Just Bloggin' Along

Clyde's Last Ride

2011-08-29T18:07:00.000-07:00

Charlie said a couple of hours ago, "Guess Clyde has a new address now." I hope it is an address with green fields and lots of girls. Clyde deserves that kind of life.
Except for the occasional dispute with the neighboring bull, and slipping out at night to travel down the road and eat the neighbor's hay he wasn't all that bad. Well, there are the bent panels where he tried to get to the hay that was supposed to be his winter meals, but other than that...then there was that day in October 2009...that's another story all together. This one is about his last day in Paradise.

Cat Capers...

2011-08-28T12:58:00.000-07:00

This was a good day. Got up, got breakfast, got ready and got to church on time. After a good Bible class and sermon we went to Shinola's and had lunch with friends. We GOT back home somewhere between 1:00 and 1:30.

I was in one end of the house and Charlie was in the other. I heard a noise, but thought maybe the icemaker dropped some ice. Heard it again about the time Charlie came through and asked me a question. Started reading the paper again when the noise got louder!

Charlie said, "What's that noise!?"

I said, "Thought it was you!" About that time I noticed catfood scattered between the pantry and the buffet...then there was a LOUD rattling sound again! Charlie opened the pantry door and two very miffed furballs practically fell out!

The catfood sack was empty and what was left was scattered all over the pantry and out into the hall. Two overstuffed cats drug themselves into the dining room and collapsed on the ceramic tile.

Occasionally one of them gets trapped in a closet or bathroom behind a closed door, but both of them at the same time had never happened!! The only thing we can figure is they were both in there checking out the food supply and one of us came from the backside where we couldn't see in the pantry and shut the door!

By the time we returned from church tonight they were complaining about not having any food, even as their sides still bulged.

Charlie said, "They are hungry!" and I said, "Are you kidding!! Look at them!"

Then he said..."Well,, look at us! And we're hungry!" Did he really have to mention that?

Opened the pantry door. Kia looked in from a distance and Mattie took off the other way. Wonder how long the lesson will stay with them. I need to tell them the story of curiosity killing the cat...or getting one stuck in a dark closet for half a day!

March 6, 1836

2010-03-06T09:12:00.000-08:00

In the early morning hours of March 6, 1836 one hundred eighty-nine men faced the elite 6000 man Mexican army commanded by Santa Anna. Santa Anna's mission...stop the rebellion in the Mexican province of Tejas.

At the end of the day 189 brave men lay dead. Among the 189 was a simple farmer, a man of the soil, Gordon C. Jennings.

Gordon had left his wife Catherine and their four children on the banks of the Colorado to fight for what he believed in-freedom.

Catherine didn't know for several weeks if Gordon had lived or died; but when she heard a large contingent of Mexican soldiers were burning Texan settlements and coming their way she knew she must take her four children to safety.

Catherine knew their neighbors must be warned of the danger. With the Mexican troops wearing out horses to overtake anything in their way, Catherine set 10 year old Katie on their best horse, bareback. She told her to hurry and ride out with the last family she reached. "No matter what," Catherine finally ordered, "don't come back here."

Catherine joined the settlers that were fleeing toward Louisiana. Heavy rains were flooding the rivers and made travel difficult. 'Young John Holland Jenkins, whose mother was widowed from the Alamo battle was among those helping evacuate the families. He later recalled, "It was pitiful and distressing to behold the extremity of the families, as sometimes a team would bog down, and women with their babies in their arms, surrounded by little children, had to wade almost waist deep in places."

The heavy rains caused the Trinity to swell to five miles wide. One small ferry worked to get the families across the river. Catherine and her family had to wait a week before their turn came. As she waited she thought of her husband and her daughter.

On April 21, 1836 Houston's army defeated Santa Anna at San Jacinto. The battle cry of the Texans was "Remember Goliad! Remember the Alamo!

Catherine and her children returned to the homestead on the upper Colorado. It is said that Catherine dressed like a man to make the Indians think the family was not alone. She remained on the Jennings' homestead even after the children were grown.
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The four children: Joseph never married. He died at the age of 23. Abigail married and raise 5 children. Katie (Catherine Alicia) was married twice. Her first husband was killed by Indians on the Trinity River in Collin County. She and her second husband had eight children Samuel became a Texas Ranger for a short time. He became a rancher. His grave is a short distance from where he lived at Adamsville in Lampasas County.

This is the partial story of one family. There are many families with similar stories. Brave men have fought and died for freedom since time began. May we as Texans and Americans remember the sacrifices that have been made. God Bless Texas. God Bless America and may our lives reflect His love and sacrifice for us.

The Chicken...Our Chicken...I guess...

2009-09-17T18:14:00.000-07:00

I am NOT a chicken person, but we have one, a hen actually. We don't purposely have a chicken/hen, it just appeared. A few weeks ago I looked out the back door and saw our two newborn calves lying under a tree in the field west of the house. The cows were grazing close by. It was a nice, peaceful, pastoral scene in the early morning. As I stood there I noticed a bird walking toward the calves, only it wasn't a bird, it was a chicken! Suddenly mother cows were on "Red Alert". Heads came up and one of them charged the chicken, chasing it back under the barbed wire fence. The other cows rushed over and they all surrounded the calves, anxiously looking toward the spot where they last saw the "dangerous creature". It struck me that they had never seen a chicken before.

Later it reappeared. The cows watched it and made sure it kept its distance. They were uneasy, but left it alone. It kept showing up every few days. One morning I went out and took pictures of it. I called it...you know..."chick,chick,chick" and it came to me. Shouldn't have done that, because my compassionate side appeared and now I began to worry about the chicken. Was it lonely? Did it need some chicken feed? Where did it sleep? What did I care! I don't like chickens! Right? Right...maybe. She is kind of a pretty chicken...

It's been several weeks now and she is still here. it has rained a lot and I didn't see her for several days. I thought maybe she drowned, maybe coyotes got her, maybe...Then there she was again. Now she chases bugs while the cows graze. I watched her walking all around them yesterday. I thought surely Apache or one of the cows or surely Clyde would kick her into the next county, but they didn't even seem to notice her.

What will she eat when it gets cold and there aren't any grasshoppers or bugs. Maybe I should get some chicken scratch. Where will she sleep when it gets cold? I wonder where she lays her eggs. Probably in the poison oak...after all chickens are not very smart!

What Was I Thinking!

2009-08-22T11:49:00.000-07:00

I consider myself a rather intelligent person. I made good grades in school and went to college. Didn't finish, but that wasn't because I couldn't. It was my aunt Carole's fault that I met a tall, dark, handsome stranger and married him before I finished. And then I managed to raise a family without doing too much damage to their little personalities...they may have a different story, but that's mine and I'm stickin' to it! Worked at a responsible position with the telephone company in Bridgeport and didn't run off too many customers. So why is it that...

instead of staying in my nice, cool house this morning and finishing my cleaning I decided to go see what Charlie was doing in the barn.

Charlie is in his shop and I am about as welcome in there as he is in my kitchen! He doesn't seem to appreciate my suggestions about where he should put his tools, nails, screws, paint...in fact he appreciates it about as much as I do when he waltzes in and tells me one of the shelves in the fridge needs to be wiped off (and doesn't notice I have just mopped, dusted, vacuumed and finished the washing!! So, seeing that he doesn't want or need my help I went out the door and there were the cows, sleepily standing under a tree. But when Clyde swung his tail a hundred flies flew up!!

I told Charlie, "the flies are really bad on the cows." Big mistake. Here he comes with the spray. He tells me to shut the gate...I know what's coming. I'm supposed to "hold" the animal he is trying to spray in the corner of the lot so he won't have to chase it!! First cow, part long-horn...long horns. Second cow...big. Third cow...Clyde.......1100 - 1200 pounds of thundering beef... When all was said and done I was hot and sweaty (making my poison oak itch) and some of the flies decided to land on ME!

I'm a rather intelligent person...but not real bright.

GOOD DOG LIZZIE

2009-07-23T12:18:00.000-07:00

Lizzie couldn't go when her family moved to Colorado. She came to live with us.

Lizzie had lived in a safe environment. She had a tall stockade fence between her and whatever was on the other side. She was very brave and protected her family by barking. Good dog, Lizzie.

It was nearly dark the day I brought her home. She enjoyed the ride, and eagerly exited the car. The she realized this was Not her home and the man coming around the house was Not her master! She tried to run away-backward-and slipped the collar over her head, leaving me with a dangling leash and empty collar.

Charles said, "You catch her and I will put the collar over her head." (I always get the good jobs.) I tackled her and she drug me around in the dirt. I was thinking, "So this is what it's like to bulldog a steer..." We took her to the barn and the temporary pen that had been built just for her.

Day two. She hid in the barn and wouldn't come out if Charles was anywhere near her. I bought a harness to walk her with, thinking she couldn't slip it off. The sound of the metal gate scared her. She backed up and the harness came off.

Day Three. I say to Charlie, "This is silly! Lizzie needs to learn you are not going to hurt her, so you go let her out and maybe she will be okay with you." After he left I took my tennis shoes out to the porch to put them on...and there went Lizzie out the front gate, nose to the ground. I think she was tracking her way back home!

I went running down the road, one tennis shoe untied, yelling, "Lizzie, come back!", Charles following in the pickup. She finally came back, but I didn't have the leash. (Not that it would have helped!) I held her collar and started for home. She saw our dog, Kojie, and went to go to her. That was good, but I was walking fast, all bent over and my back was beginning to protest. We were nearly to the backyard when Charles came around the corner with the leash. One look at him and Lizzie started backing up again! She wasn't backing slowly, she was running backward. I yelled, "Stop Lizzie!" That didn't help.

She pulled so hard I went down on my knees. I was yelling at her and Charles was coming, so she turned around to run away. That caused another problem. My arm didn't turn with her exactly, it sort of twisted as I held the collar. Now I'm yelling, "Lizzie you are twisting my arm!" That didn't help either. Charles was coming and I was yelling, so she just pulled harder until she pulled me down on my belly. Now Charles was yelling, 'Let her go!" And for some unknown reason I was yelling, "NO!"

So there I am laying flat on my stomach, watching my arm twist and I'm wondering, "How far can it twist before it breaks?" Now I'm yelling, "Lizzie, you are going to break my arm!" Then I heard him, my hero coming to the rescue! Thump, thump, bump...he tripped over my foot and landed-on my arm. Now I had a 50 lb. dog pulling and a 200 lb. man lying on my arm...

I let go.

Very carefully Charles lifted my arm and helped me up. He said gently, "If she wants to go, just let her go." And resignedly I said,

"NO! I am going to catch that dog!"

I took the leash. With my hair in my face, aching back, untied shoes and stretched-out arm I limped out to the road and yelled,

'LIZZIE! YOU COME BACK HERE!!"

She came.

I clipped the leash to the collar. We came back to the house. Lizzie stayed.

Lizzie is with us still. She barks into the dark of night from the safety of the porch, protecting us from whatever is out there. She even lets Charles pet and feed her. I think she likes him better than me.

"Good dog, Lizzie."

Confessions of a Facebook Convert

2009-03-03T16:41:00.000-08:00

Ah Hum.....well, so okay I was w.......wr........wron..........wron...g. Okay I said it! Now I know how Fonzie felt on Happy Days when he tried to tell someone he was sorry! It gets caught way down in your throat and won't come out! Okay, okay quit saying "we told you so!" I followed all of you around until I figured it out. It's a fun way to keep up with everyone. I like being able to know what you are doing. I like talking to friends and having more contact with my nieces than I normally would. Even Glenn talks! But I still say following a forest path that just blogs along is much nicer than speeding down the Ipod, texting, Mp3 (whatever that is), GPS, HDTV,XBoxes,blue tooth (they have whitener for that) highway! :)
I think I will get a good book and grab a granola bar to go with my energy drink..I mean hot chocolate. C U on FB.

February 24, 1966

2009-02-24T12:52:00.000-08:00

On this day 43 years ago God gave us a son. I woke up early (but not early enough!) I called my parents to come get Lisa. I called Dr. Graham (who went back to sleep because he thought it would be a while!!) With Lisa taken care of we headed to the hospital. I'm not sure what all took place after I got there, but apparently they called and got Dr. Graham up. Their message was, "Get here quick!" For some reason they didn't get the message to my dear husband, because he went to work!! You have to understand that it was a twelve hour day when Lisa was born. He didn't know that second babies can come a lot faster. He did know if he didn't work he didn't get paid for that day and we needed the money!
Forty-five minutes after I arrived at the hospital Dr. Graham was saying, "It's a big boy Judy!" They laid you across my abdomen and I could feel the warmth of your body. That hadn't happened with Lisa. It was a wonderful feeling. Your Dad got there at noon and just sat looking at me like I had performed the most amazing feat a person was capable of. We did good Glenn! :)

Happy birthday to our handsome son. We have always been proud of you...not for anything you have accomplished, but because of who and what you are-a genuinely good person with a kind heart and a gentle spirit. We love you Glenn.

Mom & Dad

LIFE IN THE TOO FAST LANE!

2009-01-28T11:34:00.000-08:00

I'm here again! Safe in my comfort zone. I didn't mean to stay away so long! It wasn't my fault you see. My younger friends, who got me here, have left me for more fertile fields, Facebook. They tried to take me with them. Now let me tell you! Facebook may be alright for the terminally swift-those who text and IPod and MP3 and whatever is coming out next! They all speak in a language that makes little sense to me. Taylor, oldest grandaughter, taught me to text. She thought I was so cool! I sent her a nice message and ended it with Love, Nana. She texts back. U dnt hve 2 do tht. I no who u r! Huh? I tried again. Maybe I text the wrong person. She writes back...LOL! I need to call her parents. The child obviously has a problem. How did she get to high school spelling like that!
Then there are my younger friends who are on Facebook. They write in sporadic sentences. " I am off to the mall." " I am back from the mall." " I am picking up pizza for supper." O-okay!? Where are the meaningful, blogs that provided a picture of their deepest thoughts on many subjects? These are intelligent, highly educated people you see. I think aliens have landed and are invading their brains!!
Bless their hearts (you know that's Southern for "they just don't quite get it") they can go on and run like rabbits with their blueteeth stuck in their ears and their GPS systems leading them astray while they try to text with their elbows driving down I20 at 80 miles an hour. We turtles will catch up with them at the finish line and not need nearly as many energy drinks and granola bars!
Have a wonderful day. I think I will drink hot chocolate and read a book!

Courage and Faith

2008-06-11T11:07:00.000-07:00

Do you ever wonder why God sends certain people into your life? Two years ago a couple came into our spiritual family and into our hearts; friendly, loving, beautiful Godly people. She has cancer. It isn't going to go away.

The home they bought was to be their retirement home...this, they said, was to be their retirement month. However, now, because of insurance he has the need to work a few more years. They have found a house close to where he works. They are going to leave us.

They asked that the elders come and pray for them before they go.
Last night several of us sat with them, and we expressed our sorrow at her suffering and their leaving. There were shared tears and even laughter.

When asked what their prayer request was, she said she knows she will never be cancer free, but she intends to live a long time and she just wants us to pray that her body will be strong and the pain not too hard to bear. Their son works for Merck and he has told them new medications are coming out all the time. She is asking to have enough time to possibly receive one of these new drugs.

There is no bitterness in them, no railing at God as to why this had to happen to them-just courage and faith. Maybe that is why God sent them to us-a reminder of how we are to live our lives.

So Long Ol' Friend

2008-06-06T08:38:00.000-07:00

Stormy died yesterday on the creek bank, very close to where he was born 32 years ago. He was old for a horse. He had lived a good life. We will miss him.

I thought he was just staying out of the wind when he wouldn't come to the house yesterday, but Apache was upset. He kept calling for him to come to the house and when he didn't Apache went back to him.
And he was by Stormy's side when Charles found them

Animals understand death.

I watched thru my tears as our Border Collie, Bear, stood over the body of our beloved Shepard,Shady,and howled; a cry of sorrow and loss. I have seen a mother cow stand over the body of her dead calf and low and mourn. I have seen a herd of cattle gather round a fallen companion. And today Apache is mourning the loss of his friend Stormy. He is standing, not grazing, looking lost and alone.

Do you ever wonder if animals know their Creator? Do they instinctively have knowledge of a higher Being? Does He comfort them in their last moments on this earth as He does those who love and follow Him? The scriptures tell us that God knows when a sparrow falls from its nest. I believe He cares.

Escape from Everyday Life

2008-04-23T19:06:00.000-07:00

After we returned from the weekend retreat we washed up, packed up, fed animals and took off again Sunday afternoon. We went to Kerrville and visited with Bill and Dink, Charlie's cousin and his wife, then we were off on our adventure. We went ancestor hunting.

We went to Lampasas where we spent the night in the "red-neck motel" with the railroad crew and their grills...

Monday morning was bright and cool. We ate breakfast then headed North on 281 fifteen miles to a spot in the road called Adamsville. There we found a small Baptist church and beside it a sign "Straley Cemetery". We followed a narrow gravel road and at the top of a hill was a peaceful green place of rest. We didn't know where to start, but we quietly and reverently walked among the dead-searching. And suddenly we were there, standing in front of a marker. We had found the final resting place of Charles' great grandfather. The words were barely discernable, but someone had placed a new marker in front of the old one. It read: "Samuel K. Jennings, son of Gordon C. Jennings, who died defending the Alamo". We had found a family treasure, not one that would bring us wealth or fame, but one that connected us with the past. Samuel's wife, Matilda, was beside him and at the foot of their graves were three small ones-children who had died in infancy.

Relunctantly we left that beautiful place and returned to Lampasas. At the courthouse we found the County Clerk and she led us to a hand-written copy of the land title for 160 acres deeded to Samuel by the state of Texas in 1870. She printed out a copy for us-another treasure!

We headed home, our curiousity satisfied for the moment.

This search started when I decided to record for our children and granchildren some memoirs of Charles' life on the ranch when he was growing up. It has become more than one person's story. It's the story of a family. A family that has a proud heritage of heroes and heroines; a legacy to live up to.

Weekend Retreat

2008-04-19T15:04:00.000-07:00

We just returned from an overnight couple's retreat with a group from our church. It was wonderful to relax and enjoy the company of 14 other Christian couples. We were able to get acquainted with some new couples in their 20's who have recently come to Springtown. We worshipped together and played together, then we heard a husband/wife team from Pleasant Ridge in Arlington, remind us to focus on our marriages and what we want and need from our mates.

We played a crazy game called "Dumb Bunny 42". It was dumb, alright, but lots of fun. I got 3rd place! We also watched a bunch of crazy people play Ultimate Frisbee. They kept trying to get those of us who were smarter than them to come out on the field. We explained we were the cheering section. We sat in the shade while they got red in the face and sweaty from all the running and chasing after frisbees!

We did a communication exercise to see how well we communicate with our spouses. We didn't do too bad, but part of the problem was we couldn't hear one another very well-an ongoing problem that is sometimes funny and sometimes not! We did a question/answer exercise to see which of us knew the most about the other. Charles had 44 points to my 39, but it wasn't MY fault! He got a big 5 pointer because he knew what my unfullied desire was and then he claimed he didn't have any! :)

We watched a bunch of crazy people play Ultimate Frisbee. They kept trying to get those of us who were smarter than them to come out on the field. We explained we were the cheering section.

It was a time of renewal and re-focusing on what is important in this life...God and one another. We have been married 46 years, but no matter how long you are together you can learn new things about one another. And it's good to learn to let go of some stuff. I was convicted by the statement that it's okay to just know that you are right at times even if your mate thinks you aren't. You don't have to become the defense lawyer and state your case over and over until he conceeds..:) Busted!
And for you younger ones, we still play together at this "ancient age". We can be silly to the point of cracking one another up. We enjoy being together. We like basically the same activities (most of them). We remember why we fell in love to start with.

Weekends like this make me anxious for Heaven and all the promises it holds. I want to be with my family continually, singing and praising God, hearing only good words, seeing smiling faces, feeling the peace that comes from knowing it will like that forever. Thank you God for my good husband and our Christian family.

2008-04-04T12:52:00.000-07:00

This Day in 1964

2008-04-04T12:03:00.000-07:00

April 4, 1964
We were living on the Cowan Ranch, 13 miles East of Seymour, Texas. On April 3rd a tornado struck Wichita Falls which is only about 60 miles from Seymour. It was a bad one. That night one storm after another passed over us until finally in the early morning I was able to sleep. I woke up about 8:00 a.m. with a strange sensation in my body. My back was hurting and my lower body seemed to be trying to do the Twist without including the rest of me! ...our long awaited baby was on the way! The first thing Charles did was make sure the car would start since it had died on us a few days before. We had no telephone so he would have had to ride horseback cross country to headquarters to get help if it hadn't! God is good...the car started.
That night at 8:40 our Lisa arrived. She was the most beautiful baby I had ever seen! The dad's were not allowed in the delivery rooms back then. A nurse said,
"Where is the daddy?" and someone said, "I saw him rolling down the hall in a wheelchair a few minutes ago." (I guess he was bored! He should've been in there with me!!)
Happy Birthday my beautiful Lisa, my "Warrior Standing Tall". You are an awesome servant of God growing in grace daily. I am proud to say you are my daughter.

Love, Mom

The Monster Room

2008-04-01T18:08:00.000-07:00

Here it is! Kendra asked for a picture. Taking a picture of a room must be a talent within itself, one I apparently have not cultivated. We don't have the pictures back up yet so it just looks like an empty room. You have to see it to appreciate it. Come on by!

Monster in the House

2008-03-30T17:12:00.000-07:00

At last I am free to blog once again. Did anyone notice I posted a picture! I think I should get an "A" in art class for being able to do it by myself!
Are you wondering about the "Monster"? Probably not, but I will tell you anyway.
Charlie made the mistake of asking what I would like for him to do one day. A husband should know to never give his wife an opening like that! WELL! The guest room needed a new paint job. Didn't seem like too much work to me. Six weeks later, with new taping and bedding, trim, doors, caulking, paint and window blinds he is finally finished! I'm not sure I will ever get him back in the house again! Don't tell him about the bookshelves I am dreaming up for the office :)
In the middle of all that, the blinds for the living room arrived via FEDEX. By the time we got to church on Wednesday night he was barely talking to me! It had taken him six hours to get them up! This ol' house tends to lean, making it a little difficult to hang anything and make it look straight. Gotta love a man with a paint brush...

2008-03-30T16:21:00.003-07:00

Lost in Blog Land!

2008-03-10T19:12:00.000-07:00

Oooooooh! Here I am! I've been like Alice in Wonderland, I fell down the proverbial blog hole and couldn't find my way back! Had to eat Humble Pie and ask Lara which way to go. She wasn't like those characters Alice met along the way. She graciously told me which way to go and reserved her giggles until I was well on my way. Being a first grade blogger has its limitations!

2008-02-21T11:52:00.000-08:00

Here I am in 'blog land'. I'm not sure how I landed here or even if I should. My younger friends seem to think this is the place to be. It's a little scary, just throwing yourself out to the world when your world normally consists of a husband, two cats, two dogs, two horses and various cows. My world is a peaceful place. The children are grown. They have lives of their own and they are responsible for the day to day care and feeding of our beautiful grandchildren. They come and visit and go again. A nice arrangement. We live 10 miles from the closest town. No smog or traffic jams unless you want to include the neighbor on his diesel tractor poking down the road. We have friends that love us and enjoy our company. So here I am in a world surrounded by people I can't see or hear. It's like opening your diary and letting just anyone read it. Brings up questions...what good can come from this...will my spelling hold up to scrutiny...how will I handle criticism? It feels like the first day of school when you wonder if anyone will be your friend and sit with you at lunch.
I think I'm not sure if I spelled blogging correctly, but my dictionary is so old it doesn't even have the word in it. I'm just gonna blog on outta here for now. Sure hope someone speaks to me...

2008-02-21T11:47:00.000-08:00