"It's not about the Turkey"

Want to cause just a little more anxiety than usual this Thanksgiving? Well here's a recipe (no pun intended) for success. Suggest to the one who slaves over the stove for two days prior to the big event that " let's have something different for dinner this year, how about a duck or a goose or maybe even a couple of those stuffed quail that you can find at a specialty store". Or if you haven't received that "glare" yet, try this........"I think I am going to deep-fry the turkey this year".Hey, there is nothing better than roast turkey and dressing, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, cranberry sauce, green beans....etc. I love my turkey, especially the next day, the next night, the day after that and maybe even a third day. But it's not about the turkey that makes Thanksgiving a tradition. It's the meal itself and the people gathered at the table to enjoy the year's bounty.

Being the traditionalist that I am, I know the meaning of Thanksgiving. It's one of the few days in the year that we actually take a little break and give thanks for everything we have. But unfortunately it is also commemorates the day before the big sales at all of the department stores. It's the day we get to watch the Cowboys play on a Thursday. It's the day that we bring out the good china, the day all of the grandkids come over and get their sticky little hands all over the coffee table and bang on the piano endlessly.

One of the best Thanksgivings I ever experienced was when the "Williams" clan, my wife's side of the family, decided to spend the Thanksgiving weekend camping in East Texas. Although late November can sometimes be quite chilly, we decided we would break from tradition and celebrate, kind of like the Pilgrims did, although they really didn't have Coleman stoves and down-filled sleeping bags ....but you get the picture.

So here we were nestled in Tyler State Park on Wednesday night reliving memories of past get-togethers, our pre-cooked casseroles packed away in the coolers waiting to be thawed and served with the turkey that we would cook over an open fire the next day. Well, either someone forgot to check the forecast or good ole' Texas weather decided to play one of it's tricks and a classic thunderstorm soaked our tents, sleeping bags and anything that was supposed to be dry was wet.

The next day it took forever to find any dry wood to start a campfire that was going to be the source for our oven. But with the resourcefulness of what we had learned from our forefathers, the brave souls who founded this country, we were able to build a fire, get a good bed of coals and roast several turkeys and cook foil-wrapped potatoes and corn .

We gave thanks for survival in the "wilderness", we filled our bodies with our bounties and we told stories of how we survived the night's downpour. We hiked through the woods, we taught our kids how to appreciate nature and maybe for a few hours experienced what Thanksgiving is all about.

I guess we missed any of the big sales and probably the Cowboys game. But you know what? It was alright. We had our turkey, we had our family and we had leftover turkey sandwiches. But most important we had a memory. One that we would share and laugh about for many years later.

"For Whom the Bell Tolls"

A expression from a sermon by John Donne in the 1600's and later used by Ernest Hemingway as the title of his novel about the Spanish Civil War "For Whom the Bell Tolls" says that because we are all part of mankind, any person's death is a loss to all of us.
Fast forward to modern times and allow me to metamorphize a person's death to the loss of what we once called Customer Service.
Gone are the days of actually talking with a "real person" to help solve our problems. Now upon calling Customer Service we are bombarded with a series of menus before we can begin pleading for help.
Which reminds me, why are you asked at the beginning of the onslaught "would you like to hear the menu in Spanish, if in fact you only spoke Spanish, how would you know what they are asking ".
Anyway, I am not telling you anything you haven't experienced yourselves and have complained about for some time.
My question though is, "Why do we put up with it? Why do we allow the people that we pay our money to for newspapers, internet connections, cable, gasoline, water, electricity, gas.....need I go on.......... why do we allow ourselves to be subjected to, at the best a person in India with some totally nondiscernible accent to the worst, a non-person whose robotic system usually gets us only back to square one.
Well, I've had it.
The next time I can't get a problem resolved with a real person, right away, then by gum, I'll just .............wait......I can't complain about that because I don't have anyone to complain to.
Oh yeah......I'll send an e-mail.........no........that won't work because all I will get will be a robot e-mail response saying "Thank you for your e-mail, please don't respond to this response to your response. We will respond at a later time".
So, what do we do?
I guess we accept the death of Customer Service as inevitable, just like our ultimate death.
As my childhood friend, Pogo, always used to say, "We have met the enemy and he is us".
Am I giving in? Well, I guess maybe I am.
I hate it...... the non-response. What's more I hate the fact that I have allowed it to happen.
Some time ago I wrote a blog about Where did we go wrong and said that "Today, I make a change". Well, here I go again, today I make a change...........if only I could speak to a real person!!

"The Meaning of Family......and Traditions"

Each October I have the privilege to attend the Williams Family Reunion. I call it a privilege although after nearly 19 years of marriage I have probably earned the right to attend, well, at least while I am with Pattye. But it really is a privilege and an honor to spend a weekend each year with various generations of the Williams clan as they gather in New Braunfels for a chance to hear about the previous year's events and sadly reflect on the ones who have passed away.
The 1st cousins, as they are known, are the current oldest living generation of a family of 9 children whose roots in Texas started in the small town of Frost.

The 1st cousins include Pattye's father, F. Clark Williams, a prominent Presbyterian minister, who is one of the sons of the Eugene branch. The "Williams", although some of their last names now changed by marriage, come from as far as Italy, Hawaii, and England and all over Texas to join together. But it's not just of "bunch of old people" as some might think. True, some are hobbled by canes and might walk at a slower pace, but they find new strength in their bodies as each year brings new faces and new generations

I've never felt more welcomed than when I show up with Pattye and we begin to circulate among the different "familys", the 9 branches of the Williams tree. Each person wanting to know the news of the past year, asking about our kids, wanting to see pictures and sharing memories.

Friday night is usually left open and groups journey into the historical town of Gruene for a great steak or seafood dinner or for those who travel from overseas for a good Mexican food "fix". The night in Gruene is then capped off with standing outside of the famous Gruene Dance Hall listening to top artists in Country Music singing to the packed crowd.

A banquet on Saturday brings all of the familys together with many more faces showing up that make it a day trip. A prayer is given as the ones that are no longer there physically, are remembered in spirit.

Photo albums are brought out and laughter erupts as everyone is surprised how they have aged over the years. Yet, they have aged gracefully. Group photos are taken to be shown at the next reunion, stories are told and memories are once again brought to mind.


This year we were even graced with a popular dance band, the Royalaires, led by the husband of this year's hosting chairwoman.

Little girls twirled together with their moms and dads and grandparents on the dance floor, Pattye and I showed some "moves" we hadn't tried in years and yes, many of the 1st cousins danced once again and remembered the times they had in years past.

So maybe it sounds like just a family get-together, with just saying hi, eating food and looking at some pictures.

Trust me, it's much more than that. It's the spirit of some brave pioneers who over a hundred years ago in search of a new life settled on a place in the middle of Texas and started a fine family, created traditions and made Texans what they are today. I am now a part of that tradition, that family and one I am proud of and eager to see every year.

"Yikes............We're on Fire"

Not that I yelled the word......"yikes", but we were on fire.
We had been home for only a couple of hours after returning from "The Williams Family Reunion" down in New Braunfels, TX. Bags had been unpacked. Mail had been read. E-mail had been read (all 67 pieces for 2 days, 65 of them spam). All set to watch the Cowboy game. Pattye had built a nice fire (that's her job because she likes to do it) seeing that the temperature had dropped almost 40 degrees from when we had left the Hill Country.
After about three hours all of a sudden the fireplace started to roar, and I mean ROAR, and we started hearing and seeing things fall down into the fire.
Our first thought was there may have been a bird's nest that had caught on fire in the chimney and was adding fuel, but since the fire had been burning for several hours, I had doubted that.
As I was getting ready to get on the roof and see what was happening, the doorbell rang and someone who had been driving down the street noticed that a lot of ash and sparks were spewing from the chimney.
As I got on the roof, which is about 30 feet at its peak, I noticed several cars pulled over to the side of the road and looking at the embers coming out.
About that time I heard the fire trucks blaring their alarms. Fortunately for us the fire station is only a couple of blocks away. Apparently a passer-by must have thought the house was on fire and alerted the fire department to the problem.
By the time they got the 3 hook and ladders into our cul-de-sac, along with 2 police squad cars, the fire in the fireplace had died down.
One fireman went onto the roof and examined the chimney, checked the roof and declared everything was safe. Another came into the house and checked for any heat along the walls and he also gave a thumbs-up sign.
After some discussion, it was determined that some soot build-up over the years in the chimney had caught on fire adding more fuel to the fire as it dropped down and then throwing embers through the top of the chimney.
They and we were satisfied everything was safe and after about 1/2 hour they were gone and we enjoyed the remnants of the fire that by then had slowed to just the burning embers from our adventurous afternoon.
So all ended well. One fireman suggested we have the chimney cleaned every couple of years; however, he said we wouldn't need it now because it cleaned itself with the roaring fire.
It was a little harrowing and reminded me of when our house burned down when I was a senior in highschool, but that story is for a future blog.
Next on the blog will be a story about the family reunion and why family is so important........
Oh yeah, the Cowboys lost...in a horrible finish!!

UPDATE: Pattye told me it was actually 2 hook and ladders and one ambulance. Also, I didn't get a chance to thank the Richardson Fire Department for their excellent response as well as the concerned citizen who called in the alarm. Thanks everyone.

"Our State Fair......Is a Great State Fair"

It's been over 40 years since Pat Boone and Ann-Margaret appeared on screen in the musical State Fair filmed at Fair Park in Dallas. Some things change, some things remain the same....

We ventured to the State Fair this week and I'm happy to report for the most part, the world's largest fair, despite what the people in Ohio say, gets a A- rating this year.
Naturally, we had the obligatory Fletcher's Corn Dog and a giant sausage-on-a-stick, which I swear each year I'll never eat again, plus ice-less root beers and too-much-ice Cokes.

The day started with a gymnastic performance by a group of young Chinese Acrobats, who although seemed bored, put on a great exhibition of flexibility and strength. I'm assuming these kids are visiting from overseas and aren't locals. If so, I think China's chances at the next Olympics look pretty good.

We had a chance to see Boris, a 1,100 lb. pig or boar, whatever he's called, who lie in his stall and slept while kids prodded him and marveled at the texture of his coarse hair. Boris made me feel a little better about the weight I have been carrying these days!

Walking cautiously through the cattle barn (I wasn't too cautious though as Pattye pointed out what was on the bottom of my shoe) we saw the bulls and cows that the 4-Hr's so painstakingly take the time to groom and regroom as they wait their turn in the arenas. Caught the milking demonstration, well sort of, we waited for the cow to be milked but got impatient as the narrator explained about how many lbs. of hay equals how many gallons of milk.

We wandered over to the Arts and Crafts exhibition which featured a butter sculpture of Elvis (readers can post their own jokes) and the many, many entries ranging in categories from Preserves, Quilting, Collectibles, Antiques, Dolls and Paintings, you name it they were there. Each with its own blue red, yellow or white ribbon. I guess everybody wins something.

The midway as usual was filled with the "carney rats" who try to intimidate you with their barking proclaiming "a winner everytime". I can remember when as a teenager, I would vow to practice lifting that Coke bottle up with a cane pole with a ring attached at the end so when the fair came around each year I could con the con. We laughed as the carney showed us how easy it was done as the bottle fell to the ground.

The highlight of this year's fair and one that really should be witnessed was the "American Music" display in the Hall of State building. Memorabilia from Elvis, The Beatles and Bob Dylan were on display bringing back some memories of the 60's and causing me to hum " A Hard Day's Night" for awhile. An excellent added attraction was by a group of superbly talented actors and solo guitarist who give you a glimpse into the life of "Blind Lemon" Jefferson.
"Blind Lemon" was one of the most popular blues artists in the 1920's. He inspired a generation of blues artists with his unique guitar style and his high clear voice. Later this year the entire production will be performed and I think we might just add it to our busy calendar.

We decided to pass on the New Car Show this year seeing that we just added two new Fords to our household and there was no need to dream of adding an 06' model.

We finished the day with a walk through the unbelievable rides area paying particular attention to the looks on some of the kid's faces as they screamed with fear as their bodies turned upside down, inside out, over and over and over. It's amazing that people pay money to "enjoy" such torture. I did pass on a chance to see all of Dallas from the top of the giant, and I mean giant, Ferris Wheel with the person who promised to love, honor and hold my hand on scary rides. Although I usually am not very squeamish about such things, the Ferris Wheel, for some reason does give me rubber legs.

So there it is............A quick look at the "Great State Fair of Texas" with all of the gastronomy, agronomy, funonomy and dichotomy that one could ask for in just a single day.

So in the words of Rodgers and Hammerstein "Don't miss it, don't even be late..."