Wonderful Weekend Surprise

 

Left to right, Jacob, Colin, Kegan, Juju
Lisa, and Morgan

Last week I texted Jacob a message that said, “Please come see me.” I meant for him to come from house to cottage for some trivial thing. But I goofed: I sent it to Colin, my oldest son who lives in Tomball, Texas. I am sure he was alarmed and thought the worst, though as soon as I discovered what I’d done, I confessed all. Still, Thursday evening he called to say, “We’ll be there in time to go to dinner tomorrow night.”

And so they were—all four Tomball Alters. Wife Lisa, teens Morgan and Kegan. We scooped up Jacob and all went to Lucil
e’s for supper. There was one too many of us to fit in the cab of Colin’s truck, but luckily my VW, which sits idle in the driveway, started right away. Colin drove, with me, Morgan, and Jacob as passengers.

Colin shepherding Juju to the car.

We had a grand time catching up—Kegan has gone from soccer, which he’s played for years, to a promising career in high school football with a minor in track. He’s a tall, thin string bean, and I can see the pole vault, but I worry about football. Morgan, almost sixteen, is beginning to think about college but is somewhat interested in a culinary career—she fixed her dad a Father’s Day dinner of Beef Wellington, salad, and key lime tarts treated like crème brulee. Colin, a CPA, is what you would call handy, and he always arrives to a list of chores—this time he replaced a faucet head, reorganized my bedroom to better accommodate my new upright walker, rolled up a rug I’m replacing—and locked his keys in his truck! All ended well, and they were on their way back to Tomball by two this afternoon.

A short visit, but I’ll take what I can get. Hope they’ll come back soon. Sure made my weekend.

Sophie probably enjoyed the visit the most of all. Somehow she recognizes family when they visit, and she has always been partial to Morgan, who once tried to scoop her up and tell me, “I think we’re all packed now.” Colin roughhouses with her, and she runs in circles, then flops down for a belly rub.

Today I attended a webinar from a Florida bookstore, Murder by the Beach. Hank Phillippi Ryan, acclaimed author of thirteen thrillers, spoke on the “Muddle in the Middle”—that middle of a book where many authors bog down. It was inspiring, and I scribbled madly, taking notes of ideas for the Irene mystery I’ve left in a muddle. The webinar was two hours, and I left a bit into the second hour because Colin and family arrived from breakfast at Ol’ South Pancake House. I will get a recording of the entire thing in a week or so. Just another block in a good day!

Tonight we’re having a special dinner—steak and baked potatoes, in honor of Jacob’s departure tomorrow for ten days at Sky Ranch Camp in Colorado. I’ll miss that kid something fierce.

Hope everyone is enjoying the weekend. Here in North Texas the temperatures are cooler, and it’s a pretty patio night. Maybe we’ll get to sit out.