EASTER, BLUEBONNETS AND THE TEXAS HILL COUNTRY

Greetings from North Central Texas! I can't believe that it has only been a week since we celebrated Easter Sunday.

It was a beautiful day and the feeling of spring was in the air. Frank and I served at church that morning at 7:30 a.m. It was and always will be a special time for us as we met each other on an Easter Sunday 56 years ago and were married 2 years later.

It was a glorious day way back then as well it was this Easter. That day will always be special in my life as the Lord brought us together and our faith in Him has kept us together all these years.

We had a lazy day that afternoon and then we took our family out for dinner at Hibachi 2007 to celebrate together. This was the first time in nearly a half a century that we didn't have Easter lunch here at the house. Since they all had other plans, I didn't cook but we wanted to see them on this blessed occasion, so going out that evening seemed to fit the bill.

For those of you who haven't had the pleasure of dining there, it's a Japanese steak house and they prepare the meal at your table. Our chef did a great job.

We started with fried rice and then he prepared steak, chicken and shrimp for all of us. One of the highlights of the meal is when he takes the onion before he chops it and makes a volcano with it.

The boys always like it when this takes place. We all oohed and awwwed when the steam rose out of the center of it. That's always a lot of fun. Even the "old folks" enjoyed that :-)

The previous week I completed the companion piece to my Indian so I'm including a shot here of the two of them together.

It's good to get back to the drawing board again. I got several really good photographs on our Hill Country trip that I plan on painting in the near future.
I was pleased to find out that the young man who owns a sandwich shop that we frequent called the Tin Cup is now a member at our parish. His name is Damon Carney and he is an actor. Handsome devil, isn't he, and he's as nice as he is good looking!

Be sure and watch for him in different TV series as he appears frequently on several shows such as Prison Break and Friday Night Lights.
Last Monday was opening day for the Texas Rangers, our local baseball team. Frank and two of his buddies attended the game.

I couldn't decide if they looked more like the Three Musketeers or the Three Stooges. What do you think?
Since we are in Texas and it's springtime, this is when people go to the Hill Country to see the wildflowers. In our state the song this time of year is "The Eyes of Texas are Upon the Wildflowers!"

A great place for seeing the best assortment of flowers is around Lake Buchanan near Burnet , Texas.

If you visit New England, you go "Leaf Peeping" in the fall to enjoy the fall foliage, so I guess you could call this "Bonnet Peeping" if you're in Texas. We were certainly not disappointed. We were told by the locals that due to all the rain we have had, this year was a bumper crop for the flowers.They even had these giant bluebonnets (the state flower) on the town square in Burnet.

I have included a slide show after this entry so you can enjoy some of the wonderful sights that we had the good fortune to behold.
It took us nearly 8 hours to go less than 300 miles because we stopped so many times to take photographs. Our good friends, the Sawyers went with us and we had a wonderful time.
When we finally got to Burnet we stopped for coffee at a little place on the square called Tea-Licious.

It was a darling place and they served all sorts of pastry as well as food. It was your typical tearoom fare and it was delicious. We had a piece of Coconut Cream Pie that was to die for.

The place was decorated with lots of memorabilia and they had everything for sale from teacups to homemade pickles to hand made quilts.

After we finished out little light repast, we went to the Fall Creek Winery. It had a great tasting room and we sampled all their wines and bought a few bottles as well so we could savour the moment when we got home.

When we left there we decided that it was time to find a place for lunch. We stumbled upon this little Mexican restaurant and the meal was delicious. The chile was very reminiscent of New Mexico flavors and was a welcomed surprise.

It was nearly 3:00 p.m. and they told us that they turned the lights out at 3:00 and I asked them if they quit serving then. They said no .. that they were open and still serving, they just turned the lights out. I told them that I thought that was the most ridiculous thing I'd ever heard of and asked to speak to the manager who was the one who made these rules. Of course, he wasn't there. After all that, they didn't turn the lights off until we left. Guess this squeaky wheel got the oil after all!

It was pretty remote and if we had not had explicit directions from the owner we would have never found the place. It was very nice and private and was high on a bluff overlooking Lake Buchanan.

We had a 2 bedroom apartment that had living and a nice balcony with a great view. That was the perfect place to enjoy cocktail hour and watch the sun go down.

Everything has been renewed, refinished and refreshed, so it was like staying in a brand new place. It was quite lovely.

The Rainbow Hearth was a combination retreat center and spa. We didn't realize when we booked it that it was mainly a place for women only. The name alone should have told us something!

All the food was organic and it was really good. We had a delightful stay even though our men were in the minority, if you get my drift. We should have figured something was a little different when we saw this sign posted at the bath house after the fact. If you double click on this notice, it will enlarge and you can read it more easily.

There was no way that I was going in their hot tub in the buff. I reserve that rite only for the privacy of my own home!
Joyce and I took a little stroll around the garden after breakfast while the boys loaded the car. We had so many snacks that we didn't eat that it took them a long time to get everything packed up!

After a delicious all organic breakfast, we checked out and headed for a river cruise on Lake Buchanan. It was really pretty much of a waste of time, but it gave us something to do.

The lake was very low as they have been in a drought the past 3 years, so we couldn't go on the river to see the waterfalls which were supposed to be the highlight of the trip. It was enjoyable but much too long. It lasted 2 hours and an hour would have been enough.

We had a totally different viewpoint of the lake from the barge and we didn't begin to get the feel of how large this lake really is until we saw it from the water.
Buchanan Dam, which is a structure over 2 miles in length, was completed in 1939. Lake Buchanan was the first of the Texas Highland Lakes to be formed, and with 22,333 acres of surface water, it is also the largest. The surface of the lake includes area in both Burnet County and Llano County. The lake is west of the city of Burnet, Texas. It's named for Representative James P. Buchanan (1867-1937) who is credited with securing the funding to build the lake and dam.
We ended up having lunch at Tea-Licious and it was really great.

We arrived home Wednesday evening around 5:00. We had a wonderful 36 hours and hope to make this same trip next year and stay 2 days. We will probably stay in Fredericksburg and take a different route to see the wildflowers from a different perspective.
I have been having a little trouble with a patch of dry skin on the back of my head (as you get older, everything seems to dry up!), so my dermatologist suggested that I put some medicated oil on it and wear a shower cap to take care of this challenge. When Frank walked in, he didn't know who I was. He thought a Quaker had invaded our house!

I also had some surgery done on my ear the same day, so I really was a mess!!!

Last night we watched the movie, "An Education". The young woman who played the lead was nominated for an Academy Award and it was a really good film. It was made in England and it was delightful. It's already out on DVD, so if you want a good film to watch without violence and car crashes, I'd recommend this one.

I'm really looking forward to tonight. We will spend the afternoon watching the Masters and then tonight is the first episode of the final season of "The Tudors".

I have seen the three previous seasons so I'm really looking forward to this season. I just hate for it to end, but poor Henry is running out of wives!
Have a great week. I'll be starting the study of Dante's Purgatory tomorrow which is the 2nd segment on the Divine Comedy. Wish me luck. It's a difficult read but I hope to learn a lot.
Until next time ... XOXO, Pcasso

A TASTE OF TEXAS IN THE SPRING

There will be no narration in this slide show since I was so long winded in my blog!

WELLINGTON, WEDDINGS AND A DOG WASH

There have been a lot of what I consider to be interesting things going on in my life the past couple of weeks.
Franklin and Beth went with the boys to Austin over Spring Break so we had the privilege of babysitting our Granddog, Harry.

When he arrived he was a little "odoriferous" so we decided that he needed a bath. I called every groomer in Arlington as well as several Vets and they could not take him for two weeks, so we decided to bathe him ourselves.

I say we, but it was actually Frank who did the honors. Once his shower was over he looked so cute and smelled SOOO good. There was no way that we could have let him sleep with us when he smelled like a dog!

And speaking of dogs, our Granddaughter's dog had pups and they are the cutest little things. We now have even more Granddogs, but I can't remember their names! Does that make me a bad Grandmother?

We decided to go to Wellington, Kansas last week and visit with Frank's cousins. Wellington is the Wheat Capital of the world.

We had not seen them for several years, so we thought we'd better make the trip while we still could. Some of their children live in the area, so we were able to have a mini reunion.

P.C is Frank's first cousin. We have had so many good times with him and his wife, Elmeree over the years. They lived in Santa Fe for several years so we saw much more of them then as we spend part of our summers there.
Their kids came over when we got there and we had a nice visit and made plans for the next few days.

I had cooked a lot of food at home to take with us so we wouldn't have to eat out all the time. Selections of restaurants are few and far between there as it is a small town. Fast food is one of the specialties of Wellington. I took a Chicken-Spaghetti casserole, Chili cheese grits, Mexican Stew, the ingredients for Huevos Rancheros for breakfast and that wonderful chocolate cobbler.

I had fixed enough food so all of us could share each evening meal.
One of our favorite things to do is play cards, so the whole family would gather together each evening and play "Hand and Foot", and we would play bridge during the day with P.C. and Elmeree.

There were dogs everywhere we went. I keep wondering if this is a sign that we need to get another pet??? Surely not! (However, Scotties are one of our favorite breeds)

One morning while we were there we drove to Oxford, KS to visit with P.C.'s brother-in-law, Jack. It was good for that part of the family to be able to get together. He was married to P.C.'s sister, Holly who passed away.

Jack also had a little dog that we visited with.

We had a wonderful visit with everyone and hated to see our time with them come to an end. However, as a friend of my Mother used to say, "House guests are like fish....after 3 days they start to stink", so we decided that it was time to take our leave before we started smelling like Harry did upon his arrival!

We had planned on getting home in time to attend a wedding in Graham, Texas, but were not able to make it back in time. A friend of mine that I used to paint with was married this past Saturday.

She has been on her own for several years and suddenly love walked into her life again. I'm so happy for both of them and so sorry that we didn't make it to the wedding. She knows that we wish them both well and hope that they have many years together.
I also received a letter from a good friend who lives in Chicago. Her daughter and her husband are in Dubai at the moment having a very exciting adventure. I'm so excited for them to be able to have this wonderful experience.
They had breakfast at the new Meydan race track which will host the Dubai World Cup - the richest horse race in the world (26 million in prize money).
They then took a seaplane tour of the city of Dubai and then were entertained on the King's yacht. Tiny little thing, isn't it!

Prince Andrew of England joined their group for the races. If you look closely, you will be able to see him behind Angela in the photograph below. How exciting for her and also for my friend, her Mother.

She tells me that there is a book out now called "The City of Gold" which is all about Dubai and I plan on reading it.

After church yesterday I came home and decided to paint. I haven't picked up a brush for a long time, but was in the mood. There is an artist whom I really admire, so I decided to paint something in his style. I'm pleased with the end results.

You know how I love wild colors and anything that reminds me of Santa Fe, so this was right up my alley. I hope to paint a companion piece soon.
This is Holy Week so we will be going to church daily. The Palm Sunday service was lovely yesterday and now we will be involved with the Passion of Christ as Easter is just around the corner.
I pray that each of you have a blessed Holy Week and a glorious Easter Sunday.
XOXO, Pcasso

DALLAS BLOOMS ON ST PATRICK'S DAY

Yesterday was St. Patrick's Day, so we decided to take a trip to the Arboretum in Dallas since Dallas Blooms is the current event there.

Dallas Blooms is the largest floral festival in the south, showcasing over 500,000 spring-blooming bulbs. The gardens are located on the shores of White Rock Lake, just minutes from downtown Dallas. The 66 acres of floral splendor afford a peaceful counterbalance to the pace of urban life. Also on grounds are two historical mansions which you can visit; the DeGolyer House and the Camp Estate, which were built in 1939 and feature 17th- and 18th-century art and furniture.

Our friend, Paul, went with us and we took photographs. We have been friends for many years and love to go on day trips photographing all sorts of interesting things. You can't have a better subject than these beautiful blooms that are just around the corner from where we live.

Here are some of my photographs that I took.

It was a beautiful day and since it's Spring Break, the gardens were full of mothers, children and strollers all picnicking and enjoying the day.

While Paul and I were searching for the exact flower we wanted to photograph, Frank sat by patiently waiting for us.

He always brings his trusty stool so he doesn't have to stand around waiting for us.
I was very proud of myself. I was able to walk a lot of the gardens with nothing but my trusty cane. It was wonderful not having to use the wheelchair.

When we left the gardens, we went to Deep Elm in Downtown Dallas and Franklin, our son, joined us for lunch. There's a little Mexican restaurant near his office that I had not visited and so he and Frank thought it was time for me to try it out.

It looked like a little hole in the wall, but once you got inside, the place was quite large and filled with business people.

It's in an old warehouse and the food was great.
It's a beautiful time of year here in Texas. All the fruit trees are in bloom. Here are a few Bartlett Pear trees that are in the neighborhood. I wish they could stay like this all year long.

After we dropped Paul off, we came home and our son and his family came by to wish us a Happy St. Paddy's Day.

They were on their way to a Muse concert. Muse is an alternative rock band from Devon, England and it's Ian's favorite band. Two years ago on St. Patrick's Day he was playing guitar with his own band at J. Gilligans which is a local pub.

He's grown so much since then .... almost a teenager! Time flies when you're having fun!

All in all it was a wonderful day. It was also my Father's birthday. If he was still alive, he would have been 106 years old yesterday. That's hard to imagine! Seems like only yesterday when this photograph of our family was taken but it was oh so many years ago.

We're planning a trip to Kansas next week to visit our cousins. I'll check in with you when we return.
XOXO, Pcasso