When I Am An Old Woman....
"When I am an old woman, I will wear purple with a big red hat, and I will spend my pension on brandy and ice cream. I will sit down on the pavement when I'm tired. I'll gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells and run up the down escalator to make up for the sobriety of my youth. I'll go out in my slippers in the rain and pick the flowers in other people's gardens. I will wear terrible flower print dresses and grow more fat and eat what and when I want. I will hoard pens and pencils and beer mats and things in boxes. But now I must have ironed clothes, pay the rent, wash the car and wear seat belts; for I must set a good example for the children. But maybe I ought to practice a little now, so people who know me are not too shocked and surprised when suddenly I am old and start to wear purple!"
And so it was, as Lucy sat quietly on the stone wall, along came a bunch of the Red Hat Society ladies. They immediately took Lucy under their wing and embraced her (even though she is younger than 50!). And of course they wanted their photo taken with her. One of the gals was kind enough to put her hat on Lucy to make her feel like one of the girls!
And be sure to note... one of the gals reached over and held Lucy's hand!
So... where's Lucy?
Is she real?
You should have heard the excitement from the children when they saw Lucy. They were chattering and pointing and several wanted to touch her.
This little girl reached out and touched her leg ever so gently and said... "Is she real?"
Can't imagine what their parents must have thought when they went home and talked about Lucy!
Lucy in the Women's Garden...
These young girls came around the corner of the infinity pool to find Lucy sitting in her cart and suddenly cell phones and cameras were popping out to catch her photo.
I like this image simply because it catches the spontaneity of the moment and the bonding of all women in the Women's Garden!
"One of the larger gardens in the Dallas Arboretum is called the Women’s Garden, which was dedicated to the Botanical Garden as a gift by the Women’s Council in 1997.
Internationally renowned landscape architect Morgan Wheelock was appointed to spearhead the garden’s planning, and the harmonic power the Women’s Garden exudes speaks volumes of his abilities.
A series of terraced pools, small gardens, and a central pool mold to form a formal atmosphere designed for rest and reflection.
The Women’s Garden is the only garden in the country that was conceived by, created by, and dedicated to the welfare of women worldwide." (written by Evan Williams)
Lucy and the girls...
Who knew that my "special" friend could capture so much attention and adoration?
Where's Lucy?
I could barely see her and I was afraid her cart might roll backwards causing her to fall in the pool of water!
Maybe that cart needs brakes!
Lucy contemplates getting a job...
The Women's Garden is a place where a woman can contemplate the meaning of life as well as any other issues she is grappling with. And so it was with Lucy.
She recently heard of a new job opportunity and being a forward thinker, she is considering applying! What do you think?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2235848/The-creepy-mannequin-stares-Fashion-retailers-adapt-airport-security-technology-profile-customers.html?ito=feeds-newsxml
Making friends...
As Tess and I were sitting on a bench taking a rest from all the activity, a couple of the arboretum workers looked over and saw Lucy sitting there and started to laugh,
so of course I went over to introduce myself and then asked if they would like to meet my friend Lucy.
With a big grin on their faces, they said yes and then they got to meet Lucy.
Amidst the chatter I asked if I might get their photo with Lucy and they very kindly obliged!
Lucy never seems to tire of making friends and thanks the fellas for the photo op!
Thank you Tess!
Thank you Tess for getting this photo of Lucy and I together in the Pumpkin Village!
By the time this photo was taken, my smile muscles were starting to ache!
Doh!
As we were walking through the garden, we met this man in a wheelchair and he instantly took a liking to Lucy.
As a matter of fact, he liked her so much, he reached out and tickled her bare foot!
That created more laughter all around.
Lucy, being the classy gal that she is, said nothing, gave him a smile and we went on our way.
Leaving the garden...
As we were heading through the fern garden, I thought I heard something... and it wasn't a bird. It was a soft voice... barely audible... saying something about having a good time.
I looked around but the only ones there were Tess and Lucy.
So I turned to Tess and said... "Did you say something?" And her response was... "No, why Lala?"
And that's when it occurred to me that perhaps Lucy was trying to speak.
Now I will admit it was a bit of a long day in the sun, entertaining all of those people but I do believe I heard a voice speak to me.
I will let you be the judge.
But for sure, Tess and I had a great time and I do believe Lucy did too!
Uh oh...
As we were preparing to leave the garden, we struck up a conversation with one of the volunteers. It seems that David was in awe of Lucy's beauty and her quiet demeanor.
It also seemed that Lucy took a liking to David. You could feel the sparks in the air.
We thanked the other volunteers for their kind welcome to Lucy and they said they looked forward to seeing her again.
Just before we turned to go, I saw David getting a bit closer to Lucy... and then before I knew it, he ever so gently gave her a little kiss.
OMG! Lucy has never been kissed before!!! What was she thinking at that moment?
I could feel her embarrassment, excitement and her fondness for David. He certainly made her day complete!
Zuzu's Handmade Mexican
What a great day we had at the arboretum!
We were tired, thirsty and hungry... so of course, we took Lucy out for lunch! Now granted, she doesn't eat much but we still thought she might enjoy herself.
One of my favorite little restaurants is Zuzu's for handmade Mexican food.
The ingredients are fresh, the portions are large and their green salsa is to die for.
I seem to be stuck on the chicken or the vegetarian nacho salad and Tess got the "skinny" fajitas. And their peach-mango iced tea is the best!
My favorite waitress, Monica was there that day. She has served me over the years as it was a favorite stop after a day of estate sales.
And when she saw Lucy, she started to laugh but treated Lucy with such respect!
I have "yelped" about Zuzu's in the past and added photos of Lucy to the review.
http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/zuzu-handmade-mexican-food-restaurants-dallas?select=AHNYsd7HqpXvZ81xWHSCDA#AHNYsd7HqpXvZ81xWHSCDA
If you ever visit Dallas, be sure to stop in and say Lucy sent you!
And a special thank-you to all the staff at Zuzu's... you rock!