It's a Cat's Life

I have to tell you about this amazing cat I have. Her name is Heidi and she is half Persian. We adopted her after Hurricane Rita to replace our other kitty that disappeared. We like at least one cat to keep snakes and mice away, but also to entertain us. We do not really own Heidi, she lets us keep her if you know what I mean. We did not take Heidi with us when we evacuated for Hurricane Ike. I was worried about her because the area was covered in water and our home had almost 3 feet of it. When the water subsided, we returned and low and behold Heidi came out of the woods to greet us. We can only surmise she climbed a tree or got on the roof of the storage building to survive.

Heidi was the last thing I put in the truck when we left our home for good. She got car sick before we drove out of the subdivision and that was after I gave her a little herbal cocktail to calm her nerves. We kept her in our apartment for 2 weeks before she snuck out. She loved San Augustine as much as we did. She visited the Dodge dealership on occasion and taunted the many birds and squirrels in our yard. She has the run of our yard and house. We never know if she is in or out. She either sleeps at the foot of our bed, in a window seal, or on top of the window air condition unit outside. She lunges in play at Maggie or chases her around the yard or in circles in the house. When I am listening to music on the computer, she gets right in my face with her purring... I think she loves music. She wallows on the driveway when we come home and follows me around when I work in the yard. Heidi has brought plenty of joy to our lives.

Printer Mania

After 3 attempts and with 2 different ones still sitting completely apart.... maintenance kits for Laser Jet 6Ls.... don't do it!

School Fun Day

School was never so fun as it was today for the kids at West Sabine Elementary School. The kids are getting ready for their summer vacation and have lots of extra energy and excitement to contain. Well, today they could let that energy take over as they enjoyed a special field day. Blow up slides and jumping gyms were placed around the school in stations and all the classes took turns at each. They climbed to the top sometimes with a little help and enjoyed the sliding and the water as it trickled down and made their slide a little slicker. A few kids made it away from the line and found the resulting mud puddles and got a little carried away with mud sliding and mud ball fights (until they got caught). The kids were wearing their well deserved "Reading Counts!" t-shirts and you could smell the coconut sunscreen as they lined up outside to start their fun. The kids worked so hard this year and this celebration was a wonderful way to reward the kids and to show them that school and learning can be fun. For me, I enjoyed all the smiles and excitement. It is wonderful to hear someone laugh and see them smile, especially a child.

Rodeo Time

You have not lived until you have experienced the San Augustine County PRCA Rodeo! I was amazed at the skill, nonstop action, timing, music, and the animals. I watched the hand signals between the workers and was in awe of the rider and the horse that seemed to move as one. The horses and bulls would buck and ride close to the gate and you could see how beautiful, fast, and strong they were. It was a real Texas cowboy affair and a serious one, too. However, there were plenty of laughs, audience participation, and fun. We clapped to the beat of the music, cheered the riders as they come out of the gate, laughed at the professional rodeo clown, and watched the nonstop action. I especially enjoyed the opening ceremonies with flag carrying riders and tribute to the soldiers and America, and the prayer to God and singing the Star Spangled Banner.... an evening shared by the community with proceeds benefiting a cure for breast cancer and most everyone being "tough enough to wear pink". I could tell that a lot of work and preparation went into providing this rodeo by sponsoring businesses and volunteers of the community. They did it to preserve San Augustine's history and give back to the community and the youth through scholarships, donations and community projects.

I am now a rodeo fan! and especially a San Augustine rodeo fan!

Learning to Garden

I hate to see anything die, but I have become hard-hearted and figure that if a plant does not have any heartiness, I cannot help that. However, I do enjoy being successful at growing a beautiful hearty plant and enjoying the beauty and wonder of God's creation. Given the fact that I was unemployed and that Jeff's dad was too weak to do a vegetable garden this year, I volunteered my services. I thought I could do all the manual labor and he could tell me how to be a successful vegetable gardener. We would share the bounty. This is what I learned so far.

1. Jeff's dad had a bigger garden in mind than I did.


2. Always go by the Farmer's Almanac. It is always the best source for planting time.


3. When it rains too much your shoes will get stuck by the suction of the mud while planting "by the Farmer's Almanac". Put wooden planks between the rows to step on.


4. Use an old toothbrush to clean out from under your sculptured nails when you are done.


5. Working in the garden takes precedence over reading, paying bills, watching TV, going to the gym or hairdresser, sleep and even shopping!


6. Hoeing, building rows, planting, and weeding is hard and messy work, and makes you sore all over.


7. Each type of seed has a personality of its own and likes specific soil composition and coverage, it's own space, it's own timing, and it's own growth patterns.


8. It will take more than one garden for me to remember what to do, ..... and I'm not sure that is going to happen.


9. The immense knowledge, experience, and memories of a lifetime will fade away if we do not learn from our parents and elders and pass them on.

In all seriousness, I am enjoying learning to garden and spending time with Jeff's parents. I am looking forward to harvest time, canning, and eating fresh vegetables. I know they are tastier than store bought and are most excellent for your health.

El Camino Trade Days

Wouldn't it be a grand idea to have a city-wide garage sale all in one day? Just think of all the shopping fun, good deals, and stuff you could get rid of. It would also bring people from all over to shop and have a fun day with you. That is just what happened this weekend... a string of garage sales, flea markets, trading activities, and eats from Natchotiches to Nacogdoches on Hwy 21 also known as part of the El Camino Trail.

We started out in San Augustine and walked around the square. After buying a bite to eat and a few items, we walked to the old Nelson's Furniture Store. The owner was there and ended up showing us the old building and telling us of it's history. It is said that Sam Houston attended dances up above the store. There was an old telephone company and small hospital upstairs. Some wall paneling came from other buildings and preserved as part of the furniture store. Heavy metal thresholds were made into benches that still sit out in front of the buiding. There was history before the Nelson's bought it and they made history in it. Now it belongs to a lawyer, who will soon remodel a portion and make his history there. We daydreamed about turning some of the upstairs into a loft apartment overlooking the business district of San Augustine and being submersed in all that history with the heavy doors, thick walls, wooden floors, and smells of the past.

We stopped in Milam, where dozens of booths were set up selling everything from homemade items to food. We bought some delicious smoked ribs and a beautiful light-scribed scripture mounted on a pecan and birch frame by Mr. Nobles. We also watched a machine that makes ground corn, picking up the makings for blue cornbread. Also along the way we had stopped and bought canned jellies (sassafras, blackberry, and jalapeno). This was a wonderful outing for Jeff and I to share and I look forward to next year's El Camino Trade Days.

San Augustine Storms

I am use to storms and unexpected rain in Orange and along the Gulf Coast. You could see and hear lightening miles away and in a way it was refreshing. The roads would get cleansed and the azaelas seemed to perk up after a good storm. San Augustine has some rain that refreshes. However, storms here can be different. They can travel across the area unexpectedly in vertical bands. There are more tornado watches. This is the Piney Woods with lots of trees and they can fall across major roads and interrupt power regularly and can cause loss of life if you are in their path. Also, trees are like a magnet for lightening. Some residents have invested in built-in generators so that power continues when the city power is down. The wind can be almost hurricane force in some areas. The lightening can be deafening because it is so close.

We had such a storm this weekend. I woke up early and watched as the sun started lighting up the sky. An hour later, while making breakfast, I noticed that the sky was as black as night. I was very concerned and woke my husband up so we could make preparations for what might happen. The lights blinked, but thankfully stayed on. However, I heard later that some communities near Nacogdoches still did not have power by Monday and on my way to work down Hwy 96, there were several trees down. Many had been cleared out of the lanes for traffic. Large old trees were down in parks and in front of homes. In a way, San Augustine storms are an awesome experience, if you are inside and safe and dry.

DQ Impromptu

I was feeling empty and lonely. Sure I had plenty to do because we had just moved into our rent house. I was saved by the bell, or rather the voicemail from a good friend, Johnnie Dale. She said that she and 2 other couples were meeting at the San Augustine Dairy Queen and they wanted me to come too. She and Dennis were driving from Nacogdoches, Brad and Melanie were coming through Louisiana, and JW and Rachel were coming from Orange by way of Bronson where they were camping. We met and talked and ate for a good long time. We have known each other for 10 years and we all have gone separate ways recently due to family illness and Hurricane Ike. We miss each other and how things use to be, but for those couple of hours we shared old times, love, and care in my little town of San Augustine.

The Passage

Did I mention there is an old movie theater in San Augustine? It is not used as a theater except on special occasions. Right now it is used for court house business (since the court house is under renovation) and for church services on Sundays. Tonight was one of those special occasions. The Chamber of Commerce along with Colonial Pines Health Center and El Camino House/Twin Lakes sponsored a showing of "The Passage" as a fund raiser. The theater was packed with town folks, many of them we knew and we also introduced ourselves to others. There was lots of friendly conversation, handshaking and catching up. Before the movie started, the master of ceremonies thanked the sponsors and those who provided the refreshments and volunteered to work the sound. Then there was a heartfelt public prayer to the one and only God, complete with thees and thous and a resounding "Amen!" from everyone. The movie starred Brian Keith and had a wholesome family-oriented story line that kept you right in the middle of what was happening in their lives. The audience felt a special connection to this movie, because it was filmed at different places in San Augustine. This was an awesome community event for everyone, but especially for me because I enjoyed being a part of the unity, history and culture of this town on this night.

What's New?

Remember my post about the job search. Well, I finally obtained a job at a local school district as a computer technician. So far so good ... just some schedule adjustments since I have been off for about 4 months. Anyway, I started thinking about how techy a person I have become over the last 8 years. Some of you may not be interested in this adventure. It takes a special person -- a person that carries an iphone, has multiple computers, a digital camera, pin drives, a multi-card reader, awesome speaker system, 100 Gb external backup drive, .... someone that keeps network cables, USB cables, extra keyboards, mouses, hard drives, motherboards, and video cards in her closet. Someone that keeps her life organized by an Outlook calendar and uses Twitter and Facebook along with dozens of other online services....... I finally added to my techy frenzy by joining NETFLIX!

Trudi and A Voice in the Wind

This adventure began soon after I arrived in San Augustine and has continued until this week and maybe even longer. I've been reading! Books! Actually a series of books by Francine Rivers. They began with A Voice in the Wind and I was hooked the first page. It starts out with the destruction of Jerusalem and tells the story of a Jewish girl named Hadassah and how she survived to become a slave in a Roman household. It is rich in culture, history, faith, and hope. If I ever have a baby girl (which I sadly won't), I would want to name her Hadassah. The book reveals other valiant and faithful characters and ultimately the entire series makes Christ the center of everything. In comparing our culture today with that period in history.... well there is so much to consider and rethink about the way we live our lives today.

I have my friend Trudi to thank for creating this adventure for me. We first met while I was walking my dog in the neighborhood. After talking and sharing with her, she excitedly entrusted the books to me in a basket and told me to take as long as I needed to read them. I can understand why she felt a need to share them. They were wonderfully uplifting!

Auction at the Court House

Our court house is being rebuilt. I do not know all the particulars except that it needed it and that this is a wonderful thing for San Augustine that the community has been working towards. Today the Garden Club of San Augustine held an auction to raise money for this effort. Items being auctioned were taken from the court house and included old ballet boxes, railings, 2 x 4 studs, fluorescent lighting, shelving, desks, doors, miscellaneous electronics, windows and glass, water fountains, and old clay roofing material. This was my first auction to ever attend. I knew my husband wanted some of the fluorescent lighting for his brother's shop use. However, I was afraid of what we would walk away with. Everyone there cared about the court house and wanted a piece of its history and to support the rebuilding efforts. I dare to say that maybe the auction wasn't as successful as it was hoped to be, but I was glad to see the community support and to be a part of that support. We ended up with a plastic milk crate, 2 old ballet boxes, 150 2x4s, 12 fluorescent lights, a bookshelf and some auction bidding experience.

Deer Siting

We have heard that deer visit City Lake some nights. We see the food left for them by neighbors, but have not seen any deer until this week. As we were coming home, our headlights illuminated about 3 deer in our yard near the road. I slowed down and counted as the deer left our yard and slowly made their way across the road to the woods. There were 8 in all. A few nights later they visited our yard again. I am glad we do not have a garden. I'll go check and see if they are there now...

Lost in Arkansas

We visited Arkansas this weekend, mostly to see our son at college. However, the real adventure of the weekend happened at Petit Jean State Park. We decided that since we traveled all this way might as well take in some hiking and see the natural side of Arkansas. We planned a 2-mile hike down to Cedar Falls and back up to the Mather Lodge where we parked our truck. We figure that we had plenty of time to do this and eat before dusk. The trail was beautiful with smooth rocks, ledges, winding paths, and creek water flowing down the mountain. We walked along the creek until we reached the area of the falls. There was layered rock all around forming a canyon around the falls. Hikers were climbing behind the falling water and resting on huge boulders throughout the area and in the water.... very picturesque. We left and decided rather than doubling back we would take the trail that leads to Blue Hole. This is a long deep calm area of the creek. We crossed over it using stones arranged in the water for hikers. Once on the other side we followed the blue trail back to the lodge or so we thought. The map we were using was not really to scale if you know what I mean. Let's just say our 2-mile hike ended up being a 7-mile hike and we barely made it to a main road before sundown. We were actually lost for about an hour and our cell phones had no signal. I thought we might end up spending the night under some of those overshadowing ledges. Before we realized that we might be lost, we were having a wonderful time enjoying the scenery, listening to our iPhone music, enjoying the sunset and stealing a kiss near the Turtle Rocks. Another look at the map and we started double-time back tracking to a main road. Good thing we brought water and a light jacket. Once back to the main road, we contacted the lodge with our iPhone and they pointed us in the right direction which was another mile uphill in the dark. By midnight we were in Texarkana and enjoying a hot shower. I learned that... Arkansas has some beautiful and adventurous state parks.

Dinner Invitation

When I first came to San Augustine, I would walk up East Columbia towards the library and admire the beautiful old homes. They are all well landscaped with azaleas and mature trees. Most have large porches and rocking chairs. I was so thankful to experience a wonderful evening in one of these homes this week for a delicious meal with some of our new friends from church. I feel that when someone invites you to their home, they are opening up their lives to you and value your friendship. I observed the hostess finishing up the final preparations and having us serve our plates and set us at the large dining table. The table was decorated with Easter bunnies and chocolate. We all enjoyed each other's company conversing about family, concern for our country, San Augustine, schools in America, and so on. The hostess continued the evening conversing, listening, and serving coffee and dessert. What a wonderful act of hospitality and kindness! This was her act of love and a most memorable evening for me in San Augustine -- one that I wish to pay forward soon.