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Kev..taken on the first cruise we
took together..in the
Baham |
(Well, I intended on posting this yesterday, on Halloween... so much for intentions!)
It's Halloween today and I am happy to say that even though it was a very early morning, taking guests to the airport, I feel very invigorated for two reasons... It was great having family here and getting to know my brother in law a lot better, but today is Kevin's and my anniversary of our first meeting. Eighteeen years ago today, I went to a "Booo-grass" festival near Houston in which my fiddle teacher recommended. I didn't know anyone but he assured me that it didn't matter...everyone in Texas is friendly and he had some personal friends who were in a band scheduled to play and I could just look them up. That I did... but it took all night and part of the next day! When it finally happened, though, there was an instant spark when Randy, the guitar player, introduced me to Kevin... a multi-instrumentalist which WOWED me from the moment I saw him. He has become my most adoring and loving husband. He said he knew the instant he saw me that he would marry me, but it took a little convincing and was the best thing that has ever happened to me!
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| At Threadgill's to see Air Cargo |
The first week that my sister was here, Kevin's band "Air Cargo" was playing at Threadgill's north, so she got to mingle with some of my friends and get a dose of where Kevin's passion lies. She said she really enjoyed it even though it's not her favorite genre of music. I knew that, but I also knew that she would enjoy the down home hospitality and atmosphere which Threadgill's gives in addition to my "southern" friends, complete with their accents. They had fun comparing stories and similarities. It's hard being a northerner in the south! I've adjusted and adapted, learning the lingo and can lay it on thick with the accent if provoked. Southern ladies are the best! I wasn't born here, but I got here as quick as I could!
During the first week that she was here, solo, we had some fun doing other things such as shopping at the outlets, frequenting Chuy's, of course, going to my calligraphy guild's study group to prepare for the Texas Book Fest and much, much more. She loves this restaurant called Pei Wei, which is not located in her area of upstate New York, so we went there and she was in "hog heaven".
Once her spouse arrived a few days later, the REAL fun began! KG (Gerard) is just a bucket of fun... so easy going and great to be around... he reminds me of someone I married. Kev and KG (his nickname is King Gerard because of a Renaissance Faire costume he has and has worn) got along like long, lost brothers. It's amazing how much they have in common! Almost scary! On the first weekend after he arrived, I had to work at my Calligraphy Guild's booth lettering names on bookmarks for the public as a fundraiser and it just so happened that it was a beautiful weekend and there was a "Gypsy Picnic Trailer Food Festival" at Auditorium shores that they wanted to check out. Since they have recently become Vegans, with some very good results in the way of their health, Cindy has wanted to find as many great recipes as she can to keep the diversity and interest in their culinary diets alive. KG says that if she weren't such a good cook, then he didn't think it would have been as easy, but he is very satisfied and will not detour from this way of life after almost a MIRACLE story in the way of his health! I am happy that it is working for him, and them. Cindy made some "choices' not to be Vegan ONLY when there was something that just could NOT be avoided.... going to Chuy's and having their Creamy Jalapeno Ranch dip with their chips was one of them. She, and I, just crave the stuff. Other than that, she was very good! I never knew that you could have "good" tasting Chocolate Cake made with Tofu as well as Tofu Chocolate Ghirardelli Pie. Not bad, actually! We tried eating much of the same stuff they did, but I have to keep up my weight and I think that it just isn't enough calories for a CFer, like me.
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| This Vegan food actually looks pretty appetizing! YUM! |
Every day, at the crack of dawn, KG would run on our hike and bike trail, which Kevin showed him all the routes, and then go for a bike ride and sometimes even then go for a long walk with Cindy later in the day! I was amazed at his energy level. It was hard for him to sit still and was a great help at cleaning up and making dinner, lunch, etc. We took him to Cabela's in Buda one day as he loves that place and then onto the San Marcos outlets. Talk about walking and walking! That place has really grown since the last time I was there. We had a good time and got a couple of good deals, at least.
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| Cindy and Chong doing Calligraphy |
As luck would have it, during their time here, KG's daughter in law and grandson were here visiting family in the Austin area. They live in California and planned this trip to Austin at the spur of the moment due to family illness... It was an unfortunate situation, but it was also nice to finally get to meet some more of KG's family. Chong and little Jake came over to our house for the day and Grandpa took Jake to the park while Chong, Cindy and I played with some calligraphy lessons at my breakfast table. Cindy had had lessons in the past and was just doing a refresher but Chong was really interested in learning the craft so she could perhaps work from home in the future doing calligraphy as a business. She sure did have potential. I just hope she has time and passion to keep it up! It's hard when you don't have support and a driving force behind you like our guild in Austin does.
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| GrandPa KG and Jake |
On the last day they were here, it was absolutely beautiful! They had never seen Zilker Gardens or the park so we drove to the city and walked around there for awhile. There were lots of photo op's and the weather couldn't have been a temperature higher or lower. It was just a perfect ending to a perfect visit!
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| At Zilker Botanical Gardens |
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At Zilker with the Austin
cityscape in the background |
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| Uncle Tony's Witches Brew! |
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| Turned out yummy! |
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| Boy, did they have a good time barking at everyone! |
