I'll Call It Like I See It

by sheila morris

Category: Life

  • SOUTH CAROLINA: WHERE CHAMPIONS LIVE!


    Sixty-four women’s basketball teams were invited to the NCAA Division I post-season tournament in 2017 in the annual ritual that is known as March Madness in the USA. But after two thrilling games in 16 different host cities around the country the Sweet Sixteen winners of those first two games were scattered to the winds like a bag of M&Ms with peanuts spilled on the floorboard of a moving vehicle into the 4 Regional host cities of Bridgeport, Connecticut; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Stockton, California; and Lexington, Kentucky.

    The hoop dreams of the young women on those Sweet Sixteen teams, their coaches and their fans were riding high as they battled it out in the regionals – but when the dust settled and those two elimination games were finished the Final Four teams were decided. The University of Connecticut a/k/a UConn, Stanford University, Mississippi State University and the University of South Carolina were the regional winners that would emerge from the Elite 8 to move on to Dallas, Texas for the Final Four. The race was on as fans began to scramble for tickets to the semi-finals and finals in Dallas.

    Pretty and I were in New Orleans at a literary conference when South Carolina’s women played their regional games in Stockton, California so we were confined to watching the Quinnipiac and Florida State victories on TVs in sports bars in between the Saints and Sinners Literary Festival events and the Chris Rock concert. As soon as the Florida State game was over, though, Pretty joined the scramble for the Dallas tickets through the Gamecock Club…and the rest, as they say, is history.

    The National Anthem view

    from the Gamecock section on Sunday night

    (we were there when the doors opened at 3:30 Dallas time)

    The Beginning

    The End!!

    The hysterically happy fans!

    The hysterically happy team!

    All-Tournament Team Member Allisha Gray

    Gray, Gray, Gray – you are Pretty’s favorite

    (and have been her favorite since the season began)

    All-Tournament Team Member A’ja Wilson

    Tournament MVP, All-American in 2017

    All That to the Gamecock team and their fans since she rolled out as a freshman three years ago and helped us get to the Final Four in Tampa her first year. This girl lays it all on the line every game every season and is, in my humble opinion, Number One. She ignites and inspires her teammates to play their very best by her example, and that, my friends, is the mark of a true champion.

    Champions beget champions, and no one is more responsible for the victories in Dallas than Head Coach Dawn Staley.

    Cut ’em down, Coach

    and may it be your first of many

    Alas, the team and most of the fans had left the building, but Pretty and I found one solitary remaining security man to take a final picture in the American Airlines Arena.

    And then we were done.

    Yep – the last car standing

    By the end of the game and festivities, I was worn out and ready to retire to the La Quinta king-sized bed to reflect on the events of not just the day but the past two weeks of our ride from Columbia to New Orleans and on into Texas. What a country…what an experience…what a way to end my 70th. year.

    But Pretty was having none of it. So off we went to our old stomping grounds the Nodding Donkey where we met Super Gamecock Fan Matt Tischler who we’d seen Friday night at the Stanford game. He flew to Phoenix for the men’s Final Four game on Saturday and then flew back to Dallas Sunday for the women’s game. Whew! I was exhausted just thinking about how tired he must be, but he wasn’t too tired to meet us for a beer to celebrate. The Nodding Donkey patrons cheered us when we walked in.

    I wondered how I knew all these people – and then realized it was the Gamecock gear they were cheering. Fabulous.

     Matt was holding me up by the end of the night

    When Pretty drove me back to the motel, we saw the Dallas skyline one more time, and this is what we saw…

    Thanks, Dallas!

    And thanks to Pretty for taking most of the pictures in the blog today, driving us all over the country for the past two weeks, lugging the suitcases in and out of motels, walking two very bad dogs who loved to annoy her by getting out of their leashes in the most dangerous locations – and still having the energy to sing country music songs with me when we were lucky enough to find the classics on the radio in the car. Pretty is Number One in my book.

    We’ll be back in Columbia today. Stay tuned as we are no longer able to procrastinate packing.

  • Nodding Donkey Blues


    Cocky was in the house today

    at the Nodding Donkey sports bar 

    Gamecock fans who are in Dallas for the women’s Final Four gathered late this afternoon at a local tavern called the Nodding Donkey to watch their men play in the semi-finals of the Final Four against Gonzaga University in Phoenix. It was quite the boisterous atmosphere and the Gamecocks kept it very close in the second half but alas, no cigar.

    Gamecock cheerleaders were at the table next to us 

    and the nodding donkey kept watch over us all

    another nodding donkey watched over 

    the Gamecock fans from above

    The Gamecock Club was responsible for the party at the ND, and it had its moments of fun and frivolity, but in the end the Gonzaga bull dogs were more powerful than the donkey’s good wishes and delivered our guys’ exodus from the 2017 NCAA tournament with the score 77 – 73.

    Congratulations to Gonzaga for a great game, and thanks again to the Gamecocks and Coach Frank Martin for a fantastic year! If you Google the definition for tenacity with heart, you will see a picture of Coach Martin and the men’s team in 2017. You gotta love those guys.

    And now on we go to the Final game of the Final Four for the women tomorrow afternoon at 5 o’clock Dallas time (thanks to all of you who are trying to make sure we’re there for the start) – I am frantically searching for my xanax tonight. Honestly, how is it possible I packed every pill in my medicine chest except that? I blame Pretty.

    Go Gamecocks!!

  • The Hereafter – Grimes County Style


    Changing flowers in Fairview Cemetery today

    for Granny Selma’s parents

    and for my dad, mom and their parents

    (my friend Tinabeth came to help)

    Tinabeth trimmed the crepe myrtles…

    while I arranged the flowers

    (and Pretty took pictures)

    Spike and Charly ran so fast that the 

    Hounds couldn’t catch ’em

    Hey, where are our names?

    The view from our family plot is truly fair

    When Pretty and I got to the cemetery this morning, there was a note under a stone at our grave that read Sheila, here’s my phone number. Call me. It was signed by Warren Wood and dated 03-28-17. I picked up my cell phone and gave him a call.

    Warren was one of my favorite people when I was growing up. He lived up the dirt road from us, played basketball on my dad’s high school team, and usually sat with me every Friday night at the Richards Cafe where his mother made the best hamburgers ever. I called him, and he said he was still in the area at his house in Anderson and would meet me at the cemetery – which he did. I hadn’t seen Warren in 60 years, but we have kept in contact since my first book Deep in the Heart was published in 2007. Wow. Such a great visit.

    His parents are near mine

    Being in the old familiar places with old familiar friends was a highlight of our trip to Montgomery and Grimes Counties for the past two days, but tomorrow it’s time to say goodbye to family and friends once more as we turn north toward Dallas and our Final Four destination.

    Go Gamecocks!!!

  • The Three Little Huss Brothers and How They Grew


    Worsham Street looks much the same as it did when we lived there from 2010 – 2014, but that’s about all that does in our little town of Montgomery, Texas which is growing, growing, growing. We had wonderful visits with some of the Little Women of Worsham Street and, of course, a memorable encounter with the Fabulous Huss Brothers.

    Dwight and George start a project after school 

    Pretty gets involved – stirring putty for a

    Star Wars mold

    Dwight discovers new Star Wars candy container

    for his Mini M&Ms

    Oscar is almost as tall as Miss Sheila…

    but still young enough to be happy to see her

    The Fabulous Huss Brothers in 2014

    Our Worsham Street visits are always too short, we missed seeing some of our friends…but we will save them for another time when we return to Texas. We always do.

  • Go West, Old Lesbians, Go West!


    We left Ponchatoula, Louisiana this morning with clean clothes  and high spirits as Pretty loaded the car with our assortment of suitcases and a gazillion “little things” that defy description and seem to multiply each day. Cheetos, Doritos, pretzels, M&Ms with peanuts, peanut brittle, unnamed chocolate covered almonds, diet cokes, dr. peppers, chewing gum, camera, worthless gps, dog leashes, walking cane; the list goes on and on of the “little things” on the floorboard of the passenger seat that have to be carried to and fro with the suitcases. Yikes. Thank goodness for Pretty.

    Atchafalaya National Heritage Area 

    a wonderful swamp ride on I-10 between

    Baton Rouge and Lafayette, Louisiana

    Pretty and I have enjoyed this section of interstate every time we’ve been through it. The images of thousands of dead tree trunks rising  up from the water that stretches as far as the eye can see on both sides of the interstate and even in between the eastbound and westbound lanes of the bridges in some places are breath -taking. Atchafalaya – the name itself is a national treasure. I indulge in wishful thinking that I should have the DNA of  an indigenous person whenever I speak it, although my Ancestry tests prove otherwise.

    Lake Charles, Louisiana

    (Pretty takes a driving break)

    Following an absolutely fabulous lunch of the consistently best fried shrimp on the planet just outside of Lafayette at the Boudin Shop a/k/a Chikin on the Bayou, we continued west on I-10 to Lake Charles and Pretty took an antiquing break. Luckily, she was able to find a few treasures, but Charly and Spike lost a lot of their traveling space in the back seat and weren’t too pleased with their new riding arrangement.

    As a matter of fact, we had a harrowing incident with Charly who has been a nervous wreck today in the car for some reason and slipped out of her collar when Pretty let the dogs out for a potty break in Cleveland, Texas at a very busy corner with cars and 18-wheelers whizzing around us. Charly spotted several blackbirds on the ground ahead of her and impolitely shook her collar over her head and ran off. We were horrified and hollered at her to come back – which she did – running joyfully and leaping like the terrier she is. We were not amused. Charly didn’t understand the hoopla. She may have a better understanding since Pretty purchased a new harness for the would-be Houdini.

    Aahhh…zzzzz…

    Happiness is a king-sized bed at a

    pet-friendly La Quinta in Conroe, Texas

    So glad to be in Texas once again and have had such a great trip to get here!

     P.S. Pretty just told me the Washington Times reported today that the current DT administration has decided the federal government isn’t interested in identifying the country’s LGBTQ citizens in the 2020 Census. No need to know. Seriously? Not included in the 2020 Census? Pretty and I are a make-believe family? We don’t exist? Well, I never. Shame on you. I’m calling it a night.