It’s nothing like Westlock’s celebrations, but this was outside my experience in my life so far, so thought I’d share it.

I drove out to a ladies retreat Sat. morn about 45 minutes north of Abilene in Lueder. It was at a Baptist Bible Camp. It was quite a nice drive and the camp was on the banks of a river with trees just starting to change. It was a beautiful day with quadathalons (the last leg was to eat pudding without utensils), rifle shooting, archery and much laughter and eating. It was so warm, 25C, prayer walk was along blooming rose bushes. Nov 14th in Texas.
I made it back into town to go through a Holiday House Tour charity for the Philharmonic Orchestra. This is where it was really wacky. I took a sweater and put it on when we went into the homes and took it off when I came out. The air was on in most of them. The 6 houses that participated were beautiful, but the last was the best. I saw how the 5% of Abilene live (I’d say how the other 1/2 lives, but we all know that the fraction of people who live this way is by far smaller than 1/2). Everyone was talking about the “Guitar Mansion” so I was expecting it to resemble a guitar somehow; either have some in the home or some history about guitars, or something. The architecture was French, Georgian and Colonial inspired (don’t be impress with my knowledge. It was on a plaque), with huge white columns on the outside. Elves slipped CSI booties on my feet at the door and a real ballerina greeted me to introduce the home.

I don’t ever want to own one of these, remember that as I describe it, cause it was so beautiful: crystal and white and glass. The ballroom has 22 foot ceiling with 7 feet wide waterford crystal chandeliers and all white furniture with crushed velvet fuchsia pink cushions. Everything in this house was white, crystal or fuchsia pink, and yes, there was a man in the house. Oh, I found out why it was called the Guitar house. The people who live there: Joan and Pete Guitar.

The outdoor courtyard was surrounding a swimming pool, fireplace and black granite water fountain with girl hosts dressed up as penguins. Too cute. They showed us into the household gym that, yes, was lit by 2 crystal chandeliers and had a wine fridge…hmmm. Then the bedroom, not bad, but the bathroom…nay, the closet, the lady of the house’s closet about the length of our apartment with individual compartments for rolled up belts and each pair of shoes and sunglasses and purses.  The little ballerinas were all in a twitter about this room as it was a teenage girl’s dream. The kitchen was white with white marble and every counter top appliance was in pink: toaster, coffee maker, cutting board and knife block and handles including the tiles behind the stove top. So much more, but I don’t want to go on and on. Perhaps the reason this made such an impact on me is with all the houses we’ve seen, they are all pretty dark or painted a bit darker colors and the whiteness was so uplifting and clean.

From there I went to drive around to look for a home and driving by a bunch of people putting out Christmas decorations. One guy was pounding a Santa plaque into his green lawn wearing shorts and a tshirt. So wacky.

The walk around the yards that day, with blooming hybiscus and fishes in the pools, just one of those days. Guess this is the norm in Abilene, although they do say it’s a bit warm for this time of year. Today Edmonton, Lethbridge and Calgary were all a degree warmer than here. How nice that would be for you all!