A Treehouse at the Lake?

Where to spend from now till the end?  I've been working on that.  After more than twenty years of "renting" I have concluded that I can no longer afford that.  This year has proven to be extremely difficult to come up with supplemental income.  In fact there has been none for the last two months.  Ergo, I must lessen my monthly living costs to come closer to what I actually get from my SS contributions.

What appeared to be the obvious answer was to buy a little house and make smaller payments, pay less for utilities and still preserve some level of quality of life.

I keep going back to a little lake house.  Now, I've been proponenting "little" houses for some time, going on about how much I'd like to live in one.  Really?  Can I really do that?  Can I dispose of a good bit of what I have acquired?  You know, like I did when I moved from Houston to Brenham all those years ago.  Since then, and to fill differing needs and spaces, I have acquired some more things.  This little house I rent in Edom is not so little after all.  It has more rooms than I need, it is pier and beam construction from the 1940's and it is not efficient to heat or cool.

Well, I think we are about to find out if I can put my money where my mouth is.  The seller has accepted my offer, the credit union has agreed to finance my loan and the actual event appears to be on the horizon.  As an aside, I have put an offer on this very house before only to be told that it was too inexpensive for a major mortgager to bother with.  I put an offer on another, slightly larger, slightly more costly, only to find it had serious structural problems with which I was not prepared to deal.

Now I am really freaking out.  What to keep?  What must go?  What will fit in a little bitty house with a small storage shed?  What can I give away?  What can I throw away?  This is going to be a tough month.  I will have almost no money left.

Of course, as recent history has shown, it can all fall through, but I hope not.  I will still search for work.  But I'll be doing it from a tiny house on the lake!  More on this as time goes by.  Pray for me.

Houston, gulp.

I drove a long ways home from Houston in the rain today.

Houston was my home for almost fifty years.  Its where I raised four kids.  Its where I worked at a broad array of jobs, from KODA and KPRC in the Galleria, to KILT way back when it was in a downtown hotel, to the Astros in the Astrodome and then many years out there on 225 in Pasadena.

These last few weeks have seen me back in my "hometown" several times; concert, memorial service, opthalmalogy apointment and again last night for a great speech/performance by Neil deGrasse Tyson at Jones Hall.

What gets me most is what is the same and what is so different.  I had not been to Pam's Shane Media office in some years.  I knew exactly where I thought it was, Gessner just before Westheimer.  I had to call from around the corner!  So many new kinds of apartments, lofts and office buildings completely hid it from view.  "Oh sure, Pam, I can find it."  Ha

So two things occur, sometimes almost simultaneously, I turn a corner and nothing looks familiar, or I turn a corner and memories come flooding in.  Often its family memories, or friends, or great meals, or car wrecks, or old shopping spots, even old home places, mine and other peoples.

For instance, just a couple blocks from Shane Media and on our way to the Shane's house, we turned on Westerland.  Westerland is where Paul and I moved, were married and sustained a seven year life together.  Its where my kids made friends that some of them are still in contact with ... it was 1967.  Our house looks almost exactly the same, only the trees have gotten bigger.  A few more blocks down Westheimer was Rosewood Hospital.  You notice I said was, it was torn down many years ago.  Kathy can't drive by and show her children the building where she was born.

A few more blocks and we're in Briarcrest (I think that's the name) where the Shanes bought their lovely home many years ago.  When we parked I said to Pam, "how nice, this still looks like a great Houston neighborhood."  She was pleased to hear it.

And it is like that all the way around, can't see the Baxter House where Paul once lived, don't know if it is still there off of Hillcroft or not.  The restaurants the children worked at along that road, all gone.  In fact I don't believe there is anything familiar left.  It is very franchise-laden, very crowded and most of the apartment complexes are several stories tall and hulk out over where the sidewalks once were.

I can remember where the restaurant was on Westheimer, we had dinner with Roger and Dorothy Metting, who lived in our subdivision, had lived at the Baxter House and were in the radio and record business, close buddies.  Walking out to our cars after dinner Roger said, " get in my car I want you to hear a first record by a new artist, I think he's going to be huge."  Right again, Roger, it was Bruce Springsteen's first cut.  I kinda thought he was wrong.  He was not.

Last night I drove downtown to Jones Hall. The Southwest Freeway is quite familiar, until you get ready to get off and then it keeps going and you end up further down Louisiana Street.  So, its partly the same and partly different.

I know, its been fifty years.  People tire of me telling them that when I moved here in 1958 there were 400,000 people in Houston. Four hundred thousand then and over six million now, quite a change.  The other thing I always add (old people do that) is that when I got here the Gulf Freeway was under construction and so it has been and still is, even now.

Last note, I thought I'd drive out the 40 lane wide Katy Freeway to the new 99 Grand Parkway because I'd never been on it.  It currently starts out South at 59 (Richmond/Rosenberg) and now only goes as far as 290.  When completed,(and the part to I-45 right near Currie's house is scheduled to open by fall) it will be a third beltway around the city and cross through five counties!  I can only imagine what the toll bill will be to do a circumnavigation.

It is a city filled with memories, histories, confusing changes and all those temptations I can no longer afford to give in to.  I always make a list of things to do or buy "if I get to Houston."  I used to make a long list, now with no job, not so much.  This trip I skipped Phoenicia and Penzey's Spices, added Trader Joe's (whoooo eee!) and ducked into Ikea for a ninety nine cent breakfast and a jar of Swedish marmalade.  I remember hurricanes and floods and amonia trucks crashing off the 610 interchange.  I remember long trips to work and repeated trips hauling kids to their jobs before they drove.  Houston is a bundle of memories, sometimes I see them and remember and sometimes I don't recognize where I am at all.  Houston.  Gulp.

Why Don't I Drink?

Alcohol, that is.  Its my blog and I can write about anything I want to, right?

And I wonder about my resistance to drinking alcohol.  Its allowed.  It is even served every Eucharist and I always partake.

What I think other people think about why I don't drink:  she comes from a long line of alcoholism, she must be one herself.   It is true, I am a carrier; father, husbands and sons and maybe some female antecedents that I don't know about.

Truth is I am not the least bit inclined that way.  In fact I am the most non-additive person I know.  I can't even develop good ones.

Here are what I think the reasons are:

1. I can't imagine not being able to think clearly when needed.  I am a single mom, I needed whatever wits about me I could muster.

2. I have never ever met anyone who was smarter when drunk.

3. Although I do know of a couple of guys who found me more attractive when they were drunk, I did not marry them.  In fact I married someone whose dislike of me grew with each drink.

4. Alcohol generally gives me a pounding headache.  On occasions it has given me even worse symptoms.

5. It sounds like a good idea.  Right now I have some bottles of pretty looking wine, some sherry and some Benedictine stowed around the house..  I never find a reason to try them.  Not entirely true, when friends visited Tyler and spent the night with me I did open a bottle and pour us all a glass.  I probably had three sips.  Even the stuff I like I don't want much of.

6. I am not comfortable with alcohol based conversation or camaradrie, it seems artificial.  Do I believe what someone tells me when they're three sheets?  Or, if I do, what about what they say when sober?

7. Frankly, I avoid spending time, even with old friends, for whom the necessary ingredient is drinking.

And, for complete disclosure, I have made some long ago forays into too much to drink myself.  I'll never forget champagne in plastic beer cups at the opening of a speakeasy style club in Market Square.  You would not believe how many times I had to ask PW to pull over to a curb!!!

Furthermore, I did grow up in a city with five, yes five major breweries.  Visitors always wanted to tour one or two of them.  I thought they smelled horrible.  I have only ever found one beer that I wanted another of and it was in Ireland.

Bottom line, "here's looking at you, kid" will be with a nice tall glass of lemonade.

Best of Broadway

Inclined as I am to whine, seeing posts from friends who have traveled or are traveling to New York and planning their show schedules, I got to thinking about my show history.  I'm a pretty lucky duck to have seen so many, enjoyed so many ... and best of all, still remember them.  So I made a list and probably forgot a lot.

During radio years in Houston we were all fortunate to get free tickets to the Alley Theatre, one of the best in the US.  We went off to see "Steel Magnolias" in one of its very first performances and laughed heartily during the first act, only to be stunned by the serious story that evolved.  I can still remember seeing "Carnival" at the old location of the Alley, on Travis, I think,   Starring in it were Scott Holtzman and Chesley Ann Santoro, both spectacular.

An aside, about forty years later I sat with her mother as she performed at the Unity Theatre in Brenham.  We later enjoyed rehashing early theatre days in Houston.

My mom and I enjoyed theatre and opera performances, rare occasions, at the Pabst Theatre in Milwaukee when I was growing up.  Seeing Lucia di Lammermoor set me on an opera lover course early,  Highlights have included seeing Placido Domingo in Don Carlo and Beverly Sills in the Merry Widow both at Houston Grand Opera.

As a National Sales Manager for a group of radio stations, a couple of trips per year to make calls on Madison Avenue, Broadway became a special added attraction.  Occasionally Kathy and I would head up on a weekend to tourist about and see a show before she headed back to school and I forced myself to take media buyers out for outrageously expensive lunches in Manhattan.

Two special events during that time would be seeing La Cage aux Folles while much of the original cast was still intact (I cried and cried) and going with our dear friend, Jim Sharp, to see Chorus Line.  We got spoiled early on and every "show" trip since has been a joy.  The oddest would have to be coercing my friends Marilyn and Venessa to dare the big city so that V could see one of those Carter boys in Seussical the Musical.  Kathy Rigby starred as well.  It was fun.

Years later I had the joy of taking both my daughters for a weekend in the city.  Highlights included the Statue of Liberty Boat ride, a subway trip to Yankee Stadium on Old Timers Day and cheesecake at Lindy's.  For Broadway events we just hit a couple of oldies, Phantom of the Opera and Cats.

The next big trip was for granddaughter Katelyn's thirteenth birthday, which happened to be my birthday as well.  She was accompanied by both of her grandmothers, both of her godmothers (one of whom is her Aunt Laura) and her own mother.  We had a blast.  We saw the revival of Oklahoma, and scored fabulous down front seats for Mamma Mia which was still quite new.  Watching all of us dancing to Abba music was a hoot.  We finished off the big event by spending midnight as it became our birthday at the top of the Empire State Building.  Note:  we ate well too, especially in Little Italy.

Now, time and tide and lack of funds means my "Broadway" experiences are at road show performances.  History has taught me not to pay for seats in "big halls" ... Bass on the UT Campus being our worst experience.  Fortunately there are still smaller venues where you can actually see the shows.  We loved Wicked at the theatre at Fair Park in Dallas.  The Cowen Center on the UT-Tyler campus offers a threesome of musicals each year.  Prices are reasonable and it is not cavernous.  Kathy and I have enjoyed; West Side Story, Dreamgirls, Spamalot and, recently, Mamma Mia.

I'm holding out to see something at the Majestic in San Antonio as that branch of the family attends fairly often and with sterling reviews.

There's no business like show business.

Cancer

I hate it, every kind; breast, colon, multiple myeloma, cervical, and the unusual ones you never heard of until someone you cared about was diagnosed with it.

My maternal grandparents died of "stomach cancer" in the 1940's.  Research has continued since then and, frankly, without a lot of success.  

Every year, sometimes every month, and especially this year, I hear of another friend, colleague or loved one who is "battling" cancer.  One must battle to get a proper diagnosis, and battle to find the "right" doctors, hospitals, treatments and prognoses.

There are rare and occasional steps forward in all that research.  As of often as not the really big steps come from outside the "cancer community" and often from outside of medicine altogether.

Today millions of people in the US participated in a "fun" run to aid cancer research, they bought t-shirts with their organization's name, probably new running shoes and paid for the participation.

None of them asked where the money they give, the free advertising they provide to the cause, the results of any research, actually go.

Sadly, and I guess it matters little to most, about twenty cents of every dollar collected goes to cancer research, actually breast cancer research.  That twenty cents is funneled into big pharmaceutical companies "research" that is not famous for any major breakthroughs.  If you look into effective and efficient non-profit organizations, who must all report their expenditures to remain "tax free" you will find few who pay more in salaries to the people at the top.  The top two at the Komen foundation each receives over $500,000.00 per year.  One of those two is actually the namesake's sister.

I am sure she loved her sister very much and found breast cancer to be a horrible horrible disease. 

Cancer is a horrible disease.  I have attended two cancer-related memorial services within the past two weeks.  It is horrible.

But is that a great use of a million dollars a year to fight a horrible disease?  Apparently a lot of people think so.  There is enormous participation by medical establishments, pharmaceutical companies and other interested parties.

I'm just saying, couldn't all that money be better directed to actually wiping out some kind of cancer.  

Or do too many people benefit by it continuing to murder our family and friends?

2015 ... the year of Friends

In 2015 I will be 75 years old. It is hard for me to believe but true.  The best thing I have done in those seventy five years is make friends.  Obviously, I have Facebook Friends and on the other hand I have some very dear old friends and family who would not dream of being on Facebook.  Other friends who are on FB do not spend the time that I, a little old lady without tv in a tiny town where I know almost no one, do.

This year I am going to make a conscious effort to see more of my friends.  Additionally, it has occurred to me that some of my friends would enjoy being friends with other of my friends and have more in common with each other than they do with me.  Now I don't know how that will be accomplished.  Back "in the day" one had a Tupperware Party or a tea or a baby shower and your friends got to meet each other.

The last few weeks I have seen some amazing cases of "small world" in this big ever-transient world.  None will beat our drive to the Double M Ranch for the swinging Christmas party there.  The Double M's are my new great grandson Cayden's maternal great grandparents.  On our way to the Hill Country setting my daughter Laura pointed to a house on Krueger Canyon Road in Comal County and said "Scott's aunt lived there."  Scott was her highschool boyfriend, fellow Ascension church mate and they did lots of family events so she had been to that house and knew the family. After we have been at the huge Christmas party for a couple of hours Laura comes up to me with Courtney's (daughter-in-law, granddaughter of party givers) brother's wife, Shelby.  Shelby had taken Laura over to meet her mother.  Shelby's mother is one of the daughters of the woman whose house she had pointed out to me!  To say they had a rip roaring good time discussing the olden days, beach trips, and the like is an understatement.

One of the things I've always wanted to do is visit towns wherein reside some of my FB friends and have lunch with a bunch.  Oddly enough, if I went to Nashville and did that most of the friends there already know each other.  In Phoenix, not so much.  Also in Phoenix is one of my oldest and dearest friends who refuses to get on FB.  In South Texas, similarly, old friends who do not know each other and my college roommate who along with her husband decided upon retirement from teaching highschool that they would never get on a computer again!  Won't that be some party.

I am especially glad that on a couple of occasions some years ago I attended Stephenson family reunions in Clark Lake Michigan because now those FB friends (family) are actually familiar and not just names of some people I met when I was a kid.

Many of my FB friends are from all those dear old "radio" days.  I include advertising, Astros broadcast and my Timmers/Monument years in those days.  It is a large numbers of friends in that group and there is much overlap.  I often look at my friends' friends and am amazed at who we all know!  I have FB friends whom I introduced and now they are both rich and famous!  (See Steve Tyrell and Dene Hofheinz).

Many more of my friends come from my long Texas life as an Episcopalian in the Diocese of Texas.  For instance, one of Kathy's pals from Happening, Fr. Patrick Miller, who was a Canon at the Cathedral when I was a communicant there, is now the Rector at St. Marks in Houston where I was confirmed over fifty years ago.  And, his sister lives in Brenham!  Shared friends in that world is exponentially wild.

Oh, and then there are all these places to which I have "retired" and kept working; Brenham, Navasota, Tyler and Edom.  I have "friends" there too.  In fact, I think I keep in closer touch with what's happening in Rattler-ville ... ie. Navasota, than I did when I lived there.  Good friends make that possible.

Now I need to figure out how to go about these fine reunions, and where to find the money for the travel.  Maybe I can just introduce friends to others I think they will like ... and find out they do not !

The fact of the matter is that on Facebook, in addition to keeping up with my friends, it is a fabulous way to keep up with my family.  When you consider that I have four children, eleven grandchildren (many with significant others) and now two great grands, I could never "see and hear" as much without Facebook.

I have friends who get on me for "playing on FB" which I guess they mean sharing too many photos of food, Bingo Bash daily, political uproar that makes me miserable, etc.  What I'm really doing is maintaining my connections to my family, friends, church and the world.

I hope to be able to keep internet for the rest of my life be that this year or many years.  If we are old friends or very new friends, I am grateful to have you in my "life" and hope we can stay in touch and maybe even share a piece of pie and a cuppa something.

Hey, God, its me, Sally and I need to find a job.

My four months at the pain management clinic are coming to an end.  That means I'm back out looking for work.

Looking for a job was easier back in the day.  I leapt between broadcasting and advertising as "better" jobs became available.  They were offered to me, I believed I could do them well and so I did.

Now it is different.  None are offered and if they were would I think I could do them?  

Precision Spine data entry job taught me some really tough lessons.  For one thing, I don't work well with others!  Being in a room with four or five other people who have four or five other work habits, eating habits, illnesses and peculiarities, is not my cup of tea.  Bottom line, I'm mighty spoiled.  Even my last temp job offered an office, chores I was mostly capable of and folks who seemed to like and accept me.

You know that song about "you don't know what you have until its gone?"  My current refrain.

So, Happy 2015 and all it brings.  We have some nice family occasions in the offing.  We have some college graduations coming too.  There are adorable great-grandsons who are fun to watch grow and change.  I am so fortunate to have four children who remain in touch with me and each other, eleven grandchildren in a wide age range who grow and accomplish every year.

Thanks to that dreaded "social media" I am in touch with far more friends and family than ever would have been likely or possible in another age.  It is fun to keep updated on folks' families, travel, and interests.  To me they are truly "friends."  I have other friends who choose not to participate in any of that foolishness, or as one says "I don't play on Facebook."  I do and I am grateful for the fun, information and opportunities it provides.  

Wish me luck ... I'm off to find employment!  Wish it wasn't necessary ... I could so stay home, play and go places.

Y prospero ano   !!!