Benac.com Newsucanuse

The Pastrana Tapestries

The Editor — 1970-01-01T00:00:00+01:00

A spectacular new exhibition opened this weekend at the Meadows Museum featuring the 4 immense 15th C. Pastrana Tapestries. Recently restored to their former glory, they now hang in splendor in our giant exhibition space, where the Members' Preview reception was held to celebrate this beautiful cultural treasure. The Parents thoroughly enjoyed the eye-popping show, attended by the Portuguese ambassador, members of the Consulate of Spain, and other celebrants associated with the enterprise of sharing this jewel of world cultural heritage. Glorious. Thanks to former museum staff member, Tamytha Cameron, for her beautiful photos of the event. Come on down for a tour!

Fund Raising

The Editor — 1970-01-01T00:00:00+01:00

The Parents are busily raising funds for Mitt Romney's Presidential campaign these days. It's not a hard sell to anyone who feels a little nervous about the direction things are going in our country. We're going to leave a donation link at the top of Benac.com and invite you to become a part of Something Big as you contribute even the smallest amount toward the Change we REALLY need.

Just click on the green dollar sign, and the rest is...YOUR history!

The Staten Island Fairy Goes to Vegas

The Editor — 1970-01-01T00:00:00+01:00

After a few years of quiet seclusion, it appears that Maxine, aka the Staten Island Fairy has finally had the opportunity to make a trip to Vegas. We guess this is probably a first for our faithful friend (patterned after Janice from the Muppet band, Electric Mayhem-bet you didn't know that, did you kids?) was called upon to attend 7 year-old Penelope, whose baby teeth stubbornly remained until she coaxed one out her very own self. We trust Maxine treated Penny well in her customary style. Penny has three more loose teeth, so we expect she will soon be hearing from Maxine again, just as her own mother Sarah did in days of yore. Say hi to our old friend, Penny!

Emma Shines On

The Editor — 1970-01-01T00:00:00+01:00

Once again, an Allred shines. Comes to the top of the heap. We are so proud of our Emma, who as the number one-ranked singer in the region performed last night in a splendid concert along with a top choir in the annual All-Region Choirs show. A glorious night was spent enjoying exquisite music followed by an exceptional crabfest at the Fish City Grill. Oh, what a meal! Oh, what fun. Oh, how pleased we are to see the New Generation rising in splendor. We love you Emma!

Recycling: Keeping It in the Family

The Editor — 1970-01-01T00:00:00+01:00

One of the principles of fast and furiously organizing one's home, as explained in the book mentioned in our last post, is to aggressively weed out superfluous possessions. That they go out is more important than to whom they go. But how could we resist having a little fun with some valuable craft supplies and popping paper tonight, among other treasures we boxed up for the grandkids? Take a look!

Organizing!

The Editor — 1970-01-01T00:00:00+01:00

No, it didn't quite take a stick of dynamite, but we have gotten rid of hundreds of pounds of stuff from the Old Home after reading this WONDERFUL BOOK by one of those professional organizers who helps those crazy hoarders get their space back. The creepy thing is that many of the "before" pictures looked just like what we were seeing around here. Highly recommended for anyone. ANYONE! Try it. So many great tips that even the Editor Herself was prompted to move out the legendary Benac Fabric Hoard. It's still in the car, by the way, so if anyone wants it, contact me soon. Also going; legions of craft supplies. No, we don't need to be The Store. Come and get it!

Another Generation of Pogacha Makers!

The Editor — 1970-01-01T00:00:00+01:00

If you're going to be a Croatian Benac, you'd better know how to make pogacha. And eat the dried up, stale remnants torn into pieces and dropped into into a bowl of hot, sweetened milk spiced with nutmeg, our family twist on "Padro Bit. "Kelsey, you qualify! Our dear Special K baked up this family favorite with a twist to gain admission to International Night at Wi-Phi-III's school this week. The ticket was a cultural dish. Kelsey, YOU are a cultural dish! Thanks for sharing the joy of cooking like a Benac Woman!

A Cold Weather Project

The Editor — 1970-01-01T00:00:00+01:00

It was SO cold outside today that the sniffling Editor crept back from her bike ride into the craft room to create the latest raw edge applique French Rose pillow while watching Downton Abbey reruns. Thanks so much to Auntie Ruth for the inspiration. We're also VERY inspired by her Newly-organized craft room/studio, and resolve to get the one here at the Old Home in much better shape in time for Ruth's upcoming visit.

A Cold Weather Project

The Editor — 1970-01-01T00:00:00+01:00

It was SO cold outside today that the sniffling Editor crept back into the craft room to create the latest raw edge applique French Rose pillow while watching Downton Abbey reruns. Thanks so much to Auntie Ruth for the inspiration. We're also VERY inspired by her Newly-organized craft room/studio, and resolve to get the one here at the Old Home in much better shape in time for Ruth's upcoming visit.

Getting Behind Our Candidate

The Editor — 1970-01-01T00:00:00+01:00

We're getting behind our Man at a recent Highland Park event for Mitt Romney's local fundraisers (that would be Daddy Bill). Go, Mitt!

Another night, another 40 people for dinner.

The Editor — 1970-01-01T00:00:00+01:00

We were honored to fete our good friends, the Bankheads, visiting from CA for a Texas wedding. About 40 of us gathered at the Old Home to give them a real Texas welcome, catch up with Paul and Amy and ooh and ahh over their cute li'l baby boy. Check Here for pix.

A Surprise Visitor

The Editor — 1970-01-01T00:00:00+01:00

SOMEBODY had a happy morning at school yesterday. After Daddy Bill drove Nubsy back to UT Austin, he spent a night the the Austin Benacs and got to go to school with WiPhiIII, who looked very delighted indeed to have his grandpa with him at the morning assembly. We don't know who looked happier, but it was a great start to the day!

Happy Birthday Olivia!

The Editor — 1970-01-01T00:00:00+01:00

We're a little early on this one, due to a conflicting flight schedule, but we do NOT want to miss the chance to wish the lovely Olivia a most wonderful birthday. It's hard to believe she's already TEN years old! If you recognize the similarity between her and cousin Pennys' birthday photos, you're on the right track, as they were both spotted hanging out together in the front yard of the Old Home just a couple of weeks ago. What can we say about this girl? She is gracious, an uncommon trait among ten year-olds. Livy really makes the effort to soothe things over, to offer a kind word, defend the down -and -out, and is a natural nurterer. We love you, Olivia. Enjoy being ten; it won't last long!

Happy Birthday Olivia!

The Editor — 1970-01-01T00:00:00+01:00

We're a little early on this one, due to a flight schedule, but we do NOT want to miss the chance to wish the lovely Olivia a most wonderful birthday. It's hard to believe she's already TEN years old! If you recognize the similarity between her and cousin Pennys' birthday photos, you're on the right track, as they were both spotted hanging out together in the front yard of the Old Home just a couple of weeks ago. What can we say about this girl? Our compliment is that she is gracious, a trait not common among ten year-olds, but Livy really makes the effort to soothe things over, to offer a kind word, give a defense of the down and out, and is a natural nurterer. We love you, Olivia. Enjoy being ten; it won't last long!

Happy Birthday, Penny!

The Editor — 1970-01-01T00:00:00+01:00

Today is a special day for a certain little newly-7-year old out Vegas way. We salute our dear Penelope on the occasion of her birthday. Anyone who meets this charming little speck of humanity cannot fail to be impressed at her quick wit, sociability and, well; we can say it here: BEAUTY! Happy Birthday, sweet girl!

Sri Ties the Knot in Kerala

The Editor — 1970-01-01T00:00:00+01:00

While we observe our events tamely here in the West, our dear Madabhushis of the Subcontinent are gathered in Kerala and Hyderabad to celebrate the nuptials of Ram's sister Sri, who was wed this week amidst mind-boggling ceremonies and shopping mania, jewelry presentations, henna-fests and feasting, flying around, lounging on houseboats, and so many other activities that it bankrupts the Editor's brain to even contemplate it all. Sri, of course, looked absolutely gorgeous in her array of glorious outfits, and we wish her and Jubin all the best in their new life as husband and wife. Sri, a PhD student at SUNY in Buffalo, NY, probably hasn't sweated like this for some time. We fondly remember her spending a Christmas holiday with us here in Dallas and will therefore continue to be interested to see her life progress as a married lady.

Happy Birthday Nana!

The Editor — 1970-01-01T00:00:00+01:00

Today is the day. The children of our precious Nana Alice Taggart Taylor gathered in Sacramento today to honor her on her 90th birthday. PHOTOS HERE for diehards. Oh, we do love this lady. After a beautiful luncheon attended by 4 generations of family members, we listened to Auntie Margaret as she gave a presentation on Nana's life with profuse illustrations of our esteemed matriarch. We Taylor Siblings can't seem to get enough of each other, so instead of returning to our respective homes, we're hanging around playing games, doing puzzles and showing off our latest crazy iPhone Apps. Photos to follow. We're TIRED!

In the midst of all the excitement, we received a phone call from our Texas diva, Emma A., who excitedly related the news that she'd been selected for the All-Region Choir, AND scored the NUMBER ONE highest score for the entire region by the judges. CONGRATS, Emma Girl! We want pictures!

Nana's 90th

The Editor — 1970-01-01T00:00:00+01:00

It's one day away from our dear Nana Taylor's 90th birthday. 90th! Her adoring children will be in Sacramento this week to celebrate our dear matriarch's achievement, and to pay our loving respect to the Supreme Mother Goddess of the Taylor Clan. We love you, Mama! Happy Birthday, and know that you are revered by your loving offspring.

Happy New Year!

The Editor — 1970-01-01T00:00:00+01:00

It is with great pleasure that we wish you, one and all a glorious ride in the New Year. The Parents joined with our dear friends Bob and Helen A. for a romp in Dallas' Victory Plaza, where we celebrated with about 60,000 other happy Texans as the New Year was rung in with a glorious fireworks display. Yep. Happy New Year, Friends. This was a first for us. Great time.

A Win for BYU!

The Editor — 1970-01-01T00:00:00+01:00

Oh, so much going on around here! You'd think we believed the Mayan prophecy that it would be All Over in 2012. This morning we walked to SMU where we left Bill, Adam and Aaron to enjoy the Skybox seats to the annual Armed Forces Bowl football game, in which BYU scored a VICTORY against Tulsa. After the heartbreak of the World Series a few weeks ago in St. Louis, Madame Editor no longer wishes to attend sporting events in which she herself is not a participant. Too much heartbreak. But today was a GOOD day for BYU fans. Better still to enjoy it with congenial family and friends; in this case the Jensens-whom-we-love. Christi! You're on benac.com!

An Unexpected Detour

The Editor — 1970-01-01T00:00:00+01:00

Mary and Ram have been having Quite the Adventure getting to India (for Ram's sisters wedding)in the past few days. An unexpected travel glitch left then with an entire day to kill in London. After a weary call to Momma Editor, the pair wisely heeded maternal advice and headed straight to the National Gallery, which is, bar none, the Editor's FAVORITE museum in the entire universe! Then, on to the British Museum and a walk through some of the more interesting streets of the City. No matter that they were completely exhausted; they were good travelers (meaning that when something goes "wrong," you make it into a new and unexpected "right," and explored that marvelous city instead of cooling their heels in the airport for a day. We are quite sure they have no regrets on that count.

And yes, you Smart Ones, that is Degas' lady from The Absinthe Drinkers sitting across Mary in the Cafe of the National Gallery.

Death by Puzzle

The Editor — 1970-01-01T00:00:00+01:00

We're engulfed in Puzzle Mania around here. Luckily, most of us have survived the grueling, late-night labors of the brain. RIP Taylor, and thanks for helping us make sense of the Sistine Chapel Ceiling. Bless your heart.

Christmast Jumble Pack

The Editor — 1970-01-01T00:00:00+01:00

That's it. We can't do this anymore; so much going on to keep up with all the photos, so for the diehards only, This is what comes of going steady. Merry Christmas to all!

Happy Birthday Lille!

The Editor — 1970-01-01T00:00:00+01:00

Happy Birthday wishes are in order for one of our most effervescent darlings of all: Miss Lille of soon-to-be-Dallas, who celebrates her 10th year today in the company of more cousins, aunts and uncles and Grandpa Bill than any other grandchild in Benac Family History! the Editor toils at home, cleaning up after our 21-person sleepover last night and prepares for another 30-person event tonight. We love you, Lilliput!

More Benacs!

The Editor — 1970-01-01T00:00:00+01:00

Time for bed. We've now got Flakes, freshly arrived from their long drive from Vegas just in time for our Christmas Eve dinner, family Christmas program, and a long night of gift wrapping and stocking factory before heading where we're now heading: To BED! We do miss our little Clevelandites and the Madabhushis of the Too-Far North, but you can't have everything.