Birthday Weekend

This weekend we were busy busy busy! On Saturday (my birthday) the four of us took a drive into Austin, TX for the day.  We stopped at Mothers Cafe for an early lunch.  Mothers is a vegetarian restaurant we discovered on our last trip to Austin two years ago, and I have been looking forward to revisiting it ever since.  Gail and Mark are vegans and I eat gluten-free.  It can be a challenge to find places to eat that cater to both eating styles, unless you don't mind limiting yourself to salads.  We were all able to order different platters at Mothers that were yummy and filling. As a bonus, a harpist sat near our table and entertained us with beautiful music.  


After lunch the skies opened up and poured rain. We drove to the Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library and Museum and made a mad dash for the door.  But even with the bad weather we were so glad we went.  

There are thirteen presidential libraries in the U.S. And three of them are in Texas.  Bob and I are hoping to visit all of them.  I find it fascinating to view a president's term in office through their eyes, for that is what you see at these museums.  In a way, it is a way that a president is able to explain decisions and the circumstances in which they were made. In the case of LBJ, what I remember as a teenager was the Vietnam War, the protests, the unrest.  I was impressed this weekend at the changes LBJ made in this country: Medicare, the Civil Rights Amendment, policies protecting the environment, college grant programs, all were his doing. One thing I am starting to see that, no matter what their political party, our presidents work hard to try and make this country a better place for us.  It is easy for us to be critical of decisions for which we don't have all the facts. 

We finished up at the Museum and headed home.  Saturday was my birthday and Gail and Mark had baked me a yummy cake that we all enjoyed back at the motorhome. It was the perfect ending to a wonderful day.

Sunday dawned sunny and warm, with high temperatures in the 70's. This is why we came to Texas!  In the afternoon we met up with Gail, Mark, and their dog Lily for a walk along the Pepper Creek Trail in Temple. The trail is a wide, paved walkway through the woods that boasts waterfalls and beautiful scenery. Very memorable.

We then followed Gail and Mark home for a visit with our niece a Caryn and her two adorable children, who joined us for dinner. What a lovely time we had!