Thursday, October 6, 2016 – We Are Family. Mavoureens.

Thursday, October 6, 2016 – We Are Family. Mavoureens.

Our vocabulary word for today is “mavoureen.” It is an Irish/English noun that means darling or dear.

So Dear Mavoureens,

Look at this photograph.

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The original photograph is in my safety deposit box. The names of those in the photo are written on the back in my father’s handwriting. A copy of the photograph hangs in my entry hall.

If you are a descendent of a Duckworth, Duffey or Faraldo from Colfax, Louisiana you are related to someone in this photograph. So who are these people?

L-R on the ground – the dog. I do not think we are related to the dog.

Front rows L-R – The two little girls with the giant bows are Myrtle Duffey Davis and Georgia Watkins Burns. The woman seated next to Georgia is Lucinda Williams Duckworth – aka Old Mama Duckworth. She was my great grandmother. She is holding Lillian “Snookie” Faraldo Kaiser.

The woman seated next to her is Mattie Marie Brister Duffey – aka Maw Duffey – my other grand grandmother. The little boy in front of her is Randall Edwin Duffey – my father. He appears to be around five years old which makes the photograph taken around 1912.

Seated next to Maw Duffey is her daughter, Lula Duffey Faraldo. Next to Lula is her husband, the infamous Uncle Poleet – Hypolite Bartholomew Faraldo. The baby is Uncle Poleet’s lap is Mooney Stallings.

The little boy standing behind Old Mama is Paul Faraldo.

Back row L-F – Edna Duckworth Faraldo. Standing next to Edna is Gaston Faraldo and standing next to Gaston is Mary Rose Duckworth Duffey, my grandmother and namesake.

I believe standing next to Rose is Bill Stallings and his wife Louise Faraldo Stallings. Clarence Faraldo stands next to Louise and Mary Duffey Watkins stands at the end. She is Lula’s daughter, mother of Georgia Watkins Burns. Mary is a sister to Charles Edwin Duffey who married Rose Duckworth.

The matriarch of this family today is Mattie Lou Faraldo Furby. She has said some of the names are incorrect. Perhaps someone can share and get her thoughts.  EE, since you are next in line, you need to look too.

Your task is to determine how you are related to these people and then try to explain to others. For example: My grandmother was a Duckworth who married a Duffey whose sister married a Faraldo. Therefore we are all double related somehow. We are from Louisiana after all, but the folks pictured here were and are our mavoureens.

Wednesday, October 5 – 2016 – Golf Day

Wednesday, October 5 – 2016 – Golf Day

Bug

Yu So Suk was on the golf course for almost the entire 18 holes. However Yu So Yung kept showing up on the green to sink putts. Therefore I am pleased to announce that my team took first place in today’s scramble. We each won $25.

In addition Yu So Yung won a golf ball for having low net two weeks ago. It was a good game of golf. Now Yu So Tired is going to take a nap.

 

Tuesday October 4, 2016 – Tuesday Tales from The Brazos Valley aka My Hood

Tuesday October 4, 2016 – Tuesday Tales from The Brazos Valley aka My Hood

Tonight is the Vice Presidential debates. That should be about as exciting as watching The Weather Channel or CSPAN.

Tonight is also Neighborhood Night Out. My Hood gathering is at the cul-de-sac at the end of my street. Remember I live in a 55 + “active” Senior Community? I am not sure what the developer meant by “active” but I think he meant more active than going to the mailbox and back or walking the dog to the end of the block while pushing a baby stroller then returning pushing the dog in the stroller. The next time I Tucker sit I think I will have him come to my house. I would like to see my neighbor’s faces and their little yappy dogs’ faces when Tucker and I go over to ask if Bela, or Shorty or Chester, etc. can come out and play. Me and Tucker (800x800)

It is from 6:00 to 8:00. One is to bring a beverage and chair. Of course most of the residents just roll on down to the end of the street on their little scooters or in their chair with wheels or with their walkers with the chair seats.

Of course I am going. There is free food. Last year the Hood wanted the Night Out to be at 4:00 like when they go pick up their To-Go Orders from The Cotton Patch, but I don’t think the police could attend this year until six.

One of my neighbors is running for Mayor of Bryan. I imagine there will be lots of glad handing and back slapping.  If I had known the job was only part time I might have considered running. For those of you who know some of my neighbors, relax, none of them are the candidate.

Nevertheless, I hope there is a scooter and wheel chair race back home to see the debates. I probably will not be wearing a shirt with a logo that says “I’m With Her.” I am wondering if Tim Kaine is going to wear a tie or just go with the un ironed shirt look as usual.

Happy Tuesday!

 

Monday, October 3, 2016 – Monday After College Football Saturday Awards

Monday, October 3, 2016 – Monday After College Football Saturday Awards

Tequila shots and Poo Poo Undies Awards for Every college team except Alabama! What the hell – give the Tide a Poo Poo Undies Award for use later.

I will also award Alabama and LSU The Manicure Award for being the only games that were not nail biters or heart attack givers.

With Monday after comments, let’s begin.

THE University of Texas is awarded:

The Shoot Out at the OK (State) Corral.

gun-fire-at-the-ok-corral-800x623

wheres-waldo-800x564 The Where’s Waldo – aka Rudolph? Where’s the ball? Where’s the Texas Defense? Look- I am a old woman who never played a down of football but who could catch a pass in that defensive strategy. PS – the ball is seen just above the 25 yard line.

The Cowgirl and/or the Horse Could Have Kicked Better Award. Notice the rider does not wear a black mask or a cape like you know who. I guess these Cowboys do not need to hide their face.

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The Block Party Awardblock-party-610x800

Thank you KK for such great pics and D for holding the paper. Go Pokes!

The How to Kick Winning Field Goals Version 3.0 is awarded to Baylor University. Baylor 45 Iowa State 42 A three week Bye? That is right – only 10 teams in the Conference formerly known as The Big 12.

The first Premature Celebration Award goes to Florida State University for scoring a go ahead touchdown with 23 seconds remaining in the game. FSU 35 UNC 34.

The How to Kick Winning Field Goals Version 3.01 is awarded to University of North Carolina for kicking a 54 yard field goal as time expires. UNC 37 FSU 35.

The Exploding Pumpkin Head for Coaches is shared – first by Bob Stoops from OU when the Cooper’s call went against the Sooners and then TCU’s Gary Patterson when the call was reversed. OU 52 TCU 46.

The second Premature Celebration Award goes to Georgia for scoring on a Hail Mary pass with 10 seconds left in the game. Bulldogs 31 Tennessee Vols 28.

The Hail Mary Joshua Fit the Final Battle of the SEC East Award goes to Joshua Dobbs and Jauan Jennings for the last play of the game. Tennessee 34 Georgia 31. Back to back successful Hail Mary passes! Where are my nitro glycerin pills?

The Just When I thought I was Calm Award goes to Clemson and Louisville.

The Longest Yard Award goes to Louisville for coming up one yard shy on Fourth Down as the time expires. Clemson 42 – Louisville – 36. Shake it off, Cardinals. I understand Cougar meat taste like Tiger meat.

The Getta the Hell Out of Town Fast with a W Award is awarded to The Fighting Texas Aggies and Coach Sumlin. Texas A&M 24 South Carolina 13

The No Let Up Award goes to Texas A&M and tu – not the tu orange that burnt up in Stillwater. It is the faded orange that resembles checkered table cloths washed in bleach. Tennessee is coming to town! # 8 Texas Aggies and # 9 Tennessee Volunteers. 2:30 CBS Kyle Field Saturday, October 8, 2016. Note to non-football people – STAY AWAY from Bryan College Station probably officially beginning Thursday. This place is already going wild and crazy and it’s only Monday. WHOOP!

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Gig ‘Em Barn – Highway 6 photo by me. 9.22.2016

Note to self: Check liquor supply. Ensure all calming drugs are up to date. And Who’s Cooper?

BTHO Tennessee!

Friday, September 30, 2016 – Thirty Days Hath September and This Last Day Marks Snarky Friday Football

Friday, September 30, 2016 – Thirty Days Hath September and This Last Day Marks Snarky Friday Football

Last evening we saw the #6 University of Houston Cougars beat UConn 42-14. While UConn waits for Midnight Madness to kick off basketball season, the Cougars are still untested with Louisville on the horizon.

Speaking of basketball, also waiting for Midnight Madness is Kanas who lost to Texas No Defense Tech 55-19. But Kliff looked good as usual.

Tonight we have the Cardinal of #7 Stanford playing the #10 Washington Huskies at 8:00 on ESPN in a Battle for the Pac 12. Go Brainiacs and Christian.

Saturday begins with THE University of Texas at Stillwater playing Oklahoma State Cowboys at 11:00 on ABC. Just a reminder to Longhorns – the only team you have beaten this season was defeated last week by Duke – a basketball school. Pistol Pete has got this one.OK State (800x450)

From the “What else is in Ames, Iowa” Files at 11:00 on FS 1 we find Baylor running up the score on the Iowa State Cyclones in attempt to show the Championship Committee members “Look The Big 12 Conference really is good.”

AT 4:00 on Fox we have Oklahoma and TCU in Fort Worth. Loser has to stay in The Big 12 Conference.

ESPN brings us Alabama and Kentucky at 6:00 – Kentucky is waiting for basketball. Roll Tide.

Louisville and Clemson – Prepare for a clash of Cardinals and Tigers on ABC at 7:00. Go Lamar.

The ABC 2:30 game boasts of Wisconsin and Michigan. Unbeatens at 4-0 in Michigan Stadium should be a good one. Go Wolverines.

The SEC East has Tennessee and Georgia – 2:30 on CBS. Both teams have something to prove and the Vols, Smokey the Dog, and Rocky Top are headed to College Station next weekend.Pat Shirt (800x600)

Tigers and Tigers pit LSU and Missouri on SEC Network at 6:30. Leonard, your Heisman chances are slip sliding away.

Texas Aggies and South Carolina at 3:00 on the SEC Network – The Aggies versus the Chickens. OK, they call it a Gamecock. It is still a chicken. Please let Uncle Will Muschamp’s head explode over something. We so like to see him spewing forth all cuss words than are easy to lip read. Gamecocks fail to put points on the scoreboard against the Aggie defense. South Carolina waits for Dawn Staley and women’s basketball.

barn-n-park-9-22-16-2016-09-22-041-800x530BTHO South Carolina

September 29, 2016 – CARLA! September 3 – September 17, 1961

September 29, 2016 – CARLA! September 3 – September 17, 1961

Say “Hurricane Carla” to anyone who was living along the Texas or Gulf Coast in 1961 and the memories come forth. I was twelve years old. There were three television channels that showed fuzzy black and white pictures of a huge storm approaching.

Mammatus Clouds 1.26.16 Bryan (800x450)

Weather forecasters said “move to sturdy buildings, such as those made of brick.” This was about as helpful as “get under your desks and put your hands over your head in the event of an atomic bomb.”

Most the town of Magnolia, Texas moved into the high school. Besides Celeste’s house, the school buildings were the only brick buildings in town.

One special memory stands out for me. Not the horizontal rains, or the high winds blowing down trees in all directions, but Hurricane Mama.

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Photo by HB – 1961. Had to be a Sunday. Why else would I be in a dress?

Communications were limited to transistor radios (Google it) and there were very few of those. Nevertheless, those in the shelter learned the eye of the storm was approaching. When the eye approached, I knew there would be an extraordinary calm. It was as though the storm took a deep breath before continuing.

During the calm I ran outside the doors by the science and home ec classrooms, turned left in front of the school and ran all the way to the front of the auditorium and reentered the building. About the time I got down the hall to Mr. Lyon’s, Mr. Tergerson’s and Celeste’s offices, my Mama met me and dragged me by one arm back to the family while giving me a tongue lashing worthy of the rest of the storm about to pass.

But I smiled the entire time. Fifty-five (55) years later I can say I ran through the Eye of Hurricane Carla.

What’s your Hurricane Carla Story?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Carla

Wednesday, September 28, 2016 – Censored, Banned and Read. Here’s to The Librarians and Literature Teachers Everywhere

Wednesday, September 28, 2016 – Censored, Banned and Read. Here’s to The Librarians and Literature Teachers Everywhere.

September 25 through October 1 is National Banned Book Week. I like their slogan – Celebrating the Freedom to Read.

Buddy Glasses

Books get banned or censored all the time for multiple reasons. These usually have passages with explicit language, sex, violence, religion, race and/or combinations of those. Others are banned because they address issues such as “bullying.”

My favorite “reason” listed for censorship is “it promotes or provides ideas to young people.” Excuse me? Isn’t that the point of reading?

I looked at several lists of banned books. Fifty-Shades of Gray was listed as banned for sex, violence and being “poorly written.” I agree. I think a new category should be “Just Stupid.”

Books like Robert Cormier’s The Chocolate War that always makes a list, was said to be about “bullying.” Sidebar: Remember McC teachers and students of the late ‘70’s – this book was asked to be taken off of the library shelves for that reason plus the phrase of “…fondling the statue’s breast.” I reread The Chocolate War every so often and still think it is a good teaching tool.

In fact I reread several on the banned list. I just reread Slaughter House Five (also banned). Billy Pilgrim and PTSD long before it was recognized.

There are many lists of books that are banned. Just do a Google search of banned books to find multiple listings. I picked the list of banned books that shaped America. It lists 30 banned books that shaped America. I have read all but three on this list.  How about you?  Go read a book and celebrate your freedom to read.

http://www.bannedbooksweek.org/censorship/bannedbooksthatshapedamerica

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tuesday, September 27, 2016 – Happy Birthday to my favorite first born great niece

Tuesday, September 27, 2016 – Happy Birthday to my favorite first born great niece. Love Aunt Delia

The Problem with Periods in Text Messaging

When I first saw the topic was the problem with periods I thought it was about something else but it is actually about period use in texting so I guess all period can make one passive aggressive.

Monday, September 26, 2016 – The Monday After Saturday College Football Awards. Or Ring of Fire.

Monday, September 26, 2016 – The Monday After Saturday College Football Awards. Or Ring of Fire.

“I fell into a burning ring of fire; it went down, down, down and the flames went higher…

You can Cash in on that as the firings of college football coaches begin. It’s a long way to the Championship and the road will be littered with others.

And now, appropriately enough, our awards…

The U-Haul Your Butt Away trophy is awarded to LSU Coach, Les Miles with runners up trailers for coordinators at Notre Dame and LSU.

The Second Coming of Sherman Award goes to Georgia as the Ole Miss Rebels sang a chorus “… while we were marching in through Georgia.” Hotty Toddy! Rebels 45. Dawgs 14.

The Delay of Game for Lightening AGAIN Award goes to Oklahoma State University. I am pretty sure those chrome looking helmets worn by both teams was the cause of the lightening striking nearby.

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The Wizard of Oz Award goes to Baylor – The last hope of The Big 12 Schools to have a chance to win something other than a goofy, no count, never heard of before bowl game. Baylor – 35 Oklahoma State – 24.

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McLane Stadium Waco 2016 Photo by Larry

The John Wayne Christmas Tree Award goes to Notre Dame for being upset by Duke. Blue Devils 38. Catholics 35. That is no Bull Durham.

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The Why Are You Even Here Award? goes to Delaware State for staying until the bitter end of a 79-0 loss to Missouri.

The Running Up of the Numbers Award goes to The University of Houston for a blow out of Texas State of 64-3.

The U of H Board of Regents win The Fastest Quorum Award for an emergency meeting voting to up Herman’s salary to keep him and the Herman’s Hermits on Buffalo Bayou and not a bayou on the Mississippi.

The E-Reptile Dysfunction Award goes to Florida as the Gators were not able to cross Rocky Top for a 12th time.

He had the nerve and he had the blood and there never was a horse like the Tennessee stud…

However, let us not forget it is the SEC East where the practice teams play in preparation to the real teams in the SEC West. Tennessee – 38 Florida – 26.

The Tigers of LSU win the following Awards:

The Highest Decibel Level for a single state screaming Curse Words in a Single Second.

The Most Beer Cans Thrown at TVs in bars in a Single Second.

The Best Country Western song: There Goes My Sphinctor and my Job in One Single Second.

The Jimmy Buffet Fins Award – The Land Sharks are circling and you’re the only bait in town.

Auburn wins The Charmin Award for wrapping the sacred trees to celebrate its weird victory over LSU. The award also comes with free tickets to the Fireman’s Ball. Bond for the idiot who set the toilet paper on fire and thus the sacred trees is not included in the package.

Alabama wins The Hormonal Award for its whipping of the Kent State Golden Flashes. Alabama – 48 and Kent State – 0. Obviously the Flashes were not hot enough to put any points on the score board.

The Thank You for No Over-Time Award goes to Texas A&M Aggies. How do you like the defense now? Arkansas – 24 Texas A&M – 45.

The Timex Award goes to the Arkansas quarterback, Austin Allen. He took a lickin, but kept on tickin. What a gutty performance. True Southern Grit.

The Curse of the Media Award goes to Texas A&M and AP Top 25 Poll for saying it.

If any team is going to challenge the Crimson Tide in the SEC West,

it’s the Aggies.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/colleges/ap-top-25-heat-check-fallout-and-falling-out-at-lsu/2016/09/26/59dc5620-83bf-11e6-b57d-dd49277af02f_story.html

Say it ain’t so. Every year when some sports broadcaster or writers says something like this, the Aggies begin to slide as if they stepped in owl manure. How about just having Lee Curses (Lee Corso) and Herbie Pie Cutie Pie (Kirk Herbstreit) continue to pick against the Aggies on Game Day?