First stop is in Waco at a little coffee shop we have been wanting to try - Common Grounds. Yep, funky certainly describes it. It is a great place -- my idea of a coffee shop. There are lots of little alcoves with sofas and chairs, perfect to relax and visit in. This is what the chains are missing entirely --- it doesn't have to be so clinical -- homey is much better. AND -- a great product.
Even though we have been down in the Austin area many times, there are still a great deal of places that we have not seen or visited. I have a list for today and as we pull into The Umlauf Sculpture Gardens I am already glad I put this on the list. The entire garden and museum is dedicated to Charles Umlauf and his wonderful work. Many of his pieces are centered around the mother and child and I find the garden quite lovely while the art touches a part of my soul. Excellent.
The landscaping works around the pieces perfectly and as your eyes move around, they come upon unique hiding spots for many of the sculptures. The pond is complete with blooming water lilies and I am struck by the vivid pink against this magnificent green backdrop. Another treasure found in the heart of a city.
The day is starting to warm up as we leave and I am ready for some food and fluids. Mister researched a few places he wanted to check out as well and we make one of those our destination. Bangers Sausage House and Beer Garden has just started opening for lunch on Thursdays. Yay. A couple glasses of beer and a great dog. Perfect lunch. My brat is on the right -- it is fantastic and house made. Yum. However, probably the best part of the meal was the German potato salad. Oh my -- perfect.
After lunch it is time to check into the "hotel" Mister found for us. We are always looking for new and unique experiences and he hit the jackpot this time. We have a room in a private residence (kinda like a B&B only without the breakfast). Upon our arrival, Jennifer met us at the door, showed us our room (yep all that red is ours), and took us to meet the rest of the family. First up - the dog.
Moving right along, she whistles and a pig comes running.
There is also a large "aviary" type enclosure housing many varieties of fowl and an iguana. As we move around the yard, there are more ducks, chickens, geese, and, oh my goodness, a tortoise. He starts walking towards Jennifer as soon as he spots her. He slowly makes his way towards us and I am amazed. She says she has had him for over 15 years now and jealousy is running rampant in me. How I wish I could have such a magnificent creature in my backyard.
I squat down and within moments, he has come right up to me looking for treats.
Jennifer produces some fresh cut melon and show me how to feed him.
After a few bites from my hand, he is not getting the food fast enough and so I just set the container down. Now he is happy. Wow.
Now that we have met the family and been given the house rules, it is time to go back into the city for another stop on our list. With our love for old churches, we have stopped outside St. Mary's Cathedral several times, but have not been lucky enough to find it open. This time, luck is on our side and although the exterior is undergoing a massive renovation, the interior is available to see and enjoy.
What a great building. It was started om 1872 and at the time the only other building of any size was the Capitol. "The Cathedral's design repeatedly evokes natural places where men encounter the divine: in the tree-like columns with their foliage-carved capitals, the tracery of vines and leaves in the murals and the floral topped finials like the forest. The pointed arches on doors and windows and the spires remind us of mountains. The elevated ceiling and the blue dome spangled with stars reflect the sky and the heavens.
Each detail of the facade alludes to Catholic doctrine: the triangles express the Holy Trinity; the lily, the purity of the Blessed Virgin whose statue surmounting the door welcomes all who approach. Behind her, the rose window with its elegant tracery and stained glass reminds believers of the incarnation penetrating all matter with energy and light. The bell tower recalls the psalmist exulting, "Thou art my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy." Ps. 61:3. The bells themselves, one from the first church, the other given in 1886, "shout with joy to God." Ps. 65:1. The cross-topped spire announces the victory of the resurrection to all who see it in the urban skyline." (webpage) It is simply: lovely.
This day is just zipping by and getting warmer all the time. We want to make a quick stop at Hops & Grains Brewery and point ourselves that way. When we get there, we are quickly distracted by our favorite glass blowers: Leigh and Shara, owners of East Side Glass Studio. We catch them at work and find a vantage point from which to observe. Even as the sweat starts to run, the show is way too good to give up. 
They are working on a bowl and using techniques that we have not had the chance to see before. Follow along in the pictures and perhaps you will love it as much as we do.
The small canes of glass are attached to the bottom of the main piece and the heated. When they are removed from the fire, they are rolled into place, heated again, and then inspected for any issues.
The object is then returned to the fire until the strips blend into the original piece. Then the blowing begins. This step is repeated several times and then it changes and instead of blowing into the tube, they suck and the glass collapses into a bowl shape which is then worked on a bit before breaking it off to place in the curer. So incredible to watch. (See the colored strands in the glow of the fire?)
We think our show is over and that they are calling it a day, but they decide to quickly make some "cane". Well, no way we can leave now. They start with chunks of color and coat it in clear glass, putting it in and out of the fire often. When it is at the stage they like, they attach a second rod and each one pulls the length of the room to create the cane.The cane is then laid on wood strips to cool before breaking it into workable strips. The burn marks on the wood show how hot these strips are. I am so glad we stopped here today -- love it.
We are definitely warm now and complete our stop at Hops & Grains with a few samples of their latest brews and visiting with Josh, the owner and head brewer. Our hour was filled with stories and laughter from both the crew and other patrons. Gotta love the whole Dallas v. Austin rivalry.
It is time for dinner and Mister has another spot on his list. We are heading for Pinthouse Pizza for some food and a few more brew samples. When we arrive, the place is absolutely jamming and not a seat to be found except at the bar. In theory, you order and pay for your pizza in one spot and then order and pay for your drinks at the bar. Two lines did not appeal to me at all so I asked the bartender if we could order pizza from the bar. Yep --- well that quickly became a no-brainer and instead of waiting for seats to open AFTER ordering, we take a couple of seats and relax. The beer selection is very good with quite a few unique offerings in addition to their own brews. Being a bit OCD about it, naturally we order the beer made here first and it is indeed delicious.
Our pizza arrives soon after and the staff helps to make the whole experience quite enjoyable. The day is ending, but it has been such a good one. I love having this time alone with Mister and it has been awhile since we did any "just us two" wandering. Time to go back to our room and get some sleep -- we are on duty as grandparents tomorrow.
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