Category: Thoughts and Musings

Amazing Things, Grandchildren, Thoughts and Musings4 Comments

If you want something badly enough, can you make it happen?

lewisotr

Is it possible for a person to want something enough that they can make it come true ? My case in point; My grandson Will loves basketball more than almost anything. He knows that being tall will make him a better basketball player. He comes from a family of not extremely tall people, on either side. But now as he starts his sophomore year in high school he is 6’-2” tall and it doesn’t appear he’ll stop growing anytime soon. So is there a special force at work? I guess we’ll just have to stand back and watch what happens. … Continue reading If you want something badly enough, can you make it happen?

Amazing Things, Funny Happenings, Grandchildren, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

Enjoying Spending Time With My Two Oldest Granddaughters

lewisotr

It was 8 years ago yesterday when Holly and Emma were early teen and preteen. The three of us went down to The Woodlands, Texas for them to attend a music concert. As they look back and reminisce about that trip I think they count it as one of their best adventures. Now we are one a 8 day trip that had us fly into Salt Lake City, then we drove up to Bear Lake and stayed our first night with them and their Grandma sleeping in a Conestoga Wagon (fixed up very nicely to accommodate the three of them) … Continue reading Enjoying Spending Time With My Two Oldest Granddaughters

Amazing Things, Grandchildren, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

Enjoying Time With My Two Oldest Granddaughters

lewisotr

It was 8 years ago yesterday when Holly and Emma were early teen and preteen. The three of us went down to The Woodlands, Texas for them to attend a music concert. As they look back and reminisce about that trip I think they count it as one of their best adventures. Now we are one a 8 day trip that had us fly into Salt Lake City, then we drove up to Bear Lake and stayed our first night with them and their Grandma sleeping in a Conestoga Wagon (fixed up very nicely to accommodate the three of them) … Continue reading Enjoying Time With My Two Oldest Granddaughters

Thoughts and Musings2 Comments

A Sure Sign I’m Aging

lewisotr

I bet many of you on here with us for the past almost 6 years have noticed that I have told the same story several times. Well that’s a fact. I know how that’s partially an old folks thing, telling the same story more than once. At least I haven’t got to where I tell the same story several times in the same day. But there’s one thing you may want to keep in mind. I may be repeating myself, but I always tell them the same way. So that lends credence to them being true. It’s hard to remember … Continue reading A Sure Sign I’m Aging

Crazy Times, Smithwick, The Early Days, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

What Didn’t Kill Us, Made Us Stronger

lewisotr

Was online texting back and forth this morning with my little sister/cousin Jan Beaver. We grew up to be parents that jerked our kids up and hauled them to the doctor every time they had a snotty nose. I guess we were making up for the lack of us going to the doctor when we were kids. Jan told of climbing up on the cabinet next to the stove top where Bonnie Gay was making Mustang Grape Jelly and turned the pan over, spilling it all over her arms. She grabbed her up and ran cold water on it and … Continue reading What Didn’t Kill Us, Made Us Stronger

The Early Days, The Jollyville Years, Thoughts and Musings2 Comments

The Texas Freemason Magazines

lewisotr

I would have been 11 or 12 years old. We still lived down on the creek, out of Jollyville. I was left at home alone, which was unusual for my family to do when I was that age. I guess they didn’t know if there would be a house to come back to if they left me there by myself. I was prone to experiment with stuff, as that was when Chemistry Sets were popular. But on this Saturday there was no testing of stuff going on. I remember it being a very cold day, one where stepping out on … Continue reading The Texas Freemason Magazines

Thoughts and Musings2 Comments

I Remember When I Enjoyed Reading The Readers Digest

lewisotr

I went for years reading it every month. There wasn’t a section of it that I didn’t enjoy. We even maintained a subscription to it for many years. That poor little magazine seems to have dwindled to almost nothing. I bought it a few times after they changed the format, downsized it and made it awful. Did the publisher of that magazine ruin it on purpose or what. You could say that the talent just isn’t around that can be hired. But really so much of it was stuff sent to them. Good stories, good jokes. But as for becoming … Continue reading I Remember When I Enjoyed Reading The Readers Digest

Thoughts and Musings5 Comments

Can We Have A Real Frank Discussion Here Today ?

lewisotr

The following story is one I told very early on, when this group was started. It was a valuable lesson I learned once and it applies now in the age of social media. After you read the story, I have a few more words for you. A 2 Minute Talk That Has Lasted For 40 Years. Udo was of German descent. He had a coarseness about him, but an incredible refinement as well. He adapted to the situation he was in at the moment. When he retired after a long career in the excavation business, he sold me his office … Continue reading Can We Have A Real Frank Discussion Here Today ?

Aging, Crazy Times, Thoughts and Musings7 Comments

It Set There All Day

lewisotr

When Kenny had a ranch in Mexico and was going back and forth a lot, so he bought a helicopter. He also used it to look at projects around the state. It was pretty handy. I had a lease agreement with him, so when I’d need to get around to take care of business it was at my disposal. To make sure I was as cool as my brother I built a helipad at my house. The pilot would fly in, grab me and we could leave Bertram and be in Arlington, Tx in an hour and twenty minutes. One … Continue reading It Set There All Day

Crazy Times, Thoughts and Musings5 Comments

Sam From Sales

lewisotr

We were talking a day or so back about Radio Personalities and the chemistry some have together. I found this (and many more) YouTube clips of an afternoon skit that Hal Jay (the in-studio DJ) and Dick Siegel (helicopter pilot flying around doing traffic reports) and one of the news guys that would pose as Sam From Sales. At an appointed time, “Sam” would come in and spend a few minutes telling a story about something going in his life. In the background you could always hear the whirrrr of Dick’s helicopter, and the almost constant distinctive laughs of both … Continue reading Sam From Sales