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| ME-CELIA ANN DAVIS (YEARY) 8 YEARS OLD-WITH ONE OF MANY TONI HOME PERMANENTS |
One day Daddy came home with two surprises—a used 1940 Ford and a job with
an oil company. Both were significant because we had never owned a car
and employment
was hard to come by.
The Ford and I were the same age!
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| MY MOTHER--SEE HER BLACK EYES? AM I THE SPITTING IMAGE? SHE WAS 16 IN THIS PHOTO. |
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| MY DADDY--CAN YOU SEE HIS LIGHT EYES? BABY BLUE-WE CALL THEM "THE DAVIS BLUE EYES" HE IS ABOUT 20 HERE. |
The year was 1944. We--my parents and two sisters--lived on a small farm in North Texas near
Daddy’s parents.
An
oil boom had hit Texas. Employment with an oil company was an open door to a
better and more secure life, but to become more financially solvent meant leaving
home. |
| ME, IN MY SMART ALECK PERIOD, TEN YEARS OLD--I ADORED THOSE JEANS AND SADDLE OXFORDS. OUR FIRST HOUSE IN SIX YEARS- TINY, TINY STUCCO. |
For the next six years, we were transient and homeless. However, we did have places to "live" in during our odyssey around the South Plains. The five of us lived in motel rooms, boarding houses, two room duplexes, one rented-out room, and a tiny 3 room stucco house.
I grew up on the South Plains, in the northwest portion of West Texas, in Levelland (near Lubbock). There, on the flat table-top Caprock, where the sky looked like a big blue bowl turned upside down on a sea of green cotton or brown plowed soil, our family put down roots.
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| I THINK I WAS 14 HERE. ALMOST GROWN. |
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| ME AND JIM--MY 55TH HIGH SCHOOL REUNION LAST SUMMER, AND HIS 60TH. IN LEVELLAND |
Fortune
was good to me, as I married the best man on earth--a West Texas boy. I was the
typical stay-at-home-mommy and good wife...until the mid-sixties exploded.
Young men burned their draft cards and young women burned their bras. Even I
got caught up in it. However, since I didn't have a very big bra to burn, I put
our two children with a babysitter and entered college at age 27. What was I
thinking? Life would never be the same.
Now,
decades later, I rejoice that I enjoyed a career, learned to play golf and bridge,
traveled with my husband, and now have three very tall grandsons who will soon
be out on their own. Look out world!
Writing
romance novels, as well as other forms of fiction, takes most of my time these
days. I love staying at home after about twenty years of touring Europe,
Russia, Scandinavia, Mexico, Canada, and finally the good old USA, from sea to
shining sea.
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| OUR FRONT PORCH |
I spend much of my time writing and promoting what I write. We are involved in church, the community, a circles of friends, and family.
My working years were spent teaching biology to high school students in a private military boarding school--San Marcos Academy--with mostly international students. What a wonderful job that was--I loved every minute.
However, I took early retirement at age 50 and I began the second half of my life.
I am a lifelong Texan, a member of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, and everything I write is all Texas.
TEXAS DREAMER: Western Romance: cattle, oil, love, hate,
jealousy...revenge. This is the fourth "Texas novel."
First came TEXAS BLUE,
then TEXAS PROMISE, then TEXAS TRUE, and now...TEXAS DREAMER.
Now available on Amazon
Kindle and Barnes and Noble--ebook-$2.99
~~*~~EXCERPT:
She put her arms around the mare's neck and whispered in her ear. The mare nodded, as though saying, "yes" to something. Emilie laughed, rubbed her ears, and patted her neck. She walked all around the horse, touching and talking softly, as though wooing a lover.
Lee couldn't take his eyes off Emilie. Here was her soft side he'd never seen. Would she treat a man...a lover...the same way? Whispering, softly laughing, touching?
~*~
--287 pages--Link to Amazon/Kindle
http://www.amazon.com/Texas-Dreamer-Celia-Yeary-ebook/dp/B00IHPPQ0E/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1392738732&sr=1-7&keywords=celia+yeary
Link to B and N:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/texas-dreamer-celia-yeary/1118672103?ean=2940045702157
Thanks so much for visiting!
Celia Yeary-Romance...and a little bit 'o TexasAmazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/celiayeary
My Website
My Blog
Sweethearts of the West-Blog
My Facebook Page
Celia, I enjoyed hearing your life story again. We have often marveled at how much our lives have paralleled through the years, even to marrying the best two men on earth! My life is richer for having you as a dear friend, cyber sister, and fellow author.
ReplyDeleteI was only a few years behind you, Celia, and I do remember the 50's as feeling safe, secure, and happy. Those were the days, my friend.
ReplyDeleteI love the "smart aleck" you. It made me laugh.
I remember all those Toni home perms with the paper dolls that came in the box. My sister and I had curly hair, but we begged our mom to let us have a Toni. We just wanted to be like other girls our age. She bought one and fooled us into believing she was giving us a perm. And we got the paper doll, too. Nice.
My mom stayed at home like yours. It gave me a secure feeling when I went to school that, no matter what happened, Mom was at home if I needed her.
I admire you for going back to school at 27 with kids to care for. I know it wasn't easy for you. Biology--one of my favorite subjects. Science is fascinating. The only thing I didn't like was dissecting. I hated it. I really hated it in nursing school and, for years after, I couldn't eat meat on a bone. No chicken or turkey legs for me.
I'm familiar with central Texas since I lived there for a while. I liked that it had oak trees. The stars seem huge there on the plains...not sure why they seem so big. I also liked the rolling clouds and thunderstorms there. Lightning inside a cloud is beautiful.
You do look a great deal like your mom, Celia. I love your no nonsense approach to life, too. Which one of your parents taught you that?
I don't have your latest Texas book (Texas Dreamer), but as soon as I have a free moment, I'm going to get it. I don't want to miss any in this series. What's up next for you? Are you going to add any more books to this series, or are you going to start a new project? I'll be staying tuned.
Well, I don't want to write a dang novel here, so let me just wish you continued success. I'm a huge fan of your work. I'm really going now...
Celia,
ReplyDeleteI've seen most of those pics of you here and there, but this is the first post I've seen where you have it all laid out in a timeline. You have the same dear, earnest expression now that you did as a child. You are so lucky to have held onto who and what you are.
I enjoy your books and I am pleased that I get to vicariously visit Texas through your eyes.
Oh, and did you ever get taunted with this line in your smart alec days? Arty smarty had a party... I did. I might still be in my smart alec phase...
Maggie
Celia, what a delightful look at your life -- and so inspiring for those who find themselves in a challenging period at the moment. Despite the worldly things your family didn't have when you were growing up, it sounds like you had a lot of the most important thing: love.
ReplyDeleteI had to laugh about the revelation your bra was too small to burn! Thanks for the cheery start to my day. :-)
All the things we experience in our lives make us who we are. Your experiences made a sweet, insightful, wonderfully talented, and fun-to-be-around lady. I admire you and value you.
BTW: What an attractive couple in that reunion photo!
HUGS!!!!
How fun to get to know you better, Celia. The photo of you with your Toni curls really touched my heart. How adorable! I remember those days of home perms and the smell...
ReplyDeleteI salute you for going to college at a later time in your life and making a successful career teaching. I am sure your whole family benefitted from this change.
I love your front porch with all that brick. It looks beautiful and your view of the deer as well. It sounds like you have it all, and that makes me happy to hear.
What a happy fullfilled life you seemed to have had. The book is lovely and I wish you the best.
ReplyDeletewhat a beautiful home and inspiring story. You bring it all to your writing :)
ReplyDeleteSo nice to get to know you better, Celia. You had quite an upbringing. I've had 2 kids in private boarding schools--my youngest girl just went to one in Monterey, CA--and they're certainly a unique learning environment. My son's best friend is Serbian and my daughter's roommate is from Mexico. I think it's wonderful. It makes the world a smaller place to meet people from other cultures. Thanks for sharing your life. :-)
ReplyDeleteCelia, I loved seeing these pictures of your family and you! (I'm a picture nut.) It's always fun to learn more about our online friends--I feel like if we met in person we'd just sit down and take off talking like we did it every time we saw each other. LOL
ReplyDeleteCheryl
Celia,
ReplyDeleteI loved reading your post. Not only are your fiction stories full of heart and history, so is your life. Your family pictures are wonderful. Poor daddies, they carry the weight of the world, don't they?
Linda--I can't imagine my life right now without you in it every day...be it through cyberspace, I truly have no other friend that I communicate with EVERY DAY. This in itself is astounding, that you and I can help and entertain each other every day.
ReplyDeleteThanks for coming by...I do love it.
Sarah--you know my older sister is Sarah, don't you? Six years older, while I was only 16 months older than my little sister. Our older sister became almost like an aunt--Mother turned us over to her many times, saying, Look after your sisters. I learned late in life that she resented that. It taught me to pay attention to the rankings of siblings in a family.
ReplyDeleteMy no nonsense approach to life? I don't know. Maybe I was born with it, for my mother, no matter how good she was, longed to live in California where all her brothers and sisters lived, but Daddy said--No, we will stay in Texas. So, she had a dreamy side to her, a wish to be someone else, while all the time acting out the role of the perfect mother. And she was.
Sometimes I've wished she could have live out there with her 7 siblings. Daddy would not hear of it.
TEXAS DREAMER is the last of the Texas books. I cannot explain it--there are many more characters in my genealogy chart, so one day I might begin another series about the "Deleons of Texas." After all, Texas is not made up of all Caucasians...so many are Mexican/Spanish descendants ..not "Hispanics" which is a modern term we've applied to include all those from
Central America.
Oh, I love your comments. I read yours twice before I begin to answer. Thanks!!!!
Celia, Your story should be a movie. Your parents look so sweet, as do you in all the photos...even the smart-alec pose. I was not aware what a world traveler you are. Fascinating life, and I am honored to know you. You are quite the inspiration about what a woman can accomplish. ((Hugs))
ReplyDeleteMaggie--I never heard that taunt about being a smart aleck! Usually, other kids said I was sarcastic, and I did have a way about that. I did it because it gave me attention and it made others laugh. Weird, huh? When I began teaching high school students, I had to really watch what I said. Teenagers take things seriously...enough said.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for commenting.
Kathleen--yes, well, anyone who was a grown woman and wore a 32 AA didn't exactly have sex appeal. But I guess I had enough.
ReplyDeleteYes, as we traveled around West Texas with all our worldly goods in the trunk of that 1940 Ford, somehow our mother and daddy made us feel safe and good. Mother had a Singer Single-Stich Featherweight machine that packed into a carry case, and she spent her days in those dreary motel rooms, etc. sewing pretty dresses for us. Honest to God? I though we were rich and I thought I was beautiful!! Now, that's good parents for you.
Ahhh, I'm glad you liked my reunion photo. Jim is much thinner than this photo shows--6'1" and 170 pounds.
Thanks, my friend.
Paisley--you remember Tonis?
ReplyDeleteGoing to college at age 27 was the most difficult thing I've done in my life. Other times were hard, maybe..but those four years almost killed me. On a regular basis, I weigh about 125...during those years, I got down to 110 and was sick by the time I finished. But I'm hard-headed and would not stop.
Thanks for your comment. I loved it.
Thank you, JoAnne.
ReplyDeleteRain...what a nice thing to say. Thanks so very much.
ReplyDeleteKristy--I think you're the first person I've known who knew anything about private boarding schools. SMA was wonderful..I spent some of the best years of my life teaching there.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Cheryl--there you are! I love seeing your face and knowing you've commented. Thanks bunches!
ReplyDeleteKirsten--you are so right. Our daddies really did carry the weight. Mother, though, kept us pretty, and in new clothes, and in church. Daddy worked and made the money, and he was the one who told me I was beautiful and I was smart. While I really was neither, I did think so..therefore, I acted that out. See how much influence a parent can have on a child.
ReplyDeleteAshley--thanks. My husband and I were able to take early retirement, and we decided to see the wonders of Europe--once. That one tour turned into four more, and then we turned to Mexico--four trips, Canada-four trips, and then the US--four trips, and then cruises--four. At our ages, we'd seen the grandeur of Europe, etc. but neither of us had seen the Grand Canyon, or the Redwood forests in California, or Alaska, or the Biltmore...and on and on. We loved seeing America, we love to remember what we saw. Yes, we did everything in "fours."
ReplyDeleteThanks for your kind words.
Celia, it's so interesting that for years your family was transient, yet your parents always gave you the sense of stability. They must have been amazing people, as are you.
ReplyDeleteCelia, I'm late, but better late than never. What a wonderful look at your life! Cute pictures of you as a youngster. sounds like you enjoyed yourself back then despite all the moves. Your parents also sound terrific. Thanks for sharing your memories with us.
ReplyDeleteJacquie--you know...children don't see their surroundings. They only see their parents and siblings. I remember the motel rooms, and my mother would open up her sewing machine, spread fabric on the bedspread, lay the pattern pieces on and anchor those with anything on hand, and cut. As she made our little dresses and play suits, we played with the spools, the scraps, and our dolls. See? I thought everyone live like this. Since we didn't have a kitchen, she walk with us down to a small grocer and buy cheddar cheese, saltines, and apples, and we'd take those back to the room. At night, the five of us ate in cafes because Daddy got an expense account for this. I thought we were rich!
ReplyDeleteThe person who was damaged by all this was my mother. She did fine through all of it, but later in life she recalled those years with some bitterness.
But I loved my parents and were very proud of them. I was especially proud that my mother was pretty and when she dressed up, people looked.
Thanks for reading.
Hi, Lyn--you're not late--thanks so much for making time to pop in. Yes, we did have a good time. I never remember anything bad happening to us. I'm sure my mother would have many stories, but she never, ever, talked about those years.
ReplyDeleteHi, Lyn--you're not late--thanks so much for making time to pop in. Yes, we did have a good time. I never remember anything bad happening to us. I'm sure my mother would have many stories, but she never, ever, talked about those years.
ReplyDeleteCelia, dear cousin, our lives started out similar. Loved learning a bit more about you and Jim.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fascinating life story, Celia. I scent lots of stories coming out of it! Great pix, too. You'll have to regale us with pictures of your travels some time soon!
ReplyDeleteThe fifties sound ideal looking back, but I've been watching a series on the Sixties. So much I was too little to remember. Back then, a single woman couldn't open her own checking account, and birth control was, get this, illegal. Any kind of it. I kinda like progress. Okay, off that soapbox LOL. I'm glad my daughter could grow up to be anything she wants.
I visited the Hill Country during the TWRP retreat not long ago. I see why you love it! Have you been on the Bluebonnet Wine Trail? I brought some Hill Country wine back home, mmmmm.
Good to be to know you better, my friend. xo
Celia,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for sharing your pictures. I definately see a lot of your dad in you. What experiences you've had. What adventure to go back to collage at 27. :)
An absolutely delightful post!
Smiles
Steph
Thank you, cousin Caroline! Yes, we do have similar lives. Thanks for coming by!
ReplyDeleteTanya--you know the sixties explosion was blamed on the H-bomb, Elvis, and Marilyn Monroe. True...I have read such articles. American's cradle tipped over and upset everything and everyone. America had been asleep. At the risk of politicking, our country is asleep once again, too absorbed in things and being politically correct. That's why the young people of the sixties were ready to embrace anything...waking up America.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you got to tour parts of the Hill Country. We have not been on any wine tour, but have tried a few Texas wines, and found we really like St. Genevieve--from a winery west of here a long distance. We've seen it from I-10 driving west.
I love learning about each other.
Steph--I didn't "go back" to college at age 27--I'd never been! I never expected to go. But as I've said, the 60s exploded and Americans began changing. Several young women my age in town thought they'd go to college. I decided to also, after "asking" my husband. Yes, I did. And guess what? He asked my mother if he should "let" me go to college! Oh, boy did all of us have a lot to learn. But baby, look at us now.
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting.