HYACINTHS FOR THE SOUL

Sunday, December 1, 2024

Tales of the Traveling Tote # 41

Rabbit, Rabbit!

Welcome December

Our last edition of Tales of the Traveling Tote

began with sand between my toes on Cape Cod.

By the end of August and first of September,Miss Merri Mac and I were on the west coast with sand between our toes.

We flew to Carmel-By-The-Sea.

Just like the song lyrics,

"From sea to shining sea"

The land of the beautiful Monterey Cypress trees that can

grow as tall as 90 feet and live for over a hundred years.

With a wedding to attend in Santa Cruz, my friend Roxanne invited Miss Merri Mac and I to spend a few pre-wedding days as a guest in her lovely home in nearby Carmel-By-The-Sea. What a treat! Roxy had us walking the beach, eating wonderful fresh seafood, visiting her favorite thrift and antique shops, lunching with her girlfriends, and even attending an amazing estate sale.

The wedding venue was high up in the redwood forest above the Monterey Bay.

Yes, this beautiful wedding was in the most amazing setting, high upon a mountain among the redwoods.

I've known this beautiful bride since she was five years old. What a special occasion to be included at Emily and Kyle's unique wedding.

Once back in Texas, I was on the road again,headed south to the Gulf Coast with a group of Austin friends.We gathered at a friends beautiful home in Rockport, TX, played Mah Jongg, consumed a lot of delicious seafood, and of course shopped along the way.

Yes in deed, sand between my toes, sand of my youth, Texas Gulf style.

As we meandered back to Austin, we included a stop for some famous Texas style barbecue in the small town of Lockhart, Texas.

I have been stitching on Wednesday mornings with a group of women who have been stitching together for close to twenty years.They call themselves the SWANSSociety of Women Addicted to Needlework

The SWANS invited me to join their group,

and we recently enjoyed a weekend stitch-in at Lake LBJ.

Trip, the resident

dog greeted me on arrival.

Miss Merri Mac and I soaked in

the quiet beauty lakeside.

There was some serious stitching going on though, and

I am proud to say I completed these two works in progress.

The darling Kate Hersh turkey "I beg your pardon!" design was back from the finisher in time to enjoy it for the Thanksgiving holidays.

The double sided woodland Santa will be back from the finisher in a few weeks.

October brought our good friend and

fellow tabletop sister back for a repeat Texas visit.

You might recall, Roxy, my friend in Carmel, CA came

to Texas last spring to shop Round Top Antiques Market.

We enjoyed a repeat trip to Round Top Antique Market as well as

visiting and shopping local antique and thrift store venues.

Roxy was here for a few days,

so come along and see a few of the highlights.

The Salt Lick BBQ ~ Driftwood

A legend since my university days at UT,

the Salt Lick is just a short scenic drive from downtown Austin out

in the hills among century-old oaks and wild critters.

The barbecue is legendary, smoked on a large open pit.

One can expect large crowds waiting for a table

within the original rustic stone dining room.

We waited at picnic tables beneath the giant oaks,

a pleasant spot to sip on a beverage while listening to

live music and play a quick game of Mah Jongg.

Our smiling friend had six jokers and easily won the game.

Meet my new friend, Henry.

Miss Merri Mac, Roxy, and I were headed out to

Lake Austin to spend some time on the water

with our friends, Elizabeth and Mike.

What fun we had cruising Lake Austin late in the day.

The breezes off the water were refreshing.

Thank you, Carter, for taking us out.

You can watch a summary of

Roxy's visit on this video here.

Don't forget to leave me a comment and tell us

where you have traveled the past 3 months.

Those who comment on Linda's post

will be entered into our giveaway.

Miss Merri Mac and I plan less travel

and more stitching in the winter months ahead.

Enjoy the adventures of my Traveling Tote Friends!

Links Below

Debbie with Miss Aurora @ Mountain Breaths

Emily with Miss Courtney Childs @ The French Hutch

Jenna with Miss Coquille @The Painted Apron

Linda P with Miss Lola @ Life and Linda (Give Away Here)

Patti with Miss Kenzie @ Pandora's Box

Rita with Miss Luna C @ Panoply

Jackie with Miss Madi K @ Purple Chocolate Home

Ricki Jill with Countess De Monet @ The Bookish Dilettante

Sarah with Miss Merri Mac @ Hyacinths for the Soul (YOU'RE HERE)

Thanks for visiting today.

Plan to join us again March 1st to see

what adventures the next 3 months bring our way.

Love Your Creativity @ Life and Linda

Sunday, September 1, 2024

Tales of the Traveling Tote, Edition #40

Tales of the Traveling Tote

June, the start of summer, found Miss Merri Mac and me on Cape Cod with sand between our toes.

Living the coastal life that always renews my spirit.

We visited long time friends who live year round on the Cape.

~ Beach Roses ~ Ocean Vistas ~ Seagulls ~

~ Salty Air ~ Fresh Seafood ~

I stayed in their charming guest suite, the FROG.

~ Furnished Room Over Garage ~

We spent leisure days under the pergola, catching up

and soaking in the fresh, crisp, cool air.

Look up at our perfect view of

blue skies and blooming wisteria.

Meet my new bestie, Gouda!

I admit, I also indulged in a few of these tasty

delights before heading back home.

Back in Texas, Miss Merri Mac and I hopped on

an express bus and headed up to Dallas.

Vonlane is like flying first class without the hassle of flying.

The service is always exceptional, and that particular Friday Vonlane pampered their customers with a delightful surprise,

Chelles Macarons.

Victoria was in town for Dallas Market,

and we wanted to get in a repeat visit.

The Arte Italica Crown Linen Designs

Dallas Market Showroom is a sight to behold.

How special to see all the products displayed in one space.

The Chef and I began collecting the beautifully crafted Italian pewter

made for Arte Italica in the 1990s, and I continue to add new pieces.

Later, we enjoyed dinner at one of my favorite restaurants.

Rise ~ Salon de Soufflé

Sweet and savory soufflés offered

a classic French experience.

July of course brought annual 4th of July celebrations.

It was too hot to entice us to attend the neighborhood parade,

but that didn't stop us from feeling festive.

Miss Merri Mac is the perfect companion to hold my current needlepoint "works in progress", so the two of us gather weekly with a group of stitchers for conversation, lunch, and stitch therapy.One recent week we took a day trip to Comfort, TX to shop at The Tinsmith's Wife.Wow, what a wonderful resource for anyone who knits or stitches.Click here to check it out. They ship!

The Texas hill country is a bounty of fresh produce

this time of year, so of course we stopped at one

of the local stands on our way out of town.

Nothing like fresh Texas peaches!

Except of course the cool, fresh air of the mountains of Colorado.

Yes, lucky us escaped the heat

for a few weeks in July and August.

I've been traveling to Colorado in the summers since I was a child,

and with every trip the mere sight of the mountains instantly

restores my body with calm and contentment.

WELCOME

Hello from paradise!

Farmer's Markets enticed with

local produce and handmade items.

This family was selling mango on a stick.

Looks pretty tasty and easy to eat.

My sojourn in Colorado extended for two weeks with lots of time to relax and stitch.

We celebrated my cousin's milestone birthday with special dinners out and a beautiful picnic riverside.

Click here to view my post on the picnic.

August also presented another family opportunity whena group of my girl cousins met for a fun weekend in Galveston.

The last time some of us met here was in 2012. Since that gathering, we've sadly lost two, but are overjoyed to welcome an entirely new group of young women who have joined our family, including precious baby, Emily Kathryn.

We celebrated the upcoming wedding of one of the young girls marrying into the family and the expected birth of another cousin's first child - a baby boy due in January.