Well friends/family, this will be my first trip home to Texas for any holiday since I married my amazing, handsome husband 5 years ago. Yes I know this is not Christmas yet but I’m learning in my older ages not to be so rigid that I miss an opportunity. You might be saying “opportunity, what opportunity is in a holiday” and I’d say an opportunity to NOT be closed minded and therefore making memories at times that I typically would not exercise because I would claim it to be sac religious because its “not yet the holidays” so I’m getting out of my ruts! Anyway, last year at this time when Thomas and I attended the AARC National Meeting in California they announced this years meeting to be in San Antonio, TX. Oh my, I have a chance to mix business with pleasure since Austin, TX is home and it is down the highway about 72 miles-lucky me. So Thomas and I booked Caitlynn’s flight using a free voucher on US Airways from Roanoke to Austin for the dates and we booked ourselves later (when there was a good sale on flights from Delta) to fly to San Antonio for the conference but extending our stay to include time with my family. As time prevails, Justin got scheduled for his first swim (Saturday the 5th and Sunday the 6th) meet in San Antonio during our stay. Caitlynn’s flight was to and from Austin so that she could visit Nicole and her family while we were in San Antonio for our meeting but now Nicole’s family will have to be in San Antonio for the swim meet by 9 AM. Caitlynn arrives at 11:20 AM-Austin, we arrive at 12:30 PM-San Antonio so we will figure the change out as it transpires….
We started packing and getting ready for our trip on Friday the 4th. I prepared Marcus’s family’s gifts and Nicole’s family’s gift and shipped them to myself at Nicole’s house because we will be celebrating Christmas at her house on the Friday the 11th while we are there. I have not seen the kids open their Christmas gifts since Justin was a baby so I am excited. Nicole is going to cook the traditional meal for all of us also. I shipped the boxes to be sure their arrival beat ours so we’d have gifts to share with everyone. The work day came to a close and we began completing tasks to prepare for our trip-Thomas doing Sleep EZ payroll, personal accounting and back ups for computer files (he said in case our house catches on fire while we’re gone-ok?). I packed for both of us (this works best for us), prepared the Rat Dogs food, etc., cleaned out the refrigerator, took out the trash and consulted with Caitlynn as she packed herself and talked to several friends on her cell. It got to be almost 1 AM and as I completed my expense report for Sleep EZ, I had to get the calculator off Thomas’s desk then returned to work from our dining room table. Thomas came up to me and asked “what did you think of the sack?” I was unsure what he was referring to so I kept trying to get him to give me more details. He finally told me “the sack sitting in his desk seat upstairs” but I was still clueless. He wanted me to go upstairs and look at it……I followed him to his office and in his desk chair sat a big black gift bag with red tissue paper draped over the edges of it. He looked at me and smiled to indicate ‘that is the sack’ he referred to. I walk over to it and began unpacking it to find a black/white Michael Jackson designed purse (the one Caitlynn had Diane at She’s International in Salem, VA hold for her until she returns Dec 15th) then below it was an awesome saggy bag purse tote that I spotted that same day Caitlynn and I were “window shopping” at She’s International. I loved it the minute I saw it, it was made in Morocco but even with the discounted price (discounted 75%) it was still out of my league. So I just marveled over it but put it back on the shelf as my lust for it must have been obvious to Diane the owner. She is a flight attendant the flies internationally and opened this store 4 years ago this coming January and stocks it with items she purchases on her travels so they are very unique, which I love!! Thomas had bought my gray pearl drop earrings from here last year so Diane must have contacted Thomas to tell him of my drooling over this bag and in Thomas fashion-here it sits before my eyes! He had also bought the Michael Jackson purse for Caitlynn and I told him to go ahead and give it to her since we were leaving to celebrate Christmas in Texas. He thought it would be funny if he put the bag on the front porch then ring the doorbell, after all it is almost 1 AM and Caitlynn is in her room talking to Lindsey Page on her cell. Naturally I grabbed my camera and waited for the excitement as I was first standing in the upstairs hallway right outside her bedroom. Thomas did just as he calculated and rand the doorbell several times, just enough to get the Rat Dogs on alert! I heard her tell Lindsey, “oh my gosh, who is ringing our doorbell this time of night!” I guess she then looked out her bedroom windows to see if she could see a visitor’s vehicle in our driveway-when she did not she commented to Lindsey, “who in the world is here?” Thomas opened the door and yelled up the stairs (as I crept down and positioned myself to take pictures when she came down) “Caitlynn there is a girl here to see you”. She kept saying “who is it, I don’t see any cars?” Thomas told her a couple of times he did not know but he pretended to ‘tell the girl to wait on the porch until she gets here’. Finally as she continually commented as she got off her cell and started coming downstairs, Thomas waited next to the front door. He said, “she’ll just stand outside until you come down here”. As she rounded the bottom steps she asked Thomas where I was and when she looked around the corner and saw me she said “why are ya’ll being so creepy-this is just weird”. She looked outside and did not see anyone and so she started to open the front door as she reminded us, “There better NOT be someone jumping out to scare me-this is creepy!” Caitlynn finally opened the door and saw the big black gift bag sitting there and she retrieved it to the living room where she took the tissue paper out and then saw the purse she had asked Diane to hold for her so she could purchase it after her return from Texas-she was so happy! She thanked Thomas then hugged us as she returned back to her room for a couple of hours before we are to depart; she was sure to move her things over to the new purse so she could take it on her trip to Texas though.
I washed my face and completed our packing. The Rat Dogs always know when we are getting ready for a trip and pull out the luggage so they mope around in sadness as I gather things but they are always ready for bed when we are! Thomas and I called it DONE at 1:40 AM and I set the alarm for 3:30 AM (nice cat nap)….
The alarm disrupted my fragmented sleep as I can’t ever sleep well if I have a flight because I go over in my mind everything to pack and things needed so my mind just won’t go off. It was raining and they are predicting 2-3 inches of snow here today. I woke Thomas and Caitlynn 15 minutes before we needed to walk out the door at 4:15 AM so we would have time to stop at the ATM also. I got Caitlynn checked in at the ticket counter as Thomas parked the car then she headed off thru security. Thomas came inside and we got our tickets then we went thru security and sat with her at her gate until she departed. As we made our way to our gate for a 30-40 minute wait we ran into Robyn Goodpasture (owner of StudioFit 365) and her husband Richard, all 3 kids and her mother-in-law as they are going to Disney for a week. We visited with them and chatted as we all made our way thru the Atlanta airport and said our good-byes as Thomas and I were in search of some place to eat breakfast and kill the next 3 hours of our layover. Chili’s Too served us breakfast and I played with my cell as I answered emails then started reading my new book that Thomas got for me earlier this week by Sarah Palin “Going Rogue” and he played with his new 10” inch netbook (mini laptop) before we made our connection here then we were in flight to San Antonio. Caitlynn had made her layover and connection in a timely fashion en route to Austin as scheduled-she sent me texts to update me. Upon our arrival to San Antonio, I gathered the luggage while Thomas went to the Hertz counter and retrieved our reservation. He asked the gentleman if they had gotten snow and he responded “I counted 13 flakes”. We left and drove to the Convention Center to register for our conference and attend the exhibits. The weather is cool at 45 degrees and windy but no rain here. Nicole and her family were picking Caitlynn up at the airport in Austin since Justin had just finished his first swim meet in San Antonio-doing well and will continue tomorrow here in San Antonio.
The Henry B. Gonzales Convention Center sits on the Riverwalk (the Paseo del Rio) which we will see in more detail later; this is Thomas’s first time in San Antonio ever! San Antonio, deep in the heart of Texas is the 7th largest city in the U.S. The cultures and milestones of San Antonio’s history converge like tributaries of a great and colorful river, always flowing and vibrant with life. Indian roots and foundation of the Missions. European immigration, Spanish and Mexican heritage create the rustic reach of frontier days, the city-slick style of cattle baron boom time. A festive spirit of scents and sounds surrounds La Villita Historic Arts Village that welcomes you downtown along with the thick stone walls of the unforgettable Alamo. I brought Jason with me and Caitlynn one time when visiting home but Thomas was working and not able to come with us. Jason loves roller coasters so we went to Sea World and Fiesta Texas just to ride coasters while I had him here-we had a good time!
Thomas and I went through the exhibit halls to see products, etc. that this conference is known for-it is actually overwhelming at the volume. One of the booths had massage chairs that you sit in and place these ‘glasses’ on with ear pieces and a video that shows while you look through them. We like to stop at the various booths to see new products, ask questions, and gather samples if needed. We also made our way to the Roche pharmaceutical booth to register for the 5K run/fun walk that I will do in the morning at 6:30 AM, Thomas has decided he would do the fun walk while I run (after I coaxed him along with the lady at the booth). He first suggested that since he walked at the Drumstick Dash week before last he wouldn’t need to do another walk but we encouraged him to step outside his normal routine for the good of our bodies-especially at our age. I always say that at my age when I show up for a race and finish; in my mind I’ve won. I’ll keep running until the good Lord decides I’m done!
Talked to Nicole and Caitlynn as they were going to take a nap since both of them were up so early today, Thomas and I were listening to Karen (the GPS) direct us to check into our condo which is near New Braunfels, TX. but is actually located right in Gruene, TX. We had originally booked our stay here because Marcus and Michelle were living in New Braunfels, Nicole in Pflugerville and our conference would be in San Antonio so it would allow us to be in the middle of all that we would be driving to and from for the week. But since then Marcus’s family moved from their house closer to Austin so we are further than we need to be to see the family but good for the conference so it’ll work for us. We had not had lunch and its late afternoon now so we were in search of something with Texas style for my husband. Ahhh yes, “Chuy’s”-an Austin area tradition www.chuys.com so Thomas and I bellied up to the bar area because the NCAA Football playoffs are in full force and we needed to sit where we could see a TV as Florida #1 and Alabama #2 are playing as we speak. We ate Mexican food and I drank Sangria (the best I’ve ever tasted!) and had sopapillas for our dessert. You can stand by the kitchen area and watch them make these along with tortillas by hand-ummm the taste of fresh tortillas! We left at the halftime during the game and went to check in at the condo: WorldMark by Wyndham located at 1546 Gruene Rd., Gruene, TX. www.worldmarktheclub.com As usual we were very pleased with our accommodations and resumed watching the football game with Alabama upsetting Florida and winning. Next is U.T. #3 vs. Nebraska #22 playing in the new Dallas Cowboys stadium with an attendance of 76,200 people-Texans LOVE football! Thomas and I only went to 1 V.T. (VA Tech) game this season and it was against Nebraska. It was as exciting as V.T. won in the last 3 seconds of the game so this will be a good game to watch Nebraska again. This year Heisman nominees consist of both Colt McCoy-the U.T. quarterback and Tim Tebow-the Florida quarterback, just like last year so this year it will be exciting again. During the first half of the Texas game Thomas ran to the store to gather basic essentials we will need here at the condo for the week, he made a pit stop at “Rudy’s” www.rudys.com for Texas barbeque and brought it back to eat as we watched the game. I couldn’t eat because I still felt full from our late lunch and I was watching the game. The Longhorns won within the last 3 minutes of the game, I thought I would be sick before it was over! It was won by a field goal kick in the last second of the game-holy cow!! After taking a deep breath and relaxing its time for bed so I can be rested for the run in the morning. Talked to Nicole and Caitlynn earlier as she’s staying the night with them-they were going to bed earlier…..good night my family.
Up and at ‘em by 6:20 AM as we drove into San Antonio on a cold, drizzly day with 41 degree weather-expected high of 53 for the day. Not much traffic to contend with since it is Sunday, December 06, 2009. The Roche pharmaceutical 5K Run/Fun Walk is this morning at 7 AM with the start being at the convention center intersection of Market St. and Alamo St. During the run it was cool to see several groups from the army and marines running (they are all respiratory therapist), they sang as they ran. After the race Thomas and I drove to the facility address that Nicole had given us where Justin’s swim team would compete again today. It was actually only 2 ½ miles from the convention center and when we arrived I called Nicole. She and the girls were driving from Pflugerville and had left later than Juan and Justin so they were still about 45 minutes away but she thought the boys should already be here. We went in and saved enough space on the bleachers for most of us but no sign of the Palacios boys yet; there were a lot of people! Thomas and I were among tons of swimming kids and their parents but knew no one, shortly after we scoped out the place I noticed at the opposite end of the warm-up pool Juan and Justin coming around. Of course I ran up to them and hugged Justin first then Juan. Justin had to find his coach/team so he could start his warm-up laps. Thomas and I watched all around us, this place has 3 pools with lanes and the middle one being used for competition when it begins at 9 AM. The girls arrived about 8:40 AM and I immediately hugged Allison as she went to sit by Uncle Thomas then hugged Nicole and took the baby-Miss Lauren with me to sit here with Thomas and Caitlynn since Nicole needed to sit down by the team. Justin was in 2 different events today (breast stroke and butterfly) with 1 being this AM then the last would be closer to lunchtime after the other heats. As we waited we played with the girls and Justin would come down to “update us on the stats and times” periodically. As Miss Lauren got bored Caitlynn and I would walk around with her to see all the sights. She loved looking at the Christmas tree in the entrance. Towards the end before Justin’s finally heat she was restless so Nicole put “Yo Gabba Gabba” on her IPhone for her to watch-she is always mesmerized with that show. It’s creepy as it seems to have a very calming affect on her.
Justin was lining up for his heat when I positioned myself for some great photo ops when I realized that the referee was moving him to a different lane then back, no now to another one. Coach Flow was with Justin but I knew that he would be frazzled by this since he likes plans to go as planned-we waited in anticipation. As the start began I took multiple pictures as I did all day so far and a lady next to me started talking about her son who was also swimming right now. He is actually 2 years older than Justin and she told me the story of him doing this event (butterfly) to compete when he first started 2 years ago and she specifically asked the coach not to put him back competing with this particular stroke because of its difficulty since she didn’t want her son to be discouraged by it and not compete; until he could develop into a stronger more confident swimmer…..blah, blah, blah as she talks I see Justin dropping back as he swims then the motion of the ‘line referee’ that he was disqualified at the wall where he turns and my heart sank! He kept swimming but I knew why this lady chose for her son not to compete for a couple of years for this stroke, its difficult and tiring. At the completion of the event we all made our way to Nicole’s sitting area as Justin was coming with Juan. As he got close to his mom I could see he was upset and as he leaned toward Nicole to tell her what happened (disqualified for not touching the turn with both hands) he was teary eyed with disappointment. I thought it was best to tell him how well he had done for his first meet, hug him then let him talk to his parents as we took the girls with us to head to our vehicles. As Nicole came walking outside Thomas and I had opened the back of her Explorer and let Lauren play around as we played hide and seek with her laughing the whole time. I told Nicole the story that the lady had shared with me in hopes that they would later request Justin not compete in the breast stroke for the next few events to let him get stronger-this is his first time to compete and he’s only been swimming a few months as an organized sport. Justin came walking out with his dad and walked straight to Juan’s Mustang and got in. Thomas and I took Allison with us in her booster seat while Nicole drove Caitlynn, Lauren in her car seat. She has a new car seat that faces the front now-she’s getting to be a big girl. Justin was in no mood to talk and he was disappointed but I think he did very well. His personality is an achiever and he has that passion to win. As Vince Lombardi said-Winning isn’t everything, but wanting to win is. Justin needs a little time with his dad and he will be fine.
They followed us to the condo, (we decided that “us girls” would all go get lunch for the crew and bring it back to eat at the condo together) while we drove Allison entertained us with her conversation of many things. We asked her what she’s like to eat and as usual she responded, “chicken, but I still don’t have feathers yet!” She says this because she eats chicken everywhere they go when eating out so Justin tells her she is going to turn into a chicken-everytime! Then the song from the Black-Eyed Peas was on the radio so she sang “Boom, Boom, Pow…..” as Thomas and I looked at each other she laughed and covered her mouth as she winked at Uncle Thomas. She asked about where we were staying and I described it to her, the stairs that go upstairs and all. She responded “did you know I don’t really like steps because one time I came down them and fell”. I assured her we’d keep a watchful eye on her so she didn’t get hurt while visiting there with us. Allison wanted to know if we were there yet, I told her “about 15 minutes”. She said, “my dad gets tired when he gets home, swimming makes him tired” and we chuckled at her comment. She added “one time after swim lessons I tried shrimp but Justin would not try one bite, I liked it” then Uncle Thomas and I had to agree because we both like shrimp too. As we continued our drive from San Antonio to Gruene she tells us that she and Justin always ask their mom “are we there yet so my mom says about an hour and its really only 50 seconds”. Kid’s concept of time cracks me up! Then I asked her about her alphabet and had her tell me what several words started with, she said her class is learning about the letter “C”. “Like Cathy Cole” she reports to us. I told Thomas that her teacher calls her “Ally” at school and Thomas commented “Alley Cat”, Allison replied “yeah my mom calls me that.” Thomas and I looked at each other and smiled as we have heard stories from her mom about her Alley Cat moods at times. I told Thomas that Allison is left-handed like him and so I had her show me which hand she writes with; Allison told us “Kristen my Sista Girl does too but Ashley has red hair and doesn’t write with this hand” as she holds up her left hand for us to see…..
The kids came running in the condo and were excited about its size and the arrangement of the rooms upstairs. Allison decided to stay with the guys so Nicole drove the rest of us ladies to Ruby’s (we ALL agreed on Rudy’s even though Thomas had it last night-he was ready for it again) to pickup a family size serving of their variety of meats and sides (our favorite side is their corn, it’s a creamed style and is delectable!). Caitlynn sat in the vehicle with Miss Lauren as we retrieved the goods. I had to get a Big Red to drink since we do not have them in VA (I got a 20 ounce only though). Upon our return, Thomas had been playing with Allison as he taught her to hold his hands, walk up his body then when she got high enough he’d flip her over-she loves this! We organized the food, blessed it and partook of it together as we watched the pre-game for the Dallas Cowboys. Juan and Thomas are both huge fans (for life) and were ramping up for the game. After we ate Caitlynn and I walked down to the Recreation Room to take Justin to play pool, Allison to play video games, and Lauren to admire all the sites (or things she could get into-haha). After a bit Nicole joined us so she, Allison and I went into the lobby and fixed ourselves some hot tea and had our own version of a tea party. Justin met a young man his age that was there with his grandmother and smaller brother so they played a couple of pool games together and enjoyed themselves. I showed the girls the outside hot tub and heated pool but its too cold for the kids this time, maybe next time. We returned to the condo and finished watching the football game with the guys. Nicole and I laughed because every time Lauren would be brought down from the stairs she’d immediately walk over to Thomas and hold her hands out so he’d pick her up then she’d put her head on his shoulder and just stay there for a bit as he rubbed her back-then down again she’d go. Thomas loves cuddly little girls and how can you resist those cute cheeks? The game came to an end and it was around 6:40 PM so the Palacios loaded their kids and my daughter and drove to Pflugerville for school and work tomorrow. Caitlynn and Nicole had been talking about KK coming and visiting, every day on their cell phones for weeks so she went with them so Thomas and I could go to class to next 2 days in San Antonio. After they left Thomas and I made a trip in the dark to the hot tub and relaxed a bit. The day has been cloudy and drizzly but it is coming to a close. We went back to our room to catch the Heisman nominee presentation then off to bed with my new book by Sarah Palin “Going Rogue”-it’s very good (thank you husband for getting it for me).
And if tonight my soul may find her peace in sleep, and sink in good oblivion,and in the morning wake like a new-opened flower then I have been dipped again in God, and new-created.~D.H. Lawrence
Monday, December 07, 2009-Class, class, classes. After Thomas and I had gone our separate ways for different topics-he did homecare and I did sleep, we made our way to have a beverage at the Wyndham that is attached to the convention center when we were finished. We watched highlights for Monday night football for tonight’s game then decided since the weather was still gloomy to back to Gruene for dinner then we’d be settled in for some football and a nice quiet evening. Thomas had walked a little on the Riverwalk in between a couple of his classes but since the weather was still wet and cool, we’d give it another day or two to clear before walking on the Riverwalk together for a stroll. As we drove back to Gruene I suggested to Thomas the Gristmill Restaurant www.gristmillrestaurant.com since they have good steaks and awesome chicken-fried steak (which I preferred) and he had not eaten there before. Since it was dark when we arrived, the town was brilliant with Christmas lights decorating their old-fashioned town. Historic Gruene’s town motto is “gently resisting change since 1872”. The story is that German farmers were the first settlers arriving in Texas in the mid-1840’s with one being named Ernest Gruene and his bride Antoinette that established the new city New Braunfels but acreage was scarce. Ernest and his 2 sons purchased land just down the river, and Ernest built the first home in Gruene in early fachwerk style. His 2nd son built his home and planted his surrounding land with cotton. Having become the number one cash crop, the cotton business soon brought 20-30 families. The rest is history as they say.
We walked past Gruene Hall (oldest dance hall in Texas and it still functions as a dance hall too) and then down the pavers to our restaurant of choice. The restaurant is beneath the water tower in historic Gruene district. Situated on the banks of the Guadalupe River in New Braunfels (between Austin and San Antonio), the Gruene cotton gin processed crops raised by area farmers until the wooden structure burned to the ground in 1922. All that remains of the water-powered mill today is the three story brick boiler room – now the Gristmill River Restaurant & Bar. As suspected we ordered just that, Thomas a steak and I ordered their awesome chicken-fried steak. Our meal was good, scenery great as the restaurant was quiet but a roaring fire was inviting as we ate with soft Christmas music playing amongst us. We even had dessert-Thomas said it was the best pecan pie he’d ever eaten (Jack Daniels whiskey was an ingredient), I’m thinking it was the Blue Bell vanilla ice cream that topped it!
We drove back to the condo to call it a night and I talked to Nicole and Caitlynn as they were planning our Christmas meal for Friday and preparing their list of groceries we would need. The kids were enjoying KK being with them.
So here we are in bed after our fulfilling meal at the Gristmill, watching Monday night football. During a commercial Thomas pulled up yahoo news on his wireless netbook and informs me that Danica Patrick will be driving in Nascar next year. She has been driving Formula 1 series for the last few years now-that should be exciting! As I have a very full belly, I'm warm and comfortable, lying next to the best man in the world (whom I happen to share my life with since he is my soulmate), and at peace-fell right to sleep before the 1st quarter was completed. I was out for the count. Ready for more classes tomorrow; Good Night Texas.
Tuesday, December 08, 2009-today looks like yesterdays weather, drizzly and 51 degrees-high expect 57 degrees when we woke bright and early to travel since our classes start at 8:30 AM. As we drove into San Antonio there was the usual I-35 traffic, backed up so Thomas saw a sign for Shipley’s Donuts (he LOVES donuts) www.shipleydonuts.ws and he exited off. I looked up just as he started to make the exit and saw the sign myself and I knew exactly what was going through his mind!
Welcome to Shipley Do-Nuts: For over 73 years, we have been providing people with delicious do-nuts and pastries. And we continue that tradition today with over 220 locations throughout Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and New Mexico. We are always serving up fresh do-nuts, warm kolaches, freshly brewed coffee, ice cold milk and many other delicious breakfast favorites. Come visit your local Shipley Do-Nuts and Make Life Delicious™
He ordered 2 kolaches and an apple fritter that he delighted in eating, we shared the kolaches as he merged back onto I-35 and we resumed our route….
Our classes were finishing up today but I had a complete full day-he would finish before me today but we were meeting up for our lunch break. Our lunch break began at 11:10 AM so that gave us a good amount of time to walk along the Riverwalk as the rain/mist was minimal; Thomas and I headed left at river level for a stroll. We walked until there was construction on one side then went up and over a walking path that out us on the other side as we weighed our options for lunch. I still feel full from last night's meal! After evaluating our options we chose Rio Rio (one of Nicole’s favorite restaurants. I brought the Booth’s here to eat last Sept when Matt graduated from Air Force Academy also) www.rioriocantina.com as the prices looked more reasonable for lunch and the environment was festive and offered good Tex-Mex food as it sits on the Riverwalk. We always enjoy our meals together, it just slows time it seems to me.
I had been texting Marcus to see if we could meet for dinner afterwards somewhere in between them and us. He picked out San Marcos and was picking the girls up from school, taking them home to change them and we’d meet around 5:30 PM. Thomas finished before me by several hours so he drove around San Antonio to do a little sight seeing then picked me up as my classes ended.
Thomas and I drove to meet Marcus, Mihailey, and Mallorey at Jason’s Deli in San Marcos for dinner and to give them their Christmas presents from us and spend some time with them. I haven’t seen the Miller girls (or their parents) since January 2009 so I am excited. I love to see the little people that they become and grow into each time I get to visit them. Michelle got a migraine this afternoon so she will not be joining us, maybe we can catch her later this week before we go home. The girls came in with Marcus and of course I immediately ran to them and hugged them both then their dad. Marcus never changes but it’s always good to see him-he’s such a good dad. Mihailey and Mallorey are only half a head difference in height but they’ve both gotten tall, still cute as buttons! Mallorey reminded me she is in PreK now (she goes to Primrose School where Mihailey used to go) and Mihailey is in 1st grade. Mihailey made note to me that they typically learn cursive writing in 2nd grade but she’s already doing it. I asked her if she liked printing or cursive better and she replied “printing for now.” Mallorey’s favorite food when I asked her is strawberries and Mihailey agrees those are her favorite too! Mallorey has really developed quite a personality, she talks much more-and freely; I love it! She said her favorite class at school is art, Mihailey agreed that she likes it too. The 5 of us ate as we talked and got caught up with each other. It was neat to me that Mihailey recalls the trip when I took the 2 of them with Justin and Allison to Wildlife Ranch and Landa Park to paddle boat with them all-by myself. We had a great time, including riding a train thru the park not once but twice in one day and we ate ice cream twice in one day-good times! As we talked and ate, Mallorey just sat right next to Thomas (with me on the end of the table) and gave him a hug and kiss. He grinned as he didn’t even have to ask or negotiate for either! Mallorey displayed her counting skills for us as she counted very well until she got to 50. Mihailey practiced singing Feliz Navidad as she is taking Spanish classes after school. She wasn’t shy a bit as she belted out the tune, she and her sister wanted to sing a Christmas song before they opened their presents for us-so we all did. After Feliz Navidad, Mallorey chose Jingle Bells and we sang along. Mihailey was curious where Caitlynn was and I told her at Nicole’s so I had them pose and took a picture with my phone and text it to Nicole to share with Caitlynn and the kids. We opted to sample the ice cream for dessert at Jason’s Deli so we all went to the salad bar/ice cream area and indulged. Some of us topped our cones with chocolate syrup-that would definitely mean me! The girls opened their gifts when we all finished our desserts and the girls giggled because Thomas picked out the gift bags to put the gifts in-Mihailey got the large bag with Barbie on it and Mallorey got the small bag with Tweety. Mihailey has always loved Tweety Bird so we explained to them it was only because of their gift sizes that it actually ended up that way, they really didn’t care. The girls danced, told us stories and then Thomas joined in as the girls were teaching him a little hand holding, tangling, and dancing-they giggled as he did it with them as they stood next to our table. Mihailey showed us her doubled jointed pointer fingers and Mallorey practiced writing her name for us as she is left-handed it seems. She says she writes her name well “when she does it 3 times” so we watched as she did it 5 times and chuckled. I asked the girls how their 2 dogs are (Desi and Sadie-Desi’s a Rat Terrior) and they told me “fine”, Marcus replied “getting old”. I laughed as Caitlynn and I have always thought they had the best behaved dogs as they have never slept on the beds or gotten on the furniture but instead have their dog beds on the bedroom floor in Marcus and Michelle’s room, even go to bed and stay when Marcus tells them to-who’s dogs do that? Marcus said now that Sadie has gotten to snore so bad they have her sleep in the closet with the door shut, Mihailey smiled as she reported to us “I open the door in the mornings to let her out.” Thomas was amazed; we told them that our Gizmo would have the door torn apart by morning if we tried that! Mihailey has a miniature rabbit now that she got for her birthday this year and its crate is next to Marcus’s desk so when it ‘rearranges the cedar shavings, it decorates his desk’ he told us; we all laughed. Marcus said that Mihailey gave up cheer camp to do dance which she will have a camp this coming weekend in Austin.
After the time slipped away quickly, it was almost 7 PM before we knew it and it was time for them to head home so the girls could be in bed at their bedtime of 8 PM. It’s sad to say goodbye and it never seems that I get to spend much time with them but its time now. We took pictures and escorted them to their car and I helped each of them into their seats, hugged and kissed each then said our farewells as I told them that I would check with their dad to see what their schedules are for later this week-hopefully we will be able to see them again before we leave for VA.
Thomas and I were amazed at how much the sky had cleared since we arrived here in San Marcos and it continues to be clear enough to see the stars, off to the condo. We arrived and immediately changed and walked to the hot tub. There was 1 older lady in the heated pool that we spoke to a little then she was joined by her son shortly. When he got into the hot tub he and Thomas began talking about travel, accommodations, etc. His mom then joined us and we all talked until it came to talking about what we do for a living and ironically the lady wears a CPAP so the conversation shifted to that subject. She had 3 children (1 was this son with her) and lost 1 in a car wreck with a drunk driver after being in a coma for 8 months, back in the 90’s. I shared with her that I too had lost a child and she agrees that no matter how long the time has been (14 yrs in Aug this year for me) it still seems as if it were just yesterday. She has also buried 3 husbands and is married to #4 who is on a CPAP also-funny the people you meet in life. They left after a bit and Thomas and I were behind them shortly as we were going back to our place and settled in for the night. After all my journeys in life, I still have mountains to climb at this point in my life. Before I take another step down that path of life or make mistakes, I ask that God allow me to live as if love is all that matters. I want to fill that space in your heart Thomas with every kiss and warm embrace, all the days of our life’s journeys. Sweet Dreams to all.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009-woke to a clear sunny morning with the wind 14 MPH and the looks from inside is deceiving as you step outside to the 39 degrees! The high is expected to be 48 degrees for the day. Happy Birthday Juan Palacios and Deborah James. Thomas and I actually had no immediate agenda this morning so I let him do what he loves the most while on vacation-sleep in until he wakes. It is rarely past 9 AM usually but I think its just the thought of not ‘having to get up at a specific time’. I fixed us breakfast as I played music on my laptop Itunes as we enjoyed a low key morning. I packed our things for the nights stay in Pflugerville at Nicole’s and straightened the condo since we are trading places with Nicole and Juan tonight as they will come and stay here for the night to celebrate Juan’s birthday-quietly and alone!
Thomas and I drove into Gruene, TX (2-3 blocks from our condo) to the Gruene Winery. We had seen signs pointing to the ‘New Gruene Winery-Now Open’ when we came to eat Monday night so our wheels had been turning and we were curious. We knew we’d have a little bit of time today before we needed to be in Pflugerville to get Nicole on the road to our condo so she could meet Juan. So as you all know, Thomas and I love our wine and the times we can visit wineries is a luxury for us. I tease our kids and tell them that our goal in life is to spend their inheritance on stocking our wine cellar! As we parked the car and got out I looked around with great Texas pride when I gazed upon several birdhouses on the porch of the winery that were made out of old cowboy boots.
The Winery on The Gruene is located at 1308 Gruene Rd., Gruene, TX. www.gruenewinery.com Their motto is: The best wine I ever had, I made myself. They have fruit infused wines because they do not grow any of their own grapes. The juices are shipped from Canada mostly (Thomas was proud as the gentleman told us this) and from all over different parts of the country. They get the grape juice and bottle here and label. They do not provide tours because our host informed us “there really is nothing to see other than a bunch of plastic bottles and labels being put on”. We moved to the tasting area and sat on bar stools and began talking to our host as he turned on his computer and pulled Pandora (online free internet music) up to play Christmas music for our enjoyment. I pointed out to Thomas that the tasting fee was only $1.25 for 4 wines and $5.00 if you wanted to keep the glass, we have plenty of glasses so we will pass on that. (we actually have more wine glasses than we do any other type of glasses so Caitlynn’s friends drink sweet tea or juice in wine glasses when they visit us) Thomas and I got to know our host as we chose our samplings. Thomas chose his 4 to be: Texas Dark Rose (good fruit, smooth, robust finish), Pinot Noir (extra smooth), Rosa Grande (great fruit), and Harbor Red (awesome). My choices were: Gruene Watermelon (I rated it a 4 out of 5-nice summer wine with hint of watermelon on its finish), Harbor White (lovely smell of chocolate, pecan, amaretto. Warm flavor but its smell is better then its taste), Cool Breeze (typical ice wine-good with balanced flavor), and White Tail (slightly dry, crisp clear and clean-rated 4 out of 5). A “batch” is what they refer to as a case, it’s average cost is $199-289.00. Our host is retired military and ship yard since 1996, works part-time here and enjoys it. We discussed the wine laws and the difficulty shipping in/out of Texas. I told him that Lubbock is now “wet” as of about 2 months ago. He was familiar with that area of the high plains. Lubbock had always been “dry” and people had to drive to The Strip to purchased alcohol or beer of any kind. The Strip was an area located outside the city limits and it was lit up like Vegas with multiple stores to choose from for your purchases. They tried passing a law to legalize alcohol/beer in Lubbock for as long as I can remember and it just passed here recently.
Our host began pouring our samples that were 1/3-1/2 glass in size-EACH. So after our samplings we were thinking that if you’re on a limited budget and wanting a little wine tasting-this is your place! When he poured Thomas’s red wines he used an aerator-wine decanter called “Soiree” that fits in the mouth of the bottle. www.winesoiree.com It has a glass chamber that allows wine to achieve its fullest taste, bouquet by adding the essential ingredient that every wine needs-oxygen. Giving every glass a breath of air!
Speaking of air-we were ready for some as we are now going to find a winery that Karen Richter had given me a bottle of wonderful wine, way back in the day (maybe 8 years ago?) from the winery named Sister Creek. We put the name in the GPS but it couldn’t find it so I googled it on my cell phone and it found it and gave me the address, which I used it for the GPS to map our route. The google search said that Sisterdale, TX (the town that the winery resides in) has a population of 25-25 whole people, is that a town? Thomas and I drove thru the Texas Hill Country looking for the winery established in 1988 and is home of Sister Creek Vineyards in a cotton gin that originated in 1885. The story goes like this: Sisterdale-A vineyard in its past.
Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels came to Texas in 1845 and founded the town of New Braunfels. Two years later, Nicolaus Zink started the Sisterdale settlement in the valley where the East and West Sister Vreeks flow into the Guadalupe River. The Sisterdale settlement, the second oldest town in the Texas Hill Country, attracted a group of German “free thinkers”, also known as the Latin Colonies who studied Latin and shunned organized religion. These immigrants very judiciously cut cypress trees from the Sister Creeks and used the wood for home construction, furniture and cabinet making. The Latin Colonies, which included nobility in their ranks, lasted only a few years. Thinking they would be able to farm part of the day and spend part of the day studying poetry, literature, and music, they quickly realized they knew nothing about farming and that survival would consume most of their time. After the initial settlement, Sisterdale enjoyed continued growth over the next few years with the influx of Germans fleeing the failed European revolution in 1848. In 1850, Ernst Kapp and Dr. Rudolph Wipprecht, also immigrating for political reasons, established the Hydropathic Instuition in Sisterdale which promoted cures with mineral waters. The Comfort Museum displays Hermann Lunkwitz’s lithograph illustrating water cure processes. Kapp became the first professor of languages at Texas A&M. Recently, a professor from the University of Chicago doing research on ancestors from the area, discovered a historical publication indicating that vineyards were planted in Sisterdale in the 1860’s. In addition, his research indicated that the small limestone building adjacent to the current winery was probably the site for the first permanent home, after the initial log cabin, in the Sisterdale area; the Zink home. The 1885 cotton gin which houses the Sister Creek winery was in operation until 1927. At that time the boll-weevil infested the cotton fields in the Sisterdale Valley. Inability to eradicate this infestation eventually forced the closing of the cotton gin. Sisterdale Valley Historic District has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1975.
So we have arrived at 1142 Sisterdale Rd., Sisterdale, TX, 78006, 830-324-6704 www.sistercreekvineyards.com They are known for producing an extraordinary, slightly carbonated Muscat Canelli (the one I sampled years earlier and LOVED-that’s why we ARE here, need I remind you?). For over 20 years they have been employing Bordeaux and Burgundy wine making techniques to produce fine traditional wines in addition to the Muscat Canelli. The winery was very cool as it is a very nostalgic setting with original wood floors and currently decorated for Christmas. I had no idea they would have such a wide selection of wines when we arrived. They offer a self-guided tour and the older gentleman at the counter was on the phone taking a wine order but excused himself long enough to inform us about the tour. We took the sheet and went on our way to see their processes for their wines. Their wine is aged in 60 gallon oak barrels, while minimum filtration and fining allows retention of the fullest flavor. Upon completion of the tour we joined our host at the counter and chatted with him a bit about their wines. They have the traditional wines; Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon blends and Merlot. The host informed us that they get all their grapes still with stems and what they do not grow themselves; they get mostly from the High Plains of Texas-Lubbock. They ONLY do business with vineyards not wineries. Once the grapes are received it takes 2 days at the most to get the tubs back, ready for more. He explained to us about the Muscat grape as Thomas had confused it with the Muscadine grape that he does not like. The Muscat grape is from the Old World and was the 1st grape known to be cultivated, here in Texas they refer to it as “the Mustang” grape. As you can see by most of their wines they are dry (my least favorite) so Thomas did a full tasting and when he thought I’d like one, he would give me the last sip. I, on the other hand knew without a doubt that I would be sampling both the Muscat Canelli and Muscat Canelli Reserve. Oh yes, I was not disappointed nor was Thomas with any of his samplings. Our next chore was to figure out how to take some home but of course we joined their wine club (Caitlynn will roll her eyes if she finds this out so we just won’t tell her). We chose the Platinum Club which gives us a 20% discount of 6 bottles shipped 6 times a year; we chose the mixed types of wine. We decided to take our first shipment with us now so he gave us our discount with this purchase of 6 bottles and he sold us a box that could be used for shipping. The only downfall to that is it has to be shipped within TX because of the shipping laws but where it goes personally after that is no concern of theirs so we gave them Nicole’s address (she’ll love that). After our nice visit and grand selections we took pictures outside near the cotton gin entrance and put Nicole’s address into Karen (GPS) so we could be on our way to her house. It indicated we were about 70 miles from there so off we went, admiring the hill country with the many ranches along the roads.
With a Dairy Queen sign down the road a little distance, I thought now would be as good as any time to grab a bite and let Thomas experience a steak finger basket at the DQ. I was shocked when I moved to Virginia and realized they also had DQ’s but more shocked when I first went to one to get a steak finger basket (which was what I typically ate at DQ’s) and they are nowhere on the menu-what? So I had said something to Thomas thinking maybe they ‘used’ to offer steak finger baskets on the menu and just didn’t now-he looked at me like I was crazy since they obviously have never offered that on a Virginia DQ menu. We went inside to use the bathroom and place our order and when we got back into the rental car, I divided it in half for both of us. He didn’t even dip his steak finger in the gravy (like us Texans do-we love gravy!) so I asked him why. His response was “I need to be able to taste its full taste to see if I like it”, what-how could you NOT like it Sweetie? Well we ate and he seemed to enjoy it but not anywhere near the level I did-It’s all good!
Arriving at Nicole’s about 3:30 PM she told us Justin did not have swim practice today so we wouldn’t be taking him this afternoon. We sent her on her way and she looked great as she left, all dressed up for Juan’s birthday. They were meeting at our condo for the night to celebrate and we were keeping the kids-life is good! Lauren immediately gave Thomas and I hugs, Allison wanted me to play and Justin was in hopes Uncle Thomas liked video games because I don’t do them well and he remembered that. Caitlynn and I were trying to decide on dinner shortly around 5 PM (we wanted to keep the kids on their schedules and Justin had some homework to do) and we decided on pizza. I try to give each of the kids some one on one time when I get to visit, I think this gives them time to really talk and open up about things they enjoy, want to talk about, or just be together. Thomas had been outside to love on Biscuit (their Rat Terrior) then Justin fed/watered him, then worked on his homework. Allison played the piano (to practice for Thursday night) for Thomas and I while Lauren just ran around with all of us. So I asked Allison if she’d like to go get the pizza with me while Thomas and Justin played video games and Caitlynn started feeding Lauren; she would love to go so we grabbed her booster seat and put it in-off we go. Everyone in Pflugerville must have called pizza in to be picked up or delivered because the 2 people working the counter were on the phone taking orders for at least 5 minutes each before they were able to take our order. As we waited for 30 minutes, Allison and I walked outside (in the cold, drizzly weather) around the strip mall area and talked. She talked about school, Justin and Christmas-wondering again when we were having our Christmas with them then we returned back inside and watched football previews for the upcoming games….
We got ready to eat and blessed our meal and enjoyed the time together. Justin reminded us as we were eating and talking that we didn’t do “best and worst”. Allison explained to Thomas that they do this at night with their parents, “all you have to do is tell your worst thing today and your best”, spoken like a true 5 year old. Then Allison said she was going first and she did. Justin’s turn next and he said “best, Uncle Thomas playing video games with me” and I asked “worst?” but he had none. This is good times. We finished eating and Justin put Biscuit in the garage since they are expected to have below freezing temperatures tonight. Thomas worked with Allison to teach her how to tie her shoes since Nicole says it’s difficult for her since she is not left-handed. Next it is bath time, I corralled Justin and Allison while Caitlynn wanted to put Lauren to bed so we all took turns hugging and kissing her-then off to bed the other two went also. I tugged them and hugged/kissed them, suggesting if they go to sleep well “we could probably go to the Donut Shop in the morning”, Allison clapped and Justin lit up like a Christmas tree-I believe they’d enjoy that. We got the kids in bed by 7:45 PM (Nicole would be proud) and Thomas, Caitlynn and I watched TV. Nicole and Juan had set the TV to record several things so we decided to watch something that they had already recorded, I have no patience for TV so whatever was simplest was fine with me. As Caitlynn scrolled thru our options we chose Texas Country Reporter. It is a show that is narrated as a country man from Texas drives around the state finding interesting places or people to talk to and report on, at a casual laid-back pace for 30 minutes. I used to watch this show with Brandon if the weather/wind were bad outside, we loved it. Then when Nicole came to live with me, she and I would also watch it together. Back in those days you were lucky to have a VCR but no one had even heard of a DVR like now! Thomas, I’m sure had never seen this show but I felt like he’d enjoy it as he likes to learn interesting things. It was so weird because on the preview for this episode it talked about a ‘gifted piano player from Petersburg, TX(a very small cottonfield town near Abernathy, TX outside of Lubbock). I couldn’t believe it because it must have been 6 or 7 years ago that Charlotte Nolen introduced me to his music when we were together. I enjoyed it so much she burned me a copy of her CD and its on my Itunes, I listen to it a lot and even have another copy at the sleep lab to listen to. Evidentially as the story unfolded before us (on the DVR at Nicole’s that she had previously recorded) he was driving a year or so ago and fell asleep which caused him to have a wreck that resulted in him becoming a quadriplegic. They interviewed a neurologist and his P.A., the P.A. was named Devin and I worked with him at the Lubbock hospital back in the day. He explained that the injury could either be an open or closed injury with very little or no return of muscle use, his was an open injury. But with his comment as they showed him playing the piano again with his hands wrapped, he described himself as becoming self-centered and had lost focus of his God given gifts as he didn’t appreciate the gifts he was given any longer but through the accident he realized how fortunate he is to be alive and is thankful every day of his life. He said he recalled saying before the accident “I can’t imagine my life without playing the piano” and he reintegrates, “I am here playing the piano again because I can’t imagine my life without playing the piano”. What a great story, but I had no idea! I immediately called Charlotte and when I told her about it she said she did remember something about it but didn’t know how he recovered exactly. I told her the story and at that moment I realized she did not know how much I have enjoyed the CD she copied for me-I truly have.
It wasn’t long after that when Thomas and I were ready for bed. I moved my next load of laundry to the dryer and folded the finished load. I set my alarm for 5:50 AM since I would be getting the kids ready for school, did my devotions after kissing my husband and telling him goodnight, then off to sleep.
O bed! O bed! delicious bed!That heaven upon earth to the weary head.~Thomas Hood, Miss Kilmansegg - Her Dream
Thursday, December 10, 2009-Wow, it’s really cold this morning as I got up at 5:20 AM when Miss Lauren woke up. Mighty brisk at 31 degrees and a high expected to only be 43 for the warm side of the day! Justin had gotten up a little after we did and watched the Star Wars Clone Wars cartoon before he got ready for school and our trip to the Donut Shop for donuts and kolaches (our tradition with my visits). I woke Allison at 6:20 AM and she got up around 6:35 AM. Caitlynn was my next victim as I woke her to take care of Lauren while I took the school kids; Caitlynn cooked Lauren an egg and a piece of toast for her breakfast. We left and Justin was excited as he got to sit in the front seat (he’s old enough now without even a booster) and I had the ‘bun warmers’ on in both of our seats to warm us up. I personally love bun warmers (my car has them too) but Thomas doesn’t really care for them, I told Justin this and he said “man, I wish we had these in our car”. Arriving at the Donut Shop, Allison immediately went to the refrigerator area to get her small chocolate milk while Justin ordered his usual cinnamon roll and a glazed donut then went to get his large chocolate milk. He made sure that I was ordering kolaches which I had already beat him to the draw, I ordered a dozen (some for Thomas and KK) then Allison ordered her usual chocolate covered donut with sprinkles and another donut. We ate together and I enjoyed their conversation as I asked them questions about school and the plans for today. Justin was curious to see how long Thomas and I would be visiting this time, he remembered that KK would be staying 2 days longer that us. He and Allison wanted to be sure the plans hadn’t changed and we would be having Christmas with them Friday-I assured them that we would not be missing that and I personally was looking forward to the meal! Finishing up and wanting to stay timely (Justin watches the clock because he does not like to be late for anything) we cleaned our table and left for school at 7:15 AM. Driving in the traffic pattern for drop-off I reconfirmed that Thomas and I would be joining both of them for lunch. Thomas hadn’t been to eat with Allison before and the last time he was here was when Justin graduated from Kindergarten, we made the trip to surprise him in time for videoing the occasion as we drove in from VA.
Upon my return Caitlynn and Lauren were entertaining each other and Thomas had already gotten in the shower. Caitlynn laughed as she said Lauren kept going to her parent’s bedroom door trying to get in not understanding that Thomas and I had slept there as her parents were not here. Thomas needed to do some computer work and we were not able to access their wireless internet (without bothering Juan last night and we wanted he and Nicole to have a quiet, alone evening without any interruptions so we did not try too hard) so I was taking him to a coffee house this morning so he could get his stuff done-I knew exactly where to go. I dropped him off then came back to Nicole’s to relieve Caitlynn from babysitting Miss Lauren. Lauren and I played in the floor with her toys and I called the office to catch up on things. Kim Wells’ (she works for me and is a personal friend also) mother has COPD and has been ill for the last couple of months with her health deteriorating but more progressive this last week so she and I had been texting back and forth this week. It’s always difficult for me because I think everyone deals with stress, sickness and end of life processes differently and I never really know what to do to help others that are dealing with these things so I try to give people their space and not make demands on them to allow them time to deal with the things at hand with the focus being on the person that is ill. In my life with everyone that I have lost by them dying as been swift and mostly immediately-no lengthy illnesses so I can’t fathom watching a loved one suffer for days, weeks or months so I try to encourage everyone to just spend the time they feel they need with the ill person. You have to do what you feel is necessary for you (individually) to be able to accept, deal and not have any regrets. Life is not dress rehearsal, this is the real thing! You should never have regrets, sometimes you never get another opportunity to make things right…
Nicole arrived back at the house from the overnight stay at the condo around 9:30 AM, we chatted and she noticed that I had done every bit of her laundry while they were away-she chuckled. I have a little OCD when it comes to laundry, well really I guess truly I have a lot of OCD in many areas I’m sure-not medicated; I just deal with it! I left Lauren and KK with Nicole while I drove to pick Thomas up at the Marble Blue Java Hut where he had completed his use of their free wifi and we headed to Pflugerville Elementary to join both Allison (10:40 AM) and Justin (11:45 AM) for their lunches. I teased Thomas about only getting coffee while he was at the Marble Blue because they also offer Blue Bell ice cream and personally I can not resist indulging in Blue Bell-ever! When I was pregnant with Caitlynn I craved their Banana Split flavor, so good, so good! Today when I ask her if she likes banana splits, she responds-NO.
Thomas and I went to the office to get our passes and then went directly to the lunchroom. When Allison joined us at the Guest Table she told us that “I had blood from my tooth today!” as I had her open her mouth for inspection, I realized her bottom right tooth was already pushing the baby tooth out-won’t be long now I assured her. Thomas shared a story with her that he recalled when Caitlynn had a loose tooth and would not pull it (of course I think teeth are the worst things and I DO NOT pull my kids teeth, thank God they’ve always come out naturally or the dentist would remove them by necessity!). He convinced Caitlynn to let him look at the tooth and he had a tissue in his hand, reached in her mouth and then pulled his hand back. He asked her “how does your tooth feel now?” and Caitlynn told him “it still hurts” and then she realized it was missing. Thomas opened the tissue and the tooth was in it-problem solved. Thomas told Allison after that story that he could use a tissue with her if she wanted him to; at this time she’s not thinking so.
Justin finished eating with Thomas and I; he then wanted to walk in the halls to show Thomas his school. They had many interesting projects on every wall that different students and classes had completed; we enjoyed the displays. We found one wall with a giant world map on the wall so I was showing Justin where Belize (Central America) is located since this is a trip we try to make yearly and we are headed there in January. This will be the first time ever that we will actually stay for 2 weeks instead of 1, though we have threatened it for 5 years. Thomas then pointed out to Justin where he was born in Canada and where we traveled to in June when we went to British Columbia and Vancouver. Justin showed us places where he’d like to visit one day.
As the time rolled around for Justin’s class to return from the lunchroom we said our goodbyes for now and watched him walk to join his classmates. It is just amazing to me how grown up he has become. It’s funny because he is kind of quiet but he really has a good sense of humor that he shows on occasion but it’s very rewarding to see him being as compassionate as he is. Nicole had shared a story with me that he had ‘volunteered’ her to take the Christmas cards that his class made to a local nursing home for the residents. Justin told her he was writing his to “Joe” who is a resident that Justin states to his mom that he knows. I assume from visits that his class has made to this particular nursing home. Justin wanted to be sure to share some holiday cheer with his friend Joe which is an admirable trait for such a young man.
Thomas and I returned to our rental car in search of Fry’s Electronics www.frys.com and Lowe’s. Thomas loves to shop for things at Frye’s whenever there is one in the area. It is a huge electronics supercenter-if you can imagine a Sam’s Club and a Walmart joined under the same roof, it would be comparable. We found the ‘goods’, checkout and then drove back to Nicole’s house. Lauren had been trying to sit in Thomas’s rolling computer bag so Nicole had to close it up-Nicole laughed when she reported it to Thomas, he was holding Lauren as she ate the butt of his slice of pizza. We told Nicole about Allison’s tooth (this will be her first to loose one and she’s been telling us for months that it was loose). Justin would roll his eyes and tell me “her tooth is not even loose yet”, I’m sure she had classmates loosing teeth and she’s wanting to be sure she’s not missing out on any experiences...). Justin used to tell us when he started losing his teeth that he hoped a gold one would grow in its place, we all laughed as Nicole reminded us of his comments. Ally’s tooth is SO loose, Thomas told her “all I need is a tissue”. It was time for Nicole to get ready to leave so she could get her hair done (cut and colored), she would be finished by afternoon and return back to the house then. KK and I would be picking the school kids up when they get out this afternoon. While Nicole was gone
Thomas replaced Nicole’s fluorescent lights in her laundry room that had been out for at least a year and a half-I told her I would have gone on strike because you can’t see in there! When she returned and KK pointed it out to her she was so excited, she said “this is one of the best days of my life’ and hugged Thomas. We played with the kids and Thomas worked with Allison on tying her shoes some more; we enjoyed the afternoon. KK and I left the kids with Thomas so she and I could go to HEB’s for the purchase of our Christmas meal list. Caitlynn had “2 disposable aluminum pans” on the list and when I inquired what they were for she told me “the turkey and stuffing”. I did not realize Nicole did not own an enamel baking pan for the turkey so we decided to make that one of our purchases for her, then just get 1 disposable pan for the stuffing. I told Caitlynn that I have had my enamel baking pan since I was married to her dad so at least 28 years, they’re not something that you have to continually replace. I figured Nicole would enjoy its use.
Allison’s 1st piano recital is tonight at 6 PM in the community outside Pflugerville named Hutto, at the music instructor’s Catholic Church. Caitlynn made pimento cheese sandwiches to take and I sliced them to place decoratively on a serving platter (as my daughter requested). I took this opportunity to share the story with Caitlynn of Nana Miller (my dad’s mom) making homemade pimento cheese in the summers when I visited her, I have never tasted ANY as good as hers since then! As Nicole left with Allison at 4:45 PM and we would get Lauren ready and take she and Justin with us. Juan was not going to be able to make it since he was working in San Antonio and had the company accountant there with him and had to catch a 7 PM flight, he would be taking her to the airport in San Antonio so Nicole would video. During our drive to the recital I kept singing songs that had a line in them in relation to what Allison, Justin, Caitlynn or Thomas said-Caitlynn was telling me “what is up with that song recognition thing your doing?” The kids and I just laughed as I continued with each new comment as Thomas drove us to our destination.
The recital was very nice and Allison was the 3rd to perform, she did well. After everyone finished and pictures were taken we got ready to leave. Caitlynn would be staying with Nicole and kids while Thomas and I went back to the condo in Gruene for the night so we moved the booster seat and gave hugs/kisses to everyone then departed for our 50 mile drive. We decided we were going to stop and eat dinner somewhere that we could watch the NFL game tonight. Thomas searched the GPS for places along our route and he decided on Pluckers Sports Bar www.pluckers.net . Upon entering inside, it was obvious that since San Marcos is a college town (Texas State University)-they all hung out here. It was a loud atmosphere with big screens in every direction-good place to see any game I’d say. Pluckers tagline is “if you don’t like our wings, you get the finger”. Thomas took the waiters recommendation and ordered “the Cheech and Chong”, I went with bones skinless wings-Honey BBQ. The fries they serve are waffle fries, very good! Thomas let me sample his and it was wonderful with queso and guacamole on it-we both enjoyed his selection. As we left, the drive is only 17 miles from here and I drove us-ready for bed, it’s been a busy day.
Blessed is the person who is too busy to worry in the daytime and too sleepy to worry at night…
Friday, December 11, 2009-cloudy morning at 39 degrees as we woke at the condo and my husband’s back has been bothering him so he went to the hot tub for some relief before getting our breakfast fixed. I was up and started doing a little bit of laundry (it’s that OCD thing I have-it chases me, even when I travel) and kind of gathering things for our trip back to Nicole’s since this is our day for the Christmas celebrations with them. Thomas and I decided that we would go thru Wimberley and visit a couple of wineries in the area. Texas has a wine passport that you can get and as you visit the wineries they stamp it, upon completion you can receive their rewards program gift they offer. We had already had 2 stamps from Wednesday so we lack 2 more-that is our goal for today as we drive toward Pflugerville for the evening.
Nicole called my cell to update our plans for the Christmas Meal and gift exchange with them for this evening. I asked her if Caitlynn was helping her with all the cooking (Nicole loves to cook!) and she replied, “oh yes, I have her chained to the table dicing” and we both laughed. Thomas and I loaded and started driving a little after noon time with the GPS (Karen) leading our way. We are traveling on the Texas Hill Country Trails and the road signs say “Ranch Road” instead of “County Road” like it does in West Texas. This is some of my favorite parts of Texas as it has rolling hills with country life surrounding us. This area is known for the Live Oak trees, Spanish moss that grows on most tress and ranches as far as the eye can see. It was funny as we dawned a hill and Thomas commented as he drove, “wow I can see a long way”-that’s Texas I thought to myself as I snickered. Our route took us over Blanco River and Cypress Creek as we drove into the small town of Wimberley. I had not been in this area since Brandon was in elementary (so must be about 15-20 years ago). I had told Thomas that the main area had the wooden sidewalks and a little train that you could ride on for a short ride thru the town. I remember us coming here in the summer and hanging out on Blanco River swimming and floating then we would go into the main area for ice cream and walk around to see all the little country shops. They even had blacksmiths working on horses as they would shoe them in the town area and mash out the shoes for everyone to watch. That was not as cool for us to watch, mostly because at that time we lived out in the country in Anton, TX where we had roping horses that Brandon and Lynn used for head n’ heel roping. Not to mention Brandon’s pigmy goats, chickens, and 4-H calves so we were used to seeing horses being shoed. I’m not thinking Thomas has ever seen it though….As we got into town it didn’t take long for me to see how much it has changed in all these years-wow!
Thomas had put the GPS to search and I looked for the signs we had seen Wednesday referencing ‘Wimberley Winery’ and we drove thru town, turned and the road wound around to where our destination should have been but it was not there so we searched for another winery in the area. Our next place would be Driftwood Estate Winery (4001 Elder Hill Rd., Driftwood, TX, 78619, 512-858-9667 www.driftwoodvineyards.com ) and we found it and arrived parched (perfect place to be!). This seemed to be a fairly new winery that advertised its “Texas sunsets” as it had chairs in sets all around the edge of the hills in this area to see panoramic views of the rolling hills and a covered deck. There were 2 ladies providing the tastings and we visited with both of them as we admired our surroundings. The tastings were $5 each for 6 selections, without a glass so we made our selections. Thomas chose: Chardonnay (Gold medal), Vionier (Gold medal), Lone Star Cabernet (Gold Medal-8 times), Cabernet Sauvignon (Gold Medal), Red Rhythm (Gold Medal), and Orange Muscat (Gold Medal). My choices were: 2007 Sweet Blush, 2009 Orange Muscat, Sweet Red, Plum, Sangria, and Mulled Wine (it is seasonal so I couldn’t NOT try this one-you can heat it and add cinnamon sticks or orange slices, sounds like a party to me I’m thinking). My first 2 are actually Driftwood Estate wines and the last 4 are Wimberley Valley wines the ladies informed us. This winery produces Mediterranean style wines. As we enjoyed our tastings I looked over at a bar stool under the counter where a big, fat gray cat was lounging. One of the ladies told us when I commented about the cat her name is “Momma Kitty”. There tasting noted for their wines had wine/grape trivia on the back of them to read as you sip their wines:
One acre of land averages
5 tons of grapes
850 gallons of wine
4,290 bottles of wine
13.56 barrels of wine
357.5 cases of wine
21,450 glasses of wine
One barrel of wine contains
740 pounds of grapes
300 bottles of wine
25 cases of wine
1,500 glasses of wine
One bottle of wine contains
2.4 pounds of grapes
5 glasses of wine (6 ounces each)
Upon completion of our assignment here we made a selection of several bottles that we could take with us, for sure we would need to finish our wine case carrier (box with Styrofoam to handle/support 12 bottles that we would ship to ourselves as we left Texas) so we selected 4 bottles and I picked out some jalapeno jelly for a gift to Tracy for dog sitting our Rat Dogs. The lady who checked us out gave us a small map that had another winery on it that was just 5 miles away. Thomas and I felt like we’d have enough time for one more, besides we wanted to complete our Texas Wine Passport. (I will go online and process the wineries codes and they will ship us our prize for completing-sweet! As if we need enticement to go to wineries??) www.texaswinetrail.com
Thomas and I continued our hill country drive to our next destination, as we pulled onto the Ranch Road a flat bed truck was in front of us with an obvious ‘fake animal’ that was life size, had the body of a longhorn with a huge rack of antlers on the head of the body-Thomas and I laughed as we realized the awkwardness of it and I thought to myself: only in Texas. The winding road took us to a beautiful layout named Mandola Estate Winery and Magnolia Restaurant located at 13308 FM 150 West, Driftwood, Tx, 78619, 512-858-1470 www.mandolawines.com . This establishment is very large with a lot of acreage that you can see the grape vines in the entire front driveway area. Cypress trees and Live Oak trees surround outside with picnic tables and chair scattered throughout the winery entrance. Their advertising states “our winery combines warm hospitality and beautiful architecture with great wine and food”. The wines here are made from traditional Italian grapes varieties in American, French and neutral barrels with all their white wines being un-oaked. The winery has young grapes here (less than 5 yrs old) on their 17 ½ acres and they get the rest of their grapes from the High Plains of Lubbock also; this winery has been opened for 3 years. Winery motto is “La Dolce Vita” meaning “A toast to the Sweet Life”. The wine tasting is $5 for 6 selections and the host explained that all of their wines are mostly dry, even their Moscato so I opted to only try 1 which was the Rose’. Their wines average $18-26.00 a bottle and Thomas chose 2 to buy and finish our case that we would mail home. They also featured Italian food products to be sold in the winery along with a line of all natural items (Miller Creek Lavendar www.millercreeklavendar.com ) for sleep, body lotions/sprays, butters, salsa, and sauces so I bought a couple of items to take home to VA.
Thomas and I had concluded our wine tours for this Texas visit so we were headed to Cabela’s (Justin’s favorite story he told me one time when we drove past it) because Thomas had never been in one to see its grander size. I drove since I had only sipped at the last winery (way too dry for me) and they gave Thomas classic ‘tasting samples’ which is a very small amount. As we drove past the Salt Lick Pavilion and Restaurant I was sure to point it out to Thomas since we will have to eat there on one of our visits to Texas, anyone who has visited this part of the world has eaten here, except my husband of course-what the heck? Continuing our drive to Buda where the Cabela’s homeplace is, Thomas had been spotting mistletoe on the trees during our drive in the hill country so when we got right on the outskirts of Buda I pulled over and had him run to the trees we had just passed, shimmy up the tree to retrieve some mistletoe. You should of seen him when I just pulled over and shared my idea with him, he said “now, you want me to run back there” as I was pulling over and putting the flashers on. “Yes I do” and off he went! Upon his return with the greens, we drove the last few miles to Cabela’s. I dropped him off at the front then parked and met him inside. He was looking at house shoes, he had been wanting some wool slippers because he said “they don’t make your feet smell sweaty”. He found some he liked and also picked Bruce (Collins) a pair out for Christmas then when we got to the front of the store (after looking around at everything, I mean everything-I got a new pistol holder, pocket knife for Justin, etc.) I had gone to the bathroom and when I returned he had found some women’s wool house shoes and suggested since they were on sale I should get some. Then I had to wonder if my husband of 5 years was trying to tell me something?? We walked around looking at all the taxidermy animals throughout the store and when we got ready to check out a nice young lady started the process; when she go to the total she told Thomas if he spent $15 more he would qualify for another discount so we tried to find something. He suggested sunglasses for me but I usually get mine from the dollar store so I was struggling. She suggested a Cabela pullover that was on sale for women for $19.98, since blue is Thomas’s favorite color I got a blue one for me. I looked at him and he was just grinning-we completed our sale. We started to leave when he noticed the aquariums to the left with all kind of fish. He commented “usually people are in awe at fish like this but since all our trips to Belize we are less impressed it seems but still beautiful” and he turned to me and I took a picture of him with my cell phone standing there then we walked out the front door. As we walked out of Cabela’s I posted the picture on Facebook that I had just taken of Thomas standing by their enormous aquariums. Then I told him “you’re now on Facebook with that picture”, he just said “wow, that is crazy!” He has a Facebook page but may have looked at it twice with me helping him. I laughed when I was on his with him and he said, “why do all these people want to be ‘my friend’, I didn’t like them in high school so why would I want them to be my friend now!” Now I do Facebook, but I am not addicted to this social networking wonderland that people seem to be crazed about. I spend 10-15 minutes a week on my personal page and less than that on my business page for Sleep EZ. I do enjoy briefly scanning my friends who live here in the Roanoke area in addition to those that are across the country. It is fun to find family members/friends from years ago and see what’s going on with them or find similarities in our personalities after all these years. As my daughter describes it “stalking their pages, Mom”. I think it’s funny to see if we have any quirks that come from being in the same family too. But I also like to see what’s going on in everyone else’s world occasionally. There’s a wealth of information (I love information) not only about people I know but also about businesses, charities, cult favorites (for some) and every other topic under the sun. Holy cow, a person could spend all day searching but who has that kind of time? I do browse around my daughter’s page (and her friends) every now and again. Although they may not believe me, I don’t scrutinize their information or posts-they do deserve some privacy and even though they think I inspect their pages daily for any misdeeds or questionable comments, they haven’t given me reason to question their content. Besides, it works both ways. My daughter really probably doesn’t want to know everything about me anyway. So I’ve learned over the years when to keep my comments to myself and when it’s okay to speak out. Some people on Facebook don’t seem to get that thought and it is amazing how many private details a person will tell the world. There seems to be no barrier between what they think and what they post. What I try to remember is that when I open a window to my world, not everyone will understand, or even like my version of sanity or humor. Facebook can’t relay who I am or what I am about but it can allow me to let my personality show a little. I can comment about things, support my beloved Texas Longhorns, check out charities that I support or just comment about traveling that Thomas and I love to do together. The randomness of Facebook is what I think makes it so appealing to most. Don’t like what you see or hear? Just wait a few minutes and someone will post something funny or irrelevant. Either way, it can be a chance to be entertained if your bored…this not-so-new social media is a lot like life-not always exactly what we want but we have to take the good with the bad. Not everyone sees the world the same, thank goodness! Facebook is a public forum that allows diversity but it is a terrific illustration of the power of American ingenuity. Facebook was created in a Harvard dorm room in 2004. The young creator did not get a government grant-he just did it on his own like generations of other American entrepreneurs. Its creator sprang it out of nowhere and virtually overnight it became a powerful tool for communications of all kinds-personal, commerce and even political action. It’s easy to post our political or religious views without thinking if our message is being received as intended (unless someone comments or “likes” it). It’s easy to be misled by the written word when we can’t hear the intent of the typist. Facebook is the medium but it’s left up to us to be sure the message or photo is one that we’re okay with showing to the world. So feel free to friend request me but if you start sending me Christmas tree ornaments or Farmville requests, I will filter you….
My husband had walked over to an outside sales trailer in Cabela’s parking lot as I offered to go get the rental car and pick him up after his purchase. The sign read “porkskins” which I was not even aware he liked porkskins?? I picked him up in the front of the trailer as he so proudly held his bag of rinds and commented as he got it the car, “huumm I never knew they had ranch flavored porkskins”, then he offered me some from his bag. I accepted his offer in amazement because I had never seen him eat pork rinds before, it was kind of funny to watch him indulge in his new purchase. I personally enjoy porkskins with a nice cold Big Red….
Thomas and I arrived at Nicole’s house around 6 PM and she had been cooking, cooking with Caitlynn assisting. Now that we are here, we took over entertaining the kids-they were glad to see us again as we were them! The smell of the turkey and other things being prepared was overwhelming as we had a late breakfast and nothing else (but a few porkskins) as we anticipated our dinner here. Eating habits during the holiday season seem to be split into two groups: those who eat whatever they please, party after party, and gain the yearly five pounds, and those who do their very best to diet throughout the season and end up deprived or guilty. I’m feeling positive about the later-“guilty” today as Nicole is a good cook and I’m looking forward to eating! She had both the kids table (breakfast nook area) and the adult table (it sat on the cream colored carpet in the formal dining area) totally set looking like Martha Stewart’s house. The smell was heavenly and the sights of the pies awaiting my lip lock to partake on them-woooweee I my friends am a lucky girl! There wasn’t anything to help her do though I offered and it wasn’t long before it was time to bless the food as we held hands and eat. We have so much to be thankful for my loved ones. Thomas and I knew we would be sharing the Sister Creek Vineyard’s Muscat Canelli with Nicole and Juan as she tends to like sweeter wines like me so we opened the bottle and toasted at our table, indeed both Juan and Nicole liked it. The kids finished first and were anxious to open gifts so we put off cleaning the kitchen until after gifts and I personally was waiting on dessert or desserts. Our options are pumpkin, pecan and chess pie or “not your mama’s banana pudding”-chess pie is my favorite, pecan is Thomas’s favorite. Allison wanted to show Uncle Thomas that she could almost tie her shoes so she hopped on the couch to demonstrate to him-almost! She’s been practicing she told us.
We exchanged gifts and I think the kids (Justin and Allison) were all pleased with their’s; Lauren had found hers and opened it before we got there. Thomas, Caitlynn and I were all pleased with our gifts also but more importantly-just to be here with them. Now time for desserts, that we did! Afterwards Nicole and I cleaned the kitchen while the kids gathered their clothes so they could go back to the condo in Gruene with us for the night since it will be our last night for this trip. Lauren was already in bed so she stayed the night with her parents. Caitlynn loaded her things and Justin and Allison’s and we left Pflugerville around 9 PM. But we will make a quick stop in Manchaca where I have a childhood friend whose brother is having his 40th birthday party, we were invited from 7-10 PM but I had told her we were having our Christmas celebration tonight so I wasn’t sure if we’d make it. Robin Ross-Flowers and I have been friends for many years and her mom and my dad worked at the bank in Austin together for years before my parents divorced, we have remained in touch all these years. Her brother Richie is her only sibling and he’s never married. Robin has 2 kids, Ross (13 yrs old) and Morgan (11 yrs old) and her daughter had us take her “Flat Stanley” which she named “Flat Morgan” with us as we traveled 3 years ago and I journal the trips we took it on then returned it to her when I went to Texas in the Spring. She presented all the journals to her class for an assignment.
With both Allison and Justin were out like lights (Allison first-Justin tried to hang on), we found the Stardust Banquet Room where Richie’s party was being held and we pulled in the parking lot at 9:55 PM. I recommended to Thomas that I’d run in to say my regards and get Robin to come out and meet Thomas then we’d go. I believe Caitlynn woke up as we pulled in the parking lot and stopped to let me out. I walked in to what I thought was the front entrance to a classic Texas western club and immediately saw Robin’s mom Janice and walked toward her. Richie turned around and said, “Oh my God, I know exactly who you are!” and hugged me the same time Janice turned around and was so surprised to see me. I had not seen Richie since Brandon was a baby and he no longer had blonde hair, it’s dark but it’s not gray like mine yet; probably because he has never married nor had children. We hugged and he took me straight over to his dad, Terry to show him I was there. Terry and I hugged and he asked about the family, I told him to come to Virginia to see us some time! I then spotted Robin with Janice’s help and we hugged and I explained to her my great niece and nephew were in the car asleep as we headed back to Gruene for the night, so she walked out to meet Thomas and hug Caitlynn. She had cowboy boots on with her skirt (like I wear) and she laughed as she walked out to our car commenting she thought Thomas would think she was crazy but I assured her that Thomas was used to that as “he take the girl out of Texas but not the Texas out of the girl”. We visited briefly and then we left to continue our drive then unloaded the sleepy kids. Thomas carried Allison in and she never even woke up as I changed her. Caitlynn and Justin were upstairs shooting video with her new hand-held HD Video that Thomas and I got for her for Christmas-giggling every few seconds. I’m scared to know what they are actually videoing up there! Thomas and I settled in the bed since we will need to pack early in the morning then get ready to fly home after we meet Nicole around lunchtime to tag off kids. Thomas worked his Suduko while I washed my face and read my devotions. Good night….
“Good wine is a necessity of life”-Thomas Jefferson
Saturday, December 19, 2009-Overcast and drizzling again this morning. Caitlynn and I fixed leftovers out of the refrigerator for the kids since we would need to send it all with Nicole anyway when we check out at noon today. I washed Caitlynn’s dirty clothes for her (a treat since I never do her laundry, it’s been her responsibility since 6th grade) and repacked them because she would be going back with Nicole and fly home on Monday evening. Caitlynn and the kids went to the Registration Office to play pool, Justin loves playing pool-he even brought his own quarters. Thomas and I gathered things to pack and then realized we would need to go ship our box of mistletoe and case of wine home to ourselves so we’d have enough room for kids and luggage to meet Nicole. The kids returned as I asked “who won?” Justin said he did, KK said she let him-they both laughed. Thomas, Allison and I were about to leave to run our errands and Allison was going with Thomas and I but she wanted to show us she could tie her shoes and she did! Then we had her do it again and again as we prepared to leave. Our first stop was at the Gruene Harley-Davidson store to get shirts for Sam Booth as he dog sat our 3 Rat Dogs (they escaped on Monday so he had to make a mad dash over there to re-contain them) while we are gone this time and he loves Harley t-shirts. Allison picked out all the motorcycles she wanted to drive she said (all of 5 yrs old). Next stop was Fed EX to ship our liquid goods then back to the house to load kids and luggage. We called Nicole as we were meeting at mile marker 200 near the Tangier Outlet mall, the Whataburger parking lot. When we arrived Miss Lauren was grinning as I leaned in to hug her and she hugged right back. We then loaded Caitlynn, Justin and Allison into her vehicle; they were going to go thru the drive-thru here at Whataburger but Thomas and I had time so we were going in to eat lunch. We all hugged and said our thanks and goodbyes then waved as they left the drive-thru while we were sitting inside waiting on our food. I think Caitlynn’s a little homesick and ready to get back to her home but she always enjoys her time with her cousins.
Our flight is 3:45 PM out of San Antonio airport so we went over to the outlet mall to the Samsonite store to see if we could purchase a reasonable priced carry-on to repack a few things. Since Delta charges $15 per piece of luggage we felt we could pack more efficiently and one of our bags we check is already served its time well or is overdue so we expect it to go anyway-preparation. With our new sale purchase we reorganized our luggage in the parking lot then headed to the airport and returned the rental car. We got our tickets and found a restaurant that we could watch football until we needed to be at the gate to board, enjoyed a beverage and I had a sense of loneliness briefly as I realized we were leaving and the time here with my family had flown by; briefly until I remembered we would be back in April for the Southern Sleep Society Meeting to be held in Austin, so I was better…..love coming home; until next time.
