Wednesday, April 13, 2005

The 60th Birthday Weekend

We went to Concan, Texas for the weekend to celebrate my 60th birthday. Concan is in the Texas Hill Country, a magnet for bird watchers and swimming in the Frio River. We did neither, but just enjoyed the views, trying to catch fish, eating at Neal's Cafe, and mostly being together. Most of the immediate family was able to make the trip.

Sara and Mark schemed for over a month to keep my present a secret and to try to keep me guessing. They even got Kathy to wrap it along with ancillary gifts in a large box with rocks to add intrigue. And they had a few sibling arguments along the way just to make it more interesting. John managed to avoid all the fun by being out of the country, and Catherine chose to not get sucked into the fray. So finally getting to open it was a lot of fun. Turned out to be an iPod, which is something I have really been wanting. Eloise, in addition to footing the bill for the weekend, arranged with my friend Johnny to make a shirt embroideried with "On the map, but not over the hill." And I am still deciding what to buy with the always appropriate gifts of money from my Dad and my Mother-in-law.

It was a great time, and I look forward to writing more about it in coming days. I'm blessed by a loving and fun family!

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