Finding someone who looks like you...

Our first visit with Nita

Wayne had always known that his Mother and Daddy had adopted him as an infant from Hope Cottage in Dallas.  In 1999 he was fortunate to become acquainted with the lady who gave birth to him.  His decision to undertake finding her was not something he wanted to discuss with his mother because of the fears she had of loosing the love of her son whom she had loved all his life.  It was his decision, since she was nearing the end of her life, not to worry her by telling her that he was looking for his biological mother, or later that she had been found.  He was able to locate Nita, and keep his mother from being stressed about loosing his love, which was something that would never happen anyway!

Now, after 9 years of getting to know Nita, we are still awed when we see how much she and Wayne resemble each other.  It still amazes us to know that her daughter, Wayne's younger half-sister, selected the same teaching field that he had, and that she graduated from our Alma Mater, after we were no longer on SFA's campus. Nita has said that it was wonderful being found by the son she gave up... and that she was thrilled to find that she has 3 grandchildren, and 5 great-grands.  

Nita said, according to the case history Hope Cottage shared with us, that her wish for Wayne [when she gave him up] was that he be raised in a loving, Christian home, attend church, and have the opportunity to an education.  Her wishes have been fulfilled, and she knows it. His family couldn't have loved him more, we do attend church, and he earned his bachelor's degree, and 2 masters degrees.  His family made a wonderful life for him, and Nita has been gratified to learn that she made the right decision some 65 years ago.

She and Wayne visit by phone occasionally, and we visit her a couple of times each year.  She has just spent a week in our home, and even though it was cold and windy outside, we found that we could have a nice visit inside!   

Some of our time was spent sitting at the kitchen table, drinking coffee, and watching birds enjoy the feast that Wayne provides for them on a daily basis...

Wayne and 'Nita

The Princes at Bandera's Jr. Livestock Show

Hunter takes time before going into the show ring to explain to his pig the importance of giving the judge plenty of opportunities to make a proper evaluation. 

Once in the ring he did an excellent job, keeping his pig in the judge's line of vision, and on the move, but not taking away from others who were showing with him.   

Only a few steps into the show ring and... Here comes the judge!

Not all of the entries can be "numero uno," but we had high hopes for our pigs.   

The judge did like the way our pigs looked, because he looked them over...

 more than once.   

Caitlin stepped right out with confidence and showed her pig quite well.  She was very prepared and knew just what to do, keeping her pig in motion, parading for the judge to see.  She was asked to return to the ring to participate in the Jr. Showmanship Competition to end the show.

She practiced answering the questions everyone thought the judge would ask the Showmanship

competitors, but when he asked how many pounds her pig was fed each day, she only knew the number of coffee cans she served each morning and evening!  I'll bet next year she'll know!

Caitlin talks to the judge.

At the end of the day, Caitlin still loved her pig!  See her give it a kiss?!

Nanna and Pappy are so proud of their Prince competitors 

in The Bandera Jr. Livestock Show!  

Good Job Hunter-5th place 

and 

Caitlin-6th place!

***

One of the greatest perks of being a grandparent is being able to participate 

 in events that their grandchildren enjoy.  

(on the most unbiased level, of course)

Bluebirds in our Backyard

Spring mornings find Pappy and me sitting on the patio 

drinking coffee, 

having breakfast with the bluebirds!  

It takes preparations to reach the 

'feeding the babies' level of Bluebird watching.

A home has to be chosen, eggs laid, and set.

Then babies are fed and watched over. 

When they are old enough to go to the meal worm feeder  

(generously provided by Pappy) 

Daddy Blue shows them the ropes of meal worm feeding.

Mama Blue is watching for Mr. Bluebird to bring a tasty morsel 

to tide her over while she sets the eggs.

Carefully selecting their nesting site... both parents check it out.

From his perch on top of the basketball goal, 

Daddy Blue watches for any dangers that lurk about!

One of the pleasures of retirement is having time to stop to smell the roses, or in this case... see the bluebird families grow and go about their daily survival regimen in a never ending cycle.  

God's beautiful world appreciated!

A New Toy

Some time ago, I received an email advertisement for a gadget which could digitize 35mm slide pictures for use on a computer.  I was immediately intrigued, since for many years both before and after we married, SLIDE pictures were all we took.  So the gizmo was ordered, and arrived just before Thanksgiving.  After the first few pictures were digitized, I was hooked!  That was a bad thing, because I could hardly cook for the holidays... I wanted to see the old pictures that we hadn't seen in so many years!

Lena and Bob-aka Mother and Daddy

A few slides were found in my mother's jewelry box when my sister and I cleared out her house.  She had never had a slide camera, so we were puzzled.  I had discovered, by holding the slide up to a bright light, that it was people, but was not sure who.  You can imagine my shock when the clear bright 50+ year old image I had never seen before was transferred to the computer screen!  Smiling back at me were  Mother, Daddy, Grandmother, Grandaddy, Uncle Moses, and me, at  7 or 8!

Grandmother, Laney, Grandaddy

This is the original slide I cropped to get the other two pictures.

L to R Uncle Moses, Grandmother, me, Grandaddy, 

Mother, and Daddy.

This was taken on Grandmother and Grandaddy's front porch.  

I am sure as I find other treasures on film, I will add them to this blog.