Happy Halloween!

Determination

I wasn’t too surprised when I saw this little viola growing through the crack in the cement.  Violas are very hardy and are prolific re-seeders.  I’ve often had them “come up volunteer”, as my grandmother would say, in a spot close to where they were planted the year before.  They don’t require a lot of water or any special care; they just grow and flower until the season is over. Even though the plant itself is strong it still had to grow and establish itself in virtually no soil while relying on rainfall to nourish it.  It wasn’t stepped on and crushed or plucked hastily out of the tiny crack. In spite of its circumstances it survived and thrived!

Even so, when I saw it the word “determination” immediately came to mind.  After some consideration I decided the correct description should be “perseverance”. The viola determined that it would grow there and so it did, it persevered.   Job went through some real trials and lost everything except his life; yet, God showed him mercy and favor after his time of perseverance.   The New Testament relates of Paul’s struggles and the hardships he endured for the sake of the Gospel; yet, he also persevered and gave thanks in all circumstances.

In the last week I’ve thought about this little plant whenever I felt weakness or inability to complete a task.  It has survived and thrived in spite of all obstacles and it never complained once.  It just kept growing and blooming. Good advice from a little viola!

Capitol Glass

Rotunda dome in the House of Representatives

I've always loved stained glass whether it is in a church or a public building.  Just like with quilts it is the colors and shapes that pull my eyes to it.  I don't know which came first - my love of quilts or my love of stained glass.  I see quilts in stained glass and I see stained glass in quilts!

Panels on the lower circumference of the rotunda dome in the Senate Chamber

On my recent trip I visited the (New) Mississippi State Capitol twice.  The first time I did the self-guided tour and afterwards realized that I needed the guided tour to see everything, so I returned again at a time when I could catch the tour.  I'm so glad I did because this building and its stained glass is something to behold!

This is the ceiling of one of the hallways.  I knew I would fall on my face if I tried to walk while looking up, so I just stopped!

 

These three panels at the top of the Capitol's main staircase recently were removed and underwent an extensive renovation.  I vaguely remember seeing them on a previous visit to the Capitol in December 2002 and they were rather dull.  They still caught my eye and I commented on them to my Dad and he agreed that they were quite impressive.  There were a lot of people in the Capitol that day so I couldn't get too close.

These three panels were designed by Louise Millet of Chicago and are located on the first landing of the grand staircase. They represent three iconic figures of the state: the American Indian, Mississippi, and the pioneer.  They were hard to photograph because of their location, but I did get this detail of the pioneer - isn't he still handsome after all these  years?

Southern Traction Company

 The Southern Traction Company provided interurban transportation between Corsicana and Dallas from 1912 to 1941. Its sister company, the Texas Traction Company, provided service between Dallas, Denton, and Waco; in 1917 they would merge to form the Texas Electric Railway. The interurban trains would stop to pick up passengers when flagged down and offered affordable and more frequent service than the steam rail lines.

Car number 305 was one of 22 passenger cars that ran on this line. Travelers were offered a choice of a smoking or non-smoking section, one toilet, and a water fountain.  After 1932 there was no conductor and cars were configured for pay-as-you-go commuters. Just to note that there were 2 seats on either side of the narrow aisle where travelers were squeezed together much like passengers on an airplane today!

The Visitor Center didn't open until later in the morning on the day I was visiting, but I looked through the windows and they had a nice display of memorabilia and informational resources.  I'll stop in on my next visit. 

Mimosa Time

Albizia julibrissin Mimosa, Silk Tree origin: first imported from China 1745

It's that time of year again - mimosa time! No, not the orange juice kind, the tree kind!

The blooms aren't as profuse as they usually are, but the fragrance is super strong! This poor tree is so crowded by the gigantic oak tree in my back yard, but it keeps faithfully blooming every year. I can't bear the thought of cutting it down and not having these lovely blooms every spring that remind me of my grandparents' trees.

Wednesday 05.10.2016

Signs from the past in the Gruene General Store, Gruene Texas (Gruene is pronounced like the color green).

Wednesday 05.04.2016

Indian blanket (sometimes referred to as Indian pinwheel) Gaillardia pulchella (Asteraceae) growing in profusion along Texas highways right now!

Common Prayer 1943

At a recent used book sale one of the first things I found was a small Book of Common Prayer.  I’ve always loved reading prayers from this book and had browsed online for a copy, but was so confused about the many versions that I gave up the search.  When I saw this little book I knew it was mine, especially after I saw the inscription on the fly-leaf dated 1943! I quickly checked and, yes, it was a copy of the 1928 version of the Book of Common Prayer that was published in 1935 by the Protestant Episcopal Church; just what I wanted.  I had to wonder about the giver and receiver of this book and what it meant to each of them, as well as how it ended up at the PTA used book sale; I’ll never know.

The Book of Common Prayer is a collection of prayers and liturgy assembled for used in Anglican worship. The first version of the Book of Common Prayer was published in 1549 as a result of the Protestant Reformation with a second version following in 1552.  It was banned during the time of the Puritans control of England.  The fourth version would be issued in 1662 and is still the official version used by the Church of England.   Today the Episcopal Church uses a version approved in 1979. (If you would like to see a timeline click here)

While the “thees” and “thous” may be a little too heavy for some readers, the prayers and liturgy are very poetic and graceful.  Reading them slowly and thinking about the content is very peaceful, much like slowly reading a Bible passage and absorbing the message.  Many of the prayers are based on Psalms incorporating familiar passages.  There are prayers for just about every life circumstance, birth, death, marriage, sickness, thanksgiving, Advent, Lent and Easter.  There’s liturgy for every event in the church from confirmation to ordaining a Bishop!

 

 

Direct us, O Lord, in all our doings, with thy most gracious favour,

and further us with thy continual help; that in all our works begun, continued, and ended in thee,

we may glorify thy holy Name, and finally, by thy mercy, obtain everlasting life;

through Jesus Christ our Lord, who hath taught us to pray unto thee.

(from the Book of Common Prayer, 1935)

Wednesday 04.20.2016

Long ago I accepted the fact that I have an invisible sign in my front yard.  It has various inscriptions such as "Hungry, stop here and go no further" or "Pregnant and homeless?  Stop here.  The kind hearted soul will feed you, care for your young, and have you spayed afterward so you can live happily ever after".
So I was not surprised when this battle scarred kitty started hanging around.  I tried to run it off and it just laid down in the yard and looked me like it was saying, "I'm not a bad kitty, I really just want to hang around here, please, please".  It got along well with Lacey (surprisingly) and I think the thing that suckered me in was that it appeared to be starving.  So I began feeding it twice a day.  Lucky kitty.
I had previously seen it and several other felines hanging out at a house across the street and down the way.  The lady that lives there leaves one of the garage doors up just a bit which is a sure clue to owning a cat.  But this poor thing was starving, so I wasn't sure if it really belonged there or not.  Plus it was wearing a dirty green collar, so I felt it had to be somebody's pet even if it appeared to be starving. It spends most of its time in the bushes in front of the house, but I hoped it was up on the porch during the horrific storms we had during the last week. It would approach me like it wanted to be petted, but would only let me briefly stroke it before it would walk off as if to say, " that's all you get for now".
This morning it was waiting for the morning rations and sporting a new yellow collar.  Tonight at the evening ration time I saw a dainty little tag hanging from the collar.  Yep, there was an address for the suspected house on the tag.  I think I need to go meet the neighbor and find out the kitty's name.  That way when I feed it I can at least call it by its given name.

Wednesday 04.13.2016

Once again, it's amaryllis time!

The capitol of Art Deco

I have always favored Craftsman style homes with Queen Anne slightly behind.  This came after I got over the "antebellum" stage of life.  But now my love of all things historic has also expanded.  I have decided that my current love is.....Art Deco.

Back in January while visiting my sister in Houston we drove through a very Art Deco neighborhood.  There was a Starbucks in the AD style as well as a specialty grocery store that had taken over an AD theater.  Other buildings had my mind whirling, but I had to forcefully stop myself from exclaiming over them or the other occupants of the car would probably have kicked me out.  I will return by myself to enjoy these treasures!

Weekend before last I took Bentley to Fort Worth for a dog show.  It was a big show with back-to-back specialties on Friday.  Let's just say that his ring performance wasn't stunning, but I enjoyed myself.  But what really topped off the trip was the discovery that Fort Worth is the capitol of Art Deco!  Little did I know!

 

I had not been to Fort Worth in 30 years.  I realized very quickly that it is the exact opposite of Dallas.  Fort Worth is laid back, easy going, and it seems to say "hey ya'll"  in a slow relaxed drawl. 

 

 

 



 I saw so many buildings that called to me, so Fort Worth hold on.  I'll be back for more!

Wednesday 03.30.2016

Peepscake!

Flash thoughts

This will not be a deep, insightful post.  As I was getting out of bed this morning I had a number of thoughts about a topic I've been thinking about all jump into my head. All at once, in a split second.  As I went through the day I thought about these thoughts and, while I didn't come to a grand conclusion, I did feel like I made some progress in my thinking. 
As I tried to write the thoughts down and record the experience I realized what happened.  I had had a flash thought!  Just like the flash mobs that appear, except this was my thoughts that all gathered in one split second in my brain.  Flash thoughts!

Happy Easter 2016!

Maundy Thursday

This is an edited re-post from 3 years ago.  This painting and it's artist intrigue me, so I'm sharing again.

Leonardo da Vinci’s painting of the Last Supper is probably the most well know image associated with Maundy Thursday and the disciples last meal together. I’m fascinated with the painting and the man that painted the original fresco on one of the walls of the Dominican monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan. Matteo Bandello, who was a novice monk at the time, recorded that Da Vinci would sometimes work on the fresco from sunrise to sunset without stopping and at other times would spend hours a day standing in front of the work with his arms folded across his chest staring at the figures on the wall. Bandello also reports that on one occasion he saw Da Vinci leave another job site and walk quickly across the village in the hot sun to the monastery only to pick up a paintbrush to paint one or two strokes.

Da Vinci based the figures of the Last Supper on real people, people that he encountered and people that he just saw in passing. Detailed sketches of faces and body features, such as hands and studies of the folds of cloth for Peter’s sleeve are found in his sketchbooks. He also made lists of possible reactions of the disciples, such as twisting the fingers of a hand or turning to look at a companion. Leonardo also broke with a tradition from the Middle Ages in which the disciples are shown as being stiffly linear in their arrangement at the table.

Work began on the fresco in 1495 and concluded sometime after 1497 (a fire at the monastery destroyed records so the dates are based on other documents). Sadly, within a few years the paint had already begun to flake and crumble. Leonardo had used a dry-wall painting technique that was appropriate; however, it was his experimentation with mixing oil and tempera for the painting on the dry plaster that was the cause of the subsequent flaking off of the paint. Working on dry plaster enabled him to work slower and to be able to re-paint but resulted in the paint eventually flaking off the surface. Moisture and dampness in the refectory also contributed to the incompatibility of the paint and prepared wall surface.

Restorations have taken place from time to time. Recent efforts have revealed many hidden details such as a hand drawn sketch done on the prepared wall before the final preparatory coat of gesso and imprimatura. Several authentic copies of the fresco have survived and have been invaluable in restoration efforts. The fresco is so fragile that extensive work is not practical. Today’s viewer sees only about 20% of the original version of the Last Supper and while it appears ghost-like on the wall of the ancient monastery viewers still witness the expressions and gestures of the apostles and the details of the table set for the meal that were painted over 500 years ago.

Picnic in the park

Somethings just never change, thankfully.  The simple pleasures that delighted our grandparents and those even before them still delight us today.
On a recent visit to the Texas State Capitol I discovered that one of the plaques on the grounds shared that a small lake had once existed in that spot.

 "In December 1906, the Austin Daily Statesman described the Capitol grounds as, "...a favorite resort, for young and old, at all seasons, and during the summer months are the scene of nightly concerts that attract the music lovers of the city." A small lake occupied the large depression that still exists west of here, at one time supplied by an underground spring in the area.  The lake was difficult to maintain and produced hordes of mosquitos. As then State Gardener J.A. Lott explained, "...it was not built right and every rain filled it with mud and trash...the pool in fair weather was unsightly with an accumulation of trash," so the lake was drained by 1926." Copied from the plaque on the west side of the Capitol, facing Colorado Street.

The depression where the lake was located is hard to see today, but it is there.  And, amazingly there are still groups of people picnicking on the Capitol grounds, enjoying themselves even today.  What is it about a picnic in a beautiful spot?  That has to be one of the simple little things of life!

Wednesday 03.16.2016

Shadows on the stairs at the McNay Art Museum intrigued me as much as any of the art.  I would love to have sat down on the top stair and watched the light move through the lattice!

Friday Fives 03.11.2016

Tonight I have many things for which to give thanks.  Here are 5:

1. I'm thankful for the much needed rain that has fallen on my part of the earth this week.  The color green has reappeared in the landscape and the wildflowers are now starting to come out.  I'm also thankful we were spared from flooding and am concerned for those who are dealing with it tonight.
2. I am thankful for leftovers.  Yes, leftovers that I can warm up on a week night and enjoy. A tasty meal with no cooking, what more could you ask for?
3. I am thankful that Daylight Saving Time begins this weekend.  I am ready for a little more light in the evening.  A little more time outside is always a good thing.
4. I am thankful for discoveries that I make.  I delight in finding something new (to me) and then finding about it.  This includes technology! Or finding people who lived long ago, yet their lives are still with us today.
5. I am thankful for stories with happy endings.  For stories of pets reunited with owners, for families that find housing when they expected none, for people who turn their lives around or who survive great crises. Happy endings, we need more of them.

Wednesday 03.09.2016

A woman is like a tea bag - you can't tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water.
(Attributed to Eleanor Roosevelt)

My new word

I love words.  I love the way they bring visual images to my mind, images that stay.  I love the way they lead me along into new places and into new thoughts.  I love the way they can be arranged and rearranged and still convey the same meaning.  Words, how dear they are.  And, how many they are in all languages. 

So, when I see or hear a new word I have to discover more.  What does it mean, how is it used, and does it have a root that maybe leads to another word?  The dictionary, also full of words, is consulted.
Today I discovered the word "elucidation".  Don't you love the way it sounds?  Say it several times and you'll agree. It sent me running to the dictionary. 

The root word is "elucidate".  Elucidate, elucidated, and elucidating are all verbs. As a transitive verb it means "to make lucid especially by explanation or analysis"; as an intransitive verb it means "to give a clarifying explanation".  Elucidation and elucidator are used as nouns and elucidative is an adjective.  Where did it come from?  To answer that very simply it is derived from the Latin word lucidus which gives us the English word lucid.  And when did it come into use? Sometime around 1586.

Thank you to Merriam-Webster for this wealth of information.  I'm telling you - I love words!

Made of what?

If you read  my Doorway Into the Past blog then you know about the McNay Museum of Art that I featured there.  Marion Koogler McNay bequeathed her Spanish Colonial-Revival home and surrounding 23 acres to be preserved as a museum of modern art.  Her collection of 700 pieces of European and Southwestern art pieces formed the core of the museum when it opened in 1954. Today the museum curates almost 20,000 pieces of art.

A current exhibit titled "The Extraordinary Ordinary: Three Installations" has three artists using "the stuff of ordinary life to create extraordinary environments".  While all 3 were interesting my 12-year old companion and I found artist Tom Burckhardt's creation to hold us captive for quite a while.  He created an artist's studio from corrugated cardboard, black paint, wood and hot glue and looked over nothing.

 We carefully went over every detail commenting over and over, "look at that" or "how on earth did he make that" as well as "I wonder how many times he had to re-do that"!

There were brushes and various types of paint all with meticulously painted labels. The small stove held a pot and a can of Campbell's tomato soup stored on a shelf above. A phonograph on the shelf was ready to play a tune and there were handy reference books on the table.

The window, sink, overhead pipes all look real, don't they?  Such creativity - who would have thought of this!

And, I have to add that I was just as thrilled when we entered a room and there on the wall was one of Monet's studies of Water Lilies! I wanted to just bring it home with me, but perhaps buying a copy would be a little more prudent!

Wednesday 02.24.2016

Wishing I was in Louisiana this morning, enjoying a breakfast of hot beignets and café au lait!

Foucault Pendulum, Somewhere In My Memory

 
The capabilities of the human mind never cease to amaze me.  And, sometimes my own mind and its ability to remember things from long ago surprises me. On my recent trip to the Houston Museum of Natural Science  we stopped for a few minutes to watch the Foucault pendulum. The pendulum swung back and forth, moving evenly around the circle, knocking over two of the domino like markers every 15 minutes.  Back and forth, back and forth.  Even as we stood there watching I had the thought, way in the back of my mind, that this was not the first time I had watched a pendulum moving around a circle.

I was full of questions about how this thing worked. My nephew, the engineering student, patiently explained how it worked and answered my questions.  I understood that the pendulum was fixed and it was really the rotation of the earth that was giving the appearance of movement.  But I couldn't grasp what was keeping it moving so evenly. Yet, I still kept thinking, "I know all of this, I've seen this before" somewhere deep in my thoughts. We waited for it to knock over two markers and we moved on to other exhibits.

After we got home I did my homework (which I should have done before the trip) and discovered that there is a magnet surrounding the cable at its top. As the pendulum reaches the middle of its swing, it closes a circuit that activates the electromagnet and pulls the cable away from the center position. At Houston’s latitude (30° N.) the pendulum will move halfway around each day and knock down all of the pins.

As I was reading about this pendulum and Leon Foucault, the inventor, the thought that I've seen this before became stronger.  I kept putting it in the  Griffith Observatory that I had visited as a sixth grader on a Girl Scout field trip.  After a little internet searching I found what my memory was telling me - there was a Foucault pendulum there and it was exactly as I remembered it! 
The fact that I could remember this long ago event was entertaining, but what made me laugh was remembering my thoughts that day that all that science stuff didn't make any sense to me.  The planetarium enchanted me because I liked astronomy (still do), but the rest was lost on me.  But, maybe not.  I think my brain stored up all that data for me to pull out one day when something in my memory triggered it!
The Foucault pendulum is amazing and so is the human brain. The song Somewhere In My Memory from the Home Alone movies keeps playing in my mind!

Wednesday 02.17.2016

Imperial Leuchtenberg Tiara - c. 1895
The diamonds in this tiara were a gift from Tsar Alexander I to Empress Josephine after her divorce from Napoleon Bonaparte.  This tiara on display in the Faberge exhibit at the Houston Museum of Natural Science is one of only a few tiaras made by Faberge.

Faberge is most often associated with the intricate eggs made for various clients.

Wednesday 02.02.2016

I don't remember which species this butterfly is, but there were many beautiful butterflies at the Cockrell Butterfly Center in the Houston Museum of Natural Science.  A rice paper butterfly stopped for a brief moment on the sleeve of my blue jacket.  A beautiful exhibit!

Blooms & Transplants

I’ve never liked the expression “you have to bloom where you’re planted”.  I heard this and similar sayings as I grew up, both at home and in my church life. It seems to be an acceptance of weak resignation to endure a situation and make the best of it; life is the way it is and no matter how miserable you are this is just the way it is meant to be.  I cringed every time this phrase popped into my head when I thought about something that I was involved in that was not bringing me any happiness.  But not anymore!

One morning while complaining to myself and God this expression crept up on me and as I wished again that I had never heard it I also had the accompanying thought that I could not bloom where I was planted and that I needed a transplant.  A transplant just like some of the plants in my yard were needing.  Eureka, the light snapped on! Just like plants that need the right conditions to grow and flourish, so do people.  If the condition you are in isn’t right, then you need to consider a transplant.

 A fern will not grow in bright, hot sunlight no matter how much water you give it.  Likewise, zinnias will not grow in shade and hibiscus will not grow in cold temperatures. Granted, some plants will tolerate a condition that may not be altogether favorable for them.  And some thrive just about anywhere you plant them.  But most plants need just the right amount of light, a certain amount of water, and temperatures that are favorable to their species.  Aren’t humans like that, too?  Some people thrive no matter where they are or their circumstances.  Others seem to be able to tolerate a few bumps in the road of life and go on their journey.  But most of us need just the right conditions.

No, you don’t have to bloom where you’re planted if the conditions aren’t right for you.  God does not intend for his children to be unhappy and miserable.  Yes, sometimes things happen that we can’t do anything about; that’s where faith that God will get us through comes in.  And, sometimes we back ourselves into a situation that we just have to deal with.  But if you’re in a situation and you just can’t bloom there, then it is time to think about a transplant.  Think about the plant that can’t grow in the wrong type of soil; transplant yourself.

Wednesday 01.20.2016

Can you guess what this little Texas town is famous for?  Hint:  it's not barbecue and they've got some good 'cue!

Chronophage

 

I saw this on the website for the Houston Museum of Natural Science and was fascinated.  Maybe I'm easily entertained, but when we got to the museum I could not stop watchin it!

 from HMNS website
Chronophage clock, Untitled (2015)
John C. Taylor (1936–), Isle of Man
Titanium, stainless steel, aluminum, gold, glass, enamel
[from Gk. chrono “time” + phagos “eater of”]
The chronophage clock is one of only four in the world. A marvel of science and art, it features the historic grasshopper escapement invented by British clockmaker John Harrison in 1722. The escapement “pushes” the pendulum, releasing each second with precise control. Traditionally inside a timepiece, Taylor enlarged it for the viewer to see in motion.
The grasshopper escapement solved a major problem in 16th century marine navigation. Seafarers determined their longitude by comparing local time to a clock set to the “base time” at their home port, but clocks proved untrustworthy on rolling seas. Harrison’s escapement helped create marine timekeepers that remained accurate in spite of tossing.
Part insect, part reptile, the chronophage represents the looming presence of wasted time. Every 60 seconds, she opens her mouth to devour the passing minute. She appears weathered, but her lacy enamel wings suggest she was once beautiful. Every hour, she stretches her titanium body, her glass eyes light up, and she warbles the Westminster Chimes, voiced by Scottish Opera singer Kate Valentine. From outer to inner, the rings light up to count seconds, minutes, and hours. To learn more about how the chronophage clock tells time, please click here.
Taylor used explosive hydroforming to shape the clock’s gold-plated face. Underwater, a precision explosion forced a sheet of stainless steel into a pre-cut die.

 

Wednesday 1.13.2016

Detail on top of the former Joske's store in downtown San Antonio, Texas.  I dearly loved this store and still lament it's demise.  The mall it is now attached to gutted the building, salvaged the lumber, and converted it into a retail complex.  I haven't been inside, but noticed this detail on top of the building on a quick trip downtown.  I've never noticed it before - my eyes were always pulled to the grillwork. This is art!

Recharging

Most of us remember when rechargeable batteries were introduced. They were quickly accepted and hailed as remarkable, especially by parents. The charger in my house was constantly in use! Within a few years rechargeable devices were commonplace, too. Today new homes feature a charging station, public places also have charging stations, and there are even the little portable quick charger devices. We live in a rechargeable world. Your battery is dead? No problem, here’s a cord and an outlet, recharge.

But we also need to recharge our inner self, our spiritual self. One night this week I had a brief time between arriving home and heading out to an evening activity. Even though I had other things to do I felt like I just needed to go outside and sit on my deck for a few minutes. It would soon be dark and the air was cool, so quiet and peaceful. As my mind emptied itself of the stress of the day at work I realized that I was recharging. I continued to sit quietly, watching the darkness fall and letting my inner battery recharge.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. ² He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. ³ He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. Psalm 23:1-3 NKJV

Winter Sun

Finally, today the sun returned.  It's been there all the time, but for the last week we have had cloudy, drizzly days with a slow, soaking rain starting on Friday night.  I love those dark days when I'm home, but when the morning sky revealed sunshine this morning there was a new spirit in me!  I had to think that the sun's arrival was like the frosting on a cupcake (corny, I know)! We needed the rain, but bring on a little sunshine please.
This afternoon was time for a leisurely walk at the nearby park.  It had warmed up in to the low 60's and the air was perfect for a walk.  What a welcome relief to be back outside!

The little creek in the park actually had water in it.  What a welcome sight!

Sawyer was my companion - he loves to walk.  Today I expected him to be at a trot or all over the path, but he stayed right with me and only ventured into one puddle which I'm sure was chilly!