Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Spring Break and an 80 Year Celebration

The truck is still being repaired from it's tangled maze of bad wiring and electrical tape thus furthering our delay.  A new generator was finally installed and we hope to have the vehicle back in our possession by the end of the week.  The best part of this little unplanned hiatus is that it allowed us to sneak away to celebrate my Grandfather's 80th birthday in San Antonio Texas.

It was a wonderful weekend of family, friends, and a little time to further our research on cooking techniques and recipes.  As I mentioned in an earlier post, this time of year is especially beautiful in the Texas Hill Country.  I'm happy to report that my childhood memories were spot-on.

The words that floated around the room when conversations grew tired were that of it being one of the prettiest years in recent memory.   My grandfather assured me that the coming days would only get better and that I was going to miss the best part.  I feel pretty fortunate to have caught even a couple of days of it, and I am happy knowing that he and my Grandma will have more beautiful spring days to enjoy.

I have to believe that one of the best parts about growing old is the catalogue of stories one acquires over the course of a lifetime.  Texans have long been known for their story telling traditions and I often believe that the best of these storytellers are in my extended family.  There never seems to be a shortage of interesting conversation, be it a lengthy discussion about the changing weather, or just a memory from a life within a life once lived.  

One  story in particular has always struck a chord with me.  In his early years one my Grandfather's first businesses was a taco joint in San Antonio called "Take a Taco".  The second night of his birthday celebration,  I was in his study looking at the old menus listening to my mother's memories of her childhood days at her father's restaurant.  She told me she could order whatever she wanted.. and then not have to pay.  Sounds pretty good to me. Well this was just one a series of ventures and another story to add to the library, and a little bit of inspiration passed along.

1 comment:

  1. Hello!
    I found your blog through researching "Take-a-Taco" for a book I'm writing on tacos. I'm a fellow Texan, from Austin. I wonder if I could take a photo of any of the old menus you found of your grandfather's?
    I appreciate any information you could give me on the restaurant.
    Thank you!
    -Hilah Johnson
    hilahcooking.com

    ReplyDelete