MY life as a teen-ager was great. Our little group were all so very good and had such innocent fun. Didn't know half what was going on out there in the world. We had parties at one anothers' homes and were all very close.

My boy friend was a sweet young man, who went on to make a doctor. He tried to get me to go to the same junior college that he started to - said I could live with his sister also. Ha!! Wonder how sister would have handled that. I went on to a larger college and we lost tough for many years. Only saw each other once or twice in the college years.

My family and I moved several hundres miles away and I went out to Texas Tech to school. There I met what was probably my only love beside the man I marrried. I met Jack at the roller rink. He and I skated together many weeks before we dated. He was very blonde and was not in college. He worked for the post office, but was only a year older than me. He was a great person, helped me baby sit my three cousins, so I knew he would make a good father. IF I ever loved any one it was him. But my parents did a good job of breaking that up. I found out many years later that My aunt had writtem mom that she should bring me home. Wonder how my life would have been if she hadn't?

I married my first love in 1943. He had been drafted, so enlisted before they took him. We "courted" by mail and weeke-end passes, for about 3 years, before I informed my father that we were going to get married. Father wanted us to wait until the war was over.

On May 8, 1943 in a church in Teague, Texas, (the day before MOther's day) we were married. OUr honey moon was a week long, spending it by just going to Houston from my home in Fairfield.

I went to be with him in Pratt, Kansas for a couple of weeks, before he shipped out to the Pacific arena. I did get to be with him about 10 days in Sacramento, California, before he was send to Devil's Island to embark.

He was all over the Pacific as a Controll Tower Operator. The A bomb went from the island next to his. He told stories of the Japanese raiding their garbage dumps for food. Seems the Japs would leave and let part of their group stay.

When he came home I went to El Paso, Texas to meet him. They sent hims group to Fort Bliss, Texas. We had not seen each other in about 2 1/2 years.

Here we were married with no job. But he always found something to do. We had a lawn service company in Palestine, until the rains quit!!! Made really good money for the time. After that, we bought a new service station and did okay. One week-end we took off and left the help there. He stole all the money and cleaned us out. After that, we moved to Houston and hubby went to work for what was Magnolia Oil Co. (a fore runner of Mobil). They FED us and I guess still do. I live on what we saved and they contributed.

My life has been almost too good. Of course, with 3 boys and during the "hippy"" ages, I had a few worries. The older one ran off to California with a rock group twice. We brought him home the first time - but let him get home the best way he could the second. Ha!!!

Middle son joined the "Children of God". That was worse than the rock group!!! He stayed several years, until they sent him home because he was almost dead. Went straight to the hospital with some sort of exocitic desease not known in the states. The doctor had to do a lot of research to find the cure for him.

Baby son stayed home until he married. He said why move into an apartment when he had a built in maid. HA!!!

One son went on to become an officer in a well known company. Retired last year and immediately was hired by a smaller one. Middle son (the one who divorced the family) lives in Washington state and owns his own store. (that is all I know about him.)

Baby son owns his own construction compan y that is well know in the industry. He is now in the process of down-sizing. He retired two Suprentendants yesterday and is his way to San Antoine to let that another go. Then on to the valley for another. The business is on a decline here in Texas, so he said that there was no reason for all of them to be broke. His people made big money and he gave them a percentage of the job if they came in under budget.

I now enjoy seven grandchildten and six great grands. Two more are on the way. I am a blessed grandma.

Now all, I have to do is enjoy the rest of my life and give what I can to others. Have as group of younger friends. everyone my age is going.

Have I bored you long enough? Nena