by Phil Houseal | Nov 9, 2022 | All Articles, Philosophy
Nov 9, 2022–I seem to be missing the gene that creates the unquenchable desire to own things. This disinterest in amassing material wealth manifests in many areas of my life. Take furniture. If I had not taken a wife, I would still be eating pot pies off a wooden...
by Phil Houseal | Nov 2, 2022 | All Articles, Education, History, Philosophy
Nov 2, 2022–Do only mammals play? This question caused some consternation around our Table of Knowledge. We all have seen films of otters, puppies, penguins, and ponies jumping, sliding, and kicking just for the joy of it. But what about other classes in the animal...
by Phil Houseal | Oct 26, 2022 | All Articles, History, Philosophy
Oct 26, 2022–What is it about a treehouse? My 7-year-old granddaughter has been asking for her own treehouse for several weeks, so guess what we’ve been building? We are repurposing the fruitless mulberry in our front yard that served as a treehouse for my now-grown...
by Phil Houseal | Oct 23, 2022 | All Articles, Events, Music, Venue
Oct 24, 2022–Ballet during the holidays is about more than the Nutcracker, a point Enrica Tseng hopes to prove with Ballet Frontier’s presentation of Giselle at the Cailloux Theater on Sunday, November 6. Tseng is Artistic Advisor of Ballet Frontier, an...
by Phil Houseal | Oct 19, 2022 | All Articles, Philosophy
Oct 19, 2022–The Pioneer Memorial Library book sale is coming up the last Saturday of this month. If you are like me, in your annual attempt to winnow the home book shelf by donating, you perennially pass over volumes you just can’t bear to banish. One untouchable...
by Phil Houseal | Oct 12, 2022 | All Articles, Education, History, Philosophy
Oct 12, 2022–Looking at the recent hurricane damage that leveled portions of several cities, the question came to mind: if mankind was not around to rebuild them, how long would it be before urban areas disappeared? If we abandoned the earth, how long would it take...
by Phil Houseal | Oct 6, 2022 | All Articles, Education, People of the Hill Country, Philosophy
Oct 5, 2022–A colleague recently retired as Executive Director of a community organization. After “congratulations,” my first thought was, I wonder if anyone will return his calls now? You see, in our society, People don’t hold Positions; Positions hold People. The...
by Phil Houseal | Oct 1, 2022 | All Articles, Education, Events, History, Music
Sept 28, 2022–While portraying country music legend Hank Williams on stage at the Grand Ole Opry, Jason Petty began formulating an idea for a show that became Classic Nashville Live! featuring greats such as Johnny and June, Dolly Parton, Merle Haggard, and Patsy...
by Phil Houseal | Sep 21, 2022 | All Articles, History, People of the Hill Country, Philosophy, Venue
Sept 21, 2022–At what point in any journey is the joy of attending an event worth the pain of travel to get there? Is one night worth six days in a car? Eight hours in a plane? Three weeks on a slow boat? That was the topic of a recent discussion. Of course, it is an...
by Phil Houseal | Sep 13, 2022 | All Articles, Education, History, Philosophy
Sept 14, 2022–If you ever feel you don’t make a difference, read on, McDuff. Many, many… many… years ago, I was student teaching to finish up my education degree. This is a thrilling time for every wanna-be teacher, as it puts you in front of real students...
