Grateful for my Poverty.

Today was a time to be grateful for what little I do have.

My childhood friend called today just to have some one to listen to her and hear her woes. We have talked many times in the last few months since we got reconnected and it has been great getting to know her again, but something in me is off. I feel a great sadness for what all she has been through and what these things have lead her life to. I guess I thought that with age comes wisdom, but for some reason this doesn't seem to be the case. Maybe I said that wrong, it's not that she hasn't learnt wisdom from her experiences, but it doesn't seem to have gotten her to change the path her life has been on for all of her life.

When I first met her she was just as poverty stricken as we were. Only difference was we were a family of 6 and they were just her and her mom. My dad worked his scrawny butt off to provide for his large family and they got a monthly check from the VA. I remember a time when she and I was talking and I learned that the check they got was for a thousand dollars a month. I was in jaw dropping awe! I couldn't understand how come they couldn't make it, when their money was 200 more than dads money. To tell ya the truth I still don't get it.

They rented just like us. They didn't have a car just like us. They struggled for food just like us. And so on and so on. Our lives were nearly exact, except for the size. They moved nearly as much as we did, but for different reasons. Our reason was crappy landlords that didn't want to fix the places up. They moved in the search for something better. At least I think that is why they moved all the time. I can't be positive, it may be something deeper that I never knew about. I do know of a few times it was to get away from all the drama in their lives or to just leave it all behind them and start fresh in a new place. I understand that to a degree, I did the same thing when I moved away from that town and came here.

Any way what I was trying to get at is that for some reason her life hasn't changed at all. They are still in the extreme struggling mode every month. They still move from one place to the next, it is almost as if they get restless after a few years and have to start over in order to keep things in chaos. Her life is chaos to me and for that feeling, I am upset with myself. It was a long time ago that I was in the same situation, but surely I didn't forget. I have become comfortable with my life, stable hubby, stable house, stable income (Most of the time, except for in the winter).

I guess in my mind all them years we were apart, I figured her life to have become like mine. Settled, fixed, stable. I was expecting to hear about her long lasting relationship and the wonderful hubby, the place she has been working, the house they finally found after searching for so long and the kids all doing well in school (even collage perhaps), blah blah blah. Basically I figured her life to actually have turned out better than mine. Reality check, this did not happen for her. None of it actually, except for the good boyfriend for the last 2 years and one child who left home at a young age and got an opportunity for himself and is currently in college. Well at least there is that, right?

For me all the moving around as a child lead me to NEVER want to move! The chaos of boyfriend after boyfriend lead me to hold on tight to the best man I stumbled across. Just kidding but you know what I mean, right?

The finances of poverty lead me to sacrifice all niceties just to make sure the bills were paid and food on the table, for me that comes first above all else! I will wash my hair with dish soap, if that is all I can afford to do. I will not drive my truck more than absolutely necessary (like 8 miles a week, most weeks). I will not eat out, when it is soo much cheaper to eat at home. I will not buy those jeans or tennies I need, if it means not paying something. This is something I have learned (Through our phone convos)that she still hasn't learned.

Like she was just today, returning a wanted item just so she could get some needed items.

My life is not all that it could be, but at least I don't have to worry about paying the bills or having at least some food on the tv tray. Even if we do eat chili or spaghetti three nights in a row or a brisket for a week, at least we have food.

I just never thought our lives would be soo different. I know I have changed and some would say "Hey what happened to that wild and crazy girl?", But I say (after learning what happens if you stay that way) "Thank goodness she got lost somewhere along the way!" I can NOW imagine just how my life would be, if I hadn't had changed my life and mindset around. I would be right there along side her struggling for every morsel, every roof and in as much emotional pain.

Maybe our losing each other way back when was an unforeseen blessing. Is it wrong that I am having a difficult time with all of this? I am finding myself pulling away from talking to her as much and I feel awful about it. Like I am betraying our friendship over something that she has no control over. She is who she is and I feel like I need to step down off my short pedestal and be there for her, but I am finding that difficult without getting angry at her for not trying to change her situation (even just a smidgen). It's like I knew her, but I'm not understanding the woman that she has become. I don't know how to get past this ugly feeling of disappointment.

*Sigh*

Well anyway, this has all made just a little more aware of just how grateful I am of how my life is/has turned out and appreciate all the more of what little I do have. It could definitely be worse, as I am slowly remembering (I guess I did kinda forget) and learning.

First Memorable Sunburn

Searching through the last few writing prompts from the Writer's Workshop, looking for something to activate my brain.

"It was a bad burn. Tell about the worst sunburn you ever received. How did that happen!?!"

Well this one could work but I'm going to change it a little. I'm going to tell you of the first sunburn I remember getting.

I was 11 years old and we were having a yard sale. We were preparing for our journey across the world. (Well that is how it felt at the time!) We was headed to the wasteland of Texas. From what I had see in the westerns on the tv, it was a land of desert with no trees and mirages of water. I was scared, worried and very much in protest, not just in words but in actions too.

I was told that I had to down size all my belonging to ONE small suitcase. We was selling everything for money for the trip. I mean everything, from clothes to toys to beds. I trudged around in a sour face at every purchase that was made of my things. It was bad enough that I was being taken from my friends, grandparents and even my cat, but to have to watch these strangers walk off with my treasured toys was unbearable. Everything that I forced into my suitcase was at least safe.

I was dressed in a girls undershirt and a skirt. For those of you who have no clue what a girls undershirt is Except mine had lace around the edging, with a little bow at the neckline. Not much different than today's regular shirts.

My dad was yelling at me to go get a shirt on and I was being all rebellious and refused. (What it really was.. I didn't want to let my parents see what I was keeping in fear that they would decided I had to get rid of it.) I guess he got tired of fighting with me, cause I wore that undershirt all day with nothing else on top of it.

The next morning when I woke up my skin was tight and when I tried to move the pain crept in. Yup I had a sunburn on my arms, shoulders, neck and face. I was scared and yet fascinated. I keep remembering me standing in front of the mirror checking it out and touching it, watching the flesh go from red to white and back to red with each touch.

Of course my mothers cure for all things was Epsom salt and Calamine Lotion. So after soaking in a bath of grainy salt, I was lathered up in pink! I was not a pink kinda girl, so you can imagine the horror!

Guess I should have listened to my dads yelling and went and put a shirt on! LOL!

Little did I know, I was moving to the kingdom of many many sunburns!

Spin Cycle: Then and Now

Then.. I wore make-up, LOTS and LOTS of make-up. Must hide and pretend to be someone else!
Now.. Maybe twice a year, I dig out that fake face (that now weighs a fourth of what it used to).

Then.. I colored my hair. I spent sooo much money and time and worry for something so trivial.
Now.. I'm enjoying my grays, they are coming in nicely.

Then.. I bejeweled myself up. It was the thing to do, necklaces, earrings (more than one pair), rings, bracelets, broaches.
Now.. Two rings is all. I prefer to be seen instead of hiding behind the ornamental glow! Today folks have earrings in places I don't even want to know about!

Then.. I spent hours getting my hair perfectly curled and sprayed into place. Sleeping on bulky curlers, burning myself with a curling iron, sweating to the heat of a blow dryer, choking on the cloud of hair spray.
Now.. A ponytail will do. Wash and go!

Then.. I did everything I could to try to look in fashion (Thank goodness fashions were nothing like they are today). Dresses went down to the mid-calves or just above the knee, jeans actually covered ones butt and the wait lines were at the belly button. Shirts covered the essentials!
Now.. I have no clue what happened to the rest of the material in today's fashions. I bought a new shirt and had to give it away cause I was constantly trying to re-adjust it to fit properly, you know..COVER!

Then.. I thought I knew all there was to know.
Now.. I laugh at that thinking!

Then.. I watched cartoons.
Now.. I watch the news. (When the frack did that happen?)

Then.. I loved Freddie!
Now.. What the heck was wrong with me? I can't even hardly watch any of the new horror movies out nowadays. (Sorry Spot) Blood and guts has lost its appeal.

Then.. I could have cared less what was going on in the world unless it messed with MY world.
Now.. well lets not get into that, it's chaos in there (pointing to my head)!

Then.. I would turn the light off and run and jump on my bed so the monsters couldn't grab my feet and drag me under to eat me.
Now.. I sleep with a night light and three dogs as my protectors!

Then.. I lived in a house of filth. Cleaning was high on the list of things I got in trouble for NOT doing.
Now.. I love a clean house and strive everyday to keep that way!

Then.. I wanted, wanted, wanted! Material items, that is. I always felt like we didn't have anything.
Now.. I realise I had all that was important. Family, health and.. well yes, even love.

Then.. Life without music was unthinkable, a crime actually.
Now.. I find that the only music I am exposed to is from the tv in shows or commercials. (My old classmate aka Orchestra conductor would definitely call that a crime!)

Then.. I slept peacefully and at least 8-10 hours.
Now.. Well..crap, I miss that!

Then.. The idea of a computer was sience fiction.
Now.. Well look at us NOW!

I could go on, but I wont. So if you want more on the then and nows, go visit Sprite's Keeper.

Abuse is NOT Love.

Today I would like to talk about troubled relationships. Through out my life I have been the victim of several types of pain that was dealt to me.
Pain can be dealt in many forms.

There is emotional pain.
One mean look from a love one can inflict pain.
One turn of the back can inflict pain.
One roll of the eyes can inflict pain.
One's careless indifference can inflict pain.

These things happening over and over, will break your spirit and leave you feeling alone in a relationship with a person that has no regard for your feelings. The emotional pain varies from person to person, depending on how strong you are.

There is physical pain.
One push can inflict pain.
One pull of the hair can inflict pain.
One slap can inflict pain.
One punch can inflict pain.

These things happening over and over again, are a real good sign that you are in a very troubled relationship and it could very easily turn into a murder. Physical abuse is nothing to continually forgive. We try to teach our children not to hit, that violence is not okay, so is it okay to let your loved one hit on you? Physical pain/abuse is never okay!

There is verbal pain.
One curse word can inflict pain.
One argument can inflict pain.
One defamation of character can inflict pain.
One derogatory statement can inflict pain.

These things being said or yelled to you over and over again, are going to make you feel helpless. This is a form of making you feel worthless, incompetent and dependent. If you are made to feel these things, you should know that this is all about control. Not good at all!

These pains dealt constantly are....ABUSE!!

I have experienced these abuses and have seen them happen all the time. Spouses doing all they can to hurt one another. How can we possibly think these things are okay or have anything to do with love? The never ending question.

It's so easy to fall into the trap of the words "I love you". They are just words, it's the actions that straightens the truth or the lie in them. How many times are you going to accept the words "I'm sorry"? If they were truly sorry, then they would try with everything in them to never do it again. In abusive relationships, "I'm sorry" is used as an escape, not cause they truly are sorry.

How much are you willing to put up with and at what cost? Your life, your spirit, your soul? Would you be friends with a person that abuses you all the time? Then why would you stay with someone that does the exact same things?

These types of pains/abuses don't have any place in a relationship that is supposed to be about love. If there isn't enough love to make you want to cherish, treasure and PROTECT, then I would have to say the relationship isn't going to work.

Please...Please! If you are in an abusive relationship try to find one thing about yourself that is worth saving. May it be your life, spirit, soul, your children's well being, your children's mental health, your mental health or how about that smile that you've been hiding behind your tears...something, anything!

Please love yourself enough to save yourself! I did it, you can too!
(This post is meant for all persons: male or female.)

Chasing Kittys

I was outside watering my flowers, as I "Try" to do every evening. Stitch had went out with me. As usual any time he spots a cat in the neighbors yard (which is everyday, they have 6 of them), he will bark his fool head off and run back and forth at the fence. If they are in our yard he will chase them out or up the tree.

So, he is running and barking. I am watering and ignoring him. I suddenly hear a ruckus and look. Not only is Stitch after this cat from our side but the neighbors own dogs were chasing it. With four dogs after it from both sides, it had no choice but to make a mad dash for the tree!

I walked over to the tree and looked up, this is what I saw...

Contortionist kitty!

Checking out the dogs

Straightening herself

Accessing the situation

Might as well get comfortable

View from the back

I laughed my fool head off at the way she was sitting on her butt in the tree!

Foggy Morning

I woke to Taco doing his "I got to go outside" noise, it sounds kinda like a snort/sneeze. It can be very annoying, but hey I can't complain, at least he tells me. My eyes fall on the clock, I groan. It's only been 4 1/2 hours! I stumble into the kitchen and then to the door. The bright light temporarily blinding me. Once I get my focus on, I realize the morning is so foggy I can barely see past the neighbors house. Photo op!


I quickly do a turn around and come in to get the camera and my flip flops. Yes folks I went out in the street in my nightgown! Not like anyone saw me, except for the neighbors dog, who greeted me with a some not so friendly barks. I had to make my presence known and then it was all wags between us. We walked to the field and I was taken aback by the pure spectacular beauty. I love fog, it makes all things glisten and the smallest things stand out.



The fog was disappearing right before my eyes, the timing of me getting up couldn't have been more perfect. Another 10 minutes and I would have missed it.

I walked back out of the brush (sorry excuse for trees).

To find cuteness waiting for me at the corner.

What a great morning!

Toys, Positive Thoughts, Hubby's Funnies and Doggie Birthdays

One year and two weeks later from my fourth post (back before I had followers), we were back at the store for a replenishing of Nana's toy box. After a year of playing, things got broken, lost or commandeered by the dogs. It was time to find some new and updated toys. The rules were basically tossed out, except for the no weapons part. I was no help to the process, I ended up getting things with small parts and and way over $10 a piece. Shopping fail on my part but once again the kids did fabulously at picking out some great toys.

I just spent over an hour CUTTING these toys out of their box's/package and ready for instant play! It's not like you can just give a child a toy straight from the store anymore, you have to have a friggin degree to get them loose from their theft ware packaging! By time I was finished I had three large bags of trash, that is plastic, wires and bulky cardboard! (Fisher Price..really, what is up with that?)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In other news...

Positive thoughts for

Angelia's new hubby Jason. He is currently in the hospital with possible heart trouble. Haven't seen an update yet. Anyway, please keep them in your thoughts (they are supposed to be on their honeymoon, not having all this happen).

My SIL is going in for surgery Tuesday, need some more positive thoughts there too. With the new baby and brother with a new job, need to hope that the surgery isn't invasive to the point of being confined to the hospital for days. (As usual they won't know how invasive it will have to be till they get in there)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hubby comes home and asks if I bought new flowers.
Me...No I haven't, not in a few weeks. Why?
Hubby...Where did those yellow ones come from?
Me...(giggle) One has been there for three weeks and the other for two weeks!
Hubby...Hmm, they sure are purty.
Me...LMAO! (He walks by them everyday and just now realises they are there!)

(Them stupid horse apples)
Hubby...What'cha got planned for tomorrow?
Me...Nothing, oh wait, I have to go grocery shopping. Why?
Hubby...Well I was going to suggest that you could tear open those apples and see how many seeds you can get from them.
Me...(Stares at the boy like he has gone insane)(Shakes my head)(Starts giggling at my response forming in my head) I don't think that is something I would like to put on my list, sorry!
Hubby...sits there grinning and suppressing laughter
So guess what I'll be doing tomorrow...tearing apart a super sticky green brain like horse apple. Yuck!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Today is Chaquita and Stitch's birthday! They are 8 years old! Where has all the time gone? (Getting woken up for birthday pics)








Have a good weekend!

P.S. Something is going crazy with my Nana's Nature blog, it's posting more than one a day and I can't figure out why. Sorry for the confusion.

Writer's Workshop: Boysitting

This week I choose prompt #5, A memorable babysitting job.


Waaaay back when I was 17-18...

I was married and my husband at the time (NOT my current hubby) had been transferred to a different store in a different town. The commute was long and the graveyard shift was dull and boring. I went along to help keep him awake. A local woman was looking for a babysitter for her 6 boys, ranging in ages of 6 to 12. The job came with a place to stay on their property and it was just blocks from the husbands work. Her husband was a truck driver and she wanted to go with him to help earn extra money.

I was extremely scared to take the job. I mean we are talking BOYS and being responsible for all of them 24/7 was a huge thing to consider. My husband was all for it cause of the location and housing and apparently men are not intimidated by a group of boys. In the end we accepted the job.

She took me through the tour of her house and showed me the ropes of money, chores, food and schedules. In two days of getting to know the boys and there routines the "Parents" were gone. I say "Parents" cause I still felt like a child in soo many aspects, I was instantly terrified! Thankfully the husband was there to enforce the authority and the boys were very kind and on their best behaviors.

What made it memorable other than the boys, that should be memorable enough, RIGHT? Well a few things stand out.

The mother helped me get my drivers license that first weekend they came home, so I could use their van to take the kids places and so she wouldn't have to come home as often. On another weekend they purchased a one ton flatbed pick-up, I got taught how to drive it. That was very intimidating but yet thrilling and powerful too. I always manage to remember her when ever I get my license renewed or look at my birth certificate that she sent away for.

I was exposed to a new religion. Mormon. They weren't the type of Mormons you hear about, they didn't have a harem of wives and kids. They were like the Brady Bunch, him and his kids, her and her kids, makes for one crazy house! I slightly took an interest in their religion till I got to the levels of heaven.

My Grandfather died on my 18th birthday and I went back to Maine for the funeral and to say goodbye to my parents who were staying in Maine. My baby brother bawled his head off and begged me to put him in my suitcase and bring him back with me. The tears flowed for many reasons that week. My husband came up the next day and we left together. At the change over in New York, the husband got his wallet stolen.

I was exposed to the lovely quality of organizing. With six boys, the mother came up with a system for her children. Each child had his own color. This color was on everything that belonged to that child. In the toes of their socks was a loop of that color thread, it was also found on the tags of their clothing, in the waistline of the undergarments. They had their own set of dishes in that color, of which they were responsible for washing. Even their towels were of their own color. There was no confusion of who's stuff belonged to who and blessedly no fighting over things. I found this system to be amazing. She had a chore chart that had that child's color on it for what chores they were to do for that day. When the child did said chores they got a popsicle stick that had been mark with their color and at the end of the week they turned them in for a quarter apiece for their allowance. I also learned the importance of financial organizing.

I took the kids to the city pool for some fun, a good time had been had by all and we stayed till they closed. We got back to the house and all the kids lumbered out of the van and into the house. I let them leave their stuff in the van with the strict instructions to retrieve it in the morning. The next morning we was rushing around getting ready for school and I sent one of them to go get all of their shoes out of the van. The boy rushes back into the house and yells that the van is GONE!
The whole herd went out the door to confirm this. I called the police, the school and then the parents. Come to find out it was a repo. I had experienced my first repo! I'll tell ya though, walking out in the driveway and that van being gone was a moment I will never forget!

I guess the mother felt it was too much hassle to try to keep up with the financial things at home and being out on the road, so she came home. We stayed another two weeks and then moved on.

All of my time with them was an experience that will always be remembered.

Now go visit Mama Kat to join in or just read some more posts.

Drive A 100 Miles For....

Wednesday evening hubby suddenly asks "Do you want to go to Seguin this weekend?"
I look at him and say...well yeah!
Hubby...don't call your mom just yet, cause I don't know whether or not I will have to work Saturday.
Me...oh so this suggestion is just a tease! (I left him giggling to himself, yeah he made himself laugh, very amusing indeed! Please note the sarcasm)
From the kitchen I tell him he is mean. This leads to a full blown hysterical fit, followed by a "stop it, stop it, your killing me!".
I swear the boy don't play fair, how can ya even try to get and stay mad at a guy that cracks himself up so hard that you find yourself being sucked into the laughing? Ya can't, I can't.

What would you drive 100 miles for? Well apparently my hubby will drive that distance for...apples! (future teasing already running through my head) Hubby kept saying Beau d'arc apples. For the life of me I have never heard of such a thing and was super curious. I could have easily looked it up, but was afraid if I did, that would cancel the possibility of a road trip. Come to find out his mission was to collect the apples, get seeds and plant them. Now it was my turn to laugh and laugh my fool head off!

He had delivered a load way out there in the boonies, were the deer roam, the cows lay in the shade of the trees, the dust from the unpaved roads will make you choke and the stench of the oil refineries will make you gag. On this particular stretch of back road, he ran over a "Beau d'arc apple" and briefly looked up and saw them hanging in the tree. He wanted sooo badly to get out right then and grab one, but he had trucks behind him waiting to get a move on to the next load. "Loads are money moron, get out of the way or we will push your ass up this road!" (Yeah that's trucker talk for ya) So he kept going, but his longing did too.

As most of you know hubby can spot the strangest things on the roads that most folk wouldn't see. Well since spotting that apple tree, he has been looking at the trees instead of the road. Watch out people the boy is NOT paying attention!! His running buddies were mystified that he didn't see that bucket, bolt or pliers sitting on the side of the road. Yes this is getting serious, a road trip is a must for his sanity and the safety of all drivers!

After much teasing from the men and hubby asking (bugging) everyone he came across if they have a "Beau d'arc tree on their properties (no one knew what he was talking about). He decided to take Saturday off, specifically for this road trip.

After doing a oil change, we were off.

I saw soo many photo opportunities but only made mental notes of where they were so that maybe hubby will stop on the way back. When he is focused on a destination, there is no deterring from it, it's like tunnel vision! I kept seeing this flower along the sides of the interstate and was wondering what it was. Finally I mentioned to hubby that I wanted to stop on the way back to get a photo and what did he do, he pulled over right there. I was soo surprised and grateful.

After a little more distance, he slowed to a crawl with his eyes focused on the trees. I spotted one off in a fenced in field, he debated going in there. I had to quickly remind him that he could easily get shot! We trekked on. He finally decided he had gone too far and turned around. We rounded a curve at a snails pace and I was like "wait go back just a little" There is was, I found it!

The elusive Beau d'arc tree. Not much about this tree is very telling or standoutish. Except for this:

Big, green, brain looking "apples"! Funniest looking apple I ever saw. Just to be clear these are not real apples! I mean there is nothing about this fruit that resembles any kind of apple. Hubby found one already busted open and the insides are like a stringy white pulp with seeds simular to a orange, it smells simular to a honey dew melon mixed with a hint of orange and VERY sticky (like a sap sticky).

He was now happy as a lark and stopped everywhere I asked him to. We spent about an hour with my mom and continued on heading for home, but stopping occasionally for photos.

After getting home and looking those supposed apples up on the internet, it was reveal that they are most commonly known as horse apples and the tree itself is called an "Osage orange tree", hmmm...maybe that's why it smells like a orange!! Sadly it is not ediable for humans.

Ya think he is still going to try to grow some? You betcha! That is just how he rolls! Why even try when they aren't edible? Who knows????? LOL!! Who is going to end up trying to grow these things? Me!

Benton City School House

All of this post (except for the photos) is brought to you by the websites Texas Escapes(One of my favorite sites) and Texas State Historical Association .

First let me introduce you to the history of Benton City.
Benton City, Tx
Benton was settled in 1876 and was granted a post office that same year. It has three possible namesakes. The first was Missouri Senator Thomas Hart Benton, the second Samuel L. Benton who served at San Jacinto or possibly one of Samuel Benton’s sons. Since the sons inherited land in this area, it was likely one of them.

By 1878 the town had a Masonic lodge, the Benton City institute and its own newspaper. By 1879 residents of Benton attempted to form a separate county, but Medina and Bexar counties weren’t willing to contribute any of their land for the experiment.

The town suffered a blow to its collective ego when it was bypassed by the railroad (the International-Great Northern) in 1881.

By the mid 1880s the population was a mere 50 residents. In 1904 it reported just over 300 residents, but ten years later it was down to 200.

In 1904 the Benton school employed two teachers to instruct 75 students. By 1914 there were 104 students, but the high school merged with the Lytle district in 1919.

The population returned to just 50 residents by the mid 1920s. The grammar school closed in the mid 1930s and today the ruins of the Masonic lodge and the city cemetery are all that are left from Benton’s “golden age.”


The School:
Benton City Institute, originally known as Benton City Normal Institute, was founded in 1876 and located on the ground floor of the Masonic building in Benton. The school, first run by Col. John D. Morrison, offered accounting, law, music, and surveying, plus basic academic subjects. It was funded partially by the state, though it was a private institution. The remainder of its funding came from tuition. By 1878 the institute was coeducational and owned and run by Professor and Mrs. Bernard C. Hendrix, formerly of Kentucky. When the Masons moved to Lytle in 1909, the institute expanded to utilize the entire building. The school was renamed Benton School in 1889 and Old Rock School in 1910. The institution ceased to exist when the Benton schools were consolidated with those of Lytle in 1919. A state historical marker was erected at the ruins of the building in 1971.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hi, it's me. I don't know about you but to me that was interesting! I am fasinated by town history and especially ghost town history.

Well let me clarify a mistake in the last paragraph. There is no marker at the school, maybe there was at one time but not anymore.

Now lets get to the photos. I saw in the Lyle visitors book, the historical school and begged hubby to take me. He was such a good sport about it. I had such a blast, it was truly amazing.

Writer's Workshop: Where do I live?

This week I decided to go with prompt #2...Where do I Live?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Right here in this little bubble I call life. Oh, maybe you would like more info than just that.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I live on a county road, in a county that is ate up with county roads. Matter of a fact I live on the county line and just down the road is another county line. The area is referred to as tri-county. Living on the county line is not that good, cause when it comes to road maintenance (that we need really bad) there is lots of confusion as to who is responsible. Quibble-Quabble..
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I live on a T, I can see the stop sign from my kitchen window(at an angle). My view is not great. I have a trailer on both sides of me, they are the bread and I am the peanut butter. The tail end of my trailer faces the road. If only I could turn this sucker around and have it facing the beautiful field behind us or even having it face the road and the field on the other side, but nooo my view are my neighbors. If only I could get my genie powers to work.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I am surrounded by three small towns that are full of undiscovered history, one 4 miles to the east, one 5 miles south and one 7 miles north. Big bad ass San Antonio is 25 miles just to the outer loop. Thankfully the small towns have most all the stores I need to go to. Dollar this and dollar that, grocery store, hardware store (good for a few things), thrift store, flea market and finally a brand new auto parts store.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I live in the country. Drive down the road for a mile in any direction and it opens up to fields of corn, cotton, maize, hay or just gobs of wildflowers. Pastures that have peacocks, goats, mules, horses or cows. There are also the many many groves of pecan (pe-caun or pe-can, say it as you will.) trees. I am truly falling for this area, it has been taking a while for me to get used to, but it's getting better the more I venture out and explore.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I live in Texas! The big country. Big skies, big land and big longhorns!


And lets not forget the cotton and oil.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For more great writing or to join in..go see Mama Kat.