Symbols and a Hobbs Reunion

I was cleaning out the kitchen window this morning, thinking about how cluttered it looks with so much junk sitting up there above the sink. I've just always enjoyed having a bunch of stuff there to look at while I wash the dishes. If I analyze the pieces, each one has specific meaning to me. The duck belonged to my aunt, the rocks are from a friend who lives near the beach in northern California, the picture of the patron saint of animals is from my best friend, the jar was found in the back pasture, the feathers come from a trip to North Dakota, the colored glass bits come from a game of Pente that I used to play, the rooster belonged to a friend that died the year my son was born, and all the snuff jars remind me of my grandma, who was a dedicated Sweet Garrett woman.

I'm overwhelmed to think that every living being has their own set of symbols, reminders, markers. Things that make no sense to anyone except the owner. I don't know what it means, but it seems existential. I'm probably being crazy; lately, life events have me thinking about the importance of what we do, what it all means, and how we should live for the moment. Isn't that all we really have? You can't make special, it just happens. I know, the last sentence doesn't fit into this self-psychoanalysis diatribe. I just thought of it last week and I've been dying to use it.

Onto the reunion. A Doc Hardin hosted reunion of the Hobbs High School Class 0f 1959 will be held October 17 at Buck's steak house in Sweetwater, 10 a.m. If you have any questions, just email me and I'll try to find the answer.

I was looking around on YouTube and found a video made at the Quail Research Ranch, formerly know as the W.T. Martin land at the yellow light intersection of US 180 & FM 611 here in Fisher County. Agricultural wildlife specialist Dr. Dale Rollins stars in the show, along with some canine friends. The ranch will be having a Field Day Sept. 25. For more information on that, you can contact Rollins: 325-653-4576, d-rollins@tamu.edu.

We were watching Ted Nugent's Spirit of the Wild on the hunting channel last night, we just had to see what a "swamp donkey" was. Nugent has an over-the-top personality, and he puts that to good use as a philanthropist, with programs like Freedom Angels and Hunters for the Hungry . He also is active in the Make-a-Wish Foundation, allowing children with life-threatening illnesses to spend time on his ranch, SpiritWild, in Waco.

We're in the rain and enjoying these temps, not even out of the 70's. We heard some ducks out on the tank yesterday, so maybe fall really is coming, if the fowl are going south. I guess we all KNOW that it's coming, but you know me, always looking for signs, always collecting symbols.

The Norway Duncans

Former Roscoe citizen Joe Duncan, who is now living in Norway, recently celebrated the wedding of his daughter, Heidi. As for the reason the couple is standing on the table, there is a tradition that when the assembled guests at the wedding party tap their glasses with their forks or knives and stomp their feet, the parents of both the bride and groom must stand and kiss. When the guests demand it, the bride and groom must do the same.

Joe actually sent me a photo of the couple dancing in the church in which they were wed, a grand structure built in the 12th century, but when I went to look at the photo on Joe's facebook page, I saw this one and just had to share it with all of you. It looks like it was a fairytale wedding.

Speaking of face-dilly, Hobbs Holler is now on there, so come join as a friend. Lordy, I hope I don't have to add a myspace and twitter, too, or I'll have to quit my job just to keep up with it all! Hey, that sounds like a lot of fun.

I saw in Reader's Digest that comedian Jim Gaffigan is on twitter. He is hilarious and clean, as is Jeanne Robertson, who you might be familiar with as the woman who sent her husband to the store to buy ingredients for 7-Up cake. Videos of both can be found on YouTube.

For about a week the county was talking about the murder of Jimmy Mauldin by Greg Redden. That incident happened in Roby mid-August. This week, the concern is for safety in Rotan. People in Rotan want a constable of some sort, the city doesn't have money for it, citizens feel like their tax dollars warrant for the sheriff's dept. to take care of it, and it seems the sheriff's hands are tied because of the commissioners court. That's just my take on it all, after reading a few weeks worth of meeting minutes and letters that ran in the newspaper.

Although temperatures are still hot, we know fall is in and summer will soon be fading. We (Mr. Husband) killed a 10-button rattlesnake in the yard last week, the Fisher County Fair & Rodeo and Hogfest Bike Rally is behind us, and many hometown homecomings will be celebrated in the next few weeks. Sweetwater & Roscoe homecomings will be Sept. 11, Roby Sept. 26, and Rotan Oct. 16. The West Texas Fair & Rodeo in Abilene will also be the weekend of Sept. 11.

Yays: My house at Hobbs, my husband and kids.
Nays: Can't think of any this morning, maybe just wasps, but they have a place in the world, too.

Hope you all have a good week, we've got chances of rain for several days to come. Thanks for stopping in!