Soul Food and Conservation in Texas

I am so excited to share a story with you that will feed your soul. A true story that is so amazing, its hard to imagine such a thing could really happen. But it did and it happened in a small town not far from where I live (and not many years ago.)

I'm talking about a DVD that was given to us for Christmas called The Heart of Texas. It is a documentary that recreates the story of a couple of families brought together by God to demonstrate His awesome power and love. It is a modern day Job story.

OK, so I said modern day. The characters don't lose camels or develop boils, but they experience heartache and loss in the most profound way. But through faith, their lives and pain are used as instruments for God's purpose.

Does anyone want to see how God can and does, in this day and age, work miraculous feats through ordinary people? I have a copy and I want to share it! (Is it wrong to bootleg so that more people can experience this?...hee...hee.)

I AM being intentionally vague about describing this DVD, because I don't want to spoil it for anyone. I hope you watch it...this is the most decadent kind of soul food!

My thoughts
I was just asking (out lout) some "whys?" earlier this week. I heard such a great viewpoint in this DVD about how the family quenched their thirst for answers. I guess if you ask, you shall receive what you need. But God is not content with giving just enough. Our prosperity is His joy. I believe that, because I have experienced some pain and trials of my own. And I seem to come out stronger and better on the other side.

Well, its a beautiful story and I wanted to share. But that's where I'll stop because I'm called to a different purpose than blog ministry. I'm called to entertain and bring joy by making light of the state of affairs in privileged-suburbia. This is the Jungle and I am Upton Sinclair, or something.

And for my part, I will continue to recycle my milk jugs and my wine bottles and to use common sense to minimize my carbon footprint. I only run full loads in the washing machine and dishwasher. Looking forward, I will strive to make one meal per week that is meat-free because our animal consumption is off the charts and gluttonous. And when either of our paid-off cars goes belly-up (which could happen soon) I will pledge to go with a greener people-mover, no leather. And I am partially motivated by the cost of gas and the size of my pa-dunk-a-dunk and electricity bills and so forth. But I also deplore wastefulness!

And if my train of thought confuses, check out what Girly Stuff and Chacha are talking about these days.

Tag, you're it!

She's my "Laaaa-deh!"

It's official. The new administration is in the house and Mr. and Mrs Bush are by now on a plane headed back for the Crawford Ranch. They'll probably be dining on King Ranch Chicken, guacamole and margaritas tonight to celebrate...that's how I picture them: laid back, Texas upper crust.

This one's for you, Laura:

Good-bye, Lady. Southern girl, done good! You crossed the finish line and never broke a sweat. The twins are out of college and involved in serious endeavors and respectable relationships. (Chuys shenanigans behind them, book deals and all!)

I admired your style, your charitable involvement and your sense of humor. (I guess you need that when you've married, um, W.)

Good-bye, Laura, school teacher, book-lover, Mom, First Lady. You really did fulfill the promise of bringing dignity back to the White House and acted the part of a "Lady" every step of the way! Hopefully, your successors will learn from your example. You will be missed!

I can't wish my fond farewells without saying something about this significant day. The Democrats get a turn, now. If I was ten years younger and had less life and work experience, I'd say, "A black president, so what." But I know enough (barely) to be amazed at this new era for politics and life, in general. Good for us!

I still don't like big government, but I acknowledge that my party lost its mind and needs to rethink who we are and where we're headed. We need someone with strong personality, with a perfect balance of class and street cred to embody this new identity. If the "Good Old Boys club" days are not completely behind us, shall we say, we're moving in the right direction? I sincerely hope so!

My pick for one to watch? George P. Bush...remember him speaking at the GOP convention in '04? He was dubbed the Ricky Martin of the GOP, or did I make that up? (It's cool, I'm a peep.) His mom's a Colombian princess or something (again, I could have made that up.)

"P" is from the lone line of Hispanic Bushes. (That's lone.)

Pedigree: Check
Law Degree: Check
Ivy League Educated: Almost, Rice U
Minority: Check plus bonus points (because Latin is the new majority, doncha know?)
Hollywood Connections: Does going to high school with Enrique Iglesias count?
Political Connections: Check and Check

I don't know anything about his politics, but I think he could be a promising new face for the GOP.

Good night, and Good-bye.

Everything you ever wanted to Ask but were too afraid to get Answered

Only Child has been asking me the same question for weeks and I don't have a good answer. By smoke and mirrors, I keep being evasive because he still thinks mommy know everything. I don't want to burst his bubble for as long as possible. And, its sweet to be looked up to like that.

The question is, "Mommy, why does God make thunder? Why mommy?"

Then I say something like, "God made everything. Just like he made the sun and the stars and you and me. So God wanted there to be thunder and he made it."

Then he says, "But why? Thunder is so loud and scary. Why did God make thunder?" (There have been variations, like, why did God make mosquitoes that bite?)

So in a way, I guess he's asking me why God made thunder the way he made it. He's God, couldn't he have made thunder more like a rainbow and mosquitoes more like butterflies?

I have a few questions of my own. Why are life lessons learned by sadness and loss? Why can't they be taught to us in a classroom at Disneyland while we munch funnel cakes and corn dogs and never get obese? Why is there illness and heartbreak and poverty and all kinds of painful things the little guy knows nothing about?

Why do we put so much value on time and money when people and relationships are the real treasure? Why is faith so difficult when its so much harder to run on the alternative fuel? Why am I so often blind to the obvious? What purpose does guilt serve in anyone's life?

Why does my kid ask so many hard questions? Asking lots of questions is my game. Maybe I'll teach him to turn his curiosity into something productive like sarcasm.

How am I going to keep up this know-it-all charade? Clearly I know much, much less than a fifth-grader. I can barely work a DVD player, so how am I going to convincingly answer his questions when he becomes a teenager?

Why is thunder so loud and scary?

Dear MMA,

Husband, as you know, laser printing has been your business for over a decade. During your tenure, we have been without printing capability at home for about 5 of those years (on and off.) Case in point, remember the time you snatched the printer from our home because a customer wanted a good used work horse just like it? As I recall, I didn't get another one for more than a year. I had to borrow (gasp) an ink-jet from my SIL to hold us over. The cobblers children, as they say, go without shoes.

I know, you do not sell laser printers, per se, for a living. Still. I know you are the kind of man that takes care of your business. I bragged all about it here. Let's pretend I am your customer and I need to place a big, big, order. But this order is contingent on having a machine to print with.

Please hook me up with reliable at home printing so I can continue to turn the fabulous money saving tricks at the store which require me to print online coupons. Its a hobby I enjoy and it anti-costs us money and I missed out on some great deals these last couple of weeks.

If an all-in-one fax, scanner, printer were to make its way into our home, I would treat it like a member of our very family!

Signed,
Your Superstar

One finger says to the other...

I've been busy making my bathroom all nicey, nice. You'll see soon.

And another thing, do you know what today is?
Not my birthday.
Not my anniversary.
Today is the day you show yourself.


Who knows the source of this little bit?

"We're going streaking. Through the quad...C'mon everybody!"

Me: Nasty Girl!

I'm in a funk. I can't seem to get it together. My house is a mess. honestly, its more than a mess, its dirty. It's so dirty that picking up the broom to sweep seems to be more about stirring up dust than doing anything productive. That's the truth I'm telling myself to keep from cleaning.

We are in the middle of "projects." A friend charitably referred to it as "remodeling." That's a stretch but I'll take that excuse. I'm so not motivated to clean or make my home presentable until its all done. There will be new carpet and tile (and that can be messy,) so its going to be weeks before I can make things right. Why clean in the interim?

Isn't it amazing how fast one can fall into the downward spiral when one knows that chaos is inevitable? Amazing how fast home sweet home can degenerate into crack house sweet crack house. I'm stepping over piles instead of picking them up because, why move them once, and move them again?

That's incredible lazy, isn't it?

I am lazy. I keep a yucky house. I'm a nasty girl!


"Only Child, put that used rusty needle down right now!"


This is a cry for help.

Leave the mess for two more weeks? Or push my lazy a$$ to clean now, clean in the middle and clean when its all said and done? A once over might make me feel a little better.

Maybe I just need to slum for a while; y'know, sow some wild oats and live on the wild side. I can always clean up my act when the house is all put back together. Right?

I'm bringing Fridays Back!

Ready to get your Friday on?

You ready?

I'm bringing Fridays back!

Our Friday night cocktail hour has gone astray with the holidays turning every day into an occasion for a cocktail, or three, as it were. But tonight we're back!

MMA's been working late all week because business is good and we can't complain about business being good in this economy. So I made a special trip to the store to pick up appetizers for our first real happy hour of 2009.

So for those of you in need of a happy hour at home, but not knowing where to get started, I thought I'd share our menu for tonight and I'm technically talking about food, and its Friday, so I'm back on track. Friday, food.

Here goes:

1. Turkey meatballs from the deli, which I'm going to throw in the crock pot with some beer, picante sauce, bbq sauce and whatever else sounds good.

2. Boiled shrimp, they were big and on sale and I love boiled shrimp; don't you? I make my own cocktail sauce with ketchup, horse radish, garlic, worcestershire and fresh ground pepper. Oh, and a splash of lemon juice.

3. Chips and salsa. I have a new brand to try called "Wholly Salsa." Which has no preservatives and claims to be like home made. I'll be the judge of that.

4. Guacamole, made from scratch. (All though, dang it! I'm out of cilantro.)

5. Grape tomatoes, cheese, olives, wasabi nuts, hummus and crackers (fillers.)

6. Shiner for the man of the house, cranberry & vodkas for me. Wine if needed. Capri Sun for Only Child.

Hope this gives you inspiration for a Friday night happy hour of your own.

Go ahead be gone with it!