Spring wildflowers on Sandia Peak in Albuquerque, NM. Photo by Louellen S. Coker
Spring, ah, Spring! Quite possibly my favorite season of the year. I have to agree with Robin Williams: “Spring is nature’s way of saying, Let’s Party!”
Days start to get longer, brighter, warmer. And if you sit with what nature is doing, stop a moment and look around, you’ll see that you’re standing in the doorway of the biggest and busiest party ever!
It’s a time of hope, a time of planning, and a time of fruition. And a time of things coming together and being beautiful. Spring is when things really start to happen.
It’s been almost 20 years since Duane and I happened to come through this part of North Texas to visit some friends. As we drove through the downtown area of Denton, we saw an office space with a “For Rent” sign hanging in the window and we felt it was the perfect place, and time, for us to put down some roots. So we did.
Duane hung out his shingle and founded CokerLegal, a family law firm that provides expert advice to families in Denton and Collin Counties. I taught 10th grade English at Little Elm High School and went on to found Content Solutions, a boutique marketing firm. And while we have lived in several different cities in the region, Little Elm is the one we call home.
When we first moved to the area, Little Elm had only a two-lane road running through it. The locals were super friendly, but not much beyond fishing and Friday night football was going on in town. Community events beyond those centered around the schools were few and far between. If you wanted to find a group to run, cycle, or swim with, you pretty much needed to drive down to Dallas.
My, how our little town has grown up! And in a good way! The city leaders have done such a good job of preserving as much of the town’s charm while in the midst of substantial growth. What was once a two-lane road is now a six-lane divided roadway. A city that had a few struggling businesses now offers a wide variety of food, shopping, and entertainment businesses.
And, most impressive is that the city has done and is continuing to do so much to allow its citizens to adopt and maintain a healthy lifestyle no matter their age. Here are a few of the great things going on in Little Elm:
When you ask me (or Duane) where we’re from, we’ll tell you Texas.
Duane and Louellen overlooking Palo Duro Canyon.
And if you ask further, what heritage we are, we will again tell you that we are Texan. In the melting pot that is America, it is rare for someone not to proudly state they are from another region of the world. However, with the ability to trace my lineage back to the Cherokee Indians and Davy Crockett (who fought at the Alamo) and Duane’s known heritage being firmly planted in Texas, we are among the few, the proud, the native Texans.
We think Texas is one of the greatest places on Earth. (Except maybe in August and into September when it is so darn hot!) In fact, we’ve lived and traveled in different states and countries and ended up settling down and making Texas our home base.
March 2 is Texas Independence Day and Texans are known to take a moment to reflect on their heritage. Today seemed the perfect day to share a bit about the state I love with all my heart. I like to say you can take the girl out of Texas, but can’t take Texas out of the girl.
This is why:
Texas is the only state that can withdraw from the United States and/or divide itself into up to 4 states. Don’t worry that’s not likely going to happen.
When we joined the United States, we did not give up our public lands.
Baylor University, our alma mater, is the only Texas university founded when Texas was its own country.
Six flags have flown over Texas: Spain, France, Mexico, Texas, Confederate States, and United States.
We are the largest and most populous state in the continental United States. (Alaska is the largest of all 50 states.)
Texans are downright friendly. We’ll look you in the eye and say hello, give you a courtesy wave or smile, and help you out if you need it. Even the name Texas means “friendly.”
Our land formations are wide and varied and include coastal, plains, forest, mountain, and desert lands.
Major industries in our state include cattle, oil, and technology. We are among the last to feel the pains of recession and are among the first to feel the joy of recovery.
While we are technically part of the southwest and are sometimes considered part of the south, we really have our own culture.
At the tip of tornado alley, we have more tornadoes touch down than any other state. (Not necessarily a good thing, but interesting nonetheless.)
Texans are feisty, tough, and incredibly loyal. We are proud but not (overly) boastful. We’re not afraid to tell it like it is and will roll up our shirtsleeves and do what needs to be done to make things the way we want them. We’re a rough and tumble lot that will find the good in everything.
Bluebonnets, cactus, and rugged rocks are just a few of the things that will make any native Texan smile. Photo by Louellen Coker
Want to learn more about Texas, come on down and enjoy the beauty that is uniquely ours. Not sure you can get here, pick up a copy of James Michner’s Texas. Yes, it’s a loooong book; but this historical fiction paints a picture of our state that is generally accurate and detailed. By then end of the tome, you’ll have a good idea of what makes Texas Texas and why Texans are so proud of our state.
Photo by Louellen Coker. Las Flores Surf Resort, El Salvador
Life is hectic and often stressful. Overlooking great things that happen in our lives is easy because they get lost in the shuffle as we rush to meet deadlines, get kids shuttled to wherever they need to be, dinner on the table, dishes washed, or even running to catch that airplane to your next adventure. It’s easy to overlook the things that make us happy.
A few years ago, I began a 365 day photo challenge to capture one thing every day that I am/was grateful for. And for 5 years, I’ve captured one thing every day that made that day a good day. Some days the best I could muster was a nice cup of coffee or a snuggle of a kitty, others were more epic like completing my first Ironman or a successful moment at work. Mundane or not, looking back at those moments bring me happiness and remind me to be grateful. EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.
I recently discovered a series of blog posts over at the Local Adventurer website and was intrigued. As part of that blog post, they talked about doing a 52-week challenge and provided 52 topics that make you stop and think about your everyday life.
My intention for 2017 is to live with heart, or coeur. One aspect of that intent is to share with others how to bring the joy of travel and adventure into their lives. This challenge is a perfect way to ingrain the habit of publishing at least one blog post a week. So, over the next 52 weeks I’ll be doing my best to hit all of the topics listed in the gratitude challenge. I don’t promise that I’ll do them in the exact order they were presented and reserve the right to change a topic here and there; but I am committing to the challenge of sharing my gratitude over the next 52 weeks.
Let the journey begin! Here is a list of the topics I’ll be exploring. I reserve the right to change the order or the topic as I go.
