We know that we have been incredibly blessed by this trip. We are focused on gratitude and the abundance of it all. That being said – we are struggling with the end drawing near.

We said good-bye to New Orleans and headed for the Gulf Coast of Florida. Just a week ago we weren’t sure if Tropical Storm Lee would deter us from putting our feet in the white sands of the Gulf. Sunshine, pleasant temps, delicious seafood, sunsets over the water and never ceasing waves won out …….. and we give thanks!

 

 

The water was perfect – no jellyfish and no seaweed. We all enjoyed the mesmerizing ebb and flow of the Gulf and constant breezes. Griffin and Beck had so much fun waging a war with the waves on a tiny raft. It was nice to begin to close out the trip with such inspirational beach scenery.

 

We were celebrating a big birthday for my dad and six months of health following the kidney transplant.

My brother Mike was supposed to join us at the beach. He just relocated to West Palm Beach with a new job in solar and wind energy so he couldn’t make it. He was very missed but we toasted him, his new job and his great health!

 

After leaving the beach we headed to Birmingham. The birthday celebration continued with another festive night out and scrumptious meal. We also spent time relaxing and visiting with old and very treasured friends.

 

I was very lucky to be granted a meeting with the Alabama Kidney Foundation. They are writing a feature article that will highlight our transplant journey and kidney health. It will be published in their December newsletter. The other exciting news is that they have also invited me to partner with them and present a session during their upcoming November conference. I have so much passion for this cause and want to educate and inspire others!

The time finally came to pack up and with little breathing room we turned The Green Lantern toward Knoxville, Tennessee!

 

I have to admit that a part of me was dreading the visit to New Orleans because I know firsthand how miserably hot and humid it is this time of year. Then Tropical Storm Lee came into the picture and we weren’t sure if we’d be able to go. Ends up Lee moved on and left behind absolutely gorgeous weather in the bayou. There was no humidity, plentiful sunshine, breezes and high 70’s.It was glorious and perfect.

Our friends Malcolm and Gina were gracious enough to invite us to stay in the downstairs apartment in their home. So we canceled the hotel reservations and headed for Esplanade Drive. They live in such a great area and their home is decorated with special artwork. beads, trinkets and special mementos with a true New Orleans feel. It gave us a great dose of quality time with Gina, Sadie and Mac (we left Malcolm working out of town in San Antonio).

Our first night we headed out to a local restaurant by the lake to meet old friends. Griffin and Beck had their first experience with soft shell crab. We dined by the lake and appreciated being in a special city.

I went to college a few hours from New Orleans so I was blessed to experience the culture, food and spirit city many times. Scott and I returned several years after we began to date to meet friends at the Jazz and Heritage Festival. It was a new experience for both of us to have the kids with us and do more of a true “tourist” visit.

We spent the next day in the French Quarter. We had such a great time. The kids loved it. We ate traditional Cajun lunch followed by beignets at Cafe Du Monde. The musicians serenaded us on many street corners. Some playing solo-others in organized bands.

We went to the Presbytere Museum to view exhibits on Katrina and Mardi Gras. The Katrina exhibit was moving. The spirit and resilience of New Orleans is like no other place/people I know. Their experience through Katrina really embodied the Desmond Tutu quote that we love “Even at the end of our very worst day it’s in our DNA to take care of our brothers and sisters.” Their stories were inspiring,…..the struggles HUGE. It was a celebration to visit six years after Katrina and see the city in such great shape. It had the same vivid colors and vibrant energy that it did on our previous visit nine years ago. The Mardi Gras exhibit was fun and a nice contrast.

We bought a painting from an artist in Jackson Square. We have named her “Green Angel.” Once we return home come check her out. The artist, Renee Perez, was full of joy and truly honored by our purchase. She is lively and will help us keep our trip visually alive.

Malcolm and Gina live near City Park. We embraced the beautiful weather by spending some time in the park. There are the most incredible large wind chimes hanging in one of the old, beautiful trees. The sound was so beautiful and mesmerizing that I made a recording of them on my phone. I look forward to the peaceful, auditory escape they will bring my way once home. The boys had fun playing football and we all gave thanks for the day and its blessings.

On Thursday, I was lucky to spend a “girls’ day” with Gina. She took me on a tour of New Orleans consignment shops and we ate a scrumptious lunch at Cowbell. It was great to have hours of “girl talk” and bargain hunting. Scott and the boys rode a streetcar, bought collectible pins at Hard Rock New Orleans and tooled around the city. They ate at Stein Market and Deli, voted best deli in New Orleans three years running and they loved their sandwiches.

That night was the opening New Orleans Saints NFL game and the entire city seemd electrified and ready to cheer their team to victory! We gathered in Old Metarie with special friends from college. The time together was a treasure. It’s amazing to hug old friends and realize you’ve been a part of each others’ lives for decades. It is also great for old friends to get a chance to know your children. Griffin and Beck were a hit when they walked in the door carrying a king cake (thanks, Gina) and ready to “tune into” football. Although the Saints lost, the evening was an ABSOLUTE winner with all of us.

The next day we packed up and headed to Perdido Key, Florida. Both Griffin and Beck made comments about wishing they could stay in the bayou longer. When we asked them why they loved New Orleans they said, “We like everything. We guess it’s just the overall vibe.” Well said!

 

We arrived in Austin on a hot, hot afternoon and checked into our hotel. Being that it was the starting weekend for college football and the other UT was playing in town for their home opener it was a crowded place.

That night we found the famous Threadgill’s restaurant and music venue was within walking distance and we decided to go there to eat. Their motto is “home cooking” with such favorites as chicken fried chicken, steak and pork chops as well as all the sides. A teachable moment occurred at dinner when Griffin asked “do you get free refills of beer just like with cokes?” Everyone enjoyed the meal and afterwards we decided to walk across the South Congress bridge to downtown for some adventure. Under the bridge lives what is said to be the largest colony of urban bats in the U. S., which fly out at dusk. It was too late to see them but we did smell them-if you know what I mean. We walked around downtown for a few blocks and then headed back to the hotel.

The big day had finally arrived, the one Griffin had been waiting months for, Tennessee’s home opener. We had the fortune of getting connected with a Tennessee Alum, Andy Potter, who runs Austin Food Tours. If you are ever in town give him a call and explore Austin food from a local. Anyway, we found out that a Tennessee alumni group was watching the game at a restaurant, the Cedar Door, not far from our hotel. So we were all happy about that arrangement.

But before all that, first thing Saturday morning Angie headed out to the City Garage Sale, something she had heard about in a consignment shop in San Antonio. It was a few blocks from the hotel and she ended up finding some “treasures”.  She also brought back some sushi from a well known food truck for lunch, Sushi-a-Go-Go. We then decided to head out to the area known as SoCo, meaning South Congress. It is filled with shops, restaurants, bars, music venues, food trucks and some sidewalk arts and crafts sales. It was smoking hot but we managed to hang out for a couple of hours, ate some Amy’s ice cream, listened to a street musician, bought some trinkets and generally browsed a number of shops. We then headed back to get ready for the game.

We dropped Angie off to go do some window shopping as the boys and I headed to watch the game. We arrived, found a table, met the other fans and waited for the game only to discover a weather delay. Then an hour and half later as Angie arrived the game started and we got to watch the opening game with other UT alumni and fans. We ate and then said our goodbyes as the third quarter ended. We listened to the end of the game at the hotel on the computer. With the Vols winning  and our other adventures Saturday was a good day.

Angie started the day at a local park and trail. She was able to “move and groove” for a few miles on a shaded trail that traced the river’s edge.

On Sunday, we had planned on going to Barton Springs, which is a natural spring located close to downtown within Zilker Park, a large city park. As we arrived and parked to walk to the springs, we felt like we were in a sand storm because of the hot, dry wind whipping up the dust from the drought that Texas is enduring. The springs are one of the places that people love to hang out with friends and family. Since they are natural springs the water temperature is around 68 degrees year-round so no easing in here, you just gotta suck it up and jump in and boy is it brisk on your initial entry. It is kind of weird because there is algae, water plants and fish all around you, it is like in a natural swimming pool.

Afterwards, we headed to get a small bite to eat and found a food truck that had been recommended-Torchy’s Tacos. They had some of the best food we had in Austin and we wished we had eaten more – from the queso to the different types of tacos. That evening we had heard about a free concert on the lawn a short walk from our hotel. The band Grupo Fantasma, a well known Austin Latin Funk group, rocked the house as the boys played an impromptu game of football with some local kids. After the concert we went to a local burger bar called Hopdoddy for a burger, some fries and a milkshake, it was very good and then we headed home.

On Monday, we shopped at the flagship Whole Foods store, Waterloo Records and the surrounding area before heading to Lafayette. We discovered some important words of wisdom on a store.  So, breathe and relax – your health depends on it!

As we headed south of Austin toward Houston,  some of the Texas wildfires were in our view as huge plumes of smoke filled the skies. In fact, near Houston the smoke almost blotted out the sun. Today, wildfires still rage in Texas and many homes have been lost so let us remember those in harm’s way. They need our prayers and RAIN DANCES!

All in all Austin was a very good adventure and we would like to return at some point for more exploring but the 100 degree temps and hot winds really put a damper on the outside exploration.

by Griffin and Beck

The drive from Carlsbad to San Antonio was a long one. Being the expert travelers that we are, it didn’t really feel that long. We ate blizzards around mid-day at Dairy Queen, that was about it. Beck and I passed the time by doing schoolwork, playing on the game cube and enjoying the scenery.

When we arrived in San Antonio we visited the Hard Rock Cafe on the Riverwalk. Beck and I enjoy collecting pins from Hard Rock’s we get to visit. As the Hard Rock says, I guess we’re “pinheads.”

 

The next day we went to El Mercado (The Market) which is a famous plaza and market place. As we have discovered along this trip “famous” can sometimes translate into “touristy” such as with Fisherman’s Wharf in San Fransisco. This time, however, it was a Hispanic touristy place which sounds weird but it was also fun. Dad, Beck and I found our very own keepsakes from the market place!

I am El Trueno Naranja (The Orange Thunder), Dad is Te Grande (Big T), and Beck is El Hombre Pequenio Paquete de un Golpe (Little Man Packs a Punch).

There was also a museum at the El Mercado, (the MuseoAlameda) the only Smithsonian related museum outside of Washington D.C.  It had lots of cool Hispanic art.

That night we went down to the Riverwalk to take a tour of the river by boat. It was a nice way to get to experience and learn about the city. We floated down the river as the guide told us about the city and showed us some optical illusions. Then we ate at a nice restaurant called Casa Rio.

   

When we woke up for our second day in San Antonio we said goodbye to mom as we split ways. The three amigos made our way to the Alamo. We visited the shrine and walked around the inside of the fortress. It was a neat experience and we were able to nod our heads and say, “Davy Crockett is pretty popular here, but of course he is from Tennessee.” You might not be surprised to know mom went to find some consignment stores in the city.

 

That night we met an old friend of my parents’ fresh out of college days. He took us to a restaurant that he liked, and we had fun just chatting and laughing and I really enjoyed hearing him and my parents exchange stories.

The next day we headed north toward Gruene, TX (pronounced Green). As we arrived we pulled up to Rockin’ R Toobin on the Guadalupe River. It was a beautiful day. We decided it was an awesome way to welcome in September. We floated for a couple of hours and enjoyed ourselves. We saw plenty of turtles, fish and some deer along the way. We ate lunch and shopped around Gruene. Dad was excited to visit the famous Gruene Hall (famous for music). Mom and Dad both got vintage cowboy boots for a great price at an antique store.

 

We headed out the next day for Austin.

by Angie

Hot, hot, hot, hot…..did I say hot? The temps were 100+ while we were in Texas. It is sad that the state is enduring such a drought. I did make an observation that there was a correlation between increasing temperature and decreasing patience/tolerance. I think subconsciously and literally we have made the turn toward home. Although that brings blessings it also brings some sadness. As we tried to stay hydrated I encouraged a spirit of “This is the day the Lord has made, let us be glad and rejoice.”

Griffin and Beck have had their own money to spend on this trip. They have been very intentional and reserved in their spending. On their own they decided to buy t-shirts at Hard Rock that benefited the relief efforts in Japan. They were proud that 75% of the t-shirt cost went to the relief effort. I was proud that they were jazzed to spend their own money in support of others in need!

Overall, I appreciated the architecture, culture and history of San Antonio. We loved, loved, loved being with our old friend Malcolm again! Anytime that you get to spend with “faraway treasured friends” is a true gift! We explained to the boys about the ebb and flow of relationships in life. There are people you love and have to “let go” due to logistics. You welcome them back into your presence with open arms at anytime. The rest of that life theory is that you have to let some people go to embrace the people that are right in front of you. It all works – in ebb and flow.

Floating down the Guadalupe River was fun and I was celebrating that we encountered NO SNAKES!!! As we welcomed September I reflected on the truth that it really doesn’t matter where we are, what we’re doing, where we are sleeping, what we are eating….what matters is that we are together…spending quality, engaged time together. When we get home the spaciousness of our home, our separate spheres of interests, various demands on us and other people will drive tiny wedges into our state of togetherness. That is life. We will continue to intentionally carve our family time together it just won’t be as incredible as it has been for months on this once-in-a-lifetime journey!!!

Austin, here we come!

Dateline Roswell,NM-July 1947

Imagine being a sheep rancher on rounds and discovering a debris field of a flying craft made of material you have never seen before. You pick up some of the items and take them to the sheriff who then calls in soldiers from the local airbase. You then find yourself  held for five days and interrogated without being able to contact anyone. Well that is exactly what happened in July 1947 in Roswell, NM, as the boys and I discovered at the International UFO Museum and Research Center.

This center has replicas of UFO’s and materials found at the site, newspapers, gov’t and local accounts of the “crash”.  The story is that a UFO crashed and a cover-up then ensued to keep the public from knowing what happened.  Supposedly there were alien bodies and one survivor. We do not know what happened because we were not present but we all decided that with the material and circumstantial evidence something occurred that the government did not want the public to know about. Was it a UFO? Was it a weather balloon as the government claimed? Or was it something else? We don’t know but we do believe in Roswell 1947!

Our next adventure was under the ground in the Carlsbad Caverns.  These caverns were developed 250-280 million years ago by an inland sea and carved out by sulfuric acid. We decided to do the natural walk entrance to the cavern versus taking the elevator down to the bottom. The “walk” into the cave is 1.25 miles down a steep path, it is the equivalent to dropping 75 stories to the bottom or “big room”.  This cavern also is home to 300,000-1,000,000 bats who fly out in search of food at dusk.  As we entered the cave, Angie, who does not have a passion for bats, was very distressed at the site and sound of bats and of Beck pointing out guano glowing on the rocks. But she put her “big girl pants” on and powered on through for the good of the team.

As we descended we saw all types of formations and when we reached the bottom,we walked a one mile trail around the “big room” looking at the bottomless pit, the giants, mirror lake and other out of this world formations. When we finished we did ride the elevator back up the 750 feet to the top. This was a cool experience (literally-56 degrees)  to go from the desert above to the bowels of the earth. As Beck said it is amazing that  they say the wonders of the worlds are man-made when the “real” wonders are God’s earth.