Everyone Wants a Castle

Well, I haven't been posting, but I have been out walking. Here on a cloudy afternoon, I enjoyed gazing at the mansions I passed, and wondered what it would be like to live there.?
 Would it make me feel more important or any happier? I have lived long enough to know that it might make me feel that way for a short period of time, but I would be the same old self that moved in there. I think we all know that happiness comes from within....and if we weren't happy when we moved in , all that luxury isn't going to change that..Case in point the very successful rancher, land owner, banker who built this showplace in 1910, committed suicide on the property in 1915..
I have to admit I sure enjoy looking at these magnificent homes though, just as much as I enjoy looking at the castles in Europe.

There are no shortage of these enormous places on my walk. This is one of the newer ones

and this one is even newer than the last. It amazes me that anyone would need this much space. Do they even ever go into some of those rooms? I am willing to bet not more than two people live in  each of these three homes.

and here comes another one.

Pause

Where did that girl go?

I hate it when I am following a blog and the person just freezes. I don't mean literally, but when you go to their page, the same old post is there and no explanation as to where they are or what has happened.

So, if anyone is wondering where I am? I am right here...just taking a break.

I Will Be Back!

Janey

A Fence

I always keep my eyes peeled for a pretty fence. I found this one on an afternoon walk and thought it was a beauty.

Linking to: Good Fences

The Event

Over the weekend, I mentioned that Tom and I drove to Houston to attend his old Rotary Club's fundraiser. We went not only to support the club, but to celebrate the 30th year (I think we have attended 25), of this annual event (not to mention to see old friends)

It for many years has been held at this hotel, just north of Houston

and it has for thirty years been a Monte Carlo night, which includes dinner, dancing , gambling, silent and live auctions, all to raise money for various charities.

The foyer, outside the ballroom, is lined with authentic looking slot machines and there are Blackjack, Roulette tables etc.

Money isn't actually won here. I think gambling it still against the law in this state. You trade your chips in for tickets, which are deposited in drawing for gifts.

Here we are at the end of the evening flanked by our very good friends Phil and Jenna.

They were nice enough to host us in their lovely home.

Houston is about four hours south of where we live now in Fort Worth, Texas 

Fun Weekend

The Gift

Over the weekend, Tom and I headed to Houston to attend his old Rotary Club's annual fundraiser. We had a nice time, and it was great seeing so many old friends.

I was a bit  surprised when one of the ladies, that I only casually know, approached me with this festive gift bag.She said she heard that we were coming, and just knew that I would want this..... to add to my collection.

I put my hand in the bag, and recoiled a bit,when I came in contact with this. Thought for a minute it was alive.

In case you are wondering what it is...like I was. Maybe pulling down this netting will give you a clue,

or possibly putting this pin back in the top. That's right folks.It is a hat. Possibly from the 1950's? For some reason she thought that I collected them? I didn't have the heart to tell her that I didn't. I thanked her for her thoughtfulness, and will follow up with a note (don't worry she doesn't know about this blog).

Then it dawned on me that maybe someone showed her this picture. It is of me (in the middle), and two Houston Rotary wives that were vising me in Colorado. I am one of the hostesses of the annual Back in Thyme Tea, a fundraiser for the Victorian Garden at our little museum and everyone dresses in our idea of Victorian clothes always topped with a hat.

Barbeque

I apologize  in advance to all of the vegetarians out there. ...but ever once in a while a Texas gal hungers for barbecue.

Being still fairly new in town, we had to try several places over the last couple of years, and have settled on this place.

I don't think much of anything has changed around this place since 1958. There is usually a full house, but this was early on a Monday night. I enjoyed a delicious sliced beef sandwich with all of the trimmings and I am good until the next craving hits me. If you are ever in Ft. Worth, Texas I highly recommend this place.

Still Alive

Of course I still am...I was talking about this plant.

It is a Geranium of course, but a new one to me .I bought it this summer in Colorado (where I live in the summer). It is an Ivy Geranium and some folks call it a Trailing Geranium. It is very colorful, and no I didn't enhance the color. I also like the reflection in the window. Shows you just how high in the mountains our cabin is.

Well, this is the same plant today in Ft. Worth. I have been babying it all winter. It has been so mild here that I have only had to bring it in three times. I think it may even be able to make the trip back to the mountains.Have you ever heard of an Ivy Geranium?

The Gaurds

I know, this is not the best picture, but I  zoomed in on a cell phone,

click on photo to enlarge

I didn't want the guy in the black car seeing me take his picture. You see he is a guard and he, and who ever replaces  him, sits there 24 hrs. a day.....Oh, and he is not the only guard. Behind me, back down the street, is a guard shack. When I get too close a uniformed armed guard steps out...just to let me know you are being watched. One day I ask him if I could go to the end of the street. He very nicely said "yes, but not beyond the mailbox." Who needs this much security? No, there is not a former President living in this neighborhood, or even a visiting dignitary. There is just a very wealthy billionaire living at the end of this street, and I guess he requires a lot of security? I would feel somewhat like a prisoner myself being guarded so closely, but maybe the billion dollars would ease my discomfort?

On A Fence Hunt

I decided to take my afternoon walk yesterday and look for a pretty fence

Wasn't long before I came across this low brick fence leading up to a regal looking gate that was adorned by elegant oxidized copper lanterns. We are having a week of the most beautiful weather here in Fort Worth, Texas and I hope that you are too.

Linking to: Good Fences

The Mah Jong Luncheon

I know, Valentines Day has come and gone, but I simply must share pictures of a Valentines Luncheon

Meet Leslie. I have featured one of Leslie's parties before, I think it was Halloween a couple of years ago.
Anyway, Leslie use to live in Ft. Worth next door to one of my sisters. She has since moved to Houston , but she and my sister have remained dear friends. On Valentines, Leslie hosted a luncheon for her Mah Jong Club.

I feel sure they were dazzled as soon as they walked in the door and spied this lavishly decorated mantle.

or maybe it was when they saw the table settings in the dining room. Where they would dine on an exquisite lunch , all prepared by Leslie,

as were each and every dessert item

Which consisted of homemade cookies, chocolates, and cake

I especially liked this design

I am told that even the gold leaves on the cake were edible!

.and what are these you say?

Why cup hanging cookies of course!

Makes me wish that Leslie still lived in town so I could learn to play Mah Jong!

Moorish?

I have been getting back to my morning walk, but haven't been getting around to it until the afternoon, so I guess it really isn't a morning walk? Tom and I decided to go in a different direction, and we came across this house.

I thought it was a bit unusual. It seems to be some sort of Moroccan or Moorish architecture?

 The afternoon sun was casting a shadow over it, but I zoomed in so you could see the entry a bit better. Don't get me wrong...I think it is very pretty...just a bit unusual for Ft. Worth, Texas.

Happy Valentines

Everywhere you look, there are

 

bouquets of flowers for sale

 

candy

even stuffed animals

and if you missed those, large signs to remind you that today is Valentine's Day

I hope that today brings back sweet memories, or better yet that you can spend the day with someone you love.

Happy Valentines to all of my blogging friends, Janey

The Mysterious Rainbow

I walked into the entry hall of our home yesterday morning.....and stopped in my tracks.

What in the world is a rainbow doing in the sky in my bluebonnet painting?

 

The painting, done by my late cousin Eloise, usually looks like this. It is a wild flower scene of a  field of our state flower the bluebonnet, and she didn't paint a rainbow or a colorful sunset in the middle of it!

 I also spotted this on the wall beside the painting

After a bit of detective work, I realized the the sun from an east window in the dinning room, was bouncing off of some botanical prints on an opposite wall.... that have mirrored frames.Then reflecting into the entry hall. Mystery solved :)

I wonder, if over time, that brief reflection onto the painting could damage it.? Maybe I should close that shutter in the morning.?

The Remodel

 You may remember that I have been watching a house, in the neighborhood, being being remodeled. The new owners are carefully restoring it to the way it looked in 1893, which is when it was built by a Mr. Wm Bryce. Bryce, who hailed from Scotland was a brick layer by trade, but by the late 1800s he owned his own construction company.

From 1927 to 1933 he was also Mayor of Ft. Worth, Texas. The home, of French Renaissance design was designed by this town's leading architect of the time Mr Marshall Sanquinet, and is on the list of Texas Historic Landmarks, and the National Registry of Historic Places.

 I cropped the picture, so you could see the carriage step is still in place at the curb. This was used so that the ladies could step on it and get into a carriage. Visible on the step is the word Fairview, which is what Mr. Bryce named the house.

I am thinking the fence out in front is original too,

but, as you can see it is leaning. I am wondering it they will be able to save it?

Linking to: Good Fences

The Steeple

I was leaving school yesterday, and I thought the steeple of the University Methodist Church looked so pretty against the blue afternoon sky.

Formed one hundred years ago and going through two name changes, the congregation has been meeting in the sanctuary in this Mission style church since 1949.

Book Club

One of my sisters hosted her book club last evening, and was nice enough to invite me to join them.

This is the book they were reading. I can't give you my thoughts on the book, since I haven't read it, but it was interesting listening to how the members of her book club found it. There were about fourteen ladies present, and I guess with any book club, there were several that had not finished and a  couple that didn't even attempt. it. The majority of those that did read it weren't fond of the book and couldn't connect with the characters. There was supposed to be some humor with this historical fiction of a wildly wealthy, real life family, but the majority of the group said they didn't laugh at anything.I on the other hand saw humor in the fact that one of the club members loved it, and brought three pages of notes on why she liked it; one page filled with the things that made her laugh. It was funny, the looks she got from the other members.

Do you belong to a book club, or have you read something you really like lately?

I was going to snap a quick picture (with my phone) of the pretty refreshment table my sister had prepared, but apparently it was too quick! Sorry.

What Was I Thinking?

I am forever snipping recipes from magazines, and saving many that  I see on the computer. Why....because I  like to cook, try things new things...and eat good food.

This one appealed to me since I liked a lot of the ingredients: Shrimp, crab meat, bacon, spinach, rice and cheese. I will stop here since I don't want to have to list all eighteen ingredients!

Oh my goodness I used a colander, four cutting boards, four pans and not to mention several measuring cups and a load of utensils!

My hubby kept saying" this is delicious", and had three helpings. I thanked him and said, "enjoy it...I am not ever be cooking this again". Thankfully he did the dishes.

Rain Coats

I saw this picture of these two little dogs, in rain coats, on the Internet and it jogged a memory.

I think you can see why. My sister and I had been shopping (in 1979), and came across these cute little raincoats. So, we bought them for my little Stacy, and my nephew Kyle.