I'll Call It Like I See It

by sheila morris

For any who want more, complete list of all posts by month since 2011
  • happy days, grand so

    happy days, grand so


    In rural Grimes County, Texas, in the early 1950s following the end of WWII which began recovery from the Great Depression of the 1930s, a little girl lived with her parents and maternal grandmother in a small Sears Roebuck house in an even smaller town of Richards (pop. 440) at the edge of the East Texas Piney Woods. These pictures are the fourth of her stories that depict her early childhood in that faraway time and place, the place where the little girl started learning to laugh at life.

    why is my snowman so tiny, mama? and why is he wearing a bonnet?

    Scooter the puppy, is now Scooter, the big dog

    Uncle Neville made balloons for the little country girl on her visit

    to the bright lights and big city of Houston with her grandmother

    summer visit on Posey Street in Houston with Grandma Dude, Grandma’s sister Aunt Selma, and their mother we all called Grandma Schlinke – everyone having fun? (except great- Grandma Schlinke who managed a rare smile – I don’t think she liked fun)

    what’s so funny? this little boy thinks he can ride my tricycle

    Take your hands off my tricycle

    that’s the funniest thing I ever heard

    Thanks for hanging in with us – the school experience is next for the little girl. It’s the final segment of the saga ushering in a whole new world of possibilities on her horizon. She can’t wait!

  • mid century rural Texas not modern

    mid century rural Texas not modern


    guns part of culture in rural Grimes County, Texas in early 1950s

    in her little mind she was always the Good Guy

    cowboys needed just the right hat

    new baby cousin Gaylen lived in Houston – cowboy hats came later for him

    daddy bought the little girl a swing set for her yard

    cowboy hats later replaced by baseball caps

    shirts optional in the hot Texas summers

    meanwhile, mama insisted on teaching the little girl piano lessons

    the little girl hated the piano lessons

    The guns and cowboy hats are long gone, but mama’s music lingered from one century to the next.

  • 34 South Carolinians pardoned for their January 6th. activities

    34 South Carolinians pardoned for their January 6th. activities


    President Trump pardoned seven people from South Carolina convicted of or who were accused of attacking police on Jan. 6, 2021. The pardons dismiss pending charges for defendants who had not gone to trial and release convicted people who were serving time in prison. Trump’s actions also restore any rights that might have been taken away. However, federal court documents including judgments and original charges will still be public record, according to lawyers connected with the case. Nearly all cases were handled by federal courts in Washington. In addition to the seven people from South Carolina who were convicted or accused of committing violence against police, Trump pardoned another 11 who were convicted or accused of aggressive conduct that stopped short of attacking an officer but in some cases included damaging property. The third and final category of South Carolina defendants whom Trump pardoned included 16 people who were charged with trespassing related offenses — basically being inside the Capitol during the riot without attacking police or vandalizing property. (John Monk, The State, January 24, 2025)

    To the victor belongs the spoils, and part of the spoils now include pick-and-choose justice for convicted felons that assaulted police officers at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. I remember watching their stories unfold on TV in real time. I hoped none of the rioters were people I knew and cared for, but these thirty-four South Carolinians are people who someone does know, someone who will welcome them home with open arms.

    The American poet Maya Angelou said, “Because equal rights, fair play, justice are all like the air: we all have it, or none of us has it. That’s the truth of it.”

    Tell it, Sister Girl.

    Onward.

  • Molly, Molly, how much do we love thee? let me count the ways

    Molly, Molly, how much do we love thee? let me count the ways


    From her first birthday two years ago to the one we celebrate today, this little girl has been the icing on our cake whenever we see her. For Pretty and me, she is the gift that keeps on giving.

    Molly’s first birthday cake (2023)

    (maternal grandmother Gigi laughs at Molly’s first cake experience)

    when you’re three years old, you can use your hands

    big sister Ella and Mama Caroline help with gifts as Daddy keeps watch

    Molly consoles her best friend who wondered why none of the gifts were hers

    what could possibly be better for a party than the 2024 bounce house?

    (two-year-old Molly and four-year-old Ella in their bare feet had fun!)

    a petting zoo in the backyard!

    the goat was in charge of gymnastics

    Molly, Molly, how much do Nana and Naynay love thee? Let me count the ways – too many to count. You are priceless.

  • Spoiler Alert: Australian Open Women’s Singles Champion is American (not Venus or Serena)

    Spoiler Alert: Australian Open Women’s Singles Champion is American (not Venus or Serena)


    Madison Keys wins first major in 2025 tennis season: the Australian Open

    hey, girl – don’t even think about snatching this

    Okay – so I made up the caption, mate. Don’t hold that against me, but I thought when I saw her interview that Keys held the trophy mighty close and why wouldn’t she?

    This was her 46th. try to win one of the four major grand slam tennis tournaments over her career that began fifteen years ago when she turned pro at age 14. Her only other major final was in 2017 at the US Open when she lost to fellow American Sloane Stephens. Inspired by the play of Venus Williams, trained by the legendary Chris Evert at the Evert Academy in Florida, and in more recent years coached by Lindsay Davenport, another American women’s singles champion who won three majors in her career – Madison Keys will find her name and image in the walk of champions leading to the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Australia, when she returns next year.

    For my followers who are tennis lovers like me, I hope you take the time to read records broken by Keys in the 2025 AO. Amazing. Awesome.

    Congratulations, Madison! Your win was impressive, and I celebrate that victory with you; but more than that, I admire your courage to keep going for fifteen years that included injuries, heartbreaking losses, disappointing defeats. Sport often teaches us the importance of perseverance and resilience – your commitment is a powerful example of life lessons to be learned.

    Onward, Madison Keys. Keep that trophy close on your way home to us, and best wishes for your continued victories in 2025. You rock, girl.