Home on the Range?

Good evening bloggers and blog readers. settling down here tonight amid a mountain of delicious delicacies sent by our Beck side of the family. If you are reading this Becks, the mint chocolate cookies are amazing! Great pick and thanks for sending the box o fun. Twas a lovely reminder of home and the people we love :-)

well, its high time I update my blog here though you cannot fault me for want to post rich and informative tales. I often think its time to post but realize there's more to the story that must be lived before I do so. and we've done a lot of living and learning "Texas style" since Christmas. where to begin...

January was more settling in at the new job and in our new neighborhood. We have a wonderful neighborhood here on Winnie Street and are so glad to be right in the middle of it.
We are surrounded by wonderful and very diverse folk! I love this aspect of Winnie Street and am so thankful that we are in such a great spot. It makes for great "porch sittin' banter" and neighborly friendship too. David and Dale are neighbors across the street who have been so kind to us. We had Christmas lunch with them and their family. I have never seen so much food in one sitting - and all of it was delicious!! Dale and I are going to have to have a "cook off" one of these days...I am sure of it. ;-) He is threatening gumbo - shall I come back at him with a maryland crab soup!?! we shall see what my culinary war chest can muster up.

Having more time in the evenings lately I have been cooking up a storm. I just this evening learned how to cook with "fennel bulb" and leeks. We made a tasty Shrimp pot pie. It was amazing! Lots of shrimp and seafood on our plates lately. Theres a seafood market on 22nd and Harborside just a few blocks from our house. Fresh shrimp from the gulf at just 5 bucks a pound daily. AWESOME. I'll post some pics of Katie's market - the pelicans gather around the shop and the fisherman feed them fish scraps after they filet fish for you. So hilarious!




We hosted our first party which was a success in late January. We've had great fun bringing the art of sushi making to friends back home. I cannot start this without thanking my west coast cousin/sushi chef Silas Toms. A few years back he came east for a visit and taught us the whole shebang. Nori, Wasabi, ginger...and ever so crucial...how to buy fish that will not kill your friends. So far so good in that department. Not a single death so far on our watch!! :-)

We had about 15 folk over. Bring a drink to share and 10 bucks to cut the cost (party on a grad student budget = everyone chipping in!). I think everyone had a great time. Some chose to just eat while others took charge at the table rolling crazy concoctions. By the end of the night I was full and tired from a day of prep. It was great to host a party again too. I think those are genetics passed down from Mom's side of the family. Shes always a very gracious host and I am glad to have some of that spirit in me too. (emphasis on "some" - I have not yet cut out themed name cards nor have I set festive tables 2 days prior to a meal. That is a level I have not yet risen too! )

All this said, I feel like these last two weeks I have started to feel more at home. Work is picking up in a good way and I am starting to learn new things in the world of affordable housing - a passion of mine to be sure. More to come soon. Andy's birthday is coming up and we have taken the plunge into Texas style bbq. Found a great bargain on a grill this weekend and plan to christen it over the next few weeks. Any thoughts on a first recipe for the grill master?! Lots of love from the island tonight. -Court

Thoughts on a December night

Feeling contemplative tonight...this post could either be a massive brain dump with little to be understood by those who might read it. Or perhaps it evolves into a riveting chapter for my memoirs. ha! who knows but I've got an inkling that there's much to write this evening. excuse any typos...Harley wants to be a part of the fun and is making her presence known already.

So its two days after Christmas and while I am tempted to take the easy route and dictate the day's celebratory events (which were festive and all around fun, as Christmas should be!) I find myself drawn to deeper thoughts. Things that have run around in my head over the past week or more and things that I am remembering today.

a memory:

Last year, as Andy prepared his list of universities that he would tour, he added UTMB on the list because of some great work they are doing with infectious disease. The man loves this stuff!! to be short, I think I packed more books on disease than any other. Nothing like throwing titles like "The Coming Plague" into a box for Safe Keeping :-)

That said...when he told me Texas was on the list I all but laughed out loud. It was actually the butt of the joke for a time over the dinner table. It went something like this:

Friend A: "oh, where are you applying Andy?"
Andy: "a bunch of equally hotsy totsy schools actually. Penn State, Hopkins, UC Denver..."
Court: "THE University of Texas...BAHAHAHAHA!! giddy up!!"
ALL LAUGH, equally loudly and obnoxiously. :-P

needless to say I could hardly imagine living in Texas...much less Galveston! the place that seemed like so many other places that have been damaged by Hurricanes as of late. I have been on two service trips to the Gulf Coast in past years and so when I thought of Galveston...I immediately thought of water damaged wood and trees that still haven't recovered from the water that covered them. That said, he was just going to visit and what are the odds that out of 7 applications it would be the only good fit. (note: truthfully, If I had my way I would have limited all schools to a 50 mile radius around Baltimore. I am a sucker for the comfort zone BUT, clearly, not really the best way to make a decision now is it? :-)

Andy came back from Galveston on the first weekend Saturday of the Lenten season leading into Easter. Growing up Catholic, this season has always held special significance for me. He came off the plane saying that in spite of the damaged surroundings, he really really liked the school! I listened carefully, realizing that the joke might become a reality and began to wonder how I might respond to a plan that might not go the way I expect. That Sunday was the start of our Lenten Series entitled "The Way of the Cross" at church. At the front of the sanctuary the worship team had placed two doors. One was a door that looked like it had been, quite literally, through a hurricane. paint was chipping, raw wood was visible in patches. The 2nd door on the other side of the sanctuary was a really beautiful blue door with a stained glass window in it. Very pretty.

I sat down and told myself that I automatically knew what this sermon was going to be about. If we walk the good walk we will get to head through Heaven's door. The beautiful stained glass door on the right side of the sanctuary. If we do not, we have to walk through the ugly door. I silently told myself that I probably should have slept in that morning because I was truly tired and...I already knew what the sermon was going to be about anyway!

Then John started speaking. He was talking about Jesus' sacrifice and how sometimes it means giving up the ways of the world to take the way of the cross. He then suggested that Jesus beckons us to walk through the beaten, broken door for it leads to life. The beautiful stained glass door, while pretty and shiny, can often lead us to stop walking with God because we are crafting our lives for ourselves FIRST and God second.

I was blown away by God in that moment. Andy had just freshly revealed to me his great interest in this school and here I am staring at a door, that leads to life, that looked like it had come right out of Hurricane ravaged Galveston. I've seen a few of these busted up doors in my work in Baltimore and it was so striking to me!! In reality, I have seen radical transformation happen when folks agree to adopt broken houses, broken families, and broken city streets and seek to reinvigorate and love them. The beautiful door to the right looked like the comfort zone I was building up in my mind. I was totally stunned, in a most humble way, by this new picture in front of me.

All was not fully known then but as we discerned...God placed on our hearts that we might need to trust him on this one. All the doors to other schools were closed and we felt called to follow.

I hang on to this memory. When I walk the dog and see the broken doors that surround us. When I talk to neighbors and hear their broken stories. And when I feel push back from my experience thus far and feel the broken spaces in my heart where I have not yet fully grasped my place here. I hang onto the knowledge that from Brokenness God has done incredible things in my life and in others. Indeed it is only a truly broken spirit that can, in its humbled crawling state, reach out to grasp a new and different alternative that leads to life abundant.

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom."

so that's where I am today if I am going to truly name it. I suppose I've just not fully come to understand my place here - and that leaves an open space that seeks wholeness. If this leads to life however, and I've faith that it will, then consider me a willing passenger. Til then I will hold tight to that broken door in my mind and look out with expectation at the brokenness that I see quite clearly in front of me. Maybe, with a whopping heap of Grace, I can be a part of the journey towards joy with my neighbors...in so doing I might just find my way as well.

I suppose that's it for tonight - enough to ruminate on for now. grace and peace!

Super

Well, we've made it! The great 100 days of separation are over and our united life in Galveston has officially begun as of Saturday November 29, 2009 at 1am. I mention the time as I do believe that is the most exhausting drive I have ever endeavored. Props to Andy who drove solo this past August - what a trek!

The good news is that we are here and safe with Dog and Cat in tow. We were unsure about the wisdom of toting Nellie and Harley along with us in the 24 hour car ride. These two are fair weather friends at best...Feline hissing is a common sound in our house as Harley attempts to show the 50 pound pit bull that she is, in fact, queen of the castle. We were pleasantly surprised to note that both pets are excellent travel companions with not a peep out of either until the last hour as Harley made sure to note that she was no longer enjoying her ride in her carrier. Can't blame her. We wanted to get out of our carrier too by that point :-).

Initial tears and anxieties that spawned as I realized "this is actually happening" have subsided quite a bit as I am starting to unpack boxes and set up the new place while Andy attends class during the day. I consider it a step in the right direction that I can now look at pictures of my nephew without welling up into tears. A funny happening that occurred from Saturday through Monday with incredible consistency.

The new place will work just fine. Pictures will be up soon. the place is actually quite cute and seems to fit our modest lifestyle. my motto : The less house you have the less you have to clean! so we'll stick to that until perhaps some day the world deems scientists and nonprofit managers worthy to be paid the big bucks. It will happen some day, I am sure.

OK, Texan lesson #1 - Texans love super-walmart and SO...DO...I!!! Sunday was our first full day in our new digs and I was craving normalcy. Several weeks shacking up with friends and family rather nomadically, followed by two days of non-stop driving left me seeking the comforts of home life and home cooked meals.

Andy got to work unpacking the kitchen and I set off to fill up the refrigerator and get other necessities. Speaking of which, I do believe that the flamingo shaped welcome sign, one that would fit perfectly on the front door of our bungalow and available at super walmart for only $9.99, is actually a necessity. I will have to remember this on my next visit. :-) more on my growing obsession with flamingos later...

Needless to say, I navigated this football stadium sized grocery store with ease. Glad to be alongside my new island neighbors and also extremely glad to find that shower curtains, pajama pants, Bicycles and a stouffers lasagna can all be bought in the same store!! you just never know when you might need to take a shower in your pajamas while riding your bike, now do you? Salute to you, Super Wal-Mart...its quite possible you will become a regular in my weekend repertoire.

Super Wal-Mart equals happiness

Well, we've made it! The great 100 days of separation are over and our united life in Galveston has officially begun as of Saturday November 29, 2009 at 1am. I mention the time as I do believe that is the most exhausting drive I have ever endeavored. Props to Andy who drove solo this past August - what a trek!

The good news is that we are here and safe with Dog and Cat in tow. We were unsure about the wisdom of toting Nellie and Harley along with us in the 24 hour car ride. These two are fair weather friends at best...Feline hissing is a common sound in our house as Harley attempts to show the 50 pound pit bull that she is, in fact, queen of the castle. We were pleasantly surprised to note that both pets are excellent travel companions with not a peep out of either until the last hour as Harley made sure to note that she was no longer enjoying her ride in her carrier. Can't blame her. We wanted to get out of our carrier too by that point :-).

Initial tears and anxieties that spawned as I realized "this is actually happening" have subsided quite a bit as I am starting to unpack boxes and set up the new place while Andy attends class during the day. I consider it a step in the right direction that I can now look at pictures of my nephew without welling up into tears. A funny happening that occurred from Saturday through Monday with incredible consistency.

The new place will work just fine. Pictures will be up soon. the place is actually quite cute and seems to fit our modest lifestyle. my motto : The less house you have the less you have to clean! so we'll stick to that until perhaps some day the world deems scientists and nonprofit managers worthy to be paid the big bucks. It will happen some day, I am sure.

OK, Texan lesson #1 - Texans love super-walmart and SO...DO...I!!! Sunday was our first full day in our new digs and I was craving normalcy. Several weeks shacking up with friends and family rather nomadically, followed by two days of non-stop driving left me seeking the comforts of home life, home cooked meals and a place that was not cluttered with my stuff in boxes. Thus, an afternoon trek to the store.

Andy got to work unpacking the kitchen and I set off to fill up the refrigerator and get other necessities. Speaking of which, I do believe that the flamingo shaped welcome sign, one that would fit perfectly on the front door of our bungalow and available at super walmart for only $9.99, is actually a necessity. I will have to remember this again on my next visit. My "food focus" temporarily distracted me from making this purchase and I regret that I was mistaken to not have taken this treasure home with me :-) more on my growing obsession with flamingos later at another time. Lets just say that I am more than excited that we are on an island where flamingos are even more a presence than back home in Hampden! (no Hon Bird yet though - there is still time!)

Needless to say, I navigated this football stadium-sized grocery store with ease. Glad to be alongside my new island neighbors and also extremely glad to find that shower curtains, pajama pants, Bicycles and a stouffers lasagna can all be bought in the same store!! you just never know when you might need to take a shower in your pajamas while riding your bike, now do you? Salute to you, Super Wal-Mart...its quite possible you will become a regular in my weekend repertoire.