G is for...

G is for giving... Such as giving thanks for what we have and the blessings we have received.  The next time you pass someone on the roadside with one of those little cardboard signs saying "please help"... Please consider doing so.

I know it might just be a scam... Or they might use your money to buy drugs or alcohol... So what?  The blessing is not so much in the receiving, but in the GIVING...

Each time I stop and give a few dollars to one of these poor souls, I am reminded that "there but for the grace of God, go I".   So, when I see them, I give... Because no matter what they use the money for, their need is so obviously greater than mine.

Wishing you all a blessed Thanksgiving surrounded by all that love you... Giving thanks for you my dear friends... down here in French Lique...

J and K is for...

John Kennedy...
As in President John F. Kennedy...

This 50th anniversary of his assassination brings back a flood of memories... A reminder of a more innocent time in our country... A time when children played outside, unsupervised, for hours... When your family sat around the one television, a black and white, together, watching the loss of innocence.  The world was changed the day that JFK was killed...

They say everyone remembers exactly where they were the day that Kennedy was shot... I do.  I was in Mrs. Miller's 4th grade math class... There was a lot of crying by the girls in the class... I think mostly because Mrs. Miller cried when the announcement came over the scratchy loud speaker, hanging near the ceiling, over her desk.  School was dismissed early that day.  When I got home in the early afternoon, my mom and dad were home early from work, already tuned into Walter Cronkike.

We don't know, nor will we ever know, what our country and our world would have been, had President lived and gone on to serve a second term.  Described as "Camelot", it was that.  A fairy tale with an unexpected ending.

Where were you the day that President Kennedy was assassinated?

"F" is for...

Well Duh!  "F" is for French Lique of course!  It's been a while since I've explained just exactly where and what French Lique, Texas is...

Several years ago I was reading a book by Laura Lippman.  The protagonist in the book was traveling through French Lick, Indiana... I liked the name French Lick, and I thought if I ever got a chance to name my own little town in Texas,  I'd name it French Lique...  Well, I figured I'd never be naming my own little Texas town, so I decided to name my own little blog, and French Lique, Texas was born... A figment of my (thank you Laura Lippman) imagination...

Now, I'm sure you won't be surprised to hear that many folks have emailed me or posted a comment on this blog, asking just where the heck IS French Lique?  They've Googled it and mapped it on the Internet, but just can't seem to find it anywhere... Worry not dear readers.  French Lique, Texas is alive and well, residing right here in my mind... And on these pages of posts...

So now you know that all is well, Down Here In French Lique...

"E" is for...

Okay.. At first you may think this a bit odd... But let me explain...

"E" is for Eulogies..

I know... Weird huh?  I had a hard time coming up with what "E" is for... I mean there are so many to choose from... E book, eggplant, elope...  But Eulogies?!...

Sitting in church, at Ricky's uncle's funeral... I started thinking about the eulogy of Uncle Clements... How does the family come up with the words that they use to sum up their loved ones life... In his case... Uncle Clements was 82.  That's a lot of life to sum up...

So today... Let me suggest that you put together a list, or a few paragraphs of the things that you'd like for you loved ones to share in your Eulogy... I know it sounds weird.. But think about it...  You might see the wisdom of these words...

Outgoing
Loved life and her family
Graduated from Old Miss
Loving wife, mother and grandmother
Liked her grands better than her children
Spoiled her poodles
Loved to shop for junk
Loved to decorate
And then redecorate
Never met a bottle of wine she didn't enjoy
Was a language snob
Loved French and English
Always wanted to go back to Paris
Loved Italy
And the Vatican
Semi-devout Catholic
Christian...

Blessings... from Down Here in French Lique...

"D" is for...

"D" is for Dexter... yes... I love Dexter, and this is his final season... so I'm making my "D" a post for
my Devotion to Dexter...
I am not alone...

 

According to James Hibberd of Entertainment Weekly...

 

"Dexter is continuing its ratings winning steak right to the end.

For the eighth season in a row, Showtime’s serial killer thriller broke viewership records for its season premiere — and that’s despite airing in the summer for the first time. Dexter‘s final season debuted to 2.5 million viewers, edging out last year’s premiere by 4 percent."

 

That's a lot of Devotion to Dexter!

 

 

Alas, my love affair with Dexter Morgan comes to an end very soon.  Good thing I also own each season on DVD... so I'll be able to go back any time I want and visit my favorite... (can a serial killer really be a "favorite"...?)...  

okay... I can revisit the blood & gore any time I like...

 

I will miss you Dexter.  Thanks for making me wonder about my own sanity on a regular basis... I mean really... who hopes and prays that a serial killer won't get caught?  Devoted to Dexter...

Down Here in French Lique...

"C" is for...

"C" could be for Candy... as in Rock Candy Blog... one of my best friends and one of the most creative souls I've ever had the pleasure of knowing... or

 

"C" could be for Curious, as in Curious Boys; two of my absolute favorite Junkers on the planet!

 

"C" could be for Cinnamon, as in Cinnamon Rolls... the aroma of which is calling me back to the kitchen right now...

 

But today... "C" is for Corn Crib... as in the old Corn Crib at the family farmhouse we just purchased and are renovating... The Corn Crib needs to go, be torn down and moved away... I stepped in just before Ricky took the backhoe to it and torn it down... because I thought some of my junkin' friends might like to buy and own their own Corn Crib... and tear it down piece by piece for the barn wood... so, here ya go junkers... any takers?

"C" is for... Country... like Down Here in French Lique...

B is for ...

continuing the Alphabet Series...

"B" is for beautiful...

and on that note... I thought I would share with you, some of the Beauty that is Alaska... so this post of Beautiful... I'll say in photographs... enjoy.

The pride of Alaska: Mount McKinley aka Denali Mountain from our lodge in Talkeetna.

forests and streams

for my daughter... "B" is for Breakfast on the train

No, we didn't see Sarah...

Our ride to a birds eye view of Mount McKinley

Reindeer aka Domestic Caribou

Moose... stuffed... you don't want to be this close to a moose in the Alaskan wild...

Beautiful wildflowers are everywhere..

a view of our train from the bubble dome... thanks Ricky... 

This, and the next several photos are in Denali State Park... 

Ricky getting a better view of Mount McKinley... again... 

Mount McKinley from Denali State Park... 

to remember the moment... because we're tourists...

Goodbye Denali

wildflowers in Seward

Small Boat Harbor, Seward, Alaska

going whale watching. 

and seal watching

the seal were very cooperative...

the whales waved but never jumped...

nearing the glaciers

found them... they don't look that big until... 

you notice the people... 

across from our cabin in Seward

a different glacier.. we had to hike to this one... 

Exit Glacier

and the tiny people... 

some of the wildflowers on our 3-mile hike... 

another view of Exit Glacier as we left the park

and went to find the Salmon!

gotta leave Beautiful Seward and take a train ride back to Anchorage

along the way... waterfalls

Eagles Nests

and in Anchorage... we strolled around and acted just like tourist..

Visited the Anchorage Museum

and had a stranger take our photo, holding our hometown paper..

Hope you enjoyed visiting Beautiful Alaska with us...  I have 2513 more photos if you'd like to drop by and see them,
Down Here in French Lique...