Every year we “islanders” break out our best party costumes for the Mardi Gras tradition. Ironically “Sail Through Scandanavia” was the theme this year, close to the heart of my Swedish daughter-in-law Ika. Wish she could have been there to enjoy; she’s a bit too pregnant this year:) There were so many floats resembling viking ships of old, filled with “norsemen” helmeted with glow-in-the-dark horns. Particularly impressive were the floats donning the likeness of our island’s benefactor George Mitchell, and his successor Tillman Fertitta. The island owes a great deal to these gentlemen, who spent tireless hours and limitless funds resurrecting this wonderful island tradition. Many visitors comment that Galveston Mardi Gras is more “family friendly” than New Orleans, and much closer to Texan’s hearts. My hands-down favorite parade is the “Barkus & Meoux” of course. So many costumed pets, so many contributions to our Galveston Island Humane Society. Children and dogs are in their element.

Of course wherever you find children and dogs, yours truly will be drawn like a magnet. Some of my personal favorites this year were the “merlab”, “human-pup” meets sheepdog and belgian malinois, Doc Fistein and her german, a two-pound teacup chihuahua, a great dane who is a “mama’s boy”, the bumble bee family, and the black standard “angel-poo”.

Let’s not forget the reason for the season, as Fat Tuesday ends the revelry. Hopefully my Galveston neighbors will have a hearty meal at Mario’s on the Seawall, Maceo’s Spice & Import, Papa’s Pizza, or Riondo’s. Proceeds will go toward the spay & neuter effort on the island. Tomorrow Ash Wednesday begins. Many of us go to have ashes placed on our foreheads, reminding us that “from dust thou art, and unto dust thou shall return”. We go forth, trying to be a little better for this knowledge. I, for one, will abstain from “political statements” on Facebook. I will not post any during Lent, and I will not read yours. There is no doubt this has added to the division among my brothers and sisters on FB, and it’s a time for peace to all!

The weather outside was frightful, but the walk was so delightful, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! This below sea level, above 50 degrees, Galvestonian was fascinated with the winter wonderland that was Golden. Matt and Ika’s home is a short walk (if you’re a Swede:) to downtown, so I just had to do it. Golden is a smallish city near Denver, like Galveston is to Houston. In fact, it reminds me of Galveston in the mountains. There is a bricked main street for shopping, Washington Avenue. The people of Golden are very proud of their city, much as we Galvestonians are. Many volunteer at the art center, the library, and the nature center; just to name a few. One main difference, of course, is the prolific “CBD oil” business. Definitely a town where “old hippies” retire, among other things.

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The Golden Art Center is an uphill, somewhat icy, climb from downtown, but so worth the effort. It appears to have been a church at one time, adding to the spiritual ambience of the local art displayed. My favorite display was a room filled with art from the youth of Golden. Several pieces caught my eye, created by elementary and high school kids during the summer art camp. The pink pig, imaginatively named “when pigs fly” and the lovely gold medallion named “fish in a bowl” were hands-down favorites. I kind of wished the medallion was offered for sale. What a beautiful souvenir!

While the Mother Cabrini Shrine was not walking distance, it was just on the backside of Lookout Mountain, as seen from Matt and Ika’s place. Being born and raised Catholic, I had to visit this historic shrine Sunday morning. The drive up was exciting in itself, quite an elevation to climb on the old “switchback” road. Mass, said by Father Bob, brought the gospel to a relevant place in our lives. The church, set into the backside of Lookout, provided a view of the valley that was spiritually uplifting to one of any faith. After the experience, I told the kids that I could imagine driving in from Winter Park on Sundays to meet with them for mass and lunch on Sundays. They agreed it would be a special family tradition. Of course, first I have to acquire a ski lodge in Winter Park. That’s the plan!

Another family tradition will be the annual spring-break ski trip. Matt and I spent the day on Breckenridge where I learned at my old age, I was going to have to wear a helmet and face mask. These things are foreign to me, as in the past helmets were not common, and I generally skied in warmer weather. The day remained in the high teens, so Matt insisted that I needed face and head protection. First trip to the top, and I was very grateful for that advice. The little exposed skin I had was “freezer burned”. At least it felt that way:) Not too old to learn new tricks, yet anyway.

Yes, I was signed up to show up at the Heights’ Kroger for a final day of signing my books. The birds started calling me early this morning, and as the sun rose, I could see cloudless blue sky, blue water rolling in, and temperatures rising into the 70’s. This was the perfect day to play “hooky”. I couldn’t bring myself to leave The Island today, of all days. Everyone and his dog (literally) would be on the seawall today. It was time to drag out the old “Panama Jack” beach cruiser to discover what this Sunday would bring to The Island.

There is a certain “Jamaican Mon” charm to the architecture, always in tones of pastel greens, aquas, yellows, and blues. My favorite, of course is “Rita’s” where bicyclists go for a pitstop and a hand-crafted ice cream. Such a nice name too:) While taking a break from the first leg of the ride, I noticed one of the new indigenous slingshots that so popular for the tourists to cruise the seawall in. They are a cool looking vehicle, until you realize if it starts to rain, there is virtually no protection. Something to attract the young tourists who haven’t learned to consider the weather.

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Speaking of not considering the weather, I did notice that on the eastward leg of my journey, my bike seemed to float effortless toward 61st street. I found out when I turned around to head homeward, that was because there was a nice stiff west wind at my back. The leg back to Diamond Beach took considerably more leg power. Especially considering the “old hippie bike” as my friends call it, weighs a good deal more than the narrow aluminum bikes so popular today. That’s ok, I got a lot more exercise on “Panama Jack”.

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My favorite resting bench was available for once. Most folks were staying home today, preparing for the Super Bowl. There’ll be a group of neighbors gathering in the Theater Room to watch, but I’m far more interested in the unusual commercials that are especially created for the event. They are always the best of the year, although normally I fast forward through them; today I’ll be looking especially for the best in show.

There are always a few extra-special fur babies taking a morning stroll, and today was no exception. This fur-baby’s mama proudly showed her miniature Chi-Poo off to an adoring crowd of tourists. These pictures don’t do her justice. Those long furry ears are too adorable when she moves them toward you. I’m a sucker for a cute puppy.

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Old hippie bike and this old hippie did make it back in time for the first round of Super Bowl commercials. I will have to admit, there were several “water breaks” on the way back, in the face of a howling west wind. We are none the worse for wear, though. I did make the right decision to play “hooky” today.

Eugene McMillan is not a BOI (born on island:) but every islander here is certainly glad he came. Most mornings we wake to a new and ever more magnificent photograph of our island. His talent with a camera is legend here; and with social media, he’s getting attention across the country now. We hope that doesn’t take him on a journey away from us (at least not for long). I’ve taken to calling him “Eugenius”, and was truly not surprised when he laughed and told me his Elizabeth has been calling him “Redneck Genius” for years. His artistic talent runs wide, across so many mediums, and I believe he’s just getting started.

We’ve tried to keep it on the downlow; but his ability to transform a concept any Diamond Beach resident has, into a magical addition, has become recognized all over the island. I found this wave-wall concept on Pinterest several months ago, and wisely shared the picture with Eugene. Once he decided that it would be a new challenge, and well worth the effort, he was on it from morning till night. He added a few ideas of his own to create an even more spectacular entertainment wall that I could have imagined. This was not the only project Eugene has created to make my condo “my own”. Over the years, he has brought in sunlight to each room in a unique way. The guest bedroom was small and dark before he added a lead glass window to bring in the morning sun. It added a special look from both the kitchen and the bedroom.

Then there was the time when I wanted uplighting for my favorite collection of sea creatures, the dolphins, the mermaid, and the manatees. He added an outlet where there was none, and voila!

Just a few months after settling in, I realized that this small 3 bedroom 2 bath condo didn’t have a space for any kind of office accoutrement. Where was I to put my printer, files, and books? Never fear, Eugene was here! The small, seldom used, closet area became my new office space.

When I acquired my first “Wyland”, a special prize in itself, there clearly needed to be a place to display my treasure. Again, never fear, Eugenius is here:) He placed a spotlight above the painting to bring sunlight into the Mermaid Room for my grandangels to enjoy. Now that I have no walls left to work on, I almost want to acquire a new larger condo to give Eugenius a clean slate to work with. I can’t possibly do that though, because I’m now so in love with my little home. Thanks to Eugenius!!

As soon as the last family member departs after the holidays, my thoughts turn to a New Year’s Paddle About. It’s that time when I am reminded of why I choose to live on the Island. Even in early January, there are blue-sky days when the water looks like glass reflecting a cloudless sky. Yes, wetsuit is required, if only due to the possible dunking in less than warm gulf waters. The wind was light, the summer crowds were back home watching football, and Offats Bayou belonged to the few die-hard Islanders. I headed for my favorite waterfront neighbor, which I call Pilot Co-Pilot. The two main streets are named this because local aircraft buzz overhead landing and taking off from the nearby municipal airport. Most of the houses sport boat houses complete with fishing docks. My favorites have boat houses painted to match the main house. There is a Jamaican-mon pink house and boat house, a beachy aqua house with boat house to match, and then scrunched in between you will find an occasional old-school simple unpainted wooden beach house with a pier for fishing. I often wonder if they really catch fish right in their own backyard. Some have underwater lights that attract all manner of underwater creatures during the night, I imagine. Maybe I should paddle back at nightfall with a rod?

After sharing a snack of healthy sea-salt and vinegar chips with the local gulls, I started back for the marina. The only sounds beside the gulls calling for food, and my paddle slipping into the water, was a mild slapping of the waves on the side of the kayak. As the causeway bridge came into view, it felt eerily as if I were watching the distant traffic from a different century, where all that was required to enjoy the island was a paddle and a primitive sit-on-top kayak. The cars in the distance seemed to be in such a hurry to get to the place I live every day. Truly blessed.

So many times the power boats overtake me, throwing their wakes in my direction. My little baby blue board and I take it all in stride, it just adds a little challenge to the journey. The horn blasted from the Moody Gardens’ Colonel Paddlewheel Boat, reminding me that I did have to use some caution when traversing the ship channel. It was time to paddle a little harder, that beautiful blue three-story house that marks my marina was looking warm and inviting as the sun sunk lower and the wind picked up. When I arrived back, Bill Cochrane, marina owner was out checking on his returning boaters. We exchanged wishes for a prosperous healthy new year, and he shared a surprise with me. Little did I know, he is an author as well. After working for the Galveston Daily News for fifty years, he has retired to write his memoirs. Having seven marriages in his life journey, and now one of the most successful marinas on the island, his memoirs will be worth the read I think.

Of course all celebrations are better on The Island, and this Christmas was no exception. The fact that our lovely indoor pool had lost its heater, didn’t slow us down. It just sent us in a different direction, because we have so many choices on The Island. The family celebrated Christmas day on December 28th, our Matt’s birthday, since he was flying folks over Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. It made it even more special, because Matt flew so many to their families over the holidays! The tv/fireplace wall was complete, so I actually had a mantle to hang stockings from. The granddaughters both wished for skateboards, which of course they received. Funnily though, after several attempts to master the skateboard, they went back to the reliable scooters. Someone in the family gave Captain Matt a drone (as if he didn’t fly enough during the week:) It was the hands-down favorite of the family. We waved at it, and it followed our commands higher, or sideways, up or down. It’s the simple things.

We had heard that Popeye’s was offering fried turkey for the holidays, but none of the restaurants on the island had gotten that memo. After searching high and low we found one in Friendswood, determined to try something different this Christmas. It was worth every bit of the effort. I don’t think I’ll ever serve turkey any other way from this point forward. I can highly recommend this cajun-style delicacy if you prefer a tender, moist turkey. Ika added a touch of Sweden, with her Christmasy red beet salad. You would think the day would be over, with full tummies and possible football to watch. No way! The Island had too much going on to miss it couch sitting.

Pleasure Pier is never far from the minds of the grandangels. If you squint, you can see the bright lights reflecting on the gulf from Diamond Beach. Another extravaganza provided by our own home-grown billionaire, Tillman Fertitta. You can’t argue with success, and so much of the island’s amusement has been created by Tillman. Bo rode the carousel for the first time, and he will be clamoring for more next trip, no doubt. As the sky darkened, the girls’ thoughts turned to the Festival of Lights and Iceland, which are now a family tradition. We were not disappointed. The Iceland exhibit was a creation of international scenes, including an off the planet astronaut rendition. We all left the 9 degree tent with red noses and freezing hands, but so worth it.

Bo had never experienced the Aquarium Pyramid, so of course that was the next stop. Aquariums of any size and type have always fascinated him, so you can imagine his amazement at this huge display of so many varieties of fish. I can’t wait until he’s old enough to fully appreciate the petting tanks. It was enough for now to just stare into these underwater scenes, following the seals, penguins, sharks, and stingrays with his eyes. I think he may be my little budding marine biologist:)

To top it all off, we couldn’t resist our favorite family Sunday brunch at the Brickhouse. Christmas is not for the dieters. We can “go on rabbit food” next week:) Joined by one of Matt’s best friends from Clear Lake, Shane, his wife Courtney, and their new little Ada, made our Sunday morning special. Bo sure enjoyed sitting next to Ada. A future romance? You never can tell!

Now all is quiet in the condo. There is plenty of dishwashing, and cleanup to do; but for now I’m just reviewing the memories of this very special Christmas. How blessed we all are to live in this great country, with so many rich traditions and natural beauty to share. As I sit contemplating the last few days, I feel enormous gratitude for the blessing this celebration has been. It’s time to watch my favorite Star Trek marathon on the new OLED TV. It never looked this good!

No sooner do the grandangels hit my condo, than the chant begins “we wanna swim”! My greatest joy at Diamond Beach is the heated indoor pool where year- round lap swimming is beyond comfortable (like a ginormous hot tub:) Grandbabies dream of coming down from chilly Austin and freezing Colorado to capture the feeling of summer on Thanksgiving. The water aerobics ladies move their act indoors for continued fitness as well. This is only the beginning of the blessing our island has to offer.

Moody Gardens offers pyramids filled with wildlife from all corners of the world. The Aquarium is a must see, and in my humble opinion rivals the Georgia Aquarium. We have a stingray petting zoo, a jellyfish petting zoo, and an overhead tunnel aquarium where sharks and manta rays glide peacefully from above. It’s reminiscent of snorkeling the Caymans and the Virgins without getting wet or worrying about the fish population becoming too interested in the grandbabies:)

Then there is the Rainforest Pyramid, a truly warming experience best visited on a cold winter day. The birdlife is as diverse as the Amazon, with a constant chorus of chirps, cheeps, and shrill squeals, that can only be rivaled by the grandbabies playing cards in the condo. It’s an education in international wildlife that makes this grandmother want to hop a flight with the whole family and head for the world’s mightiest river, the Amazon. Maybe someday when they’re a bit older. For now, we’re all feeling very blessed with this amazing place just blocks from Diamond Beach.

The big day begins, like most in America, with turkey and dressing in the oven. While Bo played with his BFF Fritz (the dachshund:) the girls rode their scooters up and down the hallway helping the neighbors get in the spirit. This is the day that Mamou spends in the kitchen while the rest of the fam enjoys their time together. Some things never change! I must admit it is a labor of love and I enjoyed every minute of it. Besides, I knew that the next day brought a beautiful buffet cooked by Courville’s, where I only had to show up. Every year Dad and Carol rent a huge country-western concert, bar-b-que venue so the kids, grandkids, and great grandkids can ride their scooters on the dance floor. Every year we all say that this is probably the last year, but amazingly my 93 year-old dad and his 80-something wife pull it off perfectly. My hats off to the matriarch and patriarch of our family. Here’s to many more years of this tradition.

It was a great time had by all, but my celebration didn’t end there. My Panama City Beach sister, Paige and her Bugg came for a visit. While their water is aqua and crystal clear, their island’s filled with shells, and their 12th floor condo has a 25-mile view of the other side of the gulf; they do enjoy visiting family here. The restaurants in Galveston are hard to beat, and the Seawall offers a great deal of diverse opportunity for exercise. Friends came from the inner-city with their bikes, and off we went to the 61st Street Pier for a few minutes of sharing hot chocolate and stories of the past. Our stories age into ever more interesting tales as we retell them. It’s what we enjoy most when we reach our retirement years. Sharing memories from the past, and making new ones as well!

Golden is always beautiful, but the quaint little college town nestled in the Rockies becomes a winter wonderland as Christmas approaches. The Clear Creek that provides Colorado School of Mines students “float trips” during the summer months, has frozen to a trickle for the remainder of the year. The bucolic farm scene nearby is lit for the season, and the mainstreet lighting ceremony will begin the day after Thanksgiving. So glad the locals are waiting, as it gives us something to look forward to. It did remind Ika and Matt that it was time for the Christmas card pictures, to remind friends back in Clear Lake what it’s like to celebrate the season in the snow.

At first light on Veterans Day, we woke to a winter wonderland, as we peered out of Bo’s bay window. His maple tree was coated in ice, which turned the branches into a Christmas-card scene. It was time to get his sled out, dress the dogs in their winter coats, and head for the snow-covered path with Ika’s camera. I’m so photo-challenged that it’s always fascinating to me when my daughters-in-law get out their equipment to capture amazing family pics. Ika set the camera on auto-focus and patiently guided me on how to capture their little family in this snow-capped mountain scene. All I had to do was point and shoot. Hope they came out ok:)

It was then time to move indoors for a warmer project. A good friend from Clear Lake, Matt Dickson, flew up to help us turn Matt’s oversized three-car garage into an acceptable man cave for Matt. You can see from the “before” pics that the previous owner had really used his garage for some serious work. It was time for a redo! The two Matt’s sprayed texture onto the walls and ceilings first, which took two days and an extraordinary amount of effort. Then Matt Dickson had to head home, where he could rest on his own couch:) That left Matt and Mom to prime the walls and ceilings first, before the final coat was applied. After a full day’s hard labor, the man cave was ready for a final coat of silver-gray. Thank God for the man who invented paint rollers. When we finally finished several days later, Matt commented that next time he would just fly an extra 3-day trip and pay the local painters for the privilege. I heartily agree!

The girls, plus Bo, earned a trip to Cherry Creek Mall after all that effort. This amazing shopping experience is anchored by Neimans, Nordstroms, and Lord & Taylor. There are over 160 specialty boutiques and over 40 stores exclusive to the area including Louis Vuitton, Tiffany, Burberry, Tory Burch, and David Yurman (a personal fav:)  No shopaholic should miss this experience when you find yourself near downtown Denver. Don’t think you need to bring megabucks to enjoy the journey. I found a pair of black velvet leggings half-price at J Crew, Ika found a pair of Christmas-red high top tennis shoes for Bo, and Bo found a royal blue McLaren for his wishlist. Always a great visit with the Colorado kids. I come home feeling like “mission accomplished”. When the plane touched down at Hobby, it felt like I brought a touch of Golden home with me. The temperature outside was a balmy 46 degrees with snow flurries predicted. It was actually warmer than that in Golden.

Since 2011, my first halloween at Diamond Beach, I have never had a trick-or-treater visit. That all changed this year! They came, just in time to entertain the biker’s here to celebrate Biketoberfest (aka Lone Star Rally:) When the leather-clad crowd heard the laughter in the hallway, they came out to see what was going on. Many were disappointed that they were unprepared with candy, but promise to come back better prepared next year. This holiday is one of the few things I miss about not living in a typical neighborhood. Our illustrious pool guy Benito made up for it this Halloween, bringing his costumed grandbabies by for treats (which I always have – being a chocoholic:) So next year I’m going to spread the word early – there will be treats at Diamond Beach. At least at my condo!

At least we always have the Movie Night celebration to look forward to, thanks to our Water Aerobics fearless leader, Helen King. Everyone wore something Halloweenie; well at least something appropriately orange. Some wore their orange Astros support shirt, which unfortunately didn’t work out so well for the Stros:( Oh well, there’s always next year. Can’t wait!!

A funny thing happened on the way to a baby shower in Belton; I discovered another hidden downtown treasure near Austin. First, the Sarsaparilla Saloon caught my eye, so I had to stop and take a closer look. The old city courthouse was built of indigenous austin stone, like so many in the area; but what made it unique to me was the pristine white lady justice at the top of the dome and the old soldier still standing guard on the lawn. It was like going back a century or more, where life was simpler, buildings were built to endure, and just sharing a malt at the Sarsaparilla Saloon made your day special. There is certainly a different aura to the small Texas town, where you can feel your heart rate slow, as the peaceful scene takes you in.

The baby shower for Meagan Maas was exceptional as well. Her sister Shannon recently went to work for Chip and Joanna Gaines at the Magnolia Silos in Waco, in the buyer’s department of course. Her ideas were just plain Texas-style fun. She played off of her sister’s surname, Maas, and went with the nacho/cactus theme. Needless to say, we made our own tacos. Meagan and Geoff opted for the surprise gender-reveal at the birth of their baby, no sooner:) It was fun to guess what the baby might be, and the packages were wrapped in all colors of the rainbow, making it more interesting I think.

And then there was the road trip back, after visiting the grand angels in Austin. Highway 71 is always an amazing trip offering so many bucolic rural scenes along the way. Hruska’s is a mandatory stop for the czechoslovakian kolache treats and unique Texas-themed gifts. Just a few miles past Hruska’s, I always slow as I pass the FreBo Ranch. It began as a simple cattle ranch, but over the years has refined into an exotic wildlife refuge, and buffalo ranch. The longhorns have been replaced with wandering bison, zebras, water buffalo, and african antelope. I just had to stop this time and snap a few shots, albeit far distant from the road. Just another amazing trip through the Texas hill country.