The last few days, I’ve been outdoors working on the flower beds, and it’s given me that quiet time to think.
A recurring thought that keeps popping up are ponderings on the laws of nature, unwritten laws and Old School thinking.
For example, if you don’t pull up the nut grass nut, it grows back with vengeance. Crab grass is almost as bad as nut grass, but at least its roots are thicker. Nut grass roots are thread-like and satanic. It’s the devil’s trick designed to frustrate you and drive you nuts.
Another law: grasshoppers love tomato and rock rose leaves, both of which I tried to grow. I was wondering why my rock rose had no leaves until one morning, I saw fifty baby grasshoppers hop off the plant as I was watering. They dove into the ground like leaping off from a diving board.
Then I dashed to the computer to learn how to do them in and found that flour sprinkled on the plant kills grasshoppers because they eat it, and it plugs up their tummies. The only downside is you must continually dust the plants each time you water. Then, you can make a spray of garlic and cayenne peppers and it will repel them from the plant all together.
Have you noticed if you have four hummingbird feeders, that the hummingbirds are going to gather at one feeder and fight, charging, whizzing and zooming …unless they’re starving? Then they just settle down and slurp away.
I suppose you’ve experienced this unwritten law: If you see a deer by the road, look for its partner.
Communities have unwritten laws, too. I’m discovering the unwritten laws of Washington County. The first one I noticed was exceptional kindness.
From the first day we arrived almost two years ago, we’ve been treated with nothing but. Maybe it’s the Bluebell Ice Cream, but people here are unusually sweet and friendly.
We bought a double oven from Buddy’s Appliances for our event center. Three months later, I discovered some weird black plastic particles in the bottom oven. The owner came out himself and inspected it and showed me that something plastic had melted, but the oven finish was fine. He never charged me. There is a sense of honor, hard work, and dedication to excellence in this company that seems typical of the way this county wishes to be known.
Another time, I helped Debbie who owns the Lavender Farm with something minor. The next week, she brought over two dozen homemade Lavender cookies to thank us.
In fact, the first person I met here was Dale Ramey, the owner of the Bluebonnet House and president of the Chappell Hill Garden Club. Within five minutes of conversation, we figured out we shared connections with mutual dear friends. Dale and her assistant Bennie Yates have become our friends and helped Sybren and me to feel welcome in this community.
So, sweetness must be the number one unwritten law of Washington County. No doubt, Bluebell plays its part.
Speaking of which, the Bluebell flower for which the ice cream is named is blooming in my garden right now. It looks like a purple rose. There are the wild varieties that you see in fields and then there is the tame variety called Eustoma that you can buy at Plants N Things. Thelma who manages that store is delightful, and I appreciate her frankness.
That’s another unwritten law of Washington County, and it’s Old School. Be frank, honest and honorable in everything you do. People are full of opinions and people will believe what they believe, but in Washington County, you better do what you say you are going to do, and you better be able to back up what you think. But don’t be afraid to say what you think. People here are interested in hearing what others have to say. Most folks here, any ways. There are always exceptions.
Here are a couple more unwritten laws. People show up on time. If an event starts at 5:00 p.m., be ready at 4:30 p.m. because someone will be early. That is the opposite of Houston. Everyone in Houston is late. It’s just a question of how late.
Finally, some may disagree with this, but I think I’m on to something. Have you noticed when you get coffee at a private event that it’s served with sugar cubes?
Old School values are the unwritten laws that make our community rock: honor, loyalty, hard work, moderation, charity, thrift, and humility.
What are the opposites of Old School? Think about this: The opposite of honor is corruption. The opposite of loyalty is betrayal. The opposite of hard work is entitlement. The opposite of moderation is excess. The opposite of charity (voluntary generosity) is mandatory redistribution of wealth aka Marxism. The opposite of thrift is spending. And the opposite of humility is arrogance.
So where do we learn all these Old School values? The Bible is a good place to start.
Here are five parting Old School thoughts. These come from Bill O’Reilly and Bruce Fierstein’s book, Old School: Life in the Sane Lane.
1.You're Old School if you root for the underdog.
2. You’re Old School if you still bend over to pick up a penny.
3. You’re Old school if you stand up for the national anthem.
4. You’re Old School if you meet someone who says he’s a “citizen of the world” and then ask him, “So, what embassy are you going to run to when you get into trouble?”
5. You’re Old School if you agree with the adage “Don’t go around thinking the world owes you a living. It owes you nothing. It was here first.”
Sybren and I are glad we live in an Old School country.
Email me your favorite thoughts on Old School, and I’ll compile them. Let’s see how creative we can be. Comments? Write to me by clicking on the Old School sign.
Published in the Brenham Banner Press on October 8, 2023
Copyrighted Kathryn van der Pol