Re: What is it that makes you a Texas fan?
Like many of you, I was pretty much born into it. My grandmother got her degree from UT in the mid 40's, Dad was on the Track & Field team from 68-70, and met my mom at the Texas Relays a few years later. Mom was a freshman PE major at the time.
I pretty much grew up going to every home game from the time I was 5, we also went to the games in Houston when Texas was playing Rice or UH. I remember wanting to be Eric Metcalf, and going to the Letterman's round-up each year and getting to meet Earl Campbell and those guys was a dream come true. After each game, Milkman Dan and I would beg my parents to take us to Rooster Andrews so we could get a t-shirt or a hat. I wore #60 in high school, because I was a linebacker, and that's the number that any decent linebacker in Texas should want to wear.
Just like my dad, I spent a few years in the Navy before going to UT and trying out for a team. I didn't know what my chances were of getting on the squad, but I knew that if I didn't at least try out I would regret it for the rest of my life. I survived the 2 day try-out process and made the squad with about 18 other guys. Only myself and 3 others from that group finished with degrees, letters, and T-Rings.
While at school, I also met my wife Wendy. She was one of the first members of the UT crew team, and she is also a Letter winner at UT. There is a pretty unique story about how we met. Mom and Dad met at the shot-put ring one the eastern side of the south end-zone at the Texas Relays in the early 70's. The current location of the weight room is in the western corner of the south end zone. Wendy and I met about 75 feet from where my parents first met. That's pretty wild.
My son, Cole, is probably the only person that I know who has more Orange blood than I do. Both of his parents were UT jocks, and he is named after a UT football player. He went to his first UT game (the Texas/Michigan Rose Bowl) before his first birthday, and he loved it. I can't wait to take him to the letterman's round-ups when he gets a little older. If his mom has anything to say about it, he will keep the athletic tradition alive.
Monday, August 14, 2006
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Gelding The Stallion, formerly known as Lucky
Lucky had his gelding procedure yesterday. I moved the horses around between the
pastures to put the mares out on the grass, and Lucky up close to the house where we would have easy access to him when the vet arrived.
Unfortunately, when a mare's foal is a week old, the mare has 'foal heat' and is willing to be bred again. The brown mare is coming in to that, and Lucky went over one fence and through a pasture to get to her. I got to him before he got busy with her....there's a lot of flirting that goes before any action with horses. I got them all sorted out and him tied up to a fence far away from the ladies.
We made a quick four wheeler run to the cabin for some tools, and when we got back, the new baby had gotten outside of the two strand electric fence and wanted back with his momma very badly, but was NOT going to touch that fence again. It took some strategy and luck to get him back in, as he is not tame yet. Lonnie worked the gate, and I moved past the colt and encouraged him to go toward the opening. Thank goodness it worked the first time, and we didn't have to spend an hour running around in the pasture.
Then, the vet got here. We moved Lucky to a shady and clean part of the lawn, gave him the anesthesia shots, and he got wobbly legged, and then sat and rolled over....the wrong direction. This is a HUGE horse that probably weighs 1300 lbs,
even skinny. So, the vet and I each grabbed a let, me on the front, him on the back, and rolled him over. I stayed at Lucky's head, the vet started to get the job done,
and I had to start singing to the horse so I wouldn't HEAR the cutting. URK!
Then, we had to keep the dogs out of the bucket of .......parts.
It took Lucky about 30 minutes to come to, and he wobbled around for about another hour. When he was grazing and steady we went in the house, leaving him tied in the shade on a long grazing rope (something he is used to.) Next time we looked out, he had broken free and was over by the mares again. GEEEEEZZ.
Luckily, he's easy to catch, so he was returned to his own pasture. I put his new halter on, which happened to be pink. He managed to lose it over night. Guess he didn't appreciate pink in his newly neutered condition.
pastures to put the mares out on the grass, and Lucky up close to the house where we would have easy access to him when the vet arrived.
Unfortunately, when a mare's foal is a week old, the mare has 'foal heat' and is willing to be bred again. The brown mare is coming in to that, and Lucky went over one fence and through a pasture to get to her. I got to him before he got busy with her....there's a lot of flirting that goes before any action with horses. I got them all sorted out and him tied up to a fence far away from the ladies.
We made a quick four wheeler run to the cabin for some tools, and when we got back, the new baby had gotten outside of the two strand electric fence and wanted back with his momma very badly, but was NOT going to touch that fence again. It took some strategy and luck to get him back in, as he is not tame yet. Lonnie worked the gate, and I moved past the colt and encouraged him to go toward the opening. Thank goodness it worked the first time, and we didn't have to spend an hour running around in the pasture.
Then, the vet got here. We moved Lucky to a shady and clean part of the lawn, gave him the anesthesia shots, and he got wobbly legged, and then sat and rolled over....the wrong direction. This is a HUGE horse that probably weighs 1300 lbs,
even skinny. So, the vet and I each grabbed a let, me on the front, him on the back, and rolled him over. I stayed at Lucky's head, the vet started to get the job done,
and I had to start singing to the horse so I wouldn't HEAR the cutting. URK!
Then, we had to keep the dogs out of the bucket of .......parts.
It took Lucky about 30 minutes to come to, and he wobbled around for about another hour. When he was grazing and steady we went in the house, leaving him tied in the shade on a long grazing rope (something he is used to.) Next time we looked out, he had broken free and was over by the mares again. GEEEEEZZ.
Luckily, he's easy to catch, so he was returned to his own pasture. I put his new halter on, which happened to be pink. He managed to lose it over night. Guess he didn't appreciate pink in his newly neutered condition.
Sunday, July 16, 2006
Call Me A Roofer
The "Doll House" has been having some leaky roof issues during some of the recent tropical downpours. A couple of years ago, I had a local roofer use the roll roofing to try to solve that problem. It only worked temporarily, and the time came to make major improvements.
My friend, Lynn, who has been doing much of the recent work on the Office of Multiplicity, said she would come early today to help me put the roof on. She always brings her daughter, Misty, age 13, who is normally an excellent helper. Lynn said that she wouldn't get on the roof, but Lynn is normally fearless, and I expected her to climb up and pitch in after the first few minutes. Oh, how wrong I was!
Lynn and Misty arrived at 8:00 AM, which is good, because the temperatures were projected to rise to the mid 90's. I went up to start freeing up the flashing at the upper end of this 24' x 13' roof area. Lynn and Misty stood on the ground, talking to my renter, Frankie. Lynn again declined to get on the room, and Misty followed her mother's lead. The whole roofing project was then up to me.
Lynn tossed me tools when I needed them and handed up the V-crimp sheet metal one piece at at time. They are unweildy due to length, so I'm glad she helped with that, but Frankie did just as well when Lynn went to Klekar's Lumber Yard to get more meta. After I got over my irritation at the lack of help, I got into a rhythm of lining up the 14' sheets of metal and screwing them down to the deck. Thank goodness, it's not a very steep roof. It took twelve sheets of 14' and five sheets of 8' V-crimp to cover the roof over the kitchen and back porch/steps.
During the process, Lynn noticed the fat next door neighbor leaning against his porch post, watching us work. She was really grumbling under her breath about it, so I finally looked up and said to him (with a smile), "You could come help!"
He laughed and said, "I just find it surprising to see two women working."
I had to resist the urge to show him a one finger salute and instead told him, "I wouldn't phrase it that way if I were you." Lynn added some comments about men working, and the fellow went into his house.
Luckily, the weather was partly cloudy, and I had occasional shade from white puffy clouds. When the sun came out, the roof really started heating up. The last ten minutes of work, just before 11:00 AM were horribly hot. I drank two bottles of water during the process, but I still lost three pounds during the three hours it took to get the roof on.
That's a project that's been looming over me for a while, and I'm glad to get it finished. Proud of my work on it, too, especially since it turned out to be an almost solo project!
My friend, Lynn, who has been doing much of the recent work on the Office of Multiplicity, said she would come early today to help me put the roof on. She always brings her daughter, Misty, age 13, who is normally an excellent helper. Lynn said that she wouldn't get on the roof, but Lynn is normally fearless, and I expected her to climb up and pitch in after the first few minutes. Oh, how wrong I was!
Lynn and Misty arrived at 8:00 AM, which is good, because the temperatures were projected to rise to the mid 90's. I went up to start freeing up the flashing at the upper end of this 24' x 13' roof area. Lynn and Misty stood on the ground, talking to my renter, Frankie. Lynn again declined to get on the room, and Misty followed her mother's lead. The whole roofing project was then up to me.
Lynn tossed me tools when I needed them and handed up the V-crimp sheet metal one piece at at time. They are unweildy due to length, so I'm glad she helped with that, but Frankie did just as well when Lynn went to Klekar's Lumber Yard to get more meta. After I got over my irritation at the lack of help, I got into a rhythm of lining up the 14' sheets of metal and screwing them down to the deck. Thank goodness, it's not a very steep roof. It took twelve sheets of 14' and five sheets of 8' V-crimp to cover the roof over the kitchen and back porch/steps.
During the process, Lynn noticed the fat next door neighbor leaning against his porch post, watching us work. She was really grumbling under her breath about it, so I finally looked up and said to him (with a smile), "You could come help!"
He laughed and said, "I just find it surprising to see two women working."
I had to resist the urge to show him a one finger salute and instead told him, "I wouldn't phrase it that way if I were you." Lynn added some comments about men working, and the fellow went into his house.
Luckily, the weather was partly cloudy, and I had occasional shade from white puffy clouds. When the sun came out, the roof really started heating up. The last ten minutes of work, just before 11:00 AM were horribly hot. I drank two bottles of water during the process, but I still lost three pounds during the three hours it took to get the roof on.
That's a project that's been looming over me for a while, and I'm glad to get it finished. Proud of my work on it, too, especially since it turned out to be an almost solo project!
Friday, July 14, 2006
A Positive Frame of Mind
Over on www.homesteadingtoday.com, there are some folks who just LOVE to be negative, especially if it's a gloom and doom prediction based on a recent media story.
One of the most prolific negative posters started a thread this morning, predicting what was going to happen as fuel prices rise. "Purchases of things other than what is needed to maintain what we presently have will be very rare. Watch for headlines stating 'starvation in the cities', you will be rewarded. Collage educations will be worthless, learning to survive will be priceless. The depression of the 30's will appear as being a cake walk, compared to whats coming. I expect to see small compounds banning together to survive, we are headed to third world status; maybe not within my life time but in the near future. Teach your children how to raise foods, hunt and fish, defend their selves, there is no one available to bail us out..."
For some reason, I have a difficult time staying out of these silly discussions, and I posted a very short simple rebuttal saying that we can't predict the future and that I preferred not to tell myself and others negative stories about what may happen.
That opened the floodgates to the other Negative Nellies, and when one of them said that my problem was that I wear rose colored glasses, my patience snapped. Herewith, my reply....
You know, I just am totally amazed every time I get hammered for positive thinking. There are some folks on this board that just can't stand it when someone stands up for not being gloom and doom. You'd think I'd learn to keep my mouth shut.
I will be more specific:
A. We bought Howard Ruff's _How to live in the coming bad years_ back in the 70's. Then, we bought gold and silver, stocked up on emergency food, etc etc. His predictions fell on their fanny.
B. A few years ago, we heard all about how the Mexicans were going to march up Highway 59 and invade. They didn't.
C. We heard about all the diseases that were supposed to wipe out half the population and decimate the ecomony. They didn't.
D. We read on other threads about the "decline of the small town," but if you LOOK, there are thriving, wonderful small towns. I know this, I live near one and travel through them frequently.
E. I have faith in the citizens of the United States and their ability to respond to whatever the world economy throws at us.
F. What I don't do is fall for every media-hyped Chicken Little story.
G. We have traveled internationally for business, and I realize that our 'middle class' is so far more wealthy that most of the rest of the world that our whining about it makes us a laughing stock on a global level.
I don't have rose colored glasses, and I resent the personal attack(s.) What I do have is a paid for home, a garden, and a plan. Because we have been working our plan for 30 years, we are farther down the homestead road than a lot of the people on this list, and I get hammered for that, too. We are successful, and we have worked hard to get here.
And some of you don't like that.
One of the most prolific negative posters started a thread this morning, predicting what was going to happen as fuel prices rise. "Purchases of things other than what is needed to maintain what we presently have will be very rare. Watch for headlines stating 'starvation in the cities', you will be rewarded. Collage educations will be worthless, learning to survive will be priceless. The depression of the 30's will appear as being a cake walk, compared to whats coming. I expect to see small compounds banning together to survive, we are headed to third world status; maybe not within my life time but in the near future. Teach your children how to raise foods, hunt and fish, defend their selves, there is no one available to bail us out..."
For some reason, I have a difficult time staying out of these silly discussions, and I posted a very short simple rebuttal saying that we can't predict the future and that I preferred not to tell myself and others negative stories about what may happen.
That opened the floodgates to the other Negative Nellies, and when one of them said that my problem was that I wear rose colored glasses, my patience snapped. Herewith, my reply....
You know, I just am totally amazed every time I get hammered for positive thinking. There are some folks on this board that just can't stand it when someone stands up for not being gloom and doom. You'd think I'd learn to keep my mouth shut.
I will be more specific:
A. We bought Howard Ruff's _How to live in the coming bad years_ back in the 70's. Then, we bought gold and silver, stocked up on emergency food, etc etc. His predictions fell on their fanny.
B. A few years ago, we heard all about how the Mexicans were going to march up Highway 59 and invade. They didn't.
C. We heard about all the diseases that were supposed to wipe out half the population and decimate the ecomony. They didn't.
D. We read on other threads about the "decline of the small town," but if you LOOK, there are thriving, wonderful small towns. I know this, I live near one and travel through them frequently.
E. I have faith in the citizens of the United States and their ability to respond to whatever the world economy throws at us.
F. What I don't do is fall for every media-hyped Chicken Little story.
G. We have traveled internationally for business, and I realize that our 'middle class' is so far more wealthy that most of the rest of the world that our whining about it makes us a laughing stock on a global level.
I don't have rose colored glasses, and I resent the personal attack(s.) What I do have is a paid for home, a garden, and a plan. Because we have been working our plan for 30 years, we are farther down the homestead road than a lot of the people on this list, and I get hammered for that, too. We are successful, and we have worked hard to get here.
And some of you don't like that.
Call Me A Mechanic
I had some trouble with the riding lawn mower this morning. This is the relatively new Craftsman 20 HP, 42 inch cut machine. I cleaned the air filters, sprayed carb cleaner in the appropriate orifice, then saw a telltale drip. The fuel line to the carborator was cracked and leaking in two places. I went to Bep's and got new fuel line, then called Sears to get instructions on getting to the end of the line that I couldn't see. They wouldn't tell me, as it was a 'safety issue,' and recommended that I call for service. I had already checked online, and the soonest a repair person could get here was July 26.
Sooooooooooooooooooooo, I took off the housing for the air filter, and TA-DA, there was the other end of the fuel line. Got that replaced, then decided to check all the sections of the line and the fuel filter. Went back to Bep's for more parts, and got it all put back together. The mower's running nicely now, but the temp is 94 degrees outside, and I'm taking a break!!
Anyway, I'm pleased. The base charge for Sears coming out if you don't have a service agreement is $94, so I think I did pretty well by doing that project myself.
Sooooooooooooooooooooo, I took off the housing for the air filter, and TA-DA, there was the other end of the fuel line. Got that replaced, then decided to check all the sections of the line and the fuel filter. Went back to Bep's for more parts, and got it all put back together. The mower's running nicely now, but the temp is 94 degrees outside, and I'm taking a break!!
Anyway, I'm pleased. The base charge for Sears coming out if you don't have a service agreement is $94, so I think I did pretty well by doing that project myself.
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
Always Something To Do
It has been almost a month since I posted, due to just being busy. The garden in Missouri is coming on, and there's been weeding and tying up of tomato and cucumber vines. Lots of watering has been required because it hasn't rained in a month. DRY DRY DRY!
We have been cleaning out Lonnie's wood working shop and replacing everything where it belongs. It's three rooms, so that's a lot of work. It's good, however, because it will not only be ornganized again, but I'll know where stuff belongs!
The horses are no longer a problem because I bought them. Randy needed money and I got the Missouri Fox Trotter stallion, two mares (both bred), and a three month old filly for a grand total of $800. They are thin and hungry, but basically healthy. We are starting them on good grass hay (thank you John Walters) and a feed designed for horses who need to be rehabilitated. As soon as they start looking better, I'll sell the mares and the filly. I may keep the stallion to bring to Texas and breed to Cookie, my line back dun Mustang.
I'm currently in Ganado, catching up on stuff here, getting ready for Dan's family reunion and his birthday. It has rained so much here that the mosquitoes are absolutely horrible, swarms of huge ones attack you every time you go outside. Sure makes it hard to go for a walk or bike ride. I wish I could send some of this rain to southern Missouri where it is SO dry that the gravel road to the house sends up clouds of flour-like dust with every passing car.
I'd better get busy sorting the stack of mail and tidying up my studio. There's always things to do, no matter where I am!
We have been cleaning out Lonnie's wood working shop and replacing everything where it belongs. It's three rooms, so that's a lot of work. It's good, however, because it will not only be ornganized again, but I'll know where stuff belongs!
The horses are no longer a problem because I bought them. Randy needed money and I got the Missouri Fox Trotter stallion, two mares (both bred), and a three month old filly for a grand total of $800. They are thin and hungry, but basically healthy. We are starting them on good grass hay (thank you John Walters) and a feed designed for horses who need to be rehabilitated. As soon as they start looking better, I'll sell the mares and the filly. I may keep the stallion to bring to Texas and breed to Cookie, my line back dun Mustang.
I'm currently in Ganado, catching up on stuff here, getting ready for Dan's family reunion and his birthday. It has rained so much here that the mosquitoes are absolutely horrible, swarms of huge ones attack you every time you go outside. Sure makes it hard to go for a walk or bike ride. I wish I could send some of this rain to southern Missouri where it is SO dry that the gravel road to the house sends up clouds of flour-like dust with every passing car.
I'd better get busy sorting the stack of mail and tidying up my studio. There's always things to do, no matter where I am!
Friday, June 09, 2006
Ozark Update: horses, cabin, garden, and quilts
It's springtime in the Ozarks! Lots of things happening, lots to do, weather warming up, etc., etc., etc.
Randy Brown's horses are getting to be a big problem. There are three mares, the stallion, and a filly. Because there is almost no grass in his pastures, and he doesn't maintain his fences, the horses come through and graze at Lonnie's house and at the Cabin in the Woods. Now, this wouldn't be a big problem if they just ate grass and pooped in the pasture. Unfortunately, they have eaten the first two plantings of corn from the garden and pooped on the Cabin's front porch. They had to climb up four concrete steps to get to the porch, but apparently that's not a challenge to these animals. Randy's not living next door at the moment, partly due to his pending divorce, and partly due to the fact that he's living with his girlfriend while his wife is in jail for hiring a hit man to kill him. We've called the sheriff's office about the horses, but they don't seem very concerned.
The Cabin is about to get pretty paneling in the front bedroom. A former guest took it upon himself to take down the old paneling, so this is sort of a forced project. We'll be glad when it's all done, but as it wasn't on our original summer list, the frustration level is high for now.
The garden looks great, except for the horse depredations on the corn. We have been eating tomatoes and collards and squash and Swiss Chard. The chard has been a very delightful surprise. It's like mild spinach.
I have finished a really ugly experimental wall hanging made from 1960's fabric. Looks like a baaaaaad trip. Cole's quilt top is almost finished, and I just need to put the borders on. I'm struggling with what to do for Nathan and Wendy's project. We have such different tastes! At this point, these are just the tops. The actual quilting part will wait for cold weather in the coming winter.
One delightful surprise this trip has been goat milk. My friend Yarrow has milk goats, and Nubian goat milk is not goaty flavored at all. We got half a gallon, and I have been using it on my breakfast cereal, making yogurt, and making herbed yogurt cheese. If nobody told you, you would never suspect that it's made from goat milk. At Central Market, I have paid $3.75 for a four ounce package of herbed goat cheese that I can make here for practically nothing. Delightful!
Randy Brown's horses are getting to be a big problem. There are three mares, the stallion, and a filly. Because there is almost no grass in his pastures, and he doesn't maintain his fences, the horses come through and graze at Lonnie's house and at the Cabin in the Woods. Now, this wouldn't be a big problem if they just ate grass and pooped in the pasture. Unfortunately, they have eaten the first two plantings of corn from the garden and pooped on the Cabin's front porch. They had to climb up four concrete steps to get to the porch, but apparently that's not a challenge to these animals. Randy's not living next door at the moment, partly due to his pending divorce, and partly due to the fact that he's living with his girlfriend while his wife is in jail for hiring a hit man to kill him. We've called the sheriff's office about the horses, but they don't seem very concerned.
The Cabin is about to get pretty paneling in the front bedroom. A former guest took it upon himself to take down the old paneling, so this is sort of a forced project. We'll be glad when it's all done, but as it wasn't on our original summer list, the frustration level is high for now.
The garden looks great, except for the horse depredations on the corn. We have been eating tomatoes and collards and squash and Swiss Chard. The chard has been a very delightful surprise. It's like mild spinach.
I have finished a really ugly experimental wall hanging made from 1960's fabric. Looks like a baaaaaad trip. Cole's quilt top is almost finished, and I just need to put the borders on. I'm struggling with what to do for Nathan and Wendy's project. We have such different tastes! At this point, these are just the tops. The actual quilting part will wait for cold weather in the coming winter.
One delightful surprise this trip has been goat milk. My friend Yarrow has milk goats, and Nubian goat milk is not goaty flavored at all. We got half a gallon, and I have been using it on my breakfast cereal, making yogurt, and making herbed yogurt cheese. If nobody told you, you would never suspect that it's made from goat milk. At Central Market, I have paid $3.75 for a four ounce package of herbed goat cheese that I can make here for practically nothing. Delightful!
Sunday, May 28, 2006
A fortunate change of plans
Yesterday was a very productive, busy day at the Office of Multiplicity (formerly the Kubena Cabana.) Lynn, Misty, and I worked there all day, painting trim, staining and varnishing the base cabinets, doorways, windows, etc. Misty and Lynn built the window casing for the kitchen window and installed it, and Lynn finished the under-stairs closet door. My biggest job was setting nails in the stained chair rail and other trim and filling the holes with wood putty. WOO HOO! What a high tech job! LOL It's the little things that are really time consuming, but they make such a visual improvement.
Today we had planned to install the pantry cabinet, towel cabinet in the bathroom, and craft cabinet in the sun room. However, it started POURING down rain at 5:15 AM, and it rained for six hours. The back yard at the homestead was a solid sheet of water, all the way out into the pasture as far as I could see. As the cabinets are in Danevang in Lynn's workshop, and they can't be moved in an open trailer in this weather, work on the Office is postponed.
Instead, I've been performing a much needed cleanout of the kitchen cabinets, pantry, and bookshelves. Much of the boxed food in the pantry was dated before Mom's stroke and had to be tossed out. Beans, rice, flour, and pasta were buggy and will become compost. Some items that are still good but unlikely to be used will be going to a local food drive.
I am also boxing up books that can find a new audience elsewhere. Half Price Books in Austin ought to give me frequent flyer miles! I'm sorting other things, such as the keepsakes from my classroom and other dustables that are no longer important. The Goodwill store in Austin will receive those soon.
Although my intentions for today were sidetracked by the weather, the time has been put to fantastic use! I've enjoyed my projects and eliminated a lot of clutter. Hooray for RAIN!
Today we had planned to install the pantry cabinet, towel cabinet in the bathroom, and craft cabinet in the sun room. However, it started POURING down rain at 5:15 AM, and it rained for six hours. The back yard at the homestead was a solid sheet of water, all the way out into the pasture as far as I could see. As the cabinets are in Danevang in Lynn's workshop, and they can't be moved in an open trailer in this weather, work on the Office is postponed.
Instead, I've been performing a much needed cleanout of the kitchen cabinets, pantry, and bookshelves. Much of the boxed food in the pantry was dated before Mom's stroke and had to be tossed out. Beans, rice, flour, and pasta were buggy and will become compost. Some items that are still good but unlikely to be used will be going to a local food drive.
I am also boxing up books that can find a new audience elsewhere. Half Price Books in Austin ought to give me frequent flyer miles! I'm sorting other things, such as the keepsakes from my classroom and other dustables that are no longer important. The Goodwill store in Austin will receive those soon.
Although my intentions for today were sidetracked by the weather, the time has been put to fantastic use! I've enjoyed my projects and eliminated a lot of clutter. Hooray for RAIN!
Thursday, April 27, 2006
Answer to All the Questions About My Plans
Since I quit my job at Louise ISD in May of 2004, my life has taken a few unexpected turns. Mom had a series of strokes, starting on Labor Day weekend of 2004, and culminating with her death on February 24, 2005. The year following her passing was consumed with estate and Trust responsibilities. The business of death and the process of probate and the distribution of her effects determined my daily activities. Add to that necessity of learning to manage the Leigh Family Trust, and suddenly I am engaged in finance on an unprecedented level which requires hours of time, phone calls, travel, decision making, and accounting.
Hopefully, the tempest of the last year and a half is not a pattern for my future. I am still quite busy with the Trust, but it is beginning to settle down into familiarity. With the help of a dynamic accounting, investment, and legal team, the Trust’s holdings have been streamlined. The paperwork load remains high, but as I develop and work a system, it’s becoming manageable.
I laugh every time someone asks if I’m enjoying my retirement. Due to the convergence of events, I feel busier now managing the Trust, the rental properties, and doing Dan’s corporate office work than I ever was as a public school teacher. Not to mention that the emotional stakes are higher as I administer the enterprise created almost seventy years ago by my grandfather.
My intention is to settle back into a life pattern similar to what it was before Mom’s illness. The last few summers during my teaching career were spent commuting from
I’ll spend the cool months of fall, winter, and early spring in Ganado, catching up on filing, working on the rental houses, and tinkering with my landscaping. When I get the “Office of Multiplicity” finished there, the business home for the Trust will be centralized and orderly, provide a place to work, and be a safe repository for the Trust archives.
Of course, one of the lessons learned since May of 2004 is that you can’t predict or plan with any certainty at all. When I resigned the teaching position that I had held for fifteen years, I had no way to predict or expect the unsettling events that followed. Likewise, I cannot predict the next few years. I simply have intentions and adjust as events require.
Thursday, April 20, 2006
Getting The Garden In
Here in Missouri, it's planting time. Sebastian had done such a wonderful job of getting the raised beds ready for vegetables that it has been a breeze to plant. We spent all of Tuesday morning putting in little plants. There are a few things we are starting from seed (carrots, radishes, corn, okra), but primarily, we are setting plants. Even with the loss of some plants on the west side of the greenhouse due to excessive spring heat, we have enough onion and tomato plants for three gardens, so we took some of the excess to Sandy and John down the road.
Here's a list of what's in so far: several varieties of tomatoes, two kinds of bell peppers, jalepenos, watermelon, radishes, corn, carrots, okra, eggplant, lettuce, collard greens, yellow squash, zuchini, dill, broccoli, swiss chard, lemon cucumbers, cabbage, peas, white onions, vidalia onions, and red onions. We still have two empty beds to fill, and I think those are going to be beets and black eyed peas.
Even with the loss of some plants on the west side of the greenhouse due to excessive spring heat, we have enough onion and tomato plants for three gardens, so we took some of the excess to Sandy and John down the road.
There are seven of the new thornless blackberry plants, but they won't bear this year. I hope there is enough rain to help out the wild berries this year. It's very, very dry here. We also have one rhubarb plant.
Yesterday, I got the herb bed going. Dill, oregano, parsley, cilantro, rosemary, lavender, and basil. The thyme plant survived the winter and is growing energetically already.
The flower bed around the bird baths is filled with coleus, amaranth, cockscomb, and the two hostas that made it through the winter. The small flower bed by the driveway fence has mint coming up, and that's where I'll put the flowers for cutting. I also got some mammoth sunflower seeds, and they are going in the middle of the tomato cages. It'll look funny to have a 7 foot tall sunflower growing out of the top of the tomatoes.
Yesterday, I spent part of the morning at the Cabin in the Woods, rebuilding Dan's fire pit and beginning the process of clearing the yard of rocks. Although Sebastian's maze of stones in the yard looks interesting, it made the yard impossible to maintain. Creative, but not realistic at all. It may take me a month of hauling rocks each morning to clear it. Good exercise!!
Here's a list of what's in so far: several varieties of tomatoes, two kinds of bell peppers, jalepenos, watermelon, radishes, corn, carrots, okra, eggplant, lettuce, collard greens, yellow squash, zuchini, dill, broccoli, swiss chard, lemon cucumbers, cabbage, peas, white onions, vidalia onions, and red onions. We still have two empty beds to fill, and I think those are going to be beets and black eyed peas.
Even with the loss of some plants on the west side of the greenhouse due to excessive spring heat, we have enough onion and tomato plants for three gardens, so we took some of the excess to Sandy and John down the road.
There are seven of the new thornless blackberry plants, but they won't bear this year. I hope there is enough rain to help out the wild berries this year. It's very, very dry here. We also have one rhubarb plant.
Yesterday, I got the herb bed going. Dill, oregano, parsley, cilantro, rosemary, lavender, and basil. The thyme plant survived the winter and is growing energetically already.
The flower bed around the bird baths is filled with coleus, amaranth, cockscomb, and the two hostas that made it through the winter. The small flower bed by the driveway fence has mint coming up, and that's where I'll put the flowers for cutting. I also got some mammoth sunflower seeds, and they are going in the middle of the tomato cages. It'll look funny to have a 7 foot tall sunflower growing out of the top of the tomatoes.
Yesterday, I spent part of the morning at the Cabin in the Woods, rebuilding Dan's fire pit and beginning the process of clearing the yard of rocks. Although Sebastian's maze of stones in the yard looks interesting, it made the yard impossible to maintain. Creative, but not realistic at all. It may take me a month of hauling rocks each morning to clear it. Good exercise!!
Sunday, April 16, 2006
Home Style
Days at home, dashing from task to task, getting things done, and seeing a big list of things that can be done when time allows.
I got all the lawn and the raised beds watered. The drought is beginning to show itself in dry grass and cracking soil. It's not as bad as when the boys were little...when you could drop a 2x4 into the cracks, but it's heading that way. The sprinklers ran a couple of hours in each spot, and some places got treated more than once.
I mowed the new baby grass in the back yard between my flower beds. The mulched path experiment is over. Keeping the weeds out of the paths just proved too time consuming. I had sprinkled grass seed last time I was home and watered it a couple of times, and the new grass did better than expected. The raised beds are looking really good, considering they haven't been watered. The plants that have survived are the tough ones! There were a couple of volunteer grape vines that I had to eliminate, and I'm sure I'll have to spray them next time I'm home.
I sprayed Round UP under all the electric fences, and sprayed the rose hedges with a new herbicide. The fight against rose hedges is going to get ramped up now that I have a chemical that I can use at other times of the year. The other good thing about spraying is the exercise. Hiking in the pasture with 3 1/2 gallons of chemical in a back pack sprayer is great exercise!
Besides the outside stuff, I got all the bank accounts updated, entered in the computer, reconciled, and backed up. The accountant got the tax returns (all five of them) done ahead of time, plus the quarterly returns. Are we an awesome team or what?? It's a load off to know that it's all DONE!
Heading to Missouri on Monday morning. I've got to re-remodel the front bedroom at the cabin since the last guest had some misguided ideas about decor that resulted in the removal of a load bearing joist. Each morning, I'll get my exercise moving the thousand or so rocks that he moved into the front yard to create a maze. Yes, I've learned a lesson. Don't give a self styled interior designer carte blanche.
On to the next adventure!
I got all the lawn and the raised beds watered. The drought is beginning to show itself in dry grass and cracking soil. It's not as bad as when the boys were little...when you could drop a 2x4 into the cracks, but it's heading that way. The sprinklers ran a couple of hours in each spot, and some places got treated more than once.
I mowed the new baby grass in the back yard between my flower beds. The mulched path experiment is over. Keeping the weeds out of the paths just proved too time consuming. I had sprinkled grass seed last time I was home and watered it a couple of times, and the new grass did better than expected. The raised beds are looking really good, considering they haven't been watered. The plants that have survived are the tough ones! There were a couple of volunteer grape vines that I had to eliminate, and I'm sure I'll have to spray them next time I'm home.
I sprayed Round UP under all the electric fences, and sprayed the rose hedges with a new herbicide. The fight against rose hedges is going to get ramped up now that I have a chemical that I can use at other times of the year. The other good thing about spraying is the exercise. Hiking in the pasture with 3 1/2 gallons of chemical in a back pack sprayer is great exercise!
Besides the outside stuff, I got all the bank accounts updated, entered in the computer, reconciled, and backed up. The accountant got the tax returns (all five of them) done ahead of time, plus the quarterly returns. Are we an awesome team or what?? It's a load off to know that it's all DONE!
Heading to Missouri on Monday morning. I've got to re-remodel the front bedroom at the cabin since the last guest had some misguided ideas about decor that resulted in the removal of a load bearing joist. Each morning, I'll get my exercise moving the thousand or so rocks that he moved into the front yard to create a maze. Yes, I've learned a lesson. Don't give a self styled interior designer carte blanche.
On to the next adventure!
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
I goofed off!
This morning I drove to Austin and met with Todd to clean out the rest of the stuff in Mom's office and move the boxes and wonderful old wooden filing cabinets to the storage unit. I had most of the boxes loaded and everything staged before he got there, so it didn't take us long to get the rest in the truck. We had everything in the storage unit in less than an hour.
Timing was good, as the real estate agent called as we left the storage unit and asked if I could come to the office and sign the new lease for the O'Dell house. The new renter is moving in at the end of April.
WOOHOO! Two big worries eliminated in one day! I did some shopping, then returned to Mom's house and GOOFED OFF!
Timing was good, as the real estate agent called as we left the storage unit and asked if I could come to the office and sign the new lease for the O'Dell house. The new renter is moving in at the end of April.
WOOHOO! Two big worries eliminated in one day! I did some shopping, then returned to Mom's house and GOOFED OFF!
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Whew
Today was a good day, really the first day that I felt I could set my own pace and not be stressed if some of the things on the list didn't get done. Now that tax season is almost done and the current remodels are almost finished, the stress level is really dropping.
My activities included simple things like going to Wal-Mart and H.E.B. in El Campo, getting the mail, dropping of papers at the accountant's office, and picking up some chemicals to spray the rose hedges. It was just such a luxury not to have deadlines, and not to have it matter if some of the projects got moved to another day or time.
I enjoyed the day!
My activities included simple things like going to Wal-Mart and H.E.B. in El Campo, getting the mail, dropping of papers at the accountant's office, and picking up some chemicals to spray the rose hedges. It was just such a luxury not to have deadlines, and not to have it matter if some of the projects got moved to another day or time.
I enjoyed the day!
Monday, April 10, 2006
Chocolate, It's Just Not Worth It
Terese and I went to Port A for the weekend and had a wonderful time shopping, looking at the sand sculptures at Sandfest, eating at different restaurants, etc.
On the way home, we stopped in Refugio for Dairy Queen ice cream. I got a small blizzard with Oreos in it, and I just should have known better.
This morning, I woke up with a headache that turned into a migraine. One of the worst ever, even to the point of feeling sick to my stomach. I lost the morning to the headache, and the work I had planned to do gets moved to tomorrow's schedule.
Chocolate, especially cheap American chocolate, is a very bad migraine trigger for me. I really need to stop trying to get around that.
On the way home, we stopped in Refugio for Dairy Queen ice cream. I got a small blizzard with Oreos in it, and I just should have known better.
This morning, I woke up with a headache that turned into a migraine. One of the worst ever, even to the point of feeling sick to my stomach. I lost the morning to the headache, and the work I had planned to do gets moved to tomorrow's schedule.
Chocolate, especially cheap American chocolate, is a very bad migraine trigger for me. I really need to stop trying to get around that.
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
Austin, Again
Back in Austin, gettin' stuff done.
This morning I started walking about 7:30 AM. The time change makes it difficult to go earlier than that. I went down to the park, out Shoal Creek to Steck, then back through the neighborhoods on the other side of Burnet Road. Got home about 9:00. My legs feel better than I expected to after making the shift from sedentary to very active. I did walk in Missouri over the weekend, but not as much as today.
I've been by Lowe's to price new vinyl windows for the Vine Street house. That came in at over $5000, so it's not happening in the near future.
The report from the independent flooring inspector was here, so I made copies and took one to Lumber Liquidators. Now, we wait to hear the central office's response.
Had lunch with Mildred at the U.T. Faculty Club. That's always a delight, both in the company and the food. Thanks, Mildred!
Travis is now the proud possessor of his own clay likeness, sculpted by his grandmother in 1990. You can see the resemblance, even though it is obviously a junior high age version of THK. I also took Travis keys to both rent houses, as he's my emergency backup here in town.
Next stop was Total Relief Footware, where I picked up another pair of work boots. Now I don't have to haul my original pair back from the Ozarks. Unfortunately, our good friends at Total Relief experienced a break-in over the weekend. Someone who really knew what they were doing broke the front door, disabled the phone and alarm system, and took 180 pairs of shoes. That's about $30,000 worth of shoes.
Next....GELATO!! It was on the way back to the house from the shoe store, I promise. I had half strawberry shortcake, half 'bounthy.' Bounthy is a combo of vanilla gelato, coconut, and chocolate. Delicious. The store was full of homeschoolers playing chess, tic tac toe, etc, and eating gelato. Noisy, but well behaved.
I've started cleaning out the refrigerator and freezer. Trash day is tomorrow, so it's a good time to get this chore done. Supper was Frito pie made with homemade chili from the freezer. Perfect ending for a busy day.
This morning I started walking about 7:30 AM. The time change makes it difficult to go earlier than that. I went down to the park, out Shoal Creek to Steck, then back through the neighborhoods on the other side of Burnet Road. Got home about 9:00. My legs feel better than I expected to after making the shift from sedentary to very active. I did walk in Missouri over the weekend, but not as much as today.
I've been by Lowe's to price new vinyl windows for the Vine Street house. That came in at over $5000, so it's not happening in the near future.
The report from the independent flooring inspector was here, so I made copies and took one to Lumber Liquidators. Now, we wait to hear the central office's response.
Had lunch with Mildred at the U.T. Faculty Club. That's always a delight, both in the company and the food. Thanks, Mildred!
Travis is now the proud possessor of his own clay likeness, sculpted by his grandmother in 1990. You can see the resemblance, even though it is obviously a junior high age version of THK. I also took Travis keys to both rent houses, as he's my emergency backup here in town.
Next stop was Total Relief Footware, where I picked up another pair of work boots. Now I don't have to haul my original pair back from the Ozarks. Unfortunately, our good friends at Total Relief experienced a break-in over the weekend. Someone who really knew what they were doing broke the front door, disabled the phone and alarm system, and took 180 pairs of shoes. That's about $30,000 worth of shoes.
Next....GELATO!! It was on the way back to the house from the shoe store, I promise. I had half strawberry shortcake, half 'bounthy.' Bounthy is a combo of vanilla gelato, coconut, and chocolate. Delicious. The store was full of homeschoolers playing chess, tic tac toe, etc, and eating gelato. Noisy, but well behaved.
I've started cleaning out the refrigerator and freezer. Trash day is tomorrow, so it's a good time to get this chore done. Supper was Frito pie made with homemade chili from the freezer. Perfect ending for a busy day.
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
Many Springs, Missouri
I've just spent three quick days in Missouri, surveying the wonderful work that Sebastian did at the Cabin in the Woods and in the garden at Lonnie and Kathleen's house. The man is a work-a-holic, for sure. He accomplished more in two months than I would have been able to get done in a couple of summer trips.
All the brush piles have been disposed of, and I'm talking LOTS of brush piles. The area around the garage, that no one who lives in the area remembers seeing cleared is now a daffodil bed.
The orchard trees...apple, peach, pear...are all pruned so that they can grow in a more open and productive shape. This project alone was a huge undertaking, and I am very grateful for his hard work.
At the front porch, a new flowerbed adorns the left side, filled with flowering plants.
At Lonnie and Kathleen's house, the large raised bed garden is ready for planting. This means that Sebastian spent an incredible amount of time weeding, tilling, and preparing the soil in the nine raised beds, PLUS preparing the tires that serve as tomato planters. To the west of the greenhouse, new tame blackberry vines are about to break dormancy.
But in the greenhouse, the best awaits. Many many baby plants in peat pots flourish in the protective warmth. Tomatoes, peppers, onions, cabbage and much more await their turn to be set out when the threat of frost is over.
Thank you, Sebastian, for your labors.
All the brush piles have been disposed of, and I'm talking LOTS of brush piles. The area around the garage, that no one who lives in the area remembers seeing cleared is now a daffodil bed.
The orchard trees...apple, peach, pear...are all pruned so that they can grow in a more open and productive shape. This project alone was a huge undertaking, and I am very grateful for his hard work.
At the front porch, a new flowerbed adorns the left side, filled with flowering plants.
At Lonnie and Kathleen's house, the large raised bed garden is ready for planting. This means that Sebastian spent an incredible amount of time weeding, tilling, and preparing the soil in the nine raised beds, PLUS preparing the tires that serve as tomato planters. To the west of the greenhouse, new tame blackberry vines are about to break dormancy.
But in the greenhouse, the best awaits. Many many baby plants in peat pots flourish in the protective warmth. Tomatoes, peppers, onions, cabbage and much more await their turn to be set out when the threat of frost is over.
Thank you, Sebastian, for your labors.
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Taking a Break from Austin
I'm back down in Ganado, dealing with the mail, bills, tax returns, etc. It's good to be out of Austin for a while. I truly love all there is to do there, but darn, it's spread out! I've gotten spoiled living in a small town where everything is just a few blocks away.
The situation with the flooring at Vine Street is still hanging. We haven't heard from the flooring inspector with her report yet, but Lumber Liquidators is trying to decide exactly what to do. They have offered a refund of $750, which is truly not adequate. I've asked for that, plus refunding the inspection fee ($250), plus refinishing the floor in the front three rooms and the hall. PLUS a plan in place for dealing with the other flooring if we find a problem there.
We picked up Nathan's big reclining chair from Frankie. It's absolutely beautiful. Frankie has over 30 years of experience working for large furniture manufacturing firms in Houston, and I bet they were sad to see him go. He's an artist. We put brown suede on it instead of the leather it had before, so that it will match Nathan and Wendy's furniture. I don't guess they will come get the chair until they move to Florida. That's fine. It looks great in the living room!
I had a jury duty call this morning, but it was cancelled after we got there. Most of the people settled early, and the remaining six were no-shows. That loosened up the rest of the day, and we are almost ready to head back to Austin and then to Missouri to be there by Saturday for Kathleen's birthday!
The last two months have been incredibly busy. I haven't taken a day off since late January. I think when I get to Missouri, I'm going to sleep for a couple of days.
The situation with the flooring at Vine Street is still hanging. We haven't heard from the flooring inspector with her report yet, but Lumber Liquidators is trying to decide exactly what to do. They have offered a refund of $750, which is truly not adequate. I've asked for that, plus refunding the inspection fee ($250), plus refinishing the floor in the front three rooms and the hall. PLUS a plan in place for dealing with the other flooring if we find a problem there.
We picked up Nathan's big reclining chair from Frankie. It's absolutely beautiful. Frankie has over 30 years of experience working for large furniture manufacturing firms in Houston, and I bet they were sad to see him go. He's an artist. We put brown suede on it instead of the leather it had before, so that it will match Nathan and Wendy's furniture. I don't guess they will come get the chair until they move to Florida. That's fine. It looks great in the living room!
I had a jury duty call this morning, but it was cancelled after we got there. Most of the people settled early, and the remaining six were no-shows. That loosened up the rest of the day, and we are almost ready to head back to Austin and then to Missouri to be there by Saturday for Kathleen's birthday!
The last two months have been incredibly busy. I haven't taken a day off since late January. I think when I get to Missouri, I'm going to sleep for a couple of days.
Thursday, March 23, 2006
Rounding The Bend
This morning was frustrating, and I had one of those hours of not being able to do anything right, but luckily, it turned around.
The exterminator arrived to treat for carpenter ants. He's truly a nice man, and his family has been spraying Mom's house for over 18 years. Mom even did a sculpture of him years ago.
The 1-800-GOT-JUNK guys came at 9:30 and got our two big piles of miscellaneous trash. Everything from an old box spring to carpet scraps and broken plastic dog dishes.
After that, we made a trip out to Lumber Liquidators with the scrap of defective flooring. The manager said he hadn't seen anything like that in 15 years of selling flooring. He is sending email pictures and the sample to the corporate office and the supplier. We are hoping to get some of the cost of the flooring reimbursed and some sort of repair done.
The afternoon was spent in small tasks. Lonnie worked on the door latches for the kitchen cabinets, and I re-grouted the kitchen table. It really looks much better, and we put the plexiglass top in place. No more crumbs caught in grooves!
The flooring inspector is coming on Friday, and Terese is coming this weekend for her scooter class. Hopefully, we will return to Ganado early next week.
The exterminator arrived to treat for carpenter ants. He's truly a nice man, and his family has been spraying Mom's house for over 18 years. Mom even did a sculpture of him years ago.
The 1-800-GOT-JUNK guys came at 9:30 and got our two big piles of miscellaneous trash. Everything from an old box spring to carpet scraps and broken plastic dog dishes.
After that, we made a trip out to Lumber Liquidators with the scrap of defective flooring. The manager said he hadn't seen anything like that in 15 years of selling flooring. He is sending email pictures and the sample to the corporate office and the supplier. We are hoping to get some of the cost of the flooring reimbursed and some sort of repair done.
The afternoon was spent in small tasks. Lonnie worked on the door latches for the kitchen cabinets, and I re-grouted the kitchen table. It really looks much better, and we put the plexiglass top in place. No more crumbs caught in grooves!
The flooring inspector is coming on Friday, and Terese is coming this weekend for her scooter class. Hopefully, we will return to Ganado early next week.
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
The Grumpy Point
We have hit that point in the remodeling job where every little thing that happens seems to be a big problem, every step forward leads to two back, and grumpiness prevails.
The new floor was installed Monday, and apparently there was one box of defective flooring. The finish has come off in ten spots. I'm taking a sample of the leftover pieces that has the defect to Lumber Liquidators tomorrow to show them, and an inspector is coming on Friday evening. It's possible we will get reimbursed for part of the cost of the flooring.
The new back doors to replace the old jalousie doors were installed today, but now we have to repaint the trim.
The arbor is up, and it looks absolutely beautiful. That, at least, went without a hitch.
We are trying to get through so that Lonnie can get to Missouri for Kathleen's birthday on April 1. I have jury duty on March 29. We still haven't finished up at Mom's office, but I think that's just going to have to wait. The garage is still full of tools and lumber and stuff that needs to be sorted.
Overwhelmed is my middle name.
The new floor was installed Monday, and apparently there was one box of defective flooring. The finish has come off in ten spots. I'm taking a sample of the leftover pieces that has the defect to Lumber Liquidators tomorrow to show them, and an inspector is coming on Friday evening. It's possible we will get reimbursed for part of the cost of the flooring.
The new back doors to replace the old jalousie doors were installed today, but now we have to repaint the trim.
The arbor is up, and it looks absolutely beautiful. That, at least, went without a hitch.
We are trying to get through so that Lonnie can get to Missouri for Kathleen's birthday on April 1. I have jury duty on March 29. We still haven't finished up at Mom's office, but I think that's just going to have to wait. The garage is still full of tools and lumber and stuff that needs to be sorted.
Overwhelmed is my middle name.
Sunday, March 19, 2006
The Importance of Stories
Our lives are a web of stories, weaving in and out with the stories of others. When we are gone, some of the threads of our stories continue in the lives of family and friends. The strongest threads live on in our children, and we can strengthen those threads by telling the stories of our lives to them.
As I sort through the debris left behind after Mom's passing, I realize that there are stories I don't know....threads of the web of her life that have been cut and lost. There's no one left who can connect the broken fragments. So, in the interest of family continuity, I will post a story or two in the hopes that the threads will connect the generations.
My mother, Anna Kathrin Leigh, was the only daughter of Roy Earl Leigh and Kathrin Callie Heard. My grandparents (grandfather especially) raised my mom with the intention that she would never marry and would take care of them in their old age. Mom didn't marry until she was in her 30's, and the entrance of my father onto the scene was not appreciated by my grandfather.
The animosity between them was an ongoing factor in my family. Daddy rarely went over to my grandparents' house. I don't remember my grandfather ever coming into my parents' home, although my grandmother visited often.
My grandparents paid off my parents' house note as it neared the end of the term, as a generous gesture, but my father interpreted it as implying that he couldn't make the payments.
Sad that such anger and resentment went on so long.
As I sort through the debris left behind after Mom's passing, I realize that there are stories I don't know....threads of the web of her life that have been cut and lost. There's no one left who can connect the broken fragments. So, in the interest of family continuity, I will post a story or two in the hopes that the threads will connect the generations.
My mother, Anna Kathrin Leigh, was the only daughter of Roy Earl Leigh and Kathrin Callie Heard. My grandparents (grandfather especially) raised my mom with the intention that she would never marry and would take care of them in their old age. Mom didn't marry until she was in her 30's, and the entrance of my father onto the scene was not appreciated by my grandfather.
The animosity between them was an ongoing factor in my family. Daddy rarely went over to my grandparents' house. I don't remember my grandfather ever coming into my parents' home, although my grandmother visited often.
My grandparents paid off my parents' house note as it neared the end of the term, as a generous gesture, but my father interpreted it as implying that he couldn't make the payments.
Sad that such anger and resentment went on so long.
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