At Lela S

I was amazed to find this sign with my name on it in the town near my Gramaw's house. We used to eat here after church on Sundays when visiting. The sign said Cattlelacs back then, I guess a play on Cadillac. I never new that my name was hidden in there until yesterday when I noticed all the right letters had fallen off. I think it's empty now.


I don't have anything to post, so I leave you with a few pictures again. This morning's sunrise was the best yet, but I was too wrapped up in it and then my Gramaw getting up to take pictures. They wouldn't have done it justice anyhow. I'm here for about a week longer, I think.

concerts and boots

A week ago, I went to the first concert I've been to in quite a while. It reminded me how wonderful live music can be. Over the Rhine at the Cactus Cafe. Everything about it was wonderful.


In other news, I've been increasing my percentage of being Texan. I've lived here since before kindergarten (and both sides of my family, although very different, are completely Texan), but I had never owned a pair of boots until about a month ago. I had also never cooked a steak until last night when I cooked one for my Grandmother for Valentine's day. There are probably quite a few other things that I need to cross off my list, too. When overseas, people are sometimes surprised that I'm Texan because I lose my accent (which was never too strong to begin with). The other day, someone commented that it must be funny when I speak Chinese with a Texan accent. I told her that I don't usually have much of an accent when I'm overseas because I'm not around too many Texans. She said, "It's funny how it comes back, isn't it?" I guess that means that my Texan accent is back. Maybe it came with the cowboy boots.

two sides of the clothesline

"Observe," said da Vinci, "observe in the streets at twilight, when the day is cloudy, the loveliness and tenderness spread on the faces of men and women."
- found in, you guessed it, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, Annie Dillard

I'm here for two more days, then heading back to Austin for a while, to, among other things, go to an Over the Rhine concert. Yay!

the days are a pleasure

In response to a request for pictures, I have a few. Maybe I'll have a chance to grab a few more this week. This one is taken from the pickup on the way here, approaching the caprock.

Sunset coming, through an old tractor window.

Dusk, seen through Gramaw's kitchen window.

Sunrise, reflected in the window of the front porch. This morning the sunrise was really amazing, but I didn't get a chance to enjoy it long enough to get the camera.

"But if I can bear the nights, the days are a pleasure. I walk out; see something, some event that would otherwise have been utterly missed and lost; or something sees me, some enormous power brushes me with its clean wing, and I resound like a beaten bell."
- Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, Annie Dillard
(I know I sometimes find so many wonderful quotes in a book that I use them too much, but I can't help but share them! Spending my nights alone on the farm waking up multiple times with Gramaw, I'm identifying with this one particularly right now.)