Tuesday, February 20, 2007

When She is in Texas

So, I have been feeling the need to explain my title and sub-title up there in that brown box at the top of the screen. Even my oldest(in duration, not age!) and dearest friend did not know the story.

As some of you may have known, I was a bit apprehensive about moving to Texas. I have always thought of Texas to be a bizarre place. All that nutty (nutty to me anyway) Texas pride and bravado. Do you see people driving around with the Maryland state flag on their car? Or, say... Illinois? No. Do people in your state have swimming pools in the shape of their state built in their backyard? Didn't think so. So, I was skeptical of being the weirdo east coast type girl in a land of big hair, big jewelry, and 10-gallon hats.

It was very fortunate that a friend from way back in the Japan days was already living here and had the lay of the land. She is originally from California, so she also was a little wary of the crazy "Texas thing" as we call it. So, one day I heard about a book called The Girlfriend's Guide to Texas that was available at the *
Cowgirl Hall of Fame gift store. (adorable shopping there!) I thought I would get one as a funny little, ha-ha, aren't-we-cute gift for my friend. I went to purchase it only to discover they were all out. The nice man at the store recommended I try the Yankee's Guide to Texas instead. I sweetly smiled and told him I was definitely not a Yankee as I take some amount of misguided pride in being a southern girl. To this he replied, "Well, honey, this is Texas, and if you ain't from Texas then you're a Yankee to us!" That is very close to verbatim what he said. Now, he was not being ugly, quite charming and funny, in fact. Thus the reason I didn't kick him in the shin. I did not purchase the book on the grounds that I am patently NOT a Yankee (although they are cool people too!) As evidence of my "GRITS-ness" and "belle-ness" I offer that this book , this book , and OF COURSE this book are on the console table in my living room. Not on a shelf people, on display.

So, there you have it. Mystery solved.

You can count on seeing sporadic installments of "Only In Texas!" (e.g. The Texas shaped swimming pool)

*It should be noted that my husband's grandmother was somehow involved in getting the Cowgirl Hall of Fame started and funded. And it truly is a very cool place. If you are in cowtown, I'll drive you there myself.

6 comments:

Paige said...

Texas scares the crap out of me. I'm not joking. They are entirely too proud of ... something. I don't know what. I totally don't get it.

el-e-e said...

I was hoping you knew that about the Cowgirl H of F. :)

My favorite Tx reference is Lyle Lovett's song that say, "Oh yes, you're not from Texas... but Texas wants you anyway." Ever heard it? It's a feel-good song.

Anonymous said...

My favorite line (from "Yankees" like yourself!) is, "I wasn't born in Texas but I got here as soon as I could!"

And did you know that your hubby's cousins played the fiddle (a.k.a. violin) at one of the very first Cowgirl H of F shindigs; that, of course, was way back when, before the CHoF moved to FTW.

Ah, Texas. I miss her every day.

Annie, The Evil Queen said...

I was wondering as you really are not a Yankee. Not like, well, me, for instance. I had culture shock moving to your hometown.

Texas is its own world. Kinda like Junior High.

Candi said...

I'm totally with Brandi... There is just "something" there that scares me...

Mandy said...

Ok, so I realize you wrote this like a year and half ago, I came to your blog to reread the recipe for the chocolate pie and began clicking on your links and well, here I am...sooo you seriously have Gone With the Wind on display?? tooo cool, also, what was the first book? the link no longer works:)

and one of my fav texas quotes: "You may all go to hell and I will go to texas" davy crockett