Don't forget to tell somebody you love them today! Make each moment count.

Beautiful little girl dipping her "manos" into a fountain in Durango.

Monclova Coahuila~the way home in the New Year.


Sadly, not enough time to spend with loved ones & friends back in Texas but we were able to have our New Years Day with family & then began the New Year by returning to Mexico. Always searching for the better route, we decided to cross the border at Piedras Negras, Coahuila rather than worry about the heavy New Year's traffic on the bridges at Laredo/Nuevo Laredo. I have been to the border town of Piedras many times in years past to shop but never to venture very far or go by car through the town itself. The border crossing wait was quite brief & traffic was very light when we drove through. The streets to the highway out of town were much easier to navigate than Nuevo Laredo as well. We had an easy drive till we drove much further south & the much predicted storms were gathering behind us & towards Saltillo. At Monclova we had to drive through narrow winding 2 lane mountain roads which made us rethink our choice of highways. As we slowed going through small towns along the way people approached the car selling everything from fresh baked items to shelled pecans. Since were were stuck behind trucks of livestock & poorly loaded bales of hay we didn't save much time & arrived in Torreon around dusk. Somehow the scenery & pretty landscape broke up the long trip. I was sad at one point however to see a whole pickup truck bed of cute dancing baby goats being sold as fresh Cabrito on the hoof! They were so cute sitting there in the truck while a fire was going with 2 recent amigos cooking on the coals! They seemed to be blissfully unaware of their fate! So much for the shorter way home in Mexico. Is there a shorter way home in Mexico, or at least a path of least resistance? Not sure, also drove through Cuatro Cienegas which does bear visiting again when we have more time. http://www.vivanatura.org/Cienegas.html

Piedras Negras Coahuila~Plaza across the International Bridge from Texas

After leaving Knippa there was an opportunity to stay overnight in Gonzales Texas. So, John & I stayed at Belle Oaks Inn. We arrived a day before the Inn owners did & they were trusting enough to leave us a key & our suite unlocked. We let ourselves in & had the place to ourselves for the night. It was peaceful & truly beautiful.




Belle Oaks Inn was built by C.E. Dilworth in 1912. The Louisiana Plantation Style mansion was utilized in the early 1940's as a polio hospital before once again being used for a private residence. Our host Richard gave us a tour of the whole house & told us the many painstaking steps it took to get the Inn to the current state. John & I stayed in the private Carriage house behind the main residence. It was a wonderful stay. Gonzales is a town laid out upon & still maintains the original Mexican survey of 1832. The town was at one time a Mecca for ranchers, cattle barons & bankers. The historic homes still line the old streets & while most things were shut down we did enjoy visiting some of the quaint little shops on & around the courthouse square. And of note is the fact that Gonzale is home to the famous "come & take it" cannon where a small group of early Texas settlers dared the Mexican army...to you guessed it "come & take it!" & one thing led to another otherwise the state of Coahuila where we live would be alot further north!

Is there ever a case of too much of a good thing? ......Hmmmm!

It all depends on who you ask!

Girls will be girls!

There is such a thing as too much Christmas! Too much fun & turkey will wear a person down!


While visions of sugar plums danced......

Well, maybe not such a silent night!
Those Harrington, Decker & Kincke Women are always up to something~sometimes overwhelming the men! Lord only knows what the animals are doing?

Family & fun at Mimi's! Animals get into the action too!



Silent Night at Decker Ranch, Knippa Texas
And it ended up being a very silent & beautiful night. Love those Texas sunsets!

Misty Woods lit up for Christmas!


The University of Texas tree at Misty Woods! Lauren kept the home team represented~Santa should be proud! And the girls in the "hood" shine on!(especially Miss Patti~party Queen of Round Rock!)



Seeing good friends, getting together & having a great Texas get together!



Parties, Fiestas, Home in Oakbluff....ah, Christmas time, to quote Martha Stewart, it's a good thing! Got to love seeing the girls from the neighborhood & dogs in Christmas hats!

Favorite Armadillo Bazaar find!
What is an Armadillo? How Bazaar!! An awesome time was had by all at the Texas original Armadillo Christmas Bazaar!


Lauren & I love to go to the Armadillo Christmas Bazaar & find unique Chritmas gifts & get into the Christmas Spirit. With the live music, hand made, one of a kind & just plain strange items it is always fun to stroll & browse. We found our favorite vendors (including the "Beetles pottery people")& listened to awesome Texas music. We did however get a kick out of the prices we saw on the handmade Mexican import items. Somehow I think we have got that market cornered! Austin, there is no place like it in the world!


The Austin Music Hall is home to a Holiday Favorite called the Armadillo Christmas Bazaar
So this is Christmas
And what have you done
Another year over
And a new one just begun
And so this is Christmas
I hope you have fun
The near and the dear ones
The old and the young~John Lennon

We had some panic at the border on my part when I realized that I had my passport in another purse at the house in Torreon. After freaking out a bit I called the US Customs agent at the International Bridge where we were crossing & explained my predicament. I was told that a valid form of ID & my birth certificate would be sufficient to get me back home. The Passport is an absolute in airports now but driving or walking across the other forms of ID will be okay till January 2008. Lesson learned! Never leave home in a foreign country without the passport. Saves a great deal of stress as well. I was so blessed thankful when we finally drove across. Of course none of the driving at the border was quick. There was an almost 2 hour wait in the lines at the bridge.

At Nuevo Laredo they were trying to get into the Christmas Spirit.

Home to Texas for the Holidays!!!! For anyone old enough to remember Crumley's Grocery Store south of Austin on I-35 this is a wonderful artist's rendition of that great Central Texas landmark. Crumley's is long gone but many remember the whimsical collection of stuff outside the store. I bought a box of Mary Doerr's Christmas cards last year at the Armadillo Bazaar & couldn't bear to part with this one. Can't wait to return to Austin landmarks, family & friends for the holidays! Feliz Navidad! There is no place like home for the Holidays! In fact there is no place in the world like it.