A memorable weekend

 

My four loves

I have been silent and out of pocket because we went to Austin for a long weekend and a long-delayed get-together with most of the Alter clan—all four of my kids, five of the seven grandchildren, one wife, and one husband. We were missing two grandchildren, one wife, and one husband—and they were sorely missed.

The minute we arrived Thursday night, Jacob was swept up into who knows what with his two Austin cousins, and the same happened the next day when Kegan arrived from Tomball. The four reminded me of classic pictures of the Beatles as they trooped in and out of the house. Sawyer, now 17, drove them everywhere, and I know they loved being on their own. Two of my three granddaughters could not come because of other commitments, but when Eden, the only girl among them, arrived, the boys happily included her in their activities.

The grands--four boys and a girl

We ate extraordinarily well—no surprise there. A fish dinner at a neat restaurant called Monger’s, another supper of grilled pork sandwiches with aioli, and a Mexican night with Bob Armstrong dip from Matt Martinez. And cake—chocolate with chocolate icing, yellow with chocolate icing, and some kind of coconut (obviously I stick to double chocolate).

Megan found sleeping space for most of us--the teenage boys bunked together, I got a bed in the office, and Jordan and her brothers stayed in the cabana. (Jamie's wife and daughter only stayed one night and the three of them were in a motel, but Jamie stayed in the cabana after they left.) Jordan reports many hijinks--the boys had a drum contest with snares and bass, seeing how much noise they could make, and Jamie threw on a sheet and tried to scare Jordan as a ghost. It didn't worked, but she laughed a lot. This was all at one a.m. So much fun that my grown kids can still hang out and fool around--and no, nobody else heard the drums.

We were celebrating all the birthdays and graduations we missed during pandemic, but because my birthday was the most recent, I got extra gifts—what every girl wants for her kitchen: a new garbage can. But its one of those where you wave a hand and it opens like magic, and I think it has a charcoal filter. I am so tired of smelly garbage. But I am doubly proud to announce that I am now a Scottish landholder—I own one square foot in Dumfermline Parish in the Scottish Highlands—yep, I have a fancy certificate to prove it! You may now call me Lady Judy.

A highlight of the trip for me was seeing Megan and Brandon’s new house. They tore down their 1940s cottage which had been randomly (and inefficiently) added to and built a new and very modern house on the same footprint. Stucco outside and white walls inside with lots of large windows, it has clean, smooth lines, no clutter, lots of art, separate bedrooms for the boys and a common room for them to watch TV or hang out with friends. The kitchen, much like the one they had installed ten years ago or so, has a long marble slab which seats at least six—perfect for gathering and talking while Megan cooks, which she does often and well. 

Most remarkable to me though were small architectural touches for efficiency—light switches that are at the height of fingertips and not up on the wall where they interfere with artwork (and there is new, stunningly modern art work throughout the house, including a skateboard painted silver and bearing one word: Impeach), window shades that automatically go down at a certain time in the evening, desks that can be raised to a standing position or lowered to the traditional seated height with the touch of a button, a guest bath with a shelf under the sink for towels, etc., and a neat bar for hanging towels—perfect also for hanging my travel kit. Hidden storage spaces are everywhere, and a laundry chute lets the boys drop their clothes right on top of the washing machine. Everything is designed for efficiency—perfect for a busy family with two high schoolers and two working parents. And yet it is as attractive as any layout from Architectural Digest. I'm strictly an old-house person, but I loved this--as did Jacob who is drawn to modern.

Megan's house, from my favorite perch
with Megan at her computer
That's my computer in the foreground--I set up an office

Home today. We came the back way—183 to 281 to Cleburne and up the Chisholm Trail—to avoid the construction traffic jam in Waco. And unheard of for Texas in August—we ran into rain. Brief but intense cloudbursts, with threatening skies all around us. We could see rain in the distance when we weren’t right in it. Jordan did a masterful job of not only driving but figuring out which way the storms were headed and pretty much skirting them.

And so we are home, hungry and happy, after a truly great weekend. I know I’ve said it before, but I am so blessed with family.

Christian took great care of the dogs, and Sophie got to be in the main house.
The first day he sent this picture with this explanation: Reporting for duty, Sir. 8:30 a.m.
The house is secure, but I will continue to monitor the situation.