Wednesday, March 31, 2010

The Pinto and the Illegal

I looked forward to the pot of beans slowly seeping flavor into their tiny selves all day long. Food fight in the cafeteria? No worries, I go home to a lovely meal in a few hours. Want to try throwing your egg roll at me? Go for it, I now have water to shower all the filth away. All these food issues made me think of the fact that I just love a good pot of pintos. I've tasted many different kinds, but none can compare to Wade's flavorful blend. Some try to church them up with vinegar or beer and the like. The reality is, you just can't church up a pinto.

On my way home, my taste buds preparing themselves for the explosion awaiting, I phoned Wade to check his 20. He told me he was just driving around. I know him well enough to know that if he's 'driving around', there's a good possibility that an animal/varmint is involved in his drive. Today humans of the illegal kind were involved. Apparently, five amigo fresh-out-of-Mexico hombres traipsed straight down the main ranch road. This is not out of the ordinary in these parts. However, this is slightly disturbing as this is the road I often run. Surely these folks aren't violent, but whose to say. I am a little skittish when it comes to running and being caught off guard. Once I went to run at the KOA in San Angelo early in the morning before sunrise. It's really dark out there. My solution? A couple of years ago one of Wade's hunters brought him a huge duffel bag full of various kinds of glow sticks. Some were the hand held kind, but some were semi-circular disks with sticky adhesive on the back. Here's the visual you are looking for- I stuck three of the self adhesive suckers to my chest and back and brandished a hand held glow stick in each hand. It probably looked like an alien invasion coming around the bend. I came around the last bend, which is quite creepy, when I heard a loud "Crack" come from behind me. You'd have thought I had nun-chucks in my hand the way I whizzed around ready to combat the culprit that lay before me. The culprit was one of the adhesive glow patches that fell off and cracked. Feeling like a dunce, I quickly finished my run and zoomed off into the slowly rising sun. Now do you understand what I mean by skittish? I can't imagine coming across a haul of illegals... Maybe I should get a shoulder holster and run with my piece. It's getting to be rattlesnake season anyhow.

I hope we all remember to enjoy the simple things in life, like the odd bowl of pintos and running with glow sticks. Hope your Thursday is just a big bowl of laughs!

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Ode to Free Flowing Water

This evening I really out did myself. In order to fully understand the depth of this outdoing, you must be briefed on the situation at hand. Let me begin by saying that the next time you get your water bill do not scoff. If it's a little higher than last month's bill, just say your favorite explitive under your breath, and send the check on over to the city with a stamp and a smile. For effect, you could even smather red lipstick on and seal it with a kiss. Why you wonder? Because you do not have a well that could dry or malfunction causing no water to run into your home. This is really quite comical actually. I noticed the problem this afternoon when I put a load of laundry in and it sounded like the Lock Ness Monster was going to erupt out of the wash basin at any moment. The gurgling sound emitting from the washer seemed odd. I thought it might be a fluke until I flushed a toilet and heard the same sound, and same sound again when I tried watering the garden. So, we turned the pump off and hope the water will circulate properly and can get it fixed tomorrow. In the meantime, a moment ago (as a creature of habit) I cruised into the bathroom to brush my teeth and wash my face. I even went so far as to put the toothpaste on my fang brush and turn the knob. Duh. Nothing there. That's fine, I thought to myself, I have to take matters in to my own hands...this is where the irrational part begins.

To the left of our home sits our cistern well. There's a spigot coming off the side about five feet above the ground, which would, in a pinch, make for a bathroom faucet of sorts. Because the spigot is not operated by the pump, I thought there would be enough of a storage in the cistern to use. So, this is what I did. I put on a bathing suit and a pair of flip flops, grabbed my toothbrush, face wash, shampoo, soap, a cup, and a towel and headed outside. Most of the time when you think of outdoor showers you imagine this exotic waterfall experience surrounded by lush tropical greenery with steam emerging from the heat of the glorious experience. Not the case. I propped my supplies up on top of the fence post and draped my towel to the side. It took me about thirty seconds to complete my pep talk about how great this would feel and phrases like, come on Angela, get in touch with your wilderness side came to mind as means to encourage myself. Two pieces of information you need to know at this point: It's a full moon. So much for my 'hidden under a cloak of darkness' theory. Second, they put in a new road right next to our house. I turned the faucet and felt the chilly water roll out. Big girl pants, big girl pants! That was my mantra at this point. I went full force into go mode like a crazy person running through a bed of coals. I filled the cup and splashed it on my body all while frantically brushing my teeth. My hair was half wet and I furiously lathered soap when, can you imagine, the water began to trickle. A shot of enormous panic overcame me and I began to cautiously beat the faucet. I say cautiously because I had soap all over my face and could not rightly see. So I proceeded to bang in its general direction. Enough of a trickle came out for me to at least clear the soap from my face, which was a bonus. As I stood there in my panic, a truck comes ambling down the road. Are you kidding me? What, did someone call them and say, hey there's a crazy white chick trying to hose off in the yard, go check it out? I never have been one to have great luck... At that point, I just grabbed the towel and toted all my crap back into the house like a dog with its tail stuck between its legs.

I had high hopes that I could at least make good of an unfortunate situation. Now, as I lay in bed penning this, nursing my wounds of defeat, the barn owl sits on the side of the house hooting. If you ask me, it sounds more like a Ha! Ha! than a hoot hoot...

Here's to the joys of free flowing water and embracing your irrational side every now and again. May your showers be hot and your coffee be warm as you rise in the morning.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Somehow, two weeks passed since my last stroke of the keyboard. So much transpired in the half a month that I've been MIA. I find it more logical to make a list in order to best portray this spiel.

1. If ever two words existed that do not belong together, they would certainly be circus and Falfurrias. The circus came to town, quite literally. This circus rolled in at sunup, spent the day, then packed up the tents and trailers and polluted its way down the road to the next cataclysmic adventure. How bizarre. Picture it- in the middle of a dusty field, right on the outskirts of town, the trucks unloaded the big top, set up shop, and unveiled the splendor. The splendor even included elephants and camels. I know what you're thinking, because I had to do a double take so as to assure myself my eyes hadn't failed. I am pretty certain that said animals have no business being hauled across kingdom come in Lord knows what kind of conditions. I kept thinking that around any corner the freak show tent would appear... then again, I reckon the circus in itself lent enough freak to the crowd.

2. Spring Break- The glorious seven day period of restful bliss that encourages one to get back in tune with what it actually feels like to get the recommended amount of sleep for optimal daily performance. We planted what began as a small garden and may well have turned into my summer job. I'm thinking of erecting a stand to sell our haul of goods. No overhead required seeing as how most advertisement in these parts consists of spray paint on cardboard. I do hope our crops produce. We always grew gardens of great proportion when I was growing up. I carry fond memories of those times. Maybe this will be become a yearly tradition of our own, who knows. At this time, I just hope Wade doesn't send all the local birds into an early trip to the eternal corn buffet in the sky for pilfering our seeds.

3. Poop Scoop- I found humor in the following situation. My niece and nephews went to camp out with my parents at Lake Belton over the break. My nephew, Jasper, is three. Michelle took him to the bathroom, which was out of toilet paper in all but one stall. They waited for a while, hearing a couple of flushes in a row. Coincidentally, courtesy flushes are a sure sign of disaster. Finally, a lady scuttled quickly out of the bathroom, wafting with her a scent of unbearable weight. Jasper took a few steps in and stopped. He turned to Michelle and said, "That lady did a bad thing in here. I'm not using this potty." Simply stated, and quite hilarious.

4. Bible Study- I started going to a bible study this week. It's a Beth Moore study called "Breaking Free". I entered into this introductory session with an open mind and open heart. The idea stands to rid the heart of all the convoluted mess that clouds our heart with doubt, insecurity, strongholds, fear, and any other issues that cause a delay in communication with what God wants for your life. I am excited to go through the process. I hope to rediscover some pieces of myself, and let go of some of the pieces that are good riddance.

In essence, the weeks pass and time flies off the calendar faster than I can mark off the days. I guess all we can hope to do is keep away from skid ridden latrines, grow a little fruit for the fruits of our labor, and break free a little each day from the ties that bind us.

Until we meet again...

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Faith

On my drive to work this morning, fog once again thickened the air like a thick gray cloud of steam. Fog especially troubles me, mainly because it confuses me. It's like a freak of nature. As I drove, several cars passed me. Just a few feet after passing me, the headlights disappeared into the thick environment and were no more. I knew quite surely that they were there, for they had just physically passed me on the highway. However, I could not see to prove their presence in front of me. In my daily life, I know full well that the Lord is there to hold my hand and guide me through the deftest of circumstances- but I can not see Him. Sometimes, I need that tangible reinforcement. The reassuring hug that slowly dissipates the worries that ail the mind. Today, I found myself carefully put in place and reminded that faith prevails- no matter the situation...

A woman and her husband enter in to marriage about three years ago, prepared to tackle the ups and downs that life may throw their way. Each day merits a gift and a newness and depth creeps into their relationship over time, sealing their bond into unbreakable. The husband serves in the Air Force, and shortly after their vows were spoken, he received the call to Iraq. What a bittersweet time to truly test the solidity of their relationship. Luckily, the time passed quickly, and before they knew it, the homecoming celebration came to fruition, and God brought them safely together again. Since the 'I do's', the wife prayed fiercely for God to work a miracle in her husband's heart and show him His presence, for her husband had not accepted the Lord. A few years passed, and the inevitable baby bug took hold of their hearts. The product? A precious baby boy born this past summer. All the while, they went to church each Sunday, and she continued to pray that the Lord would speak to her husband's heart and he hear the Lord knocking. This week, they went to Walgreen's to pick up a few items. The man in front of them was heavy set and seemed overly concerned with the amount of groceries accumulating in the bags. Her husband told the man that if money was the issue, he would gladly help him out. The man replied that it was not the money that concerned him, simply that he was diabetic and his feet gave him trouble. He did not want to strain himself as he had to walk home. They offered to give him a ride home, finding that he lives in the same neighborhood making it easy to assist him in the future. In church this past Sunday, she could tell that her husband dealt internally with some thoughts. She asked if he wanted her to go forward with him, and he said yes. As they waited in line, she continued to pray that the Lord touch his heart. When they reached the pastor, her husband began to ask that the pastor please pray for this man that he might be healed, because he knew the incredible healing powers of prayer. After this request for prayer, he accepted the Lord. Reflecting, she said, my selfish nature prayed for my husband the entire time to accept the Lord. In reality, the Lord placed that man at Walgreen's in his path to help lead him to Him.

Life is a maze of twists and turns, ups and downs, surety and insecurity- one thing that never fails is the fact that faith conquers all. Even when we feel at wits end, the ability to let go and let God is the only way to achieve true faith through He that holds the map of our eternal existence.

To L.G. and M.G.- a real reflection of the power of prayer.

Friday, March 5, 2010

Flippin' Friday

I should have known that this day was destined for greatness when I realized midday that the culprit of my discomfort came from the fact that I had my underwear on backwards. This really sets the tone for the day...

I had a ticket store set up today for those students that turned in all their homework for the six weeks. They could choose different prizes based on the number of tickets they earned. I ventured out yesterday to fetch all the trinkets needed to stock said store, and started today with high hopes. I opened the store and the kids began to come through with their tickets to pick out their treasure. I heard a comment of, I have this many tickets and this is all I get? I can be hard headed at times, it's in my genes I am afraid. Not to mention that my love language is giving gifts- it makes me feel good. I don't know about you, but we were raised to appreciate everything given to us. On my drive home, I managed to pinpoint some of the problem. In the words of the Berenstain Bears, they've got "A Case of the Gimmies". If I exhibited this type of behavior at school, my Dad would have gone straight for the board, which is still in action today with all of our signatures on it from each lick we earned. My redemption? Loading up all the items of the store and carting it right back into the return aisle after school this afternoon. What happened to the Little House mixed with modern day values? This scenario parallels with good and evil. The devil has so many tricks to entice and tempt, until the sin covers over the grace. The good that was instilled intrinsically in us has turned into the 'what's in it for me' attitude of today.

Wade is outside stoking the fire for our meat snack. In the background, on the TV, people are hunting Nutria out of an air boat in Louisiana. While I find this oddly amusing, I did not think it noteworthy enough to go and alert him to its presence. He just stalked in here and reprimanded me for not pausing or recording it. Have no fear- we found its coming on again on Sunday and have it all set to record. I think it's called Predator Nation and can be found on one of the myriad outdoor channels we have. I do get a hysterical visual of Wade and I posted up on either end of an airboat with our long guns and ear muffs hunting Nutria. Apparently they are to Louisiana's wetlands what feral hogs are to us. What a pair we are...

I enter this weekend with a vision of relaxation and down time with Boudini the Great. I also enter it with a thought provoking topic in mind: When you start your day with your panties on backwards, expect fascinating events to follow.

Monday, March 1, 2010

Perspective

In life we are taught to expect the unexpected and always be prepared. Sometimes, the unexpected sucker punches you in the stomach and takes your breath away. This week we learned that Boudreaux has cancer. Sunday we were playing as normal, Monday morning she could not even get off her bed. It's hard to explain the feeling that encompasses you when you think about such a large part of your life extinguishing without notice. Luckily, with the medicine she is taking, she is much more like her old 'Boudini the Great' self. We continue to pray and enjoy every single moment with her. She is truly the best.

These days seem to pass like a blur. Last weekend, I ventured over to McAllen to take my certification test. After four hours, everything ran together. I somehow managed to pass it with a little help from above. This week has been a whirlwind with the TAKS. Yesterday may have quite possibly been the most stressful day of my life. For six hours, I could only watch the students from my chair in the front of the class and circulate the room every ten minutes. I could not read, write, or do anything other than monitor. There's a specific script to follow and you can not say anything other than that. The kids can't talk all day, even at lunch- which left them on the brink of explosion by 3 p.m...Not to worry, they made up for it today. During the test, in my hours of time, I prayed for each one of them that they might remember all they'd learned and not be nervous. In the midst of it all, I began to wonder just how many of those students know the Lord. Do they go to church? Are they taught the Bible? Do they believe? In a country where our ability to minister as the Lord has called us to do has been taken away from us in the public schools, how could I reach them for Him? I continue to mull that over.

Our lives unfold so differently when you think about it. Ten years ago, would you picture yourself doing what you are doing where you are doing it? Life is about perspective. What you focus on becomes the pinnacle of your happiness. If stress smuggles itself in to become an inhibitor of happiness, we must refuse it. This is difficult, I am learning. I am pretty sure that hair loss due to stress should be the point where the bus starts backing up and the levels start lowering. In the grand scheme of things, sometimes beauty can emerge from tragedy. Even though we are devastated by the news of Boudreaux's health, it places the puzzle pieces of life in a different order. Does it matter if things are perfect at work when you leave, or if everything in the house is just so? Or does it matter that we made the most of each day even if all we wanted to accomplish has to keep until tomorrow. I aspire to be more aware of my time, and how to spend the most of it with those that matter the most.