SO VERY THANKFUL

Well, this may go down as our most unusual Thanksgiving ever, for instead of being in the kitchen, cooking my little heart out, I'm packing my suitcase, getting ready to head off to Platform 9 3/4, from which we will head to Diagon Alley to pick up wands and such, then off we go to Hogwarts, via the Hogwarts Express. Squeeeeeeee!!!!!

Many moons ago, I purchased that first book. My son thought I bought it for him but, truthfully, he was just my excuse for reading it, to find out what all the hubbub was about. No one was more excited than I when each subsequent volume was released, and then there were all the movies to get excited about. And now, this. A trip to Hogwarts! Who would've thunk?

Hopefully, I will have lots of great pictures to share with you when I get back. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
 

ONE MORE THING

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention one other thing Hubby picked up in San Antonio on our last get-away, in addition to the blown glass bottle tree gizmos and Our Lady of the Grotto. Well, actually, two things. Two of these:

Could they be any more perfect, for this spot right here?

Now, why didn't I think of that?

STUFF MY DAUGHTER POSTS

"Baby trap complete."

"I caught one!"

"I used the little one as bait."

  

FINDING FAITH

 
What a week! One minute I'm flying high, convinced that we are about to break through that final glass ceiling and put a woman in the oval office! The next I've plummeted to the depths of despair, convinced that we've been blasted back into the dark ages, destroying at least a hundred years worth of progress. I guess you could say I lost my faith in humanity. The hateful stuff that started popping up in the media immediately afterwards certainly didn't help. So, I spent the rest of the week in hibernation, wondering what kind of world my grandkids would grow up in. Would Texas grow ever more desert-like if our new leaders refused to believe in climate change? Would my son get beat up by someone who disapproved of mixed marriages, and no longer felt the need to keep his racism in check? Would my daughters ever earn equal pay for equal work? 

But then, when I finally felt up to facing the internet again, I couldn't help but notice something. Were my daughters hiding in their caves, licking their wounds like me? NO, they were not! They were already out there, gearing up for the next battle -- teaching others how to get involved at the local level, where it really counts, and working to insure that the two-party system is changed, so we aren't continually forced to choose between "the lesser of two evils." And our sons are out there fighting right beside them.

Why? Because that's the kind of people we raised them to be!

Come Saturday I was finally ready to venture forth and, since a beautiful fall weekend like this meant we had lots of choices here in our little town -- from home tours and Christmas markets to art and music fests -- the kiddos decided to join us.

For the first time ever, Wimberley was hosting an Empty Bowls event of their own, where local artists create and donate beautiful bowls which in turn get purchased and filled with wonderful soups made by local chefs, and all the proceeds go towards feeding the hungry. I immediately zeroed in on this color-mad bowl, because...

well, see for yourself!

When I flipped it over to see who made it, I discovered this:

Every time I use this little bowl, I hope it will remind me to have a little more faith -- in our kids, and in the future I am certain they will work to build for their kids.

OUR LADY OF THE GROTTO

Our house sits on the side of a solid limestone hill, with just the barest covering of soil. So, when it rains, the water seeps down into the limestone, runs downhill, flows across the road they cut into the front of our property and, finally, drops over the cliff and into the creek. Over time this process has formed little cave-like indentations along the side of the road, which drip with mini waterfalls for days after each rain. I call them my grottoes. For years now the Muses and I have been talking about taking them a step further by adding some mosaic work or a statue or something. And, par for the course, Hubby grew weary when all that talking failed to produce any results, so he took action. This was the result.

You have no idea how happy she makes me, each time I see her.

Just the lift I've needed these past few weeks!

LORD HELP US

Think I'll go spend the day loving on my grandson, and praying for the world his generation will inherit.

 

A TRIPLE-MOANER-MEAL

This weekend we went to visit our BFFs in College Station. As soon as we arrived the guys split off to go try a burger joint called Joe's, which had shown up on Texas Monthly's Top 50 Burgers list. We girls opted to try something a little more upscale -- Veritas Wine & Bistro. You may have heard of executive chef and partner/owner Tai Lee, who won America's Favorite Food Truck back in 2011. Unlike most I've heard about, Chef Lee actually started with the upscale restaurant, then opened the food truck later so that he could bring the same quality of food to a broader audience at street-level prices. The students and faculty at Texas A&M love him for it!

Paula had sent me several dinner options to check out on-line ahead of time, and dinner at Veritas looked really good, but pricey. However, when I looked at the lunch menu, I realized that you could get some of those very same items, in smaller portions, at bargain rates, so that's what we did. Paula opted for the crab cakes, while I decided to take on the Wagyu Burger au Poivre with caramelized onions and truffle mayo, served with a side of Parmesan Truffle Fries. Both were really good, but the best surprise was yet to come!

It had started raining by then, and we were no longer in the mood to walk around outside, so we decided to linger with a pot of tea for me, and a pot of French pressed coffee for Paula. Just out of curiosity -- for future reference, really -- we asked to see their dessert menu. That was our downfall, for we both love all things almondy, and there at the top of their list was something called Basque Almond Cake. The one small round, drizzled with caramel sauce and crowned with a mound of Chantilly Cream, was the perfect amount for us both to share.

All I can say is, it's a good thing the restaurant had cleared out by then, for someone would surely have called the paramedics upon hearing all the moans coming from our table!

Since the guys had spent the afternoon at a microbrewery, the women drove to dinner, and they got to squeeze in next to the carseat in back. Got a few funny looks from cars stopping next to us.

Brunch With the Kiddos on Sunday

It was a very good weekend!