My Winning Road Trip – Part 3
We left off when I left the Annual Nation Sweepstakes Convention on the Contest Queen leg of my road trip, and headed to Texas to visit with Dike and Pheona Hadsell. (Helene’s son and daughter-in-law.)
Links to Parts 1 and 2 are at the bottom of this post.
Aug 12
I was glad I decided to stay in Burleson instead of Alvarado, as the hotel I chose was brand new. My original plan was to get up early and meet Dike at Whataburger in Alvarado for coffee, since he goes every morning to see his friends. Except I didn’t get a text back, so I was unsure of his plans. I had breakfast and was working in my hotel room when I finally got a text from an unknown number telling me to call Dike. Unbeknownst to me, Dike’s phone plan wouldn’t let him text or call me. (His phone plan doesn’t allow any outbound international connections.)
I immediately rang him, only to find out by this point in the day, he was running errands. I told him I would meet him at his place when he got back. (Remember, he and Pheona live in what used to be the Delta Sciences Center–a double-wide mobile home– and across the courtyard is where Helene and Pat lived.)
Upon arriving, I discovered that he had taken up a new hobby. Dike started keeping livestock. Chickens and sheep were roaming around everywhere. He needed some galvanized steel tubs for the animals, so we got into his car and went to Atwood’s Home and Ranch. I loved the store and realized the same tubs he was buying would be a great anchor for the rain chain we wanted to install at our home. I facetimed George as he waited to board his flight to Dallas-Fort Worth. I got the tub.
On our way back, we stopped for a late buffet lunch. I came into the house to visit with Pheona for a bit and ended up doing tech support for an hour on their phones, clearing memory, fixing sound and volume issues, etc. That’s also when I figured out why I was never hearing from Dike except via email. After helping Dike a bit more
Then it was time for me to head back to the hotel, change, and pick up George from the airport. His flight was delayed, so by the time he retrieved his luggage (I had made him check a bag because I had forgotten a few gifts and had him bring down jars of peanut butter and boxes of cookies — LOL!), there weren’t many options for dinner. We appropriately ate at Texas Roadhouse on our way to Burleson.
Aug 13
We got up early, had breakfast, and headed straight to the Hadsells. I was excited for George to finally meet Dike and Pheona and to see where Helene lived and worked. I’ve talked about her since we met, and now that I’ve been republishing her work for five years, it give him even more context.
Since George is a contractor and incredibly handy, Dike put him to work immediately. He wanted a new chicken pen built, so the two of them headed to the back half of the five-acre property. I went into the house and had a lovely visit with Pheona over tea. I also took photos of the family pictures on the walls. Every time I visit, I discover something new about their family history.
It was brutally hot and humid, so the men came back drenched after working outside for hours. George borrowed a dry t-shirt from Dike, and we all went for a late BBQ lunch. We chose Spring Creek Barbeque near our hotel. George and I ordered two different meals so we could share, and everything was delicious.
While we ate, Dike told us stories about the Formica house and how Pat (his dad) had to fix the foundation several years after they moved in. (This is an important detail for later in this post.)
Halfway through lunch, I realized it was the same restaurant chain I had visited with Helene in 2008 (at a different location) when we attended the DFWinners Sweepstakes Club meeting. It was another one of those full-circle moments that seemed to happen often around her.
When we returned to the house, Dike and Pheona gave me an old photo album full of photos and articles that had never been shared publicly. I had the sense to pack an old inkjet printer for exactly this reason. That evening, while George watched TV, I spent hours scanning photos so I could send everything to Melissa once I was done. Family memorabilia should stay with the family.
Aug 14
We were checking out that morning and beginning our journey toward Tennessee, so we packed up and headed to Whataburger to have coffee with Dike before leaving.
After that, we went to Walmart so I could make prints of the newly discovered Formica photos. I wanted to gift them to the current owners since we planned to stop at the house so that I could show George and film a video. I put the photos in a greeting card in case they weren’t home and I had to leave it in the mailbox.
Then we stopped at Trader Joe’s. I was hoping to get another cooler bag. They were out of the large ones, but I found two lunch-sized bags. I collect their bags and have one from almost every location. We also stocked up on road trip snacks.
Before leaving Irving, we stopped at the West Irving Library to donate a set of Helene’s books in English and Spanish. The librarian had never heard about Helene’s adventures and loved that both languages were gifted. And fittingly, the library is on Rochelle Avenue, the same street as the Formica house.
On to the Formica house. I had the photos in a greeting card in case the owners weren’t home and I had to leave them in the mailbox. They were home, and when he answered the door, he said, “I was looking for your card (from my visit last year) because I had a question about the foundation, and I thought you may be able to put me in contact with someone who could answer them.”
WHAT?!
That was the moment I realized I was playing a part in answering someone’s telepathic request. It’s a longer story, and you can read about that experience in Being Part of the Flow of Life.
After that, we drove to the University of Dallas campus so I could visit the chapel. Several stories Helene told took place there, including the one where she levitated and another involving a past-life connection.
Before getting on the highway, we had lunch at In-N-Out and spent the rest of the day on the road. We stopped for the night in West Memphis, Arkansas.
Aug 15
Our first stop was the iconic Bass Pro Shops inside the mirrored pyramid in Memphis, Tennessee. I had debated staying there because I wasn’t sure it was worth the cost. We could have spent the entire day inside. We shopped for hours and finally had to force ourselves to leave because we were due in Clarksville, Tennessee, for dinner. It’s not officially a bucket list item, but it should be. When we get the chance, we want to stay for a day or two.
We drove straight to Mark and Rosa’s because we had reservations. You may remember Mark from my last two road trips. He’s The Miriculist on TikTok and a wonderful manifestation teacher. After a great Italian dinner, we spent the rest of the evening talking and catching up.
Aug 16
This was a quiet day for all of us. We had a leisurely breakfast. I filmed several videos, and Mark taught me how TikTok Shop works, since it’s not available in Canada.
Later, they gave us a tour of the town. We grabbed iced coffees and went out for an early dinner at The Catfish House. Then it was back to the Mayhews for movies and an early night. After almost three weeks on the road for me, and almost a week for George, we were tired.
For some reason, I never got any photos of all of us together. I thought we had taken some at dinner, but apparently not.
Aug 17
Mark made a wonderful brunch before we started the drive to Beverly and Bill’s in Indiana. They were my first pit stop on the way down. It was an uneventful drive with a stop at Costco. We arrived late for dinner. I had forgotten we’d cross a time zone and lose an hour traveling from Tennessee to Indiana.
They also wanted to take George to Ford’s Garage for dinner and show him the area. Later, the men watched football in the den while Beverly and I sat in the living room entering sweepstakes. By 2:00 AM, we had to call it a night. They are both in their eighties, yet they possess an incredible amount of energy and enthusiasm. I always feel like I’m with young people in older bodies.
Aug 18
We were understandably tired and slept in. Bill made breakfast, and the four of us sat in the sunroom talking until we realized that if we didn’t leave soon, we wouldn’t make it home that day.
After three weeks on the road, I was happy to sleep in my own bed.
I hope you enjoy all the treasures I was able to share.
