Tag: Relaxation

Commuting in Central Texas

On By DGThomaIn Travel, Writing1 Comment

I may be wrong, but I don’t think we have mass transportation figured out in Central Texas.  We love our SUV’s and Ford F150 pickup trucks.  They line our highways and tollways, with only a few random “Smart” cars sprinkled in like the toy prize in a Cracker Jacks box.

Austin, TX has a light rail system but it doesn’t run to my suburban area. A commuter bus service picks up and drops off near my home.  I’ve often thought I might enjoy catching the bus into town.  I envisioned writing or reading a book for the 1 to 1 ½ trip to the office.  I was unsure of the bus route, so didn’t know if it would be convenient.

I never got around to checking the route or the schedule but each time I saw the commuter bus moving through traffic, I remembered I wanted to find  out more.

So when our vehicle decided to stop running, mid-commute on Friday, we checked it into the auto hospital and decided it was time to take the commuter bus.  It’s odd.  When we travel to other cities, we ride buses, subways, trains and take taxis.  It’s never an issue and we are completely comfortable.  But something about having to catch the last bus home became worrisome.  The published route and fares were listed on the website, but there were few specifics.  The bus stop was a short ¾ mile from my office and less than ¼ mile from my husband’s office.  The last bus left Austin at 6:20 PM.  We gave ourselves over an hour to get to the stop so we had have plenty of time.  We were unsure if the bus accepted cash or tokens.

A quick call to the Capitol Metro office and answered my questions.  The representative assured me payment could be cash as long as the change was exact and the total fare was 4.75 per person.  The website listed the price as 3.50, so I was glad I’d checked.

My husband and I arrived at the stop by 5:30 PM, well before departure.  We bought a bottle of water from a downtown grocer so we would have exact change.  A Starbucks sat on one corner and a Which Wich on the opposite; but we sat on a bench outside, around the corner from the bus stop to watch for the 990 commuter to arrive.  Dusk settled as professional workers heading home gave way to Austin night life spilling across the sidewalk.

A few minutes after 6:00 PM, we relocated to the stop in hopes our bus might arrive early.  It was a bit nippy but not too uncomfortable as we waited.  After thirty minutes, a plethora of city buses lumbered past but no 990 commuter bus among them.

Around 6:40 PM our bus finally arrived.  Four of us waited to board by the time it slowed and stopped.  On board we began inserting dollars into the machine.  The driver stopped us when we had deposited 7.00 dollars.  The fare really was only 3.50 each.  What a nice surprise!

We stopped four times before we reached our destination.  The bus picked up and dropped off a few passengers before our journey ended.  Commuting on the bus wasn’t quite what I had pictured.  My fantasy, of a slow lumbering train ride, soft comfortable seats with low lighting wasn’t completely accurate.  The ride was nice, if a little bumpy.  We arrived in a reasonable time frame and it was comfortable.  Would I ride it again?  Yes…. But not every day just yet!

The Quiet After the Tempests

On By DGThomaIn Animal Stories, Family, Musings, Travel, WritingLeave a comment

Last year I persistently clacked the keyboard, determined to put some small entertainment on the blank page.   If not entertainment, then perhaps grammatically correct sentences.  Doggedly producing words, I waited for a gem to flow through my fingers.

Then I faltered.  I’ve been away from the page for a while, pulled by distractions and obligations.

It began with Thanksgiving, the gentle nudge away from writing.  The busy work and family obligations wooed me.  I allowed myself to let writing slide for a while, missing a blog post, then two and three.  My novel (s) in waiting went unopened for weeks.  New ideas blossomed in my head and faded; notepads empty and computers idle.

Today I attempted to regain focus.  Christmas has passed and Christmas future is far away.  I took a deep breath, mentally rather than physically and opened a beautifully blank page.

Behind the computer screen, through the windowpane, two red cardinals play in the leaves.  I smile and watch them foraging when suddenly the leaves around the bright spots of red became alive with movement.  Bobbing in and out of the fallen oak leaves are numerous female cardinals.  Their slight movement camouflaged, their coloring matching the dried leaves.  Enjoying the activity, I see a squirrel has entered the scene.  He too is easy to miss as he darts among the reds and browns of the winter landscape.

Past the tall barren oaks and through splashes of green from the fir trees, my neighbors walk their large white dog down our country lane; his full coat and bushy tail appear at odd intervals through the kaleidoscope of nature.

I recall the many cities I visited in the last few weeks and the family stories I intend to share, later.  Now, I’m going to relax and enjoy nature.  I’ll be back to catch up on travel and family a little later.

 

 

You’ve Got Mail and oh so much more……

On By DGThomaIn Family, Friends, Writing2 Comments

An article landed in my inbox this week.  A man was reminiscing about an old lamp  that sat in the living room of his childhood home.  He held a finial, the decorative top piece that keeps the shade in place, in his hand. A smile bloomed on my face, immediately understanding how he felt.  I’ve stood in antique shops and thrift stores cradling an object in my hand, lost in a cherished memory.

I enjoy my treasures.  As I walk thru my front door I am greeted by an abundance of artifacts.  Artifacts from my husband’s childhood in Yugoslavia rest companionably near my grandfather’s carpenter square.  20151108_111821A picture painted by  Yugoslavian artist, Jovan Obican hangs adjacent to a hand drawn painting of a rooster my sister created for me. 20151108_111805 An antique hand held mixer rests on the kitchen window sill.

These things and many others fill my home with memories.  They make my house a home and ground me in the roots of my heredity.

And then……

Another article popped up in my inbox today.  It proclaimed our houses are filled with things that should be immediately thrown out.  The article touted the danger of  the germs swimming around us. Immediately I envisioned microorganisms crawling through my cabinets, over my floors and on all my possessions.  The article mentioned treasured mementos and things you keep out of guilt.  Their advice?  Toss them!  And extra buttons?  Get rid of them.  You will never use them anyway.

Feeling guilty for enjoying my treasures and more than a little grossed out, I thought about divesting myself of everything except basic essentials.  It really would make it much easier to clean and dust.  And that button box does have tons of one of a kind antique buttons I will never use.    20151109_201039

But I would also give up the comfort of snuggling into my antique wingback chair, 20151109_202553   my grandmother’s handmade quilt across my lap, reading a book discovered in my last thrift store perusal.  No thank you.   I think I’m okay with things just as they are germs, dust and all.

Under the Peach Tree

On By DGThomaIn Family, Food, Gardening, Humor/Light Hearted, Writing1 Comment

It might be an aroma or a quick glimpse of something that triggers a memory snippet.  For me, it is often a smell.  Fresh bread baking immediately finds me standing in the school cafeteria with a tray in my hand waiting for a delicious hot yeast roll to land beside my mashed potatoes.

Last night, I was in the kitchen putting away groceries, when my husband placed a bag on the counter.  It was a bag of fresh Fredericksburg peaches.  They had been picked three days earlier.  Without moving closer to the bag I began to smell the peaches.  Not the ones on the counter, but the fresh ripe peaches hanging from the limbs of the two peach trees which grew in my childhood backyard.   20150629_183049

The smell of those peaches brought a kaleidoscope of memories.  In the heat of the day, my mother would send me out to pick a few peaches.  She sliced the warm peach in half, removed the pit and poured cold evaporated milk over the peach before sprinkling it liberally with granulated sugar.  I think she invented sweetened condensed milk long before Eagle Brand marketed it!

I can’t even remember how it tasted, but I remember the anticipation and the contrast of the warm peach against the cold milk.  Yum!   I haven’t thought of eating those cream soaked peaches in years.  My husband has brought in peaches countless times and laid them on the counter.  I’m not sure why yesterday triggered the memory, but I’m glad it did.

It made me think of my Mom and smile.  A momentary sadness tugged at my heart as I miss those days with my mother but it was soon replaced by happy memories.

My thoughts followed the path to other memories of time spent around and under the peach tree.  My friends from next door would stop by and we would sit under those two trees.  We invented fairy tale worlds and planned our future.  You know important stuff, like who would we sit by next year in school and how would we fill our days next week.

I also thought about my mother telling me to behave or she would switch my legs with a peach tree limb.  Now those trees had thin pliable limbs that could sting like fire.  Not that I would know!  The threat of having to go cut a peach tree limb and bring it back to my mom was enough to keep me on the straight and narrow.  I’m pretty sure I was never spanked with one, but I remember the dread well.

 

Peach Tree

After dinner last night, I pulled a peach from the bag on the counter.  I rinsed the peach and bit into the crisp fruit.  As juice dribbled down my chin, I closed my eyes.  For the moment I was ten years old, sitting beneath the peach tree, playing make believe with my siblings.

 

Relaxing! June 7th, 2015

On By DGThomaIn Exercise, Food, Gardening, Humor/Light Hearted, Musings, WritingLeave a comment

Today, Sunday June 7th, 2015; I have been given the gift of relaxation. I’ve decided not to work at my day job this weekend.  We are in the process of a major software implementation.   I am woefully behind and next week promises to be jam packed with tasks.  But I need some recovery time.  This is the last weekend before training begins for our fall marathons and soon we will begin summer hours at work.  10 hour days, four days a week.

Yesterday I cleaned house.  I mean actually cleaned!  I scrubbed, mopped, dusted organized and polished.  This morning, I made pancakes, hash browns and scrambled eggs for breakfast.    With the help of my family, the leftovers are put away, the dishwasher loaded and I find myself sitting at the computer with a full day to write.

I fiddled through my email, opened my current novel in progress, and reviewed and edited some short stories.  I recently rescued the stories from an old computer I am going to retire.  Making a mental list of writing tasks on my plate, I contemplated what I should do first.

I decided to move outside to the deck to write.  Moving outside required digging up an extension cord for the laptop and my phone charger.  Check, I’m hooked up to power and ready to work.

It’s already hot outside, but the deck is still shaded by the overhead oak and pine trees surrounding it.  Just as I’m thinking how cool it is, I realize I should be preemptive and put up the umbrella before the sun shifts and I start to sweat.  Now if I could just remember where I stored it last summer.  Maybe it is in the front hall closet.  I pull coats and bags aside to search and I am not having much luck.  Pushing the door closed, I couldn’t think where else to look, so I give it one more try.  I found it!  It was tucked in the back corner, shorter than I remembered, so it had been overlooked on my first try.cropped

Now, I’m golden.  The breeze is cool, I have power and a wonderfully cold bottle of water.  I’m watching the cats play while my husband is digging weeds and adding another raised bed.  Our garden rarely produces much, but we are quite successful at feeding the deer and the rabbits.

I think I should go help him for a while.  We need to decide what to put into the new garden space.  Perhaps today is a day to enjoy small victories and random tasks.  Maybe I’ll catch up with writing later…..  I’m off to the garden center.

 

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Stop and Smell the Tomatoes

On By DGThomaIn Exercise, Humor/Light Hearted, Writing2 Comments

I joined a new running group last week. I am very excited to have a group and planned training run each week.  Last Sunday we ran 6 miles and it was one of the most enjoyable runs I have had in a while.

I woke up Monday with a scratchy throat.  Mold pollen was off the charts in Austin, TX that day, so I assumed it was allergies.  By Tuesday, I was running on fumes and my throat was extremely uncomfortable.  I felt like I had a beach ball in my throat!

Beachball!
Beachball!

My day was filled with meetings, so I sat through them, waiting not so patiently until I could head home.  Once I got home, my throat was on fire and I could hardly swallow.  My temperature was low grade, about 99 Tuesday night but was gone by morning.  I went to work, but after a couple of hours decided to run to the doctor, get some meds and be back within the hour.

No such luck.  One look at my throat he said, you not only have strep but you also have a peritonsillar abscess.  A fancy name for an abscessed area near the tonsil, which can swell and impede the throat opening and make it difficult to swallow.  My primary care doctor sent me straight to an ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat)

I couldn’t return to work.  I had to go back to the doctor daily for a few days to ensure the swelling was going down and I was forced to relax and stay indoors away from people for a few days.  I finished a book I received for Christmas.  I dusted my bedroom and sat in the floor to go through clothing to discard.

Saturday morning, I wandered into my garden to discover my first summer pepper and a couple of ripening tomatoes hiding at the base of the plant.

Tomatoes
Tomatoes
Pepper!
Pepper!

 

 

 

Then I sat on the deck, and enjoyed the occasional drops of rain that fell from the overhanging trees, freshly bathed with an early morning shower.  I made notes for my novel and worked through some sticky plot points.

On the Deck
On the Deck

Saturday morning, after three days of relative inactivity, I was desperate for a diversion.  I made a quick trip to the garden center for plants to refresh my hanging baskets.  I filled one with lavender and the other with jalapeno pepper plants. I was tired.

So I brewed a cup of espresso with steamed vanilla cream for a lovely vanilla latte.  And now I think I may just follow the example of my feline companion and take a nap!

Naptime
Naptime

Sometimes being forced to stop and smell the tomatoes can be a very good thing.

Nature, miles and friends

On 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.2015-02-22 15.34.35 (1)

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.

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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 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!

How Could I Resist “He’s the One”

On By DGThomaIn Family, Humor/Light Hearted, Musings, Travel, Writing6 Comments

I recently resurrected crocheting as a hobby.  It’s been years since I created anything with yarn and a crochet needle.  Crochet patterns and yarn have changed significantly.  I practiced on some old yarn I found stored in my sewing supplies and contemplated what I should create.

When my daughter was scheduled for surgery on her broken ankle, I knew I would have some down time while I waited.  I decided it was time to start a project.  I intended to pass time during her surgery by crocheting.  A great idea, but I didn’t get to the store before the surgery.

Because I would stay with my daughter in Tulsa while she recuperated, I picked up yarn the following evening.  Although I had crochet needles at home, I picked up a new set along with a two skeins of yarn, (Yarn Bee, First Love, he’s the one) a beginner refresher book and a basket to hold the yarn.  The baskets were half price so I couldn’t resist.

He's the one!
He’s the one!

I found a basic afghan pattern and realized I would need a lot more yarn.  The yarn I purchased was variegated so I decided not to worry about the lot#.

I headed back to the original Hobby Lobby and discovered I had bought the last two skeins.   I did find and purchase 4 small skeins of a nice cotton blend.  After all they were on clearance. How could I resist?  En route to the second Tulsa location of Hobby Lobby on East 71st, I spotted a Barnes and Nobles and decided I would duck in for just a minute.  An hour later I realized I had no idea what time the second Hobby Lobby closed.  I paid  for my books and rushed off in search of ‘he’s the one’.

As we pulled into the parking lot of the Hobby Lobby on 71st, I could see people milling about as I hurried toward the entrance.  No luck.  A store employee  waved me away and mouthed, “We are closed”.

I searched for the yarn online and discovered it appeared to be sold exclusively at Hobby Lobby.  The yarn was out of stock for on-line purchasing.  The next morning, I called the store on 71st and found out they were also out.  Apparently, ‘he’s the one!’ was a big seller.  And so began the quest for ‘he’s the one’.  An internet search identified Hobby Lobby stores in two nearby towns.  A phone call to Owasso confirmed they were out of the yarn but the Broken Arrow store had 4 skeins in stock.

My husband set off  to Broken Arrow to pick the up the yarn. He returned triumphant with the four skeins.  That was great but I still needed more yarn.

We would drive home through the Dallas area the next day, so my husband called the Dallas Hobby Lobby on Preston.  As I was making lunch, I could hear him on the phone.  “Yes, I need to see if you have a specific yarn.”  (pause) “Yarn Bee, First Love, he’s the one!”   He had to keep repeating, “First Love, he’s the one!”  as he was disconnected twice and transferred between departments.   I believe he just demonstrated, he is definitely the one!  Finally he was told that yes they did have 5 skeins. The sales clerk said no they could not hold them until tomorrow and no he couldn’t purchase them over the phone.

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Still searching for yarn, I made an afternoon trip to Tuesday Morning and found 4 skeins of cashmere yarn and 2 of a lovely wool blend on the clearance aisle.  Of course I had to buy them!

When we left Tulsa, OK for Austin, TX,  I used Google maps to locate a Hobby Lobby in Sherman, TX where we found 4 more skeins of ‘he’s the one!’  on the shelf.  Score!  Stopping by the clearance section, I found several more skeins of yarn which found their way into my cart.

Work In Progress
Work In Progress

I now have 10 skeins of ‘he’s the one’, and about the same number of skeins of miscellaneous clearance yarn.  Doing the math I realized I could use a few more of ‘he’s the one!  We set off to find the Dallas store to determine if they had any of the five skeins left.  Upon arriving, I rushed to the yarn department to grab all five skeins which were still on the shelf!  I completed the quest!  This will be a lovely and fun project!

Now I just have to buy a bigger basket for all the yarn and figure out a few more projects.  Aren’t clearance sales wonderful?

Going home and hanging out….

On By DGThomaIn Family, Friends, Musings, Writing1 Comment

 

Photo courtesy of texasescapes.com/TexasPhotography/Barclay-Gibson April 2009
Photo courtesy of texasescapes.com/TexasPhotography/Barclay-Gibson April 2009

 

It seems like we never really go home until something significant happens.  We visit, but we don’t go home.  Recently, I received a phone call that my mother had been hospitalized.  I go visit my parents fairly often, but usually I’m in and out and don’t have time to see many people or hang out.  Going to the hospital in a small town forces you to slow down and just “hang out”.  The hospital employees are either people that went to school with me or are the children of my classmates.  The hospital in my hometown is a small 25 bed hospital.  Often the census is less than 5 when I visit.

CCMH trimmed

Walking toward the front door of the hospital with pecan shells crunching underneath my feet brings back a surge of memories.  The pecans which have fallen from the ages old pecan trees overhead litter the sidewalk.

It seems like eons ago that I used to work at this hospital.  My office was just behind that window to the right.  My son was delivered down the hall to left.  Many of my nieces and nephews also made their debut within these walls.

The number of times I entered through the emergency room with my accident prone son is innumerable.

I haven’t lived here in over 20 years.  Now I live in a city large enough that running into someone you know at the supermarket is the exception so coming home it’s hard to get used to knowing everyone you run into anywhere you go!

Every nurse, every custodian or kitchen worker seemed to know my name or at least know who my parents are and that I am one of those “Greenway kids”.

I sometimes wish my parents lived in a larger city where they could receive the latest and best medical care.  But when I see the personal care they receive here, I think that the benefits gained from the good will in this little town far surpasses any medical advances that may be available in a bigger hospital.

Walking into restaurants, grocery stores or hospital halls, it seems that everyone in town knows my mother is in the hospital and everyone is concerned.  People I haven’t seen in 20 years call me by name. Many more remembered me than I was able to remember them.  I guess it’s really true, home is where everybody knows your name, and that’s a good thing!

Texas Traveling – Blanco

On 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?”