Return to Shangri-La

We went to see the Grandparents Pate for a few days last week. We decided, since my kids had never experienced fireworks before, to go to Beaumont for a July 4th celebration. The Symphony of Southeast Texas gave a free performance of patriotic tunes in the Julie Rodgers Theatre, which we thoroughly enjoyed, even though I cried more than once (I've mentioned my inability to keep my composure when I hear the National Anthem, which means that the Olympics are going to require me to medicate myself or possibly be sedated in some way), the ugliest cry making an appearance during the medley of the hymns of the different branches of the military. The conductor had the veterans and active military men and women stand up during their particular song, and I knew better than to turn around and look, but, out of the corner of my eye, an elderly naval vet stood up and gave a crisp salute during "Anchors Aweigh" and I began to weep, and THEN, during the Marine song, I had my eyes squinched up tight but not tight enough that I couldn't see that one of the French horn players, IN the symphony, STOOD up and played (because YES, Hudson, Marines sometimes do play the French horn) and that just did me RIGHT in. In fact, I cried when I told the husband about it, and I am also crying right now as I am writing about it. Anyway, I dried myself off and we went out for the fireworks. Harper loved them, Hudson thought it was great that it sounded as though we were being BOMBED MOMMY! and Helena was not a fan at ALL and insisted on being held the entire time with my hand (and then Grandfather Pate's hand) clamped tightly over her exposed ear. Then we got in the car where it was quiet and she insisted that she had, in truth, quite enjoyed the firework. Singular. It was, all in all, a nice evening.

We also made a return trip to Shangri-La which, if you remember, is not a myth, but actually exists in, of all places, Orange, Texas. We didn't get to enjoy eating from the garden this time (the sugar snap peas had either already been harvested, or had burned to a crisp in the record HEAT) but we did really enjoy watching some fledgling herons from inside the bird blind. We were disappointed that the roseate spoonbill did not make an appearance, but we did see an alligator swimming.

We had some good cousin time with the rainbow/slip & slide:
we got back home on Saturday and there has been lots of rain. We have done some crafts. We made oatmeal cookies. Hudson and the daddy have watched quite a bit of Star Wars on our new family member, Blue Ray. Then, yesterday, a joyful reunion with the old gang:This post has taken me approximately one THOUSAND hours to complete because I forgot to take the camera to my parents' house and, therefore, was forced to use the camera function on the iPad. Then I realized that getting those pictures onto the blog was a task suited for Steven Hawking or maybe Bobby Fisher or possibly Steve Jobs could have figured out. So the pictures were upside down and then really tiny and now very grainy but I am going to hit the publish button anyway because seriously, enough.