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The North wind was about as strong as you can imagine on a bright January day, long ago on a hilltop called Highland Cemetery South of Stonewall. My wife’s Uncle Jack had died the week before and he wanted to be buried there in Stonewall. So here we all were. I had never met or seen this uncle before, but I noted he looked very respectable in his casket dressed in a fine cowboy suit.
Read moreI did fairly good on memory stuff until I got to be about 80. Then I noticed it was hard for me to remember some people’s names. Names of some trees also come to mind. I have an ancient Box Elder tree in my back yard but alas, someone asked me one day what kind of tree it was and that was when I first noticed that its name had left me. Names of old friends—they came and went. But mostly I get by cause if I forget your name down at the post office, relax. It will come to me after I get home. Which brings me to another subject: Computers.
Read moreIt has been said tough times never last but tough people do. The world we knew that practiced capitalism fell apart in 1929. Many liberals world-wide said basically the same thing: “We knew it would happen.” And it appeared for a few years that they might be right. It was an opportunistic time for the critics to effect change. Their time to step forward and do it. But alas for them, the American economy revived, adjusted and by the time the big war came around in 1941 things were OK again. Our country has gone through a lot of change since that war ended in 1945. We have changed in our tastes for music (again alas) the arts and lots of things and many say we have created a generation of so-called softies and a more liberal population.
Read moreWe have had several Pandemics over the past 100 years or so. Some of them as scary as this Covid virus. The worse in our times was back 1918, the flu. The scariest one of my own time was the old infectious Polio. This virus, like COVID could kill you— quick. And It very often caused paralysis in the surviving victim’s leg or other extremities. When I was a kid back in the 1940’s I was often warned about Polio, but I had little fear of it. Like everyone else, I had other things on my mind. I was busy.
Read moreWhen I was small my Grandma Armstrong would head out for the woods. No one seemed to be interested in what she was doing but she was out hunting plants. She would return with roots and such and make medicines out of them. She knew what she was doing I guess because along with her home remedies she knew what to do for a sick child and for that matter anyone who was sick. The stuff seemed to work. At least folks said it did. I know my grandma loved me better than anyone (so I supposed) but sometimes I hated to go to Lula because once the hugging was over (or was that my physical she was doing?) she seemed to sense something was wrong with me. And I don’t care to hear you say, “Well we all knew that.”
Read moreAlongside I-40 going into Oklahoma City is a large billboard informing passersby that a large percentage of Oklahoma’s children face a hungry bedtime. In other words, need food. When I saw it, I thought of the old “Feed the Children” programs picturing little skinny starving kids needing some food and we need to “give” some money. But this was right here in America and that disturbs me. In fact, I do not believe it. These programs may be running to take financial care of those who happen to be running them with feeding kids as a secondary factor.
Read moreIt is true. Football season is finally here. Especially for OU, OSU and our Allen Mustangs. But things are vastly different this season from any season ever. It is this confounded Covid-19. It is got everything, especially my perceptions all messed up. Of course, it is a sorry day indeed that I cannot make my own football games. I am in that group of old people who have immune problems which my doctor says would make my having a case of Corona Virus most likely be fatal. And I am still held captive by my wife of 62 years from attending my church and any other gatherings. So, if you see me at any, do not tell her.
Read moreI do not know just how this is all going to work out. I saw the “Mighty Mustangs” on the cover of the Advocate last week. They looked capable but I must admit I didn’t recognize many of them. Well a few perhaps. Last season was our 100 year to play football and by now we ought to be getting it down pat. Also, last year we sprang off to this real happy 100 th start only to see some key players injured and taken out of the picture. We ended the season outside the playoffs something — we have a chance to fix this 101 st year.
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