rodeo

     Hooves churning up the dirt. Panting horses and creaking leather. Country music blaring on the speakers. Little boys running around in cowboy duds. Breathless anticipation, spirited determination. The 8 second buzzer.... 91 points! A collective cheer from the crowd -- whooping, hollering, whistling... The victor throws his hat in the air. Another championship won!

Why are rodeos so appealing? What is so intoxicating about the atmosphere of horses, dirt and cowboys? I think it is the honest competition, the grit and hard work thrown into good riding.
It's the old fashioned romance of courage and integrity.
It's the fellowship of horse-loving, God-fearing, salt-of-the-earth people.
It's the comfortable familiarity of dusty boots, worn jeans, and a good saddle.
Rodeos epitomize the culture of country life -- a lifestyle admired and envied for the charm and legend built up around it. As Zane Grey put it: "It's my ideal of livin'!"

pep talk

Sometimes life is hard. There are times when one must deal with a mile long to-do list, computers that go haywire just so they can laugh at your frustration, and overdue college papers no where near completion. Also absolutely nonresurrectable car batteries don't help either. In order to pull through, one needs a little pep talk. That's why I was dancing exuberantly in front of my mailbox this morning: MY PEP TALK HAD ARRIVED!!!
     Actually it was just an order of loose tea from the Tea Spot in Colorado, but it couldn't have been more appropriately timed. I immediately put water on to boil and tore into the package of goodness.

  

What I got:

• Pumpkin Spice Chai (Black tea, ginger root, peppercorns, cardamom, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and pumpkin.)
• Silver Needle White Tea (Organic tea from Fujian, China.)
• Hibiscus Petals  (100% organic Hibiscus petals.)  
• Chocolate Peppermint Patty (Black tea, peppermint, chocolate flavoring.)

Of course, because I couldn't find my tea strainer, I had to make do with paper towels and salad tongs, but it was worth the hard work. I've never had a more refreshing sip o' tea! And ohhhhh the smells that came wafting up from my precious tea tins! There are no suitable words to describe the balmy sweetness. You will just have to put in your own order to find out. I know that I will be shopping on the teaspot.com quite a bit in the near future :)

laughing waters

 

     Did you know that Missouri has its very own castle ruins? Indeed we do. The crumbled stone walls are the crowning glory of a bluff just outside of Camdenton. Beneath it, lies a pristine spring which flows into a lake; boaters, kayakers and swimmers revel in the chilly deepness all summer long. Ha Ha Tonka is the name of the park which is Native American for "laughing waters." In the early 1900's, a man named Robert Snyder purchased 5,000 acres as his retirement home so that he could "loaf and explore the caves of these hills, with no fear of intrusion." Snyder started construction on his mansion (inspired by castles from the 16th century), but died tragically in an automobile accident before it was finished. His sons completed the mansion and it was a beautiful structure until 1946 when both the house and the carriage house were burned to the ground.

     One can only imagine the parties and feasting and fancily dressed ladies and gentlemen! Where the garden fountains used to be, you can picture a pair of young lovers standing and admiring the view. Where the grass and shrubbery has taken over, there used to be the polished wood floors of a parlor and maybe even a ball room. But all of that is gone. What still remains is the natural beauty of the Ozark hills.

     

     The world is such a well-crafted creation no matter where you go. I love to travel myself -- when the spirit of adventure wells up inside me, the obvious solution is to go explore the alleys of London or Rome. But sometimes I have to stop and realize that there is always something to be discovered right where I live. Pretend you are a tourist in your own home state and take time to appreciate the details of what is familiar to you. That is what I did today -- at our very own castle in southern Missouri.