Fair Park Dallas vs Maymont

Spent the day Friday walking around Fair Park in Dallas. John Coski, our neighbor in Richmond, had mentioned an article he'd read comparing Fair Park to Maymont in Richmond, and several other city parks. John was curious to know how the two compared.

I hope you like the Art Deco / Art Nouveau styles.

Like Dallas & Texas, it was big and brash. Take Maymont and scale it down just a bit, then add the Rose Bowl, the museums in DC, and the facilities for any State Fair, and you have Fair Park Dallas. On top of all that, they were setting up for a concert and testing out the sound system. The "music" they were blasting across the park was painfully loud for me, so you know it was far from peaceful for anyone else in the park. I will give the park a "Green" seal of approval, There was a lot to do and all in one place, thus reducing the carbon footprint of those visiting. I'll be back to look in on a few of the museums.

My overall, and very biased, opinion: I've done big and brash.... I'll take sleepy Mayberry... er....um.... Richmond any day.

 Esplanade, Tower Building

 Esplanade

 Texas Hall Of State

 TX Hall OF State, Tejas Warrior, Great Hall

Six Flags Over Texas 

Leonhardt Lagoon 

Cotton Bowl, Texas Star Ferris Wheel, Children's Aquarium 

Magnolia Lounge, Texas Vietnam Veterans Memorial

"Hot" times at Packard Stadium. Devils win 9 to 6 vs Washington

First stop.... Eden's gotta say hey to Sparky...

How to stay cool in full sun, on aluminum seats, in the 90+ degree dry heat....
.....Large beach umbrella, (thanks Kate & Brig, so clever), and frozen lemonade.

GO DEBILS!

A little of this, and a Little of that.

.... or, how to entertain your grandkids.

Read the book "Beady Bear" in a cave....

Do "Stuff"....

like watching a slide show of Mom & Dad in Hawaii for breakfast

Do more "Stuff"....

like gardening....

or lollygagging...

and more lollygagging...

... notice how Eden has developed a safe way to watch TV when surrounded by two whirling dervish big brothers. Smart girl!

Fashion Maven

Who knew a pair of big brothers brown high tops, and an In & Out hat, could be paired so successfully with a tumbling outfit....

Apparently Eden is just a bit more fashion forward than the rest of us!

Aloha Hawaii Day 6

Pirate picnic with Captain Eden.

Aloha Hawaii Part 5

Hawaii Part One

Cheap Entertainment

Grandkids and the Field of Dreams.

Sunday the 13th Susu and I piled the kids into the truck and made our way to Chase Field for a Diamondbacks vs Giants game.

Alas, the D'backs lost 3 to 7, but for this crew there was nothing but fun.

Oh, and lots of sugar!

Soda with the hots dogs, Sees suckers, and a bag of cotton candy.

I'm going into shock just writing this!

We could have powered Queen Creek into 2013 if the excess energy put out might have been harnessed.

First stop on the way in was at the Rube Goldberg contraption at the front of the stadium.

Pictures at the Mickey Mouse statue. I almost died laughing when Eden flashed this pose.

Not sure where it's coming from but she called it up more than once. What a hoot!

Doesn't get any better than this!

In the waning innings of a Diamondbacks losing effort, the fun is found in making goofy faces, reading a good book, finishing that box of popcorn, unsuccessfully trying to stifle a yawn while enjoying the comforts of Susu's lap.

Fini..... and it's back to reality, and cataloging the memories.

Ahhhhhh.... Decompression AZ style.

Met at the airport by Kate, and the irrepressible Eden. I can physically feel Dallas peeling off me.

A stop at In and Out, watching Ezra's Hip Hop competition (Kate & Brig will share those photos), Eden accompanies Poppy to SBUX for his morning fix and enjoys grape juice and a "Brown Sugar" pastry. Then off to tumbling....Yippee!!

Eden backstage, calmly assesses the madness surrounding her.

Poppy says, "God Bless the Mom that took over backstage".

Sorry for the picture quality... this was the best I could do with the cell phone.

Side note: Kate and Brigs flight to HI was delayed eight hours and this allowed them to catch EZ's Hip Hop competition. Poppy saw this as a gift from on high, and had literally just found Ezra who disappeared amongst the squealing masses of teen and preteen dance hall girls, when Kate and Brig showed up.

OMG!

TED Talks for Grandma and anyone else that feels like watching

Give yourself 15 to 20 mins to watch these,

Talk One: Brené Brown: The power of vulnerability
Click here to watch number one

Talk Two: Brené Brown: Listening to shame
Click here to watch number two.

King William Easter Egg Hunt 2012

Better than an Eagles Nest!!! "Great" Grandsons in Concert!

Ezra's piano recital. 2012

"Robots Marching"

Largo - "Going Home" from Symphony #9 "Dvorak" (see below)

"Ode to Joy" Beethoven

Kian aka Indiana Kian, plays "Baby Skunk" 2012

and

"Arab Dance"

Bravo..... Bravo.....Bravo !!!!

Going Home

Going Home is a song based on the famous Largo from Antonin Dvorak's 9th symphony.

It's a song of hope that death is not the end.

The song "Goin' Home"

It has been claimed that the theme from the Largo was adapted into a spiritual-like song "Goin' Home", by composer Harry Burleigh, whom Dvořák met during his American sojourn, and lyricist William Arms Fisher, but the song was actually written by Fisher and based on Dvořák's Largo theme. Richard Taruskin, however, states that it is unknown whether or not there already existed a spiritual that was used by Dvořák. What is known for sure, however, is that it has been popularized as a result.

FUN SIDE NOTE:

At the ninth symphony's premiere at Carnegie Hall (December 16, 1893 the reception was one of perpetual cheering. The end of every movement was met with thunderous clapping and Dvořák felt obliged to stand up and bow. In a letter to his publisher Simrock he stated how there was "no getting out of it, and I had to show myself willy-nilly".

 * My earliest recollection of this song was from a documentary done on FDR many years ago.

Near the end of the war a physically spent FDR had gone on retreat to the "Little White House" in Warm Springs GA. where he passed away.

Going Home was played by Graham Jackson as FDR's cortege left Warm Springs. I was so taken by Jackson’s emotions and how fitting the tune was for the moment, it instantly became a favorite of mine. And now I listen to it performed by my grandson Ezra. Another sweet, sweet moment!

Ezra, thank you!

 Graham Jackson, April 1945.

          Lyrics:

Going home, going home,

I'm just going home.

Quiet-like, slip away-

I'll be going home.

It's not far, just close by;

Jesus is the Door;

Work all done, laid aside,

Fear and grief no more.

Friends are there, waiting now.

He is waiting, too.

See His smile! See His hand!

He will lead me through.

Morning Star lights the way;

Restless dream all done;

Shadows gone, break of day,

Life has just begun.

XOXOXO Poppy

Richmond Eagle Cam.

This post is for Grandma Flynn,,, to facilitate catching her up on the eagles.
Just click on the following links, then when the screen appears click the Play button in the middle of the screen.. looks like this  I>
The third link is for the live camera and it will play automatically after you click the link... NOTE,, you'll have to listen to short ads with each of these.

ENJOY... XOXOXO

Richmond Eagle Cam: The two chicks' first week
This series of clips shows the hatching, feeding and fighting that took place as the two eaglets survived their first week in the nest.

Richmond Eagle Cam: Family meal
Both parents feed fish to both chicks, and then James feeds Virginia.

Richmond Eagle Cam: Life in the nest
Watch in a closeup view as the two eaglets eat, sleep and grow together.

Richmond Eagle Cam, (LIVE)

 Research: The Generation Wars
The video footage that you are viewing is part of an ongoing Center for Conservation Biology research project designed to examine how different generations of eagles interact within the Chesapeake Bay population. This pair of eagles is located along the James River in Richmond Virginia

January 2012 Trip Home To Virginia

Ahhh... what a wonderful sight... watching Texas fall away as I took flight and head back home to Virginia. As is always the case the visit was all too short!

First on the agenda.... a quick nap, followed by a not so quick nap, so that I'll be fully rested for the grand nap. Nuala forced me do it!

During the visit we had the Top Of The Hill Gang over for the NFL playoffs. Good friends, good eats, good games, and as John demonstrates, a good time for a nap. Sue must have taken the picture as I was asleep too.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Another item of business was the annual 5K King William Luminary Night.

I'll say it again..."What a great bunch of neighbors"!

 New this year was the fact there was no snow. The general consensus was this made for an evening if not as pretty, a bit more comfortable than in years past.

I missed having the snow!

It was a wonderful visit.... can't wait for the next walk along the James.