My heart is saddened..

My sweet Curious Boys... My heart is saddened to hear that sweet Joe passed away last night.  My deepest sympathy to Glenn and Joe's family.  Joe was a wonderful, creative soul, who I was blessed to know, however briefly.  The world is a better place for him having been in it... Though his time was way too short.  God bless you and hold you closely.  I will miss you sweet friend.

I is for...

I is for Inspiration...

Looking on blogs and on Pinterest... I find some of the most inspiratonal spaces and places.  One of my favorite photos is of this beautiful old door with tattered wallpaper... I literally look at it almost daily...because of this photo,  I've saved an old green door from the barn... and found some vintage wallpaper, but...
still haven't started the project... an old door turned into a head board..

This photo has inspired me for months... I love it... I love the door... I love the tattered wallpaper... I want it!  So from inspiration to "find!"; this past weekend, when we were camping in Kerrville, I just had to swing by and visit some of my favorite bloggers/junkers... in particular Betsy of Sisters Treasures and Theresa of  Gardens Antqs Vintage... Both would tell you I'm a regular customer... Both would tell you I generally shop with specific ideas in mind...

I didn't have much time this weekend... but that was okay.. cause look what I found at Theresa's booth... a treasure! A dream! I just couldn't believe it!

 not a door... but a screen... with tattered, vintage wallpaper...
INSPIRATION!!

So yes, it was love at first sight... and the price was just right! I can hardly wait to clean it up a little and find a perfect place for it at the farm...

Thank you dear sweet friend Theresa Cano... You absolutely made my weekend!

More fabulous finds for the old farmhouse...

Down Here in French Lique...

I'm joining the Colorado Lady for Vintage Thingies Thursday... check it out!Joining Marty for Inspire Me Tuesday... Here

A Tribute for Lahoma Herron... August, 1921 to April 13, 2013...

I heard from Lahoma's granddaughter, Laura, on Monday.  Sadly, she informed me that Lahoma had passed away earlier this year.  She stumbled upon my posts from 2009, where I had found one of Lahoma's paintings in a Goodwill Store and so, set out to find Lahoma.  I'm reposting the original posts below, just as they were written in 2009.  Lahoma Herron was one fine lady... and this reposting, my Christmas gift to Lahoma and her family...

  Lahoma's painting, stills holds it's place of honor in my home office, where it will be cherished for many years to come...

Down Here in French Lique...

Part 1: Looking for Lahoma Herron

originally published March 19. 2009

I did a little Goodwill shopping a couple of weeks ago when Ricky and I went to drop off a few items... I figured I'd donated at least 20 or so items.. I could stand to pick up a couple of treasures... if I found any.

Lo' and Behold! I found this little treasure... a delicate oil painting... beautifully framed in Paris...

Paris, Texas that is...

There they were those sweet little birds.. sitting on a shelf behind some larger, cheaper looking pictures... mass produced... not original oil paintings... had someone tried to hide this little treasure? Too late... I found it and it is mine... and only $1.99...
An original to be sure... signed right here by the artist... Lahoma Herron... Herron like the bird? Perhaps, Lahoma was or is a bird lover... and an accomplished painter to be sure... But who is Lahoma?There are a few clues hidden back here... on the reverse of this lovely treasure... Let's see what they are... Framed by Vernon Daniel in... look... Paris... Texas...
and signed again on the back by Lahoma... obviously a gift to someone special... and Lahoma... a Christian by all accounts... as she has asked God to bless the receiver of this treasure... and they were a special recipient.. because she signed with "Love"... But where is Lahoma... and how did such a lovely treasure come to be in the picture bin at Goodwill? I'm doing my research... and I think I've found a relative of Miss Lahoma's... I've sent them an email inquiry and am awaiting their response...

Until then... The beautiful treasure, painted by Miss Lahoma Herron, has found a place of honor...
on my freshly painted walls, in my newly redecorated home office...
down here in French Lique...

A little Looking for Lahoma update... I've been in email contact with her Great-Niece Krystal.... Krystal has kindly offered to get me in touch with Lahoma. I'll let you know what happens!
Update #2... I heard from Lahoma's niece, Shelley (Krystal's mom). Shelley is going to contact Lahoma for me... There will be a new post sometime this weekend about Miss Lahoma and her art... stay tuned...

Part 2; Finding Lahoma originally published March 21, 2009

Finding Lahoma was much easier than I had expected... Yes... I have found Lahoma McCollom Herron... 86 years young; still painting, sewing, quilting and crafting, daily, in Robinson, Texas.

The beautiful bird painting was given to a young man whose last name was Daniels. Lahoma believes that the family downsized their living accommodations, and thus... her beautiful painting ended up at the Goodwill... where it found me. Then this morning, about 10 a.m. the phone rang...

I answered.."Hello?"

"Hello Dixie!"... was the reply...

"Lahoma, is that you?" I said...

"Yes dear.. it's me! It's Lahoma."...

and so the 30-minute conversation began.

Lahoma had already read my previous blog post, Looking for Lahoma Herron.  She was thrilled that I had found her painting and that I had taken the time to look for her and to write about her. Everything that I share with you here, I have Lahoma's permission to share... I hope you enjoy her story... 

Lahoma Maxine McCollom was born in Lone Wolf, Oklahoma (and named after her state... OkLahoma) in August of 1921. She Married Eugene Alexander Herron in February of 1939. After WWII, Lahoma and Eugene moved to McLean, Texas and farmed for 17 years.

In McLean, they ran the last "Grade A Raw Milk Dairy" in Texas until the drought.  

During the drought (the 6-yr Texas drought 1951-1956), they had to sell the cattle and find some other means of support.

Eugene went to California and came back with a job setting up and running a bra and girdle factory, where Lahoma also worked for 7-years. 

Finally, "Eugene got fed up with it" and they left the factory and McLean for Paris... Paris, Texas in 1961.

There, Lahoma's Sweet Shoppe was born, where Lahoma turned out all kinds of sweets, candies, cakes and pies.

Eugene passed away in March of 1981... but Lahoma continued to live in Paris.

Lahoma had always wanted to paint pictures, so around 1985 she started taking painting lessons from an artist/teacher in Paris... uh, Texas... 

and Lahoma started painting everything that would take paint. Today she paints on paper, canvas, farm implements, shells, glass... just about everything.

Then in 2003, Lahoma gave up her little house in Paris and moved to Robinson, Texas with her daughter, Lona; where she still resides. She has a walker, which she doesn't use... and one of those little "help I've fallen" beepers... just in case... but she says she doesn't really need either one! 

Each year, Lahoma (or "Aunt Homie" as she is known to her family) hand paints more than 300 Christmas cards for friends and family and mails them out. She said "sometimes they come back with a little note telling (her) that the person is deceased"...
She also has a list of special friends and family that she paints birthday cards for each year.  (In 2009 I was a lucky recipient of one of Lahoma's hand painted cards). 

We talked about my Uncle A and Aunt C (also in their 80's), and how they attend a funeral nearly every week. I told her sometimes Uncle A gets depressed with so many friends and family dying... Lahoma said she doesn't go to funerals because "they are depressin"... and she doesn't like to feel depressed!

She told me that she still loves to sew and quilt... in fact she currently has a "quilt in the frame"... but says she can't do those tiny little 16-stitches-to-the-inch Amish quilts... but she likes to quilt anyway...

What a delight she was to talk to today. I think I could have stayed on the phone with her for hours. She is full of life, and I bet, full of stories too.

 Lahoma and I have exchanged phone numbers and addresses. I think a new friendship has been born... and how lucky I am to be the benefactor of that precious painting... which Miss Lahoma is so proud to know, hangs in a special place in my home where I see it every day.

This little biography of Lahoma Herron will be printed, put into an envelope, and attached to the back of my little painting of birds... Hopefully, 50-years from now when both Lahoma and I are gone.. someone else will find this little painting in a thrift shop somewhere and wonder... "where is Lahoma Herron?"

Just enjoying the view... and the wonder of living... down here in French Lique... thanks Lahoma...

and just a note... Thank you Candy for photo shopping the three pictures of Lahoma for me... The photos of Lahoma's bird painting were taken by me. The rest of the photos you see have been googled and are simply part of my vivid imagination. Thank you for joining me in the search for Lahoma Herron.

Blessings, DixieI'm linking to Nifty Thrifty Tuesday today...

H is for...

H is for... Holidays...

I love all holidays... But especially the Christmas and Hanukkah holidays.  Our extended family celebrates both, so lucky us!  It's a special time to be with friends and family, to remember loved ones no longer with us, and to remember the special meaning of this wonderful time.

Wishing you and your loved ones all the joys that the Holidays bring!

G is for...

G is for giving... Such as giving thanks for what we have and the blessings we have received.  The next time you pass someone on the roadside with one of those little cardboard signs saying "please help"... Please consider doing so.

I know it might just be a scam... Or they might use your money to buy drugs or alcohol... So what?  The blessing is not so much in the receiving, but in the GIVING...

Each time I stop and give a few dollars to one of these poor souls, I am reminded that "there but for the grace of God, go I".   So, when I see them, I give... Because no matter what they use the money for, their need is so obviously greater than mine.

Wishing you all a blessed Thanksgiving surrounded by all that love you... Giving thanks for you my dear friends... down here in French Lique...

J and K is for...

John Kennedy...
As in President John F. Kennedy...

This 50th anniversary of his assassination brings back a flood of memories... A reminder of a more innocent time in our country... A time when children played outside, unsupervised, for hours... When your family sat around the one television, a black and white, together, watching the loss of innocence.  The world was changed the day that JFK was killed...

They say everyone remembers exactly where they were the day that Kennedy was shot... I do.  I was in Mrs. Miller's 4th grade math class... There was a lot of crying by the girls in the class... I think mostly because Mrs. Miller cried when the announcement came over the scratchy loud speaker, hanging near the ceiling, over her desk.  School was dismissed early that day.  When I got home in the early afternoon, my mom and dad were home early from work, already tuned into Walter Cronkike.

We don't know, nor will we ever know, what our country and our world would have been, had President lived and gone on to serve a second term.  Described as "Camelot", it was that.  A fairy tale with an unexpected ending.

Where were you the day that President Kennedy was assassinated?

"F" is for...

Well Duh!  "F" is for French Lique of course!  It's been a while since I've explained just exactly where and what French Lique, Texas is...

Several years ago I was reading a book by Laura Lippman.  The protagonist in the book was traveling through French Lick, Indiana... I liked the name French Lick, and I thought if I ever got a chance to name my own little town in Texas,  I'd name it French Lique...  Well, I figured I'd never be naming my own little Texas town, so I decided to name my own little blog, and French Lique, Texas was born... A figment of my (thank you Laura Lippman) imagination...

Now, I'm sure you won't be surprised to hear that many folks have emailed me or posted a comment on this blog, asking just where the heck IS French Lique?  They've Googled it and mapped it on the Internet, but just can't seem to find it anywhere... Worry not dear readers.  French Lique, Texas is alive and well, residing right here in my mind... And on these pages of posts...

So now you know that all is well, Down Here In French Lique...

"E" is for...

Okay.. At first you may think this a bit odd... But let me explain...

"E" is for Eulogies..

I know... Weird huh?  I had a hard time coming up with what "E" is for... I mean there are so many to choose from... E book, eggplant, elope...  But Eulogies?!...

Sitting in church, at Ricky's uncle's funeral... I started thinking about the eulogy of Uncle Clements... How does the family come up with the words that they use to sum up their loved ones life... In his case... Uncle Clements was 82.  That's a lot of life to sum up...

So today... Let me suggest that you put together a list, or a few paragraphs of the things that you'd like for you loved ones to share in your Eulogy... I know it sounds weird.. But think about it...  You might see the wisdom of these words...

Outgoing
Loved life and her family
Graduated from Old Miss
Loving wife, mother and grandmother
Liked her grands better than her children
Spoiled her poodles
Loved to shop for junk
Loved to decorate
And then redecorate
Never met a bottle of wine she didn't enjoy
Was a language snob
Loved French and English
Always wanted to go back to Paris
Loved Italy
And the Vatican
Semi-devout Catholic
Christian...

Blessings... from Down Here in French Lique...

"D" is for...

"D" is for Dexter... yes... I love Dexter, and this is his final season... so I'm making my "D" a post for
my Devotion to Dexter...
I am not alone...

 

According to James Hibberd of Entertainment Weekly...

 

"Dexter is continuing its ratings winning steak right to the end.

For the eighth season in a row, Showtime’s serial killer thriller broke viewership records for its season premiere — and that’s despite airing in the summer for the first time. Dexter‘s final season debuted to 2.5 million viewers, edging out last year’s premiere by 4 percent."

 

That's a lot of Devotion to Dexter!

 

 

Alas, my love affair with Dexter Morgan comes to an end very soon.  Good thing I also own each season on DVD... so I'll be able to go back any time I want and visit my favorite... (can a serial killer really be a "favorite"...?)...  

okay... I can revisit the blood & gore any time I like...

 

I will miss you Dexter.  Thanks for making me wonder about my own sanity on a regular basis... I mean really... who hopes and prays that a serial killer won't get caught?  Devoted to Dexter...

Down Here in French Lique...

"C" is for...

"C" could be for Candy... as in Rock Candy Blog... one of my best friends and one of the most creative souls I've ever had the pleasure of knowing... or

 

"C" could be for Curious, as in Curious Boys; two of my absolute favorite Junkers on the planet!

 

"C" could be for Cinnamon, as in Cinnamon Rolls... the aroma of which is calling me back to the kitchen right now...

 

But today... "C" is for Corn Crib... as in the old Corn Crib at the family farmhouse we just purchased and are renovating... The Corn Crib needs to go, be torn down and moved away... I stepped in just before Ricky took the backhoe to it and torn it down... because I thought some of my junkin' friends might like to buy and own their own Corn Crib... and tear it down piece by piece for the barn wood... so, here ya go junkers... any takers?

"C" is for... Country... like Down Here in French Lique...

B is for ...

continuing the Alphabet Series...

"B" is for beautiful...

and on that note... I thought I would share with you, some of the Beauty that is Alaska... so this post of Beautiful... I'll say in photographs... enjoy.

The pride of Alaska: Mount McKinley aka Denali Mountain from our lodge in Talkeetna.

forests and streams

for my daughter... "B" is for Breakfast on the train

No, we didn't see Sarah...

Our ride to a birds eye view of Mount McKinley

Reindeer aka Domestic Caribou

Moose... stuffed... you don't want to be this close to a moose in the Alaskan wild...

Beautiful wildflowers are everywhere..

a view of our train from the bubble dome... thanks Ricky... 

This, and the next several photos are in Denali State Park... 

Ricky getting a better view of Mount McKinley... again... 

Mount McKinley from Denali State Park... 

to remember the moment... because we're tourists...

Goodbye Denali

wildflowers in Seward

Small Boat Harbor, Seward, Alaska

going whale watching. 

and seal watching

the seal were very cooperative...

the whales waved but never jumped...

nearing the glaciers

found them... they don't look that big until... 

you notice the people... 

across from our cabin in Seward

a different glacier.. we had to hike to this one... 

Exit Glacier

and the tiny people... 

some of the wildflowers on our 3-mile hike... 

another view of Exit Glacier as we left the park

and went to find the Salmon!

gotta leave Beautiful Seward and take a train ride back to Anchorage

along the way... waterfalls

Eagles Nests

and in Anchorage... we strolled around and acted just like tourist..

Visited the Anchorage Museum

and had a stranger take our photo, holding our hometown paper..

Hope you enjoyed visiting Beautiful Alaska with us...  I have 2513 more photos if you'd like to drop by and see them,
Down Here in French Lique...