Working My Way Through Culture

Year End Letter 2012 – Whoosh it goes by fast – Welcome to 2013 – Wishes Fulfilled The year 2012 ended on a peaceful and grateful note. Spirit is floating free of time, carrying hopes for love, joy and celebration as my eyes have been opened to even more wonders of the world and I’m inspired. I’m even experiencing a graceful vibe as I explore other cultures, and exotic travels with a loving mate who has been patient with his quick wit as our transition into married life is proving to be all okay. In 2013 celebrating the Chinese New Year around Sunday February 10th, we will enter the Year of the Snake (water snake). Water usually represents wealth and money luck. The snake represents wisdom, charm, romance, power, and intuition, but can also be manipulative, ruthless and demanding. Experts says 2013 will be luckier than 2012!! February carried Tommy & me to Boerne to visit this interesting Texas town for the weekend. We stayed at an antique downtown hotel – Ye Kendall Inn established in 1859. I love the small unique German characteristics the town has to offer. Visited Cascade Caverns which is 95% active – growing and slowly changing. I was impressed by the fact that a man had lived in the cave and seems to be one of the cave’s more interesting residents living for about 25 years as a hermit in the cave’s first chamber. His life remains a complete mystery other than his journals that turned into a German language book. The original manuscript was lost for many years until a writer stumbled upon it and translated it into a novel titled "The Hermit of the Cavern" - one of the only copies resides at the Boerne Public Library. (I’m so curious, I would love it if my ancestors had kept a journal.) Gardening was not happening this year. I miss the veggie plants. I had quite an amazing experience in 2011 with sesame plants that produced real sesame seeds. The South Austin Community Garden is in transition as the developers moved the entire plot further back into the property and we are just waiting for them to complete the project. More travel stories: The Bay Area and northern California plus Harbin Hot Spring in January and then again in May/June. Manhattan Beach, CA to visit Tommy’s sister and family in August. Dallas, TX in the Fall. Ft. Lauderdale, FL/Harbour Island/Nassau Bahamas the week before Thanksgiving in November. Cancun/Isla Mujeres/Tulum/Coba/Chichen Itza – Piste the week before Christmas in December. I love the water and the beaches next to the water. I totally got used to looking at jungle as we traveled around the Yucatan! Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Since family had other things going on we stayed with friends at “Camp Ross” in Blanco, Texas. Slept overnight in the bunkhouse then visited cousins in Boerne for the rest of the weekend. For Christmas, we joined my cousins and visited a San Antonio Children’s Center building gingerbread houses with about 15 boys & girls and had a merry time! The philosophical conversations with the regular volunteers proved amazing for me as well! On “Boxing Day” (which is not Boxing Day in the USA) we visited Boerne/Comfort/Luckenbach. Between Boerne and Fredericksburg is an old 1913 hand dug railroad tunnel. The local residents report that shortly after the removal of the railroad tracks in 1942, bats moved into the tunnel. ~~~~ Have a great year. Glow with the flow!