Shirley's San Antonio Real Estate Blog

I hope to have a cozy fire going in the fireplace Monday night. That is when weather forecasters are saying our first cold front of the season will arrive here in San Antonio. All homeowners should have their heaters checked and maintained before using them. We have our HVAC system checked and maintained by Tiger Services twice a year website . If you have a fireplace and are planning on using it this season, please keep the following safety tips in mind.

• Have flues and chimneys inspected before each heating season.
• Open the fireplace damper before lighting the fire and keep it open until the ashes are cool. Never close the damper before going to bed if the ashes are still warm. An open damper will prevent build-up of poisonous gases inside the home. This is especially important to do while the family is sleeping.
• Never use gasoline, charcoal lighter or other fuel to light or relight a fire because the vapors can explode. Never keep flammable fuels or materials near a fire.
• Never store flammable liquids in your home. Never use charcoal in a fireplace because of the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
• Keep a screen or glass enclosure around a fireplace to prevent sparks or embers from igniting flammable materials.

There is still time to head out I-10 west to the awesome Key to the Hills Antique Show being held in Boerne this week-end.  The show started today, 9:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will be open tomorrow, Sunday, October 26 from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.  This is the 11^th annual show with about 65 antique dealers coming from all over Texas and other states.  There are a variety of antique vendors offering collectible, furniture, jewelry, vintage clothing, glass, rare books and many other items.   

The show is held at the Kendall County Fairgrounds.  Parking is free and admission is $4.

Boerne is a short drive of about 30 - 40 minutes from Loop 1604.  And if you get hungry, there will be food vendors at the show.

For Kids & Kids at Heart                                                                                         

The Witte Museum's backyard exhibit, Log Cabins & Historic Homes, is a great way for kids to learn about pioneer life.  Parents will enjoy the experience as well.  The "hands-on" exhibit displays historic San Antonio houses. You can walk around the homes to see what materials were used to build each one. You can then try to build a your own log cabin in the "little log cabin." Only the log cabin interiors are open to visitors.  The other houses are used for staff offices and museum programs.

• The Ruiz House was the home of the city's first schoolmaster, Jose Francisco Ruiz. 

  The Ruiz House was built in the mid-18th Century. The long front room was used as the first public school house in San Antonio about 1801. The house was rebuilt on the Museum grounds.  José Francisco Ruiz was one of two native Texans to sign the Texas Declaration of Independence.

• The Twohig House was built in 1841 by John Twohig, an Irish immigrant. 

  The Twohig House was built in the 1840's and was moved in 1941 and reconstructed stone-by-stone on the Museum grounds, exactly as it had been built by its owner, John Twohig, pioneer San Antonio merchant known for his charity and patriotism.

• The Navarro House was built in 1835 by Jose Antonio Navarro, a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence. 

  The Navarro House built about 1835 on present Camaron Street and was rebuilt in its original cut-limestone-block construction on the Museum grounds in 1948. Angel Navarro, Celso's ancestor, was alcade, in 1790, of the Canary Island settlement of 1731.

• The Log Cabin was constructed in 1939 by participants in President Roosevelt's National Youth Administration program. The "dog trot" style cabin represents the type of cabin built by many Texas pioneers.

For more information on this and other exhibits,  Witte Museum website

I would like to share a blog by Kimo Stowell about arranging pillows on beds and couches in a way that is visually pleasing.  Whether you live in Hawaii (as Kimo does) or in San Antonio, Texas, Kimo offers great advice.  Enjoy~

We have a beagle.  His name is Snoopy.  He knows how to tell time.  I think he should go on Oprah.

The reason I think he knows how to tell time is that at night when we go to bed I give him instructions on when it is ok for him to get up the next morning and he always does as I tell him. 

I tell him to stay in bed and not get up or wake us up before 7:30 the next morning.  And he does that.  This morning I got up at 7:00 but he stayed in bed 'til 7:30 as instructed.

If I forget to tell him, he just gets up whenever he pleases and tries to get us up, too.

At first I didn't believe it.  I thought it was a coincidence.  But I have been doing this for several months now and it works!  Whatever works is fine with me.

All Saints Day is November 1^st and marks the beginning of the celebration of Dia de los Muertos. Festivities will be held on November 2 at the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park. Families create paper marigolds, skeleton puppets, and fake skulls to celebrate in life all that their loved ones who have passed on once cherished.

On November 1^st, also known as Dia de los Angelitos, deceased children are honored and remembered. November 2^nd, All Souls Day (All Saints Day), is a day of remembrance for the adult dead. Dia de los Muertos combines these days to celebrate the deceased and enjoy their memories. The families of the deceased prepare an altar for the spirits and the spirits are thought to visit their families during this time.

The San Antonio Missions National Historical Park is a nine mile stretch of nearly 819 acres that includes a five historical missions and a number of cultural landmarks.

Residential Energy Assistance Partnership (REAP)

We have been enjoying gorgeous weather here in San Antonio for several weeks now.  The high today was 74 degrees and the low tonight is expected to be in the mid 40s.  We are fortunate to have mild winters but we do experience some cold weather as well.  A sharp cold front is expected to move in to the area on Monday and residents will probably be using heat in their homes for the first time this season.  With the high cost of everything from gas to groceries, many disadvantaged elderly, disabled, and low income CPS customers will be struggling to pay their bills.

CPS Energy has established the Residential Energy Assistance Partnership (REAP), a non-profit foundation that helps families in need pay their utility bills throughout the year and educates them on money-saving conservation measures. This non-profit foundation relies heavily on tax-deductible donations from CPS Energy customers for its funding.

Those who would like to help less-fortunate families can contribute to REAP by simply adding an amount to their monthly CPS Energy bill payments and indicating that extra amount in the space provided on the return portion of the statement.  Donations are tax-deductible.

I read an article by Ed Levine at the food site Serious Eats and Ed says there are 10 Halloween treats nobody wants.  They are:

1. Toothbrushes - Usually given out by dentists, of course.

2.  Raisins -  When they say trick-or-treat, they want candy that will rot their teeth, not dried grapes.

3.  Candy Corn - "The fruitcake of Halloween."

4.  Smarties and Necco Wafers -  These chalky candies "taste like dust."

5.  Dum Dum Lollipops - "Usually foods on a stick are yummy (corn dogs, ice pops), but Dum Dums just can't be included on that list. Not even if they were breaded and deep-fried and served at a fair."

6.  Apples - Do not give out unwrapped or unsealed treats.

7.  Tootsie Rolls - Too chewy; "will strip the fillings" out of your teeth.

8.  Miscellaneous Wrapped Hard Candies - Halloween is "not for senior citizens.  Save these for Granny."

9.  Laffy Taffy - Too sticky; gets stuck on your teeth.

10. Anything fun sized - "Who started calling it this? Since when is one bite fun?! Give us the rich houses with the sprawling driveways and full-sized candy bars any day. Portion control doesn't need to start this young."

I agree with everything on the list except #10.  I always hand out fun sized Snickers, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Hershey Bars, etc.  Each kid gets at least 2 of these.  Besides, I like them; especially the Snickers.  And they are more than one bite each unless you are a pig.

Oh, and it is probably not a good idea to hand out a business card with the candy. :-)

What are you going to hand out?

Hard water is a fact of life in San Antonio.  I always recommend that buyers invest in installing a water softener if the home they are buying doesn't have one.  Great information, Karen.