San Antonio

Lunch at a local favorite - Chris Madrids. These macho nachos are the best. Ever. A trip to the most beloved landmark of Texas history - The Alamo. The requisite shot in front of the Alamo.

A side entrance - a lovely walkway.

The Menger hotel - a stunning downtown hotel.
Dinner at Tip Top. Absolutely the best chicken-fried steak, enchiladas, and fried shrimp ever. Ever.
The bathrooms are outside. Not my preferred location in the Texas summer.

Okay, I did forget to take photos of the rest of our adventures in South Texas. But more to come in Luling!

Texas vacation

Boy, are we having a time! I regularly forget to take photos while out adventuring, so imagine my delight when I found 77 on the camera! Get ready!!!

The family in Dallas. A little squinty in the Texas sun, but lovely nonetheless.

The Frisco Fire Department. We had a fabulous tour of the station.

Many, many fire trucks.

Plush accomodations.

Safety Town. A model community to educate kids on how to identify and manage outdoor hazards.

A kind shot with our firefighter guide Anthony just prior to me getting whacked with an opening door behind me.

And an accomodating photo outside.

A Frisco Rough Riders game.

And excited fans.

A drive to San Antonio - these shots are in Marble Falls.

More to follow in SA!

A little travel

I travel about two days a year with work. Today is one of them. Not such a bad deal - it was a lovely day to drive, I had a new book-on-tape, I got out of the office early, and I got to eat on the company tab. I have been to Virginia Beach a few times on business and knew exactly where I was going for supper. I sat by myself, knitted a couple of rows, sent an "arrived safely" e-mail to my concerned husband. I had a glass of wine and the best crabcakes ever. I'm looking forward to a repeat tomorrow for lunch before returning home. Maybe sans the wine.

The downside - the hotel is a bit dumpy and I sleep crappy in hotel rooms when I'm alone.

Although I'm enjoying a little downtime this evening, I have an unusually hectic August. I need to enjoy these quiet moments. I am a little too wound up for my own good right now. A few open items that I cannot quite get to close. Some projects and to-do items at home, at work, at church - a few here and there add up to a lot. A lot freaks me out.

I'll keep plowing through the to-do list and hopefully calm down a bit prior to vacation next week. And the main goal is to stay relaxed through the vacation.

See you in September!

A lovely day!

After a bothersome early week at work, I'm on the downhill slide. Whew!

Today, a lovely half-day Thursday. Love those! A telework morning - what's not to love about that? - and a sunny afternoon to myself. I so enjoy spending the afternoon with my handsome husband, but free afternoons have a different feel. I went for a swim, had a visit with the new minister at church, made a quick and yummy stop by Dairy Queen, then loaded up on fresh produce at Tom Leonard's. This evening I'm knitting with a friend. How to beat all that??

Here's a short recap of several happenings:

The finished Rusted Root - also available here:


Here is yarn from Finland. Not sure what it's going to be yet. I'm thinking a cardigan.


From Estonia - this yarn has a smell that I cannot quite identify, but I like. Organic let's say.


I borrowed a swift and ball winder from a friend to wind my bounty of yarn. I had a little help.


The swift offered a little extra tension that I could not figure out how to adjust. Here are two cakes of the wound yarn. The smaller is the first winding - it was more bricklike than cakelike. I rewound and got the much bigger, fluffier version. Amazing. Same yardage.


Here is a square I made for a community afghan for the owner of the Yarn Lounge for her upcoming wedding. The yarn is a yummy merino wool from the charity bin at the Lounge. The owner has designated a suitcase where you can donate leftover yarn - perhaps an extra ball or so from a finished project. Takers contribute to a fund that will go to a local animal shelter. Given her passion for animals, I thought this was particularly appropriate. I hope she likes it!


Two home-grown tomatoes, a Sunday lunch at the City Diner, a visit to a friend with adorable new twins, a long weekend at the lake with the parents - now you're up to date!