by Phil Houseal | Sep 3, 2014 | All Articles, Philosophy
Sept 3, 2014–I heard a piece on radio recently about “the last paperboy.” Some small town in the Midwest still uses paperboys to deliver the daily editions. It stirred ink-stained memories, so I dug through boxes and found my canvas newspaper bag, my collection book,...
by Phil Houseal | Aug 13, 2014 | All Articles, Events, History
Aug 13, 2014–When I played in a band at a bar in Riverside, Iowa, Earth, in the mid-20th century, I wish I’d known I was standing in the very room where Captain James T. Kirk would be conceived 250 years in the future. I would have drunk a toast of Talaxian champagne....
by Phil Houseal | Aug 6, 2014 | All Articles, Philosophy
Aug 6, 2014– I hate parties. More accurately, I hate the concept of parties. You go to a place you don’t want to be; to eat food you don’t like; with people you don’t want to talk to. Being at a party makes me feel as if I am performing. You are carrying on a...
by Phil Houseal | Apr 2, 2014 | All Articles, Education, Events, History, People of the Hill Country, Philosophy, Venue
“Money may buy you a fine dog, but only love can make him wag his tail.” International celebrity and Hill Country resident Richard “Kinky” Friedman is seeking both money and love at his Concert for Utopia on April 13. The world knows Kinky Friedman as front man for...
by Phil Houseal | Jan 5, 2014 | All Articles, History, People of the Hill Country, Philosophy
by Phil Houseal
Jan 15, 2014 NOTE: Thanks to an invitation from Clifton Fifer, retired history teacher, and popular re-enactor, and Paula Reynolds, who is working on a book about Esther, I was able to spend an afternoon interviewing Esther Lehmann, 90-year-old niece...
by Phil Houseal | Jan 5, 2014 | All Articles, Education, People of the Hill Country, Philosophy
by Phil Houseal Jan 8, 2014 History from a distance is a textbook. But when it sits across the table from you, speaks to you, and lets you touch the rawhide sinews that bridge two centuries, history lives. So the tale unfolded as I spent an afternoon at the Sunday...
by Phil Houseal | Jan 1, 2014 | Uncategorized
by Phil Houseal Dec 30, 2013 Stephen Dean is not really sure how many dance halls there are in Texas. He has only been to 800 so far. It was fitting that I caught up with the chronicler of dance halls at one of those iconic places–Pat’s Hall. “I say ‘800’...
by Phil Houseal | Nov 20, 2013 | All Articles, Education, History, Venue
Nov 20, 2013–Little Free Library is one of those ideas you wish you had thought of. The concept is simple: You set out a cute box full of books, and invite anyone to stop by and “take a book, return a book.” The execution, however, has turned into a national...
by Phil Houseal | Nov 19, 2013 | Uncategorized
We are starting off 2014 by moving my weekly Full House columns to this new WordPress site. The new format will make them easier to organize, archive, and search. Thank you for so faithfully following my articles that tell the stories of the Texas Hill Country. I...
by Phil Houseal | Jul 31, 2013 | All Articles, Events, History, People of the Hill Country, Venue
July 31, 2013–So the Pastor was doing a sermon on the life of Jesus, and he asked what was the biggest festival of year. One youngster raised his hand, and said, “The Schuetzenfest.” “This actually happened at our church way back,” said Charles Feller, Secretary of...
