Saturday Night Birthday in Helotes

Elena made a two-tiered chocolate cake and Nathan made brownies.  The horses were out when I arrived,  so Elena ran to open the gate while Nathan stayed inside so he could greet me as the Mexican cowboy he's going to be for Halloween--just waiting for the mustache and shirt like Papa's to make his costume complete. 

Elena is going to be a giant squid.

Dinner on the porch at sunset, cake and brownies for dessert, lots of show and tell, a beautiful present from Filandia, Columbia, a colorful woven vest--it was a very happy birthday celebration! 

Elena's newest venture is making and selling earrings for a recent Market Days. (I bought four pair.) Nathan is raising a new pig, competing with his band on Saturday, and making all A's in high school.  

Thank you to my precious Texas Family for royally celebrating my 74th birthday!

Birthday Party #2

Last night Lorraine and Jan and I went to Pharm Table for dinner--a wonderful place to sit outside and enjoy healthy delicious food!  Then we came back here to continue the conversations in the casita.  

Here you can see the adorable Carma and her cute human a sari skirt, Jan. (Lorraine was reluctant to have her picture taken at the moment I was snapping my iPhone camera--but she was equally adorable!)

Lorraine asked one of the best possible questions,  "What are you  both doing to feed your creative spirits?"

Jan's been teaching herself watercolor--making impressive strides and beautiful fruits and vegetables on the page.  Also doing gel prints on fabrics and t-shirts--two of which I now own and love wearing. 

Lorraine is acting in plays and we both think she's a natural.  We ask her for monologues every time and we're in awe of her ability to switch voices and gestures and become somebody else. 

I showed them my baby armature for spirit boxes I made yesterday.  So far the two I've made are only gel-prints wrapped around the basic shapes, but it's a start. 

Now Lorraine's considering asking Janet if she can find a dog for her: "A cross between Luci and Carma." 

Birthday party #1

A big thanks to Kate and Charlotte and Janet for a wonderful birthday celebration at Kate's today.  Kate made butterbeans and cornbread and Charlotte made chocolate cake and we had loops and spirals of conversations.  Three beautiful women sang to me and had the generosity to make me have to blow out only one candle! 

Courage

Two friends in their seventies are doing something brave.  One is in the process of having her beautiful Indiana house unpacked for moving, leaving behind much that will not fit into her San Antonio condo.  It must be incredibly stressful to make the choices, what to do take, what to sell or give away!  After it's all done, she will be driving here alone, except for her cat. 

Another friend moved to The Netherlands in September. Barbel sold all her furniture, home decor and collections before she left Albuquerque, taking only the basics (clothes and art supplies) to live with the man she loves.  She doesn't  speak the language--yet--but I predict she will learn it soon.  When she moved to America from Germany as a young woman, she didn't know English--but she's very proficient in language and adventuring.   She came to Texas with no friends or family; she left with a huge circle of friends in San Antonio, Alpine, and Albuquerque! 

And I thought a cross-country trip with a tiny dog, hurting feet and a heavy heart was stressful!  

Woo-Hoo, Nellie!

Nellie is a professional artist and retired art professor.  She was the one who first inspired me to do collage and I'm always intrigued by her work.

We both love the work and classes of Lyn Belisle.  Since Lyn lives in San Antonio, I've been lucky enough to take two of her in-person classes.  But her online classes are equally wonderful.  She's generous and precise in her instructions and even a novice like me can can follow along and make good stuff.

Before I left on my trip, both Nellie and I signed up for Lyn's class, The Secrets of Spirit Boxes.  This is a photo of a Cloth, Paper, Scissors magazine featuring her work and an article she wrote about spirit boxes.  

While I've only gotten through the first three lessons, Nellie has made several--and she gave me permission to post these photos:

As you can see, she's made clay faces and adorned her pieces with sticks and clay and handmade papers.  

Here is a close up of one of them--spectacular!

The "secret" in the title refers to the fact that each doll is backed with an altered Altoids box to hold secrets messages or gifts or whatever.

I'm inspired by Nellie's dolls.  As soon as I get properly unpacked and wash the car and the dog, I am going to get started.  

Some highlights of the last two weeks

Carlene turned 97, August 24th.
Part of this trip was intended as a belated birthday party

 

Nellie (who so generously offered to fly to Atlanta and drive me home after the accident)
 sent this picture of us taken in Lawrenceville
more than 20 years ago. We both look exactly the same today,
of course!
In this Christmas picture we were re-uniting after many years--since our1966
graduation from high school.  

Luci and I sitting on the Harris Greenway Trailhead monument at Tribble Mill Park--
a new addition since I was there last. Named after my daddy, Lloyd Harris would absolutely love this
park and seeing so many walkers, runners and dogs enjoying it!  
I can't think of a better legacy for a man who loved the beautiful outdoors. 

Carlene is in love with Luci-
and I think it's a mutual admiration thing.

Luci in Rose's lap (Rose my niece), then my nephew Micah, and Nana
At our pizza lunch in Ellijay

3309 miles from doorstep to doorstep--with some meandering miles while there--and we are now home.  I don't care to see the inside of a car for at least a week!  

Driving to Texas on Day's birthday

This is the last night of my last solo road trip for a very long time. We finally found a pet-friendly room in Palestine, Texas with 230 miles to go tomorrow.  I could have found one sooner if I'd stayed on Interstate 20, but I was determined to get away from the steady stream of 18-wheelers, the sun in my eyes. 

An accident a couple of weeks ago changed the trajectory of the visit. Almost all  plans were upended dealing with the after-effects.  It was hard to leave, but it's time to get back home.  I plan to spend a week recovering.

Luci and I stopped at the cemetery where my daddy was buried twenty years ago. He's So Everywhere for me, but he's not there.  Even so....

Then Will called to wish me a happy birthday.  I was sad about leaving Carlene.  I was sad about the trip going on an unexpected series of tangents.  

Will said, "Being on the road will help, Mama.  It always does."

At our first stop in Alabama yesterday, I heard a conversation that tapped into my sadness.  A customer in a hoodie said to a clerk,  "I tell you one thing I'm proud of.  I raised a good man.  When I see him in the morning, I think 'I just put you to bed a baby and you woke up a man.  I didn't get a chance to say good-bye to my baby.'"

I walked to the car and she followed me out.  She was a small Black woman in her forties.  "Oh, Mama, you so pretty!" she said to me.  Me--tousled and puffy-eyed and sloppily dressed! 

I thanked her for an uplifting compliment on my birthday and  told her I had overheard her story about her son and was moved by it. 

"Your birthday?" she said, leaning in to the car.  "Can I hug you?"

So there we were in a parking lot, a young trucker hugging the haggard 74 year old with miles to go before she sleeps.  

She warned me about driving.  "They is a lot of crazy people on the road.  If you see someone acting crazy, just hold back.  Get home safe."

That cheered me for quite a few miles!

Claire and Xander's wedding in Georgia

Betty--my dear friend since kindergarten--gave Claire the most beautiful wedding!  I will post more pictures as soon as I get my iCloud settings adjusted, but here they are on the day of their rehearsal.

They are clearly in love--Claire the spirited outgoing and bossy bride (I love her!) and Xander, shy and smart and good!  

There are many stories to tell about the perfect wedding--after threats of having to change the venue due to the storm--but I'll keep this midnight post short for now and add on later.

They were married at the farm of their uncles, Deron and David, and Deron was the officiant.  The farm is lusciously landscaped by David.  

Their first dance as a married couple was, 'Will you still love me when I'm sixty four,' and I'm sure he will and she will.  Their love for each other was the brightest light of the day!