As much as I love the "Big Sky Country" of the Permian Basin, it is nice to get out once in a while and see how the rest of Texas enjoys the holiday season. And so, with our bags packed and our dog tucked in to the backseat of the car, my wife Leslie and I hit the road for Comfort, Texas!
A little over four hours driving, depending on what road you take, speed limit, who's driving, weather conditions, etc... you can leave Midland and arrive at Interstate Exit #520 - Cypress Creek Road. Follow directions properly and you'll find yourself in the heart of the hill country!
From the rolling hills, red, yellow and green leafed oak trees all around, fresh air and the peace and quiet... you can't help but be swept away by your surroundings.
We stayed three nights at the "Feathered Horse Ranch, Bed & Breakfast" http://www.featheredhorseranch.com/ courtesy of my brother Tom. (Thanks, TOM!) The first morning there, you can't help but wake up at the crack of dawn... and for a person like me, that's a miracle. But thank God for miracles because the sunrise was breath... taking! Gone! I literally hurried my wife out the door so she wouldn't miss a moment of this sunrise. (hope that picture comes out, too!)
Thanksgiving dinner was GREAT! Turkey, ham, squash, green beans, mash potatos, stuffing, cranberry dressing, fresh rolls, pumkin pie, pumkin bread, pecan pie (which I assume is good, though I'm no fan of pecans)... not to mention all the stuff I couldn't eat, there was just so much. All our families were there: parents, grandparents, nieces, nephews, brothers, sisters... the whole clan. We even brought our dogs! (But that is another story. ;)
The weather was pretty nice. The last night we were there, we got four inches of rain, which was badly needed. The hill country has been needing rain lately and they got a good dose. It also made for a wonderful day in the city of Comfort itself!
For those of you who haven't been there, the city of Comfort is well worth a trip itself. Every year, they have a christmas parade on the Saturday following Thanksgiving. Arts & Crafts vendors from all over make the trip and share their goods with the people... everything you can imagine. Antique stores line High Street with beautiful works that are years old and worth seeing. "High's Cafe" is now open there and has the best coffee, tea, sandwiches, cookies, muffins you'll find for miles.
All in all it was definitly a holiday for the books! Not to mention the FACT that the Texas Longhorns beat the pants off of A&M this year... but that is yet another story for another time.
Here's hoping you and your families had a wonderful holiday! May the blessings of the season see you through into another year and have a very Merry Christmas!
Monday, November 28, 2005
Monday, November 07, 2005
Aikido of Midland goes to Houston!
Over the past weekend, John Riggs Sensei, John Couch, Lan Powers, Corey Madrid, Brandon and myself all went to Houston, Texas to visit Jorge Garcia at his dojo and to see and work with Hiroshi Kato, Shihan. A "Shihan" is a master instructor in the martial arts, and boy... is he ever!
At the ripe young age of 72, Kato Shihan is well known for climbing Mt. Fuji twice every year, traveling the globe teaching aikido and for picking up and throwing people around like ragdolls. It's incredible! Very much unlike anything I have ever seen, this man will very calmly and in a relaxed manner re-direct an attacker in such a way as to throw them upwards of six to eight feet away.
For those of you unfamiliar with aikido, I'm sure this is all boring as hell and unbelievable. But then again, that is the purpose of my little bullhorn (blog): to make you aware!
Aikido is the Way of Harmony. Harmony with many different things and on various different levels. It is something that needs to be seen and experienced in order for it to be understood.
Aikido is self defense. Aikido is problem solving. Aikido is a means to resolve conflict, both physical and psychological. Once you have delved into the finer points of the philosophy behind aikido, it can really open your eyes to the world around you and give you a confidence unlike anything you've known before. I've been training in this art for almost four years now and it never ceases to amaze me.
Check out www.aikiweb.com or my instructor's website at: http://members.cox.net/aikidoc1/home.htm
Men, women and children of all age groups stand to learn a lot about something that is more than "self defense." It truly is a way of life.
At the ripe young age of 72, Kato Shihan is well known for climbing Mt. Fuji twice every year, traveling the globe teaching aikido and for picking up and throwing people around like ragdolls. It's incredible! Very much unlike anything I have ever seen, this man will very calmly and in a relaxed manner re-direct an attacker in such a way as to throw them upwards of six to eight feet away.
For those of you unfamiliar with aikido, I'm sure this is all boring as hell and unbelievable. But then again, that is the purpose of my little bullhorn (blog): to make you aware!
Aikido is the Way of Harmony. Harmony with many different things and on various different levels. It is something that needs to be seen and experienced in order for it to be understood.
Aikido is self defense. Aikido is problem solving. Aikido is a means to resolve conflict, both physical and psychological. Once you have delved into the finer points of the philosophy behind aikido, it can really open your eyes to the world around you and give you a confidence unlike anything you've known before. I've been training in this art for almost four years now and it never ceases to amaze me.
Check out www.aikiweb.com or my instructor's website at: http://members.cox.net/aikidoc1/home.htm
Men, women and children of all age groups stand to learn a lot about something that is more than "self defense." It truly is a way of life.
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