Sneakers1957

  This picture was at my daddy's 89 3/4 birthday party in 2003. I wanted to have his friends come celebrate hi 90th birthday but it was in January & I was afraid of the weather...rightly so. That day was a mess. So I decided to have in October. He still lived in our hometown so I put an ad/invitation in the local newspaper. It was funny because he didn't see it but was confused why people kept wishing him Happy Birthday. Sneaky.  And my niece surprised him from Arizona. Her kids were little ones at the time & I heard her drive in so I told him that I'd heard someone at the back door. He told me I was crazy but went out to the to look, to find Niece with her hands over kids mouths. He was surprised!!  It was a very good day. He griped a little for show but he loved it. 2 of the people who came down from Lubbock were my friend Lee & her husband Pete. I'd worked with Lee for years & she'd met my dad but Pete had not. But Pete & daddy hit it off firs...

  Another giveaway from the Business Expo was a back scratcher.  I always have an itchy back so I was excited. Not that exciting for sure but I actually have a back scratcher story. Back when I first retired in 2010 I worked seasonal at Walgreens. We had a boxful of wooden scratchers but had sold them all.  A lady came in on Christmas Eve afternoon wanting to buy one. She was in a little panic...her little boy had asked Santa for one. I called our manager who called around & finally found one at another store.  Christmas saved!!

A cocktail as bright a nd pure as the West Texas sun. First thing is, I'm not a drinker. I've never had a Chilton. But it was allegedly created in the Lubbock Country Club bar by a Dr Chilton working with a bartender.  And in Lubbock, it's a big old deal. Every Lubbock drinker apparently loves them. A couple of years I was working at a local kitchen store & the owner wanted a tea towel with the recipe on it. She said she'd contacted her towel printer & they never would get it done. But she was not a follow up person so I don't know if it was true. I never saw one...until... ...the annual Lubbock Chamber of Commerce Business Expo where a local printing company had created one. And they were handing them out for free! In a rare mean moment (really), I have to laugh a little. You snooze, you lose.

One day last week after running errands, I stopped at Chic-Fil-A for a sandwich. After I had my food, I noticed a young man walking across the parking lot carrying what appeared to be everything he owned. He had a large,fat garbage bag, a computer case & a guitar. I pulled over & asked if he was hungry. He was & I went back through the line & got his lunch. When he walked over,as I always do, I asked him what he was doing out there.  He told me he'd been homeless for 14 years. He really didn't go into much detail but said he's been all over the country hitchhiking.  He appeared to be in his 30s, with dark hair & a beard. He probably needed a shower but he wasn't filthy. He was well spoken & grateful for lunch. And he then asked for a ride to a Starbucks, for wi-fi if I was guessing. He said he understood if I said no & I did say no. I'll buy anyone a meal but I'm basically not all that trusting.   His name is George. I pray he's s...

Best Mom Ever. I knew Mother's Day was coming up & it's been 22 years since I lost mine so I never look forward to the day. I decided as a distraction I'd do a day trip to Amarillo to watch their minor league baseball team play an afternoon game. And then spend the night at a hotel, one of my favorite things to do. I headed out Sunday morning knowing I'd be a little early--it's a 2 hour drive. However, when I hit the Hale County line, they'd decided to put out every cone they owned. They'd closed alternate sides of the road closing til I was out of Hale County. The road was not torn up. There were no workers. I think the cones were there to annoy us. On my way back yesterday all the cones were in the median. I'll never understand that process.  Then I decided to stop at Happy,TX, The Town Without a Frown. I just drove through. It was church time & they all looked full. The main thing I noticed was the smell. We are talking feed lots galore. Pee-Y...