family time...

i stole this picture of k. from her latest posting at "the monkey heart discourses".  it was taken by husband k. on our recent visit to oak alley.   it is the very image of wistful and captures my mood when i think of the rare times we get to be together.                      

the biggest problem for me with having my kids living in disparate, distant cities is the infrequency of our visits.  c. is our closest, living a mere 500+ miles away in austin.  you might think we get to see him all the time.  hardly, although in truth we do see him more frequently than our oldest, b., who lives in california or our daughter k. and husband k. who live in new orleans.  

still, i wouldn't call visiting c. 3 or 4 times a year, often; certainly not nearly often enough to suit my taste.
the bulk of our visits with any of them consists of us going to them except for the christmas visits that make up the bulk of their trips to the old homestead. part of the problem with us visiting them more often, or them us, is living here in little a. town.  you can't get there from here, or here from there, at least not for cheap.

in august, it was a week in california.  in september, a week in cincy visiting the in-laws.  two weeks ago it was a week in new orleans.

for halloween, i'm planning a trip to austin.  this halloween marks the 4th year c. has staged the krewe de coeur maudit march.  think mardi gras, on a much smaller scale, and with a halloween theme. c. has been kind enough to invite us to join the "march".  it should be fun. certainly it will be a first for us.

the austin visit won't be a week long though, after all we get to see c. and c. and the puppies "all the time".  leaving on sunday, coming back on wednesday; whirlwind, if you will. still it will be good to have some time, any time at all, with them.

the latest entry from k. at "the monkey heart discourses" is the trigger for this piece.  she commented as to how much she enjoyed our visit.  to that i would say, "right back at ya' kid".  we love every minute of our time with you guys.  any time we have with any of you, with all of you, or any combination of the above is time we treasure. that having be said, i cannot wait until the next time. let's make it sooner than later, shall we?  aio