Pic Today 10/31/11

"NOCHE DE LOS MUERTOS"

Pics from a weekend Halloween party.

Lots of dead people and zombies,

with a few surprise "crashers."

(I'm still trying to get the grease paint

out of my beard!)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE.

Pic Today 10/30/11

GOURMET DINNER

FOR FINAL GAME OF WORLD SERIES

Why not?

What better way to watch the final (and deciding) game

of the 2011 World Series . . .

than a 9-course gourmet dinner!

And what a dinner it was.

And what a game!

(St. Louis Cardinals won.)

A great way to celebrate victory,

and enjoy incredible gourmet food with friends.

Bon Appetit!

Pic Today 10/29/11

2011

WORLD CHAMPIONS

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS

Congratulations St. Louis Baseball Cardinals,

victorious World Series champions.

We're very proud of our 11th World Series championship.

You teach us to never give up,

the value of team work and

to always believe in a dream!

What a season!

What a team!

Wow!

Pic Today 10/28/11

FROM SHEEP TO LOOM:

THE BEAUTY OF NAVAJO WEAVING

These Navajo rugs are currently on display,

and just part of the woven collection at the Gilcrease Museum.

These traditional rugs were each hand woven

on vertical log looms, of handspun wool

from tribal sheep that are considered

an important part of the Navajo family.

Wools are hand dyed from natural, vegetable dyes.

Each Navajo rug takes 4 to 12 months to weave.

Weavings were originally used for blankets,

as well as door coverings for "hondo" winter dwellings.

Smaller rugs were woven and sold to

the tourist trade starting in the 1930s and 40s.

Original, older Navajo weavings from the

late 19th century can be worth $50,000 and more,

especially in excellent condition.

Each design has special spiritual significance

and represents earthly and heavenly powers.

Many of these rugs were purchased directly

from the Navajo weaver, or family,

by Thomas Gilcrease.

Pic Today 10/27/11

LARGEST COLLECTION OF AMERICAN INDIAN ART:

ONE MAN'S LIFE-LONG OBSESSION

With Creek Indian in his blood,

Thomas Gilcrease was entitled to 160-acres of land in 1900

in a settlement between the U.S. and other native Americans.

As fate and good luck would have it,

his land (near Tulsa, Oklahoma) was situated

on one of the richest sites of crude oil,

discovered by drillers in 1905.

This made Gilcrease a multi-millionaire by age 20.

He invested his money in more land

and began buying and collecting American Indian art.

By the 1950s, Gilcrease had accumulated the

largest collection of native American art and artifacts,

along with important paintings of the American west.

That collection is now owned by the city of Tulsa,

and housed in the fabulous Gilcrease Museum.

Virtually every important Indian and Western artist

is represented at the museum, along with priceless

historical manuscripts and documents.

(More art on tomorrow's blog,

including fabulous Navajo rugs!)

Pic Today 10/26/11

BELIEVE IT OR NOT:

THIS WAS ONCE A PRIVATE HOME & GARDEN

When oil was discovered in Oklahoma in 1901,

Waite Phillips became fabulously rich.

He used his enormous oil riches

to build this extravagant mansion

and manicured hillside water garden.

Here's the good part . . .

he donated his mansion and grounds to Tulsa.

Today, it operates as a private art museum,

called the Philbrook Museum of Art.

The gardens and estate are extraordinarily beautiful.

This historic home and estate now belong to the people

and are definitely worth the visit.