A Trip to Texas

I love Texas!  I've gone there to Quilt Market and Festival every year since 1996--Houston each time.  We had a two-day post-show tour for several years that I absolutely loved because I got to see more of the great state of Texas, including the Hill Country around Fredricksburg, the beautiful capitol city of Austin, the historic city of San Antonio, and lots of wonderful little places along the way.  I keep pushing for another post-show tour, but I can't be the only person willing to go.  If there is enough interest to fill a bus, it just might happen again.

This trip was a teaching trip.  I was met at the Austin airport by two long-time friends who belong to the Quilt Guild of Greater Victoria.  It's more than 2 hours from Austin to Victoria so I planned my arrival to have us in Lockhart for lunch.  That quaint town with its' beautiful old courthouse on the central city square is famous for Barbecue.  In AL, barbecue means pig, in TX it's beef brisket, sausage, and pig or chicken once you're full of beef.  My son has raved about Smitty's in Lockhart for many years, so Smitty's it was.

 You enter right into the smokey pit area, where the meat is being cooked.  I can smell it now, one of the best smells in the world.  You order by the pound and they wrap it in butcher paper for you--and they give you a plastic knife.  White bread only, if you want that.  They only accept cash.  Then you step out of the smokey hot pit area into a small store connected to Smitty's to purchase drinks and sides--they only take cash and a big sign says "We DO NOT have forks".  OK, then.  You find a spot at a long row of picnic tables and pick up your meat and eat it.  It was delicious!  But, I must say, I want cutlery with my meat.  So on the way back to Austin, a slight change of plans was made--I was now going to be picked up at Black's BBQ, a couple blocks away.  They provide cutlery, take credit cards, and have lots of great sides to accompany the delicious meat.  I recommend the "lean" brisket instead of the "moist" brisket.  Sorry, no photos--we just ate it all!

I was treated very well in Victoria--the Hampton Inn folks were really great and the guild took very good care of me.  Their meeting was Thursday morning where I gave the lecture "The Hard Stuff", then we had a bite of lunch.  In the afternoon we started the two day workshop and everyone did very well.  I love to see when a student "gets it" and they are really making progress.  We were in class again all day Friday and they all made excellent progress.  The class was well-received and I would be delighted to return there again some day.  Here are a few shots of the action:

Anna H.

Dee W.

Mary Jo S.

Tanya B.

Mary

Marcia N.

Janice S--I called this fabric set "Dreamcicle"

Pat

I missed the women from Rockport who had to leave early for the hour drive home--this was Friday of Memorial Day Weekend.  Their work was great too--so Diana, Helen, and Sandy, send me some photos, please!

The weekend only got better as I was delivered back to Lockhart for that visit to Black's Barbecue and a meet up with old friends.  They took excellent care of me too for the rest of the day.  The next morning it was up early for the trip to the airport and on to home.

I'm not sure I could live in south Texas if the May weather is any indication--some areas have seen torrential rain, some are just hot and humid.  This weekend's weather there reminded me of August here.  Of course, AC is everywhere and you just avoid the heat as best you can.

After another trip this week to see my grand-girl Stella and celebrate her first birthday, I'll be very glad to be at home for a couple months.  And no more airport trips until October--when I will be so eager to get back to Texas!

Let's Quilt!

Barbara