Details, Details…
Greetings from Austin! Lynne and I had a spectacular day, yesterday, in perfect weather, and landed for the night in a perfect place. This boutique hotel, tucked away, under ancient live oaks, was once an 1800's Victorian home. Now it is an upscale nod to the patron saint of music and poetry, Saint Cecilia. From the fine soaps and bedding, to the wines and cheeses in the minibar...from the exquisite vintage glassware, to burning incense tucked into trees throughout the property...from the carefully curated vinyl collection, to the turntables in each room on which to play them, this place has built its reputation on attention to details. Lynne, marveling at it, said, "Well, we...
On Trees and Life
I've mentioned my favorite tree before. Here it is pictured in its summer splendor. It's getting a little thin on leaves, now, I realized, when I took Lynne on a tour of the property yesterday, and we popped in for a visit. But it's no less spectacular. After a nice walk, we met up with Kevin in the front pasture. There's another fabulous live oak up there, which is probably my second favorite tree, but it's not as bulbous or knobby as this one. He asked if I'd taken Lynne to "my spot," which is the tucked away sanctuary where my tree lives. When I answered yes, he started telling her about that tree, about how it had appeared to have been struck by lightning, which had damaged some...
Closer Than a Brother
I've got some really great friends. I don't see them nearly as often as I'd like, as most of my closest friends live far away. It stinks, but I'd rather have it this way than not have them in my life at all! Today, I pick up a friend at the airport who is coming to visit me from Iowa. We met through our kids about 16 years ago (gasp!), and since, we've become very close, also having the rare joy of our spouses joining in the friendship party! It's not often you find another couple with whom you can travel, and where all four people genuinely like all four people. Amen? I've been preparing for her arrival, and thinking of all the things I want to show her, since she's never been to...
New Song
Yesterday I had the privilege of helping host a shower to welcome a beautiful little two year old girl into a new world. Adopted from Ethiopia, she's settling into a new pace of life here in the U.S., with a set of parents who are head over heels for her, and obviously bowled over by their incredible blessing. It's a precious sight to see. When they got her, she was speaking her native language, so part of the process of acclimation has been learning the English words for the things she wants. She's picked up a lot very quickly (oh to have the uncluttered brain of a child...), easily understanding most everything you say or ask of her. But the cutest is when she tries the new words...
Fingerprints
I was in Target yesterday morning, when it happened. Standing there in the toy aisle, I was lost in the deliberation between the B. You Vet Clinic set, and the B. You. Water Tablet. I have a shower this afternoon to welcome a newly adopted little girl into our office family, so I was busy thinking about what she might like. There was a young mom, and her own little girl, on the aisle, too. I was so involved in looking at the toys, I hadn't noticed the little girl had climbed onto the end of my cart until her mom caught her there. "Olivia! Get down off that cart right now!! Oh, I'm SO sorry about this! Really, she is SO sorry to have disturbed your cart, and we're going to move away,...