Candy on Congress

One of my favorite ways to spend a day is being a tourist in my own city. I love unique and funky things so the flavor of the day was Austin's South Congress Avenue.

Austin accommodates pets

Cute Meter

Big Top Candy Store.....

Sights along the way....

Hmmmm......

This lovely costumed zebra is listed in Roadside America's online guide for unique attractions and oddities...

Inside the costume store....

More sights....

As gaudy as it is I LOVE this owl necklace

And last but not least, Ole Willie sitting on the corner of Lavaca and W. 2nd Street....

I'm getting pretty excited about our first beach trip of the year. We had SUCH a good time last trip I'm hopeful this one will be just as much fun.....

City of the Dead

This morning Robin and I took a little field trip to a nearby cemetery. Robin embraces everything about history. Me? Not so much in the way that I care about who did what but more in a way of how people
lived.

For example: It doesn't really interest me that George Washington was the first president of the U.S. or that he was born in Virginia (useless facts) but it is interesting that he had wooden teeth and chopped down a cherry tree....yes, I am aware that our first president most likely did not have "wooden" teeth nor actually chop down a cherry tree...you get the idea though.

At the New Sweden Cemetery we spent time walking around reading the headstones....

New Sweden Lutheran Church.....

After our "tour" Robin treated me to iced tea, chocolate cake and friendly conversation at a local cafe. It was a nice morning.

Grilled Cheese

With Mother's Day quickly approaching I am reminded - thanks to holiday commercialism -  of my own mother who passed away a little over a decade ago at the young age of 60.

It seems the longer she is gone - or maybe as I age and experience the highs and lows of being a mother - the more I appreciate and miss her.

The other day I made Skye a grilled cheese sandwich for a snack. As I was making the sandwich it brought me back to a childhood memory.

Unlike myself, my mother was really good at keeping her emotions in check. Not that she didn't wear her feelings on her sleeve but  she was never prone to explode like a stick of dynamite like I have a tendency to do. I'm volatile and easily provoked. Mom had to be pushed to the far edge before she melted down. I'm sure she can thank her Catholic upbringing for her manners.

Anyway,  I can remember one night when I was around 6 or 7 years of age my mother had a major meltdown. She had made grilled cheese sandwiches for dinner and I apparently had an issue with the grilled cheese sandwich. I really have no recollection of what the matter was other than it had to do with the sandwich.

My mother totally blew up on me and sent me to bed for the night. All I remember is lying there in the dark in my bed crying my eyes out that my mother that I loved so much was really mad at me.

After what seemed like hours she eventually came into my room with a coat on full of apologies and tears in her eyes.. I'm assuming the coat must have meant that she had fled for a little while to gather herself.

All I knew at the time is that my mother had forgiven me for whatever infraction I had committed earlier that night.

As I made Sky's grilled cheese I had the realization that emotional night had absolutely nothing to do with grilled cheese or with me. It took me over 40 years to make the realization.

If I could talk to my mom now, I would say..."Mom, I understand."

I was going  to post a pic of me an my mother and realized that other than the pics of my mother holding me as a baby I have no pics of  the two of us together. How sad....

Anyway, HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY MOM!!...wherever you are...or wherever I am....

Austin - Zilker Botanical Gardens

Lucky Star

For the past few weeks we have been dodging rain on our "weekends" so our weekly outings have been hit and miss. It's been either rainy or too cool and windy for my taste for outdoor activities. Although I am grateful for the much needed rain in our area, I do know  there is a very short window of springtime weather to enjoy outdoor activities before the extreme Texas heat takes over the next several months.

Despite my innate need to explore the world around me I took on the gratitude attitude and focused on what I could do instead of what I couldn't do.

Recently on my morning runs with Bo I have admired the blooming wildflowers. This morning I decided to take my camera along.....

Starting my morning off with an attitude of gratitude continued on throughout the day. I couldn't help taking pics of everything that sparked my grateful soul.....

A Dad and Husband who's is ALWAYS there when we need him......

Being silly with Skye............

My Antique Rose that was given to me....even though I have no earthly idea what an "Antique Rose" is I am very grateful that it is blooming....

Friends, no matter how annoying they may be at times....

Lowe's garden clearance section....

An absolutely beautiful double rainbow at the end of an afternoon rain shower....

Beauty is Simple to Find.

Picnic in the Park

A few weeks a go I came across a website or an article or something, I can't remember now,  that gave a list of the most haunted places in Texas. Always intrigued by the paranormal I scanned the Austin area to see if there were any sites in our area that we could make a day trip out of.

One listed was The Driskill, which we have been to several times and never seen anything out of the ordinary. 

The next one that caught my attention was the Moore's Bridge at Richard Moya Park. I like bridges and parks.

The legend states in the early 1900's a man was caught having a relationship with a black woman and was hung from the bridge. Supposed apparitions have been spotted around the bridge over the years. If you click on the Moore's Bridge link in the above paragraph you can read the whole story.

As usual, we didn't see any apparitions but we did enjoy our day at the park...

Playing in the creek....

Skipping rocks

I do believe Skye's favorite part of the day was hunting and eating the pecans that had fallen from the numerous Pecan trees around the park.....

Lunchtime...

Other random pics....