dem rabbits

Took a quick bus ride to Marshall, Texas from Arkansas to meet another cousin who is on my Grandmother's side, been mostly meeting folks from Grandfather's side. This cousin of mine has been solid with me ever since I started my trip. He has called me like clock work pretty much every second day to see how I am doing and to make sure I am safe.

'Hey cuz, you know, just checking to see you're alright and stuff like that, so you doin' okay?'

'Alright, cool, well I'm gonna go now, you call me when you're gettin' closer...'

So now I am here in Texas, in the middle of no where to meet my cousin, his daughter, his grandson and his Mother and Aunt and Uncle and Sister and other folks. It is Thanksgiving for them, I do not tell family members I am opposed to giving thanks to massacres throughout the states that have been committed by new settlers - because then they'll start making fun of me and will ask me if I am going to the next G8 summmit 'to protest' - so I'm just gonna make things simple and enjoy the food and company. For most family members it's just a reason to get the family together and eat well.

So, my cuz takes care of some land and he's a truck driver and he really likes it out in the country and he IS country. The area he lives in, out in the country is predominantly black. Everyone has goats or cows or horses, chickens, everyone goes hunting and everyone, and I mean EVERYPNE has a bbq. Now they don't mess around with bbq's here, it isn't some propane fuelled stainless steel container you buy at walmart for 39.99 that comes with a cleaning brush - I am talking huge contraptions that are like the size of trailers, with different places to put the coals, different spots to put the meat for smoking, another spot to put the meet for flame broiling, I mean, it's outtahand.

I get to the house where people from all over Texas have come to stay, this house was their Grandparents and they grew up in it, so they keep it empty to house family and friends whenever they want to visit from out of town. The place is packed with food, they have the smoker on the lawn, also everyone parks their cars on the lawn too. In the smoker is prime rib, in the kitchen is turkey, the ham is so tender you can pull strips of it off just like bacon AND there is cornish hen, then there are collard greens, turnip greens, the best dressing I have ever tasted in my life and hot water corn cakes. Um yah, I had seconds and thirds, then of course they wanted me to pack food up like I might get hungry in half an hour or something. There were 8 desserts. Pound cake, chocolate pound cake, homemade cheesecake, buttermilk pie, sweet potatoe pie, german chocolate cake with coconut icing and I cannot remember what else because they had to resuscitate me before I had the last two which they spoon fed me before I passed out.