Our new church home

Michael and I have finally found a new church family. After several uncomfortable visits to a few local churches we were feeling discouraged. Then we visited a church out in Bastrop and really loved the service, the band, and the people.

So once we decided to make this our home, we tried to plug in right away and soon found ourselves volunteering to help with their sermon podcasting, which led to helping with sound, and then of course, we offered to build a  new website.

So after a few months of work, here it is! River Valley Christian Fellowship in Bastrop, TX.

Christian church in Bastrop

They are a fairly new Christian church in Bastrop. We’re still working out the kinks on the site but glad to have it up and running before Easter. We’ve joined a small group here and are really enjoying making some new friends and getting to know people.

The worship band is a group called Burgundy Road. They’re really great! They’ve just released a new EP. You can check them out on iTunes or their website. Their new album is called “When I’m With You.”

Ok, so that’s enough shameless plugging. Back to work!

Care for a swim?

Michael: “Where’s the camera?”

Sharon: “In the office, why?”

Michael: “There is something cool outside I want to photograph.”

Sharon sees Michael crouch down by the corner of the pool and start shooting.

Sharon: “Ew, it’s not a dead animal, is it?”

Michael: “Nope.”

Turns out, our floating thermometer (aka Howard the Duck) was under siege.

Howard vs. the Snake

Don’t worry, Howard, we’ll save you! After we take a few more pictures.

Hang in there, Howard!

This baby copperhead was quite enamoured with Howard, and has yet to let go. They’re getting further aquainted in a bucket outside now as we speak.

"Things I learned living in Texas"

Well, we haven’t lived here long enough to learn it all, but some of these are sure familiar. This is one of those beloved email forwards. So I was feeling particularly mischievous this morning and thought I would commit what could be considered the ultimate online sin … POSTING an EMAIL FORWARD on my blog. Is this even allowed? Certainly this isn’t worse than forwarding to everyone in your address book? (Which, by the way, I have never done, but I have sent a few things to a few people when appropriate).

No, I guess this is not worse. YOU came HERE.

Anyway, give me a few years and I’ll make a list of my own. And then I’ll forward it to you.

“Things I learned living in Texas”

1. A possum is a flat animal that sleeps in the middle of the road.
2. There are 5,000 types of snakes and 4,998 of them live in Texas.
3. There are 10,000 types of spiders. All 10,000 of them live in Texas , plus a couple no one’s seen before.
4. If it grows, it’ll stick ya. If it crawls, it’ll bite cha.
5. “Onced” and “Twiced” are words.
6. It is not a shopping cart, it is a buggy!
7. “Jaw-P?” means “Did ya’ll go to the bathroom?”
8. People actually grow and eat okra.
9. “fixinto” is one word.
10. There is no such thing as “lunch”. There is only dinner and then there is supper.
11. Iced tea is appropriate for all meals and you start drinking it when you’re two & we do like a little tea with our sugar.
12. Backwards and forwards means “I know everything about you.”
13. The word “jeet” is actually a phrase meaning “Did you eat?”.
14. You don’t have to wear a watch, because it doesn’t matter what time it is, you work until you’re done or it’s too dark to see.
15. You don’t PUSH buttons, you MASH ʽEM.
16. “No. Jew?” is a common response to the question “Did you bring any beer?”
17. You measure distance in minutes.
18. You switch from heat to A/C in the same day.
19. All the festivals across the state are named after a fruit, vegetable, grain, insect or animal.
20. You know what a “DAWG” is.
21. You carry jumper cables in your car — for your OWN car.
22. You only own five spices: salt, pepper, Texas Pete, Tabasco and Ketchup.
23. The local papers cover national and international news on one page, but require 6 pages for local gossip and high school football.
24. You think that the first day of deer season is a national holiday.
25. You find 100 degrees Fahrenheit “a bit warm”.
26. You know all four seasons: Almost summer, summer, still summer, and Christmas.
27. Going to Wal-Mart is a favorite past time know as “goin‘ Wal-Martin” or “off to Wally World”.
28. You describe the first cool snap (below 70 degrees) as good chicken stew weather.
29. Fried catfish is the other white meat.
30. We don’t need no dang driver’s ed. If our mama says we can drive, we can drive, dag-nabbit.
31. You understand these jokes and forward them to your Texas friends and those who just wish they were from Texas.

A Happy Texas New Year!

Fireworks are a BIG deal here in Texas. People go all out – in ways that are hugely illegal in CA. Fireworks are sold in huge warehouses or stands all along the highways. People do fireworks for birthdays, Christmas, 4th of July, and pretty much any other reason they can think of. It’s hilarious.

This was our neighborhood last night at midnight. These are people’s houses, not a fair or city event. People light these in their front yards. Which is probably why you hear the fire trucks almost immediately.

A very entertaining show.

Happy New Year from us to you!

On the Road Again …

Just returned from our second trip to Houston for Michael’s work. We left Sunday afternoon, had a quick visit to the “urban lake” of the Woodlands and dinner at the outdoor mall (pictures). We also tested our new snorkeling gear at the hotel pool and it gets an A+!

Michael worked all day Monday and I, well, I shopped. Which was hard work in its own way since I had to hoof it around town with all of my treasures. That night we went downtown for dinner and some more walking. Burning the calories in preparation for a certain aquatic vacation soon to be upon us.

Houston pics at the gallery too. Also, a concert we went to last week. And cousin Sarah’s baby shower. And, of course, the latest on the house.

Today, we met with our builder at the house to review our electrical plans. Thinking we’d be making final decisions before they began, we were surprised to see half the boxes and wires already placed and about a dozen workers making quick work of it all. I believe we’ve got all our wants and needs covered now though. Michael’s (“shockingly”) doing a lot of the installs after the house is built – mostly for budget-related purposes :) .

So, that’s the latest on the house. They should be finishing up the roofing this week, and while we’re on the road again (or, rather, the sea) next week they will start on drywall on the interior and brick and stone on the exterior. The progress is amazingly fast, much better than we hoped for.

Road Warriors

Tuesday afternoon Michael and I packed up the Matrix and took off toward Houston. This was our first official “road trip” since moving here, and I have to say it was a little strange to take a trip like this that didn’t involve I-5, the California coast, Reno or Tahoe.

But where we ended up was pretty unbelievable, and completely unexpected. The Woodlands is about 30 miles north of Houston, and to call it a Master-Planned community is simply an understatement. It was beautiful and classy, sort of Carmel meets Tahoe City. We loved it all, and we barely scratched the surface. And as usual, our pictures don’t do it justice. Another new camera is coming soon, I can only hope.

[EDIT – Picture removed]

The only downside to the destination was that we were only there for about 24 hours. We went for Michael’s work. His company just opened a satellite warehouse near the area, and he had to go set up the technical stuff. (That is the proper jargon, is it not?) I went along for the ride and the free hotel room, but mostly because OnStar was on duty yet again.

After a three hour road trip through the winding pine-tree lined roads of East Texas (via hwy 290) we arrived at our hotel. A quick trip down the street led us to the Town Center where we ate at The Cheesecake Factory.

The next morning, Michael went to work while I explored the shopping district which is made up two separate malls – indoor and out. And all so, so, so beautiful. I took a free trolley ride around the entire downtown area and got my own personalized tour from a very enthusiastic driver (I was the only person on the bus). After work, Michael joined me and we went to a real Irish pub that they say they actually brought over from Ireland – meaning the carpentry as well as some of the original carpenters, along with all of the authentic items inside. Of course, we had to have a Guinness.

The entire Town Center is surrounded by a man-made waterway which has water taxis running (well, slowly cruising) back and forth. We hopped on and got another tour. The area is still under construction, but already very impressive. I could easily spend a month there, or the rest of my life, if only I could afford it.

We drove by downtown Houston on our way home, so we saw the nighttime lights of the city, but didn’t make any stops. The long and lonely I-10 was beckoning us into the darkness which would lead us to our home, far away. And driving down the road I got this feeling that I only left just yesterday … yesterday… Country roads. Take me home.

We pulled in last night around 11 pm … a mere 30 hours after we left, and 350 miles round trip.

More pictures for the people.

Mist or Bojangles

I continue to be blown away by these spectacular thunder storms here in Texas (fortunately not literally). Never in my life have I encountered such a phenomena of nature that ignites an emotion so powerful it brings a mist to your eyes, while simultaneously scaring the bojangles out of you. [Click for video]

Been there, seen that (and also I know everything about geography)

A conversation I overheard:

“So, where did you live before Texas?”

“California.”

“Ohhh, yuck, I’ve been to California, it wasn’t nice at all.”

“Really?! What part did you visit?”

“Stockton.”

“Oh gosh, not all of California looks like Stockton.”

“Well, I went to Bakersfield once too. It was so hot and miserable.”

“But have you ever been to the foothills? Or the beach? It’s so different!”

“No, but I’ve been to California. So no thanks, I’ve seen enough.”

Ok, maybe I only overheard that conversation in my own head, but really people, this is how (lame) you sound when you say you’ve “been to” Texas, and thus somehow know what the ENTIRE state is like. You do realize it’s twice the size of California, right, with 13 million less people?

PS: Stockton and Bakersfield are simply for illustration purposes, sorry guys.