by Phil Houseal | Jun 9, 2021 | All Articles, History, Philosophy
June 9, 2021–While goosing my truck up to 85 miles per hour on Interstate 10 West, I thought back to 1974 when the federal government forced states to drop all speed limits to 55 mph. This was done to 1) save fuel, 2) save lives. It did neither. This directly affected...
by Phil Houseal | May 5, 2021 | All Articles, Food, History, People of the Hill Country, Philosophy, Venue
May 5, 2021–From Kay Street in the west (the “K” in COME BACK) to Eagle Street in the east (the “E” in ALL WELCOME) it seems every other Fredericksburg establishment has something to do with sipping, selling, tasting, or tippling wine. Wine is the new water. I have a...
by Phil Houseal | Mar 10, 2021 | All Articles, History, Philosophy
March 10, 2021–New! Simplified for Seniors! That was the screaming message for an offer in my mailbox last week. It upset me. When, I yelled at the sky, did being a senior citizen mean you got stupid? Shouldn’t it be the exact opposite? Shouldn’t the people who have...
by Phil Houseal | Mar 3, 2021 | All Articles, History, People of the Hill Country, Philosophy
Mar 3, 2021–For the nth time, I’m reading Nine Years With The Indians, the book about Herman Lehmann, the last Indian captive on the Texas frontier. It tells the story–in his own words–of the 11-year-old German boy who was captured in 1870 and lived with the Apaches...
by Phil Houseal | Feb 3, 2021 | All Articles, Events, History, Music, Philosophy
Feb 3, 2021–On the morning of Feb 3, 1959, 14-year-old Tom LaVille opened up his bundle of newspapers to deliver like he did every day. But this morning was different. There, on the front page of the Mason City Globe-Gazette, was the news that Buddy Holly, the...
by Phil Houseal | Jan 6, 2021 | All Articles, History, Philosophy
1/6/2021–It’s now been a couple of weeks since Christmas and a good time to reflect on what all those “educational” toys teach us. Frustration. Slinky How many of us saw those commercials where the sleek slinky coiled spring gracefully navigated stairs and leapt from...
