I would like to apologize to my regular readers for being away for so long. As you all know, we had several spells of the coldest weather I can remember since January 1959. The time I normally spend writing was occupied covering and uncovering my shrubs and fruit trees with blankets every time a northern blew in. I guess I got a little too ambitious during that last hard freeze and was covering up one of my larger pear trees when a gust of wind caught the quilt I was holding and sent me sailing through the yard like Mary Poppins. I thought, Good Lord! I’ve gone and broken a hip! They’re going to find me dead, frozen to death next to this patch of weeds. I just laid there thinking about my funeral and how those ladies from the church were going to talk about how I could still have weeds in my yard this time of year. Then, like a miracle, the Lord gave me the strength to reach out and start picking those weeds. After a while, I was able to get to my feet, climb that ladder, and save that pear tree. I kept thinking, if I can keep this tree alive, my chances of winning a Blue Ribbon for my pear preserves at the Armadillo Queen Fair just went way up. If you’re interested in seeing pictures of my bruise, just stop by, and I’ll show you my album.
When I was laid up in bed all those weeks wondering if my time had finally come for the Lord to call me home, I read the “Yankee Cousin Ruins Family Photo Opportunity” article in the Texas Cockroach. It got me to thinking about how you young people need guidance organizing family portrait taking. It’s much harder to get the whole clan together for a family picture with relatives moving off left and right these days. Olan Mills always takes fine pictures for the church directory every year, but those aren’t good enough for my daughter-in-law. She goes and spends an arm and a leg on some “professional” photographer to take bluebonnet pictures of the grandchildren. Olan Mills had a bluebonnet background last year, but she wouldn’t even consider it – even with the church discount.
