Spring Time

As spring arrives our minds conjure up thoughts of wildflowers, spring cleaning, family reunions, trips to the zoo, walks in the park, or baseball. Stop a Texas educator and ask them and you'll hear things like TAKS, spring fever, tutorials, or SSI. Ask a Texas coach and you're more likely to hear FOOTBALL.

Yep, that's right its time for spring football in Texas largest classifications. That time of year where for 15 days young men strap on pads and spend time getting ready for the next football season. Its a time for coaches to evaluate their off season programs. Assess what they're loosing to graduation and determine how to reload the bus for next season.

For the young men its time for them to prove their readiness to move into those vacancies. Or perhaps show that they deserve a seat on the bus. And just maybe show they're in the wrong seat and have something more to offer.

To many the smell of spring is the sweet smell of flowers, but to me the odor of spring is 'sweat-drenched.' Its spring, it must be time for football!

Sunday Night Comfort Food

Tonight my bride asked me "What's for supper?" Her suggestion of Zoe's chicken salad and Michael's Baked Cheese Puffs pressed the right buttons in my comfort zone. As I trekked to Whole Foods for the cheese puffs and swung by Zoe's for the chicken I remembered my childhood Sunday comfort meals.

Growing up along the Texas Gulf Coast provided for many fond memories. One of those was Sunday night leftovers. Sunday always started with Mom's breakfast after which we got ready dressed for church. During elementary every Sunday without fail we were either at FBC, Three Rivers with Bro. Litzler or "at home" in FBC, Cuero with Bro. Sanders.

When we were in Three Rivers (where we lived) Mom would fry chicken, bake a roast with potatoes and carrots or fix a pot of chili or stew. Side dishes would consist of tomatoes, potatoes-mashed or boiled, beans-green or pinto (we called 'em red), peas-green or black-eyed, corn-on cob or out of a can with rolls or corn bread. If it was a special Sunday we'd have Kraft Macaroni and Cheese instead of potatoes.

As grand dinners as all those meals were, the left-over suppers they produced are indelibly ingrained in my memory. Suppers like a cold chicken leg and a side of mac & cheese with corn-bread really hit the spot after evening services.

One of my favorites was left over pot-roast. Mom would reheat it in the oven and rewarm the brown gravy. If we had mashed potatoes, she'd add egg and milk to them and make potato pancakes. In the summer, sliced cucumbers in vinegar were always plentiful, add a little pepper and you were in a fight with Dad to get your fair share.
Any number of combinations of meat and sides consumed while sitting with the family at the table was always filling and fun.

While Michael's Cheese Puffs and Zoe's Pomento cheese on wheat aren't treks into my childhood memories they are great Sunday night comfort today. The memories of the family are often missed in the empty nest days of life, but they aren't forgotten. And every once in a while new 'traditions' trigger old memories and I'm reminded that it's important to take time to see the joys of life in "Sunday Night Comfort Food."