Red & Black

OK, this post is really pulling from a ways back....but I just HAD to use the song title!!

Plus, they're fun pictures of Mom's side of the family made back in January 2012 (but it was celebrating Christmas 2011) outside of Houston.

The oldest generation wore white.  Mom's generation of siblings wore black.  My generation of cousins wore red and the great-grands wore blue - all 7 of them!  We were missing one cousin-in-law, but otherwise, perfect pics!  Love making memories while we made pictures, too. (The sister of one of my cousin-in-laws photoshopped in the title!)

She also added in the state flag :)

The Booker branch of the tree



The "original" Alton Holt family

Love my cousins!

This was a playground nearby and the red & blue really popped!

p.s. The post title is a song title from Les Miserables.  We have no connection to the French Revolution, but seriously - these pics were screaming to have a post titled with this song!!! :)

Spring, Spring, Spring

My favorite part of a Texas spring is the bluebonnets!!  Texas Monthly actually published a set of photos this year of photographers trying to do something unique with a picture of bluebonnets (and somewhat insulting Texans who stop on the side of the highway and take pictures....)  But whatever, it's a Texan thing to do!  And when my good friend Tifani - who hails from Oregon and had never been to Texas - came for a short visit....well, it was my duty to introduce her to a true Texan tradition.  Enjoy the pics.  The best ones are from her - but even I got some good ones, because the flowers were just so dang beautiful!!!

These were taken along HWY 175 between Dallas and Athens on March 23 - with my iphone!

Let's not foret the Indian Paintbrushes either!

(Tifani's - I think I'm going to frame these!)



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Loved sharing my great state with great friends like Tifani, Rob & Tyler.
  (And yes, we even got to take Tyler...to Tyler.)

p.s. Post title is a song from "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers"

Real Nice Clambake

Well, it wasn't a clambake - because I'm not in Yankee land.

But it was a Crawfish Boil - hosted by true Lousiana Cajuns - displaced into a horse ranch in East Texas!...so basically the same :) The lyrics of the song still hold true:

"This was a real nice [crawfish boil],
We're mighty glad we came.
The vittles we et
Were good, you bet,
The company was the same.
Our hearts are warm, our bellies are full,
And we are feeling prime.
This was a real nice [crawfish boil],
And we all had a real good time."

Just couldn't resist capturing my first drive through this metropolis....what do they call the people from this town? :)

Just in case you weren't sure which state I'm in - check out those hats....

What are they looking at?????

CRAWFISH!!!!!!!!   Still kickin' at this point...

Sorry I didn't get a better pic of my hostess and her son - Lisa & Garrett (She teaches with me). 
Check out Garrett's tribute to LSU.  But he assured me he has a UT poster in his room and is a Rangers fan.

Lisa's cute nephew Kyle was quick to show me the crawfish and the shrimp - the Moment I arrived!

I'm sorry.  I know they're God's creation.  But they're ugly!

Dave was our....Boil-master???  And served HUGE handfuls of everything!

My "plate" (box top) of food.  And yes, I did yank a few of those heads off.  But no sucking.

Job well done, Dave. 

Lisa & Dave have horses in the front yard and hay in the back, and it was a lovely night to be outside.

And a "supermoon" to drive home with after leaving this shindig.

Thanks to Lisa & Dave for introducing me to another tradition (even had zydeco music playing!)  They were also the ones who talked me through my first rodeo last February!

"This was a real nice [crawfish boil],
And we all had a real good time."

p.s. The post title is a song from "Carousel" - obviously set somewhere in Yankee land :)