What's so great about Texas

As I am visiting family, friends, and loved ones, I've roped in a few bloggers to guest post. The very first request I sent was to jenn (she doesn't like uppercase letters, so I'm super impressed that she used them in this post).  I've known jenn for 25+ years, and through the wacky world of facebook, we reconnected a few years back.  jenn blogs at quirky pickings; as a blogger, she is one of the most honest, vulnerable, courageous, skilled writers out there.   

Erin wanted me to talk to y'all about Texas, and for weeks her email inviting me to write a guest post sat in my inbox, waiting for me to find the words. It's just that there's so much I could say. Ours is not a small state. It's the second largest, second most populated state in the nation. It covers a total area of 268,581 square miles. Crossing Texas from the west's El Paso to the east's Orange means traveling 762 miles. Not so long ago I drove from my home (a northern suburb of Houston) to Lubbock up in the panhandle; it took around ten hours or so, and I listened to ten CDs on the trip. El Paso's closer to San Diego, California than to Houston, by the way, and Beaumont is closer to Jacksonville, Florida than to El Paso. It takes the better part of a day to get out of here, pretty much any direction you go, and that really sucks. But most of us--save for gals like Erin--are so fond of this place that we don't want to leave.

I've been fortunate in that I've gotten to do quite a bit of traveling in my life. I've seen about a third of the United States and toured parts of Western Europe on three separate occasions. I'm always excited to venture out. I'm always glad to be home. It's not that I think Texas is the best; it bothers me when people say it is. I'm inclined to say it's not, actually, that that's pretty conceited and makes us look like assholes, but then I'm hard-pressed to come up with a state that's better. Also every time I watch Lone Survivor and Mark Wahlberg, playing Marcus Luttrell, tells the kid he's from Texas, there's this sudden surge of pride within me--like it really is the best place. Still, it can't compete with other countries. I am in love with England and Wales and the Netherlands and Germany and, closer to home, there's the Pacific and the Atlantic coasts, and their beaches are infinitely, infinitely better than ours. But Texas has managed to produce some pretty nifty stuff.

That right there's the best flag ever made. In 1831, Mexico gave settlers of Gonzales, Texas a cannon to be used in fending off the Comanches. Four years later, Mexico tried to take it back. Instead of handing over the cannon, those Texans fashioned a flag. And so began the first military engagement of our revolution.

The best thing ever said about Texas was spoken by Davy Crockett: You may all go to hell, and I will go to Texas. There's a popular  bumper sticker: I wasn't born in Texas, but I got here as fast as I could. There's a Texas A&M t-shirt bearing a quote by General George S. Patton, Jr.: Give me an army of West Point graduates, and I'll win a battle; give me a handful of Texas Aggies, and I'll win the war.

What makes Texas so great, I think, is its diversity. East Texas looks nothing like the west: half the state is forest and half is desert. The Rocky Mountains, so prevalent in the American West, trail off in the panhandle so, yes, there are mountains here, though most outside the state argue this. Central Texas' Hill Country, near San Antonio and Austin, has the prettiest terrain. Then there's the culture: a lovely blend of Southern charm and chivalry, Western ruggedness and simplicity and Southwestern boldness and vitality. The food, the drinks... the booze: we make a lot of yummy yummy goodness here, like the breakfast burrito, chicken fried steak, king ranch casserole, Dr. Pepper and Shiner Bock. And the people... Texas is a veritable melting pot, indeed. I think a lot of that is because six flags have flown over this state: Spain, France, Mexico, our own, the Confederacy and the United States. And part of that is because, well, America's been a haven for so many.

It's gonna sound really corny, but I'm quite fond of the shape of our state. So many in America look like blocks. And then there's Texas, much of its border defined by the rivers and the sea.

What makes me love this place? The trees--the oaks, the  magnolias and the pines. Driving the backroads is one of my favorite things to do. That trek I made to Lubbock? I took the long way (because it doesn't matter how you go; your ass is gonna be planted for an unbearably long time) so I could enjoy the scenery. And my street looks like this nine months of out the year:

On those days when my inner landscape is so dreary, sometimes all I have to do is take a walk.

Winter lasts about four weeks; the temperature rarely drops below forty, and snow and ice are anomalies. Sure, it gets hot here, but I have a feeling y'all know what that's like. And yeah, there are hurricanes, and those can be pretty scary, but then we live an hour away from the Gulf of Mexico, which is little more than a cesspool (I'm only being honest... really, y'all, our beaches suck, but at least we have some).

There's lots to do here. It's a good place to be. Mostly? There's the swimming; the only good thing I can say about the university of texas is that they have a damned fine swimming program, one of the best facilities in the country and some of the best swimmers, like Brendan Hansen, Ian Crocker and Aaron Peirsol. And there's the football, but I'm sure Erin's told you about that.

Actually I haven't talked much about football...that gives me a future blog post idea.......

Another look at a previous post...

I originally posted this last Mother's Day (2014) - But, I want to share it again.  This year (2015), I'll actually BE with my mama for Mother's Day...and that's pretty spectacular!  In fact this is scheduled to post while I'm in the air somewhere over the Pacific Ocean.

May 11th is Mother's Day. (It's May 10th this year, 2015, so don't let the repeat post confuse you.)  Days like this are difficult since I live so far away.  They are difficult for me; they are difficult for my loved ones.  My blog today will look at the little reminders that I carry with me about my mother.  Most of us have random things that we see or hear during our day to day lives that remind us of a loved one.  Here are a few of mine that are all about Georganne :)

1. Fried shrimp:  This is my mom's favorite, but neither of her children like it.  She'd try and try to get us to like it.  But, we didn't.  One time, my brother even tried to shove the fried shrimp under the door to the room the dog was in.  The dog didn't eat it either.  We were busted for wasting perfectly good food.  My mother gave up and stopped cooking fried shrimp.  She sacrificed her favorite meal for her kids' happiness.  That's my mom!
2. M.A.S.H.:  Georganne loved this show.  I was too young to really remember watching many episodes, but I remember her watching them.  I especially remember her sitting in the middle of the living room floor folding clothes and watching the final episode.  She sobbed into a towel.  
3. Homecoming Queens:  My mother was the Homecoming Queen at R.E. Lee High School in Baytown, Texas.  I used to look at pictures of her in her old yearbooks and think she was so pretty :)
   
4. Geraniums:  I don't remember my mother being much of a "green thumb", but it always seemed like no matter where we lived, she had a red geranium plant that bloomed pretty well.
5. Parades:  My mom taught baton twirling, and her Baytown School of Baton were in every local parade.  I thought we were something special.  My mom can still pick up a baton and twirl some impressive tricks.
6. Cartwheels:  My mother is a retired elementary school teacher.  I have so much respect for her as a teacher; she truly was born to teach little kids.  She's crazy, and the kids love her.  She had a soft spot for the struggling students.  She was great.  One memorable promise she made her kids was this - if they all scored 100% on their spelling test, she would do a cartwheel.  She did this even after turning 60.  Can you imagine how excited those kids were to see their teacher flopping over on the playground?!
7. Luv Ya Blue and Clutch City:  Georganne loves her sports.  She watches them all: football, baseball, basketball, tennis, The Olympics, even the occasional soccer or boxing match.  College and professional (as seen by the picture she sent me yesterday about NFL draft day).  We had "Luv Ya Blue" posters on our mantle in the living room, and she had "Clutch City" signs in the her car window for a couple of years.
   
8. Astros Opening Day:  We had a tradition running for several years - Mom and I would go to Opening Day for the Astros.  We were even on the big screen the last year in the Astrodome!
9. Baskin Robbins:  When I was a kid, my birthday cake was a chocolate roll with mint chocolate chip ice cream from Baskin Robbins.  A few times as an adult, Mom bought the same cake for my birthday.
10. Wheat Thins and Orange Slices:  My mom snacks all day long.  Throughout the years, Wheat Thins have been the favorite.  A close second is those orange rubbery jelly like slices that are covered in sugar.  These were her favorite road trippin' snack.  On the way to my grandparents' house, she'd stop, get gas, go to the bathroom, and buy orange slices.
11. Billy Ocean:  Georganne loves to dance, and Billy Ocean was a favorite during the '80's.  She'd turn up Billy Ocean on my brother's stereo and dance with the vacuum cleaner while cleaning.  I can't hear a Billy Ocean song without envisioning this in detail.  "Hey, hey, you, you, get into my car."
12. George Strait:  Georganne has loved George even longer than I've loved Jon Bon Jovi.  I'd have Bon Jovi posters up in my room; she had a George Strait poster in her closet.
    
13. Motion Sickness:  My brother has a weak stomach, mine is much worse, and my mom's is much, much worse.  Well, I don't know...I think we're both equally bad when it comes to motion sickness.  There are many family stories that involve our motion sickness.  I'll spare you the details.
14. Snakes:  My mom hates snakes!  Hates them!  Has peed her pants at the zoo because she was so scared at the reptile exhibit.  My nephew and I may be guilty of placing rubber snakes on her pillow or in her bed a time or two.
15. Christmas Shopping:  I think that many mother/daughter duos do their Christmas shopping together.  My mom and I were a great team.  She's a speed walker; I could barely keep up with her.  We'd almost always have Chick Fil A for lunch and a Great American Cookie Company snack break.  We'd make lists and knock out a lot of gifts in one day.  I miss our Christmas shopping excursions.  
16. Craziness, silliness, and loads of fun:  Those words sum up my mother.  There isn't a person that she can't talk to.  She is a bundle full of energy even to this day.  She's been called "the crazy grandmother" and "silly ol' Anne" as terms of endearment.  I've been known to lose my patience with her because of these traits.  Now, I cherish them.  I love who she is - craziness, silliness, and all.
    
17. Bon Jovi - Georganne took three 8th grade girls and one 7th grader to the Bon Jovi "Slippery When Wet" tour stop in Houston at The Summit.  It.Was.Awesome!  Since that time, we've seen Bon Jovi together two or three other times.  I've been to many other shows without her, but whenever I see an obvious mother/daughter duo at a Bon Jovi concert (and there are many of these), I can't help but smile and think of my mama.  

Happy Mother's Day to my mother - I wouldn't trade her for anyone in the world.  Absence really does make the heart grow fonder, because I love her and appreciate her more today than ever before.  Living on the other side of the world, I value our talks, messages, and visits, and her care packages are the best.
I love you, Georganne!!!

Gone to Texas

Actually, not yet...but I leave today.  

Photo source

Don't worry.  I will be checking in from time to time.

I've been fortunate to have some bloggers share their time and talents, and I've got some awesome guest posts lined up for you.

I'll be focusing on family & friends...first up, road trip to Mississippi to see this one (on the right) graduate from Ole Miss

Mother's Day for this one

Make up for missing this one's 40th birthday

Make up for missing this one's (on the left) 30th birthday (coming soon)

Watching this one graduate high school

Margaritas will be consumed (and all the Tex Mex possible)

Throw in spending time with other very important family members (like getting tons of daddy hugs), friends, and loved ones...and I'll be a busy girl.

Keep visiting and show some love to my guest bloggers

Follow me on instagram for pics

I'll be back in the swing of things and fully focused on the blog in early June.

Much love to y'all xoxo

Erin

Thoughts 28 - Drugs + Death Penalties

I don't get super serious or talk about controversial topics too often on this space.  Today, I don't have funny gifs or memes, and I'm not talking about books or posting photos of my fur babies.  Today, I'm getting serious.  I fully anticipate that not everyone will agree with me.  That's okay. 

For further information on this case, or if you don't like my quick summary, google "Bali 9"; there will be plenty to read about.  

Photo source

Last week, Indonesia executed two convicted drug smugglers, Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, who were Australian citizens, a penalty that many, particularly in the Western world, believe is unjust and brutal.  Death by firing squad.  A lot of opinions and controversy, even diplomatic fractures have surrounded this case in Australia and Indonesia in recent months and weeks. The guys were convicted in 2006 of smuggling approximately $4million worth of heroin. They were described as the ring leaders who recruited others to be drug mules, and allegedly, this was not the first time that either were involved in drug trafficking offenses. So...they got caught and justifiably deserved punishment. 

Australia doesn't have the death penalty, so a lot of Australians do not support it ever. Indonesia has some pretty sketchy laws about who they execute and who they don't. For instance, this year they freed a guy who organized a bombing in Bali that killed people (including Australian tourists), but they executed the drug smugglers. 

Many media reports surrounded these two guys showing they were remorseful and completely rehabilitated. Lots and lots of media stories paint them in a favourable light. One of them became a minister while serving time in the Indonesian prison.  There were tons of stories from their families, mothers and siblings pleading for mercy.  Some of the family footage was heart-breaking to watch. 

Sensationalized stories surrounded a legitimate news story.  Sometimes, it was difficult to decipher what to read and who to listen to.

Australian politicians, ambassadors, and diplomats got involved. Indonesian authorities got pissed, pretty much saying don't tell us how to run our country. Lots of media, debates, panel discussions, interviews, updates, and social media banter flooded the news for weeks. With all of the news coverage, it was pretty difficult not to think about it and come up with my own personal views on the situation.

I do not agree that death by firing squad is the correct punishment for this case. But. The laws and penalties in Indonesia are well-known in this part of the world. These guys took a risk, broke the law, got caught, and were punished for it.  

Being from Texas, there's a lot of exposure to news stories about the border drug trade between Texas and Mexico. If you get involved with the drug trade in Mexico, there's some stiff penalties. Mexican prisons are not nice places, but if you get involved in the drug game in Mexico and get caught, a prison may be a luxurious form of punishment compared to the Mexican cartels getting ahold of you.  Not just death, but beheadings and torture are part of their punishment. Those Mexican cartels don't mess around.  To avoid these unpleasant punishments, what should you do?  Don't get involved in the drug trade.

So. Australians know Indonesia has drug laws that are punishable by death. If you smuggle drugs, you take that risk. If you're caught, you may not like or agree with the punishment. 

I am not trying to sound hard or heartless.  I've thought a lot about this.  Here's what stuck with me:  I've broken the law. I've driven drunk. I am not proud of that fact.  Not one little bit.  I could've injured or killed someone. If that horrendous possibility would've actually happened, I would have deserved the stiffest penalty under American law for that offense.  If I had committed that offense in another country, I would have deserved their punishment.  I wouldn't have liked going to prison.  I wouldn't have enjoyed or looked forward to receiving that penalty.  But, I made a terrible, terrible choice.  So, I would have deserved the penalty. 

I feel sympathetic towards the families. They didn't make the choices their sons or brothers made.  Without a doubt, these families are suffering, mourning, feeling a tremendous sense of loss and unjust.

I may sound like I'm stepping up on a soap box...I know this...but I'm going to do it anyway...I'm entitled to an opinion.  Drugs are bad.  Drugs kill.  Families fracture because of drugs.  Rapes occur because of drugs.  Robberies, thefts, and burglaries occur because of drugs.  Murders occur because of drugs.  Some children are abandoned by their parents because of drugs.  Some babies are born addicted to drugs.  Governments spend a lot of money to combat the drug trade.  Many tears are cried, many hearts are broken, many souls feel lost and empty because of drugs.  The ripple effect of drug trafficking is far and wide.  Punishment for smuggling $4million worth of drugs into or out of another country should be hefty.  I just don't think the firing squad is the answer.

Some opponents of capital punishment say it does not serve as a deterrent.  I say this: if you followed the Chan and Sukumaran case, and you are Australian, and you are a drug smuggler, if you do not see this case as a deterrent for drug smuggling in/out of Indonesia, I don't know if anything will deter you.  Therefore, you deserve the punishment that you get.  

Stepping off soap box.  

Thoughts 27 - Kindness is free

Warning: post contains profanity.  If you don't like curse words, don't read the post.  Just remember to be kind.

So...this happened yesterday...

I'm in the CBD (downtown) returning a library book. There was a group with two people in wheelchairs, two others with obvious mental disabilities, and two helpers. We were standing at a crosswalk waiting for the light to change.  There was also a man dressed in a business suit talking on his mobile phone waiting.  One of the guys from the first group reached out to the man dressed in a suit. He shook him off while continuing to talk on his phone. The helper tried to control and re-direct the guy in her group. He reached out to the man again, tugging on his jacket, and made a loud noise. The businessman shook him off and called him a "crazy" C word (he said the word, but I refuse to type that one). Shocked, I said "that was completely uncalled for". The suited man called me a "fat bitch". I replied "I'd rather be a fat bitch than a fucking asshole".  The light changed, and he walked away.  I walked away.  The group stayed put.

I was so angry and so upset, I was shaking. All this happened in probably less than 30 seconds. 30 completely unnecessary seconds. I hope that suited guy falls in front of a bus.  No, I don't, but...

I wasn't angry or upset by what he said to me (although that was completely uncalled for too.)  I was shocked, dismayed, disgusted, and infuriated that his response to the young man that clearly faced some mental and physical challenges was to call him a "crazy" C-bomb.  The C word.  The nastiest word to call someone that the English language has to offer.

What is wrong with people?  What goes on in that guy's head or in that guy's life to make him such a nasty person?   He is someone's son.  He is someone's co-worker.  He is possibly someone's friend and/or lover.  Even worse, he is possibly someone's father.  How does he treat those close in his life?  What does he teach his children?

A friend shared this picture with me after she learned of this experience of mine.  Perfect.

 This is one of those experiences that I will remember for the rest of my life.  I am not writing this for praise.  I am writing this to encourage others to have empathy and compassion.

People, do something kind today. Combat this incident of ugliness by spreading kindness.

Happy Blogiversary...

Not to me...to my friend who has been blogging for TEN years!  Wowza!

What do ten years of blogging, taking baths, mashed potatoes, willie nelson, and me have in common?

Well, you're going to have to visit jenn's blog at quirky pickings to find out because I'm guest posting today.

Check out my post, and while you're at it....

 

Sunday's Seven Snapshots vol.23

Astro likes to read

Commute homes could look a lot worse than this

Dolled up and ready to celebrate my friend's birthday. 

Birthday celebrations on a Harbour cruise

I like him. I'll keep him. 

Even on a rainy night, Sydney Harbour is magnificent. 

Dancing Queen