A Garden Makes a House a Home features twenty-five residential gardens from every region across the United States, presented by veteran shelter magazine garden editor Elvin McDonald in a lavishly illustrated format. Lush, well-tended gardens—whether they adorn humble cottages or sprawling estates—add beauty and personality to any property and truly make a house into a home. In this volume, gardens from simple to grand respond to the needs of their sites and reveal the unique personalities of the owners that care for them: on a tight urban lot in Houston, a thoughtful selection of water-loving plants and an innovative fountain that mediates rainfall from the city’s frequent deluges block out noise from the surrounding streets; elaborate terraces on a steep hillside in Portland, Oregon, create a variety of outdoor living spaces nestled directly among a rich tapestry of perennials, tall grasses, and Japanese maples; and on forty verdant New Hampshire acres, a series of garden “rooms” and meandering paths create an Edwardian-inspired escape. The diverse array of gardens inspire with glorious, full-color images of plants thriving in all climates—berries, lettuces, and herbs burst from the rich soils of Berkeley, California, in an edible garden the whole neighborhood is invited to enjoy; succulents of all sizes and shapes add color and texture to a lakeside home in Dallas and an arid Tucson yard equally well; dozens of bonsai and plants native to Asia create an authentic Eastern atmosphere in Indianola, Iowa; the rambling cottage-style plantings of England are reinterpreted in a river valley in Knoxville, Tennessee; and closely clipped boxwood in Greenwich, Connecticut, forms a parterre that rivals the beauty of its elaborate French predecessors across the ocean. Elvin McDonald draws on his forty-five years of professional experience and distinguished career to present a collection of exquisite landscapes, created both by avid amateurs and well-known designers including Suzy Bales, Rosalind Creasy, Douglas Hoerr, Raymond Jungles, Karen Strohbeen and Bill Luchsinger, and Phillip Watson, that will inspire all who recognize the allure greenery can add to a home.
Populated by wildflowers and roses, water lilies and cacti, the public gardens of Texas offer some of the most diverse designs and varieties of plant specimens found in the nation. From the Antique Rose Emporium in Brenham to the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens, the author details more than 30 public gardens throughout Texas, examining the histories, layouts, designs, and plantings unique to each. More than 100 full-color photographs and illustrations provide a private tour through the Forbidden Gardens in Katy, the tropical conservatory and rainforest in the Amarillo Botanical Gardens, and the Bayou Bend Sculpture Garden in Houston. With its stunning images and detailed meditations on each of Texas's little Edens, this gorgeous collection is perfect for all seasons.
From plantation performances to minstrel shows of the late nineteenth century, the roots of black theatre in Texas reflect the history of a state where black Texans have continually created powerful cultural emblems that defy the clichés of horses, cattle, and bravado. Drawing on troves of archival materials from numerous statewide sources, Stages of Struggle and Celebration captures the important legacies of the dramatic arts in a historical field that has paid most of its attention to black musicians. Setting the stage, the authors retrace the path of the cakewalk and African-inspired dance as forerunners to formalized productions at theaters in the major metropolitan areas. From Houston’s Ensemble and Encore Theaters to the Jubilee in Fort Worth, gospel stage plays of the Black Academy of Arts and Letters in Dallas, as well as San Antonio’s Hornsby Entertainment Theater Company and Renaissance Guild, concluding with ProArts Collective in Austin, Stages of Struggle and Celebration features founding narratives, descriptions of key players and memorable productions, and enlightening discussions of community reception and the business challenges faced by each theatre. The role of drama departments in historically black colleges in training the companies’ founding members is also explored, as is the role the support of national figures such as Tyler Perry plays in ensuring viability. A canon of Texas playwrights completes the tour. The result is a diverse tribute to the artistic legacies that continue to inspire new generations of producers and audiences.
The United States has had not one, but two Foundings. The Constitution produced by the Second Founding came to be only after a vociferous battle between Federalists and Anti-Federalists. The Federalists favored a relatively powerful central government, while the Anti-Federalists distrusted the concentration of power in one place and advocated the preservation of sovereignty in the states as crucibles of post-revolutionary republicanism -- the legacy of the First Founding. This philosophical cleavage has been at the heart of practically every major political conflict in U.S. history, and lives on today in debates between modern liberals and conservatives. In The Lovers' Quarrel, Elvin T. Lim presents a systematic and innovative analysis of this perennial struggle. The framers of the second Constitution, the Federalists, were not operating in an ideational or institutional vacuum; rather, the document they drafted and ratified was designed to remedy the perceived flaws of the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union. To decouple the Two Foundings is to appreciate that there is no such thing as "original meaning," only original dissent. Because the Anti-Federalists insisted that prior and democratically sanctioned understandings of federalism and union had to be negotiated and partially grafted onto the new Constitution, the Constitution's Articles and the Bill of Rights do not cohere as well together as has conventionally been thought. Rather, they represent two antithetical orientations toward power, liberty, and republicanism. The altercation over the necessity of the Second Founding generated coherent and self-contained philosophies that would become the core of American political thought, reproduced and transmitted across two centuries, whether the victors were the neo-Federalists (such as during the Civil War and the New Deal) or the neo-Anti-Federalists (such as during the Jacksonian era and the Reagan Revolution). The Second Founding -- the sole "founding" that we generally speak of -- would become a template for the unique, prototypically American species of politics and political debate. Because of it, American political development occurs only after the political entrepreneurs of each generation lock horns in a Lovers' Quarrel about the principles of one of the Two Foundings, and succeed in justifying and forging a durable expansion or contraction of federal authority.
Trees of the California Landscape combines in a single volume just about everything landscape design professionals or home gardeners need to know about California trees. This excellent reference book/field guide will be particularly welcomed by landscape architects, as it pulls together a range of information about trees currently scattered throughout a number of older reference works. The heart of the book is a compendium of trees and includes essential information about individual species. The supporting sections on taxonomy, climate, range of native forest types, applications and special use lists contain a wealth of useful information."—Heath Schenker, Professor and Chair, Department of Landscape Architecture, UC Davis
A Garden Makes a House a Home features twenty-five residential gardens from every region across the United States, presented by veteran shelter magazine garden editor Elvin McDonald in a lavishly illustrated format. Lush, well-tended gardens—whether they adorn humble cottages or sprawling estates—add beauty and personality to any property and truly make a house into a home. In this volume, gardens from simple to grand respond to the needs of their sites and reveal the unique personalities of the owners that care for them: on a tight urban lot in Houston, a thoughtful selection of water-loving plants and an innovative fountain that mediates rainfall from the city’s frequent deluges block out noise from the surrounding streets; elaborate terraces on a steep hillside in Portland, Oregon, create a variety of outdoor living spaces nestled directly among a rich tapestry of perennials, tall grasses, and Japanese maples; and on forty verdant New Hampshire acres, a series of garden “rooms” and meandering paths create an Edwardian-inspired escape. The diverse array of gardens inspire with glorious, full-color images of plants thriving in all climates—berries, lettuces, and herbs burst from the rich soils of Berkeley, California, in an edible garden the whole neighborhood is invited to enjoy; succulents of all sizes and shapes add color and texture to a lakeside home in Dallas and an arid Tucson yard equally well; dozens of bonsai and plants native to Asia create an authentic Eastern atmosphere in Indianola, Iowa; the rambling cottage-style plantings of England are reinterpreted in a river valley in Knoxville, Tennessee; and closely clipped boxwood in Greenwich, Connecticut, forms a parterre that rivals the beauty of its elaborate French predecessors across the ocean. Elvin McDonald draws on his forty-five years of professional experience and distinguished career to present a collection of exquisite landscapes, created both by avid amateurs and well-known designers including Suzy Bales, Rosalind Creasy, Douglas Hoerr, Raymond Jungles, Karen Strohbeen and Bill Luchsinger, and Phillip Watson, that will inspire all who recognize the allure greenery can add to a home.
The prodigal son is a story of my life of faith to drug abuse to faith. Highlighted in the story is the devastation of my choice to turn away from a loving God. It is a journey of the consequences and victory of a 22-year heroin addict who was saved by God's mercy and grace. This book also encourages the families of addicts and gives insight into how the families struggle with a loved one caught in the chains of addiction. Elvin Colon was born in 1964 in Bristol Pennsylvania. Elvin has 4 children and is currently active in youth ministry in his church. Elvin has 10 siblings and his mother and father are still living and have been married for 54 years. Elvin is currently in school with the national Christian counselors association and wants to become a pastor. Elvin wants to dedicate the remainder of his life to spreading the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ, his Lord and Savior. Elvin currently resides with his wife Laura in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Laura and Elvin have been together for 8 years and were married in the church where they met.
Author Elvin C. Bell began life as the fifth of ten children in a migrant farm labor family. From a one-room cabin in a cotton camp to the White House, and everything in between, hes lived a rich and colorful life. In A Life beyond Infinity, he shares a collection of essays of the people hes met from his experiences in the US Air Force, his assignments in the White House, as a reporter and writer, and as an elected representative. Bell mixes sparkling smiles, smarts, sass and sorrow in describing his visits, conversations, and friendships to provide close-ups of everyone from Presidents Kennedy, Nixon, Johnson, and Carter, to Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, John Lennon, John Wayne, Gregory Peck, Milton Berle, and many other notables. In A Life beyond Infinity, Bell describes his encounters with some of the most well-known movers and shakers of the times.
Organized by body system and ailment makes it easy to locate appropriate therapies. Includes background on the physiology of major systems and ailments so readers can understand how and why a pharmaceutical, botanical, or dietary supplement works. Broad coverage includes green plants, fungi, and microorganisms. Includes extensive references and citations from both conventional and complimentary-alternative medical systems when natural products or their derivatives are involved.
Special Memories is an astonishing recollection of meetings and discussions with some of the most well-known movers and shakers of the times. The author shares incredible close-ups with, to name a few, Marilyn Monroe, John Lennon, Elvis Presley, Jimmy Durante, Frank Sinatra, and Robert Kennedy. Some of the stories reveal shocking details, such as a torrid White House love affair, how Russian leader Leonid Brezhnev was almost killed just minutes before a summit conference in Washington, why John Wayne started to like pork over steak, and how Frank Sinatra burned a hole in the author’s new sport coat. A box of tissue is suggested for some of the encounters the author had, especially the sad behind-the-scene tug-a-war Marilyn had during her short life, Jimmy Doolittle experienced after the bombing of Tokyo, and John Daily had during his early professional golf career. In his nineteenth book, Special Memories, Elvin Bell takes readers on an emotional roller-coaster ride of superstar meltdown, victories, and heartfelt personal stories. It is a sip and flip thriller.
In Beyond Cantua Creek, a seasoned political insider with White House experience, shares some fascinating experiences during the Nixon Administration, including the Nixon-Brezhnev White House Summit Conference. During the Iron Curtain era, Elvin Bell led several intelligence missions into Russia, Poland, and Czechoslovakia, in addition to later serving two special assignments in the White House and completing a tour in the Pentagon during the Ronald Reagan administration. He utilizes his political experience to provide a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the power structure that existed during the Nixon administrationa foundation that allowed a secretary to appoint her own boyfriend to be secretary of the interior. As he shares the contents of startling conversations and meetings with Soviet President Leonid Ilych Brezhnev, Nixons secretary Rosemary Woods, Hollywood producer Sam Peckinpah, and scores of other notables, Bell captures the drama that escaped media attention and instead thrived behind the walls of the White House and elsewhere. Beyond Cantua Creek is a compelling compilation that will encourage lively discussions about politics, a presidential administration that will never be forgotten, and the eccentricities of those who once ruled Hollywood.
A sip and flip thriller. The reader will meet elected officials who rule their custom-made government through murder, corruption and cover-up. The strong determination of a victim's widow to see justice done takes matters into her own hands until, finally, the Federal Strike Force shows up.. But there are new, dangerous obstacles to face before law and order is restored.
Despite the growing demand for design strategies to reduce our petroleum use, no one has yet brought together the lessons of the world’s leading post-petroleum designers into a single resource. Post-Petroleum Design brings them together for the first time. Readers will be introduced to the most current, innovative, plastic-and petroleum-free products and projects in industrial design, architecture, transportation, electronics, apparel and more. Post-Petroleum Design explores firsthand the client and consumer motivations behind the demand, and shares the case studies, principles, best practices, risks and opportunities of the world’s leading post-petroleum design experts who are already meeting that demand. It introduces 40 inspiring individuals from across the globe; people like Eben Bayer, the American innovator whose company, Ecovative, is growing houses from mushrooms; Mohammed Bah Abba, whose Zeer Pot is helping families keep produce fresh in the sweltering Nigerian summer without electricity; and the engineers at Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design Studios whose Biome car evolves from genetically engineered DNA. Post-Petroleum Design gives design professionals the information they need to research, evaluate, and select materials, technologies and design strategies that meet the growing demand for sustainable design, plastic-free materials and process energy conservation. Designer profiles, studies, statistics and many colour illustrations all highlight the work—some of the best design work to be found anywhere, and showcased here for the first time.
Elvin C. Bell, a retired USAF colonel and public official, has lived a full life. In the second volume of his entertaining autobiography, he brings more stories to life that detail his memorable encounters with such iconic personalities as former Presidents Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan, rock legend John Lennon, Walt Disney, and a few scoundrels who also crossed his path. Bell begins by sharing fascinating anecdotes about a variety of political and military figures such as senators and congressmen from multiple states, four Medal of Honor recipients, and General Alexander Haig. Also included are animated stories about John Wayne, Karen and Richard Carpenter, Eleanor Roosevelt, O.J. Simpson, and many others as well as little known facts about Gregory Peck’s secret philanthropic efforts and Senator Barry Goldwater’s military accomplishments during the Second World War and his monetary gifts to Native American tribes. In the conclusion to a captivating autobiography, a former military and public figure shares anecdotes that reveal his conversations with and unknown facts about a variety of iconic personalities.
Senator Robert F. "Bobby" Kennedy had just lost the 1968 presidential primary election in Oregon to Senator Eugene McCarthy when Elvin Bell, Fresno, California's Mayor Pro Tem, hosted him for a breakfast meeting. As an exhausted Kennedy approached the podium to speak, Bell watched in amazement as Kennedy transformed from a frail man into a powerful speaker. Moments later as Bell rose to his feet with other audience members in a rousing standing ovation, he had no idea that he would never see his friend Bobby again. Bobby was shot the next day in Los Angeles and died within hours. Bell, a retired public official and USAF colonel, shares a compelling compilation of anecdotes that highlight the iconic personalities he has known and worked with during his assignments in the White House and the Pentagon, as well as during official foreign travels and various activities throughout America. In addition to the everyday characters and scoundrels he has encountered in his lifetime, he features nearly eighty personalities that include Gregory Peck, John Wayne, John Lennon, Eleanor Roosevelt, General Alexander Haig, Frank Sinatra, and Presidents John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, and Ronald Reagan. In this fascinating memoir, a former political figure takes a look back at the true-life characters he has encountered and how they made a difference in his life and the world.
This memoir presents author Elvin Bells recollection of his own history and of his encounters with some of the most well-known movers and shakers of the times. He provides us with astonishing revelations based upon his discussions, meetings, and casual conversations with them. The Event Makers Ive Known shares incredible close-ups of everyone from President Richard Nixon and his secretary, Rosemary Woods, to Elvis Presley and screen siren Marilyn Monroe. Bell reveals shocking details of the love affair between Woods and the Interior Secretary and describes the impetuosity of General William Westmoreland, among other stories. In addition to sharing stories of the famous people he has known, he tells his own personal stories, including the tragic story of his grandmothers death within just a few minutes of his mothers birth in a fire that engulfed the hospital in flames. He talks about the daring rescue of his mother by the young doctor who delivered hera rescue that cost the doctor his eyesight, his occupation, and eventually his life. He also shares fascinating stories of the hardships, ingenuity, and perseverance that many parents and grandparents endured on their dust bowl quest to reach California. In his tenth book, The Event Makers Ive Known, Bell takes readers on an emotional roller-coaster ride of superstar meltdowns, victories, and heartfelt personal stories.
A colorful photographic introduction to some one hundred varieties of orchids provides the reader with useful information about these special flowers, the care they require, and their overall proper maintenance. Original.
Whether selecting vintage wicker for a porch, planting a rainbow-hued cottage garden, or converting an old shed into a working retreat, readers will find wonderful inspiration and invaluable instruction in this guide to outdoor living at its fullest. Illustrated.
An essential volume for gardeners at all levels, this book offers complete instructions on pruning, garden chores throughout the year, and new and imaginative ways to grow roses.
39 quick projects and simple techniques to make the home sensational with big effects outdoing little effort. Covers gardens that enclose, transform, display, entertain, produce, and support.
In The 400 Best Garden Plants, Elvin McDonald took the guesswork out of garden planning by highlighting the annuals, perennials, bulbs, trees and shrubs that are sure bets for a successful gardener. Now, the four parts of that book are divided into individual books so readers can zero in on exactly what they want and need. Lovely, useful, and inspiring, this series proves you don't have to be an expert to nurture a garden that will bring years of pleasure. 100 full-color photos each. Size D. 108 pp. 20,000 print each.
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