SECTIONS
By Delilah McMasters
Mansfield Record
A cranky little Yankee showed up in our town, she was liberal and verbal and had never seen a live cow! The little Yankee wilted in our heat, was offended by our politics and confused by our traditions, yet she persisted.
She joined book clubs, Pickle Queens, the farmers markets, craft fairs, festivals and opened a shop. Our Yankee missed her winters, couldn’t find a packie or a bubbler, food was a challenge, and she was wicked confounded with why everyone kept asking, “How’s your mama?”
Her skin was delicate and her senses, too! Why were our summers so brutal and our words so harsh? The need for fresh seafood and cold ham sandwiches far outweighed her need for the “corn wraps” she mistakenly ordered with her fajitas with mild hot sauce at Mexican restaurants. Homecoming mums, Krispy Kreme and country music never compared to Halloween, Dunkin’ and 80’s rock. We shared our homes and holidays, but she waxed wistfully for 12-degree weather, family and snow.
Things started looking up when Tyler Seguin got traded to the Dallas Stars. Then Mansfield got a Dunkin’ Donuts. And lo and behold, she found the perfect cheesesteak sandwich within driving distance. She made soap for all of Mansfield to wash our Big Baby, Stud Muffin, our Fine China and even our Jesus Freaks.
But plain tuna sandwiches, Italian subs and the changing color of the leaves kept calling her name.
We should have taken it as a sign when our recent snow adventure arrived that things were happening in the universe to call our little Yankee home. Mercury went into retrograde and things lined up like well-placed Mexican dominos, and in less than a month a new job, two garage sales, house closing, moving van and good-by dinners and our little Cranky Yankee packed the last of her soaping supplies and headed back to her side of the world.
As she pulled out of Texas in the rain, I don’t think she realized how much of us she was taking with her as she raised her hand and said, “Bye, y’all!”
Delilah McMasters is a local resident and the mother of six. Reach her at BlessYourHeart76065@gmail.com
Mansfield, Texas, is a booming city, nestled between Fort Worth and Dallas, but with a personality all its own. The city’s 76,247 citizens enjoy an award-winning school district, vibrant economy, historic downtown, prize-winning park system and community focus spread across 37 square miles. The Mansfield Record is dedicated to reporting city and school news, community happenings, police and fire news, business, food and restaurants, parks and recreation, library, historical archives and special events. The city’s only online newspaper launched in September 2020 and will offer introductory advertising rates for the first three months at three different rates.
The Mansfield Record is the only local newspaper serving Mansfield, Texas. Established in 2020, the Mansfield Record is bringing the focus back where it should be.
