Book Review: Where the Water Meets the Sand by Tyra Manning

Title: Where the Water Meets the Sand

Author: Tyra Manning

Publisher: Greenleaf Book Group Press

Publication Date: May 10, 2016

Length: 264 Pages



About The Author
After retiring from a forty-year career in education, Dr. Tyra Manning has devoted her energies to comforting those suffering in silence, reducing the stigma associated with mental illness, and opening doors to resources for support and treatment.

A Woman With A Mission
Tyra Manning learned that her husband had been killed in the Vietnam War from her psychiatrist at the Menninger Clinic, where she had been hospitalized for clinical depression. After years of battling addiction and depression, Tyra's worst fear had come true. Larry had been shot down over the Laotian jungle while flying a top-secret mission, just two weeks before their daughter's second birthday.

The author recounts how she was able to persevere in the face of devastating loss. With courage, love, and determination, she overcame her grief and fulfilled promises she made to Larry before he left for Vietnam. She ultimately earned a doctorate of education from the University of Kansas and became one of the nation's top school superintendents.

When Tyra received a call from the Air Force in 2006, she was able to keep one last promise to Larry. His remains had finally been excavated after thirty-five years, and she was able to honor his wish to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

My Thoughts
This memoir is remarkable for many reasons. I started reading this book and couldn't put it down until I read the last page.

The author is a survivor. Tyra Manning is as much of a hero as her husband who lost his life in Vietnam. She would not give up, no matter how difficult her life circumstances were.

Here are some of the challenges that Dr. Manning overcame:

• The illness and death of her father at a young age.
• Depression, anxiety and eating disorders.
• Alcohol addiction.
• Becoming a young widow of an Air Force pilot killed in Vietnam.
• Single motherhood.
• Working as a school teacher and going to school at night and during summers.
• Severe injuries from a head-on collision with a drunk driver.
• Divorce.
• Dealing with military authorities for over 35 years to have her husband's remains returned and buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

Trya and Larry were planning to meet in Hawaii, where the water meets the sand, during an upcoming R&R leave. This dream of walking on the beach with her husband inspired and comforted Tyra during her most difficult days.

Courage. Inspiration. Determination. Perseverance. Patriotism. Hope. Love.

These are just a few words that describe Dr. Manning's life journey. 

Highly recommended!

My Rating: 5 Stars Out Of 5

FYI ~ I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.

The video book trailer below provides some highlights from the book.

Children's Book Review: Buddy; The Buddy Holly Story

ONE WORD BOOK REVIEW: ROCK (MUSIC)

Buddy: The Story of Buddy Holly

Author: Anne Bustard

Illustrator: Kurt Cyrus

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books For Young Children

Publication Date: February 1, 2005


About The Author
Anne Bustard holds an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from the Vermont College of Fine Arts.

A Texas Music Legend
This picture book provides a delightful glimpse into the life of Charles Hardin Holley, better known as Buddy Holly.

The author uses colorful "Texas-talk" to describe Buddy's family and early life. Buddy was raised in a musical family so it was only natural for him to take to the guitar when he was in the sixth grade.

Just past Buddy's seventeenth birthday, he and his friend Jack were asked to sing and play on a weekly local radio show.

"Faster than greased lightnin', louder than a thunderstorm, more powerful than a Texas twister, and plumb full of gumption. Buddy and his friends wrote and played hip-hoppin' tunes. No foolin'. That music blasted them into out-of-this-world places".

The author includes an "Afterword" that gives biographical information about Buddy Holly's life and death.

My Thoughts
I was thrilled to find this book (1st ed., signed by author) at a local thrift shop. It is not a new book, but it is perfect for the Texas history/music niche for children ages 6 - 10. I am a Buddy Holly fan and I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

The text is lively and the color illustrations are superb. This book is excellent for a unit in Texas history or music history in the elementary grades. I would share a Buddy Holly song with my listener and then read the book.

I once was a substitute teacher in an elementary music classroom. The teacher had a large bin of picture books about famous musicians. Kudos to this teacher for including biography books in her lessons. This book is a perfect fit for a teacher or parent who wants to introduce students to a time when rock ruled.

MY RATING: 5 STARS OUT OF 5

FYI - I purchased this hardcover book with my own funds.

Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.

Handmade Fathers Day Card 2015

I made this Fathers Day card with a rubber stamp and paper piecing.

These are the supplies I used:
Blank 5" by 7" kraft cardstock card
Blonde wood grain patterned paper
Green patterned paper (My Mind's Eye Paper Pad).
A vintage Scafa-Tornabene litho print (1982)
"Dad's Truck" rubber stamp (PrintWorks Collection)
Aluminum foil
Red Stickles glitter glue
A barbeque grill sticker (Jolees)
Tim Holtz sentiment ("Small Talk")

This is how I made the card:
I attached the wood-grain patterned paper to the blank kraft card. I rounded the corners with a corner rounder.

I took the rubber stamp "Dad's Truck" and used a VersaMark Watermark stamp pad to stamp the truck image on a piece of wood-grain paper two times. The first time I stamped with the wood-grain vertical and the second time I stamped with the wood-grain horizontal.

I heat embossed both images with black embossing powder. I cut out the truck and cut out the window. I glued a piece of cellophane behind the window to look like glass.

I used light-weight foil to cover the bumper and the side mirrors of the truck.

I used red Stickles glitter glue for the tail lights.

I cut the tailgate out from the second image that I heat embossed (the wood-grain is horizontal). I used glue dots along the bottom edge to attach it to the truck and then foam squares at the top to make it look three-dimensional.

I put a barbeque pit sticker in the back of the truck.

I mounted the truck on the litho print that features a pretty country scene. I framed the print with the green print paper from My Mind's Eye and attached it to the card.

I chose the sentiment "hold tight, and pretend it's a plan" .

Thank you for taking a look at my card. Please share your thoughts in the Comments section below.

Halloween Interactive Video

It is that time of year. Kids love Halloween and all the fun that goes with it.

We recently visited Oil Ranch in Hockley, Texas. Their Halloween decorations have turned the ranch into a home for pumpkins, jack-o-lanterns and scarecrows.

I made a video of the festive sights and then added a map, videos, an article and songs with Thinglink's interactive tags.

Enjoy the video and have a Happy Halloween!

 

 

Here is a link to the Halloween Interactive Video on Thinglink.

Here is a link to the Halloween at Oil Ranch video without the embedded links.

 

Here is another link to Halloween at Oil Ranch without the embedded links.

 

Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.



Interactive Tour of Sam Houston Memorial Museum

This video project was created for the Peer Assignment in the Coursera MOOC "Advanced Instructional Strategies in the Virtual Classroom".

Suggested Audience: 7th Grade Texas History Students

Objectives: (From Texas 7th Grade Social Studies TEKS)
(3) History. The student understands how individuals, events, and issues related to the Texas Revolution shaped the history of Texas. The student is expected to:

(B) explain the roles played by significant individuals during the Texas Revolution, including George Childress, Lorenzo de Zavala, James Fannin, Sam Houston, Antonio López de Santa Anna, Juan N. Seguín, and William B. Travis;

(C) explain the issues surrounding significant events of the Texas Revolution, including the Battle of Gonzales, William B. Travis’s letter “To the People of Texas and All Americans in the World,” the siege of the Alamo and all the heroic defenders who gave their lives there, the Constitutional Convention of 1836, Fannin’s surrender at Goliad, and the Battle of San Jacinto;

Technology: I made this video using Animoto Pro. I added the interactive elements using a Premium Education Thinglink account.

Here is a link to Interactive Tour of Sam Houston Memorial Museum on Thinglink.

Thank you for taking a look at this video. Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.

Children's Book Review: The Wild Texas Stampede by Margaret McManis

Wild Texas Stampede!, The

After her father leaves for Austin, Texas, Ima Hogg is left in charge of their unique farm and taking care of her mischievous little brother.


Author: Margaret McManis
Illustrator: Bruce Dupree

Publisher: Pelican Publishing Company

Date: September 1, 2008





About the Author
Margaret McManis, a former children's librarian, serves as a guest lecturer at schools, museums, libraries, and bookstores. She has written two other books for children; Ima and the Great Ostrich Race and Ole! Cinco de Mayo.

Ima Minds Her Little Brother
Ima Hogg's father was a 19th century governor of Texas. He had to travel to Austin for the election, so he left Ima in charge of "minding" her little brother, Tom. They lived on a ranch with many exotic and unusual animals.

Ima took her responsibility very seriously and was determined to keep her brother in line while her father was away. Tom liked to "bother the buffaloes, outrage the ostriches, and panic the pachyderms."

Ima was at her wit's end when Tom caused the animals to stampede and put their safety in danger. She knew she had to do something to get Tom to leave the animals alone.

Ima came up with a "sticky" plan that would keep Tom away from the animals and out of danger.

My Thoughts
This is a historical fiction story based on the lives of a real Texas governor and his family. The author included a page at the end of the book that tells about the real Governor James Stephen Hogg and his delightful family that included Ima and her four brothers. Since their mother died when Ima was thirteen, she was often left in charge of her younger siblings.

Ima's father knew that he could trust her to take care of Tom while he was away. Ima was up to the task. Her little brother was "all boy", but Ima came up with an ingenious idea to keep him out of trouble until their father returned.

Children will notice the loving care that Ima gave her brother...even when she was angry with him! The antics with the animals will have children laughing out loud. Can you imagine a stampede of buffaloes, ostriches and elephants?

The full-page color illustrations complimented the text and added a great deal to the enjoyment of this book.

This book makes Texas history fun and will have children begging to learn more about Ima Hogg and her family.  The book is perfect for read-aloud to young children or independent reading for more advanced readers. Highly recommended!

My Rating: 5 Stars Out Of 5

FYI ~ I checked out a print copy of this book from my local public library.

Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.

Children's Book Review: Ima and The Great Texas Ostrich Race by Margaret McManis

Ima & the Great Texas Ostrich Race

Author: Margaret McManis
Illustrator: Bruce Dupree

Publisher: Eakin Press

Date: September 1, 2003





About The Author
Margaret McManis is a retired school librarian and a children's book author. She loves interesting characters in history and hopes to introduce kids to fascinating people like Miss Ima Hogg.

"Girl, You've Got Mettle!"
This is a fictionalized account of the life of young Ima Hogg, the daughter of Governor James Hogg of Texas.

The story is told from a first-person perspective and tells about a crazy race between Ima and her two brothers. Ima is riding her ostrich named Ossy and her brothers are riding their fastest quarter horses.

Ima's father encourages Ima by saying, "Girl, you've got mettle!" She remembers these words as she climbs on Ossy's back and confidently begins her attempt to show her brothers that she indeed has "mettle."

My Thoughts
Ima Hogg was a real person and became widely known for supporting the arts, historical preservation and mental health programs. Ima was eight years old when her father was elected governor of Texas in 1890. Their home was filled with famous people and exotic animals, including two ostriches named Jack and Jill.

The author exhibits her marvelous imagination by taking these facts and creating a picture book that children will find fascinating and hilarious. This book will wet children's curiosity about this period in Texas history and the captivating world of ostriches.

I especially like the way Ima's father encourages her and uses the word "mettle"
to describe her. The word "mettle" means courage, valor, vigor and ardor. These are wonderful words for young women to treasure and live by.

The color illustrations add a great deal to the humor in this book. Mr. Dupree did an excellent job capturing the heart of the story.

This book was published over ten years ago but I honestly believe it should have a permanent place in your children's book collection. I hope the author will make this book available in digital format so a new generation of techie children can enjoy Ima and her antics!

My Rating: 5 Stars Out of 5

FYI ~ I checked out a print copy of this book from my local public library.

Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.

Book Review: God, Hold Me While I Cry by Don Dilmore

GOD, HOLD ME WHILE I CRY: HOW GOD USED OTHERS TO BLESS ANNA'S LIFE

Author: Don Dilmore

Publisher: Authorhouse

Date: March 17, 2011



About The Author
Don Dilmore has authored seven books. Mr. Dilmore served in the Merchant Marines in World War II. He graduated from Franklin College where he edited the college newspaper. He then spent 37 years in the life insurance and real estate business. After doing lay-preaching for many years, Mr. Dilmore was ordained as a pastor at age 65. He and his wife live in Montgomery, Texas.

Anna's Story

"This book is dedicated to all those who have suffered hardship, hoping that after you read Anna's story, you will know, without a doubt that if we will ask God to come into our lives, anything is possible. His love will overcome any handicap, hardship or disappointment". 

Mr. Don Dilmore tells how God used many people to help Anna Lybarger through one desperate situation after another as she was raised in Nazi Germany during World War II.

Anna married an American GI and moved to the United States but discovered that her husband had a serious drinking problem. She took her children and divorced her husband but was soon involved in another abusive relationship.

Anna eventually met and married Herschel Lybarger. He was a good man and provided a stable home for Anna and her children. Anna and Herschel had a son who was brain-damaged and suffered serious mental and physical challenges. Anna trusted God to help them conquer adversity and hardship.

Anna's story is about hope and faith in God. God was always with her. He answered her prayers and brought peace and love into her life.

My Thoughts
I met Mr. Dilmore at a Christmas Market at my church. I enjoyed visiting with him and purchased this book from him. I picked up this book last week and read the entire volume in a couple of days.

I found Anna's story very interesting and inspiring. My family came to the United States from Germany in the early 1900s so I was fascinated with the details about her life in Germany.

I enjoyed reading about a woman who lives in a neighboring town and learning some local history along the way. Mrs. Lybarger's Christian testimony left a deep impression on me.

This story is about faith, hope and love. If you are going through a difficult time, this book will encourage and inspire you.  Mr. Dilmore did a good job sharing this story.

My Rating: 4 STARS OUT OF 5

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Book Review: Neil Sperry's Complete Guide to Texas Gardening

 Neil Sperry's Complete Guide to Texas Gardening

Author: Neil Sperry

Publisher: Taylor Publishing Company

Copyright: 1982






About The Author
Neil Sperry grew up in College Station, the son of a professor and head librarian. He attended Texas A and M, but transferred to Ohio State University, where he completed both his B.S. and M.S. degrees in horticulture.
His name has been synonymous with Texas gardening since 1970.

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Texas has long been known for it's outstanding landscapes and gardens. Horticulture is one of our state's leading hobbies. However, it is not always easy to find reference materials on creating beautiful landscapes and gardens.

Mr. Sperry provides nearly 500 pages of text, color photos, maps and diagrams. Texas is divided into zones and the author recommends different kinds of plants for different kinds of climate in the state.

This book provides basic information about planning your landscape, trees, shrubs, lawns, flower gardens, vegetable gardens and solving plant problems. Each section of the book is illustrated with dozens of beautiful color illustrations.

This book is well-known and is considered a must-have for Texas gardeners and hobbyists.

My Thoughts
I picked up a copy of the 1982 version of this book at an estate sale. There is now a revised edition (1991) available in both print and for the Kindle on Amazon.Com. I am very pleased with my older edition and do not feel the need to update at this time.

Why am I reading a gardening book???
I have to admit that I am not very good with plants. I was motivated to start reading this book because we just bought a new home with beautiful landscaping in the front and back yards. I have LOTS of questions and I am finding the answers I need in this book.

I like this book because it provides basic information about how to choose plants, water, fertilize, prune and avoid insects and disease. This book is a good starting place for finding answers to gardening and landscaping questions. I hope the information in this book will help me keep all my new plants healthy and beautiful. I am especially nervous about the roses....my new yard has about 20 rose bushes in full bloom.

"Neil Sperry's Complete Guide To Texas Gardening" is a very useful reference book for all gardeners in the great state of Texas. This is a practical guide for both beginners and experienced horticulture enthusiasts.

My Rating: 5 Stars Out Of 5

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Walk Like MADD

The 1990 Ford Taurus that I was driving on October 16, 1992.

This is the car that I was driving on October 16, 1992. I was driving Cindy, my 11-year-old daughter, home from her piano lesson at 8:00 pm on a Friday evening. We were driving west on Wharton Weems Road in La Porte, Texas, when a drunk driver swerved across the center line and hit us head-on.

My right leg was crushed and it took me many months to recover. I continue to have health problems related to this injury. My daughter was badly shaken but did not suffer any serious physical injuries.

It has been almost twenty years since we were involved in this wreck. Unfortunately, drunk driving is still a serious problem. The cure is possible ~ It's all of us choosing to drive sober or designating a driver if we drink alcohol.

Did you know that an average drunk driver has driven drunk 80 times before first arrest? The driver that was involved in our wreck was a repeat offender and had multiple DWIs on his record.

Candy Lightner founded Mothers Against Drunk Driving in 1980 after her daughter, Cari, was killed by a repeat drunk driving offender.  A representative of MADD was sitting in the court room when the drunk driver that hit Cindy and I received a ten year prison sentence.

Tomorrow, Dean and I will be participating in the Walk Like MADD event in The Woodlands, Tx. We will be joining hundreds of other people who have been impacted by drunk drivers.

If you can support us in this endeavor, I would be very appreciative. Cindy and I were very blessed, we survived a head-on collision and went on to enjoy all the joys that life has to offer. Many people are not so fortunate.

You can help us find the cure. If you drink, don't drive.

Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.

Texas Antique Weekend in Warrenton

Dean and I hit the road on Friday morning and drove to Warrenton, Texas. We enjoyed the two-hour road trip and made a couple of quick stops on the way. We arrived in the Round Top and Warrenton area at 11:00 am.

Antique Weekend is a huge antique, craft, art and collectibles event that attracts thousands of dealers from across the country.  There are  shows, shops and events in more than a half dozen communities that participate in this huge flea market. This year the events take place between September 22 and October 7.

We parked the car at Cole's Antique Shop on the outskirts of Warrenton. This is a 63,000 square foot building with over 200 vendors. The building is air-conditioned and has indoor restrooms. There are also vendors in the parking lot and they offer FREE parking for customers. We spent about half an hour in the cool Cole's building and then started our walk toward downtown Warrenton. Many vendors were housed under tents and temporary shelters. It was a hot day and Dean decided to buy a straw hat to keep the sun off his head.

I put some serious mileage on my shoes as I walked from shop to shop looking at all the unique, unusual and sometimes outlandish treasures that were for sale. I didn't buy much....several pieces of sheet music and some thread on wooden spools. I really didn't see very many big "bargains" but I am not very good at negotiating with the dealers so I don't bicker over the prices. If the price is too high for my taste, I just keep looking.

The reality TV shows Market Warriors and American Pickers have made flea markets like this more popular than ever. I made the following video that shows the highlights of our day.

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Camp Huntsville WWII Prisoner Of War Camp

Last weekend my husband and I visited the Country Campus Golf Course. It is  located about 10 miles northeast of Huntsville on SH 19 near the City of Riverside.

This nine-hole golf course was once the location of a POW camp during World War II. German and Japanese prisoners of war were transported to Texas and held here until the end of the war.

I found the following information about Camp Huntsville on the Walker County Historical Commission's web site.

Camp Huntsville was one of the first prisoner of war camps built in the U.S. during World War II and the first in Texas. It was was built in the spring and summer of 1942 and included facilities to accommodate 4,800 prisoners. It consisted of more than 400 buildings, including a cafeteria, gymnasium, laundry, and hospital. There were clubs for commissioned and noncommissioned officers, and separate barracks for the American and prisoner personnel.

The first prisoners to use the camp were members of Germany’s Afrika Korps who arrived in the spring of 1943. By the fall of the same year, the camp’s population hit its peak at 4,840. Two years later, it became a branch camp for Camp Hearne where its prisoners were sent to make way for the arrival of a small group of Japanese prisoners. The Army closed the camp in December 1945, and all prisoners were repatriated.

After the War, the Camp was donated to Sam Houston State Teachers' College (now Sam Houston State University), who renamed it the Country Campus and turned it into an almost a self-sustaining city with living quarters for students and professors, a hospital, post office, fire department, meat processing plant, gymnasium and cafeteria.

After the University closed the Country Campus, they sold the land to Sam Dominey, the son of the original owners. A few of the original buildings remain and the land is used for cattle ranching and a golf course.

I made the following video of the the golf course and the buildings from the prison that are still standing.

I like to learn about the history of my state and my country. It is was hard to process the fact that we were playing golf on the same location that housed thousands of Nazi prisoners some 70 years ago. The following state historical marker is posted at the entrance to the golf course.

Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.




My Wild Hiking Journey

A good book will sometimes inspire you and change your life in a special way. It might motivate you to take the first steps toward making your goal a reality. It might change your thinking and help you see the world as a friendlier place. I was pleasantly surprised when my husband agreed to read "Wild" by Cheryl Strayed (Oprah's Book Club Version 2). I read the book on my Kindle and he read on his iPad. We didn't always read at the same time but we stayed together and finished the book on the same day.

We were inspired to take our own hike after we read about Cheryl Strayed's journey on the Pacific Crest Trail. We chose the 6.8 mile Chinquapin Trail at Huntsville State Park. This was the second time that we hiked this trail. The first time I suffered a nasty fall and decided that hiking was not my cup of tea. I also have to cope with the fact that I have two metal plates in my right leg.

Dean and I decided we were up for the challenge so we arrived at the park at 11:00 am on Saturday morning. I was equipped with three bottles of Gatorade and an old broom handle that I was going to use as a walking stick (no more falls!). The temperature was in the mid-90s and the heat was major factor that we had to deal with.

I really like the following quote from "Wild"....this explains exactly how an adventure like this can change your attitude;

Miles weren't things that blazed dully past. They were long, intimate struggles of weeds and clumps of dirt, blades of grass and flowers that bent in the wind, trees that lumbered and stretched. They were the sound of my breath and my feet hitting the trail one step at a time and the click of my ski pole. The PCT had taught me what a mile was. I was humble before each and every one.

I think I hit the "wall" at the 5.5 mile marker. I still had more than a mile to go and I wasn't sure I could make it. I was hot, my leg hurt and all the Gatorade was gone. My husband encouraged me to "finish strong." He told me that I could make it. I was praying for strength to take one more step. I really learned the meaning of a mile in that last hour of the hike.

I made it to the end and I am glad that I pushed myself to do somthing out of my comfort zone. If I can do this, there must be other challenges waiting to be conquered if I am willing to stay the course.

Are you ready to break out of your comfort zone and attempt some new challenges?

Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.

On The Texas Bluebonnet Trail

Bluebonnets are now in full bloom in Texas. Yesterday Dean and I went on a road trip to Round Top and Warrenton. We saw some beautiful displays of bluebonnets along the highways.

It is really hard to imagine the beauty of the Bluebonnets and the orange Indian Paintbrushes until you really see them with your own eyes. A picture does not do them justice. We found this field on the outskirts of Round Top.

Bluebonnets have been loved since man first trod the vast prairies of Texas. Indians wove fascinating folk tales around them. The early-day Spanish priests gathered the seeds and grew them around their missions. This practice gave rise to the myth that the padres had brought the plant from Spain, but this cannot be true since the two predominant species of bluebonnets are found growing naturally only in Texas and at no other location in the world.

As historian Jack Maguire so aptly wrote, "It's not only the state flower but also a kind of floral trademark almost as well known to outsiders as cowboy boots and the Stetson hat." He goes on to affirm that "The bluebonnet is to Texas what the shamrock is to Ireland, the cherry blossom to Japan, the lily to France, the rose to England and the tulip to Holland."

 
The ballad of our singing governor, the late W. Lee O'Daniel, tells us you may be on the plains or the mountains or down where the sea breezes blow, but bluebonnets are one of the prime factors that make the state the most beautiful land that we know.

BEAUTIFUL TEXAS W. Lee O'Daniel

You've all read the beautiful stories
Of the countries far over the sea,
From whence came our ancestors
To establish this land of the free.
There are some folks who still like to travel,
To see what they have over there,
But when they go look,
It's not like the book,
And they find there is none to compare—
CHORUS:
To beautiful, beautiful Texas,
Where the beautiful bluebonnets grow.
We're proud of our forefathers
Who fought at the Alamo.
You can live on the plains or the mountains,
Or down where the sea breezes blow,
And you're still in beautiful Texas,
The most beautiful place that I know.

 Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.
  
,
 

Home Cooking At The Big Hats and Little Whispers Bistro

Dean and I went on a road trip today. Our destination was Bellville, Texas.

We had lunch at a quaint little cafe named the Big Hats and Little Whispers Bistro at 24 N Holland Street.

I don't remember ever entering a "bistro" before. I was so curious that I looked up the word in a dictionary. A bistro is defined as "a small or unpretentious European restaurant".  Well, we were not in Europe but the cafe is small and unpretentious, so two out of three is not bad.

The Daily Special
We were told that the cafe serves one hot meal each day and then has a variety of specialty sandwiches. A local gentleman told me that if we wanted to order the daily special, we needed to get to the cafe at 11:30 because the food would be gone by noon. When it is gone, it is gone.

We entered the Bistro at 11:20 am and we each ordered the daily special. Today is Tuesday so the special was smothered chicken, fried potato cakes, a fruit cup and a choice of coffee or tea. The price of the meal was $7.25.

We chose a nice table by a window and the food was delivered to our table very quickly.

I wasn't quite sure what to expect with the "smothered chicken." I know that I have prepared chicken in many different ways but I don't think I have ever smothered it.

I received a nice sized chicken breast that was covered with thick white chicken gravy, fried onions and bacon. I don't even want to think about how much cholesterol this meal had in it. I will worry about how to get my arteries unclogged at some point in the future.
Today I just gave it up and ate like there was no tomorrow.

The chicken seemed to melt in my mouth and truly tickled my taste buds. It was really good. The two fried potato cakes were just like the ones my mother makes. They were crisp on the outside and very tasty. I added a touch of salt to the potato cakes and they were perfect. The fruit cup was a nice attempt to make this meal healthy.

The bistro is decorated in an eclectic country style that is very warm and welcoming. The employees were very friendly and even offered to take our picture when they noticed that we had our cameras out.

My Rating
We enjoyed our visit to The Big Hats and Little Whispers Bistro. If you are looking for some Southern-style home cooking, this is a great place to dine.

Atmosphere ~ 5 Stars out of 5
Friendliness ~ 5 Stars out of 5
Price ~ 4 Stars out of 5
Taste ~ 5 Stars out of 5
Cholesterol Alert ~ 3 Stars out of 5

Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.

Texas Drought

It is the middle of April and the magnolia trees are blooming in SE Texas. I love these trees. The leaves are dark green with a waxy texture and the blooms are magnificent. Spring comes early in Texas but this year we are already in the middle of a summer-time drought. March was the driest month on record for the state and springtime is when we get the strongest winds.  Savage wildfires have hit several areas of the state and destroyed homes and businesses.

My yard is turning brown because the grass can't grow without water. We have to water our garden everyday to keep it from dying. I feel so sorry for the horses, cattle and wildlife that depend on grass for their food supply. 

On Monday, a burn ban was put into effect for my county (Montgomery County). The ban effectively outlaws any outdoor burning until it is lifted. The fire marshal’s office said a violation of the ban could result in a misdemeanor with a $500 fine. We are also being asked to cut back on watering lawns and washing cars to conserve water.

We have lived on a 12-acre mini-farm for six years. In wet years, our pond has been full and overflowing. My husband stocked it with fish and the dogs loved to go swimming. Now, I fear that the fish are dead and the dogs can easily wade across the entire pond. We are praying for rain.

How is the weather in your neck of the woods? I love to read your comments!

The Lupine Lady

"You must do something to make the world more beautiful"

Last weekend I had the opportunity to travel to Chappell Hill, Texas. This is a quaint little town northwest of Houston. The bluebonnets were in full bloom and I couldn't stop thinking about Miss Rumphiusby Barbara Cooney. We had a splendid day sightseeing and visiting many antique shops and crafts stores. The highlight of the day was walking among the wildflowers.

When I got home, I dug out my tattered and worn copy of Miss Rumphius. Alice Rumphius was a librarian. She traveled the world and she came home to a small house by the sea. She never forgot a promise that she made to her grandfather...she must do something to make the world more beautiful.

Miss Rumphius had an idea. She had always loved lupines more than any other wildflower. She ordered five bushels of lupine seed and spent the entire summer walking along the highways and country lanes. She scattered the seeds everywhere she went. Now some people called her That Crazy Old Lady but later she was known as The Lupine Lady.

What will you do to make the world more beautiful?

The Texas state flower is the Bluebonnet (Lupinus subcarnosus). Click here to view a video of our journey on the Texas Bluebonnet Trail.