Remembering

I was born in Germany where Dad was stationed in the Air Force. We moved to the States when I was 2 and settled in West Texas where Dad was an instructor at Goodfellow Air Force Base. When my parents decided we needed to find a church, they found Baptist Temple because it had the same name as the church in Kansas City where they were married. I began my way through the children's classes.

The first day of the Beginners' Department, I joyfully marched in with all the other fresh four year olds to the big kids class. We sang new songs and divided up by age and gender to our own classrooms for the first time. I relished in the bright decorations on the walls and listened intently to a story told with pictures on a flannel board. I sat taller because I just knew I was so grown.

We were Sunday School attenders. My family went to Sunday School and the went home. We didn't go to the church services. But my new department teacher invited me to Children's church! I pestered and pestered until finally my parents started staying for the church service so I could go to Children's church.

On Palm Sunday in 1966, a bright-eyed five-year-old little girl listened intently while the teacher told the story of the crucifixion. I can still see the flannelgraph figure on my Jesus dying on the cross. For the very first time, my heart was pricked with conviction. He did that just for me… just to pay the penalty for my sin.

After church, that image burned in my mind. We ate lunch and went out to play. My little brother had several disabilities and I always helped him play. I was pushing him around the neighborhood on our green pedal tractor when he decided to stop and look at something. As he wandered off,  I rested on my knees behind that tractor and the conviction of the Cross flooded over me.

As a five-year-old little girl, I bowed my head there in the sunny April Sunday afternoon and asked Jesus to be my Savior. I ran in and told my mother and the next Sunday, Easter, after church my pastor knelt down to my level and for 20 minutes asked me questions about what I had done. I remember him standing and looking at my parents and saying, "She knows what she did and she understands."

Every April, as the newness of spring bursts forth around me, I remember the newness of salvation that I knew that April so long ago.

And I'm thankful.

Escape

The wooden screen door thwacked shut and the shouting inside succumbed to the droning chorus of the cicadas. My summer-browned bare feet carried me across the searing sun-softened tar of the black top. At the end of the street, pavement yielded to hard nature-kilned clay veiled by powdered sand. The dust cooled my toes.

I paused to crouch at the small stagnant pond beside the path. Last summer I would have stretched out on my stomach to watch the tadpoles, crawdads and water bugs. Now I am too self-conscious. Even in my over-sized t-shirt I don't want to be reminded of my emerging breasts. Stretching my legs, I trekked on.

Thoughts tumbled as I passed dry, root-bound tumbleweeds and gnarled mesquite trees. The sharp exchange between my parents pierced my mind as I avoided prickly pear cactus. A skittish black tarantula hastened to her hole, safe from the burning heat.

I reached the NO TRESPASSING sign at the base of the earthen dam and climbed past it to the top. I settled on a large rock and scanned the horizon for the muddy lake in the distance. An emerald skink flashed in the brush beside me. I hugged my shins, knees pressed against my bosom. Sighing, I beheld my world in the simmering afternoon.

Believe it or not, I miss it

The weather in my hometown:

5-Day Extended Forecast

• Thu

  

  High: 99°

  Low: 76°

• Fri

  

  High: 90°

  Low: 74°

• Sat

  

  High: 102°

  Low: 68°

• Sun

  

  High: 96°

  Low: 73°

• Mon

  

  High: 97°

  Low: 73°

The weather where I live now:

I honestly miss things like "102°"

I guess I'm weird.

Summer Memories

south concho river
Originally uploaded by rdbeerd

I didn't take this picture. I want to make a trip "home" to West Texas and take some pictures. I hope I get the chance.

This is the South Concho River in Christoval, TX. Christoval is about 25 miles south of San Angelo. In the summer when I was 15 and 16 and even 17, my friends and I would jump in the car and drive down to Christoval to swim. Swim and sun in the river.

It is one of my fondest memories.

Texan

Did you know that Texan is a language in and of itself? Take the verb "fixin'" for instance. It means I'm getting ready as in, "I'm fixin' to go to the store" or "I'm fixin' to make dinner." This is what I'm fixin' to get for my anniversary:



You can get one for yourself here.

Some other Texan terms you might want to know: (I gathered these from various places, but I only included the ones I knew first hand.)

aggravated: used to describe everything from mild annoyance to dangerous, murderous rage. Usually pronounced "agger-vated."
all swole up: an alternative to aggravated, but sometimes carries connotations of being obstinate, proud and self-abosorbed, in addition to being aggravated.
all choked up: upset, overcome with emotions (other than aggravation). A person is usually "all choked up" when they are deeply moved by sadness or by the thoughtfulness of others.
all worked up: in a state of aggravation, arousal of some type, in a state of deeply offended pride, offended sensibilities, in a state of anxiety, etc. Agitated.
blue norther: storm that comes up as a giant, blue-black cloud of cold air comes over the warm gulf air and "just about freezes us to death!" Rain and wind may accompany the black cloud.
catty whompus: used to describe something that doesn't fit properly or is out of line.
come hell or high water: shows determination to proceed, regardless of the problems, obstacles, etc.
conniptions: to have conniptions is to get upset and raise a ruckus.
crusty: tough and/or bad tempered man, woman or horse.
dad blame it, dad gum it, dag nab it: euphamisms coined to allow expressive speech without swearing.
dinner
eat up: eaten up, destroyed, oxidized. You can also be eat up with bug bites.
fess up: admit.
fit to be tied: really upset.
fixins: food; the rest of the meal, excluding the main dish. You might say you were having chicken and fixins for dinner.
frog-strangler: an extraordinary amount of rain.
go ahead on: "You go ahead on, I'll catch up later."
gully-washer: an extraordinary amount of rain, not quite as much as a frog-strangler.
hissy fit: a state of extreme agitation and not a pretty thing to see
howdy: How do you do?
I'll swan or I'll swanny: used instead of "I swear."
lit out: took off, started out, or absconded across some terrain.
looker: a pretty girl.
norther: a storm; not as bad as a blue norther.
nu-uh: no.
ole cuss: and old rascal (or galoot) who is tough and/or bad-tempered.
over yonder: a directional phrase meaning "over there."
over in through there, also: you go up in through there: Directional phrase; one I'm told foreigners (read: anybody except a Texan) have trouble understanding.
post oak: wood that is hard and resistant to rot and can be used for fenceposts.
ridin' high: doin' aw'right
shoot: an expletive (should be used with an exclamation point).
sorry: a particularly important Texas adjective meaning worthless, no-count, useless, bad. sweet milk: regular milk (not buttermilk)
taken to: began, adapted, started liking. Use #l: He's taken to drinking." Use #2: She's taken to that new job of hers right off."
tump: to spill or dump
walkin' in tall cotton: doin' aw'right (see ridin' high)
whole nuther thing: something else entirely
whomperjawed: when something is not fitting properly, e.g., "You'll never get that wine open, the corscrew is all whomperjawed!"
wore out: fatigued, exhausted

You don't want to hear a Texan say you're:

• ugly as a mud fence
• ugly as homemade sin
• ugly as homemade soap
• dumber than dirt
• older than two trees
• like ugly on an ape
• dumb as a box of rocks
• crooked as a dog's hind leg
• crooked as a barrel of snakes
• dumb as a box of hammers

These are good things to hear a Texan say:

• You're cute as a possum.
• You're tough as a boot.

Other Texan similes:

• He beat him like a red-headed stepchild. (Ouch!)
• Hidden in the basement like a crazy aunt.
• Fine as frog's hair.
• Cold as a well digger's lunch pail. (or belt buckle, or some anatomical part)
• Look at somebody/something like a calf looks at a new gate. (With either confusion or dismay, maybe?)

Texas Sayings

What's a Texas Saying? Why, it's something they say in Texas, a course! Some of these "sayings" might be considered adages, and some are just ... well, sayings, I guess. Judge for yourself:

• "Never ask a man if he's from Texas. If he is, he'll tell you on his own. If he ain't, no need to embarrass him."
• "The Lord never closes one door without opening another one."
• "Evil thoughts are like chickens--they come home to roost."
• "You can always tell a Texan, but you can't tell him much."
• "I want you to jump when I say frog."
• "If you've done it, it ain't braggin'."
• "That's tellin' him how the cow ate the cabbage."
• "You done stopped preachin' and gone to meddlin'." (You're sticking your nose into my business, here, pal.)

So when you read my blog and I say "I'm fixin to work on a whole nuther thing" you'll know what I mean.

You might be in a Texas Church

You might be in a Texas church if.....

• The doors are never locked.
• The call to worship is "Ya'll come on in!"
• People grumble about Noah letting coyotes on the Ark.
• The preacher says, "I'd like to ask Bubba to help take up the offering" and five guys stand up.
• A member requests to be buried in his 4-wheel drive truck because, "I ain't never been in a hole it couldn't get me out of."
• In the annual stewardship drive there is at least one pledge of "two calves".
• Never in its 100-year history has one of its pastors had to buy any meat or vegetables.
• When it rains, everybody's smiling.
• Prayers regarding the weather are a standard part of every worship service.
• The church directory doesn't have last names.
• The pastor wears boots.
• Four generations of one family sit together in worship every Sunday.
• The only time people lock their cars in the parking lot is during the summer and then only so their neighbors can't leave them a bag of squash.
• There is no such thing as a "secret" sin.
• There is a special fund-raiser for a new septic tank.
• Finding and returning lost sheep is not just a parable.
• You miss worship one Sunday morning and by 2 o'clock that afternoon you have had a dozen phone calls inquiring about your health.
• High notes on the organ set dogs in the parking lot in the back of pickups to howling.
• People wonder when Jesus fed the 5000 whether the two fish were bass or catfish.
• It's not Heaven but you can see Heaven from here.
• The final words of the benediction are, "Ya'll come on back now, ya hear!"

Drought and Deluge

In West Texas, rain is a valued commodity.

• You know you're from West Texas if you don't associate bridges with water.

• A Texan was overheard saying, "It's been so dry that we got catfish in the creek three years old that haven't learned to swim yet."

A visitor once asked, "Does it ever rain in West Texas?"
A rancher quickly answered, "Yes, it does. Do you remember in the Bible where it rained for 40 days and 40 nights?"
The visitor replied, "Yes, I'm familiar with Noah's flood."
"Well," the rancher puffed up, "We got about two and a half inches of that."

So now, I live in a town right on the Mississippi River in the Heartland. And this year in particular, we've had absolutely no shortage of rain. In fact, I was reading in Genesis just to get those instructions for the ark pinned down.

This is LeClaire Park in nearby Davenport last summer:











This is LeClaire Park in Davenport this past Sunday — and the River hadn't crested yet. When the River did crest on Tuesday, the park was completely underwater. The railing was completely submerged. As of today, the water is receding, but rain upriver is on the way tomorrow.

Does your walk with God mirror the dry conditions of my childhood, or is the joy of fellowship with the Lord washing over the shores of your soul?

Home

How can someplace be home when you haven't lived there for 18 years? It's that place where, even though it's flat and dry, the environment is friendly and welcoming. The place where no matter how long it's been since you've laid eyes on it, you can close your eyes and see every detail. When you walk into the grocery store, the people are speaking your native tongue. (Believe me, Texan is not spoken in the Midwest.) The burning sun just feels different on your skin and the smells fill you with familiarity. You enter a church service and sit in a pew that you only sit in maybe once a year and yet it feels like you've never left.

I am 100% content to live wherever it is God leads. Actually, I can't imagine living in Texas again, but I sure am glad that I get to visit.

Oh, and a side rant . . . That Texas tourism commercial has been translated into English. In actual Texan, it's a whole "nother" country, not a whole other country.

West Texas Mythology

On cloud-shrouded nights
darkness suffocates
among the gnarled arms
of mesquite.
Silence disturbed
by wind-rustled seed pods.
Skyborn cold wrestles
earth-warmed radiance.
Imagination abounds,
Folklore is birthed,
Goatmen roam pastures,
Wolves nurture lost infants.
Only dawn unveils the fiction.

Texas Wisdom

I've collected these from various sources over the past few years. You may have seen some of them.

• Good judgment comes from experience, and most experience comes from bad judgment.

• Lettin' the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier 'n puttin' it back in.

• If you're ridin' ahead of the herd, take a look back every now and then to make sure it's still there.

• Never kick a cow pie on a hot day.

• If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop diggin'.

• Don't squat with your spurs on.

• It don't take a genius to spot a goat in a herd of sheep.

• Always drink upstream from the herd.

• There are three kinds of people: the ones that learn by reading, the few who learn by observation, and the rest of them who have to touch the paint to see for themselves that it's really wet.

• If you don’t have time to do it right the first time, when will you have time to do it right?

• Don't worry about biting off more than you can chew. Your mouth is probably a whole lot bigger 'n you think.

• If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop diggin.

• Never drop your gun to hug a grizzly.

• The quickest way to double your money is to fold it and put it in your pocket.

And my favorite,

• Never miss a good chance to shut up.

BBQ Chili Recipe

I tried this recipe yesterday and my husband loved it. He is a true Texan and chili is serious stuff so it must be pretty good.

2 pounds boneless beef chuck pot roast or beef stew meat, cut into ½ inch cubes
4 garlic cloves, pressed (I used minced garlic from a jar)
2 cups coarsely chopped onions
2 cups diced green bell pepper
2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 large can crushed tomatoes or 2 cans (14.5 ounces each) diced tomatoes in sauce, undrained
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
¾ cup smoky barbecue sauce
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons chili powder

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Trim any visible far from meat; cut meat into ½-inch cubes and place in large dutch oven or baking dish. Using a garlic press, press garlic over meat. Add onions, bell pepper, beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce, barbecue sauce, vinegar and chili powder to baking bowl; mix well.

2. Cover and bake 2 ½ hours or until meat is tender. Carefully remove from oven and uncover, lifting away from you. Serve with optional toppings (shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream and sliced green onions) if desired.

This chili isn't very spicy so if you want to add some heat, either chop a jalepeño and mix it in or add 1/2 tsp. chipotle powder.

This is really good with cornbread on the side.

Some more things that say home

These are a few more things that remind me of home.


Bluebonnets.

This is Wendy in the bluebonnets when she was two. (She's twenty-two now.)











I love ladybugs and bluebonnets so this is one of my favorites.















Armadillos.

What a funny creature and what an imagination God has. We were at church camp one summer, in an open air tabernacle, and while the preacher was preaching we heard a rustling in the brush outside. We looked over and there was an armadillo, looking for food, acting as if there weren't 200 humans just 10 feet away.


And finally, Blue Bell Ice Cream.

I found out today that I can have 4 half-gallons delivered for $119. I wonder if Mark would get mad?

Wildlife

A friend made a comment on my pelican post that it was comforting to see the wildlife she grew up around. I've thought about that a lot. I live no where near where I grew up. I live in the Midwest, but I grew up in West Texas. There are many times that I miss the wildlife of my childhood.

Things like:
Skinks















And Horned Toads












And even Tarantulas













And Rattlesnakes


You wouldn't think any of those things are pretty, but they say home to me.