Where Does This End?

Stressed?  Look at the kitten. LOOK AT HER!!!!

Among all the wonderful, magnificent aspects of Texas that are admirable, our sense of community is tops.  We are generally friendly and like a good party.  We love our sports, our barbecues, and our communities. A community becomes a tribe.  A clan.  A family.

And a great many of us, Texan or not, count our churches as part of that community.  In small towns, especially, a church becomes the heart of a community.  People come together in prayer, in fellowship, in sickness and in health. Young adults fall in love at church picnics, become a family, and they show up on Sundays with their children in tow.  Small towns have many faults, but their sense of community is not one of them. Which is why the news today, of a white man shooting up a small town church 30 miles southeast of me is so shocking.  The fact that the shooter apparently came from New Braunfels, a place I worked for twenty years, hits me in the gut.

A church is supposed to be a place of safety, of sanctuary.  Historically, people in Europe sought refuge in cathedrals, requesting sanctuary from persecution.  It was considered a grave sin to violate sanctuary, once given.  These days, we don't have the same concerns, but a church is still viewed as a place of refuge.  Safety.  Those who need help, who have nowhere else to go, find themselves at the doors of churches, seeking comfort.  And they usually get it.  Now that sense of peace, that sense of safety, is gone. All those people, raised in their faith to believe that their Lord would protect them from all evil, are feeling very afraid right now. If you can't find sanctuary in your church, your sense of community suffers. The heart is gone, replaced by what?

Where does this all end?  When do the NRA fanatics put aside their frenzied fight over their bastardization of the Second Amendment?  When do the "Liberal snowflakes" stop looking down on those who don't share their opinions?  Why are we even fighting about common sense gun control?  Why is this so difficult?  We are better than this.  We should all be able to be adults, come to the table and figure out what to do.

I wish that I could say that Texas was at the forefront of gun control legislation.  I wish that I could say the Lone Star state was committed to the safety of its citizens, and willing to listen to ideas and possible solutions.  I may not have any answers, but surely someone does.   But tomorrow, after all the empty platitudes about prayers being offered up for Sutherland Springs?  It will be business as usual, with the finger pointing and the blame being flung about. Nothing will happen to stop this from happening again, and again, and again.

Where does this all end?

It's Mum Season

Fall in Central Texas is really, really...not that different from the other three seasons. Most of the trees don't change colors, but the daily temperatures fall from "Melt Everything" down to a balmy "Reasonably Warm".  If you did not have access to a calendar it would be December, and you wouldn't even know it.  But there are some things that definitely delineate the fall season in the Lone Star State from any other time of year.  While driving to work this morning, I realized that it’s Mum season. 

No Mums? No Worries!

Yep. Mum season.

At high schools throughout the state, millions of highly decorated mums show up on the chests and sleeves of middle and high school students. A few colleges, too.  Since I did not attend high school in the Lone Star state, I can only stare with bemusement.  It’s a big deal on the social calendar in Texas.

It is also a big deal for florists, crafty moms, and the local economy.  The weeks before the big Homecoming game, little roadside booths seem to rise up out of the ground like weeds, filled with brightly colored silk flowers and ribbons, in a variety of styles.


Cash only, of course.

Just about every single girl comes to school wearing at least one mum. If they don't have a boyfriend, their parents chip in for one, so their daughter won't be a social pariah.  The more popular girls may have their entire front covered with flowers, ribbons displaying school colors, tiny bells and other glorious fanfare. How on earth some of these girls can stand upright is a mystery.  Even the boys participate, wearing smaller versions on their arms with pride.  Mums are worn all day the Friday before the Homecoming game.  Then worn to the games.  Some wear their mums to the Homecoming dance, because their parents had a fit about the cost.  Some go really fancy and wear an entirely different mum to the dance. 

And after the day, the game, the dance?

The flowers die, and the ribbons get put away in the back of the closet or hung from the bedroom mirror.  It's time to put away childish things, and focus on life, not frivolity. 

Back to the grindstone.

At least until the next Mum Season.

A to Z: Alamo

As you step into the quiet, cool interior of the shrine, it's as if you are a time traveler, and the world has stopped to pay respects.  There is a weight to the atmosphere, as if the spirits of those men remain within the stone of the walls.  And maybe they still are. 

THE Alamo. 

The name of this place is never by itself, not when referencing this sacred space.  Just saying the name "The Alamo" calls up a feeling of reverence for those who were born in Texas.  It is a part and parcel of who we were, and who we are.

Founded around 1724, the Mission San Antonio De Valero was originally a religious community, when Spain was attempting to create an empire. After that, the mission became a variety of things, including a garrison for soldiers.
Somewhere along there, it became known as the Alamo.

And on March 6, 1836, it became a shrine dedicated in the blood of those who died there.  Men from many different countries, Mexico too, and a well-known individual named David Crockett.  There are differing accounts regarding Crockett's death, but all of the soldiers who fought the Mexican Army that day were killed in a battle lasting about 90 minutes. 

The Alamo wasn't considered to be that important before the battle.  Not important enough to send reinforcements, anyway. And yet, the Battle of the Alamo helped galvanize the fledgling government of the Republic of Texas, and made it possible for Sam Houston to rally his own forces and defeat Mexico. Out of the ashes of defeat, victory.  Texas became an independent republic. 

I don't know if I would be able to do what those men did.  To stay and fight, knowing that there was only one possible outcome?  I'm not that kind of brave.  My sense of self-preservation is strong, and I would want to flee, to fight another day.  But they stayed, and they died, and we remember and honor them to this day, just like we try to honor all of those who gave up their lives in service to their country. 

Deep In The Heart

Texas is my home state.  I was born here, and even though I spent most of my childhood in other places, I am still a Texan.  This is a great state.  There are some not-so-good parts of Texas, Rick Perry and the Tea Party idiots, but the good parts outweigh the bad.

1.  The History.   Parts of Texas were colonized by Spain back in the early 1600s, and some of those buildings are not only still standing, they are still in use.  When people visit the Alamo, they can still see the bullet holes from the battle. People who drive randomly around Dallas may suddenly find themselves in Dealey Plaza, following the same route of the motorcade.  That sense of awe that I get from walking the same path as some historical figure never goes away. 

2. Cool Nickname.  We're the Lone Star State, which I think is the coolest nickname ever.  We could have been named for something else we're famous for, like beer or bad drivers, but this nickname truly reflects our personality. We're a state of stars, all shining bright, but independently. 

3.  Independence.  People in Texas are downright fierce about their independence.  Texas was an independent country at one point; we chose to join the United States.  But we prefer to handle things our way.  If there's a law forbidding something, odds are good that there will be a multitude of Texans upset about it.  Not because we especially want whatever is being banned, but because we don't like anybody telling us what to do.  We prefer to make our decisions on our own, thank you. 

4. Diversity.  Texas was actually named from a Native American word, tejas, which means friends.  Many countries sent colonies to settle in the United States, and a number of them ended up here in Texas.  France, Spain, Germany, Poland, Czechloslavakia--it's a mini-Europe. We also have large Vietnamese, African, and Korean populations to balance things out.  There are people from just about every country on the planet who come to Texas and stay.

5. Geography.  Like mountains? Like arid climates?  Sleep best next to rivers?  Enjoy lots of pine trees?  Prefer the open plain? Enjoy fly fishing?  It's all in Texas.  If you prefer city life, there are cities with impossibly tall skylines and sidewalks full of people.  If you'd rather get as far away from people as possible, there's plenty of room for that, too.

6. Location, location, location.  Yes, it takes an entire 24 hours to drive across the state, but Texas is located in a spot that makes trips to other places easier.  If I want to visit Mexico, it's not that far.  If I head to Memphis, I can be there by the end of the day.  A vacation in Florida is just a hop, skip, and a jump away, as is California.

7. There's always a party somewhere in this state.    We can't help it. Anytime, anywhere, there's a festival or a fair going on some place.  Right now in New Braunfels, they are having Wurstfest.  If there's no festival scheduled, there will be a Taste of the Town, or a Wine Event.  Anytime someone can drink a beer or two is a good thing.  This past weekend there was an event called...Meatopia.  Yes, we even have festivals dedicated to the eating of meat!

8.  It's in the blood.  Texas is one of those places that you either love immediately or you hate it. Those who hate this state leave as soon as they can for parts unknown. If you love this state, however, being a Texan gets in your blood and you cannot even think that you ever wanted to be anywhere else.


What's your state?



4.) List 8 best reasons you love living in your state.

Seeing the World

I love to travel. I like to go to new places, see the sights and wander about, mostly because I love history. I love meandering through museums, looking at pieces of the past, and I love going on guided tours, where there is someone who can point out pieces of history that I may have missed.

When I was a kid and my father was stationed in Germany, the whole family would pile in the car and drive to different countries. We didn't have very much money, so we would pack camping gear. We would find a campsite, set up our tent, and go exploring. Even at a young age, I could feel the ancient past calling to me, begging to be discovered. I was, and still am, a history geek. I can remember playing near our campsite in Florence, Italy, and trying to dig up a rock that looked like it might be a statue. When we were in Greece, I got to see Lord Byron's name(if you don't know who that guy is, google him. He was what they called a 'character'.) carved into a column in a temple that overlooked the sea, and I was transported. I even tried to read some of his poetry, which was a pretty big deal for a ten year old.

I want Zane to have the opportunity to discover the world around him. I have seen what becomes of people who never travel anywhere outside a ten mile radius from their home, and poor language skills is only the beginning. I do not want my child's intellectual and cultural growth stunted, so we have begun to take little family trips. It took a bit to convince my husband, who likes his comfortable chair, but he's been great about finding the best hotel rooms. We tell Zane that we are going on an 'adventure', which he seems to like.

What better place to start exploring than our own state? Texas has an extremely rich and varied history, beyond the Alamo. There's a tree in Landa Park in New Braunfels, for instance, that is reported to be over a thousand years old. Fredricksburg has a wildflower farm. The oldest Polish settlement in the United States is in Panna Maria. The field where the Battle of Medina was fought isn't far from here. The 'birthplace' of Billy the Kid is right up Highway 281, as is the former home of Lyndon Baines Johnson, who is famous for picking up a basset hound by the ears and having really cool initials.

Plus, there's an actual Dinosaur State Park!! A park for actual dinosaurs!

That was only half true--there IS a Dinosaur State Park, but it's called that because you can see the footprints of the dinosaurs who passed through the area. My point is that there are a lot of things for us to see as a family right around here. When Zane gets old enough, we can start venturing out of state, and maybe out of the country. Who knows what sorts of adventures we can find?

We Want to Know Wednesday

1.} What was the last thing you searched for online?

The last thing I searched for were these questions, as a matter of fact. Google is my BFF.

2.} If we visit your home state, what is one MUST we should do before leaving?

That is a hard one! This is Texas, after all, with it’s two time zones and five climate regions. You can float on a river in many states, so I don’t think it’s a MUST to travel to New Braunfels and toob, although the fly fishing is supposed to be first rate. The beaches here are not for the faint of heart, as many of them are still pretty wild. Nobody in their right mind should ever go to Houston. Palo Duro Canyon is interesting, but certainly not a MUST. The ghost lights of Marfa are really nothing ususual, especially not for the extremely long drive. The Hill Country is pretty enough, but certainly not a MUST, and I think it’s best if everyone just keeps away from East Texas. Dinosaur State Park? Nah.

I think as a native I am genetically obligated to say that a visit to the Alamo is required. However, I truly believe that it is a MUST to locate the best bbq joint (not a chain restaurant!) around you and eat there before you leave. I’ve eaten bbq in many states, and this state has the very best. If you ask around, you will hear the names of the BBQ places around you, or check out Texas Monthly’s website, since they post a listing of the best places in the state.

3.} What do you think pharmaceutical companies should invent a pill for that isn't on the market yet?

I want a pill that would give me a perfect body for a couple of hours. It would make date night, class reunions, and taking my child to the pool much more pleasant experiences!

4.} When was your first kiss? Was it good or bad?

First kiss? I think I was 8 years old. A kid named Eric. I don’t remember if it was good or bad,

5.} What is your guilty pleasure TV show that you cannot miss?

It is a tie between Supernatural and True Blood and Castle. Nobody else I know, with the exception of my husband, watches Supernatural, which is sad, because it is an excellent show. Witty dialogue, intricate plot lines, tie-ins with established monster mythology, good guys always win--what’s not to like? (If you liked Buffy the Vampire Slayer, or Angel, or Firefly, you will love Supernatural)

I’ve read all the True Blood books, but the television show is so much more vivid and exciting that I almost never mind that they veer from the books!

I like Castle because Nathan Fillion is just plain awesome.