Horns

So, a week ago Friday, Cody was able to get his buck’s horns back.  He had a local taxidermist do a European Skull Mount. 

He realized, sometime after he had dropped off the horns and before he picked it up, that he really hadn’t had a chance to check out the horns.  He’d been in a rush to get out of the woods before it got dark.  Then, he made quick work of getting it the meat into the cooler.  Then, of course, we made a mad dash to the house since we needed the cooler space.  We dropped off the horns fairly early that next morning.

As he looked at the pics I’d taken, he was finally able to study the horns on his buck. . . but it wasn’t the same as being able to see them in person.  So, Friday, he spent some quality time with his horns- and the horns of deers past.

It was often hard to have a conversation with him- I’d find him staring off into the dining room looking at his horns.  I think the fact that he shot a buck was such a shock and then to see just how wide and tall the buck was became yet another shock.

Truth be told, the horns were so wide that it was hard to get a good shot of them from our dining room.

Cody has spent the last week proudly showing off his horns to all of his friends.  I suppose his joy has gotten to me. . . I’ve told him to hang them on my fireplace. . .  and if you’d have told me even a year ago that I would be saying that now, I’d say no-way.  But, I just feel like that’s where they should be

Thanksgiving Dinner

We went to mom’s house yesterday for Thankgiving.  We haven’t been over there in quite some time due to my allergy to dogs.  We decided that I’d just take plenty of Benadryl and celebrate Turkey Day at Mom and Dad’s.  So glad we did.  So glad Mom hosted. 

As it turned out, I only had to fix one thing- the Chocolate Pie.  I knew I wouldn’t be allowed to eat if I didn’t have a Chocolate Pie for my Uncle.  I even got out of fixing the meringue!  Which given that I hadn’t been feeling the best and given all the benadryl in my system, was a very, very good thing.

Of course, Mom might as well have had benadryl herself. . . She messed the meringue up twice!  But, when she got it right, she got it right.

She took it all in stride!  I really like this shot of her preparing the sweet potatoes (more on those later):

So, my task for the day was to photograph and capture the day.  Well, that’s what I decided my task was. . .I wanted to get some shots of the action.  Of course, around my family, you can’t get your camera out without everyone else getting their cameras so they can hide behind them.

There’s just something wrong with my brother’s eye in this shot. . . I’m can’t figure out what he was looking at!

Of course, the turkey took all day to cook.  The guys all rested in the living room and watched some football:

I nearly fell asleep myself (benadryl was kickin’) and was glad when there was some more action to photograph.  And that my brother found the step stool for me so I could get a different angle on things. 

My Aunt Sarah made the gravy:

Cody carved the turkey:

My brother got silly

and then decided to do a little “acting” if you want to call it that. . . at least he didn’t have a camera in his face or one of his dimented faces:

(Later when it was finally dessert time, he would put the pie at his spot at the dinner table as if it was all his. . . he did share though.)

Mom was absolutely in her element in her kitchen.

And then we sat down to eat.

See anything missing????

Just before we moved onto dessert, we started talking about our traditions at Christmas vs. Thanksgiving.  I started saying that I preferred our Christmas meal. . . that I’m not a turkey person, but eat a little turkey just because you feel like you have to. . . just like I. . . “We forgot the sweet potatoes!”. . .  So we had a little helping of sweet potatoes between the meal and dessert. . . ’cause as I was going to say, I have to have a small bit of sweet potatoes- with marshmellows on top.

Lone Star Christmas

I was browsing the internet today and came across a book called “Lone Star Christmas”. . . I thought about what the book might be about as I clicked on the book’s image which included a single spur and holly.  Lone Star. . . Christmas. . . There is really is only one star at Christmas, now isn’t there. 

It seemed to sum up what I want Christmas to be like this year.   In the last few Christmas’s, I’ve really focused on Christ- Decor for Christmas.  I’ve focused on cutting out the secular world from my Christmas.  I’ve decorated with things like Poinsettias, Stars, and Nativities.  Even my Santa cookie plate and Santa stocking have stayed in the decorations box.    And, without kids, I haven’t had to wrestle with what to do with Santa at Christmas.

I will continue this new tradition this year.  When I think about my holidays this year- From Thanksgiving to Christmas- the things I want are the same.  To focus on my faith and family with simplicity, joy, and gratitude. 

We’ll be going to my parents for Thanksgiving and I’ll be spending time with my husband out at the deer lease for much of the holiday season.  Advent starts just after Thankgiving and I’m looking forward to the waiting and preperation for Christmas.  I plan on completing several advent devotionals this year.  And then it’ll be Christmas.  I really want the focus of my Christmas to be celebrating the Nativity of Jesus with my family- and good food of course.

(To my dismay, the book actually appears to be a Christian Romance novel and I’m not sure that it even touches on my thoughts as I read that title.)

This Week at the Lease

We ran into town and I thought I’d share a short blog post by cell. I’ve loved having our own little humble abode. Each time I make the beds I start singing Daryl Lee Rush’s “White Trash Paradise.”

Cody is in “paradise” with his buck that he got last night. For those who want to see pics, click here:

http://www.jenkinsprojects.com/Deer/Deer11-12-09/index.html

Things are looking good ’round here.. .

Flashback Friday: Tugboat Parade

I mentioned the hot muggy weather when we were in Corpus last month when I took this picture.

This is the tale of the absolute opposite weather in Corpus Christi.  Well, except that, it was as windy if not even windier.  It was the coldest day I ever remember in Corpus and Cody would agree.  I don’t think I have any pictures to mark the day- a day that would wind up a famous legend in our family.  One that has become a part of the very code we speak.

My parents, grandmother, and brother were in town for Christmas.  We’d gone to the aquarium and found out that we’re having a lighted tugboat parade.  I love watching tugboats and so this was the ticket.  I talked everyone- my husband, my family, and my mother-in-law- into going back for the Tugboat Parade.  I couldn’t wait to see the tugboats. 

We came back to the aquarium that evening to enjoy the parade.  We wandered around the aquarium as we waited for night fall. . . so the lighted tugboat parade could start.  We sat out on the lawn- right about where I took the picture above (only it’s not lawn anymore).  It was so cold and the wind blew that cold damp air off the water.  We huddled up.  We drank hot chocolate.  We took turns going inside trying to warm up.  We worried about my Grandmother but she handled it just fine.

I waited to see the tugboats.

The parade was late.  From what we gathered, the coast guard had been called out and was late for the parade.  We huddled up.  We drank hot chocolate.  We took turns going inside trying to warm up.  We worried about my Grandmother but she still seemed to be just fine.

I waited to see the tugboats.

After hours in the cold damp wind, the moment finally arrived.  The parade began- the parade which consisted of two lighted coast guard cutters and one, count them, one tugboat.

I felt horrible about convincing every one to wait for this little moment.  We couldn’t believe that we’d waited all this time for 1 tugboat in a Tugboat parade. 

The parade would go down in infamy.  Now, when we do something, we say, “I don’t know this might be a tugboat parade.”  We judge things as being worthwhile or not by comparing them to the tugboat parade.  If it wasn’t very fun or what we thought, it was a tugboat parade.  And we’re always thankful when things surpass the tugboat parade.

(Little did I know that night that while I worried about my grandmother, my husband was quite ill.  He knew I loved the tugboats and never let on that he was not feeling well.  The next morning he awoke with 104° temp.)