Living in Munchkinland

wrote a lovely tribute post for my dad and published it yesterday. By Richard Skanse Anthony “Lucky” Tomblin was 58 years old by the time he released his first full-length album, 2001’s Lucky Club Music (credited to the band Lucky 13). But it wasn’t a late start so much as it was a case of a life full-lived coming full circle — and beginning anew. “Lucky had been singing since he was a kid,” says Redd Volkaert, the celebrated Austin Telecaster master who spent a decade playing and recording in the Lucky Tomblin Band, the all-star honky-tonk ensemble Tomblin started a couple years later. “So it wasn’t like he got to a point in his life where he was like, ‘Hey, I think I want a band.’ He was in bands 40 years ago. But I guess he just got kind of, you know … sidetracked.” Lucky Tomblin (center) with his all-star Lucky Tomblin Band (from left, Earl Poole Ball, John X Reed, Bobby Arnold, Jon Hawn, Sarah Brown, and Redd Volkaert. (Photo by Rodney Bursiel) Lucky Tomblin (center) with...

My brother in law wrote this about my dad and posted it on Facebook. I love it so much. He really captured who my dad was and I am very blessed to be able to share it with you as my own words will not come. First off, thanks to all the friends and family who have offered their thoughts and support to the Tomblin, Davis, Carnes and Walter families. The FB posts, calls, and texts are greatly appreciated a truly helpful during this time. I’m not much of a FB poster, however, I think this may be the best way to be heard on this subject. As many of you know, my Father-in-law Lucky Tomblin passed away on Tuesday. What you may not know is due to his fight with Lewy Body Disease we really lost a little bit of Lucky’s true essence every year then month then day due to this brutal form of dementia. I, like so many of you, was fortunate enough to know Lucky several years before the disease really took hold. And, although I will cherish every moment I spent with him, those are the years that r...

My dad died yesterday. My mom and sister and I were with him as his spirit flew free. I can't talk about it yet. My heart is broken into a thousand little pieces. But I am so happy he is finally free and I feel his spirit all around me. Born October 24th, 1943, he was named Anthony Wayne Tomblin, but even as a boy he knew that he was different from all the rest. He was living with his eight siblings and mother in a two-bedroom apartment in San Antonio when he found a bike. He decided he was Lucky. And with that, he decided that he’d direct his own fate. Friends, family, even his mother called him Lucky. The name suited him as he made his way through a challenging childhood. He was brought up by his loving mother with the help of the nuns at his Catholic school, but still ran the streets of “south side” San Antonio at night. He put himself through college at Southwest Texas, where he met and fell for a beautiful, dark haired girl named Rebecca. Never one to be deterred, he f...

I found this letter while going through a box of old papers. I cannot express how much it meant to me to find it and read his words to me in his own handwriting. I must have been about to leave for college at NYU when he wrote it. I cried so hard when I found it, that I smudged the letters, which I hate, but you can still read it. It is priceless.

Our Friends got together and threw us a lovely party. Every family had to participate in the show and we had so many wonderful acts! We even had a video performance from the Liffords! The rain poured down as the guests arrived, but the kids spread out in the big room and played games and the grownups sipped wine and prepared then performance area. The show was fabulous in every act. It was SO MUCH FUN. Davis and Michael and Samuel performed Eleanor Rigby with Sam on guitar, Davis on keyboards and vocals and M on bass. They were great and I was very proud. Samuel was so nervous. He ended up under the table afterwards and I was worried for him, but I soon let it go, because I saw my mom disappear under the table with him and I knew he was in the very best hands. Michael also played with Nacho Mama, the band formerly known as Pappy Hour and they were great. I am a total groupie. We had a dramatic reading of poetry and a beautiful essay on Friendship. We had lots of upbeat a...

Mother's Day had good points and bad. It was a good day, but odd. The kids bickered with Michael while making my toast and coffee. While I was putting on makeup, and texting potential renters, my mom called and said my dad was not doing well. I threw egg stratas in the oven and ran over there. Then I ran up to co-host a brunch at my grandmother’s and I had to open the house and put on music and transform the house from a house of mourning to a house of party. Grandma initially didn't want to party, but we coaxed her out. The brunch was nice and full of family and good food. I'm so glad I have my Grandma. She's the best. Then we tried to have our family foundation meeting at my parent’s house. We had decided to do it Hawaiian style so we could pretend we were all in Hawaii. We made a Hawaiian food menu and Tiff brought leis for everyone and mom bought a Hawaii beach dvd to put on the big screen. Then yesterday turned cold and rainy. We made a great effort a...

Last week, before Gramp passed away, but while we were waiting for that to happen, life still went on. It was super hard. Every day we waited for news. It was like standing on the edge of a precipice. But we still had to keep going. I packed and cleaned. I went on a field trip with Sam to the Science Lab in Johnson City. My friend Jamey came over to my mom's and we had brunch and played bocce. Michael and I cleaned out the attic. After my Gramp passed away, we still had to carry on. The kids went on a nature adventure with their best friends for a birthday party. The family came into town and we hosted a funeral and a wake. We held Grandma's hands and hugged the other side of our family and told stories. My mom made an altar with marigolds and candles and pictures. Samuel promised me that Gramp was in a better place. Yesterday we all went down to the pool and swam and drank wine and talked. It was nice. And life is trudging on. I'm packing and interviewi...

The boy has been killing me with cuteness the last few days. First, I caught of picture of him reading with Baby (his stuffed animal puppy that is "real" like the Velveteen Rabbit and Holly (real cause she's a real dog). Then this morning he woke to find that we were out of bread. Samuel lives for bread. It is his second favorite thing after his puppy. Snapped a picture and cracked up. Looks like me before coffee.

Rufus Caswell Alexander, 92, passed away on April 30, 2016. He was born Aug. 5, 1923, in Round Mountain, Texas to Frank and Bertha (Dodgen) Alexander. He moved with his family to San Marcos when he was 5 and remained a resident until his passing. He was a long-time member of the First Baptist Church, San Marcos where he served as a deacon, sang in the choir, and taught Sunday school. Rufus graduated from Southwest Texas State Teachers College where he met Mary Ruth Norman and they married on July 4, 1944, while he was on leave from his station on the U.S.S. Bottineau during WWII. After the war ended, he began his career in ranching, first having his own property, then managing the Freeman Ranch. He retired from the SWT University bookstore. He and Ruth had two children, son R. Norman Alexander (Roxalyn) of Coatesville, Pennsylvania, and daughter Kaye Alexander Wilson (Larry) of Austin, three grandchildren, John Alexander, Erika Wilson Nowlin, and Adam Wilson. After Ruth’s death, he m...