A View from the Crosswalk--Y'all

Because of the two universities here, Denton is kind of a melting pot of races and nationalities.  And since my crosswalk is near one of them it's a smaller version of the same.  There's one very small first grade girl from India named Mahati.  I think she was actually born here because she is very Americanized........and quite a little spitfire. 

The other morning when she and her dad came to my corner I greeted her by saying, "Mahati, are you ready for Monday?".  She gave me the most confused expression and almost stopped in the middle of the street before she asked me, "Why did you say Mondee?"..........I laughed SO hard at that one and then told her, "Well, because I'm from Texas, of course!". 

I think I do pronounce the days of the week correctly most of the time but every once in awhile the accent presents itself.  And I'm pretty happy about that!

Still the One!

30 years ago today Bob and I promised "to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part".  A few simple words somebody thought up a long time ago that so aptly but simply describe marriage.  Two people who walk steadfastly through life together loving, trusting, learning, growing, forgiving, laughing, and hopefully leaving a legacy of God's grace, mercy, and faithfulness.

The following verses are from one of my favorite songs, "After All These Years", and are perfect for this very special and important milestone in Bob's and my journey together.

                                            But warm is my heart with pride

                                            Having you by my side

                                            You're still my guiding light
                                            After all these years


                                            You're still the only one
                                            I'll ever hold near
                                            And I love you
                                            After all these years

Chickens--The Adventure Continues!

I think we may be getting into a pretty good rythm and routine with our new fine feathered friends. And all three are laying so we have eggs galore around here. Fun stuff!

This is their new favorite place to be, aside from their safe haven, the coop.  It's a small garden area under the kitchen window.  They've scraped and pecked it clean.  It's okay.  I don't mind giving them a place to take a bath and lounge around (it's quite an event to watch).  And they have pretty much the run of the whole yard except for my big flower garden and my veggie garden.  I've shooed them away from those a few times but they're pretty cooperative.

Their habits and traits have been so entertaining for Bob and me and, really, it's quite peaceful just to sit back and watch.  

One unexpected and not-so-pleasant event is that they apparently love to hang out on the patio.  The black and white one will come right up and look in the window of the french doors.  She's even pecked on it a couple of times, like she's saying "Hey, why don't you come out and see me!".  She is probably just hungry but I like to think she likes me!   The negative thing about this little scenario is that my patio gets kinda pooped up, if you know what I mean.  Actually, it's not a problem at all to clean but I do have to be diligent.  Hey, at least I'll have a consistantly clean patio!  A bright spot can always be found, I always say.   

   

An Unsavory Means to an End

Before you faint or think you've surely landed on the wrong blog, yes, this is a picture of vodka and (here's the kicker), yes, it's mine!  I know!!  As my mom used to say, "Will wonders never cease?"  But I didn't buy it to drink (as if any of you who know me thought that was even remotely possible).  I bought it to make vanilla.  

My thoughtful niece-in-law, Elyse, gave me a very entertaining and useful book for Christmas called "Make the Bread, Buy the Butter" by Jennifer Reese, about things you should and shouldn't cook from scratch.  Well, vanilla was one of the things she thought you should so I thought I would.  

But first I needed vodka, rum, or brandy.  I mean, I've made beer bread before and have practically costumed up to go into the convenience store to buy beer.  But now this was about the hard stuff so the thought of obtaining it was daunting, to say the least.

I kept putting it off till one day a couple of weeks ago my driving job took me to a town about 45 minutes away.  On the way to drop off my passenger I spotted a liquor store.  I had about an hour to wait so I figured it was the perfect opportunity to make my uncomfortable purchase.  It was ironic (and maybe a little ridiculous) that I didn't want to be seen going into a liquor store but I somehow thought it was okay to park my SPAN minivan out in the parking lot for all to see.  And then transport the bottle with me, albeit in the well known brown paper bag, the rest of my workday.  Hey, I saw you roll your eyes!!  Crazy people do crazy things!  

Anyway, I made it home with my vodka minus any mishaps along the way, thankfully.  Little did I know that the biggest hurdle was explaining myself to Kaylee when she came to visit that afternoon.  She was so flabbergasted she practically dropped her phone in her haste to take a picture of the bottle so she could send it to her brother because she knew he'd never believe her without proof.  Sigh!  I was beginning to wonder if all this rigamarole over a recipe for vanilla was worth it. 

Well, I'll find out in three months when it's ready and I can use it in some deserving tasty dessert.  Here's the unfinished product after the beans have soaked in the vodka for two weeks.  Looks like the beginning of vanilla to me!                  

A View from the Crosswalk collides with The Happy List

Valentine's Day is definitely my favorite holiday and I do love it because of its whole meaning, of course, but that's not as much of a draw as the fact that it's not necessarily a Christian holiday. Don't get me wrong.  Celebrating the fact that Jesus was born and later that He rose from the grave are of foremost importance to me but I do hate that we Christians have allowed Satan to muddle up those holidays and distort them almost to the point of being unrecognizable.  But there's nothing to muddle up about Valentine's Day.  It's just a fun little pause to remember to tell very special people how much you love them.  

But now I'll get to the point of this post, how my crosswalk and my happy list collide: Almost every morning, the first to walk across the street is a tiny boy that’s in kindergarten.  He always blesses me with a smile and a look that says, “Look at me!  I’m walking across the street by myself!”  Well, this morning he wore an even bigger smile and before he  stepped into the street he had his left arm outstretched in preparation to show me his little fist.  I spotted a cute little smiley face on the back of his hand and as he got closer, he said, “It’s a tattoo.  Her name’s Miss Smiley.”  Oh my goodness, I get so much joy out of watching these little guys get so much joy from simple pleasures.

And not long after he made his way into the school, another of my regulars walked across with her dad and brother.  She's in first grade and seems to be a tomboy, always sloppy in sweat pants or jeans.  Well, today she had on one of those petticoat kind of skirts that's so popular and it was red, huge, full, and flouncy.  All feminine today on this wonderfully feminine and flouncy holiday.

Lot's of joy and happy to be found on this Valentine's Day at the crosswalk! 

Aunt Foy

My Aunt Foy moved to Denton five or six years ago to be closer to her daughter, my cousin Kathryn, and it's been such a pleasure to have the opportunity to visit with her more and get to know her a little better.

When I think of Aunt Foy, two things usually come to mind. When I see old pictures of her I always think of glamour in the movies-of-the-forties kind of way. She has always dressed in a smart and classy way while being comfortable and I think she has influenced my decisions when it comes to clothing, although I could never claim to have her natural ability to look that way.

The other attribute that sticks out to me about Aunt Foy is that she's always been a good cook. Any time we'd visit her, when she and Uncle Hamilton still lived at home, she'd always have a spread ready and it always included some sort of dessert. One such dessert is called "Dark Cake". She recently blessed me with the recipe and the background to go along with it.  This was the cake that was served in the elementary school that Aunt Foy and my Dad attended in Joshua in the late 1920's.  My grandmother, Mombo, asked the school cook for the recipe and so eighty plus years later it's being passed down to another generation.  

Besides getting to know her better, another blessing I've received from Aunt Foy is some quilt blocks. She inherited them from Mombo but she doesn't remember if Mombo actually made them. After looking at them I think they may have been made by several different people and collected by one. Anyway, the name of the block is "Sunbonnet Sue" and it's one of the most common quilt blocks. But there's nothing common about these in that they've all been done in those fabulous flour sack fabrics from the 20's and 30's. So I've spent the last year piecing and quilting them together  to make yet another treasure quilt. 

Here's a close-up example of one of the adorable blocks so you can see the great fabric. This quilt and the recipe (Kaylee has already claimed it as a favorite of hers) will always be a loving reminder of my Aunt Foy.

A View From the Crosswalk--Rewind

When I first started my job as crossing guard 17 years ago it didn't occur to me that I'd need to actually learn how to do the job.  I mean, what skills do you need to hold up a stop sign, right?  Well, to be honest, not many, but it did take me a little bit to get it down.  I remember one mom who gave me a big hint that helped me do the job better and that was kind of springboard that gave me the desire to become the best crossing guard I can be.

During one of my first years, in March of 1998, to be exact, I was pleasantly surprised to see this article about me in the paper.  What a boost!  And I've not forgotten it.  Some days I don't feel like smiling at all, especially when it's 30 degrees and/or pouring down rain but those days are really few and far between.  Every once in awhile this article comes to mind and it somehow clarifies my purpose and reminds me of what a blessing it is to be able to greet those sweet little faces every morning and send them on their way in the afternoon.  A true pleasure indeed!

   

Free at Last........

Or not.  Chickens are truly blockheads but oh, so entertaining!  The other day I was home for the rest of the afternoon so I decided to just go for it and let them out of their small and perceived (by me) jail.  So I sat down to watch, at the ready to chase and capture rogue birds as they flew over my fence..................an hour later I was still waiting.  I even put a little food out to taunt them.  Oh, they saw it, and they were curious, but I obviously don't have the bravest of chickens.  Apparently one of their characteristics is the love of safety.  Okay, so at least I eased my guilty mind that I was being cruel keeping them all cooped (ha!) up in their small haven. 

Speaking of being cooped up.........all of those chicken phrases I've heard all my life and have used without even thinking of their meaning are becoming so relevant in these initial days of chicken raising.  "Pecking order", being called "a chicken", "going to bed with the chickens", "up with the chickens", "hen pecked", and "mad as an old wet hen" (I haven't experienced that one  yet but give me time!) are just a few. 

"Coming home to roost" is also a common phrase but I haven't experienced that one first hand either since mine won't even leave the roost.  This morning I put their food AND water outside the coop and it worked.  For about three minutes.  Two of the hens ventured out and crept carefully around the coop.  But I soon realized that they were only looking for the way back in.  The Barred Rock found the opening pretty quickly but the Buff paced frantically around the coop, getting more and more stressed when she just couldn't spot the door.  It was, sadly, really very funny.  And now that they are safely back in their home they haven't left again.  We'll see what happens when they get hungry and thirsty enough.   

This new venture of mine has only so far produced the one egg so I'll continue to wait not so patiently for my next little miracle.