Heirlooms and Legacies…..

On June 17, 2015June 19, 2015 By DGThomaIn Family, Food, Humor/Light Hearted, Musings, Writing2 Comments

Cooking dinner with my children is a favorite pastime. I enjoy preparing meals more than sitting and eating together. Kitchens are less formal and more relaxing than most dining areas.

Both my children are wonderful cooks. I taught them to cook and let them experiment when they were younger, but their culinary skills have far surpassed mine. Now I normally watch them cook instead of cooking myself.

Recently my son was chopping lettuce as I leaned against the kitchen counter. He remarked, “As soon as I wash this knife, I use it again!” His knife is not special nor expensive, but he has an emotional attachment. As I listened to him, I smiled.

I was reminded of a knife I purchased for my mother years ago. I was a newlywed and found myself browsing through a department store happily perusing the kitchen section. I pawed through everything from small appliances to cloth napkins.

I spied a wooden handled knife with a sharp point and narrow blade. The knife appeared sturdy and capable of handling my cutting needs. The name on the packaging read ‘Granny’s Boning Knife’. The price was reasonable, so I bought one for myself and on impulse grabbed a second for my mother.

Excited, I dropped by my mother’s house to give her the knife. My mother refused to take the knife unless I accepted payment. She didn’t mind me buying her a gift, but she was a strong believer in superstitions.

She explained, “If you give someone a knife it will sever your relationship.” I smiled as I took a dime and happily gave her the knife. We loved those knives and often discussed the many ways we used them.

After several years, the wonder wore off, but I still loved the knife. I moved to another state and didn’t get to visit with my mother often. During a long awaited visit, my mother reached into the kitchen drawer for the knife only to come up empty handed. She frowned and commented, “My knife isn’t here!”

Mom’s sister who lived down the street had borrowed the knife and apparently not returned it. I suggested Mom call her and ask if she still had it. When Mom called her sister, she asked, “Do you still have my Granny’s Boning Knife.”

I saw Mom’s face break into a grin and heard a giggle. She laughed into the phone and I wondered what might have set her off. As she began to talk again I understood.

“No,” she said. “It’s not our Granny’s knife. It’s a Granny’s Boning Knife. That’s the name.” She explained I bought it for her. I listened and laughed as well. My aunt thought since Mom had the knife for years, she should share. She explained to my mother she didn’t have any mementoes from their granny and it was a great knife.

I have to say that knife is still my favorite and I always think of Mom and Jeanette when I use it.

A Crazy May

On June 3, 2015 By DGThomaIn Family, Travel, Writing2 Comments

What a crazy May we have had. At least the last part of May has been crazy hectic by my standards. On Saturday, May 23^rd, we left Austin, TX for Tulsa, OK to celebrate my granddaughter’s birthday. The rain began as we arrived and increased in intensity quickly.

We checked into a hotel. My daughter was due to fly in to Tulsa around 10:00 PM and our plan was to touch base on Sunday morning. The heavy rain quickly turned into a dangerous situation, flooding a few areas around town and many of the outlying towns.

Local television stations ceased regular programming and provided constant updates of the flooding situation, including water rescues. I was also monitoring the flooding situation in Wichita Falls, TX. I have family in the area and was concerned with their situations.

By 9:00 PM, my daughter had telephoned to say she had been diverted to Wichita, Kansas due to weather conditions in Tulsa. The main concern was the danger of wind shears.

Around the same time, my phone rang. My sister was calling to say she was also in Tulsa. She had come to visit a friend and contacted my daughter to let her know she was in town. What an oddity to find ourselves miles from our homes, and both in Tulsa in the midst of storms and flooding.

My daughter finally made it in around midnight; my sister and I were safe in our hotels and the rain continued. On Sunday, a little tired but excited to be together, we had a wonderful birthday celebration for my granddaughter which turned into a slumber party. My sister and I stayed Sunday night with my daughter and had a wonderful time playing games, laughing and just having fun. Early Monday morning we left Tulsa for Austin. The weather cooperated until we neared Waco, TX. I received a weather alert and text about the same time. Apparently there was rotation 15 miles ahead and coming our direction. My friend’s text basically said if you are in Waco take cover unless you’re at Twin Peaks, then keep driving!

With the radio warning we should seek cover immediately, we ducked into a Hastings. Of course I would find a book store to take refuge! When the rain lessened and the warning changed from a tornado warning to a severe thunderstorm warning, we decided to try to head home. When we headed for Interstate 35, we discovered the access roads were underwater and raging. Trying to avoid the flood waters, we turned away from the interstate and headed through a neighborhood, driving through a downpour and hoping we were moving uphill. My son pulled out his phone and switched his maps to a topographic map to guide us to higher ground.

We made it safely back on the interstate a few miles down the road. All the way home we were watching emergency vehicles working accidents, closing roads and rescuing underwater vehicles.

When we finally made it home, we were relieved to find our roads passable although there was water running across the roads and the ditches were rushing with muddy water. We pulled into the drive, opened the front door and discovered we had no power. Since it was just before dusk, it wasn’t quite too dark to see.

A call to the electric company provided an update. Electricity should be back on by 6:00 AM tomorrow morning. Absolutely unprepared to return home to no power, we made a quick trip to Wal-Mart for flashlights, batteries, food, etc.

By 6:00 AM the power outage was predicted to last until 6:00 PM. While we waited for the sunshine to rise and peek through the windows, we slept in. We had to conserve our phone usage, live without internet or computers and try to keep our food from spoiling.

We had a forced night of relaxation, the water never made it over the porch and our drive didn’t wash out until three days later, but that’s a story for another day. We were very fortunate. It seemed we were able to avoid floods, tornados and lightning storms. My heart and condolences go out to all the flood victims and I am extremely grateful we were spared.

The Space I Write In…..

On April 15, 2015April 16, 2015 By DGThomaIn Family, Musings, WritingLeave a comment

I recently came across a forgotten piece of writing. In February 2008 I was taking several classes and one of my assignments was to discuss the room where I chose to write. Now seven years later, I was curious to see how much if any, my writing and my writing space have evolved.

My 2008 version.

I have created a new space to write for this class. My previous space was in a room at the back of the house. (A place I never visited.) My new space is in the northeast corner of my dining room, where the walls are a soft mocha color and my elephants dance across the shelf of the half wall into the living room. The elephants represent a collection that seems to keep growing, each one with its own memories of where they were collected. Some were gifts; some were finds on vacations or one-day adventures. I love the solidity of elephants.

Beside me sets our dining room table filled with memories from our family gatherings, homework sessions and board game marathons. The table is an old English pub table from the late 1800’s. I guess it isn’t practical for family usage, but it was purchased before our family was born. On the wall above the table, shelves house our collection of Hummel plates. They remind me of Ron’s parents and make me remember all the experiences Ron and his brothers had growing up in Belgrade while their dad was stationed at the US Embassy. The shelves they rest on were a gift from my son and make me think of him and smile. On the bakers rack which sets against the west wall, the top shelves are crowded with cookbooks. The cookbooks are an eclectic combination of home style, vegetarian and bread baking. My daughter and I have been collecting cookbooks for as long as I can remember and we love flipping through them.

The light in my writing space is a mostly from the overhead ceiling fan, but just past the half wall into the living room, the light from the north window shines brightly today. If I let myself I could be very distracted by it’s invitation to step outdoors. I can see the oak trees soaking up the sun and remember the acorns they dump all over the ground in the fall. But back to the room. I am seated at a small secretary desk with numerous cubbies in the back.

When I sit at it I feel strong and capable. I purchased the desk, post divorce with money I earned working many hours of overtime. It is mine, purchased with my own money and picked out by me. I love it! It is great for writing. It holds my laptop perfectly. The dining room is in the center of my home and makes me feel plugged in when I am writing, even if everyone is asleep or out. It is much more comfortable here than trying to stash myself away in a quiet room. I can’t finish describing the room without mentioning the wooden floors, my son and I spent two days installing. What a chore, but what a great feeling when I look down and see how nice they look and remember the two days spent one on one with my son. So, this is the space I have created to write in. I look forward to many hours of relaxing creativity.

My 2015 writing space.

Many of the same items listed above still surround me in my home, but I have moved a desk in front of that north window. I still have the desk I sat at in 2008, but I am using a much larger desk with room for my computer and two large monitors today. Many more memories crowd the spaces in my mind and my elephant family has become prolific. My writing space has not changed dramatically and I am pulled toward the sunshine out the window just the same as before. I still can’t sit in a quiet uninterrupted place and write. My writing is definitely more routine and although my first novel isn’t complete, it is underway. I am curious where you all choose to write. Am I alone in needing to be in the midst of my family activities to be the most creative? I look forward to hearing your thoughts!

Not my Chi…..Anticipatory Failure

On March 25, 2015 By DGThomaIn Exercise, Family, Friends, Humor/Light Hearted, Musings, Writing5 Comments

On the journey to recapture my fitness, I am trying to remind myself to draw on my chi. Chi Running, defines chi (pronounced ‘chee’) as the energy that unites body, mind, and spirit. How awesome is that. If only I could learn to tap into that!

A few years ago, when we traveled to in San Francisco, CA for the Nike Women’s Marathon, my running partner and I purchased stones with Chinese symbols engraved on them. We each chose a symbol that had special meaning for us. We often trade them at the beginning of a race as a symbol of support for each other. We call them our chi.

As fun things often do, they took on a life of their own. On our training runs, if someone just a little faster ran past us, we would challenge ourselves and pick up the pace, shouting “It’s our chi!”

If someone sprinted by much faster, we would look at each other and proclaim, “Not my chi!”

Those little engraved stones have become a symbol of support and companionship, but occasionally even they aren’t enough to push me up a hill.

Years ago, someone told me a secret to running hills. You should visualize a rope at the top of the hill and imagine someone is pulling you forward. It’s a great visualization and can help. But it can’t really pull you. You still have to move your legs and when you haven’t trained; well it isn’t as easy to make it up the hill.

Recently, I was out for a run with my two favorite running partners. It was an easy and pleasant run and things were going well. We were at the start of our training plan, so the run was short and not too aggressive. Near the end of the run, we were faced with a hill. The hill is about a 45 degree incline alongside a busy road. When I looked ahead and saw the hill I said, “I’m going to run to the bottom of the hill and then I’ll walk the actual hill.” I was thinking I was already tired and would not have the energy to run up the hill. Both my companions nodded and headed for the hill determined to beat it.

I realized I had allowed anticipatory failure to keep me from making it up the hill. No it’s not ‘rocket science’ but for me it was an eye opener. I actually got it. If you don’t start, you can’t finish is a real thing. I ran the hill, huffing and puffing the entire way, but I didn’t stop until I reached the top. Even if I had taken a break half way it would have been fine. I wasn’t attempting to set a record, just keep moving until my body said stop instead of my head.

I have a half marathon to run in this weekend and haven’t trained as well as I could have, but I never do. I considered switching to the 10k instead. Then I remembered the hill and changed my mind. I may not finish, but I will start and I will listen to my body not the anticipatory failure in my head.

Just A Bumming Around

On March 11, 2015March 11, 2015 By DGThomaIn Family, Humor/Light Hearted, Writing2 Comments

My Dad is a character. When I think about him from my childhood perspective, I visualize a smile on his face. He has a guitar in his hand and he’s telling a joke. That’s my Dad.

I can still hear him singing an old Perry Como Song. It was my favorite. At the time I knew nothing about Perry Como, this was my Dad’s song.

I got an old slouch hat
Got my roll on my shoulder
I’m as free as a breeze
And do as I please
Just to bumming around

Got a million friends
I don’t feel any older
I’ve got nothing to lose
Not even the blues
Just to bumming around

Whenever worries start
To bothering me
I grab my coat, my old slouch hat
Hit the trail again

You see, I ain’t got a dime
Don’t care where I’m going
I’m as free as a breeze
And do as I please
Just to bumming around

I hit the trail again

You see, I ain’t got a dime
Don’t care where I’m going
I’m as free as a breeze
And do as I please
Just to bumming around

Just to bumming around
Just to bumming around
Just to bumming around

He taught my nephew and my son to play. It doesn’t happen often enough, but the few times they have all played together have been magical.

And what’s funny is my Dad never bummed around. He didn’t even sit down. He always worked at a job that kept him traveling and he loved it. When he was home he worked in our yard. He was the first one to volunteer if anyone else needed a little help.

As he has grown older, he hasn’t traveled as much. For many years he cultivated a garden. He seldom ate the vegetables he tended, but would give them away. Family was first in line, then friends.

He is also a collector. To my Dad everything is a diamond in the rough. That’s a pretty awesome perspective. When my goddaughter first met him, he asked if she wanted the “nickel tour”. Of course she said yes! The “nickel tour” is a meander through his treasures with a humorous story or an anecdote about each piece. She still talks about it today.

Years ago, he built a tractor from miscellaneous parts. Not tractor parts, but just miscellaneous things he had on hand. Yes it worked quite well. He is the reason I think I can do anything if I just try hard enough.

I love you Dad. (or Papa as he is known by most everyone.)

Nature, miles and friends

On February 25, 2015 By DGThomaIn Exercise, Family, Food, Friends, Writing4 Comments

While much of the country has been dealing with extreme weather, in my area we’ve been more fortunate. Austin, TX residents woke Saturday morning to a mild 64 degrees. It was a perfect day for a long training run. If you have to run long, you may as well run for fun! Bastrop State Park is a short 15 miles from my home. Running in nature while I train is a great distraction.

A fire devastated Bastrop State Park in September 2011 along with many other areas of Bastrop County. The fire destroyed many of the ancient pine trees. It affected 96 percent of the park. The fire was a tragedy, but it has been wonderful watching the rebirth of the park, aided by many volunteer organizations and their members.

Dez, Ron, and myself arrived at the park with two expectations; to complete an 11 mile training run and to enjoy ourselves. We put no constraints on time or speed. Dez and I kept to the trails as much as possible while Ron opted for the park roads.

The trails range from sand, gravel, or packed dirt and is easier on your body than pounding on pavement. The steep inclines and declines work muscles not used in street running and compel careful navigation to prevent falls. The combination is a great workout.

We quickly realized that it was going to be a silly, fun day when we started laughing at everything. We stopped along the way to take pictures, to view the blackened, fallen trees and to enjoy the newly planted baby pines.

Throughout the morning, park guests greeted us and we shared waves and greetings in return. At mile 6 we found a restroom, which had been recently renovated and was sparkling clean. While we were stopped, we visited with Ranger Carpenter and learned a few facts about the park rehabilitation.

We stopped at mile 9.25 to enjoy a bit of solitude at a pond hidden among the trees. I had spent the day in search of the elusive Houston Toad. We were pretty sure we heard one in the distance while we were at the pond.

The park ranger we spoke with encouraged us to find a tree and claim it. He suggested we take our picture with the tree and return annually to document the growth. So we each picked one and began a tradition.

Our final mile tally of 11.5 miles was full of fun. After surviving our trek through nature, we ate lunch and stopped by Austin City Wide Garage Sale. This weekend the sale was being held in Bastop, Texas. After an hour and a half of wandering through the maze of exhibits we were a few dollars poorer and a few items richer, and our energies had been fully expended.

We ended our day with sweets from the Sugar Shack in Bastrop. We each had two scoops of ice cream and I brought home treats for later. It was a lovely day and the best one I’ve had in a while. A special thanks to my cohorts today for helping me make wonderful memories!

Christmas 2014

On December 31, 2014January 1, 2015 By DGThomaIn Family, Humor/Light Hearted, Writing2 Comments

Christmas 2014…. What a crazy and wonderful time we had. Previously I nicknamed 2014 as the year of the broken bones. I suffered through a broken toe and my husband Ron is sporting a trendy black cast while he recovers from a break in his wrist.

As we sprinted to the finish line to usher in 2015, I was a bit relieved to see 2014 come to an end. We are normally very healthy. We exercise and try to eat right so it is outside of the norm for us to have issues.

In December, we traveled to New York City for a bit of relaxation and rejuvenation before heading to Texas on Christmas Eve for our extended family Christmas celebration. We were scheduled to fly out of JFK on the 23^rd. After a long busy day of activities on the 22nd, we received a text from my daughter which read “On my way to hospital, probably broken ankle, I’m okay.” Followed shortly by “Broken on both sides, trying to determine if they will transport to surgery tonight.”

Oh, boy! We were unable to change our flights due to the Christmas travel, so we headed to the airport to standby for any earlier flights. No earlier flights materialized. All things considered, the airport and subsequent travel went relatively smoothly. We flew into Austin, TX, arriving at 9:30 PM where we grabbed our bags, retrieved our car and set off for Tulsa, OK. We stopped about half way to Tulsa for the night. Early the next morning on Christmas Eve we set off again.

While we were trying to get home, my son and daughter had coordinated and moved our Christmas celebration to Tulsa. My son transported gifts, food and family and himself to Tulsa in support of his sister. On Christmas Eve the two of them were sitting in the orthopedic surgeon’s office having her ankle reset, surgery scheduled and making everyone laugh.

By the time I arrived, dinner was being prepared, the house had been spruced and gifts were under the tree. Everyone was smiling, my son-in-law’s parents were dropping by and one of his co-workers was on the way to share in the celebration.

As we gathered around the dinner table, we were all grateful to share a meal and celebrate being together. So while I may have been pre-emptive to declare this the year of the broken bone ended, this is it! No more broken bones allowed!

We had a wonderful new celebration of memories to add to our holiday traditions. Today Christmas is over and we are sitting sipping our coffee and watching the snow fall outside while we were warm and comfortable inside.

Crab legs, Lobster and Family Traditions

On December 3, 2014 By DGThomaIn Family, Food, Humor/Light Hearted, Writing1 Comment

My father’s birthday is October 31^st. This year he is 81 years young. In spite of typical aging issues, he is remarkably healthy and fit. He has avoided most chronic health conditions. He still drives well, mows his lawn and manages his daily activities with little assistance.

My grandson, Alex’s birthday is October 5^th. This year he is 13 years old. They both live in the same town about 5 hours from where I live.

My husband and I drove down to take them out to dinner to celebrate their respective birthdays. We picked up my Dad first and then drove over to pick up my two grandsons, Alex and James.

Finding ourselves at a chain seafood restaurant, a lively discussion regarding what food to order ensued. Neither my grandson, Alex nor my father (Papa) had ever eaten crab legs or lobster. They both share a love of shrimp.

Debating the merits of al a carte vs platters, Alex and my dad ended up with a plate of food that would have been three meals for me. They had crab legs, lobster tail, fried shrimp, shrimp scampi and rice. My grandson James opted for a traditional steak meal.

Watching my dad and his 13 year old great grandson side by side, cracking the hard shell of the crab was priceless. They each experimented with different techniques to get to the delicious pieces of crab inside. Butter dripped, shells cracked and tall tales flowed. Everyone was smiling!

The lobster dripping in butter was no match for Alex. It was one of his favorite things on the plate. My dad didn’t enjoy the flavor nearly as much, but Alex helped him out and finished his lobster as well his own. Neither my dad nor Alex took home a significant amount of leftovers.

The service wasn’t great. No one served us for quite some time and when everyone else’s food was coming out, the server let me know they were out of what I had ordered. The sides we received were not what we ordered. Even with the issues of service, the memories were priceless.

The Healing Power of Texas Tamales

On November 26, 2014 By DGThomaIn Family, Food, Humor/Light Hearted, WritingLeave a comment

Thanksgiving 2007 is now a wonderful memory. However, at the time my daughter was struggling with life a bit, something she rarely does. As a single mom she was attending law school and had moved many miles and hours away from her support system. Law school is grueling at best but for just that moment in time, I think she was trying to stay afloat and hanging on by a thread.

She was home for Thanksgiving and the kitchen was alive with the sound of laughter, spoons scraping pans and stories of past escapades. My children had taken over my kitchen and I was standing outside the door, loving the scene in front of me.

Kat had asked for tamales to round out our normal Thanksgiving fare and we had not been able to find any. Although tamales are a staple over the holidays in much of Texas, we had waited too late to order them.

My son, Rich proclaimed we would just make our own tamales. In our family, we tend to think we can tackle anything, even though none of us had ever attempted to make homemade tamales. So after a trip to the grocery store we were ready to get started. The plan was to get things ready the night before Thanksgiving and then assemble them on Thanksgiving Day. Making tamales is a lot of work! While we didn’t follow a recipe for making the tamales, we did look up how long they should be cooked.

Up at 6:00 AM on Thanksgiving morning, we set up an assembly line. Richie made all the fillings and was in charge of preparing the husks and spreading them with masa. The rest of us assisted with the actual assembly. We made traditional pork tamales for the kids and black bean for me.

We had a wonderful time stirring, mixing, rolling and wrapping tamales, but most of all, we laughed and talked and made unforgettable memories. All because a sister wanted tamales and a brother was determined she would have them. We haven’t had a Thanksgiving without tamales since that year.

We skipped the Black Friday sales and opted for family time all weekend. That is a tradition, I hope we can continue always and forever.

Pinot’s Palette – Painting and so much more!

On November 5, 2014 By DGThomaIn Family, Food, Humor/Light Hearted, WritingLeave a comment

I’ve wanted to try one of those instructor led classes where you paint a picture in a couple of hours that is advertised as something “you aren’t embarrassed to hang on your wall”. I just haven’t made the effort to find out more information.

Thankfully, it wasn’t left up to me to follow through. My granddaughter, Jillian recently surprised me with registration to a class at Pinot’s Palette . She registered us for a class to paint a picture called “Rain Kisses”. I was completely on board for the class but I assured her, my picture wouldn’t look anything like the example in the email.

All I had to do was make flight arrangements and pack a bag. It was lovely that she made the effort to plan a weekend together for just the two of us. Jillian picked me up at the airport and after a wonderful lunch, we headed to the store to pick up snacks for our class. Our beverage of choice was sparkling water. They do offer a stocked bar, but we are too young for alcohol. Okay, at least Jillian is too young. We made it to the class and were immediately greeted by lively music and a smiling hostess/artist. We were directed to our seats where our names had been written in chalk by our canvases. Our paints were already out and a canvas sat on an easel waiting for our creativity to complete it. Jillian and I discussed grabbing our snacks early on, but I suggested we wait until half-time. Jillian indulgently explained it’s a painting class, there is no half-time.

The instructor was wonderful and did a great job guiding us through the process. Our first step was to paint the entire canvas gray. I believe I excelled at this point.

We laughed and joked and had an amazing time. There were two young ladies sitting beside us discussing the female figure and how one of her legs was raised as she kissed her guy under the umbrella. One of them said, who was it that started that leg thing? Wasn’t it in Princess Diaries? I smiled and said, “Actually, I believe it was Doris Day.” The girl smiled tolerantly and said, “Well yes, but we were talking about the 90’s.” I’m thinking she had never heard of Doris Day. Jillian on the other hand smiled and nodded her agreement. I should add that her favorite animation at around the age of three was Betty Boop!

The instructors are actual artists. They lead you through the process step by step and while it isn’t without a bit of effort and maybe some skill, it was much easier than I anticipated.

Since we were going to be out late, (after 10:00 PM) I suggested to Jillian we go for breakfast instead of a late dinner. We chose the Village Inn for our late night breakfast of omelets, waffles, chocolate chip pancakes and hash browns. It was delicious and we had leftovers for breakfast the next morning.

As we ate and discussed our mutual pictures, I pointed out that Jillian had painted a much better “booty” for her guy than I had. Laughing at/with me, she informed me I was a “hoot!”

Friday was spent running errands and getting ready for a garage sale on Saturday. After purchasing a new shelving unit we spent several hours working on putting it together. Normally I’m pretty good at assembling modular furniture but this shelf was becoming quite a challenge. Maybe I was tired but I put the top piece on backwards and had to start over about halfway through the assembly. Finally I was ready to put the doors on only to discover the bottom was backwards, so maybe the sides were the actual problem, but we took it back apart and started over again. By now our hands were sore from the screwdriver and we couldn’t get the small screws to the doors to turn. Giving up temporarily we went to bed leaving the shelf to be tackled another day.

Early Saturday morning we went to my daughter’s to start the garage sale. It was a beautiful day for a sale and while we didn’t have a landslide of customers, we had a wonderful morning together and a freshly organized and cleaned garage! We also met some lovely people.

Saturday night was shelving unit round two. After a nice dinner with my son-in-law and daughter, Jillian and I went shopping for an electric screwdriver. What we came away with was a nice soft handled manual version with various sized ends. It is absolutely amazing what a night’s rest, good food and the right tool can accomplish. Jillian and Nana 1, shelving unit 0! It went together like peanut butter and jelly.

The weekend flew by and Sunday morning arrived way too soon. I am amazed at how much Jillian has grown up and what a caring responsible young lady she has become. I was encouraged that she is still my sweet little girl. She drove me to the airport in her sleep shirt and fuzzy Minnie Mouse sleep pants with the sound of Boston’s Greatest Hits playing in the background.