Chicken Tendies

 

This weekend I have been relaxing and grilling on my back patio. I have stayed put mainly because my car needs new brake pads and rotars and I'm not willing to risk going out--and it's been a good thing. I've needed the rest. 

My parents taught my brothers and I to cook, and "grill", at a young age. Granted, they ate plenty of battered  pancakes, undercooked burgers, and a generous amount of mishaps on my part--but I did come out a decent cook on the other side, or I'd like to think so at least. Now, I can turn on a grill (electric), light a charcoal grill, and get a Traeger ready, but it wasn't until I lived with my oldest brother, Ryan, that I really learned and garnered a love for the grill. He would use the grill all the time. We had steak, burgers, salmon on cedar planks and salt blocks...we were LIVIN'. 

When I moved to Denison (in my...mmm...third or fourth year...) I came back with an old charcoal grill that was at Big John's that our neighbor Darlene let me have. Let me tell you...I used this old, beat up, probably spent ten years in rain and snow, charcoal grill every day for at least the last three months of summer into fall and again when spring came into summer. It might sound dumb, but this charcoal grill and I had a bond. I could sit outside and watch it smoke until the coals were that perfect gray color, and then I would grill whatever cut of meat for however long my brother taught me to grill it and boy was I living the dream. Guaranteed, my mom got tired of hearing about my love for this grill over the phone. But the old charcoal grill took something I had very little of--patience. I couldn't just turn it on, wait ten minutes, and put the meat on like I could with my parents electric grill. I had to get the coals lit, let them smoke, and then after they rested I could put the meat on. This process reminded me, or even more sent me back in time, to when I was an altar girl swinging incense. In order for the incense to smell and smoke, and fill the church with the presence of the Holy Spirit, the coals have to be lit and burn together much like they do in a charcoal grill. 

Today, unlike a lot of weekends, I am grilling. I still have a charcoal grill but have upgraded to the lovely Akorn Char Griller gifted to me (us) by my roommates parents. The Akorn is fancy, easy, has smoke handles and three different grilling platforms. My original charcoal grill was simple, one rack, three wheel rods--that constantly fell off when grilling, watch out baby! But boy did I love that grill. It taught me so much about grilling and about life. Just the same as the incense always did--I learned so much about being careful (not to burn down the sacristy), and how to get it just at that burning temperature that the whole church smelled and looked like the Holy Spirit had come down. 

Anyways...eat them ribs.

Whisper Words of Wisdom

 I've been writing this blog post in my head for about three weeks now...what to write about, how to start it, who my audience is, and so on. Forgive me if the outcome is discombobulated and more of a purge than a post. 

Growing up, certain memories stick out to me more than others--like I'm sure they do for you.

• I remember my parents making my brothers and I paint the outside of the house--that was character building for the ages. 
• I remember being very little, riding in the car with my mother, and her telling me that I was going to start going to Rosie's instead of Doris's house where I would have to take a nap. 
• I remember my oldest brother's senior bonfire and standing at the top of the home side bleachers while crying and not knowing what I was going to do without my best friend. 
• I remember walking up to the hospital the afternoon Ali died and seeing all of my teammates in tears.
• I remember my mom coming to my side when I had to put down my sweet Reggie boy the day before my tonsils were removed at twenty-four.
• I remember the day Spanish just "clicked" for me after staring at a knife for about five minutes and finally remembering the word for it. 
• I remember the day I started this blog...sitting in the upstairs quiet space of the St. Edward's library...back when it had books in it. 
• I remember watching my mom hug my brother after we lost the coin flip to be in the football state playoffs. 
• I remember Mr. Amaya teasing me every morning in Raymondville about how he knew when I showed up to the gym because I always showed up early enough to set off the alarm. 
• I remember being on the road and having to make the most difficult call to my best friend Mary that our best friend LJ had passed away.
• I remember the past seven years running the pool in the summer and all of the kids that I have been able to watch grow up--swimmers and guards alike. 
• I remember the day my doctor sat me down and told me I was Bipolar I. 
• I remember the day my brother took me to buy my new (used) car. Right around this time of year actually...
• I remember tweeting every funny quote or word of wisdom Lady would give me on Sundays. I cherish these now as she grows older and is less and less witty.

I remember these things and so much more. 

When I am teaching kids to write, I will often draw shapes on the whiteboard and tell them that there has to be an imaginary string that ties the shapes together or it's just poor writing...so what is the string in this post? In everything I remember, there is always someone there who is in my support circle, who cares for me, whose love never sways--in the highs or the lows. 

Some people in my circle have known me for years; some people in my circle know me intimately; some people in my circle come and go; but what I know of all people in my circle is that they love me for me, and what a blessing. 

This fall I have decided to do something new to reconnect with some of my people. I had never been to a college football game until this fall (private school problems). So, I decided that I was going to see as many games as I could with as many of my people as I could. I am right in the middle of this endeavor and it has been so fun. Each week (give or take) I get to experience a new crowd, a new game, with my people. 

I want to give back to you, my people, as much as you have given to me--though I know that will never happen, I can still try, right?

I will be the first to admit that I do a very poor job of texting or calling and an even worse job of answering said messages or calls. So, if you would like to hear from me, I would LOVE to catch you up. Drop me a message with your address and I will write you a letter. How about that? Snail mail style--messy handwriting and all. 

Let it be.

LAW