Shannon here: Caryl McAdoo shares how she met her husband and how her characters’ meet in her latest Historical Romance, Texas Times (book 9 in the Cross Timber Romance Family Saga). Comment or answer the question in this post to enter the drawing for an e-book copy of Gone to Texas – book 1 in the collection. Deadline: Aug 19th, 11:59 pm central time. Here’s Caryl:
A Good Meeting Place
First off, I want to give a big Texas THANK YOU to the “Inkslinger” extraordinaire for the invite to be with you today! I just love meeting new people, and Shannon’s blog gives me that wonderful opportunity every time I stop by! I’m grateful to be here and look forward to your comments!
As my grandsugars face a different world as far as dates and finding prospective mates, I think back to meeting my husband, Ron. At sixteen, the summer before our junior year, we met at Lee Park Recreation Center where I was a recreation leader. He also worked for Irving’s Parks and Recreation Department but with the “parks” part and had come by to mow the grass.
I checked out basketballs and games, taught a cooking class for seven-to-ten-year-olds, loaded the ceramic kiln daily and fired the pieces from the ceramic class among other things. I didn’t teach ceramics, but I joined it whenever I had time! Ron had come into the building on his lunch break to eat and cool off in the AC.
After scarfing down his food, he came to my window and checked out a basketball to shoot a few hoops with a boy I went to Irving’s new high school with. Ron was a football jock at Irving High. Oooo, boy, was he ever tall and handsome with the prettiest, deepest blue eyes! When he checked the ball back in, he asked me out for the following Friday, June 17th.
I remember this because our first date wasn’t until the 24th since he stood me up! Yes! An uncle in South Texas had died, and his mother signed him out in the middle of the day, and the family left. (No cell phones in ’66!) Besides, he couldn’t call me at school.
When he returned, he called and apologized—I promptly accepted. Truth be told, I didn’t KNOW he’d stood me up because I’d stood him up! 😊 See? I had a record going…a date every night since we got out of school, and I didn’t want to take any chances, so I actually accepted three dates for the 17th!
I know! I know! It wasn’t right, but I was young, probably a little foolish, and I had that record to uphold! You’ll never believe I was supposed to go out with a Ronnie, Ricky, and Randy that Friday night! I told Mama I’d leave with the first one who got there, and she could tell the others whatever she wanted.
Uh…I didn’t mention the three dates thing to Ron; he found out years
later. SO, we dated every night the rest of the summer and on into November when his mother put her foot down.
He’d told her he was going to marry me after our second date. Ron gave me an engagement ring the following June 22, ‘67, and we married June 22, ‘68. This year we celebrated FIFTY-FIVE years of marriage!
Work IS a good place to meet a spouse… also evidenced by my hero, Amos Humble, and heroine, Alexandria Bell, in my soon-to-be-released novel TEXAS TIMES, book nine of my “” and my contribution to the 2023 multi-author Sixth Annual Thanksgiving Books and Blessings

Giveaway
Collection.
In this story Alex, a single, prim and proper country girl coming up on thirty years old, inherits her uncle’s portion of a big city newspaper and his Dallas home.
This propels her on a journey she never expected. Guess who she meets at the paper though… it’s always a little obvious in a romance, isn’t it? But suddenly, she has three men vying for her attention.
Amos, the son of Arlene and Laundry Humble, is a character whose parents’ love story filled book three, TEXAS TEARS. He’s the top reporter at the Texas Times! So, whether its 1877, 1968, or 2023 . . .work has always been a good place to meet a mate! So, let the adventure begin!
Question for Readers: Where did you meet your spouse or where do you think would be a great place to meet a potential mate!
About Caryl: Best-selling author Caryl McAdoo, praying her story gives God glory, loves God, husband Ron, their children, and twenty-five grandsugars—writing stories and singing new worship songs! Her historical family sagas are loved around the world. The McAdoos live in Clarksville, Texas—waiting expectantly for God to open the next door. Learn more & connect:
Caryl’s Website Caryl’s Newsletter Sign Up Caryl’s Youtube
Caryl’s Facebook Caryl’s Reader Group Caryl’s Bookbub
Thanksgiving Books & Blessings Facebook Group
About the book – Texas Times: Thanksgiving Books & Blessings Collection Six (Cross Timbers Romance Family Saga – Book 9)
He shall choose our inheritance for us . . .
A prim and proper country girl is thrown into a mayhem of madams and mercy killing when Alexandria Bell inherits her estranged uncle’s portion of a big city’s premier newspaper, the Texas Times. She does find the pickin’s better in Dallas as before she knows it, three suitors vie for her attentions. One makes her laugh, one speaks to her heart, and the third possesses such a way with words, he makes her envious of his talent . . . but she’s his boss. Come along on Alex’s new career adventure and see if any are successful in winning her heart and hand.
Texas Times Pre-order Cross Timbers Romance Family Saga
Sixth Annual Thanksgiving Books & Blessings Collection Caryl’s Books
Come back August 15th for Louise M. Gouge!
I met my hubby in high school. He walked me to class after lunch every day. He asked me to the senior prom, and the rest is history!
Aww! High school sweethearts like we were! Young and in love! Does it ever happen like that anymore?
Glad to have you here Caryl. I saw the new guy across the high school campus and thought, I’m gonna marry him. Based wholly on the fact that he had awesome hair and was really good looking. Thankfully, his personality matched his looks since I did marry him.
My parents moved when I was 21. If I was hone on weekends I visited churches with them hunting a new church home. My father was invited to a small country church and it turned out several of my Mother’s friends from high school attended the church. My first Sunday there I noticed the Song Leader nut didn’t think much about him. He saw me walking down basement steps for fellowship time and started asking who I was. I think the whole church became matchmakers. I had been working as secretary Radio, Television, Crusade ministry one of the local Gospel singers had told me several times he was praying for me to meet and marry a Gospel Singer. My husband was in a quartet when we met. He also farmed and I was from a farming family.
Hey Goat Lady Friend! I’m a praise and worshipper! I love to sing of His Majesty! If there was one thing the Lord would let me change about my most awesome husband, I would want him to be a singer. He really is truly tone deaf! All my family sings and loves to hear his rendition of Happy Birthday… so… I’m trying not to be envious and covet!!! 🙂
Oh yes! I have 4 Nubians I milk twice daily!! 🙂
Oh I love it!! You have beautiful hair too! So you made certain your children would love their hair!! Speaking of hair, I turned platinum white (the color now) in my 40s. My dear husband is fixin’ to be 74 and he still has a head full of brown hair!! There’s MAYBE 6 gray hairs in there…3 on each of his temples! 🙂
We met at a state fair through mutual friends. I had to be let off a ride because I screamed so loud to let me off. My husband and his friend almost got sick on another ride. It was quite the experience.
I have never been a roller coaster girl! I HATE the sense of climbing and falling, although I did frequent the Log ride at Six Flags 🙂 At least you weren’t alone in bed rides that day! 🙂
friends
I love friends! <3
Oh wow, this should be in the book – have you included it in one of your stories yet?
I met my husband on his birthday (so I joke that I’m his birthday present).
He walked into my hotel for his reservation. His story is I was not going to him stay. Actually, I wanted to make sure his company was going to pay! I was in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He was from Lubbock, Texas. The company was in Baton Rogue, Louisiana. We married 9 weeks later. He moved us to Texas 5 years later, after a very harsh Michigan winter!
And you were only trying to protect his best interest! You made a good move though to Texas. Hope it was more in the eastern part though, much prettier than Lubbock! 🙂 Unless you like flat and not very many trees 🙂
I have a winner! Goat Lady Friend won the drawing. I appreciate Caryl for being my guest and everyone else for stopping by.