TCU's chanaging campus

Jamie (my second son, third of four children) and his lovely family--Melanie, and their daughters 15-year-old Maddie and 11-year-old Eden, spent the night last night after Jacob's family birthday--a delightful warm affair with lots of laughter and catching up and kids. I goofed (again!)--forgot to turn on the a/c in the guest house and it was hot, so I had them all under my roof. It always somehow  gives me a warm glow to have my kids under my roof, and Sophie was ecstatic. They all loved on her, and I thought she'd sleep with the girls but when I woke up she as on her bed next to mine.
As he usually does Jamie went for a run this morning, through the neighborhoods of his youth--Berkeley, Park Hill, TCU, Westcliff, etc. and came home to report that our city is changing--in a good way. I've been concerned about all the look-alike quadraplexes going up, but his argument was that in most instances they're an improvement over poorly maintained small houses (we'll see in five years). He thinks our part of Fort Worth still has its charm but is looking sharper.
This is not a family that hurries, By the time we got everyone up and dressed, we went to breakfast--breakfast, mind you--at 12:15. At Ol' South--Jamie is also nostalgic about eating about the pleaces of his high school and college years.

Then we drove around the places he'd passed while running. Wish I'd been smart enough to have a camera. Began with a behind the scenes trip through thee TCU Campus--places I'd never seen, didn't know you could drive--I've been off campus four years and the change is amazing. Mel said, "Wow! I'd come back here and go to school again." I said I didn't think you could drive these places, and Jamie, a law unto himself, cheerily said, "I don't think you're supposed to." Made me a little edgy because I'm a rule follower, but it was a fascinating look at the campus, with Jamie and Mel pointing out their dorms, where the main used to be, etc. Not sure how fascinated the girls were.

I'm so used to back roads that when we drove by the new grand front entrance to the library I realized I'd never seen it--and it's apparently been under construction for some time now. Finally, we drove by the chapel where they were married.
I felt like I had my eyes opened. Maybe I need to pay more attention to my surroundings these days. But TCU is in a world of change--I guess it's all for the best but I tend to cling to the past. If you're in Fort Worth and haven't seen TCU for a while, it's worth exploring--but I think you'd have to go on foot for much of it and not Jamie's route which was probably slightly trespassing.