Hey there birthday boy

The best kind of community is the one that celebrates together - all ages, all occasions, everyone welcome. Greetings from the lovely community of Downtown Renton - where a birthday becomes a celebration of friends and cake, with excellent coffee to top off the taste buds.

Ron Hughes, with family and friends at Liberty Cafe this very morning.
Happy Birthday, Ron

Liberty Cafe
926 S. Third Street
(425) 235 - 1400

Getting into the Holiday Spirit windows and all

Some folks begin preparing for the holiday by decorating from the outside then in. Ron and Sue Hughes have been having their three bay windows painted for Christmas for the last few years by Mindi Hall. The designs have been pared down to the ones they have come to favor the most over the years and placed in just such a way that the lights from within can help cast a special glow.

Mindi has been painting windows for the past eight years and is getting pretty busy as we approach December. She and her partner were finishing up in Renton and then heading off to Issaquah to do another home. The duo usually paint at two locations a day.

Mindi's window designs can also be seen at Doofer's Bar and Grill and the Noble Saloon here locally. She also designed and painted the mural at Mo's in the Highlands. Mindi travels throughout doing all types of businesses and homes windows and not just during winter. Mindi is painting all year 'round.

I remember growing up in an era when a lot of homes decorated their windows. If you were lucky, someone in the family had a good hand at creating a skillful scene, or you just used some stencils and flocked on a snow scene or two.

Isn't it looking great?

Finishing touches on the carolers.

See how the light from the living room lamp adds to the Nativity design?

Ron Hughes in front of one of his freshly painted windows. The family tree will form a colorful lighted backdrop to this window when it is put up.

Holiday Windows -
they are just such a treat to see. You can call and get your own.

Mindi Hall
(425) 223 - 6732
mindilhall@gmail.com

What a ride!

This beauty of a ride is owned by Ron Hughes and was seen at the top of South Third Street in all of her glory at the recent Renton car show, Return to Renton. A 1948 Dodge, Ron has owned this car for about 4-5 years, but just recently got around to getting the last finishing touches done and ready for public ahhhing and ooohhhing.

A big fan of Ed, the owner of Kenny's Upholstery right here in town, some bits and pieces of the car restoration were still not getting done. Ron looked at the work faux finish painter, Norm Petersen performed on the Happy Delusions store sign for Mary Clymer (see here) and wondered if some similar magic could be applied to the interior of the Dodge. Norm was off and running with the project in no time.

The dashboard and all the the other interior trim pieces were taken out and given a paint treatment that made it all look just like lovely, handworked pieces of wood. Except that they weren't wood - just metal painted with great care and skill to look as if they were. Many people have been fooled into thinking that all of the interior was original .

Both Norm and owner Ron have stories of car owners and restorers coming up and telling them how good the wood looks inside the Dodge, only to be see their completely shocked faces when they realize that it is just some clever paint and brush work on metal. It never fails to amaze people. A cursory glance, or even an good inspection by a car enthusiast can have you fooled.

Norm Petersen is a master hand at many an assorted finish, and maybe this car will start something new in his business. Check out his blog on finishes to see some of the other examples of his lovely work and creative endeavors.

Besides being the proud owner of the 1948 Dodge, Ron Hughes can often be seen riding to morning coffee in his 1967 Datsun. He also has a '68 Electra Convertible, a '53 Oldsmobile Rocket 88, and a '69 Riviera. No shortage of vintage flash and fun rides there. These aren't trophy cars for Ron either. He drives them and appreciates them for exactly what they are - automobiles, a means of transportation and just a bit of eye candy for those inclined to see the beauty in a well designed car.

Ain't she a beauty?!

Gorgeous view on S. Third Street today - that is one beautiful ride right there. Owned by Ron Hughes. I am experiencing deep car envy.

Muffinry - the art of making and eating muffins

Rhubarb Muffins - shared amongst friends this morn, in the sun, with some good coffee in hand. Uhmm, that is the life. Ron Hughes, gourmand at heart, professed these to be the best muffins ever - and asked me to post the recipe so that his daughter could see it and make some herself (this is for you, Marissa).

Rhubarb/Applesauce Muffins

1 1/2 cups of applesauce (any kind)
1/2 cup oil (just a little less than full)
2 eggs
3 cups of whole wheat flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 heaping teaspoon of cinnamon
1/4 tsp of nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1 cup of chopped walnuts
1 1/2 cups of chopped rhubarb

Set oven to 350 degrees. Add applesauce, oil,eggs and vanilla and stir well. Then add dry ingredients and mix. Lastly, add walnuts and chopped rhubarb. Top with cinnamon sugar. Put into paper lined cupcake pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes. This will make 15 good sized muffins. 12 to take out and 3 to leave for yourself at home (he he!)
This recipe comes from my own personal derivation from this recipe here. Happy Baking!

When a friend goes missing

When cribbage buddy and friend, Mike Ferguson moved out of the zipcode, the boys were starting to feel the pain. It's bad enough that they now don't have him to shoot the breeze over a competitive game at the local coffee spot (Jet City), but he gave up Renton for - what? Tacoma - it just ain't decent.


So, Don Hausken (center in photo) decided to paint an homage to this other fellow painter so that his presence could still grace the game (oh, and by the way Mike - the "fake" you is winning hands you never did in the flesh!). It took Don a month to complete and was just unveiled this very afternoon. It is a beauty. Some say even better than the original - naaahhh! just messing with you, Mike.




Mo, far left and Ron Hughes, far right are also part of the cribbage crew. If you like to play and don't mind the looks of this motley lot - come on down in the mid afternoon and pull up a card or two. Mike (check his out his mad art credentials here) - if you don't hurry back soon, the guys may decide they like the paint splattered one dimensional you better. And now where would that leave your cribbage game, hum?