Is it really December?

Austin, TX gave my mom a hearty, warm welcome when she flew in for a visit. With sunny skies and highs in the mid-seventies, I had all kinds of things to show off here. Weather like that makes everything so utterly charming and pleasant.

We walked the green belt along Town Lake, ate some great soul food and fish tacos, walked South Congress Avenue where my we were given a timely sighting to Leslie wearing a mini skirt and faux sheep skin boots. There were all kinds of adventures to be had.

Yep, there was even some tree climbing. It turned into a bit of an extreme sport.

It's too bad she has to leave tomorrow morning because I really believe there just won't be no sunshine when she's gone...

Christmas time is here...

DO DEE DO DEE DOooo

I have to say that this season has been a good reminder at how marvelous it can be to push obligatory Christmas traditions aside and do whatever it is that seems like a good idea. Really, it was so liberating to not feel like I had to bake a huge number of cookies to send out to all friends and neighbors while listening to every single Christmas album I have collected over time. Nope. There was no necessity to watch my favorite Christmas flicks or make sure I found myself a glazed ham to have a slice of before the 25th. Nope. And thank goodness I got through without even so much as watching one scene from "A Christmas Story". Sorry, I know it's a classic for lots of you but for me it has become as cliche and painful to try and enjoy as it is for many to receive a fruitcake or an ugly reindeer sweater on Christmas morning and feign excitement.

This is not to say I have ba-humbugged the whole season. (I've tried that somewhat before and it really just left me as frustrated as it had buying in to every little Christmas requirement) Quite the opposite happened really because with all those demands pushed aside I was able to make way for some great new events that gave me all kinds of holiday cheer.

Austin's "Trail of Lights" was one. I guess this could be considered a pretty traditional Christmas activity but it felt like a new experience to me. After rounding up some of our favorite peoples from the Shoal Creek Ward:), we headed downtown to pick up a shuttle that took us to Zilker Park's light spectacle. You can just imagine how excited we all got when we saw this amazing little number waiting in line for the shuttle. We knew there would be something really breathtaking when we got there if we were already seeing such fine holiday light workmanship...

It was really pretty dazzling though when we got there. With the meticulous lighting and the thematic scenes every few feet it seemed a bit like the Temple Square lights met up with O.C. Tanner candy windows. I was pretty overwhelmed.

And would you believe that this year it turned out to be the best idea ever to have a Crab Boil for Christmas Eve dinner than a ham or a turkey? Well, maybe that doesn't apply to everbody but it seriously applied to all us Sweeneys here in Ada. My gosh! Kielbasa, King Crab legs, corn on the cob, boiled potatoes and shrimp really was the good and proper way for us all to celebrate this fine season. There were traditional moments. We did use nut crackers to open up the crab claws and we ended with homemade pecan fudge.