My First Swimming Lesson

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

One My Favorite Christmas Memories

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

Christmas Eve Is Our Time To Have The Big Family Gathering

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

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

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.

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

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

Cecil Lewis Wasn’t Always A Patient Man

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

Let Me Tell You About Delbert and Nancy Boultinghouse

(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

The Garage Sale

I have always enjoyed playing a practical joke on people, but no one as much as my Granny Ruby. She was always so humorous and would easily laugh at herself. Madeline and I had temporarily left Austin and were living in Houston where we had several projects going on. We still had our home in Austin so we would sometimes return to Austin on the weekends. This one weekend when we were in, my sis-in-law Karen told me that Granny Ruby, who lived in North Austin was having a garage sale and she was going to be taking stuff over … Continue reading The Garage Sale

Granny Ruby and the Phone Call

One time around midnight back in the 60s, Granny Ruby (my dad’s birth mother) received a phone call. The person on the other end told her that he was with the phone company and there was an indication that something was wrong in her phone that was causing a problem at the switchboard. He explain that some times that would happen and it need immediate attention and with her help it could be remedied. Would she be willing to help? Being the good and helpful person she prided herself in being she said sure I’ll help. The fellow ask if … Continue reading Granny Ruby and the Phone Call

Are You Kin To Glenn Lewis, I Was Asked?

Earlier I was asked if I was kin to Glenn Lewis. Rather than answer that directly, I have copied a rough draft of the introduction of the book I am writing about Glenn Lewis. Toward the bottom of it it explains the kinship between Glenn and me. Remember this is a draft for the future, the introduction of a book about Glenn. It is my hope that sometime in the future, after COVID, a series of gatherings for the purpose of telling Glenn stories as well as personal visits to those that were around him and witnessed the many things … Continue reading Are You Kin To Glenn Lewis, I Was Asked?