Sentimental Sunday: We Meet Again

Kristi, Kathyrn and ME

10 October 2007

Sheppard Airforce Base Air show

Wichita Falls, Texas

To most people a photo with their mom is not that big of a deal. 

However, to me it is!

You see, up until this particular week, I had not seen my mom in 33 years.  You heard me correctly.  When I was a little girl, her and my father divorced when I was 4.  I had not spoken to or seen her since. 

In Feb. of 2007 I had just moved to Wichita Falls and happened to be at lunch and my grandmother called.  She informed me that my dad had brought us a letter from our cousin Rene.  In the letter it told my father that she was looking for Robin and Krisit and if she didn't have the right person, to please forgive her.  If so, then she was hopping to contact us and if he didn't want to give us the letter she would understand.  Well, obviously he gave us the letter.

At first I was in shock and didn't know what to say, think or feel. 

When I went home that night, I sat down and wrote her a letter back and it wasn't very nice.  It stayed in the door of my car for months.  In late March, early April, I sat down to write another letter.  The next morning I gave it to my ex-mother in law and asked her to mail it for me.  Sometime in mid April I received a phone call shortly after I got home from Rene(my cousin).  We talked for a while that night and hung up.  The next night, we talked again and I also received a call from my mom.  I knew instantly who it was without her even telling me. 

In October of 2007, they all came to Texas to visit.  When I first saw her I was actually numb.  I was not sure how to feel or what to say.  I think for the first few days I actually walked around like a zombie.  I can't say that the visit was perfect and had a totally happy ending.  It didn't!  However, I can say that at the end of the visit I no longer had questions or regret.  It has taken the last 3 years for us to become friends.  However, I have not regrets nor hard feelings.  I can honestly say that when I leave this world that I am ok with it and no matter what I wont't leave wondering.....

Wordless Wednesday: Grandma's Lilac Tree

Sentimental Sunday

EVANS FARM

Since today is Valentines and the 1st Anniversary of "Where I Come From", I wanted to give you a look into one of my fondest memories growing up. 

When my parents divorced, my dad, sister and I moved in with my great-grandparents.  They had a small farm located in Bells, TX.  The farm was located on HWY 82 in Bells,TX.  However, since they have built a new HWY82, they have now changed it to HWY 56.  The farm is can be located by looking for the Lion's Club sign at the start of the fence line, it will be on the right side as you heading east.

See the green grass in front of the fence line?  my grea-granmother Alma had okra right there.  I remeber many times going out with her to pick vegitables for dinner.  Often times if the okra had gotten to large, she would tell me to throw it over to the cows.  I would ask her why we were feeding it to the cows and she would tell me that it was to tough for us to eat. 

One afternoon, I was apparently bored.  Everyone was laying down taking a nap or dotting over little sister.  So I went out to play and be quiet so she could sleep.  I decided to go and play with the cows.  I had been picking okra as my grandmother did and non of the wanted to come to the fence at that particular moment.  So I did what every little 5 year old would do and go to them.  LOL!  Well, my plan worked!  They loved the okra and came to me.  Only problem was, they followed me right out the fence.  I at the time didn't see any problem with it.  However, I got bored and ran to play somewhere else and left them to fend for themselves. 

The phone rang and it was our neighbor, he was calling my grandfather to tell him his cattle was out.  Papa only thought it was our nasty bull who found his way out,  Oh, No!  It was all of them.  I don't remember the exact head count, but I can tell you it was a bunch.  My Papa and my dad went out and with the help from our neighbor and his 3 sons and a couple others, they managed to round them all back up.  As they brought them in, I was told to hold the fence.  LOL!  So I would stand in front of the gate and hollar "Shew Cow, Shew!  There was one particular that didn't like me saying that to her and she came at me, so up the tree I went.  She got out again..... OOPS!  I could hear my Papa hollarin' for me, but I decided that up in the tree was the best place for me.

Later that afternoon, after all the men had rounded up the cattle they ALL came lookin' for me and asked me if I knew how they got out.  I simply told them I had been feeding them okra and they walked through the fence.  As you can imagine that didn't go over well.  So off the the wheeping willow tree I was sent to locate an apporpriate switch.  I had to make yet again, several trips as I would always come back with the smallest, finest, and tinyest branch I could find.  Each time, Papa would send me back for a bigger one. 

I get it now Papa! 

Submission #2-My Family - Word clouds - WordItOut

My Family - Word clouds - WordItOut

Well, I am rappidly working through my events and completing as many of the task as possible on Day 1. Here is my second submission for the Winter 2010 GeneaBlogger Games. This event is #4 Epand You Knowledge. The Task is to complete a surname visualization using Wordle or Word It Out. I have choosen Word It Out for this competiton. I already have a surname visualition posted in my sidebar from Wordle and didn't think that it would be fair to use that one since it was created at the beginning of Where I Come From.

Surname Partial Listing:
Baker
Bardin
Beasley
Campbell
Clark
Cordell
Dougan(Dugan)
Evans
Faleris(Faleri-Greek Lineage)
Hall
Inge
Keng
Maness
Scopis (Sgoupakou-Greek Lineage)
Walker
Williams

The Beginning....

Well, for many years I have been interested in my family history and wanted to know where my roots started and how I got here. However, I never actually knew just how to start. While in a Family Law Class in College... my professor assigned us our Final Exam the first day of class. The assignment was to create a FAMILY TREE. I signed on to Ancestory.com and from there started with me and the family I knew of. I didnt find a lot of information by the end of the year, but had some.

Until last year, had put the family research on the back burner and not thought much about it. Here and there would think it would be nice to put all the pictures I had in an album, but never did. The I moved to Wichita Falls in 2007. One afternoon while on lunch break I called my grandmother to talk to her while waiting in line at McDonalds to place my lunch order. While talking with her, she informed me that my father had received a letter from (what I thought she said was my mother...whom I had not spoke to in 33 years). However, what she said was from my cousin. She stated who she was and who she was looking for and apologized if she had the wrong person. She understood if this was the correct person that if he chose not to give my sister and I the letter. However, my father had taken the letter to my grandmother and gave it to my sister and read it to me.

It took me two months to actually write and send her a letter in response. My first attemt sat in the door of my car till October of 2007. However, the second letter was written and I had my ex-mother-in law send it for me. I knew if I didn't have her do it, I never would. It was about 3 weeks later and I received a phone call while cooking dinner one evening and it was my Cousin from MI. We talked for ever it seemed. The following night after I had spoke to Rene (my cousin), I received a phone call from another unknown number... the caller id said it was from Michigan. I had a knot in my stomach and knew instantly it was my MOTHER. 33 years of emotions came flooding over me and not sure what to do or say I answered the phone. On the other end of the phone was a very distanct "YANKEE" accent and the words "ROBIN" do you know who this is? My reply was "YES"? And she asked me who and I told her my mom. Even thought it had been 33 years since I had spoke to her and I was now 38, I remembered the voice as if it were yesterday when I had heard it. That was on April 12th, 2007. We only spoke for a few seconds and she said her phone was dying and she would call me tomorrow. I knew in my heart that was not the truth. She like I was over whelmed with emotion and didn't truly know how to handle the moment. I hung up the phone and instantly called Rene back telling her I had just spoke to "My Mother".

I did not know weather or not I would ever here from her again. However, for just a moment my wish had come true and I had found my mom. The story behind our journey is long and not always so pleasant. However, for just a moment I had turned back into a little girl. My first actually conversation with my mom other than hello, was on Friday, April 13th while sitting in the "kamikaze" at the carnaval about to do something I shouldn't be doing she called. I couldn't answer the phone as the ride had put my body upside down about 20 feet or so in the air. "Couldn't actually answer screaming in here ear... HELP" I figured when I didn't answer she would think I didn't want to talk. However, once I got down and was able to walk, I manage to sit down and call her. We talked for a short time and I explained what I was doing and would call her when we got home.

For the next several months Rene, My Mom and I talked every night. Rene and I spent the time reliving my childhood memories that I had decided where dreams. However, in reality they did exsist. My mom and I spent the time getting to know each other and catch up on life. In OCTOBER of 2007 my cousin brought her family and my mom to TEXAS. At about 2am on October 19th my Family called and said they were in Wichita Falls and LOST. I woke from falling asleep on the couch waiting and told them I would be right there. For the first time in 33 years I was about to meet my mother all over again. And also for the first time, she was about to meet her grandchildren.

Thus begins my journey......