Almost Made It to 100

My niece made a Facebook post this morning with a beautiful photo of Dad blowing out birthday candles. And that she imagined this is how her grandfather is spending his 100th birthday..."basking in the light of God's presence and still telling his stories. Until we meet again" I loved it. This is the first time I will not be able to wish my dad a happy birthday in person. Ninety-nine years and eight months was a good run, though.

Jump In Time

My friend Rebecca started a blog and has inspired me to post again. Things are much the same with me and mine except we are older. Dad is now 97 and still a sweetheart.

The sister and Dad.

Just Looking

Was just looking at the photo of Dad in the next post. The one on his 93rd birthday. He sure has gotten so much more frail this year.

Happy Blogaversary To Me

I can't believe it was only six years ago that I started this blog. So much has happened in that six years. Lost a step-mom, became a widow, traveled, got a promotion, retired, etc. Not having a daily, sit-at-a-computer-on-my-desk kind of routine has made keeping current with a blog harder.

Nonetheless, I think I'll always keep it because it serves as a great journal for me. And it was certainly a great outlet when Gene died. That has been quite a journey. Just last week I got to hear the Marine Band, the President's Own, play mine and Gene's song ... Stars and Stripes. I had a kinda-wraps-that-up sort of moment ... won't get better than that.

Dad's 93rd birthday was yesterday. He enjoyed all the festivities this week but sure has left him tired.


Dad celebrates another year.

Such a busy day ahead so no more time to muse here. See ya some other day, hopefully before it's another blogaversary upon me.

Dang Phone

Dropped my cell phone and received the replacement one today. When I originally got the phone, they set up an email account for it. I just used the email and never logged into the account ... so now I have no idea what the password is and that's where all my contact info is backed up. Looks like I may be starting over. Maybe not a bad thing every once in a while?

Aren't You Surprised?

Aren't you surprised to be seeing a blog post by ME?

Just a fluke that I decided to log in. Been so long I had to look up my hints since I couldn't remember the exact password.

Just checked out some blogs that I had listed as those I used to follow. I had them bookmarked on my computer in my former life but haven't seen them lately.

One blog is still dead. Hate to see it. I was so invested in this guy's breakup and bringing up his kids; the whole divorce thing was so dramatic. Toward the end of his posts, he'd met a woman on a blind date. Maybe that worked out for him and he had no more need for catharsis.

Another one of my favorites has had quite a bit of activity. Can't wait until I have time to read and catch up. Maybe some bedtime reading. Who reads books anymore? OK, I have a book bedside that I am trying to read. Haven't even gotten thru the first chapter in two months. Although I like the story, just so easy to read the cellphone instead when you don't have a bedside lamp.

La tee da tee dahhh. Maybe more later?

Crafty

Came across this site the other day. Came back to it today now that I've got a minute to really look at it.

There is a weekly Friday giveaway and today's includes posting their button on your website.



Check it out. Directs you to many very creative and crafty bloggers.

Living With A History Expert

Dad told us the other day that the first drive-in bank in Texas was in Marshall.

Today, he helped me date a photograph from the museum. A street scene. He said most the cars looked like 1924 models but one had a spare tire on the back which would make it at least 1925. Before then if you had a flat you had to take it off and fix it on the spot. You carried a Monkey Grip Tire Repair Kit with you. In 1925 they started adding a detachable tire to the back.

Lots of his stories are family history or his personal history. But there's so much random stuff thrown in.

Along with identifying the 1925 cars, he also told me about the car windows made from "isinglass", a precurser of plastic made from celluloid.

Today at the museum, I decided on the arrangement of a set of photos on loan from the Big Thicket Preserve museum and will hang them tomorrow. They are fairly large black and white photos depicting life in the Big Thicket area in the 1930's and 1940's. Among them is a set of some people building a mud chimney.... just like Dad described to me years ago. Was interesting to see actual photos of the process.

So ends this ramble.

Old Time Stories

Dad was telling me yesterday that his brother, Dean, had demusked a polecat when he was a kid and had this polecat as a pet. Dean dug a hole over to the side in the floor of the hearth which was clay and this polecat would curl up in this hole during the hot of the day. I was really surprised that his folks would've allowed a pet indoors. Dad said he'd already left home when this happened. He didn't know what it was named.

One time my grandfather had this polecat up in his lap feeding him peanuts. The housecat walked by and was none to happy to see the polecat. The polecat bowed up and Big Daddy reached out with his right hand to stroke his fur and tell him to calm down and not bother with the housecat. That skunk bit down on his left hand and wouldn't let go. He grabbed a good hold on the scruff of that polecat's neck and snapped it. Only then did he get his hand back from that toothsome grip. Really did some damage and took a long time to heal.

Facebook Fast Over

Made a pact with a friend to take a little four-day break from Facebook just to see how much of a time-suck it really is. The results? Facebook didn't miss me.

So on with blogging. Starting out with a few photos from when I was playing with the new phone. Had to try out all those photo settings that I'll never use again. --



A train coming by the musuem.



The tracks by the museum.



Inside the museum.




This horse was part of a silent auction fundraiser in December. Location is the art gallery. Notice photos from the photo competition on the wall. My first show to hang there as curator. There was a record breaking 87 entries.



Here's the outside of the musuem.




The first city water well next door.