Texas Trip, Day Four

Saturday, April 11

We were up by 7:30 a.m. this morning, and had a breakfast of slices of the delicious wheat bread from Collin Street Bakery, with margarine, and fresh fruit. Once we were ready for the day, Hubbie and I went to the older Collin Street Bakery that is just down the road from the campground and bought three more loaves of the wheat bread...one to eat while we are vacationing, and two for the freezer.

The store was packed with people at the early hour of 8:30. A few of them were folks who had driven three colorful antique autos from Waco. The enchanting vehicles were painted in Easter egg colors of bright yellow, light blue, and tourquoise green. I love antique autos. they have such personality, unlike the blah same-same designs of today.

We were on the road to Waco by 10:30, and arrived around 11:30. There were lots of bluebonnets along the way, even though the wildflowers are not as plentiful this year, because the state didn't have enough rain in the fall. But there was still a good show of them in the Corsicana area. There was a skimpy showing of them in Waco, however.

At the Waco campground, Hubbie checked to see if there was WiFi, and there was, but when I tried to access it, a window warned me that it was an unsecure site, so I didn't try to log on.

This is the same campground where we stayed several years ago. It was newly constructed at that time, with nothing but pavement and white shale and recently planted trees, but this trip, there was a little greenery between campsites, and the trees were considerably bigger.

For lunch, Hubbie and I had leftover meatloaf in sandwiches, and Mother had the remainder of the pimento cheese, with a choice of tortilla chips for Hubbie, and cottage cheese for Mother and me.

Then Hubbie went to the bath house to freshen up, and I showered in the camper. Afterward, we called Hubbie's aunt and made arrangements to take supper to her house...chicken that Hubbie had cooked in the smoker a few months ago, fat-free no-sodium dressing leftover and frozen from Thanksgiving, microwave baked sweet potatoes, canned cranberry sauce, steamed asparagus, and a can of chicken low-sodium broth for making gravy.

We also took cupcakes, fat-free pudding, light pie cherries, and fat-free whipped topping to make a trifle-like dessert. We wanted to treat Aunt to dinner, so she wouldn't have to plan a meal for us. In January, she learned that she has a blocked artery, though her cardiologist doesn't think she needs a stent, yet. She has attended cardiac rehab, and has been prescribed meds for it, as well as a low-fat, low-sodium diet. Actually, she had a mild heart attack, and internal bleeding (maybe bleeding ulcers) that required transfusions. She was unconscious for quite a while in the hospital and doesn't remember the first couple of days in the ICU. She spent a couple of weeks in the hospital.

We went to Aunt's around 3 p.m. and visited until around 4 p.m. Then Mother and I prepared supper. We set the table with Aunt's best China, a beautiful gold design set that is about 65 years old. Hubbie's uncle brought the China home from Japan when he returned at the end of WWII.

After supper, Hubbie cleared the dishes and loaded them in the dishwasher, and then we sat down to play several games of Duo. Mother won two, I won two, and Hubbie won one.

Around 8 p.m., we left for the campground, where we spent the rest of the evening in individual pursuits.

Snoops the cat did very well in her cage at camp while we were gone. Shih Tzu had gone with us, but stayed in the truck most of the time.

It rained a little while we were at Aunt's house, and this evening it was cool and windy...just a generally uncomfortable day. So again, we were plenty tired by bedtime.

Texas Trip, Day Three

Friday, April 10



Got up at 7:30 a.m. and had a breakfast of bagels, cream cheese and jelly, plus fresh fruit. Then we got ready for the day, which takes quite a bit of time, with three people and one bathroom, as well as taking care of Shih Tzu and Snoops the cat.



At 11:30 a.m., we went to the Sirloin Stockade restaurant to meet my friend for lunch. This being Good Friday, I had trouble finding anything to eat, but settled for clam chowder, mashed potatoes and white gravy and an assortment of veggies, and rolls. Mother and Hubbie chowed on fried catfish and trimmings.



We had a good visit with Friend, and then we drove our separate vehicles as she led us to a new Collins Street Bakery that specializes in fruitcakes, among other baked goods. The bakery is all white inside and out, and features a tearoom. I bought a small fruitcake and a loaf of whole wheat bread. I plan to put the fruitcake in the freezer until Christmas. The business is famous for their fruitcakes, which they bake on site, so we will see if they are as good as the ones Mother used to make.

After we shopped, we went to the back of the business to take snapshots of a field of bluebonnets, plus shots of Mother, Friend, and me standing in the field, surrounded by these beautiful wildflowers.

From there, we went to a newly built Russell Stover store and factory. This building is also all white inside and out, and features a wide array of chocolates and other candies. Hubbie bought a box of broken and otherwise not perfect chocolates, at a bargain price. We don't know what kinds of chocolates are in the box...every box contains different varieties...so it'll be a surprise when we open it.

Then we went to Historic Downtown Corsicana, where Friend, Hubbie, and I walked up and down the district, while Mother rested in the truck. I shot lots of pictures of the interesting buildings.

Around 2 p.m., we parted ways...Friend needed to get home to prepare for a family gathering at her house on Easter Sunday.

We stopped back by the historic courthouse, so Mother could see it from the truck, and I got out and shot some closeups of it. Back at camp, we napped for a while and then had a supper of wheat bread that we'd picked up today, with rice and corn puffs cereal and banana for me, and leftover rice and milk for Hubbie. Mother settled for just several slices of bread and butter with coffee.

After supper, we played five games of Skipbo, with Hubbie winning three, and Mother and I each winning one.

It was cool and windy all day, which was tiring, so we were ready to hit the hay early.