Vignette #7- Engagement

We had dated about 18 months prior to our engagement. Marriage had been discussed but the husband had said he wanted me to finish college first. Well, that was one of the many reasons he had come up with at the time. We were kinda at a stand still. He didn't want to budge and I wanted to budge him! So when I saw my chance, I took it....

It was late February and the husband had gotten hurt rodeoin'. We went to see the doctor in Dallas to have his shoulder looked at. Tandy, the doctor, gave the husband some pain killers and a prescription to fill. This was my chance. The husband was doped up on pain medicine and I could talk him into anything!

On the way home from Dallas, we stopped at Wal-Mart to get his prescription filled. While we were waiting on it, I lead the husband over to the jewelry counter. Somehow I convinced him that it was the perfect time to buy me a ring. And in his medicated stupper, he did! How romantic is that!

Later that night, he did get down on one knee and ask me to marry him. I said yes and he gave me the ring.

Vignette #6- Penelope House

The husband lived in Penelope for a few years. I spent many a weekend and the summers with him. He and I both would take classes at Hill College. The husband loved his house in Penelope. It was the ultimate bachelor pad. Plus it only cost him $100 in rent. There was a reason it only cost $100 a month too. At any given time, there would be a living room full of bullriders sleeping on the couches, chairs and floor.

For Valentine's Day one year, I asked the husband if I could get a lock on the bedroom door. Because a lot of the times, guys would show up in the middle of the night. I wouldn't know they were there and they didn't know I was there. And the husband would be off rodeoin' somewhere. So the husband, the thoughtful man he is, said he would get me a lock for the door. However, his version of a lock and mine were two different things. The husband hammered a nail in the door jam and bent it over. So when I wanted to "lock" the door, I would turn the nail against the door. Sweet, huh!

**For those of you wondering about the husband in the picture above, he had shoulder surgery and his arm was in a sling under his shirt**

Vignette #5- Higher Education

I spent five years at Tarleton State. Of those 5 years, two of them were spent living in the dorm. It was pretty hard for me to live in a building full of girls. I have never been good at relating to women so having the husband helped out a lot. I would spend the week going to class and working. On the weekends, he and his best friend would pick me up and take me with them to rodeos. I would get ready and sit on my bed staring out the window, just waiting for them to show up. No one ever seemed to mind me tagging along with them, or no one ever said anything to me. I was sure glad they let me go. On the weekends I couldn't go, I sat in my room or walked around Wal-Mart to pass the time. I was pretty pathetic!

That was my dorm room. The one on the second floor. It was right next to the stairs. The husband never sneaked in, I promise mom! ;o)

Vignette #4- Dating Continues

The husband was quite the charmer. On one "date", he took me to this Texaco. Bought a can of Dinty Moore Beef Stew for our supper. We took it back to my dorm room and heated it in the microwave. Dorm mates complained about the smell. They said it smelled like dog food. Believe it or not, I continued to go out with him. There was just something about him I couldn't resist!

Sweet Hubby

Today I received two dozen red roses from the husband for our anniversary. I think he is going to get the short end of the stick when it comes to anniversary presents! But come on, he has been blessed with me for all these years, what more could he ask for!

You can also see the cowgirl picture he got me on the wall. I love it!

Tense Moments

Late yesterday evening, the husband and I were puttin' out hay for the horses and cattle. We noticed the sky gettin' dark to the East. We figured it was going to storm so we finished what we were doing and took the tractor back to the neighbor's. Before we could make it to their drive, the wind picked up. It was blowing a good 60+ mph. We stopped and spoke with the neighbor who was outside on the porch watching the storm. While we were standing there, the lightning started crackin'. The husband and I decided we better get to the house.

When we got home, the chairs off the front porch were blown across the yard. We grabbed 'em and put them in the barn. As we were walking back to the house, I saw bright orange flames flaring in the distance. The lightning had started a fire.

The husband went in and called the neighbors. Asked the one neighbor that had lived there his entire life to call the fire department since he would know what roads to tell them. I went back outside and there was another fire. Then another and another. With fields of dead corn stalks around our house and pastures of dead grass, the thought of a fire being near is quite nerve racking.

The husband and I got into my truck and went to see how far the fire was from the house. With the wind blowing as hard as it was, it wouldn't take long for it to spread. The three other fires diminished pretty quickly. The largest one was still smoldering about 5 miles from the house.

We were lucky and so were the people near it. It burned in the middle of a pasture. But the roads were still treacherous. There were many downed trees along the way.

There was no where to turn around when we came to this one. So the husband just drove thru it. As it scrapped along the side of my truck, he did apologize! I told him that was okay, gives it character. We also had to dodge several cows that were out on the roads. Had a close call with a black angus. Not the color a cow needs to be in the dark of night! But we made it back without incident and finished watchin' the end of the preseason football game.

Vignette #3- Dating Starts

The day after we met, the husband called and asked if I would like to go with him to a bullridin'. I was intrigued and accepted the invitation. We rode with one of his friends, Kent, to Billy Bob's. It was quite the experience for this country girl. That was the first "big" city I had ever spent any amount of time in.

This was a first date I would never forget. The arena was inside a huge bar. Never seen anything like that before. The clowns brought me down into the arena during intermission and did a bra act with me. The husband got thrown from his bull and injured his ribs. Then I was cussed by some unknown girl in the bar for reasons I still don't quite understand. What in the world had I gotten myself into?

Vignette #2- The Meetin'

It was my first week at college. And as I look back on it, I truly believe it was fate.

Being the unsocial loner I am, I was at the college cafeteria eating by myself. A girl came up and asked if she could sit with me. I said yeah and we started talking. She said she was going out that night and asked if I would like to join her. Since my social calendar was empty, I said sure!

The husband had been working all day. His friends came in and asked him to go out. He kept turning them down but they finally wore him down. He agreed and off he went.

We both ended up at the same place that fateful night. I sat at a table by myself (hard to imagine, I'm sure) drinking water and watching tv (ever the party animal!). The husband sat with a group of friends enjoying cold beverages. Right before the last song began to play, a waitress came over and asked if I would like to meet a friend of hers. I didn't see any harm in it so I said sure. Then I turned around and saw a table full of guys! Oh crap, what had I done! I walked over and was introduced to the husband. And thus it began.........

Vignette #1- Who would have thunk it!

This was the day I left home for college (year 1995). My parents and niece saw me off. I had my car packed with all my stuff and was heading south for a 6 1/2 hour drive. I would never have thought that later that week, I would meet the guy I was going to marry. I bet my boyfriend, the one taking this picture, wouldn't expect it either! But look at this guy......

he was just too cute. And I couldn't resist those dimples! There was one thing though, he was a bullrider and I know how those bullriders are......arrogant turds! How could I fall for a bullrider? Well stay tuned and I will tell ya!

On a side note.....I truly love the husband. He cracks me up daily. Last night, after he read the blog, he came in the living room and stood next to my chair.

He said, "What are viga-netties?"

I chuckled and said, "Honey, that's vignettes and they are short stories."

He said, "Man, I was in there practicing how to say it and I still screwed it up!" He's priceless.

Back Home

I returned home late yesterday evening. Plenty tired from the training and the drive. Everyone seemed happy to see me and glad I was back. To prove that I was actually working in San Antonio, here are some pictures from the training. My batteries were going dead and I was trying to take pictures when I had a spare second. I didn't get very good ones but they are proof I did more than drink virgin daiquiris on the riverwalk.



This is the "gauntlet." Don't you want to walk thru a bunch of "redmen" wondering which one is going to attack you!

One of our participants going one on one with a "redman."

So see there, I did work while I was gone. Very important stuff.

I also received two of my anniversary presents while I as in S.A. When I arrived back to my office last night, the husband had ordered me a cowgirl picture. It had been delivered and was sitting in my office. Then when I got home, I got my other anniversary present....

my new spurs that we custom ordered. Cool, huh! Aren't they so pretty. I told the husband I was going to wear them to work today with my heels. He said he didn't think that was a good idea. What a party pooper! I think they are awesome. The husband has been wearing one of his anniversary presents already...work boots. Plus, he said I could pay for the mineral feeder he got for the cows as part of his anniversary too. We are just so romantic.

With all this anniversary talk, it got me to thinkin'. Leading up to our 10 year anniversary on August 9th, I am going to post vignettes about us meeting, dating, gettin' engaged and married. I have all kinds of good stories to keep ya entertained. Can hardly wait, huh!