We are heading down to Texas for a whole week.  I’m leaving in a few hours, but before I go, I thought I would post a journal entry detailing my first trip there in 2007 to visit Greg’s family.  The following entry is from my old blog.  It’s a lovely reminder of the things to come this next week.  I hope to post more while I’m there.  See ya’ll in Texas!

December 12th, 2007

I like Maryland, but for some reason, I can’t say I LOVE Maryland.  That’s why I think it’s kinda cool to hear when people say that Texans love Texas — it gives me a homey pride inside…even though I’m not from around there.

This past weekend Greg and I, along with his parents and sister, spent 5 lovely days in Wimberly, Texas visiting family.  We stayed at his uncle’s riverside bed and breakfast with many people from Greg’s maternal side of the family — the Collins’.  This family really blew me away with their hospitality and all their wonderful story telling of years gone by.

This is the kind of family you write books about.  Books detailing their arrival to America by ship and living under a great big tree until they could build a house for themselves.  Books about cotton picking and becoming something great.  Books about making something out of nothing.  These are the types of books I love reading on a rainy day like today in my white cotton nightgown and snuggled deep down under the covers.  Maybe even an entire book on kolaches or kolacky!  These are usually sweet buns made from yeasted dough and usually have fruit or poppy seed filling — bohemian goodness at its best.  I had one with sausage, spicy jalapenos and cheese, and BOY was it tasty!!!

I didn’t realize that Czechs are also called Bohemians until I spoke to Greg’s grandmother who spoke bohemian when when she was a young Czech girl growing up in Texas.  Quite interesting.  I always knew there was something nomadic, gypsy-like and free spirited about my husband — but I could not pinpoint it until now.  : )  I can most definitely see where Greg gets some of his interesting quirks from after meeting these neat people.

granny lanny and greg

blanco river on a downcast day

the grandboys