Living dangerously today, aren't you??? Your cell phone rang. I thought it might be you wondering where it was, so I answered. But, it was xxxxx xxxxx saying top up or lose it. So, I tried. but, I could not remember my vin number fast enough, so it rolled over to a real person after five minutes. by then, I had the vin number off all our vehicles at the ready. I went ahead and topped up. and marked the calender in May when we gotta do this again. I chided them to be more old people friendly, 'cause we gots money too, and we don't likes the rap music. ha I think she helped me top up just to get rid of me. she asked me the phone number of the phone! I don't know that. what a silly question. why would I call myself? And where was their company, by the way?? New Jersey, she said. Wow. we do not buy hot sauce from New Jersey, so I don't know why we are letting them gouge us for "minutes". Our credit card is about to expire, so she said we'd have to call back with the new number next time, but I asked how exactly could we then talk to a real person again?? Ususally, it is press one if your are an idiot, press 2 if you want to hear you are an idiot in Spanish. She laughed and said they don't have the feature of being about to talk to a real person in the "menu" at this time. Then, after I got off the phone, it hit me---I just talked to a "real" person by staying on the line 'cause I did not know our vin number. Come next May, I will be slow to find it again, I'm thinking. I may not have gone to college---but I am learning how to deal with these phone company people. During one of the ads---they suggested we throw away our land lines and just go with them for $50 a month! Yikes. We are paying that with our land line folks, and we get internet access. They must think we are really stupid.
Well, at least I have accomplished something today without even having to leave the house!! We now have $46 each on each phone. Lovely. How are we gonna use up $92 in "minutes" before May 18th?? I'd call you right now, but I have both cell phones. Yours is done charging, however. Love, your silly wife
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Fifty and Sixty year old Orphans
The Carlsbad Williamsons and the El Paso Williamsons. Double cousins. Their parents, Clara and her sister, Mary, married brothers named Joe and Bill. So, they shared the same set of grandparents. This bottom picture shows the eight children of Clara and Joe, and the three of Bill and Mary.
The middle picture is the cousins and their spouses. And the top picture has cousins, spouses, children and grandchildren. And that is not even all of us !!!
Stories from Saturday
Some of the amazing stories I heard on Saturday, at Bob's Uncle's memorial service:
Bob's Uncle Bill fell out or was shoved out of the back of a truck as a six year old, and the back tire drove over his head. He lost one eye, and the hearing in one ear. But, he grew up normally otherwise, and when WWII came along and his country was threatened, Uncle Bill told the only one lie of his entire life after memorizing the eye chart, and joined the army. He served as an officer of an ambulance brigade and saw the Battle of the Bulge. Bob's dad, Uncle Bill's younger brother, also served as a navigator in the Army Air Corps, B-24s. Both men were relieved that their dear mother had passed so that she would not be worried about them.
But imagine if you will, sharing the same name and signature as your father, and faithfully sending your army paycheck home to the bank in El Paso for the years of WWII. $22 a month. Thinking you'd have a nest egg when the war was over and you finally were able to go back home...but when Uncle Bill got back home, the money was gone. All gone. His father, not a great bookkeeper, had used it all up. It was gone. And his father's second wife had sold all his and his brother's belongings, books, as she did not think they'd be coming back and/or she was a greedy mean woman. That marriage only lasted six months.
But, Uncle Bill was not bitter. He just went about getting a job, getting married to the woman he'd been writing during the war, and raising three amazing children with the daily, purposeful choice each day to be a better father, husband, uncle than any he'd ever known. Depending on a daily reading of God's Word, and prayer, and leaning on the Lord, he continued to be the most humble, gentle man.
Bob's Uncle Bill fell out or was shoved out of the back of a truck as a six year old, and the back tire drove over his head. He lost one eye, and the hearing in one ear. But, he grew up normally otherwise, and when WWII came along and his country was threatened, Uncle Bill told the only one lie of his entire life after memorizing the eye chart, and joined the army. He served as an officer of an ambulance brigade and saw the Battle of the Bulge. Bob's dad, Uncle Bill's younger brother, also served as a navigator in the Army Air Corps, B-24s. Both men were relieved that their dear mother had passed so that she would not be worried about them.
But imagine if you will, sharing the same name and signature as your father, and faithfully sending your army paycheck home to the bank in El Paso for the years of WWII. $22 a month. Thinking you'd have a nest egg when the war was over and you finally were able to go back home...but when Uncle Bill got back home, the money was gone. All gone. His father, not a great bookkeeper, had used it all up. It was gone. And his father's second wife had sold all his and his brother's belongings, books, as she did not think they'd be coming back and/or she was a greedy mean woman. That marriage only lasted six months.
But, Uncle Bill was not bitter. He just went about getting a job, getting married to the woman he'd been writing during the war, and raising three amazing children with the daily, purposeful choice each day to be a better father, husband, uncle than any he'd ever known. Depending on a daily reading of God's Word, and prayer, and leaning on the Lord, he continued to be the most humble, gentle man.
Half million out of power during the storm
Last Thursday, the "historic" snow of 12 inches fell upon us. Some in Haslet, Texas got 14 inches. The snow weighed down branches, and caused power outages. Over the next few days, as the snow started to slowly melt, over half a million people were without power. My husband works for the power company, and it is being declared the biggest storm and widespread outage ever. I think everyone is back on now, but it was miserable for so many. Trees in our neighborhood had been trimmed about a month ago, so we had power just on our side of the street. It is so nice to see sunny, cloudless skies today.
Five days after the Historic 12 inch snow---the view out my back window
pristine snow still---five days after ! No little boys to make a snowman, and the backyard is soggy as a sponge. Snow is about gone from roofs, but our backyard on the south side of the house, still has this snow cover. I should have drawn a big red heart for Valentine's Day.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Lost Post
I just spend two hours composing a post. I lost internet connection in the middle, so I should have saved it before posting. It is gone. Maybe I revealed too much. Only God knows what I shared about the two hour memorial service, and six hour reception. Only God knows my heart. I wish Bob could have read it, but maybe God does not want him to.
I am angry it is gone, but the process of writing helps organize my thoughts. Dump my concerns. Maybe I will try again later. Maybe. There is nothing permanent nor sure with flakey computers. Oh, well.
I am angry it is gone, but the process of writing helps organize my thoughts. Dump my concerns. Maybe I will try again later. Maybe. There is nothing permanent nor sure with flakey computers. Oh, well.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
"I'm Going To Be A Big Sister, Grannie !"
Hello?
Hello?
(silence)
Is this Abby??
yes!
Did you have a good day at school?
yes!
_____ ______ ______ _____ _____ ____ ____ , Grannie !
What?
___ _______ __ _______ __ ______ _____ , Gran--neeee !
Wow. I wish I could understand you. Maybe Daddy can help?
(Andy:) Listen for the second word.
___ ________ __ __ _ ____ ________ , Grannie !
Whatever it is you are saying, it sounds good.
(Andy:) we will call back in a few minutes.
Andy called back. I put it on speaker phone, as James and Amber were here, and thataway, GrandDad could hear it, too.
"I'm going to be a big sister, Grannie !!!" was what she was trying to say.
(Grannie needs the gift of toddler interpretation. I could only understand the word, "Grannie.")
Bob has two nieces due this year---one in June, and one in October, so there will now be two baby Williamsons due in October. October 12th is the triplet's birthday, so it should be easy to remember! They need a birthday buddy.
Hello?
(silence)
Is this Abby??
yes!
Did you have a good day at school?
yes!
_____ ______ ______ _____ _____ ____ ____ , Grannie !
What?
___ _______ __ _______ __ ______ _____ , Gran--neeee !
Wow. I wish I could understand you. Maybe Daddy can help?
(Andy:) Listen for the second word.
___ ________ __ __ _ ____ ________ , Grannie !
Whatever it is you are saying, it sounds good.
(Andy:) we will call back in a few minutes.
Andy called back. I put it on speaker phone, as James and Amber were here, and thataway, GrandDad could hear it, too.
"I'm going to be a big sister, Grannie !!!" was what she was trying to say.
(Grannie needs the gift of toddler interpretation. I could only understand the word, "Grannie.")
Bob has two nieces due this year---one in June, and one in October, so there will now be two baby Williamsons due in October. October 12th is the triplet's birthday, so it should be easy to remember! They need a birthday buddy.
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