A grab bag of stuff

Well, obviously I am back from San Antonio.   In the two weeks since we returned I cleaned my downstairs carpets, planned a fabulous joint Mutual activity, finished the final two of thirteen Halloween costumes, babysat Simi and the Reed boys and read a good book.  Obviously, some of these activities are more interesting than others, so we'll just hit the high points...

As always, San Antonio is a great place to visit.  Bill went to attend the Emerson Global User's Exchange and I went to party.  He stayed downtown, on the river walk, where his meetings and activities were held.  I stayed with Emily, Eric and the girls.  This made sense until I heard how Liv explained the arrangements to her kindergarten teacher who we met at Beefy's Backyard BBQ.  Introductions being made, the teacher commented, "Yes, Liv told me that her Grandma and Papa were visiting from California and that her Grandma was staying at her house and her Papa was sleeping at a hotel."  It's not as sad as it sounds.  We let him visit a couple of days.

A short pictorial of our trip...

 

We ate at a very good restaurant, "La Gloria," at the end of the new river walk annex which winds past the art museum and the newly gentrified Pearl Brewery.  Lots of fun statuary and colorful, hanging  fish which glow at night.  Also, a bat flight every evening.  What more could you want?

 

After a beautiful evening walk, Bill took the water taxi back to his hotel and we returned to the 'burbs.

The ever fabulous Mi Tierra restaurant and bakery.  There is always kind of a food theme which runs through any gathering of Reeds.

What trip to SA would be complete without a visit to Fort Sam Houston to salute our men in uniform and feed the deer?

 

Perhaps the most fun was at the "Kindy 500," an annual event at Johnson Ranch Elementary School where all of the kindergartners parade in homemade vehicles.  Emily and I were quite proud of Liv's Pet Rescue truck until we saw the military jet and biplane.  Let me tell you...there were some parents who really had their egos laid out on the line.  And I thought science fairs were bad!

Moving on to Halloween costumes...

This year I did all or parts of 13 costumes.  They were, in no particular order, a ninja, a skunk, a penguin, Woody and Jessie from Toy Story, two eighties punk rockers, Nacho Libre, a bunny, a monkey, a fifties girl, a cow girl and the tooth fairy.  I am looking forward to getting photos of the big night...that's my payoff!

While in SA I finished reading "The House at Riverton," by Kate Morton.  This was the book she wrote just before "The Forgotten Garden" which many of us have loved, loved loved!  Riverton was an entertaining read.  To paraphrase Karrie Bunting, if I had read it first I would have said it was a great book.  But...having already read Forgotten Garden, I will have to call it very good.  Morton just keeps getting better.  She is a genius at leaving little crumbs of secrets for us to follow and unravel.

Since returning home, I have read "The Book Thief," by Maurice Zusak.  I know that most people read this book two or three years ago when it was first published, but I hate to be on the cutting edge of anything.  I have complex feelings about this book.  It is referred to by many critics as an "important" book.  Personally, I felt like it became a little bogged down by self-importance.  BUT...I enjoyed it and would recommend it.  Especially the last 100 pages which became quite emotional for me in places.  Again to paraphrase--this time Emily White--I suspect that I would find Zusak to be irritating in person.  I read an interview with him where he was asked to comment on his multitude of unique descriptive phrases.  He responded that it is his goal to leave at least one little jewel of a description on every page.  I felt like he brushed right up against making the words more important than the story at times.  BUT...when he pays attention to the story... it is an interesting, satisfying and truly original read.

In my "to read" pile on my bedside table I have "Portobello," by Ruth Rendell, "Belong to Me," by Marisa de los Santos (recommended by Emily and ordered that day on half.com.  She never steers me wrong.), "Busy Body," by M.C. Beaton and "Christmas at the Mysterious Bookshop," a collection of short stories by well-known authors.  I'll let you know if any of them pan out...