Afterthoughts

     The year 1967 happened to be the roughest year our family of six had ever experienced.  My husband worked hard as a bull dozer operator, but in the late fall and early winter things slowed  down. Yet we always had enough money for groceries, so each week I traveled nine miles from Milano, TX. to Rockdale, TX. to a Brookshire's store.      A couple of months before Christmas they had a contest giving away green stamps. One afternoon while shopping, the store manager went to the office and brought me a sealed envelope with a ticket inside.  When I went there after the contest ended, she asked,  "Have you turned your ticket in?"  Since I didn't have it with me, I answered, "No!" As she walked away, she looked back at me and said, "Be sure you do."      When I got home, I steamed the envelope open, and inside were the words 55,000 green stamps. With excitement as quick as I could, I rushed back to the store to claim the unexpected windfall that wo

     Several times a week a man in a wheel chair sits by the side of the road a block from my house.  He doesn't have a sign asking for money, but I feel that is why he's there. Our city officials have asked the citizens not to give money to panhandlers.  Even so, one day I stopped my car in front of him,  lowered my window and made sure he saw the money in my hand. He rolled up to the car. Without thinking I cleared my throat  and asked, "Hi, do you know where you're going when you die?" (By all accounts, that is a strange thing to ask a person looking for a handout.)       He looked startled. "I know all about the Bible and Jesus."      My next question surprised even me.  "Can't you find work?"      He thought a minute and said, "I don't have legs.  I guess I could work in an office but if I do I'll lose my disability check."      After giving him the money, I left him with these words. "See you in Heaven."  

Photo by Brett Jordan (Unsplash)      Like a cowboy in the wild, wild west, I pointed my gun at the dirty rat standing before me.  He staggered from side to side.  From his actions, I knew he had gotten into the rat poison we had placed in our out buildings.  In order to put him out of his misery, I shot at him.  Bang! Bang! Bang! I stood in amazement. Not one of the six bullets I shot hit him. As soon as I emptied my gun, he shivered and fell over dead.  Little Fellow I'm sorry little fellow. What else could I do? You were truly suffering. It was my fault it's true. They say you cause diseases And all kinds of other things. You had to go, Or so it seems.                         Patricia Westbrook                                        

Vesta Marie Appling-eighty five years old Vesta in her twenties      Ever since 1914 children from all over West Texas looked forward to the Panhandle South Plains Fair.  In the late forties, my sister, brother, and I could barely wait to go from Tahoka, Texas to Lubbock, Texas for our day of fun at the fair.        When the day finally arrived, Granddad and Grandma stopped by our house to take us.  Since we had not eaten, Grandma, being of a helpful nature, put an apron on and proceeded to fix our breakfast.  She looked grand in her Sunday best with a pillbox hat on her head.  The hat had a veil on top.  ( In the forties most women dressed up no matter where they went.)  Moments after she started to fry our eggs, the flame on the gas stove flared.  Her hat veil caught fire.  She slapped at her back trying to put the flames out.  The three of us jumped up from the table and  hollered, "Grandma's on fire.  Grandma's on fire." When mother heard us, she ran into the room

- Diana Westbrook Pate -      Never before in our lifetime have teachers had to worry about a virus affecting their ability to teach. COVID-19 has changed everything. In the past, safety at school was a given. Today the teacher's smiles have been replaced with a mask. Diana Westbrook Pate, as well as all teachers, are concerned about safety.  Even with her concerns, she is headed back to school in the fall. Our prayers are with the teachers and students during this unusual time.       Back to School It's finally time to go back to school. In some places that won't be the rule. Many teachers will put on a mask and go. Others will flatly say, "I don't think so." Now with children it will be another matter. One can tell what they want from their chatter. Some want to go back and be with their friends. Others could care less and wish school would end. With all this crazy, chaotic, frenzy, learning is lost. So, kick COVID-19 aside and show who's boss. Go back t

Pastor Charles Hunt      "Somebody better hold my mule; I'm fixing to shout!"  When Charles Hunt the pastor of Woodland Hills Baptist Church in Longview, Texas said those words during his sermon, I smiled.  I knew something important would come next.  Many times he shares a joke or tells a story that goes along with what he's preaching.  Always his focus is on the Gospel of the Bible and leading people to Christ.  When he throws in a saying or two, people chuckle.  Their ears perk up, and they listen for what comes next.      Many people don't realize a lot of common sayings we use every day come from the Bible.  I have compiled a few in the following poem. United And Here To Stay. America the great has started to fall by the wayside. The fly in the ointment is people have lost their pride. The land of milk and honey no longer exists. There's a wolf in sheep's clothing and that's the twist. A leopard cannot change its spo

                                                                           Roy Appling      In the late forties wildcatters came to the West Texas area where my grandfather had a dry weather farm snuggled a mile off US 380 between Tahoka and Post Texas.  The men drilled on several farms nearby but found no oil.      That's when granddad decided to do what he had wanted to do for years, drill for water. They struck one of the best deep water wells around.  From that day on, he no longer had to watch the clouds in  the sky and pray for rain. Each day he got on his red tractor knowing whenever needed he could quench the dry earth.  All he had to do was fill the ditches along the edge of the fields with water.  Once they became full, he walked along the end of each row and scooped a short curved pipe into the cool liquid onto the thirsty land. Slowly it darkened the dirt around each plant as it became saturated.     With time a sea of green leaves filled the landscape be

Pastor Kase Kuykendall       In 1955 the minimum wage was seventy five cents an hour.  That is the year I turned 14 and began working at a dime store after school.  Being a student, they only paid me thirty cents an hour.  Since I paid for all my clothes and other expenses, except for the food I ate at home and a roof over my head, the thirty cents didn't go far. That summer when East Side Baptist Church in Killeen,Texas payed my way to go to summer camp, it was a blessing.  In one of my classes, my youth leader's wife shared a Bible verse that meant a lot to her. "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God and to those who are called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28, NKJV) Because the conflict and violence in my home didn't make sense to me, the verse became my special lifeline.      With the reality of COVID-19, we all need hope, peace, and comfort. Kase Kuykendall, a pastor at Woodland Hills Baptist Church in Lo

     Why am I not afraid of COVID-19? That's a good question.  I had to think back to my childhood  to come up with an answer. Having grown up with an alcoholic, drug addicted stepfather, it's possible my fear subsided through the years because of the violence in my home. The circumstances caused me to cling to a higher power.  Sharing this is not for sympathy. It's just the way it was.      Many nights my stepfather would pull out his gun and threaten to use it on my family. Several times we would flee our house for safety.  The last time I remember him lying on the couch, waving his gun, and cussing, I hurried upstairs to check on my brother.  I didn't want a repeat of the time he hid in the dirty clothes hamper and couldn't run away. The two of us went into my room. I proceeded to open the window and take down the screen.  After putting it under my bed, I pulled the window shade down as a precaution. When I heard my mother in the hall, I reached out and pul

     According to an urban legend it is easier to balance an egg on it's end during the spring equinox.  Also one can make a broom stand by itself during this time.  Google says any day it can be done.      Years ago one of my grandchildren called me on the phone and said, "Mups, today you can stand an egg on it's end and you can make a broom stand by itself."  Being a person that is always ready to try something new, I worked for over an hour with several eggs.  Since they wouldn't cooperate, I put that aside and moved on to the next challenge.      First came the mop.  It took patience to get it balanced.  For awhile it stood and then it fell.  Second I worked with a flag pole.  Even though the flag hung a little to one side, it also stood up.  As a final test, I tried the broom.  To me if it stayed up, even for a short time, perhaps the myth is true.  It worked.      The hardest part came when I decided to get a picture of the three of them perf

JT Westbrook      Patience has to be at the very core of a fisherman.  Because of the experiences I've had with my husband, I've come to that conclusion.  Fishing has never been my sport. Even so I went with him many times so he wouldn't have to go alone. My sport is swimming so, in warm weather, when we went fishing, I would wear my swimsuit under my clothes. On one fishing trip, we fished for schooling bass at Lake O' the Pines.  After an hour or so, I asked if he cared if I went for a swim. He said, "Sure go ahead." I swam about thirty minutes while he fished on the opposite side of the boat.  Now you and I know, he didn't expect to catch any fish during that time.  Regardless he indulged me.      On another fishing trip, we went to Island View at the same lake.  The bright sun caused the water to sparkle like the twinkling of small blue diamonds. Since my hobby is photography, I asked my husband if he would mind dropping me off at the is

                                                                   Pastor Charles Hunt      How is a person to know if someone is telling the truth?  In this day and time, we are told to be on our guard.  If a stranger asks for a ride and you give him one, they may rob you or even take your life.  With God given wisdom, we can make the right decision.        Before our last storm, I went to an Exxon station to get gas. At one of the pumps, a young man and woman seemed to be enjoying a lively conversation.  Moments later the man drove away, and the woman walked up to me. She said, “I just lost my job, and I need a ride to Brookshires.  Could you take me?”         I cleared my throat.  “Didn’t I give you a ride to the hospital a few months back?”      “No,” she replied.      After explaining why I wouldn’t take her, she walked away. I felt bad and changed my mind.  So against my better judgement, I turned around to look for her. She was nowhere to be seen.  The Hitchh