Sharing a Little Vacation...

On our way to Garner State Park this year we took a little detour to New Braunfels to Gruene Grind Coffee Company! This is the coffee shop that my sister just opened right down the road from Gruene Hall. I am so happy and proud for her...she has combined two of her favorite things in life...coffee and music.



I totally love the look of the place! Isn't it so cool?!



Aunt Pam was nice enough to come back up after closing hours to fix us all a drink. They were all yummy! I had the caramel latte cuz my sweet little daddy recommended it, plus I needed the caffeine for the trip, lol!



Can you see how proud my mom and dad are? They are loving their new jobs helping Pam in the shop! (I think they are anyway, haha!) Pam (aka Doodle) has always been the musical talent in the family and she can play any instrument. She took piano lessons as a child and first learned to play the guitar from a show that was on PBS when she was just three years old. My daddy played in a band when we were little and there was always music in our home. Mom told me that Pam and her friend Geri would be playing the next Saturday and asked if we would drive back in as a surprise. So, on Saturday, one week in to our vacation, we made the drive back and I'm so glad that we did. It was great to see my sister up there doing what she loves and does best!









When we arrived my mom was at the cash register taking orders and my dad was helping out making drinks and washing dishes. I offered to help but they told me no to just enjoy the moment but it quickly became apparent that they really needed my help. I got in the kitchen and started washing dishes while still enjoying the music. Daddy was rushing around waiting on customers, making drinks, helping my mom and trying to quickly train me on the specific way in which dishes were to be washed. They get washed, rinsed and then rinsed in bleach water for sterilization purposes and placed in a drain rack. Have they never heard of a dishwasher...I mean a mechanical dishwasher, lol?! While Daddy was out front I changed the wash water and the next time he was back in the kitchen he said, "Ewww, Winnie (my nickname)...that's too much soap." I said, "Don't worry Daddy...I won't work here long!" He was so funny! I was trying to dry some of the dishes to place back out on the counter and then my mom came back and said, "Oh, you can't dry the dishes...they have to drip dry." I said, "Well, how 'bout if I hide and dry them?" Are you getting the picture here? They are rule followers, I am a rule breaker, lol! We have had a lot of laughs about this whole thing getting off the ground. My mom says my dad is afraid of the cash register (it's a touch screen) and the espresso machine, my dad complains that mom won't let him just do what he is good at which is making smoothies! So, if you stop by and want a smoothie...he's your man, lol! Don't ask him to ring you up though!

An extra special surprise was when Doodle asked Jacque to share the stage with her and she accepted!



See that look of pride on Aunt Pam's face?



Thank you girls! You made my night!



Well, Gruene Grind was not the only fun we had on vacation. Garner is something we do every year and it's just always so nice to get away and relax and visit with friends on the best river in Texas. Although no one ever says this I am sure they are wondering why in the world we go back to the same place every year for vacation. There was a t-shirt in the gift shop one year that said "It's a Garner thing...you wouldn't understand" and if you have never been to Garner then you don't understand. It's just one of those traditions that if you don't continue it, your life just doesn't seem normal! The river, skies, stars, landscape are all just so beautiful! It is truly God's country! Can you blame us for going back every year?



One of the highlights of our stay are the annual frisbee football games (it's a Garner thing!) that the kids play. I love to go down to the pavilion and watch and take pictures but the games can get pretty intense. After a near face plant by Nick, Leighton almost running into a stone wall and August diving as if he were on the football field I suggested that they play down in the grassy area instead of on the dance floor. Leighton let me know that it wouldn't be the same there because of all the people who hang around just to watch them. It is true...they draw quite the audience! and I get great shots like these:



















A couple pics of our campsite...and wow, we had a trailer this year!



This is my all time favorite piece of camping gear. David made it from a sink that was tossed in the trash. It makes washing dishes so much easier!



At night we head on down to the pavilion to dance under the beautiful starry Texas skies!





The annual tree picture



No trip is ever complete without stopping at Neal's for a home cooked meal...



Shopping at The Dry Fifty...



Taking pics at some of the hot spots...







and this year we added a stop...pig shopping on the way back home! Check out their plastic boots, ha!



It was another great year even though some friends and our oldest baby girl were missing...hopefully next year they will be able to join us again!

Hope you are all enjoying your summer too!

Where I've Been...

We are back from our annual sojourn at Garner State Park. We had a great time but it's always good to be home. It was very hot this year and the Frio River was not even enough to cool us down. The drought that the area is experiencing is considered to be the worst ever on record. Haven't had much time to catch the news since we got home but I am hoping that the area got some much needed rain as we did.

One of the first things that we did upon returning was head to the barn to check on our animals. My friend, Christy had told me that our Momma Cat at the barn had been attacked by a pit bull and had been missing for three days. Can you believe that a parent would be foolish enough to bring a dog to the barn knowing that there is a Momma Cat and her kittens there? I am just appalled that someone would be so thoughtless. I retrieved my keys from Christy, fed our animals and went home. A few hours later Christy called to tell me that she had found Momma Cat and that she was pretty tore up. She asked me to come back to the barn to have a look at her. Bless her little heart...she had been hiding amongst some wheelbarrows. She was extremely dehydrated and was dragging her back legs. She had a wound on her bottom which had become infested with fly larvae (I can't bring myself to type the "M" word!) We gave her some water and Christy felt like she was beyond helping and thought that we should have her put to sleep. I said, "Now, wait a minute...maybe Rusty can fix her up." Rusty is our vet friend in Nome and if anyone could save her, he was our man. She called Rusty while I called August and Leighton to come up and help us with her. August and Leighton washed out her wound and flushed it with iodine and peroxide and gave her water. Rusty told us to take her home and keep her cool and try to get some antibiotics in her and to bring her out in the morning. Poor little momma cat...when we brought the kennel out she tried to crawl right in as if she knew we were trying to help her.

Do you remember Momma Cat? I have blogged about her before...



She seemed to rest peacefully yesterday and I actually held out some hope that she would be able to pull through. Even though she was unable to walk I knew that she still had feeling in her legs. I loaded her up in my van today and headed to Nome and the news was not good. Rusty said that her rectum was completely torn out and that the best thing would be to put her to sleep. Oh, it just broke my heart! I stayed with her through the procedure and tried to reassure her that she had been loved.

I know all of this may seem so silly...afterall, she was only a barn cat. But, I am, and will always be an animal lover. Blame it on Miss Twiggley's Tree, a favorite childhood story of mine. I had aspirations of my own to live in a tree house and rescue stray dogs. Or perhaps it was my Pappy telling me about the farm he would have some day...I just wish that the person who thought it was a good idea to bring a pit bull to the barn (and apparently without a leash) would have realized that it was not a good idea at all before this had to happen. I would like to snatch their heads off right about now!

My two sweet sons buried her at the barn tonight...I have the best kids ever!

Feeling very sad tonight ...