Friday, February 17, 2017

San Antonio Sibling Trip! Day #1 - It's All About US!!

It was right at 9:00 when Deanie and Lonnie arrived at Nita's!


We were ready to head to San Antonio!


Louis Dean and I had spent the night at Nita's Thursday and he stayed until we were ready to leave.
Deanie claimed the Texas Trash as soon as she got there!


She seriously likes that stuff!
"Good FIBER!" she says!


Look how pretty Nita and Lonnie's hair is!
Same color and both pretty!


Louis Dean wasn't about to go home without first seeing Deanie and giving her a big hug!

By 9:30 we were on the road!


First stop - Texas Rest Area!


There's nice scenery around but I am mainly taking pictures of US!!


Next stop - Starbucks in Waco at Exit #339!


Having fun!


Third stop for gas in Georgetown.

All the way I was scribbling as fast as I could about the memories of our childhood.
When I walked up Deanie said Lonnie had a good story about Georgetown.
He did and it was a doozy!!

We got to San Antonio around 4:00 and checked into our hotel.
We had laughed and talked all the way!


We have adjoining rooms so we settled in to rest a little while.
Nita put her feet up and read the paper.


Deanie propped her knees up on a roller and stretched out on the bed.


Lonnie was checking his phone and sending messages.


And I was taking their pictures!

Deanie had a wheel chair delivered to our hotel before we arrived.


We are all in our 60's and each of us have a few aches and pains, knees acting up and fatigue setting in from time to time. We decided the chair could be used by who needs it most at any given time!
Nita got the first ride for the first bit of our 12 minute walk from our hotel to Mi Tierra.
It took longer than 12 minutes!!


Lonnie rode in it for part of the way. It was a real blessing to him if you don't count the two times we nearly dumped him out in the middle of the intersection of traffic lining up to get on Interstate 35!
There's a real skill level needed to pushing a wheel chair! We need to work on ours!


Just look at Deanie's face!!
"Haul him on in here!!!"


Mi Tierra is famous!!

I copied the following information:

In 1941, Pete and Cruz Cortez opened a little three-table cafe for early-rising farmers and workers at San Antonio’s Mercado. 75 years later Mi Tierra is a world-famous landmark.


"Pedro’s and Cruz’s children and grandchildren continue the family tradition of good food and big-hearted hospitality at Mi Tierra, which now seats over 500 and is still located in Market Square, El Mercado."


This was Nita and Lonnie's first visit to Mi Tierra!
Deanie and I have been here many times and this is where we came back in 2015 on our first sibling trip together!


Deanie is trying to have an attitude!!
Not really!
We have had the best time!


Margaritas for the three of us! Deanie had the water - hold the lemon!


This place is always like a party and is open 24 hours a day 7 days a week!


It was great food and great drinks and a lot of fun!


We left by way of the exit to the Market Square.


I really wish my videos would load on the blog but for some reason I can't get them to!
There was live music and dancing and pretty lights and we strolled and talked and laughed and enjoyed our evening!


Truly, it was a Friday Night Party!!

We walked back to the hotel in the dark, the four of us with our phones all dying as we were trying to get directions on our apps so we would not get lost. It can get scary at night.

We made it!!
The doors between our rooms are open so we can visit back and forth with each other.
Deanie and Lonnie are in one room and Nita and I share the other.
We looked at all our photos on the laptop and talked about our day.

Nita and I made sure we have wine in the little mini fridge in our room.
There was a moment of concern when, after we had poured a round of wine and were preparing to pour a second glass, when we realized Nita had really pushed that cork FIRMLY back into the bottle!!


We call her Bam Bam!!


Crisis was averted when she finally managed to wrangle it back out!
The bottle holds only a scrap of a cork in its neck tonight.
Tomorrow I will look for a wine stopper!

We have had such a good time.
Not a moment of tension or stress.
We all get along so well and are always looking out for each other.
We may not have enjoyed our childhood but we sure are enjoying our 'old age!'
Just being together is enough.
Laughing, talking, joking, eating, drinking, simply BEING with each other is filling our hearts with all manner of goodness and healing and we are forming such positive experiences on this trip.

Everyone is in bed now except me.
I will finish this up and go to bed soon.
I will journal in my Country Diary first.
For some reason I want to linger over this day and treasure all the things we did.
I want to document the moments and adventures.
I want to take pictures so I can remember the looks on our faces and commit to my mind and paper the words we spoke.
This trip is important to us.

Tomorrow we will go to the Alamo.
Lonnie has never been.
This is his first ever trip to San Antonio and it will be so special for all of us to sight see together!


16 comments:

Ginny Hartzler said...

What a wonderful, wonderful bonding of siblings! Mi Tierra looks awesome! You are ALL so beautiful!

Kathy said...

I am so glad you are on this trip together. Sibling time is so important. I know you will have a wonderful time together. Thanks for letting us tag along with you. When you get back, I will have to tutor you on how to get large videos onto your blog.

Bluebird49 said...

What a wonderful trip for a lovely family, Linda! Can't imagine all the sights and sounds in your vehicle and hotel rooms. I've never been to Texas...the farthest I've ever been south from VA, is Phenix City, Alabama!
I can't wait to read your book!
Have a safe and fun trip to sight-see, and then back home.

Vee said...

☕️🍳🥓🥞Right after breakfast, you'll be off on another wonderful adventure together. I'll be thinking of you...

Carol said...

How nice that you four get together and do trips like this. My brother and I aren't close and we could never do this.

Changes in the wind said...

This is very special for you all.

MadSnapper said...

a chair for all and all for a chair! I love it. great idea.. I can see the FUN in everyone's faces with all the smiles. continue to have fun

ellen b. said...

Good morning from the Pacific Northwest. You are bringing back some good memories for me on your trip to San Antonio. I was there for the first time in April of 2016. Dear was at a conference and I tagged along so I did most of the touring on my own. Loved my time at Mi Tierra, especially the mariachis. So great that you have this sibling weekend celebration. The photo of the 4 of you should be framed if it's not already. :) Enjoy the Alamo! ellen b. at https://happywonderer.com/

Nonnie said...

All of you look beautiful! Have a fabulous time. I love San Antonio.

NanaDiana said...

You are SO VERY BLESSED to have this sibling time together. Life is so very, very short and we never know what is going to happen in life. I am thrilled that you are all having so much fun and just enjoy being together. Time to make up for that childhood you missed!!!! xo Diana

Cheapchick said...

Sounds like a very fun trip! Have a great time, you all deserve it

Susie said...

Linda, God bless each of you. I see your joy in the pictures...I am so very happy for all of you. You know you may have aches and pains, but boy golly you all look good. I hope the rest of your time together is fun and memory making. Blessings, love all of you, xoxo, Susie

Jan said...

This is such a wonderful thing! I can't imagine a trip that would me more fun!

Jan said...

That's supposed to say BE more fun!

Nita said...

Linda, you do a beautiful job of documenting our trip. We are so fortunate to have a sister that looked after us when we were to young to look after our self and now your saving our wonderful fun times to always remember. You're a great sister. Thank you for being you. I love you.

Penny said...

The joy you feel being with your dear siblings shines through in this post Linda. What a positive way to gather material for your book X