TCU Mystery Weekend and so much else

I know it's Sunday night, and I should be posting on Potluck with Judy, but I'm still bursting with excitement over my weekend. Late Friday afternoon, I was honored to be the kickoff mystery author at TCU's Mystery Weekend. Thirty-one people attended, including three men. Longtime friend Shari Barnes, who teaches a non-credit mystery course, interviewed me, and as always she made me look much smarter than I am. The attendees were attentive, encouraging, and they had questions A nice touch--the caterers had prepared Doris' casserole, which comes from my cookbook, along with three kinds of cookies also from the cookbook. I didn't sell many books but that was okay--most of the people had already read them. And I understand some of the participants want the cookbook--should have brought some with me.
After dinner and the discussion, we boarded a bus for Austin--Jordan and Jacob had driven down the day before so I was grateful for a seat on the bus. Really nice new coach, good driver--and two major accidents that tied up I-35 so that our trip was longer than expected. But Megan came to get me, at the hotel where they were staying, and I spent the rest of my weekend with my two daughters and three of my grandsons. Lazy but fun. Ate too much.
We went to Shady Grove for lunch--if you know Austin, you'll recognize the name. Here's Megan and me at the restaurant

 

Discovered that my oldest grandson, Sawyer, who will turn nine in July, is a real bookworm. You have to pry the book out of his hands to get him to go to bed at night, and I predict he'll soon discover the trick of a flashlight under the covers--hurray for him! He was reading the third in the Percy Jackson series, Curse of the Titans, and was almost through. He was also most impressed that I once interviewed the author, Rick Riordan, over the phone. This is Sawyer at the restaurant, when his cousins were running around the play area. I so love having my grandchildren become readers.

 

 

The cousins played, swam a bit (the water is still so cold), jumped on the trampoline, went to Ford's baseball game, but they also showed that they are the children of the electronic age. Here the three of them are this morning (I think the grim looks were because they knew I was taking a picture)

 

 

All said, it was a great visit, mostly hanging out at the house. I read, watched while the girls cooked (how our roles have reversed), sat on the porch and drank wine with them, and thoroughly enjoyed myself, especially seeing my oldest daughter who I don't see often enough. Kudos to Jordan for arranging the trip, driving, and generally being her efficient self. She makes my life shine.