TOO BUSY TO BLOG!

Spring in the Hill Country is always this way. No matter how many vows I make to myself, not to let this precious time go by in a blur of activity, it happens every year. It just can't be avoided, I suppose, when you only have a few weeks out of the year, in spring and in fall,  that are really pleasant, and organizers try to fit a year's worth of activities into those two tiny windows. This past week has been a prime example. First there was our wildflower adventure to Willow City Loop, with stops in Lukenbach and Fredericksburg.

Then there was a dinner party at the home of our foodie friends, only this time it was their 14 year old daughter who was in charge!

The seafood theme was chosen because Miss Bella is working to raise funds for a fabulous marine biology camp she attends each year on Catalina Island, and a couple of these dishes were ones she learned to cook in one of her classes there last year.

The very next morning we were up early, headed to College Station to spend a couple of days with our besties, the Sanfords. Normally they would be heading here this time of year, but they have a beloved elderly pet who is not doing too well right now, so we decided to go to them. We can only go so long without a Lanford Adventure!

In case you can't tell, he's doing that rude gag-me motion, having gone to UT.

Then yesterday it was time for the annual Wimberley Wine Walk. This year they moved it from downtown Wimberley to the Blue Hole Park. After just a few tastes, I'm done, but I never get tired of the excellent people watching opportunities. I especially love the groups of friends who come dressed to match!

Huh? Now that I'm seeing this close up, I believe two of these people are new friends we just met at the seafood dinner!

And, in between all these festivities, there were trips to the dentist and hairdresser, time spent with my Muses and Little Goobs, and even a couple of baseball games!

Is it any wonder that we are hoping for a nice, dull week ahead?

PIGS ON A TRAIN

Know what I think I love most about being a grandmother? It's the funny little surprises you sometimes find around the house, after the grandkids have been for a visit. On his last visit, our little Goober did tell me that his commuter train needed passengers, but all I remember is thinking "How does a 2 year old even know what passengers are?"

It wasn't until after he'd gone home, and I was trying to get the house back in order, that I discovered this.

Now, every time I walk through our living room, I find myself with a big ol' goofy grin on my face, remembering those pigs on a train.

A MYSTERY ADVENTURE

Adventure Boy has really been keeping me busy this past week. Yesterday he had me out chasing wildflowers (photos later), but last Friday, when there were no movies left that we wanted to see on "Date Day", he decided to take me on one of his mystery adventures -- the kind where I don't know where I'm going 'til I'm there! This time we ended up on the shores of Lake Austin.

Welcome to Hula Hut, doing their best to "Keep Austin Weird" for over 25 years!

Hula Hut is kinda like one of those "choose your own story" books, where you get to decide what happens next along the way. Why? Because you get a totally different experience, depending on where you decide to sit or hang out.

And talk about color-mad!

It may not have been the best seafood I ever had, but I gotta give it 5 Stars for atmosphere!

 

THE HIVE: BUILDING A VILLAGE IN S. AUSTIN

By now, I'm sure we all have at least one friend or family member who "telecommutes" or spends at least part of their time working from home, which could explain the many "co-working" spaces popping up all over the place. Why, we even have one here in little ol' Wimberley! However, the place my kids have discovered, near their home in S. Austin, has taken this concept to a whole new level. Welcome to The Hive!

The Hive is the brainchild of Shelly Weiser -- an idea that came to her after the disastrous day when she tried to handle a panicking client who's account had been hacked, while her infant and toddler both had epic meltdowns in the background. She dreamed of a space where people could get "The Three C's": Coffee, Co-working, and Childcare. But not full-time daycare, which can cost almost as much as you are making yourself. Just a few hours here and there, when you need it most.

She brought that dream to life, but didn't stop there. They do offer WiFi and co-working spaces where one can be connected in a quiet place to work and network, but they also offer parents much-needed time to get things done -- whether working or just visiting with friends -- while their little ones enjoy playing in a safe and fun on-site supervised area. There's the beautiful cafe area and lounge, where you can work at no charge, a shady area outside with picnic tables, and two co-working offices with multiple desks in each, some private, some semi-private, where you can rent space. Plus the cafe has all the popular beverages you love, as well as breakfast, lunch and snack options.

All that is great, but what I really love are the many ways in which they are building community. For instance, there is wine and beer available at the end of the day, if you want to kick back with friends, as well as a food truck on the premises. On Saturday mornings they offer live children's music, while young families hang out and visit in their large outdoor play area, which is what our Calvin is doing in the photo above. This Wednesday they will have Story Time and Crafts with Usborne books, and, as if that weren't enough, on Saturday, April 13th, they will be hosting a Draft & Craft Buzzaar from 9-4, where our daughter Alexis will be selling her handcrafted jewelry. And that is how a "village" is built, one brick at a time.

If only they'd had someplace like this when we were young, instead of me starting my contract work each night around 9:00, after I finally got them both to bed!

GUESS WHO?

Can you guess who was here visiting last weekend?

Yep, you guessed it. The Goobster was back! However, despite all that you see here, he didn't really play with any of these things for long. It was more like he felt he owed it to each and every one of them to stop in and say a quick hello, after being away from them for a whole week. In fact, the only thing that really grabbed his attention and held it for three whole days was this, my recent thrift store find.

A PIRATE SHIP!

After doing a bit of research, I discovered that the ship was named Bucky, and that it was based on a Disney Jr. TV series from a few years back called Jake and the Neverland Pirates. Now, our Goobster has never been much into watching TV or sitting still for anything when he's at MimiPapa's house, but Papa took a chance and ordered these videos.

Glory be, he didn't just like them, he loved them! Don't think we would have survived the long weekend without them.

Best of all, they made playing with his new pirate ship all that much more fun, for now he knew who the different characters were, and what the brig and the plank and the crow's nest and red slide were for!

For some reason he really, really loves cramming everyone into the brig, both good and bad!

 

TILLIE'S AT CAMP LUCY

Our Tiny Dinner Club decided to switch things up this month, and become a Tiny Brunch Club. Why? Well, because of the rumors we've been hearing about a magical place called Tillie's, which is situated on a gorgeous resort called Camp Lucy, out in the boonies just west of Dripping Springs. Not the kind of place you want to be finding your way home from late at night, if you've had more than one glass of wine! 

The Main Dining Area -- An Old Temple From Viet Nam

For the Sunday Brunch they offer a "sharing menu", served tapas-style.

They started us off with a basket of freshly made mini corn muffins and biscuits. Don't eat too many. You'll need to save room for everything else!  First course? French toast with coffee-vanilla maple syrup and candied pecan butter.

Then came a breakfast hash like no hash you've ever tasted before, with marvelous things in it like roasted Brussels sprouts.

After that came fried chicken with a kick...

Chinese Pork Dumplings...

and Crispy Breakfast Potatoes. Now that I think about it, there may have been a curry dish as well, that I failed to get a photo of.

All I can say is, pace yourself! The good news is that, although you can't really tell it from these photos, the portions were reasonably small, served on tiny dishes.

I hesitate to mention this, for fear my daughters will be packin' their bags for another girls getaway before I finish here, but, just to the right of the restaurant is a gorgeous swimming pool with a sunken ledge holding luxurious loungers that keep one's body submerged...

and, although this is primarily an event facility, I heard a rumor that if they don't have anything big going on, they will rent out the casitas to individuals. I just have no idea how much they will charge you for that privilege. Nevertheless, the brunch was worth every penny!