Celebrating the Holiday Season – East Texas Style!

My family just loves Christmastime here in East Texas.  There are so many wonderful events to attend and fun activities in which to participate, both locally and in Houston.  Much to my regret, my parents haven’t figured out a way to clone us!  So, we must choose the events closest to our hearts from so many that occur simultaneously (especially during the second weekend of December).

As with our tradition, we kicked off the holiday season with the City Lighting Ceremony during Thanksgiving Week and began our weekly seasonal volunteer commitment of ringing bells for the Salvation Army Red Kettle fundraiser. 

Then:

 

We took a “Walk Through Bethlehem”, a wonderful depiction of the City of David on the night the Christ Child was born, sponsored by the First Baptist Church of Livingston.

            

 

We visited the lights at Pedigo and Penguin Parks and on public grounds within Livingston.

 

We made our inaugural visit to the Polk Christmas House, whose displays include animatronics and characters from Star Wars, Grinch, Rudolph, and even Nightmare Before Christmas.

We popped in to see the train set up in Good Golly, Miss Molly’s Emporium.  It is always such fun to challenge my eyesight to find all the figures “hidden” within the massive train and village set ups.

We were privileged and honored to join the Southeast Texas Patriot Guard Riders (PGR) in the send-off festivities at GW Bush International Airport for the Gary Sinese Foundation's "Snowball Express."  The organization bestows the families of fallen military members with a wonderful fun-filled week in Disney World.  This year was extra special.  In addition to meeting new folks and reconnecting with families, volunteers, and staff who participated in prior years, I made some new canine therapy buddies!

 

                              

We attended the Toy Run to Boys and Girls Country in Hockley, Texas, sponsored by the San Jacinto High Rollers Motorcycle Club.

…And all of that fun was just within the FIRST week of December!

 

The second weekend of December, we forfeited browsing the vendors at Livingston’s Hometown Christmas (though Dad did take time to help set up his Masonic Lodge’s booth and sell breakfast tacos).    Instead, we supported Wreaths Across America (a national event we have done for many years, going back to our days in New Jersey).  As members of the East and Southeast Texas Patriot Guard Riders (PGR), we attended the ceremony and laid wreaths on the graves of military veterans interred at Garden of Memories Cemetery in Lufkin, Texas.

Ladies Auxiliary of the American Legion Post in Lufkin, Texas.

We returned home just in time to join in the caroling at Escapees RV Park for folks who are unable to leave their homes due to health issues.  

And we ALWAYS find time to watch the Livingston Lighted Christmas Parade, the finale of which features everyone's favorite fat philanthropist, Santa Claus.

The next day we attended "Our Father's Love", the beautiful cantata at First Methodist Church in Livingston.   We joined our fellow Southeast Texas PGR members (along with a neighborhood pooch who seems to greet us each year) to lay a few wreaths on local heroes’ gravesites, including PFC Stuart Moore, who lost his life at age 21 on Christmas Eve while serving in Afghanistan.

 

Though we missed our Hot Stepper dance group performances at Coldspring and Shepherd Christmas events due to other commitments, we made sure to be available to dance at 4 area nursing/assisted living homes.  Despite us dancers making some mistakes (which provides some laughs/comedy), we know our performances, as well as the time we spend socializing with the residents, provide much joy.   

 

In addition to performing, we joined our dancing buddies for our annual holiday party.

Me and Diane, our beloved Texas Dance Instructor.

Speaking of our dance group, several of our members performed in "What Sweeter Music", representing the blended voices of folks from various churches within San Jacinto County.  We went to support their efforts and enjoy the beautiful sounds of traditional Christmas carols.

We added some new holiday events in Houston to our calendar as well.

 

We attended “Radiant Nature” at the Houston Botanical Gardens, a unique and festive light display to “see the gardens glow” and showcase the traditions of the Chinese culture.  It offers a spectacular array of artistry and creativity in a kaleidoscope of vivid colors!   We had the perfect evening to stroll through the display, with clear skies and a light breeze.  We paid extra for the on-site parking pass, eliminating the need to park at the Metro station and be shuttled over.  And we chose the earliest timed entry, 6 pm, where it was dark enough to enjoy the rainbow of colors, yet no crowds in front of us to interfere with photos.  This Rambling RV Rat highly recommends this exhibit.

 

The exhibit includes a celebration of the Lunar New Year, and I am thrilled my species is recognized within the Chinese zodiac.

One of the things we miss about our sticks/bricks lives in New Jersey is visiting New York City each Christmastime to see a Broadway show or attend the Radio City Music Hall production.  So, it was a real treat for us to get tickets to the play “White Christmas” in Houston at the Hobby Center's Theater Under the Stars.  The show was fantastic!  The caliber of the performers rivaled any of those we have seen on Broadway.  We had excellent seats and fun times chatting with our seat “neighbors”, many of whom were family members of the cast.  This production of “White Christmas” gets a Rambling RV Rat 5-cheese award!

On Christmas Eve we began our celebration of the birth of our Savior by watching services at Colorado Community Church.  (God puts us in places for a reason, and while Big Boomer was hospitalized for 3.5 weeks in Aurora, Colorado in 2022, we attended Sunday services at this most welcoming and diverse house of worship.  We have continued to make it our spiritual home).  Then we enjoyed a Festa Dei Sette Pesci or Feast of the 7 Fishes, an Italian tradition of abstaining from meat on the eve of a holy day.  Though Mom keeps a seafood menu, she refuses to make the stinky smelts, salty baccala (cod), slimy scungilli (snail) and icky eels that would be part of the fare from when she was a kid (and which she would never eat).  So, we “Americanize” our varieties a bit.  We have shrimp, mussels, clams, and this year we added salmon, and bacon-wrapped scallops.

 

Despite our busy schedules, Mom found time to bake holiday cookies.

Christmas Day was lighter fare, Antipasto, homemade bread, and a portabella mushroom/spinach/cheese stromboli, topped off with Mom’s New York Style cheesecake.  And, of course, watching Christmas Story was part of our day's traditional activities.

Yes, our Christmas was quite merry and bright.  But it was a far cry from white.  Temperatures were in the high 70s, we experienced dense fog, and the air was thick with humidity at 70%.  Such is Christmastime in East Texas.

The true reason for the season.

From our home-on-wheels to you and your families, best wishes that 2026 brings us all good health (especially for my Dad, since he has some new medical issues), happiness, peace, and prosperity.

Yours truly and my Rambling RV Rat Pack.

 

 

Fall Fun in the Hot East Texas Sun

After enjoying some cooler weather on the tail end of our summer travels, we had a hard time acclimating to the hot, humid weather back home in Livingston.  But despite the sweltering heat, we wasted no time getting back into our regular activities.  We returned to playing pickleball with our gang at Livingston’s Matthews Street Park and the wonderful folks at the Methodist Church in Coldspring who have opened up their pickleball court to the public on Thursday evenings.

Mom paired with Coach against Wayne and Rick.

We were happy to return to the Hot Steppers line dance group, getting instructions/lessons twice weekly from Diane on new dances and participating in performances at fall festivals and nursing homes.

We resumed volunteering at Mannafest Food Pantry on Mondays, serving those in need within our County.  While Dad attended his monthly Masonic Lodge meetings, Mom participated in assembling care packages for active members of the Armed Forces through F.A.I.T.H. (Families and Individuals Thanking Heroes) Military Support Group.

 

We popped in, on occasion, for some activities at Rainbow’s End RV Park.  For instance, I joined Dad in attending meetings of the HAM radio group, and Mom participated in the line dance lessons.  And we attended a couple of ice cream socials, birthday bashes, and/or potlucks dinners.

Coming back to Livingston gives us the opportunity to get together with friends, old and new.

Breakfast after pickleball with our fellow player Wendy.

My Halloween costume couldn't compare to these ghouls!

This little pussycat wandered over to our lot one day to play peek-a-boo with me.  

This fellow member of the rodentia family enjoyed his snack as much as we did our picnic lunch.

 

Dad's birthday gift from me and Mom--a giant blowup Bevo!  Go UT!

These friends were passing through town and stopped in for a visit.  Always so much fun seeing these fine folks.

Dad, me, and his Bevo good luck charm that friend Willi presented to him.

 These fine feathered friends all come waddling over to say hello when Mom and I walk by their home.

Friends joined us for a night of fellowship at this fundraiser for the F.A.I.T.H. Military Support Group.  A local Mexican restaurant donated 20% of its net proceeds to this fine charity.  Can't get an easier way to support a worthy organization than chowing down on some tasty food.

I make a new friend (or foe?) everywhere I go.

This frog was looking to hitch a ride with us.  That was one giant leap he took to get on the hood of the Rambling RV Rat Pack Rubicon!

In October we volunteered at the 2^nd Annual Balloon Glow and Laser Show in Conroe, Texas.  Like last year, we were assigned as crew members for Patrick and Tess of Maverick Ballooning.  Sadly, the balloons were all grounded due to high winds, making it a significantly less profitable endeavor for the balloonists than the 2024 event.  But we still enjoyed the experience immensely, meeting new folks, seeing volunteers we met last year, and watching the drone show.

 

We finally got some crisp temperatures and a bit of fall foliage—albeit not until late November.  But it sure felt wonderful!   It was perfect for doing some motorcycle riding and for hiking at Lake Livingston State Park and Kit McConnico Park in Lufkin.  

We also had an opportunity to visit Old Town Coldspring, which has historical structures from various towns within San Jacinto County, including a jail that is said to be haunted.

There were no spooks present during my visit to the jail.

We did some gazing at the celestial skies this fall, sneaking a peak at the Northern Lights on November 11.  The pics came out very good, thanks to Mom’s new Samsung Galaxy S25.  

Yes, Mom got a new phone AND a new carrier.  It only took her 22 years to fire Verizon.  She cut the cord of being a secondary user on Dad’s account and started her own T-Mobile account (Dad is maintaining his Verizon line for now since he always seems to have cell service).  And Mom is so thrilled with the T-Mobile cell coverage AND customer service!  Her only regret is that she didn’t sign on years ago!

 

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving, keeping all our traditions:  We watched the Macy’s Day Parade on Youtube (though back in the day we had the opportunity to witness the parade firsthand—twice from buildings above 6^th Avenue and once standing at street level).  Mom cooked us a full-blown turkey dinner with all the trimmings (which was a real treat since we didn’t have turkey for many years when Dad was on his plant-based/vegan kick.)  And, of course, we kicked off the holiday season with watching “Christmas Vacation” and "Miracle on 34^th Street”.  

But before we gobbled ‘til we wobbled, we spent a few hours delivering hot meals to those less fortunate within Polk County, courtesy of Mannafest Food Pantry with the assistance of the United Methodist Church in Livingston.  It was a very sobering experience, and I said a prayer of thanks to God realizing just how blessed my own family is.

 

Well, I’ve got to run!   There is so much to do!  I’ve got to deck the halls and visit the malls.  I must taste test Mom’s home baked treats, and I still have my Christmas wish list to complete!  But I'll talk to you again soon!