If You Can't Beat 'Em...

Join Them! 

That's right folks.  It's college football eve kickoff!  (Did I even get that right?!?!?!?)

I have given in.  I dread the fall every year for more reasons than you want to know, but this year and probably for the next 15+ years, I've decided I might as well give in, especially living in Texas, in one of the biggest football towns, it's is all around me.  High school, College, Pro--it's everywhere and everyone lives and breathes it.  It's good and fun, and a diversion from reality, however I still believe it is not the end all and be all of life.

I'm giving myself a reason to cheer and make it through the fall season with more smiles.  I've picked my teams and have read up on some facts (like I even know that A & M is looking at joining the SEC and Oklahoma might follow because the SEC needs an even number and that the SEC hasn't won back to back championships in 13 years).  I may even watch a game or two and cheer.  (I know you are thinking, "Say what?!?!?")

So, here are my picks--
Allen High School
Auburn University
New Orleans Saints

You can probably guess that Allen is due to location and I really enjoyed going to the season opener at SMU, if for nothing else but the marching band.  They are also ranked #1 in the state right now for 5A.  Auburn is for my family for which 2 sisters went to school there, and Saints are for my home state and I have the matching jewelry.  It also helped that both Auburn and Saints are in the top 10 in their rankings. 

You may even find that I show up for a game viewing (if invited) with these in hand and root for OSU....@Armstrongs....

And, as for my husband's comment, I am secretly rooting for A & M as well, if I have to pick a Texas team.  So, the Gibbs can invite us over too.  :)


So, let's go Eagles, Tigers, and Saints!

An Ode to Camping

The bags were packed, the ice chest full.

Tread not here or you'll fall into a duel.

 No river made the tracks stand out.

 With no water there was not even a pout.

 The hike uphill was hot; we were beat,

But this view God has is so complete.

 Sweet stories were read with care and love,

While falling asleep with stars up above. 

More hiking next day, up a new mount.

While Kendrick with feather held some clout.

To the pool we did dip, trying to stay chilled.

For this trip we were ultimately thrilled.

A New Destination

The Hills have been in need for a new adventure.  It's been a while. 

We've been needing something or somewhere to go as a family that we had never done before.  When our new friends, The Gibbs, suggested we should go camping at Dinosaur Valley State Park, we said definitely!  The problem cam in that all the campsites were booked up---a year in advance for a Saturday night.  Then once we found some at a nearby state park, there was a severe burn ban which meant cooking became more difficult.  We decided to make it a day trip and that way the boys could be back in time for their baseball game that evening.

Saturday morning, we made a picnic lunch and checked the weather.  Unfortunately, it was a chilly 50 degrees and the high was to be only 70.  I put the kids in shorts but layered their shirts with long sleeves over.  I even threw in some jeans just in case.  But this Mom went the WRONG direction in clothing choices and my kids may never forgive me!  

Brady, Taylor, Cavett and Kendrick

We began at Dinosaur World which is an admission park where you walk a trail of over a 100 life sized dinosaurs.  If you went to the Heard Museum during their dinosaur walk, it was much like that, but not with animatronics.  The kids raced along the trail not even stopping to read anything about the dinosaurs. 

There was also a small museum where there were replicas of teeth, eggs, and bones.  Next came the fossil dig where you sifted through sand and found "fossils."  Jeff joked that he found one that said "Made in China."  They ended up with some shark teeth and a couple of other things that looked fossil-ish and the lady working gave them a fancy name.  It was ok.  But, what was to come was way better!

Our picnic lunch was had at the State Park and then off we were on our adventure.  This park is located on the Paluxy River, a tribuatary of The Brazos, and is well known for the many dinosaur footprints that have been found in the river bed.  The first one discovered in 1909.   Did you notice I said, "in the river bed?" 

The Blue Hole Trail was first and led us down a steep cliff to the waters edge of a deep swimming hole in the river. But on the shelf, before the drop off were the first tracks. Taylor and Brady came prepared. Their Mom had been there before and knew the kids would want to get in no matter how cold it was. Call me a stick in the mud! So, off they went. My kids got to climb the rocks instead which was pretty fun in and of itself.

 

The second trail crossed the river and had many roped off sections and signs showing more prints.  Again, my kids got the "Don't get too close and fall in!  Those are the only clothes you have to wear all day" speech over and over. 

We walked on down the river and beach combed, threw rocks in the water, and took in spectacular sights.  But the final set of tracks that we came upon were the best and unmarked. 

The hike back to the cars took us through the campsite and that is when we decided we have to come back and camp even if there is a burn ban.  This place is awesome and gorgeous!  So, maybe we will go on a Thursday and Friday when the kids are out of school. 

Also, the next time we go we will check out the other museum in town, Creation Evidence Museum.  Because if you've read Walt Brown's book and the Bible, everything dinosaur and prehistoric history realted in the worldview is completely inaccurate. 
    

Best Part of the Weekend

Not only did we enjoy great peanuty times this weekend, but there was much to be said for family time in the country as well. 

Between the nutty times we squeezed in some tractor-ing and wood splitting.  The boys absolutely loved pulling on the lever to move the wood splitter in and out.  Boys and thier power tools....   The adults did the majority of the heavy lifting.  This was especially fitting since this is one of the things I remember doing with my Dad quite often and it was his birthday.  He loved to chop, cut, split and burn wood.   If only I could get over the "don't get your clothes dirty, kids" part, but all the grease came out anyway. 

Then there was the long wait in between the spreading of the peanut butter and the laying of the top piece of bread when Stephen discovered that the Main Street boot shop, Mistletoe, is going out of business next month and they had their boots on sale and I mean big!  $10 for the boys and Stephen and I both got a pair for under $100 each--python and ostrich! 

There was the final All Saints service at church where Cavett went with Grandmama to put the rose on the alter to remember Uldene.  (We celebrated Gran last week in Shreveport, but the camera didn't make it with us.)

And of course there was great time with Uncle Austin, Aunt KK, Stanton and Grandmama.  At every chance they could get the boys wanted to be next to Uncle Austin and I couldn't agree anymore, he's a great guy!

At the end of it all we got a few great pictures to "boot."

An Address for Today

My maternal great-grandfather, Paul Marvin Brown, Jr. was truly amazing.  To read his autobiography and the list of things he accomplished in his life all with an attitude of humble servant-hood is inspiring.  I barely remember him.  I was 5 when he passed away, though I do remember one birthday present he gave me, maybe my third.  It was a brown paper bag with several peppermints and a red plastic football.  Nothing out of the ordinary, but he bought it himself, not my great-grandmother.

He had a way with words--an excellent speaker, writer and teacher.  I so wish I could have been old enough to remember and understand some of his addresses.  This past weekend I ran across two scripts of two related addresses one at the opening Convocation at Centenary College in 1962 and the other delivered to the Southwestern Associates and the Board of Trustees of Southwestern University in Georgetown, TX.  What was so striking was how appropo they are for today.  Literally--TODAY and these were written almost 50 years ago. 

Let me share...

This is a high hour in history.  It is a'tingle with urgency.  It must not be wasted.  Some of us have had our day.  For most of you, the future is calling and it is to you that I want to address myself.

Today this nation is the most influencial power in the world.  How long it will hold that place, only time will tell.  Our destiny was projected by a political system set up 175 years ago as a representative form of government.  Under this system have been developed the most virile economy and the highest standard of living ever yet attained on such a broad scale.

This place in the sun carries with it definite responsibilites which we cannot escape.  We are not the the first power to hold such a place.  Many other peoples have held it before and, once having lost it never regained it.... Only by maintaining a great strength can we continue to exert a great influence.... Much then depends on the strength of Amercia.  It must follow that America's strength depends on the strength of the individual citizen of America.   

...I am reminded of the words of Benjamin Franklin as he came out of the Constitutional Convention on September 17, 1787: "You have a Rebublic if you can keep it."  I wonder whether we are not losing it.

Seventy years later, in 1857, Thomas Macaulay, the great English historian, said: "The day will come when in the State of New York, a multitude of people, non of whom had more than half a breakfast or expects to have more than half a dinner, will choose a Legislature. Is it possible to doubt what sort of a Legislature will be chosen? ..."

Both great parties, at least great in size, have for the past generation fed the growing hunger of a welfare state and as Macaulay foretold, a great many seeking political office do so on promise of bountiees from the public purse which though enormous, is not inexhaustible. 

You should never forget that out of your pocket will come the pay for welfare, for social security, and the burden of public debt which my generation has allowed to be saddled on you. 

The office seeker who asks for your vote by the promise of bread [or health care] and circuses both insults your intelligence and fans the flames of national destruction.  If you want proof of that, you have but to read the history of the decline of the Roman Empire.

We need to remind ourselves that those men who signed our Declaration of Independence pledged for its preservation their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor.  And, let us remember too that almost without exception, they were called on to redeem that pledge in full.  Losing lives and fortunes, they maintained their sacred honor.  To them, liberty was sweet, to them honor was sacred, and no price was too great to pay for our freedom....

The transition from a rebuplic to a democracy, if that is whither we are heading, presents a contrdiction in terms.  It seems that the closer we approach this so-called democracy, the more powerful grows the central government at Washington and the more definite the trend toward socialism. 

So, in drifting away from the original concept of the republic, we really find our selves on uncharted seas not knowing whither we are going.  We seem to be moving to an all-powerful central government, losing our our individual rights and freedoms to a bureaucracy which feeds on its own uncontrolled hugeness.  Alexis Carrel wrote: "The democracy ideology itself, unless reconstructed upon a scientific basis, has no more chance of surviving that the Fascist or Marxist ideologies." 

You see, herein lies the danger in the situation: the problem is so difficult even to define that one is almost completely frustrated and the temptation come to give up and let apathy take over.  This you cannot afford to do. 

I could go on, but let's suffice it to say, Paul was a wise man.  And lest you think he was a greedy, right wing extremist, I am here and there are many other to vouch that he was just the opposite.  He was a very generous man and gave in so many ways other than just monetarily.  It comes down to the American dream of working for your own way and earning what you have, then giving generously to those in need. 

My very humble and generous great-grandfather is my role model and I only hope that I can give back as much as he did one day, not the government taking it from me.