The Houston Wine Fest: The Goodman Village Towers in West Houston, TX

Eric and I don't know our way around Houston.  I was concerned about a long walk with Wine Purchases from The Houston Wine Fest at The Goodman Village Towers.  Parking was amazing!

We are parked in front of

The Goodman.

Music by Chris Lively

Our Host, Vernon, & Eric

Eric and I purchased our tickets early at the discounted price.

Eric at the Blue Mule

Winery Table

Today's wines are

Petite Voigner, 

Sangiovese,

Blanc du Bois,

& Merlot

Siren's Call Winery is pouring

Blueberry, Raspberry, Fire,

Sauvignon Blanc, &

Jalapeno Wines today.

Rusty Nail features Watermelon,

Pear, Sangria, Merlot Wines.

Vinovium's Wines are

Belstar Bubbly Rose,

'Kandi' Brachetto, &

'Bocca' Moscatto

WINO Wines books the Venues.  Wineries do not pay a fee for their spaces.  They are pouring for free today.

M3 Cellars is pouring

Moscato Giallo, Rose,

Cowboy Blend Red Wine,

& Cabernet Sauvignon

 Handcrafted Paper Jewelry

at the www.31and13.com

table.

Old Bones Chilli Company

has a very nice assortment

of Sauces & Marmelades.

Their Award Winning Products

FlorVino Wines are made with

Wildflower Nectar, Rosehips,

 Herbs, Dandelion Petals...

Silver Dollar Winery is promoting

Raspberry Pomegranate, Port,

Cabernet Sauvignon, &

Gewurztraminer Wines.

Nibiru Chocolates are 

Boozy Treats. 

Frascone Winery is pouring

 Rose, Port, Cranberry,

 Peach Wines, & Mead.

Smoked It Up BBQ has

a great Menu.

Eric's choice is BBQ with

Cheese & Jalapeno Peppers

on a HUGE Baked Potato.

It's great & so filling!

My BBQ Sandwich 

is delicious!

Our purchases...

Dande from Flor Vino

'Boca' Moscato from Vinovium

Mead from Frascone Winery

Summer Days Dry Voigner

Zia Bella Dry Sangiovase

Old Bones Buffalo Sauce

Smoked & Spicey Pepper

Marmalade

I was so happy to find

'more books' earrings at

the www.31and13.com

Table.

They are part of the

Small Talk Collection.

Eric and I had a great time at WINOFEST.  Thank you to Vernon and all the Vendors who made our day fun and interesting!

Valentine's Day Dinner @ Mastro's Ocean Club in The Woodlands, Texas

Eric & I returned to

 Mastro's Ocean Club

in The Woodlands

 for our Valentine's Day

Dinner.

Love is in the Air...

Mastro's Ocean Club is a

popular choice for

Valentine's Day Dinner.

The Bar

The Patio is enclosed for

tonight's diners.

Inside, most of the

tables are occupied.

Our Server, Alec, is assisted by Lydia and Abby this evening.  Lydia warmly greets us.  She has an excellent memory and remembers Eric and me from Christmastime.

We start our Dinner with Dirty Martinis.

One of our two Bread Baskets

Mastro's Bread is sooo good.

Tonight, Eric and I focus on Appetizers and one Side Dish. 

The Lockhart Texas Quail Knots

with the Sweet & Hot Sauce are

amazing!

Jada comes to our table to wish us Happy Valentine's Day.  She makes Eric and me feel like two of her regular diners.  I am so impressed by Mastro's Ocean Club Staff.  

The Shrimp Cocktail with

Cocktail Sauce, Horseradish

Sauce, & Lemon is an

amazing show.

This half of the Scalloped

Potatoes will go home

with us.

The Chocolate Sin Cake topped with

 Chocolate Sticks & Raspberries,

with Pinot Noir from the Argyle

Winery is the perfect ending

for our Valentine's Dinner.

While waiting for our car

to be brought to the front

of the restaurant, I took

pictures of this Rolls Royce...

... & a Ferrari.

Mastro's Ocean Club is the place to go to admire expensive cars after a delicious dinner.

The National Museum of Funeral History in Houston, Texas

Eric & I at the National Museum of Funeral History

This is a huge space with many displays and takes hours to tour.

Casket Making

Most Caskets in this country are made of wood.  Taking care of the dead was done by family for hundreds of years.  The body was washed, clothed, and displayed in the Parlor of the grieving family's home. 

Embalming became common in the US during the  Civil War.

This Cruciform Casket is from the 

early 1900s.

It is a work of art.

This Glass Casket is rare.

By the time adult-sized

Caskets were manufactured,

the demand had dried up.

This Casket for Three has 

a tragic story.

The death of a child is devastating.  Following the death of their young child, the parents created this plan...  They went to another state to have the Coffin for Three custom-built.  The husband would murder the wife, the wife would commit suicide,  and they would be put into the Casket together. It would then be shipped to the town where their child died.  The disinterred child would lie between the parents forever.  The couple didn't follow through with their gruesome plan and the Casket eventually made its way to this Museum. 

Hand-drawn Carts were used to transport the dead until the development of the Hearse in the 1800s.

A Horse-Drawn Hearse

was built in 1832.

This white Children's Hearse 

was built in 1900.

Its small Casket

This ornate late 1800s Hearse

is an "all-weather vehicle."

In the winter the sled beneath

can be attached.

The 1916 Packard Funeral Bus

The Driver's Seat

Casket with flowers

Seating for the Mourners

Eric's favorite is the 1921

Rock Falls Hearse.

The carved drapery is

exquisite.

This 1850s Casket & the 

Hand-Caned "Board"

are quite rare.

The Casket is designed to hold 

ice to keep the body from

decomposing & the Caned

Board keeps the body from 

getting wet during the viewing.

The Funeral Parlor Business

in this country started in

the early 1800s.

The Duel Purpose Hearse...

1929 Studebaker-Superior

Hearse

There's a Stretcher inside.

This Hearse did double duty

as an Ambulance.

1938 Henney Packard

Flower Car

Remembering famous people who have died...

Marilyn Monroe

Elvis Presley

Kobe Bryant

Crematoriums & Cremations

started in the US in 1876.

Modern Cremation

Egyptian Embalming

Anubis, God of Embalming

The Embalming Room

An Egyptian Sarcophagus

Mexico's Day of the Dead

has many traditions.

People in Ghana are buried in

hand-crafted Fantasy Coffins.

The Swiss Guard guard a

 deceased Pope's body.

The Funerals of George

& Barbara Bush

This Hearse was used for Former

Presidents Ronald Reagan &

George H. W. Bush.

This Blog Post is an overview of the many displays at this Museum dedicated to the history of America's  Funeral Industry.