After four great (though very hot) days in Texas, we are back in Ohio.  Just another three days before flying back to Amsterdam.

Texas is a big state.  And Texans have a reputation for liking things big.  Big cars, big steaks, big cowboy hats, and so on and so forth.  And as such, it's only appropriate that Texas is home to my beloved brother, Jay, and his larger-than-life personality.  He is -- and has always been -- the classic "life of the party" type of guy, and I love him dearly for it.  He's got a beautiful family.  He's brilliantly creative.  And, as you can see from his imitation of Atlas (on the left), he's an exceptionally well-kept specimen of the human species.  Well, at least he's far better than his flabby older brother. :-)

While we were visiting, we got to see a good bit of the city of Dallas as well.  The Reunion Tower (the actual identity of the spherical object in the Atlas photograph).  The Dallas Aquarium.  And, of course, the famous "sixth story window" and the "grassy knoll" at the site of the assasination of President John F. Kennedy.  After having read about this historical event in so many books and having seen the footage in so many films (back when I was in junior high school, I used to have something of a personal fascination with the history of JFK), it was especially interesting to see the site with my own eyes.   In the picture below, you can see the former Texas School Book Depository (from which Lee Harvey Oswald "allegedly" fired his rifle at the presidential motorcade), the "grassy knoll," and my nephew Aydan running between two of the "X"s on the pavement, which I presume represent the location of the bullets which were fired on that fateful day in November 1963.

And no, in case you're wonderinf,  I do not have any new conspiracy theories for you about the assasination of John Fitzgerald Kennedy.

But actually, even more than seeing the famous sites in and around Dallas, I just enjoyed seeing the "sites" of my brother's regular day-to-day life in the northern suburb of Keller.  Meeting a number of his friends.   Driving past the school where he works (as an art teacher for Keller Central High School).  Swimming at the local swimming pool.  Taking the dog for a walk in the neighborhood park.  And especially seeing Jay's backyard art studio.

Jay has recently completed his Atelier training for oil painting, and it's really cool to see some of the ways that he's been developing as an artist.  His studio shows his development especially well.  I've got my hopes and dreams of becoming a "writer" someday... Jay's got his hopes and dreams of becoming a visual artist someday.  (We've also actually dreamed about one day collaborating on a childrens' book project or something like that).  And after seeing Jay's studio, I'd have to say that my brother is currently closer to achieving his artistic goals than I am.  Although his efforts challenge me and inspire me.

Who knows what the future may hold (for either of us)?  All I know is that I'm pretty darn proud of my brother.  He may well be my "little" brother; but I kind of hope that I can be like him when I "grow up."  The ironic thing about this, we've often noted, is that he will often say the same types of things about me.  Such is, I suspect, the nature of brotherhood.

It was also a lot of fun to see the next generation of Asp men forge their own relational bonds.  Elliot really meshed well with his cousins Aydan (two years older) and Brennan (one year younger).  They wore each other out and yet still managed to keep each other up at night, when they were supposed to be going to sleep.  I gues that's what cousins are for, isn't it?

Good times.  Good times in Texas.