Tonight is Halloween and a beautiful night it is! If I were dressing in a costume this year to "trick or treat", I think I would have to be an American Indian. Indian women were amazing and unlike the way they have been portrayed, they were very important in marriage and family. In Fredericksburg and the surrounding area there were many different Indian tribes. The one that was most feared was the Comanche Tribe. Above you will see a picture of several Comanche wives and their children. Check out their clothes, blankets and trim work on the fabric. This has been the inspiration for the fabrics and interior design for this house along with many other photos collected from the Smithsonian Museum. After much research, the European and German Pioneers, the American Indians, the Hill Country landscape and the influence of our Southern Spanish Neighbors all contributed to the inspiration for this home design.
Chocolate...that is the color of our new roof. Here you can see the roofers laying the first sheets of metal. It is a hot day in the Hill Country! The roof was selected for it's durability, ease with rain water collection and design. Many of the old pioneer homes had metal roofs ( or tin, or whatever they could find). I selected the color so it would blend into the environment and those near and far could not detect it easily. The color reminds me of a wonderful story about "Hot Chocolate". An old professor asked his students to come by his home for an afternoon cup of hot chocolate. They could ask questions of him and visit about many things, not just school topics. He asked each to select a coffee mug from the cabinet. His collection of cups came from all over the world, his travels near and far, some old, some new, some big, some small, some ornate, some plain. He watched each student select a mug for their hot chocolate and then gathered them around the hearth to visit. One young student asked the professor with all his wisdom what he found to be his most important learning in life. The professor said " Life is like Hot Chocolate. You see, I watched each of you take time to select just the perfect mug. Most of you picked the tallest, most beautiful, ornate, fancy, expensive or biggest cup. But there are plenty of cups that are plain, chipped, old with cracks or broken handles. The truth is the mug you selected still holds the same sweet, smooth, yummy hot chocolate. We work our whole lives to find the best, most perfect container for our hot chocolate but it doesn't need any special mug to be enjoyed. Life is right before you, it's not owned by anyone, it can be seen, felt, heard and touched by anyone at anytime. It doesn't need a fancy container to taste it. Don't work so hard to find the perfect mug and miss the time enjoying, savoring the chocolate. So here's to the sweetness of chocolate." CHEERS!
