What a Great Weekend!

Whole lotta fun this weekend, after a bu-zay week at work that had me looking forward to choosing among the fun events and enjoying the gorgeous weather (80 degrees ahh) of SATX in the fall.

Brunch at Arcade; farmers' market sights

 

Would you like to see that nose wrinkle a bit closer?  I thought so.

 

 

Brunch at Pearl, then downtown for -->

The Briscoe Museum of Western Art opened this weekend and we were there!  Downtown was a mess because Comic Con was also in town - we crawled through traffic only to have the LOT FULL sign placed in front of the parking garage entrance just as we pulled up. Curses!  Further down Commerce we encountered the same thing - cars in front of us entering and LOT FULL flashing on the ticket dispenser for us - but seconds later a ticket was spat out, we parked, and a short walk later we were taking in the new museum.

Which is magnificent.  It's an art museum with gorgeous photographs, paintings, and sculptures in addition to objects of everyday life (saddles, spurs, garments), a full size covered wagon/stagecoach/teepee, and taxidermy.  The saddle and spurs displays are fabulous, as are the firearm displays. The diorama of the battle of the Alamo in the photo is quite large and astonishingly detailed (tiny paintbrushes, hundreds of hours).  The museum building was formerly SA's first public library and is situated on the Riverwalk across from La Villita and the Arneson ampitheatre.

Cell phone photography only was permitted this weekend (and 'only for a little bit' after opening); here are a few of the iPhone-captured exhibits.

Alamo diorama; Mexican general's uniform circa 1826; sculpture; spur display; stagecoach; Mexican rancher garments; a fishing sculpture; firearm display

windmill; wild boar; outdoor pavilion; covered wagon; listening to a lecture on San Antonio architecture

I am looking forward to returning for a relaxed perusal after the crowds have died down.  And for these cool events (Melissa Guerra's discussion of the west's first food truck, the chuck wagon , and holiday parade dinner)  Also anticipating bringing my dad here in particular -- he is going to looooove it.  This is a must-see for San Antonians and visitors!

Motif from remaining library building

 

Today (Sunday) we headed to the farmers' market near our home.  This will be our third Dia de los Muertos in SATX and it is a SHAME it is the first one we've tried pan de muerto -- it is delicious! Rich and orange-scented - this variety was dusted with sugar.  It tasted like the best, lightest, most delicate doughnut you've ever had.  This vendor, La Panaderia,  is opening up a bakery in our neighborhood and we are EXCITED.  Great, great bread.  We stocked up on some delish Indian food items, bought some veggies and jams, and shared a plate of falafel.

 

 

pan de muerto, going going gone

After regrouping at home for second (change the diaper, restock the diaper bag), we walked to the McNay art museum to see the new movie costume exhibit.  Despite several visits, we've never explored the permanent collection before and we did a bit of it today.  A permanent exhibit of opera costumes (and dress up area, pics below OF COURSE) and a traveling Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas exhibition were highlights.  The outdoor areas and grounds have many wonderful sculptures:

These aren't creepy at all.

The CUT! Costume and the Cinema exhibit consists of costumes from period films (Luke: 'I haven't seen these girl movies.') like Sense and Sensibility, The Duchess, Phantom of the Opera... the fabrics are so sumptuous and so many fine details...wonderful to take in.  Non-flash photography was allowed -->

The interactive iPad feature allows you to try on costumes --> behold one thrilled museumgoer-->

 

 

A great week to you all and GO CARDS!

 p.s.  I'm digging this collage maker (vide supra :)

 

Clarks in Texas

STL friends Tom and Amanda and Everett (see E when he was a baby!) visited SATX in the beginning of the month.  They enjoyed some glorious weather, delish Mexican food, and some of the sights of this pretty cool city!  Tom attended a conference on the Riverwalk and during the day Amanda and Everett explored - the missions, downtown,  the art museum, Pearl Brewery.  We celebrated Amanda's birthday at locavore restaurant/beer garden/dog park/playground/laundromat/car wash The Cove and enjoyed some music on the lawn of the McNay at Second Thursday.

But mostly it was so so good to have such dear friends in town. I miss my friends!  Amanda appeared in my life at just the right time (in fact, we have our own meet-cute story), I (accidentally) introduced Tom and Amanda, they were on the fateful Chicago trip the second and hook-line-and-sinker time I met Luke, I was there when Tom proposed, and when they got married....  I like to think we are raising our families along side each other, albeit from a distance.

Amanda in front of The Giant Cactus Two Streets North of Ours

duet

 Bday dinner at the Cove!

C and E at the McNay; E says, "I touch hair.  I touch hair."

C and E at Rosario's

Reading Now

Kitchen Literacy (not first checkout)

Raising Confident Readers

Baby Read-Aloud Basics (more on this below)

Brave New Quilts - I don't know anything about quilts but this is a beautiful book that blends 20th century art history with modern quilt design.  Already on my list of someday hobbies.

VB6 (at least fifth checkout, never cracked it open.  I think my subconscious is resistant to the idea of no eggs for breakfast)

Six o'Clock Solutions  (this was featured in the September 2013 issue of Southern Living and the pork with plums and red onion sounded delish, as did the other quick weeknight recipes)


We are voracious readers but have not done a good enough job reading to C as a routine-- although she sees us reading all the time.  Too often, however, the source is our phones, a habit I am breaking NOW.  This passage is from the introduction of Baby Read-Aloud Basics and I find it very much a call to arms ['the number of words babies hear each day is the single most important predictor of future intelligence, school success, and social skills'.]  We do talk to her a lot -- she and I had a loud conversation about the green veggies and yellow bananas at the grocery store yesterday and I did get several funny looks -- sorry, people, I'm encouraging this little human's BRAIN DEVELOPMENT.  These carrots are ORANGE!  And so crunchy. Crunchy crunchy crunchy! [bounce bounce bounce in her carrier goes the little Ergonaut]

 

 

Reading anything good these days?  I picked up Ian McEwan's new book Sweet Tooth at the library for $1, so perhaps I'll read some fiction again soon.

The Many Faces of Clementine

She's been making so many hilarious faces recently.  My favorite is the exaggerated nose-wrinkle before smiling.




I LOVE FLYING!

Vacation is for RELAXING

 

 

Pat took this hysterical photo which English major and punster Aunt Elise meme-ified.

Nose wrinkle - pleased

 

Nose wrinkle - displeased

deep concentration

Wasn't fast enough to capture video of the dual thumbsuck - hair ruffling she does. So precious.

Some photos from the pumpkin patch this morning.