by Phil Houseal | Feb 1, 2017 | All Articles, Food, Venue
Feb 1, 2017–You couldn’t get much more “out of the box.” That overused phrase is the perfect description of the new Münch Food Park now open on Highway Street. “We’re not in a box,” said owner Justin Armes. “Heck, we’re not even square.” They’re more “tubular.” The...
by Phil Houseal | Jan 25, 2017 | Education, Events, People of the Hill Country
Jan 25, 2017–Not to alarm readers, but the Hill Country is being invaded by marauding hordes, intent upon establishing a sovereign country ruled by medieval laws and customs. And food and fun. The invaders march under the flag of the Kerrville Renaissance Festival, a...
by Phil Houseal | Jan 18, 2017 | Education, People of the Hill Country
Jan 18, 2017–Yeti exist. They live at the South Pole. This news is according to my son, who is finishing his second stint working at Amundsen-Scott Station at 90 degrees south latitude. One of the highlights of his mail call is answering letters from elementary...
by Phil Houseal | Jan 11, 2017 | Education
Jan 11, 2017–When I arrived in Fredericksburg in 1978, I fell in love with everything about the area. The food, the music, the climate, the scenery, the mix of German, Spanish, and Southwestern cultures. The one thing missing? Local access to higher education....
by Phil Houseal | Jan 4, 2017 | Philosophy
Jan 4, 2017–For someone who loves speculating about the future, I have been fabulously wrong at predicting it. The litany of my failings in this area is long and embarrassing. So enjoy: Cable TV Having been raised in an era and area that offered only three broadcast...
by Phil Houseal | Aug 3, 2016 | All Articles, History, Music, Venue
Aug 3, 2016–Seems like many of the artists I interview these days are people that my dad wouldn’t believe I talked to and my kids wouldn’t care. Roy Clark falls into that category. Taking a risk, I told him that line when I had the opportunity to interview him...
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 | Nov 4, 2015 | All Articles, Philosophy
Nov 4, 2015–It’s not easy to be interesting. In fact, it’s dangerous. But it’s the most worthy thing to be. Blogger/writer Seth Godin recently wrote an “interesting” piece about this concept. While I had thought that being interesting is a static trait that some...
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...
