I can’t believe I haven’t posted since Thanksgiving. It’s December 19th and we are in San Antonio, at one of our favorite RV parks. I hated to leave Austin with the holidays coming up… but San Antonio at Christmastime is something we looked forward to.

And to quote Seals and Crofts, (remember them?) “We may never pass this way again.

San Antonio’s RV resort is very nice. It’s right on the river trail, where you can walk for miles in either direction along the San Antonio River, it has an adults-only hot tub for evening relaxation, and a book-exchange room that is like a home library complete with a cozy armchair! The resort is close to Southtown, and downtown, offering us a ton of things to do and explore easily. 

We’re making a point of trying as many new things as we can while we’re here. People think of the Riverwalk when they think San Antonio… but, as lovely as the Riverwalk Downtown is (for about 5 minutes) there is so much more going on in this wonderfully diverse city! Pearl Brewery Complex, is on the grounds of the old Pearl Brewery. It consists of a bookseller, a French bakery, a food hall in the old bottling department, along with a couple of elegant restaurants and bars, the Culinary Institute of America, and the elegant Hotel Emma. It is designed to encourage visitors to both stroll, and to linger. 

I celebrated my first Hanukkah on December 2, thanks to AncestryDNA. Have any of you tried it and been surprised, too?   I prepared latkes (potato pancakes) and homemade applesauce, and we enjoyed the latkes slathered in both! 

Bad time to be stuffing myself, because on December 6th we left for a quick trip to Mexico to meet-up with dear friends. It was perfect timing, since it was stupidly cold for Texas, and thankfully, the weather in Puerto Morelos was great, the king-sized bed was heavenly, and our friends were all happy and well. The trip was our Christmas gift to ourselves! Do you give yourself a gift for the holidays? Is it usually something you need… or something you desire?

A week after our return, dear friends held their Annual Christmas Party in their new home east of Austin. We drove up and after another great gathering, we spent the night (always nice to have a big, comfy bed) and I really enjoyed having some girlfriend time with Cindy.

I’m sure you’ve noticed that I’ve mentioned the bed twice, right?  Here’s why, an RV bed is shorter and narrower than a conventional one, making our bed feel more like a full-sized… it’s been a bit crowded for the last two-and-a-half years. Looking forward to our bed again, thank heavens we had the common sense not to sell it!

On January 1st we will drive back to Jim Hogg Park in Georgetown, to the beautiful lake where this adventure began. Our closing is set for Jan 3rd, and after we’ve settled in, we will get our motorhome ready to sell.  Trust me, this isn’t the end of our adventures though… we will now have a home to come-and-go from at our convenience. 

We’d considered moving to the “over-55 community” here for years, but always felt like we were too young.

Now that we have friends who live around here, we’re excited! I am really looking forward to a cozy home for house-guests, family gatherings, and cocktail parties to entertain friends new and old. 

I want to wish you all a Merry Christmas, Feliz Navidad, and a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year!

I always appreciate your heartfelt comments and shared experiences. Here’s to all of us!

XO Donna

PS –   Need a last-minute Christmas gift? My book “Sick and Tired & Sexy,  Living Beautifully with Chronic Illness ” is available through Amazon, and at BookPeople in downtown Austin.