Family and Friendships
It is two weeks before Christmas and the holiday is bringing the biggest advertising campaigns of the year. The television, radio and the computer are filled with ads for stuff. The marketing campaigns are in full swing; buy this, you need that: your life is just not complete without the super gizmo. In a year that has been tight with money, it is hard to watch and wonder who is buying all that stuff. I don’t really know. I have talked with friends and coworkers, there is a consensus that everyone is cutting back again this year.
If I could I would buy the latest and greatest computer, phone and gizmos as gifts for my loved ones I would. I can’t see that the momentary joy of an expensive gift out weights the difficulty of paying for them over the next few months on credit. Unfortunately, I just don’t have extra cash sitting around this year. It’s been a difficult year for me, my friends and my loved ones. Expenses for housing, food and fuel just seem to be getting bigger and the pay just doesn’t seem to keep pace. There doesn’t appear to be a break coming on the horizon so it’s conservative gifts again this year. I have picked out a few things for giving, but not the wow gifts this year. I have to sit through the commercials and the prodding to buy more the next two weeks.
I feel confident that the world will not end and no one will be disappointed that they didn’t get the latest gizmo I couldn’t afford. I am looking forward to a wonderful meal, some quality time and some laughter with my family. It is that joy of sharing time I am looking forward too more than anything else. I am anxiously waiting for the time away from the office, from the daily routine. I am looking forward to Christmas with my loved ones. We plan to make a big meal on Christmas Eve and to share Christmas breakfast together and to fill the house with joy and laughter. I want to feel the togetherness of family and friendship: that’s what Christmas is really about to me.
A quick trip on a rainy Saturday.
I headed out of town with a couple of friends: a stop by a custom hatters and some late lunch at a place I kept hearing about. I was excited to have something other than the usual chores to do on a dreary weekend. I love the rain and it makes for good sleeping weather and there are no complaints from me about it after a summer of drought. I’ll take all the rain I can. We all piled into the Kia and headed down the highways and through the back roads, it was easy driving but a steady drizzle: the kind where you don’t know if you should use the wipers or not. I got a laugh about the GPS, there are new roads going in and the unit had use careening down through a pasture and kept recalculated as we went through the construction. It wanted me to turn left or right a number of times, but there was no longer a road or overpass.
We landed at the hatters and had a flurry of fun and photos. My friends got with the owner and described what they were looking for in their new hats. I tried on a floppy green and black number but it looked as ridiculous as it sounds. I am anticipating the results of this adventure: theses will be one of a kind, custom hats.
We headed around the bend to a place I have heard about many times: Herbert’s in San Marcos. I have heard the stories, heard the longing in voices about a meal at that Mecca of TexMex cooking. It was my turn to try it yesterday. I looked at the menu and took my friends suggestion on a plate that had all the favorites. I have to say there wasn’t a bit of sauce left on the plate when I was done. I had sopped all the remaining up with a few fresh tortillas. I ended up with bite of sopapilas drenched in honey and that was the perfect ending. I now understand the attraction.
I piloted the car back to Austin, through the traffic and took the new flyover south of town. I just love the view of Austin from that height. You can see downtown, the capitol and the majestic looking St. Edwards University in the foreground. Even with the low clouds and the drizzle falling, it gave me a shiver of delight that I call Austin TX my home.
Thanksgiving 2011
Posted by devota in Uncategorized on November 27, 2011
It was a pleasure to get my domestic diva groove going again. I was excited to share a meal, to have some company and to give my kitchen a work out.
I had been delaying the shopping trip to the last minuet to get the freshest possible ingredients: what a mistake! I tried to get into the parking lot of the local grocery store three times on Thanksgiving Eve. I cut through the lot the first time at 3:30, not even bothering to try to find a spot. The second time I drove by and it was still full at 5:30. My last pass at 10:30 at night there were some parking spots available. I just couldn’t wait until the morning to do this: I had tried to fall asleep and the thought of no food on Thanksgiving Day kept rolling through my mind. Why had I waited so long, what was I thinking shopping the day before a holiday? Would I have an empty table? Oh the stress of waiting until the last minuet.
There was a parking spot midway between the front door of the store and the exit of the lot, I was in luck! I wondered down the aisle with my shopping cart and a list on the I Phone. I picked out the best of the ingredients, managed to get to the check out, waited in line and finally made it home for the night. I unloaded the bags of groceries, stored the stuff in the fridge, washed the fruit and veggies and left the other items on the side counter. I could finally go to sleep with a clear conscious: I wasn’t going fail the task of providing the feast.
In the morning it was time to get going on my cooking adventure: it was Steak and Baked Potatoes, Salad and a Green bean casserole for the holiday dinner. It wasn’t traditional, but it is becoming a tradition. The house smelled warm and cozy with the smells coming out of the oven. The windows were open, the heat from the oven on a warm Texas day. I had the cookbook open, a list running for the time for each item that was to be prepared. I went at it with exuberance and excitement.
I caught a break with a bit of time to spare waiting on the food: now it was time to get ahead of the dust bunnies and dress the table and me. I wanted to create a table that combined two families; my dishes and his mom’s. I used him mom’s cutting board for the cheese and crackers, my wine glasses and I was looking around for a vase or candles. I should have gotten flowers the night before, but they didn’t make it on the list. I was wishing I had one of the vases him mom kept: I knew I should have grabbed one at the time we were digging through his mom’s boxes. I got myself dressed and took a chance on flowers. I could have gone with just the candles, but flowers would set the table as special. I hopped in the car, glanced at the grocery store lot as I approached, easy breezy: there were spots and the store hadn’t closed yet.
As my friend walked up, it was a huge greeting from Saba. I felt a rush of pride as his face turned into a smile looking at my domestic diva’s work. He noticed his mom’s canister set, proudly placed on the side counter. The table was dressed in green table cloth, his mom’s white dishes, my clear dishes and purple flowers. He opened the bottle of wine and it was time to start the final meal preparations. He put the steaks on the grill; I got the mushrooms simmering on the stove.
Saba got a treat too: it was his 11th birthday on the 23rd, so I had baked him some dog biscuits.
Fall Adventures
Fall in the hill country
It’s been a wonderful full week of activity. I went up to Fort Worth for the NASCAR race weekend and the drama at the track was infectious. I managed to see Kyle Busch pull his blunder in the truck race and then watched an exciting Nationwide Race and the Cup Race. They held my attention through out with the competition, the power of those machines and the teamwork that it takes to compete. Congrats to Tony Stewart on the win: I saw the checkers but skipped the burnout and awards and then headed out to the parking lot to beat the traffic. I managed to get ahead of a few thousand folks leaving the stands.
I wondered home along the highway we call IH-35 through the evening. I left the music and the radio off on the trip. It gave me lots of time to think about how much I take for granted. How lucky I am to be able to attend race weekends, to enjoy live music in Austin, TX and how much I value my friends. It was an uplifting journey, a time for me to concentrate on the good things in my life. It sure felt good to get home and spend some time with Saba and my pillow.
I headed out to a party on Tuesday night with my friend. It was a beautiful gathering under a Live Oak tree and the cool autumn night. There were lots of interesting people to meet, some acquaintances to see and one of the highlights of the night for me was sharing a bowl of Posole with my friend. It was a warm and wonderful evening with a fire to huddle around as the night chilled down. There were so many cool, exciting and entertaining people there. I was grateful to share the evening with my friend, to be included and to feel welcomed.
Hill Country Drive
Early fall in the hill country
I headed out for a drive to Llano this past weekend: it was a beautiful drive, lots to see and the ranch had such beautiful views. I managed to spend some time on the swing, just relaxing.