A what? A Yupanoper?

OK. If you know what this is, you are fifty-two steps ahead of where I was a few hours ago …

Texas. Texas Linda. Texas Bell. Big Texas Fan. Loves all things Texas. Did I mention she was from Texas?

Well, she is also known as Grammy by her adoring grandchildren. And this week she is blessed with the company of not only her granddaughter Aliyah, but also her daughter Faith and  son-in-law Donnie.

It is a sad time for them all, as you well know if you read this blog regularly. Linda is still dealing with the aftermath of her shoulder surgery and cannot get around like she is used to doing. Or drive. And preparations for the service on Tuesday have taken their toll on the whole family.

Not the least of which is big sister Aliyah.

So in an effort to do something special today with Aliyah we decided to go for ice cream. At a fun ice cream place.  But somewhere between here and her house, the plans changed.

Toys R Us it is.

So out we went … Faith, Aliyah, Grammy and me … on our way to Toys R Us … the home of all things My Little Pet Shop.

Memories of my own daughters spending their respective birthday and holiday money on My Little Pet Shop items ran fondly through my mind as we drove down the road.  It is one of the things that I have saved of their childhood toys.

When suddenly I realized that it was probably cooler in the car than they were used to … with air conditioning on and set to hot-blooded northerners tastes.

“Is it too cool for you in here?” I asked.

“Well, we are more used to the weather down south …” Faith replied.

“And I love heat like we always had in Texas” said Linda.

So I cranked back the AC and went back to driving … wondering how folks can live with the heat and humidity that comes hand in hand with Southern Living.

As we got out of the car and walked toward the store, everyone noticed the black truck … not unlike Linda’s … and this one had … wait for it … “Bought In Texas” on its temporary license plate. Bought by a Texan, in Texas, from a Texas dealership … which Linda recognized.

After several My Little Pet Shop choices … and a nice stuffed German Shepherd … we all reached the checkout aisle.

And once more … Texas kicked in. “Hey I know what that stands for” said the young man behind the counter, smiling at the shirt that Linda was wearing … which had a flag … the original Confederate Flag of Texas.

For those of us uninitiated, when Texas seceded from the Union in 1861, the Texas Confederate Flag flew over Texas. The seven stars represented the seven States which had seceded at that point in time.

Under the picture on her shirt was the wording “You wouldn’t understand … It’s a Southern Thing” But he understood. And proceeded to start to talk all things Civil War … a topic near and dear to Linda.

The War of Northern Aggression … as they say.

And with very little prompting, she told the story of our friend Fred.

Fred was a dyed in the wool Southern Gentleman who recently passed away in his seventies after a long battle with heart disease.  In life, he got great joy out of the Civil War re-enactments he was involved in … always playing a Southern foot soldier.

Upon his death, his widow carried out his final wishes. She had Fred cremated. Then with his best friend dressed in his Confederate uniform, they went to his favorite re-enactment site, gathered his re-enacting friends around, said a few words, prayed a few prayers …

… and blew his ashes out of the end of a cannon … all over the field.

Yes. Really.

Back in the parking lot, we decided to go grab a bite to eat at a nice Mexican Restaurant in town. And went and ordered wonderful authentic non-Tex-Mex food which we all enjoyed.

Stories were told of days gone by in Texas … of make-up exchanged between Faith and her best friend Yvonne. (see the comment here)  Although a dark-skinned dark-haired beauty rarely wore the same make-up as a fair-skinned red-headed lass, the friends shared anyway.

Aliyah played with her new best friend … the stuffed German Shepherd .. now named Bolt.  Or was that Jolt? or Volt? No, Bolt … as in Nuts … and Bolts.

(Yes, I know, it’s after the star of the movie … Bolt … got it.)

Faith shared that although she loved Texas dearly, had she not moved up north, she would not have met her husband … or had the daughter who was patiently sitting beside her.

Okay … one point for the North.

In discussing other mutual friends and relatives, of one Linda said “Yes, he is a real Yupanoper.” Faith nodded in wholehearted agreement. “Yes he really is a Yupanoper, isn’t he?” she said.

A what?

And silly me, I had to ask. What on earth is a Yupanoper?

Linda explained. “A Yupanoper has four words in his vocabulary … Yup, Nope, Mebbe, and Dunno. Everything you will ever ask him will be answered with one of those four words. And nothing else.”

I was further informed that Yupanopers were more prevalent in Goat Ropers than in Kickers. Faith agreed with this evaluation.

Goat Ropers? Kickers? Why did I feel I had fallen down a rabbit-hole of Texas sized proportions?

Turns out Goat Ropers would be those folks who work hard for a living … often Scruffy Shrimpers who are known to be a smelly lot. And Kickers wear Boots and Stetson Hats and kick , um, residual animal excrement …. this is a G rated blog after all. But you can guess that Kicker is only the second half of the full name.

On hearing that it was Faith’s birthday in a few days, the staff came out in full Mexican regalia … and presented us with a Mexican type treat, gave us Mexican type hats, and sang a Mexican type birthday song.

Texas seceded from Mexico, too, you know.

I don’t think it had anything to do with the food … or the singing … or the hats.

Then just for good measure, as we pulled out of the restaurant, we pulled right behind a car with … you guessed it … Texas license plates.

Does this stuff only happen to me? Or am I just especially blessed?