La Dolce Vita in the Big D

Our daughter, Rachel, and son-in-law, Drew moved to Dallas, TX in August. The Hubster and I are close to our kids and try to see them as often as we can. Or, as often as they can stomach it. Anyway, we jumped at the chance to make a trip down south to see their new digs.

Their apartment complex is a big, new, "green" build with all the best amenities: multi-level pool, gorgeous welcome center, sophisticated and modern style, interior parking garage, recycling program, pet friendly and charming courtyards with loads of flowers, seating and grills for outdoor meals. As a mom, I appreciated all the safety measures. We were pleased to stay in a guest suite on the property and use all the facilities. It's like a resort!

The neighborhood Rachel and Drew live in is super-cool. Addison is full of upscale restaurants, retail stores, beautiful homes and apartments, new schools, pretty churches and synagogues and tons of parks with trees. Everywhere you looked was green and lush. We made visits to a kosher Tom Thumb grocery store, Whole Foods, Avenue and Designer Shoe Warehouse.

Our family celebrates with food, so this weekend was definitely a party. We started off with dinner at The Melting Pot, a fondue place. You get to cook your own stuff in a big pot on the table. Fun for foodies! On Saturday, we had brunch at Corner Bakery Cafe, which was a perfect spot. I couldn't believe how many people eat outside in Texas. I'm used to windy Kansas.

The place Rachel works is really neat, too. She is "Director of First Impressions" at a local nursing school. (That means she works in reception.) Our kid gave us the grand tour and introduced us to some of her co-workers. Everyone there is really friendly. You can't beat Southern manners.

If you know my family, you are probably aware that we are not big sports fans. An average drive from Ark City to Dallas would take about five hours. Ours took seven on the way down and six on the way home. The Red River Rivalry reared its ugly head. Yes, the annual OU/UT game was last weekend and thousands of rabid Sooners made for the border and took us along for the ride. Our car crawled from Gainesville to downtown Dallas at a whopping 20 miles per hour, sometimes less.

Don't get me wrong, football is fun for a lot of people. And I wouldn't begrudge those folks even one TD in double-overtime. But it sure was funny to see the long line of Longhorn fans blasting "We Will Rock You" and waving goodbye at the Texas border. We just smiled and honked our horn.

When you're a parent, you need to see where your child is living and where they work. If you can picture them in their surroundings, then it gives you a lot of peace. Rachel and Drew took a big risk when they moved. It paid off. They're happy. You can see it on their faces. God is good!

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Female in Motion Exercise Update: I did three aerobic workouts last week. I also did a lot of walking(shopping and sightseeing) in Texas. I'll get back to normal this week.

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Notable Quote:

"The reason women don't play football is because eleven of them would never wear the same outfit in public."--Phyllis Diller