untold stories of 2011 :: a visit to the State Fair of Texas

Growing up in the Dallas area meant a yearly visit to the State Fair of Texas each fall. As a child I was even privileged to have an annual school holiday and free ticket to attend on “Fair Day.” My parents made sure that their daughters’ tickets did not go to waste, and we had a regular family outing to Fair Park in mid-October each year. I have only a few memories from those childhood days, but I do recall the feelings of thrill, wide-eyed excitement, and some boredom when we were forced to spend far too much time walking through the Creative Arts competition submissions. The few memories I do have involve deep-fried fair foods and loads of vendor booths hawking their latest and greatest products. This was the seventies, so infomercials did not exist and the products were truly enticing to a fair-goer. My parents enjoyed these booths the most, so we spent much of our day in those buildings, listening to sales pitches and enjoying free samples. And each year my folks looked forward to returning to the Fair just to restock some of the items they had previously purchased. Once upon a time, the State Fair of Texas equaled the Home Shopping Network in my eyes. But I loved it all the same.

Schools stopped handing out free tickets by the time I began adolescence, but I did get to return to the Fair a few more times in the following years. I most recall a visit with my best friend Valerie when we were freshmen in high school. This was my first time to tour the grounds “on my own,” and I took advantage of the freedom by spending as much time as possible in the Midway. Though the Fair has permanent rides, my sisters and I were never allowed to ride very many of them because they were generally considered unsafe. They are, in fact, just carnival rides, and a much safer option was just down the highway at Six Flags. But a child wants what a child wants, and when finally I had the freedom to roam the Fair on my own, I wanted to ride the Midway rides. That particular day with Val, spending all of our money on cheap thrill rides and rigged carnival games, has always been my personal measure for a good State Fair adventure. That memory has grown in my mind through the years because it was my last visit before moving out of the region. Our Fair adventures became less frequent after that.

In October of 2011, I was finally able to return. I can’t even recall when last I was there for the State Fair event, though it was within the past decade. But this time I went with my friend Mere and had a similar experience to that day with Valerie: I saw the Fair through different eyes. Several times I found myself surprised at the smallness of the fairgrounds, as they had always seemed so vast before, and I realized also that I had never even visited some of the standard exhibits in years past. Mere had her own agenda for the day, having attended the Fair almost yearly since moving to Dallas, and she introduced me to areas that I’d never given any thought before. Because of her knowledge and research, we were able to walk through the Food building right at free sample time, and we also strolled through the special exhibit celebrating Texas’s 125 year anniversary, which featured artifacts from Texas history. I might have never done either of those things on my own. Likewise, I made Mere join me in the Auto exhibit despite her lack of interest; I’m certain my visit would not have felt complete without walking through and checking out all the bright and shiny new vehicles for 2012. It’s just something my dad always wanted to do, so in my mind it’s become intrinsically linked to the State Fair. Thankfully, both Mere and I agreed on one thing: the food. No visit is complete without a deep-fried Fletcher’s Corn Dog and tart-sweet freshly-squeezed lemonade. I also had to stop for a sausage-on-a-stick before day’s end, though Mere was more partial to deep-fried cookie dough. Regardless of what else happens on a visit to the Texas State Fair, it is simply not complete without partaking in these ridiculous (and delicious) foods.

There is more to do at the Fair than a single day would allow (if you are taking time to really explore, that is), but I had one single purpose on this particular visit. In all the years I’ve been to the Fair I have never taken a ride on the giant ferris wheel. This year I vowed to make that happen, even great cost to my limited funds. We planned the entire day around this one event so that I could be on the ferris wheel as the sun was setting over Dallas. From above the fairgrounds you can see the full expanse of the city, and I was determined to get some photos. Our ride to the top occurred at the exact right moment, allowing for a series of breathtaking photos and an even more thrilling experience. Nothing else could have made this day any better. And the blessing came in being able to share it all with my good friend Mere.

Now, of course, I can’t wait to return again this year. I think I’ll try to save some money and do the Midway this time. Surely those carnival rides are better than they seem, right?

Take a look at my complete State Fair of Texas photo gallery for 2011…

untold stories of 2011 :: the holiday season

It wasn’t that long ago that I suddenly realized how much I love the Christmas season. Sure, I had the usual amount of excitement as a child, waking early on Christmas mornings to creep down the hall with my sisters and explore what Santa had left for us during the night. But then adolescence came and Santa was no longer a magical mystery, and eventually Christmas became one more holiday from school and a time when family gathered for gift exchange. I still enjoyed that aspect of it, especially as my niece and nephews arrived, but somewhere in the mix I lost the sense of wonder and joy. I liked Christmas as much as I liked other holidays but no more than that.

It was only last year that I felt the great stirring in my spirit that I’d had as a young girl. I’m certain this is directly proportional to my relationship with Jesus. As I’ve grown spiritually in the past few years I’ve come to view the world in terms of beauty and art. And that has brought with it a true JOY that I don’t recall experiencing in my younger years. I do all I can to choose joy throughout the year, but there is once again a sense of WONDER and MYSTERY as Christmas approaches. My heart is thrilled by the sparkle of the world – whether manmade or innate – and I have come to recognize a new buoyancy to my heart during the Advent season. Everywhere I go and everything I see fills me with expectancy and excitement. I have come to enjoy the experience of shopping for Christmas gifts simply for the fun of standing amidst the twinkling decorations. Every lighted tree makes me smile. Every shimmering display makes my heart happy. These are the reasons I don’t want to nail down my Christmas gift list too early in the year; I enjoy wandering the festive store displays in search of little treasures! There’s no telling when I might run across that perfect little gift that the recipient doesn’t even know she wants! That is pure joy for me. Even when the world seems filled with Scrooges and Grinches. As far as I’m concerned, those people give me even more reason to be joyful: Jesus did tell me to bring His Light to this world, you know. And Christmas is the perfect opportunity to reflect His love onto others.

That right there is the reason I believe the season has become so powerful for me. I am filled with wonder but that wonder always leads to worship. Every moment of Advent reminds me that Jesus came to this world for me. He chose to live a human life – and to die an excruciating death – for me. That reality never escapes me during the frenzy of holiday shopping and canned carols. Every gift I seek is for the single purpose of bringing the same joy to others than Jesus brings to me. Sure, it’s all material goods, but in the long run it’s not the item itself that gets remembered but the fact that I loved them enough to find something just for each person. And that builds a foundation for the future when gifts will drop away but our relationships will endure. I never want my loved ones to wonder how much I care for them and how important they are to me. During the holidays, I take all the time I can to impart that to each of them.

While the kids are still young there will be physical gifts, but I have to say I’m truly looking forward to the day when the wish lists are insignificant and time together becomes the most important aspect for them. It’s already become that for the adults. A few years ago my sisters and I chose to stop exchanging gifts to each other in favor of pouring all of the budget into the kids’ gifts. Because I have no children myself, each family gifts me one item, but I give only to the four children and to my parents. It saves on the finances, for sure, but it also has the added bonus of finding new and fun ways to share our love for each other. The older we get (and the older their kids get), the more we come to value our time together and our conversations during the other months of the year. Daily interaction has become the focus. I have no doubt that my sisters love me (even when they dislike me greatly for some stupid thing I’ve said), and I think they are assured of my love for them, as well. It comes from the way we share important events with each other, from the way we inquire about each other’s daily lives, and especially from the way we pray for each other and rally around when someone is hurting. The older we get, the more we know the importance of being friends. So when Thanksgiving and Christmas come back around, we use the special season to amp up the shared moments. More and more, my reward from my family comes in the memories we make together and photos I have to tell the stories. And the laughter. Oh so much laughter!

Each new holiday season seems a bit more special than the last. I’m sure it’s about feeling my age more and more, and I know it’s also about realizing that our years together are fleeting. My parents turned 65 this year and became “official” senior citizens (rather than AARP-eligible), and though they are as youthful as ever (and moreso) I cannot help but consider the reality that their days on the earth are fewer now than ever before. In realizing this, of course, I understand that none of us knows how many days we have left. It’s become ever-present in my mind. And the last thing I want in this life is to regret not telling people I love them or showing them the depth of that love. This becomes all the more poignant for me during the holidays, but rather than lament the shortness of days remaining, I choose to celebrate the time we have now. I love that the world lights up all around me while I’m experiencing that same sparkle in my own life.

In 2011 my family didn’t have the most typical of celebrations, but we held true to our traditions. In recent years, two of my cousins from my mother’s family have joined us for Thanksgiving Day, and this year my cousin Kim offered to host the holiday at her newly completed home. My sisters and their families did not join us, but I traveled with my parents to the western skirts of the Dallas region to hang out for the day. All of Kim’s family was present, including her husband and son, her sister Shawn with husband and young daughter, as well as Kim and Shawn’s parents, my Aunt Linda and Uncle Don. Linda is my mom’s only sister, and the last remaining member of her birth family, so I’ve come to understand how important it is for us to share time with this part of my extended family. We didn’t have much time together growing up and have only just reconnected a bit in the past five years or so, but during our childhood years I spent alternate Christmases with these cousins when we all gathered at my maternal grandmother’s home. Due to distance, that was often the only time we ever saw each other. I’m not sure how much my own (younger) sisters can recall about those holidays, but I have several good (and ridiculous) memories from those few years during our childhood. That we are now reconnecting a bit in adulthood is a nice thing. And Thanksgiving was a good day of relaxed family time. No great fuss, no pressure, some laughter and sharing and a ton of food. Holidays with my sisters’ families are never this tame. Or quiet! So this Thanksgiving was a rare moment of casual family time in the midst of holiday celebration. Driving back home that evening we weren’t even tired! And the awesome blessing of a beautiful sunset through the trees was a perfect topper to the day.

By contrast, Christmas with my sisters and their families was as chaotic as ever. In the very best way. It has become tradition for us to all gather (along with our parents) at my youngest sister Janeen’s home to have lunch and share a family gift exchange. Her house is the largest, and with eleven of us, that is much needed. By the time I arrive the stockings have already been sorted through and Janeen’s family has exchanged their own gifts to each other. Since my stocking remains at their house (and we have the new tradition of filling them for each other), I always have little gifts waiting for me when I first arrive. Not long after, my other sister Joanie arrived with her family and we set about getting lunch to the table. The kids would rather this tradition didn’t exist, but my paternal grandmother had a rule that no gifts could be opened on Christmas until a full meal had been shared and all dishes cleaned up. When we were children this referred to the breakfast meal, which was always a full and hearty breakfast that took forever (it seemed), but as adults it now refers to the lunch meal. To make it even more excruciating for my niece and nephews (ha ha!), my own mother implemented a tradition that the gift exchange take place in a round, with each person opening only one gift while everyone else watched, then continuing in birth order until all gifts were finally revealed. To say the kids get bored is an understatement. The youngest ones typically last for a couple of rounds before wandering around the house and complaining about how long it takes until their next turn. Even some of the adults get bored with this, but we’ve come to embrace it as tradition so it’s just part of the deal. And I love it like my mom does. This practice allows us to all know exactly what gifts were received and by whom, and everyone gets to share in the joy of each other’s creativity and personal attention. As much as I love giving my own gifts, I’ve come to realize how cool it is for me to see what others give. And I learn a lot about each person in the process.

Following the gift exchange this year was a fun period of photography. I’m always shooting throughout the day, more than ever lately as I try to capture every small moment, and in years past there has been some effort made to posing for “family” photos. We abandoned it last year since so many turned out so horribly (bad lighting, lack of interest), but Joanie wanted to capture her own little family this year so I helped out with that. The photos really didn’t turn out as I’d hoped but the experience turned into my favorite hour of the day. There was just a shared joy in being silly and not worrying too much over the process. Interestingly, this period also provided my very favorite photo of the day: an accidental shot of my brother-in-law mugging for the camera while I tested my settings. He wasn’t expecting the shot, I wasn’t intending to depress the shutter, but the image turned out amazing and really captured his sense of playfulness and our ease with each other that has only come about in very recent years. It’s taken 25 years for us to feel totally relaxed around each other (owing to the fact that I was completely unlikable when he and my sister met at 15 years of age), so having this hour of silliness with him and Joanie really showed me the importance of growing into relationships. If you’d told me that my favorite moment of the day would be laughing loudly with Shane over an accidental photo I would’ve told you “fat chance.” Now I can’t imagine not experiencing it again!

These are the memories that remain with me year after year, and they define the holiday season for me. As soon as they end I’m ready to fill that void with something equally brilliant. This has made the standard Christian phrase of “Keep CHRISTmas in your heart all year long” all the more simple for me. My holidays are wrapped up in family, but the heart of everything is worship. I worship Jesus all year-round, every moment of every day, and Christmas just shows the rest of the world the joy that I experience daily. When all the twinkle lights are taken down and the evergreens are tossed by the curb I am reminded that many in the world will be looking for something to fill that space in their hearts, something that keeps the celebration alive. There’s only one answer to that: Jesus came that we may have life – and have it abundantly. The joy of Christmas is present every day. Praise God for that!

Take a look at the complete gallery of my holiday photos.

untold stories of 2011 :: One Little Word (a recap)

 
My One Little Word for 2011 was…

You’ll see from the lack of entries on my pilgrimage blog that I totally failed in documenting that goal. For over half the year I also believed I had failed in achieving that goal. And then something interesting occurred: I put some thought to the happenings of the past 12 months – to the daily moments, the small celebrations, the big epiphanies – and I realized that 2011 had not been a year of failure after all. In fact, even today there are visual reminders of success. I almost missed it because it didn’t look anything like I expected it would look.

When I chose the word HEALTHY in January, I hoped that twelve months would bring a significant weight loss, a habit of fresh foods, a joy of home cooking, and a pattern of regular sleep. I expected to feel more energy, less sickly all the time. I expected to need an entirely new wardrobe. None of those things occurred. Hence, my assumption that 2011 was a failure in the area of goals. I also wanted to embrace creativity in a larger way, to focus on personal art projects that brought a renewed health to my mind and my spirit. Again, I determined that this goal ended in failure because much of my year was spent in front of a laptop with the television droning in the background. Sometimes 24/7. Definitely not healthy. No matter what I may have been “watching.” With those things in mind, I declared 2011 a resolution FAIL. And vowed to make 2012 “the year.” But then I came to a realization…

It all began with a pair of jeans. Jeans that, last year, did not fit comfortably during the first hour of wear because they were simply too snug in the waist when freshly laundered. This year, when the weather finally turned almost cool, I pulled on those jeans and found room to spare. At first I believed they must had been worn and placed back in the closet unwashed. I rarely do that, but perhaps this one time? I wore the jeans all day and found them to be far too loose for my taste. Baggy in weird places. Still I didn’t think much of it… until I wore a different pair a week or so later. And those were just as loose on first wear. Freshly laundered but looser than ever. Suddenly I realized! I had kept off enough weight to make my clothes fit loosely! And my thoughts turned to the summer and another moment of success.

While visiting my parents in July I stepped onto the scale after a shower one day and saw that I weighed 30 pounds less than the last time I’d weighed, sometime during the past 6 months. Thirty pounds! And I’d not been on the Healthy wagon for four months by this time! But in those four months of neglect and passivity toward my yearly goal I had still managed to keep 30 pounds at bay. That was clearly a success! I held onto that Win throughout the remainder of the year, but until I encountered the results in my clothing I still did not treat it as a completion of my resolution. After all, I still wasn’t sleeping properly and I still didn’t see much difference in the mirror. I also wasn’t eating properly. No, not at all. The old habits were ever-present, with fast food my most frequent menu. Yet, in the midst of all those bad habits, I’d remained thirty pounds lighter than before. Thinking back on this while analyzing my looser jeans, I could not deny that I had made some headway on this goal of HEALTHY.

Nearing the holidays I mentioned all of this to my mother. I still couldn’t believe my clothes were telling a different story than my mind, but she agreed that I had made some progress this year. She hadn’t noticed the clothes – I’m a plus-size girl with a tendency for ill-fitting clothing, so that did not surprise – but she pointed out that I seemed to be healthier than I’d been in a very long time. There seemed to be fewer stomach issues (which I’d had for over a decade), and I’d been more joyful this year than other times. And despite my irregular sleeping patterns, I had, in fact, been able to go to sleep and sleep more restfully than the past few years. At least, she noted, I was able to get to sleep when I went to bed rather than lying awake for hours before drifting off. That itself counted for a lot on this road to Healthy. I had to agree.

In the end, I’m not where I imagined I’d be by December 31, 2011, but I’m further along than ever. And that encourages me and motivates me to continue on this path. While I have chosen a new word for 2012, I will continue to hold onto HEALTHY, as well. That period at the end of the word up there? That will remain in the front of my mind. I want Healthy to be a lifestyle. I want it to be a pattern and a habit of my days. I want the fast food to become a treat, and I want my kitchen to be a place of joy. As far as it will, of course, for a girl who truly despises the act of meal preparation. Simply put, I want to be HEALTHY… period. And this year was a decent start.

Watch for a new post this week about my chosen word for 2012. It’s my favorite word yet!

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One Little Word is a yearly challenge issued by Ali Edwards. I also (kind of) participated in the One Word community at Grit and Glory this year. Perhaps you’ll consider joining me in the new year!

in the spirit of a new year…

It should come as no surprise to most of you that I fell away from blogging in the later months of 2011. This is par for the course in my life. I am notorious for beginning projects and never quite completing them, or at most, waiting until I’m pressed against a deadline before really moving on the tasks. It happened at Christmas again this year and it happened on this blog. It happened in my creative life, and it happened in the area of personal goals. It’s not purposeful, this procrastination of mine, but it has been a habit as long as I can remember. However, lately I’ve really been thinking about it. A lot. And to that end I have chosen One Little Word for 2012 that I hope will help me break this cycle. The revelation of that word will come later in the week. For now, with a new year upon me, I truly want to begin a fresh, new chapter. And that means I need to properly close down 2011. Had I not spent the past 5 days in near-literal hibernation due to persistent throbbing headaches I would have already made these final posts. But I am me and there was no closure. So, in this first week of a new year I aim to shut down the past year. Watch for 11 untold stories to be posted here over the next several days. Eleven stories from 2011. It’s not that I wasn’t busy this past year… just that I failed to take my stories and make them known. And what’s the purpose of gathering stories if not to share them? So I will share them now. And finally complete what I began at this time last year. Thanks for bearing with me! There’s definitely more to come.

 

This photo has nothing to do with this post other than the fact that I’ve kind of felt this way in the past few months. And it’s a funny photo. It was W’s response to FINALLY completing the Christmas afternoon one-at-a-time gift exchange with the extended family. It’s excruciating for him to watch each person open a single gift, in birth order, and then repeat the process around the circle until all gifts are finally opened. Eleven-year-old boys just don’t see the fun, I guess. But it makes a good photo.

so, I’m kinda lovin’ these cookies right now

Little known fact: I’m what you call a BzzAgent. I participate in various campaigns as part of a test market group to determine whether a product has the appeal that a company desires, and as part of this group I receive samples of products in exchange for honest feedback. In the past I’ve been able to sample frozen foods, microwaveable meals, books, magazines, websites, hair care products, cosmetics, and even Chili’s Smokehouse Bacon Burger (best campaign ever!). All for the low, low price of only my opinion! I simply test out the products on my own time then log into my BzzAgent account and write a quick review. Each review I submit, including small posts on how and to whom I “Bzzed” about the product, gains me additional credits for MyPoints rewards program, which then translates to gift cards after collecting enough points. It’s all very lucrative for this web-savvy, freebie-loving girl, and I’m happy to share my opinions about the products that are being promoted. Totally a win-win for us all!

My most recent Bzz Campaign is for The Truly Awesome™ Homestyle Chocolate Chip Cookies… from Kroger, of all places! I have to admit that I was hesitant to believe that a sort of second-rate grocery store would have a chocolate chip cookie that would rival any name brand, but as a member of BzzAgent I’m always willing to try whatever they send. Imagine my shock when I took my first bite of these “homestyle” cookies and realized they rivaled Chips Ahoy! Same large size, same crispy-chewy texture, and same great taste. I was pleasantly surprised! And I ate three in one sitting! My parents were visiting over the holiday weekend and they were just as impressed with the taste and the quality of the cookies. And just as surprised that we’d be able to purchase these at Kroger. Which usually means a better price than any Nabisco product. All in all, it’s for the win!

Now, are these cookies “truly awesome”? I’d have to reserve that phrase for a <i>homemade</i> chocolate chip cookie. But for a store-bought cookie, the Kroger “Truly Awesome™ Homestyle Chocolate Chip Cookies” are definitely worth the buzz. I highly recommend them to anyone who loves Chips Ahoy. I’ve worked my way through a box of 8 cookies so far and still have more to enjoy. And I have to say I’ll be sad when they’re gone! But I’m happy that part of my Bzz packet was coupons for $1.00 off more packages of cookies. That itself is WIN-WIN.

Click these non-affiliate links for more information about BzzAgent and Kroger exclusives.
My only compensation comes in the form of web credits from BzzAgent for reporting my opinions in their campaigns.