Press Buddies and Paintings in Denison

Who knew there was so much to see and do in Denison, Texas?

Our first stop was another quilt shop,  Home A La Mode. It was an eclectic place housed in an old hospital that later became a private residence. The upstairs rooms are now sleeping quarters for quilters who want to do a weekend  retreat. Downstairs there was some fabric mixed with old box fans, jewelry and Toy Story collectibles. In the back was a tea room where breakfast and lunch are served. Like I said, it was an eclectic place.

Eisenhower's birthplace in Denison.

My Texas Press Women (TPW) and NFPW buddy Kay Casey was a wonderful hostess and guide. She met us at the quilt shop and took us on a tour of the business and residential districts, including a drive-by of the old Katy railroad station (Denison was founded as a railroad town), before taking us to President Dwight D. Eisenhower's birthplace. 

Then she dropped me off at the local library to post photos on my Monday blog and took Annette back downtown for some shopping. An hour later, she picked me up and we had lunch at the tea room in Home A La Mode, joined by another TPW/NFPW member, Donna Hunt. Donna writes a twice-weekly local newspaper column and said Annette and I would be her next subjects. I guess we'll be famous in Denison, huh?

Kay and Donna have lived in Denison so long they know just about everyone there, and everyone knows them. Kay is a retired high school journalism teacher, while Donna is a former newspaper reporter who later helped turn Eisenhower's birthplace into a tourist site, then ran it for six years. Everywhere we went, Kay called shop owners by their first names, and everyone knew Donna from her popular columns. Annette and I just basked in their glow.

Elaine, Donna & Kay

While I was at the library, Annette went shopping at a local artisans' shop called Kaboodles and an antique mall. After lunch, she took a siesta in my truck while I went to Kaboodles. I never got to the antique mall because I bought two original, western water color paintings by local artist Ron Speed, and had to visit an ATM for some cash. I got a better price that way. I was hoping to meet the artist, but he had stepped out and wasn't due to return for a while. So I had my paintings packed up and stuffed them into my truck. The store manager promised to take a photo of Speed and email it to me.

It was almost 3 p.m. by the time we left Denison, headed for Fort Worth. Traffic was heavy approaching the city, so we didn't arrive until 7 p.m. We decided to splurge and stay at the Stockyards Hotel. We splurged again and had dinner in the adjoining H3 Restaurant, where we had eaten lunch last year. (See last March's Texas blogs for details about the hotel.)

Be sure to check out my Monday blog, posted this morning, even if you have already read it. I did manage to get some pictures posted while on the library computer.

Wednesday, I hope to do a horseback ride along the Chisolm Trail, while Annette rests and does some more retail therapy. Then we'll head south to West and Waco.

Talk to you Wednesday night.