whoops. I just proofread my letter to you, and noticed I said we spent the night in West Montgomery. To my knowledge, ;no such place exists. It was in West Monroe, La.

Still sorry we missed you. Love you much. Daddy

Glad to hear you made it home safely and that you had a good trip. Happy New Year.

Lorraine

Well then. That'll teach me to motor off without putting your cell number on my phone, won't it?

We weren't planning to take the extra time in the beginning, to going to Houston and dropping by to see you for a bit en route was a spur-of-the-moment thing. Sorry we missed you!

Love,

d

Hi, Daddy.

I didn't know your preacher was black. How cool!

I generally have good experiences with people because I'm amiable and easy that way, but yes...I was constantly amazed at the thinly-veiled animosity (or just outright distrust) I got from some blacks in Alabama.

I had some good experiences there, too, of course. It's just that the negative ones were so overpowering that they were impossible to dismiss--and my experiences in Alabama are such a stark contrast to my experiences in Louisiana.

d

Dear one, we were gone to Houston. I don't know what time we missed you, but we are sorry we did. Mother's final doctor's appt. was scheduled in the afternoon, but we lleft at about 7.00 am to take a cat to Wayne, visit with them for a couple of hours. They are doing great. Wayne's business has picked back up, and he is working nearly every day now.

We made the appt. in plenty of time, and were out of the office before the appointed time arrived, then drove accross houston to an asian restraunt to have lunch with some Cambodian friends we have here in Nacogdioches. They had noted Friday nite that we were going to H on Monday, and since they were going on a buying trip that same day, they (she) invited us to meet them. We waited for 45 minutes, and had a leisurely and enjoyable meal with them. Then we went to a mall, and bought me a new shirt, and Mother a couple of outfits. got home about 9:30, but alas! Smiley didn't mention you had been here.

We had just gotten back fdrom Tennessee, after taking the Northern route through the snow covered mountains to North Carolina, then to Montgomery (all in one day--both stops werre business stops for the house) . Spent the night in Montgomery, then businesss next morning , then on to West Montgomery for the night. We could have made it in, but Mother was just gettiing over her illn ess, and I was MAJOR in the throws of it. We got home sometime on the 23rd.
Once again, so sorry we missed you. Noel and Shannon are in Holyoak, don't have any idea of their plan s. You may have the chance to see them,. I just haveno idea. Love you mjuch. D

Hi Daughter! We have generally had good relations with all people everywhere we go, but especially good in Alabama, virtually everywhere we have eaten. Had a lot of fun with some ladies seated next to us in Monroe, La. once, and have enjoyed many black people in that city. Met a new friend just a couple of weeks ago in Montgomery Alabama as well. Had a nice, long cnversation with her, and thouroughly enjoyed her. But, as you know, we worked with blacks here in Nacogdoches, as well, an d learned that they are people as well. Our preacher is black, as well, and well loved wherever he goes.

This is not to say I haven't had a few bad experiences. I have. But they are few, a;nd very far between. You may have just run into some racial hotspots along the way., I certainly hope that is all it is. I did, a couple of times, run into a modified situation like you describe. Hope this sort of thing doesn't continue.

Diana and all!!

Happy New Year and all the best of all the stuff that is important and good to you - love your list!!!

Linda

Diana,

In the case I heard about the charge was something along the lines of "obstructing official business." A 62-year-old woman in Cincinnati fed some meters to try to stop an officer from writing tickets on cars whose time had expired. A car parked at an expired meter is already illegaly parked. Feeding the meter would be an attempt to cover up the crime, regardless of who did it. Also, the time between the meter expiring and it being fed would be free, and we can't very well have that now can we?

Dave

I like the list, too, Diana. Wish you had come by here when your parents were gone; we were home! BTW, I need your home addy to send you the Christmas card I addressed to you!

Thanks, Dave!

That's yet another of the universe's great mysteries to me: WHY would feeding expired parking meters be illegal? (And does that include feeding your own expired parking meter?)

d

Diana,

Thank you for the good wishes, and I wish for you the same and more. It's up to you to decide what "more" is.

I like the idea of anonymous acts of kindness. I keep practicing them; I hope I never get so good that I don't have to keep practicing. (For anyone who wants to start, keep in mind that feeding expired parking meters is illegal in some places.)

Dave

Doh!

Maybe I should have called it "Some Stupid Remarks."

Thanks, Marine.

d

Hi dear............Stone Mountain is in Georgia

We have Dairy Queens up here in Canada though some are just open in the summer. The one up the road from us is open year round and serves all the fried stuff as well as frozen, sugary treats though no malts, they are a more American thing, I believe.

Our weather has finally taken a turn for the better, blue skies, snow geese thick on the ground digging up all the playing fields, cold for Vancouver weather....it's been dipping below the freezing point most nights, and rarity of rarity no rain.

I hope you had the best Christmas possible and that you have a safe drive home.

Lorraine

I totally agree with your assessment of Diana, Dave! I am proud to be her aunt!

Ms. Bann,

Thank you for explaining about Texas. I was pretty sure it wasn't part of the Confederacy but I was more curious about the social aspects, whether Texans would admit to being from "the South" or whether they would hold to the distinction of being from Texas. You and Diana have answered that quite well.

As for respect, I find it's easier in the long run to assume everyone deserves resepct until proven otherwise. But in Diana's case she's proved herself respectable to my satisfaction and then some.

Dave

Diana, as usual, you gave me a few chuckles and entertained me highly. I had found out you were "out of town" and headed for Louisiana, but only after you had been gone for at least several hours. Wish you could have come by to visit, even for a few minutes!

Dave, to answer the question about Texas and Texans, which I am and have been for over 68 years, we were never part of The South at the time it was designated as such. We only joined the Union in the 1830s, but we were, even then, sort of independent, and many of our people, as in other states, had divided families when the War came. We never seceded, as far as I remember, but I may be wrong about that; I do know that one of our governors was replaced becasue he wouldn't sign the declaration. Anyway, we can still secede from the Union at any time, because we came in with the option to do so, since we had been a totally separate country.

Yes, we are Southern. But we are also Americans. And we are, now and forever, TEXANS!!! And wherever we go, we still will be Texans; maybe transplanted, but still Texans. (Diana is, but she may not be quite as rabid about it as many of us are, since she has had the opportunity to live in many different states---and even Iraq!!!)

Also, let me take this opportunity to say that I enjoy your replies to Diana's writings. And I have seen that both of you respect each other's opinions, and that is good!

I've always considered myself Southern, even though I'm from East Texas. I learned early that Texas is not a part of the South technically, but it is part of the South socially. A civilian friend of mine in California (who called me "Tex"), when he found out I was from EAST Texas, said, "Awwwww, East Texas ain't Texas. That's just West Louisiana."

But if it's more a matter of culture, as I view it, and considering things like the slave trade, convict lease systems, religious makeup, and KKK involvement of various areas...we're Southern, all right.

d

Diana,

A newspaper reported from Dallas told me I sounded like I was from Chicago, which is an advantage professionally. But when I'm tired I sound like I'm from West Virginia. I grew up in what used to be a coal mining area about 25 miles from the WV border. The accent is nowhere near Carolinian, Georgian, or those of the Gulf states. The best example I can give is in the movie Coal Miner's Daughter. But to a New Yawker it all sounds the same I suppose. (A political campaign ad a few years ago chastised a state senator from NYC for publicly stating that he thought "the Wild West started on the other side of the Hudson River.")

That reminds me of a question I never knew who to ask, but you're probably the best authority that I know. Is Texas considered part of the South? Geographically it would seem to fit but the very few natives I've known seemed to be loyal to the Republic of Texas and that was that.

Dave

Merry Christmas, Dave!

Thanks for clearing that up for me. That explains DQ's need to clarify.

Oh and...you Ohio folks don't sound anything like us, so you can rest easy.

d