0 CommentsWhere will Farley be next… Farley the Ferret is the stuffed pet of the West University branch of the Harris County Public Library. While he usually sits quietly on a shelf, this summer he was busy globetrotting with different West U families. Margaret Triandafyllis trekked with Farley in tow to Yosemite National Park. From there it was off to England for Farley with the Ian Robson family, then on to Hawaii with Stuart, Julie, Rebecca and Jay Jackson, and finally to Canada to see Niagara Falls with Catherine Parsons and her family. A giant map in the children’s section of the library shows where Farley has been. Librarian Libby Nelson says it is easy to take Farley along because he is “smooshy and very compact. He is small enough to fit in a child’s backpack, especially since one family had an unfortunate misstep, sending Farley through the washing machine,” she said. Farley is available to join more families in their fall travels.
Ballet fans and moviegoers (from left) Larry and Daniel Scott, as well as Marcia, Anna and Mike Nichols, attend the benefit screening of Mao’s Last Dancer at the Museum of Fine Arts.
One last dance… While summer is normally a slow time for benefit galas, crowds turned out in force for the Houston premier screening of the movie Mao’s Last Dancer at the Museum of Fine Arts. Tickets sold out in minutes. Charles and Lilly Foster, Lynn and Oscar Wyatt, and Mike, Marcia and Anna Nichols enjoyed mingling with celebrities Bruce Greenwood and Kyle MacLachlan, who have starring roles in the film. The movie tells the story of young, poverty-stricken Li Cunxin from China and his inspirational journey as a world-class dancer and principal with Houston Ballet. Li joined friends and former dance partners Suzanne Longley, Janie Parker and Martha Butler at the July 31 benefit screening. As a young man he was discovered by Houston Ballet artistic director emeritus Ben Stevenson, who brought Li to America as part of the first cultural-exchange program allowed between China and the United States, with the help of immigration attorney Charles Foster. Tears and laughter filled the theater during the film, and the audience responded with a robust standing ovation when it was over. The film will be showing in Houston in September at Landmark River Oaks Theatre.
Madrid celebrates… World traveler Carla Villardo and her mom Terri pick a different locale to visit each summer, and this year it was Spain. As luck would have it, they were in Madrid when Spain won the World Cup. “It was crazy,” says 13-year-old Carla. “People were everywhere, hugging everybody, coming out into the streets wrapped in the Spanish flag as their clothes.” Mom Terri agreed. “I have been in cities when teams won, like Houston with the Rockets. But this was insane. The sheer number of people celebrating was overwhelming. Ladies had the player’s name written on their legs in lipstick.” They said Madrid was wonderful, but they would like to go next at a time which would be less crowded.
And it’s off to New York… The first half of the baseball season has not been kind to the Houston Astros, but season ticket holders and avid fans Katie Barnes, Lauren Petak and Pam Petak were hopeful in the stands when the Astros played the Chicago Cubs on July 27. The ‘Stros did not disappoint as Lance Berkman hit what was to be his final grand slam in an Astros uniform, bringing the fans in the stadium to their feet.
California Dreamin’… Sixty five-degree weather was not the only thing magical about the Jacksons’ northern California family vacation. Hiking in the redwoods, followed by a picnic lunch with fancy Frisbee throwing, digging holes in the sand, and playing “Pacific Ocean, I dare you to touch my toes!” at the beach have George, Shelli and Nathan all wanting to go back to Costanoa, a San Francisco-area resort, next year. Shelli says it is easy to have the best day ever when it is filled with family, artichokes and Chardonnay.
Gather at the river… Old friendships were renewed and new ones formed at First Presbyterian Church’s annual family retreat at Mo-Ranch in Hunt. Just as in years past, the Guadalupe River was a huge draw, with kids Adam Homeyer, Grace Homeyer, Ben Homeyer, Lilly Reamer, Eva Wolfe and Grace Wolfe playing in the rapids. Meanwhile, adults Robin and Scott Reamer, Paul and Shelley Homeyer, Chris Wolfe and Nora Dobin kept a watchful eye and relaxed in the limestone pools carved by the water’s current.
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