Icicles on our water monument this morning!

Merry Christmas from Texas

Winter in Texas

Quick catchup:

Our lake level is low...we see islands now that weren't there before. Birds are migrating left and right and the trees have even changed colors.

We spent a delightful Thanksgiving at our house with our Texas family of friends.

Business has been slower than usual and we are seeing our share of local restaurants going out of business here in Marble Falls. Amy and Kimberley are able to handle the store on their own now, so we have been free to travel!! We love going to Goliad to visit Joe and Donna and we have even put merchandise in a store there to test the market.

Great weekend in Goliad

Amy watched Patina for us for the weekend so that we could go visit Joe and Donna in Goliad. Joe and Donna have moved into their new home and we got to participate in some interior painting - we had a great time.

We are going back on Wednesday to put some of our merchandise into a shop on the Goliad square (Soho) run by Suzi and Newton. Goliad is a beautiful town and the Kehoes new RV park in 2010 (or sooner) will be a great addition. We are also opening a Christmas store (Patina Too) on Main Street in Marble Falls and will start merchandising that store next week. Never a dull moment here!

Joe, Donna and Max halfway through the painting project

Winter is coming....

Great White Hunter

My brother-in-law, Bruce, stopped by on his way home. He lives in Ft. Myers, Florida and was driving through Texas on his way back from New Mexico. Bruce bagged an elk in New Mexico yesterday. The visit was very short, but he promised to return soon with my sister, Monica, in tow (pun intended).

Stefan flew back to Minnesota last week to officially graduate from culinary school

Our houseguest, Stefan, returned from his trip to Minnesota on Monday evening just in time to have dinner at Tamale King with our friends, Joe and Donna. Joe and Donna closed up the resort in Wisconsin and stopped by to visit for a few days on their way to Goliad, Texas for the winter. They have purchased 11 acres to build an RV park and they even got a new house in the deal.

On Tuesday, Stefan saved the day when he took over dinner preparation for me. We had Tur-Duc-Hen (stuffed duck inside a chicken inside a turkey), Cajun stuffing and roasted garlic asparagus. I think we just invented a new reality cooking show "Save this Dinner!".

Silent Auction

Laurie Justus Pace generously donated this painting to a silent auction to benefit Phoenix Center - a local charity that provides free wellness programs and creative arts programs to mothers and children in crisis.

We are accepting bids through October 24th. The current bid is $605.00. 100% of the proceeds go to Phoenix Center. Email bids - info@patinaofmarblefalls.com

Inner peace

In the midst of an international financial crisis and the Texas-OU game, we hosted our event with the works of Laurie Justus Pace (in person) and Diane Whitehead. Earlier in the week, John had hired Amy Norton to work part-time in the store. Amy's husband, Byron, tended bar while John, Amy, Laurie and I worked the room on Friday night. Today, Laurie was in the store to meet customers and give an interview for the local newspaper.

At the end of these events, I always sit back and ask myself "Was it a success? What did I learn?" Besides the obvious (don't schedule an event during a big football game/stock market crash next time), I once again learned how blessed I am with the incredible people in my life. Laurie and her husband Terry are so grounded. Not to say they don't have an uneven road to follow, it is just that they acknowledge the potholes and hold hands as they bump over them.

John and I have so many friends, old and new, in our lives that inspire us to be better people - to give back more...to be grateful for what we have instead of lamenting what we don't have. We were lucky to be able to spend some time with Laurie, Terry, Amy and Byron this week-end and they got to meet some of the friends we have made here - Trent (sans Laura this time), Carole, Alison, Mark, Cindy, Kimberley, Chris, Francie, Mike, Susie, et al.

Laurie and Terry just left to drive back to Dallas. Soon, our good friends Joe and Donna will arrive in Texas for the winter. Our lives are so rich with good people that we didn't even notice Select Comfort's stock had slipped to 78 cents a share yesterday!

CNNMoney.com lists Marble Falls as one of the six best places to retire!

Good News!

"The rumors of my demise," says Ahab, "were greatly exaggerated!"

It doesn't look good for the camel.....

Driving past Fuzzy's corner this morning on the way to Patina in Marble Falls, I noticed that Ahab, our local camel, was not in his normal position (standing and eating by the tree). So, I slowed down to see if he was on his knees and saw Ahab laying on his side in his hut. As far as I know, camels don't sleep like that.....

There is a chef in the house!

No, I haven't suddenly learned how to cook. Stefan has arrived from Minnesota to stay with us. He starts work tomorrow as a chef at the Horseshoe Bay Resort.

He seems to be getting a kick out of Tow: the goats in the yard, starry skies at night, fox sightings, etc.; however, I think he will be glad to start work and meet new friends closer to his own age!

Cool stuff arrives all the time

New line of furniture

The Power of Red

Original oil on canvas - 18 x 24

Laurie Justus Pace

Laurie and her husband, Terry, came down from Dallas to drop off some new pieces. We are going to have a show at the store on Oct. 10th and 11th with her work.

It was so nice to finally meet Laurie in person, although I feel like I have known her all my life. The visit was too short, but we will have more time in October when she returns.

I just got back last night from Des Moines. Sean and I had a great time tricking out his new apartment.

Hard to believe my baby turns 21 on Sept. 7th.

Happy camper

Sean's frat house is 2 blocks off campus

Sean's apartment building is actually on campus

To be a "kid" again.....

I am flying to Des Moines tomorrow to spend the week-end with Sean tricking out his new apartment. Drake just built on campus apartments for the upper classmen and Sean will be one of the first students to move in. I will post pictures when I get back.

While I am in Iowa, Stefan arrives in Tow to stay with us. I thought about blogging that we had our own personal chef, but that would be stretching it abit. We met Stefan through John's friends, Cully and Karen, when they were in town last month. Stefan has accepted a job as a chef at the nearby Horseshoe Bay Resort and will stay with us until he gets settled. He is driving down from Becker, Minnesota and should arrive sometime this week-end. Wonder what's for dinner......

Raining at last

After 60 days of temperatures above one hundred degrees, we are finally getting some much needed rain. I can hear it hitting the metal roof of our building - the sound reminds me of sleeping on the porch as a child at the cabin.

Tow, Texas is not that different from Cottagewood, Minnesota or even Birchwood, Wisconsin. I have been very blessed in my journey.

Signage above the door

Television...

Well, shortly after we received the note from our cable provider (that there would be no more TV for us after Sept. 1st), the reception started to crackle during the Olympics. Eeeeegads - John quickly called his friend Bibeau and we got the VIP installation today from DirectTV. I haven't seen it yet (I manned the store solo today), but John is at home watching the Cubs on High Definition and says it's great.

There are days when our new life feels a little bit like an episode of "Green Acres". This past week while every high definition channel known to man was installed, the traveling goats have occassionally been in the yard eating the grass and the feral cat had kittens (again) by the porch.

You know you live in the boonies when......

...your cable tv provider says you live too far out to make it worth their while to continue providing cable service!

Monica and Caleb with Billy Bluegill

Last weekend, my daughter, Monica, and her boyfriend, Caleb, went to our cabin. They spent time with Joe and Donna and had dinner with my sister,
Monica, and Bruce. John and I were here in Texas wishing we could be in Wisconsin with some of our favorite peeps!

Sunday in the store

New inventory - vintage jewelry belt buckles

New customer and friend, Kyle, and John

Friday's Art Crawl was a great success

Eleanor (the pup), Mallory and Cindy

I needed to go to Denison, Texas to pick up some inventory and my friend, Cindy, wanted to visit her daughter in Dallas, So......road trip! We had a blast - Cindy's daughter, Mallory, was a delight and we got to meet Eleanor (yes - she is a pure bred pit bull). We bought the most beautiful pottery pieces from Joni Beamish in Denison and got home last night.

Minnesota connections

Friday evening was our second "Art Crawl" event. We have teamed up with 3 other galleries in town to stay open late on Fridays in July from 5-8:30 with wine and cheese. Our first drop-ins were John's friends, Cully and Karen from Minnetonka accompanied by Karen's son, Stefan. They were in town for the week-end checking on their place in Horseshoe Bay. Stefan has been offered a job as Assistant Chef at the Horseshoe Bay Marriott and may stay with us for awhile. We also met the Striblings (formerly from Edina)at the Art Crawl....small world!

Our new lawn service.......

Short but sweet visit

After the wedding, Rich, Linda, Raymond, Mike and Patty came back to our house for a short stay. We wish they would come more often and stay longer!

At the waterfall on the Colorado River

Raymond Stange on the Seadoo

Patty Stange

Linda Stange

Mike and Rich Stange

Kaitlin Stange is now Kaitlin Kinsolving!

Mom and Dad Stange with Billy Bluegill

I just got this picture from Gerri and a note about their Fourth of July at the cabin in Birchwood, Wisconsin. We were so sad that we couldn't make it back to the cabin to share it with them this year. However, with cell phone updates, we vicariously enjoyed the bird watching, boating, blueberry pancakes and the infamous pontoon parade.

Chuck: What's Up? Call Soon!

One week to the wedding day!

Upcoming

John's brother, Mike, is taking his parents to Birchwood this week-end - wish we could be there too! Last summer, John and I were there when Bob came to the cabin, but this will be Gerri's first visit. Hopefully, Mike will remember to take the obligatory photo next to Billy Bluegill for our collection.

We have been waxing nostalgic about Birchwood pretty much every day...we miss Joe and Donna, our hottub, blueberry pancakes, and cruising the lake in the pontoon.

Monica and Bruce are also in Birchwood over the 4th. Now that they live in Florida and we live in Texas, we had hoped to meet up with them in Birchwood every summer. It doesn't look like we are going to get there this year. Oh well. That just means Monica and Bruce will just have to come to Tow for some striper fishing soon.

We replaced the mangled prop (thanks Sean!) and have been getting out on the lake at night after work. We also have one Seadoo in the lake and will launch the other one when brothers Rich and Mike come next week for Kaitlin's wedding. She gets married a week from this Saturday. Their engagement picture was absolutely gorgeous - if I can figure out how to scan and post it, I will.

New neighbors!

Best BBQ in Texas

Carol Hagan

Explosive by Laurie Justus Pace

Note left by contractors at the house after John "flashed" them the day before....

We are converting the garage into a den and have had the guys from Tow (Dwayne and Dave and Co.) working on the project for the past week. A few days ago, Dwayne stopped by early in the morning with his wife Mary and were greeted by John in his birthday suit. Now we get notes like this taped onto the garage!