Category: Amazing Things

Amazing Things, The Early Days, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

We Have It Pretty Good, All Things Considered

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I was thinking about the different times we find ourselves in today. If people are ever worrying about where their next meal is coming from, there is always someway to make another meal. Below is an article from Mother Earth News that ran back in 1970 (wow, over 50 years ago) that tells a little about how our ancestors made the land work for them. Old-Time Methods of Preserving Food Victor A. Croley shares old-time methods of drying and preserving food from pioneer days that can still be used today. By Victor A. CroleyNovember/December 1970 Mid-continent pioneers were mainly English, … Continue reading We Have It Pretty Good, All Things Considered

Amazing Things, Meeting New People2 Comments

The Little Actress

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Not long after we moved to Bertram, a new pastor was sent to the Methodist Church. He and his wife were very lovely people. They had arrived here after spending time in Goldthwaite, Texas. While there they had become acquainted with a young couple that had a young daughter and twin sons that were toddlers. One time the little girl came to spend a few days with them in Bertram. They brought her over to our place see the donkeys and the lambs. I was heading down to feed the catfish in our pond so she wanted to go. I … Continue reading The Little Actress

Aging, Amazing Things, Crazy Times, Funny Happenings, Thoughts and Musings4 Comments

How I Began My Woodworking Hobby

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We have a very unique table. We got it from Madeline’s mom, Maxine, many years ago. It was a coffee table brought back from Venezuela by Maxine and Ted in the 60s. It’s not just a regular coffee table, it is huge. It’s made for a crosscut piece of Honduran Mahogany that is approx 3 1/2″ thick by 4’/ 5′ oval diameter. It’s a very impressive piece. The legs are made from branches of same type of tree that have been turned down on the end to make a dowel that fits into a drilled hole on the underside of … Continue reading How I Began My Woodworking Hobby

Amazing Things, Crazy Times, Meeting New People, The Construction Biz, The Early Days, Thoughts and Musings2 Comments

Mrs. Lily Mae Little

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Back in 76 we were needing something to do. (That is what we say in the construction business when our inventory of work has been depleted) An acquaintance of ours, a competitor, had landed a big project up in North Texas, in the Possum Kingdom Area. It was more work than his crews could adequately handle, so we contracted for part of the project. We would be laying a 10 mile long segment of 24” water line. I was only 24 years old at the time. Madeline, our not yet 2 year old son Matthew and I relocated to that … Continue reading Mrs. Lily Mae Little

Amazing Things, Marble Falls and the Area Around it., The History of Texas, Thoughts and Musings2 Comments

Marble Falls Rodeo Association – Marble Falls, Texas

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Since 1957 the Marble Falls Rodeo has been going strong. Nothing said summer time back in the early days like “The Rodeo”. Seeing Lloyd Woodley’s trucks loaded with stock rolling into town and a grand parade bringing traffic to a halt on Friday afternoon. There was excitement was in the air ! You knew it was time to rodeo when the turntable playing Hank Williams records over load speakers at the rodeo grounds could be heard all over town and then that ever familiar voice of Charley Taylor would come across to announce that things were ready to get underway. … Continue reading Marble Falls Rodeo Association – Marble Falls, Texas

Amazing Things, Crazy Times, My Family, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

Slamming The Cabinet Doors

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Granddad can get cranky at times. Not just because I’m getting older, heck this incident happened 20 something years ago. I wouldn’t have even broken the 50 year old mark at that time. I haven’t always been cranky. I think it set in for me in my thirties. I have to admit I became an old man before my time. I had an Opthomologist tell me I had “old people eyes” once when I started wearing trifocals in my early twenties. He said eyes like yours are usually reserved for old people. At least they never worsened. I guess there’s … Continue reading Slamming The Cabinet Doors

Amazing Things, Meeting New People, Thoughts and Musings4 Comments

Because It Felt Right

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Back in the 1980s, probably the summer of 1987 or 88 , I was an adult sponsor on a high school church mission trip to Appalachia. A chance encounter happened one evening. After our hard days work, we would walk to a convenience store a couple of blocks from the community center where we stayed each night. We would go there and get ice cream, but mostly we went there to use a pay phone to call home. I had a cell phone but it was difficult back then to get service many places. We were in a little town … Continue reading Because It Felt Right

Amazing Things, Crazy Times, Meeting New People, No Place Like Bertram, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

Sometimes I Think Trouble Finds Me, Before It Even Looks For Anyone Else

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This adventure started on Saturday morning Jan. 11th, 2014. I received a call from a young man that I’ve known his entire life, but haven’t had much contact with for many years. Johnny, as I’ll call him here, said he was down on his luck and could I give him some work. Being in Corpus Christi, 250 miles from Bertram, I said no I really didn’t have any work. I cut the conversation pretty short. A few minutes later I got a text from Johnny. Would I loan him $300. The answer was “NO”. Telling my wife about the call … Continue reading Sometimes I Think Trouble Finds Me, Before It Even Looks For Anyone Else

Amazing Things, Crazy Times, Meeting New People, Thoughts and Musings1 Comment

The Money Collector

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Eddie was our welder for a good number of years. There wasn’t a better welder or a better feller around. Eddie told the story of his brother, also a welder up in Oklahoma, that ran his own shop. He was having a terrible time getting people to pay him for the work he did. Then he heard of a guy that would help him out and was given a business card. He called the number and told the man the problem he was having. He was told to expect a visit. A couple of days later a long black sedan, … Continue reading The Money Collector