Early morning beggars, looking forward

It was cool enough this morning that I had to put on a jacket as I was filling the truck with gas. While I was doing so a man approached me and gave me his sob story about a breakdown and how he only needed sixteen dollars more to pay the mechanic to fix it. Mind you, this is at 4:30 a.m. I did not give him anything but I was unsure if he was legitimate or one of the best cons I had come across in a while. At least, he maintained a non-threatening approach. I wondered as I was driving to work if he would have approached Mama or Victoria in the same manner and just the thought of that worried me a little.


I wonder if this morning was a harbinger or things to come.

Chase spent the evening with friends – mostly girls – at the fair. He had talked about getting a week long pass but that fell through when his friends finally decided that they were not going to go more than once or twice. I think he told me that the picture he entered in the photo contest at the fair got an Honorable Mention. Victoria’s, on the other hand, was hung upside down. They discovered the mistake as we were looking at cattle Monday morning. Needless to say, she did not win with that entry.

I have had a very busy month so far and it does not look like it will be slowing down for some time. Mama and I are beginning to forecast my time commitments into early 2012 to see what we can schedule for Thanksgiving and Christmas. It is pretty certain that both holidays will be spent in Bowie, but we have to keep our commitments in our church here in Amarillo as well as help Chase with maintaining his schedule of work and study.

We are expecting that late this year Victoria will move to Bowie and in January of next year Chase will go to New Jersey to finish his senior year. But we are not there yet so we have to stay flexible in order to get the majority of needs met. We will never meet every need in full; such a life exists only in books. But we are coming reasonably close right now.

As we were loading the truck last night Grandma pulled a chair out into the front yard and was hollering at each of the neighbors as they either arrived at their houses or as they were leaving telling each of them that they were moving to Bowie to start a farm and that Mama and I were moving into their house as soon as we could. I do not know if anyone was really interested, but she was certainly was having a time telling each one she could.

I was looking at the space available and wondering how everything was going to fit. We will find a way to make it happen but it could be a real challenge. Although it may not be as difficult as it was getting into the house we are currently living in. That was probably the biggest downsize we have done since we originally moved to West Virginia from Texas when Victoria was not even crawling.

It’s a good thing. Our wagon is too full anyway.