I never sausage a sad face

Sorry, that is pure cheese...but I couldn't help it. I've just learned that Alvaro and I don't get to go to Fredrickburg to make deer sausage with my uncle this year...it's the same weekend as the FUMC 2008 Chili Cook-Off and I'm kinda in charge of that. Man, making sausage is a fun time! My apologies to all you non deer-eating folks. Over the course of that one Saturday, my family will have processed over 500 pounds of sausage...dried one pound links, pan breakfast sausage and fresh sausage links. With my uncles very special secret, 'I'll have to kill ya if I tell ya' recipe, there is just nothing tastier!

The only thing better than the sausage itself is the time spent with my cousins, family friends and anyone else who just wants to come over and be a part of the process. My cousin Sam is in charge of making sure everyone has plenty of hot pan sausage to snack on. Alvaro is in charge of cutting up the pork that gets mixed in. I like to tie the links and prepare them for the smokehouse. My uncle, Anton, is the official stuffer and casing untangler. (yeah, is kinda gross to watch) But for how many generations has this family made their own sausage, preserves, wine and put up vegetables? How rich to be witness to these age old and well practiced traditions that once were done for survival. In this same family was passed down a rich heritage of faith in which we are always reminded that God is the source of all our necessities. Even though I know I don't get to be there, Saturday evening the 26th will end with guitars and voices coming together singing hymns and probably some great folk songs. I'll probably still get some saugage but I won't have tied any of it.

I'm an Aunt!!

On December 29th, our niece was born!!! She was a week early and we were out of town so I didn't get to go to the hospital to see her. I've been visiting a couple times since we've been back to see her. She is just the smallest little thing when I hold her and she is extremely entertaining with her amazingly creative and silly faces. There are so many loving people in her life...Lilly's parents and great aunt are visiting from Colombia in addition to tons of friends. Here is my extended plan for Gabriela...watch out little one!
1. Be her cool aunt. When it's time for Lilly and Ciro to get out of the dang house for a change, Gabriela will ASK to come to my house.
2. Teach her to do the stuff girls aren't normally encouraged to do...like climb trees, dig for earthworms, play outside and get really dirty.
3. Be an influence. I'm going to be the strong voice of English as her parents wish her to be completely bilingual. Later we'll also see if she has an affinity for the piano :) lessons anyone?
4. Crafts! My poor sister and brother in law...you won't be able to see the surface of the fridge!
5. Faith. Here is the most important thing; to be another adult who will assure her that God is with her and loves her in everything she is and everything she isn't. More than anything in this world, she will need God's guidance as we all do in loving Gabriela.
Yeah for babies!!!

yea yea yea...enough about Blackacre already!!!

Since, two of you have asked and commented on our pecan farm, Blackacre, I have one last photo from our Christmas vacation. I can't seem to find it but I have a picture of myself in this same place (the entrance to our fabulous and very fancy farm) from when I was about 7 or 8 years old. One of the things I like least in life is leaving Blackacre. I usually cry a couple of pathetic tears as we leave so I decided to leave this time by having Alvaro take a picture of me smiling as we left. I'm smiling because I know we'll be back and it will just as wonderful every time I'm there. Now that my parents live nearby, it's extra wonderful to be there. Spending time with them is so meaningful and it's fun to be together for longer than just the weekend. I can pretend that Alvaro and I live at Blackacre and I can just drive a couple of miles to my parents place and hang out. I guess even adults can play make believe.

Christmas Lights of Austin

Well, here we all are...Mom's copying down a recipe, Rebekah's replying to email, Dad is watching a football game, Alvaro is napping (shocker!) and I'm wanting to ice the cutout cookies but everyone is busy and I have to wait for them because they want to help. Isn't that always the way with me? I'm ready to get stuff done RIGHT NOW, always on a schedule to get the next thing done...why can't I just be relaxed and not care if there are a couple of minutes of down time?

In a previous post I said that we were going to see the 37 1/2 street lights and so we did last night. The temperature plunged to 40 or so with a wind that wouldn't let my dad keep his cap on. We decided to walk the street rather than drive it so that we could take advantage of the offers from the homeowners who offered us to come into the back yard and get some hot chocolate...I do love this town! The first house had a 10 foot dinosaur made of chicken wire and foil with a strobe light in it's mouth. The back yard was complete with two toilets with yellow lights in the bowl. Almost every resident of the street had some amazing, truly tacky and sometimes even tasteless display. Lights, beer cans as ornaments, a garland made of Jack Daniels bottles, a sock monkey nativity (wow!) and even a dead marlin over some guys front door that had CDs for scales. ah...Austin. I guess my favorite was this cycle covered in lights. The wheels even turned. All the time we were walking, people talked to each other even though we didn't know each other. People let strangers help their kids over strands of lights in order to get a picture. I had one of those most embarrassing moments when in my excitement over people just loving people, I walked up to someone's house and almost walked in when my sister asked a guy on the porch if everyone is invited in he said, "no sorry, this is a private party". ooops :) We all had a good laugh and there was no harm done. I just kept walking with my free chi tea to see what political statement in lights I might see next.

What in the Hee Haw...two blog entrees in one day?!?!?

Okay, so my sister says, "What in the Hee Haw" which makes me giggle every time. I've been thinking about my sister a lot lately. Probably because for the first time she gets to host our family for Christmas in Austin! Mom, Dad, Alvaro and I will arrive four days before Christmas and we get to have the grand tour of Austin at Christmas...the lights at the capital, the one street with all the really gaudy but wonderful decorations and lights, the warmth of her cottage style house and her cooking. The night before Thanksgiving, Alvaro and I went to pick her up on the way to Blackacre. We decided to spend the night and in the morning she made me this oatmeal that should be entered in the dang State Fair. That was some life changing oatmeal! I think it made me more spiritual.

This is the first year that we, as a family, won't spend Christmas in the home where we grew up. Mom and Dad have moved to their new property near the farm and tradition is changing. Do those two words go together? Tradition and Changing? As I get older and our lives change and progress, I'm learning that our real tradition all along has been 'being together'...not where we are but who we love, who we cherish and what our attitudes are. I have always characterized myself as being adverse to change...my German head is really hard! But in the small changes that have happened in the last ten years or so, I'm now assured that I'm not as adverse as I thought. And this is a HUGE revelation to me. Does this mean I could be growing? Am I becomeing more flexible? Horrors!!!! I think I am. What a wonderful thing! All that meditation (not medication), all that prayer...it's working by golly! Maybe I'll get freaky and suggest a new side dish for Christmas dinner!!! Okay, let's not get crazy!

I'm having fun keeping up with my favorite blogs (please click on them to the right) and listening to what others are saying about Christmas traditions. Comment on what yours are. Since I'm in the growing mood, I may adopt yours.

O Come, O Come Emmanuel

As a child during the season of Advent, we always had an Advent wreath with the pink and purple candles with the white candle in the middle which was lit on Christmas Eve. Each Sunday night, we'd read a passage from the Nativity Story and follow the prayer in the family Advent workbook. We also had an Advent calendar with a big green Christmas tree that was made of felt with little pockets complete with numbers on each pocket counting down the days to Christmas. Inside each pocket was a felt ornament with lots of sequins and a piece of candy. My sister and I never cared much about which candy we got. The bigger deal was doing the math to figure out who would get to put the last ornament on the tree...THE STAR!!!

As an adult, I find that I have much more of a sense of wonder during this time of the church year. The absolute miracle of the birth of a child. God sending God's son to live His life for the benefit of the world. That this Jesus displays a love the likes of which this world had never seen or will see again. This is what we celebrate with our decorations, our gifts, our worship. We celebrated the first Sunday in Advent yesterday. The trees are up, the greenery is hung and the first candle of the Advent wreath was lit and celebrated. The journey begins as we work to understand this love Christ has for us. Embrace this love, let it envelop you then let those around experience it through you.

Southern Shower

Today at 3:00 p.m., fifteen ladies will descend upon my home to celebrate the impending arrival of my niece Gabriella Cabal, daughter of my brother and sister-in-law, Ciro and Lilly Cabal. Many of you know of the wonderful Latino influence I gained in marrying my husband and all the wonderful Colombian traditions and celebrations I get to experience. But today...Lilly will experience an old fashioned, pinkie lifting, Southern lady, game playing, baby shower! I've had more fun putting it all together and now await the arrival of Lilly and her friends when we will get this party started.

It's interesting how for years women have gathered to give advise, tell stories, remember their mother's and grandmother's stories and generally help a new mother prepare for the birth of her own child. It is a tradition in all cultures. The new mother may have fear of the birth...of caring for a newborn...of knowing how to discipline her child. But there are always those who have gone before to lead the new mother and make her path easier. God will lead Lilly through these women as I know she is open and ready for God's guidance. Love to you and Ciro as we all celebrate the coming of Gabriella in January.

A True Super Mom

I was doing a little dusting this morning and picked up this photo of me and my mom probably taken in 1971 or 1972, my dad had died but she had not yet married my dad, Landis. I think we were living in Seguin and mom was attending Texas Lutheran College. I keep this photo out mainly because I love to remember that time but also for that hair...just look at mom's hair...it's awesome!!

When I think of that time I only think of the great fun I was having. Mom and I lived in a little green house in Seguin where she helped me nail wood slats to the hackberry tree in the back yard so I could climb way up to the top of the tree. Or the time I thought I would be really helpful and use her lipstick and some popcicle sticks to label the vegetables in the garden. Or when I got one of those metal lawn chairs out of the garage to sit under the tree but always ended up getting folded up like a Peanuts character. She always rescued me.

But now, as an adult, I think about her and what she might have been feeling. I would imagine she was quite scared even though I never saw it. I would imagine she was struggling to make it all work even though all I experienced was her always being there to take me places and ride bikes. Sometimes I went to her college classes with her and there was always a learning project that took us to Grandma's to find certain kinds of leaves, rocks or an inspiration for science learning centers for elementary children.

After she finished college she taught kindergarten for 25 years and retired this past May. Thanks Mom for the amazing mothering that I never knew you did till I grew up...oh, and for the hair!

In Honor of 1st Lt. James Leonard Knobles

37 years ago today, my father was killed in the Vietnam War. I was only two years old and in being honest with myself, I know in my heart that I don't remember him. But I feel like I did know him because of all his friends and family who always answer my many questions about his love for my mother, his philosophies, his faith, his love for his country and just what type a person he was. Today, my Grannie and I were emailing and talking about my dad...her eldest son. It's a very hard day for her but we get through it by talking about my dad and always end up smiling and having a peaceful heart. Today I told my Grannie that I think that if my dad were living we would argue a lot about politics, religion, social issues and such. Grannie said he was much like my Grandpa and boy did he and I go at it. Always with a love and respect but we didn't see eye on too many issues...only that we loved each other very much which I suppose made all the arguing mute. Really I guess it was more of just a hobby for us to debate (that's a much better word) all the sticky issues.

But today, I remember my father's life with an admiration, some sense of awe and a thankfulness for his willingness and bravery to fight in a very unpopular war. I think of all the men and women who today are beling compared to the men and women who fought in Vietnam. Whatever your stance on the whole issue it all comes down to loving those who are that brave and selfless. Whether a war is right or wrong doesn't change that strong character possessed by those in harm's way.

September 11th is a dark day...because of what happened in our country 6 years ago and because of my father's death. We're allowed dark days and I believe encouraged to dwell, just for that day, so that we always remember those who have gone on before.

Family

What is family? My husband's little sister, Beatriz Elena, better known to us all as Nena (the little one), is in town from Cali, Colombia: the same city in which my husband, Alvaro, grew up. Being with his family always brings to me a sense of worldliness...they would laugh at my saying that but I grew up pretty sheltered and not learning much about other cultures. When Alvaro and I are visiting his family in Colombia, we are treated like a king and queen. Not only by his family but by the 'people' of the city and the country. I only thought I was a hospitable person until I first visited. Much that I incorporate into my understanding of Christ's love I get from the Latino understanding of and practice of hospitality . Everything is done with an incredible respect for the recipient and with no expectation of anything in return...only the satisfaction that their guest is "contento"...satisfied...content :) We don't get to see Nena very often and I can't wait for her to stay in our home later in the week. We will have the honor of providing a happy place for her to sleep, visit, laugh, eat and build her family relationships. Welcome Beatriz Elena...mi hermana!!!

Queen of Vogue!

This is my sister voguing in the hot, humid and buggy jungle in Belize. Yes, that's right, with a smile, a pose and more humor than I can muster...well...ever! We took a vacation together this summer, our first one with just the two of us. We have no other siblings and as time goes on, we just grow closer. What I appreciated most about the time we had together was the ease in which we could simply be in each other's midst. There is enough understanding of what our history is, what we think, what we believe and what we dream that there is a built-in basis for our relationship. I started thinking about this and wondered why it should be so different for people who have never known each other. Don't most people crave basically the same things??? Acceptance, love, respect, trust...why is it so tragically hard to recognize these needs in everyone we encounter no matter how differently they live, look and act. We say, "I can't talk to people I don't know because I don't know them" Huh? Fix that! We have to take a quick stock of how we as humans beings enjoy being treated and then mirror that. Now, if only I could mirror my sister and vogue like that!

I gotta have it!

What is it about coffee? What is this hold it has on me? It is the aroma? The memories of sitting in my Grannie's kitchen when I was only 4 being poured a cup? (yes, it was mostly milk but still) Actually, I think that might be it. Every time I have a cup of coffee, especially in the afteroon, I think about the fact that my Grannie is probably doing the very same thing at that very moment. Coffee meant we were about to all sit down together and talk about something important or at least about something juicy that Mrs. So and So's daughter did last week.

How many times have you heard people say, "ewwww, church coffee!" But we still stand around and drink the stuff and visit, build on our relationships, get to know that girl and guy over there I never met before. It's all about the coffee...oh wait, I mean it's all about the relationships :) Somehow they just go together for me. What else in my life should be linked to time spent with people I know and don't know? For now, I'll use the coffee angle!