Thursday, May 16, 2013

Austin Nights

I came to Austin wondering what I might remember about my first visit more than a decade ago. Turns out, not a lot. The last time we were here was part of a whirlwind trip spent visiting too many friends. This trip was designed for selfish fun...music and no other itinerary for the duration of the trip.
I know amazingly few of the bands at the festival. Choosing is my husband's thing and I am glad to let him do so. Most I have liked. Some, I have loved.

I can choose to keep whitewashing this trip, but it started with a startle at the airport where my boss from a past and miserable life was at the airport when we arrived at our gate. I could barely stomach the vile.feelings that stirred: Clearly I am not over those responses.

I prayed and asked Nik to pray for me on the spot. I started envisioning scenarios should an interaction happen. Some were appropriate, some were not.

I know I have grown so much stronger in my life. I have been forged in the furnace. I know that a year ago I would have responded less prayerfully and less gracefully. I am thankful for an interlude that did not come to pass on that day at the airport.

This world is small, of that I am sure. Just as that next encounter will occur, so must I continue to be in the Word so that I am ready. Just when I needed it most, I was tested. In response to the test, I saw powerful, protective witness to help me be patient (thanks Rhonda for your timely post).

While I grow stronger, the world seems to fall away in encouragement. I did not respond in my usual ways: gorging on food and gossip.

When I learned to cook

As a child I was a shadow with my grandma in the kitchen. If she was in the kitchen, I was in the kitchen. We had little money, and so we cooked often with what was on hand. Grandma had a small collection of cookbooks, but really, she would read a recipe and then make it with whatever she had. Sometimes it was wonderful...her stuffed green peppers were so good. Sometimes it was...not so wonderful... the lemon pie made with seriously out-of-date saccharine tablets, so it would be sugar free for my brother and my dad. Ugh. I still remember the look on my face with that first bite.

Today I started culling through clutter in the living room while watching Hoarders: Buried Alive--excellent inspiration as I deal with my own hoarding tendencies. I found in some cookbooks the following "Diet List"

Transcribed, it reads:

Oct. 2004 "A Diet List" To Mandy and Nik

The rivers eat away at the banks
The tides devour the sand.
The morning sun drinks up the mists
The ocean eats the land
Taxes eats up property
and pride eats out the soul
But moths the diet record hold
Because they eat a hole!
--a diet from Grandma K.

I'm happy to have a copy of her handwriting. It's changed over the years.

In the Busy Person's Cookbook, I found a quote: If you lose an hour in the morning, you have to hunt for it the rest of the day. -- Chinese Proverb.

My grandma has always been so full of wisdom. I love her for that.