I’m Thankful When Texas Comes to Columbus…

November 26, 2008

We got / are getting a couple of nice surprises over the long weekend.

Thanks to Facebook, I recently upped the frequency of communication with a couple that I’ve known for as long as I can remember. Growing up, Aaron and Barbara attended the Unitarian church we went to (Aaron even co-taught the “AYS” class…so there are all sorts of information that only Unitarians would consider appropriate as “religious education” that I can trace back to his instruction — no need to go into details on that!) and frequently went on the canoeing/camping trips that were a regular part of my youth. They moved to Houston when I was a teenager, which worked out well when I got a summer internship there after my freshman year in college: I lived with them and their not-quite-two-year-old daughter, Lara, during the week for the summer. They were even part of the small Texas contingent that attended our wedding in Ohio several years later.

We’ve stayed in touch via annual holiday update letters over the years, but had not seen them since 1994. Lo’ and behold — Aaron’s sister lives outside of Columbus, and they headed this way for the week (Lara, their daughter, flew in this evening). They came for dinner last night, and we had a great visit! Julie and I were both struck by the fact that our kids were largely self-entertained (thanks, in part, to a neighborhood kid who came over to play and, ultimately, to spend the night).

We’re heading to Wadsworth tomorrow for Thanksgiving, but will return on Saturday morning in time to pick up the pooches from the kennel before noon. Hopefully Saturday evening, but possibly not until Sunday morning, we’re expecing a visit from Kitty and Steve — my first cousin once removed and her husband, who we used to get down to see in San Antonio several times a year, but whom we haven’t seen since we moved.

All in all, “visitors from Texas” is something to be thankful for, indeed!

Posted in Miscellaneous