Author: ajeanneinthekitchen

The Friday after Thanksgiving, we said our goodbyes and it was time to start our trek back home. Our journey home led us mostly the same way we went to Texas, with the exception of going straight north rather than going back down through Galveston. We were headed back to Oklahoma, where were staying the night, with another overnight stay in Hays, KS with Larry’s mom Ollie as well, before coming home. It was another long driving day ahead of us, but we did make one interesting stop.

As we were coming driving through Dallas on our trip down to Beaumont and Sugarland, we saw something for The Texas Prison Museum in Huntsville that sounded intriguing to us. So on the way back home, we stopped in and paid it a visit. It was really interesting. The information is kept up to date so a lot of it is current and still pertinent today (latest update was 2018).

Life is hard in prison, as it is supposed to be, especially for the hardened criminals. Things have dramatically improved though since the early days and prison reforms are still changing and improving conditions for prisoners all the time. But it is no cakewalk, nor should it be.

The 85% Rule

The “85% rule” in prison, often part of Truth in Sentencing (TIS) laws, mandates that offenders convicted of violent or serious crimes must serve at least 85% of their imposed prison sentence before becoming eligible for parole or early release, significantly limiting good time credits and ensuring greater certainty that violent offenders stay incarcerated longer. It originated from federal incentives in the 1990s for states to adopt stricter sentencing, targeting crimes involving the use or threat of physical force.

We learned a lot of very interesting things. Like a lot of prisons, the inmates were/are expected to work. Many of the inmates are very talented craftsmen and women who make and sell all kinds of things, from art, leatherwork, woodworks and much more. A lot of inmates work and train dogs and other animals too. Here are some of the beautifully crafted items made by the inmates. Some are for sale to the public too. We bought a beautiful wood carved angel Christmas ornament, but we ended up giving it to Ollie, since she collects angels. I am seriously thinking of purchasing another one for me though. The inmates get to keep a portion of the money they earn, with some of it going to purchasing their needed supplies, and some of it goes towards the prisons for their care. Being able to work and create these beautiful items is a privilege, and the inmates have to earn the right to be able to work on such things.

There even used to be a Texas Prison Rodeo that ran from 1931 – 1986. It was called “”The Wildest Show Behind Bars”. It featured inmates in thrilling, sometimes dangerous, rodeo events like bull riding and “Hard Money,” raising funds for inmate welfare while drawing huge crowds and famous performers, but faced criticism for exploitation before ending due to funding issues and structural repairs needed for the arena. The prison rodeo performers never felt like they were being exploited though. Instead, they felt free and “normal” and proud to be a part of the rodeos. The Texas Prison Rodeo started in 1931 during the Great Depression as an income source and entertainment for prisoners and staff. Over the years, it evolved into a massive event, becoming one of Texas’ biggest sporting spectacles, attracting up to 100,000 people. A lot of top performers, such as Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson and George Strait would go to entertain the crowds too. The final rodeo was held in October 1986, with funding shortfalls for arena repairs cited as a primary reason for its discontinuation. The rodeo ended because the state began getting money from the federal government for educational and recreational programs for the inmates. Texas no longer needed to raise money to buy educational and recreational materials.

The Texas prison system has housed many people, from all walks of life, including many famous people, from sports stars to musicians to authors and TV personalities.

The Texas Prison Museum shares the grounds with the Vietnam Veterans Museum as well, but we didn’t have time to go through that. Next time. We did walk around a bit on the outside though.

There are so many interesting things to see and do when traveling, whether in your own backyard or some place new. Larry and I are open to experiencing all that we can and are always open to learning more and seeing more, everywhere we go. We try it all. You just never know what you’re going to find. Keep an open mind, and all kinds of interesting things will come your way. 🙂

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas. ‘Til next time.

We celebrated Thanksgiving in Texas, but we have been ready for Christmas here at home since before we left. We got the house all decorated and the cards ready to go before we embarked on our Texas trip. Usually, I like to celebrate Thanksgiving first because I think Thanksgiving is the most important of our holidays, and then I start getting ready for Christmas right after. But this time we made sure we had everything ready before we left because we wanted to be ready for our party, which will be this Saturday. If anyone is in the area on Saturday, feel free to drop in and partake in our holiday festivities. I always say the more the merrier. 🙂

We have also been celebrating the season as soon as we got home too. We’ve only been home a little over a week, and we’ve already been to three holiday festivities and parties. On Saturday night, the City of Westminster had its tree lighting ceremony. It was a fun and festive event for the whole city to enjoy.

We ran into some of our neighbors at the festivities too.

Celebrate the season and enjoy spending time with family and friends. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

We had a fabulous Thanksgiving celebration with my cousin David and part of his family in Sugarland. We ate around 1-2 PM. In the morning hours, Becky, my cousin Wendy and I were in the kitchen getting everything prepared and ready for our feast. Becky had already cooked the turkey. She let it slow roast in the oven overnight as we slept. She had set the table beautifully before we arrived too. Becky is very used to serving for large amounts of people. After all, she and David have 3 daughters and 16 grandkids, and they all frequent the Wood household quite often. Our Thanksgiving celebration was a mixed family affair, with relatives from both sides. It was David, Becky, 2 of their daughters, 3 of their grandkids, Larry and I, Becky’s sister and one of their cousins, and some of Wendy’s friends all gathered together to give thanks for the bounties we have been provided. It was a beautiful day and a beautiful celebration of family with family. That is what Thanksgiving is all about. 🙂

David and Becky in the center, with Christy on the right and her two sons Justin and Travis behind her, Wendy on the left, with Larry and I behind her, and David and Becky’s grandson John in the middle. David is my 1st cousin, Wendy and Christy are my 2nd cousins, and John, Travis and Justin are my 3rd cousins. No matter how you label us, we all all cousins and we are all family. 🙂

David and Becky have already extended an invitation to us for next Thanksgiving as well.

Thank you David and Becky for including us for your Thanksgiving feast. We had a fabulous time. It was so great to catch up and to be able to visit with each other. Love y’all lots.

Another great suggestion my cousin David told us about was to visit the Naval Museum. For anyone who appreciates the military, it is definitely a great place to go. It is still a work in progress, but they currently have an old WWII destroyer and a submarine that you can tour through, to see what life is really like on these vessels. They are NOT for anyone with claustrophobia, that’s for sure. I also got to see what my dad’s life was like on board all the ships he sailed.

Of course there were more pelicans too.

I’ve been to most of these places. Tokyo is the only place I haven’t been yet.

We toured through the submarine first. All I can say is WOW!!!!!

The men bunked everywhere, even right above the engines. Every inch was utilized to the max. There was NO room to spare for anything.

No matter where it is, no matter how big or small, I am right at home in ANY kitchen I find.

The dining quarters served many purposes too.

Even the Captain’s quarters are tiny and cramped.

While touring through the submarine, we met someone who actually worked on modern submarines and he explained a lot of things to us too. This sub held about 60 men. The modern subs, though bigger, hold about 130 men. Because of the tight quarters, women are almost always assigned to ships rather than subs. He made a comparison that summed things up pretty well. He said anyone today could work the subs and ships of yesteryear, but it would be like driving a Model T Ford to a modern car. They would be slow at first, but soon they would have no problems at all operating the old vessels.

After touring through the submarine, we went over to the ship. I could do life on a ship much easier so than I could on a sub. Quarters were still tight, but not nearly as tight as they were on the submarine.

Once again, I am making myself right at home in the kitchen.

Everyone was strongly encouraged to their part for the war effort.

Larry helped himself to the ice cream station before finding the bunks.

Can you imagine sleeping nose to nose with a torpedo????? That’s what the sailors did and still do. These are bunks right below the torpedo.

Learning the language of the seas

and proper naval ettiquette.

Because my dad was both military and civilian military his whole life, I have always had immense respect for all the military men and women. But after getting a better idea of what their life is really like when at sea, that respect has grown even stronger. Thank you to all the brave men and women who have served, sacrificed and continue to serve today.

After leaving Galveston, our next stop was David’s house in Sugarland. Becky, David’s wife, prepared a delicious spaghetti dinner for us, and we all visited ’til the wee hours of the morning.

After a couple of days in the Beaumont area, it was time to move on. We were heading towards the Houston/Sugarland area to celebrate Thanksgiving with my cousin David and his family. We decided to take the scenic route and went through Galveston. David gave us some great suggestions for things to see and do along the way too.

Normally, Houston/Sugarland is about a two hour drive from Beaumont, but we doubled that time and took in the sights. We also took the ferry over to Galveston, which gave us time to feed the gulls a bit too.

Before moving to California, my dad shipped out of the whole Gulf Coast for about 6 years. He shipped out of both Port Arthur and Galveston, and the surrounding ports. This is how the Aussie met his Texan girl, or as my grandfather would say, “that damned fererner”.

The houses all along the coastal areas are on stilts. They get some BAD hurricanes and storms through this area quite frequently.

We took the ferry across the channel.

Once the ferry started moving, we could get out of the car, walk around, feed the birds, and take a lot of pictures. I love this shot with the gull flying above all the perched pelicans.

David told us to bring some bread to feed the gulls. They saw us coming and started flying in towards us.

The grackles wanted in on some of the bread too, and were begging just as much as the gulls were.

We also saw quite a few pelicans too. This one was posing for me.

My dad was in the Merchant Marines his whole life, and he worked on a lot of oil tankers and cargo ships. To this day, every time I see one, I always wave and say “hi daddy”. He shipped out of these waters for quite awhile too.

Once we got off the ferry, David had another great suggestion for us too. But before getting to that, here are a couple more shots of the Galveston area. Galveston is a popular beach area.

The railroad played an important role in shaping Galveston too. And my Uncle Raymond worked on the railroads for over 40 years, so I thought this was a good representative shot of the trains.

I have more fun adventures coming your way. Don’t go anywhere; stay tuned. 🙂

I am taking a slight detour from our Texas Thanksgiving adventures to share the fun Christmas gifts that I have already received. If you are one who waits until Christmas before opening all your gifts, SPOILER ALERT!!!!! I am not one of those people. I am like a little kid, and I just have to open presents as soon as I receive them. By the same token though, when I give someone gifts, I want them to do the same, because I get so excited when seeing the smiles on the faces when they open them. 🙂 🙂 🙂

I have always said we have a real tight knit “family” and community here on WordPress. And everyday, I feel the bonds growing stronger and stronger. Gail, from http://snapshotsincursive.com/ sent me a delicious jar of her festive pecans and nuts, direct from her kitchen to mine. This little surprise package was waiting for us upon our return home from Texas. 🙂 Thank you so much Gail. Perfect timing too. As much as I hate to share these delicious treats, I will. We are having our annual Christmas Ornament exchange party on Saturday, and I will put these festive nuts out on the table too. Though I confess, I will hide them a bit, making them harder for everyone else to see. 🙂

And my dear friend Julia, from http://retirementrvdream.wordpress.com/, also sent me a beautiful present from the heart. Those are ALWAYS the best gifts. As many of you know, Julia is an exceptional artist, fabulous cook, and gifted in so many other ways too. She drew her own Christmas card for me, knowing how much I love Santas, and sent some dried basil from her garden, along with a pair of beautiful turtle earrings and a froggie/wine tea towel. She knows me SO WELL!!!!!! I LOVE turtles, and have a collection, along with many other sea creatures, all around the house. And the froggies have a fun story behind them too. When I was teaching H2O Aerobics, which now seems like a lifetime ago, one of my favorite exercises was “froggies”, so all of my peeps started giving me all kinds of fun things with frogs on them. So I also have a fun collection of frogs around too.

And when we visited with our nephew Jared and his family in Pratt, KS, https://ajeanneinthekitchen.com/2025/12/04/our-texas-thanksgiving-part-2-pratt-ks/, we exchanged our Christmas gifts too. Our niece Lexi knows how much I love wearing scarves, and she gave me a beautiful Christmas scarf, as well as other beautifully fun gifts. Here I am modeling it. We had our first Christmas event on Thursday, so it was the perfect time to wear my new Christmas scarf. 🙂

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy Holidays everyone. ‘Tis the season to be jolly and to celebrate with loved ones. I am very blessed indeed to be gifted with so many wonderful, thoughtful friends and family. Thank you all. 🙂

We had another full, busy day in Beaumont. Before meeting with my cousins Donna and David for lunch, and all four of us once again visiting with my Uncle Clarence, there was something else I had to do while in the Beaumont area. I had to visit my mother, my grandparents and aunts and uncles. My mother is buried just a few steps away from my grandparents, and I have many aunts and uncles who are all buried at the same cemetery as well, including my mom’s oldest brother, my Uncle Raymond and his wife, my Aunt Gloria.

Mom is buried near the Four Apostles. She is well protected and surrounded by the love of so many of her family.

I talked to my mom, told her I loved her, shed more than a few tears, and then visited with the rest of the family there. Once we left the cemetery, it was time to visit with the family who are still here. We met with my cousins Donna and David (Raymond & Gloria’s kids) for lunch, and then all four of us went to go visit with our Uncle Clarence.

At first, we weren’t sure how Uncle Clarence was going to be since we tired him out the day before, but all six of us had a great time and shared a lot of fun stories from the past and a lot of laughs. It was a beautiful day so we all enjoyed our visit out on the front porch of the nursing home.

I couldn’t clean this picture up any more, since it was heavily backlit, but at least we are there with big smiles and a lot of love. My uncle said he felt real loved with all of us being there and spending time with him.

Family, no matter how far away, is the best gift. Make time for your loved ones today. Tomorrow is never promised.

After visiting with Uncle Clarence, Aunt Ginger and Karen, we worked up an appetite, especially since we hadn’t really eaten much before our visit. Karen recommended the Black Bear Diner that was close to our hotel.

As you would imagine, there were images and artifacts of black bears all throughout the restaurant.

The service was great, and the staff were all very friendly, serving up as much Southern hospitality as they did the very large TEXAS portions of food. Larry ordered a steak sandwich with a salad.

I ordered fried chicken. There was NO way I could eat everything on my plate, so Larry finished what he could, after eating his own meal, and then the rest became lunch for another day. I didn’t try Larry’s sandwich, but my chicken was EXCELLENT.

The Black Bear is a a small chain of restaurants, with locations scattered in a few different states. It was originally founded in California, and still operates like a small family restaurant, focusing on good, wholesome family food and great service. Nothing fancy, but it sure is delicious. Often times, simple is best. 🙂

After leaving the Dallas/Ennis area, we headed straight down to Beaumont, Texas for a visit with my Aunt Ginger and my Uncle Clarence. We had another 4 hour drive from Ennis down to Beaumont. Clarence is the youngest of my mom’s brothers, and is the only one left. He is also my only uncle left, and Ginger is my only remaining aunt. (I think. I am not sure about my Aunt Sylvia in Australia. She disowned us a long time ago because we visited other family and friends the last time we were down under, and didn’t spend all of our time with her. But that’s a whole other story.) Clarence, now 84, almost 85, was the baby of the family. Sadly, my uncle suffers the family curse of dementia, but so far, he doesn’t have it nearly as badly as everyone else had it. We had a real good visit with both of them, as well as my cousin Karen, Uncle Clarence’s daughter. We were there visiting for about 4 hours. We tired poor Uncle Clarence out. My Aunt Ginger said he was really looking forward to our visit, and everyday he would ask her if “today was the day we were coming”. Visiting with them was really the impetus of this trip.

Visit and spend time with your loved ones while you can. None of us are getting any younger, and tomorrow is never promised. This is why today is the present. It’s a gift to be treasured.

We randomly picked a restaurant in Ardmore, OK, for dinner, not knowing anything about it. We went to Two Frogs, about 30 miles from the OK, TX border. Little did we know that Two Frogs is a pretty famous hot spot for musicians.

The owner is a famous rock photographer and has autographed photos and guitars from many, many famous musicians.

The food was very good too. We are entering bayou country, so a lot of good Cajun food, as well as other choices, was on the menu. Larry ordered crawfish Alfredo.

I ordered blackened catfish with crawfish and voodoo sauce. Both were delicious, but I liked mine better. 🙂

After dinner we drove straight through to Ennis, TX, outside of Dallas, where we stayed for the night. It was a long day, but it was filled with lots of fun adventures. 🙂