Comes the Dawn

The day after the large black clouds, this beautiful sunrise followed.  It confirmed that all you need to do is believe.  Sometimes it's difficult, yet it is always worth it.  It creates ease in the journey.  What if it were just easy?  What if?  What if I just didn't make it harder for myself, wouldn't that be easier?

Oh, the beauty and lessons these Texas sunrises continue to bring!

Dark Clouds

The other day as I left the house for work I was astonished at the oddness of the sky.  Although it felt like it could be interpreted as my own personal black cloud, it was really in the sky for all to notice.  It was like a blanket covering the whole neighborhood.  Here's the awesome part, there was light in view.  To me it was a sign that regardless of the struggle, there is hope.  And what a season to be in and to be living in a place of hope.  A place of believing.  And a place of miracles.  I snapped the photo to remind myself that regardless of the black clouds - good will come.  Patience...

My reading for the morning was, 'when you begin to worry turn each care into a prayer and then stop there blessing it up to God!"  What a great message!  Even black clouds don't block the blessings .. and the prayers!

Christmas in Texas

There is something very special about Texas.  There is a quality quite unique in the spirit, unity and spirit of Texans.  They are willing to fight for what they believe in and take action to get things done. They love their BBQ, their boots and their music.  And after awhile it grows on you ....

Until I saw this Frosty in a neighbor's yard a few streets over from our house.  Although I have to say it did make me laugh.  At the character of this bold, bigger-than-life true Texan snowman!  When I realized it was made to share the spirit of the holiday it was rather endearing to me.

In a way we have our own personal Big Tex in our neighborhood to welcome in the Christmas season!

More fun from the Arboretum

You know our girl, one who's never shy of the camera.  The one who loves to have her photo taken, has now taken to the pose.  You got it, the pose.  She finds a particularly photo-friendly area and plants herself waiting for the photo to be taken.

It sure does make it easy for us to get great shots of her.  That smile is priceless!  So happy it's this way rather than kicking and screaming to NOT have the picture taken.  Oh, but that may only be a year or two away, right?

Nah!  She's a friend to the camera!  Just take a look ....

Ellie and Honest Abe

Jeremiah was a bullfrog, and he had a friend named Ellie!

A bit darker, but a cool waterfall behind us.

Ellie, being Ellie ...

Capturing us

There are some days you just know.  You read one another well and feel in sync.  The stories, laughter and connection is the main thing.  It doesn't exist as something separate.  It is something that you feel within you and envision traveling back and forth between you.  Its in the space between the sentences and the places where you connect.

Sometimes these moments happen when you have a planned occasion to celebrate - usually for an instant.  And then other times they exist while the world is spinning round, and others need your attention.  When you look at one another you know it's just for you - you in the 'me and you' version.

Friday Ellie took lots of photos of the two of us.  The weather was perfect and the fresh air made us feel as though we earned it.  So she just kept snapping away.  She loves to take photos.  Here's the series from just outside the Degoyer Rose Garden at the Arboretum.

The reason I love the one above more than the others is because it's real.  No lipstick, no fixing hair, no arranging it just right.  We were sharing laughter and having fun with it.  And she captured it.  I envision this is the kind of photo for the back of a dust jacket on a book - should I have one published one day.  Its how I want to be remembered I guess.

And last but not least, we were just done for the day.  No one was happy anymore.  There were requests to find the bathroom, and why can't we buy bottled water out of the machine.  Our time at the Arboretum was coming to an end.  Here we let Ellie capture what it looks like to just be done.

Funny, right?

Saturday in the Park

As I thought about the choices we had for the day after Thanksgiving with Papa, and after several days of eating a lot of holiday fare, I kept my plan on the down low until it was time.  On Friday the sun was shining and the air was cooler than in past weeks.  Seemed like the perfect day to spend a couple hours walking the gardens of the Arboretum in Dallas.

Although it was a school holiday, and many must have had the day off, it wasn't overcrowded.  It was just right.  Many of the pumpkin areas had transitioned to the 12 Days of Christmas displays with moving life-size scenes.  Christmas music played from the speakers and the sun shone just right for many autumn photos to be taken!

I'm not sure the choice to visit was entirely popular, yet I promised fresh air, sunshine and a brisk walk to left us from the holiday food drowsiness.  Ellie wasn't convinced either, until she got there, and then she loved it.  Floating from one area to the next finding new things, colors, scenes that fascinated her.

After just under two hours we went home where the boys went upstairs to the media room to 'watch t.v.' which is code word for snooze!  Ellie and I looked through pictures, made some Christmas plans and put away the Thanksgiving recipes and dining room decor.

We finished our day together with dinner at Bob's Chop House in Plano.  It was a wonderfully grown-up dinner that Ellie loved!  Although she didn't partake in a steak, she loved her salad, lobster bisque and over-sized baked potato.  Papa's rack of lamb was superb and Bill and I both enjoyed our filets cooked just right!  It was a lovely evening with Frank Sinatra playing in the background reminding us of a memorable dinner in Las Vegas years ago.

Thanksgivingtime

Bill and Jude - Thanksgiving-time 2001

Today is a bit of a stroll down memory lane of Thanksgiving time.  The first holiday Bill and I celebrated together was Thanksgiving.  Its also the holiday that I associate with getting engaged as we did the evening before Thanksgiving.  It seems so long ago, and just yesterday just the same.

Below is a newspaper clipped from the mid-1990's.  Its a Sharon Randall column about Thanksgiving that I carried around in my wallet for years.  Yes, I'm one of those people.  I loved reading this one in particular because each year the holidays change, and this story shows us that that's okay too.

A dear, old friend and I have been communicating over email for the past several months to talk through some changes in his life recently.  Its been a nice stroll down memory lane and a tremendous realization for where I am in the life we've built.  He referred to the upcoming holidays as Thanksgivingtime and Christmastime because one day is just not enough to celebrate an entire season.  I couldn't agree more!

Thanksgiving means so many things, to so many people yet what surfaces most of all is not the turkey or the dressing, its the togetherness.  The shared experience of the holidays celebrated by a shared meal of giving thanks.  It's aptly timed as we wind down the year, anticipate the Christmas and NewYear holidays.  It allows a simple pause to bow our heads, say a prayer and be filled with gratitude.

We shared stories of holidays past during our time yesterday.  One with my mother on the phone of the year that we forgot cranberry sauce and Al took us for a ride around to town to find a store open who had some.  Back in the late 1970's and early 1980's there were no 24-hour Walmart SuperCenters to rely on.  We found a corner store with a dusty can of Ocean-Spray Cranberry Sauce in the jellied style to purchase quickly and head home.

The other story I shared at our dining table was one involving the bird.  That mainstay. The centerpiece.  And source of consternation between Bill and I year after year.  The bird represents different meanings to each of us.  For Bill it is the center of the Norman Rockwell photo that we will take each Thanksgiving around the table and the turkey.  To me it is the main course of the meal - should be delicious and serve the purpose of also providing a leftovers meal.  Somewhere in the middle is likely where most people land.

My story is that Bill and I have disagreed about the size of the bird more often than we've ever quibbled about Ellie or money.  He insists on a HUGE bird for the photo, and all I can think of is the time it will take to cook, the leftovers that will go to waste and where on Earth will I put it to thaw in the days before the meal!

Here's what I've learned after 15 Thanksgiving's together:

• The things that used to matter so much are really less important these days.
• The size of the turkey.  The time dinner is served. Just the RIGHT sides are made.
• And the small things become much greater.
• As we walked into 9am mass on Thanksgiving morning with Papa and Ellie who went  off to light a candle, Bill picked up my hand as we walked down the aisle.  To mean it meant the world.  I turned to him and said, "I'm so thankful for you today and always."  
• Turkey size doesn't matter, unless it matters to your spouse.  And then all bets are off.  
• For the record we've laughed the last few years as we've purchased our bird.  This year's was 21 lbs. and it seemed just about right.  Didn't cause a raised eyebrow or a questioning tone ... it just was.
• Home is where the heart is, and hopefully where dinner is served.
• Last year we enjoyed Disneyland for it's Jubilee Anniversary celebration.  This happened to occur during Thanksgiving week so dinner was in a grand ballroom.  If given the choice I'd prefer to be home, in the kitchen, with the parade on television as I prep for our meal.  At least the three of us were altogether and there were no dirty dishes to clean!

Turkey .. and more

Each Thanksgiving begins with turkey & ends falling asleep on the couch.  

From the left:  Jeanine, Michael, Papa, Bill, Jude & Ellie

But let's back up.

Trivia:
How many trips to the grocery store did it take to make dinner happen?

• Four - over the course of three days.  

What did we buy but forget to make/serve:

• Mashed potatoes
• Vanilla ice cream

How many pounds was the bird this year?

• 21lbs.

Did the turkey have a name?

• After two glasses of wine does it really matter ... 

As you can see the bird turned out just lovely.  Surrounded by a happy crowd - ready to eat!  If we could rewind like they do in a movie and add, 'two hours earlier,' or 'two days earlier,' there sure would be stories to tell.

We had a wonderful meal.  Family traditions and new additions from Jeanine, who is like family!  The turkey was brined and delicious, the stuffing was fluffy, the vegetables were plentiful - and the LamBRUUUsco was consumed by Bill and Michael!

Ellie was in charge of leading the Thanksgiving blessing.  This is the one she chose, and read beautifully.  She helped throughout the day, making, finding, carrying, taste-testing, taking photos and her laughter filled the day!

Here's what I've learned.

1. It doesn't take genetics to be family.
2. The meal doesn't have to be the best to be just perfect.
3. Brining matters.
4. 15 years of Thanksgivings together and we're only getting better!
5. Thanksgiving isn't just one day, it's a season. (more to come on this one tomorrow...)

Thanksgiving Eve

As we made last minute adjustments to menu, shopping and decor, we had dinner out at Kenny's East Coast Pizza!  They had a special on for the night before Turkey Day - so we indulged in pizza, chopped salad, calamari and $5 glasses of wine!

Even Ellie got in on the act with a tall Shirley Temple fixed generously by a wonderful barmaid!

On to the prep and plan for the bird!

Papa Arrives in Dallas!

Waiting patiently in the car for Papa's flight to arrive into DFW.  We do okay together taking our own photo, huh?

Here's the really wonderful thing about airports.  And especially at holiday time.  

1. People are happy to see one another.  
2. There's a lot of hugging going on.
3. Families don't look like, to like one another.
4. SO MUCH SMILING!

It was a wonderful experience to sit and people watch at a busy airport two days before Thanksgiving.  Although it could have been an overload of chaos, it was peaceful and festive just watching so many people say hello and goodbye to those they love!

New Red Zin that "Tiki" Charlie, or Chuckie as Bill calls him gave us to try.  It's his favorite - and it is wonderful!

Papa and Ellie at the Airport.

Tiki Party

Our friends Charlie and Abby invited us over for a Tiki-themed party on Saturday night.  It had been a long week - traveling, election, Bill solo-parenting all week, and the weekend was no exception!  Three soccer games within twenty-four hours - where Ellie played goalie for 2 of the 3 games!

We spent much time outdoors, cheering and consoling as the team did not make the finals to be played on Sunday.  (Small, quiet cheer from ALL the parents!)  So off to Charlie's we went after cleaning up from the 11:15am and 4:15pm games.

He assured us that Ellie was welcome to join us and had a special treat in mind for her when we arrived.  He cored a pineapple and served her non-alcoholic Tiki drink in it!  She thought it was pretty neat!  We had lots of pineapple, coconut and drink umbrellas after that.  They grilled scallops and shrimp with bacon on the grill, and served mini-egg rolls and pot stickers with a variety of sauces to try!

And a tiki party would not be complete without a variety of floral leis to choose from ... here are just a few from the event!

Soccer Season Comes to an End

Ellie is very proud to be the 'sweeper' on the team!  She works closely with our goalie, Hannah to communicate and do everything she's able to get the ball blocked BEFORE it reaches Hannah.
She loves her role, and how she sees all the girls growing so much into their own roles and working together as a team.  What a long way we've come!  This is her 6th season of soccer in TEXAS!  Fall and Spring each year since we've arrived - WOW!

From the top:
Coach Mario and Coach Cheryl
Hannah, Jenna and Ellie
Katie, Elizabeth, Leah and Jade
Leah, Miram and Jackie

Truth be told we're missing another Leah and Iona.  Who'd have thought three Leah's on one team?

They are so much fun to watch.  How they support one another, encourage one another and work together.  Its no wonder as the parents of these girls are amazing too!  We've spent many hours with our chairs on the sidelines cheering them on together!

This weekend is our last tournament.  We are happy and sad.  We're ready to move on to other weekend activities and we're sad to lose our weekend friends!

Veteran's Day 2016

Ellie had this note waiting for me when I arrived home from Phoenix on Friday evening.  She handed me an folded up paper very solemnly.  She explained that they each wrote a letter to a Veteran today and she chose my Dad.

When she asked me once what she would have called him I told her that I called my grandfather Poppy, and he was married to my Grammy.  So I believed she would have called him Poppy too.

And so she has ....

What I've learned from Joe Maddon and the Cubs

This has been an eventful baseball season for me, to say the least.  Full of celebration, growth and learning.  The entire Cubs organization has provided me life lessons that will not soon be forgotten. Here's a list of the many things Joe Maddon and The Cubs have taught me this season.

1.  Experience Matters:
With age comes wisdom and a sense of calm, if you let it.  The experience you have allows you to anticipate better based on your history.  When you stop trying to prove yourself and what you stand for reality unfolds.  Joe Maddon leads through trust and encouragement - and his players admire him for it.

2.  Never Give Up!
"Believe" is a small word with a huge responsibility.  Joe explained that many other groups of guys say they believe, and in the end they end up quitting.  This team never quit.  They believed in one another, they believed in themselves and they believed in Joe's leadership.

3.  Teamwork
Competition doesn't have to be against one another, but united with one another for a cause.  That healthy competition makes you stronger together.  This team was a brotherhood, they stood for a common goal - to do the very best they could and win the World Series.  When Addison Russell made a bad toss to Javy Baez at second who was trying to get the first out in a 6-4-3 double play, Javy scooped it up and threw to Anthony Rizzo at first.  The two ran off the field together and you could see them laugh and high five one another.  Javy wasn't frustrated with Addy, he said, "I got you man."  He knew they needed one another and had each other's back.  That's what teammates do for one another.

4.  Honor Each Others' Strengths
By holding another up, it doesn't diminish you - but actually make you brighter and stronger.  When Anthony Rizzo is asked about his potential to receive the NL MVP, he always states that KB is much more deserving of the award - referencing his agility in the field and his record setting batting stats at the plate.  Here's the kicker - When Kris Bryant is asked he deflects to Anthony Rizzo saying how much more Rizzo deserves the award!

5. Do Simple Better.  
That's the key.  Don't complicate it so people think it's hard.  Just do simple better.  It's baseball, not brain surgery.  Understand the value of a bunt, the importance of the shift and the under-appreciated 6-4-3 double play.  Do Simple Better.

6.  One thing at a time.
One batter, one inning, one game at a time.  Human tendency is think about the amount of games remaining in the series and how many you have to win.  Yet Joe reminds us that this is really just one at bat, one inning and one game at a time.  What's within your control - how you field, how you bat and how you support one another.  This one has helped me more than any other.  I now remember to focus my energy on what's here now, not somewhere out there.

7.  Feel it.
In the words of Jimmy V, 'each day you should move your emotions - to tears, to laughter and to think!"  Joe Maddon is not a man of random, erratic emotions.  He is calm, collected and intentional leader, mentor, and coach.  Yet when the Cubs made the final out in the bottom of the 10th inning last night he jumped for joy, hugged players, coaches, interviewers and proudly, emotionally wore the ball cap of his Dad from years ago to celebrate.  Its okay to feel the range of emotions - each day!