It was mostly her Johnny Hoffmann-smile
Across the floor at Quihi,
With an abundance of friends, …
Good folksy music and a real country feel.
And alcohol!
But, moreover, her seductive attire.
And we danced and danced so very close.
And being the obsessive narcissistic idealist I am
I tapped another to take my date …
A very beautiful Faye Ann …
To her home in SA,
And I delivered
In my ’68 Pontiac Lemans …
Lovely Betsy …
To the top of the hill in Rio.
As I got to know Betsy over the next six months
I was often mesmerized by …
-Her boot-clad beeboppin walk,
-Betsy’s wonderful nasal “mod” voice,
-Her apparent Florence Sachtleben-certainty,
-Her love of life,
-My intense perception that she would be
A very compatible partner
As a knowledge-seeking, risk-taker.
I just had to pursue my doctorate
At the Land-Grant in Florida.
Therefore we wed
At barely 19 and 24
On a scorching, faint-inducing day in July.
And it truly was the most fantastic day of my life!
St. Louis Catholic Church in solid, traditional, historic Castroville.
Father, later Monsignor, Larry Stubben.
Moms and Dads and my brothers four and Linda Lou.
And Kenny Francis as best man.
Dinkum, John, Barbie, and Francis et al.
Many friends and extended family …
Martins, Kneupers, Hoffmanns, and Schotts … .
Barbecue … though not as good as Johnny’s;
Beer, champagne;
A crisp $100 bill slipped to us by blue-booted Vincent Demmer.
Dancing until the wee hours of the night at the Gun Club
And drinking more chamagne
And …
Ooooh myyyy!!!
What a night!!!!!!!
…………………………………….
My quest for adventures …
And risks–and consequences—
In all aspects of my, … of our life
Had some very positive outcomes
Socially, culturally, experientially, intellectually … and economically.
But they also took their toll emotionally, familially, socially.
And this adventuresome, risk-taking lifestyle …
(Also quite minimalist …
Mostly without air-conditioning,
Sometimes without a car,
Tent-camping for vacations,
Slow to accept algorithms and computers
And inappropriate technologies.)
This paul bain martin-, pablo martin-type of life
Which generally ran against the tides and flows of status-quo
Has been heavy weight for Betsy.
Nevertheless ..
Beeboppin Betsy still can crack
That Johnny Hoffmann-smile
And mischievous grin.
She continues to be stead-fast and have that Florence Sachtleben-determination!
She still loves to dance!
Together we enjoy immensely
Mattson’s choice of Americana art and song …
Duckworth, Houston, Robert Earl, Neil, Willie, Randy, Joe Walsh, Houston, Patsy, Seth, Stoney, Chris, Rodney and Radney, …
We very much appreciate communing jointly with Nature, the Land, the Commons.
Together we work at understanding other cultures, their values; psychologies; …
The indigenous, Brazilians, Hondurans, Mexicans
(“Let their be light!”); …
Trumpians, Trumpsters
(The darker side); …
Human beings in general.
And even dynamic homeostatic symbioses.
[And now there are
Along with our wonderful kids, their spouses, and nephews and nieces …
Seven adorable GRANDKIDS!!]
