Natalie’s Weekend Coffee Share and Photographing Public Art Challenge
Weather Report
Prescott Weather – sunny and gorgeous the last couple of days. This has been a great week. Sunny weather makes a difference. Thank goodness because we had a blogger meetup Thursday, and Janet spent the night, so I have lots of compelling photos. I hope to use them to meet the requirements of several challenges.
Sharlot’s Dream
The dream of saving history Spured on the girl named Sharlot A outdoor gal who loved big things Frivolous she was not. Old settlers dying - their goods were all gone Indian wares were looted for naught Sharlot stored and collected for years Saved buildings from future's onslaught. ยฉMarsha Ingrao, 2023 My attempt at a Sijo for this week's W3 Prompt
Why Is the Name of the Museum Sharlot Hall?
Sharlot Hall served as Arizonaโs territorial historian from September 1909 until February 1912, when Arizona became a state. She was the first woman to hold a salaried office in the territory. She lobbied Congress to make Arizona a separate state from New Mexico, and won the fight!
For more information about Sharlot Hall read here.
Blogger Meetup in Prescott, AZ
The plan was to meet at Sharlot Hall Museum at 10:00 on Gurley Street in Prescott on January 11th. Janet, from This That and The Other Thing, and I were already a little late arriving in spite of the fact that Jodie, from Jodie’s Touch of Style, and her gang had driven two hours from the Valley to get there. We went to the Gift Shop instead of the Museum where we finally found our group waiting for us. Jodie and her fashionable folks used their time wisely and took photos.
Our group photo and several other photos from our meetup qualify perfectly for Cee’s Midweek Madness Challenge – the color amber. Between Lesley’s beautiful jacket and pants, and the color of the floor, this picture has an amber hue.
This second photo of the inside of the Gift Store also gives off an amber hue for Cee as well as being a door for Dan’s Thursday Doors. In all the times I’ve driven past the Sharlot Hall Museum sign and seen the gorgeous home, I thought it was the Governor’s Mansion.
Not so, this next picture shows the main living area of the Governor’s Mansion built in the middle of an area unsettled by Americans or Europeans in 1864. Richard McCormick, the territorial secretary, claimed 160 acres and contracted to have the cabin built. At 2000 square feet, it was a mansion compared to the tents in which they had been living.
With neither windows nor floors, the governor and his secretary moved into the unfinished home in August, just a month after construction had started. The first governor’s wife decided not to leave Maine to come to Arizona with her husband. The secretary’s new bride Margaret came and helped complete the home with furniture much as you see here. You can read more about the log mansion here.
The Governor’s Mansion is “the oldest building associated with Arizona Territory still standing on its original location.”
There were several buildings on the property established in 1928 as the โGubernatorial Mansion Museumโ by Sharlot Hall. The “Museum features eleven exhibit buildings (six of which are historic), compelling exhibits, and a beautiful garden.” Sharlot Hall Museum
The school was the first outbuilding we visited. Another cold abode was aptly named the Misery House.
There was so much to do and learn, it would take more than one trip to really grasp the history of Prescott. One thing we learned was that Gurley Street, one of the main streets in downtown Prescott was named after Mr. Gurley who never made it to Prescott.
“President Abraham Lincoln appointed the first three territorial governors: John A. Gurley, John Noble Goodwin, and Richard C. McCormick; only two served. John Gurley, on the evening of his departure to Arizona for his new appointment, suffered an appendicitis attack and died at the age of forty-nine.”
Cave Creek Museum
There is much more to be said both about our wonderful meetup and about the Sharlot Hall Museum but that will have to wait until a later date.
Personal Update
Pssst: I walked 15,000 steps yesterday. And I did it correctly. Janet spent one of our evenings together teaching me how to walk properly so I am less likely to fall. Win! Notice my new badge from Fitbit is turquoise. Win! Win!
Upcoming and Ongoing on Always Write
- WQ Page
- WQ #2 January 11 WHAT PIQUES YOUR INTEREST?
- WQ #3 January 18: BELLY LAUGH/WHITE OR GRAY COLOR CHALLENGE ALIGNED WITH AN UPCOMING SUNDAY STILLS
- WQ #4: January 25: ENVELOPED/WRITER’S CHOICE/DOUBLE DIP CHALLENGES/
Marsha Ingrao - Always Write 
98 responses to “Weekend Coffee Share and Arizona Dreams”
I love visits like this. There are some places youโll only learn about if you go there.
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Thanks. Arizona is a great place to visit!
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I loved that poem at the beginning. I love the quote by Sharlot too about being an Out-door woman…so good. I love all those photos of teh museum. Nice job on the steps!!! whoop whoop!
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Thanks, Kirstin. I’ve also added yoga to my weekly routine. ๐ Guess how much weight I’ve lost? Almost 0. It had better be muscle!
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Oh gosh. Well, yoga is really good for us…I was just thinking today that I should start doing it because I’m not very flexible and I know it would benefit all my tight muscles.
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I am much less flexible than you are, I’m sure. I do the simple things and sit through the stuff I can’t do at all.
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hi, Marsha โค
The lovely Denise is hosting W3 this week ~ and she’s come up with a unique prompt!
https://skepticskaddish.com/2023/01/18/w3-prompt-38-weave-written-weekly/
Enjoy ๐
David
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Congrats on the new boot badge! I love how your poem tells a story.
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Thanks. That poem was a challenge to write – sharing both new information and a new form. But I felt a big YAY when I finished. ๐
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congrats on your new badge, Marsha ~ you should be proud of yourself!
also I love your poetic tribute ~ thank you for teaching me about someone I’d never heard of before โค
~David
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I wouldn’t have know about her if we hadn’t moved here. I’m glad I got to know her through the museum and historic writings. thanks for the opportunity to learn new forms of poetry.
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It’s truly my pleasure ~ and thank you for your thought-provoking prompts!
BTW, this week’s W3, hosted by the brilliant Brandon Ellrich, is now live ๐
https://skepticskaddish.com/2023/01/25/w3-prompt-39-weave-written-weekly/
Enjoy โค
~David
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What a fun way to have a meetup & creativeness participation in several linkups. #Weekendcoffeeshare
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Thanks, Karen. It is fun to do things together!
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“God meant women to joy in his clean beautiful world and I thank Him that he lets me see some of it not through a window pane”–I love this so much.
I wish I’d spent more time exploring Prescott when I lived nearer that part of the state. I need to plan a trip up there.
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I hope you can. Meanwhile several of us are getting together February 8th at Flower child at Desert Ridge at 11 am. 21001 N Tatum Blvd, Phoenix, AZ 85050 Maybe you could come to Phoenix.
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I wish I could, but I work M-F during the day. If you do a weekend get-together, please let me know.
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Good to know. You can host one, too, and we would come to you! This is a good time of year for that. I’m going to be gone to CA from 1-25-2-1, but any time after that, I’m free.
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Great write up and poem, Marsha. Sharlot was quite something, smart and feisty and the museum was so well done. Another excellent blogger get-together. Looking forward to the next one. Hope the walking us going well. ๐ฅฒ
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So far, so good. Today is a little skimpy because it’s so cold and I’ve been indoors all afternoon blogging! I take brief walking breaks.
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What a lot of fun you had on your lovely day together. And you picked such an interesting place to visit too. So nice to share with special friends.
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Yes, we have really started something, haven’t we? Now lots of bloggers are getting together. It is so rewarding to meet people who understand the pull of blogging.
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Kindred spirits!
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Exactly!
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Sounds like a fun meet-up and I enjoyed seeing the old buildings, especially the school house. I always love seeing the old US school houses, probably because of childhood memories of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s descriptions of learning, and later teaching, at pioneer town schools – so very different from those in suburban London!
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They are so different from US schools today. No parent would send their child to a school like that today. Some parents don’t even want their advanced children to help those who have problems in a subject area when they could spend time working ahead. In a one room school everyone had to work together. The smart little ones worked ahead with their older classmates, and the ones who did not do so well dropped out by the time they were in sixth or seventh grade to work on the farm. Sometimes they dropped out at their parents’ insistence to work on the farm, as my grandfather had to do. My great-grandfather wouldn’t let any of the boys go past 8th grade. Like many boys his age, he left the farm early and lied about their ages to enlist to fight in WWI.
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Looks like a very interesting place.
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I’m ready to go back and spend some time. I spent quite a bit of time reading the documents they posted on their website preparing for this post.
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Looking good all of you. A lovely tribute to Sharlot.
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Thank you, Sadje. It took a while to write.
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Youโre welcome. Itโs wonderful how you arrange to meet friends and explore new locations
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Adding the exploration feature made it fun. We have met several times before, so we were all beyond the initial get acquainted conversations. Terri and I did the same thing when we met Kirstin Troyer of Loving Life in Vancouver. it definitely adds a dimension.
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Oh yes it does. How lucky that you all can meet each other.
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I know. I wonder how many states or areas of the world can do that?
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Very few, Iโd say.
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That’s what I think!
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๐๐๐
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Love the poem history museum, the pictures but most of all your adorable smiles having the time of your life Marsha. Love it gurlies!! ๐
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Girlies on Gurley! LOL
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Hahahaha Yes!!!โค๏ธ
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I’m so happy you all could get together, Marsha! I saw a similar image on Jodie’s blog and commented on how I need to get back to AZ and see folks again. Now we’re thinking of April when we leave San Diego. I love learning about the history of new places. Sharlot Hall looks amazing and I would guess that we would be kindred spirits–her quote is great! You bet God meant for us ALL to enjoy the outdoors!
Congrats on your new Fitbit badge–how were you walking incorrectly?? My Fitbit was recently replaced (thank goodness for insurance, but I don’t think it captures all my steps). Either that or there is too much snow to get a decent walk lately!
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Remember you adjusted mine. I was having the same problem. I think mine is about right now! I saw her post yesterday. We did have a great time. Didn’t you love her coat? I also loved Lesley’s jacket. It was always easy to find them.
Janet was a personal trainer, so in the evening she watched me walk and said my steps were too close together, so I was almost destined to catch my shoes together. My shoes were a trap for tripping because they are so wide and catch on things. I tried to ride a stationary bike and couldn’t even get them into the foot pedals. Secondly, I don’t swing my arms, but often keep them in my pocket – bad Marsha! Swinging helps balance. Finally, I don’t pick up my feet high enough all the time. I tend to shuffle – or skate when I walk. Always have, and I’ve always had problems falling. I remember my dad telling me to pick my feet up. Janet had me marching around the living room! Then she added the walking sticks. I got pretty adept at them, but I still haven’t taken them out. but I’m definitely marching more!
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So great that Janet could help you!
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It was a lot of fun. You should have seen us, stretching and talking non-stop, prancing around the living room swinging the walking sticks.
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I texted you, BTW ๐
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Yes, we are both excited about the contents of that text! It’s on the calendar.
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It is great to have blogger meetups. Great way to network. This place looks amazing. I don’t think the short door is too short for me… ๐
#Weekendcoffeeshare
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The one that Janet walked through without bending, I had to bend. The other one I walked through with no problem. I am 5’4″. We had a lot of fun.
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It was wonderful seeing so many blog friends together, Marsha. I love the doors you featured, and I appreciate your remembering Thursday Doors while having that mush fun.
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What’s interesting, Dan, is that Doors is part of the fun. When bloggers get together and they do the same challenges, it’s more fun to spot pictures. Janet’s doors are very different from mine, for the most part. But the fun was in the looking and sharing. So thanks for coming along.
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It must be Arizona day on our two blogs.
I’m so short, there IS not door too low for me. That’s a beautiful home — not fancy, but what wonderful woodworking.
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It is a beautiful home, Marilyn, and do you know I still haven’t taken a picture from the front. What am I thinking? There was a picture of it inside that was taken in 1978 when they moved it on location. The clerk who was there told us that they closed the schools in Prescott the day it moved so that everyone could watch. Some of the school kids helped raise money to fund the project. Her mother was one of those kids. The house originally belonged to one of the two main merchants, and I will save that for another post.
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The inside is just beautiful. I never liked grand, but I love THAT.
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I’m glad you do. You have inspired me to go back downtown in the near future and get some good pictures of it.
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Yay for fun blog-ups ๐
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Yay, yay! So when are you coming over, BB?
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I thought as there’s lots you over there you’d charter a plane and fly over here ๐
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Lots of us would maybe if some of us win the lottery! I never thought about what a great way to spend all those billions of lottery money!
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[…] Thanks to Marsha for hosting Photographing Public Art.https://alwayswrite.blog/2023/01/14/weekend-coffee-share-and-arizona-dreams/ […]
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What a find!
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I agree that Blogger Meetups are wonderful.
‘Love your Urban Boot Badge!
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Thank you. Yes, you are the queen of blogger meetups. It adds another dimension to our relationships with each other, not only individually, but as a group!
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Wow, it looks like you are having a blast, Marsha. I love it! ๐งก
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I wish you were still here to enjoy it! We are having a great time. Janet spent two nights and introduced US to a new restaurant/brewery. It was a lot of fun, and the food was delicious. We ordered three “sharables,” spicy Brussel sprouts, tater tots w/ bacon and cheese, shrimp, and then I ordered chili. I couldn’t eat all the chili, I was so full!
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I’m not as social anymore since Covid.(I think we might have had it at Christmas but I’m not sure). I seem to pick up everything that’s out there with my asthma, so I tend to stay home more. Ron is 10 years older than I am, and he gets sick quicker now too. I’m glad you’re having a great time. It’s fun to see what you’re up to. ๐งก
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Covid did make a huge impact on our ways of life. I haven’t had it, but Vince had it once for a short time last January.
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I think Ron and I had it around Christmas. We were sick as all get out. The exhaustion was horrible. Ron’s older than me, so I always worry about him. I finally got some Covid tests, but too late for us to have tested. I’m just now starting to feel better.
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Yikes. That’s truly awful when you both feel bad. I hope you had someone who could come help out.
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No, we usuallytake care of each other. I’m just now starting to feel better. We have to find a new doctor. There appears to be a shortage, and it’s been a real adventure finding one.
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Iโm sure. Itโs like that everywhere.
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I always love blogger meet-ups… both my own and reading about others. It looks like you all had a great time.
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We did. How are you doing in all the rain CA has been getting? I hope you are in a safe spot.
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Our area is fine. We are getting a lot of rain, but not as much as in other parts of the state.
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I’m glad. The videos on the news looked pretty scary. We are getting rain right now.
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Sounds like a great meet up and some wonderful ambers and doors too ๐
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I couldn’t believe my luck – who would pick amber in the middle of the winter? I thought, but then you think outside the box! Then lo and behold every picture I took had an amber cast to it! I didn’t have to search at all. It was a perfect match for me. ๐ Thanks!
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I love the stained glass in the door. Great post, thank you for sharing.
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Thanks so much. I had fun with it.
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Always so good to see happy blobbers get together. That gift shop door would make a great gift. I wish you a most excellent year.
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You too, Manja. I’ve missed you. Are you back blogging again?
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I post at least six times a month: every Thursday because doors plus two regular monthly posts: the last photo of the month and my monthly Calendar series. But I really don’t visit other blogs much any more. Then again, I don’t read books either. Strange how that happens.
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I understand. It takes me so long to write a post and prepare the pictures, that eliminates most of my reading except for those I want to link into my post. I am trying to read more posts on the other days. I finally got a book on Prime last night. First new book in a month or so.
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If your gait is around 2 feet, you walked 30,000 feet or roughly 6 miles?
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That’s probably about right. Put that way it doesn’t seem like such a great feat. LOL
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HI Marsha, thank you for this interesting historical post. I don’t know that much American history, so I’m always keen to learn more. Well done on your steps, that is great news.
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Thanks Roberta. If only I could write like you do, I could teach you. How is your husband doing?
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HI Marsha, he is much improved and is moving to a general ward in the hospital tomorrow (from intensive care where he has been for twelve days today). I am learning American history through books. I have read about the American Civil War and America in WW1, now I am on to the Great Depression. It is fascinating.
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It is. I wish I could share some of the hundreds of books I have on history with you.
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The first thing that came to me about Sharlot Hall was wow … and tough lady … especially considering the era. Seems she would fit for a future celebration because February is Spunky Out Broads Month. I know the last term is politically incorrect these days, but she sure seems the ideal. For minds you want to know, even though the celebration is all month long, some celebrate with a day event, which would be Februrary 1st.
Love seeing you and Janet. Cheers ladies. As for Jodie, Leslie, & Rob – I don’t know them because they aren’t beach walkers. But because they hang around the two of you, at least I know they can pick good company. Good tour, Marsha … and have a good weekend.
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Thanks, Frank. I really knew nothing when we walked in, but reading more after we got home, she had an impressive resume. There were some outstanding women in that era, and they made a huge impact on society in so many different arenas of life. I really had no idea until I started working with social studies teachers. I didn’t learn much about female contributions to society until about the 80s when I went back to college. You would enjoy Jodie and Rob. Her blog is all about fashion, but they are interested in everything – just like you are!
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Simply so many women you didn’t get the credit they deserved. She was fiesty in 1800s … think about the fiesty women in 1200 … of 500 BC.
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There were some listed in the Bible. Think about Queen Esther, or the prostitute, what was her name that helped the spies? Or the woman at the well. I’m sure literature has many more examples, but history books don’t!
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The list is close to endless
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Yes, and that is just one reference. Good to know there are and were some good women out there!
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Marsha, The stained glass door is gorgeous. How wonderful that you have regular bloggers’ meet-ups and explore Prescott together. Thank you for your weekend coffee share and PPAC.
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Thanks again for hosting, Natalie. We did have a great time. ๐ I enjoy Coffee share as a place to share our week.
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This was a marvelous idea. We can’t wait to come up again and find more treasures in Prescott.
XOXO
Jodie
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It was! I think you were the think tank behind this one, my friend. We have a wonderful group started in AZ. I don’t know if other states are doing this, but I’m glad we are!
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