Mom turns 91!

The kids and I got together to throw Mom a birthday celebration at The Bomb Diggity in Inez.  We ordered dinner and waited for the show to begin.  The Joe Valentino Show was onstage and rocking out with some oldies from the 50’s and 60’s!









Dressed to fit the music they sang and danced for the crowd! I had told them it was Mom’s birthday so they paid special attention to her and serenaded her with Happy Birthday! Even Ethan got up on stage and was part of the act.

Omar had ordered Mom a chocolate birthday cake with chocolate icing, her favorite! It was a fun evening and a perfect birthday celebration for Mom.

Happy 11th Anniversary

In celebration of our 11th wedding anniversary, Dale and I booked a cabin outside of Wimberley. The Ruby cabin, at Stoney Ridge was isolated, but beautiful, with a big stone fireplace, a wrap around deck for sunsets, and a hot tub!

After unloading our stuff our first stop was at Jacob’s Well Park where Dale reminisced about his first scuba diving experience as a young wild guy!  It was a long time ago, but brought back lots of memories.

The first night we went to Linda’s Restaurant for Fat Tuesday and some Cajun food and music. A road trip was on the agenda the following day.....with stops in Driftwood and Dripping Springs.....with lunch at the famous Salt Lick for BBQ.

We also stopped at a beautiful winery and restaurant called Trattoria Lisina. A hot tub soak and a roaring fire while watching the sunset was the perfect end to a great day.  Valentine's Day and our 11th anniversary we enjoyed a late breakfast and coffee at our cabin before heading to the Blue Hole for some hiking.





The Leaning  Pear was the perfect spot for our lunch.....the crab cake was outstanding! Honeycomb gelato was dessert.  A leisurely drive along the Blanco River, before heading back to our place! Tomorrow we head home!

Atchetee Ancestory.Com

After much thought a Atchetee get-together was planned.....and
Rhonda and Harlo agreed to host everyone.  Michael and Whitney drove over from Louisiana for a visit, and a chance to discuss their family history.  Rhonda was the perfect hostess and cooked up some great meals!  The Atchetee boys can be loud, and laughter was heard as they discussed the family tree!  Old pictures and family records were shared to keep their heritage alive for future generations.

Good bye Miss Ice Tea Too

After sixteen years, 1,000 hours in the air,  and taking over 300 folks flying around South Texas Dale decided to sell his airplane, Miss Ice Tea Too!  He was very selective in picking the perfect buyer for her! Scott Elmore of Colorado fit the bill!  After coming down to give her a test spin, arrangements were made to pick her up!





So on January 20 he came down and picked her up.  We watched at she lifted off from VCT for the last time and headed North to Colorado and her new home.

Eel Time!

Back home from Costa Rica for two days, I was off to Bonaire to go diving with Eels on Wheels on their annual trip!  My roommate, Jill and I were in Studio 701 and on the boat named Sea Gypsy for
the week.  Diving was great as usual, good visibility, no current, and lots of marine life! We usually did three dives a day and then hung out at the pool!  Jill and I made a trip to the big grocery store to get the makings for my Basil Margaritas...a big hit with the group!

The highlight of the week was a dive where we found 6 octopus on one dive...don’t know if I will ever top that!  The next day Enrique, the dive master found two frog fish!  Other highlights were seahorses, a big free swimming green moray eel, turtles and some rays.
Having lost a member of our group last year, Bad Bob, we decided to honor his memory with a tree and a thicket with the Reef Restoration project.  Our boat picked up Bridgett from the project and we made the dive and watched as the plaques were placed in his memory. RIP....Bad Bob, you are missed!

Almost every night a pilgrimage was made to Gio’s for some yummy gelato!  Quite the sight to see!

Our final night, which was Jill’s birthday we made dinner reservations at Capriccio’s and enjoyed a great dinner with a special dessert!
It was great to dive with my Eel’s friends again, some of which I only see once a year.

Costa Rica Calls!

Christmas trees, jingle bells,and Santa meant it was time to head to sunny Costa Rica.  As usual we headed to Dominical on the Pacific coastline for two weeks of Pura Vida!  This trip we were carriers with one suitcase full (50 boxes) of Christmas lights for Richard and Diane the resort owners. They live to decorate!
Of course the first few days we unpacked, stocked up on groceries, fresh produce, fish, and fruit.  It is so easy to eat healthy there.  With abundant farmer’s markets and local fisherman you won’t go hungry! Early morning walks on the beach and evenings up at the Rancho and pool were our daily ritual! It was very enjoyable to share experiences with the other guest from all over the world....including a couple from Switzerland, to a rancher from Patagonia, plus some fellow Americans.

Christmas Eve the owners invited us to their Christmas Eve annual party, so I prepared a new dish, Avocado Crack Dip.  Must have been a hit as I came back with a empty bowl! Just before the party started, the electricity went out.....so off we went with flashlights in hand!  The power stayed off for about an hour, but the party went on!

A few days later we went with our friend Daryl, dressed as Papa Noel to visit a Palm Tica farm and bring gifts to the children.  Dale and I were assigned duties as his elves, complete with elf hats!  At first the kids were shy and reluctant, some had never seen Papa Noel much less two elves from Texas.
It was very hot and Papa Noel was melting in his outfit but we stayed until every child had a gift. This is the true meaning of Christmas.

Playa Hermosa is our favorite beach, so we made several trips there to enjoy the beautiful beach and waves perfect for boogie boarding.  Dale proved he was still the Boogie Board Champion riding the waves all the way to shore! This beach is the perfect spot to just hang out with the locals, enjoy some cold coconut water, and people watch! The water is warm and you can walk for miles! Another favorite spot in what we call the Secret Beach, a manicured beautiful beach lined by palms, the prefect spot to tie up our hammocks.
This year we booked a tour of a animal rescue operation at Villa Alturas!  This resort is up on the mountain and has an amazing view of the coast!  Our guide was great and we learned how they try to rehabilitate and release the animals they get back into the wild!

Our course a visit wouldn’t be complete without a stop at our new favorite restaurant, Feliz Langosta at Matapalo.  Great food and big portions...you never leave hungry!  We also made a trip up the mountain to Jolly Roger for the best hamburger in the area on New Year’s Eve! Pizza at a new place in Uvita was yummy....New York still pizza! Our last night we enjoyed dinner with
Richard and Diane at Tortilla Flats in Dominical.  At this restaurant I was introduced to a new delicious. drink....Basil Margarita...OMG!

During our stay we heard our old friends, Daryl and Diane were building a new home.  One day we drove up to their boutique resort, and then drove over and they gave us a tour of  their new home! It was very sleek and contemporary....with a view to die for!
Two weeks flew by and soon it was time to load up and head back to San Jose for our flight back to Texas!  It was a very relaxing trip, with perfect weather, beautiful beaches, old friends, and good food!
Pura Vida!

Christmas 2018

We celebrated Christmas early with the family at my Mom’s house! Unfortunately not everyone could attend.  We exchanged diner and then played the Saran Wrap Game.....which was pretty wild!  Grandma, with one bad hand was the big winner with Lexi’s help!
Instead of exchanging gifts this year we adopted a needy family and all bought gifts to make Christmas possible for them!