As you know, good, close families sometimes spread out geographically as siblings and then the children of siblings find their own career paths, have families of their own, and sound the siren call for grandparents (the original siblings of a family) to follow.
The weekend after we returned home from France, we made a quick trip to The Woodlands, Texas, for a memorial service. Even in the midst of the heartache of losing a young cousin, we found mutual comfort and support in being reunited with so many members of our extended family. No matter what, the Lord is still good.
The memorial service was a celebration of the life she lived. She was dearly loved and will not be forgotten. #LoveLikeLu
On our way to The Woodlands, we made a slight detour. Our French chef, Justin Ward, has been actively involved in helping a family get in the business of a real French bakery in Livingston, Texas, importing both the famous unadulterated flour from France as well as the chefs!
Stella’s did not disappoint. In fact, I might have liked it even more than any bakery I visited in France. Yikes! There’s something about Texas that adds a special flavor to any dish!
That evening, we took Hubby’s sweet aunt to Niko Niko’s, a favorite restaurant in Montrose which had recently opened in The Woodlands in an old Luby’s cafeteria. The dessert display is stunning, and they even serve gelato.
I lived my first 25 years of life almost exclusively in Houston, and I’d never had a reason to visit The Woodlands. Y’all, it’s lovely. Another wonderful aunt asserted, “It’s what Houston used to be.”
The city has kept commercialization hidden from major streets behind strips of forests. We stayed at the Westin on a manmade riverwalk that is gorgeous! There are swan boats, runners, walkers, a green space, waterfalls, wildlife, and cute puppies galore!
In other parts of town, mounted police monitored store parking lot activity, and the mall is still a big deal, unlike most of America’s malls. I believe that all Houston comes to The Woodlands to shop; it looked like a Christmas shopping crowd everywhere we went, and it was September!
We were so pleasantly surprised that we decided The Woodlands will be top on our list for our future visits to the homeland, and we plan to do that a little more often after this reminder of how short this life we live may be.
