Thank Heaven for Little Girls

One of my favorite songs is Maurice Chevalier's rendition of Thank Heaven for Little Girls from the movie Gigi. I think of it often when I think about Our Little Princess and Her Highness. It is especially fresh in my mind today. Our Little Princess is three years old today and she is growing up in the most delightful way.

We spent the weekend in San Antonio celebrating with her.

Saturday was a cool, misty, and at times rainy day. Her birthday party was held at the Kiddie Park on Broadway near Breckenridge Park in San Antonio. The Kiddie Park has been there since 1925. The carousel has been there since 1918. The best thing about the Kiddie Park is that it's only for little kids. There are no scary rides or roller coasters, just a few rides geared for small children. I remember going there as a child. It has not changed substantially in the past 50 years.

We watched the weather and were hopeful that the rain would clear in time for the party at noon. There was a slight break, but it misted off an on most of the time we were there and it rained for short periods of time.

All three grandmothers were there. I was so busy taking pictures that I didn't get a photo of myself with the birthday girl. Katy did manage to snap this picture of me.

I know you're waiting for an update on the birthday cake. As it turned out, Omi made the cake. It was a Rapunzel doll cake from the movie Tangled. It was beautiful and, since Omi actually lives in San Antonio, it was great for me that she volunteered to take care of it. She also brought some beautiful cupcakes which made serving the little ones quick and easy. The quick and easy part turned out to be a very good thing.

 The rain/mist stopped for short periods and the kids did get to ride the rides.

Then more clouds rolled in and we decided to eat the pizza, blow out the candles, and serve the cake as quickly as possible. We almost made it too ... almost. But everybody pitched in and held the umbrellas over the kids while they ate.

Then the rain started in earnest and we grabbed the presents and headed to the cars. She had to open her gifts at home, but it was like extending the party ... and it was warm and dry.

Sunday dawned with blue skies and bright sunshine. Wouldn't you know it!

Happy Birthday, Princess! You are growing up in the most delightful way. Grams and Pop-Pop love you more than you can even imagine!

On a whole different subject, I just got a message from Katy that Her Highness took her first steps today. She's 10 months old. Look out world -- here she comes! You can tell in this photo that she was just about ready to walk this weekend.

And, by the way, doesn't my hair look terrific. My next-door neighbor's granddaughter, Kandyce, cut it for the first time. She's finishing up at the Aveda Institute in Corpus Christi. I still think of her as a little girl, but I think she has a very bright future. She's really good at cutting hair.

Because I Can!

Yesterday Grams walked across the Corpus Christi Harbor Bridge. That's one more item checked off my unofficial bucket list. Once again, my daughter Katy and my son-in-law Travis joined me on my adventure. We were also joined by my neighbors and very good friends, Mary Lou, Brenda, Kandyce and Kelley along with about a dozen other people.

It was a group walk organized by Alan Albin who put together a Facebook group called "We Walked the Corpus Christi Harbor Bridge and Survived." They gather once a month for a walk across the bridge and anyone is invited to join in the walk.

The walk is not for the squeamish. It's not far, 2.5 miles round trip, and the grade is not as steep as I thought it would be. The walk is on a single-file sidewalk that is separated from three lanes of traffic by a concrete barrier that's about 30 inches tall. Traffic speeds by at better than the posted speed of 55 miles per hour. You can feel the rush of wind when 18 wheelers flash past. And, many of the drivers who pass feel the need to honk their horns. I was startled when the first few honked, after that I just ignored it. On the outside, walkers are separated from a 138 feet drop into the ship channel by the bridge's railing, a pipe-like construction which looks like a large handrail and a few smaller pipes each set about 12 inches apart. The wind comes through the railings and when it hits the concrete wall a huge updraft is created. As you approach the top of the bridge, the wind picks up significantly.

If you know anything about Corpus Christi, you know that it's windy. When I looked it up I was surprised to learn that we are not among the top 10 windiest cities in the United States. Yesterday's sustained wind speed was 22 miles per hour, the highest gusts were recorded at 29 mph. To say it was windy is an understatement. Walking in that wind was quite a beating. I'm paying for it today with allergic reactions in my eyes.

The question that people keep asking is "Why did you want to walk across the bridge?" I'm sure every one of the 15 or so people who walked with us yesterday have their own reasons. For me there are several answers to that question. I've been fascinated (obsessed) with the Harbor Bridge since I was a kid and my parents would drive over the bridge and back just to see the view. The sight of the lights of the city spread before us was captivating. I've always thought it would be great to be able to stop and look around. There's not enough time to see everything when you speed by at 55+ miles an hour. As I made the walk yesterday I thought about my Dad and how much he loved that view.

Another reason is that Grandad and Grams have committed to getting out of the house and into our community. Since our kids left home we've become too reclusive. We don't get out and do the things we used to do. And even though Grandad couldn't join this walk, it was a chance to get out and experience something uniquely "Corpus Christian."

But the real reason I made the walk across the Corpus Christi Harbor Bridge is because I can! I walked it to challenge myself to keep on living this new active life that is a gift. I walked it to make up for all the years I sat and watched other people do active things. Just like climbing Enchanted Rock was a milestone for me, walking the Harbor Bridge was a celebration of my new healthy life. So, yes, Grams walked the Corpus Christi Harbor Bridge and survived. But Grams isn't just surviving, Grams is thriving!

What's next? I've already told my son that he has to join in the next adventure. We're on the lookout for othe next challenge. Watch this space for future developments.

I Don't Do Mornings

Anyone who knows Grams even a little bit knows that Grams is not a morning person. Seriously, I don't like to get out of bed before 9 a.m. When I have to wake up earlier than that I'm cranky and I don't sleep well the night before.

When I do finally roll out of bed, I just don't function well for a while. I want to sit on the sofa, drink coffee and stare into space without being disturbed except possibly by Meredith Vieira and Matt Lauer giving me my morning dose of soft news.


This is a long-standing problem for me. I've always been this way. I think I was actually born this way. My mother used to wake me up quoting Isaiah chapter 60, verse 1, "Arise and shine for the light has come" or something that included the words "morning glory." I loathed being awakened this way and would have snarled something smart ass to her if I weren't afraid of being slapped into next week.

This morning malfunction didn't go away as I got older. Case in point, on the second day after our wedding some 35 years ago, Grams awakened in the hotel room basking in the glow of being a newlywed. As I stayed in bed admiring my new wedding band, I heard my new husband humming in the bathroom. I thought to myself, "Oh God, I've made a horrible mistake. I've married a morning person." I'm happy to report that he learned to tone it down in the mornings and I learned to tolerate his cheerfulness before noon. I think the marriage thing is going to work out for us.

As previously established, Grams resides in South Texas where the climate is similar to that on the face of the sun. It gets hot early and stays hot until late in the evening. While my on-line friends are already talking about cooler weather and complaining about being cold, we here on the coastal plains are still dealing with temperatures in the nineties most days.

Anyway, you may recall that Grams has committed to hiking Enchanted Rock later this month. In order to do that I need to build up my stamina which means, I've got to get off the sofa and move my bloomin' arse. This morning I awoke at 7:30 a.m. intending to get up and get moving. However, I turned over and slept another hour, making it 8:30 when I finally got out of bed. With determination I made my bed, pulled on my walking shoes, downed my vitamins, grabbed a bottle of water, turned on my MP3 player to listen to a good book and headed out the door to walk.

I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't blazing hot. There was a nice breeze and, as long as I stayed on the shady side of the street, it wasn't too bad. It wasn't a fast walk, but I walked for a full hour, covering about two miles. As I walked I began to notice how much difference the recent rain has made. Everything is green again and there are flowers blooming. I've always loved the little wildflowers (okay weeds) that bloom early in the morning and they were abundant this morning. The breeze was gentle, the neighborhood was quiet and I actually enjoyed my morning walk.

So Grams made it ... on her first walk in months. But it won't be my last. I've only got 17 days to get in shape for hiking Enchanted Rock. Cross your fingers and hope the weather stays cooler. Otherwise, I might have to get up even earlier and we all know that's not a pretty thing to see.

An Enchanting Challenge

One of the things I enjoy about my new healthier lifestyle is being able to do active things for the first time in more than twenty years. Just three years ago I couldn't even spend an hour shopping without having to stop and rest. Since my weight loss, I enjoy walking for exercise; although I must admit I don't do it as often as I should. Before Grandad got sick we were walking about two miles five times a week. He doesn't have the stamina for long walks now, so I walk without him. Over the long hot summer I have seriously slacked off. Okay, truth be told, I haven't walked more than three times all summer.

The last time I attempted a mid-morning walk, I was taking care of my grand-dog, Minnie. Now, if you know anything about Jack Russell Terriers you'll know that they have more than a little bit of energy. A daily walk and lots of exercise is the only way to keep them under control and Minnie loves her walks. If you even spell the word walk, she'll go get her leash and stand by the door. Seriously, she knows that W-A-L-K spells walk. She also recognizes that a walk might be in store if you just put on your tennis shoes. This dog loves to walk.


Fast forward to the middle of June when Grams took Minnie for a walk at around 10 o'clock one morning. As usual, Minnie was excited. She started out prancing down the sidewalk and straining at the end of her leash for Grams to walk faster. By the time we had walked two blocks, her gait had slowed and she was not so excited. As we walked our third and fourth blocks, Minnie slowed significantly and even stopped any time we came to a shady spot. In the fifth block we came to a yard with a huge shade tree. Now, I'll be the first to admit that it was hot and the shade created by the tree felt really nice. Minnie seemed to agree, because she just walked into the grass, plopped herself down in the shade and would not take another step. Seriously, she was hot and tired and would not be moved. After standing there holding the leash for a few minutes, Grams realized that Minnie was done and was not going to walk another step. So after a few minutes of tugging on the leash and coaxing, Grams ended up picking Minnie up and carrying her the five blocks back to the house. Minnie spent the rest of the day sleeping on the sofa.

Since then Grams has not been able to muster the energy to walk during the scalding hot days of this South Texas summer. But starting tomorrow, October 1, Grams will be back on the streets.

Tomorrow, I start training to accomplish one of my long time goals. On Sunday, October 18, Grams is going to hike Enchanted Rock, a granite dome located between Fredericksburg and Llanno with Katy + Travis. I have wanted to hike it since Grandad and I visited there about five years ago. I have heard my kids talk about hiking there for several years now and always thought it was something I could never do. But now I can.


I have been assured by K+T that they will slow down enough to hike at my pace. I have been instructed to find a hilly place to train. Remembering that I'm a flat-lander, for the next two weeks I'll be spending my mornings at Hilltop Nature Trail and Hazel Bazemore Park, the nearest things to hills anywhere in South Texas.

I can't wait until I can post that "Grams Made It" all the way up Enchanted Rock.