LAWS BROKEN BY GAP SCHOOL BOARD

The following newspaper article appeared in the January 30th, 2007, issue of the Bosque County News and is reprinted in its entirety AFTER the following  NOTE.

********************* NOTE:      This article is reprinted for the benefit of those who WRONGLY contended that former Cranfills Gap School Superintendent Carla Sigler and Cranfills Gap school board members Kenny Wiese, Jeff Rose, Kathie Witte, Shelly Stuart, Virgil Tindall, and Ray Sorrels broke no laws in the May 25th, 2007 special board meeting for banned valedictorian Kaitlan Head.

Contrary to local popular belief,  LAWS WERE BROKEN by Carla Sigler and the Cranfills Gap School Board.  Board member Sue Lee was told by Assistant Attorney General Harry E. White that other school board members stated they went into the second closed session to call the school attorney, attempted to call him, but could not get hold of him.

 As Sue Lee was present in the second closed session, she knew for a fact NO ATTEMPT WAS MADE to call the school attorney, and he was not present.  By stating an attempt was made to call the attorney but the board couldn't get hold of him, the board effectively removed proof of their and Sigler's intent to break the law, thus avoiding criminal prosecution and conviction.

The original charge against the board was that Sigler and the school board had violated the Texas Open Meetings Act by going into closed session under "Consultation with Attorney", but did not call the attorney, thus violating the law.****************************************  

 The Bosque County Article titled     "NO  'INTENT'  TO BREAK LAW BY CRANFILLS GAP SCHOOL BOARD, AG CONCLUDES"            is as follows:

By Evan Moore,  Bosque County News

Cranfills Gap--The Texas Attorney General's Office has completed an investigation of alleged violations of the open meetings act by the Cranfills Gap school board and taken no action in the case.

Assistant Attorney General Harry E. White and investigator Lance Idol  questioned board members on Friday, January 18th, 2007. A spokesman for the attorney general's office said they reached the conclusion that the investigation "didn't reveal enough evidence for a criminal case. There was nothing to take to a grand jury."

More specifically, the spokesman said there was no proof of "intent" to violate the law, a requirement for criminal prosecuton.

The case stems from disciplinary action former school Superintendent Carla Sigler attempted to take against Cranfills Gap 2007 valedictorian Kaitlan Head for an altercation Head was involved in with salutatorian Sarah Sellers.

Sigler attempted to expel Head and strip her of her valedictorian status. When Head and her family insisted upon an open hearing on the matter, the board went into closed session twice, saying they were going to consult with their attorney, despite protests by Head's attorney, John Cullar, and the Bosque County News.

Later, board member Sue Lee (who also is Kaitlan Head's aunt) filed a complaint stating the board never called the attorney during the second closed session and that Sigler had attempted to enter evidence against Kaitlan Head in the meeting, another violation.

Cranfills Gap School Board President Kenney Wiese said the attorney general's action should end the matter. "They just said the case was closed, that they weren't going to pursue the matter any further," said Wiese. "I tried to get a statement from them, but I couldn't."

Lee, after talking to the attorney general representatives, said White told her there were violations but not enough evidence to sustain a charge. "He said that while there were serious violations to warrant this investigation, there is not enough evidence to sustain a criminal prosecution," said Lee.

Lee said that, while she was not satisfied with the result, she did not discredit the attorney general's office."   The (Bosque County) district attorney and the attorney general's office spent a lot of time on this investigation,"  she said. "I'm sure they did a thorough job. 

****************END OF ARTICLE *******************  

*************FOOTNOTE   by   ALittleRanchGal:    The bottom line is that the Cranfills Gap school board lied to protect themselves from criminal charges. They know it. Sue Lee knows it. The town of Cranfills Gap knows it. I know it. The whole world knows it. And God knows it. I just hope they can live with themselves.***********

 

 

 

Something Named Carla: Stay Tuned

 Mysteries fascinate me immensely. I love a good mystery! How, what, when, where, and --most important of all--WHY did this happen? In solving a mystery, you must first gather the known facts, determine to what extent they fit together, and then come to a conclusion of probability.

 Sometimes the facts are so straightforward and in your face, it doesn't take much thinking to figure it out. Most things are not that great a mystery anyway. Sometimes, it's so obvious, you don't see it when it is staring you right in the face. Sometimes, it's hard to believe.  It may be so bold, so daring, so outrageous, and so hard to believe that anyone would have the nerve to do that. However, it is still the truth of the mystery. And sometimes, the truth really is stranger than fiction.

I have often wondered how former Cranfills Gap ISD Superintendent Carla Sigler was able to manipulate so many people into willingly doing her bidding. The facts show that much of what she did was harmful to others.   Much of what she did went so far beyond the realm of acceptable treatment of her fellow man, it is truly incomprehensible.

 I wonder how it was that so many apparently sane and normal people----especially Cranfills Gap school board members Kenny Wiese, Jeff Rose, Kathie Witte, Shelly Stuart, Virgil Tindall, and Ray Sorrels--- were willing to jump on Carla Sigler's bandwagon. Even today, with the Cranfills Gap school and town facing the unpleasant aftermath of her short stay, there are those who are still Carla Sigler's greatest supporters. They still vociferiously defend her to the death--- How dare you say anything bad about Dear Carla, my dear friend!

 Many of Carla's supporters still readily attack her detractors in private and in public. They spurn the friendship of those they had known and been friends with for many years--sometimes decades--even when it has come to light that things are not what they seemed to be, that Carla wasn't that saint they so loudly proclaimed her to be.  

Is it pride that prevents a person from saying to that old friend and neighbor, Gee, I wish all this hadn't happened this way... perhaps I misjudged some things, wish we could find a way to get past it? Is it having to admit you might have been wrong --just a little bit--about Carla Sigler, that whatever you thought about her, you must now recognize and accept the fact that the school and the town have suffered almost from the moment of her arrival.

 A brief apology could go a long way toward healing the town. It probably will never happen in Cranfills Gap, even for the sake of the school and the town. Most of those who supported Carla don't feel they have anything to apologize for. For those folks, it's a simple case of , "You are WRONG, and I am RIGHT! So there!!!!! "

This was proven by all the ridiculous comments on the KWTX Channel 10 website made by her supporters that ignored facts. Her supporters wouldn't even acknowledge that the Attorney General did find that Sigler and the Gap school board had broken the law and that there was serious wrongdoing by the board in the treatment of banned valedictorian Kaitlan Head in May of 2007.  

 The sometimes vicious comments by defenders and supporters of Carla Sigler and the Gap school board consisted mainly of personal attacks.  (You can determine this for yourself by Googling "cranfills gap school board" and accessing the KWTX news website listed which is about the fourth article down.)

Could it be that Carla's supporters never really liked those people anyway and were just pretending to like them all those years? Why would they suddenly turn their backs on old friends who were good neighbors and benefactors and supporters of the school and town for many years? You don't just wake up one morning and decide, Well, today is the day I am no longer friends with So-and-So, just because I feel like it. NO, something happens to change your mind. SOMETHING NAMED CARLA!

It may be too late to recover the magic and special qualities that not long ago were Cranfills Gap. It may have gone too far for any reconciliation, in whatever form, to ever take place. Human nature makes us mostly look out for ourselves, as proven by the Gap school board's willingness to lie to an Assistant Attorney General to protect themselves. 

 Life in Cranfills Gap will go on, but it will be Life after Carla, not the better Life it was before Carla. Most folks won't be able to get past it. And that's a shame for what used to be a great little school and a wonderful little town.

 Guess the Gap will just have to live with it, as "It is what it is." Whatever the consequences may be.

NOTE:      Please stay tuned. I will write more about and give examples of the mystery of Carla in others posts...............  

 P.S. Oh, by the way, I think I may already have a title for my million-dollar book I 'm writing about a tortured lost soul and her effect on her world and the world of those around her. I'll keep you posted!

My Million Dollar Book

I am going to write a book! A million-dollar book! It will be a novel based on a true story. It will tell the incredible tale of an attractive, charming, and truly cruel woman who moves through life maliciously and gleefully  causing great harm to others. It will be a fascinating story of revenge and retaliation.

 Someone like my heroine doesn't come along often and makes for an incredibly interesting tale of suffering, wrongdoing, and its consequences. Some will hate my lovely heroine. Some will love her. There will be tantalizing flashbacks of a childhood and a mental state that cause her to do such shameful things.

It will be a saga of unbelievable twists and turns with a surprise ending--in reality, a mystery of how and why she became that vengeful, vile woman.  This will be such a fascinating human interest story! There may even be a movie made of it!

 As you can probably tell, I am very excited! Luckily for me, Real Life and The Truth really are stranger than fiction. Just like "Careless Whispers", the bestseller about the Lake Waco murders, my book will  hopefully be a book that readers won't be able to put down.

Gap Comments

I will be posting some of the comments made by Gaplionlover and others  that were left on on the KWTX website about Cranfills Gap School in Bosque County, Texas,  being named a top high school in the U.S. There are over 200 comments so I can pick and choose. Nothing like a little discussion!

Time Will Tell

Time will tell.

The fate of the Cranfills Gap School District is now in the hands of time. Students left in droves last year, mostly due to actions or inactions of former Superintendent Carla Sigler. Enrollment in a tiny school like Cranfills Gap is always teetering on a fine line. Any untoward event can tilt it to the side of dangerously low enrollment.

 The state of Texas will step in after a period of time if enrollment is too low.  If the flow of dollars from the state ceases, the school ceases. It is like having a business with no customers. No money comes in and soon the business is "out of business."

The blame for low enrollment can be laid at the feet of  2006-2007 former Cranfills Gap School Superintendent Carla Sigler. She failed to enforce school policy from the moment she was hired. Many parents were understandably upset and unhappy when their children were allowed to do things that were specifically prohibited.

Problems with teachers were not handled. One teacher who viciously hit elementary students with school textbooks and painfully twisted their little arms behind their backs when angry with them is still there. Favoritism by Sigler was rampant.She inappropriately kissed older male students on the neck and gave them full-frontal hugs.  

School rules and regulations were not followed. Public displays of affection were allowed to happen even though inappropriate and against school policy. Some uncorrected situations actually put students in unsafe situations. Add in a majority of derelict, incompetent, and corrupt school board members, and you have a recipe for disaster.

Unhappy parents had no choice but to withdraw their children when Sigler failed to rectify problems time and again when asked to do so. Sigler was asked by parents, a few of the school board members, and concerned tax-paying citizens of the Gap to do things right.  Many members of the school board don't know the law and relied on Sigler to tell them what to do. In many instances, her advice was not only incorrect but illegal, causing even more problems for the school district.

 In retrospect,  Cranfills Gap school board members Kenny Wiese, Jeff Rose, Kathie Witte, and Shelly Stuart appear to have unconditionally supported Carla Sigler in whatever she wanted to do.

Sigler's many malicious actions caused untold damage to the school and the town of Cranfills Gap. Damage that can never be undone. In my opinion, Sigler literally poisoned the school and the town. Even though she supposedly went back to Alaska, parents have not returned their children to the Gap school.  Why would they? Problems in the school are still pervasive. The school is rife with her supporters. 

Actions by new superintendent James Scott have made some improvements. He seems to be an effective, ethical, honest and moral man with great ideas. However, it may be too little, too late. Cranfills Gap School District may be at the point where nothing anyone does is going to be enough to save it from the fate of many small country schools that no longer exist.   It is doubtful that any action at this late stage can return the Gap school to its former glory--enrollment-wise or reputation-wise. 

Sadly, the Gap school's previously good reputation is gone forever. Like all those students. And perhaps the school itself.

Time will tell.

 

Thanks!

Thank you to all  those caring folks who have offered continuing support and kindness to my niece, Kaitlan Head, the banned 2007 Valedictorian at Cranfills Gap. You will never know how much your love and support have meant to all of us.  The fact that you shared our outrage and disgust over the shameful way she was treated has sustained us. 

 Kaitlan was the 2006 Cranfills Gap Homecoming Queen. That's quite an honor for anyone, as the students themselves vote on who they want it to be. When I grew up, it seemed it was always the prettiest and most popular girl--sometimes without a brain in her head-- and not necessarily the one with a great personality who was well-liked who got the honor. It meant a lot to Kaitlan that her schoolmates thought that much of her.

Many of you wanted to know if Kaitlan had been allowed to attend the Cranfills Gap homecoming game to crown the 2007 Homecoming Queen, as is the usual custom.  The answer to that question is No, she chose not to. Actually, she was afraid she would be arrested if she set foot on school property. No one could assure her that would not be the case, so rather than take that chance, she chose not to attend. 

Though she was the Valedictorian, Kaitlan had been banned from participating in her graduation ceremony in May 2007. Former Superintendent Carla Sigler had banned Kaitlan and told her she would be arrested if she set foot on the school campus at any time. During the summer, a judge had fully exonerated Kaitlan of what she had been accused of.

 Sigler had resigned and supposedly gone back to Alaska in June 2007.  In the fall of 2007,  Gap school board members were Kenny Wiese, Jeff Rose, Kathie Witte, Shelly Stuart, Virgil Tindall,  Jackie Sorrels, and Sue Lee. Except for her aunt, Sue Lee, these were the same board members who had upheld Sigler's decision to ban her from graduation and campus.

No one would assure Kaitlan that she would not be arrested if she came on campus to crown the new queen, even though it was her right.  The chance of being publicly humiliated again was just too great for Kaitlan. With the vindictive track record of the Cranfills  Gap school board, I believe that was a wise choice. Luckily, Kaitlan realizes there are more important things in Life than being Homecoming Queen.

Kaitlan is doing okay. Working and going on with her life as well as can be expected after all that happened to her.  Kaitlan's resilient, resourceful, and lively spirit has kept all of us going. Kaitlan is a survivor.

 Whoever said Life is not Fair was so right.  My parents, Ralston and Marie--children of the tough times of the Great Depression and adults of World War II--believed in hope, faith, and doing your best with what you've got, no matter what Life threw at you. Kaitlan has their same spirit. She will one day pick up the pieces and do great things, in spite of what was maliciously done to her by Sigler and the Gap school board. Kaitlan has the kind of spirit and intelligence that will make a difference in the world.

It is Ralston and Marie's wonderful spirit of hope and faith that keeps us all going. They believed the best was yet to be. And Life goes on.

 

Attorney General's Report of Cranfills Gap School Board Investigation

I will be obtaining a copy of the final report of the Attorney General's Office investigation of former Cranfills Gap School Superintent Carla Sigler and Cranfills Gap School Board members Kenny Wiese, Jeff Rose, Kathie Witte, Shelly Stuart, Virgil Tindall, and Jackie Ray Sorrels. 

The Attorney General's Office had been investigating whether there was wrongdoing by Sigler and the school board concerning violations of the Texas Open Meetings Act. Though serious violations and wrongdoing were found, the investigation has been concluded and the case has been closed due to insufficient evidence to prove the intent necessary to prosecute and convict in a criminal case. Sue found out that board members had lied about a failed attempt to reach the school attorney, thus removing intent, to protect themselves from prosecution and conviction. 

 I will post the Attorney General's final report on my blog as soon as it is obtained.

Note:  For more information on the case, you may read my journal entry titled, "Cranfills Gap School Board Not Cleared of Wrongdoing" which is  located under my previous post, a repost by me of a piece written  by Gaplionlover about me and titled "The Devil Lives in Waco."

  

 

Repost of "The Devil Lives in Waco" by Gaplionlover

Gaplionlover, the author of the AOL journal, "Cranfills Gap, a Public Journal", wrote that her journal "is dedicated to truth and healing. It is used only to reveal facts and to continue to ensure that our town, our community, and our school remain on the path of recovery." 

 I am reposting an entry, "The Devil Lives in Waco", written by Gaplionlover posted December 13th, 2007, of which I am the subject. I would cut and paste her journal entry, except that is not possible, as it and my subsequent comment were erased when she found out I knew about it. However, I  made a copy of it before it was erased. I will reprint it --exactly word for word, with exact spelling and punctuation--- in its entirety. What was written by Gaplionlover will come first, followed by my comment. I will put the word "Beginning" at the start of the repost and the word "End" at the end of  my comment.

 *********************BEGINNING**************************

(The words of Gaplionlover)

Thursday, December 13, 2007              1:12:36 AM EST

Well----the witch just won't let us alone! She lives in Waco, but apparently is obsessed with Cranfills Gap. So, I guess I am forced to spew a little venom of my own. Oh and this post is dedicated to "blurbs of little consequence"

First, here is a fact---Kaitlan Head is not going to school like she should of and is in fact working at Sonic. Her aunt likes to claim that she was too devistated to attend school and didn't know if a "record" would follow her. Give me a freakin break. She was charged with a misdemeanor. All she would have had to do is ask her attorney and he would have told her that a misdemeanor does not keep you from attending college. If that was the case, every college student in America would be kicked out of school. I don't buy that nonsense for a minute. She just simply didn't choose to go to school.

Second, Sue, the devil's sister, is in fact not innocent. Not innocent at all. In fact, she is guilty of many acts that the GOOD people she worked with have not pushed. She in fact went into executive session herself on the evening in question and there is NO protest by her to not go into this session . Nor is there a comment upon her returning that any wrongdoings were done in executive session.  The Waco Witch keeps saying things like more truth will come out. Well, I think that is probably so, I just hope she doesn't end up hanging her own sister in the process of finding out "the truth."

Third, I don't think this "she devil" has a life. All she does is rant and rave. In fact, I think she might be on medication for some sort of chemical imbalance. In one post she prays for everyone and says she is not a vengeful person and it is up to God, etc. In the next post, she goes on and on about how she will never stop pursuing the people who wronged her poor innocent niece. Well, after her last rant I told her I would not post on her blog again and that I would instead start my own blog. Well, here it is for all you folks. I won't erase your comments like she will. Please post away!

I tried to be nice, but frankly, I am tired of her crap. My kids go to school in this school and I am tired of her and her evil twin, as well as their partner in crime, Evan Moore, printing lies. When there is positive news (which is often) coming from the Gap, he buries it in the back of the paper. When there is some of the same old same old crap it is freakin "FRONT PAGE" news. Personally, I have spoken to a lot of folks from Meridian who are getting dang tired of reading the negative stuff. If you read this Mr. Moore, enough is enough. You should read up on the law before you quote stuff as fact. The majority of the folks in this town don't want to read your negative news ANYMORE.

OK, so I dedicated this blog to truth and healing. So, I swayed a little from its intended purpose on the "healing" part, but not the "truth" portion. Even a good Christian can be pushed to the point of breaking. You know, it has been many a moon since anyone was run out of town by firelight and pitchfork, but I am beginning to think there was something to those famous events now.

Hmmmmmmm

Note: This entry has one comment:  Comment from 12/13/07  10:28 PM

(Comment by ALittleRanchGal)

Well, well, well! I am honored to be the inspiration for such a venomous post! Please call me the Witch of Elm Mott, as not lived in Waco in years. It makes my day to know I am really getting under the skin!

As to Kaitlan not going to school, on May 8th, 2007, Kaitlan had already been accepted as a student by Tarleton. Why would Kaitlan,as you state, "simply choose not to go to school"? That does not make sense at all. I wonder what could have happened between graduation and the start of college for Kaitlan. Are you one of those fake Christians who think the emotional distress, pain, and suffering Kaitlan endured should have no effect whatsoever? Your harsh words indicate a truly uncaring spirit.

Sue Lee has never claimed to be innocent of breaking the Texas Open Meetings Act on May 25th, 2007. Actions have consequences. The law is the law. Let the chips fall where they may.

I bet you did not know that I was the switchboard operator and ran the front desk of THE  DEPAUL  CENTER for SEVEN  YEARS--I had the keys to the front door, Darlin!  Mental health issues and chemical imbalances fall under the domain of Carla Sigler--nothing else could explain her cruel and malicious treatment of her fellow man.

You say your own kids go to the Gap school--hopefully, they are not exposed to the vicious teacher who hits elementary students with books and painfully twists their little arms when angry with them, the teacher that Cranfills Gap school board president Kenny Weise voted against renewing her contract, so his own children would not have to possibly suffer under her tutelage.

I am beginning to doubt your own sanity, Gap Lion Lover, that you would post a public threat--or even the hint of a public threat--in writing and on the Internet for all the world --AND THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY--to see.   Should I or anyone else be concerned for our well-being? Do I need to contact B.J. Shepherd as I did before when public threats were made by public officials in the town of Cranfills Gap?

All I am asking is that those--Carla Sigler, Kenny Weise, Jeff Rose, Kathie Witte, Shelly Stuart, Virgil Tindall, and Jackie Ray Sorrels--who broke the law to retaliate against an adult (Sue Lee) by purposely harming a child and student under their care (Kaitlan Head) are held accountable.

**************************END******************************

 

GAP SCHOOL BOARD NOT CLEARED OF WRONGDOING

Last summer, my sister, Sue Lee, a Cranfills Gap school board member, filed charges against former Cranfills Gap School Superintendent Carla Sigler and board members Kenny Wiese, Jeff Rose, Kathie Witte, Shelly Stuart, Virgil Tindall, and Jackie Ray Sorrels for violating the Texas Open Meetings Act at a May 2007 school board meeting.The Bosque County District Attorney investigated the matter, decided it had merit (meaning that there was possible wrongdoing by the board), and referred the case to the Texas Attorney General's Office for further investigation. 

 Today Sue met privately with the lawyer from the Attorney General's Office. He told her that the law had indeed been broken by Sigler and the Cranfills Gap school board. He said there was wrongdoing and "serious violations" of the Texas Open Meetings Act by Sigler and the board, and that was the reason the investigation had went so far. He also said there was not enough evidence to sustain CRIMINAL prosecutions and convictions for those violations, so the case was at an end.

From this attorney, Sue learned that other board members had given statements in which they said they had tried to call the school attorney but could not reach him at that May meeting. As she was present at that meeting, Sue knows these are in fact false statements. Although that's what board members swore happened, the truth is that there was not a failed attempt to reach the attorney. Without telling this bald-faced lie-- which would have proved Intent on their part-- board members faced prosecution and conviction. THESE BOARD MEMBERS LIED TO PROTECT THEMSELVES! 

Even though the case has ended, and no one will be prosecuted or convicted for breaking the law, the investigation proved the law was broken. Which means those in Cranfills Gap who became so upset that anyone would say laws were broken and who insisted that no laws had been broken have been proven wrong.  LAWS WERE BROKEN--law enforcement is just not able to obtain criminal prosecutions and convictions for breaking it!

 I am pleased that it is now official that Carla Sigler and the Cranfills Gap School Board did indeed break the law, even though there won't be prosecutions and convictions.They have been held accountable and found quilty of wrongdoing, though their lies have prevented further prosecutions and convictions. 

It does not surprise me that they would lie to cover their butts. Not after all the despicable, malicious, and shameful things they condoned or were part of last year. Even something as outrageous as lying under oath to law enforcement does not surprise me. Just par for the course where they are concerned.

What is scary is that these are the people in charge of the children--the students at Cranfills Gap School District. These people have a hand in readying our children as future citizens of the world. As a parent, I would not want LAWBREAKERS  and LIARS such as these anywhere near my children. These liars and hypocrites who publicly profess to be such good Christians set a truly bad example for our children.   

 

 

A Great Time of Year for Giving Gifts

Chirstmas and New Year's have come and gone. It reminded me of Christmases Past to watch the wonder and the joy on the faces of my grandchildren as they opened their presents. Some presents were what they expected and were happily received. Other presents were totally unexpected but also happily received and a perfect fit for their age and interests. They always seem amazed that Mamma (Me, the Old Granny!) thought of that item that is so particularly suitable for them. 

When I was growing up in the 1950's and '60's, many of the presents given and received were homemade. I especially treasured the crotcheted items and handmade doll clothes from either my mother, family members--the aunts, uncles, and cousins--- or dear family friends, especially Miss Leila Carroll, an eccentric older friend of the family who always swore she was Quanah Parker's long-lost daughter. And she may have been! Miss Carroll's gifts were always made and given with so much love.  Though it was a lot of fun to discuss, decide, and then make items for others,  I was never all that "crafty", though I did get the ability to draw and paint from my mother, Marie, who was quite an artist.

My sister, Sue, and I would sometimes spend hours on Christmas gifts to others, but only after night had fallen and it was too dark to ride our horses. In the wintertime, every second of daylight was precious. Sue and I were the horse-craziest girls the world has ever seen! Even now, we have a passion for good horses. Sue and I couldn't wait to get home from school, mount up--sometimes with a saddle, sometimes bareback--and light out at a high trot into Cameron Park. With the daylight fading fast, we couldn't afford to waste a minute. The picturesque trails and hills of Cameron Park and the beauty of the Bosque and the Brazos Rivers always beckoned us, and, to this day, they still do.

Once back home and before we went in to the warm house, we made sure Shorty and Rinky Dink were well-fed and warm in the cozy old wooden barn that was originally one of the Cameron Park Mule Barns. My grandfather, John William (Billy) Head, who had retired from Cameron Park as an assistant superintendent after 42 years of service to the City of Waco, had used this barn for the park work mules and then for his own livestock when mechanization took over in the 1930's and '40's. Many teams of mules had lived in that old barn.

 Sue and I would have supper with our family, do any homework, and then work a bit on the Christmas "projects". Sue could always sew better than I could and was a whiz on either of Mama's sewing machines. Sue could run the old treadle-foot sewing machine that had belonged to my mother Marie's mother, Ann Ellison, who was born Annie Belle Jones in 1894 and died in 1976. Sue did just as good on Mama's Singer "modern" automatic electric sewing machine as well and much faster. It may be that I never have had the patience to sit that still for that long.  Even today, I love to sew by hand, and I really love to crochet, but don't do much of it as it seems there are too many other enjoyable things to do.  

Marie was a wonderful seamstress. She loved to sew and made lovely clothes for everyone.  She also sewed practical items as well---sheets, blankets, quilts--whatever was needed.  If it was made of cloth, Marie sewed it best. She created many beautiful clothes for many people without charge, sometimes because they needed them, and sometimes just because she loved to sew. Sewing and making beautiful things was Marie's special gift to others.

When Mama was a child growing up in the Great Depression, her gift for sewing and design was highly valued. At that time and place in America and the world, many people still wore homemade clothing--dresses, shirts, pants, slips, coats, even underwear---as it was too costly to buy these items. Many folks had no job and very little money-- and sometimes there wasn't even any cloth available. Mama and her family and neighbors used the cloth from feedsacks--sacks that previously held animal feedstuffs such as chicken feed and were printed with beautiful patterns and colors-- to make many clothes in the Great Depression. Sometimes folks would barter --trade you something or perform a service--for items you had that they needed or wanted.

Mama and Daddy both had the best "green thumbs". I just look at a plant and it nearly dies. Sue--like my little brother Charlie, born in 1958-- can grow anything! Sometimes when money was tight, a beautiful plant with or without flowers from Mama and Daddy's greenhouse or the yard was given as a gift to others, who greatly appreciated it. 

Sometimes a very special gift of food was given to others, especially if they were in need of it, which for some folks and their large families was often.  Gifts included tall glass Mason jars filled with pickled okra, spiced peaches, pickled beets, chow-chow (Marie's specialty), and bread-and-butter pickles --all of which had been grown and canned from the Head family's large garden behind their old house at 2224 North 4th Street or from  the garden behind our new house at 2220 North 4th Street--the house that Daddy built right beside 2224 in 1948, and where I, Sue, and Charlie grew up.

Many made-from-scratch baked goods--cookies, cakes, pies, candy, sweet desserts, and loaves of fluffy white bread or specialty breads made welcome and timely gifts to those folks with bare cupboards. Sometimes, even gifts for the children of families in need were made by hand and given to their parents, so Santa would be sure to stop at their homes that Christmas.

  Many folks that lived through the Great Depression and World War II really had their priorities in order.  When you have had very little, it doesn't take much to make you happy. Amazed at surviving hard times and a horrific war, most Americans were content just to be alive and were satisfied with what they had. The most important thing to them wasn't making a lot of money or spending a lot of money on material possessions---it was spending time with their loved ones. Perhaps that is the special quality we Americans have lost over the years.

 Today, we think we need possessions--things--"Junk" as my Daddy called it--to make us happy. Perhaps if we went back to how it was done in the old days--spending less on material things--"Junk!" --Using it up, making it do, wearing it out, and  not wasting anything--- focusing on the family and spending quality time with our loved ones-- we would be much happier.

This year, my daughter Jon Marie, her husband Nick and their son Ross--my oldest grandson,who just turned fifteen and is six-foot-two and so handsome--and I haven't gotten together yet. They live nearDallas. But we will get together and celebrate Christmas one day soon. One day when President Bush isn't at his Crawford ranch and the airspace around TSTC airport isn't restricted, they may fly down here in their plane, and I can pick them up and bring them to my house for our Christmas Party! Nick is the "Flyboy" in the family!

As I spent those precious moments with my two sons, Jimmy and Bobby, and their families at Christmas, Jon Marie, Nick, and Ross were in my thoughts. Even though they weren't with us physically, they were there spiritually, to help us celebrate being together and Jesus' birthday. 

 As Jimmy and his wife Esther, Bobby and his wife Spring, the six grandkids, and I opened our gifts, we adults fondly recalled the many Christmases and New Years we had been so fortunate to have spent with Mama and Daddy--Marie and Ralston--"Granny and Grandad" to my three children-- at 2220 North 4th Street, with Cameron Park right across the road from the house. We all agreed that we had been truly blessed to have such wonderful memories of our family and such a great and generous time of year.