Don't mess with Texas

I "borrowed" this picture from my friend Becca's FB page - not sure where she got it from, so whoever you are that took this picture in the hill country in Texas, I'm sorry that I'm posting without your permission, but I'm so jealous that you were standing in the middle of God's most beautiful wildflower!

Confession time: though I am a proud Washingtonian, and I love our weather, scenery and life up here, sometimes I get a very strong aching for Texas. I lived there for several years growing up and attended my first semester of college in Texas. I don't know what it is specifically about Texas that I love; it's more of a feeling than a physical thing, although growing up in the country on a farm with animals, a long rocky driveway, an open porch with a squeaky porch swing and fields with grasses so high and soft they brushed your legs like feathers when you walked through them on a warm summer night, certainly live long and sweet in my memory banks.

We have some crazy winters up here in the Pacific Northwest, and this recent one (and the current start of spring) has been wet and cold. Brrrr...so, it's no wonder to me that I always get a yearning for Texas at the beginning of every spring. Normally, I just dream sweet dreams of Texas, talk to my sister and friends who still live down there and tell Andy how we need to move to Texas. But this year, I discovered a show on the television that has quenched my Texas-sized yearnings, while giving me spectacular views of the Lone Star State! I landed on it quite by accident, but it's called Texas Country Reporter, and by golly, it's my new favorite show! The show's host, Bob Phillips, drives around in a very cool Texas flag-draped SUV and interviews Texans about their hobbies, job, lives, etc, all the while showing you gorgeous shots of the sun-covered plains, the lakes and trees of the hill country, the endless skies that kept me company for much of my childhood years, while giving voice to the lovely southern drawl of native Texans. It's like comfort food for me. I flip on the fire, pull up a blanket, snuggle into the couch and enjoy 20 minutes of another world. Check out the show's website here.

While I don't get to visit as often as I would like, this show has given me a small taste of the greatest state in the Union, TEXAS!!!!