Christmas. True That.
The wind blew slightly and there was no snow but there could have been. The foggy, wet night was heavy, rising only enough to halo
The wind blew slightly and there was no snow but there could have been. The foggy, wet night was heavy, rising only enough to halo
Prayer is a strange thing. Really. Imagine believing in the productive outcome of a form of communication that largely resides and is expressed solely in
The mother walked across the uneven grass to the new barn. She had too much to do. She reminded herself to pull her torso up
It’s been a very tough year and a half. For everyone. Here we are, March 12th 2021, on the brink of hope. We are tentatively stepping out
I’ve been cleaning out a lot of stuff. Of course I have been saying that for a while now. But with me, because I am
On this day in 1983, early on a Sunday morning, Silent Bob and I left for the hospital. I was 2 weeks past my
Daniel graduated from Wiesbaden High School in Wiesbaden, Germany. While in high school, he participated in Army JROTC, Cross Country, Soccer, Track and Field, and
I give thanks to all of those that I know who have served with these two veteran sons of mine. I am thinking about you,
All summer long the girls in my hives have been working. They scrounged the country side for pollen and nectar. Because not much bloomed in
I binge watch TV. I am not sure that ten years ago as many people would have even admitted to that activity. But here we
When Silent Bob and I bought the house I live in, it had been abandoned for over 2 years. Sitting higher up than all of
If my Silent Bob were still here he would have gotten me a card. It would have been pretty and sentimental and he would have
Lily Connolly is a senior Political Science major and Military Studies minor from Santa Barbara, California. She will graduate and commission as an Adjutant General
Cams have been used in engineering from the 3rd century BC, in everything from music boxes to combustion engines. Janet thinks of them as ‘oblong
This is me. In my washer. But this is about my frig. I am getting used to the term ‘widow’. Well, I’m not really. I
“What’s that racket?” I said as youngest son and I walked out to the driveway. He was ready to go back to his home in
I miss my husband. I do. You learn that when suffering tragedies and heartbreak, you have to make a choice to either fall into the
Thinking back, these last few weeks, I’ve been trying to remember what I have hoped for over the six decades I have lived. I am
Robert R. Siefert, Jr. March 12, 1951 – January 31, 2020 On January 31, 2020 around 10 pm, my husband passed on to Paradise. If
This is not about our family farm. Explicit content included. “What do you mean there are no sex education classes,” I asked, my voice escalating
It was the summer of 2011 and Josh had just come off his second deployment and I had a conference in Greece. We made plans
Dear Chick-Fil-A I am sitting in the drive though at Walter’s Road and FM 1960 in Houston and I thought you might like some feedback!
The family of four set around the fire. They were the only campers, having arrived past the weekend, so they had their pick of campsites.
“I need for you to give me a full length photo of yourself,” Carolyn said. “I need it for your party.” A sometime bridge partner,
I can’t tell you if it was the fact that alcoholism dominated our family dynamics or if it was a legacy affect from dysfunction going
This series, for all sorts of reasons, highlight women who have made me better. They’ve taught me something. I want you to meet them. I am sure
Thank you to all the participants of our Science and Faith dialogues! It was a real pleasure to interact with you each. Many of you
I missed them both terribly. I never thought, when they were young, to worry about them going off to war. It was a total of
I’m a small framed woman. But I have a lot of venom in me. This is not a comment on my attitude. It’s a factual
From the very first time we walked the farm, I had visions for the place. A long, skinny piece of property, it was managed for
Dealing with the hardships of life that sometimes make finding joy difficult, according to Jake in an AIM message with his mother on July 29th,
Happy Monday…. er, Tuesday. In case you didn’t know, I have been on a medical mission trip this past week to Costa Rica with my
October is the month that God is good to remind me that life doesn’t make sense without Him. If you aren’t a believer, it’s okay
There are a million reasons to lose patience, especially if you are so inclined. Which I might be. My youngest son has taken to describing
You’d think there would not be much for me to report, given that it’s been in the high 90’s every freaking day. For weeks now.
We’ve harvested our honey. We are selling a limited number of jars to locally interested parties. 9 ounces for 10 dollars. (Just under a pound)
I was driving home from West Texas in early fall, alone in the car tuning the radio as the sun waned, its warming rays settling
Mother insisted I take Home Economics a thousand years ago. (For those of you who might be too young, that was the class in high
“How come you aren’t writing your Happy Monday’s anymore?” Neil says. We were at the end of our phone conversation. The question came a little bit
“I don’t understand what the bees forage off of down here.” Neil is walking through the pasture, I’m keeping up with him wondering if I
My Mother and I love each other despite the fact that as adult women we have lived together for over 40 years. Shared genetics does
“That buzzing-noise means something. If there’s a buzzing noise, somebody’s making a buzzing-noise, and the only reason for making a buzzing-noise that I know of
I’ve wanted honey bees out at the farm for months. To have honey bees is… sexy. Sexy in that politically correct kind of way… as in
What happens when your husband says, “Okay, I am going to retire now.” You start thinking about how it’s going to go. Which leads you
The little girl’s tight, golden curls sprung from her head in all directions. They bounced when the 4 year old talked so they were in
I cook as an outlet these days. The process appeals to me, because although I am past the time of babies and teens, my time is still
“I’m going to come down the last weekend of August, if that’s okay?” That was my brother’s son, a young man busy understanding life. I’ve
“When I was a young woman, the girls that put out got to ride in the convertibles.” Mother said this while she was having her
I love it when I get feedback. This came from my Josh. I couldn’t agree with him more. He should have written the post. The
Isabelle sat on the patio chair, her little feet dangling. “You want to use the stool to sit on? I think the table will be
Just like everyone else in the summer, I’ve done a bit of movie watching. Because I never know what the movie is about or how
My brother called early this morning. That’s not so unusual, but I had been waiting for this particular call. “Janet, your Aunt Louise died at
If you liked the salmon you’re gonna love the steak and gravy…
I think about my Jake all the time. I think about him in heaven. I have since the day he died. Now the strange thing
In celebration of my mother’s birthday and for your information and education, Doris cooks Salmon, a meal guaranteed to love no matter your age.
God, in all His glory, power emanating from Him, Christ and the Holy Spirit and He, one and endless, spoke to the others. “I have
“I’m going to bring the caviar up that I bought.” This from my youngest son. He and his middle brother love fine things. Their older
Remember the hive I got a year ago from my brother? Well, in a year, this girl has done her job. Did you find her?
We’d piled into various cars. There were too many of us. We were headed to overpasses and intersections known for sheltering the homeless of northwest
The older I got the more times Dad would find a moment when we’d be talking… no, he’d be taking.. and he’d say “God showed
For the fall semester of 2015 and spring 2016, the Jake Siefert Corp of Cadet Chaplain scholarship had two recipients! Rocio Guiterrez and Aaron Schneider
It’s time to tell the story. It’s time to give credit where its due. A bit before Thanksgiving, before the mild winter of 2015 had
“I know you believe in that Bible adage ‘you reap what you sow’,” said my brother. “Yes. Why, yes, I do.” I said this, ready
You’ve probably seen the news. It’s been shared on Facebook no telling how many times. If you GOOGLE you will get close to 179,000 hits
“Why don’t you stop at Arbor Gate and see if they have one?” Mother suggested. The winter sun was streaming in the truck windshield. I
No matter what we might throw at her, Nature is amazing. And four days later…
Christmas is over and depending on your schedule of clean up and New Year’s organization, all the tinsel, lights, and decorations will be headed for
Let’s call her ‘M’. I know M because about 8 years ago and for every two weeks since, M has come to my house to
“Jan, what are you doing?” I was about 6 and laying on the bottom bunk. Just laying there in the middle of the day. Dad
Remember when I told you about the avocado trees? (Go here to be reminded.) The ones that needed the honey bees to buzz all around
We’d gone to the farm to cut grass. The recent rains have made our grass and pastures and flowers do that miraculous thing. You know
Both of my army sons (veterans now) bought items off of the internet while they were deployed. A soldier away from home, dreams about coming
Dear Mr. Colbert, I know you are very busy getting ready for your late night talk show. But I would like to ask a favor.
What are the honey bees doing at the farm, you might ask. Well, I am very glad you did. Because I have wondered myself. It’s
Back before summer hit us with temperature in the triple digits, back when the mosquitoes were just fixing to come out, a friend of mine
I have an interesting story to tell you. I’ll give you two caveats: 1. I really believe knowledge is power (wished I’d been the way
It was Mother that brought it out in the open. We were in the car. Sometimes she sits very quietly and thinks in the passenger
If you’ve been reading anything about me you know that just about 9 years ago I joined an unusual Sunday School in the church I
I like to cook. Currently, because I do very little in the way of artistic expression in any other media, cooking serves my soul and
I love being the mother of three boys. That’s not to say that if God had seen fit to give me girls that I wouldn’t
“No, Mother, you cannot take that piece of junk out of the trash.” I had moved the old wicker bookshelf from one room to another.
Up until about an hour ago I knew very little of the genetics of deafness or hard of hearing issues. I figured it was just
Just like almost everyone else, I listened last week as the news came out about Dylann Root. As the media outlets gathered steam and sensational
With honey dripping from the hive, the queen bee at the farm has been doing her job and I have watched in wonder. In the
I like social media. It helps me keep track of people, of which through my own fault I suppose I wouldn’t know what they were
“It’s like there is a shadow over their place,” said Mother, looking at the truck and closed house of our neighbors to the north. “I
A guest post by Buddy Ellisor, resident of Wimberley A New Perspective Today we are ankle deep in mud hosing down personal artifacts in the
Last week I asked you to look at this picture and observe the very interesting science phenomenon! Wow, did a lot of you look at
I remember the first time I met Gene. It was a cold, wintery day at the farm. I had been researching the wooded area north
It had been a long, hard day. The mother and son were sitting on the back porch, sipping on cranberry juice and vodka. As the
On Monday, Neil called and said he was on his way down from Fort Worth. When he pulled into the driveway in Houston, I knew
I’d just picked up Mother from her daily very local shopping trip. About four times each year she has bouts of car sickness. This was
I must confess. Lately I have been enamored with our increasing knowledge of how emotions and biological chemicals “communicate”. As humans, we are very cognizant
I’ve read the reviews on Better Call Saul. It’s a quirky, one hour long, mostly dark, part comedy television series that is a spin off
For sure if you are from the south, you remember standing at your wild honeysuckle vine and doing what we do when the fragrant blossoms
Remember the amazing synchronous dichogamy that is the begatting strategy of avocados? No? Go here. I figured if the girl bee workers had done their
Three strawberry cake recipes and one of them is bound to be the one your Grandmother used! I have made all of these and love
Since January, the teacher of a class I attend challenged all of the attenders to memorize the entire book of 1 John, two verses a
I think the young woman’s name was Linda. Through the, 5th, 6th, and 7th grade and maybe into the 8th, I spent one afternoon, for
Manuel asked me if I had seen the avocados. “No”, I answered, “where exactly are they?” As we walked in the direction that he had
Did you ever have one of those weekends? Or maybe for you it was a few days in a row. The kind where tears sit
Phage, you might say. It’s an interesting story. Let me begin where I began. About ten years ago, I was trying to understand something called
I wasn’t a fan of Bradley Cooper in Hangover or Failure to Launch. I wasn’t particularly interested in seeing him in Silver Linings Playbook so
Not too long after my Jake went to Heaven, someone asked me if I had found out anything about him that surprised me. I said
Just like a lot of southwestern Texans, I drive a lot of miles and just like a lot of drivers I listen to the radio
Sometimes you find just the right combination. Ever once in a while, completely independent of talent or conscious choice, something comes together perfectly. Like my
Back in Arkansas, tn the middle of the woods, behind my childhood home and a little to the south, was a school for special ed
Hubble is busy taking pictures. I ran across a post explaining about a particular photo that Hubble took.. I can’t write the magnificence of Hubble’s
Yes, I was one of those who fell in love with Captain Kirk when Star Trek was a very bad, low tech sci fi series
The whole time I was in England, I wondered about my mother. You know my mother. That woman who at 82 years out works me
Katrina was one of those kind of people. I first heard of her when I received a notice for a workshop that she was holding.
I’ll admit it. Since childhood I have suffered from brain chemistry that can provoke slips into depression and anxiety. It’s very clear that some of
This is the day that my Jake went to Heaven Actually, its just when his heart stopped beating. It might have been hours before that,
I’ve been concocting. Not quite a witches brew, but someone did accuse me the other day of running a compound pharmacy. He was jealous. I
The group I meet with on Sunday mornings had an event on Saturday. Mother and I attended. You had a choice of crafts that several
I don’t know if you saw this article from the New York Times. It has just captivated my imagination. A husband photographer of one of
Three months ago, I had 9 chooks. (I like that name for chickens. Sally Sweetapple taught it to me.) A week ago I had only
I had a new friend email this morning. She lives in another city. She is getting ready for trial and was relating a dream she
“I read a story today that reminded me of you,” said brother Neil. He’s talking to me on his iPhone as we do our almost
I was never good at leaving home. I was terrible at it as a child. Sleepovers sent me into fits of anxiety that demonstrated themselves
Just a note from this side of Heaven on your birthday. To tell you I love you. I’m still trying to do something with your
When I was young, the mark of summer was going without shoes. I loved those days. As cool nights gave way to hotter days, there
I remember the first time I heard that word. Parsimony. It was about my second year of graduate school. It only took me two years
We’ve been getting our tennis in right after the sun comes up. Its too hot otherwise. Four of us are out there, water bottles in
It all started when we started talking about water. The drought has started to let up in Texas and we’ve been having rain. Even central
Betty, Theresa, Pam, and Sharon!!! Congratulations! Contact Janet to receiver your book!!
We are lucky. We live on that side of Houston that has trees. However, this winter their oaky branches began scraping the roof line of
I’ve talked about the class I attend on Sunday and what it has meant to me since Jake went to Heaven. Provision, God’s that is,
The birds are going crazy at the farm. They are mating. They are incubating. Cycling from mating, egg laying, to fledging. And then they start
When I was four my sister died. Her little body, thin, her lungs structured with malformed sodium channels, she succumbed and went to heaven at
It was a beautiful day. Mother and I had spent a companionable afternoon at the farm gardening. Late in the afternoon, almost the dinner hour,
I remember the first time I heard Tina Turner. Silent Bob introduced me to her before we were married. He, like most men at that
Do you know who Charlie Harper is? He drew this: And this one too.. And this one, which makes me think of spring. He was
Ever so often I’m in the mood for a little Leonard Cohen. His distinctive gravelly baritone rolls out of my earbuds, half zen, half folk,
Last year at this time, at the farm, my angel wing begonias, the ice plant that I brought up from central Mexico, and every fern
Decades ago, my oldest son, when he was a young teen, rode in the MS 150. I remember going with he and his Dad the
We live in a fine time, if you ask me. Anybody, anywhere can find out things. All the information in the world can be brought
The woman stretched. She’d never put curtains on the windows, she liked to see the sky. She could tell that on the other side of
I remember the day one of the three of my grown sons asked me why I never took them to McDonald’s when they were little.
Weather fascinates me. For someone who has been a watcher of it most of my life, I am continually reminded how little I know. When
I’ve talked about Brian. Here, and here. For a little boy who I saw only a couple of times a month, he was never far
I hate that I am not bilingual. I certainly have had opportunity. I have had in-laws whose native language was Spanish, I have worked for
Every year at this time, every denomination that holds to Christmas tradition, has a play of some sort, a concert at least, centered around the
“Mother, would you like to go to Little Rock for a little trip?” I asked. She didn’t have to think long. “I would love to
There had to be several times we passed the entrance to the Pine Bluff Arsenal. I figure my brother was with my dad and I
We all stood still staring into the sky. The tennis game came to a halt, we were transfixed. “What is that?” said the tall blonde,
Back in the 60’s I crushed on Captain Kirk. My Dad, noticing, hated it and told me so. Many times. Preteen, armed with reproductive knowledge,
Someone left this adorable, singing bat on my doorstep. I’m still smiling from just how freakin’ cute he is and how adorable the certain party
I have a friend named Becky. Becky and I couldn’t be more different than any two people. But we love each other. I think we
“You do know when you travel internationally, your kidneys have the harder time getting into the right time zone,” Hugh said. I looked at him
I love maps. I love them more the older I get. It’s possible that’s because maps give perspective and wisdom comes from perspective that I
Oak Hill street contained seventeen cracker box houses with ample backyards and rock or asphalt drives. The road itself rose slightly from its intersection off
I am completely enamored with today’s technology. Smart phones and tablets and GPS and internet radio, along with bluetooth, DSL and cell phones that work
It’s me again, Helen! After reading about you and your home in Texas, I thought I’d share about mine in northeast Arkansas, bordering the bootheel
I think the fire ants are the worst they have ever been. They ate my okra plants this year. THEY ATE MY OKRA PLANTS. I
You might be the kind of person who is always looking for something new to bake. Or maybe you just like to have a recipe
Daisy showed up, barely a kitten, at the farm, her tail shortened by someone, almost certainly not the results of her genetics. She is for
The Long drive, a Geologist’s Puzzle, and My Swag. We left Shark Bay (read here if you missed it) the next morning after packing the
As the plane flew west, fourteen long hours, we followed the sun to the eastern shores of Australia. The flight attendant pointed out the opera
Mother and I and all the dogs went to the farm on our regular midweek trip. John, middle son and the teacher, came with us.
It’s been spring break for most people. Some went out of town. Some tried to go out of town. Some stayed in town. Us? Well,
I always thought it was reassuring to know that no matter where on the planet we are the ones we care about watch the same
We’ve been working in the garden at the farm. The ground is all tilled, we could use a bit more water in the form of
We’ve been discussing testosterone in our house. Well, that’s not exactly right. I’ve been discussing testosterone. Everyone else has just been listening. The lack of
The conference list of speakers had been set months ago. I was to talk on the last day. Thirty or so friends and colleagues of
The long dining table had three leaves. There were seventeen chairs place around it’s perimeter, leaving room for elbows and scooting in and out. Silent
We are used to hurricanes and their aftermath here on the Gulf Coast. I say used to, as if you can ever get used to
Jonah 4: 6 And the Lord God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over
The story goes that when man and woman were nomadically traveling around various prehistoric areas of the planet, some of them in certain regions realized
My mother is a good cook. She might be a great cook. She favors pies and cakes and excels in vegetables. She’s not a gourmet
by Stephen Kelman “Advise yourself.” This is a book that may break your heart, but you will enjoy every minute of it. When I read
It was fall and Mother and I were sitting outside on the concrete picnic table. We have breakfast out there frequently. “Mother, you’ll be
by Margaret Atwood “Ten days after the war ended, my sister Laura drove a car off a bridge.” Suicide? Accident? What happened? This intriguing book
by Alexander McCall Smith It is always good news when Alexander McCall Smith creates a new series. I am a big fan of this writer
I have to admit. I am enamored with tools. Given the right equipment, whether its sewing, carpentry, farming, or mechanic-ing, the array of tools
Sometimes I see things I really want. Take for instance the utility sink that my amiga had in her Mexican home, when I was visiting
“I think you need a brooder box for your birthday,” says brother Neil. I don’t want to raise anything else, I think to myself. “No”.
[slideshow] Welcome to Pineknot Farm and Lab where Readers Digest meets Ladies Home Journal meets Scientific American meets some weirder, non-new age version of Daily
My dad was adamant. Television rotted your brain. He never said it exactly like that, it was more like “it’s a boob tube, Janet. The
When the kids were little, Jake probably just beginning school, we had our first bout with head lice. All of us but Bob seemed to
I think in Howard’s mind and heart, we cemented our friendship the season we played lepers in the church Christmas program. That was more than
On Monday’s I’ve taken to visiting with my friend Howard. We sort of spend the day together waiting for the chemo to do its job
I sat in the conference center; stiff chairs set in a steep incline, angled so that everyone could view the small stage and see the
I don’t quite know why, but Mexico speaks to my soul. It’s not because I speak the language; I limp along down there, struggling to
I am on my way to Merida Mexico tonight. I had a lot of things to say, seems to be a lot on my mind,
I watched fine sand grains fall away as I took a step onto the bank of Cypress Creek. This suburban, soggy, watershed has been a
I knew a young woman once. She had the most beautiful, brownish red, full bodied hair, which she wore long. It curled in just the
My brother suggested it first, but in the long standing way he and I have come to acknowledge good ideas, I am going to claim
Hey my Jake, Happy Monday up there in Heaven. I am writing you because today is the third anniversary of your getting there. You know your
Today, I don’t have any words. They are locked in my heart and won’t come out. I have some people on my heart that my
It’s been a long summer in the desert of Eastern Iraq, as soldiers from the 3rd armored calvary worked to secure the small towns and villages
As a young girl, growing up attending a Missionary Baptist church in a little working class neighborhood in Arkansas, I was familiar with the hell,
The winds that came through Houston on the night Ike came ashore on the Galveston beaches were faster than I have ever driven a car.
Laying on my squeaking air mattress, I was wide awake, had been for at least an hour. And its THAT hour, that long hour before
There was a woman who walked the streets of my neighborhood. I haven’t seen her in a while, but for almost two years, I saw
When I was young, one of the best pleasures for me was getting to go barefooted. Soon as I heard the June bugs and lightning
When Jake left for his tour of duty in Iraq, I decided I would give up sweets while he was gone. I guess I did
Yesterday I was driving home to Texas. We spent four days in my beloved Mexico and despite our initial trip going down with Hurricane Dolly,
I thought my dad was handsome. Maybe all daughters think that about their dads. I know that a good part of why I thought he
I saw Tony Snow the first time on television when he was announcing that he was leaving his job as press secretary for President Bush.
The pine tree stood at the edge of the pasture, once majestic and green with bark of brown and gray, but now ghostly white. Branches
There are two pear trees that frame the path to the back door of the old house. When we first walked the property, before we
At the height’s of Dad’s active alcoholism, Brother Pointer took him to Alcoholics’ Anonymous. I don’t know too much about that car ride for dad,
I finally got to talk to Josh. The first time in 8 months, since he left, I got to hear his voice Saturday, a little
Last week was a trial. For about 48 hours in the middle of the week, I had more broken down vehicles to deal with than
Right after I had my third son I set about worrying about the responsibility of raising three men, keeping them out of danger and ensuring
It all started with excess appliances at the farm. It’s easy in this life to accumulate too much, it’s had too get rid of all
Wiping the fine mist of my breath from the window, I look up into the dark sky. It’s beautiful. The moon is full, bounded by
The first weekend of work on the floors of our old farmhouse began with out much discussion or thought. We just started massively ripping out
If you have read these Happy Monday’s the last two years, you have a sense of how much I love my brother. I asked God
The first few weeks at the farm we realized we had inherited some farm animals. There were two cats skulking around, one huge, multicolored, and
I am sitting here in the Denver airport, waiting on a flight to another city, but I can’t help but consider how much Colorado has
To the best of my recollection, I ate well growing up. What I mean to tell you is that my mother was (and is) a
I heard a story about Jake from one of his friends. We were reminiscing and he was sharing. He and Jake were out by his
March 3, 2008 Before Jake went to heaven, he took me to look at a piece of Texas land. “Mom, I think you and Dad
I did something awful. I didn’t mean to, but just the same, I did something of which I am deeply ashamed. This weekend we were
February 12, 2008 I drove Grace this past week. I think she remembered me from two years ago. Let me explain. Grace is Jake’s first
Howdy and Happy Monday! I have been thinking about my husband. For 17 years he has left the house at 5:30 every morning to travel
Howdy, Happy Monday! Time for a confession; I never made it through Christmas the right way. Too many sons missing this year, despite John’s earnest
O Holy Night, There is a bit of a legend in our family about a Christmas Eve and Jake. Although I don’t remember the exact
Howdy and Happy Monday to you! Hope you are having a better time at getting your Christmas shopping done than I am. I rarely go
A sandy haired, gentle smiled boy named Danny gave me a cleat when I was in the 7th grade. I was to wear it around my
I guess everybody is like me, trying to get ready for the holidays. I am not having much luck at it, the getting ready part
I knew I was leaving to go to Mexico last week, but in the worry of the trip, I forgot to plan ahead for not
Gulf coast winters are almost all about mild, which means if you are the kind of person who likes to watch and poke a campfire
Howdy and Happy Monday! I missed talking to you last week. I have a lot my heart wants to write, Mexico always refreshes my soul
Autumn comes to those of us on the gulf coast on tentative winds. We anxiously await the first cold front of the season and by
My dad told me, “Janet, don’t ever judge how someone grieves”. He said it in a voice that was at once commanding but filled with
The last couple of times I have been in church, I have caught myself wondering whether or not we are getting bigger or smaller? Not
Dear Jake, Happy Monday up there in Heaven. I wanted to tell you about something, son. Remember the time you took me to Mulligans to
September 17, 2007 Today is my brother’s birthday. If you ever wonder if your prayers are answered, Neil is an example of one. When my
For as long as I can remember, my dad wore a hat. He used it for his switchman’s railroad work and he wore it when
Howdy you all!!! YOU DID IT!.. With the help of so many of you who I send this Happy Monday to, you were a part
My dad and I spent a lot of time together. I was dad’s first child and in spite of him desperately wanting a son, according
All this month my brother’s flights have allowed him weekly overnights in Houston. It’s been the rare treat to go down and pick him up
You ever had a week where you spend more time thinking that you just have too much bad luck coming your way? Seems like no
Howdy and Happy Monday Well this week has seen the start of two families into marraiage contracts blessed by God and one dear friend’s mother
Howdy and Happy Monday!! Mother’s day of 2005 Jake gave me a book about Abraham Lincoln, A Commitment to Honor, A Unique Portrait in His
Howdy and Happy Monday (well, Wednesay now!) I will be in the beautiful city of Morelia in Mexico all next week, so maybe it’s a
Howdy and Happy Monday! Today it’s just about Father’s Day! This Happy Monday is dedicated to all you dads, gonna be dads and father of children.
The first time I rode a motorcycle it was on the back of my brother’s dirt bike. Neil was barely 13, full of sullen anger,
Well, Happy Monday Yal’ll, just barely. Today is a day to remember all those soldiers who have given their all. For me, its personal as
I woke up Saturday morning with no particular plans. Spent a bit of quiet time, Bob brought me some coffee, and the phone started to
I missed last week, mosly because I was out of the country and there was no internet. My head cold today is preventing me
Jake’s been on my mind a lot this past week. That means I have been missing him, at night more than I think I can
Howdy & Happy Monday after Easter! When I was little I was afraid to be away from home. I didn’t get much better as I
Howdy and Happy Monday! I had to get a flat fixed on Friday. On my way to my favorite place for that sort of thing,
Howdy! I want to tell you about a good day. Every once in a while, a day comes along, that if you had been God,
When I was little I had chores. One of the most memorably disgusting ones was cleaning the dog pens. We kept hunting dogs, mainly short
March 12, 2007 I am thinking about fishing. Maybe it’s because Dad took me fishing on my birthday for many years or maybe it’s because
March 5, 2007 Happy Monday!! Those of us here in the South can feel spring in the air. Its right around the corner and the
Happy Monday and Howdy. I really missed sending you a good wish for the last week. But here we are back to it, the end
I have a vague, dusty memory of my Dad and I as we rambled down a dirt road in his old Ford truck. I remember
Howdy! (5th Happy Monday of 2007, rewritten Sept 21, 2019. When I was a young one of the shows I watched religiously was ‘The Man from
Howdy! Happy 4th Monday! Report from some of you on the content of these happy Mondays is that if Jake was the ‘king of random’
Howdy! Happy Monday ya’ll! Well…It’s only the third Happy Monday and it’s already turning out to be a bit more difficult than I imagined. Its
Howdy ! Welcome to the 2nd Happy Monday of 2007. Hope you all had a good week, ready to start the first full week of
When I go to the Mexican desert I go for a couple of reasons. Most of them are professional, it’s a place of remarkable biology
All the ideas, advice, and opinion six decades can provide… and maybe a little wisdom.
All the ideas, advice, and opinion six decades can provide… and maybe a little wisdom.