Thursday, February 28, 2008

Pop

Nana and Grandpa
My aunt has been at it again! :0) She sent me a poem she'd written about my grandpa (her father) today. I can't find the photos I wanted to post with her poem, but these will do. Somewhere I have a photo of him with watermelon that would be perfect...so just picture the man below with a huge slice of watermelon and you'll see how I picture him when I think of him!



I almost named this post something different, but "Pop" is how my aunt and my mom refer to him and Nana did write the poem, so the title is for her.






OUR POP IS TOPS!

By Sue A.

OUR POP IS TOPS!

Daddy, Dad, Pop, Grandpa, Pops
No matter the name, our Pop is Tops.
One day, we’ll only have memories
That from our mind we must tease.
Remember always coming home a different way
And how we’d run to search his lunch box at the end of the day?
And never forget his pleasure
In looking for all that treasure.
And our feeling that there wasn’t anything he couldn’t fix.
That’s one of the things he misses since becoming sick.
His disbeliefs at all the pictures that we’ve taken,
But willing to pose with the latest baby without our begging!
Do you remember mom lowering the boom
Whenever he had car parts in the living room?
Not one for a verbal I love you,
Just something you knew, if you had a clue.
Picking up potatoes, pulling up beans
The fields were endless, it seems.
Shelling corn until our fingers were sore,
Cutting up apples down to the core,
Picking up walnuts for money for school,
And blackberries at ten cents a gallon was the rule.
Let’s not forget his shop,
His road grader, and tractor, “Johnny Pop”.
Cutting your own switch for mom’s tea of peach,
But that was better than Pop’s belt to our seat!
Remember his motto, “always room for one more”
When we were going to the creek or to the store.
Walking to grandma’s through the woods in the shade,
Along the path that he made
Riding on top of the truck load of lumber
Stories of the potato wagon when there was thunder.
Sliding down the pile of sawdust from his sawmill
Losing your stomach when he would drive fast down the hill.
Going to the Dairy Princess for ice cream
For a truck load of sixteen!
Going to Hocomo for penny candy sticks
Or picking and eating peaches until we were sick.
Remember his simple joy
With any silly little toy.
The shirt off his back he would lend,
Any neighbor could bring him something to mend.
Never knowing who was coming in the door
When calling him in for supper, how many more?
Glenda’s culvert washing away with every rain,
“Grandpa, please come fix it” was her refrain.
Remember making molasses, hominy and cider
For the old ways, our pop is a fighter!
Never was crazy about “new fangled stuff!”
Or lazy kids sitting on their duff!
Wanting to pass on the know how of old ways
Nothing quite like the “olden days!”
His tall corn in the middle of a drought,
Of his pride, there wasn’t any doubt!
So proud of hunting with his sons,
Feeling like a contest he won.
Deer hunting from the cab of his truck,
Any day for fishing was a day for luck.
Remember when we first got a TV
Watching Sat night wrestling was so funny!
Every Sat night making chocolate cake.
Even the boys learned to bake.
Before TV, listening to radio, Lone Ranger
Hi Ho Silver and all their danger!
Better be quiet and not talk
Or outside you would walk!
Turning the handle on the ice cream maker
Making popcorn with the old shaker.
Grinding sausage after killing hogs every winter
How he wanted potatoes and gravy for every dinner.
Eating watermelon, spitting seeds, not a care;
Half the melon was his share.
Fried rabbit or squirrel is good for any ills,
Better than any of those pills!
Is there any reason you can think
Of why so many of our memories involve food and drink?
He never made much money, what will he leave behind?
A county road, a cemetery, a legacy of being kind.
Six children, numerous grandchildren and greats galore,
What man could ask for more?
Pop, a man at peace with his God
Who’s happy with the path he trod.
“If I could do it again, I wouldn’t change a thing,”
Says this country man who in our hearts is a king.








Heather and Grandpa






My mom, Grandpa, and Nana







Grandpa and Heather




As I read Nana's poem, many memories of Grandpa surfaced. Instead of searching his lunchbox for food though, the grandkids searched his shirt pocket for Dentyne gum. I remember well the trips to Hocomo for peaches! The peach orchard is gone now. We'd go pick bushel after bushel of peaches and although I did not (and still don't) like peaches, I couldn't tell Grandpa no when he'd slice off a piece for me. I'd stick it in my mouth and eat it and pretend to like it. I don't do that for anyone else and never have. And I can totally relate to the never-ending fields she referred to and the tall corn fields. I can remember several occasions when my siblings and I would have our pictures taken with some kind of vegetable Grandpa had raised and that had grown extra large. I especially remember the year the photo was of Regina, Levi, Lacey and me and the corn was taller than Levi standing on top of Grandpa's shoulders.

And you're absolutely right, Nana! Memories of Grandpa do involve food!!!! Thanks for sharing your poem with me and allowing me to share it with everyone else.












Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Heather Goes to Galveston

Last weekend Heather and the rest of the high school dance team attended their final competition this year in Houston. They stayed and played in Galveston while away. I told Heather to take lots of pictures since I couldn't go. Next year I plan to be there!!!!







I know at different times some of the girls had the camera, sometimes the dance teacher Cathy had it and at others Heather had it. I'm guessing with the sheer number of photos of the boat they toured, Heather must have enjoyed that! (and she takes after her Mama!) There aren't a lot of photos with Heather in them since she was the one behind the camera most of the time....yet again she takes after me!







All the girls on the boat. Thanks, Cathy for taking this photo!






A neat photo Heather took of her buddy Ashley. Heather has danced with Ashley, Shelby and Brooke since we first moved to Texas 7 years ago.
























Mia and Heather on the gocarts.






Seeing this photo did not surprise me in the least. There were others that are very typical of things Heather likes, but this one stood out the most.





"Brookie" with a giant chess piece.





Shelby and Heather sportin' some FUNKY shades!






The girls at the competition. Heather is in the next to the top row, 2nd from the left. I'm going to have to remember to ask her why she doesn't have her hair up here!





The dancers received "Best in Class" in all their dances. Great job, girls!!!

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Outnumbered 5:1

Marty is certainly in the minority this week, especially today. He got up this morning to a house full of females. He should be accustomed to being in the minority. All these years Heather has danced he has often been the only dad, or one of 2 dads present on dance trips. In Missouri there was typically one other dad often at the dance studio and on dance trips. Once we moved to Texas, he was the only dad to travel with the studios to dance competitions. He's always been a great sport and even preferred the dance trips to the one season of basketball games we attended when Heather played middle school basketball!





We kept 2 of our friends Bill and Denise's daughters overnight last night and they will come over each morning the rest of this week so I can take them to school while Denise is out of town for a funeral.





Meet Bethany. She's also one of the students in my Sunday School class at church.







This is Bethany's younger sister Maggie. Bethany and Maggie will both be attending preteen camp with me this summer where I'll be their counselor.





Another little girl, Kaleigh, comes over every morning so I can take her to school and this is her last week because she'll be moving this weekend.

This is Kaleigh. I'm going to miss seeing her bright, smiling face each morning!









Heather is adjusting in typical teenage fashion to having to share her bathroom each morning, but I'm just thankful we have 3 of them on days like today. :0)



Those of you who know Heather and me well, know how likely (or unlikely) we are to get out of the house on time each morning. Today I had 4 girls to get to 3 schools and everyone was on time and I still had time to stop for coffee! Woo hoo!

Sunday, February 24, 2008

Bowling

The youth group from church went bowling tonight so Marty and I went along too. Heather got home from her dance trip just in time to attend church and go on the bowling trip. Welcome home, Heather! We missed you!!!


To see photos of the kids bowling, check out Erica's blog. I only have photos of the adults who bowled.....and photos of some of the adults trying to keep other adults from bowling well! :0)




Almost any time we go bowling, Marty bowls very well and I bowl pretty badly. A bowler I am not...at least not a good one! But I do enjoy it and Marty learned a long time ago I enjoy it a lot more if he doesn't try to coach me and just lets me have fun with it. Marty and Erica spent a great deal of their time trying to mess each other up. It was funny to watch!!!


Note Heather's hair!!! She had one of her dance teammates cut her hair while they were in Galveston this weekend. I knew she was planning to have it done but didn't know she'd go as short as she did until she texted me a photo as soon as it was done. I really like it on her, except that now everyone says she looks older! :0( When I picked her up from the school tonight one of the dancers commented that her hair now looks like mine!!! The styles are pretty similar now! Tonight everyone was trying to decide which of us now has shorter hair!



This is how long my hair is...










And here's Heather's new length: (in the black tshirt)










Reva (one of Heather's youth workers)



Marty bowling.








Erica (also a youth worker) trying her best to keep Marty from getting ANOTHER strike!







Heather's "I'm up to no good" look.







Billy (youth worker) and Heather bowling. Billy has an awesome curve ball he throws. It just sometimes winds up in the gutter!







Me. Bowling shoes always make such a great fashion statement, don't they?!

Saturday, February 23, 2008

Celebrating warm days and birthdays

It was such a beautiful, warm day that when Marty finished the tasks he was working on this morning he came home, washed the bike and we went for a motorcycle ride. I am strictly a fair weather rider and have been waiting for a nice, warm day for a ride. Marty on the other hand has ridden his bike all winter long, except on extreme cold or rainy days. Then he takes my Suburban to work!

It turned out to be the perfect afternoon for a ride. While we were out and about we discovered many who had the same idea we had. There were motorcycles and convertibles with tops down everywhere we went. Meanwhile my family back in Missouri is still covered in ice and very cold. And yes, I rubbed it in how warm we are here...especially to my sister Lacey. :0)





You can just see green starting to peek through the brown here and there.






One of our stops was at Landa Park in New Braunfels. I took my mom here last summer for a day but Marty had never been.


















I've never seen a squirrel pose quite like this before. The poor guy was confused. Marty was on one side of the tree and I on the other. He danced around a bit before finally darting straight up the tree.






I was just playing with shutter speeds with the water rushing over the rocks.







We arrived home from our ride in time to celebrate our friend Denise's 35th birthday. Happy Birthday Denise!!!











My Littlest Visitor

When I arrived home today my neighbor Tammie called to say she was bringing someone over to meet me. She brought her new granddaughter Taylor Makenzie over to show her off. What a beautiful baby girl! I so enjoyed holding her and just watching her. Tammie knows how much I adore babies and wanted me to get to see Makenzie.


Makenzie is precious and has such perfect features. Thank you Tammie for bringing her to see me! She's just beautiful!!!


Makenzie is just 3 weeks old today.




Makenzie with her "Nana" Tammie.





She went right to sleep in my arms.





Makenzie and me.






Go Cameron Go!

This morning I decided to surprise Cameron and go watch his last basketball game. I did not wake up early enough to attend Riley's game. (Sorry, Riley!) (Cameron and Riley are 2 of my friend Erica's kids.)





I took a bunch of pictures, few of which turned out at all. Erica has more pics of his game here.


Great game Cameron! I enjoyed it very much!














Riley and Cameron, each with the medals they recieved after theif final playoff games.












Friday, February 22, 2008

Elizabeth

Although we only live 5 hours apart, it's been 2, if not 3 years since we've seen one another! Elizabeth and I became best friends quickly after we met during our senior year in high school (1988-1989), and we were INSEPERABLE! We were together constantly: during school, after school, at work, on weekends...she was just another member of my family. Although Dad always made her nervous, my parents just welcomed her as one of their own. My youngest brother and sister Levi and Lacey were pretty small that year, and adored her as well, especially Lacey. When I called Lacey this morning I told her "Guess who I'm going to see tonight?" She was almost as excited as me when I told her I'd get to see Elizabeth. One of my favorite photos was taken the night Elizabeth and I graduated high school. It's of both of us in our red caps and gowns and Levi and Lacey are in the photo with us. I'd post it if I could find it!









When I moved to Arizona after graduation it was Elizabeth I missed as much as I missed my family. Elizabeth was the friend who made sure I had a calling card so I could call her as often as I needed to while I was away. She's the one who made sure I got home that first Christmas away. She and a friend drove all the way to Phoenix to pick up my roommate and me and drive us all the way back to Missouri. Elizabeth is the one whose house I could go, any time day or night and always be welcomed no matter what. There were even nights when as a teenager I knew my heart was just breaking in two and I could knock on her window and she'd get up, come let me in and we'd talk all night.









Gosh Elizabeth, who knew we could pack so many memories into that one year?! The first auto accident I was ever in was with her in her mom's car. The first time I had my car airborn, Elizabeth was with me. Elizabeth do you remember that? I'd almost forgotten that one until my latest trip back to Missouri and Marty and I drove that same road and I remembered and shared with him. She was almost always with me any time I cruised through town. Oh the miles we must have skated round and round at Skateland, the miles we cruised Porter Wagoner Blvd, the hours we've spent talking , crying and laughing together, the nights we spent talking all night sitting on the pavement in front of KFC or on the hood of my car in front of Hardee's. Remember McDonaldland Cookies and Grape Soda???









Elizabeth was in San Antonio this week for a conference for work. Marty and I drove over tonight to meet her at the RiverWalk to hang out for the evening. The time went by much too quickly! What fun I had catching up, if even for a short while. Can you believe our girls are almost the age we were when we met? I don't think I have a single senior year memory that you aren't in! :0) I thank God for you and what you've meant to me the past 20 years!






Elizabeth and me waiting for our dinner at Joe's Crab Shack.







Our waiter put a bib on Marty before his dinner arrived!






Elizabeth in front of the Alamo doors.






the Alamo








Elizabeth and me along the RiverWalk






Just outside the RiverCenter Mall, after enjoying our Starbucks Coffee break!









Elizabeth, I'm so glad we got to spend the evening together. Hope to see you in Fredericksburg at the end of March!!! Love ya bunches!!!










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