Cold & rainy in the Rio Grande Valley

 36 degrees, windy and rainy here in La Feria, TX on Saturday morning.  Been that way for last 3 days, was 33 degrees when we woke up yesterday morning.  A miserable day -- remembering the 95 degrees on the 12th of February.  For 3 weeks prior to that our temps had been mid 70's to upper 80's.  Am pretty sure will not venture from the house today.

36º with wind and rain
now for 3 days

Few pictures at Barbershop Chorus practice this last Tuesday.  I have been told I am never in any of my pictures, so below is one.

Had a good performance this last Thursday at Snow-to-Sun RV Park in Weslaco.

At left is picture of guy from WIC (Women in Crisis) organization picking up 13 quilts, some of the ones that the ladies here in Kenwood work on every Thursday morning.

An article and photo that I got into one of the two weekly
magazines distributed each week to all of the RV Parks.

After getting back from the Barbershop performance we went to supper with neighbors Tom & Lisa Urban and Tom's sister Nancy and her husband Cliff Weldon.  This is in the room they built onto the side of Darlene Winslow's old place.

Friday, yesterday, we drove to Mission, TX in the rain and had lunch with Phyllis' cousin Jan and her husband Lynn Frye, from near Lincoln, NE.  They have been in their 5th-wheel in a park some 10 miles west of there since mid January.  We "store" their golf cart at our place when they are not in the Valley.  (Phyllis gets a lot of use of it when we are here)  And, it is parked under our carport during the summer.

I felt the article below interesting and copy it here for your enjoyment:

When Mark Twain married Olivia Langdon, he told a friend, “If I had known how happy married life could be, I would have wed 30 years ago instead of wasting time growing teeth.” He was 32. Twain—born Samuel Clemens—grew up in a modest family, working from a young age. He started as a printer’s apprentice, became a riverboat pilot, tried his luck at silver mining (and failed spectacularly), before finally finding his true calling as a writer. His sharp wit and storytelling brilliance made him famous across America.

It was around this time that he fell in love—not with Olivia at first, but with her portrait. A friend showed Twain a locket with her image and later invited him to meet her in person. Within two weeks, Twain proposed. Olivia liked him, but she was hesitant. He was ten years older, rough around the edges, lacked the refinement of her wealthy, cultured circle, and had not a penny to his name. She admired his talent but turned him down. Twain, ever persistent, proposed again. Another refusal—this time, she cited his lack of religious devotion. He responded with his signature humor and sincerity: “If that’s what it takes, I’ll become a good Christian.” Despite her refusals, Olivia was already in love with him. But Twain, convinced he had no chance, left.

On his way to the train station, his carriage overturned. Seizing the moment, Twain played up his injuries and was brought back to Olivia’s home. As she cared for him, he made one final proposal. This time, she said yes.

Twain made every effort to please his deeply religious wife. He read the Bible to her every evening and said grace before meals. Knowing she disapproved of some of his stories, he never submitted them for publication, accumulating over 15,000 unpublished pages. Olivia became his first editor and toughest critic—so much so that when she came across the phrase “Damn it!” in *Huckleberry Finn*, she made him remove it. Their daughter, Susy, once summed them up perfectly: “Mama loves morality. Papa loves cats.”

Twain adored Olivia. He once wrote, “If she told me wearing socks was immoral, I would stop wearing them immediately.” She called him her “gray-haired boy” and watched over him like a child. He, in turn, credited her with preserving his energy, optimism, and youthful spirit. Olivia, for her part, loved his humor. One day, Twain was laughing so loudly that she asked what book had amused him so much. Still chuckling, he handed it to her. She glanced at the cover—it was one of his own books.

Their life together was not without heartbreak. They lost children. Twain went bankrupt. But while his indomitable optimism kept him afloat, Olivia’s unshakable faith gave her strength. They never turned against each other—Twain never once raised his voice at Olivia, and she never once scolded him. Twain was fiercely protective of her. When a close friend made a joke at Olivia’s expense, Twain nearly ended their friendship over it. And when Twain set off on a round-the-world tour at sixty, Olivia—knowing he needed constant care—left everything behind to accompany him.

Photo from the "Adventures of Mark Twain" drama