by Phil Houseal | May 24, 2023 | All Articles, Education, Philosophy
May 24, 2023–Have you ever auditioned? No? Technically, I’ve never auditioned for a part in a production. My theater experience has always resulted from the “we need a warm body on stage to stand here” and my tepid torso has been within reach. But, really, we all...
by Phil Houseal | May 17, 2023 | All Articles, History, Music, People of the Hill Country
May 17, 2023–(Note: Last week I wrote about my stint as an extra in the movie Barbarosa, filmed around Fredericksburg in 1980 and starring Willie Nelson and Gary Busey. On what was to be my last day on the set, the film crew hired me as a stand-in for actor Danny De...
by Phil Houseal | May 10, 2023 | All Articles, History, Music, People of the Hill Country
May 10, 2023–(NOTE: Joining the scrum of fans telling their connection to Willie Nelson on his 90th birthday, I’m resharing the story of the time he came to the Texas Hill Country to film a movie.) I was perched on the low limb of a live oak tree. The sun was...
by Phil Houseal | May 3, 2023 | All Articles, History, Philosophy
May 3, 2023–Each week I sit across the table from five gentle men. If this were a different time in American history, rather than sharing breakfast tacos, we would be trying to kill each other. One is British, a native of County Durham, England. If this were 1776, I...
by Phil Houseal | Apr 26, 2023 | All Articles, Education, People of the Hill Country
April 26, 2023–I recently decided to replace the shade tree in my front yard. It died about, oh, 28 years ago, so I figured it was time. I dutifully researched what genus of tree to get. It had to be quick growing, yet not trashy; able to get by on little water, yet...
