notesfromthecactuspatch-blog

[notesfromthecactuspatch-blog]

Johnny's Journey: From Homesickness to Harmony

After two months in Hawaii, homesickness crept in. Johnny missed his music and his string band, Blind Faith. His prized fiddle stayed behind, locked away in the hall closet. His father assured him that it would be well cared for. Norma, his sister, wrote each week; her letters were either sharp with bitterness, primarily toward their mother, or filled with hilarity about life at home. His dog,…

[notesfromthecactuspatch-blog]

(via Aspirations, Expectations And Exasperation)

[notesfromthecactuspatch-blog]

(via Beware Of False Idols)

[notesfromthecactuspatch-blog]

The continuing saga of the Strawn family in 1930s California. No names have been changed to protect the innocent. 

[notesfromthecactuspatch-blog]

Surfs Up! In Marfa Texas

Catch A Wave And Your Sitting On Top Of The World Who says there’s no surf in Texas? Dude, we got plenty of waves to groove on, even in the Big Bend Chiuauan Desert. As Momo and me departed from Marfa, Texas, traversing the desert and mountains, an SUV with two long surfboards on its roof overtook us. I gestured the timeless sign of approval to the occupants, and they reciprocated in kind.…

[notesfromthecactuspatch-blog]

Dispatches From The Cactus Patch..Showing Some Love For Marfa, Texas

In the days of COVID-19, when darkness, despair, and lemming-like stupidity seemed to envelop the world, every soul, human and animal alike, found themselves confined to their homes, forbidden to roam: even the wandering Buffalo was homebound. It was then that Momo and I made a pact to evade the restrictions and set out on a clandestine journey to the remote Chiuauan Desert, with our sights set…

[notesfromthecactuspatch-blog]

The Journey to Bakersfield: A Lively Tale of Struggle and Triumph, Chapter 9

My grandfather, John Henry, possessed a mastery of storytelling that filled the room with warmth. When the rain beat against the windowpanes, or the ice or snow kept me inside, I’d perch myself on the floor near his rocking chair, mesmerized by the tales of his youth in rural Texas, his days as a soldier in the US Army, and the harrowing battles in France. With each word, he painted vivid scenes…

[notesfromthecactuspatch-blog]

(via The Journey to Bakersfield: A Lively Tale of Struggle and Triumph, Chapter 9)

[notesfromthecactuspatch-blog]

(via What Say's It's Summertime..More Than Political Violence?)

[notesfromthecactuspatch-blog]

(via Chapter 4, Wagons-Ho, Leaving Texas Far Behind)