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.



Jazz Age Series

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A year or so ago, I was having lunch at Gaido’s with a girlfriend and, after a terrific meal there and before leaving the property, we walked into the restaurant’s ever-popular gift shop. On more than a few occasions, I’ve gone in to browse the shelves and left with an unplanned purchase in my hand.

On this particular day, a paperback book by Ellen Monsoor Collier caught my eye. It was entitled, Bathing Beauties, Booze and Bullets. I picked it up and scanned the first few pages. Soon, I realized the book was a mystery novel, set in Galveston, during the Prohibition era of the 1920s. Of course, I was highly interested and, on impulse, I bought the book.

That night, I started reading and quickly became enamored by the main characters: Jazz Cross, a young society (and wanna-be crime) reporter for the island’s daily newspaper, and her handsome beau, James Burton, a Prohibition agent. Before long, I was hooked on the story and fascinated by the bits of Galveston history, local places and legendary residents inserted throughout.

By the time I finished the book, I realized it was Book Two (of four) of the author’s Jazz Age Series. Ah…so much the better!

I found the other three books on Amazon and ordered them immediately. Within days, I was well into Book One…and even more attached to Jazz and James and all of the other reappearing characters!

Ellen Monsoor Collier

Ellen Monsoor Collier

Then, yesterday, while attending ARToberFEST on Postoffice Street, a table displaying books caught my eye, much like Book Two of the series had so many months ago. Immediately, I realized the person autographing the books was the author, Ellen Monsoor Collier. Delighted, I walked over to meet her and let her know I’d read all of her books and how much I enjoyed them.

Ellen’s smile grew as I went on and on about my affection for her books, the setting in Galveston in the 1920s and the endearing characters. I also encouraged her to write a Book Five and continue the story. I explained I wanted to read more about Jazz and James and find out what the next chapters of their lives might hold.

Sadly, she indicated she was not planning to add to the series. But, I was not deterred. With sincere enthusiasm and encouragement, I urged her to re-think that plan.

Who knows? Perhaps she will.

ARToberFEST

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ARToberFEST is Galveston’s premier juried fine arts festival. This weekend, it was the biggest attraction on the island. Literally, thousands of full- and part-time residents, as well as visitors from Houston and. beyond, made their way downtown to check out the art and associated festivities. All, like me, wanted to meet the featured artists and see their incredible works of art

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Held on Postoffice Street, in the heart of the Galveston Cultural Arts District, the event featured art, food and fun in a beautiful historic setting. Additionally, live music performances and a variety of products from the island’s local Farmers Market were located throughout the festival site.

ARToberFEST, now in its 22nd year, is sponsored annually by the Grand 1894 Opera House.

My visit to ARToberFEST this afternoon was somewhat like a maiden voyage. I knew the destination, but I wasn’t quite sure how well the journey would go. Would the event live up to my expectations? I was eager to find out!

Robin Renee Hix

Robin Renee Hix

This is one of the prints by Robin Renee Hix that currently hangs in The Bungalow. It’s bright and colorful like the rest of the decor in the house, and it’s one of my favorites.

This is one of the prints by Robin Renee Hix that currently hangs in The Bungalow. It’s bright and colorful like the rest of the decor in the house, and it’s one of my favorites.

As it turned out, I was somewhat surprised by the variety of media and the quality of the art I found. There were painters specializing in acrylic, oil and watercolor, jewelry designers, metal artists, photographers, printmakers, sculptors and wood carvers. And, all were creators of fine works of art. I was truly delighted!

There were more than 120 artists participating in the festival this afternoon, each showcased their creations inside sun-protected white tents., It was fun going in and out of those tents, meeting and chatting with some of the artists and spending extra time with the art I was drawn to.

I was especially happy to go into the tent of artist Robin Renee Hix of Wimberley, Texas.

This iRobin Renee Hix print is another favorite of mine. I hope to purchase a copy of it soon. Unfortunately, she did not have one with her today!

This iRobin Renee Hix print is another favorite of mine. I hope to purchase a copy of it soon. Unfortunately, she did not have one with her today!

Robin’s signature style combines two of her loves: photography and painting. Her works are well known for stunning color and dynamic mood. These works offer up a modern twist to the nearly lost art of the hand-colored photograph, a skill which flourished long before color film was invented.

Robin is the artist who created some of the framed art hanging on the walls of The Bungalow. I love the pieces, and II had hoped to meet Robin (someday), so running into her here was a nice surprise! As it turned out, she was very familiar with The Bungalow; she had actually been inside the house several years ago. Coincidentally, she is a good friend of one of the previous owners!
(While I was there, she took a photo of the two of us to send to him!)