Today is a Special Day!

Twenty five years ago today ~ July 27, 1987 ~  on the deserted-for-the-summer grounds of  The Texas Renaissance Festival ~
I met the man who would be my BEST husband ever!

He is my sunshine!

After working the 7th - 8th - 9th & 10th Texas Renaissance Festivals

 during the years of 1981 thru 1984 ~ I moved to San Marcos, Texas until November of 1985 when I found out that my Dad had liver cancer.

 I then moved back to Houston, Texas and found a part-time job selling Designer clothes at Marshall Field in Town & County Shopping Center off I-10 West just past Memorial City and very close to Spring Branch.

In October of 1986 I found a day job as a Receptionist/Bookkeeper for an accounting firm in the Galleria but kept my part-time job at Marshall Field.

With the result that by July of 1987 I was just burnt out... from working!

So I decided to quit my job at Marshall Field.... but they didn't want me to go, because my sales were the highest per hour of anyone who worked in my department, full or part-time... so they gave me a leave of absence of one month.

I decided to I would go see my artist friends from the Festival ~ Pancho and Rosy, at their home in Wimberley, TX.  But I found out that they were going to be at the Festival site up in Magnolia, Tx to work on their booth.  

Rosy told me that they had a friend coming up from Houston to help them...yep...you guessed it!  

The friend was my handsome husband-to-be, Noel Patrick Thomas...and we were married on October 17, 1987!  
Seventy seven days after we met and two days after I turned 37!

Last week DD Julia and I went to Austin to eat Indian food at our favorite Indian restaurant in Round Rock by the name of Chola!  Oh, so good!

Then we decided to go to a couple of thrift stores but the thrift gods were not particularly smiling on us that day...however in the Salvation Army store on S. Congress I found these...

A beautiful set of 1959 E. S. Lowe Renaissance Chessmen in mint condition!

AND a copy of The Big Bands by George T. Simon.

Noel's parents were musicians.  His dad, Earl Morgan Thomas, is a clarinetist and his mom Lois, played the piano and the harp.  Noel was born in Manhattan in 1947 while Grandaddy Earl was attending the Julliard School of Music.

When we were first married Noel used to sing all the Cole Porter tunes to me (and he still does, occasionally).  He particularly likes  the Big Band era, as do we all in the family.

I HAD planned to sell the chess set and the book, but...

Hey!

Linking up with:
Sophie at Her Library Adventures Flea Market Finds
Selena of Apron Thrift Girl ~ Thrift Share Monday 

A day late...Happy Fourth of July!

Well, I'm late with my 4th of July post and I haven't been blogging either.  It seems like we've had company for most of June and we've been working a lot on the 'Texas Treasure Box'.  

 And now I've got my hands in braces...carpal tunnel syndrome...maybe.  

So I've embarked upon a series of natural treatments.  

Accupressure, for one, as described here... 

I'm also increasing my B vitamins.  A daily dose of  MSM, in case it's arthritis... trying to rest my hands... Sigh!  

Yesterday my friend  Sydney spent the 4th with us.  Dinner was delish.  

I made my favorite shrimp, tomato and arugula dish paired with cumin basmati rice and Sydney brought a pasta salad...which was also delish. 

Sorry, no pictures, I forgot and we were SOOO hungry! 

When it got dark, we sat out in the field and enjoyed our neighbor's fireworks....they were bursting forth all around us!

(As Noel is reading this over my shoulder, says he especially liked seeing the neighbors explode all around us...

He's so BAD! He criticizes my writing unmercifully!)

It was great! The fireworks, the food and the friendship!

 Happy Belated Independence Day to you all!

The flag belonged to my handsome husband Noel's mother, Lois.

I know it's getting raggedy, but we can't retire it... a sentimental thing. 

 The flag holder is a big chunk of Texas Hill Country limestone which used to be at the bottom of a prehistoric inland sea...cool huh?