Category: My Family

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

One Of The Strangest Things

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For all the stories I’ve told on here and circumstances I grew up with, I don’t think my Mother or any of my Grandmother’s ever heard me say a curse word prior to me being grown. This was not because we grew up in a highly religious home. My mother was a spiritual person but she didn’t attend church regularly. I attended church with my Grandmother Leona, but I didn’t exactly fall in line there. It was a different time we lived in. We actually knew how to turn course language on and off. I guess it was more out … Continue reading One Of The Strangest Things

Aging, Amazing Things, My Family, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

My Mother

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Bonnie Gay would have been 90 today. She grew up poor, in a very large family. She was the 8th out of 11 children. Her oldest sibling was born in 1916 and the youngest was born in 1937. Her father died when she 9 years old. She married at 15, had her first child at 17. She waited until she was 19 to have her 2nd child and that was me. She only lived in Smithwick and Jollyville her whole life. She was a friend to many and an enemy to no one or nothing. She was a deadly shot … Continue reading My Mother

Another Daily Happening, Crazy Times, My Family, Smithwick, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

My First Swimming Lesson

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Back in the “old days”, 1956 probably, we were all down at the river. We called it the river, even though it was a lake. That being Lake Travis at Smithwick. I would have been no more than 4 years old. At this time Uncle Owen Lewis had acquired several Lone Star Aluminum Fishing Boats that he rented out. That was a common thing to do in that day. There was a huge pecan tree that grew close to the river bank on Shop Branch in the big U curve just before the creek met the lake. That tree had … Continue reading My First Swimming Lesson

Funny Happenings, Grandchildren, My Family, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

One My Favorite Christmas Memories

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My Christmas Story – 12/25/10 My youngest Grandson Will is a very funny kid. I’m not sure he means to be funny but he is. While we were opening Christmas presents I could see he wasn’t pleased. When I asked his Mother what was wrong, she told me that he didn’t like it that everyone was getting new iPads. The whole iPad thing started with Will several months ago. When his Dad upgraded his iPhone earlier this year, Will received the old one. It didn’t actually have phone service, but he could play games and listen to music. He was … Continue reading One My Favorite Christmas Memories

Amazing Things, Funny Happenings, My Family, Thoughts and Musings4 Comments

Christmas Eve Is Our Time To Have The Big Family Gathering

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It was a joyous time at the Lewis Place yesterday. Almost everyone was here. We ate a grand feast of Prime Rib and much much more. Afterward’s my good friend Sam said his goodbyes, as he had other commitments. Then we all gathered in the living room to open presents. Suddenly there was a commotion at the front door. In walked Santa. After greeting each of the kiddos he took his place in an arm chair to have a picture made with all the kids. At least all the little kids. A little later, 5 year old Sofia came over … Continue reading Christmas Eve Is Our Time To Have The Big Family Gathering

Amazing Things, My Family, My Sons, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

The Willy Willy Christmas Tree

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If I started telling you about the Willy Willy Christmas Tree you’d have no idea what I was talking about. But to Madeline and me, we have known a special tree by that name for more than 45 years. That special tree is in Zilker Park Christmas Tree that just about every Austinite has probably stood under and twirled around. When our first born son, Matthew (born in 1974) was young, 2 or maybe 3, we had planned to go see “The Christmas Tree” one evening. There had been a big build up to seeing it, he had probably seen … Continue reading The Willy Willy Christmas Tree

Aging, My Family, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

When someone is on your mind and you can’t get it to go away, there could be a reason for it.

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She is one of my cousins, a girl cousin about the age of Kenny and about 3 years older than me. She was actually a first cousin to my Dad and our second cousin. (I don’t get off into all that once removed……..,blah, blah, blah) We grew up together, sharing a lot of time as young kids and on into our teenage years. I didn’t see much out of her after we were grown, but kept up with her through my Grannie Ruby Linebarger Waggoner, my Dad’s birth Mother. When Facebook came about, I connected with her and then visited … Continue reading When someone is on your mind and you can’t get it to go away, there could be a reason for it.

Aging, Amazing Things, Cecil Lewis, Crazy Times, My Family, Thoughts and Musings3 Comments

My Ol’ Daddy Didn’t Live A Good Clean Life

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No apologies for that, as I can almost guarantee you what he would have said if someone offered their opinion on the matter. He smoked his whole life from about age 9. He drank heavily except for about a decade and half, which was from when I was born until I became a teenager. But before that time he was hell on wheels and after that time he became legendary around Smithwick and beyond. Cecil Lewis lived his life throwing caution to the wind. He didn’t spend a lot of his time contemplating his next move. He just got a … Continue reading My Ol’ Daddy Didn’t Live A Good Clean Life

Amazing Things, Cecil Lewis, My Family, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

Cecil Lewis Wasn’t Always A Patient Man

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It wouldn’t be hard to take away from my previous stories that Cec wasn’t a perfect man in every way. He was hard on us boys. Not just his sons, but all those that worked for him or even just hung out with us. He wanted stuff done and done then. He didn’t take to a lot of foot dragging. For any of his faults he could fly off the handle at the drop of a hat. But as strange at it may seem, if anything broke or got wrecked, he always kept his cool. It was as if at … Continue reading Cecil Lewis Wasn’t Always A Patient Man

Amazing Things, My Family, Smithwick, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

Let Me Tell You About Delbert and Nancy Boultinghouse

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(My Mother’s Parents) This is a compilation of stories I wrote some time ago about my mother’s parents and what life was like back in the 20s and 30s in Smithwick, Texas. Much, if not all of their married life Nancy and Delbert was spent in Smithwick. Nancy was a member of the Martin Family from Burnet. I believe Delbert was raised primarily in Smithwick. My Maternal Grandparents marriage license. Oscar Delbert Boultinghouse & Nancy Ella Martin married on Jan. 15, 1915. After they married in 1915, they lived on what has always been known to me as the Old … Continue reading Let Me Tell You About Delbert and Nancy Boultinghouse