Ms. Tuesday

By Janice Johnson

Ms. Tuesday is a true story about a young lady who taught a variety of classes to inmates at the Texas Department of Corrections in Huntsville, Texas. This book describes to the reader the life of incarcerated men and their feelings about many different issues. The title of this book came from a class of inmates who named the teacher. This book is interesting and heartwarming.



The reader becomes aware of the lives of incarcerated men.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Jan 7, 2011
• ISBN: 9781456712327

Book preview

PRISON SLANG

1. Deck - Pack of cigarettes

2. Lay-In - An official pass to see a medic

3. Lock down – Inmates are held in their cells following a major disturbance. Visitation, recreation and the barber shop are cancelled.

4. Piddlin – manufacturing of craft items

5. Que Honda – Hispanic term for What’s going on?

6. Rack – Sleeping quarters

7. Racked up – To go to your cell or sleeping quarters

8. Runner – Support Service Inmate who passes out contraband. (S.S.I.)

9. Shake Down – The search of individuals who are suspected of having contraband

10. Unit – Prison or state jail facilities

MS. TUESDAY

Janice Johnson traveled to Houston, Texas, each week and installed computer equipment and software. Janice earned a good income doing this, but she became tired of traveling to Houston every week. Struggling with traffic and dealing with the big city daily life caused Janice to consider other methods of earning an income. She put an end to her computer business in Houston and became a full time resident of Huntsville, Texas. Janice referred unresolved computer matters to computer consultants living in Houston. She did not want to deplete the money she had saved from computer installations, so she contacted the school district office in Huntsville and applied for a substitute teaching position. She thought about using her real estate license and selling real estate because real estate was one business in Huntsville that could be very profitable. Huntsville real estate firms, however, were already saturated with real estate agents. Janice continued to think about a business where she could earn a substantial income and still live in Huntsville. Selling computer equipment was not recognized as a viable business in a small town in east Texas.

Janice had installed computer equipment and accounting software for a company in Houston that grew beautiful flowers. She loved flowers and wanted to decorate her yard with them. She designed four heart-shaped flowerbeds in her front yard. Each one was outlined with tall flat rocks that she had found at a rock quarry. After she completed the flowerbeds, she drove to Houston and purchased ten flats of flowers. A variety of thirteen bedding plants were in each flat. She was now ready to plant 130 flowers. She planted all of the flowers in the heart-shaped flowerbeds. Her front yard was radiant with color.

The flowers planted in the heart-shaped flowerbeds could be seen from the road in front of her house. People would drive ten, twenty, or even more miles to see the array of colors displayed in her front yard.

Several days after she had planted the flowers, she was called to substitute teach. The money she earned was not enough to pay her living expenses. She continued to withdraw money from her savings account. When she noticed that her account was dangerously low, she decided to enroll in auctioneering school where she learned to become a licensed auctioneer.

She discontinued substitute teaching for the school district and concentrated on her auctioneering. She worked for several auctioneering firms and was contracted to auction antiques and computer equipment. She called auction sales for several different companies, but her savings account continued to dwindle.

One day she saw a car slow down in front of her yard. The people in the car seemed to be looking at her beautiful flowerbeds. This made her wonder if she could auction plants and flowers.

She created a company called The Plant and Flower Auction. She was happy to be able to use her auctioneering license and make some money.

Janice had to organize the new auctioneering effort. She knew that her sports car was not appropriate for transporting plants and flowers. She started looking in the local newspaper classified ads for a piece of equipment that could accommodate the plant and flower auction. She saw the following advertisement in her local newspaper.

FOR SALE

12-FOOT PRODUCE TRAILER.

TWELVE FEET LONG. METAL FLOOR.

HAS SIDES FOUR FEET HIGH.

NEW TIRES. MAKE OFFER.

555.3368

Janice called the phone number in the ad. After a conversation with the seller, she went to see the trailer. It turned out to be a very old vehicle that was parked by a small house. The trailer was not what she expected. In fact, she had not known what to expect. A young man came out of the small house and introduced himself.

Hello, my name is Ken. You must be the lady I spoke to on the phone earlier today.

Yes, you spoke to me. I am Janice Johnson.

The man was very curious and asked Janice, What do you need a trailer for?

I am looking for a trailer that would transport plants and flowers, she answered.

The small man walked toward the trailer where Janice was standing.

Are you a landscaper? he asked.

No, I’m not. But I have just opened a new business. I’m a licensed auctioneer and plan to auction plants and flowers to the public. I’m interested in a vehicle that will protect the plants and flowers while they are being moved around.

I’ve never heard of that kind of auction, said Ken. But the high sides on this trailer should be perfect for protecting plants and flowers from wind. The sides are four feet tall. I remodeled the back gate. It opens and shuts.

You know Ken, this trailer is just right for what I have in mind.

Ken nodded his head and said, Excuse me for a minute while I go inside the house and get my wife. Her grandfather left her this trailer when he died. Years ago he hauled cotton to a gin where people sold their cotton. This wagon used to be pulled by horses.

While Ken went in the house to get his wife, Janice examined the piece of equipment and found the trailer to be quite intriguing and full of possibilities.

A woman walked toward the old trailer and said, Hello, Mrs. Johnson. Ken tells me that you might be interested in the trailer. By the way, my name is Melody. This baby in my arms in our little girl Marissa.

Nice to meet you, Melody, Janice said. And yes, I am interested in the trailer.

The lady holding the baby began to explain, My great grandfather used this trailer all the time. It’s been in my family for years. I really do love it.

Ken quickly interrupted, I’ll tell you what I’ll do. If you will pay $600.00, I will hook the trailer to my truck and haul it to wherever you want it.

That will be just fine, Ken. Will you take a check?

By looking at your sports car, I’m thinking that your check is good.

Janice quickly said, Oh yes, my check is good.

Melody walked toward Janice and said, Thank you, Mrs. Johnson. I hope you like the trailer. Ken will be so glad to get it off our property.

Ken hooked the old trailer to a hitch on his truck and followed Mrs. Johnson to her house.

The next day Janice bought red and white enamel paint and painted the trailer. She had a six-foot vinyl sign made that said, THE PLANT AND FLOWER AUCTION in big green letters. Janice attached the sign to the trailer at every auction. She stapled 4 plastic containers holding flowers around the entire trailer. The old trailer became known as The Flower Wagon."

The Plant and Flower auction became very popular in the East Texas area. The auction bidders would come early and inspect the plants and flowers that were to be auctioned. Most of the bidders were women. One day two women approached the area where Janice was hanging plants on some tree limbs.

Hello, ladies, she said. Get a bidding number from my helper sitting at the table by the flower wagon.

One of the ladies said, That hanging basket are you bidding on, Eunice?

Pointing at a blooming plant that had the common name of Baby’s Breath, Eunice said, I’m bidding on that big hanging plant with the little white flowers. Miss Auctioneer, how much do you think the plant with the little white flowers will go for?

I don’t really know. Whoever bids the highest, answered Janice.

How many people are going to be here? asked Eunice.

Another lady looked at her and said, I’ve already counted twenty people looking at the plants and flowers, Eunice.

Janice climbed into the trailer and spoke to the crowd.

We’re getting ready to start. Does everyone have a bidding number? Let’s begin. Now how much do I hear for this colorful snapdragon?

I give a dollar, said one of the ladies.

I’ll give a dollar fifty, another lady said.

Suddenly a lady at the back of the crowd said, I’ll give twenty-six dollars for the entire flat of snapdragons.

Janice surveyed the crowd and then said loudly, Any more bids? No one spoke. So Janice said, Sold to the lady who bid twenty-six dollars on the entire flat. Looking at the lady who won the bid she said, Feel free to pay the clerk who is sitting by the wagon and put the snapdragons in your car.

All the bedding plants were sold, and then Janice auctioned the larger plants. The red-tipped photinias went quickly. One gentleman bid on a variety of plants. He always won the bid. Janice announced, Last we will bid on the hanging plants. Janice held up the Baby’s Breath plant. One of the ladies who had been looking at the plant before the auction started the bidding with an opening price of ten dollars.

Another lady called out, I’ll give twelve dollars.

A third lady yelled, I’ll give fifteen.

Then a fourth shouted, I’ll give twenty-five dollars for that plant.

I’m going to give $26.50 for that plant, another lady screamed.

The