Here Bert and Dondi stand in front of their two-bit Dumas Texas apartment complex, which served a previous life as a two-bit motel complex.
Bert isn’t about to plaster a smile on her face for anyone. The deal is, in between Casper Wyoming and Dumas Texas, Walt and Bert and Dondi followed a refinery job to Toledo Ohio and lived in a progression of situations best described as worse, worst, and worser still. Bert is beginning to lose the thread that separated her life with Walt from her transient youth.
Dondi, on the other hand, is ever sunny. Even though every hop across town, or larger leap over state lines, requires a new school for Dondi, she is learning to combat this unbearable loneliness by embracing each new move — because at least it deposits her farther away from the last bit of heartache.
janny226 says
April 30, 2009 at 8:31 pmAwww. I feel for the gals! Bert reminds me of my aunt. And let me guess, is this somewhere in the 1940s now?
CupcakeMurphy says
April 30, 2009 at 11:16 pmThis is so grogeously written. I love how you do this.
CupcakeMurphy says
April 30, 2009 at 11:16 pmGROgeously? I meant GORgeously. As in gorgeous. I was all dizzy from this incredible tale here.
Grandma J says
April 30, 2009 at 11:24 pmBert looks so weary, yet still so beautiful. Dondi, well…she doesn’t get it yet, kind of like the happy go lucky Bert of yesteryear. Is that a word? Maybe witha hyphen? For the sake of this story lets say ok.
I hope Walt doesn’t screw them over because right now I still like him.
janet says
May 1, 2009 at 7:27 amHow old is Dondi now? She appears young, and f rom her attitute, she just CANNOT be a teenager yet. But she is so tall! I notice these things, being 5’9″ myself. Could it be that this is where Bossy gets her height?
pkzcass says
May 1, 2009 at 9:49 amBert’s wearing some cute shoes in the pic. Did she get them at onlineshoes.com?
Meg at the Members Lounge says
May 1, 2009 at 11:31 amI think we need to petition Bill Kurtis from A&E to do a voiceover for each of BOSSY’s family tree photos. And then BOSSY can sell the gripping DVD.
foolery says
May 1, 2009 at 1:53 pmBert definitely looks miffed. This may have been the closest Walt was allowed to get to her before she bit him.
sevedra says
May 1, 2009 at 2:04 pmI feel for Dondi and Bert so much! I moved all the time when I was growing up. It SUCKED. Poor ladies. You should compile all these and publish it. I would so buy that book.
boots586 says
May 2, 2009 at 5:17 pmDondi is Bossy’s mother, right?
Momo Fali says
May 4, 2009 at 8:46 amYes, Toledo is definitely worser. Actually, I would refer to is as worstest.
dgm says
May 4, 2009 at 8:51 amI love how Dondi keeps it on the sunny side. She’s my kind of gal. And she’s getting so tall! My word, look at those feet–like a German Shepard puppy’s!
Oh Bert, I’m sorry. Your dreams have flown out the window and I’m really sorry.
Cat says
May 5, 2009 at 8:18 amI love reading this story. I guess it goes to show everyone’s tale can be fascinating. That is if Bossy is telling the tale.
steph says
May 7, 2009 at 11:35 amMy mom’s face always had that same expression in photos my dad took… then they got divorced.
Bert is still super beautiful though.
steph says
May 7, 2009 at 11:37 amIs there a link to the archives for this section still? I’m worried I may have missed a post or two.
Sallie says
May 7, 2009 at 6:57 pmThanks for starting up this part of the blog again. Your wonderful family stories are such fun to read. I’d love to do a family stories blog for my kids and grandkids someday. So much more interesting than just the dry geneological charts that so many people work on.
Sallie says
May 7, 2009 at 6:58 pmOh and ditto to the comment steph made just above. I can’t get back to the archive either — I think I read all of these posts some time ago, but I’d like to check it out too.
Thanks
steph says
May 8, 2009 at 11:39 amHey! I think I found it, up top. It’s called archives of all things!
Rebecca Regnier says
May 8, 2009 at 4:05 pmI’ve been reading the family tree for a year and today imagine my surprise when Dondi and Bert wandered into the 1940s of my Toledo grandparents. Stan, Celia, Ellen and Bob. Your photos always did remind me of mine. What a revelation.
And Momo Fali. Toledo is not worser. It is my beloved hometown.
Sallie says
May 9, 2009 at 10:46 amArchives of all things! (;>) Thanks, Steph. Here I’m trying to learn to write a blog and I can’t even read one.
dalgal says
May 12, 2009 at 1:36 pmAre there happy times sprinkled in this story??? I’m thinking Bert definitely derserves some!
Domestic Spaz says
May 12, 2009 at 6:18 pmSo you read how I read your whole family history in one night and now I’m in Bossy’s family tree withdrawal.
Grandma J says
May 21, 2009 at 12:05 pmBossy, just so you know, it gets extremely hot and humid in Dumas Texas this time of year. So, can we get Bert and Dondi back inside, or move them down the road to the next installment?
Thank you!