~Into the Unknown~

In memory of Daylon Jones Royal, born February 15, 1945.

Susan A. Royal

This is something I posted a few years ago…

While channel surfing a while back, I happened to catch the end of Close Encounters. Never see that movie that I don’t think of my husband. Especially now that he’s gone. It was one of his all-time favorites. I never really thought about it until today, but now I understand why.

In the movie Richard Dreyfuss plays Roy Neary, an average middle-class guy who loves his family and works hard to provide for them. Only there’s another side to his character. He still believes in magic. In the movie, when Roy experiences a close encounter, he doubts his sanity. But he can’t let it go, because deep down inside he wants it to be true. So he makes up his mind to prove it.

My husband was the same kind of man. He worked hard, took care of his family…

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~Into the Unknown~

 / SUSAN A. ROYAL / EDIT

Daylon Jones Royal February 15, 1945 – October 20, 2015

While channel surfing a while back, I happened to catch the end of Close Encounters. Never see that movie that I don’t think of my husband. Especially now that he’s gone. It was one of his all-time favorites. I never really thought about it until today, but now I understand why.

In the movie, Richard Dreyfuss plays Roy Neary, an average middle-class guy who loves his family and works hard to provide for them. Only there’s another side to his character. He still believes in magic. In the movie, when Roy experiences a close encounter, he doubts his sanity. But he can’t let it go, because deep down inside he wants it to be true. So he makes up his mind to prove it.

My husband was the same kind of man. He worked hard, took care of his family and lived a quiet life. But like Roy, there was more to him than met the eye. The casual observer never saw his keen sense of adventure. He had a fascination for the mysterious, the unexplained. The idea of travelers from another world was intriguing to him.

He would have loved the chance to do what Roy did. So it isn’t hard to visualize him standing on the runway at the end of the movie, all smiles. Reluctant to leave his life on earth, yet filled with nervous anticipation at the thought of going on an adventure beyond the stars.

I like to think that’s exactly what he’s doing right now. And I’m certain he’s enjoying every minute.

And someday, I’ll join him.

My Friends

It’s January 2022. The beginning of another year. Time to put 2021 away and make plans for the months ahead. A time for self-reflection. One filled with regrets for the things I didn’t accomplish in the past year and renewed determination to finish them this time around.

I spend a lot of time at home during the winter months for all the obvious reasons. It can be confining at times. Even depressing. But I have people close to my heart who keep tabs on me. And daily visitors who never fail to give me a lift.

Birds show up at the birdfeeder outside my window every morning. I watch from my desk while they eat, occasionally squabbling over the birdseed or staring at me indignantly when it’s run out. Their presence reminds me of the beautiful world I live in.

LONGHORNS IN EAST TEXAS

Before I moved to this part of the state, I never realized there were longhorn cattle here. I always assumed they were in the western part of the state. I found out otherwise.

This is Blaine. She’s one enterprising teenager. She will be 17 in October, a homeschooled Junior in the fall and is currently attending PENN Foster in the Veterinary Tech program.

She is the current International Texas Longhorn Princess and the Winnsboro 4H President

She works at Pittsburg Vet Clinic and owns Circle B Longhorns and Longhorn Legado. She raises longhorn cattle and markets the beef. I’ve tried it. It’s great. Tastes like hamburger meat used to taste before they started adding all the fillers. Check out her Facebook page: Circle B Longhorns.

Dinner and A Movie Monday – Running For Grace

I haven’t done Dinner and A Movie in a long time. Life just got in the way. And I’m out of practice and behind. Bear with me. I’m going to try to do better.

This is a coming of age movie I watched a while back and never posted because I couldn’t think of a recipe to pair it with. I decided to share in anyway.

Running for Grace is a 2018 American romance film starring Ryan Potter, Matt Dillon, Jim Caviezel and Olivia Ritchie. Originally released on August 17, 2018 in the United States, the film was shot on location in Hawaii. The film was shot on location in Hawaii and at Kona-based Honua Studios and originally titled Jo, the Medicine Runner.

It’s set in the Kona Coffee Belt of Hawaii during the 1920s. Japanese immigrant laborers and the white upper-class live in a rigidly classist society, an orphan of mixed-race lineage called a hafu, finds himself ostracized by both groups until a white doctor from the mainland is hired as a physician for workers on the plantation owned by Mr. Danielson . Doc has Jo run medicine and translate for him on the island.

Ten years later, Jo falls in love with the plantation owner’s daughter, Grace. They interact a few times at the Danielson’s home under the guise of treating her ankle injury. Mr. Danielson meets a new doctor and invites him to tend to the white upper-class residents of the island, even though his company is going bankrupt. Throughout this time, Doc has been taking several secret trips to see a lawyer about adoption, even though illegal at that time. Jo is impressed by the new doctor and his car and asks him to take him on as an assistant. However, when they go to treat Mr. Danielson’s accountant, who had poisoned himself as a suicide attempt, Jo realizes the doctor is a charlatan. Dr. Reyes later expresses a romantic interest in Grace, and her father, seeing it as an opportunity to save his plantation and way of life, encourages the proposal.

Mr. Danielson sets out on a trip to Hilo to discuss his looming bankruptcy with the bank, intending to inform them that Grace is marrying into a wealthy family. Along the way, he accidentally falls into a ditch and hits his head. Doc and Jo are the first to reach him and, on inspection, Doc fears his head injury is severe. He tells Jo to find Dr. Reyes so that they can use his motorcar to transport him. At his home, Mr. Danielson and his mother insist Dr. Reyes treat his injury and that Doc and Jo leave. Moments later, Grace comes crying out of the house announcing that her father is dead. When Grace and Jo embrace, and Grace’s grandmother scolds her and pulls her away.

That night, Doc and Jo are walking back to their house. Dr. Reyes tries to run over the Jo. Doc pushes him out of the way, gets hit himself and dies shortly afterward. Dr. Reyes threatens to kill Jo if he doesn’t leave town. Later, Jo returns to his mother’s house and is found by the Hilo lawyer who informs him that Doc’s adoption was a success. Jo gets to Grace and Dr. Reyes wedding in time to stop it. He and Grace get their happy ever after.

This is one of those sappy, idealistic movies where Evil seems destined to win, but Good always triumphs in the end. I especially enjoy the lush, beautiful scenery on the islands. I’ve never been to Hawaii, but I can understand the draw.

A PRIZED POSSESSION

You’re probably wondering if I’ve lost my mind. Why I’d be gushing about a ratty looking Club Aluminum Dutch oven that’s seen better days. Especially when I have a fancy stainless steel set that cooks just as good or better. I bought it years ago at a garage sale for next to nothing. It was used, so all I had to do was keep the inside clean. The wear on the outside gave it character.

I can’t count the pot roasts it’s held. Or the cold winter days when it simmered on the back burner all day, filling the air with a heady fragrance of chili, stew, pinto beans or potato soup. It’s been used to make popcorn, caramel corn, fudge, cream pies, and mountains of mashed potatoes. Or potato salad.

When I moved to a smaller house, I thought about getting rid of it. I didn’t really need it anymore. But here’s the thing. I couldn’t let go. Too many memories. Nights when the family gathered around the table and ate together. Holiday meals, parties, barbecues and family get togethers.

Yeah, I think I’ll hang on to it.

4th of July

Susan A. Royal

However you chose to celebrate this day, whether it be out at the lake, at a cookout with family, or enjoying fireworks with friends, I hope it’s a safe and happy holiday. Sometime during the day, please stop and take a moment to remember what this day should mean to all of us.

Red Skelton was always a favorite of mine. Never failed to make me laugh, and sometimes brought me to tears. This was one of those times.

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