Autumn 2006

Whether it is the drought of 2006 or due to some plant biology of which I am not familiar, autumn in this area is a little on the drab side thus far. Last autumn (2005) offered some of the most spectacular foliage I've ever witnessed in the Dallas area. And, even though there is a little time left for nature to amaze us with the brilliant hues of fall, I'm betting most of the leaves will crinkle around the edges, turn brown, and fall off without fanfare.

This lackluster season is forcing me to hone my observing skills. If you look closely at the right trees and shrubs, you can see hints of nature's brilliance even in the midst of a seemingly colorless fall. Since being blessed with our acreage in East Texas, I've begun to look more at the details of plants and the everyday beauty that we easily and often gloss over in our busy lives. A few weeks ago, I was taking a quiet stroll alone on the road at our place. The arrival of fall was a long way off. Everything was still green and the temperatures very summer-like. As I walk I'm looking for the details.

This day I noticed more than the normal amount of pine needles blanketing the road. Oh, and the smell of dry pine straw was intoxicating. The smell of fall!! But, wait, it was still summer and not a hint of autumn foliage. And, there it was. One single bright red leaf lying on the brown pine straw framed by pine cones. I stopped and gazed and was just utterly thankful for the pure beauty of a single fragile leaf that lay at my feet. Then I looked around, I looked up, I gazed into the woods and on the ground. No where could I find the source of this magnificent leaf. Not a single similar leaf lie anywhere that I could see. I couldn't find one tree among hundreds bearing any leaves with even a fraction of the scarlet color on this one amazing leaf. And, of course, I didn't have my camera with me so I can only attempt to describe the simple loveliness of a lone, brilliantly painted red leaf among acres of woodlands.

A few weeks have gone by and so far we don't have an abundance of spectacular fall foliage. But, the beauty and wonder of autumn are there in the details. I took these pictures all at our wooded paradise and hope they reflect the charm and delight of autumn and the awesome nature of our Creator.

Love,
Tammy

Autumn Pictures

American Idol

My daughter has this uncanny ability to meet famous people. And, she really digs it! I'm not so into celebs. Afterall, they are no more human than the rest of us - in fact, most of them are sub-human if you ask me. But, Sara gets all excited being in the presence of the famous. So, her latest adventure began when she went to the American Idol concert in Dallas. She went early and waited for the bus and got to meet Taylor Hicks, as well as Chris, Bucky and Ace. Then some stranger gives her a ticket in the first few rows (hers was much further back), so she is right up front during the whole concert.

The adventure continues after the concert when she goes to a club and then breakfast with some of Taylor's old band. She says they are really down to earth, nice folks. The band is going to Austin that weekend and she is going to be there too, so she's going to try and meet up with them again. She and Jarred go to this club in Austin and get to see Taylor Hicks and his band again. She hangs out with them and they do a drawing for an autographed Fender guitar. Guess who wins the guitar - Sara!!! By that time Taylor had left, or he would have given her the guitar and posed for another picture. Its all pretty exciting stuff for a starry-eyed young woman! I told Sara to buy a lottery ticket!!

Longhorns Vs Ohio State

So sad our Longhorns lost to OSU. But, it was a fun time. I drove to Austin in my car and Sara drove in hers. She had been home for a concert. So, we took a road trip in separate cars. I'm jamming to some CDs on the way down and when we get to San Marcos I find out Sara was listening to conservative talk radio all the way from Dallas. Role reversal?

Mother and daughter had a great time, staying up late, watching a movie, shopping at the outlet mall the next day. I'm not a shopper, but we had lots of fun. Then Sara gave me her personal tour of San Marcos and all the places where she and her friends hangout. Before we knew it, it was time to drive to Austin for the BIG game! We arrived and parked in a neighborhood of sorts across I-35 from the stadium. The walk wasn't bad and it was certainly easier to get out once the game was over.

Texas started off so well, but a couple of turnovers which OSU converted to touchdowns, did us in. Sara, Jarred and I stood almost the entire game. We cheered our hearts out. Like I said, it was still a lot of fun and we still LOVE THE LONGHORNS!!! HOOK 'EM HORNS! The season is just starting.

For Sara

Your soul and mine ©2006 All Rights Reserved

Young one, I see your soul and feel your yearning.
In a mirror of yesterday, my dreams and desires afresh
full of conflict, joy and pain.
Cruel hurts many years past now sting us both.
Your eyes tell the story of your life and mine
reflecting deepest desires, fears and unhealed pain.
In your tears I face emotions from long ago
that loosen and tighten their grip on my heart, now yours.
I witness your fear of letting go and giving in.
I recognize your passion to fight.
Fight unspeakable fears, injustices, disbelief, hopelessness.
Fight them sweet one because they are arrogant and misplaced.
Faith, Hope and Love that sustain me will carry you through the years
and looking into your daughter’s eyes while seeing your own sorrow
and feeling hers, you will discover that same Faith, Hope and Love
will remain with her and nourish her spirit.

Yoga

Confession: I am an addict! I'm addicted to yoga. For nearly 3 years now, I've been practicing yoga on a weekly basis and I'm convinced it is life transforming. Yoga is so simple, yet extraordinarily complex. In its most basic definition, yoga is the learned art of simply being. That may sound easy, but trust me, it may be the most difficult aspect of yoga (of life for that matter). Think about it... simply being and not doing. Being as you are, who you are, where you are in the moment you are living. We are a society of doers. If we are not doing, then we must be lazy or unsucessful! "Being" requires us to be uniquely in touch with body, mind and spirit. Deeply enough to be in tune with our physical (strength, balance, flexibility, alignment), our mind and emotions, and our spirit - all in the moment in which we are breathing. It is not how strong, upset or prayerful we were this morning, or how we plan to feel after our yoga practice ends, or how well we multi-task, but having clarity about our whole being in a specific moment in time, and accepting and respecting where we are right now.

How many times do you catch yourself thinking about what you will say next, or making a to-do list in your head while you are interacting with someone else? We all do it. While I practice yoga I try to stay in the moment each and every moment of that hour. Do I succeed? Not 100%, but it is a goal and it is something learned with practice. I find it ironic too, that if I am true to yoga teachings I can not scold myself for failing to stay in the moment (or not having the perfect Forward Bend) because yoga also means accepting my body and myself the way I am. When you think about that, it is great! I can have a goal for which to strive (maybe for years), but I'm not allowed to beat myself up if I don't achieve it. For us perfectionists, that is the ultimate freedom.

Costa Rica Pictures

Costa Rica

We went to Costa Rica at the end of June and, WOW, what a beautiful country. I thought it would be similar to Mexico, but it was so much better. You could even drink the water and not worry about Montezuma's revenge!

The first day in Manuel Antonio Bruce and I probably walked over 6 miles, and most of that was hiking in the jungle at the national park. It was a real workout, especially since the humidity was 100%. Neither of us has ever sweat so much in our lives and we both work outside in the summer all the time. In fact, both of us became dehydrated at one point or another during the trip. We were drinking water, but it is hard to drink enough to keep up. Anyway, we climbed up a steep hill in the jungle to a beautiful vista overlooking the ocean. It was awesome!

The terrain in Manuel Antonio is very hilly. Just about every hotel is built into the hillside and just getting from your room to restaurants and the beach is a workout. Not a place for the physically challenged.

The wildlife and the flora and fauna were my favorite parts of the trip. Of course, being in the tropics, the flowers and plants were just phenomenal! Several times I had to touch different flowers to make sure they were real because they are so perfect and gorgeous they look fake. Iguanas were numerous and not particularly afraid of humans. Each day when we left our hotel room, there would be several in our path, some fairly sizable, and they would usually stay put as we walked by. "Fred", the jumping iguana, visits our hotel regularly and the owner has trained him to jump up and grab fruit off a fork. If you like monkeys, Costa Rica is a great place to visit! My favorite were the red back Squirrel Monkeys. They have the cutest faces you've ever seen and are so playful. We also saw lots of white faced monkeys and even a few of the more elusive howler monkeys. You would not believe the noise that comes out of a howler. Bruce and I were hiking in the jungle far behind another group of hikers when we heard this frightening noise. It was something like a cross between a lion and a bear. Here we were in the jungle with no one else around and something is sounding like it could eat both of us for lunch! I said to Bruce, "*#%&, you know they always pick off the last ones in line!" We picked up the pace trying to catch up to anyone else, until we realized it was howler monkeys.

The zip-line canopy tour through the rain forest was a blast!! Bruce said I was a maniac when I took the zip line upside down with no hands screaming with excitement - what a rush!!! It was cool. In all, we did 19 zip lines and 2 repels. If you are at all adventurous, I highly recommend it.

Poetry

God in Nature copyright 2006

close your eyes and inhale the warm, fresh smell of the pines
listen to the sharp call of the red tail hawk soaring across the treetops
feel the eastern breeze gently touch your face,
bringing with it the pure grassy scent of summer
imagine the taste of honeysuckle as the sweet fragrance drifts in the air
Do you smell it? Can you hear it? Does it touch you? Do you taste it?
All of it was conceived just for you!
He gave you soothing aromas of nature to calm your spirit
He created the majestic creatures to thrill your soul
He brought the gentle, cool winds to comfort your body
He granted you joyful abundance to make your life whole
close your eyes and inhale the fullness of God
listen closely as He speaks to your heart
feel His touch in every moment and with each breath
imagine Him walking beside you in calm and in storm
Celebrate, Live, Love!


The Eyes of A Child copyright 2005

The eyes of a child
longing for reassurance
hope
acceptance
trust
love
the eyes of a child
sparkle with
mischief
sweetness
wishes
the eyes of a child
reflecting what the world will offer
new life
opportunity
faith
dreams

Pets

Labradors are the best dogs in the world. Between Bruce and I we've had lots of dogs in our lives, but never have encountered a smarter breed than a Lab. Katy is our yellow lab and I swear sometimes she is a person dressed up in a dog costume. Her vocabulary is that of a 3 year old kid and her personality is just a kick! Frodo, our sweet kitty, is the world's coolest cat. He was a rescue cat and we adopted him when he was only a few weeks old. He immediately took to Katy, the Lab, and thinks she is his mother. Consequently, he acts just like a dog. In fact, he often imitates Katy by posing just like her! It is a hoot. I love it when I catch the two of them sleeping together!

A Beginning

Life is grand. Bruce and I finished building our dream house in East Texas in December and it could not be more beautiful! With 6 acres, it is a lot of work, but the joys of gardening outweigh the weariness of a long day of physical work. So far, we have put in 3 huge flower beds and a full vegetable garden. Right now, we have cucumbers and squash coming out our ears! If only I knew how to pickle! The black eyed peas and green beans are divine and we are now getting grape tomatoes that are so sweet! The regular tomatoes will be ready anytime. If you've never had an East Texas tomato you don't know what you are missing.