christmas is just around the corner!

i've done a little bit of decorating while the mister was away so i thought i'd share with you! i don't go ALL OUT for christmas decorating like my mama, but i think it is a requirement to have stockings and a lit tree. this year i've actually put way more effort into my gift wrapping skills. doesn't look like much under the tree, but i've already expertly and uniquely wrapped 25 gifts! i know people will just rip my packages to shreds only to turn around and throw their remnants in the trash, but there's something so beautiful and thoughtful about a wrapped present that took some effort.


the tree is really just a hodge-podge of ornaments i've collected over the years, but i thought it turned out pretty sweet.


i adore nativity scenes and i'm going to start collecting them i think. here's one of three i currently own.


wouldn't be a holiday at our house without some antlers! we thought this was the perfect place for theron's new buck directly skinned and bleached from the deer head boil we had last weekend.


our little wreath :) i'm really into all things holly this season. i think it goes perfectly with the colorado/log cabin/rustic/nordic theme we have going on for the holidays. simple, but so pretty!

hope all is swell this holiday season for you and your family!

i thought if i could touch this place...

as you know, this song has really meant a lot to me. it came out during a time in my life where i just really, really understood it. dug through some old photographs with the grandmothers last night and put this little thing together. maybe i'll show it to mama this mother's day.

more one horse town tales...

let me tell you about my day yesterday. once again, i realize you won't be hanging off the edge of your seat to read about life in rural lubbock county, but hot damn...i forgot how good of writing material all of these characters were!

the day started with me visiting my 92-year-old great grandmother on 6th street. astonishingly, she still lives by herself in the same home she's owned for decades, but i was forewarned that her senility had rapidly increased since the last time i had seen her. sure enough, when i got to her house, she scolded me for letting the aliens come in and asked me how living in the mountains has been. i had lunch with her and then we got into bed and watched the news while i painted her toenails with opi "i'm not really a waitress." she tried to use the remote to place phone calls, she kept telling me that we needed to get the kids ready for school, and then she wanted me to listen to all of her gospel cassette tapes. when i announced that i had to leave, she shouted, "well don't you go up to the church dressed like a scallywag!" i smiled, same old mamaw...she never thought bare shoulders were becoming for chaste purity. (i'll have you know i was wearing a sky blue, strapless sundress from j. crew...but that woman is olllllllld school southern baptist.) i turned to walk out the door and when i looked over my shoulder, she winked and said, "don't stay gone so long next time." oh no, please don't let this be some kind of sign for the prophecy that i will make my prodigal return back to settle in this town...

after this encounter, i made my way just one block over to 7th street to see my maternal grandmother, susie q. she wanted to take me up to driscoll's pharmacy to look at "all the new homewares they had just gotten in!" after we shopped the 4 short aisles, meme insisted that i let her charge me something to her account since she never gets to buy me anything. we drove around town for a bit so she could show me the houses of the new families and then we went and got cokes at the dixie dog drivein. granddad tommy called while we were on our little venture and asked if we'd go to the grocery store to get some blackberry jam. when we walked through the swinging doors to two j's thriftway, meme whispered (rather loudly) "shannan, come here!!! they have beer in here now...CANNNN YOU BALEEEEEVE THAT? we have BEEEEEEEEER in the grocery store!" back history, lubbock county has been a dry county since the beginning of time and the alcohol prop. just passed last year...you should hear all the old timers talk about how the town is turning into pottersville, but then there are others (won't mention any names) who rather like the convenience of tj's liquor hut, rather than driving out to the strip.

after meme's i went three blocks further on 7th street to pay a visit to my paternal grandmother, frances. i'm sure you've heard stories about frances, she's legendary. before i could even sit down, she said, "get in the car! we're goin' down to the cemetery so that you can help me with a little project." you should know that my grandmother takes great pride in maintaining the nicest burial plot in the cemetery. both her young son and beloved husband are buried there in their own little garden and it's important to her that it always looks in tip-top shape. i helped her with the flowers and then we touched up the gold paint on the headstones...she very proudly showed me her own headstone which is already in place "frances catherine sowder. smithville, texas. april 3, 1933 - " as if that dash was just lingering there, i said, "doesn't that freak you out?" "heck no, i made peace with death a long time ago sugar."

continuing on from the cemetery, she filled up my car with gas at the coop gin (she still holds a membership to this very day!) and then she treated me to a blizzard at the dairy queen for all of my intensive labor. while we're sitting there reminiscing, she pulls out a hand-held tape recorder and says, "i've chosen you to record my oral history. you're the writer, i want you to do it." "well okay, grandmother, if you say so...but are you tryin' to say goodbye or somethin'?" "no shannan, i've just led a very interesting life and i want your kids to know about it!!" "well, yes ma'am" i pressed record on the tape recorder and started jotting down a few notes and in the middle of dairy queen, she just lays it all out there:

"well, the first thing i'd like to let everybody know is that even though you all think i'm a country housewife with six kids, i was once a very sophisticated lady. i fought your grandad tooth and nail to move out here on these dusty plains. of course you knew i grew up in smithville, texas. i was a smithville tiger! just like in hope floats, you remember? did i ever tell you my little girlfriend grew up in the house where that movie was filmed, they renovated the whole thing for her after the movie was finished...anyway back to the story. i was a hot young thang in smithville. lord have mercy, i went to the dancehalls and honkytonks every single night and always had a young man on my arm. and i want you to know, i don't regret any of it! i don't care who knows it, i wouldn't do anything differently. we loved the boys from the university of texas and bergstrom airforce base the best...especially the ones that could jitterbug. then, you know, i got a job as a telephone operator at southwestern bell with wilma. wilma was dating danny at the time and they were tryin to fix me up with danny's childhood best friend and ut law school buddy. i told them, "well, he can get in line, because i have a lot of suitors!" [my grandmother is not modest when it comes to being the object of pursuit in her heyday.] well would you know that after two weeks with your grandfather, i just cut everything off with every other young man...everything!" transcript to be continued...

oh won't you please take me home!

had some time off, so i decided to go home to good 'ol shallowater, texas for a few days (and yes, the grass is green and the girls are pretty.) i don't ever go home except for a few days for thanksgiving/christmas, thus it's a pretty big deal. i've been really convicted lately that i need to start spending more time up here. for one thing, nobody's gettin' any younger and for another, life in this part of the world just runs at a completely different pace. there's nothing flashy or glamorous about it, (biggest thing to happen in town is that we just got our first dollar general yesterday!!!) but somehow, i think these people are on to something. it's as if they know a closely guarded secret that the rest of the world is desperately searching for...they know that life's not about chasin' the cash flow or being somebody "important"...it's about treating people with respect, lending a hand to your neighbor when he's in trouble, taking your grandkids out to the farm, living within your means, finding pleasure and contentment in simple things, just being satisfied with what you've been given.

i will be the first to admit that there have been times in my life when i've gotten away from that...stubbornly (and erroneously) thought i needed something more, something better. however, the 100% honest-to-God truth is, that lifestyle and that type of character (which is quickly eroding in our society) is something that i pine for. i just don't care about the world's measures of success anymore...i've played that game for so freakin' long. graduate in the top 10 percent (valedictorian or salutatorian if you really want to impress), join every club imaginable (and be the president of all of them!), go to college and graduate with honors, make the dean's list, join more organizations and acquire more leadership positions, build build build the resume, work for a senator, work the room, get the IRA, invest in the 401k, gain some equity, and dangit move on up!!!

most of you wiser, older souls already know this, but for those of you who don't...at the end of the day, all of that "stuff" amounts to absolutely nothing. funny (and lamentable) how long it takes for some of us to figure out that life isn't about what you do, but it's about who you are.

i'll leave you with some john cougar mellencamp lyrics and some photos from shooting with the cagles yesterday.

well i was born in a small town. and i live in a small town. probably die in a small town. oh those small communities.

all my friends are so small town. my parents live in the same small town. my job is so small town. provides little opportunity - hey!

educated in a small town. taught to fear Jesus in a small town. used to daydream in that small town. another born romantic that's me. but i've seen it all in a small town. had myself a ball in a small town.

no i cannot forget where it is that i come from. i cannot forget the people who love me. yeah, i can be myself here in this small town. and people let me be just what i want to be.


little jake...breakin' hearts and shootin' bbs...best mutton buster i've ever seen!!!


john gettin' our target ready...


best shot in the family right there.


oh i do love the feel of a 9mm semi-automatic!!!!

*note to readers, i do fire guns a lot, but we advocate for strong gun safety and as dad says, "make no assumptions about an unloaded gun."

ah lubbock.

congrats on the win last night tech. considering the fiasco that took place the week before, i didn't think you could pull it off.

i'd also like to take this opportunity to thank all of the hard nosed, investigative facebook journalists that emerged in light of the incident. one "breaking news" reporter contributed this photo of someone i know:



can't wait until the lbk lands on the cover of texas monthly's bum steer awards next year.

sowder kids on christmas morning...

and yes, we had a white christmas!

there's no place like...

just walked in the door from having been in west texas for the last five days. i'm feeling very melancholy about the whole thing. i love my life in san antonio and i'll be the first to admit that the lush beauty of the hill country makes the barren, isolated lands of the llano estacado look even more grim...but gosh, i love the panhandle. with the exception of a 24 hour stop back in july, i haven't been back in almost a year and it was so good for my soul to get back to that place. i can't help but think of miranda's lambert's song "the house that built me," because the lyrics of that song could not be more true for me. that house on 8th street and that town built me. i can leave and go my own way, but i always have to go back to get a sense of who i really am again.

i'll leave you with some mementos from my voyage up to shallowater. dangit mac davis, i thought happiness was lubbock, texas in my rearview mirror too.





talkin' cotton yield and land appraisals with my grandad tommy dale.


dad's side of the fam.


this is my crazy, catholic, fun-lovin' side of the family...


i even have a 75-year-old grandmother who raps!


the granddaughters.


biker chicks.


my parents.


the fam minus andy who was @ the bu/ttu game at texas stadium.

home to texas.

i've let this little blog of mine collect dust for sometime now, and i must say, it feels strange, awkward, and a little sad that we have to become reacquainted. i stopped writing in this forum for several reasons; namely because i didn't really have much internet access in mexico, but also because i don't even really know how to sum up the last 2 months of my life. quite honestly, i'm not sure any of you would believe it even if i told you.

let's just say that i left mexico roughly two weeks ago because i felt that i was in a situation where i could no longer stay. after a very intense discussion with my family, we collectively decided that it was time for me to return back to TEXAS. i'm not trying to be cryptic about telling you what all conspired, but i simply can't extrapolate on everything because i don't have the time/energy/or space.

i will always treasure my time spent in hermosillo and i will never forget the lessons i learned or the people i encountered. my room mates in sonora, well...you became my family. my students, you became my friends. i was unexplainably torn about my decision to leave you all and it still breaks my heart, but i think about y'all all the time. the imprint you left on my life has been immeasurable. i didn't really get a chance to say it like i wanted to, but thank you from the bottom of my heart.

all of that being said, i am OVER-THE-MOON happy about being back in the lone star state. i'm not sure if any of you have ever endured an experience where you've been completely removed from everything you've ever known for a pretty significant amount of time, but it will rock your world - for the better. right now, everything - EVERYTHING - is a luxury for me. sleeping in a comfortable, big sleigh bed. picking up the cell phone to call an old friend. taking a leisurely bath. going to bed at night knowing that i don't have to worry about a drug raid. I APPRECIATE IT ALL.

so what have i been up to since i got home?

well since i neglected my family for over 3 months, we've been spending some much-needed time catching up. as predicted, i missed out on a lot, but was never forgotten. andrew's bigger than ever, i think he's gained 60 pounds and 4 inches since i last saw him!!! he's still on the good 'ol bu football team and i'm so proud of him, especially concerning the big win last saturday! paige is maturing as well and i can't believe my baby sister is getting ready to get her driver's permit and is begging for her curfew to be extended (hey, she learned from the best.) bill & sheri are doing well too...about to celebrate the big 25th anniversary and daddy's returning home from cuba in february!!!! i think the whole town is going to give him a big welcome home party when he gets back, he's pretty missed around these parts. i am so blessed to have been born and raised in this family, i really could never ask for more.



i've also been afforded the chance to catch up with all my amazing, devoted, hilarious friends. i missed y'all so much, you will never know the extent to which i missed all of you! i never ever want to do life again without all of you in it. when i called each of you to tell you that i made the decision to stay in texas, you all cheered audibly and some of you even cried!!! i have coveted your prayer and support over the last few months like nothing else and you have delivered. i'm going to give credit where credit is due: i must thank jessica h., steve, amanda, alli, cori, brittany, jessica p., megan, wesley, crystal, leah, haley, heather, lucy, billy, and kently. y'all are the best, and if you ever need ANYTHING - you call me dangit!!!! i will never forget your loyalty or thoughtfulness.



and yes, i've been spending some time with a goodlookin' country boy named taylor jordan harris. though i have to compete with the jealous mistress known as baylor law school, we have somehow managed to eat at waco's finest restaurants, go to concerts, hang out in the hill country, camp out at state parks, and cheer on the bears! babe, thanks for putting up with my "quirky" habits and teaching me the correct way to skip a rock and start a fire. you are a good man.



i'm sure you're also wondering what the heck i'm doing with my life professionally too. some of you might be shocked, but i loved teaching so much so that i'm going to continue in the education field! though i'm working odd jobs all over town right now (yes, shallowater, it is good to see you again...) i'll be moving to san antonio come january to teach spanish and ESL with S.A.I.S.D.! and i'm sooooooooo excited!!!!! that being said, i'm also embarking on the biggest literary endeavor of my life in that i'm writing my first book. i plan to do freelance journalism projects on the side, but i'm putting most of my effort into this novel...40 pages down, ? to go!

what can i say, God works in mysterious ways, but He is so, so good. i really wouldn't have ever predicted this path for my life, but everything has turned out better than i could have ever imagined or planned. i'm so immensely grateful and i feel like the luckiest girl in the world right now. i just can't stop smiling. life really is that good.

best quote i've heard in a long time.

so i have to credit my friend crystal for digging up this old quote, but it's so damn genius that i couldn't resist putting it up.

"life in lubbock, texas, taught me two things: one is that God loves you and you're going to burn in hell. the other is that sex is the most awful, filthy thing on earth and you should save it for someone you love."---butch hancock

it's a wonderful life

i know, i know...second post in one night - i must be really bored; but really, i had to say something about this.

i was flipping through the channels while i was lamenting my solitary confinement in waco, when i came across the opening credits for "it's a wonderful life." of course i've seen the movie a hundred times, it's one of my family's favorites, but i decided to sit down and watch it. i mean, heck what else do i have to do?



well i just finished watching it and i truly forgot what an amazing film it is. if you haven't seen it in awhile, you should do yourself the favor of watching it; if nothing else, it will get you in the christmas spirit. i can't help but think what a wonderful world it would be if everyone led his or her life like george bailey.





i also can't help but think about bedford falls and how amazing it is to live in a small community where everyone bands together in times of adversity. yesterday, shallowater, texas experienced this when we lost our first hometown boy in iraq. for a town of 2,086 residents, the loss of brynn naylor was a crucial blow and it has touched an unbelievable amount of people in a remarkably short time.


my daddy called me yesterday with the news after he had been one of the first people called to go visit with brynn's parents. my daddy's pretty much as tough as walker texas ranger, so when his voice started to crack, i knew something was wrong. he told me about the events of brynn's death, he told me that he loved me, and he told me that we can't waste one day of living.


i just can't believe all of this.


brynn had been in iraq for 15 months and was scheduled to be home in five days. five days. his family had plans. they were going to take a big trip for christmas. brynn was finally going to be able to do the things he loved. and now, his mamma will always associate his death with christmas.


i don't really know what else to say, i don't know if there is anything to say. i guess i'm just all too aware right now of the ultimate sacrifice that our military makes every single day. whatever your political leanings may be, none of that matters right now; none of it matters at all. our boys and girls are over there DYING so that we can live the way we do. this war has a human face and i think it's our job as civilians to never ever forget that. really, it's the least we can do.