Goats, Cars and Rain…

On June 25, 2014 By DGThomaIn Animal Stories, Family, Friends, Humor/Light Hearted, Travel, WritingLeave a comment

Working full time, exercising and maintaining friendships keeps us really busy. It seems in my family, we are on the road constantly, definitely many more hours than we would like. Our commute puts us in the car over two hours a day, five days a week. Weekends aren’t much better, as we are always on the road headed somewhere.

We’ve seen some pretty unusual sights, but recently even I was surprised. We were driving in a slight drizzle and I was enjoying the sound of the rain tapping on the windshield, when my husband glanced over and said, “He has a goat.”

“Huh?” I asked, thinking I must have misunderstood what he said. “There’s a goat in that Jeep.” He repeated. Now I was interested!” Looking around I caught a glimpse of white in the back of the Jeep as we passed by.

Glancing back, my husband added, “He’s eating a hamburger.” Now I had to ask, “Which one?” Grinning, he said, “The driver.” Hey, it was a fair question.

Who would think that driving down a busy interstate, even in Texas you would see livestock riding in the back of a vehicle? With all the traffic, I just wasn’t able to get a good picture, but believe me, I was tempted to wave the Jeep to the side of the road, and ask for the story.

Instead I had to be content with finally catching a glimpse of the goat as the driver moved into the far left lane and passed us. The rest of the trip was spent inventing scenarios, explaining how a goat ended up in the back of a Jeep, driving down the interstate, traveling across Texas. A lovely rainy afternoon spent spinning tales of goats, cars and rain.

Texas Traveling – Blanco

On June 19, 2014November 17, 2014 By DGThomaIn Food, News and Reviews, WritingLeave a comment

Traveling the back roads of Central Texas to enjoy the scenery and possibly avoid some major traffic is seldom boring and often entertaining. I like to think of myself as a healthy eater, but I try not to be a fanatic. I don’t eat most meat, so I’ve been called vegetarian. However, I don’t really fit into any typical classification. The carnivores (meat eaters) don’t claim those of us who don’t eat beef in a state where raising beef for food and income is a primary means of survival. The “vegetarian” crowd disavow any connection to me because I do eat fish, and while the term Pescetarian (people who abstain from eating all meat and animal flesh with the exception of fish) is probably the closest, no one wants to be labeled anything that has ‘pesky’ in the name.

On a recent trip from Austin to San Antonio for a haircut, my husband and I stopped in the little town of Blanco for lunch. Avoiding Dairy Queen and Subway led us to the local café. The place was packed, which seemed promising. We were seated quickly and waited patiently to order. About 15 minutes later, we were still waiting to be acknowledged and I already had one foot out of the booth when our waitress finally arrived to ask for our drink choices.

Glancing at the menu, it looked like there were at least a few meatless choices, so when the waitress returned, I asked a few questions.

First I asked, “I think I might like to try the vegetable soup. That doesn’t have meat broth does it?”

“No, ma’am, I don’t think so, but I’d be glad to check on it for you. I know it has carrots, potatoes, tomatoes and ground beef.” She responded.

Frowning just a bit, I asked, “Can you tell me what the choices are for the vegetable plate?”

“Sure,” she said, “There are green beans, pinto beans, salad, or a baked potato.”

Not too bad, I’m thinking. “What about the pinto beans? Do they have ham in them?”

“Oh, yes! They’re really good!” She beamed. Not nearly as excited as she was, I tried again. “What about the green beans? “

“The greens beans don’t have ham ….. Just bacon.” She is starting to glance around, like maybe I have way too many questions.

Thinking she was about to make a break for it to let me think things over, I plunged ahead. “Okay, then forget the vegetable plate and bring me the baked potato.”

Smiling widely, she said, “Would you like bacon with that?”

A Herd of Runners

On June 11, 2014 By DGThomaIn Exercise, Friends, WritingLeave a comment

Running in Austin, Texas can be fun, challenging and seldom dull. You never know whom or what you might see on the trails and streets.

The Ann and Roy Butler Hike and Bike trail winds around scenic Lady Bird Lake near downtown Austin. Most people in Austin still refer to it as the Town Lake trail. The trail includes several pedestrian bridges to allow access from one side of the reservoir to the other. The Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge connects the south side of the trail to the north side at South Lamar and allows access to downtown.

Routinely, the trail is filled with runners, walkers, baby strollers, bicycles, pets, and even an occasional rooster on the northwest end of the trail.

I have collected a lot of fun memories and stories about running the trails in Austin. One of my favorite memories was meeting Hannah as we crossed the Pfluger Bridge. Crossing the bridge from Barton Springs road toward downtown, the scenery is beautiful. The sunlight reflects off the water, flower boxes full of colorful blooms line the sides of the bridge and the downtown Austin skyline is the backdrop for the scene.

On one early morning run, as we neared the center of the bridge, I noticed a group of runners up ahead with a dog trotting along behind the group. I wondered briefly if the dog belonged to someone in the group. It seemed odd that the dog was following behind and not trying to run ahead or keep up with a specific runner. Suddenly, the dog dropped back further and began trotting along behind me. “Poor thing” was my first thought. “She is lost”.

Startled, I felt the dog nudge me from behind. I wasn’t sure if she actually touched me or just brushed me by mistake, but I moved forward toward the dog’s original running group as she moved toward my running partner and actually seemed to push her forward as well. I was confused as I noticed the dog drop back behind several other runners.

I heard a young man up ahead call out, “Hannah? Here, girl!” Hannah, I realized was the dog’s name. Laughing as he looked back for Hannah, the young man explained. “Hannah is an Australian Shepherd. She is a herding dog.”

It seems that even though the young man was running with one friend, thanks to Hannah, he now had an entire herd of runners following him. As we veered to the left and the young man and his entourage ran to the right, we just waved at he and his friend. Hannah fell back to round up some new stragglers.

News and Reviews – a spot of green

On June 3, 2014June 4, 2014 By DGThomaIn Food, News and Reviews, WritingLeave a comment

The Soup Peddler in Austin, TX, on the corner of Lamar and Machaca is a wonderful place to enjoy a pleasant and relaxing out of the ordinary meal.

The View from the Counter - Soup Peddler — The View from the Counter – Soup Peddler

The Soup Peddler has two locations in Austin, Texas. One is 501 W. Mary St and the other is 2801 S. Lamar Blvd. The Soup Peddler has been featured in Food & Wine Magazine as well as NPR’s wonderful The Splendid Table.

The Soup Peddler, David Ansel began delivering soup on his bicycle thus the name the Soup Peddler. But this article is not about the historical beginnings of the Soup Peddler. This article is simply about eating lunch on a lazy Saturday in May at a lovely location with healthy delicious food.

One of my favorite treats is to go to the Soup Peddler for a Veggie Chili-Frito Pie, made with three beans, Fritos and other yummy ingredients. But I decided to try something different last Saturday. I ordered the Busy Bee smoothie, made with orange, mango, banana, goji and local bee pollen. I also had a grilled cheese sandwich made with Muenster cheese and sliced green apples accompanied by a salad of shaved fennel, red grapes, and crumbled Gorgonzola on mixed greens topped with apricot vinaigrette and walnuts. Absolutely delicious!

I sat at the counter and watched two children play on the teeter totter. While I waited on my sandwich and smoothie I enjoyed my salad and the little bit of green on a busy South Austin intersection. Even with the construction on the street and the gentle roar of traffic in the background, it was a wonderfully relaxing experience.

Learning to be me one scene at a time

On May 29, 2014 By DGThomaIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

What a wonderful approach!

KatrinaWightman.com

When I was a freshman in high school I signed up for Drama class. Although, I was the toddler waving from the stage during my first ballet performance; in the intervening years I had grown into a shy reserved person. I decided to sign up for the Drama class because my cool older cousin was in the class. It was one of the best decisions I ever made.
As myself I was terrified to speak in front of others. On the stage I had the opportunity to become someone else who was not afraid. This was life changing. I realized over the years that not only could I play other people and feel safe, but I could play better more confident versions of myself. When confronted with a situation which terrified me I asked myself how my ideal self would act in this situation. I would create a character of…

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“Fishing”

On May 25, 2014May 25, 2014 By DGThomaIn MusingsLeave a comment

Maggie Mae –

Today I was thinking…. “It’s easy to be a big fish in a small pond, but being a small fish in a big pond is like getting lost in the crowd. Strive to be the big fish in your biggest pond.”

Puzzles

On May 22, 2014May 22, 2014 By DGThomaIn Friends, Musings, WritingLeave a comment

Puzzles…. there are jigsaw puzzles, crossword puzzles, number puzzles, logic puzzles and the list goes on and on. Some people enjoy a nice challenging puzzle and other’s consider them frustrating or a waste of time. Whichever side of the debate you fall on, I think everyone would agree, that people can also be a puzzle.

Often, we think we can predict how people will react and we think we know exactly what the other person is thinking and saying. Watching people interact, I have discovered that people often say one thing but the listener actually hears something entirely different. By bringing our previous experiences to any interaction, we introduce bias in our relationships. Recently, I witnessed a situation, where by trying to protect each other, two people complicated everything. If each of them had just said what was on their mind without filtering by what they thought the other person wanted, they would have prevented a lot of confusion.

So even though I know that sometimes a filter is important, I am going to strive to listen and hear what people say to me. I will resist the tendency to form my answer before they finish talking. Hopefully it will make for a more enjoyable exchange.

Who knows, I might even solve a few puzzles along the way!

The Evolution of Salad

On May 21, 2014May 29, 2014 By DGThomaIn Family, Food, WritingLeave a comment

I love salads! I haven’t always loved salads, though. Growing up, I really disliked salads. Those salads were usually made with iceberg lettuce, pale store bought tomatoes that had been ripened in transit and the whole thing was covered in some kind of heavy dressing. Yuck!

Thankfully, as an adult, I have been introduced to a more diverse variety of salad ingredients. Although I enjoy iceberg lettuce now, I never limit my salads to just one type of lettuce. Organic vine ripened tomatoes are readily available at most markets and taste heavenly.

Although, I have numerous recipe books for salads on my shelves but I rarely refer to them.

Organic vegetables make great additions to a salad. The list of possibilities, is endless but a few options are bell peppers, vine ripened tomatoes, celery, carrots, beets, turnips and radishes.

I start with lettuce, (usually a spring mix) and add additional greens which may include kale, spinach, and any other variety of greens I have on hand.

Normally, I add a fruit. I love to toss in strawberries, blueberries, grapes, oranges, apples or whatever I may have on hand. I mix and match the combinations of fruit dependent upon what is in the fridge.

For protein, I may toss in nuts, including pecans, walnuts or almonds. Alternately, I will add chickpeas, black beans, green peas, shrimp, tuna steak, shark, etc.

I usually end with either feta or blue cheese crumbles for added flavor. With such a variety of flavors, dressing is not needed. If I do add dressing, I choose a light oil and vinegar mix with a fruit essence added such as mango or raspberry.

Yummy!

Collecting…… and letting go

On May 15, 2014May 16, 2014 By DGThomaIn Friends, WritingLeave a comment

I love to wander through books stores, (yes the brick and mortar stores). I get such a feeling of companionship when I hold a book in my hand. I love the feel of the paper and the colors and images on the cover or dust jacket. I easily get lost trying to find a story line that intrigues me.

Although I do love the crisp new pages of a newly released edition from my favorite author, a meander through the aisles of a used book store is an entirely different adventure. Browsing through the pages I often find loose paper used as book marks. Instantly, my mind begins to imagine the previous owner of this book, which has found its way into my hands. I start to visualize the person, securing their reading glasses on the bridge of their nose to begin reading. The door bell rings….. they grab a slip of paper, or bookmark and save the page. Suddenly, I’m creating a scenario regarding who might be on the other side of the door! Such fun and entertainment. What a joy!

As I lug my bags of new-found treasures home I can’t help but wince a bit as I imagine the shelves filled with previously garnered treasures and wonder where the new ones will make their home. It feels like losing a good friend when I have to part with a book. I almost always, think that I may get back to reading it again. However, space and organization dictate that I must set some free in order for others to take their place.

The very best option, is to find a new home for my books with family and friends, but if that isn’t an option, I like to donate books to someone who can enjoy them as much as I do. I know that a book is simply an inanimate object, but the pleasure of turning the pages can make any day a little bit brighter.

“REBOOT”

On May 14, 2014May 15, 2014 By DGThomaIn MusingsLeave a comment

Maggie Mae –

Today I was thinking…. You know how when your electronics aren’t working and everyone says you should just “Reboot”? Wouldn’t it be wonderful if relationships had a reboot button?