April Flowers But No Showers

April was a wonderful month for us. The weather was spectacular except for the lack of rain. There were the usual tornado warnings, but the storms passed by 25 miles to the North. Our big event was the celebration of Gloria’s birthday. We drove 55 miles to the Naval Air Station in Fort Worth and stayed two nights in VIP quarters. There was lots of shopping, eating out, and a trip to the Amon Carter Museum of American Art. The featured exhibit was New York’s Hudson River Valley. As one might assume, there was also a vast array of art that pertains to the Old West.

Daughter Courtney (left of Gloria in photo) from Guatemala gave us a special treat by visiting us for a week. Her baby is due in September, and she looks beautiful and healthy. Husband Josh and the two girls stayed in San Marcos and kept their school going. Courtney had never seen our Texas home and seemed quite impressed. Our Texas daughter, Stephanie, and two of her three children, Lucie and Lincoln, were our guests during the week of Courtney’s visit. One day the sisters and teenagers drove to Fort Worth (55 miles north) to tour a modern art museum while we stayed home and played Bridge. The next evening all six of us played fast joker with the seasoned veterans of NTAC. This was a new pace for Courtney, but she held her own.

Just prior to Courtney’s departure, we treated her to a visit to the Homestead Christian Community near Waco. Homestead members are similar to the Mennonites in beliefs and customs. They adhere to and teach their children the old traditional values of living off the land. All of their many crafts are made by hand, their sizable farm is worked with horse-drawn machinery, and their food is organic. The healthy meals served at the restaurant are nutritious, delectable and attractive. Courtney loved the experience, as values espoused in Homestead home schools are similar to ones taught in Courtney and Josh’s school in Guatemala. We were the only hay riders on the wagon, so we had our own personal tour guide as the sturdy team of horses pulled us to the farmland near the river.

Toward the end of the month it was our privilege to watch our oldest Texas grandchildren, Jack and Lucie, compete in two debates in Dallas. They were mature and knowledgeable, and we were most proud of them. We again stayed at the Naval Airs Station for two nights and toured the Fort Worth Botanic Gardens. During our garden walk, a wedding party gathered in the gazebo.

In U.S. news we were glad that The Donald helped us grasp the fact that President Obama was truly born in Hawaii. Now if only he will accept that Hawaii is a legitimate U.S. state. Then of course there was the splashy Royal Wedding. Kate and William had their day in the sun, and we confess that we awoke before dawn to watch it all. William could have used a little coaching in the art of the kiss, but overall, it was an opulent and beautiful ceremony with a spiritual message. All of us hope this union will last. Queen Elizabeth has had enough disappointments.