Sarah, age 13, and Prairie, age 12, showing their lambs at the 4-H Livestock Show, February 25, 1995.

Nancy Endres, just one day before her 48th birthday, and "Beauty", after the 4th Annual "Saddle Up for St. Jude's" trail ride. At Marysville, Texas, April 29, 1995.

I haven't been able to post a new picture for several days now. I don't know why; Hello BloggerBot has not been responding. So, I'll try posting without a picture, for now. I have been sick for some time now. I started a round of antibiotics for a sore throat and an ear infection on January 10th, got some better, but not all the way. Now it seems to have settled in the right side of my face, with swollen lymph glands, a puffy, weepy right eye, stuffiness, sneezing, coughing...you get the picture. I made myself go to work on Tuesday, but by Tuesday night I was BAD. Went to the doctor yesterday (Wednesday) morning, and I got two shots (one in each arm) and another round of antibiotics. And I am staying home from work. Hopefully, this time around I will finally shake this bug for good. Surely by now everyone has heard about the Marines who lost their lives in a helicopter crash in Iraq; it was all over the news yesterday. The Pilot was an extended family member of ours. His name was Lyle Gordon, and he was our niece's brother-in-law. This war has finally hit close to home--and close to heart. Please keep all our troops and their families in your prayers.

Lorna (Binford) Goin, age 46, on Honeycomb, at the 4th Annual St. Jude Trail Ride sponsored by the Emerald Riders 4-H Club, at Marysville, Tx. April 29, 1995. That's Lorna's father, Thomas Binford, on the left.

Sarah Ann, age 13, on Lady, June 21, 1995. I sure need to show this picture to Rita--isn't Lady an Arabian? Hey, the cottonwood tree is still there in the front yard; too bad that's gone, now. Sarah is wearing a helmet, because that little horse scared me to death(!), and I wouldn't let her ride the young horse (not at first, anyway) without that protection. It's too bad she's gone; I'll bet by now she'd be a good, calm, mature mare. She WAS a pretty little thing, wasn't she?

Sarah Hess, age 13, on "Honey Bun", with Prairie on Blackjack in the background. At Prairie's house, January 1, 1995.

Prairie Endres, age 12, on "Blackjack", and Sarah on Honey in the background. At Prairie's house, January 1, 1995.

Momma Cat, adopted from the Kohler's on May 26, 1992 as a kitten. Here she is about 3 years old...April 9, 1995. Guess that means she'll be 13 this Spring.

Sarah Hess, age 13, won First Place in the Pole Bending event, riding her good Buckskin mare, Mollie. At the COOKE COUNTY 4-H HORSE SHOW, Saturday, May 20, 1995.

Sarah, age 13, on Mollie, and her 2nd cousin, Diana Schad, age 13, on Magic, being judged at the COOKE COUNTY 4-H HORSE SHOW, at NCTC's (North Central Texas College's) Equine Center in Gainesville. Saturday, May 20, 1995.

Stacie, age 10, puts the bridle on Honey, while cousin Sarah, age 13, and her mount, Mollie, watch. June 18, 1995

Sarah Hess, age 13, on Mollie, and Stacie Yosten, age 10, on Honey, at their Grandpa & Grandma Yosten's farm. June 18, 1995.

Stacie Yosten, age 10, pulls the saddle off of "Honey" after riding. June 18, 1995

Two of Sarah's 1st cousins

This is my niece, Stacie Yosten, at age 10, bottle-feeding a baby calf. Stacie is the older sister of Andrew, below, and she is in her second year of college at NCTC, where she made the President's Honor List for the last (2004 Fall) Semester. Which means she made "a perfect 4.0 grade point average (GPA) while enrolled in at least 12 sememster credit hours". She also works 2 jobs--one for an eye doctor, and one as a waitress. She's a real neat person, as is her brother, Andy. Picture taken June 21, 1995.

This is my nephew, Andrew Yosten, already a hellcat on wheels at age 8. He is now a Senior in High School, and still riding the 4-wheelers. That's Sarah's old roping mare, Mollie, in the background, and Prairie's little mare, Honey, behind her. June 18, 1995.

Date Night

Hooray for Fridays! Worked sub-assembly all day (10 hours), and was soooo glad (not to be on the line!). Bob & I went to eat supper at The Road House (Tex-Mex), and my niece, Stacie, waited on us. I congratulated her on making the President's List at NCTC. She's in her 2nd year there. Then we went to Wal-Mart. I guess that was about enough excitement for us old folks for one day.

Here's another camping picture, but this time it's a picture of me and my baby brother, Melvin. I don't know for sure how old we are. The picture has "AUG 68" imprinted on its side, but we all know by now that that only means that the picture was DEVELOPED in August of 1968, not necessarily when it was taken. But if it WAS taken the summer of '68, I would have been 9 years old, and Melvin would have been 8. Too bad no one took the time to write any info on our family's pictures at the time. I do know, however, without a doubt, that we are at Lake Texhoma's Rock Creek. The boat ramp would be to the left (as you look at the picture), and the Point, where Kat, Sherie, Sarah and I camped 24 years later (August 1992), is beyond the boat ramp, to the east. I wish I had more pictures of those days!

Thought I'd try something a little different for tonight. Besides, I have no pictures ready for now. We worked over(time) tonight, and have to go in early (up at 3:30) in the morning, so I don't have much time to play on the computer tonight.

The last day of our 3-day campout, Sarah (age 10) does some early morning fishing. Note how clear the water was; you can see the sandy bottom. That sure was a fun campout! Saturday morning, August 22, 1992.

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It's back to school we go! First day of 5th Grade, Monday, August 24, 1992--Sarah, age 10.

Coming home after the Second day of a new school year--First Cousins: Sarah Hess, age 10-Grade 5; Stacie Yosten, age 7-Grade 2; Andrew Yosten, age 5-Kindergarten. Tuesday, August 25, 1992.

Sarah (in the white life-vest) and Sherie ride/drive the...???boat--you peddle it like a bicycle, but that spins the paddles...so, is it a peddle boat, or a paddle boat?? At Rock Creek Camp on Lake Texhoma, Friday morning, August 21, 1992.

Peddling/paddling around in the lake--Sherie (at left) and Sarah (at right). At Rock Creek Camp, Lake Texhoma, Friday morning, August 21, 1992.

"Camp Lazy", Friday afternoon, August 21, 1992. On The Point east of the boat ramp at Rock Creek on Lake Texhoma. Sarah, age 10, reading a book, on the cot; Kat Bonner, age 43, and Sherie, age 12, napping on the ground.

Sherie Bonner, age 12, and Sarah Hess, age 10, on the beach at Lake Texhoma, just east of Rock Creek. It was Day 1 of our 3-day campout; the last weekend before the start of a new school year. Thursday, August 20, 1992

Sherie, age 12, builds a sand thingy, by dribbling handfuls of watery sand. On the beach at Lake Texhoma, Thursday, August 20, 1992.

Sarah, age 10, makes her own sand creation (they look like giant crawdad holes, to me!). On the beach at Lake Texhoma, Thursday, August 20, 1992.

Sherie Bonner, age 12, shows off her handiwork: a sand-covered First Cousin, Sarah Ann Hess, age 10. At Lake Texhoma, Thursday, August 20, 1992

Sarah, age 10, and Sherie, age 12, at Lake Texhoma, east of Rock Creek. Thursday, August 20, 1992.

Sarah Hess, age 6, steals the ball for The Mavericks, at a game in Gainesville, Texas. April 9, 1988.

Sherie Bonner, age 8--playing for The Mavericks team in Gainesville, April 9, 1988.

Janette Yosten (age 13) on Nicker, and Gloria Hess (age 13) on Ginger, in front of Kat & Tom's house in Rosston, Texas, before the start of the Centennial Parade, Summer 1972. I love this picture, because it shows just how comfortable I was on a horse--any horse--back then. And because I don't have too many good pictures of my old best friend and I riding together--why is that??!! When we practically LIVED on horseback!! Notice how long my hair is...Sarah's was that long, and blonde, once. Too bad that whoever took this picture got something in the way...part of a steering wheel, perhaps? Sarah, see the black mark on Ginger's right lower rump? That was sort of a birth mark, I guess, because she had it as long as I can remember. But, do you remember that Flip also had the same thing? Curious!

Glori on Nicker and Janette on Ginger. Nicker was a true white (albino) horse; not a gray. She was big & stout, and highly nervous, but I loved riding her. Momma didn't like me to ride her, though, so Glori and I swapped for the parade. Note that I am wearing my brother Henry's Army shirt (the real thing--I loved it!), and a pair of fringed moccasins, along with my white jeans--WOW. But Glori's pretty cute, too. Neither one of us ever owned a pair of cowboy boots, that I can recall. Judging by the way that I am holding Ginger back, I do remember now that she liked to GO! By-the-way, I 'most always rode bareback back then, because I didn't have a good saddle--not until I got my grey horse, Smokey.

Gloria on Nicker and Janette on Ginger, Rosston, Texas, Centennial Parade, 1972.

Janette (age 12) and Amy (age about 2 years) on Ginger, with Tom holding "E.T." (as we called Tommy back then, who was born 4-20-71).

Amy on Ginger, Summer of 1971. Ginger's browband is slipping--was I really that sloppy of a horseman??!

E.T. (age 4) and Amy (age 5) on Ginger, Winter of '75.

This is what my Ginger looked like after she was all grown up. Obviously she wasn't hurt by being ridden so young--no sway-back here! Wasn't she beautiful?! She had the slickest, shiniest coat I've ever seen, then or now. Being half-pony, half-Quarter horse, she would be classified as a Quarter-pony now, which is considered a new breed. This picture was taken in May 1973. I was almost 14 & 1/2 years old, and Ginger was almost 5. I guess Sarah's Ranger reminds me a lot of my old Ginger...Golly, I miss that sweet mare! P.S. I just noticed that I am wearing shorts and that I am barefooted...Guess I wasn't too worried about getting my toes stepped on!

Janette & Diane with Ginger & Pony-Pone. Ginger was born August 14, 1968. I started riding her way too soon...she's just a baby here! But I was only 10 or 11 years old, and it didn't seem to bother her at all. Notice that the scary tree in the front is now gone, but my climbing tree at the left is still there.

Here is proof that the date imprinted on the top of the picture is the date that the picture was developed, not taken; and proof that whoever took this picture did not take very many pictures! It has the same date as the picture below--June '64--, but now my baby brother has been born...in fact, he looks to be about 3-6 months old. Since Mel was born February 13th, 1960, I'd say this picture was taken Spring/Summer 1960; about 4 years before it was developed! So, anyway, another great family picture-- front row: Carol, & Janette (holding daddy's hand); middle row: Henry Francis, Mom holding Melvin, Doug, & Dad; in back: Kat. We're at the southeast corner of Grandpa & Grandma Wiesman's house, where Bob & Sarah and I now live. Wow, I wish all those bushes were still here! I remember playing in & around those bushes, with Melvin, Diane & Chucky.

I really love this picture. From left to right is: my dad, Henry William, my mom, Mildred Irene, my sister, Kathleen Louise, my brother, Henry Francis, my brother, Douglas Joseph, my sister, Carol Ann, and me, Janette Marie. Momma is pregnant with baby brother, Melvin Ray. We are standing in front of Grandma & Grandpa Wiesman's house, which just happens to be MY house, now--mine and Bob's and Sarah's. The house in the background belongs to my mom's cousin, Melvin Keiser. Fifth Street runs between the two houses, now, but back then, it doesn't look like there's much of a street there, if any. I don't know when this picture was taken, but it was developed in June of 1964, according to the date imprinted at the top. Which doesn't make a lot of sense, since Melvin was born Feb. 13, 1960 (??), and I was born Nov. 30, 1958. I am certainly NOT 5 years old in that picture! I guess the film just sat around in the camera for that long...so glad my modern camera puts the date the picture was taken right on the front of the picture! And, I always try to back that up with writing more info on the back of the picture. Anyway, today was another good horse-riding day. Rita (Styx), Billy (Ben), Sarah (Lucky), Larry (1st on a mule I don't have the name of, and then on a 2 yr. old filly named Dunny), Chad (Hooda), Buddy (Norma Jean), and I (on Gabby), rode on a place owned by Sam Sparkman, just north, and northwest of, Turtle Hill Golf Course. In fact, we found quite a few golf balls in those rugged hills!

My sister Kat posed me for this photo. She even painted my nails and gave me lipstick. I didn't get to post yesterday, but it was a good day. In the morning, Sarah (on Ranger), Jonny (on Gabby), Lisa (on Apache), and Dana (on Lucky), went riding for a long time. I went out to take some pictures of them. In the afternoon, Sarah and I loaded up 2 horses, and we met with Billy & Rita at the Saint Jo Rodeo Arena. The four of us went riding on the Phillips Ranch. I rode Gabby, and Sarah rode Janet's horse, Pepper. Rita rode her Arabian gelding, Styx, and Billy rode his big sorrel gelding, Ben.