I would like to enjoy the "end" of the year normally, as most people do.

I guess if someone is involved in a private venture or business, there will always be things that need to be tended to.

I spoke late Thursday with one of my Mom's accountants. Pat and I had been trying to see if there were things we could do to ease or alleviate Memama's tax liability for 2011. Memama suffers from a common malady. Pepa had carried the 2010 crop into 2011 before marketing it. (A common practice with farmers who will harvest their crop and defer the payment until January second). Where the problem came in was that in August Memama received the all risk insurance payment for the total crop failure of 2011. In simple form, this put two years income into one calendar year. According to IRS guidelines, if it is the normal practice of an ag operation to carry forward the crop proceeds, that individual has the option to do the same with crop insurance proceeds.

Where the kicker comes in is that Pepa, Hag, and Bub had maximized Pepa's insurance coverage for 2011. Basically, Memama had a bumper crop with very little of the expense to do so.

Pat, Hag and I have been bouncing ideas around, although I have already purchased a sprayer, a planter, gps guidance system and a portable base station. We are pickup rich at the farm, so Pat has been campaigning for me to trade three pickups and get a new truck for me to drive. We have discussed including my pickup in the mix and Pat thinks that if and when Memama is gone the pickup should be mine. Her thinking is that with my work pickup the majority of the 228,000 miles have been put on it doing farm work and errands the last few years.

I have told Pat that LORD willing I would have another worn out pickup when Memama is gone.

I have found a plow up the country I would like to buy. I think with the current regiment of planting "flat", it would be an excellent fit. AND, I know if Pepa were here and I showed it to him he would agree.

There has been talk about replacing the 4850 MFWD tractor, but all offers on trade or out right purchase have fallen about 7 to 12,000 below what I deem acceptable. Of course this is the tractor that Pepa spent $54,000 on three years ago and the tractor only has about 400 hours on it since spending the majority of a year in the shop. I would love to have a 7830 in its place.

We have even talked about replacing the current workhorse 8310 with a newer tractor. Realize that I am talking "new to us". Maybe an 8330 or one of the 82 series. Now the biggest problem is that the 8310 now has refreshed or renewed depreciation. (Another IRS rule). This tractor had been totally depreciated out but now it begins over (as does all the farm equipment)at current market value.

After about four hours of analysis, after endless hours of Pats reporting preparation the accountant recommended we roll the income forward. Yesterday we received a bill for $960 for that analysis.

Who is smiling now?

To be more in depth, the accountant told me I would have to spend four dollars for every dollar reduction in tax liability for 2011.

Doesn't seem smart to me.

A newly found acorn is the fact that Memama over paid last year about $3000 and left it on deposit with the IRS. So, now we have a plan. WE are rolling forward, and we have paid a substantial portion of projected tax liability for 2011.

I spent the early part of my day at Memama's. When I arrived about eight, Uncle was reading the paper and drinking coffee. We visited about thirty minutes before Judy came in, followed by Memama and then Aunt Robbie. We visited until about ten when Wade and Judy left for Midland for their McLeod Christmas at Holly's. Of course I didn't let them leave until I had assurances they would return to pick up Robbie when they come back through. Lol!

Then it was to Colorado City to tend to some year end banking business for Carol and I. Then back to Roscoe for lunch, and an extended visit with Aunt Robbie.

She was bringing me up to speed with everything in Brownwood with her family and the family business. It just makes my heart hurt for her and for her youngest son.

But I don't believe it is my place to go past that mention here.

After that it was to Sweetwater to pick up antifreeze for the farm tractor. I figured three gallons would do it. While I was in the County seat I ran by the Tax Assessor's office and bought another month of registration for the truck running at the cotton gin on the plains.

While I was on the road I had a call returned from our former insurance agent and we made some coverage changes on the "gin equipment".

Finally about three, I was headed to make the repairs on the tractor. I replaced the belt, but not before having an issue with a three quarter inch drive ratchet or break over to rotate the belt tensioner. I don't carry a big socket set in my pickup but luckily there was one in the tractor. Then I replaced the hose. Then I poured all three gallons of antifreeze in the tractor, and it still didn't fill it. Usually I would have a "spare" gallon in my pickup but I guess at some point it has been used and I didn't replace it. So, all I could do was replace the shields I had removed to access the repair, gather my tools, secure the tractor and head back to town. By the time I got there it was not early enough to warrant purchasing the antifreeze and returning to fill the reservoir.

So, I headed to Abilene. Destination Larry's Better Burger to put the registration paperwork on the driver bulletin board in the back for Robert to pick up to take to Et.

While en route, Carol called asking if we could go out to eat. I told her O.K. to get ready and decide where. When I walked in the door she was dressed to the nines and after my inquiry she selected Chili's.

We arrived there and were immediately seated by my main margarita man Jeremy in his section. We ordered drinks and appetizer before selecting our entrees. Carol selected chicken fajitas and I selected beef fajitas.

Excellent meal. Very tasty. BUT all the sudden I had an extreme salty taste in my mouth and immediately became nauseous. I told Carol it was like drinking the fleet enema mix they use to make you drink before a colonoscopy. Carol said I turned very pale and became clammy and I knew I needed to vacate the premises. I got up and Carol stayed to settle the check. Luckily for all our dining neighbors I made it to my truck before I really got sick.

We got home and me and my dog slid between the sheets. It was about four when I woke, extremely sore, but the nausea has subsided. In fact I am very hungry. Wanted bacon and eggs but we are out of chicken fruit.

My plan for the day is football and lots of it. Currently watching the Aggies in the Big Twelve finale. I still strongly disagree with their move to the SEC and their firing of Coach Sherman. The only explanation I can offer about the SEC is the move is for women's sports. I give them three years max before they fire Coach Sumlin, and the Aggies will reminisce about the great success they had in the Big Twelve. I have said that the Aggies are only minutely integrated. Lots more whites than minorities on the team. I am sure their argument would be taking the best scholar athlete instead of the best athlete. To compete in the SEC, screw the academics. Success at any price.

I was told by a source that Case McCoy not playing in the Longhorn bowl game was a disciplinary action. Seems Case had a fit in practice preparation and threw his helmet which bounced and hit the offensive coordinator. At that point Case was told he would ride the pine.

Sunday I plan on church (single service), lunch, some NFL football and maybe a nap before watching Romo struggle against the giants. I'm sorry. I just don't see what it takes in Romo (or Jerry Jones for that matter).

Monday I will probably go back to the farm, then watch a little football.

Oh. It would be my mistake not to mention I am going to eat a lot of Black Eyed Peas Sunday!

Well. My brain is purged. I may go look for some oatmeal.

Happy New Year! May it be filled with peace and prosperity!

I think we'll call it a year, and begin a new one. Hope you had one and have a better one on the way!

FATHER, thank YOU for new beginnings. Only YOU know what YOU have in store for us in the coming year. I pray for my cousin, that he could find peace and a means to deal with his demons. To YOU be the glory!

I am ready for this year to be over.

I got back on the tractor Wednesday. Probably marginal as to whether or not is was dry enough, especially where there is some cover that prevents the sun and wind from drying it out. Of course since I am mouldboarding if I can get traction the big plow will turn the soil over.

I had already streaked all of the terraces on the Wastella farm. Making at least a round and on most two rounds. I had done this when things were wet before and the terrace tops dried out. I had decided to go back down the chalk hill and fill in between the terraces, plowing it solid. It had been a number of years since this had been done, but with this soils tendency to blow I felt it would be a good move.

Last February we were breaking this place when Pepa died, running the tractor and ripper around the clock. Pepa died on a Friday night and I didn't run any more days so the night guy moved into my shift. On the Sunday of Pepa's visitation we had a hellacious wind come in, blowing sand on the "less" than half of this farm we hadn't plowed. We fought the sand the rest of the year. Craziest part was we should have been through plowing by the time the wind came, so it was Pepa's fault.

As if he cares.

As I was topping the hill on Wednesday, I decided to mouldboard one more terrace. It is kind of a transition terrace from the chalk light soil to the deeper better rich deep soil. I was probably an hour a way from completion when I began getting warning lights. The temperature gauge was sweeping. I put the tractor nose into the wind and it began slowing and eventually cooling the water temperature down. I got out of the tractor and discovered a shredded serpentine fan belt.

Knowing Jason was at a basketball tournament, I called him and caught him almost perfect to go by John Deere at Colorado City to get the belt.

After the tractor cooled down I began idling toward my pickup. I was probably thirty yards away when the temperature began edging to the red. Almost immediately the tractor was engulfed with a steam shower.

Dang the luck. I had blown a radiator hose.

Oh well. That is where my day will start. I have all the parts. Now to install them.

Quick notes.

Yesterday would have been Freddy and Linda's 38th wedding anniversary.

Yesterday was Jake and Lindsey's 4th. Happy, Happy!

Pat and I have been working on some tax stuff for Memama. The only one who came out ahead was the accountant looking at it. Pretty much the way we expected it. We may make some additional acquisitions but after the new year.

And Pat, Hag and the boys went to Steph's yesterday to have their Christmas. Pat will stay to help Steph, JR and Chloe pick out the new baby this next week!

Gotta a busy day. Probably start it with stopping by Memama's. Wade, Judy and Robbie were due in last evening. Wade and Judy are on their way to Holly's for their McLeod Christmas and will drop Robbie off until Sunday.

Memama has been pretty blue, so we are hoping a dose of Robbie will give her a jump start!

Then I need to run by the bank at C-City and do some year end stuff.

And of course, the tractor waits . . . . . .. ... . . . ...

Have a day!

Oh LORD. What do YOU have in store for me this coming year?

Wow! Christmas preparations almost did me in.

Saturday, we did almost twelve hours preparing pieces of two Christmas meals. My back and hips were so tired of standing and working over a sink or stove.

Sunday my day began about five in the morning, preparing my candied sweet potatoes. (These are the ones that have the coffee flavored liqueur mixed with heavy cream). Probably the last time I fix this recipe.

After that I worked on four batches of peanut brittle, before getting cleaned up and getting dressed to go to Memama's.

When I arrived there, I was surprised to be the first one of the day. Immediately Memama put me to work. We made quick work of ten pounds of taters, peeled, sliced, and put in pots to boil. After that it was a mix of things that needed to be done.

Shortly Coach and Jani arrived, beginning a steady stream of family and friends!

Just like Thanksgiving, this meal was the result of many hands who volunteered to prepare different parts of the meal.

It all came together eventually, and to tide us over I brought a large pan of la popular tamales.

Finally, the meal was consumed.

After that, we did some brief cleaning before beginning the white elephant Christmas tree. Lots of hot items. A hand held spot light, Husky tool kit, 48-n-1 wrench, portable device charger, lots of lottery tickets, and even a Santa's helper see thru negligee (complete with thong). (Originally Memama selected this gift from the pile). lol!

A good time was had by all. Most of the lotto tickets had at least one winner and Courtney won enough with the lotto tickets that accompanied the Santa's helper negligee for her to buy the other parts of that ensemble.

Colby was pleased!

Of course everyone received their customary bag of Memama's home made candy!

Happy Birthday JESUS!

Happy almost Christmas!

Christmas Eve Gift! An annual race I enjoyed with Nanny (Carol's Mom) and Pepa!

We've been hard at it since early. Cooking and preparing parts of two
Christmas meals. Salads, dressing, casseroles, giblet gravy, pies, dips, candied sweet potatoes, deviled eggs .. . .. . . .... just to mention a few.

All day I have had an image in my head. Freddy at the mall!

Those who know, know, and for those of you who don't, I will fill you in. Freddy and his family had a Christmas tradition. On the night of the 23rd, they would drive to Abilene, get a motel room and prepare for a full fledged assault on stores, Christmas Eve morning. They would swim, eat out, go to a movie, and relax and enjoy family.

Then on Christmas Eve morning, it was on! No one was allowed to purchase a gift prior to this time.

If you ever ventured through the mall it was not unusual to find Freddy perched in one of the central seating areas, watching people and keeping an eye on his crew. He was a popular drop spot when purchases were becoming too bundlesome. He made the news several time, explaining that he didn't procrastinate, it was a family tradition.

I can see Freddy in the memories of my mind.

Last night Freddy's family converged on Abilene, continuing their tradition. It has expanded through Devon and Dillon, on to Dakota, and Brody and Jalin.

You can bet Freddy was on his bench and a smile was on his face.

Missing Freddy, TJ, and Pepa!

Merry Christmas!

Walking through the farm shop, I recently came across this old stove. The ceramic grates are gone, and I was surprised by the weight of the stove. The large stone "head" which retained and radiated heat accounted for the majority of the weight. As best I can tell, it is an old "Okeefe" stove.

This stove was in the living room of my grandparents home located Northwest of Roscoe. I can remember spending many a minute warming to its flame before going to bed, or running to its warmth when waking up in the morning.

As most of you know, anytime the opportunity availed itself, I stayed with Mema and Gon Gon. While this was mainly in the summer, often when Gon Gon was at the deer lease or away at stockshows with Wade, I would stay with Mema. At a very young age I must have given off a great sense of security.

We would stay in the living room, her with her wrap draped across her until she would tell me to go and turn the electric blankets on. After an adequate amount of time for them to heat up, she would turn down the flame of this stove to where you would have to look to even see blue and we would retreat to our respective beds.

Of course by the time I woke, she had turned up the flame in the living room and had something on the kitchen stove cooking as well.

Precious memories!

Been in a bad funk the last few days. just don't need to be around people. those that matter catch it for all the dumb head spineless offenders.

don't really know what has brought it on. would fix it if I could.

thing is I don't even like myself when I'm like this.

go figure.

I was informed that I am behind in my blogging.

Please understand, this blog is part of my mental therapy and helps me maintain my sanity. That said, I haven't felt too mental or too sane of late.

At this point in time, I find I correspond more than ever before in my life. I have developed a support system for my friends who guilty or not, have found themselves incarcerated. This has been done by regular letters, and for one, visits and inmate trust deposits. Only one friend remains incarcerated. By the way, neither were violent offfenders.

I'm not blowing my own horn, just explaining a few things.

In the last week I have sent twenty-three pages of correspondence to my friend who remains behind bars. I have also arranged for four publications to be sent to him by Mr. Lee (a very close friend to me). Finally, I have written and sent a certified letter to the Corley Unit requesting my friends inmate trust account be forwarded to the Federal Bureau of Prisons on his behalf.

So I have been busy in my literary efforts. Sorry if you blog readers have suffered.

As some of you are aware, my friend was recently moved from a private contractor facility to a federal facility in Houston, a stop on his way to Jessup, Georgia where he will serve his final months of his forty-one months remaining on his federal sentence.

When my friend was moved, the federal marshals took him in a room and had him strip down and put all of his clothing in a box, shoes included. They issued him new socks, underwear, pants and a shirt. No shoes. They then asked him for an address to send his TDCJ clothing to. He gave them mine. They informed him that he would not be allowed to take any personal belongings with him. No correspondences, no personal hygiene supplies, no radio. Nothing.

Luckily, his new cell mate loaned my friend his shower shoes so he wouldn't be going around sock footed.

So, I have an unopened box sitting in my office from the Federal Bureau of Prisons to show for my efforts!

One development in the Fed system is that my friend has access to a computer and last evening I received an e-mail from him after I agreed to and passed the tests of a secure e-mail system. (Every exchange is read and approved).

Recently I had received two letters from a law firm in Georgia. It was a lawyer representing my friends wife. Apparently she had waited until the statute of limitations ran out and then filed for divorce. Of course throughout this ordeal the authorities had wanted my friend to roll over on his wife and let them have her for prosecution. I now believe she played a much greater role than previously thought, and apparently she is the only one who benefited from my friends illegal activities.

My friend had asked another friend to take his wedding ring and convert it to cash. This other friend elected to give me the ring for me to sell.

I have monitored the gold market. Earlier this week it was trading at $1722 an ounce. I asked the local postmaster to weigh the ring and it weighed .2 of an ounce. I was hopeful we could get two to three hundred dollars for it because using the market as a benchmark it would be worth three hundred forty-four dollars.

The gold buyer offered sixty-five dollars. I still have the ring.

If you are looking for somewhere to give at years end, I would love for any of you to help me help my friend with daily needs or legal needs, please contact me for details.

Fitful night. Woke with a horrible episode. Took forever for my breathing and heart rate to settle down. Horrible dream. I can' tell it until after breakfast. When I went back to bed it was so quiet it was scary.

Been up since way before five.

Have a day!

FATHER, thank you for being faithful to meet my needs. You are good!

Good job Erica!

Her first venture was a half marathon and she ran a 2:12:51!

I talked with her and she was hungry! I would be too!

That put her mid pack overall, and in the top third of her gender! There are so many divisions. Age, sex, experience.

I am old, male, and I know better! Just kidding. We are proud of her! We've got so use to her we would like to keep her!

Rian said there were some neat T-shirts. One said, "Mother of 5, I run to keep my sanity!" Another said "Does this T-shirt make my butt look fast?" I think he may have snuck one for Erica for Christmas to commemorate her accomplishment!

Run the Rock Dallas! Erica did and lived to tell about it!

I got a letter from my incarcerated friend yesterday. He is now is a Fed facility but they took everything he had and boxed it and mailed it to me. Shoes, clothes, toiletries. Everything!

I sent him eleven pages of correspondence and went online and put some money on his new inmate trust account. His funds didn't transfer from the private facility. I will talk with their commander tomorrow!

It would appear the FEDs want to make it as hard as they can.

Actually I am looking for a lawyer to look into his time served with no credit. He should be approaching the point where he could be paroled.

I am contributing some funds and have a person who will match that. If you got some extra money honey! Also we now have his wedding ring (the divorce was final last week after the ex waited for the statute of limitations to run out) so I will be shopping it to sell it to generate funds.

OSU Cowboys Rock! I think T. Boone Picken's Cowboys could kick the hootie out of Jerry Jones's Cowboys!

I was glad to see Kolb do well.

Disappointed Green Bay won.

Supposed to be wintry in the morning! My joints concur!

Stay close to the fire!

Have a week!

FATHER, thank YOU for a blessed day!

I stayed late at the farm again last night. After doing the terrace fills, I wanted to get all of the rebuilt terraces plowed up. I finished a little after seven thirty. Fueled my tractor and now I am ready to solid plow between the terraces.

But, it rained eight tenths of an inch at Roscoe last night. And that is a good problem. If I can have one day when it dries that the wind doesn't blow I think I can have the chalk hill in the best shape its been in in a number of years!

For a while last evening I was wondering if I would get through. Heavy fog and drizzle made for some messy windows. When I parked the tractor after fueling, I positioned the tractor where hopefully rain would clean the windows!

For this particular job, the guidance is not feasible. And that means I have been doing it the old fashioned way. I will admit tho that I was glad to get back in the newer tractor. Good heater, good radio, user friendly controls!

I took a late lunch yesterday to coordinate with when Rian and Erica came through. Of course Memama made Rian's favorite. Memama, Jason, Kyle and myself rounded out the table. It was a good lunch and quick visit.

As I have mentioned, Erica is running in her first half marathon Sunday morning in Dallas.

A quick note, the Shallowater Mustangs were eliminated from post season play last night. They lost 27-20. Eastland Mavericks were eliminated as well (the final representative from Breckenridge's district). Stamford and Cisco advance. Abilene High plays today.

I had made preliminary plans to go to Conroe last evening or today to visit my friend who is being held by the feds. On my way to Roscoe yesterday I exercised caution and called for two reasons. #1) to be sure he had not been transferred, and #2) to request a variance for the time limit on a visit. (They had a thirty minute limit, which is not much after driving 350 miles).

When I talked with the receptionist, I gave her the friends registration number. "No sir", she replied quickly, "He is no longer here, he transferred last night." Then she asked me to hold. When she came back on the line she told me my friend had been moved from the Joe Corley Unit in Conroe to the FDC in Houston.

What this means is that my friend is now under "intake quarantine and orientation" for twenty-one days. This means no visitors.

I do take it as a positive that the Feds moved him to a holding facility rather than one of their prison facilities. It may not sound like much but often a holding facility means processing for parole. My friend has about 41 months left on his sentence.

I was asked yesterday if my friend did not have family. The closest relative would be an uncle. My friend is recently divorced (as soon as the statute of limitations expired his wife filed), and both his parents are deceased as are his grandparents. In all honesty, I have been his only visitor the last two years.

I can only imagine how alone he must feel, and I think someone needs to believe in him. We have had extended conversation about I would help him what I can, but any abuse or misuse of my trust would be very serious. Ie:... I don't mind helping someone who tries to help themselves.

Well, let's take a couple of days off! Have a weekend!

FATHER, thank YOU for YOUR rain blessing. For the productive week. For this time of year. For JESUS. Bless Erica's running effort.