Enjoying the Bluebonnets

One of my favorite parts of living in Texas is with us again and should continue for the next couple of weeks. It’s time for the bluebonnets, our state flower, to make their annual visit.

When I was growing up in East Texas, bluebonnets were not as common as they are now. The state had not yet started the practice of seeding wildflowers along Texas highways, and the beautiful blue flowers were not as widespread as they have since become. We had plenty of the pink primrose wildflowers – my brothers and I used to call them “buttercups” because of their yellow center – along with a type of daisy, crimson clover, and lots of other types of “pretty weeds,” but bluebonnets – well, not so much.

Here’s Yours Truly with a patch of Blue Lupine flowers in Israel a few years ago. Our guide told us these wildflowers were a “cousin” to our bluebonnets. Seeing them sure made this Texas boy homesick!

I was in high school the first time I saw a giant field of “Lupinus Texensis,” as the most common variety is known. We were on a school trip, going to Brenham, and I spied what I thought was a beautiful blue lake beside the road. It was a pasture completely covered in bluebonnets; to me, it looked like looked like there were two skies, one above the other. Fifty years later, I still remember how beautiful they were.

My mom tried for years to get some bluebonnets to grow at their home in Orange County, but without much luck. Even under the best of conditions, they are hard flowers to get started, and it’s just too wet in that part of the state for them to do well (that’s hard for folks in West Texas to imagine!). But bless her heart, my mom kept trying. And then one spring after she passed, my dad sent me a picture he had snapped of mom’s bluebonnets blooming there on their place. He was so proud. She would have loved it.

Bluebonnets were designated as the “official” state flower in 1901, and contrary to popular belief, it is NOT illegal to pick them. It is not recommended, though, because like any wildflower, they will wilt almost immediately after you pick them. And it’s a rite of passage for Texas families to take pictures of the kids, posing in the middle of a bluebonnet patch. Just be careful doing that: in some parts of the state especially, you’ll need to watch out for rattlesnakes in the middle of the flowers.

There are believed to be six different versions of the bluebonnets, from the common ones that are best known, to the giant “Big Bend” variety that can be found in that part of Southwest Texas. Some versions that are totally white, and the research plant specialists at Texas A&M even created a maroon variety! But the familiar blue and white kind are the best known. And whether you call them buffalo clover, wolf flower, or even by their Spanish name of el conejo (“the rabbit”), they are close to the heart of most Texans. And I’m thankful for the work of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center and the Texas Highway Department for their efforts at expanding the flower’s coverage.

Besides bluebonnets, of course, be sure to look for the many other gorgeous Texas wildflowers, including Indian Paintbrush, the red-and-yellow Indian Blanket (also known as Firewheel), the pink or purple Coneflower, Giant Spiderwort, various colors of Phlox, and many more. By the way, Coneflower is a type of echinacea, which has long been used in natural medicine and which can be found in different types of cough drops.

Central Texas around Austin, and the Hill Country, are great places to see big fields of bluebonnets. Ennis, Texas, is also a popular location, along with Burnet, but the best places in the state will vary somewhat from year to year. If you’re interested in taking your own road trip, you can check with the Texas Highway Department and their magazine, Texas Highways.

However you choose to enjoy the bluebonnets, have a safe trip as you spend time with your family and enjoy the awesome Texas scenery and perfect spring weather. And God bless Texas.

Some Favorite Things about Ireland

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Here are some of my favorite things from the Emerald Isle –

St. Patrick. I have often written about the famous missionary himself, so I won’t go into that story again, but suffice it to say, he is someone worth remembering. He was probably born in England in the late 300s, then kidnapped by pirates as a teenager and taken to Ireland as a slave. He later escaped, went back to his homeland and became a priest – then had a vision of an Irishman begging him to come back to that island and bring them the gospel. In one generation, Ireland was transformed from a coarse, pagan land, into a Christian seat of education and learning. If you want to know more, I highly recommend How the Irish Saved Civilization by Thomas Cahill.

The hymn, “Be Thou My Vision.” During Patrick’s life, on Easter Sunday around the year 433, a Druid king ordered celebration of a pagan holiday instead of the Christian holy day and declared it illegal for anyone to light a fire for any other purpose. Patrick, in defiance of the king and at the risk of his own life, climbed the highest hill and ignited a huge bonfire, to celebrate Jesus as “the Light of the World,” and God’s light shining in dark places. Years later, an unknown composer wrote a beautiful, haunting melody in memory of the event and named it for the place where it happened – Slane Hill.

Legend says that an Irish poet from the sixth century, St. Dallán Forgaill, wrote a lyric that borrowed phrases from another poem often attributed to Patrick known as “The Breastplate.” Forgaill’s poem was forgotten until 1905, when a 25-year-old university student, Mary Byrne, discovered it and translated it into English for the first time. Then in 1912, an Irish woman named Eleanor Hull set the words to music, using the old melody “Slane,” which by then had become a familiar Irish folk tune. It was first published in 1919 and has been appreciated by worshippers ever since – from the opening lyric, “Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart,” to its references to God as “High King of Heaven.”

Celtic music. Speaking of that hymn, one of the things I love about Ireland is traditional folk music. The acoustic sound is one of the foundations of a lot of old-school country music, Bluegrass, and what is today often called “Americana” music. The style uses a fiddle, an Irish “tin whistle,” flute, mandolin, banjo, Uilleann pipes, and often, an accordion or concertina. The guitar and Irish harp are also often used – and since much of it is made to accompany traditional folk dances, a frame drum, a bodhran, is also included. The tunes are often simple melodies with beautiful harmonies, and can range in mood from rollicking, toe-tapping, fun times, to sad and mournful – but always straight to the heart. And by the way – it’s pronounced “KEL-tic,” with a hard “K” sound. The SELL-tics are a basketball team in Boston.

Guinness Beer. Okay, I’m not a big fan of beer, and those of you who don’t drink alcohol at all are welcome to skip this part, but: Guinness Stout has been a famous part of Ireland since 1759, when Arthur Guinness signed a 9,000-year lease on the St. James Gate property in Dublin. Mr. Guinness was a good and generous man who took excellent care of his employees, establishing schools and medical clinics for his workers, providing housing at a reasonable cost, and many other benefits – even organizing Sunday trips to the country by train so his workers could have some time out of the city. Beyond that, back in the day, Dublin’s drinking water was often polluted, causing all kinds of disease, so drinking Guinness was considered a healthier option. Its alcohol level is obviously MUCH lower than Irish whiskey, so it actually reduced drunkenness. I especially enjoy a pint during cold weather, with its nutty, yeasty flavor – the taste always reminds me of the smell of fresh-baked bread. And I love to cook with it too, especially using it as an ingredient in beef stew and roast beef.

The Quiet Man. Okay, this is technically an Irish American movie, but it was filmed in Ireland and is a treat to watch. It’s also my very favorite John Wayne film, co-starring Irish actress Maureen O’Hara and Barry Fitzgerald. It was a passion project for director John Ford, who was himself Irish American, and who worked for over ten years to bring it to the screen. I love it! And the proprieties at all times, if you please…

So, wear your green and celebrate – on March 17, we can all be Irish. Sláinte andErin go Braugh!

Together

It was a big job.

Jerusalem was a big city, rebuilding its walls was a big task, and Nehemiah was facing some big challenges. And there were times when he wondered if his dream would ever be finished.

It wasn’t as if no one had tried. The walls had been torn down about 120 years earlier, when the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar had destroyed the city. But the Babylonians had themselves been overthrown, and one of the first things that the new Persian king had done was give permission for work to begin on rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem. Ezra, a highly respected priest, headed up that project until its completion.

But Ezra’s efforts failed after that. Old family feuds surfaced again. Political enemies created dissension. Turf wars over who should do what paralyzed their efforts. The people were overwhelmed by the enormity of the task. And so the walls of Jerusalem remained in ruins, symbolic of the shame that continued to grip the once-proud city.

And this wasn’t just a matter of bragging rights or civic pride. A city’s entire well-being depended on a well-built wall. Without a stable wall, bandits could raid the city and harass its inhabitants. Without a patrolled wall, thieves would loot and plunder at will. Without a secure wall, enemy warlords could even kidnap citizens and hold them for ransom. So for nearly 120 years, with no wall, Jerusalem remained a city without security, without peace, without hope.

Nehemiah was far removed from that despair. He enjoyed both personal and professional fulfillment in Susa, the capital city of the empire, far removed from the trouble in Jerusalem. Yes, he was a Jew, but he had worked his way up to become a trusted adviser to the king, with the honored title of cupbearer. What happened in Jerusalem wasn’t really his problem. Or was it?

When some emissaries from Jerusalem arrived in Susa, Nehemiah asked about how things were back in his homeland, and that’s when he got a troubling report: even though many had returned to Jerusalem a generation earlier, the city walls were still in ruins, the city gates, scorched and worthless.

So Nehemiah began to pray. And he began to have a daring dream of a plan. It was risky – as in, if it didn’t work, not only would he be dismissed from the king’s service, but he would probably be executed. But trusting the future to God, he suggested his plan to the king, who prompted agreed. Nehemiah was made governor and given great resources from the royal treasury to make his dream a reality.

When he arrived in Jerusalem, he rode around the perimeter of the city, surveying it and assessing what needed to be done. And somehow along the way, he came up with an idea. Nobody really knows what gave him the idea, but it was brilliant. Besides needing the wall rebuilt, the people of Jerusalem also needed their hope and confidence rebuilt. So, thought Nehemiah, why not get them involved in the work?

So here was the plan: he put all the families of Jerusalem to work, rebuilding the section of the city wall closest to their home. You work on your section; other people will work on theirs. That was it. He made sure that everyone knew that each family had a stake in this project, and each individual had a part to play. He made it a matter of honor to work diligently on your section, joining up with your neighbor, knowing that together you would be able to accomplish something great.

For his part, Nehemiah himself went around encouraging and keeping up everyone’s spirits. When would-be enemies conspired to attack, he stationed guards and watchmen at strategic locations, with a promise that if anyone came under attack, everyone would come to help. When economic issues threatened to halt the work, he called in the rich landowners who were exploiting their neighbors and challenged them to do the right thing, and they did.

Everyone worked together. Everyone had something to contribute. They prayed. A lot. They all worked hard. Neighbors became friends as they labored side by side. Old grievances were forgotten for the sake of a greater cause. Nobody much cared who got the credit as long as the job got done.

For 120 years, the walls of Jerusalem had been in ruins. 120 years. But under Nehemiah’s leadership, working together, the people of Jerusalem rebuilt them in just 52 days. That’s right – 52 days.

Each of us has a part to play. Each of us has a job to do. And together, we can dream. And with God’s help, what we dream together, we can do. Together.

An Evening with Lyle Lovett

Lyle Lovett is many things – a Grammy award-winning singer, a talented songwriter, and an entertaining storyteller, just to name a few. But one thing he’s not, and that’s easy to pigeonhole. Is his music more country or folk? Is he more in the style of Western Swing, Bluegrass, or the Blues?

The answer is, all of the above, and much more. He’s also a genuinely nice guy who’s enjoying being a dad to five-year-old twins, along with his wife, April, at their home near Houston. He says he likes touring in Texas because he can fly home after the show and be there in the mornings when the kids get up.

The Texas singer was born in Houston and grew up in the nearby community of Klein. He graduated from Texas A&M in 1980, where he received his BA in both German and Journalism. He played and sang in many of the clubs around the College Station area and performed at the Kerrville Folk Festival in the early 80s. Contacts that he made there eventually led to a record contract.

His music is hard to categorize, but that’s a reflection of a lot of Texas music in general. The highest award in the music industry is the Grammy, and he’s won four of them – one for “Best Male Vocal Performance,” and one for “Best Country Album.” He’s also in demand as a singing partner – he collaborated with Randy Newman on “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” (the theme song from Pixar’s Toy Story) and has also won a Grammy for a recording he did with Western Swing band Asleep at the Wheel, and another for a version of the classic Willie Nelson song, “Funny How Time Slips Away,” recorded with pop singer Al Green.

Multi-faceted musician Lyle Lovett recently performed at the Paramount Theatre in Abilene.

He has been to Abilene twice in the last month, playing both times at the historic Paramount Theatre, with an amazing four-piece backup band he calls the “Acoustic Group.” All of these guys are world-class musicians and session artists – a piano player and keyboardist, a fiddle player, a guitar and mandolin player, and a bass guitarist. A lot of his songs showcase the guys from the band taking turns doing instrumental solos – what’s known in Bluegrass and other musical forms as a “breakdown.” And let me tell you, these guys could really play! Whether it was the strong Blues riff of “My Baby Don’t Tolerate,” or the upbeat Western Swing, “That’s Right – You’re Not from Texas,” the concert featured a wide cross-section of musical styles. The show lasted a little over two hours, then they came back out and played an encore for another half hour.

My friend Loren Cole met Lyle a few years ago and they have kept in touch, and so Loren was able to get us tickets and backstage passes to visit with the singer for a few minutes after the show. And even though we were standing in a cold wind, in the alley behind the Paramount, after a long show, he was gracious and friendly, and seemed to really enjoy the visit and conversation.

I enjoyed hearing many of his best-known tunes – songs like “She’s No Lady” and “If I Had a Boat.” During the encore, he did a personal favorite of mine – a song written by Michael Martin Murphy that mentions Haskell and Abilene, called “West Texas Highway.” He also told a great story about getting to meet and work with the cowboy singer.

But I think my favorite part was when he told a sweet story about his family’s cemetery in East Texas and going to visit there during workdays. He told about being a kid and playing with his cousins while the men mowed and trimmed the trees and hauled off the branches around the cemetery. And as the ladies fixed a huge covered-dish dinner, he and the other kids would be jumping and sliding into a muddy branch of the San Jacinto River. He talked about the continuity of family and knowing that these were your people, and the generations continuing. Then he sang “12th of June,” a gorgeous song about the birth of his twins. As the lush harmonies unfolded – vocals pretty enough to make you cry – he got to the last verse:

So to my father and my mother
And to our fathers long before
There are those who walk above us
Who’ll remember that we were
They will remember that we were

And to these beautiful two children
And to my sweet and tender wife
I will love you three forever
Though I fly beyond this life
Though I fly beyond this life

By the branch at San Jacinto
Play for me a happy tune
Know of all the days I loved
I loved best the 12th of June