April 30, 2008. Chevy Chase, Md. Spring in D.C. Area.

It seems there are riots occurring in the flower departments. Everywhere you look there is another outbreak. The cool weather is kind to the blossoms so the colors come and stay for a long time. We arrived home In the evening, before dark but after rush hour so the drive home from Baltimore was delightful. Color every where you look. Again, every year comes as a surprise because every year is different. This year the plants are gorgeous. The azaleas are in full bloom, also the pink and white dogwood trees. Every new green is a different color green so every where you look is another shade of green. By summer all you see is green, but not now. This whole area is in full bloom and it is beautiful.

Returning home is always a pleasure. Also, returning to work is always a pleasure. This real estate market is full of anxiety, but the agents know that this is the only real estate market available, and they work diligently to help buyers and sellers carry out their wishes. The purchase and sale of a house is often dictated by other events not related to whether or not this is the best time to buy or sell. So our agents figure out how to accomplish the requests and requirements of their clients, without hassle and unhappiness. As you would expect, the agents are very successful, even tho other agents are crying the blues. The spirit and enthusiasm in the group , along with their spirit of helpfulness will certainly carry them through until the next booming real estate market. Mark my words.

April 27, Canyon Lake, Texas. On the Road Again.

The room was a disaster. From the moment the three girls arrived until the moment they began to leave, the room was wall to wall toys and clothes. It has been interesting to observe how well they function with this amount of disorder in their room. When they arrived early Friday afternoon they played in their room with Groovy Girls. The play was quiet and pleasant and imaginative. David launched the boat and of course they wanted to help. By then, Samantha was down by the water with me. So now the room is full of clothes they have just removed, in order to wear their bathing suits. Many bathing suits were too small, so the too small ones are now on the floor too. Remember, I do not give them instructions and David does not notice. Next morning, after watching a DVD and eating breakfast, it is time to dress. Now the twins have grown almost 3 inches this past year. Many objects they really wanted to wear were too small, so those rejects ended up on the floor too. It was very cute to see them try on these favorite clothes, only to find that the waist band would not button. Of course I was watching the DVD with them. So the weekend went on and they were happy and engaging. This morning they took all their Groovy Girls into the guest room while they played for another long time. They were asked by David why they were playing in the guest room, but they had no answer. But the truth was, they could not walk on the floor.

Then it was time to go home to San Antonio. David asked them to make their beds and clean up their room. Bless my soul what a transformation!! Those three little girls sorted and organized the toys and put everything back on the shelf. I helped them sort the dirty clothes that had been worn ,from the clean clothes that had been rejected. And all the games from the living area were also put away. What a transformation indeed. And all done with a willing heart, Of course, David did say that they could stop on the way home at their favorite restaurant for lunch. Clever Man. And such helpful girls.

Now we also go into San Antonio to stay the night with David and Suzanne and the girls. Once again, I drive with Suzanne and the girls to school. Every morning in the car the conversation is the same. "Are we going to be late today?" It is always nip and tuck. Sarah of course cares a lot if she is late. Abigail knows she is usually holding everyone up, so she says nothing. The twins kind of like being late, because then Suzanne has to walk them into their classroom. But it is always an issue in the car. I of course am programmed to be on time. But I never tell them.

Tomorrow we return to Bethesda. It is always lovely to be home.

April 26, 2008. Canyon Lake, Texas. Women.

This is as pretty a day as you would ever want. The good folks in Scotland have never seen a day like today. Clear and sunny, light breeze, 80 degrees. Perfect outdoor weather. Sarah and Suzanne are in Dallas for the weekend. The regional prizes for the science projects are being awarded and the fourth grade class have all gone for the celebrations. Sarah is thrilled to be in Dallas alone with just her Mother .The three other girls are very well behaved with David. In some ways David is very lenient with them and in other ways he is extremely strict. It is fun to just sit back and observe the interaction. I neither Mother the girls nor discipline them. I just enjoy them. As a grandmother I have the luxury of walking away from bad behaviour.

When I first began teaching, women were paid less than male teachers. As soon as a woman was pregnant, the woman was forced to resign. When we married, the custom was for the woman to quit her job to stay home to look after the house and husband, with the expectation that children would certainly follow soon. This is not so long ago. Fifty years to be precise. I was on the side of the feminists. I believed in being paid the same salary without regard to gender . I supported women in their choice of a career. I do firmly believe that the children can not be brought up by themselves, and I separated from the feminists when they began to preach that men were the source of all women's trials and tribulations. In many ways the world for women is vastly different than 50 years ago, and in many ways the world is the same. Expectations of a young woman today are much higher than before. When I was young, people felt sorry for me because I was putting Ken through Medical School. Today, to be employed is expected of everyone. Economic responsibility was a mans job. But not anymore. I come down on the side of allowing women options, unless the children are young. And that is what I think of the role of women today, in the year 2008.

David thinks I should write my web log about business, specifically the Real Estate business. Maybe I should, because I certainly have more experience with business than feminism. But as you all know, I am very easily bored, and leaping from topic to topic keeps me amused. But we will see. David owns his own company and his Company is growing. He is interested in learning the steps that were taken by the agents and staff to go from one level of success to a higher level. Perhaps that is why he thinks I should discuss business. Probably he is just more interested in business than family.

April 25, 2008. Canyon Lake, Texas. Girls.

It is so interesting to watch little girls play. Samantha who is six asked me to come with her down to the lake. She was wearing her bathing suit with shorts and crocks. Down we went, just the two of us. I sat down on a rock to see what she was going to do. First she took off her shoes and shorts and carefully folded up her short in a dry spot. Then she walked into the lake up to about her waist and just stood and watched the water. This took about ten minutes, all the time saying nothing. I am just watching. She spotted some fresh water clam shells and began to pick them up, bringing them over to me to see and keep. For the next twenty minutes she collected shells and organized and counted these shells which she kept on a special rock right by my side. For about thirty minutes she was perfectly happy. No swimming, no splashing, no throwing stones.

Then two of her sisters come down to join us. Abigail, who is eight, gets them all in the water to swim, but they decide the water is too cold, so the game becomes lifting rocks. Not throwing stones, just picking up the biggest rock and dropping it in the water. After a boat ride, the three girls swim off the boat, playing an elaborate game with a make believe family, with different names for each child, and in different families. The game continued into the hot tub, where I could overhear their discussions of friends and parties and activities, all made up. Now this kind of play I have never seen with my two boys.

By actual study, one hundred percent of boys will throw stones in the water by the shore. Some girls will do it too, but only a small percentage, and not immediate. A group of us at work were discussing the question of the differences in activities in today's world between the men and women. I am reading this book about Lincoln, and those nineteenth century women were not allowed to do much of anything. No wonder a lot of those ladies took to drink. The upper class ladies did not cook or clean, they could not hold a job, they certainly could not play active games where they could perspire. Now, we women do it all. But the question we asked is whether there are any tasks that are still gender specific. The only one I could think of was taking out the trash. Most men take out the trash. Thank God for that.

April 24, 2008. Harper, Texas. Moving.

Some families move and some families do not. Now in the Washington area, there are families who have lived there for many generations. I have friends at work who are very upset if their children move to another city for work. It is clear in my Family that we are a family that moves to new places. My aunts and uncles on both my Mother and Father;s sides lived in different cities. We never lived with family close by. It seemed perfectly normal to us. Ken's family was the same. Ken tracked his family back several generations, and one thing he realized early in his search. These people were always on the go. We decided that there must be something in the genes that makes people pick up and move. I know. My parents were ordered to move for their jobs, but if they found the moving unbearable, they could have always quit and stayed put. Maybe they chose the job because they knew they were going to be moved. And in our generation, Ken's two brothers live in different cities, and I have never lived in the same city as my brother or sister. Oops. My brother and sister lives in Hamilton for several years. But not now.

I think it is very nice to have families living close by. Only once did we live in the same city as an Uncle. That was in Vancouver. Dad's younger brother was a chef who worked on the boats. Unfortunately Uncle Stan also was a binge drinker, so even tho we all lived in the same city, being close together was a trial, not a pleasure. But I am sure his wife, Auntie Mollie who was also a chef, was happy to have Norman close by to help out. So I guess there are disadvantages living close by family. My cousin Ernest, son of Molly and Stan are coming to our 50th celebration. He lives now on Vancouver Island. I am three years younger than Ernest, so when we all lived in Vancouver we were never friends. I am sure I was the pesty little kid. But he always was a friend of my sister Carol, who is older than me. I will try to talk to him in Nova Scotia about growing up with Uncle Stan and Aunt Molly. But maybe he won't want to talk about it.

Just about every one who has been important to us in our lives has been invited to our celebration in Nova Scotia. Of course, not every one will be able to come, but that was how we made up our guest list. Some folks I know will be unable to come. Starr and Victor Crouch can not attend. Victor is not well enough to travel. They are firmly connected with Ken's Family from Parry Sound days. Vic lived there, and Starr's parents were the officers. Her Mother was ill, just when they were getting married, so Ken's Mother took over the role of Mother, with all that is involved. And Lillian Parent is unable to travel. Lillian was an Occupational Therapist, working in physical Disibilities when we lived in Galveston. I was a Recreational Therapist in the same department. Lillian really did put me in my place once. I loved it. Now you must know that I am very energetic, and fairly difficult to keep under control. This was how Lillian was able to shut me up. The whole department were meeting at lunch to assemble decorations for the hospital. Now O.T's are very clever with their hands. I am not. I burst into the room. All the fixings were set on the the table and every one was quietly working. I asked a reasonable question. "What do you want me to work on?" Lillian looked up and said "Start with sitting down and shutting up." Everyone laughed, including me. And I did sit down and shut up. But not for long.

April 23, 2008, Harper, Texas. Simple Pleasures.

I was born and raised a city girl. I was born in Toronto where my parents were stationed at the Dovercourt Corps of the Salvation Army, living on Ossington Avenue. I was too young to remember, but they then were transferred to Peterborough, in charge of the work there. I remember living there. Two clear memories are still with me. At a Children's Christmas concert, in between the acts of the play, I turned somersaults in front of the curtain, dressed in white panties and undershirt. I did not understand why the audience was laughing. I thought I was doing a good job. And I sang my first duet with my sister. Now I was very young but we sang in two parts. I sang contralto. I think I was four. I do not recall if my brother played the piano for us. He did play for us many times, but he did not enjoy doing it. He always said I sang off key, which was probably true. I also recall the house. My parents loved living in Peterborough and the friends they made there. When my parents retired, due to my Fathers poor health, they moved to Peterborough. But the Salvation Army moved their people often in those days, so after four years there My Father and Mother were sent in charge of the Public Affairs Department in London, Ontario where they stayed for two years. We all liked London, but I actually have few strong memories of London, except I had two good friends there, Carolyn Judge and Jean Shepherd. We stayed friends, in fact we all became teachers together. The next move was to Calgary, which my parents loved, as Calgary was my Father's home town, or rather the city the Family settled in when they moved to Canada from England. The same folks were there, so the time spent there was a happy one. Again, Dad was in charge of Public Relations. When we moved to Vancouver in 1948, my brother stayed back in Calgary to complete his high school year.

We lived almost six years in Vancouver, again in Public Relations for the Salvation Army. It was the growing up years for me. The city is a beautiful place and certainly was a big city even then. We then once again, moved to another big city, Toronto. Ken and I met and married there, and emigrated to the U.S. from Toronto, so I guess it is home. The whole point of these moves is that I have always lived in a city.

When we married I realized that Ken needed to be in the country, without a lot of people around him, so we started to go camping. We used the tent from his youth and not much else but we camped all over North America driving our VW bug and our primitive camping gear. In 1973 we bought our first farm, we called our tree farm. Now some of my greatest pleasures are not in the cities but in the country. It is still amazing to me that this city girl enjoys these simple pleasures. Today, I spent 30 minutes watching our new little calf. Now this calf is only 24 hours old, and that little calf was visiting all the other heifers while they licked her little nose before he went off to the next heifer. Amazing to watch the interaction between the cattle. Then we put 12 little gold fish into the cattle trough and watched them for 30 minutes. Simple Pleasures.

Of course I would be lost without my books and magazines. Simple Pleasures are fine, but I do not want to be without resources!!

April 22, 2008. Harper, Texas. New Calf.

A new calf was born early this morning. A bit of white on it's face and white undersides, and the rest brown. It's a cute little guy. Actually, I do not know what it is, but I'm happy to have it. Very cute indeed. They stand up almost immediately and nurse soon after, then sleep a lot during the day. The Mother cow keeps the calf somewhat apart from the rest of the herd. The calf wanders after the Mother as she eats, but stays put when instructed. I wonder how they know to obey their Mother?

I always suspected that the reason my Aunt felt I favored my Grandmother Buckley was because she was a big woman!! And I was no shrimp.

Warm weather at the ranch today. I read in the bedroom until eleven o'clock. I am enjoying the Lincoln book. Ken brought me a cup of coffee at nine o'clock in bed, and I just stayed to read. Ken went to install the purple martin house down by the ranch house, so I was free to indulge myself. I am not sure if this a good thing or not. I even brought my breakfast upstairs and ate and read in my very comfortable chair. Finally I roused myself to walk down to see the new calf, but Ken was on the way up to get me, so I drove in the Mule instead. The rest of the day I did a little of this and a little of that. I walked this afternoon, counted the fish, fed the cattle their treats, watched a DVD at the ranch house so Ken could have a break from working.

Our house on the top of the property is the most self indulgent house we own. The whole house is big enough for the two of us, but not too spacious we can get lost. Our bedroom for instance is big enough to house a comfortable reading chair for both of us, a section for desk and computer, walk in closet we share, a queen size bed and our bathroom. And the best part is that we have a porch on both sides of the room, so we can sit and look at the view in every directions. We just love this bedroom. The architect who did the design work first put in two walk in closets, but we told him that we don't have enough clothes to fill one closet, let alone two. so he turned the other closet into an office with more windows. He also wanted to put in an elevator. We told him that if we needed an elevator we wouldn't be able to get here, so out it went. He did leave space though. Tonight after dinner we watched"The Merchant of Venice" out on the screen porch. We have our own theater outside, complete with lounge chairs and small screen TV. As you can see, this is a home for two. And we love it. When our friends and relatives come to visit us at the ranch, they stay in the ranch house, while we head up the hill to the Top House. It's about a half mile walk. As I said before, I don't know if indulging yourself is a good thing or not. But here in Texas at the ranch, we certainly enjoy our indulgences!!

April 21, 2008.Harper, Texas. Grandmother

My grandmother on my Fathers side died before I was born. My Father spoke very highly of her. Her name was Alice Swallow, and married Harry Buckley in 1895 or so. They had four children, Lillian, Norman (my Father),Stanley and Nellie. Nellie died at age 6. My sister Carol said she died from diphtheria but I always thought she died in a fire. Alice Swallow could not have had an easy life. Harry was in the British Military, then he became the owner of a shoe repair shop. I have a picture of the two of them in front of his shop in Victoria. They moved to Calgary, Alberta in 1914. Or rather, Harry came to Calgary to get settled and the rest of the family followed. Harry had a life long problem with alcohol, and at a time when the women did not work, the ability of the husband to provide for the family was a major problem. My Mother also spoke very kindly of Mother Buckley. She was a gracious loving lady. The influence on my life of my Grandmother Buckley was obviously limited, except in one respect. My Father drilled into our brains the requirement to always be able, as women, to make our own living. This was not a casual comment to Carol and me. It was often told by story and tales from his job with the Salvation Army, as well as tales from his own family. There were family friends in Calgary who were still able to tell me about my Grandmother Buckley. But no longer. Many folks who knew her and also knew me said I am similar to her. The two qualities they said about her was that she could get along with everyone and she did not get excited about troubles. I am sure she had a lot to be troubled about, but I am grateful for the qualities she bequethed to me, if they are true. I have a few pieces of her good china, where I proudly display them in the china cabinet in Nova Scotia.

I think my Father was very influened by his Mother. They were from Yorkshire, in England, and other than Alice, the Buckley Family was a rough and tumble lot. But I do not know anything else about them, except I know Alice died from an anuerism, after they moved to Victoria, soon after the picture. The other influence on my Father was the alcohol. Dad was a lifelong teetololer. Perhaps he would have had less heart disease if he had taken a glass of red wine every night. The Salvation Army does not allow any alcohol, which is perhaps one reason he became an Officer.

I am reading the Lincoln book, and, my goodness, the people who died in childbirth, and infections and T.B. Thank heavens for the modern world of medicine. Ken and I, if we lived in the 19th Century would be dead by now. And we are soon going to celebrate out 50th. We are so fortunate.

April 20, 2008. Harper, Texas. Museums

It is a very unusual experience, but we have just spent five days with David and Suzanne and the girls, staying in their home. Our habit has been to stay either at the lake or the ranch, then visit with them when they come for the weekend. Even before children or the lake, we stayed nearby in a hotel. It seemed to us to allow the children their own space and not having us hovering around all the time. Also it allows us for peace and quite on our own. The system had worked well. David and Suzanne have just completed a major construction on their master bedroom and computer room, and have just now been able to get back into their bedroom. So between the activities for the children plus all the organization of the new space, we elected to come to San Antonio and stay with them, using their guest room, and helping out. Saturday morning D.&S. went to the storage unit to bring back all their stuff. The girls played outside all day, preparing for their own show, complete with play bill and printed tickets. It is amazing how competent these girls on the computer. So we enjoyed staying with them, driving along to take the girls to school in the morning, and being there when they arrived each day. Ken works around the house fixing this and that, and I try to help Suzanne with her work load, but basically we just enjoy and watch the girls grow up.

When the book cases were installed in the computer room, the decision was made to put both side by side rather than one in the bedroom. The problem was that Suzanne likes a book case in the bedroom, especially in the one perfect spot. We unpacked the boxes of books, and put them on the shelves, also unpacked all the photo albums. The girls loved seeing their Mother in High School. They all had activities that evening, so Ken and I went hunting for the perfect set of book shelves. We went armed with tape measure. Sure enough we were able to find and buy an antique book case, and installed it today. It looks perfect.

It is interesting to see how well they handle major construction projects. One day I will pick apart their system, because their pattern is successful. I unpacked all the books, and shelved them. I kept two for myself to read. I thought the book was about business. It turns out is is about faith and religion. But I love the title. "In Order to Walk on Water, You Have to Get Out of The Boat". So I am skimming the book but I will read the Lincoln book by Doris Kearns Goodwin. She spoke at the Real Estate Convention and I have been wanting to read it. Now it has fallen into my hands, David is generous sharing his books.

While we were in San Antonio we went to the Witte Museum, and The Trail Riders of Texas Museum. Both interesting and valuable. We did not know that the Pecos River basis had many cave and wall paintings five to ten thousand years old. Also we saw all the costumes to be worn at the 2008 Fiesta, which starts on Wednesday. Very fancy indeed. Now we are at the ranch, and just in time too. The windmill has brocken, so the large tank is almost empty, so no water for the cattle or fish. Not good at all.

April19. 2008. San Antonio, Texas. City Life.

Las Canarias is the most elegant restaurant. It is on the River Walk. Late this afternoon Ken and I went antique shopping, looking for two specific items for David and Suzanne and two specific items for us at the ranch. It makes sense if you think about it, but San Antonio is a wonderful place to shop for antiques. Years ago when David and Suzanne were in need of furniture we all went shopping in the antique/used furniture stores. Sarah was with us. It turns out that David has no patience, so we quit until the next day, when the three of us and Sarah shopped seriously. Sarah loved it, in the care of Ken while Suzanne and I made their choices. It all made sense after the fact, but I was surprised at the time to discover the quality of the furniture. The good Canary Islans folks selected this place in the 17th century, and lots of Spanish people moved in, followed by the Anglos and Germans in the 19th century. And many many retired folks move her. So there are lots of used furniture for sale. So Ken and I went shopping, wearing jeans and T shirts.

By the time six o'clock came along we were tired and dirty and hungry. We decided to walk to the River Walk until we came to a restaurant that would take us in. So we did. We by passes a steak house, but the Las Canarias is a place we always wanted to dine, so in I went to ask is we could dine there dressed as we are. They could not be more pleasant and polite. Of course their dinner hour was just beginning, but they seated us in a choice spot close to the River Walk, and the whole experience was top drawer. Wonderful food and service, all in a French accent, without being snooty. It was a celebration for us, because twelve weeks ago Ken had his surgery. It was a celebration in every way. We just looked a little tacky.

The next part is truly amazing. We did not get lost coming home. Who said old dogs can not learn new tricks.

April 18, 2008. San Antonio, Texas. Galleries.

The four little girls want me to tell this story. This is a true story. A week ago Ken and I went with David and Suzanne to their tennis clinic. Their routine every Tuesday evening is to go to the tennis drill session, then go out to dinner, just the two of them. Our habit is to join them for the evening. We watch the tennis class, then go out to dinner with them. David always pays the bill. David was changing clothes, while the three of us chatted out by the car. We had just arrived in San Antonio so we were all excited to be together. Suzanne was telling me a story full of animation and hand gestures, and while her arms reached out for emphasis, her cell phone flew out of it's case and hit me full in the mouth. What a surprise for both me and Susanne. But it was not thrown in anger, as the girls want me to say, but as an error. No blood. No trips to the hospital. Just a bit of swelling. But for a few days the girls told everyone that their mother threw her Iphone at their grandmother. It was a good story and they are going to stick with it. I set the record straight.

Yesterday we walked on the River Walk for a couple of hours. At least once a year Ken and I drive downtown and walk a part of the River Walk. The River Walk is about fifteen feet below street level, and the trees have been there for a long time, so the foliage is lovely and provides shade for the walkers. Every year,more has been added so we try to find the new area to check it out. We love to walk there. A new section that was under construction last year is now open for walking, and another three miles are under construction. It is a beautiful place. We have been here every month except July and August. Then the evening dinners on the River Walk are pleasant, but not through the day. The real issue is that we always get lost going home. Now we have been coming to San Antonio since 1965, and have seen the city grow. We have been to the River Walk 30 or more times. We have plenty of maps. Why do we always end up in places we do not want to be? We have been lost in every direction. Actually, we are never exactly lost, not just on the right road. Eventually, we have to find a place to stop and read the map so we can figure out where are we are. We never seem to learn to read the map first before starting the car. The next car we will install a GPS.

April 16, 2008 San Antonio, Texas. Girls

My 8 year old grandaughter wrote this story today at school.

When I was a baby I could not walk. But now I can walk.
When I was a baby I could not talk. But now I can talk.
When I was a totteler I could not ride a two wheeler. But now I can ride a two
wheeler.
When you are a teenager, you can drive and you get a cell phone.
When you are a grownup, you get a job.
But when you are a grandmother, you can do what ever you want to do!!

These children are busy. When they arrived home from scool, the first item on their aganda is snacks, followed by homework. I listened to both of the six year olds read to me their homework assignment. We were all together New Years Eve, and their resolution was to learn to read. By golly, in kindergarten, they teach you to read and they are happy. The ten year old had an assignment to read two chapters in their book. Kind of a stupid assignment because she reads all the time anyway. The eight year old asked help with her math paper, so I checked her answers to be sure they were correct. I even did them without a calculator!! After homework was play in the yard. The twins swam and swam and swam even tho it was not really hot, while S.played frisbee with Ken. I watched the twins in the pool. Then all four girls swam. They all said they needed to get ready for swim team. Dinner at seven, and bed time at eight. Very busy girls.

April 15, Canyon Lake, Texas. Small towns,

Gruene is a very small town just outside of New Braunfels. Gruene is pronounced Green. I don't know how this happened with all these Germans around here, Gruene is pronounced Green. Who am I to correct a Texan. In the early 19th century around 1845 or so, Gruene was a going concern, with a dance hall, a grist mill, a lumber yard and with many lovely buildings. Gruene is right on the Guadalupe River. Transportation improved in the 20th century and Gruene died, except for the dance hall. It became a mecca for musicians, keeping the dead town alive on the weekends. New Braunfels was growing, towards Gruene and incorporated Gruene into their town. They decided to pull all the buildings down. Wiser heads prevailed and now the town is full of stores and restaurants, with all the old charming homes restored to become antique stores. The dance hall is still there with live music every night. It's a great beer drinking joint but has lots of charm. Yesterday afternoon we walked Gruene, inspecting every building from the street. Then we dined at the River Edge Cafe. Quite a charming town and quite a tourist destination. People come in buses to come to Gruene for lunch. A friend of David and Suzanne's is hiring a bus from San Antonio to celebrate in the Gruene Dance Hall her 40th birthday. It is always a pleasure to see wise heads prevail.

The Museum of Texas Culture is in San Antonio. In my supercilious way I joked that the the name must be an oxymoron. Then one day Dave and Irene, and Ken and I went to visit the Museum of Texas Culture. I was ashamed of myself. The place is very interesting and informative and blessedly small. We loved it. They start with a country, then track those folks from that country's arrival in Texas. Then they investigate those folks impact on Texas culture. Fascinating indeed. It is worth a visit the next time you come to Texas.

San Antonio itself is an interesting city. Talk about wiser heads prevailing. The good folks of the time wanted to pave over the canals to make more and wider streets. But once again, wiser heads prevailed, and now The River Walk of San Antonio is the crown jewel of Texas. That is what is so impressive to me, that these good folks took a bit of the desert and made it into a lovely vibrant city, now the seventh in the country. Other cities have naturally beautiful settings, like Seattle or Vancouver, but San Antonio started with nothing much more than a river that flooded every year and turned it into San Antonio. The city is worth a visit for sure. Besides, Sarah, Abigail, Allison and Samantha live there. They also are worth a visit.

April 14, 2008. Canyon Lake, Texas. Lake House Charm.

This time of the year in Texas is lovely. Not too hot or not too cold. Other than my sister, no one swims in the lake in April, but it still pleases the eye just looking at it. We like to sit on the deck and watch the occasional boat go by, We also like to walk the dam or walk around the neighborhood. Our activities are not fancy but do provide pleasure. No TV here either, but as is our custom, we have a DVD player. We have been watching a series of Inspector Lynley Mysteries. Also Set 3 of Foyle's War. Our system is to turn over the disc after we have watched , then the next time we are here we know where to begin in the series. Except some kind soul turned all the discs back to the correct side, so we have no clue where to begin today. We are now beginning at the end of each series and will work backwards until we come to one we have already watched. My niece Marion and husband Gary left a most beautiful crocinole board for the house. I am not nearly as good as I used to be when I was 15 years old. Something about my first finger twisted out of shape that hinders technique. Perhaps my brother will be bothered with the same affliction, so I can beat him, something that I have never been able to do.

Once again we drove from the ranch to the lake via back roads. Texas back roads are excellent. The maps are perfect, with every road on the atlas, so you can juggle from one small road to another, with never meeting a dead end. This time we drove through Luckenback, and then on highway 32 around the north of the lake. This lake is a Corps of Engineers lake, and as you can tell, there was a canyon. But not any more. The dam went in, the river was flooded, and now there are houses all around the shore. There are still trees poking out of the bottom of the lake, especially as you drive up the river in a boat. It is all very interesting. The level of the lake is maintained by the Corps, and you are not allowed to construct anything permanent close to the shore, so no docks or rafts. But it is a great lake. Whenever I read that the Corps should blow up every dam in the country, I always say"Please, not my lake".

April 13, 2008. Canyon Lake, Texas. Lake House.

Somethings in our life we plan and implement all aspect of the endeavor, and somethings in your life things just happen all by themselves. We were at the first charity auction for The Ronald Macdonald House in Washington. My friend Coleen was on the Board of Directors and was very anxious about how the group would respond to the auction. This was in 1982 or 1983, before the charity auction business got trendy. Coleen knew we had been to lots of auction in Pennsylvania, so she asked us to get the bidding going. Very often, if the bidding gets lively, the process takes on a life of it's own. The same evening, we saw the jersey owned by John Riggins sold for fifteen thousand dollars in a matter of three minutes. Our young boys were with us helping the bidding along. All went well. As planned, we would bid for a bit to get things started, and then we would drop out. A hot tub had been donated , in Redskins colors, to be sold and delivered, with a value of $4,500. The auctioneer described the hot tub. No one bid. Andrew looked up at me and I nodded. He bid one thousand dollars. Dead stoney silence in the hall. SOLD to the young man in the fifth row!! He was agast. What now? The hot tub was delivered and installed for the one thousand dollars Andrew bid at the auction. We paid extra to run the electrical line to the back of the yard. We all loved it. And we have never been without a hot tub since. No planning. No saving ahead. Just a whim doing a good deed.

The Trois Estate is a place that you stumble upon, and wonder how on earth this could have happened. A couple purchased the 57 acres of land north of Fredericksburg, overlooking the Enchanted Rock State Park. It is an amazing place. Look it up on the computer, because I can not begin to describe the extent of the eccentricaties. The man has well over a thousand cap guns, all desplayed in a large hall. The dining room is lovely, overlooking the big granite rock, and is open for brunch on Sundays. The very large dance hall has walls covered with stuffed animals. The bed and breakfast rooms are decorated in antiques. There is no end of the collections this man has displayed in this estate. And it is all in the country just north of this small German town of Fredericksburg. I hope they have a deep pocket or a sugar daddy to keep this place afloat. The place is just amazing. Next time you are in the hill country of Texas, go and visit them. They love to have folks come and see all their stuff.

April 12, 2008. Double D Ranch. Harper Texas.

The climate was not the only thing we loved about Texas in 1964. We owned a new car, a Ford Galaxie XL hard top convertable, and what a wonderful car it was. The bucket seats were so big and comfortable and the engine had power to burn. In 1958, the year we married, we bought a used 1952 Volkswagen bug for three hundred dollars. When we knew we were moving to Texas we did a very stupid thing. I took my money out of the Toronto Teacher's Retirement Fund and bought this new fancy car. We loved it and as Ken was only on duty every other weekend, Friday evening, when Ken was off work. we were on the road heading out to see Texas in our new car and with our camping gear. The State Parks were empty as the weather to us was moderate all winter, and of course the Texans were cold, so we had the parks to ourselves.

Another reason we fell in love with Texas was that we both had jobs, so we knew we were rich. There is no better time in your life when you are bright and well educated but you have no debt nor any major responsibilities. We did very well living on a school teachers salary, and we certainly never complained about our lack of available cash, but I tell you, the sense of freedom you get with cash in your pocket and a big car under the hood is hard to beat.

And lastly, we had no connections with the community other than our jobs. We were not singing in the choir or band, nor organizing social events for and with friends. I was not running any clubs. We were free as birds. Of course all this hitting the road did not keep up many years. We made very good friends. We joined the International Club. We entertained and were entertained. Two years later we got one dog. The next year two more dogs. Then in 1968 Andrew was born, and in 1969 David. We were no longer foot loose and fancy free. We were ready to get on with the rest of our life. But we still love the sense of Texas in 1964.

April 11, 2008. Harper Texas. A Perfect Day.

There is a gem of a short story in the April edition of Commentary. "Roughnecking It" by R.R. Reno. Remember when there was a good short story in almost every magazine? Not any more. Probably because short stories are so very difficult to write. But this is a good one and worth your while to find a copy.

Last evening I went out to sit on the porch off the living room, and took my bird books and my binoculars. The time was 4:30. Our friends Joyce and Robbie were coming over for a glass of wine at 6:00 so I had time to sit still and watch the birds. Normally I watch for birds down by the fire pit close to the ranch house, but tonight, as guests were coming, I stayed at the top house. As I am 70, I now can sit still and watch for the birds. Having a lot of energy is a huge asset, but it does make it difficult to sit still. Now I can do it. During our morning walk, a very cheeky wren came over scolding us. I had no clue what the bird was, so the first thing I did was look up the wrens. Sure enough, it was a Bewick's Wren, at least I think it is.

Then I looked up to see 8 or 10 beautiful birds pecking at the ground right on the other side of the fence. I watched the birds for about 30 minutes, of course with my binocs, to try to fix in my mind all their features. When they finally flew away I was frantically trying to find out what matched the picture in my mind with the picture in the books. Where are my birder friends when I need them? A Lark Sparrow, that is the name of the birds, at least I think it was. They were beautiful. The I looked up from my bird book to see a very different and naughty bird, sitting right on the railing of the porch, chirping away at me in a very saucy manner. His mate was sitting watching me from the fence. The bird had a black crest and lots of white, but quite small. What is this bird? And so close to me too. Very unusual in birds. I sat still while this little bird flew around me, landing on the screen behind me, on the back of my chair, and finally landing on my hair. Then he flew around me again with the same drill, again landing on my head. All the while the mate is watching us both. Finally they left and once again I look through the books. It was the Black Crested form of a Tufted Titmouse. He wanted to steal some of my hair for his nest. What a beautiful little bird, and sitting three feet in front of me.!! Earlier in the day Ken and I saw several Summer Tanagers, also many Vermilion Flycatcher. It was a perfect day watching the birds in Texas. But you have to be able to sit still!!

April 10. 2008. Harper, Texas. Modern World.

I am using a new computer. I am using a new system to access the Internet. This is a wonderful new world. This morning a very nice young man came out from San Antonio to install a dish to connect to a satellite. Now we are not totally isolated here in Kimble County, Texas. The system seems to work well. It certainly is magical. Here I am typing on a new Mac computer and sending words to you via a stream to the stars and back. I love it. Sarah T. started something when she taught me how to deal with this web log. I feel as if I were fifteen with new worlds to conquer. Of course, there are downsides to being available to the world. Ken can no longer ignore his e mails at the ranch, nor can he use an excuse that the accounts have not been done because we were at the ranch. But life is simpler her with access to the Internet. And I like it.

Today at the ranch the weather is perfect. Temperature is 75 degrees F. Sky is bright blue with wisps of clouds drifting along. The sun is shining brightly. The wind is not blowing a gale, but gently keeping us cool. Perfect weather indeed. I already walked a bit this morning, and will walk again this afternoon. The cattle are taking their afternoon nap right outside the fence to the Top House, hoping we will soon give them their treats.

Once again we have an isolated house with lots of windows and no shades or shutters. I went into the powder room on the first floor, and from my perch on the commode, I looked out the window to see five pair of eyes looking at me. I laughed out loud. The cattle here and at the farm watch the people all the time. From the time you come on the property until you leave, they keep track of your actions. Of course, what they are looking for is in their best interests. They think you are going to give them some food. We do not feed the cattle at the farm, Bryan Jay looks after them, but I think they can't tell the difference. Our Longhorns have been hand fed from the beginning here on the ranch, so they wait and watch for our every move. It seem redundant, but it is true. These horns are long.

I had another first time event today too. Last evening I wrote a short note on the new computer, and today Ken transferred that small note on my Rambling With Ruth blog. More magic. More modern world that I love.

April 9, 2008 Harper Texas

I always wonder what is so different about Texas? Many folks have made rude remarks about the State, but we have always loved the place, right from the first time we moved to Galveston in 1964. First off is the climate. We moved from Toronto where the winters are long and cold, but in Galveston there was no snow and the evenings were pleasant. During the summer we either stayed indoors or went to the swimming pool. Then we loved the people. Texans are very friendly and polite. In the Washington area people are polite too, but not like Texans. They go out of there way to be sociable. The wild flowers are worth seeing, but as the same as the cherry blossoms, timing your visit with the peak of the wildflowers is very difficult. Today the pinks and reds cover the median strips of the highways. Soon will come the bluebonnets followed by the Indian Hat and Mexican paintbrush. Then we love the rocks. The ranch is in the Hill Country, where the rocks are everywhere, and we like the look. I guess the best part of coming to Texas is to come and see David and Suzanne, and the four girls.The greet us as if we are providing them the thrill of their day. And for that we are grateful, even though we know they are very busy productive little people who live interesting lives.

For instance, after school Tuesday Samantha and Allison went to Robins. Suzanne is the leader and they made bird feeders for their yard. Sarah and Abigail went to their Tennis lessons, which they do twice a week. The drill session is for one and a half hours, and David picks the girls up on his way home from work. So never a dull moment in their lives. But they act with us as if they are greeting the King and Queen. For all these reasons, we love to come to Texas.

April 8, 2008. Bethesda, Md. Basketball.

The game has come a long way in just over one hundred years. A young man, Mr. Naismith, born and raised in Canada but teaching in Mass. needed a game to keep the boys busy. In addition to his teaching position, he worked weekends at the local Y.M.C.A. So he cut the bottom out of two bushel baskets, nailed them to two walls and called it a game. And what a game it became. I just love watching College ball. You never know how those young people are going to respond to the pressure of the moment. I seldom enjoy watching professional basketball, because it is so predictable, except of course for the Spurs. That team is always worth watching. But College ball is a horse of another color. Those Memphis players are kicking themselves today I bet. The game was well in hand, in fact, Ken predicted Kansas to lose by ten points. But not me. You just never know how those college players will respond under pressure. That of course is their charm.

Today we go to see our family in Texas. They have not seen Ken since his surgery so I will be interested in their response to his general well being. Our family tends not to fuss over difficulty, so we urged David to stay in Texas and not come up here to visit. Perhaps that is not fair to David and Suzanne, but they had the responsibility when I went loopy in Texas, so we asked them to take a break this time. But I know they are anxious to see him. And we are excited to see them and those four little girls. Also of note, we are installing a sattelite dish for the internet at the ranch. This a good thing for sure. Now we begin.

April 6, 2008. Chevy Chase, Md. Farm

You have never heard such a ruckus. Ken and I were sitting on the back stoop of the hill house, enjoying the end of day sun, when from the pond came sounds such I have never heard. Shrieks, honks, hisses,quacks, all at high pitch and decible and all from the area of the pond. The noise lasted a few minutes, and soon two Canada Geese flew past us over the field, heading for greener pastures. We walked down to see our resident Canada Geese, and they were very calm, having told these visiting geese in no uncertain terms that this pond is only big enough for one pair. The conversation was short but unforgetable.. I have never heard such sounds from two placid well behaved geese.

When you own a house that you don't live in all the time, many things go wrong. Upon arrival, there is no telling what you are likely to find. I have friends who worry about their other homes every time they are away. In other words, they always worry because they own more than one home. Because they can not be in two or three places at once, they always worry about the other house. Not us. We do what we can to have other local folks check the house while we are away, and then we trust in God. Friday afternoon we walked into our house on the hill to discover that we out of oil. We did what we usually do. We went to speak to our friend Alan Jay. They were in the midst of butchering and wrapping six head of cattle so they were busy but said they would bring oil in the morning from the Road Kill Cafe. This has happened before. The last time was not our fault. The company had sold their business to another outfit, and sent us a letter that we did not get, or maybe we did not read. Anyway, the automatic check for the oil did not happen. Last time, they delivered oil to us on the following Wednrsday. But not this time. That same evening, at eight o'clock, that good man had filled both oil tanks. And the best part, he has promised to never let us run out of oil again!! Now, should we depend on him, or should we check every three months ourselves?

Not so many things have gone wrong actually. Once we walked into the laundry room at the ranch in Texas to find water on the floor that resulted in a new hot water tank. We were lucky to find the small drip early on the life of the drip. Another time we walked into the master bedroom in Nova Scotia to find the master bedroom unbearably hot. We called the heating man and he came and fixed the valve the next morning. I did wonder how our caretakers could have missed the heat in the room. By the cost of the oil bill, I believe the valve had been stuck a long time. But the worst thing that ever happened was at the lake house in Texas. This happened soon after we bought the place with David and Suzanne, and just before Christmas 1995. Ken and I arrived at the lake late at night, having arrived from Washington at six or so, had dinner with David and Suzanne and Sarah, and than headed to the lake. It was eleven p.m. when we arrived. I was first into the house, and called to Ken that there are dead animals in the house. He thought that probably diapers had been left in the house. I went looking and sure enough, dead squirells were found in several places in the house. What a mess. It took until four o'clock before the house was fit to stay in. But can you believe it? A company in town came to shampoo the carpets the next morning, which was Christmas Eve, and we found a handy man to cover the chimney with screen to keep out the critters. The carpet cleaning folks moved every piece of furniture except one. Can you believe that we found another dead squirrel under that one piece of furniture. For a while I thought it cute to call the house "The Squirrel House". Ken over ruled. Our home in Texas close to San Antonio is called "The Lake House".

April 4, 2008. Bethesda, Maryland. Betty.

Our advertising co-ordinator was leaving. Her husband, who was an official with the Corps of Engineers was being transferred to Hawaii, and of course, she was going too. Betty was working with a competitor and heard we would be needing a replacement. She was aware of our reputation and size, and she was intriged. Betty called me and of course I met her and was immediatly impressed with her style and expertise and charachter, so I hired her immediately. She started work one week before our retiring lady was leaving, so Betty learned the system. The continuity was seamless. For busy agents this is important. Actually Betty had already met with Connie to find out all about the job and the office, prior to meeting me. She did her homework. She came to work with us to take over all the advertising. Her writing skills and general competence has allowed her to expand her role.

Now this is what she does. Of course, she places and c-ordinates all our print advertising. She writes and responds to the Real Estate Commission. She writes and responds to all written complaints from the buying and selling public. She assists the agents with their marketing program and reviews most marketing materials for compliance. She is responsible for special programs for the office. Before Betty joined us, the All Office Seminar was planned and implemented by me. Since Betty joined us twelve years ago the quality of the seminars has increased and all the organization is handled by Betty. Her attention to detail is quite remarkable. She is always pleasant and effecient, so much so you forget how effective she is and just take her competence for granted. I have suggested in the past that we transfer the typing the ads in th the Post be delegated, but she reminds me gently that she joined us to do the advertising and she would like to do it herself. The other thing she does is the keeping of the notes at our Gold Lunch. She then organizes the information, word processes the remarks, then e mails to all the agents the wisdom gleaned from the top agents. This passing through to all the agents from the top agents has been helpful to all the agents in the office. Before Betty, I took on that role. Since Betty, the information is more helpful.

Betty is even going to come to Nova Scotia for our 50th. I am so used to Betty being in charge of all the last minute details, that she has agreed to join us for the celebration. Betty is a wonderfully competent person, but sometimes we all overlook her. Being quietly effecient is a great asset to an arganization, who can tend to not notice the powers that be. But we pay attention and we are grateful.

She is an identical twin. But that is another story.

March 3, 2008. Chevy Chase, Md. Working.

I have always thought that even if I was wealthy, I would work. When I watch movies where the action takes place in the nineteenth century, I always wonder what on earth these ladies did with themselves . Of course perhaps I would probably be the lady cleaning the country home, rather than having to dress for dinner every night. There was no wonder the ladies drank too much or became addicted to laudanum. Virginia Wolfe always said that to be happy, all a woman needed was a room of her own. I have always felt that a woman needs a life of her own, aside from the family. The most difficult time to do that is when the children are very small. My solution for me was Book Club, and Picnic Group. Then when the children went to Nursery School I went back to school, and completed an undergraduate degree in Science in order to go to Graduate School in the field of Exercise Physiology, intending to go through for a PhD in the same field. I was a Teaching Assistant while I was at graduate school, and I found I liked the teaching part better that the academic part, so when I completed my course work and was ready to do my Masters research, I went out to lunch with my friend Linda Daisley, drank a liter of wine, and signed up for the Real Estate Course. My children still hold my lack of my Masters over me. Any time I had wanted the boys to complete a task, they reminded me of my failing.

I am not sure where this work ethic comes from, but I suspect it is genetic, but maybe that is too easy. I suspect also that it requires strong character to work hard if you already have lots and lots of money. Gerry and I at work were discussing the people both of us know who are very wealthy and also have a full career. I still see ladies who have no intention of ever returning to the real world of work. I see a lot of ladies in Texas in that catagory. I always think they forget they live in 2008, not 1908. The Salvation Army was early to keep the ladies working. It is still the fact today that in order to be an Officer in the Salvation Army both husband and wife had to be made Officers. This was done right from the beginning of the organization. In the mid nineteenth century this was not normal at all. Perhaps that why my Grandparents were attracted to the organization. What ever the reason, working hard and long is in my blood. My Mother dies the day after she had been working, and my Father died on the job. My Grandmother at 95 was still giving talks to women's groups.

I will never know the answer, but I always wondered how hard I would work if I was wealthy. But I will never find out. That is probably a very good thing!!

April 2, 2008. Chevy Chase, Md. Carol E.

Next came Carol E. Adrea was an agent in the office. We had worked together for many years. In fact she was one of the five agents called the Leper Colony that met together each week to try to get better at our job. I put the group together because I can not come up with ideas. My creative brain does not function, but I am good at implementing ideas. Adrea was a very exacting and difficult person, but she had zillions of ideas, so the group worked well. Then I became the Manager in the same office. Adrea is perhaps the most difficult person I have ever known, and when Adrea told me she had met a service person at the Chevy Chase Bank who actually satisfied her needs, I knew that service person was something special. Now Adrea and I were friends, but I know how she drives most service people to drink. During Adrea's meeting with the bank official, she asked why with such impressive talents, the bank employee hadn't been promoted. The response back was typical. "I have not been promoted because I am a woman and I come from St. Kits."

Adrea came to me raving about this person, Carol Encarnacion, who was able to deal with her issues. I listened and suggested that Carol E. call to talk to me. Once again, I had no job opening, and once again I interviewed Carol E. And I liked her immediately. Now that was 1988, just after Regina came to work with us. I sounds as if I was loosing my staff one after the other, but what actually happened was that I was trying to get our systems into a more effecient manner, and the two long time staff members were not quite able to see the benefits. One by one they resigned. Now I had another job opening, and I called Carol E. She came to work with us three weeks after Regina, and they have worked together ever since. Carol is the best cheer leader in the office. She is unfailingly enthusiatic and encouraging to the agents. She does not yell or get upset at anything at any time. But the best part is that she does not make mistakes. Now that is not quite true. In all the years Carol has worked with me she has two or three errors.

Her job is to handle anything with money and sales. When she joined us, our volume for the year was about one hundred and Fifty Million in sales. Now our annual sales volume for the past five years has exceeded one and a quarter Billion. And Carol still is able to process all the cases. In addition to her job with the cases she takes the minutes of our sales meetings, organizes the information and word processes the finished product for the agents. Of course, she is from St. Kits, so the additions and deletions are not quite as we did, but they are all interesting. Perhaps the most important task she performs for the office is deciding our monthly goal. At the beginning of each month, Carol E. stands up at the sales meeting and tells the agents what she expect the agents will do in volume this month. She has previously consulted her cards and last years volume, and then makes her announcement. Most of the time, the agents do as she asks. If they are slow to bring in their contracts, she has been known to change her goal in the middle of the month!!

Carol E. and Regina are very different from the other, but they work together very well and have done for almost twenty years. One other thing about Carol E. At a check up with the Doctor, she was told that she had high blood pressure and high cholesterol. The Doctor wanted to start her on medicine, but she refused and made a deal with the good Doctor that she would change her diet and eexrcise for six months. If they were not down to normal, she would take the medicine. She still does not eat any fat, she is very thin and she runs many marathons. The Doctor is happy.

April 1, 2008. Chevy Chase, Md. More Blossoms.

Come now!! The cherry trees in Kenwood are at their peak. The day was warm and sunny and every bud had opened. I snuck home from work early today to take a walk with Ken. Of course the streets were crowded with people and cars and children. I have never understood the desire to take hundreds of pictures of the cherry trees, but the cameras were in force today too. Many poor folks were waiting with their camera on the tripod, waiting for the cars to stop driving down that particular road, or waiting for the sun to come out at the same time as the street being clear. It would be a long wait because there many many cars and many many people and many many children. We just kept walking.

Now I do not have the whole story. I have a bit, and the bit I know is interesting in an American kind a way. Regina, like the rest of us had 8 great-grandparents. Two of those 8 great-grandparents were black. Either just before or after the Civil War, some ancestors were given land in North Carolina. The offspring of the owners of that land still own that land. With the migration out of the South after the Second World War, all the generation of Regina's parents and their siblings moved to New York city, where they got good jobs driving buses. The older generation stayed down south and farmed the land. The decision was made by all that when they retired, one by one they would return to their home town and live the easy life. And they did. One by one they built themselves a house on the same land they were given after the Civil War. Even now, Regina,though she dearly loves New York, expects that when she leaves Maryland will go to North Carolina, to Hendersonville. It is an interesting story.

When Regina first came to work with me, at holiday times, Regina's Father would hire a bus, and drive that bus himself and pick up all the relatives on the way to Hendersonville. So bit by bit all the relatives visited with each other as they headed home for Christmas. They had a good old time on the way. It seemed like such a good idea.

Tomorrow we are going to celebrate, and have "Cocktails with Ken" at the Hard Times Cafe in Bethesda. The agents and staff were so helpful and supportive throughout his surgery and recovery that we wanted to have a party to say thank you. Ken still fades a bit in the evening, so the time for cocktails is from four to six. We are going to celebrate. But I told you already.