Hudson's in Texas

Yesterday I visited with three of my cousins and met two I had not ever known. We visited in the cemetery discussed family relationships. It was wonderful. Now I have new people to talk with about genealogy. 

My father's name was Lenox Hudson. He told me his father Wiley had come to Texas from Tennessee when he was a boy. Wiley Hudson was born in 1863. The family probably left to come to Texas in 1869 or shortly after. They were recorded in the Lamar County Federal Census 1880. I don't know how long the trip would take in a covered wagon. Wiley was enrolled in school with Captain Rice in the Bogata area in the early 1880s. He was boarding with someone, perhaps Captain Rice. He met Lucy while he attended school. She was six years younger, and their correspondence did not begin, so far as I can tell, until about 1887 or 1888.

They married in February of 1893 and my father was born on December 9 of that year. 

Tax Day

Today is April 15! Tax Day! Now what am I going to do. This year I have had the most trouble I've had in a long time with taxes. I did not manage my year well. I paid lots of bills for other people, and now I'm paying double. 

I don't like to mess up on things like this. I do believe in citizens paying taxes to cover the cost of government, but when I see the government doing such stupid things. it makes me feel less responsible and less interested in paying the taxes.

The Sequester and lack of a federal budget for several years is not a good role model for citizens. We need to manage our funds and issues better than this. Some things are emergencies--you can't plan a toothache or a flat tire--they just happen and we take the heat. But we can plan most of our expenses and anticipate their cost and adjust our spending to the fit the need.

Kind of like New Year's Resolutions, this time of year is a chance to start over, plan better, make a budget. Maybe next year I'll do better.

Spring Is Such a Fun Season!

Spring is here and I have neglected my blogs; I fear the loss of the few readers I have. My daughter had surgery a couple of weeks ago on both of her feet. This has put a little more "fetch and carry" duty on me that normal. When she has surgery, she also has more pain and general need than usual, and my blogs suffer when I am distracted. Today I want to make bread for Easter. I want to try some of the exotic braided loaves with died Easter eggs nestled in the folds. 



I also hanker to write some poetry. Maybe it's the approach of spring that raises the interest in me. 

Of course, I also want to fly some kites, and view the Dogwood in bloom.

Spring has done it to me. It takes me on flights of fancy to see and do things that enrich my life, but they take time and effort and planning. It's not as easy as it once was, or maybe that's just my excuse. Wish me luck. I can make the bread and never even leave the house.

Some Things My Mother Didn't Tell Me

I think about things my mother told me a lot. Mother's have a profound effect on their children, and I am no different. But sometimes I have thoughts and ideas that feel unique and new and belong to me alone. I guess this could be called an epiphany. At least it feels like it's a sudden revelation or some new understanding of a life truth. When this happens, I want to share it with somebody, especially my mother. I want to say, "Guess what I learned, Mama."

Several years ago I studied statistics.  I learned the meaning of the standard deviation. I had been terrified of math when I was 9 clear through algebra in high school, but now I had found a real insight into the meaning of this rather advanced and technical discipline. I felt elated. I was pretty sure my children didn't want to hear about my discovery, and the teacher was not terribly impressed with my new knowledge, but if I could have shared it with my mother, she might have been thrilled for me. At least perhaps it  would have taken away the sting of the D I got in math in the fourth grade.

Winter Is a Time for Planning

Winter has characteristics that elicit predictable behaviors from me. After the tendency to hibernate passes or is satisfied, I slip into planning mode. When my grew a garden, that was a biggie for planning. He decided on what to plant where, bought a supply of seed and fertilizer, and put oil in his tiller. That's where I find myself now.

I need to lay out what I want to do this year. One big thing I have in mind is women's ministry in my church. I want to see it take off. I hope to see a more organized effort from the women in supporting the children and youth. I hope we can do a few things that foster friendships and stronger connections. And I want to do a few things that are fun for the women. I have plans to teach a class on making bread. I've done this before, and I want to do it here. I want to see a picnic or event where we fly kites--well, I really mean where the kids fly kites.

Of course, Bible study is always a biggie in church, and ministry to the sick, and support for missionaries. It is so easy to plan big exciting events when I'm sitting here watching the rain fall and the icicles form, but bringing them to fruition means a lot of work and commitment. In addition to plans, maybe I need some prayer. 

Winter Is a Time for Rest

Winter is not what it used to be when I was young. Of course, the way I remember it is fouled by the span of time and the memory is distorted by other factors. Global warming makes me believe that there was a time when winters were solid ice and lasted from November to March without a break. In actual fact, winters were never like that in the East Texas of my youth. We did have cold spells and ice. We occasionally got snow, but we never got enough for people to learn to drive in it. We sometimes got ice that would freeze the stock tanks and water troughs. It was good for a story about trying to feed the cows or hang the clothes to dry--this was before everybody had a dryer.

The "Dick and Jane" stories always showed mounds of snow and ice skating on the river. My mother and father never owned a car, so I walked to school daily in all seasons.  It was not the proverbial five miles uphill both ways, but three blocks did acquaint me with the pain of life in the cold zones. It was still cold, and we still soldiered on, but we didn't have the joy of fighting through winter like the pioneers. Our most difficult challenge was lighting a fire in the morning. We had a wood burning stove that took some effort to get going, and the inside of the house was as cold as the outside was. 

The prevailing mood of winter to me is still hibernation. I like to stay warm and enjoy scenery through the window. The penguins are fun if you watch them on TV and I remember times of braving the wind and ice when we had cows to feed. I think I felt some measure of invincibility in those episodes-I was stronger than I thought. But when the work or crisis was over, I just wanted to retreat to the warmth and comfort of the house away from the cold and strain. 

The land, grass, and trees vote for hibernation. Some of the animals do and, as far as possible, I do. I like to wrap up in a warm blanket and read poetry on cold days, but there are times when I enjoy the snow on the roof, or the icicles on the power lines, but just the sight is sufficient;I don't need to feel the sting of the wind on my face. I remember what it was like and resting until spring is appropriate. 

New Year 2013

When I began this blog, I intended to share memories and observations about my life and the society I live in. It has been a learning experience. This year I will try to improve and elevate my writing and blogging experience to a higher level. I read the writing of bloggers that I admire. I'm afraid I don't have the talent to aspire to those heights, but I really want to improve. I invite the people who read my stuff to comment, criticize, or encourage.