Rain again. We are blessed. Actually, as I write this there is a weather box extending from the Permian Basin to the metroplex.

I talked to Edwin yesterday and he was telling me it was just miserable on the gulf coastal plain. Hot, dry, and blustery winds. When he asked, I was almost ashamed to tell him we had rain again. Of course they are in the worse drought in forty years. Outside of some rains generated by hurricanes and tropical disturbances last year, their area is in the second year of drought.

I had a farmer in the parts store yesterday who told me he hated to turn down a rain, but he was fixing to lose some cotton if it didn't dry enough to get in the field.

Sylvia couldn't pass up the opportunity to lambast him. "Farmers, you gripe when it is dry, you gripe when it rains. You're never happy!", she said.

All the farmer could do was laugh.

We had a real treat at the parts store yesterday. Usually I will stop and pick something up for all of us to enjoy during our morning break. Either Mc Donalds sausage biscuits, burritos from La Popular, or donuts from AM donuts. From time to time, Sylvia will reciprocate and bring something. She is also good to fix lunch when I am not going to Memama and Pepa's. Tuesday she told me, "Don't bring breakfast tomorrow".

I asked what she was going to do and she declined to divulge.

When the morning traffic eased up in the store, Sylvia slipped out and went home to get her treats. She walked in and put a bag on the counter. Immediately the showroom was filled with a pleasant aroma. Finally, Sylvia unveiled her ware. She had four dozen homemade tamales.

On Tuesday she had began preparation. She worked until 10:30 getting the pieces prepared, and then went to bed. Wednesday morning, she got up at 5:00 to put them together and get them cooking.

They were excellent. I could have eaten until I was ill. All the traffic in and out of the store had opportunity to indulge themselves, with one exception. There is one man Sylvia does not share her cooking with, and I think she is totally within her rights. Outside of this man, everyone is welcome to share.

Hag, Justin and Watzl enjoyed some tamales early, and returned about 11:30 to see if any were left. When they left the second time, there were only two tamales left in the foil.

Sylvia told me to wrap up the left over tamales and take them to Krl, so she could see what she thought. When I began wrapping them, Sylvia looked, and said, "Let me run home. I have a half dozen in a baggie, and I will send them too." I told her if she thought I was going to turn her down, she was crazy!

Krl was impressed!

As the day progressed, Sylvia and I discussed the tamales. I love a good tamale, and hers and Nancee's Mom (from Midland) make the absolute best I have ever eaten. Sylvia's taste better, while Nancee's Mom's are really big.

Sylvia volunteered the process, which makes me appreciate them even more. The Wednesday tamales were made from pork roast and venison. Sylvia has a few seasoning/cooking tricks she has learned that probably account for the exceptional flavor. She soaks her cornshucks prior to applying the masa, and then adds the meat filling. Then she rolls them in the shuck and places them in the cooker.

I shared with her the story from Nancee and Frankie at the seasonal site. Nancee said that when her Mom decides to make tamales, it is a family affair. Nancee's aunt and uncle join Nancee's Mom in making the tamales. Nancee and her cousins get the word out, and orders flow in. They don't make them often and they don't make just a few.

They were trying to figure out ways to speed up the process. Nancee's uncle begins the assembly process by spreading masa on the corn shuck before sliding it to the women. All his life, Uncle has spread the masa using the back of a spoon. Logic told them it would be faster if he had a larger, more specialized tool, so they bought him a wide putty knife. It didn't make it ten minutes before he had tossed it and had his spoon back out.

You just can't mess with perfection.

Sylvia told me she uses a tortilla maker to spread her masa. Surprisingly, she is a one person show.

I would love to watch and try to learn. Can you imagine? White boy tamales? That doesn't even sound good!

Pat and Hag had a beef slaughtered, and Sylvia asked for the head. She was wanting to make barbacoa (sp?). She had told Pat and Hag that when she did, they were coming to her house to eat. Pat had stopped by the parts store for tamales (what else), and while she was indulging, all of us at the counter were talking about mexican delicacies. When Pat discovered where the meat comes from for barbacoa, she told Sylvia "I'm not coming to your house to eat!"

Pat asked me if I have ever eaten it. I have. I told her it was pretty greasy, but it was pretty good. Of course she wanted to know where I had it and when. I told her my experiences have been expanded by Frank and the boys inside the plant. I have even eaten "tripas". These are made from the small intestines cut into small slices and fried. The look a lot like cheerios but are much crunchier with almost a grissly texture. They work pretty well with a pico de gayo or salsa.

Then the subject changed to menudo. I have never tried it. I have been intrigued, but never enough to indulge. I have never had opportunity to partake from a cook or kitchen I know and trust. Goose, a truck driver who enjoys menudo, tells me if it is cooked right, it is wonderful, if it is not, it can be horrible. Pat shuddered as Sylvia told her that menudo is made from the stomach with things like pigs feet and cows feet added.

Sylvia tells me, menudo is relevant to the area you are in. She told me that in the valley some people even put pineapple and other fruits in theirs. Sylvia also tells me there is such a thing a sweet tamales, where the masa is sweet.

Any way you go about it. Sylvia's tamales were terrific. While Sylvia didn't say, I think she may have made eight or ten dozen.

My morning is kind of backed off today. I am going to the parts store, but a little later than normal. I am picking up some things from a distributor here in Abilene. They don't open until 7:30. Usually by then I am between Trent and Sweetwater.

And with that, have a day!

FATHER, I thank YOU for YOUR continued blessing of rain. I continue to lift up the kids Step Dan and Tyler for YOUR gifts of healing and care. I ask YOUR blessings on Krl as she deals with a difficult week. Greater are YOU!