Life after 60 – Adventure

New trick -disguises

Whitney and her Paw Paw spent the day on their own adventure in Dallas at the Museum of Nature & Science learning how to be a good spy. The CIA and MI-6 helped with the exhibit and training information. You can get tickets for the training online. They had a blast. The training covers the science of spying. This includes honing powers of observation, using a secret identityand completing a Secret Misson. Whitney took in all the training. Later in the evening she decided she was going to “become” her grandmother and gathered up several items her grandmother may wear or use.

AKA Granny Spy was born

Who IS this person?

 This new person, Granny Spy, wandered about the house unnoticed. That is until the spy began leaning in close to folks while emitting an odd “beep beep” sound from deep within the disguise.

 The day was a great learning experience I think any child would enjoy and the museum is not paying me to talk about the spy progam. The museum even has spy overnights for the kids this summer and mystery dinner events. Support the museum by attending an event or becoming a member.

During the day Ken and Whitney also visited the IMAX theater and went digging for dinosaur fossils inside the museum and not outside in the extreme heat.

Can you find my face? If you look hard you'll see me looking back.

Whitney and I went to a car show in Mabank not too long only to discover the cars were litteraly history. She spotted the park right off and headed in that direction. I had my camera so we played a game of “lets see if I can swing faster than the camera can shoot.”

Below is the outcome:

or am I falling? Neither - just swinging!

Am I marching or dancing? Neither - just swinging!

Just swinging

After the swings, Whitney thought she’d move on to the see saw. Only grandma isn’t as good as Whitney when it comes to this fun ride. Lucky for me it began to rain so we left!

Everyone can dream

Then the rain comes......

Soon after the home was built

The article listed below gives good information to the  newspaper by the garden club. While this covers an event that has already occurred, the book on the history of Malakoff is still available and the  address for the club is still a good address.

I have been fortunate enough to have been given the ability to follow the restoration of the home on my blog. A lot of photographs are soon to follow along with a lot of fascinating history.

In need of serious restoration

Club gets Bartlett House
Special to The Malakoff News

The Greater Malakoff Area Garden Club (GMAGC) has acquired the T. A. Bartlett property, featuring the remains of one of the most outstanding homes built in Henderson County during the Depression, as well as two lots across the street from the Bartlett House and another lot that was the location of the old hotel (no longer in existence) on the southeast corner of the railroad and State Highway 198.

The old hotel lot, which is a “gateway property into Malakoff,” according to Lyn Dunsavage Young, President of the GMAGC, was donated to the GMAGC by the Cedar Lake Nursing Home and the Cedar Lake Home Health and Hospice businesses.

Located next to the Acme Brick Plant on Bartlett Road, the Bartlett House is in ruin because of years of neglect and vandalism, but it is also located on grounds that were once known for its outstanding gardens and garden furniture, which the Garden Club plans to resurrect.

The GMAGC initially plans to undertake a clearing of the debris from the property and then a major planting and beautification project on all the properties. They have begun this week with the cutting of dead trees, overgrowth, downed limbs, and the removal of junk vehicles, car parts and trash.

The Greater Malakoff Area Garden Club plans to share details of their vision for these properties at a Christmas “Before Party” on the Bartlett House property on Dec. 13 from 5-8 p.m. (on the day of the Christmas parade that morning).

There will be a cost of $50 per person or per couple, with each $50 donor to receive a copy of the “Malakoff, Texas” book that the GMAGC has been compiling for the last two years and which is expected off the presses at that time.
“Our gift of the book to the Christmas “Before Party” makes the party basically free,” explained Young. The entrance fee is tax-deductible because the club is a nonprofit 401-3-C.

The “Malakoff, Texas” book, which is approximately 400 pages with 300-plus pictures, covers the history of Malakoff from 30,000 years ago to today and is presently being sold at its prepublication price of $49.95. Like other history books in the area that have a one-time publication date, the book price is expected to rise over time, as it becomes more difficult to obtain. The Henderson County Homes book and the Family Histories of Henderson County, for example, are now selling online for $100 – $150.
Jo Ann Surls, who has worked on four history books about the area, said, “This book on Malakoff is truly the best one of all. Dozens of people have contributed personal stories that bring decades of history alive. I’ve been amazed by its intimacy. This is a collection of many people’s stories, photos, and research, including, most notably, Edna Evans; the Henderson County Historical Society, Kay Pulley, Henry Norris, Nelda Reynolds, Theo Daniel, and Pat Isaacson’s collection. It includes everything from Malakoff to Science Hill to Tool, Payne Springs, and Trinidad. It’s truly amazing.”

Anyone wishing to attend and obtain the book that night needs to send their check prior to the event to GMAGC, Box 897, Malakoff 75148 (and note that it is for the “Christmas Before Party”), so sufficient materials, books, and refreshments will be available.

“Presently, the property is dangerous because of the debris, but, once cleared for the Christmas ‘Before Party,’ we plan to resurrect the heritage plants that still exist, obtain donations of heritage plants indigenous to the area, and recreate the beauty begun by Mr. and Mrs. Bartlett eighty years ago,” explained Young. “We plan to market the property to attract people interested in architecture, archeology, gardening, and the history of this house, the town, and Mr. Bartlett’s industry (now Acme Brick) to again make Malakoff a ‘place to come to.’”

The Garden Club also plans to obtain a historic designation for the property.

Young explained the garden club began negotiating to obtain the Bartlett House property eight years ago from the heirs of the Ernest Fletes family, who were the only other occupants of the property since it was built. “We recognized it could be one of the most incredible opportunities for tourism Malakoff has ever seen.”

“Some people outside Malakoff know of its unique place in the world geologically, archeologically and architecturally, but we want all people to know about its place in history. The acquisition of these properties will give us the opportunity to share Malakoff’s uniqueness,” Young explained.

“We would appeal to the citizens to watch over these valuable resources these properties represent – as if they were their own property, because, in reality, that’s how we view it – to stop the vandalism and destruction. Once we clear it, we hope to secure it but, in the meantime, it’s to everyone’s advantage that we can preserve as much of it as possible,” said Young.

When the home was grand and hosted Saturday night dances

Original members of the team from 2007. It’s a whole new world now, but they should receive recognition as the beginning team.

That was information I posted years ago and was a training session more than an investigation. The name of the team changed several times before settling with East Texas Paranormal. That seems to fit us well. Little did I realize that the name was a busy Internet search which has brought a number of calls to my phone. East Texas Paranormal can be found at our website and on Facebook. Simply plug in East Texas Paranormal. We have one requirement before conducting a detailed interview or investigation – you must send a detailed email including what is happening, your first and last name, full address and phone number. Without that information we aren’t able to help and we don’t solicit investigations. The is never a charge for an investigation. However, we have started requesting a small fee to help replenish items used during a cleansing or blessing. Being the ages most of us are we are able to investigate day, night and any day of the week. Should you be several hours away we may ask for travel costs. Again, that depends on distance and is case by case. We may have another group or trusted individual we can refer to help if you are a distance away.

You can contact us a number of different ways, including the form at the bottom of this post.

Martha Hazzard Decker

Founder

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This was Whitney’s first vacation with her grandparents and has not been the last, but it is the one we’ll talk about on this post. Our trip began at Carlsbad Canyon. Then we moved on to the Prude Ranch at Ft. Davis, TX where we stayed until moving onto the lodge in the Chisos Mountains of BBNP.