By Neal Murphy

“Adam’s Off Ox” by Neal Murphy

June 25, 2021 - Many of you have no doubt heard a person say that he didn’t know someone else from Adam’s off ox, but you may not have stopped to consider the peculiar aptness of this folk expression. I recall my grandparents and parents would use the phrase quite often but I never thought to delve into what the words truly meant. What is an “off ox”, and who was Adam? What did this have to do with not knowing somebody?

"The Fender Bender" By Neal Murphy

May 14, 2021 - When I got married I owned a 1950 Chevrolet two-door sedan. It was a pretty vehicle, and it had served me well during my college days. Now, after marriage and contemplating starting a family, I felt that a newer, larger car was in order.

I found a nice used 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air four-door at Butts Chevrolet that appealed to my new paternal nature. It was black and white with fender skirts on the rear fenders.  

"Shaggin' Golf Balls" by Neal Murphy

May 7, 2021 - Growing up in deep East Texas during the late 1940s did not allow me to learn much about the sport of golf, or “cow pasture pool” as it was known around these parts. There were no golf courses around the area and no one in my immediate family played golf, so the game was foreign to me until the year 1950. I met a man who introduced me to golf clubs and balls. He was a well-dressed gentleman who owned an insurance agency in town. His name was Bill Polley.

“Entertaining Angels” (Part Three) By Neal Murphy

October 1, 2020 - “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers; for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”  (Hebrews 13:2)

Our daughter, Kay, had recently married and was living in St. Joseph, Missouri. Our son, Doug, was attending college in the same city. In the summer of 1980 my wife and I had enjoyed a weekend with them, driving there from our home in Ft. Worth, Texas.

“Entertaining Angels” (Part Two) By Neal Murphy

“Be not forgetful to entertain strangers; for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”  (Hebrews 13:2)

September 24, 2020 - Around January of 1974 my insurance company transferred me to our new office in Littleton, Colorado. Living in Colorado was a blast for our family. My wife, Clara, had taken a job at Denver Children’s Hospital in downtown Denver. She was working for the chief cardiovascular surgeon, Dr. George Pappas, as his secretary and assistant. It was a very exciting, though stressful position.

“Bride and Groom” By Neal Murphy

September 14, 2020 - In late 1957 my fiancée, Clara, and I were planning our wedding for June, 1958. Our situation was somewhat unusual in that her father, a minister, was to perform the wedding ceremony. My father was the county clerk, and would thus issue our marriage license. So, both our fathers were to play a very important part in our wedding.

“The Sand Storm” By Neal Murphy

September 3, 2020 - Our daughter, Kay, was about three months old when Clara and I decided it was time to show her off to her maternal relatives who lived way out in west Texas, namely Lamesa and Plainview. That is quite a long trek from San Augustine, especially with a three month old baby. Nevertheless, it seemed the right thing to do at the time.

Pages

Subscribe to RSS - By Neal Murphy