The End of 59

Today is the last day that I'll be 59. Tomorrow I cross over into old lady-hood. Sometimes there's a part inside me that screams with agony about getting old. Other times I feel a gracefulness and peace about it. 

Last month when I colored my hair I just did lowlights rather than covering all the white (which is closely approaching 100%).

This girl has the capability of enhancing both these extremes. "Sit here. Come, get under here." Sorry, the body can't do that as easily anymore. On the other hand, she helps me get into 'play' mode which, as an adult, is hard for this serious old coot to do most of the time.

We went to the Garden and Art Center for our yearly photo shoot. Spent most of the time in the shade rather than the flowers battling mosquitoes. But that will be for another day.

I think I will celebrate today perhaps more than tomorrow.

Defining Age

Some mornings I just want to chill. Or do I really mean check out? 

I'll escape to the grocery store that has a large coffee bar and get my breakfast burrito and coffee and read emails, FB and my friends blogs. When I'm in this 'mood' I rarely leave inspired. It doesn't usually get me out of the lazy funk I'm in. 

Today as I look around it's very crowded. I'm counting 36 people out of which only four are women. It's 8:45 and the number of obviously retired folk are only five. There is a group of old guys that come here every morning but today a few didn't show up. I would image they usually try to schedule their doctor's appointments around their coffee time. 

Oops, another female just showed up. She appears in her 60s but is dressed in red leggings, knee high gorgeous grey boots, her top barely long enough to cover her bottom, long blonde thick hair that looks like a wig, red lipstick and expensive sunglasses. Looking at her reminds me of a friend (male) that is struggling to hold on to youth. He's without a job now for a year and a half and is in his latter 50s. And that's all I dare say about him. I see those cute clothes in the junior department and wish they would fit because the ones that do in the women's look like old lady clothes. Of course I don't FEEL like an old lady. (Except sometimes when I get out of bed). 

"Old"-  The definition is relative. It is calculated by adding 15 years to your age. (Or perhaps 20.)

We have in the past couple weeks crossed over into the "Caring For Elderly Parents" roll. And none too soon. Although last year they might have remembered more things than they do now. I'm learning about POAs, PODs, IRAs and RMDs. And what happens when you haven't done an RMD for 6 years. I can't imagine why a bank would let you NOT do one. I'm learning about filing amended tax returns and that the SSAdmin sucks. They will be or biggest problem unless we can find someone that has a good friend that works there. 

We feel honored to be able to take care of the things they need help with. But it's harder when they live 100 miles away.

The girl in the red leggings..... She has a heart of gold. I've now watched her interact with several of the people and one worker to whom she gave a present. They chatted and hugged for several minutes.

Life is good.

Yes, it is a wig. She just pulled it up into a ponytail. (Only a hairstylist would know. I think she is one too.)

Snapseed edit.

Linking up with Barb for App Happy Wednesday.

Linking up with Lisa for Life Thru the Lens

Texture Tuesday May 20

Time is getting away from me…. again. My birthday is sneaking up fast but we won't talk about that.
Come over and check out the textured photos at Kim's Texture Tuesday today. The theme is Black and White. Should be interesting…..
No flowers today. I've been wanting to do a B&W version of the steeple-less church in Lightroom. Not as dramatic as I was hoping but I liked the texture. I did more tweaking(clarity, vignette, burning) in Lightroom after the texturing. And added Kim's warmyhaze preset for a more vintage look.

Details of the Santa Fe trip coming later this week.

Texas & Pacific Passenger Terminal

The Texas & Pacific Railroad Passenger Terminal

All photos from iPhone5 edited in Snapseed. (unless noted)

The rail first came through Fort Worth in 1876. This terminal was built in 1931 with what is considered the Zigzag art deco style. The station and office building included a lavish, segregated lobby with brass, glass, plaster, and marble embellishments.

Rail travel began to decline shortly after the terminal opened, and the last passenger train stopped in 1967. 

Over the next three decades the building was under utilized and isolated from downtown by elevated I-30. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1978, preservationists successfully rallied to save the old T and P Terminal in the 1980s when it was slated for demolition as part of interstate expansion plans.

It was the terminal's architectural significance that led to its revival. In 1999, the lobby was meticulously restored to its original appearance in preparation for its return to use as a depot, this time for the Trinity Railway Express, a commuter rail line in the Dallas and Fort Worth metro area. Shortly thereafter, I-30 was moved, reconnecting the T and P Terminal with downtown. 

Renaissance Development Co. and Wood Partners purchased the building in 2003, and, aided by government tax incentives, the upper floors were redeveloped into 46 residential condominiums and opened in 2006. It is twelve stories tall.

 A grand entrance to what was the passenger terminal, now it's rented out for parties.

Let's go inside...

This just took my breathe away. Partly because it was so big and the ceilings so high.

 Doors leading out to the train. There is always a clock, isn't there?

The ticket counter.
Isn't that ceiling something, and those chandeliers?

The rest of these were shot with my Canon 7D.

The entrance to the Lofts.

The only shot I got inside was of one of the three elevator doors. The girl at the desk wasn't exactly friendly.

The T& P Warehouse 

It was built in the same style. At the moment it is abandoned but there is hope to turn it into apartments. 

Looking from the east.

The south area. I snapped some wonderful grungy photos there.

Coming soon, the Post Office and the Courthouse.

I'll link this up with Helen also.

Friday Finds October 25th

I found Bravery.
As a side note, I'm also realizing how much fear has had a foothold in my life.
In a recent trip to Fort Worth TX with hubby I had 2 full days to explore the city. On day 2, I tackled downtown for nearly 5 hours on foot. (Wished I had downloaded one of those pedometer apps.) I parked at the north end near the courthouse after attempting several parking meters that were out of order.
I found several awesome old buildings and here are 5 of them.

1. The Tarrant County Courthouse. This is one of the architectural masterpieces in Fort Worth. It opened in 1895 and the building was restored in 1983. The dome was restored in 2012. As you can see they are working on the windows and who knows what else on the west side.
We've driven past this beauty on occasion while visiting the area however, I had never walked by. As I snapped away I noticed a gentleman go inside. What a novel idea. I would be brave and go in too. Sorry, all inside photos are reserved for another post.

Canon 24-70mm, 1/1000 sec;   f/2.8;   ISO 100, Lightroom edit

2. The Flatiron Building. Located at the corner of Houston and West 9th. At the time of its completion in 1907 it was one of city's the first steel frame buildings and the tallest building in north Texas. A doctor had it built and his offices were on the top floor. An interesting tidbit: William Jenkins Worth, the man for whom the city of Fort Worth is named, is buried at the base of Manhattan's Flatiron Building, which inspired the design of the Fort Worth building. If you really want to know more about it check here. (I didn't try to go in this one.)

iPhone, Snapseed

The next three are HUGE old buildings that I always have thought were abandoned. They sit right next to each other and are right there on the north side of the highway as you travel down I-30.

3. The Texas Pacific Railway Passenger Terminal. Built in 1931 in the art deco style. My jaw literally dropped when I walked through those doors. (Have I peaked your interest yet?) It is now the Texas & Pacific Lofts with the passenger terminal area available to rent out for festivities.

iphone, Snapseed

 The entrance to the lofts.

Canon 24-70mm, 1/125, f6.7, Lightroom edit

4. The US Post Office. How about that? I seriously thought this was an abandoned building. It's right next to the Lofts and while I was in the parking lot, I noticed someone pull up, get out of her car and walk in the doors. That was my queue to follow. Amazing, another art deco interior with awesome ceilings and marble pillars.

Canon 24-70mm f/2.8, 1/750 sec;   f/6.7;   ISO 100, Lightroom edit

5. The Texas & Pacific Warehouse built in 1931. It's funny how the Post Office is in between it and the Passenger Terminal. It offered space for the storage, distribution, and refrigeration of produce and merchandise. Office and salesrooms were also available inside the building; thus, tenants could consolidate their warehouse and showrooms under one roof.  

Canon 24-70mm f/2.8, 1/500 sec;   f/8;   ISO 100, Lightroom edit

 It it very much abandoned now.

1/90 sec;   f/8;   ISO 250, Lightroom edit

If I had known I was going to obsess over these buildings, I would have done some research before going. There is a lot of art deco style downtown. I may have to plan a trip back when the colors are changing. I'll be posting interiors over the next few days.

Linking up with: 

Kim for Friday Finds

Nancy for Random Five Friday

Helen for Weekend Walks

Have a great fall weekend!

Beauty in Death

I find that I'm drawn to things that are old... and dead. Not in a morbid sort of way, but I see the beauty that is there and imagine what was.

Textured with Kim Klassen's Sybil, and Postale.

Linda Sattgast's warming action.

Corner brush work, Fragments

Fonts: Mutlu and Windsong.

Digital scrap book pieces from Courtney's Digiscrappin, 'Garden Notebook'. See her store here.

Linking up with Kim for Texture Tuesday.