For Today

FOR TODAY...October 26th
Outside my window... I see a day that is full of promise!
I am thinking... What a busy week this will be. We will fly to Mexico early tomorrow morning and return on Monday.
I am thankful for... My wonderful son, his wife and their two children we will be visiting.
I am wearing... Ooops! Still in my gown.
I am remembering... What a wonderful and special time I had with my aunt, my brothers and their families.
I am going... I need to get packed and shop for last minute items for the grandchildren's Halloween party I am giving for them and their friends in Mexico.
I am reading...I will take my At Home in Mitford by Jan Karon with me to Mexico. Her writing just sets my world straight and declutters my soul.
I am hoping... I will be able to be a good mother, mother-in-law and "abuela" while I am in Mexico.
On my mind... I am feeling so blessed to have such a wonderful husband and family!
From the learning rooms... The various blogs I visit show me what people (like me?) are able to accomplish. It gives me confidence that with some practice, I too can have a home that I will be happy and comfortable with.
Noticing that... I need to tend to my family more.
Pondering these words... 'To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did.' When God takes something from your grasp, He's not punishing you, but merely opening your hands to receive something better. Concentrate on this sentence... ‘The will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you.'

From the kitchen... Not much as we will be out of town this week.
Around the house... I need to call the man who will put in our granite countertops and backsplash. I still have to pick out a sink and backsplash TODAY!
One of my favorite things... A good visit with a friend.
From my picture journal...

Sweet Carmen - my granddaughter in Mexico

To read other Daybook entries, go to the following link. http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/

A Visit to Rochelle

    In the 1930's these buildings were part of the bustling community of Rochelle, Texas. A grocery store and pharmacy were two of the thriving businesses that were visited by residents of this small settlement located near Brady, known as the Heart of Texas. This past Saturday, several of our family members got together to seek out the tiny town where my father lived for a brief time and considered Rochelle some of the best and most memorable years of his life. Fortunately, we had some of his memoirs with us to refer to, adding to the awe we felt as we toured the area. Some of our family had taken trips with our father back to Rochelle just to "check on things". I had not been one of those who had made this trip, but had gotten a peek of the area just when passing through on other trips.

    We found the building above and tried to figure out why it looked so different. My aunt was just sure this was the building we were looking for. It matched the old picture we had in many ways, but the picture we had did not have a two-story building. We were totally baffled. It was time for a lunch break, so off we went to Brady since Rochelle had no restaurant in sight. (Chicken fried steak was enjoyed by all!!)

Upon our return we found a man mowing around the building. We decided to quiz him. Fortunate of us he was the owner of the building! The building we were looking for had been torn down, but the building we were looking at had just been down the street from it. We had already dubbed the structure the mystery building, but now the mystery had been solved.

    It was fun to go inside of the existing building though. Tin ceilings! I thought about Rochelle residents coming in an out. There had probably been screen doors that slammed when a customer came in do conduct business.

I thought I could hear people greeting each other and visiting, talking about the weather, the economy and as much local news as possible. I wondered how they would have been dressed, what their purchases would have been... and what were the women cooking for supper. Day to day living during that period of time has been an real interest of mine.
 

    Of course, a visit to the cemetery was in order. As noted by our hair and clothes it was a very windy day, but the temperature was perfect! My niece, Kensey Lee, and I stand at the head of my great-grandmother's headstone. Her name had been Eula Lee. Kensey was named after me, Karen Lee, however, she had not known that the name Lee in our family had actually come from my father's maternal grandmother.

   The day had turned out to be more than I think any of us had counted on. Walking the streets of our father and ancestors is a way of "re-grounding" ourselves and helping us to remember that we come from good stock, as they say in our "neck of the woods". It was truly a blessing to spend the weekend with our loved ones and remembering a truly amazing man... my "Indiana Jones".

  

My Indiana Jones

Calvin Clay Boykin, Jr.

October 23, 2008 was a bitter-sweet day for me. My father left us for his next big adventure... and to join my mother who passed away just four months earlier.

My father was my "Indiana Jones". He was a man of adventure and a man with the best will to do right. He was a fine Christian, not in word so much, but in action. He traveled the world, most of the time with my mother. They were married to adventure and did their part in uniting mankind for the good of peace and understanding. A young soldier in World War II, he served bravely and later became a historian for as many of the men he had served with and admired. He was an author of many articles and books, he helped many to understand what war was about and how war most of time defined a person's character.

He was a devoted and loving husband, father, son, brother and friend to many. Even the postman shed tears upon learning of my father's passing.

It is hard to write more about my father. He would be so embarrassed. Just know that 365 days ago this world lost one of the finest men God placed on this earth.

My father told his doctor as he received a report of bad news from him, "I've lived a good life, had a good wife, had a good family, done more than I ever thought I would... and then some." My father was forever saying, "Just keep putting one foot in front of the other."

I'm doing just as you taught me, Daddy. I love you.

First Cup of Coffee

Here I am with my first cup of coffee for the day. You may wonder why there is a small shaker of turmeric by this "Cuppa Joe".... well, my doctor (doctor of internal medicine who happens to be from India) diagnosed me with osteopinia... a precursor to osteoporosis. It is a refersible condition if I mind my P's and Q's. My doctor did tell me though that in her native country turmeric is a very common spice. One of its attributes is that it helps to ease the pain of achy joints. As soon as I left my doctor's office last Friday I headed straight for my local grocery store and bought fresh turmeric. The bottle in my spice cabinet had to be at least five years old. She told me it would just take a pinch daily in a cup of warm, sweetened milk. Since I am not a fan of warm milk (at all!) I chose to put it in my first cup of coffee every morning. I was told it would probably take six weeks to notice a difference, so this is purely an experiment for me. Just thought I would share this bit of information with you. And there's just nothing like that first cup of coffee... even with turmeric... which I cannot taste.

Kensey at the Pumpkin Patch!

I just had to post this cute, cute picture of my niece, Kensey, at the local pumpkin patch.
This really puts me in the Halloween spirit!!
She is such a sweetie. She loves school, friends,
volleyball and is active with in her church. And
there aren't many people in this world that I can enjoy sharing a bag of Cheetos with other than
Kensey!

A Sentimental Journey

Aunt Jo Anne with my sister and me

My husband and I are off to see Aunt Jo Anne in a couple of days. I can hardly wait! It is a special time to be with family. It will be one year since my father passed away this Friday, October 23rd. Jo Anne is my father's youngest sibling... the only sister. She was considerably younger than my father and he even helped to name her when she was born. Jo Anne has never married, so her father and her older brothers have been the most important men in her life. There was a serious boyfriend at one time, but that just didn't work out. Jo Anne, along with my husband and I will make a sentimental journey on Saturday. We are going to drive to the town where my father and his brother spent several of their growing up years. Their parents were in the hotel business in Big Spring, Texas. After a few boyish pranks it was decided that my father and his younger brother should go to the farm in Rochelle where their maternal grandmother lived. It was perfect for young boys... wide open space, places to fish and hunt and a good school to attend. We will drive to the farm and see the home where they lived... which is still standing and in great shape. We will tour the area and hopefully my aunt will remember some family stories and a little history that she may possibly have forgotten. Since I love genealogy and old family stories this is a trip that I have looked forward to for a very long time.