Farmers Market and San Antonio River Museum Reach

I woke up very early this morning to teach my final Pilates class of the week. I have been subbing for my mother. (She has been in McAllen all week spending some time with my grandmother. Tomorrow my mom will return....with grandma in tow....and grandma will be staying with me all week!) Carolyn Bell called early this morning and suggested I stop by The Synergy Studio (located in the "Can Recycling Building" on the grounds of The Pearl Brewery) for a trunk show by Autum Teneyl Designs. Fabulous! A perfect opportunity! I have been threatening to visit the Farmers Market at The Pearl Brewery for several Saturdays but have not been motivated enough to get up early. In addition, I have been excited to visit the new "museum reach" section of the San Antonio River. Part of the Riverwalk extension runs immediately behind the grounds of the Pearl Brewery. Serendipity was completely on my side this morning.

The Pearl Brewery was established in 1881 and first produced Pearl Beer in 1886. Originally known as both the "J.B. Behloradsky Brewery" and the "City Brewery" it eventually came to be known as "San Antonio Brewing Company" in 1902. Otto Koehler left his position as the manager of the "Lone Star Brewing Company" to assume a position as manager and president of the "San Antonio Brewing Association." Under the direction of Koehler the brewery increased in size and also increased beer production. The San Antonio Brewing Association transitioned from micro-brewery to a formidable competitor to the considerably larger Lone Star Brewing Company. Brewing continued until 1999 when production was transferred to Ft. Worth, TX. While the San Antonio Pearl Brewery closed it's doors in 2001; Pearl Beer is still being produced by Miller Brewing in Forth Worth, TX.

Currently the grounds are being re-imagined and re-invented into a culinary and cultural center where one can eat, play, live and learn on the banks of the San Antonio River! The "Pearl Farmers Market" is a producers-only market. It is open every Saturday (with the exception of holidays) from 9am-1pm. Each vendor is expected to have grown, produced, harvested and raised their own goods and products. Shoppers are able to purchase directly from the vendor and can expect to find fresh fruit.......

organic products such as lavender infused soaps, candles, etc......

orchids.......

organic vegetables.....

and fresh wildflowers.
The Farmers Market experience was enhanced by a live Zydeco Band. Also available to purchase are fresh breads, meats, seafood, jams, jellies, sauces, salsas and cool drinks to combat the sweltering heat! I purchased 6 yellow squash for 2 dollars, 3 sweet potatoes for 1 dollar, 1 golden onion for 50 cents, 6 peaches for 5 dollars and a bag of fresh okra for 2 dollars. I thought grandma would enjoy some fresh fruit and veggies during her stay.

After I finished shopping I walked down to the river and walked around a teeny, tiny little section of the new river expansion. I would have stayed longer BUT it was already very, very, very hot and I was in full Pilates-ware which does not lend itself well to warm, outdoor climates.I believe this part of the extension is called "Pearl Springs." It is directly behind the "Full Goods Building" of the grounds. It is beautiful. I can not wait for cooler weather so I can continue my adventure north AND south of this location.

I met "Mella" and her human on the banks of the river. Her human was meditating and "Mella" was doing what I only WISHED I could have been doing!

On my way back to the car I stopped at Melissa Guerra. Think Willams-Sonoma or Sur la Table with a South Texas flare! Not only can you purchase all manner of kitchen ware, gadgets and gidgets; you can also purchase jewelry, cards, soaps, candles, huraches, guaberas, leather goods, textiles, hand carved goods, textiles and antique fixtures. This store boasts an endless variety of dried chiles, corn husks, mexican vanilla, coffee and essentials for baking. In addition you can purchase large statues of saints, cookbooks, cd's, cookware, glassware and dinnerware. And the best part...by far...is you can do it all under the blanket of fantastic tunes from south of the border that force you to move your feet as you consider which tricked out Cuisinart you are going to take home with you!

Overall an excellent morning! I like to think I took myself on a date and had a fabulous time! I hope you all consider enjoying the grounds of The Pearl Brewery. I would like to imagine my future home will be located on the very same grounds. Apparently condos are on their way. I am proud of San Antonio....slowly but surely....we are gettin' there! I will spend an entire other post on The Synergy Studio.

Have a wonderful weekend! I need to get movin'...big plans this evening!

Red, White and Blue Equals Lavender

I received very nice responses to my Father's Day blog! The overwhelming consensus is that my mother's letter was extremely touching. I had several people tell me they cried....and these are not the typical "cry-ers!" So, nice job, Mom! To be honest...some of the elements of the letter were a surprise to me. It was really sweet to read about their special memories...memories that actually did not include me. (Hard to imagine but apparently there was a time my mom and dad did not have me in their lives!)

Here is a photo of mom, dad and I at The Grill at Leon Springs. We celebrated Father's Day with a late lunch. Once again I was most pleased by this restaurant. Once October rolls around I can not wait to have happy hours on their new patio! In addition, they have "Economic Stimulus Wednesdays" where they offer about five to six meals for roughly 11 dollars each. I know the reviews are mixed but I have always enjoyed my meals at The Grill and I highly recommend it.

Several weeks ago I picked up the latest edition of Scene in SA magazine. (I'll admit I like to thumb through the periodical from time to time to check out all the "party pics" of various social events in San Antonio.) I noticed the Lavender Festival in Blanco was fast approaching. I immediately sent a text to my "Sandbar '08/Round Top '09" crew to see if we might add "Lavender '09" to our ever growing list of weekend debacles, fiascos and getaways. Miraculously we were all available and agreed to leave very early as the mercury is SERIOUSLY rising and FAST! We arrived in Blanco at about 10am. Parking was tricky but we find a semi-shady spot and a very nice gentlemen picked us up in his John Deere golf-cart-like vehicle and dropped us right at the front gate! The girls made me ride shotgun. I am still unsure how I won that distinct privilege. They asked me to take their photograph. I was happy to oblige but I was quite afraid I was going to fall out of the cart. It was a major contortionist act to grab this picture. Not bad, huh? Immediately upon arrival we purchased "Lavender Lizzies!" Think mimosa...but with lavender margarita mix instead of orange juice. They were tasty!

Unfortunately Jace's "Lavender Lizzie" went straight to her head and she ended up in a bit of legal trouble.....

About twenty minutes into our lively lavender libations we realized the heat was unbearable. Each one of us kept quiet about it until we couldn't stand it any longer. We were quickly in agreement. We would sprint through the Blanco town square, find a cool place for lunch and then suffer through a tour of one of the various lavender farms in the area. We simply were not going to leave the lavender festival without visiting one of the participating farms. Despite our well developed plans we still tucked into the courthouse. It was the only place with air conditioning. And we got a chance to sit down for a bit.

Ironically we chose to eat at a bar-b-que joint just off the town square. Guess what....air conditioning was BARELY functional and the smoke was so thick we could hardly see each other across the table. But I digress. We headed out FM 165 to Heron's Nest Herb Farm. Lavender, echinacea and various other herbs are grown here. Guests of the festival were invited to tour the entire farm...including the owner's home and private gardens.

This is a photo of the private gardens off the farmhouse.

The owner had various pieces of metal art displayed throughout her private gardens.

I realize the following two photos are VERY similar, however I wanted to post them both to showcase just how lovely the private garden was.

Part of the festivities included making our own lavender products to take away with us. Each one of us made a "mister" with lavender as our base essential oil and then layered various other oils on top in order to create different aroma combinations that also serve specific restorative functions. We also created a sea salt scrub for our friend Valerie. We thought it would be a perfect birthday gift for her.

Below are various photos I took of the grounds.

This was a wonderful festival. HOWEVER it would be a more pleasant experience in ANY OTHER EARLY JUNE or in early spring or late autumn. As it turns out this is the "harvesting" season of lavender and the festival MUST take place during this time of the year. If you "can stand the heat" then by all means check it out next year. If you do not like to be hot and sweaty then this festival is not for you! Grab a lavender soap bar and lavender candle instead!

I actually have been loving these two Wes Anderson films for quite some time. I JUST scanned these graphics in so I am sharing them with you now. I love, love, love, love, love these two films...and to a lesser extent...The Darjeeling Limited and Rushmore. The merits and attributes of these films are extensive and I can hardly list them all right now. I will share the "top three reasons I love these films:" 1) the overall visual asthetic of these films very much appeals to my eye (I do not know how he achieves this), 2) the soundtracks (especially of The Royal Tenenbaums) and 3) Bill Murray (who I believe has made AT LEAST one appearance in all Wes Anderson's films except Bottle Rocket.) I am not a fan of watching movies over and over....but I could watch these two movies time and again and laugh out loud each time. If you like "quirky" then pick these up. If you don't....then do not waste your time. You will HATE these! And then you will tell me and I will be very upset and have to yell at you and defend the movies and really...do we want to go there?

Rory: I am sure you will have fun at your Cotillion.

Charlotte: I am looking forward to it.

Lorelai: Oh, don't get too excited. Cotillions are not fun parties. They are boring rituals to train a whole new generations of snobs.

Emily: And how exactly would you know? Lorelai never attended a Cotillion.

Lorelai: You don't have to jump off the Empire State building to know it is going to hurt.

Goodnight friends!

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day! Today I celebrate my father! Since I am still working out some of my "blogging issues" on my new computer the flow of this post isn't exactly what I had intended. As a result...I am being forced into a new format (which is a really good lesson for someone like me) and will begin with today's special guest blogger.

(Please turn up your volume! This is my song for MY dad!)

Dear David,

This Father’s Day seems especially tender because we have just seen baby Gianna be born and it brought back a flood of memories for both of us. I can remember, so vividly, finding out when we were told we were going to have a baby, and your Tio Noe happened to come by our house on Nyssa and you and he toasted with a glass of an amber looking liquor that for me looked like a river of dreams and hopes . I just remember that my heart felt so big that day it wanted to burst so I can only imagine how you felt, because I have watched you be the most loving and committed Dad from that very moment to this very day. I see you pray your finger Rosary for her daily and I feel such a joy and comfort because I know that you are asking the Lord for the right things for our Patty.

It was so much easier when she was little and she fit in your hand and she took her naps on your chest while you watched TV, and I was off to Ballet Class with Diana and Maritza. Life was so simple, we were just there for Patty and so was everybody else. It seemed like the family was just waiting for her.

You were always there for every part of her growing up. You helped me with everything. There was a calm about you that I did not have. I wanted everything to be perfect and you were ok with a little dirt and some little, crooked pigtails. You kept me grounded. Thank God for you because if not, I probably would have really made her Chinese (just a joke). I knew I could go away to my conventions because you were there to brush her teeth, make her pigtails, her bun for dancing...you did it all. But most of all you loved doing it. You never dreaded it or complained. It was an honor for you. Being Patty’s Dad has been an honor for you. You have shown me how a Dad respects his Daughter. I listen to your conversations even when you have had to put your foot down with her, it is always with respect. How lucky she is to have you and you to have her. She is truly a wonderful daughter.

So it is fitting when Father’s Day comes around that we think of all that you do for your Daughter, all the little things, take care of her cats, make sure her insurance does not run out, that her Triple A is always renewed, her license plates are current, her house is ready for winter, that her AC gets checked, and that she always has flowers on Valentine's Day. All those little things are what a girl needs from her Dad. How lucky she is! I love to see how carefully at Christmas you pick out her books, and how you wonder whether she will like this bracelete or not and you finally ask for my opinion (you’re so funny). We used to do that together when she was little. Only I was the one asking you if you thought she would like that dancing doll or would she like just one more bald cabbage patch doll. You were such a trooper with all those dolls.

There has not been a day when I can remember that this child has not been on your mind and in your heart and soul. There is no bigger gift to a daughter than that.

I love you for that my dear husband,

Roseanna

Happy Father's Day, Dad! One day of the year is not nearly enough to celebrate you. YOU, my father, are the absolute incarnation of what a father "should be!" You have loved me....since before I was born....through to this very day with the most unselfish type of love anyone can experience. As far back as I can remember you and mom shared responsibilities....even when you were away....I had a sense that parenting was a 50-50 deal with you two. I remember that while mom was getting ready in the mornings you were busy packing my lunch (with that insane precision you apply to EVERYTHING you do) and making my breakfast. Peanut butter and jelly with the crusts cut off, perfectly even sized celery, a bag of chips (the assorted variety) and a juice box! Breakfast was usually a taco of some sort....or papas con huevo made with the frozen french fries (excellent idea!). You and I practiced spelling words and we also sat down to read small picture books from the "I Can Read" Series. (Remember Frog and Toad?)

There were a lot of times when you were gone. But you called us every day and wrote me so many sweet letters....again in your perfect, precise handwriting. One summer I was down with the Chicken Pox...but had expressed some interest in baseball (yes....all you people out there I said baseball....) and you sent me the sweetest plastic bat and ball so mom and I could play in the backyard. That summer you surprised us and came home a week early. I hadn't seen you in months! Mom told me we were going to the airport to pick up a box of your belongings you had sent in advance of your return. I remember waiting for the box...but watching the passengers de-plane anyhow. There you were....one of the passengers. That was the first time in my life I cried "tears of happiness." I remember thinking, "Why am I crying? This is a happy moment. I don't understand!" I didn't know that one could be overcome with emotion and tears can then find a way of just pouring out of your eyes. You, Dad, were my first reason to cry out of sheer happiness. What a pure and sweet emotion!

Dad, you are the most solid person I know. You have a truly kind heart....especially where mom and I are concerned. You adhere to a strict code of Christian values, you are the hardest working man I know, you have so much integrity, you love your friends as if they were all brothers, and you love your family despite their foibles. You were raised by a wonderful man, as well. I know grandpa was tough...but he was good, Dad. He was good! I see that very same strength in you (with a lot more emotion...thank goodness!). You are a man of courage and conviction. Yes, you have been knocked down. As a family we have been knocked down....but you NEVER stayed down. You have shown me how to get back up on your feet, move forward in Christ and make things happen. You have cared for mom and I in such a tender way. She and I have been blessed to have you as the leader of this family.

I have seen some tough times recently. These situations have probably challenged you greatly, as well. I can not imagine that some of what I have experienced has not made your blood boil and want to knock people's heads off! But you never even show me that you are shaken! You offer me calm, cool advice and show me how to handle myself with the utmost amount of grace and dignity in the face of adversity. And you often allow me to see things in a way I normally would not have even considered. You are a steady, calming force in my life. Mom and I aren't like that naturally....it isn't a part of our fabric. You keep us both grounded. Most likely...it is adaptive for you to keep us calm...if not, we simply would have driven you to the brink of insanity by now!

As I have said before God gave me to the most amazing set of parents. He gave ME to YOU for this lifetime. And you embody the love He shows all His children. I love you Dad....so, so, so much.

On this Father's Day I would like to celebrate the husbands of my dear friends who are sweet, new fathers and who I have the unique privilege of now knowing as "dads!" Happy Father's Day Ryan, Eric, Nick (of Nisha and Jordy), Nick (of baby Nicholas Joaquin), Roger, Greg, Vincent! You are all so amazing and I see a lot of the qualities of my father in each of you. Thank you for loving my friends and loving your children the way you do! And to my friends Johnny and Jeff! Enjoy this special day!

Welcome Gianna

Welcome baby Gianna Salua Mery! She was born 06.17.2009 at 8.03 am. She weighed 7lbs 8oz and was 19 inches long. Mother and baby are doing well.

Gianna was born to Vincent and Najla Mery. She is also welcomed by her big brother, Blake and her grandmother, Sito Nashla. Najla and I have been friends since we were three years old. We met at the monkey bars. I believe I have chronicled this story before....so I will spare you all the details. Actually, our grandparents knew each other. And...almost 34 years ago this August...as my mother was going home from the hospital (with me in hand) her mother was coming in for delivery. They said "Hi" to each other in passing! I am so happy for Najla, Vincent and Blake. Gianna was prayed for and hoped for and imagined for a very long time. Najla...I am so happy she is finally here! This is a dream come true for you. I am so proud of you and I KNOW you are gonna "rock this out" just like you do with everything else! I am here for you and I can not wait to watch this little girl grow. We are going to have a blast spoiling her rotten. I love you all so much. It was a true honor and joy to spend the day with you yesterday. I look forward to many more lazy summer days where we all pile into bed and watch Gianna sleep. It doesn't get any sweeter than that.

Congratulations to you all! Next year this photo will include one more sweet angel.....

As I anxiously awaited the arrival of this baby...I reflected back on our lives together. It wasn't so long ago (at least it doesn't feel like it) when we were babies ourselves and our moms were trying to figure out how to raise us! (They were so much younger than we are now. Can you imagine that?) Najla, there is not a time in my life....that I can actively recollect....that you were not a part of. While you always lived in McAllen, my parents were busy moving me around Texas (and in an out of Mexic0) and despite all that...our mothers saw fit to keep our connection strong! I think their commitment to our friendship has been the solid foundation we have needed to get through the tough times we have weathered...and there have been some tough ones! But we have always managed to eek it out. Mostly as a result of YOUR resolve and commitment to "us!" Neither of us have siblings. You and I are the closest thing to sisters either of us have. I am so proud of the woman you have become. The road was a tough one, filled with obstacles and hard learned lessons. But you have a MIRACULOUS and INSPIRING way of always landing on your feet. You have taught me so much. I often feel that even though I am seven days older, I am really more like the younger sister looking up to you and following your lead and learning by your example. I love you and I ALREADY love Gianna. I have loved her since Walnut Street when she was just a character in our girlhood dreams. I thought a little trip down memory lane might be fun!

One summer Najla's mother allowed my mother and I to stay with them while my mom was completing a summer course. They had our picture taken at a professional photography studio. Najla's barrettes were just a smidge fancier than mine! I secretly wanted her fancy hair accessories. (Yes...my hair accessory craze started very early.)
Najla invited me to her middle school dance. I was not enrolled at that school, rather I was visiting McAllen for the weekend. Her mother thought it might be nice if I joined Najla and her friends for their 8th grade Valentine's Day Dance. We went to Mazzio's Pizza afterwards. I am not even going to begin the commentary on either "look." If I did we would be sitting here for hours. Let's just say...it was not our best moment! (And that is not just conjecture. She and I have discussed this photo at length on a number of occasions. I do not think she would mind me commenting on it!)
Najla and I at our Cotillion. Sorry friend....you and I know what I am referring to.
My 21st birthday party.
Najla's graduation from The University of North Texas.
Najla's celebration at Zinc....she was the number 1 salesperson for Pfizer! (I can't remember the specific product. Was it Aricept?)
I believe this was...hmph...I can't remember. What are we celebrating here? I know we are at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. What was the occasion?
Najla and I at her bachelorette weekend in Austin. Looks like we are at Pangea.
Najla, Cory and I at a Spurs game last season! This is the evening I officially won Vincent over with my basketball knowledge!
You and I on your very special day. Look how far we have come.
May God bless you, Gianna, Vincent, Blake, the "sugars" and your mother! All my love!