Coming Face-to-Face with History

You never know where your ordered steps will lead you. I say, “ordered” because my latest adventure was certainly not a result of my own planning.

A couple of weeks ago, my eldest daughter, Tyler, was asked to play at a luncheon honoring notable business women in the Houston area. Tyler is a violinist (for those of you who don’t know). She played the national anthem while the color guard from a local school led the salute to the flag. Her performance was stellar and many words of praise and pats on the back followed, one of which came from a woman who was seated next to us. She promptly booked Tyler to play the same song for her foundation’s upcoming event, commemorating the 50^th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of1964. We heartily agreed to be there, of course.

I’ve attended many events with my daughter before, but this one in particular will stick with us. The two honorees for the evening were The honorable Senfronia Thompson, Texas State Representative for the 141^st District, and – hold on to your hats – Sarah Collins Rudolph, the 5^th victim and ONLY survivor from the bombing of the 16^th Ave. Baptist Church in Birmingham, AL in 1963. She has been a footnote in the annals of history and the Honey Brown Hope Foundation has helped to elevate her story so that our children can know that there were more than the FOUR LITTLE GIRLS we’ve all read about in history class. Mrs. Rudolph was the youngest of the victims. Her sister and three other young girls died that day because of an unforgettable act of violent hatred. Mrs. Rudolph survived, but lost her right eye and partial sight in her left eye.

Both women were more than deserving of the awards, proclamations, and accolades they received that night. One woman, a public servant and champion of the disenfranchised and forgotten, and one standing as the symbol of the indomitable spirit of a survivor of one of the harshest chapters in American history. It was truly an honor to meet them both. But I think the sweetest memory that I will cherish from that evening was watching my daughter connect with living history in such a way that she was compelled to take her experience back to school and share it with her teachers and classmates. The sacrifices of people she’s only heard and read about became a reality for her and she’ll never be the same.

God is good!

Sarah Collins Rudolph

                 

                                                                     

 State Representative Senfronia Thompson

                                                                                   

Life is Taco Soup

Okay...

The SITSgirls crew recently issued a Back to Blogging Challenge for all of us bloginnistas who sort of fell off the wagon during the summer. Bless their awesome hearts! For people like me who sometimes get stuck too long in the valley of writer's block, this was just the kick in the pants I needed. These writing prompts have helped me so much! It's the little things, you know.

So today, the challenge is to post a favorite fall photo and blog about it. As I pondered what I was going to use as my subject, something lovely and beautifully simplistic came to mind. It's the perfect pictorial to express the essence of my FAVORITE season - fall. From it's rich southwestern flavors to its luscious, comforting aroma, TACO SOUP is unequivocally the signature dish of fall to me. The fall-like colors of all it's satisfying ingredients are the perfect ending to these short days and long nights. And it's the epitome of no-hassle cooking. Just dump everything together in one big pot. Doesn't get any better than that!

If you've never tried a bowl of this heavenly soup, I strongly suggest that you brew up a pot of it for yourself as soon as you feel that first cool snap in the air. After you do, come back and post a comment about what I KNOW will be your newly appointed favorite fall dish!

Taco Soup

Photo and recipe, courtesy of My Blessed Life 

My Fall 2014 Bucket List

It's fall ya'll!

Okay. Now that we've established that I'm a Texan...

I have to say, fall is my absolute favorite season of the year (winter is a close second). I know. I'm weird. But give me a break. Living in southeast Texas, we spend most of the year hovering somewhere warm and sweltering. So, the first inkling we get of a cool breeze in the air (usually by mid-October), we're all about the long sleeves and Uggs down here. But more importantly, we... well I... look forward to certain "Fallicious" things, like welcoming back all things pumpkin (coffee, cupcakes, pancakes, you name it!).

But there are a few things I'd like to do or at least revisit that symbolize fall to me:

• The Texas State Fair (growing up in the DFW area, it was a family tradition)
• A really good, crowd-screaming, band-dancing high school football game (I miss the Friday Night Lights of my teen years)
• Visit a local pumpkin patch (did I mention that I celebrate pumpkins?)
• Go to a Houston Texans home game (they're my favorite NFL team)
• Attend a murder mystery dinner theater (the longer nights just add to the color of it all)
• Having an indulgent lunch at this trendy restaurant called Low Brow (I hear they've mastered all kinds of ways to use crushed Cheetos in gourmet dishes)
• Have fried turkey for Thanksgiving (haven't had it in years and I feel like I'm long overdue)

I could go on, but I need to save some energy (and calories) for Christmas! LOL!