Texas Heroes Monument

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The Texas Heroes Monument stands proudly in the middle of Broadway Boulevard at 25th Street. Most islanders drive by it hundreds of times each year, and tourists too can’t help but see it often as they make their way around the city. I wonder, though, how many folks have actually parked their cars and walked over to the monument to take a really good look.

Of course, everyone should. There’s lot of detail there, and each is significantly meaningful.

The monument was commissioned by Galveston philanthropist Henry Rosenberg to commemorate those who fought during the Texas Revolution.  

The monument was built by New England Granite Works at a cost of $50,000. It was shipped before June 4, 1899 and unveiled on April 22, 1900.

The monument was created by Louis Amateis, a professor in Rome, Italy.

The monument is 74 feet high, including the statue of Victory. The base of the monument is 34 feet in diameter. The bulk of the monument consists of four columns made from a single block of granite. These are 50 feet high. At the top of the columns are words which represent the qualities of the men who fought for Texas: Patriotism : Honor, Devotion, Courage.

The statue of Victory is 22 feet high. She holds a sheathed sword entwined with roses, and her right extended hand holds a crown of laurels.

Patriotism
The Patriotism column faces north to overlook the entrance to Galveston and, at the time, the entrance to the state of Texas. At the base of the column is a bronze relief of Sam Houston, flanked by representations of peace and war. Underneath Houston are the reliefs of five men: Henry Smith, Edward Burleson, Benjamin Milam, James Fannin and James Bonham. Below the column on the monument is a bas relief of the Battle of San Jacinto. And finally, below this, reads "A Tribute from Henry Rosenberg to the Heroes of the Texas Revolution of 1836."

Courage
This Courage column faces east and contains the statue of a female unsheathing a sword and ordering the Mexicans out of Texas. She is known as Defiance, and underneath here is the date October 2, 1835, the day of the Goliad Massacre, which is referenced by the bas relief of the massacre on the base of the monument.

Honor
Facing west, the Honor column houses a bronze female figure who represents Peace. At her feet are the names of heroes who did not have photos that could be authenticated: Neill, Hockley, Karnes and de Zavalla. Below her is the date April 21, 1836, the Battle of San Jacinto. A bas relief underneath the date commemorates Santa Anna’s surrender to Sam Houston after the Battle of San Jacinto.

Devotion
The Devotion column faces south and has a medallion of Stephen F. Austin surrounded by allegorical figures such as Davy Crockett and Williams Travis. Below is a bas relief commemorating the fall of the Alamo.

Mardi Gras Parade

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This morning, a group of my friends and I (The Mermaids) gathered at Salas Mexican Restaurant on The Seawall for an early lunch and, afterwards, to walk outside and watch our favorite Mardi Gras festivity, the Mystic Krewe of Aquarius’ annual Kick Off Parade.

We love that the parade is held in the middle of the day - not too early, not too late. We love that the parade takes place along on The Seawall, with the Gulf of Mexico as its backdrop. We love the floats and marching bands. We love the wild and crazy costumes of the participants.

Always, we watch the parade with our arms waving wildly, hoping against all hope that the bead-throwers will notice us enthusiastic spectators and be generous givers of their purple, green and gold Mardi Gras beads.

We love this parade because the Mystic Krewe of Aquarius never disappoints.

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About the Krewe
The Mystic Krewe of Aquarius, organized in March 1985, is the second oldest Mardi Gras social organization in Galveston, formed after the revival of Mardi Gras on Galveston Island in 1984.

The all-volunteer crew is a non-profit, fraternal organization. Aquarians design and construct all floats for both Krewe of Aquarius sponsored parades: the Kick Off Parade and the Fat Tuesday Parade. Members also design their own costumes and buy all their own throws and decorations. Other activities of the Krewe include its Ball and Barn Bash, plus the Children’s Parade and the Galveston 4th of July Night Parade on The Seawall.

St. Joseph's Church

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St. Joseph’s Church, constructed in 1859 and opened in 1860, is the oldest German Catholic Church in Texas and the oldest wooden church building in Galveston. It was built under the direction of Bishop John Odin, the first Catholic Bishop of Texas and by German immigrants to fill the need for the growing German-speaking Catholic population of Galveston at that time.

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Visitors to the church, located at 2202 Avenue K, will appreciate the church's simple rectangular Gothic-revival structure, square bell tower with trefoil window and the original, elaborate hand-carved altars and altar statues inside.

Plaster Stations of the Cross with German inscriptions dating back to the early 1900s line the walls, and other original furnishings include the cedar pews, the Baptismal font and the confessional booth.

The local Catholic diocese still owns the church, but it was desanctified and closed in 1968 due to its then-dwindling congregation. Shortly thereafter, the Galveston Historical Foundation (GHF) came in and leased the church, recovering and reinstalling most of the original furnishings the church had sold at auction upon closing.

Today, GHF continues to maintain and work on restoring the church, opening it up to the public for several events throughout the year. Since 2010, as a unique way for the public to experience the property, the foundation has brought in musicians to perform live on occasion. Acoustic performances sounding especially good in this structure that was designed to carry sound without the aid of electric amplification.

Celebrations

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Last night, I hosted a White Elephant Party at The Bungalow for The Mermaids. The evening was a time for many celebrations - the approaching holiday, my recent birthday and, most especially, the newest addition to my family.

Finally, after hearing me chat on the phone about him for weeks, my dog-loving friends got to meet Dickens, my adorable four-month-old mini Labradoodle. And, I’m happy to report, the little guy behaved perfectly; he didn’t mind at all being held all night long by his newly acquired, adoring fans.

The Mermaids, per tradition, celebrate each other’s birthdays in grand style, so I knew all would show up at The Bungalow bearing gifts. This go-round, I requested any and all gifts be for Dickens, instead of me. (I didn’t need a thing; and Dickens still needed everything!) The Mermaids paid attention and took my advice! Now, thanks to them, Dickens has a new blanket, a Christmas sweater, a crystal water bowl and lots of new toys. Dickens and I couldn’t be happier!

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Having a beautiful, home-made birthday cake at our parties is another Mermaid tradition - one I didn’t want to mess with. Barbara, the ace baker in our group, always bakes the birthday cake for the birthday girl - and, always, in the flavor of her choice. Thankfully, tonight was no exception!

So, after enjoying a hearty buffet dinner, the White Elephant Gift Exchange, a couple of glasses of wine, lots of laughs and the opening of Dickens’ presents, I finally cut the birthday cake. It was, as requested, Red Velvet with Sour Cream Icing - and incredibly delicious!

Celebrating a special event with The Mermaids is always fun. Celebrating a variety of special events with The Mermaids - all at the same time - was even more fun!


Fresh Paint

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So…this is my third autumn in The Bungalow, and I promised the place it would get a bit of exterior grooming by now. I say, “a bit,” because I knew I would not be able to tackle all of the needed improvements at once. Working down my to-do list for this beloved property takes time - and a lot of patience!

Victor, the painting contractor, and his crew showed up at The Bungalow just a week ago and, quickly, the siding on the back of the house was stripped of old paint and prepped super well for new. The original window panes were cleaned up and re-glazed. Now, they look like new!

Next, The Bungalow got fresh coats of its original paint colors, and I couldn’t be more delighted. The place looks great - happier, somehow!

The original back door got a makeover. The sad-looking brown stain on the door is gone, and a pretty turquoise color has taken its place. Now, the color on the back door matches the color on the screen door at the front of The Bungalow. I like that - a lot!

Painting the inside of The Bungalow was not in the plans for now, but Victor suggested he paint the inside of the back door a cheerful yellow, Instead of leaving it that “boring, off-white.”

Admittedly, I hadn’t even considered changing anything about the door in the kitchen, but I could see adding yellow paint to it might be fun. And, now that The Bungalow has a yellow kitchen door, I’m wondering why previous owners never opted to add a little sunshine to the room long ago. They should have!

Today, the painters are working on the front of The Bungalow, sticking - once again - to the original house colors. The job is coming along well. In fact, the crew is almost finished spreading on the final coat of paint.

I hope to get the painters back out here to do the east and west sides of The Bungalow as soon as our schedules — and those of the guests who request to stay here — permit. Most likely, it will be awhile.