefit, included a lot of new material that we had not seen before.  Jamie,  Sean’s wife, was out front in the lobby, selling Sean’s books, including his latest novel “Kinfolk”.  Dorothy bought a copy and has already read it, reporting to me that it is quite good.  I will try to get her to write a review! 

We spent the next two hours being thoroughly entertained by Sean Dietrich.  I hope Ray and Angie enjoyed the show half as much as Dorothy and I did.  We decided not to wait around to greet Sean since it looked like the majority of those in attendance were qued up to meet and greet him.  Thanks for coming to Texas, Sean, and thanks for the energetic and compelling performance you graced us with!  Below are some pictures and videos from our enjoyable afternoon.

A Few Videos From Sean’s Performance…

In this first video, Sean plays Deep in The Heart of Texas on his fiddle, tells a story that makes fun of how Texans brag, whistles, and tells a story about how his grandfather taught him to play the guitar…

In this second video, Sean tells stories about his cousin Ed Lee, pound cakes, and a visit to a Pentecostal church….

In this last video, Sean plays piano and sings “When You’re Smiling”, plays guitar and sings “I Will Fly Away”, and tells a joke about preachers going to heaven…

Epilogue…

Dorothy and I enjoyed this little trip.  We are grateful for the good health and resources that allow us to travel.  We are grateful for Sean Dietrich and his uplifting humor and musical talents.  We are grateful for my brother Ray and his wife Angie for accompanying us on this little trip.  We had such a good time visiting with them!  We love you Ray and Angie!