by Phil Houseal | Feb 10, 2021 | All Articles, Food, People of the Hill Country, Philosophy
Feb 10, 2021–A cousin compiling a family cookbook has been soliciting recipes. It got me thinking about the ways as kids we hacked food. The mother of most of our food inventions was literally our mother. Parents were forever trying to get us to eat nasty green...
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 27, 2021 | All Articles, Education, Philosophy
Jan 27, 2021 Thesis: The single best thing one could do to support any local economy is to read, advertise in, and subscribe to the local newspaper. Disclaimer: I have no financial stake in nor have I ever been an employee of this or any newspaper. This past year I’ve...
by Phil Houseal | Jan 20, 2021 | All Articles, Events, People of the Hill Country
Jan 20, 2021–It’s a serious sport with a silly name. And it’s finally arrived in Fredericksburg. “I couldn’t believe a town like Fredericksburg didn’t have anyone playing pickleball,” said Marcy Guion, a retired teacher and coach who moved here with her husband,...
by Phil Houseal | Jan 10, 2021 | All Articles, Philosophy
Jan 13, 2021–Anyone who spends time with toddlers is reminded of the innocence of childhood, the eternal optimism of the human race, and why everyone eventually stops procreating. Here is the timeline of a recent episode of Papa Babysits: 2:00 p.m.–After a full...
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...
by Phil Houseal | Dec 30, 2020 | All Articles, Education, Philosophy
Dec 30, 2020–You know what creates anxiety in many of us? It’s not the lack of choices. It’s having too many choices. I first noticed this in myself as a child trying to figure out my future. I would watch a basketball game, and decide I wanted to be Larry Bird. Then...
by Phil Houseal | Dec 22, 2020 | All Articles, Food, History, Philosophy
Dec 13, 2020–What is your favorite worst holiday food? Food you are supposed to like because everyone else does, but you don’t, really. Every holiday, we are coerced to eat and drink strangely colored concoctions (green beer?) and alien textured foodstuffs in the...
by Phil Houseal | Dec 16, 2020 | All Articles, Philosophy
Dec 16, 2020–Symmetry is boring. This thought came to mind when I ran into a pal in a grocery store aisle (where else?) and he apologized for his lopsided gait due to a physical issue. My reply was, “Symmetry is overrated.” I trace this ontological insight back to...
by Phil Houseal | Dec 7, 2020 | All Articles, Events, Music
Dec 9, 2020–Before he arrived at country music, Justin Biltonen traveled through gospel, punk, rock, and southern rock. Most fans know Biltonen as the long-time bassist for the American rock band 3 Doors Down. But he’ll be performing in Fredericksburg this week as a...
