Archive for the ‘The Woodlands’ Tag
Mother, Grandmother, Great-Grandmother, Agnes.
Willie Agnes Poe passed away (September 8, 2006) after three months of fighting post-surgery infection. During the last few weeks of Mother’s life, she shared stories of her childhood and often talked about playing with her close childhood friend, Fern. (They remained close throughout life.)
“We had so much fun playing in the cemetery — Can you take me back to the cemetery on the hill?’ she would ask. “I can see the man in black with a big black dog,” she would go on.
In her last days, the man in black visited her. As we were talking, she looked straight ahead, “…see him, he is here! Don’t you see him?” Then she would turn and ask, “Can you bring me a big black dog? I want a big dog! Can you get one for me?”
“Yes, we can,” would be my reply, We were making arrangements for Jill to bring one of their black labs by for Mother, just two days before she passed on.
On August 26, 2012, the family gathered in The Woodlands to celebrate the life of Willie Agnes Poe, which involved a brunch at Cru’ Wine Bar and a gathering at the pedestrian bridge over Grogan’s Mill Road.
After moving to The Woodlands in the mid-1980’s, Mother would walk the trails from her Grogan’s Landing apartment, which included the pedestrian bridge in a six-mile walk around the TPC golf course. Over time, Mother became functionally blind, limiting the trail walking, but not her walking. Early each morning she would spend a couple of hours walking back and forth over the pedestrian bridge. Our gathering at the bridge ended with a symbolic walk over Agnes’ bridge.
Why this celebration now? Because Mother had donated her body to the Texas Medical Center after her death, we didn’t have a family gathering to celebrate her life. It was our understanding that Mother’s ashes would be sent to us 2-3 years after her death. As it turned out, we didn’t receive her ashes till this past May.
Hall Cemetery
Several months after Mother’s death we got word that her brother, J.C. had died. I knew immediately we were going to Alabama. How I know just how important it was to bring closure to the Mother’s life. While in Alabama, Joy and I made a point of going to Lincoln, then two miles out to the country church and cemetery in Refuge. She was always at her happiest when talking about her childhood in Alabama, even more so during her last days with us. She always wanted to go back but knew she would only be able to in her vision of those childhood memories. It doesn’t go unnoted that with the importance of Hall Cemetery in Refuge, Alabama, Mother didn’t desire to be buried there. For her, a higher priority was to give her body to medicine.
While visiting Hall Cemetery, I wanted so to turn around and see two little girls playing in the cemetery on the hill – to see the man in black with the big dog – to hear them laughing, and see the joy when the big dog came running to the children. Instead, Joy and I walked silently, on this sunny fall morning through the small cemetery on the hill, which now represents the burial-place of the last surviving member of the Confederate army. As fate would have it, as we walked through Hall Cemetery, a black dog appeared.
By making the journey to Hall Cemetery, I have for my life captured the feeling of two little girls laughing and playing in a world that never vanished from Mother’s vision of happiness. Real or not, it was real for her – now it is real for me, and I might add, Joy.
kenne
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A Celebration Of Life
“When the child was a child, it didn’t know
It was a child
Everything for it was filled with life and all life was one
When the child, when the child
The child, child, child, child, child
And on and on and on and on, etc. And onward
With a sense of wonder
Upon the highest hill. Upon the highest hill
When the child was a child
Are you there
Shassas, shassas
Up on a highest hill
When the child was a child, was a child, was a child
Was a child, was a child, was a child, etc.
… and it’s still quivering there today”
from, Song of Being A Child
Music by Van Morrison, Words by Peter Handke
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Smoked-filled At Sunset In Montgomery Country, Texas — Image by Barbara Holland
- Fires over east Texas (tigerhawk.blogspot.com)
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Morning Walk — Image by kenne
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The Muddy Trails Bash (5k, 10k & kids fun run) started in Rob Fleming Park in The Woodlands Village of Creekside Park and ran through the George Mitchell Nature Preserve adjacent to the park. Normally a run at 5:30 p.m., in early April would be in cool, wet conditions. 
However, nothing has been normal about this year, so it shouldn’t have come to a surprise that we began the run in sunny, 85 degree weather, and instead of muddy trails along the creek side, the air was full of dust from hundreds of feet pounding the powdery trails. 
Although I run/walk regularly, this was the first timed run I’ve entered since 1992, at which time I ran a five-mile leg of a marathon relay. This time I was running 3k with my son and daughter-in-law. As expected the heat was rough on my old body, however I seem not worse from the run. It was fun!
kenne
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Panther Creek Inspiration Ranch
“Horses Healing Children”
HELP US CELEBRATE OUR 3RD ANNIVERSARY
DECEMBER 5th
Located in The Woodlands, Texas, PCI Ranch is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization using horses to enhance the lives of disabled children and their families through equine-assisted therapy. Youth challenged by health disorders, such as: different types of paralysis, Down syndrome, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, autism, and cerebral atrophy can improve their posture, muscle tone, coordination, balance, sensory/motor development, as well as speech and language skills. By also focusing on the family, all members of the family unit benefit, which has an impact on the total health of the community.
In recognition of three years of serving disabled children and their families, you can spend an evening enjoying great barbeque and learn more about the work of PCI Ranch, 6:00 p.m., Saturday, December 5th. This celebration is being held at the August Pines Equestrian Center.
You can reserve your table or individual seat at RSVP@pciranch.org or contacting Linda (713-302-3640)
Tables of 8
Blue Ribbon Table – $200.00/seat
Red Ribbon Table – $100.00/seat
Individuals – $50.00/seat
Of course, you can also contact me kenneturner@yahoo.com (281-298-1065) for additional information. Profits from this event will help support the Ranch and this much-needed committee activity in the north Houston area. If you will not be able to attend, your donation to the PCI Ranch will be most appreciated. Please share this information with your friends.
Click here to download The Ranch Hand Fall Winter 2009 newletter.
kenne
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Image by kenne
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“Pour the sun upon the ground
Stand to throw a shadow
Watch it grow into a night
And fill the spinnin’ sky.”
— townes van zandt – Highway Kind
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L to R: Rosana Lis Orienti, Maria Cristina Pardo, Veronia Mabel Pallero, Juan Ignacio Palacio and Maria Paz Sastre
Rotary District 5910 will be hosting a Group Study Exchange (GSE) team from District 4920 in Argentina for the next month. The team of four young professionals lead by a Rotarian, arrived this past Monday morning on the same flight as our team returning after one month in Argentina. Today, I had an opportunity to take photos of their presentation to the Rotary Club of The Woodlands. This GSE team is very personable and eager to learn about southeast Texas and share vocational and cultural information with us. Members of the Rotary Club of The Woodlands were very impressed with this visiting GSE team.
kenne
(Photo Set)
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Katelyn, Janie and David spent a beautiful Sunday afternoon and evening with us, which included a visit to The Woodlands Waterway Art Festival. Katelyn preferred the art on her body.
kenne
(Photo Set)
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Spring In Creekside
I declare
Cue the sun
I declare life
Cue the flowers
I declare spring
Cue the children
I declare love
I declare
Isn’t it beautiful
I declare
I declare
kenne
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This morning was a “camera morning,” so when I went out for a walk, I decided to take my camera to capture images of this frosty southeast Texas morning. The temperature was 29 degrees as I set out, with the ear-buttons of my iPod in place, down the street onto one of the many walking trails in The Woodlands.
I only took a few photos, since the order of purposes for this morning walk was walking, noticing nature, making mental notes, listening to music, followed lastly by taking photos. “Really!!??” you question.
Some mornings, Joy and I go walking together, but this morning I headed out a little too early for her. I wasn’t expecting to see her , but as I headed back, I could see her coming down the trail. But, to my surprise, she was carrying a cup of coffee in hand. Since I made coffee before leaving, and this being a chilly morning, it was too tempting for her to pass-up. Her walking with a cup of coffee was surprising to me, but not a surprising as she will be when she see this posting. (Photo Set.)
kenne
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The Week That Was
No longer questioning the storm’s track,
my mission was to share the Ike experience.
In two days before Ike’s arrival, I was blogging
with no less than fourteen postings.
Either overly optimistic or just stupid,
the posting stopped 6:00 a.m. Saturday
when we lost electrical power —
so much for good intentions.
Did I underestimate Ike’s power? Yes!
We were told it would be weeks
before power would return to our community
Did I remain optimistic? Yes, expecting only days.
Did I know something others didn’t know? No!
Only a feeling, which came true in just four days.
Yet, one week after Ike’s arrival,
fifty percent of southeast Texas lacks power.
Power or none, we all remain joined at the hip,
unable to run up the pole,
able to see the answers,
but unable to respond.
Technology allowed Ike’s menacing approach
to be viewed – we knew Ike was coming.
Yet, many were not prepared
any more than the people of 1900.
What a week!
Ike brings us back to the basics,
the simple things upon which we build a life. —
and rebuild when it is destroyed.
A bad as things have been,
we all know it could have been much worse.
Twenty-five years ago, some of us lived through Alisa
and remember well the impact on the Houston area.
It was August and very hot.
Water was not an issue,
gas and ice were difficult to obtain,
but for most the power was back on in a few days.
Still, millions remain without power,
about to lose nature’s early fall temperatures.
Getting back to the basics reminds us,
Good things don’t last forever.
What a week!
While Ike damaged our roads and shelters
speculators and short sellers forced the
government to nationalize the financial community.
Again, we are reminded,
“It’s all about the basics!”
Too bad we have short memories,
but this too will pass.
kenne
(Photo Set)
Here are a couple of sites you might find interesting:
Big Picture
Surviving Hurricane Ike
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