Cowtown Pattie's Texas Trifles

Killing Lincoln

2012-12-28T23:04:00.001-06:00

Anyone else reading this? Shh... don't tell me how it ends.

This Ain't Hank Williams

2012-12-27T01:00:00.000-06:00

My dad could play most any musical instrument. He played "by ear", never learning how to read sheet music. He often lamented his lack of formal musical education, and I wished I could tell him again how much his talent meant to me growing up.

Dad died in 2000. I often pass the cemetery where he is buried. Hurried by the workaday need of a waiting family and supper to attend to, I manage a quick "hello" from my car as I drive by. I miss him, more on some days than others.

He worked the second shift at the General Dynamics plant and had a parttime job as a butcher about 3 days a week. Looking back, I don't know when he ever rested.

Occasionally, though seldom on a school night, I would hear him puttering around the kitchen and den late into the wee hours of the early early morning. Softly strumming his guitar to a record playing low on the stereo, he would listen to the chords over and over until he "got" whatever song it was he wanted to learn. I can still hear the skip and bump of the turntable needle as he manually reset it to play a certain track.

As a teenager during the late 60's, my music was nothing he was particularly fond of, but I do recall he was impressed with the talent of John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Maybe out of an attempt to connect or just squeeze a little more time with me , he learned "Till There Was You". He couldn't do all of the fancy fret work, but he had a more than pleasant rendition of this early Beatles tune. I was pretty awed and appreciative, but I don't recall telling him. Missed opportunities. How I wished I had just a day to tell him again how much I loved him.

It was during one of these late night one man jam sessions that I heard an unfamiliar strain of really sweet and melodious music. I turned over in bed to hear better. After the third play through of the song, he began to try his guitar chording, and soon had half the melody down.

I got up and walked down the hallway towards the kitchen, intending to get a quick drink of water, give him a peck on the check and go back to bed.

"Come see what I bought today!" he teased. "Bet you've never heard of this band."

Indeed, I hadn't. Dad had bought an album of the Los Indios Tabajaras.

Some of you may remember a tune called "Maria Elena". The song had a quick pop following, and a 14-week run in the US Top 10 charts. Probably the only reason he was even exposed to their music.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rQheOglFos

It was "Maria Elena" Dad was learning to play. The song is forever etched into my mind along with that sleepyheaded late night I sat up to keep him company while the rest of the family slumbered away. It is a very good and special memory.

Dad never had the chance to become a virtuoso like these two Brazilian boys, but it wasn't for lack of trying. How oddly and serendipitous some lessons are taught by our parents, most times without their conscious knowledge.

From my dad came a love of all genres of music, discovery and joy in the simple tasks of life, and the power of tenacity.

Some things he got right.

Housebound Blues

2012-12-26T11:15:00.000-06:00

Cold.

I am not a cold weather person. Dreams of moving to Montana or the upper west coast are simply that...cotton candy imaginations. The Christmas day snow was pretty and fairly rare for our part of Texas...and lucky for me is usually short lived. Still the single day of being housebound reinforced my realization - I am not a winter person.

Maybe I have just been a Texan too long; truly cold climates are not programmed into my DNA. I have several genealogy related projects I could have fiddled with yesterday, but I couldn't get inspired enough to begin the sorting and cataloging of pictures and records. Television wasn't interesting, the new Kindle Fire 8.9 I received seemed heavy and bulky and too tedious to explore.

I did bake a pie yesterday to fill the time, but even that seemed unappetizing. Just a general funked out day. I love Christmas with all my large family, but with work in the usual crazy year-end frenzy, the recent passing of my mother, and the multiple moves house-wise, I guess stress just caught up with me.

Even though we should be tight fisted with cash right now (selling the house we just bought last summer and buying my mom's house from the estate), Terlingua and its gorgeous blue skies might be just what my mood requires to set 2013 in its proper motion.

Wishing all my friends a warm and sunny New Year!

Is Anybody Out There?

2012-12-17T15:22:00.000-06:00

Dear Bloggy Friends,

I have been a vacant hostess for a long long while. However, I have just deleted the vampiric FaceBook account, and intend upon re-establishing my blogging connections.

May take me a bit to get back into the groove, but blogging is where I began and made great friends, and I think that community still exists and in fact, probably far larger.

The holidays are right here, so my writing may still be brief until after the first of year ( if we still exist after 12-21-12, smile).

Cheers and good wishes to all.

CP

Enter The Haggis - Roots Rock Reinvented

2012-04-04T22:50:00.001-05:00

Enter the Haggis - weird name for a band even by today's standards of odd musical monikers. But make no mistake, laddie, they're a bonafide talented group of young men from Toronto, Canada. As the name suggests, their music is Scottish/Celtic flavored, but truly they are the best part of what Indie rock represents. And what a roomful of sound they bring with bagpipes, violin, banjo, mandolin, guitar, accordian, trumpet, whistles, and all sorts of percussion and drums.

The band has been around since 1996, played world wide venues, and have performed on the Live with Regis and Kelly program. Band members now are Brian Buchanan (who adds the beautiful violin passages), Craig Downie, Trevor Lewington, Mark Abraham, and Bruce McCarthy. McCarthy came aboard when original member James Campbell left the band.

Their new album, debuting this week, Whitelake, has an interesting history (excerpt is from the band's webpage):

Brian Buchanan almost died on White Lake.

The singer-fiddler-keyboardist for Enter The Haggis went out into the middle of the lake to finish up some lyrics during the recording of the band’s sixth studio album, the aptly named Whitelake, and tipped the canoe half a kilometer from shore. The ice had melted only a week before, and he was fully clothed and without a life jacket. Remarkably, he managed to swim the canoe to the far side of the lake but faced the added challenge of a three-kilometer walk, shivering through the dark woods on the way back to the band’s cottage / recording studio. “If I’d died, there’s no doubt it would have been called a suicide,” laughs Brian, tentatively. “I had just finished recording the vocals for a song called “The Flood”, which talks about life being out of control and water rising up around you.” Thankfully, the 29-year-old from Guelph, Ontario survived to tell the tale as the band releases its anticipated new album, the follow-up to 2008’s Gutter Anthems, which hit #2 on the iTunes World Music charts.

Most interestingly, fans (Haggis Heads!) donated money at various fundraisers to bring the album to production making it a true labor of love and allowed ETH to make the kind of special musical magic they were determined to deliver. Many of the songs on Whitelake have deep social commentary; "Devil's Son" (see the embedded video above) is about the late son of Bernie Madoff who committed suicide. "Whistleblower" brings home the tragedy that is the Congo - and I've found myself listening to this tune over and over. "Pseumostophy" starts off like an Appalachian ballad from deep in the hills of West Virginia with tight pleasing harmonies. "Of a Murder" is quite different, haunting, could be a movie soundtrack.

Not a bad tune in the bunch, and most certainly not your average Celtic punk rock stuff. So many different instruments layered perfectly like a delicious dessert and wrapped in excellent vocals and harmonies. Love it. This is my first introduction to Enter the Haggis, but will not be my last!

ETH is currently touring in Ireland, but here's their schedule including some US stops. I'm pouting because Texas is not on the list....yet. Still time, boys! And buy your own copy of the cd here.

Read more about ETH at ThinkPress, and be sure to visit the ThinkPress FB page. Awesome place to discover new talent and music. And many thanks to Monica Hopman at ThinkPress for suggesting Whitelake to me.

It's Texas Asparagus!

2012-03-24T18:48:00.001-05:00

Yeah, we grow big vegetables....!

"The Way" - Kirsten Wolf

2012-03-20T22:53:00.008-05:00

The Way
By Kristen Wolf
Published by Crown Publishers
Hardcover: 304 pages
July 12, 2011; $25.00 US/$28.95 CAN; 978-0307717696

Recently I was offered a copy of "The Way", the debut fictional novel of Kristen Wolf to review. Wolf is a graduate of Georgetown University and has an M.A. in creative writing from Hollins University, and she is a Phi Beta Kappa. Her website is http://www.kristenwolf.com/, and you can also connect to her via Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheWayNovel. Oprah Magazine called it "A title to pick up now."

March is Women's History Month, so how about celebrating it with a book that is sure to intrigue and turn religious convention on it's male godhead? And before you get all righteous and in my face about "feminism" and "the church", I am not endorsing "The Way" as a new religion, or biblical reference. It is fiction...fiction that opens long-closed doors and encourages readers to venture out of the realm of Never Question Land and hopefully opens a few cobwebby closed minds.

"The knowledge about the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but to the rest it comes by means of parables so that they may look but not see and listen but not understand." - Jesus (Luke 8:9-10 cf. Ireneus Against Heresies 1:3:1).

Inside the book cover front flap are these words:

"What if one of the world's greatest spiritual healers was not who we thought he was?"

And on the first page, a quote from the Gnostic Gospels:

"I am androgynous. I am Mother and I am Father...
I am the Womb that gives shape to the All...
And I am inviting you into the Exalted, Perfect Light."

And so begins the story of Anna, whom we first encounter as a very young girl near Palestine, 7 A.D. Her father, Yoseph, is shattered by the stillborn death of her younger brother, Jesus. Anna's mother, Mari, never fully recovers from the traumatic childbirth, and soon dies. During the difficult birth of Anna's brother, the local healing woman, Zahra, is called upon to help. Zahra knows herbal medicine, and is shunned by the community until there is some calamity of sickness. And Zahra is a secret follower of the old ways that worshipped a feminine deity. However, even Zahra's potions were not enough to prevent the death of Mari nor her son.

Not long afterward, all the townsmen decide to punish Zahra for plotting evil against Yoseph's family, and they stone her to death, saying she was a tool of the Devil. But, unbeknown to Yoseph, Zahra has been watching young Anna, and had a premonition of her own death. She gives a mysterious copper medallion necklace to Anna, one with an image of a majestic sycamore tree, before the murderous crowd of men arrive.

Soon, Yoseph cannot abide the sight of young Anna, whom we are told is very boyish in looks and actions. He sells her to group of shepherds, led by Solomon, disguising her as a boy by dressing her in male attire and hacking off her hair.

And thus begins the quest of Anna to discover her true identity and her own redemption that leads her eventually to a secret society of religious women hiding in caves and who worship the Mother and an ancient earth-centric religion simply called: "The Way".

For new writer, Kristen Wolf, "The Way" is a great mix of both myth and history. Really enjoyed the book, (and here's the tricky part), once I was able to stop trying to mesh her story step for step with that of the biblical Jesus. My first impression was that Wolf was taking far too many liberties and I even put the book aside for a few days because I was finding fault at every biblical familiar storyline and character.

If you are a bible purist and have no desire to question your beliefs, then this is probably not a book you would find at all palatable and you are likely be highly offended by "The Way". However, it occurred to me late one night while soaking in a hot bathtub and reading (my favorite hobby), that I was going about this review the wrong way (no pun intended); I needed to set aside my childhood ingrained Sunday school teachings and start anew at the beginning of the book with a more open mind and allow Wolf to bring a fresh perspective to a very old story.

By the use of herbal remedies and other natural healing methods, Wolf shows us how superstitious and poorly educated people might mistake something quite normal and non magical as an undeniable miracle. Here is a spiritual philosophy that flies in the face of tradition, touches a nerve, and pushes the reader to question and to expand their own personal belief boundaries. The bible does not tell us much about Jesus, and even religious scholars cannot agree on many aspects of the man nor the divinity. Wolf, citing her own inspiration coming partially from studies of the Dead Sea Scrolls and the mysterious ancient Qumran society, has taken a very brave stance in her fictional, but obviously well thought out story. I applaud her imagination and her attempt to create new conversations.

Put aside your comfort zone, dive deep into new soul-reaching imaginary depths and enjoy a story told far differently than anything you've been taught before. And you don't have to lose your religion, just loosen a little of the narrow interpretations you've carried around for a long time; be open to a thought-provoking read. I am betting you'll enjoy it.

Painted Churches of Texas

2012-03-07T23:51:00.000-06:00

Just posted some new photos at my travel blog, Travel Texas.

Curious about "painted" churches? In Texas?

Come look!

Life Happens

2012-02-05T16:54:00.000-06:00

I've been very long away from Texas Trifles - unintentionally. My visitor and commenting numbers were down, and I must confess a certain amount of disinterest in blogging for while. Not to say with any fanfare "I'm Back!", as I may not be as frequent a poster in the days and weeks to come.

My day job is very stressful and demanding. My personal life has gotten busy with trying to sell our house, perhaps buy something new, or maybe once unloaded with the burden of home ownership, we might pocket the money and think about the future that might happen after the next 10 working years. They'll fly by, they'll crawl by in succession, I 'm sure. Interest rates are terrific, so I am kinda of thinking maybe we'll rent for a while, and take a look at buying a home in an area we would love to live - The Big Bend area of Texas.

Could be we buy a house in that location, use it for vacations, and maybe rent it out as well.

Jury still out on what we will end up doing. We know that we will work at our current jobs, unforseen health issues nothwithstanding, for the next 10 years. Heck, we know that we will need to work even after attaining that hope-its-still-there social security check.

Steak and Baseball!

2011-10-22T19:36:00.002-05:00

Rangers getting ready to fire up the bats, and we fired up the infra-red grill out back. T-bones rare then smothered in whipped butter with a side of baked sweet potato for me, Idaho spud for the Kman. Add a flute of sparkling Italian wine and all is good.
And yes, now that you asked; that is a leftover sand pail from Port Aransas over labor day. Waste not, want not. Thank you, Wessie, for leaving me your bucket!

Oh, a nice new candle makes it all fancy.

James Lee Burke - Feast Day of Fools

2011-10-20T13:27:00.004-05:00

Magnum Opus: (plural: magna opera, also opus magnum / opera magna), from the Latin meaning "great work", refers to the largest, and perhaps the best, greatest, most popular, or most renowned achievement of a writer, artist, or composer.

Or, to put it more succinctly, if James Lee Burke worked his magic with a paintbrush, Feast Day of Fools would be the Sistine Chapel of his novels. Yep, it's that good. I can't say whether the story took him four years to write or not, but the end result was the same as Michelangelo's - perfectly stunning.

I've recently read some reviewers comparing Burke's writing to Cormac McCarthy's, particularly his No Country For Old Men. Well, both stories share a deep southwest Texas locale and both deal in the darkness of a man's heart; I would go a step farther and say Burke's might have more in common with Joseph Conrad. Like the evolution of Conrad's writings, Burke, too, has entered a higher stage with Feast Day of Fools. But, whereas McCarthy and Conrad are not always a joy to read, Burke's trademark style shines with readability.

I am a long-time Burke fan and feel like his famous Louisiana anti-hero detective, Dave Robicheaux, is my personal friend. Ol' Dave has put James Lee on the literary map. But even your mama's tried and true favorite fried chicken recipe would get old if that's all you ever ate. Luckily for us fans, we also have Sheriff Hackberry Holland to keep our Burke cravings at bay.

Feast Day of Fools is set in the Texas southwest, near the border of Mexico and is the third novel featuring Sheriff "Hack" Holland, a Korean veteran and a descendant of a long line of Texas lawmen. Readers first met Holland in Lay Down My Sword and Shield, and then again in Rain Gods. Back again, too, is one of Burke's weirdest and creepiest villains, Preacher Jack Collins. But the badness doesn't stop with Collins; there's Krill, a mercenary soldier gone off the deep end, Negrito, an illiterate psychopath, and the Reverend Cody Daniels, a man broken by the system and finding redemption and revenge with a bible and a gun. All fatally flawed, all on their own crazy mission of misplaced loyalties and superstitions.

A sadistic murder/mutilation in the desert, a missing FBI informant, drug smugglers, and gun runners are the bones of the story, along with an enigmatic and mysterious Chinese woman named Anton Ling, called "La Magdalena" by the Hispanic locals. Ling has her own war-torn past and is mending her soul by helping illegals from Mexico find safe passage into the states - a subject of passionate debate in the Lone Star state.

Franz Kafka may be the allegory king, but Burke's use of symbolism makes you catch your breath and hold it for long seconds while you reread a passage just because it is so ripe and full; to interrupt that emotional flow with the mechanics of breathing would lessen it's impact.

I held my breath a lot while reading Feast Day of Fools. My trusty yellow highlighter used for keeping tabs on quotable passages that simply must be remembered had to be relinquished lest I ended up with entire pages colored yellow.

Just to give you a tiny taste and whiff of Burke's ability to make the nature of place almost a separate character of its own:

The night air was dense with an undefined feral odor, like cougar scat and a sun-bleached carcass and burnt animal hair and water that had gone stagnant in a sandy drainage traced with the crawl lines of reptiles.

The gritty and sprawling vistas of the desert southwest is the perfect artist's canvas for Burke's biggest novel to date. And unlike Pope Julius the Second's (played by Rex Harrison) frustrated lament regarding Michelango's painting in the "Agony and the Ecstasy", I hope Burke NEVER "makes an end" of his superb storytelling.

Article first published as Book Review: Feast Day of Fools by James Lee Burke on Blogcritics.

Metal Chicken!

2011-10-09T21:13:00.000-05:00

Taken just at the edge of town - Brenham, Texas

Pattie's Carne Guisada

2011-10-09T18:01:00.010-05:00

It's nice and cool, overcast with a much needed long rain last night into this morning. The Rangers are winning and all's good. I was supposed to babysit for my daughter and son-in-law so they could catch Game Two at Ranger Stadium, but the game is postponed until tomorrow due to a very soggy field. I don't like my Rangers to lose their momentum, but hard to gripe about rain.

So, since I was now going to be home, time for some recipes that are finally okay to heat up the kitchen a bit! It's fall! (Or as close as we get in Cowtown.)

For those of you who don't se habla español - this is lard; not shortening, not oil....animal fat. If you want to be authentic with this recipe, you can't be afraid of fat...or spices. Lard browns meat to perfection.

For this recipe, I use about 4 pounds of stew meat altogether. After dredging in seasoned flour (salt, pepper,and garlic powder), you want to let the meat sit for about 20 minutes and let the flour set well. Then, fry the meat in small batches in about two plus inches of hot sizzling lard. This is the first batch (about one pound) of my fried beef stew chunks. I have a large heavy stainless steel electric skillet with deep sides that is my go-to pan for most anything. .

While the meat is frying, start chopping your vegetables. I use white onion, two bell peppers, two poblano peppers, one jalepeno seeded, and fresh garlic. You can add some fresh cilantro if you like. After chopping and mixing, I squeeze about half of a lime and tossed the veggies together and let sit until all your meat is browned.

Drain all the lard from your skillet, add a big chunk of butter (not margarine) - about three tablespoons, and melt in hot skillet. Toss in lime marinated veggies and quick stir until the onions are just turning translucent.

Now your ready for your spices. I use a tablespoon (or more) of: coriander, cumin, chili powder and celery salt. I add additional garlic powder. ( I use a lot but not everyone is a fan of lots of garlic.) The bay leaves go in last after all the next steps, by the way. Turn your skillet to 200 or low. Did you know that the coriander plant is where you get cilantro leaves? The spice coriander is made from the plant seeds. Be careful with this spice; some people say it tastes soapy. Either you really like cilantro or you hate it; seldom does it elicit a so-so opinion.

See that little red can "Costena" at the top? La Costeña Seasoned Chipotle Peppers in adobo sauce. This is a small can, and I don't even use a fourth of it. Muy caliente, mi amigo. I only use about one and a half tablespoons of the sauce, and one small finely chopped chipotle pepper. I just toss the rest, because I always forget if I freeze it and I don't cook with it enough to use it up soon enough. A little of this stuff goes a long way, and err to the lesser if you are not sure how spicy you want your guisada. You can always save and add a little more at the end if you need more heat.

Mix all spices together, then sprinkle on your sauteing veggies, then stir in the adobo sauce and chopped chipotle pepper.

Next, pour a bottle of room temperature beer into your skillet of veggies and spices. I prefer Shiner Boch, but I had a Negro Modelo in the house instead.

Stir everything together. You can add extra water ( I use some chicken bouillon - two teaspoons in two cups hot water) if your stew is too thick. Don't worry, if you used enough flour to coat the meat, this will thicken up nicely. Some cooks will add about two tablespoons of tomato paste, but I don't like tomatoes in my guisada.

Finally, toss in three or four bay leaves and stir. Taste for salt - add if needed.

Now, there are three more things I usually add to my guisada. Ancient family secret, huh? And the Bush's baked beans golden retriever, Duke, doesn't even know my secrets!

The last three ingredients: a tablespoon of Kitchen Bouquet, a heaping tablespoon of Hershey's cocoa powder and two tablespoon of brown sugar. The Special Dark cocoa is the bomb!

You can adjust amounts to your taste, but I like the way the chocolate adds depth and the brown sugar takes the bitterness out of the beer.

Let the carne guisada simmer slowly in your electric skillet on the lowest setting. Stir occasionally, until the gravy is just right and the meat melts in your mouth. (You may need to add a bit of water as it cooks if the gravy gets too thick. You want it thick, but not sticky.)

If you want to go true Tex Mex, serve the guisda with warm tortillas, some red beans, and southern fried potatoes and onions. Nope, I use store-bought tortillas; I really have never tried to make my own.

Ya'll come help me eat all this!

Book Review: Recipes for Life - My Memories by Linda Evans

2011-10-04T21:00:00.003-05:00

Electric blue eyes, more than the equivalent of a female Paul Newman and perfectly perfect blonde hair is how most of us remember Linda Evans. Whether you preferred her as a ropin' and ridin' wide-eyed innocent Audra on The Big Valley, or as Krystal Carrington, the sexy secretary-turned-oil-magnate-second-trophy wife on Dynasty, no one could argue she held high court with adoring television fans for years.

Though I have to admit to wanting to know more about the handsome and mysterious John Derek, the author never lets her memoir, Recipes for Life, become a boudoir tell-all or a grocery check-out line tabloid. She does give the reader insight to a few little intimate moments with that romeo-husband, but come on, Linda, I know there was some dirt under that carpet!

Ms. Evans is kind to her friends and even kinder to her enemies (if she even counts them as such), so don't expect to read gossipy trash talk about Hollywood's elite. Linda just doesn't "go there." Instead, she weaves interesting stories about her leading men and many famous friends and ties wonderful recipes into the tales. From her mother's "Hot Dog Stew," to the much more elegant "Crab and Lobster Cakes with Mustard Beurre Blanc," there's a recipe for everyone to try.

You may not have known Evans loves to cook, but her performance on Hell's Kitchen in 2009 proved she could hold her own with a spoon and a frying pan and look gorgeous and gracious all the while. She is well known to be an animal lover, and when one episode of Hell's Kitchen required her to catch a live eel with her bare hands and follow through with the cleaver dispatching, it might have ended her culinary reality TV career. But Linda challenged herself, stepped up to the plate (and the chopping block) and persevered.

And she won the competition!

If Dynasty and The Big Valley brought her to the forefront as a Hollywood star, Linda Evans is probably equally proud of her stage performance in the play Legends, which also starred Evans' old on-screen nemesis Joan Collins (Alexis Carrington). The play toured the U.S. to sell-out crowds for over nine months, and proved once again that Evans is a well-rounded professional.

It may come as a surprise to a few fans to learn that Evans was the leading spokesperson for President Ronald Reagan's environmental program, "Take Pride in America." The program was such a success, the Bush Adminstration (under George H. Bush) continued it. Evans recounts her disappointment and disillusionment when Bill Clinton as president dismantled it, saying it was a "Republican" program. (And Evans admits she is a Democrat.) But, ever totally gracious, Evans only mildly exhibits her anger over partisan politics.

Recipes for Life is sure to please the die-hard Linda Evans' fans; you'll love getting to go backstage on the Dynasty set. And even if you're too young to remember the early years, Evans still is a fascinating woman in her own right with a lifetime of experiences to share.

Besides, who can resist a John Wayne recipe for "The Duke's Crab Dip." Bon appetit and fun reading!

You can purchase Recipes for Life at Amazon, and at Barnes and Noble. Be sure to visit Ms. Evans' official website for more links, photos, and info on her new book.

Article first published as Book Review: Recipes For Life: My Memories by Linda Evans on Blogcritics.

Texas Yucca

2011-09-11T21:30:00.000-05:00

Heather Lende: "Take Good Care of the Garden and the Dogs"

2011-09-08T09:54:00.007-05:00

True confession: my personal distaste for moralistic soapbox preaching that defines the bible belt of the American south had me predisposed to dismiss Ms. Lende's book, Take Good Care of the Garden and the Dogs,before I even cracked the cover and got a good whiff of freshly printed paper.

Imagine my delight when not even twenty-five pages into the story, I spy a very favorite phrase of my very own: "Well, shit!". And any writer who is familiar with Garrison Keillor's alter ego, Guy Noir, is instantly on my radar as being worthy of a read.

Heather Lende was an obituary columnist for her hometown paper, the Chilkat Valley News in Haines, Alaska, but I truly believe she has been channeled by the late great Erma Bombeck, the queen of working woman/mother humor. With the same killer timing and sass, Ms. Lende had me laughing out loud as I tried to read quietly beside my sleeping hubby (who is not as fond of late night reading marathons as I am).

The author really was run smooth over by a truck while out riding a bicycle on a beautiful Alaskan spring day. Her true story about her "bad break" is filled with "small miracles" of everyday life happenings in a small community; and, yes, she often quotes religious teachings and obviously is a very spiritual person.

But lest you think this is a book filled with heavy-handed proselytizing, I quote you her "Tenth Thing to Think about after Being Hit by a Truck":

"And finally (and this is just between you and me), did you shave your legs today? Why do women care so much what other people think of them, even in an emergency?"

Like the perfect subtle humor that hallmarked the television series, Northern Exposure, Lende's book tugs at your heartstrings while teasing your funnybone with wicked good prose. Emotional without being droolingly sentimental, she introduces you to a part of the United States few of us ever get to experience. Lende's love of Alaska is palpable in her storytelling, and left me wishing I could sign up for an extended holiday way up north.

It seems I am a little slow in recognizing Ms. Lende; she has contributed to NPR's Morning Edition radio program, and several top notch magazines including National Geograpic Traveler and Country Living. Her first book published in 2006, If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name is in its seventh printing. Wow. (And I love that her website promotes local independent booksellers.)

Thanks to Leyane at FSB Associates for sending me a book that will keep a permanent place on my shelves next to my beloved Erma Bombeck, Ellen Meloy, and Barbara Kingsolver.

Article first published as Book Review: Take Good Care of the Garden and the Dogs by Heather Lende on Blogcritics.

Driftwood Fired - How to Untangle a Heartache

2011-09-07T20:34:00.022-05:00

On August 23, Driftwood Fire released their debut album, How to Untangle a Heartache.

Lynn Scharf's smooth-as-ocean-polished-glass voice, coupled with the sweet sounds Charlotte Formichella coaxes out of her banjo and guitar make this female duo stand apart. It's no surprise to hear the lonesome soul-touching songs of Appalachia at the root of their music; both artists were raised in the Scottish mountains of Virginia.

The band is really gaining momentum and accolades. While it's certainly true the alternative/folk genre is crowded with new talent offerings, Scharf and Formichella are slowly separating their music from the usual pack. Driftwood Fire captured this year's Merle Fest / Chris Austin Songwriting contest, first place in the International Narrative Song Contest, as well as Honorable Mention at the Telluride Troubadour Contest.

In fact, the second song on the album, "Appalachian Hills," is without a doubt my favorite of the bunch, though all the selections are stand alone hits. Scharf's voice was made for this music - timeless, mournful, and distinctive. It is a musical storytelling deluxe.

Just when you're fully sated and lulled by said ballad, you get a jaunty whimsical jazz piece with a tune called "Intermission,"; very reminiscent of Django Reinhardt's famous hot jazz gypsy sound.

You might be living in the neck of the woods where they next tour, so check out any opportunity to hear these ladies in person.

And for the best $10 bucks you'll spend this month, hop on over to their site and get your own copy of How to Untangle a Heartache. You'll do more than like this CD. You'll love it.

In September, you can find Driftwood Fire concerts here:

September 9 at 8:00p
The Vogue
Lake Chelan, WA
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September 10 at 8:00p
Vagabond Sound
Oak Harbor, WA
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September 13 at 8:30p
Tease
Ashland, OR
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September 16 at 8:00p
Devil Mountain Coffee House
In the round w/ Sabrina and Craig and Laura Zucker
Mt. Diablo U.U. Church
Walnut Creek, CA
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September 23rd at 8:00 - 8:30p
Q Cafe
o/f The Elderly and BC Campbell
Seattle, WA
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September 24th at 6:00p
Mississippi Pizza
Split show w/ TBA
Portland, OR
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September 29th at 7:00p
Egan's Ballard Jam House
Seattle, WA

rticle first published as Music Review: Driftwood Fire - How to Untangle a Heartache on Blogcritics.

Nature's Southern Sculptures

2011-08-02T22:51:00.000-05:00

Vicksburg, Miss II

2011-08-02T22:43:00.000-05:00

Vicksburg, Mississippi

2011-08-02T21:27:00.003-05:00

Kman and I took a little trip 'long the mighty "Miss-ah-sip" last weekend.

She Has Not Taken the Oath

2011-07-31T21:48:00.000-05:00

After the fall of Vicksburg to General Grant, all the citizens of the occupied city were blacklisted if they did not take the oath (to pledge their allegiance to the United States.) Their ability to conduct business, or any sort of public engagement was severely restricted until such oath was obtained.

*Photographed at the Old Courthouse Museum in Vicksburg, Mississippi

Easy Canvas Prints Is Awesome!

2011-07-27T21:55:00.069-05:00

I took this photo a couple of years ago when Kman and I were traveling around Taos, New Mexico. It is the St. Francis of Assisi Church in Ranchos de Taos. The village of Ranchos de Taos was settled by the Spanish in 1716. "The Ranchos Church," San Francisco de Asis, was completed in 1815 - a great example of Franciscan Old World architecture.

The church has been the inspiration for many photographers and artists; some of you may recognize it as the subject of a Georgia O'Keefe painting.

Brendan, a very nice gentleman who represents Easy Canvas Prints, offered to transfer one of my favorite photographs to an 10 x 8 canvas so that I could evaluate their services. He also very patiently looked at my five or six photos and helped me choose among them. His expertise was terrific.

The hardest part of the whole process was choosing which photo to have mounted. The actual ordering was a piece of cake. The website makes it very user friendly, and you have an option of wrapped edges; mine is the "mirrored" wrap. You can also choose a solid color, or a simple continuance wrap around of the image. Depth of the edge is also a choice, my preference was the deeper edge of 1.5" instead of the 0.75". And as you can see, there is a little difference in the shade of the adobe on the church - I actually made the colors of both the adobe and the blue New Mexico sky a little stronger using Google's Picasa as I wanted a bold statement of color.

There are all sorts of customizations, depending on the look you desire. Easy Canvas Prints also has a cool feature called the "Idea Gallery" to give you additional inspiration for your design. I ordered my print to canvas on July the 21st, and I received my framed canvas today. Easy, indeed!

Here's the finished product:

And here's where it is currently on display in our den. I am working on a wall collection that will showcase this beauty properly. Thanks Easy Canvas Prints and Brendan!

Over on my sidebar, underneath the "BRANDINGS" heading is a button link to their website. Tell 'em Pattie sent ya *smile*!

Rockport, TX 2011

2011-06-28T21:44:00.000-05:00

The Wheeler Brothers - "Portraits"

2011-06-19T16:11:00.003-05:00

Austin, Texas is well known to natives as a hotbed of creative new music and through the city's enthusiastic support of the yearly South by Southwest event, continues to nurture enormously talented young musicians.

The Wheeler Brothers are a great example of this creative energy. Set for release on June 21, the Wheeler Brothers’ new CD, Portraits, has already debuted at sold-out pre-release parties around the state.

After giving it a once-through quick listen, I was immediately struck by the unique and quirky compositions. The Wheeler Brothers have it going on! Far from the expected "one song wonder," the entire album is filled with very catchy, listenable tunes and instrument mastery to be expected from much more seasoned musicians. Nolan, Tyler and Patrick are the real life brothers, while the smooth vocals of Danny Matthews and the guru-like talent of the steel guitarist, A.J. Molyneaux, round out the indie-rock band.

The second track, "Mississippi," is often a crowd favorite, with good reason: killer lyrics and kickin' backbeat with a nice little storyline.

But, my personal favorite might just be the funky "Just Another City." It reminds me of a young Leon Russell, tossed in with a nuanced flavor of Randy Newman. Great catchy keyboard riffs, too.

Then again, like a good Django Reinhardt song soaked in a little tequila and lime, "Ghost in the Valley" has gotten the most playtime on my laptop in the evenings.

Here is a YouTube of "Call Me In The Morning":

Truly, it was hard to narrow down a single song favorite; Portraits doesn't have a bad tune in the bunch. If you've never added an Austin band to your library, you can't go wrong with this premier CD by the Wheeler Brothers.

'Course, you don't have to just trust my instincts; someone much more astute, Mr. Ray Benson, frontman for Asleep at the Wheel and nine-time Grammy winner, was so impressed by their unique sound and talent that he signed the Wheeler Brothers to his own Bismeaux Records. (They are keeping good company, as the Texas Tornados, Willie Nelson, Jason Roberts, and Leon Rausch are among the label's famous artists.)

You can catch the Wheeler Brothers live in Dallas at the Across the Street Bar in Dallas on Friday, June 24th. I haven't had the opportunity to listen to them live, but I've been told they are awesome in person with a fun, infectious stage presence. Catch them soon so you can say, "I saw them when..."!

You can preorder here from iTunes.

Article first published as Music Review: Wheeler Brothers - Portraits on Blogcritics.

Fort Davis, Big Bend Memorial Day

2011-05-30T21:19:00.000-05:00