by Phil Houseal | Jun 22, 2016 | All Articles, Events, History, Music
June 22, 2016–In 1963 a young gal went round to tiny Midwest radio stations trying to get them to play a record made by her little brother’s band. That girl happened to be Louise Harrison, and her brother George’s band was called The Beatles. “Oh yes,” she said in a...
by Phil Houseal | Dec 23, 2015 | All Articles, Education, Events, History, Music, Philosophy
Dec 23, 2015–On a recent trip to Iowa I took part in our family’s cherished holiday tradition–we burned a piano. That’s right. On a cold Midwestern night, with snow on the ground and stars overhead, family and friends circled the instrument and took turns playing it...
by Phil Houseal | Aug 19, 2015 | All Articles, Education, History, People of the Hill Country, Venue
Aug 19, 2015–They found the sheep. They also discovered one of the most beautiful caves in the world. Mary McGrath Curry was around 6 years old when she and her two brothers, Harold and Jimmy, set off on their journey toward the center of the Earth. She is now 86 and...
by Phil Houseal | Jun 10, 2015 | All Articles, History, Philosophy
June 10, 2015–I was thinking about my Aunt Rose this week. She was 250 years old. At least she seemed to be that age in my childish worldview. She was actually born in 1898, the ninth of 10 children, and sister to my Grandma Annie. As parents do with all old...
by Phil Houseal | Apr 15, 2015 | All Articles, History, People of the Hill Country, Philosophy
April 15, 2015–Readers sometimes ask what is the best show I have ever seen. Well, it happened in a dusty cattle barn on a cold January morning. My kids and I had taken in our three goats to be sheared in preparation for the stock show. We arrived at 7:30 a.m. so we...
by Phil Houseal | Sep 24, 2014 | All Articles, Education, History, Philosophy
Sept 24, 2014–I remember the year my dad took a painting class. It changed the way I looked at grownups. This happened around my fourth-grade year. My dad would have been in his early 40s then… a very old person in my worldview. At dinner one evening, he...
