Christmas Greetings from Brownsville

 

These are a few examples from the annual sand castle exhibit held on South Padre Island.  The Santa Claus was our favorite sculpture, although the sentiment inscribed on the left-hand picture below seems to best describe holiday wishes from government to citizens. 

These are two embroidery projects drawn, stitched, and framed for Christmas.  I have stitched the picture on the left you see hanging in my fifth wheel three times.  The first two times I embroidered the fantasy skyline, tie-dyed them, then sewed them into tote bags.  This time I decided to frame the project for my own enjoyment.  I can tell you I embroidered the picture on the right as a Christmas gift for my mother because we've already exchanged gifts and it is now hanging in her home here in Brownsville.

Cheers!  The glass on the left is a cherry-chocolate martini.  I purchased a jar of chocolate covered cherry moonshine when we were in Tennessee this past summer.  You mix the cherry liqueur with Creme de Cacao and a little heavy cream, then top it with more whipped cream and a moonshine cherry.  If done just right, it tastes like melted cherry ice cream.  I noticed this morning I had a kind of theme going.  In addition to the chocolate covered cherry moonshine, I have blackberry moonshine, double chocolate vodka, and grapefruit beer.  The Schoefferhofer grapefruit beer is really good!

I'm not sure how many dozens of cookies I've made in the past few weeks, but I do know I've made seven different types.  These pictured above are monster cookies.  They are basically peanut butter-oatmeal cookies with chocolate chips and M&M's.  The recipe calls for a dozen eggs, four cups of sugar, two pounds of brown sugar, three pounds of peanut butter, among other things.  You are supposed to scoop them out with an ice cream scoop to make cookies the size of a dessert plate.  I halved the recipe and made smaller cookies.  I could only make two cookies at a time if I made them with an ice cream scoop.  Living in a fifth wheel, you learn to adapt.

Last week SpaceX launched their Starship rocket from Boca Chica beach.  We were able to stand in our yard at 4 Seasons and see it take off, make the turn, and head back to the launchpad.  It rose to about 41,000 feet before shutting off its engines and turning horizontally, as planned.  It flew across the sky a short distance then turned nose up again as it descended to the landing pad.  As its legs hit the ground at landing, the rocket exploded.  From where we were, 17 miles away, we heard the reverberant boom of take off and actually felt the forceful vibration from the launch.  We did not see or hear the crash.

The conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn as seen from our yard.

A few pics of the 4 Seasons Christmas parade.  This beautifully lit SUV was spectacular!

It seems we are constantly losing track of the kitty, and I'm always concerned he has scampered out of the fifth wheel when the door is open.  He has yet to escape his human captivity and always turns up in the most interesting places.  The other day I had our bed lifted to access the storage underneath.  I retrieved whatever it was I needed, then lowered the bed to its normal position.  Sometime later we realized we hadn't seen Fulton running through the trailer.  We checked all his favorite hiding spots to no avail.  I retraced my activities of the day and arrived back at the bed.  I lifted the bed and found the kitty inside a box wrapped up in Christmas lights and happily munching on ribbons.

'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring and -- thank goodness! -- no mouse. The fur-balls were nestled all snug in their beds while visions of yummy treats danced round in their heads.  

Happy Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Feisty, Fierce Fulton

 

Remember when we were in Fulton, Missouri, a couple of months ago and consort found a kitten we decided to adopt?  When we found him, he really was nothing more than skin, bones, and parasites.  We did what we could for him -- baths, flea medication, FOOD, but when we got to our hometown, we took him to our vet for a full examination.  Based on the vet's best guess, the kitten was about two months old when we rescued him, and only two pounds.  After a month's worth of visits to the veterinarian, and multiple rounds of medications, the kitten was finally pronounced parasite free and ready to begin his new life.  

The kitten gets called a lot of things, but Fulton is his given name.  Although he weighed only two pounds when we found him, he was completely fearless.  He must have sensed that a forever home was on the line because he has never had any issues with the Pulik.  

Fulton thinks of himself as a dog and wants to be included in all dog activities.  He loves hiding and waiting for one of the dogs, or one of the humans for that matter, to walk by so he can pounce on them.  The most common sight in the fifth wheel nowadays is D.O.G. walking around with the kitten attached to his hind leg.  

When Fulton was first introduced into our family, we were concerned about him playing with the dogs; he was so tiny and seemed very fragile.  We expressed our concerns to the vet who just laughed.  He told us not to worry, the cat would be able to defend himself.  The vet knew exactly what he was talking about.  Yesterday evening, Fulton jumped onto Annie's head wrapping his paws around her eyes while he chomped on her ear.  Annie tolerated the cat for a moment or two, then quickly whipped her head forward and backward body slamming the kitten to the floor.  Fulton reared up on his hind legs pawing the air in front of him, every bit the ferocious feline.  Annie gave him a whatever look and walked away.

D.O.G. and Fulton remain the best of friends.  They chase each other through the trailer; they share their toys; D.O.G. continues to give Fulton baths; they curl up and sleep together at night.  After one disastrous day of canine/feline gastrointestinal issues, we no longer allow the two different species to share their food.  D.O.G. is very tolerant of this new baby that invaded his world.  He patiently endures all injury, trouble, and provocation.

When consort takes the dogs out for walks each morning, Fulton sits at the front door and cries.  After he gained a couple of pounds, we purchased a harness for him so he could go outside with the dogs.  The first couple of times we tried to put him in the harness, it was like trying to thread cooked spaghetti noodles through shoe eyelets.  Eventually he realized that by submitting to the humility of a harness, he would be allowed to go outside.  We are training him to go on walks with the dogs.  He does a pretty good job of following after D.O.G., but is easily distracted.  I think we'll get there eventually.

If you had told me a few years ago that one day I would be living in a fifth wheel and taking a kitten on a walk with a leash, I would have suggested you were off your meds.  Apparently, the joke's on me!

Exposed

 

I cannot walk in the open street today

with the sun glinting off the pavement

like so many eyes looking through me.

Today I can only manage the alleyways,

my steps muffled in the weedy overgrowth,

soundless, unnoticed.

Trees bend over me

understanding my need for cover and shadows.

The wind stirs the leaves

and lightly rumples my hair,

a soft caress to my cheek.

This hidden path serves my need for quiet, 

for solitude.

Tomorrow I'll walk in the sun.

I was going through some old files in my computer today and ran across the above poem I wrote in November 2015.  The picture is a selfie from 2011, which I thought perfectly reflected the mood of the poem.

I have dealt with depression and anxiety for as long as I can remember.  It kind of creeps up on me and, because of the tools I've acquired over the years, I can usually shake it off.  But there are times when it hits so hard that I feel I've been thrown down into the deepest black hole ever created and there's no way out.  When consort and I removed ourselves from "the real world" and began traveling about the country, the depression subsided.  It's been a full year since I was last overwhelmed by this darkness.

Anxiety, on the other hand, is a daily thing I work very hard to overcome.  It often inhibits me from doing things I enjoy, and it definitely keeps me from voluntarily joining large groups of people. 

But here I am today, a month after arriving in Brownsville, having fallen into the black hole and just beginning to claw my way out.  Maybe it's the pandemic exhaustion everyone talks about.  Maybe it's the disturbing state of our beautiful country.  Maybe it's that I'm 800 miles away from my grandsons who are truly the light of my life.  Maybe it's coming to an abrupt halt after a summer of traveling adventures.  I've never been able to figure out what it is that causes the depression; likewise, I can never pinpoint what it is that causes me to suddenly "wake up" to my old self.

I try to keep this blog lighthearted and have debated with myself for days as to whether I should publish my thoughts.  I finally came to the conclusion that until I honestly write about where I am right now and how I'm feeling, I have no voice.  If I can't be truthful about the bad stuff, why should you follow me through the good times?

Today is a new day and I'm finally waking up.  I've clawed my way to the top of the black hole and am peeking over the edge.  Maybe I'll even put on a mask and take the dogs, and their feline brother, outside for a walk.

Be well, dear reader, and stay safe.

We’re back in Brownsville

Hello, old friend 

Fall Foliage Tour

Each year when our kids were young, in addition to dragging them through the livestock barn at the fair, consort and I took them on what we fondly called our Fall Foliage Tour.  

One day towards the end of October was set aside as a family day for touring Tulsa and viewing the beautiful colors -- despite the vociferous complaints put forth by the children.  Before taking off, I would make a kettle of soup and leave it to simmer while we were out.  There's nothing better than a hot bowl of soup and a biscuit after spending the day out of doors in the crisp fall air.  (The two pictures above and below were taken in the historic downtown area of Broken Arrow.)

On our last day in Broken Arrow before taking off for south Texas, and at our daughter's request, we loaded up the family and headed out to continue the tradition of the Keeling Fall Foliage Tour.  Contrary to years past, we started our tour in the historic downtown area of Broken Arrow.  While the foliage and houses in the downtown area are beautiful, the main reason for stopping in downtown is a trip to the grandsons' favorite store, Rocket Fizz.  There is one truth I've learned in my life that never varies:  Treat the kiddos first; they'll be much happier and more compliant the remainder of the day.

After a short walking tour of Broken Arrow, we loaded up the family and headed to Woodward Park.  Woodward Park is a 45-acre park, arboretum, and botanical garden just outside of downtown Tulsa.  In the spring, a large portion of the park is covered in blooming azaleas; in the fall, the entire park is ablaze in fall colors.  

The day we chose for touring was overcast, and conditions in NE Oklahoma have been dry this year, so the dazzling display of colorful leaves was not all that it could be.  

Fall is my favorite season and October, in particular, is my favorite month.  Last year we missed seeing any fall color. and this year we left New England before the leaves really began to change.  So despite the fact that there was not an abundance of leaves changing colors, we enjoyed each and every one that we saw.

Consort and I have been strolling through Woodward Park since before we were married.  We've always considered it our park.  This beautiful Magnolia tree has been in the park forever and remains unchanged.  Consort and I would climb the low branches whenever we visited the park.  Years later when we brought our kids to the park, they also climbed up into this epic tree.  And here we are, decades later, watching our grandsons climb up into the very same tree.  

A tree's beauty lies in its branches, but its strength lies in its roots. ~Matshona Dhliwayo

Touring Tulsa

 & the kicks on Route 66

This is the Blue Whale located in Catoosa, Oklahoma, about 15 miles east of downtown Tulsa.  The Blue Whale is one of the most recognizable attractions on old Route 66.  It was built in the 1970s by Hugh Davis as a surprise for his wife, Zelta, who collected whale figurines.  The pond where the whale rests is spring fed.  When the attraction originally debuted, it was open to the public for swimming.  While swimming is no longer allowed, you are able to fish and picnic.  There is a great souvenir shop onsite, and the proprietor is a treasure-trove of local history.

This is The Outsiders house located in west Tulsa.  The Outsiders is a novel written by S.E. Hinton, a native Tulsan.  She started the book when she was 15, and finished it at the age of 16.  The book was first published in 1967 when Hinton was 18.  The book has been banned in some schools because of the portrayal of gang violence, underage smoking and drinking, strong language, and dysfunctional families.  It is also the recipient of the Margaret Edwards literary award.  Here's a recommendation from me to you:  Read the book.  You can thank me later.  

Meadow Gold milk and ice cream sign built in 1934 located on Route 66.

Across the street from the Meadow Gold sign is Buck Atom's Cosmic Curios.  Buck began his life in the 1960s in Calgary, Alberta, as the space cowboy muffler man and ended up bashed and shattered in a junkyard in Edmonton, Alberta.  Buck was found, restored, and installed on the old Route 66 in May of 2019.

Decopolis Discovitorium and TulsaRama on Route 66.  Love the sinage!

Black Wall Street, Greenwood District, Tulsa, Oklahoma

The Tulsa Race Massacre occurred on May 31 and June 1, 1921.  It was the worst race massacre in American history.  The riot began when a 19-year-old Black male shoe shiner was accused of assaulting a 17-year-old White female elevator operator.  It is an horrific story.  The massacre has been in the Tulsa daily news recently as the City, after nearly 100 years, has begun searching for mass graves of victims that were said to be secretly buried.  Yesterday, the City uncovered ten unmarked graves in a trench.  The wooden coffins were laid out side-by-side.  The search continues for additional remains of victims.

The Vernon African Methodist Episcopal Church is the only standing, Black-owned structure from the historic Black Wall Street era in Tulsa.  It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in August 2018.

Views of downtown Tulsa.  Two bottom photos are of ahha Tulsa, an art gallery.

This is the Center of the Universe located in the Brady District of Tulsa.  The Center of the Universe is a little-known mysterious acoustical phenomenon.  If you stand in the middle of the circle and make a noise, the sound is echoed back several times louder than it was made.  The theory is that the sound hits the concrete walls that surround the Center of the Universe and reverberate back creating the echo effect.  Consort and I tried recording the echo standing in the echo zone, and also outside of the echo zone, but were unable to capture the strange phenomenon.  

Tulsa Union Depot, a former central railway station, is now home to the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame.

Fat Guy's Burger Bar, where we stopped for lunch.

It is, without a doubt, a Tulsa favorite of both consort and I.

These two photos are of the Abundant Life building in downtown Tulsa.  The circular tower in one photo is  the University Club Tower.  

The Abundant Life building was constructed in 1958 as the world headquarters for the Oral Roberts ministry.  It was in use by the ministry until the early '70s at which time it was abandoned for new headquarters located on the Oral Roberts University campus in south Tulsa.  It is a huge, windowless, seven-story, concrete block setting in south downtown Tulsa.  Abandoned, dark, and in a state of decay, the Abundant Life building does not live up to its name. 

The gold diamonds that adorn the building are beginning to fall off.  The City is in a dilemma as to what to do with the building:  Tear it down, or preserve the at-risk mid-century architecture.  

Interesting note.  Unless you have the ability to walk through walls, there is no way in. 

This is the Cave House, a quirky little house just a few blocks west of downtown Tulsa.  The house dates back to the 1920s and was known as the Cave Garden Restaurant.  It served fried chicken outside at picnic tables during the day and became a speakeasy at night.  Patrons of the speakeasy would enter the house and then follow a secret tunnel through the fireplace that led to a large room under a hill.  The current owner of the house, who lives onsite, offers tours of the house for the curious.

So there you have it, our brief trip through Tulsa.  There were a few things on our list that we had not seen before, like Buck Atom and The Outsiders house; there was at least one thing we wondered about but had never checked out, the Abundant Life building; and a major historical event of which we were completely ignorant, the Tulsa Race Massacre.  We really enjoyed our journey through Tulsa as tourists.  Although we lived in the Tulsa metropolitan area for nearly 40 years, we've found there's always something more to discover in our own backyard.