A Facebook reminder just let me know that it was 9 years ago that I proposed to Heidi Ann. She said yes.
The LORD is always good, and showed us kindness in bringing us together. The following was taken this past Christmas while we were visiting my sister and brother in-law.
All photos are copyright © Timothy J. Hammons, 2024.
First, we’ve changed our position on the church calendar. Long story short, take every thought captive…
Second, we have two cats we adopted a couple of months ago.
Third, we bought our first Christmas tree.
Fourth, cats… and trees.
All photos copyright © Timothy J. Hammons 2023.
Dinner guest Pericope and Synecdoche. They don’t get any food while on the table. By the time we sit down for breakfast, they’ve already had their cat food and additional “yum, yum” as Heidi calls the gooey food.
Pericope and Synecdoche playing together.
The moment that Heidi mentioned getting a cat, in early October, I made sure to be affirming in that desire. We’ve been through this before and she would come to her senses about all the upkeep, and food, and upkeep, and more food.
Then she mentioned that the cats she wanted were actually sisters. It was then that I began to realize that this was no fleeting desire on her part. There were two cats that were indeed sisters that were in need of a good home and … well, apparently, we are the ones with the “good home.”
I think those words are used loosely among those trying to find any home for cats. There was no Cat Placement Agency to come by the house to make sure we have enough fire extinguishers, or … running water. They just said that if it didn’t work out in two months time, we could take the cats back.
That’s why I said “yes.” After all, if they didn’t work out, we could take them back. No problem… give it a whirl.
Give it a whirl? Who was I kidding.
Allow me to introduce to you: Pericope and Synecdoche.
OUR cats!!!
Here are a few more I could of, should of, added to CBWC: Bridges and Water… boy, bridges, water, bird, beams…
All photos are copyright © Timothy J. Hammons, 2023.
My boys and I were walking around downtown Waco again, when one of them suggested walking over to the Dr. Pepper Museum, and actually buying tickets. We went downtown trying to find a bookstore, which we did. But the bookstore was heavy on the estrogen, so it didn’t take long for us to realize we were not going to find anything of interest.
After that failed attempt at something to do, I couldn’t say “no” to the museum.
This was Andy’s second trip. I also brought him to the museum when he was 8, back in 2012. After going through it then, he complained, “everything was about Dr. Pepper.” Or something like that. He enjoyed a great deal more this go around.
My favorite part of the museum was the video area where they were playing all the different commercials for their ad campaigns over the years. To this I say, “wouldn’t you like to be a Pepper too!” If this tune is now stuck in your head, you’ve just dated yourself. 🙂
Apparently, you could buy larger bottles in the early days.
The bottle-capping machine.
Joey, with the bottle-capping machine.
Our first attempt at standing over the well. In the early part of the 20th Century, a lot of the business downtown had their own wells. This was an important part of the development of the company, but they soon outgrew the well’s capacity. So, in the interest of not letting it go to waste, they dumped broken bottles in the well, and eventually covered it up.
When it was later discovered, they emptied it out of the broken glass, and put this thick piece of plexiglass over it, so we could walk on it.
We finally summoned the courage.
All photos are copyright © Timothy J. Hammons, 2023.
These are the photos that I really enjoy: the photos when people are not posed, not expecting it. I wish I could take more of them.
Joey trying to photo bomb the night.
And yes, this was unplanned. I was walking in front of the crowd and didn’t bother to turn around, just pointed my camera in their direction and snapped a few shots.
One was watching me, the other? She obviously didn’t like what she saw.
All photos are copyright © Timothy J. Hammons, 2023.
Yogi Berra once said, “95% of this game is half mental.” That’s kind of how I feel about the background to a photo shoot. I think I found the right background on this one.
All photos are copyright © Timothy J. Hammons, 2023.
My oldest son asked me to drive over and take pictures of he and his friends for prom night. Here is the first installment.
All photos are copyright © Timothy J. Hammons, 2023.
All photos copyright © Timothy J. Hammons, 2023.
What do I say about 1207 Austin Street? It’s not just any ordinary Thursday Doors contribution. It has too much rich family history wrapped up in it, and it has far more of a history than I can possibly convey here.
After all, the earliest records of 1207 Austin Street in Brenham, TX is that there was a deed for the lot that showed the purchase price to be around $500 Confederate dollars, or an equivalent amount in some other currency. This shows that the property was purchased sometime in the 1860s, while the War of Northern Aggression continued, and was coming to an end. Since the courthouse of Washington County burned in the 1880s, the records that exist on when the house was built are unclear. But we know it existed at least in the 1880s.
We also know some of the trees are much older than that. Trees have a way of putting things into perspective.
My dad and stepmom, Liz, bought the place in 1996. I’m sure that my stepmom was key in finding the place. She had an eye for real estate. They turned the house into his office and operated Creekside Investment Management from there until he retired in December of 2018, after 60 years in the business. The goal was always to keep it in the family if possible, and that is what is happening.
It was a great office, and I shared it with him for a while when I was working in Brenham as a substitute teacher back in 2013-2014. I would get off work, head over to the office and work on my teacher’s certification as I looked for a job.
After my father died back in January, the place went to my sister Amy, who quickly went to work updating it so she could turn it into a bed and breakfast. The things she has accomplished are amazing. The place looked great before, but it needed a good face lift, and work on the foundation, and plumbing, and the kitchen, and the bathrooms, and the windows, and everything else an old house needs. Amy got it done. Now, she is just working on some finishing touches and hopes to open it after the first of the year. It has such promise.
But for now, it’s my entry in Dan’s Thursday Doors.
My lovely wife is standing on the front porch.
This is the room where I would work on my teacher’s certification and search for a job. What Amy doesn’t know is that it was the room where I met my wife, Heidi. I didn’t just search for a job.
Heidi and I met on a dating website and after my father would leave for the night and go back to the ranch, she and I would talk to each other on Skype. That was eight years ago this month.
(This is my Batman picture — those who remember the old television show will know what I’m alluding to.)
The window pane was broken by one of the workers and Amy found a place that actually made antique glass to replace it. If you know old building, the glass in the windows has waves in it because glass is actually a liquid. Over time, gravity takes hold and gives it a wavy look. Amy wanted to keep it consistent with the other panes and the place she found only charged $100 for the glass, and $300 to ship. What a deal.
The breakfast room. The table is actually the island that will go back into the kitchen once it’s finished.
The lights that will go over the island.
The view from the front door.
The door to the patio out back.
The woodwork in the front door.
The front door bell.
Joey, testing the front-door bell.
All photos are copyright © Timothy J. Hammons, 2022.
This time, my sister set the table. Since my father’s death back in January, most of his estate has been given to my wonderful sister Amy and her husband Chris. There is one clear reason for this: only my sister and Chris could take care of the place as it needed to be taken care of. I’m truly thankful for my father’s wisdom in his estate planning because, for one more Thanksgiving, I got to enjoy the estate that he and Amy’s mother, Liz, built. Thankfully, Amy and Chris are striving to maintain that estate as was intended by Gene and Liz.
I hope and pray that they are touched by my words. As I write this, I have to fight back the tears at the joy that I have in knowing only Amy could keep the tradition of Thanksgiving alive, as my father, and her mother, wanted it to be. That was their desire for the estate, that it would always remain in the hands of blood relatives, for the benefit of the rest of the blood relatives. On Friday, my wife and I, along with my sons, benefited and enjoyed the estate, just as my father, and Amy’s mother Liz, intended it to be.
Amy and Chris, thank you for having us. Thank you for striving to keep up the estate. You two are the only ones in the family who could have done so. I pray the LORD continues to provide for both of you. We love you, Timothy and Heidi.
All photos are copyright © Timothy J. Hammons, 2022.
It was simple, but we spent hours playing on the jungle gym. Sometimes we would add a board to a level, or a roof to it using a blanket from inside. It was open to our imagination.
All photos are copyright © Timothy J. Hammons 2022.
We had several of them. The moment where the busyness stopped. The visiting stopped. The running around all came to an end, and we enjoyed the moment together on the banks of the Watauga River, reading, and enjoying being together.
All photos are copyright © Timothy J. Hammons, 2022.
As some may know already, last Friday August 5th, Heidi and I closed on a house here in Waco. Instead of speedily throwing all our belongings into a moving van, and moving on Saturday, we decided to take it a bit slower and work on the house before we moved in.
We would like to have some of the rooms painted before doing so. We’ve learned from experience that the first thing you should do when you buy a house is paint the rooms the colors you like. In our last house, we waited until we were selling it to paint and realized how much the fresh coat of paint made a difference.
Since we have a new refrigerator being delivered on Wednesday, painting the kitchen was top on the list.
Since we have a garage, repainting our wine rack was second on the list.
Since the carpet in the master bedroom closet was so gross, that was actually the first job: tearing it up. Still working on the tack strips.
Pictures below.
We actually moved August 20, 2022.
Here is the closet. I’ve already torn up the tack strip walking in so no one would get hurt. But I have more work to do. This was the first, brief project.
Painting our wine rack was the second project. Yea! We have a small garage for such projects!
This is the first attempt at finding the best yellow. Yellows can be the most difficult colors to use since they never quite turn out what you had in your mind. Other colors are not so finicky.
We didn’t end up with this yellow, which is good that we only bought a sample quart. We wanted something with a bit more red in in.
Also notice, we are having to cover up the grey that was there. Most of the house is painted in grey. That should give you a clue about some famous Waco couple that once owned the house for the purpose of flipping it.
Projects 1, 2, and 3, all in progress. The life of a homeowner.
All photos are copyright © Timothy J. Hammons, 2022.
