15th April 2020: A digression

Peter just reminded me that we began this blog in 2012 just before we were due to go to College Station, Texas for several months.  I was wondering what I'd find to do to keep me busy and so I made myself a speculative list.  Here is it: 

• Visit all the museums and art galleries in Bryan/College Station

Well, I certainly did that.

• Locate a craft shop, buy some yarn and do some knitting

I did plenty of knitting and even went along to a knitting circle where they had someone each week to give a talk about some form of textile craft.  I didn't go very often as I didn't find the ladies particularly friendly! 

• Hire a bike and get some exercise

Failed on this one! 

• Go for walks (if I can find pavements!)

Surprisingly we found a number of walking tracks in small parks and green spaces dotted around College Station which were very enjoyable, even if you had to drive to reach them.  Our best walking was done at weekends when we would drive for a couple of hours to reach a state park.  We often had the forests to ourselves. 

• Do slow shopping (i.e. shop little and frequently, European style)

Nah!  The supermarkets are huge and fascinating so once there I was mega shopping.  There was nowhere to walk to buy a few groceries anyway.  It was drive and get a trolley full or nothing.  I loved HEB in College Station, all the huge vegetables and fruit glistening in the misted spray.  

• Investigate the public library

I don't recall using the public library.   I found a lot to browse through in Barnes and Noble, the book shop.  There were plenty of chairs and tables so browsing was encouraged. 

• Read
• Join a book club

I was lucky enough to be invited to join a book group almost as soon as we arrived.  We read some interesting books and I enjoyed the meetings even though we met in a strange room in a golf club.  We ordered lunch from the menu brought round by a waitress and ate while we talked.  The food was horrible!  Nobody liked it much but the golf club didn't charge for the room.   I made a good friend at book group - Lynn McCarl - and saw her on a recent brief visit to College Station. 

• Write this travel blog

Yes, and it's still going! 

• Research and plan weekends away

I paid a visit to my cousin David in Florida.  We visited lots of small towns around College Station.  Some had old high streets with verandas others had interesting historic trails.  We had some good walks around Lake Somerville. We visited Houston, Dallas, Bastrop to see Bob and Mary, Galveston and 

• Make friends and visitI 

We got to know lots of interesting people.  Chief among them Carol Parzen who took me under her wing and came and collected me every Wednesday morning.  We'd drive somewhere for 'an adventure' which always involved lunch!  Most visiting was done in restaurants and cafes.  I was introduced to Patricia Cleer who I met for coffee many times and who took us to a 'Victorian' tea party in a town outside College Station.  The Needlemans, the Saslows  and many more...

• Take a class (art? language?)

Who would have thought that I'd be going to aquafit every morning!  It was in a heated outdoor pool.  I'd get into my swimming costume at 8.30 am and drive to the pool in my dressing gown.  Swim, exercise, chat and then get back in the car (wet) and drive home for a shower.  No one bats an eye at people driving around in the dressing gowns! 

• Volunteer

I volunteered at the Carnegie History Library in Bryan.  I transcribed audio tapes into word documents.  The ladies were very kind to me.  I found the aural history of the black and Latino residents of Bryan fascinating.  At lunch time I went across the road to a cafe called 'It Must be Heaven'  and had a sandwich and fruit lunch. 

Carnegie History Library, Bryan, Texas

Well, that was a happy time and great to bring back memories!