Land of Meat and Granite

Dear Mom,

I've often made the observation that I've apparently landed in a state that suits me. Texas suits me in every way. I love to eat and I love meat. These people "do" meat, they understand it and Texas barbeque is the world's best. My favorite meat market is Miiller's in Llano. I never thought you could get quality meat for such a great price but they've changed my mind. Yesterday I shopped there and got a lot of stuff; a 15 lb. box of bacon ($31.50), 10lbs. assorted pork chops ($1.49 lb), 5 lbs. Polska Keilbasa ($2.99 lb.) and 5, 1lb. packages of ground beef ($2.49 lb.). Not a bad haul for $77. We buy smart and save a lot of money by cooking. Besides, there aren't any restaurants where you can get good home cooking.

Don got right to work on the bacon. He likes to take 8 slices, that's how much we like for breakfast for 3 plus snacks, cut them in half and wrap them in wax paper, then pack them into gallon freezer bags and freeze. That way we had 22 packages of bacon for breakfasts or to season meals. He's a good influence on me. I also got many wife points for bringing home lots of meat. The great thing about going to a real meat market is that they'll package things any way you like. The one-pound packages of hamburger and the pork chops were ready to throw in the freezer. The sausage we put in a freezer bag, to be taken out as needed.

I love rocks. Llano county is located on the Llano Uplift, what has been called "a pimple of granite in a sea of limestone". There are quarries and granite works here and many buildings are faced in the local granite, one of the prettiest in the world. The granite around here is Texas Pearl, Texas Pink and Texas Red. There's also a variety of granite here found nowhere else in the world, it's called Llanite and it's breathtakingly beautiful. A friend of ours owns and operates Granite Time in Marble Falls. It's on 218 right next to the Health Food store on the way to Wally World. What a great place! He gave me the full tour and it was fascinating. He gives tours to schoolkids, Boy Scouts, church groups, etc. and he's very good at it. By the way, if you're interested, the granite vases are absolutely wonderful and the Llanite vase is spectacular. He also makes granite lamp bases that are priced according to size, a bit more than the vases. He ships the vases all over the world. My tongue was hanging out.

Meat. Rocks. Does it get any better than this?

I love you,

Lisa