Sit down as this may shock you. In my all-encompassing love hate relationship with this state, I have to say I am ........ proud to be a Texan. Yep, you heard right. Those of you who know me can stop laughing. Seriously, I cant think of another state I'd rather be from, but now that I have been here for so many decades you might think I could leave, head held high. I've served my time.
I was forced to examine this relationship last week when a Facebook Friend posted in his status: "I am proud to be from Texas - where Iced tea is sweet and accents are sweeter; summer starts in April; front porches are wide and words are long; mac and cheese is a vegetable; pecan pie is a staple; Y'all is the only proper pronoun; chicken is fried and biscuits come w/ gravy; everything is darlin' and someone is always getting their heart blessed. Have a good day yall!....repost if you're Texan to the bone!" There are a few things I take issue with but for the most part I totally agree with the sentiment.
The fact that summer starts in April and the bit about mac and cheese, especially have my knickers in a twist. Texas summers have long been the bane of my existence. Even before I could talk I vividly remember being outside in the little rolly baby chair thing trying valiantly to kick and scoot myself back inside where the air was cool! There is even a photo documenting this event! I must have been thinking 'Where have I landed? Surely to goodness this is not what I have to look forward to!' I cant for the life of me think of one good thing about Texas summers; other than when they finally end, it feels so good to have lived through another one, thanks in part to all that sweet tea.
It could be worse, in West Texas, herds of tumbleweeds, big as your SUV blow across the highway right along with blinding sand storms. Here in North Texas we just have 40+ mph winds and enough heat to make you feel as though you live in a convection oven. Gardeners here are very challenged, too. We have actually had neighbors that longed for summer color so badly they stuck plastic flowers in their yards! Seriously, I have potted hardy plants only to find a short time later their roots were baked to a crisp! Yep, we bear the brunt of Texas summers starting in April, where you can be drenched in sweat just walking to your car. I hardly think summer starting in April is something to brag about.
When Gary & I met, our common goal was to move away from Texas. On our honeymoon we tried out several spots; Asheville, Myrtle Beach, Wilmington, Holden Beach, and Charlotte. I loved them all but Ashville was my favorite. It has the mountains that I love and the ocean is a reasonable drive. Heck, there is even a Loggerhead Turtle rescue hospital in Topsail Island. I could grow old rescuing my beloved Loggerheads AND loving where I live! What more could you ask for? Yes, in a parallel universe that is where you'll find me!
Asheville is verdant to the point of being a tad on the creepy side, though. For instance, if you stand still for longer than 5 minutes you really and truly run the risk of having a vine grow up and around your body, lashing you to whatever object is closest! But still, of all the places I have been, Asheville is my favorite. It just fits like a pair of Uggs. But if you ask Gary he will tell you we spent a few days of our honeymoon in Asheville, trying to turn left! At that time the population was 66,000 and Gary figured they were all on the road, trying to turn left at the same time we were! I have to agree, the traffic was horrendous and for some reason left turning lanes and left turn arrow lights hadn't made their way to Asheville yet. Maybe the city grew too fast, who knows. Gary said he didn't care to grow old trying to turn left, no matter how pretty the horizon. Darn it, but I had to agree.
I can, do, and most likely will continue to complain a lot about Dallas. As bad as the traffic is, I will say we have great signage, street lights and traffic signal lights. Chances are, if you miss your exit off one of the many highways, there will be a sign telling you just that! But head across the border into Oklahoma at night and you would swear you had fallen into the Black Hole of Calcutta! There are few lights along the highway much less signs telling you where the heck you even are! The pot holes seem to be beyond the last thing on the state's to do list. Yes, one trip to Oklahoma and your appreciation for Texas will grow leaps and bounds! There are a lot of things we take for granted and sometimes you just need to drive into another state to realize how good we have it. It almost makes those 100+ degree days more bearable. Did I really say that?
As much as I dislike mac and cheese, nothing tastes sweeter than Parker County or Hill Country peaches and those are only found here in Texas. Also, lets not forget about Tex-Mex or Mexi-slop as I call it. I know a few folks who would just about kill for a plate of the greasy yellow stuff followed by a big bowl of our very own Blue Bell Ice Cream for dessert, mmm mmm!
If someone were to ask what my idea of a perfect day in Texas would be, I would have to think long and hard. It might include a swim in the crystal clear perpetually cool Cypress Creek (Blue Hole) followed by a piece of peach pie at the Wimberley Pie Company and watching a herd of Longhorn cattle graze in a field of Bluebonnets and possibly ending the day viewing the magnificent sunset from Enchanted Rock while toasting Texas with a cocktail!
Texas Oh Texas Oh Dear.......
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
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