The Life of #41

The inside of the George HW Bush Presidential Library was even more beautiful than the outside. I was incredibly impressed with how well everything was displayed- good overviews and good details if you wanted to read in depth about his life from childhood through the Presidency.

There were many model and full-size items on display. This is a replica of the aircraft carrier that he served on during World War I. It's hard to believe they let 18 year old boys be fighter pilots.

There was a full-size replica of the plane that he flew, which was shot down and crashed into the ocean.

He held many important positions before becoming Vice-President. He was ambassador to the United Nations, Chairman of the RNC, special envoy to China, and Director of the CIA. There were many exhibits and artifacts on display from his various positions- gifts from around the world or important documents that he signed.

And then of course to the White House in 1988 after being Vice-President for 8 years. This mock up of the WH was really neat, and it included some photos from the Inaugural Balls and a very life-like recreation of the Oval Office.

They had an old, and very authentic looking, replica of his office at Camp David, including the dog treat dispenser for Millie.

There were extensive and very interesting sections on the important wold events that occur ed during his brief 4 years. In addition to the fall of the Berlin Wall, the other huge event was the Gulf War. The section detailing the war, the new missile technology, the burning of the oilfields and the aftermath was very sad, but difficult view given the current state of affairs in that region.

All in all, I learned a lot about 41, and still have a great deal of respect for him.

(We're not going to talk about his son....)

GOOD NEWS OF THE DAY: If you won a book, it's in the mail.

The George HW Bush Library

After our great Pick & Stomp at Messina Hof, we spent the night in College Station so that we could visit the George Bush Presidential Library & Museum. It's on the Texas A&M campus, and it's only a few years old.

The grounds were beautifully manicured, and nothing in Texas is officially complete without our beautiful state flower, the Bluebonnet.

The architecture and construction of the buildings were quite impressive.

I loved some of the designs and the shapes I could find walking around.

Outside, among the various buildings, there was an incredible sculpture celebrating the fall of the Berlin Wall, which happened while Bush was President.

I loved how the artist recreated the fallen wall, complete with freedom graffiti.

I'm not usually sophisticated enough to "get" art, but I could just see the power and grace that these horses represented.

Just 10 years later, it's hard for me to remember a divided Germany, but this compelling sculpture was very moving and powerful.

We enjoyed roaming the empty grounds early in the morning- imaging all the dignitaries that were there just a few years ago to celebrate the grand opening.

Off to check out the inside...

GOOD NEWS OF THE DAY: Signed up for my SCUBA class last night & bought all my gear!

The Harvest & The Stomp

The real reason we went to Messina Hof Winery was the Moonlit Harvest & Grape Stomp.

Of course we were welcomed with a wonderful selection of their wines while we were waiting to get started. We enjoyed a glass of the Texas Hold'em, and got ready to pick & stomp!

The wonderful owners of the vineyard, Paul & Merrill, treated us to a short introduction about the history of the winery and the very important role Texas is playing in the wine industry. They have been making fabulous wine at Messina Hof for over 30 years, and they are just the sweetest couple.

Next, it was off the the vineyard to start harvesting some grapes. An approaching thunderstorm cooled things off a bit, but it was still a hot Texas summer night. H and I had an awesome time gathering little bundles of grapes.

We collected several of these bins full of grapes, and there were at least 7 rows that the group harvested.

All the grapes were collected in trucks at the end of each row, and then transported over to the winery part of the property.

Although not too bad to eat (even with seeds), these grapes make way better wine.

All the guests were treated to a little down-pour as we made our way over to the stomp area.

A few more announcements and the requisite blessing of the harvest before the stomping fun could start.

This is the super precious Merrill having a great time cheering on all the stompers. She sent me a very kind letter after she noticed on the blog that visiting Messina Hof was on our 101 List.

Let the stomping begin! Groups of people took of their shoes & hopped into these huge containers to start crushing the grapes and releasing the juices.

A real insider's view of the grape mess!

Hard to tell, but we're actually standing in the vat and looking quite happy.

We were treated to a wonderful sunset that evening that took on several shades of yellows & reds after the storm passed.

Merrill gave us a short course on how to taste wine, along with two yummy samples.

This is actually a fun photo looking out into the vineyard, with the reflection and shadow of the sunset on the window pane.

The beautiful sunset made up for missing the full Harvest moon, which was hidden behind the clouds.

And finally, after cutting, stomping and a rain shower, it was time for a delish dinner.

GOOD NEWS OF THE DAY: Taking Zoe to a doggie dermatologist about her bumps.

Messina Hof Winery

Last Friday night, we headed up to College Station to visit the Messina Hof Winery for their annual Moonlight Harvest. It's been on our 101 List, and we were very excited to go to a winery so close to us.

They have vineyards all over the state, but their headquarters and winery is a little over an hour away from us. They have an incredible variety of both red and white wines, and you can find them served in many local restaurants.

I'll save all our adventure with the Harvest and the grape stomp for another post, and share mostly about the winery in general here. We were treated to a wonderful sunset that evening, and I loved the reflection of the yellow sky in these wine glasses.

I loved the fact that their wines had won "Best of Show" at the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo's Wine Competition several years and the prize is a saddle.

The grounds of the property themselves were gorgeous. They grow a great deal of the herbs and spices used in the wines.

And of course, beautiful flowers to accompany the beautiful vineyards.

They have their own restaurant, store, wine bar, Bed & Breakfast, and area for special events like weddings.

I was fascinated with this beautiful wrought-iron work of intertwined grapes and leaves that was throughout the property.

They have been in business over 30 years and were one of the original wineries in Texas. Now there are hundreds of wineries around the state, and wine sales are a $1 Billion a year industry.

Aren't these some gorgeous grapes? If I remember correctly, the ones grown in in College Station are used in making one of their most famous wines, a port.

Perfect picture- my husband, fabulous iron-work and beautiful vineyards.

Next stop- time to harvest and stomp!

GOOD NEWS OF THE DAY: Another jam-packed weekend full of fun things I need to blog about.

All About Ears

This post is all about Zoe's ears. Every which way they flap and flop, especially as she chases down her favorite toy- Kong on a Rope.

I took her back to the vet on Monday since the anti-biotics weren't working on her bumps. They switched her over to a different allergy medicine after checking again for mites or fungus. She's been on the new allergy meds for a few days and off the benedryl, but I haven't really noticed a huge improvement in the bumps. Maybe fewer and slightly less noticeable, but still there.

GOOD NEWS OF THE DAY: We're having the nephews over this afternoon for a pool party & BBQ.