My Optimism is Challenged

November 6, 2009

Euphoria overwhelmed me yesterday as I finished my day of work. I had painted most of a closet and had my accounting paperwork close to orderly. My blog post of the day had been one for Mimi’s BlogBlast for Peace. In unison with thousands of other bloggers across the world, I had voiced a desire [...]

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Mother Neff State Park And Great Minds

September 28, 2009

Allan Kimball’s eyes must have popped out of his head when he Googled the name of his upcoming book to discover that a blogger had used the same unusual title for an insignificant little blog post. When he read that post, his jaw must have dropped to the floor! Some woman he didn’t know (that [...]

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Three Days of Peace, Love, and Armadillos

September 6, 2009

Texas had its very own version of “Woodstock” in 1969. It happened in Lewisville, Texas just two weeks after Woodstock. The Texas International Pop Festival was held forty years ago this weekend, and I have to admit to y’all: I lived at the time just a skip down the road in Grapevine, but I don’t [...]

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North Texas State Fair Parade

August 25, 2009

A parade! I love parades, and this Saturday in Denton we had one to kick off the 2009 North Texas State Fair and Rodeo. No, that would not be the same thing as The State Fair of Texas, which is at Fair Park in Dallas and has Big Tex. And, no, the parade was nothing [...]

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Ain’t Nobody Feelin’ No Pain

August 18, 2009

Have y’all ever spent any time sprawled on the bed while trying to recuperate from a back injury? That’s what I’ve been doing for several days now, and I’m darned sick and tired of reclining. I should be spending my time trying to discern the proper usage of the words “lie” and “lay,” but instead [...]

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Uncle Walt’s Band. I Thought They Would Always Be There.

July 22, 2009

My high school friend suggested that we go to hear a concert. It must have been about 1975 or 1976. She said, “I want you to hear Uncle Walt’s Band.” I had no idea her uncle was a musician, but I had grown up hearing my Daddy and his friend E.W. picking on their mandolins [...]

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What The Angels Eat

July 19, 2009

That’s what Mark Twain said about watermelon. It is the chief of this world’s luxuries, king by the grace of God over all the fruits of the earth. When one has tasted it, he knows what the angels eat. It was not a Southern watermelon that Eve took; we know it because she repented. – [...]

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All Roads Lead To Rhome

July 7, 2009

Daddy prided himself on his superior navigational skills. Bless his heart. Those “skills” were purely a figment of his imagination. He was the stereotypical male who would never dream of asking directions. “I know these roads like the back of my hand,” he said. I don’t think he had ever examined the back of his [...]

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Step Up To The Plate

July 2, 2009

If you aren’t from Texas, you can’t put this license plate on your vehicle. This is a specialty plate that Texans can put on their truck … or car… if they choose. It is a pretty simple way to support the arts in Texas. I’ll bet you a dollar to a hole in a donut [...]

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Six Degrees From Mother Neff

June 1, 2009

Actually, I think it’s only three degrees. There is a famous American folk musician who has a very convoluted “connection” with Mother Neff State Park in Texas. I asked you to name that folk musician, if you could, in my last My Neck of The Woods post. It was Huddie William Ledbetter, better known as [...]

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You Scream, I Scream, We All Scream For…

May 31, 2009

You might scream for “ice cream,” but I scream for Italian Ice — “gelato.” I know, I know. It ruins the rhyme. I’ve told you before that it’s not summer until my Italian Ice stand opens here in Denton. I went there yesterday, jonesing for some “brain freeze.” Unfortunately the tiny establishment, New York’s Famous [...]

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Who Was Mother Neff, And Why Does She Get A State Park?

May 30, 2009

I’ve often seen the road sign pointing to Mother Neff State Park as I drove on Interstate 35 south of Waco, Texas. Being curious, I’ve always wondered, “Who the heck is Mother Neff? Why does she get a park named for her?” I always meant to stop for a few minutes and see if I [...]

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Good To The Last Bite

May 29, 2009

Some of you may know that I stopped watching the television news quite awhile ago. I determined that all I ever saw was bad news, and it made me sad to see it. My friend Marcia taught me a couple of years ago that if you want your world to be filled with good, then [...]

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It’s A Puzzle

May 27, 2009

A few days ago, I was searching the internet trying (unsuccessfully) to identify butterflies I had seen at Wild-Connections Butterfly Farm. I came across this magnificent picture of a handmade jigsaw puzzle with a brilliant blue butterfly. When I discovered that it was made in Texas, I had to follow down all the links to [...]

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Gruene With Envy. My Neck Of The Woods.

May 16, 2009

After visiting Gruene, Texas several times over the years I remembered it as a bucolic, sleepy little place just slightly northwest of New Braunfels. If that means nothing to you, think, “thirty minutes north of San Antonio.” If that doesn’t tell you anything, then I need to get you to Texas, child, because your education [...]

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Peggy Sue BBQ in Dallas

April 25, 2009

Peggy Sue has a nice rack. Of RIBS — what were you thinking? I didn’t even see “Peggy Sue.” We decided to chow down on some barbecue last weekend, and Peggy Sue BBQ was highly recommended, after all The Dallas Observer listed them as The Best Barbecue in 2008. It sounded promising, so I got [...]

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Heritage Inn Bed and Breakfast, Denton. My Neck Of The Woods.

April 18, 2009

Not far from the Courthouse Square in Denton, Texas there is a quaint Bed and Breakfast Inn. Actually, it consists of three historic homes, side by side and surrounded by gardens, on Locust Street. The Heritage Inn is a delightful retreat — an alternative to the generic hotels you find along the highways. If Denton [...]

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Ocean of Bluebonnets

April 8, 2009

This tiny patch of wildflowers was an island in an ocean of bluebonnets We snapped these pictures (and many more) last weekend just south of Navasota, Texas on Highway 6. We were heading south, and these were in a field on the right. The field is hidden behind the treeline, but if you catch a [...]

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Contemplating

April 5, 2009

Taking time out today to enjoy the Lone Star State. That’s the beach in Galveston. Have a delightful Sunday, and I’ll see you tomorrow.

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My Neck Of The Woods. Weston Gardens in Fort Worth, Texas

March 28, 2009

For those who love flowers, the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex has delightful gardens. The Fort Worth Botanical Garden claims to be the oldest in Texas. Dallas boasts the Dallas Arboretum. Both are a delight to the senses, and both can be found in guidebooks. There’s a little known jewel in Fort Worth … well, almost in [...]

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