Claire Record

Paybacks are hell...literally...especially with the heat wave America is experiencing. I would get razed about this time every year about how nice it was in every part of the rest of America compared to our Texas heat. I figured one day they would get theirs. HA! Little did they know it would come so soon. The funny part is...little Boerne, TX is actually cooler than most of America. Maybe it's God's way of evening the score. But that's not what this blog is about.

About this time every summer "feral" vines start putting out ripe grapes all over the state of Texas. For those of you who live here...you probably pass by the vines every day on your way to town. They grow wild on country fences and especially like the motts near creeks and rivers. I have two favorite places to harvest them...the Tractor Supply parking lot and at the Kendall County Fair Grounds here in Boerne, Texas. Crum...if it's going to be blistering hot...you might as well be inside where it's cool making some Wild Mustang Grape Jelly.

It's really not that hard...just looks hard...or like you really fussed. It's time intensive...meaning...it takes time to pick the grapes and de-stem them. The actual jelly making is a breeze. So...just because I'm nice, I'm going to tell you how YOU can make Wild Mustang Grape Jelly...even if you razed me about my blistering hot summer days last year.

Before I start...just a couple of veteran hints on picking grapes:

1. Pick grapes in the morning when it's cool.
2. Take a pair of scissors or garden snips just in case you run into some difficult vines.
3. Always, always, ALWAYS wear a long sleeve shirt and gloves to pick grapes. If you don't, your skin will be itching for a couple days.
4. Get permission from the folks that own or manage the place where you pick your grapes. You don't want to create bad mojo between you and your neighbor...even if they don't live on the vacant lot where you pick.

Here's What You'll Need:

• Half pint jars with lids and rims
• Large stock pot
• Small sauce pan for sterilizing lids
• Ladle
• Jar funnel
• Wet paper towel
• Strainer
• Large and small measuring cups
• Large bowl
• Potato masher or slotted spoon

Ingredients:

• 1-2 gallons of Mustang Grapes
• 7 cups of sugar (pre-measured and put aside)
• 1/2 tsp. of butter
• 1 box of Sure-Gel Pectin

Directions:

1. Wash and de-stem grapes.
2. Put grapes in large pot. Add 1-2 cups of water.
3. Heat grapes on medium-high heat, gently mashing them while they are cooking. As it cooks you will see the grapes popping out of their skins.
4. Simmer for 10 minutes or until they are a ruby red color.
5. While grapes are simmering...you can put your lids into a small pan of water. Heat...but don't bring to a boil. Turn off heat and have them ready for later.
6. Ladle grapes and juices into a sieve and press juice through into your large bowl. Discard seeds and skins.
7. Measure out 5 cups of juice and return to clean pot.
8. Add one box of pectin and bring to a rolling boil. (A rolling boil is when you can stir the liquid and still see it bubbling).
9. Keep at rolling boil for one minute. (Have your timer handy for this).
10. Add pre-measured 7 cups of sugar to boiling juice.
11. Stir until dissolved.
12. Bring to a rolling boil again. Let it boil for exactly one minute and remove from heat. If you add 1/2 tsp. of butter it will reduce the foam on top.
13. Skim off foam and ladle jelly into sterilized jars about 1/4 to 1/2 inch from the top.
14. Wipe any excess jelly from rim of jar and put lid on top. Screw on rim.
15. You will know it's sealed when you hear the lid pop later.

See how the skins are popping?

This is what it looks like once the juice has been cooking with the sugar.

Beeeautiful!

See??? Easy schmeezy. Give them to friends, family or clients and I promise you they will be coming back for more.

Ahhhhhhhhhh yes...it's that time of year where the weather gets a little cooler and signs of harvesting are everywhere...especially with apple orchards. You hafta look long and hard to find pick-your-own apple orchards in Texas in that our soil isn't prime for growing apple trees. Even so...there are a few orchards that found the sweet spot for growing apple trees and are growing some fine apples. One such orchard is the Sonlight Apple Orchard in Mason, TX...just about an hour and a half north of Boerne, TX and about an hour due west of Austin, TX. Makes for a nice family day trip.

So...a couple weeks ago we loaded up our two older girls, my sister, Melody and our dog, Bell and headed up to pick some apples. The trip there was nice...gorgeous country side including a drive-through of the infamous German town of Fredericksburg, TX. Charissa, my oldest, quickly locked in a promise to stop on the way back for some fudge. I'm sure Larry wasn't thrilled about stopping in a touristy town...but complied with her/our wishes.

We got to Sonlight Apple Orchardand were greeted with a collection of antique tractors and a turn-of-the-century stone barn which served as their headquarters for getting the lay of the land and getting buckets. I thought that once we got our buckets and knew which trees held the apples we wanted that we could start picking. I quickly learned that "Johnny Apple Smith" would be there shortly to show us the "art" of picking apples. Wow...didn't know it was an art....but okay...I'd go along.

"Johnny Apple Smith" a.k.a. Don Durflinger came from the back of the orchard with the kindest smile and donned in a Sonlight Orchard embroidered shirt and knee pads over his jeans. He introduced himself as Johnny Apple Smith and asked if we knew anything about apple picking. My sister, who was from Iowa, was able to say that she had been-there-done-that...but the rest of us...this was our virgin-apple-pickin-experience. So...Johnny led us to a tree and showed us the correct way to pick an apple. Little did I know that if you just yank it off the tree you could hinder growth for the following year. No wonder it was required that everyone go through the drill.

Once we got past the lesson it was on to picking apples...Cameo variety, to be exact. I had never heard of that variety...but have to tell you...one of the best eatin apples I have tasted in a long time. Oh my was it sweet and crisp! We were also told it was great for pies and applesauce. I can tell you for a fact that it was great for all three purposes. As soon as we returned home, I made two pies and put up 14 jars of applesauce. No sugar needed for some of the best applesauce I have had in a long time.

I could go on about our experience there...but it might be better for you to experience it yourself. It's a short distance for anyone living in the Hill Country and worth the drive. You will enjoy meeting Don and his wife Sheila and will love walking around the quaint town of Mason. Don and Sheila are happy to keep your apples in their cooler while you tour the town or eat lunch at one of many fine restaurants close by.

Treat yourself to a family day or date and take a drive to Sonlight Apple Orchard. You'll be glad you did!

Pickin and canning apples is just one of the many aspects of living the "rural lifestyle". If you've been thinking of making the move to a small town outside of San Antonio or finding your place in the country...give me a call. I would love to help you!

We got the call at 6:37am to "come quickly." Instantly, I knew it was my mother in law, calling about Debbie's Dad, and something urgent about his lengthy fight with cancer. The next hour was spent canceling appointments, trying desperately to tie down loose ends and rocket out the door to the DFW metroplex. I had some stuff that had to be dropped at my office, and was praying that this errand would not be the difference between getting there in time or not. Thankfully, we got there in time. Plenty of time, in fact, for me to sit at the feet of a teacher I like to avoid, but cannot.

As much as I like to call Wisdom my chosen lady, my mistress is "Stuff Maintenance." Ever the jealous jilted one, Wisdom likes to bring her big linebacker sized brother "Pain" to remind me which of these two I'm supposed to be committed to. For some reason this concept that pain is the only teacher you cannot ignore has been rolling around inside my head for a couple of weeks. But...then Stuff Maintenance puts on some smoky eye shadow, or shows a little leg or something and I get distracted once again...Am I making a living, or courting that mistress?

Well, though she did delay our exit a bit, the mistress didn't make the trip to Dallas.

As we sat in the "rehab center" (a cleverly disguised nursing home with the most upbeat staff and nice environment of any I've ever seen), Debbie and I gave some thought to whether or not to allow the kids to see her Dad, and how they would remember him. He lay on that hospital bed and looked pretty tough, with heavy, labored breathing. I've been trying to allow Scott a little more autonomy since he turned 10, so I gave him the choice, and he chose to go in with me and see Ray. Wisdom snuck in behind us after a couple of minutes too.

As I sat in a chair next to Ray's bed, with Scotty in my lap, I saw him gently take Ray's hand. I heard a whisper from the foggy parts of my conscience that said "There's no pretense here." All the layers of ego, pride, accomplishment, and whatever else we use to define our identity just fell off like the outer layers of a cooked onion. Wisdom narrowed my view to a little boy delicately holding his grandpa's hand during an exit and then I thought of an entrance where Jesus would take the same hand in his.

It was tough to watch, but freeing in a way. The thought of leaving the cares of this life behind for real...I mean REALLY leaving them behind...forever. Wisdom's brother Pain held my attention as I wondered how Scotty's little heart was breaking, but Pain's other sister, Compassion, made an appearance as well. My young man just sat there with Ray's hand in his, quietly. Pain squeezed my throat the way he does when a guy chokes back tears, but Compassion placed her hand on my shoulder. Wisdom whispered again, "What will matter when that's your hand in Scott's?"

It's hard to collect these thoughts into a coherent essay. But there's a thread of this concept that runs throughout my life and the other notes that I have posted here on this page. If I were wise, I'd understand what is necessary to making a living and what is just lingerie that Stuff Maintenance slips on to entice my attention away from the simple beauty of Wisdom. Stuff Maintenance is a high priced call girl that you're proud to show off but feel enslaved to at the same time. She gives you gifts, like brand name sunglasses that make wants look like needs. Consequently, I need Pain to show up and defend his sister's honor from time to time. There is a reason that Pain exists. It's to remind me that the offspring of a marriage with Wisdom is Godly Character.

How does "Stuff Maintenance" dress for you?

For me, it's simply that...maintaining the stuff I have and not submitting it to God's will - which brings with it a risk of "loss" (if simplification can be called such a thing). For some, she puts on a slinky gown of "Image" or "Acceptance." For others, she might put on 3 inch heels called "Ambition."

Regardless of how she dresses, she draws our attention from Wisdom and the God who presides over our wedding to her. I pray that in these economic times, that our nation - a huge percentage of which calls itself "Christian" - would learn from our collective Pain to listen to true Wisdom...that we would stop reading "spiritual" books that are really just romance novels for Stuff Maintenance. We will all have our moment like the picture above where Pretense and Stuff Maintenance steal your credit card for a trip to Acapulco. What will we have left in their absence? Hopefully a strong dedicated marriage to Wisdom that has given birth to Godly Character.

Wisdom, Her Thuggish Brother Pain, and my Mistress--an essay by Russ Phillips on Tuesday, September 14, 2010 at 9:07am

I first met Russ when I was an on-site agent for Jimmy Jacobs Custom Homes in Georgetown, TX. I have met many agents in my career but can tell you that there are a few that stand out...not because of the number of homes they sell...but because of their integrity and love for people, family and faith. Russ is one of those agents. It's no wonder he is in the top 25 agents in Austin, TX.

When I read his essay on his father-in-law, I knew you all had to read it. It should give us all pause as we look at what is really important in our business and home.

Douglas A. McIntyre of the Wall Street 24/7 wrote an article that was published on the start page for Yahoo this morning. The above headline caught my eye...so I quickly scanned down to see who those industries were and was surprised to see my own profession. Seeing, construction, cars, newspapers and airlines was not a huge revelation...but Realtors was. Take a look at the paragraph below from this article:

9. Realtors. The National Association of Realtors reports that there were 1,370,758 Realtors in October 2006 -- the peak of the market. By the end of 2007, the figure was below 1.2 million. The number is below 1.1 million today and has continued on a downward trend. Home prices have dropped so far and so few homes are sold, that the ability to make money in the business disappears by the day.

Okay...I get it...there are less realtors than there were in 2006. It does make sense based on what he said. However, I don't agree with him that our industry may never recover. Personally, I think that not only are we recovering...but we are getting better. The number of Realtors does not determine the success or longevity of our industry. Tough economic times weeds out the ones that are in it for the quick buck and leaves the cream of the crop...the ones that should be in the industry.

I will be the first to admit that I am struggling to make the money I used to back when I first started in 1994 and the years that followed. But, I can confidently say, there's no other business I'd rather be in. The good agents will shift with the times and use it to become better at what they do. They will think outside the box. They will work harder and smarter.

Douglas, I appreciate your take based on statistics...but I choose to believe the best is yet to come.

To read the entire article go to the following link:

The Ten American Industries That May Never Recover

I like to call them squiggly thingy's...but after careful research I found out that those little curly q's on my cucumbers plants are called "tendrils". Whatever you want to call them...I am fascinated with their quirky personalities and determination to be at the top of the trellis. I do realize that cucumber plants do not have souls...but even so...watching them has spoken to my soul.

Many of you have watched the progress of my garden and have seen my cucumber plants grow from seeds to what they are today. The moment they begin to vine out they will start looking for something to grab onto and climb. It's instinct...they know that in order to get anywhere that they have to grab on to something solid in order to reach for the sun. I can tell you in my 53 years of life...I know that lesson all to well. If I am not grounded and secured to a sure foundation...whatever "climb" I aspire to make will be short lived. I can stack books and furniture on top of each other for a quick climb...but soon find out that it will topple.

The climb needs to be slow and steady...just like my cucumber plant. Water, sun and fertilizer are all necessary to bear fruit. Without any of those elements...the vine will wither and die. So, ask yourself these questions:

1. What foundation are you holding on to? Is it sure? Is it a foundation of integrity and truth?
2. What or who is watering your life? Are the people you associate with breathing life into you...or are they like the hot sun, charring what life is there?

Finally...this past weekend I noticed something new with my cucumber plants...one of them had reached across the row and had joined tendrils with another plant. A larger stronger plant, which had a firm grip on the trellis, had reached across the row to help stabilize the weaker plant. Or, maybe it was the other way around. Maybe the weaker plant had realized it needed the help of the stronger plant. Regardless...if one of them hadn't had a firm grip on something stronger, neither plant would have made it.

Do you have a good grip on your life? What or Who are you holding onto?

Having your own garden is just a small part of living the "rural lifestyle". If you have been dreaming about one day having your own place in the country or a small town, I'd love to help you fulfill that dream.