Rain, rain... go away...

Harvey has hit Texas, big time. The coastal areas have been hammered, and the areas in and around the city of Houston are flooded. My husband is patting himself on the back because we decided to move away from that area in 2009. We have had constant rain here in the Hill Country, a few branches have fallen from the pecan trees, and our pond is filled to the brim... but that's about the extent of the effects of Harvey in our little country bubble.

My cousins and friends have been calling, eMailing, and texting from Long Island, Chicago, Baltimore, Phoenix.... "Are you okay there?"  "Did you build an ark yet?"   "Should I look for you on the news tonight?"  I tell them that we're fine... we're up in the hills... the house is on a hill... the only thing that is getting flooded is the pond.

Our young friend Miss C found a stray dog the day before the storm hit... huge German Shepard-ish mix... very friendly, fell in love with Miss C immediately and slept on the bed with her the first night, with his head on her pillow. I told her to name the dog Harvey, not only after the storm, but after that old movie "Harvey" with Jimmy Stewart. In that film, Harvey was a very tall rabbit who appeared out of nowhere and followed Stewart's character wherever he went.  I told C to Google the film and maybe she could watch it on the Internet.  I loved that old movie and I had been looking for the book over the summer. Never did find a copy.

We have been going to a new restaurant recently... The Kenney Store (in the tiny town of Kenney, population 200).  The restaurant is in an old store which was built in 1887... original floors and walls and ceiling... filled with old wooden tables and mis-matched chairs... a beautiful light fixture hangs from the back room ceiling... the fixture itself is made of black wrought iron and embellished with turquoise mason jars and glass prisms... if it had a price tag on it, I would buy it. (The chandelier, not the restaurant.)  The food is very good, the waitresses are efficient and friendly, and the atmosphere is pure Texas country, complete with live music on weekend nights. Country music, of course. (No Manilow.)  Finally, a 'real' restaurant where whoever is cooking in the kitchen knows what to do with fresh food.  And did I mention the cupcakes?  One of the waitresses makes the most delicious cupcakes.... with homemade frosting. The cupcakes alone are worth the drive to Kenney.

The new school term begins this week... with the onslaught of Harvey, however, we have to wait and see if classes will begin on time at the Houston university in Clear Lake where my husband teaches.  As for me and The Magic Wand Book Club... I am set to begin in mid-September.... I have collected over 700 books for the students and the collection is, to say the least, eclectic. My wish is that most, if not all, of the 4th, 5th, and 6th grade students will discover the magic hidden between the covers of books.

The Chicago Kid

For the past week, we had the pleasure of enjoying the company of my cousin's seventeen-yr-old son.... he flew here from Chicago for a week-long visit to our little country bubble.  We brought Jack to the airport yesterday for his flight home, and even though he was a quiet and trouble-free guest, the house now feels like someone is missing.

Jack slept in the guest rooms over the barn... a two-bedroom apartment that became his own private man-cave, stocked with soda and snacks and chocolates.  He loved the privacy of the barn when he wanted to just get a break from the heat or read his books, but he was with us at the house for most of his time here.  The day before Jack flew down, the temperature was 106... then it cooled down into the high 90s for the rest of his stay. It rained one day and the temperature was around 79, with people in town saying that it almost felt like winter. Jack thought they were joking... I explained to him how dead serious they were to enjoy such a respite from the sizzling August heat.

We brought Jack to various restaurants and shops in town, and to Royer's in Round Top for fried chicken, and my husband took Jack to an Astros baseball game in Houston.  My cousin couldn't believe that we would drive 40 minutes just to get fried chicken, and my husband commented that he couldn't understand why Jack would commute 40 minutes into the city of Chicago to get to his high school.  Jack also couldn't comprehend the limited Internet service and the serious lack of good Italian pizza.... but he did like the quiet, and the possibility of the neighbor's goats jumping the fence and creating a 'traffic jam' on the road.

Our friends up the road had their grandson visiting the same week (a serendipitous coincidence for the boys) and Jack went up there to use their pool after dinner... he drove up the hill in my Thunderbird, which he absolutely loved. When I opened up the garage door the first time, he couldn't believe that I had such a sporty car tucked away in there. My answer to that was "Do I really look like I would drive that big Camry?"  Jack said I was full of surprises.

Life is full of surprises. Having Jack here was a happy breath of family...

The Cowboy Commandments

The following 'commandments' are printed on the back of the business card for R.S. Electrical Services.... a very nice and extremely efficient licensed electrical company based in Ledbetter, Texas.

l.  Just one God.
2.  Honor yer Ma and Pa.
3.  No tellin' tales or gossipin'.
4.  Git yourself to Sunday meeting.
5.  Put nothin' before God.
6.  No foolin' around with another fellow's gal.
7.  No killin'.
8.  Watch yer mouth.
9.  Don't take what ain't yers.
10. Don't be hankerin' for yer buddy's stuff.