Thoughts and Musings6 Comments

Do any of my FB friends fool around with Find-A-Grave much?

lewisotr

I need to find someone that can correct a listing on there for a grave at Smithwick. While looking yesterday at the birth and death dates of the Turkey Bend Women, there was one grave that caused me to run around all afternoon with my tail in a knot. I couldn’t figure out how 2 of the Hall Sisters were born just a month apart. Then I couldn’t believe that Earlie was older than Mamie. The mysteries I conjured up in my mind were endless. That resolved itself once I figured out a simple entry was incorrect. Earlie’s year of … Continue reading Do any of my FB friends fool around with Find-A-Grave much?

Aging, Smithwick, The Early Days, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

Remembering The Turkey Bend Ladies

lewisotr

My wife handed me a baby blanket the other day that was badly stained. She reminded me that Aunt Mamie Franck (we called her Aunt Mamie, but she wasn’t actually our aunt) hand made this little blanket when our first born son, Matthew was born. Matt will turn 47 this coming August 22, which is my birthday as well. I turned 22 years old the day he came into this world. Madeline trusts my ability to remove stains, and I can usually do it without completely destroying the stained item. I was curious of Aunt Mamie’s age when she made … Continue reading Remembering The Turkey Bend Ladies

Another Daily Happening, Crazy Times, No Place Like Bertram, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

Jack The Donkey

lewisotr

You can bring a girl out of California to Texas and it doesn’t mean they’ll have all the lingo down even 10 years later. Leticia Lewis, my daughter in law called some fellow this afternoon that was advertising donkeys for sale on Craigslist. She said “I’m inquiring about the donkey you have for sale. The one named Jack”. Son, Justin and I had a good laugh wondering what that poor fellow on the other end of the phone was thinking. Continue reading Jack The Donkey

Smithwick, The Early Days, Thoughts and Musings2 Comments

The Shirt and The Tractor

lewisotr

I have this one shirt, out of a closet full, that I really like. It’s nothing fancy, but when I see it, it always sparks memories. Those memories go back to my grandfather, Theron Lewis. These were early memories, because he passed away when I was 6 years old, only a couple of months into my first grade year. He always wore blue work shirts to the cow lot to feed and milk. He wore those shirts to do carpentry work in when he was building a house for someone. But what I most remember is he wore one when … Continue reading The Shirt and The Tractor

Funny Happenings, On The Job, The Construction Biz, The Early Days2 Comments

Always Watch What You Say Around The Little Ones

lewisotr

I did a job down in Hockley, Texas a long time ago. I was on that project when I heard that Elvis was dead. Funny how we remember those things. When I first started the project I needed someone in the office there onsite to help keep the pipe and other material ordering straight as well as keeping up with time and other office duties. An older fellow dropped by looking for an employment opportunity. He lived in the area and knew his way around. He was a strikingly handsome old fellow. He dressed nicely, but seemed like he constantly … Continue reading Always Watch What You Say Around The Little Ones

Crazy Times, Meeting New People, On The Job, The Construction Biz, The Early Days, Thoughts and Musings1 Comment

Borrowing Money On Your Word And A Handshake

lewisotr

Early in my contracting career, G.K. became my accountant, sidekick and office guy. His marriage had failed due to his drinking and other circumstances, so he was free to move around the state doing projects with me. Something that I was able to easily do too. Madeline and I were fairly portable. We went to Huntsville, Houston and eventually we ended up in Brackenridge, Tx. We only had one child, a baby – Matthew, when in December 1976 an opportunity came along to go do the largest project I had ever undertaken. It was in Stephens County, Texas. It was … Continue reading Borrowing Money On Your Word And A Handshake

Funny Happenings, Kenny Lewis, The Construction BizLeave a comment

The Red CCI Jacket

lewisotr

This story was originally written back in August, 2014. I stopped by my brothers office yesterday. He and his trouble making son Kody were sitting in his office. Of course Kody just had to bring up something about the caps getting handed out that time on the street corners. I don’t like to mention things around Kenny that get him stirred up, you understand. He told a story of being at a Liberty Hill football game a few years back and looked over and a old boy had on a Red Carhart CCI jacket on. He didn’t recognize the guy. … Continue reading The Red CCI Jacket

Another Daily Happening, Crazy Times, In and Around Austin, Meeting New People1 Comment

My Austin Road Rage Incident

lewisotr

Austin traffic must get on everyone’s nerves that ever drives in it, even in the early 2000s. One day when leaving a business down on Riverside Drive, I heading up north on I-35 right in the middle of afternoon rush hour traffic. When it was time to merge into traffic at the on ramp there was a guy in a big jacked up Ford Pickup that was determined that he wasn’t going to let me in. I was in a position to see him in my mirror. Every time a car would pull forward he made sure to keep the … Continue reading My Austin Road Rage Incident

Crazy Times, Kenny Lewis, The Construction Biz4 Comments

It Wasn’t Me !!

lewisotr

Kenny has always had a lot of company pride. He likes all of his machines looking good and clean. Everything needs to be ship-shape in the world of Kenny Lewis. He enjoys having his company name on jackets and caps. He spends a lot of advertising bucks and it pays off for him. You could see people wearing them often around town, putting the CCI out in the public. Kenny and I had an arraignment for about a decade that lasted until 2003. We pooled resources and CCI was the name that was in the forefront of the business. Advertising … Continue reading It Wasn’t Me !!

The Construction Biz, Thoughts and Musings2 Comments

It’s Strange The Things We Remember

lewisotr

It’s been almost 40 years ago that I walked into G & L Stationers on South Congress. They were in a building just north of where the Night Hawk Restaurant was at So. Congress & Riverside Drive in Austin. I had decided it was time to put a distinctive mark on my company. They had a graphics designer that worked with me to make a company Logo. I still remember his name, Duane Kelly. In just a few minutes he was putting the finishing touches on the big LC that would grace our new sign out front of the office … Continue reading It’s Strange The Things We Remember