Category: Texas

Montserrat Love

On By My Crazy Graced LifeIn Catholic, Faith, God, Nature, Renewal, Texas1 Comment

Living in this crazy, instantaneous, social-media-driven, can’t-live-without-a-phone world these days can be distracting, to say the very least.  It can also be wild and wonderful, but let’s talk about that another day.  Taking time to disconnect for a few days – usually in the spring – has become an annual tradition of mine.  It’s both important to me and for me to do this.  The place I’ve headed to nine times now is Montserrat Jesuit Retreat House in Lake Dallas.

 

A place that is peaceful, tranquil, reflective, joyful, beautiful, and quiet.  It allows me to rest and just be, even if I’m ‘busy’ exploring the grounds, reading, journaling or walking up and down the 1/2 mile long drive.

On the days leading up to this time, the anticipation is always welcome and when I turn onto that long driveway and pass through the gate I can feel the tension beginning to ebb away and almost hear the naps and relaxation calling my name.

 

The retreat leader encourages all of us attending to let go of our expectations and agendas and to just enjoy the time.  Allowing God to lead us where we need to go while resting in his presence is freeing and takes the pressure off of finding the answer to whatever it is on my mind.

This ‘letting go’ has resulted in retreats where I did nothing but rest and other retreats have resulted in realizing things God was trying to tell me but which I couldn’t hear.  You know, because of how often I  allow myself to get caught up in the busyness of life. Either way, I’m enjoying the surrounding landscape beauty – both inside and outside.

My time at Montserrat has allowed me to experience thunderstorms rolling in across the lake as well as basking in the warmth of the sun while gently swinging in a hammock or a porch swing.  I’ve listened to the rain from a rocker on the covered lake-front porch and from an open window in my room as I lay resting while also being treated to an abundance of stunning sunrises in the quiet of a mesmerizing morning. I’ve sat in the dining room and spread notes and books out on the table in front of me while appreciating the view and writing in my journal. I’ve relished the many different varieties of birds as they’ve played, dive-bombed for fish, pecked at the ground and sang from the trees or birdhouses.  I’ve knelt in the chapel and prayed when it was so quiet the stillness was almost heavy. One of my favorites is sitting next to the fountain with the gentle trickle of water that is so soothing you can’t help but relax.  I’ve walked and prayed on the rosary path and sat in front of a statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus with his arms open. I’ve walked and/or run the driveway and circumference of the property countless times while marveling at the abundance of wildflowers and wildlife.  All of this leads to a reverence for the beauty of creation and appreciation of all that our Creator has given to us.

The retreat sessions or prayer conferences, as they are called, are enlightening and thought-provoking.  Each retreat leader brings a different personality and the ability to help us work through the Spiritual Exercises in a variety of ways.

So many opportunities to pray, reflect, read, write and be still.

It sounds great, doesn’t it?

Trust me, it is.

Full disclosure means I also have to share that this retreat is silent.  While I know that one element is a deal-breaker for most I would love it if more of us could find the time and, I don’t know…courage(?) to experience it.  In all fairness, too, silence doesn’t mean I don’t open my mouth for 3 days – there are opportunities to speak like offering the sign of peace during Mass or signing up to speak with one of the priests or spiritual directors.  I can also speak out loud at any time to God in my prayers – just not where I would be a distraction to those around me.

Montserrat has become an important part of my faith life.  I look forward to more wonderful, soul-refreshing experiences there.

If you would like more information about the facility or making a retreat here see their website Montserrat Jesuit Retreat House

A Day In Palo Duro Canyon

On By My Crazy Graced LifeIn Family, Nature, Photography, Summer, Texas, TravelLeave a comment

If I told you our recent outing to Palo Duro Canyon resulted in scraped knees, a sprained ankle, an attack of wind and sand, car trouble and temps in the 100’s you might be left with the impression it wasn’t a very good day.  But, take my word for it, it was.  Surrounding those mishaps was time spent together hiking, exploring, eating,  watching wildlife and a great musical.

When we arrived, our first stop, before going down into the canyon, was at the scenic overlook.  Rugged, simple, beautiful – that seems an apt description of the view.  Everyone enjoyed the scenery, the visitor center/gift shop and even took this first opportunity to meander down some paths and explore some old ruins.

Top of the Canyon looking down
Old dwelling just waiting to be explored
Leslie and Ben hiking

The sun was hot but soon, cloud cover moved in and provided a welcome respite.   With the clouds came a few rumbles of thunder and we searched the sky to see which way things were moving but, weren’t overly concerned since it seemed to be moving away from us.  We had been there for 15-20 minutes when I took the grandbaby, Colette, and stood on the path to admire the view.  Suddenly and without warning,  a gust of wind whipped the hat right off of her head.  It landed just over the side and got caught on a small branch but, between juggling her and the ‘big’ camera I wasn’t sure how to retrieve it.  That predicament was short-lived and ended up being the least of my problems because just a few seconds later the wind became ferocious and big, fat drops of rain began to pelt us.  Trying to run – into the wind – we were assaulted with grains of sand while getting drenched.  Trying to shield the baby and the camera from the rain and sand I finally made it back to the car where, luckily, the door was unlocked. Meanwhile, in haste to seek shelter five-year-old Gianna fell and skinned up both of her knees. Two minutes and two band-aids later all was calm again, and the brief storm both Mother Nature and Gianna unleashed had passed. The camera and Colette – baffled by the commotion and Nana’s antics – were fine.

As the saying goes here in the Lone Star State, “If you don’t like the weather wait 5 minutes and it will change.”

Just like that, the sun came back out and we decided it was time to move on.   We gave the teenagers, Patrick and Ben, a moment to alert their peeps that, once in the canyon, there would be little to no cell service.  The anticipation anxiety of being cut off from social media required some deep breathing on their part but after a moment they too recovered and we began to make our way down.

At the bottom, it was HOT – about 111 degrees  – with very little shade.  Meandering the two-lane road we kept the a/c in the car on full blast while we took in all of the rugged beauty. Undaunted by the heat, we got out and braved the high temperatures to hike, play and explore.  And, drink lots of water.

Our first stop was to look at some rustic cabins that we hadn’t seen on previous trips.  We marveled at the Cow Camp Cabins and the man who, in the distance and in the oppressive heat, sat with his easel painting.

Rustic cabins with bunk-beds, a/c, and a fireplace but no running water.
Can you see the speck sitting on top of the hill?

Unfortunately, Ben stepped off the side of the asphalt wrong and twisted his foot. Immediately, it swelled up but since we had coolers filled with ice and drinks we were able to get a nice cold-pack on it quickly.  It was sore and swollen for the rest of that afternoon and evening, but the park hosts provided us with an ace bandage and that, along with ibuprofen and ice, kept the discomfort to a minimum.

Moving on we discovered a cave in the side of the hill so all of us (except Ben and Granny) jumped out to explore it.  The pictures tell the story better than I can.

Let’s check out that cave!
Grandpa helping Therese
Almost there
Success
What a view

Following that fun, albeit hot and steamy hike we stumbled across a surprise snow-cone stand.  Without a second thought, we overpaid for the luxury of cold, refreshing flavored ice and enjoyed it in the only spot of shade around.

Days like this make me feel like I’m the luckiest person on earth and I’m very thankful to God for the opportunity to have these adventures. I love my family and I love spending time with them.  Even though we were missing several members we had fun with those who could be there.  $$-wise we didn’t spend a whole lot of money but the memories we made – priceless.

I hope this summer you find fun, too.  Even when things don’t go absolutely perfectly.

Carpe Diem!

To all the father’s out there – have a very Happy Day!  And may God bless you and your families.

TEXAS and Calvin in the Park

On By My Crazy Graced LifeIn Family, Nature, Photography, Texas, Travel1 Comment

Recently, several members of our family took a day trip to Palo Duro Canyon just outside of Amarillo and Canyon, Texas.  We hiked and played and had the best time despite high heat and several mishaps along the way. Since childhood, this has been one of my favorite places to visit.

 

Part of the plan for the day was to see the musical production of TEXAS.  The Pioneer Amphitheater, nestled in the heart of the park, is a family favorite and a visit to Palo Duro Canyon is always more complete when we eat barbecue and see the show.

As we enjoyed our meal a few clouds along with some nice breezes moved in and felt great.  After an afternoon of hiking and playing the adults were happy to sit and enjoy a cold beverage while the kids continued to climb the hills.

As it always is, the show was terrific.  The lone cowboy riding across the top of the canyon with the Texas flag was poignant.  The music, dancing, and singing were superb.  The fabricated lightning and gunshots made us all jump – even though we knew they were coming – and the finale with the dancing water and lights was amazing. After the show ended the actors were gracious and patient while they chatted with the audience and posed for many pictures.  Eight-year-old Claire was excited to get a photo with some of the main characters, especially  Calvin Armstrong and Elsie McClean who were two of the leads.

Calvin and Elsie

After we loaded up the cars and began the drive out of the canyon I exclaimed, “This was a great day!”  Hubby Ronald, looking in the rearview mirror, mentioned that our son-in-law, Leslie, kept turning his headlights off – presumably to try and see the stars. As we neared the top, and a good cell signal, his phone began to ring and our daughter, Krista, told us their car was acting up and they were losing power.

Limping they made it to the entrance where we were all able to pull over without blocking all the traffic behind us.  Popping the hood it looked like it was either the battery or alternator.  Hubby Ronald is always super prepared, the handiest person I know and incredible to have around in an emergency like this.  We would be back on the road in no time….no problem! Except this time, with all the tools somehow the jumper cables were missed.

Uh Oh.

The traffic coming out of the canyon had slowed to a trickle but we began to wave our arms in hopes someone would take pity.  Several people offered to stop but no one had the jumper cables we needed until a young man came along.  He rolled down his window and told us he could definitely help.

As Ronald and Leslie got busy we began to chat with this nice young man.

“Did you see the show?”

“Um, actually I’m in the show”

“Oh, really?  Do you have a part or do you work behind the scenes?”

“Oh, I have a part. I play Cal – Calvin Armstrong”

Um, what?

Remember Cal?  One of the leads?

Mouth opened and foot inserted.

The good news – he had taken so many pictures with fans that he didn’t recognize us, either.

Phew.

The car started and, giving Sean (that’s his real name :)) many thanks before saying our goodbyes we finally made it back to the house around 12:30 in the morning.  Pretty much dropping dead-weight and deeply-asleep kids into their beds the logical thing would have been for the rest of us to follow.  Instead, we ended up in the kitchen where we laughed until we cried and rehashed the events of a spectacular family day.

Car trouble resulted in us being saved by the star of the show.

Go figure.

p.s. – it was the alternator but a couple of hours under the hood and Ronald and Leslie got it all fixed.  And, in the end, it was….no problem.

Well, maybe I should say…it wasn’t a big problem.

Coming up next  – a day of hiking, hot temps, and more mishaps.

 

 

 

 

Sunrise & Sunset – Texas Style

On By My Crazy Graced LifeIn Photo Challenges, Photography, Texas2 Comments

I never tire of watching the sun rise or set and, I never tire of photographing it, either.  There are way too many beautiful ones I’ve taken pictures of to limit this post to just one.  Although I did manage to keep it to ‘just’ five.

Spectacular Texas…

On-the-go-picture of the sunset: driving north on HWY 287 to Amarillo

Allen, Texas: sunset at the grocery store

Sunrise on Lake Lewisville at the Montserrat Jesuit Retreat House

A heron at sunrise also at Montserrat

Sitting on the dock watching a spider and the sunrise

 

The Daily Post – Trance at the Museum

On By My Crazy Graced LifeIn Art, Daily Prompt, Family, Grandchildren, Summer, Texas, The Daily Post6 Comments

 

A trip to the Perot Museum in downtown Dallas took us to the Gems and Minerals Hall.  An exhibit which filled me with awe as I wandered around and looked at an amazing array of treasures from this wondrous earth.

In particular, the large, and very pretty, amethyst geode was remarkable to look at.  So gorgeous with all the shiny and sparkly purple gems glistening under the bright lights -it was enough bling to send a girl into a trance!

My granddaughter, Thérèse, loved it, too!

Spending time inside an air-conditioned museum on a hot Texas day was fun.

Spending it with family was even better.

Painted Churches of the Texas: The Tiny One

On By My Crazy Graced LifeIn Catholic, Churches, Daily Prompt, Photography, Summer, Texas, The Daily Post, Travel1 Comment

Leaving the central Texas area around Schulenburg – and not feeling tethered to a strict timeline – we were making our way toward Huntsville and enjoying the scenery.  We had visited all the churches on our list plus one more and were satisfied with our exploration of this small section of the Lone Star State.

All of a sudden we saw a teeny tiny building in the distance that looked like a small church.  As we flew by at 65 mph we saw the sign and, indeed, it was a church!

Hitting the brakes and making a U-turn we quickly made our way back to see what was what.  As the sign states, visitors were welcome to tour the grounds and the building.

 

On the altar was a notebook for prayer intentions along with a note which stated that Mass is held once a month.

St. Martins – It was the most charming stumbled-on find of the weekend.

Thanks for joining me on this journey to visit The Painted Churches of Texas- I hope you enjoyed seeing the pictures as much as I enjoyed taking them.

If you would like to see the other churches we visited that weekend I’ve included the links below:

St. John the Baptist in Ammansville and Queen of the Holy Rosary in Hostyn

St. Mary’s in Praha and Ascension of Our Lord in Moravia

St. Mary’s at High Hill

St. Cyril and Methodius in Dubina

 

Painted Churches of Texas: Freyburg and Dubina

On By My Crazy Graced LifeIn Art, Catholic, Churches, Daily Prompt, Photography, Texas, The Daily Post1 Comment

The green rolling hills of central Texas provided a peaceful backdrop as we rambled across the countryside in search of more churches.

We were not disappointed.

The United Evangelical Lutheran Church in Freyburg was a picture of quaintness tucked among a lush landscape.

And, the simplicity of the sanctuary was peaceful.

Moving on to Dubina, Texas the Church of Sts Cyril and Methodius was in the middle of Mass so we wandered around the outside.

A bit of a deserted town lay at the edge of the property and made a stark contrast to the striking house of worship.

 

Along with the ‘bathrooms’.  And this is something to note – not one of the churches we visited had an indoor bathroom within the original building.  Not too surprising, I guess, considering indoor plumbing wasn’t a thing when they were built.  There is still debate among my better-half and I as to whether this set of outhouse amenities was the only one available. Funny – as social as we can be we did not pluck up the courage to ask any of the parishioners.  Or maybe we just forgot.  Either way we didn’t get an answer.

Despite the bathroom debate there was no arguing that the church itself was, once again, beautiful and amazing.

Next up:  We thought we were at the end of our tour until we stumbled onto a gem of a tiny church.

If you would like to see the other parishes we visited on this tour check out those pieces by clicking on the following links: St. John the Baptist and Queen of the Holy Rosary, here.  St. Mary’s in Praha and Ascension of Our Lord,  here. St. Mary’s at High Hill, here.

Painted Churches of Texas: St. Mary’s at High Hill

On By My Crazy Graced LifeIn Catholic, Churches, Daily Prompt, Photography, Texas, The Daily Post, Travel2 Comments

There is joy in slowing down and relishing the journey.  Preferring to meander and not dash through the weekend we were delighted to experience these amazing, stunning, ornate, intricate and exquisite churches. Attending Mass at St. Mary’s in High Hill, Texas (known as the Queen of the Painted Churches) gave us even more time to slow down and soak in all the beauty.  Indeed, she was a splendor to behold.

I got the distinct impression this parish really loves their barbecue.  Their grills and smokers were some of the largest I’ve seen.  I think I’d like to attend one of their parish picnics!

Next up:  Sts Cyril and Methodius in Dubina, Texas.

Click here to see my post on parishes in Praha, Moravia and St. John.  Click here to see the post on Hostyn and Ammansville.  Each church is stunning.  Enjoy

 

 

Painted Churches of Texas – Hostyn and Ammansville

On By My Crazy Graced LifeIn Art, Catholic, Churches, Faith, Photo Challenges, Texas, The Daily Post4 Comments

Mention Texas and the first things that might come to mind are cowboys, horses, oil wells, Tex-Mex and barbecue. Or maybe it’s our love of all things football and our flare for doing things BIG.  While all of that is true it only describes a portion of who we are here in the Lone Star State.

The reality is Texas is very diverse culturally.  And, one of those cultures I recently experienced is the Czech heritage.  I was born in Dallas and have been back in Texas since 1979 and yet, I had no idea what a strong influence Czechoslovakian immigrants had on Central Texas.

First arriving in Texas in the mid-1800’s they built some of the most beautiful European influenced churches I have ever seen.  Who knew Texas contained such amazing dwellings for worship? Still in active use,today they are known as the Painted Churches of Texas.  My mom, having seen a piece on television about them, encouraged us to take a weekend trip and begin exploring.  A total of eight were in the area of Shulenburg which is off of I10 – smack in the middle between San Antonio and Houston.

We were overwhelmed by their beauty and the heritage which has been preserved so lovingly.  For this piece I bring you the first two churches we saw located in the towns of Hostyn and Ammansville

Our first stop was not actually one of the painted churches.  However, we were in the mood to explore and so we followed the signs to see what was what.

We were not disappointed.

The Queen of the Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Hostyn had something going on and we did not step inside.  That was okay, though, because the outside was enough to make us say, “wow”.

The Lourdes Grotto was the largest.

Smaller grottos dotted the church property.

The cemeteries at each church were similar and different from a typical American style.

From there we went to St. John The Baptist in Ammansville.

As we pulled up we saw a sweet little country church.

The quaint white building gave no hint as to the beauty inside.

The detail was amazing and intricate.

The back of the church – containing the choir loft – was also pretty.

Wandering around this sweet and holy property we were in awe of the magnificence we were experiencing.  Knowing we were at the beginning of the tour we couldn’t wait to see what other beauties were out there.

Tomorrow – St. Mary’s Church of the Assumption in Praha, The Ascension of Our Lord Catholic Church in Moravia and St. John’s Catholic Church in St. John, Texas