Location, Location, Location

How many times have you heard location, location, location?

One of the best things about living where I do is definitely location.

Living near Rice University there's always plenty going on...

athletics, art, music, community education.

I'm also near the museums and Hermann Park.

There's lots of shopping and good eats in Rice Village.

The latest public art installation in Rice Village is an owl by California artist Nathan Mabry.

A blue origami-like aluminum owl, along with four smaller lifelike owls, 
are a nod to Rice University.

"While researching Rice Village, I became interested in the vibrant history of the neighborhood and proximity to Rice University. I find myself particularly engaged with the mascot of Rice University, the Owl," Mabry said in an announcement.

"It's a powerful symbol in both antiquity and contemporary life. My work has long explored the depiction of birds from all facets of art history."

The Owl weighs 868 pounds and took 8.3 hours to install.
It's a fun addition to the neighborhood.

*

Speaking of location.

I'm also near the Zoo.
The zoo always celebrates Spring with a Spring Fling for some of its members.
Usually it is a breakfast.
This year the zoo decided to make it Breakfast for Dinner and hold the event in the evening.
It was a beautiful night.
Breakfast was delicious -- with the best biscuits and gravy I've had in awhile!

I invited my next door neighbors and can say that a good time was had by all!
There was a hula hoop competition for the kids,
face painting, endless carousel rides and the children's zoo was open with
the petting zoo. 

And even the adults had fun watching the zebu.
He put on quite a show.
His keeper asked him to walk in a circle.
He did and he was given a treat.
Then he kept walking in a circle and back to his keeper --
"treat please"!
We were all laughing --
all except the Llama who seemed quite put out!

*

A good friend took me to lunch.
We went to one of our mutual favorite spots --
the Hobbit Cafe.
The Hobbit has been around since 1972 and for some time was the 
only spot to get good, fresh vegetarian food.
They have now added the "regular" food for those who just can't live without their burger.

I had the "slim" Gandalf.
(Believe it or not, there is a larger version of this sandwich.)
Their wheat bread is amazing.
Avocado, mushrooms and melted cheese.
You can pick your side - black beans for me.

My friend had the Fatty Lumpkin -- tuna salad, tomato, melted cheese
with carrots on the side.

They are knife and fork sandwiches -- 
no way I could get my mouth all the way around to take a bite. 

*

Last and not least for locations--
there is no place like home! 

Wishing you well, much joy and a "Hoppy" Easter!

Five on Friday

Willy Nilly Friday

Mosaic Monday

Monday Social

Ladies Who Lunch!

I have a good friend I like to lunch with.

We try to pick places for lunch that we normally don't visit

and we try to make it an adventure.

This time we took advantage of Houston Restaurant Weeks.
Houston Restaurant Weeks runs the month of August 
and benefits the Houston Food Bank.
Restaurants have special menus to pick from 
and a donation from each meal is made to the food bank.
It's a win win.
Good food, a chance to go to a "new" restaurant and try out the food.
We went to Bistro Menil.

I had the roasted tomato and artichoke quiche 
with the Menil salad followed by a lemon tart.
Yum!


Then we went across the street to the Menil museum to see the 
Outsider Art (self-taught artists) exhibit
as Essential as Dreams.
I'm only sharing three objects from three different artists.
 Twelve artists were featured in the exhibit.






On the left is Thornton Dial's Tiger On The Run
and on the right is one of Oscar Hardwiger's architectural structures --
this one of the Miraculous Staircase of the Loretto Chapel made when he was 80.





This is Spirit Codex by Solange Knopf.

The Menil has a wonderful bookstore that we did not visit.
There is a catalog for the exhibition and in my younger days
I would have loved a copy.
But I am now getting rid of all my old art catalogs.
It's hard, but better I do the work than leaving it to someone else.

I now wonder if there were postcards for the exhibit.
After all, postcards take up less space!







After lunch and the exhibit we made one more stop at Michaels.
We both wanted to check out the yarn.
Believe it or not, I didn't buy any.
I did look and I did touch but I kept telling myself I had enough yarn at home
and enough projects to finish.
I did make a wish list! 


Wishing YOU well and much joy!

Mosaic Monday