HUGE SURPRISE!!!

Sunday, April 1 – This weekend was moving day! Not for us but for our daughter, Carrie. She was surprised by her landlord three weeks ago when he told her he sold her loft, and she would have to move ASAP. Luckily, she found another nice place in downtown Houston. She got busy, packed her belongings, hired a mover, and relocated this weekend. Due to the holiday, it actually ended up being a good time to move because downtown Houston was deserted the entire time. Everyone must have taken off for Easter/Passover.

We started early Friday morning and by shortly after noon, the movers were paid and on their way to their next job. Now to get things unboxed and put away. We worked till about four o'clock when Carrie had to take some things down to the rental office. When she returned there was another SURPRISE!!!

She had two additional “helpers” with her. Our daughter, Kelly, and husband, Dave, had flown in to surprise us for the Easter weekend. WOW! What a great surprise! They were a great help in getting Carrie settled in to her new place and a wonderful addition to our holiday weekend. Carrie is not settled in but she's uncluttered and comfy in her new home.

L-R: Marsha, Paul, Carrie, Kelly, Dave.

We spent a wonderful time at a local restaurant watching the Cleveland Indians (win) and the Houston Astros (win). The weather was beautiful. We had a bite to eat, some beverages and a lot of fun playing Jenga.

The entire family is here for Marsha's Easter dinner, so she is in heaven! And of course, we ran out this morning to buy eggs. Paul thought this was going to be the first Easter we didn't color eggs. Duh! What was he thinking. The family will be arriving shortly, and we'll be making memories for another Happy Easter. 

Decorating eggs.

We went for a walk on the Edible Arbor Trail. This trail features several groves of hardy trees and shrubs that produce edible fruits and nuts along Missouri City's Oyster Creek Trail. The trail is a little over two miles and includes 213 trees within 19 groves. Residents and walkers are invited  to pick any of the fruits or nuts for free. Nothing is ripe right now.

Golden Fig trees.

Mexican plum trees.

We really enjoy playing games when we get together. Today was no exception. Farkle was in order.

Dave really gets excited when we play.

Lastly, we take some photos to save for years to come. Thank you so much Kelly and Dave for flying to Houston to surprise us. Thanks, Carrie, for keeping the surprise. What an awesome and blessed weekend we had. We will be leaving Houston tomorrow heading towards Florida for a super visit with Paul’s brother, John.

Thanks for stopping by. Hope to see y’all back real soon. Have a great day!

ENJOYING OUR TIME IN HOUSTON, TEXAS

Wednesday, March 28 – We've been in Houston for a little over a month and are preparing to head to Florida to visit family. After spending Easter weekend with our daughter, Carrie, we'll head East. It's been a busy time, but we've also spent many a day just relaxing here at the Houston Elks Lodge Campground and enjoying the spring weather.

It's been fantastic to visit with Carrie. She's preparing to move into a new downtown apartment, so she is very busy. This was not her choice. Her landlord sold her loft and gave her three weeks to find a new place. Carrie has moved several times and seems to have everything pretty much under control. We're happy to be here to help ease a little of the stress involved in moving. She'll put Paul to work installing a couple TV's and possibly rearrange some furniture after the movers finish their work.

We've spent several Saturday afternoons downtown enjoying the city life with Carrie and watching NCAA March Madness in several of the thousands of sports bars around town. It sure has been a crazy and exciting tournament with numerous bracket busting games. Hope you've been able to enjoy a couple games!

We are always discovering new places to watch the game, grab a bite to eat or just quench our thirst. Today we discovered King’s Bierhaus.

We shared an order of the American Sampler, which is one of their signature dishes. Delicious. We all ordered one of their German beers on tap. Yes, Marsha even had one, and she hates beer. She said that if you don’t like beer, try the Stiegl Radler, Grapefruit. She loved it.

Carrie took us to the Art Car Graveyard that she accidentally found during one of her many outings around Houston. We were in town for the Art Car Parade last April but unfortunately will miss it this year. It's a wonderful event and a great time! This scrap metal yard is where many of the old cars, and parts removed from unused vehicles, end-up after the parade. We recognized many of these cars and weird parts from past parades and visits to the museum. The museum (you can read about our visit here) is where the car art is on display and makes for an unusual place to visit while in town. We highly recommend a visit to the Art Car Museum.

Before…Azaba, 2011. It isn’t your eyes; it is a bit blurry…hehe

Graveyard….Azaba, 2018

Before…Eele, 2011

Graveyard, 2018

Before…Cable Guy, 2011

Graveyard…All that is left, 2018

Before…2012, Mr. Green.

Graveyard, 2018. Not too bad.

Before, 2011. No idea of the name.

Graveyard, 2018

This weekend is Easter and a sure sign of Spring with warmer weather finally arriving in Houston. Of course, Marsha has planned dinner for Easter Sunday and was adamant about Paul not even thinking about leaving before Tuesday, April 3. This will be the last we see Carrie until her planned visit to Ohio later this summer. Of course, we'll return here next fall on our way to visit places unknown at this time!

A little taste of Spring here in Houston for our family and friends up North.

We'll be heading East along the Gulf next week for an eventual stop in Florida. Stop back and enjoy a few days at the beach in beautiful Amelia Island, Florida. See you there!

We wish all our family and friends a very blessed Easter day!

Thanks for stopping by. Hope to see y’all back real soon. Have a great day!

GALVESTON’S EAST END HISTORIC DISTRICT

Tuesday, March 13…continued – While we initially went to Galveston to do the Tree Sculpture tour, we thoroughly enjoyed gawking at all the gorgeous historic homes. The East End Historic District is comprised of over 50 city blocks. The District has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976 and has been designated a National Historic Landmark. The architecture of the East End Historical District reflects a variety of styles and periods, the earliest being examples of Greek Revival style built during the 1850's.  Some of the historic homes have plaques in their front yard. We didn’t have any info about the homes, so we will just show you some of our favorite historic homes. They are amazing.

Trube Castle, brick house…1890
 

Beissner House…1887

Joel B. Wolfe house…1894

George Fox House…not sure of date.

Lemuel C. Burr house…1876

Julius H. Ruhl House…1874

Arthur F. Sampson House…1889

Clarke-Jockusch house…1895

William and Lena Juneman Smith…1905.  These shotgun style homes caught our attention.

Many of the homes have been jacked up or are in the process of being lifted up onto piers. They hope to prevent any future flooding.

The colors of so many of the homes are bright and cheerful. Marsha loved see the purples, pinks and bright blues.

 

Voted by us….least colorful. Rudolph Kruger House…1888

Many homes are being renovated. It is so nice to see people taking pride in their community.

We noticed these plaques on homes by their front door that designate their historical importance. Some are difficult to read. 

Marsha loves taking photos of trees. She found this one to be a beauty.

We hope to spend a week in Galveston next year. Marsha wants to pick up the home tour brochure and check out some more of these lovely historic homes.

Thanks for stopping by. Hope to see y’all back real soon. Have a great day!