Another Year and I Still Think of You…

Dear Jay:

I wish you were here to share this with but you are not. A lot has happened since you went away. I thought of you when I heard a high school band playing a while back and how we marched on to make a 1 at UIL back then…Those were the days, man…I remember the pride we had in our work, and the times we were on top of the world when we did do well! I also remember the spirit of unity our band had back then. Those days made getting up and going to school worth it.

I remember going to your mom’s house for those awesome lunches too when she had the food stand! She and several others kept me going, even when it got tough and I’ll be forever grateful to them all for that. Knowing that you went to the ends of the Earth to get your son is an inspiration to me. I am grateful that you had such a wonderful and fulfilled life. You have a wonderful family and they will continue to carry your torch for your son until he can carry it on his own.

I am sure you are having a grand time celebrating today! Happy birthday, my friend…And just so you know, I may be going to another end of the Earth soon enough…I may be going to China for a while. This is the second time I’ve been approached on the idea. This time I may do it.

Tina

 

Gee…Ya Think?

Disclaimer: The following post is meant to be a sarcastic rant and nothing more. It is not to be taken seriously. If  you really believe that I mean this stuff in a serious context, please seek counseling on the big, brown ugly ass couch and you will feel better since  I will not respond to any post that tries to make this more than the piece of political dark-witted tripe that it is!  Of course watching certain political figures using certain tragedies and the victims of them for their own gain sickens me as much as anything else.  Both parties do it. That is my opinion…

In light of the latest attack on 15 people at the Lone Star College in Cypress, TX some fringe groups are beginning to lobby congress to pass requirements that box cutters, utility knives, sharp gardening tools, hatchets, machetes,   and such materials would  be sold only to those who are contractors in the State of Texas or those who are utilizing these tools must be in possession of a sales tax certificate that will enable them to sell arts and crafts that they produce.  Anyone else who wants these must take a 3 hour training course requiring safety rules be taught on where these can be kept and such.  There will also be a number on the limit of blades and such that anyone can buy for a refill.

Alright…I’ve already established that this is nothing more than dark witted tripe.  So now you are probably thinking, “What the hell is she going on about?”  It is simple. I will spell it out for you.  Whether it is a gun with a limited number of bullets, or a box cutter, they can both become “mechanisms for confrontation”. There is one thing people might want to consider in the gun debate though. With a limited number of bullets, it will take time to re-load, which will give people time to escape or take down the attacker.

On the other hand, a box cutter, utility knife, or other sharp items–like machetes,   can be used repetitively, relatively silently, and swiftly before anyone can take any action because those doing it can hide in a crowd if they get away, and the people who commit crimes using guns or this type of weapon are the exceptions and not the rule. More laws and such will not stop these killings.  The events at Lone Star College only serve to prove the point.

There are other points to ponder here.  Shouldn’t those who are known to be deranged enough to commit such an act have access to anything like this?  I am willing to bet that most will answer “no”, but the only way to stop this is to stop closing down mental health facilities and stop having more staff at the mental hospitals than beds available for the patients. People who are this far gone should not be running around loose and untreated in a free society. 

To continue to allow this will only endanger more people. And for those who have no record of mental illness who commit such depraved acts the answer is simple. When they kill, rape, and or cause grievous bodily harm, lock them up.  NO light sentences for violent crimes and such.  That will stop a lot those who can obviously tell right from wrong from going to the “largest hotel chain in the U.S.”–which is the correctional facility.

To think that outlawing or severely limiting ownership of any mechanism of confrontation, whether it be a gun, machete or whatever is going to stop crimes or reduce the numbers dying each year is, at best, erroneous thought.  Again, the people who commit these acts are the exception and not the rule and since they are the ones doing most of the violent acts, they will find other ways to carry out destruction regardless of what is taken away from society.

 

This Time of Year is Full of Change and Memories!

Easter can be such a wonderful time for family to get together and spend time together.  When I was younger, I remember well how my Grannie Ainsworth would boil tons of eggs because when 30+ cousins and such showed up, there would be a massive Easter Egg hunt on another piece of property owned by one of my uncles…

Here is a picture of my Grannie and my Grandpa Ainsworth:

I remember as a little girl, I was a “runt”.  All the other cousins tended to push me aside or take eggs before I could get them. I remember one time, when I was about 5 or 6, my Grandpa saw me and asked me why I was crying and I told him about one of my cousins pushing me before I could get an egg from a lower hanging branch.

“Well come here!” I went to him and he picked me up and carried me to where I’d spot the eggs so that I could reach them.  One of the uncles already had gotten onto the cousin that pushed me at one point and nobody DARED say a word about Grandpa helping me either!

Before the hunt, Grannie had made a huge Easter Dinner…Chicken and Dressing…Porcupine Meatballs, which are made of BEEF–NOT Porcupine.  Here is a recipe:

Ingredients

• 1 egg
• 2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed tomato soup
• 1/4 cup instant rice
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon onion salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
• ***NOTE:  I add either 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper if I want them really spicy OR about 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of chili powder! I need kick in mine and I may add BOTH!–skipping the parsley…***

Directions

1. Lightly beat egg with a fork, then add a heaping tablespoon of the soup and mix lightly. Mix in rice, onion, parsley, onion salt and pepper. Stir in the ground beef and mix well with hands. From mixture into 1 1/2 inch round meatballs.
2. Coat a large skillet over medium heat with cooking spray. Cook meatballs and brown on all sides.
3. Combine remaining soup with Worcestershire (you can increase or decrease Worcestershire to your liking), stir until smooth, then spoon over meatballs. Cover with lid and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring every few minutes.

We ALWAYS raided the meatballs until they were GONE!  Then it was Grannie’s Chocolate Cream pie–or Coconut (for me one or the other) but she made LOTS of deserts!  I also got a kick out her German Chocolate Cake too!

A lot of family traditions centered around food and while there was always plenty for everyone, sometimes someone else would show up and Grannie was more than happy to invite them in also.  I remember the times when my parents were there too.  The memories are sketchy now, but they are there.

We don’t meet at Grannie’s house any longer.  One day the house will be torn down, but the memories will never fade…It has been 11 years since we lost Grannie and about 40 years since we lost Grandpa…It doesn’t seem like it has been that long to me, nor does it seem that it has been 17 years since I lost my father.  His birthday would have been on 4/9.  I will be thinking of him a lot these next couple of days as well.

My Dad: Kenneth B. O'Neill 4/9/29-2/5/95 USAF MSGT. Retired (1972)

However, this time of year also reminds me that I shall have a new beginning as well.  I am the youngest daughter of 4 kids and will soon be a grandmother.  I often wonder what his thoughts would be on that one.  I know that I still am amazed that my youngest son, Kevin Thomas, is going to be a father himself at 23.  I have much to be grateful for.  Although he was recently hurt, he’s alright.  He’ll need surgery–but he will be around for his son and that is what matters the most.  AS this year marks a year of change and beginnings for me and my family, it is my fondest hope that all of you have a joyous Holiday with the ones you love, and may you create many memories with your children, grandchildren, parents, etc…

My son Kevin...I am grateful for every day I can speak to and spend time with him or my other two sons!

Daphne is the mother of my grandson. I am proud to have her in this family! She is a good mother and tough as nails! Hopefully, I'll get to spend time with her and all 4 kids next Easter!

This has also been a month of more great news for me! My son Eric is now Engaged! Congratulations to him and Laura…Now I’ve got two daughters who have a heck of time trying to figure me out! LOL!  ***JUST KIDDING***!    Love you all!

This is my son Eric Gates and his lovely fiancé, Laura Griffin. Has this been a year of change around here or what?!

Well, now I’m dealing with impending “Nanahood” and “In-Law Hood”!  And I know my father lives on in the eyes of my sons, and I know I’ll see a bit of him in the eyes of my grandson. These will be only a few of my thoughts as I go up to the mountain today.

Have a wonderful Easter, everyone!

HOW to get rid of the irate phone caller after your kid dials the wrong number! It worked for me…

Once in a while when my kids were younger, they would dial a wrong number and instead of apologizing to the person and such, they would hang up the phone.  This went on until each of my three boys were about 11 or so.  Well, one day, my boy Brian came in and said, “Mom, I’m calling Riley and going to Jennifer’s house!”  I said okay because I knew he finished his homework.  I didn’t hear anything because I was washing dishes in the kitchen with my back turned to the living room (where he was at).

About five minutes later, the phone rings and Brian had already left…I go to the phone.  The number was local and there was a name on it so I answered it.  This is how the rest of it went…

“How dare you call my husbands number you f***ing b***h~!? I could kick your ass!” etc…etc…etc…

I let her go on until she ran out of hot air…Here is how I answered her…

“Oh…I”m sorry ma’am…You have it all wrong.  You see, I saw you in Wal~Mart on aisle 7 the other night and I thought that you just had the cutest ass I ever saw–”

***CLICK*** went her phone and I NEVER heard from her again.

There is a moral to this story…There are times when a little wit goes a LONG way, but if you are a man and try to pull this, neither myself  nor anyone at wordpress.com will be responsible for any medical expenses you may incur because you have not figured out that what works for the women doesn’t always work for men–like Secret anti-perspirant…Know what I mean?

Now the song “Telephone Man” is playing in my head…Remember THAT one?

***DISCLAIMER:  Nobody at WordPress.com (admin or otherwise) has anything to do with this post! This is just me having a little fun using a bit of wit!***

A Last Minute Road Trip Pays Off!

Oh my god! Where do I begin here?  I went to a couple of places this past week that totally blew me away!  Before I go into this bit of adventure, I need to thank LaurenVasil for inspiring me to get off of my butt and just freaking go, Go, GO!!!  I was reading her blog on her recent road trip from Brooklyn, NY to Los Angeles, CA…You can read about it here: www.fizgiggery.com

These posts inspired me to come out of my cave long enough to find out about some things in W. Texas I never took the opportunity to go see.  I found two places that blew me away.  One was Monahans, TX and the other was Balmorhea, TX.  I am putting the pics here as proof of how amazing these places are–despite their size.  These places are writer’s havens to me.  I can camp out under the stars by the sand dunes of Monahans, or I can stay at the motel at the State Park outside of Balmorhea.  Both places are so unique, and they posses a beauty all their own. The people in both places are very friendly and I had a couple of people already ask about my metamorphosis necklace this week, and it seems that when I go elsewhere–people are curious about it!  I got it from www.flaurena.com   folks.

I will also go into some info about both places, starting with my adventure in Monahans.  On a hot, miserable day in West Texas, I decided that while hanging out in Midland, I would go to the visitor’s center off of I-20 and see what they had to show me.  The two women working there were so sweet, and explained a bit of the History of each place they told me about.

Did you know that one of the authors of the James Bond books is from Midland, TX?  Well, if you didn’t, look up Raymond Benson.  Woody Harrelson also was from the area, as well as Carolyn McCormick (who played Dr. Olivet on Law and Order).  Little known trivia:  When Mother Nature isn’t on crack, like she’s been all year this year, Tommy Lee Jones also comes to Midland quite a bit–sometimes to play polo, but he has property that he owns in San Saba, TX. Kathy Baker (from “Edward Scissorhands”) was also from Midland.

Mezzo-Soprano  Susan Graham also hails from Midland, TX.  Those of you who live in San Francisco and frequent the opera will know who she is.

Now for my adventure!  It began last Friday when I got thoroughly bored to death in Big Spring.  I really got tired of the 111 degree weather (in the shade) and decided to take advantage of some time off–which I will do again next week!  Since I can’t seem to get to White Sands, or the Apache reservation to check it out in New Mexico, I decided that I was going to see if there is anything that strikes my fancy near here. My first stop was Monahans…It is not the White Sands Missile Range, but it’s cool!   Here are a few pics:

These look like regular bushes, but they are not. They are the tops of oak trees, which help to hold the dunes together. They come up about knee-high, but their trunks and roots can extend far into the ground–the roots sometimes going underground for miles.

Like I said, it is not the White Sands Missile Range, but the kiddies love sliding down these in a saucer. Some even bring snowboards!

This is one of the street signs in Monahans (5 miles up the road from the park)! I’ve never been to a town that had these toppers on them!  Other streets have different metal art on them, but they are cool!

Now for the second leg of my journey, I went to Balmorhea, TX.  This park has a HUGE spring fed pool.  It also has a hotel on the premises.  There are two hotels in town and a restaurant called “The Bear’s Den”.  This town is small–a smudge on the map, but the people are very, very friendly and it’s beauty lies in that it is a small, quiet place for a writer to hide out in, if he or she chooses to do so.  It definitely appeals that reclusive side of myself that I have kicked to the curb more than once in the past two years.   The spring runs parallel to the street on the south side.  There are little walking bridges that cross it as well as the street crossings.

As I said before, this water is so clear it is truly amazing.  If there is an oasis in the desert around here–this is definitely it!  Here are some pics from this leg of my trip also.  I fully intend to go back either tonight or tomorrow.

Hey! If you decide to check this place out–there are phone #’s on here!

Those big, black fish are catfish…I thought these were nocturnal. I guess not. Anyway, these are HUGE! They are actually about 15 ft. down. I am standing on the edge here. Just to give you an idea of what this is like, even at the 35 ft. end, you can see the bottom of the spring. It reminds me of the films I’ve seen of the reefs…One can snorkel and such in here. I didn’t know this prior to my departure, though.

Just another shot of the spring…I can’t believe how clear the water is!

Reed shot…This is a close up of the spring behind the motel that is at the State Park…

This would make an interesting screen saver, I think…What do you think? I decided to use my telephoto lens on the 2nd reed shot.

This is a shot of the motel by the state park.

This is a shot showing how the spring runs behind the motel rooms…It is prettier than it looks.You can get directions to this place and it is worth going to~! The food here rocks!

I knew there was something special….I thought of Margaritaville when I saw the parrot! LOL

This is the front of the Bear’s Den!

I am including a couple of shots of this simply because of the way this sits in the water…The spring flows around it. There is a church out behind it, but I thought this was simply “art”. I am not Catholic, but this moved me…It is simply beautiful. It is on the side of the road as you enter or leave Balmorhea–depending on the direction you take.

Another shot of beauty.

I found the people here to be so friendly, and the area itself to be so tranquil that I must return to this place.  It is every bit as sacred to me as my mountain now.  I truly hope you enjoyed this, and if you decide to go there, let me know!  The town may be small, but if one is looking for peace and quiet–then this is the place to visit!

//

When your gut usually tells you to, it’s usually best to do so…

Did you ever have that feeling that you should take an opportunity, although it sounded like something that might not be your cup of tea (as in what you KNOW you can do)?  I have several times.  I have recently accepted a position as an assistant manager trainee.  I can work my way into full management within a year–which is a great opportunity with benefits.  I can do that job, so that is not the issue.  I know I could easily get an overseas job once my TESOL course is complete.  No problem…However something tells me that this is where I need to be for now.  Sometimes what you view as a lesser opportunity gives you an opportunity to learn and to grow.  This job  is already doing this.  I am learning to enjoy being “myself” again. 

I love teaching.  I love working with students so maybe this is my de-briefing from sergeant mode! Being a corrections sergeant caused me to “lose” that part of myself that allowed me to be a little more trusting.  At times this is a good thing.  At others, I often wonder.  Everything is starting to turn green outside, and I am usually greeted by a blue sky, a decent temperature and a wonderful walk on my mountain. It is those times I spend up there that I feel most energized afterwards. 

However I have another sanctuary I go to.  Check this out…I felt an urge to go there earlier and do some more reading…

Sanctuary #2--the one I never shared before...

 

I like sitting on that rock that’s over the water too.   This is just a place where I can go to get in touch with that part of myself I thought was lost–but is just sleeping from time to  time.  It is a part of my being that has lain dormant for too long in the cell I stuck it in for its own protection.  There are springs that feed into the pond here and the lake that follows beyond the earlier shot. 

This spring flows underground before going into sanctuary #2...I think it's neat!

Some of my ancestors were Comanches who rode along trails in W. Texas.  They knew how to navigate the various lakes and streams in what most of the early settlers thought was desert land.  They would follow these trails and the water supply all the way to Northeast Texas.  The pictures I am sharing in this post were taken at Comanche Trail Park in Big Spring, TX.  Between this place and the mountain, I can always get some “me time” in.   I will go up to the mountain again when I get off of work tomorrow because I want to get a picture of that fox that is running around up there!  However, this picture will have to do as far as the company I had:

In my best "Al Pacino voice" I'm saying to myself: "Say hello to my little friends! And next time remember to bring them some freakin' food!" 😀

 

I love feeding the ducks…I just forgot the food today!  There is also another trail right across from this that leads down to another part of the spring which feeds the lake…When one stands in the middle where the spring flows across the trail, it looks like one is walking on water! 

This spot is really cool! I'm looking toward the lake here! It is on the other side of that trail where you see the tree on the right.

 

Well, I am about to head off for work again, but I’ll be in one of two places when I get off!  If not at that park above, I’ll be here:

Another mountain shot...

Anyway, have a great day!  I know I will!