Cheers to Folks of Leakey “Our Friends”

I am writing this to express my thoughts for you! Our dear friends, comrades that I wish to salute with cheers! For all the many good times spent, they are a gift to treasure.

We lived Corpus Christi in the year of February 1950 established Tollett Motor Company raised our four children. In 1981 moved opened wholesale car business in San Antonio on our way to live life in serenity of Real County along the Frio River eventually.

This is when life changed bringing us closer to the time we would challenge the dream for going west to live to be in Leakey with a community of people we had yet to meet.

A decisive strength to enjoy must be God’s plan, I exclaim; a delight is within us opens for asking “can it be our fortune to experience the unknown?” How could I dare to speculate the gratitude I one day to feel for friends of the hill country that I am granted to meet?

Thank you is a bit short of what I want to say. Pleasures were met in folks of welcoming spirits, truly sincere friendships wrapped us with warmth and joy for having chanced to be acquainted; all memory of you will always be cherished. Your face comes with your name a glow as clarity in long lasting memoirs for Tommy and me.

So we say “cheers to those we now know!” Leaving our heartfelt desires! Tommy and I fulfilled a dream! Out west there “between beautiful hills” “not for sale” are four acres on Burditt Road heirs our family to claim! They’ll too call out “cheers” sharing our vision!

At home six plus years on the crystal clear frigid waters of the Frio River it is where the mighty Cypress Trees adorn the banks of which I speak to you my friends.

Turkeys going to roost and leaving their perch is like an opera ode. You will the next morning at first light behold the sounds of the turkey wings out stretched to allow a descent safely to God’s earth. Moving swiftly for cover, turkeys go to gather food always to return to a new perch that predators cannot lay ambush.

The wakening sounds sometimes are seasonal breezes rustling dropping cypress nuts, Acorns and native pecans that provide food abundance for wild life and turkeys to relish. Cool waters passing over the river rocks to become smooth and smoother rolling along pushed forcefully tumbling for many shapes to form.

Playfully we seek to find a perfect shaped rock. Walking aside the river seeing deer roam, my love found a large heart rock that he gave to me. Saying “it is to show the devotion we have for each other.” We can proclaim that our teenage romance has lasted now for sixty plus years of celebrated marriage.

Written by Ava with fondness and shout of “cheers to all”!

Me and Thee

When it was me and thee how we could agree

We would say good morning and good nights
Greetings in and out always cheerful spirit lights

That is how it was for me and thee since met
Now it is not how it is for me and yet

The yearning for you at the coming home here
For all the going to and from grieves me to be near

About our house the shoes in the way
Looking for you all through the day

Wiping the shaving hairs whiskers in the lavatory
My hands to feel the familiar, you are in glory

Me and thee we shared like duties of Bobbie say
Such as me cooking, thee put dishes away

Should unlikely to reminisce all thee wants
And then me can suggests many of our taunts

Share and share alike it was for thee and me
At times it did feel like the trend was but for thee

Moments of bliss then there were times we did not kiss

Missing you with all regrets aside
Having be one heart were and stayed to abide

Could this have been me instead of thee?

Plea Never Go Away

Want his memories to never go away!
I plea stay with me this day!
As I find a toothpick upon the floor
Near to my dears chair I adore

Your face comes into view that I might
Smiles meant so much at sight
Spouse’s splendor our love a treasure
For it just cannot be of measure
Those feelings we shared
Always knew how you cared

Tear filled eyes from so deep
Know God’s grace I am to weep
Bring reality back Father I ask
My love you are there and my task
An earthling being prayers to ward
Off, all the heartaches bard

Today I found your boot pull
Hidden next to our closet wall a tool
Grandson at work I must call
For he will want all
Family namesake your size boot
Now will that be a “hoot”?

Proudly stepping to make own life story
Knows where his grandpa’s in glory
Wants memoirs of him told
Seized securely in his heart does hold
He too asks never go away
May prayer comfort us this day?

Written for family to honor
Grandpa Tommy

The Last to Treasure

There comfortable he beside me
Twas 2008 New Years Eve
Waken my love, whistles bells ringing
Body cold not a stirring
Gently I bring covers over him
Blanket motion ever so still

He in dept of peaceful sleep
Quietly leave our bedroom I creep
For my love awaited a midnight kiss
For this I shall all the time miss
As also his adoring smile, he gave
At sight of me always, to say
Forever yours “my little darling”
Beloved tenderly spoken each morning

My thoughts expect his awake at AM
Though Angels maybe have touched him
Curiously I approach our bedside
Seeing him in peaceful silence decide
Yes, his soul’s in heaven our Lord did take
For me I am yet by graces to make

Should my Lord call I feel
Expectation waits upon Christ to appear
This destiny is real
From within me cries God is near
The last treasure, forever ours, my dear!

Our Last New Years’ Eve


The last evening we spent together
Dear I am unaware of this to be forever

Granted and so important to me
And to our cat “Bobbie”

To say “Happy New Years” with a kiss
Leaving early the room not to miss
Asking should I want to sleep go
Only if he and I could know

Destiny retiring to bed a trust
Then please set the alarm for us

New York to drop the ball there
Texas time eleven here

Our last day and supper were a delight
Recalling New Years Eve night

We shared a moment in time
I shall always be thankfully sublime
He shall have no pain no more tears to bear
Taken to be with his creator is my dear

Missing him I am sorrowful
Exclaim this to be truthful
Sadness becomes me at no effort
However must endeavor
Asking God’s mercies to honor his life daily
Joy rains over me mostly

Visions for me are he waits that we may
“Stroll over Heaven some fine day”
Just as the song suggestion!
Sung
By artist Alan Jackson

Thoughts of blessings received now are joy to me
Conversing my dearest talked of how He

His desire to have death come while in sleep
Granted this wish from God as I am gladly deep

A true blessed gift to me and my love
Faith knows our hearts this comes from above

Tommy and I had sixty plus years since 1948
Celebrated our anniversary June 12th of year 2008

At supper each day is visit time of aching
Of his love for me I am thinking
A loyal faithful husband a fine man
I will remember him as grand

To who had the pleasures to know him be?
All encourager lift of spirits to see
His most notable smiles of outgoingness
Tommy will always be missed

When I need support encouragement
His likeable smile a backup a mindset
Think of his attitude stand
True grit a hard working man
Lived his life daily plan all seven
Certain one day to be in Heaven

Parade Celebrates

Build a float plan to parade on July fourth in small town Leakey Texas USA. Our ranch children were few in the first days to join into the celebrations.

Tommy, Sue and Max as supporters we began on the hot days of summer prior to the Jubilee determined to have an exhibit float. We are volunteers of the Big Spring Ranch for Children a second Campus to the Hill Country Youth Ranch located in the beloved hill country town of Ingram Texas. These ranches are known for the type of foster care given to a state awarded misfortunate abused child. I found so much love for all the above and felt a dedication to a goal.

My goal is to have a part of the scene described above. I wished as other volunteers to bring happiness to saddened souls of the young sent from their mixed up life to experience other choices. Bring another vision that they may choose as parents someday to not make the same mistakes existing in their homes.

I am creative a spirit of untiring desires to bring about a float of which I had not experience to build. Our sixteen foot trailer with ramps we pulled with a Chevy red truck this is my base for the float to be built. Gathering of information for myself I seek “how to build a float.” The internet is my source for a desired plan. Without dollars to spend a budget limited I seek to get together needed items. List consists of used carpet, sheets from the thrift store in Ingram, I choose navy blue to continue my theme of red, white and blue a natural for any Fourth of July float. The chicken wire base wrapped around the two ramps which stood grandly on the back of the trailer shall become firecrackers such as a giant roman candle. I made cloth tubing over them of basic scrap materials and we are on the track for our float design. Stable gun and wire being necessary mechanics and skirting of plastic hung on all sides of the rails of the trailer. Safety first must be considered as delicate children will be riding the float as participants. A sign is painted to be along each side to read “Children are the Sparks of Life” our theme.

Another of my friends of Leakey a home town born volunteer also would help sew the colorful costumes worn by the ranch children; they depict to be illustrated that of firecrackers. The outfit is made of felt; it is very warm material for the month of July. Baseball caps are created to be the toppers and we spent hours having each child design, paint, glitter their clothing and basic caps. Diane and I had meetings with each child for fittings etc. The children are very enthusiastic for the project.

Our float is named “Children are the Spark of Life”; we all agree to the concept. The ranch children would recite for the judges and parade audience at the Announcer’s Stand. Waving the American flags as we parade through the crowed streets of two thousand plus visitors to the very small town of approximate four hundred locals. The “Pledge of Allegiance” was boldly spoken for the entire vicinity crowded near to hear and see their posture for same. With hands crossed over their chest they recite the pledge from memory.

Our float is decked with these precious beings. Friendly people are grandly proud for all could see God’s most valued gift “children”. Throwing out to the crowds many kinds of trinkets and sweet treats with smiling happiness for appreciative “parade lovers” who had brought their young families to enjoy a traditional celebrating of July Fourth Jubilee on the state highway 83 a main street for this west Texas town known to few over the states in America we love.

Yes, indeed our float won the first place Trophy Prize; how could it not? For God’s beloved children aboard a very modest but symbolic patriotic themed homemade float is created to celebrate a parade. Our 1999 parade Grand Marshall of past year rode in the bed of the pick up in a red leather swivel chair waving to the crowds as they cheer her appearance. It is none-other than Oma Bell Perry a generous grand lady who had given her land of seven thousand acres for the intergenerational concept forming a village living on her inherited family ranch. It is a fortunate child who resides to become citizens of the future whom dwell on the Big Springs Ranch for Children and all call Oma Bell their “Granny” giving her hugs of respect with love. There are house parents for each homestead with grandparents’ Cottages next to them. All of these places for children to live are of beautiful native rock built along the Frio River in Real County. The ranch is nine miles north on highway 83 meandering through the hills to Leakey Texas.

As a volunteer for many more years my life had become fulfilled with the joys of seeing history in the making for future families changed by the concepts presented to them. I have such pride to have had this privilege to be a volunteer worker of this day.

Written for my family, Mom