Four Golden Girls Take the Hill Country

My friends Sally and Steve own a gorgeous historic home

in San Marcos.

It is filled with exquisite antiques which Sally purchased in

Belgium.

When Jack was sick, Sally, Joan, and Barbara

set up a plan whereby we would meet for lunch once a month.

It was a great break for me from the grinding routine of caregiving.
(I forgot one month, and when Sally called me from
the restaurant, I cried my eyes out.)

So...for this August we decided we would spend a few days

in San Marcos and have our lunch there! 

We divvied up the lovely bedrooms.
Sally's:

 and Sally's bathroom:

Barbara's:

and Barbara's bathroom:

This is the only picture I got from Joan's bedroom:

And none from mine, even though I got the best of all!
Mine was the attic room--very exciting!
I loved climbing the stairs every night into my own little
 (actually big!) corner of my own little world!
(In case you don't remember, HERE you can read about
what a loner independent spirit I am!)

Here are some more glimpses of the beauty of this home.

The living room:

Beautiful furnishings:

 

Here's Joan in the lovely sunroom in which we love to lounge!

And here are amazing sights we were blessed to see out the
back windows!

Be sure to click to make larger!
  A mother deer and two babies live in the back yard!

Speaking of sights, this is what greeted us one morning!

 That's Barbara on the fabulous front porch wearing one
of the wall decorations!
(See the historic marker on the wall behind?)

Now we agreed that when it comes to eating,
 "What happens in San Marcos, (and Gruene and Wimberley)
 stays in San Marcos, Gruene, and Wimberley!"
However, I just must show you a couple of items.

First, the world's most delicious cinnamon rolls.

I am not kidding or exaggerating!

These are worth a trip to San Marcos!  We LOVED them!!!

Second, I've been searching my world over for this:

Shay (Mix and Match Mama) had said this is the best 
ice cream ever!
I had driven all over Arlington and been unable to find it.
When we stopped at HEB in San Marcos I looked.
No Lemon Bliss.
The next day we stopped at a CVS in Wimberley 
where there was...
a Blue Bell delivery truck!
I raced in and
 tracked down the two nice delivery guys.  They told me 
that this is a seasonal item, in limited production, 
but that there just happened to be two pints left at a Pac 'n Sac
 less than five minutes away!
So...off we raced before someone else got them.
I bought both, then we had to go all the way back home
 to put them in the freezer.
It was so worth it!
I shared the first pint.  Sally twisted my arm into
 eating all of the second by my own little big self!!!
  I'll be looking forward to next summer for
Lemon Bliss!
I hope I don't have to drive to Wimberley for it!

We shopped, we talked, we laughed, we played cards, 
and we ATE the best food at all the best places!
Sally is definitely the "hostess with the mostest!"
And she sure knows the best restaurants in her neck of the woods! 

I'm so thankful for friends who helped bring me through
the rough times and 
who now help me create and enjoy the good times.


 

How Can This Not Be My Favorite Day?

Because today I saw the tomb where Jesus lay, and...

The round stone below is not the one that was rolled over
the door of the tomb of Jesus.
It is just a representation of how the stone
 might have looked. 

  And thank you, Sandy, for taking a picture of me
stepping from the sacred place where Jesus was buried.

We observed the ordinance of The Lord's Supper (communion)
 in this beautiful garden.

 
 We drank from small olive wood cups, which we were able
to bring home as a treasured souvenir.

(Just a little aside about those olive wood cups--
On the way to the airport in Tel Aviv, Yuval prepared us for
going through the departure process.
He told us that we would be asked if we had been given 
anything while in Israel.
We were to say that we had been given the cups and a map,
because the agents would know the tour company
would give us something.
There were three ladies from our group ahead of me in line,
and by the time I started to answer, "A cup and a map,"
the agent got all frustrated and said,
"I know!  Anything other than the cup and the map!"
But we made it through!) 

While we were in Israel, I would look at my fellow
travelers and say, "How are we going to describe
this place when we are asked how our trip was?"
I answered myself more than once that we would need a whole
 new vocabulary to do it justice. 
So...I feel I cannot adequately describe the awe
of seeing this place.


Low in the grave He lay, Jesus my Savior.
Waiting the coming day, Jesus my Lord.
Up from the grave He arose,
With a mighty triumph o'er His foes.
He arose a victor from the vast domain,
And He lives forever with His Saints to reign!
He arose! He arose!
Hallelujah, Christ arose!