Mansard roof and horses of a different color

A vet in Granby, CT has a horse of a different color outside.

But wait, this is horse country apparently.

And these wonderfully posed statues all are colorful.

I was struck by the mansard roof of this house, now a nursery school.

Rabbits and more autumn colors

The bunnies started with two...you know the rest of the story.

I am not sure if the red leaves are fire weed, on the left, but the right is a dogwood.

Whatever caught my fancy

Now how do you set the clock?  (The day before he got a haircut!)

Squeals of glee with new car.

A bit of breakfast will make all the difference.

This neighborhood has very tall trees.

Interesting vine that has color galore.

Japanese Maple gives the other trees something to blush about.

More on Connecticut homes in another post...the New England architecture is unique.

Gymnastics

Action taking place at a distance means it's pretty hard to get pictures.  Girl in purple is flying throuhg the air from one bar to another.  She did marvelously well!

I took some movies, but they are taking forever to load.  My 11 year old granddaughter was one of the best performers in the YWCA meet last weekend.  Her little sis took part for the first time in a Gymnastics meet...she's 6.

I am a proud grandmother, of course!

And even in New England

A grey day gave rain showers in spurts, and then this gorgeous few minutes of sunshine.  It stretched into hours of afternoon with unseasonable warm temperatures for the first of November.

I will give you some kind of prize if you can figure out where these three photos were taken, in succession.   I'm waiting for your good google gps or whatever methods you choose to pinpoint this town and state accurately. 

More joys of Autumn

Gorgeous Oak color along Montreat Rd in Black Mountain, NC

In front of a local bank, a lovely bright pear tree.

Near the YWCA in Asheville.  (College St?)

A new book ...

I'm so thrilled to finally buy a new book.  You must know that with my limited and fixed income, I usually read the books that are free in my life...the great collections of our Buncombe County Library system, and occasionally those I borrow from friends.

So I only purchase books that are to be friends indeed, to be read over again and again.  How do I know which ones to get?  Usually by an author who has delighted me in other writings.

So Lee Smith is one of those authors.  It was recommended by my friendly blogger, Vicki Lane, also one of my favorite authors.  Then since it is set in Asheville, how could I resist? Title is great also..."Guests on Earth"  And it includes historic notes along with a believable character who gives her narrative about the Mental Hospital as well as Zelda Fitzgerald who actually died in a fire in that hospital.

The trick was to find Malaprops Bookstore in Asheville.  I'm ashamed to admit I hadn't been there yet.  So I was gratified to have a GPS to take me there last week.

I'll definitely give more views of the lovely independently owned bookstore in my blog "Living in Black Mountain." in the next few days.

Frederick Arthur Munhall, a step-father

So many of my ancestors were raised by step fathers, or step mothers, I want to try to include them as well as those who were blood relations.  A bit of nurture as well as nature!

Birth: 1 November 1890 in Pekin, Tazewell County, Illinois
Death: Feb. 12, 1927 in San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas

You might notice that my mother's album pictures have dates, which aren't at all correct, though she had some cute editing.  The picture above, which says it was in 1925, was taken on or about the same day as the one following, which she marked as 1924.  She's wearing the same dress, and is the same size...and the lighting is even the same.  I lean towards the earlier date.

My mom's stepfather probably just for a few years, until she was almost age 10.  There are 2 records of his marriage to Mozelle Booth Miller Webb, my grandmother.  The first is in 1921.  The second has an actual date of March 22, 1924.  Neither record has a citation as to where the information came from.  Pictures with my mother indicate he was part of her life when she was younger than 10, at least by looking at her size.

Fred Munhall was listed in the San Antonio City Directory of 1926 as a District Manager.  I wonder what he sold.  Oh, at least I found through his obit what the company was named, A. C. Sparks Co.  When I tried a search, it indicated a spark plug company...and since it's been in existance since 1900, that sounds likely to me.

He was a Shriner, as shown by the funeral notice.  I believe he was also a Mason.

I just realized how much "Uncle Jack" looks like his brother, Fred.  I think I might just do a search on Ancestry for him. (Julius Bliss Munhall also lived in San Antonio at the time of his brother's death.  The other brother, Sam, lived in the Chicago area.)

I have no DNA from Fredrick Munhall, but my mother kept his name all through school, until she married my father.  So did her mother the rest of her life, and he is buried in the Miller Family plot also.

Cemetery Record: born 1 Nov 1890 in Illinois to S. A. Munhall died 12 Feb 1927 in San Antonio, Bexar, Texas. 

Informant: Mrs. C. H. Miller (Eugenia Booth Miller, his mother-in-law)

Located in: Mission Burial Park, San Antonio, Bexar, Texas 

 

 

 

 

Sourwood color

It's like having penny loafers with tassles.  Those golden highlights on top of the russet leaves...glory.  AND these used to be our local honey source, though the bee problems have been limiting that.

Have a Happy Halloween !  May all the children in your life be joyful and full of sweetness, and may any pranks (the tricks of Trick or Treats) be minimal!

When a pot is not a pot

Play with negative space, peel open the side of a vase, then glaze with luminosity, raku fire so clay turns charcoal and this is what happens.

 Part of my studio display which will be available Nov. 16-17 from 10-6 in Black Mountain, NC. 

You can find 2 of us potters on Beech St., Sarah Vekasi and myself.  I'm the second house on the right, and she's at the top of the hill, a deadend.

Studio Tour is from the Blue Ridge Parkway to Black Moutain, called "Blue to Black."  I don't particularly like the name, but you do remember it, don't you?



If you look at the poster of all the artist's works, my mugs (with leaves on them) are pictured top row just below the top square of "Blue to Black Art." Sarah's plates are second from left on top row.  I made it so huge so you might be able to see the little squares of the artist's works.

I hope you come over to visit my little cottage studio on one of the days of this event!  See you soon!

French Silk Pie

Mine is without the strawberries, but with a cup of decaf on the side.  At the Pisgah Inn restaurant on Blue Ridge Parkway.

Berries

At Pisgah Inn's parking lot, Blue Ridge Parkway.

The McNeal married the McElhany

On May 1, 1787 in Paxtang Presbyterian Church, William McElhany married Elizabeth "Betsy" McNeal who was born in 1768, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. Information about her parents is given later in this post.

Here's information about the Paxtang Presbyterian Church, PA (located in Harrisburg PA) which is the building where the McElhaney wedding took place.

Built in 1740 the church is the oldest Presbyterian Church building in continuous use in Pennsylvania, and the second oldest in the United States. The present stone sanctuary was erected in 1740, replacing a log meeting house which had previously served as the place of worship. A stone marker south of the sanctuary indicates the site of the log building. A replica of the log meeting house was erected north of the present sanctuary.

 When Betsy McNeal McElhany died Oct. 30, 1849 she was buried in Lyme, Huron County, Ohio.

Betsy McNeal McElhany was the daughter of  Robert McNeall who was born in 1738 and died Sep. 23, 1818, in Livingston County, New York. His monument is in Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Geneseo, Livingston County, New York. His wife  Jane McNeall  was born in.1741 and died Mar. 28, 1818, and is buried also in Geneseo, Livingston County, New York.