Hello, Gentle Readers!

I’m back after a short time off necessitated by a bit of surgery. All’s well now, and I’m back to sharing my adventures outside the office.

In October, I journeyed to Houston for my reunion at Rice University and for a bit of nostalgia. I grew up in Houston, and even though I have lived in Dallas for 20 years, I always get swept up into a tide of longing when I go back to Houston. What do I long for? Probably the simplicity of growing up in another era, of playing kickball for hours in the cul-de-sac in front of our house, of going to the community pool every day in the summer, and of just being with my family. We spent hours at the pool all summer – from 10 to 12 each morning, then home for lunch and the mandatory rest time, then back from 3 until 6 each afternoon. One of the “games” we played when we went back in the afternoon was seeing who among us (me and two sisters and two brothers) could walk barefoot the longest on the hot sidewalk. Hey, I didn’t say we were smart — this is just what we did! Everything was so uncomplicated then. And we had such good summers!

But I digress. Before I left for Houston, I stopped by my favorite nursery and bought $60 worth of pansies to plant among the headstones at my paremts’ graves. Our family plot is in Glenwood Cemetery, which is one of the oldest cemeteries in Houston. My grandmother’s sister died in the influenza outbreak of 1919, and my great grandfather bought a huge family plot at that time. I’m always struck by the history that lives in that cemetery.  For example, the graves of the Allen brothers, the founding fathers of Houston, are in Glenwood.

I also learned on this trip that Charlotte Allen, who married one of the Allen brothers, was known in some circles as the Mother of Houston.  I took a picture of the side of the Allen monument dedicated to her, and of the historical marker dedicated to her, both shown above.

Glenwood is a peaceful place – one that I don’t mind visiting. My family has lived in Houston for generations, and so the genealogic opportunities here for us is endless. My mother spent a good deal of time at Glenwood researching our family history, and I’m saving all her work for what might be a book someday. In the meantime, I just enjoy the beauty every time I get to Houston. Here are some of the pictures I took on this trip:

And, last but not least, here is a monument that caught my eye during this trip. Wouldn’t it be nice to know the story behind the bicycle on top of this monument?

So that’s it for Part 1. In Part 2 I’ll let you all know about the reunion!