| 25 years of growth set to go for cancer relay
Ironically, when Mr Garden retired he had written a "retirement plan", with a list of things to do based on each letter in his name, Roderick Garden. The first R stood for "remove beard", a promise to himself that Mr Garden now has 845 good reasons to keep. STORY: GERALD FORD. PHOTO: LYNDA FERINGA .
February’s Art Walk wows with variety, works from new artists
Aldo Biglioni's paintings were featured at España. NIU Urban Living had some new paintings by Judith De Gonzalez, among works by a variety of artists. Everyone is encouraged to participate in McAllen's First Friday Art Walks. The next Art Walk is March 2. Caribbean Printmakers is on display at the Art House, located at 1009 Laurel St., through Feb. 23. Hours are Mondays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and by appointment. ——— Nancy Moyer, Ph.D., is an art reviewer for The Monitor. She is an independent artist living in McAllen and may be reached at nmoyer@rgv.rr.com. .
Purses are prized, plentiful collectibles
One of the advantages of visiting a large antique show is the opportunity to talk with specialty dealers who only handle one or two types of items. At last week's Miami Beach Show, there were a lot of booths with a single focus, including canes, silver, Tiffany lamps, art pottery, vintage purses, cut glass, Royal Doulton, bookends, singing bird boxes and many others. Specialists are often collectors first and become dealers later. This was the way vintage and antique purse dealer Nula Thanhauser got started. While she has been a collector for 25 years, Thanhauser only has been a dealer for a year. Her handbags are exquisite and she was pleased with her sales at the show. When talking about vintage purses, many people think of beaded bags with scenic patterns or perhaps one with petit point needlework.
New kid aims to please: With a little maturity, Bambilina's could grow into a champ
As the name would imply, Bambilina's reminds me of a little kid who can't decide what she wants to be when she grows up. She's cute as a button and can be absolutely charming in her better moments, but mostly she needs a little discipline and maturity. For a new cafe, however, that kind of appeal can wear thin. For diners to become repeat customers, they need to be won over by a solid dining experience that includes good food and thoughtful service. Based on two recent visits, Bambilina's shows something akin to a youngster's eager grasp of these fundamentals. Opened in December in an old stretch of shops in an area near Railhead Smokehouse, Bambilina's provides interesting renditions of home-cooking favorites and other versions of comfort food, such as pasta and pizza.
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