Home From California

Mike & I just returned from our annual Thanksgiving trip to California and what a great time we had. First we went north to the bay area to visit Niece Marcy, Dryden and their precious son, Alastair.

Good parenting makes itself known, and it’s obvious in Alastair. He’s loving, personable, unafraid, funny and has an impressive vocabulary for a two-year-old. He also follows the family bent for music, occasionally halting whatever he was doing, calling out “dance!” and running into the living room griming broadly at a favorite song on the radio to perform an Alastair version of dancing. And all of this in his second week of pneumonia. All of the adults agreed that if we were as sick as he was, we’d be curled in a fetal position in bed. Ahh, to have a toddler’s energy and love of life.

The photos following those are of the next stop on our trip – LA County and time with my son, Alex. We did lots of fun things, explored a new mall, saw a movie, then were joined by Cousin Bill for our Thanksgiving dinner. On Friday we went to Venice Beach which, if you’re a Californian, says it all.

For the non-Californians, the simplest way to say it is that it’s an amazing place to people-watch. The first sign that we’d arrived was a not-so-young woman in a skimpy bikini covered with many tattoos, head shaved except for a top-knot, feet clad in combat boots, riding a skateboard that was being pulled by a large dog. Yep, that’s Venice Beach.

Then there was Botox by the Beach, an Oxygen Bar (to alleviate hangover, jet lag and other maladies), and many medical marijuana shops. The outdoor advertising at the marijuana stalls touted benefits for everything from cancer, depression and menstrual cramps. Forty dollars was the general fee which earned you an “evaluation.” If it was determined that your condition qualified you for the “medical” treatment, you’d be given a voucher that you would take to their dispensary a couple of blocks away. There you could buy whatever you needed and – oh, yeah – you’d receive two, free joints. So, basically, you’re paying $20 per joint. What a hoot. And from the aroma as we walked about, a lot of people were taking their medicine.

I also had Zoltar tell my fortune and we all had a great lunch. Alex’s big ah-hah moment of the trip was that there are foods other than burgers that are delicious and worth eating.

Next trip – after tax season is over.

Visit With the Austin Kids

Mike & I had a great time in Austin visiting kids Shannon, Jennifer and Wendall – sometimes being joined by Jennifer’s hubby, Vernon, Shan’s boyfriend, Thomas, and grandkids, Ariel and Nash. We were sorry we didn’t get to hook up this time with Chris or Paula.

We pretty much ate and drank our way from one side of the city to the other, and we have the photos to prove it. Sunday night was big fun. We went to see Bobby Whitlock & wife Coco Carmel perform at the Saxon Pub. Mike played with Bobby way back with the Memphis Counts at the Cabaret on the Highland Strip. That’s where Bobby was spotted by Delaney & Bonnie and was soon playing with them, George Harrison and Eric Clapton. Bobby rock ‘n roll memoir has been out a few months now and is doing quite well. As always, he & Coco put on a great show.

On the way to Austin, we stopped in Dallas at the infamous Dealy Plaza, site of the assassination of President Kennedy. They’ve turned the sixth floor of the Texas Book Depository into a fine museum. We stood at windows overlooking the spot where the shots were fired, and we also walked the grassy knoll and looked over the fence where many witnesses believed other shots were fired. I don’t think we currently know the truth about that awful event, and I fear that we never will. It was eerie to be there. Good thing we were headed to Austin for fun.

Cousins

Cousin Bill from California came to see us last week, so we decided to pop into the car so Bill, Mike & I could drive to lovely East Tennessee to visit our cousin Ernie and his precious wife Joyce. It was a short visit, but we talked non-stop and pieced together some gaps in our joint knowledge of family history. Mike, our genealogist, got on the computer and turned up some new info which may lead us to yet more info. Wish our cousin Grace had been there.

Home From California

Mike & I returned Sunday evening from our spring visit to California to see my son. We swooped through Santa Ana in about 24 hours, but we managed to see a couple of friends who weren't busy. We had great outings with Alex -- mall & movie day, LA Zoo, Long Beach harbor and lunch at Bubba Gump's and, finally, the Autry Museum of Western Heritage, which was much larger than expected, very informative and had excellent collections. It's likely a hidden jewel in LA County. Here are some views of our trip.

Thanksgiving Trip

Mike and I just returned from a great California trip -- first to the Bay area to visit Niece Marcy, Dryden and toddler Alastair, then to Southern Cal to spend Thanksgiving and a few days with my son.

The last time we visited Marcy's family, li'l Alastair was a teeny preemie. Now, due to his parents' great care, he's caught up with his height and weight and is a healthy, beautiful, happy toddler who's full of confidence, personality and love. Here are some terrific photos.

Can not believe that our camera's battery went toes-up when we got to SoCal so that we got no pics of Alex and the fun we had with him. Drat!

Beautiful, Historic Holly Springs

As Mike and I travel to and from the lake, we drive through the charming town of Holly Springs, MS. Each time, we admire the abundance of antebellum structures – homes, churches, and commercial buildings as well. Exiting the city limits, we are always grateful that so much history survived. And we always wonder why -- when the Federal army practiced such a slash and burn approach to its occupation of the South.

Naturally, I did a bit of research and found that Mike’s assumption was true. Here’s how it went.

Before the Civil War, Holly Springs was a flourishing community and a leader in agriculture and commerce. Plantations in the area led the state in cotton production. Schools, businesses and churches abounded.

Then came the war. Because Holly Springs was located at the intersection of two railroads, it was highly desired by both the Yanks and Rebs. They fought over the prize, and the bluecoats won.

When Union General U.S. Grant captured the little town, his army camped on the lawns of the grand mansions while he moved his wife, son and slave into the Walter Place estate (pictured above). The General made headquarters at Airliewood estate.

Yes, according to several sources, Grant owned slaves. His wife was the daughter of a slave owner and most likely brought them into her marriage with the General and future president. I was surprised to learn that 12 U.S. presidents had owned slaves and eight had owned slaves during their presidency.

Because the Union army headquartered in Holly Springs, it survived the war. What the bluecoats didn’t do, a mosquito did, however. The town was devastated in 1878 by the yellow fever epidemic that claimed the lives of most town residents.

Over time, Holly Springs came back to life and evolved into the lovely town it is today with good places to eat, live and do business.

Restoration of many graceful mansions and buildings preserve the glory of pre-Civil War Holly Springs. Tours are available daily at some structures, and the pilgrimage occurs in April with more than 64 houses, churches and other buildings open for viewing.

Other Holly Springs facts - http://www.visithollysprings.org/quickfacts.html

Texas Trip, Third & Final Part

I’d never heard of Memphis, Texas until I heard the line in a Rodney Crowell song: “Memphis, Texas; Houston, Tennessee; I’m just so turned around, I don’t know where I want to be.”

But then, there we were driving from Austin to Amarillo when Mike spotted the city limits sign – Memphis, TX! We just had to stop and memorialize it with a couple of photos.

For extra measure, here’s a link to that song. Mike and I really enjoy Rodney Crowell who, although not a country singer/songwriter, was Johnny Cash’s son-in-law. Try it. We think you’ll like it.

“I Wish It Would Rain”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzGqxw_X0Yo

Texas Trip, Part II

The next leg of our Texas trip took us from Austin to Amarillo which proved to be the windiest city I’ve ever been in. Women who move there should just plan on shaving their heads. There’s no way to step outside and maintain a decent hairdo.

But I digress.

When you’re traveling, you always know that you’re nearing a prison of some sort when you see signs warning you not to pick up hitchhikers. So it was when we neared Childress, TX. There we saw the poor sap who didn’t look around before choosing a spot to stick out his thumb. Only 50 feet beyond the only hitchhiker we’d seen in 2,000 miles was the first warning against picking up hitchhikers. The fellow, complete with a large backpack, probably couldn’t figure out why he couldn’t catch a ride.

On to Amarillo and a meet-up with Cousin Bill. We took him to dinner at a spot right off I-40 that Mike has wanted to visit for years.

The Big Texan is famous for its 72 oz. steak challenge. Anyone can step up to the elevated table to take the challenge that has been won by a variety of bravehearts including a grandmother and a 10-year-old boy. Here’s the deal. The challenger is given one hour to eat a 72 oz. (that’s a little over four pounds) steak, a baked potato, side salad, three shrimp and a dinner roll. If you don’t finish it all, you pay $72 for the privilege of trying. If you win, you get the honor of inclusion on their winners’ list.

The Big Texan’s challenge has been featured on the Travel Channel’s Man vs. Food and in the movie "Waking Up in Reno" in which the character played by Billy Bob Thornton chows down at the challenge table.

Cameras focused on the table offer a 24/7 live view of challengers’ attempts on the restaurant’s website.

When we arrived, a diner was working on the challenge, but, with only eight minutes left, Mike took a look at his plate and told us the fellow would be getting a bill for his dinner – and subsequent indigestion.

For the record, none of us attempted the challenge and I had fish for dinner.

Here’s the link to The Big Texan in case you want to check it out before making it a part of your next trip to Amarillo.
http://www.bigtexan.com

Austin, The Kids, and Some Music

Mike and I just returned from a great trip to Texas where we had a super visit with four of his five Austin kids – Shannon, Chris, Wendall and Jennifer. Hopefully we’ll get to see Paula on the next trip.

Among the fun stuff with the kids was a Sunday evening outing to the Saxon Pub where Mike’s former bandmate Bobby Whitlock and his wife CoCo Carmel were performing. It was a great show. Bobby’s distinctive voice with a bluesy rasp mixed with CoCo’s honeyed tones, all framed by their musical skills on guitars, sax and keyboard. If you’re in Austin on a Sunday evening, you should really catch the show.

Mike first met Bobby back in 1967 when the two of them played with The Memphis Counts, house band at The Cabaret, a club that was on Memphis’ Highland Strip close to Memphis State University. It was just a couple of blocks from the first apartment for newlywed Mike and me.

That was when Delaney & Bonnie came into the club, heard Bobby’s vocals and B-3 talents, snapped up a young Bobby and added him to their band. He later joined Derek and the Dominos, played with Eric Clapton and George Harrison, and became a notable songwriter. He wrote material for the famous Layla album, and his other material has been recorded by many artists including Sheryl Crow, Ray Charles, Tom Jones and George Jones.

The fascinating story of his life and career will come out this fall in his book, Bobby Whitlock: A Rock ‘n’ Roll Autobiography.

In the meantime, check out Bobby’s website and the two song links posted below.
Bobby Whitlock’s website:
http://www.bobbywhitlockandcococarmel.com:80/

Bobby Whitlock & Eric Clapton – Bell Bottom Blues - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZNL0wvIj78&feature=PlayList&p=A8D8B381ABD37E99&playnext=1&index=61

Bobby Whitlock & CoCo Carmel – Layla -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crJ1JK4yk0s&feature=PlayList&p=0F77935ECAF2B02F&playnext=1&index=7

More trip stuff in upcoming posts.