Tsunami part 2: TX2

Some more stories from our trip back in the spring...
They said "ya'll come back now". So we did! Back to TX.
But not the San Antonio Texas of our Big Texas trip. East Texas this time; land of accents thick as sweet Southern tea. Little One and I parted ways with J for awhile, to stay with my grandparents. It's been a tough time for them, and I was supposed to be helping. By the end of the first week, I had only narrowly kept Little One from destroying all the family heirlooms. So I'm not toooo sure about my prowess in the helpfulness department. But Little One and I, we had fun! We settled in and checked things out.
Their East Texas town is tiny, but it hasn't forgotten its good Southern manners; they do not have Trader Joe's, for instance, but all the ladies have perfectly manicured nails. The Almighty is big all over Texas, but especially mighty here, where alcohol is banned in the whole county, and probably ouija boards as well. My grandparents, though, they are rebels living on the edge. I was looking for Kahlua to make tiramisu** one day, and I found this:

Woo hoo. I felt pretty snickery and winky. It was like living in a Speakeasy! Maybe I didn't realize how hard-core these two are! (actually it was all inherited from a friend. But it does come in handy for tiramisu, and we did decide to make the most of it and have a margarita night!)
But besides the snickering and winking, we were supposed to be helping out. And Little One did more than Her fair share.
She did a lot of yardwork, for instance.


She even watered.


And harvested flowers.


She sorted mail. Several times a day.


She fed the fish.


And walked the fish.


And walked the great-grandparents.


She gave spelling lessons.


Swept up.


Helped with laundry.


And dishes!


Why, She even cleaned the tub.


But don't think it was all chores. Not with those two around! We also had a lot of fun.

We went for a picnic and walk through the fabulous Rose and Azalea gardens

We got to sit in on Her Great-Grandaddy's Big Band practice! She danced up a storm. She even got to bring Her own instrument and play along! Afterward She had Her first trumpet lesson. I love to see Her learning from the Master!

We went to another zoo, and I have to say it was my favorite. It's a small, private zoo, but just amazingly set up with really neat animals and wonderful enclosures. Little One positively loved dragging Her grandparents around and showing them all the amazing sights. At the end there was even a petting zoo so She could smother small goats with love and kisses. I didn't get a picture. I was busy keeping Her from dragging one home with us.

Of course one of the best parts was that we had a few visits from some of our favorite fan club members! We miss everyone so much!

** If you have never gone into a grocery store and asked a salesperson, who has absolutely no idea what you are talking about, if they have any lady fingers, you should.