she is not perfect
none of us are
still i submit and wholeheartedly-know that rural texan Betsy is one of the best of the show
for me it is all genetic, epigenetic, and environmental (that is, this is the real “god”) and she was recipient of some of the best … agrarianism, largely 1960’s, civil rights/affirmative action/toward equity/pacifist/appropriate, applied ecological/steadfast matriarchal/americana music/flower people ethos, very decent genes influenced by a diversity of cultures, a solid formative-education
she has that Johnny Hoffmann-smile, his solid loving, very, very pragmatic persevering demeanor and Florence’s admirable steadfastness, interest in (family) history, and arts-and-crafts & culinary talents; she can be outspoken, but actually is always a sort of persistant mediator
Betsy is the real rock …
for 51 years with very difficult pbm; as a very young teacher at mostly black quincy high school; as a clerk typist with gator u. and an away-from-family first birth; canoeing all over north florida during those gainesville years; back home near “divine” devine town and the challenges of uncle peggy’s vigna-southern field pea, green bean, mung bean, popcorn games; away in tifton and two more away-from-family births; yes! a lovely, amazing, adventurous time in wonderful brasil (a $2.50/night “lovely” place to sleep in Corumba) and Bolivia (el tren de la muerte and altitude sickness in La [not so] Paz) , but far away from texas with kids who were two, four, and six .. and no car or plastic bags!; back to texas and a 140-acre dryland farm and a small 1946-built two-bedroom home in which pbm mixed milk-replacer in the bath, plowed all night/baled all day, and had his nine-year-old drive the big old international & the little ford and run the mower-conditioner & shred … ; she found & bought this ol’ early 1900’s home in seguin which served the rock’s family well
a rock in community as a waitress & bartender, as a teacher at seguin high for 20+ years, rescuing ‘nando, adopting into our home five lovely, loving brazilian youth; “retired’ but a rock for the hoffmann-martin family, as a social-club activist in clean seguin … still harvesting, processing, and bringing home the nutritious & tasty venison … and what a cook she is!; tent-camping and camp-stove cooking; working hard to appropriately celebrate special days with family; still appreciating and dancing to good americana music (is that betsy rock up there at the stage in gruene hall giving chris knight, charlie crockett, marty stuart & his band, kevin costner & his band … but mostly kevin costner, willie a big ol’ kiss?)
you must know that Betsy Florence Hoffmann Martin is the real rock of gibraltar, a jewel from out of Rio … Rio Medina
pbm
7 S’s / VV->^^
