The Joy of Research

Last week, Max and I loaded up the SUV and took off for a long weekend of R & R - Recreation and Research! Destination: East Texas. Since our 38th wedding anniversary was just around the corner and I had decided to set my next book in this area of Texas, we headed south. I inhaled the Texas air when we crossed the Red River. It's always a little like coming home since I've spent almost as much of my life in Texas as Oklahoma.


We spent the first night in Marshall, a beautiful city with some wonderful Victorian homes. What really captured my fancy, though, was this old cemetery in the historic part of town. And what's a research trip without at least once stop at a cemetery? This plot was particularly fetching with its fancy iron work fence and aging stones, many of which dated back to the Civil War era. And there's nothing quite like a trek among ancient gravestones at dusk.

The next day we went to Jefferson, named for Thomas Jefferson, and what a charming place. The first thing we learned is that it was once the second largest city in Texas. Today about 2500 people live there. The entire town could be on the historic register. And many, many buildings are. We toured the museum, visited the old time General Store which sported not one, but two soda counters, and then took a few minutes to peruse the "stacks" in the newly restored and renovated library. I could do some serious research in surroundings like this.



Authenticity is what brings a story alive for me, and I'd been nervous about writing about a place I'd never visited. My town will be fictitious, but I wanted to experience the feel of the bayou country, inhale the scents, and keep my eye out for tiny details I might use. Our tour guide on our trip down the bayou was not only a great historian, but also full of fun stories. And it was from him, I learned about the mayhaw berry bush (or small tree) that grows in the bayou and makes the best jelly in all of Texas. It reminds me of sand plum jelly. And yes, I brought home a couple of jars that I bought in his little shop after we docked.

One of the highlights of our trip came on Saturday morning. I'd learned of the Pulpwood Queens Book Club a while back and knew Jefferson was the home of the world's only beauty shop and book store combo. It's here that Kathy Patrick merged her two loves - doing hair (as they say in Texas) and reading. I was so excited that Kathy was open and greeting customers. Her shop is an absolute delight bursting with good books, jewelry and all sorts of fun accessories, and in the back . . . the beauty shop. Yes, I'm now a member of the Pulpwood Queens and am thrilled with my autographed book - The Pulpwood Queens' Tiara-Wearing, Book-Sharing Guide to Life. Kathy is doing a fabulous job of promoting literacy and making women feel good about themselves. If you're ever in Jefferson, stop by Beauty and the Book. You'll be glad you did. I'm hoping for a makeover the next time I go :-)

And a special thank you to Kathy's daughter, Lainie, who is just as vivacious as Kathy and answered so many of our questions while her mother was "doing hair" for one of her customers. Before we left, Lainie was sweet and posed for us in front of the shop.









Our trip wouldn't have been complete without a visit to Caddo Lake, named for the Indians who lived in the area for many years before being relocated to Oklahoma. Caddo Lake is the only natural lake in Texas and is a series of connected cypress swamps.

It's an eerie and haunting beauty to travel through the swamps in our guided boat and see endless lily pads floating on the water while Spanish moss floats ghostlike through the cypress trees all around you. It's not difficult to imagine being lost in the swamp and wandering for years trying to find a way out. Luckily, our guide was a pro and knew exactly where he was the entire time. The view on the left was amazing as were the flapping blue herons and white cranes that appeared from time to time, startling us every time.

Last, this is the bed and breakfast where Max and I enjoyed the hospitality of Bob and Pam Thomas at The Delta Street Inn. The town of Jefferson has a host of Greek Revival, Victorian, and Prairie homes like this one. I could have stayed much longer, but Max was due to be in Denver on Monday, and for me . . . well, there are books to write you know.


Have a great weekend!!

JINGLE BELLS . . . Tuba Style

Drake (my first born grandson) is one of two tuba players in his school's Sixth Grade Beginner Band, and the FIRST tuba player in our family. He goes to a small school (although not that small compared to their neighboring rural towns) so the Christmas concert is a combined effort of beginners, junior high, high school, and the jazz band. Before we left, Drake gave us a preview of the three songs he would be performing: Jingle Bells, Up On The Housetop, and Jolly Old St. Nicholas.

He takes a deep breath, positions his hand on the keys . . . or are they called valves? Then the boomp, boomp, boomps come out of the concert tuba. Rich. Punctuated. So much fun. Now I knew what to listen for when the band appeared on stage. It's really quite amazing that less than four months ago, most of these kids had never held an instrument, let alone played a song. Now, they sat erect in front of their music stands, their feet tapping out the beats as they counted quarter notes, half notes, rests, and played their hearts out. Beautiful.

One of the fun things about the concert was hearing the progression of difficulty levels as the higher grades performed their numbers. My favorite, after the beginners of course, was the jazz band. Drake liked it, too, and has his sights set on playing with the jazz group one day. I like that.

We rounded out the afternoon with authentic Mexican food at a new restaurant and playing some cut-throat games of Sorry! and Trouble that my younger grandson, Nash, delights in. I had to leave in the early evening and journey on to visit with my dad for a day. 'Twas a nice break from my writing routine and spending time with family is always time well spent.

So, O'er the fields we go, laughing all the way!

Hope you're all getting ready for some lovely times with your families over the holidays. I can hardly wait.

WHAT I'VE DONE . . . SO FAR Meme

This meme comes originally from Angela Hunt. I snagged it from Robin Lee Hatcher. Directions: Put an asterisk next to the things you have done in your life, and then feel free to pass it on in your blog! Also feel free to add a couple at the end, if you like.

*1. Started your own blog
*2. Slept under the stars
*3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
*5. Watched a meteor shower
*6. Given more than you can afford to charity
*7. Been to Disneyworld (and Disney World)
*8. Climbed a mountain
*9. Held a praying mantis
*10. Sang a solo (sadly, yes)
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
*14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
*16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
*18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
*21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
*23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
*24. Built a snow fort
*25. Held a lamb
*26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
*29. Seen a total eclipse
*30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
*35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
*37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo's David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
*45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
*46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
*52. Kissed in the rain
*53. Played in the mud
*54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
*63. Got flowers for no reason
*64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving 66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
*67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
*69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
*70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
*72. Pieced a quilt
*73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired/laid off from a job
*76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London (no, but saw the Ceremony of the Keys at the Tower of London)
*77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
*79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
*82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
*84. Had your picture in the newspaper
*85. Read the entire Bible
*86. Visited the White House (outside only)
*87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
*88. Had chickenpox
*89. Saved someone's life
90. Sat on a jury
*91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
*93. Lost a loved one
*94. Had a baby
*95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
*98. Owned a cell phone
*99. Been stung by a bee
100. Seen Mount Rushmore in person
*101. Learned to play an instrument
102. Kissed the Blarney Stone
103. Ridden a camel
*104. Walked on the Columbian Icefields in Canada

Taking a Short Vacation

I’m spending a few days in Denver with my sis—some much needed time together for both of us. Thought you’d enjoy a few pics of the local sites.

A Matter of Perception

We’re back from a long weekend of visiting family and attending a fun and scrumptious barbecue reception for one of our youngest son’s classmates. Another purpose of the trip was to tackle the “stuff” in the basement of my mother-in-law’s farm home. She recently moved to be near her daughter, and several lifetimes of things were left behind. To keep us company, Max went into town to get our grandsons. He took them to breakfast at McDonald’s before heading out.

Here is what happened. There is a stretch of a couple of miles in the small farm town where the speed limit is 55 before increasing to 65. Max was chatting with the boys and kicked up his speed a half mile or so before it was “legal” and you guessed it. He got caught. The officer did a license check, chatted with Max, and told him to watch his speed. No warning. No ticket.

Here is what our five year old grandson told his parents that evening: “Papa Max got stopped for going 60 in a 40. The cops chased us all the way out of town from McDonald’s and wrote him a ticket!”

He made it sound like a high speed chase and that bringing out the guns might have been next. Papa Max has been practically elevated to outlaw status in the eyes of a certain five year old. The moral of this is you never know who’s watching what you do and how it might be construed. Hmmm.

As a writer, I like to “make up” my own scenarios when I see unusual events. I’m thinking this five year old might make a great writer. All I really know is that being with the grandsons made my weekend worth the trip, and traveling the road with an outlaw was pretty fun, too.

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT ROAD TRIPS

There is just something wired into me that loves to get in the car and go somewhere. Even two or three hour jaunts to visit the kids or go to a meeting. Meet someone for lunch. I’ve never minded driving alone, but going with someone is even better. This weekend Max and I are off to visit family and friends and attend a wedding reception. I’ve spent the day in anticipation while getting ready. Here’s what I love about road trips.

• The sound of the car door as you slam it for the last time and mentally tick off all the things you were supposed to bring: clothes, suitcases, vitamins, make-up, the dog, doggie treats . . . Satisfied you’ve got it all, you pull out of the drive. The first thing I do is heave a sigh and relax. Nothing to do now but enjoy the ride.
• Conversation. Max and I have traveled a lot of miles together, and one of the things I enjoy most is uninterrupted conversation. Something about being captive in an automobile seems to unleash a never-ending series of subjects to talk about. Past trips we’ve taken and people we’ve known, the present joys and trials going on in our lives, and nearly always, our dreams for the future. And when lapses comes, it’s all right. We’ve been together long enough, we can read other’s minds anyway.
• Music. It used to be favorite CD’s, but Max’s new SUV came with a Sirius radio, so now we can tune to All Sinatra, All the Time or the Oldies channel. There’s even a channel that plays ancient radio serials like Fibber McGee and Molly and The Shadow. We’ll bring the music CD’s along for good measure, though.
• Pit stops and snacks. We both like to make frequent stops for coffee or potty breaks. And certain snacks are reserved only for road trips. Did anyone say Gardetto’s? Just one rule. You both have to eat them or the garlic can be a wee bit annoying for the non-partaker. The only time I eat sunflower seeds is on trips, while Max goes for the honey-roasted cashews.
• New vistas. Even though we may be traveling a familiar road, there are always changes to comment on or memories associated with certain features along the way. Going new places is even better with sights to drink in and wondering what’s beyond the next bend.
• Coming home. After a quick weekend or a two-week vacation, there’s just nothing like seeing the lights of the city come into view and knowing that you’re almost there. Home again, safe at last. That was one of my kid’s favorite last lines in a Berenstain Bears book, and it’s still true. Back in our own bed. Safe. A few new memories to file away. Fresh perspective as we begin a new week, a new project, or just come back to an unfinished project rejuvenated, ready to tackle it again.
  
  Today, we’ve got sunny skies and fall weather so perfect it nearly brings tears to your eyes. It’s going to be a good trip. How about you? Been on any good trips lately? I would love to hear about them.
  
  Happy Trails!