It Was A Christmas Miracle

It was a Christmas miracle . . . snow in Houston, Texas on Christmas Eve. At no time in Weather Service recorded history had it ever snowed at Christmas in Space City USA. Last night the planets were aligned, clouds filled the frigid air, and God said, "Tonight I think I'll drop some special confetti on southeast Texas for my Son's birthday." Coming out of church at dusk was like the final scenes from White Christmas with Bing Crosby. The double doors off the sanctuary swung open to reveal blowing waves of snow sticking to everything above the ground. Palm trees and pickup trucks were thick with the powdery stuff as children acted their age, adults acted like children, and the parking lot broke into a massive, good-humored snowball fight among families. The snow continued to fall throughout most of the evening as the we listened to George Strait's holiday album while eating a traditional Christmas dinner of homemade tamales and chili. Unfortunately by 9 o'clock the show had been reduced to a few tiny flakes in the lamp lights lining the street. Northerners who regularly experience knee-deep snow probably watched TV news accounts of our wild weather and scoffed at our enthusiasm and joy over a few inches. But there is no doubt in the mind of anyone who experienced this Christmas miracle that what we were given last night was a holiday gift from Heaven . . . nothing close to the original gift a couple of thousand years ago, but a spectacular surprise just the same.

The Other Reason For The Season

I finished my Christmas shopping several days ago, so yesterday's trip to the Mall was more a personal observation of holiday frenzy than anything else. Between stops at stand-alone stores, specialty strip centers, and on-line merchants I was able to find just about everything on my list. But, you can't get the full impact of the commercial side of the season without experiencing the energy of last-minute shoppers on a mission, children kicking and screaming while waiting in line to tell Santa how good they've been all year, and frantic retailers posting sale signs as the yuletide clock ticks down to zero. It was like navigating rush-hour on the 610 Loop at Westheimer as I wove through fast moving rows of bag ladened shoppers. There was stop-and-go traffic in front of Victoria's Secret, near collisions at Starbucks and the T-Mobile kiosk, and an occasional fender bender as folks tried to change lanes at center court. But, it was all taken in the spirit of the holiday with plenty of excuse mes, and oh, sorrys, and no insurance information had to be exchanged. As Muzak-like Christmas tunes by Bing Crosby, Karen Carpenter and Gene Autry played from the speakers above, AC-DC, George Strait and some unrecognizable Rap crap spilled out from the individual stores that I passed. It was a virtual cornucopia of audible holiday treats to delight any musical taste. For some, all fashion sense had been abandoned this day. At no other time of the year can you see a grown man wearing cut-offs and flip flops, a fuzzy red Santa cap reading "I Still Believe" and a t-shirt honoring the memory of Dale Earnhardt. The sights and sounds, the stress and the dress have all become synonymous with Christmastime, but for me it's certainly reassuring to know that there's the other reason for the season. www.baxwrtr.com

ARTICLE- Healing Soles For More Than 40-Years

HEALING SOLES FOR MORE THAN 40-YEARS If you didn’t already know that it was there, you’d probably just drive right on by without giving it a second thought. But, what goes on inside the little shop on Alma Street in Tomball continues to touch the soles of so many, as it has for more than 40-years. “One of the great things about owning a shop like this is that someone always comes in with a request for something that they can’t find anywhere else,” said Marlene McGill of JM Boot & Saddlery. “That’s always the challenge, and my husband, Jim, and I love accepting that challenge.” Though only in Tomball since 1999, Jim McGill can trace his leather working lineage back to the early 1900s. “My mother used to tell me how she and her brothers, Vernon and Harris, grew up 60-miles from town along the Missouri River in North Dakota. Being that far from town it was usually easier to fix a saddle than to go without.” That tradition is what has kept Jim working with leather for most of his life. Much of the McGills’ day-to-day business is repairing old, worn-out boots and saddles. But, it’s creating custom western footwear that is most fun for the couple. “We make all kinds of boots from calf skins and bull hides, all the way to ostrich, elk, alligator and even frog skin,” Jim said with a laugh. “Frog skin is not very durable, but it does make a pretty boot. We made some for Ronnie Milsap back in about 1985.” Performers Reba McIntire and Gladys Knight, and businessman Steward Morris of Stewart Title Company are just a few of the celebrities to slide on a pair of western boots made by Jim and Marlene McGill. “Roger Staubach, the former quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys, will be coming in early 2005 to be fitting for a pair of custom boots with an American flag on the front and a Texas flag on the back,” said Marlene. “He was quite excited and said that he would wear them with pride.” There is a world of difference between a custom boot and a mass produced chip-kicker. “Almost all the boots on the market today, for example Tony Lama, Justin and Nacona, are made by the same company in China,” Marlene said. “These products are just thrown together to make the sale and get the buyer out the door.” “People don’t understand why we can’t sell boots for $49.00 when they can buy a pair with cardboard insets and injection molded soles at Wal-Mart for that price,” she said. “Our boots are individually made for the person who will be wearing them. The bottom line is we’ve been in this for a long time, and we certainly know what we’re doing. We’re not the most expensive boot you can get, but we’re not cheap.” The price range for the JM brand of custom boots varies according to the hide and additional work such as decorative stitching, inlays, and logos. “We start at $595 for a domestic leather work boot made of calf skin, cow or bull hide,” said Jim. “Then you move up to a goat skin or Spanish calf at around $720. Next would be full quill ostrich at $1175, and then alligator runs anywhere from $1,600 to $3,000 or more depending on whether the customer wants full gator or gator only on the bottoms.” For most of their careers, Jim and Marlene have been a staff of two. But, recently a third member was added to their team. “A few months ago we were fortunate to have Ryan Salman join us,” said Marlene. “Ryan was taught boot repair by his grandfather, Sam Ricca who had a boot and shoe repair here in Tomball for many, many years. I have to say, he taught his grandson well.” Even with Ryan now on staff, production time for a personalized pair of boots can be lengthy. “Depending on the order and the time of year, it can take around 60-days to make a custom pair of boots,” Jim said. “But, after the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo each year, it’s usually an 8-month wait due to the large number of orders we take and getting the hides needed to produce them.” JM Boot & Saddlery used to make saddles once upon a time, but today they are content to just make repairs. “The market for saddles in Houston is deplorable,” Jim said. “You can by a low quality Mexican saddle at about $250, when a good American made work saddle should run anywhere from $2,000 to $3,600 and last a lifetime.” “A lot of people have moved out into this area, bought a couple of acres and gotten their child a horse,” Marlene said. “They will spend a lot of money on the horse and the training, but then forget that what their child rides on is important, too. When something goes wrong with a cheap saddle they will bring it into our shop in a box and we’ll put it back together as best we can.” And, what do the McGills plan to do next? “Just keep on cruisin’ along and maybe slowing down a bit,” said Jim. “I plan to keep on making a few pairs of boots and then retiring.” But, Jim has to laugh at the prospect of retirement based on old age given that his mother is now 96 and his dad is 92. Looks like the McGills are good stock, and as strong and comfortable as western boots made with pride one pair at a time. (copyright 2004 - Michael Baxter) www.baxwrtr.com