Fine Figs Grow Well in San Antonio

by Celia Hayes

For the last month we have been having a harvest season. Not of our own garden bounty, although the tomato plants produce generously enough that we can have fresh tomatoes in a salad every other night or so; rather, we have been harvesting figs. They are ripe just now in our San Antonio neighborhood, where two of our neighbors have bearing fig trees and have given us permission to pick.

The trouble with bearing fruit trees is that very soon, the owners of it get sick and tired of the output, so cheerfully welcome anyone who will come and take some of it away. I know this: I have been there, in Utah, where my rented house had fifteen bearing apricot trees in the back yard. Eventually couldn't even

Paint Your Own Clay Pottery

by Celia Hayes

In our never-ending search for interesting things to write about in, and around San Antonio, serendipity took a hand last week. We were actually heading for WingStop in Embassy Oaks for our monthly Red Hat gathering, but we were early. With some time to kill, we wandered into the nearby Clay Casa, a paint-it-yourself pottery studio – just to see what was on hand. I understand that the popularity of this as a hobby has never really gone out of style; in Victorian times it was called china painting, and was considered a suitable hobby for genteel young ladies, the kind of thing taught in finishing schools. From there, the urge to ornament pottery and china segued into the hands of professional artists and

In Case You Missed It: Business Facilities Magazine Names Texas Best Business Climate in the Nation; U.S. Chamber of Commerce Names Texas a Leader in Job Creation

Monday, July 23, 2012  •  Austin, Texas  •  Press Release

Office of the Governor Rick Perry

Texas' strong jobs climate and economic pillars continue to receive national recognition, most recently from Business Facilities magazine, which has ranked Texas's business climate best in the nation, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce-National Chamber Foundation, whose Enterprising States study named Texas a leader in job growth and one of the states most likely to grow.

"These rankings echo what employers from across the country and around the world have long known - that Texas' strong

The Town That Was – And the Hardware Store That Is

by Celia Hayes

Lately, we've taken to getting to New Braunfels by following Nacogdoches road all the way up to where it intersects with FM 482. Just around that intersection we have been intrigued by a range of old buildings – two of them side by side, weathered gray boards, with a false front and a veranda across the front, looking like something on the set of a Western movie. Around the bend in Old Nacogdoches Road, there is an industrial-looking building of yellow buff brick with a tall chimney. The fourth building – the only one still whole and in use is a little way down FM 842 – a charming and totally random brick church; the Catholic Church of St. Joseph. From the evidence of the storefronts, the

Our Midsummer San Antonio Garden Reveal

by Celia Hayes

At this point, we have about filled the back yard of my San Antonio home and the narrow strip running along the side of the house with just about everything it can hold; plants in the ground and plants in pots, or hanging from baskets from the edge of the back porch. Now my daughter has begun looking speculatively at the front of the house ... which admittedly has begun to look a little neglected. Well, those parts not covered with enthusiastic plants are looking neglected. Five or six years ago, I planted one side of the driveway with mostly xeriscape plants, and things which I recall from Greece. There's a small olive tree in the middle of it, with a fig tree, and two grapevines growing on

Happy Birthday America

Happy Fourth of July

by Randy Watson

"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States of America. This year is the 200th aniversary of the War on 1812, the inspiration to Francis Scott Key to write the lyrics of the Star Spangled Banner. Francis Scott Key witnessed the bombardment of Ft. McHenry by the British Navy ships in Chesapeake Bay during the Battle of Ft McHenry in the War of 1812. 

Madison Rising, a conservative rock band, has recorded a version of the Star-Spangled Banner that is one of the most beautiful versions I have ever heard. Madison Rising is on a mission to not only make great music, but also send a message that American culture is alive and well. Madison Rising, named in honor of

5 Benefits of Using a Gun to Protect Your Home

 By Ryan Avila

The same as you always carry a spare tire, or keep a fire extinguisher in your kitchen, a self-defense firearm should be part of your home standard equipment. If you know how, and when, to use the gun then you will have substantial benefits when it is needed. As part of your preparation it is vitally important that you know and understand the Texas laws pertaining to self-defense and the home.

As of 2007, Texas passed a "castle doctrine" law which allows homeowners to use deadly force against illegal intruders without the necessity of retreating. However, like many laws, there are important aspects to it that can trip you up and cause significant legal problems if you are not aware of