Hi, ho, hi, ho. Home again@

I’m back, with apologies for the hiatus. I’ve been in Tomball visiting Colin, my oldest son, and his wonderful family. Jacob went with me to play and hang out with his cousins Morgan, almost twelve, and Kegan, nine. They swam and fished, swam and fished, swam and fished. Jacob caught the most—five fish, including a catfish, first caught in the lake by anyone in our circle. The kids also made s’mores over an open fire, had a water balloon fight, ate snow cones, jumped on the trampoline, went to a movie, went to Top Golf, made their own pizzas and sundaes, and did a thousand other things I can’t think of right now. Aunt Lisa was Camp Tomball Director, and she kept them busy and happy. Last night I asked Jacob if he wanted to go home or stay there, and he said he wanted to stay there the rest of his life.
I should explain. Colin and Lisa live in the country, down a skinny gravel road, outside Tomball. They have a ‘50s moderne house on about three acres with wonderful landscaping that’s been in place long enough to mature, a  small lake (or large pond), and new this year, a wonderful swimming pool.
I also took Sophie, and all three grandkids were good about walking her, and she herself was good as gold—got along with their shepherd mix (even though they ate each other’s food). She slept all night—sometimes on the couch, which was verboten—didn’t mess in the house, was just generally well behaved. And she loved the company, pitched a fit the couple of times we went out and left her.
My days fell into a wonderful pattern. I set up an office at the end of the dining table where I could look to the left at the swimming pool and straight ahead at the lake. I worked at my computer until lunch, read a bit after lunch, napped, and before I knew it, it was dinner time. My favorite time of the day came after supper when we took wine down to the lake and sat enjoying the company, the place, our world in general.

Colin worked hard, building makeshift ramps, etc. to make the house safe for me. And both of them waited on me hand and foot until I am if possible more spoiled than Jordan has made me. Lisa would constantly say, “Drink water. If you don’t Jordan’s going to kill me.” Both Colin and Lisa were around most of the time. Colin even worked from home all but a day and a half, and Lisa, a teacher on summer break, had some appointments but was home or entertaining kids most of the time.
All in all, it was a wonderful week. But this morning, Megan, my oldest daughter, and her nine-year-old son Ford, drove from Austin to Tomball to get us and we came home to Fort Worth. Ford and Jacob will be in the TCU Baseball Camp all week, and Megan will stay with me. She has work to do so I may get a little done, but I’m not counting on it.

Jiggity, jiggity, home again

I've just spent a wonderful week in Tomball, Texas--yes, out in the country, 20 minutes from town, by a lake, "babysitting" grandchildren who barely need watching. I went down for Morgan's ninth birthday party, a bang-up affair with carnival booth all over Colin's property--he built them. A mock roller coaster ride with photo opps, a Ferris wheel with a coin toss, and all other kinds of activities. Fourteen kids and more adults than that had a ball, ate pizza and M&M birthday cake and generally had a good time. Party started at noon, ended with dinner at a Mexican restaurant by nine. If that was my introduction to life on the Alter "grounds," I was prepared to be exhausted.
Actually, the week was calm. Because they'd been busy all summer and it was the last week before school, Morgan and Kegan could sleep late and watch TV. I did fix breakfast, lunch, and dinner for all of us, ran the dishwasher, folded a few loads of clothes but generally I was at my computer a lot and got a lot done--which only resulted in more to do! I did spend a bit of time gazing out the window at the lake. Too hot to be down there in the day, and the kids weren't allowed to swim if I was the only one home.
On Morgan's real birthday, we went to Texas Roadhouse for supper, and the waiters brought a saddle, sat her on it, and clapped and sang around her. I think she was a bit shy. Good steak, though. Several evenings we took wine down to the lake and sat talking as the sun set--my favorite moments. My last night there, friends came--the father is practicing for a triathlon, so he and Colin mapped off a course and he swam 1500 meters. Good fellowship.
Yesterday, Colin and the children I drove to Bastrop--Lisa was getting her classroom ready--via a detour that only Colin could have dreamt up. He missed a turn in Brenham. Lunch in Bastrop with the Fort Worth branch and, surprise, Megan, who drove over  from Austin. Then Christian decided to take the scenic route home--a decision I fully understand since I-35 is scary and awful. But I was itchy to get home to Sophie, and was 7-1/2 hours in the car yesterday. (From Colin's house, a straight shot takes about four.)
Back at home, digging out from under mail, laundry, etc. Trying to do it at a slow place and not let myself feel rushed. So far, so good.
My welcome home group below.