The winter holidays are a time of travel for many people, and my family is no exception. I've been trying to institute the Childs Family Christmas Trip for years and years and years. For months before the actual holiday ever year, I start saying, "Where are we gonna go for Christmas?" And I usually got, "I dunno. We'll think of something," in return. In the end we would end up visiting family here, there, or everywhere, but never taking an actual holiday vacation trip.
This year, I started earlier, planned the holidays themselves ruthlessly, and pocketed a contingency plan. The result? The day after Christmas, my parents--who are visiting me in Houston for the holidays--and I drove to San Antonio. It was a short trip, but it was a start. I am already making plans for next year. In the meantime, I'll share some picture highlights from our first day, spent visiting San Antonio's famous (and not-so-famous) missions. Enjoy, and tune in next year to see where the 2nd annual Childs Family Christmas Trip takes us.
THE ALAMO
Inarguably the most famous of the missions. This site, so significant (and controversial) to the history of Texas, is now run by the Daughters of the Republic of Texas and the admission is free. The grounds are lovely and, although the surrounding area is squarely touristy, there are some nice historical buildings around, as well. My favorite spot? The long barracks. Learn more at thealamo.org.
SAN ANTONIO MISSIONS NATIONAL HISTORIC PARK
The remaining four missions are all managed by the National Park Service and are all still active Catholic parish churches. When we visited, they were all decorated for Christmas with garlands, poinsettias, and nativities. Imagine, four churches built in the 1700s and still in operation today. Learn more at nps.gov/saan.
Mission Espada
Mission San Juan Capistrano
Mission San José y San Miguel de Aguayo
Mission Concepción
Did anyone else travel somewhere noteworthy this holiday season? Do share. Bonus points for directing us to pictures.
Hugs and Happy New Year!
TLC
OH. MY. GODS. -- Dutton, May 2008
Pre-order from Amazon now (and save 32%!)
teralynnchilds.com
Yes...the idiot box. My father's loving term for the television. To which I've been addicted to as long as I can remember.
I love watching television. It's soothing, comforting, entertaining. I'll pretty much watch anything, too. Comedies, dramas, movies, cooking shows, travel programs, sci-fi features, you name it.
And now...check out what I have to watch it on! A brand new LG 42" LCD HD TV (got all of that?)
Ahhhhhh...pretty!
Now, my favorite shows are even bigger. It's my own home theatre. (And we got a wicked good deal on it, too!) Hockey looks better, football is more action-packed, leading men look more dashing and the romances just seem bigger. I think LG and I are going to have a long, beautiful friendship.
Are you as addicted to television as I am?
Have a great weekend!
Marley = )
SORORITY 101: Zeta or Omega? (May 2008, Puffin Books)
SORORITY 101: The New Sisters (May 2008, Puffin Books)
GHOST HUNTRESS Series (Begins May 2009, Houghton Mifflin)
This episode of Just One More Book! is part of our showcase coverage of the International Reading Association’s 52nd annual conference.
Mark speaks with Janet Wong about the concept behind her book The Dumpster Diver, how she incorporates her own life in her books, and her participating in the meet the author series of books. As a treat, Janet reads one of her poems.
Books mentioned:
Participate in the conversation by leaving a comment on this interview, or send an email to [email protected].
Tags:
Apple Pie 4th Of July,
Before It Wriggles Away,
Buzz,
IRA2007,
Janet Wong,
The Dumpster Diver,
The Trip Back Home,
TwistApple Pie 4th Of July,
Before It Wriggles Away,
Buzz,
IRA2007,
Janet Wong,
The Dumpster Diver,
The Trip Back Home,
Twist
Here are some of the things I’m currently addicted to, in no particular order.
1.
Magazines -- Big (
W), small (
Food), cheap (
Shop, Etc.), pricey (
Bride’s), serious (
The Economist), or silly (
TeenPeople), I read them all. If they’re sitting at the checkout, chance are I’ll buy them. I’ve read everything from
Allure to
Wallpaper. But my all-time favorites are travel magazines! I could probably travel around the world with all the cash I’ve shelled out on those slick wonderlands.
2.
No Whip Caramel Frappuccino -- The no whip part is my attempt to make a deliciously dangerous treat slightly less dangerous, even though I know the drink itself is loaded with sugar and calories. All I have to say is that without this beverage not one of my books would have ever gotten written.
3.
T-shirts -- Since summer is coming (and some days the heat is already here) I’ve been stocking up. My faves come from Target and Old Navy, mainly because they’re cheap and I can buy tons. I love the low--but not ultra-low--v-neck that’s out this season and the rainbow of colors to choose from.
4.
Flip-Flops -- Again with the summer thing. Right now I have four pairs: a simple black suede-y pair (from Target), a hot pink pair with sparkly beads (also from Target), a black pair with understated black sequins (from Express--three years ago), and a white pair that laces up my ankle (from The Gap--last year). My all-time favorites, though, are the terrycloth ones from Mella.
5.
Bookstores -- Barnes & Noble. Borders. Waldenbooks. Larry’s Discount Book Emporium. Okay, I made that last one up, but if it sells books and magazines (see #1) then I’m there with bells--and glasses--on.
6.
Sabrina the Teenage Witch -- It’s in reruns on ABC Family and I watch it whenever I get the chance. There’s just something about a talking cat, a pair of batty 400-year old aunts, and a high school (and later college) girl struggling to come to terms with her magical self. And it doesn’t hurt that Josh (David Lascher) from the college years is a total hottie!
7.
Sprite Zero -- Meg Cabot has Tab. I have Sprite Zero. This is a long-standing habit that replaced my Diet Coke addiction when I learned that cola can stain your teeth. Zero stains. Zero calories. Tons o’ flavor. What’s not to love?
8.
MySpace -- This is an on-again-off-again thing. I’ll be really obsessed with it for a few weeks (like right now) and then I’ll go cold turkey for a while. But the itch to add friends always comes back.
9.
Kiwis -- (The fruit, not the national mascot--although New Zealanders can be really hot!) Did you know that kiwi fruit has twice the vitamin C of an orange, more fiber than strawberries, and twice the vitamin E of avocado, as well as potassium, folic acid, and cancer-fighting phytochemicals? I can’t get enough.
10.
Sleep -- This is one I really want to cut back on. Sound crazy? Well, not if you consider the article that I read (again, see #1) that says people who sleep 5-7 hours per night live longer than those that sleep 8 or more. How unfair is that? I mean, not only do they get more time each day, but they get more time overall. I’m definitely scaling back on my 8-9 hours a night!
So... any addictions of your own to confess?
Hugs,
TLC
Growing Up Godly, Summer 2008
Dutton Children's Books
what I'm reading ... Spy Goddess by Mike Spradlin (I know, I know. It's not a RITA book... but I got sucked in.))
Most days, I have a love/hate relationship with technology. When it's working I love it! I love surfing the web, designing websites, and organizing my oh-so-crazy life to the minute. When it's not... well, that's another story.
But when my laptop started crashing last week, I wasn't angry. I was heartbroken. It seems silly, from one perspective, to be so attached to a piece of technology. From another perspective, that little guy has been my life and my lifeline for over two years. Which is a lot longer than my previous three laptops.
First, there was the adorable IBM 701c butterfly that I got my sophomore year of college. [see the cute photo on the right of it's sliding keyboard] This was so cute (and light, at the time) and it lasted me through the end of my sophomore year. Back then, computer technology was developing so fast you couldn't even try to keep up with it. So, when my junior year began I got the first of two Gateways... they were less-than-impressive. Suffice it to say that I really ordered them because they had a cow patterned box. For a while I went back to a desktop, but since I like to write in Starbucks, that made working on my novel a little difficult.
So, in January 2005, I finally ponied up and got the first computer that I bought and paid for all on my own. [there it is, on the left] I had done my research, narrowed down the choices, and had even decided that I could wait a while... until I went to Office Depot and my number one choice was ON SALE. My Sony VGN S260P (which weighs in at just under 4 pounds) was still on the pricey side of notebook computers, but it's the best money I've every spent. I do everything on the computer (from writing the book that I finally sold to posting my BuzzBlogs to making my reservations for the RWA national conference). Barring one blip (a motherboard issue that Sony extended the warranty for and had it fixed and back to me in under a week) this latest is the only problem I've had with this computer. Little or no crashing. Totally reliable. And light enough to carry in my purse (in a tote, at the very least).
So, while I'm going through computer withdrawal, I know that when my baby comes back to me he'll be better than ever. That our relationship is built to last. And that, when the time comes that he should pass, I'll be looking for another Sony to take his place.
Hugs,
TLC
[who was in no way compensated by Sony, but will consider all offers]
Growing Up Godly, Summer 2008
Dutton Children's Books
what I'm reading ... One For The Money by Janet Evanovich
(I know, I'm decades behind the times)
So here's a drawing that I did to go with the Illustration Friday topic "Buzz." She's the first terrifying thing that popped into my head...and wouldn't leave until I drew her. The crazy aunt who's always way to excited about everything. Sure it's an old photo but she looks the same now as she did then. She lives for her cats and worn in cheesy sweaters. With her bad puns and intrusively inquisitive nature, you can't help but love the quirky lady who's somehow related to you.
www.SoundsLikeBlue.com
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Man, TLC, not only did you have a productive trip, but these pictures are beautiful! Thanks for sharing!
As always, my family and I did Christmas at home, but we did go to Anaheim to Downtown Disney one day last week for some hanging out and a lovely meal at Brennan's (my favorite New Orleans restaurant). No pictures, though, sorry!
Great pics, TLC. I love your new tradition! The Alamo is a place my husband and I have always wanted to visit. Maybe someday...
As for our holiday, we stayed home and visited with relatives. No pics because it is WAY too boring here but it was a really good time!
Great pictures!