Texasliving October 2017

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OCTOBER 2017

HUNTING & THE HIGH LIFE AT THE JL BAR RANCH & RESORT

THE MAN BEHIND THE PIANO

FOOTBALL TOWN FOODS: PART TWO

CUSTOM HOMES OF TEXAS

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CONTENTS features 5 | HUNTING & THE HIGH LIFE AT THE JL BAR RANCH & RESORT

With values of excellence and expertise in hunting, one resort in Sonora, Texas aims to redefine the ranch and resort experience to make for a world-class destination. Guests can expect luxury, from the premier hunting experience to the cuisine and elegant accommodations. When it comes to finding the ultimate hunting ranch retreat, look no further than The JL Bar Ranch and Resort.

22 | THE MAN BEHIND THE PIANO

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Performing for U.S. presidents, royalty, and heads of state, the late Harvey Lavan “Van” Cliburn brought great honor and musical talent to the state of Texas. From holding countless prestigious awards to easing tensions between the U.S. and Russia, the gracious and kind Louisiana-born Texan was a legendary pianist that brought classical music to the masses.

26 | CUSTOM HOMES OF TEXAS

With a story behind every element, this Austin home has everything from reclaimed Tennessee barn wood to a Pennsylvania-made concrete dining table. Down to the last detail, the Wests’ stylish, modern home has a sleek sophistication that brings a unique look to each room.

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44 | FOOTBALL TOWN FOODS: PART TWO

As the fall season calls alumni home to their alma maters, food and football take precedence in the college towns of Texas. Just as each Texas university is home to their own special programs and unique traditions, the communities in which they reside are also known for culinary excellence.

To celebrate a victory or recover from a loss, these establishments await with doors wide open.

articles TRAILS & TAILS 9 | Legacy of Literacy: Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy to hold 16th Annual Celebration of Reading in Dallas 12 | Critter Colloquialisms Part Two 14 | Haunted Dallas/Fort Worth Part 1: Inside the City Limits 16 | Texas Just Never Gets Old: A Look into Joe Nichols’s Lone Star State of Mind 19 | Where to Find West Texas Jewels

TEXAS INTERIORS 34 | October Opulence 35 | Stained Glass: One Thousand Years of Color 38 | Fall-Blooming Plants 40 | Secure Your Home While Traveling

TABLESIDE 42 | Fire up the Smoker!

48 | Sweet Potatoes Make “Good for You” Delicious OCTOBER 2017 | 3

TEXAS IS FAMOUS FOR

SO MUCH:

The Alamo, NASA, Buddy Holly, and Dallas (the TV show) to list a few. Our great state is still associated with the cowboy, the open range, campfires, the Texas Rangers, and cattle drives. Our state is rich in history and has a unique identity, with a “larger than life” personality. At Texasliving, we take great pride in showcasing the history, culture, and style of Texas. We trust that you’ll find this magazine reflects the unique identity that makes Texas great!

PUBLISHER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

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© 2017 Texasliving. All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written consent of Texasliving.

4 | OCTOBER 2017

Ashley Sullivan

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Megan McLawhon

MANAGING EDITOR

Samantha Latta

PRODUCTION DIRECTOR

Amanda Sisson

PRODUCTION MANAGERS CUSTOM HOME EDITOR CUSTOM HOMES PHOTOGRAPHER

Cara Dyer Rebecca Neighbors Bobbi Padgett Butch Ireland

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Tyasia Hubbard

GRAPHICS

Caroline Piazza Jenny Stauffer Julia Walter

WRITERS

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Michael Padgett

Marye Audet Rita Cook Erin Ferris Tania Taylor Griffis David Hand Steve Huddleston Samantha Latta Jessica Moreau Megan Ann Oswald Becca Nelson Sankey Meddie Stewart Kimberly A. Suta

Hunting & the High Life AT THE JL BAR RANCH & RESORT Photo Courtesy of: JL Bar Ranch & Reso

rt

WRITTEN BY: KIMBERLY A. SUTA

People travel from all over the United States, even the world, for a chance to hunt in Texas. Thanks to substantial populations of land mammals, birds, and even fish, the hunting industry is booming. Deer, in particular, are favored during hunting season and have been for thousands of years; it was the primary meat source for prehistoric people in the area along with bison. Hunting was and still is a tradition and practice in many families, one that is highly valued for the sustenance it brings.

When it comes to finding the ultimate hunting ranch retreat for your family, a group of friends, or corporate event, then look no further than the 13,000- acre JL Bar Ranch & Resort in Sonora, Texas, just two hours from San Antonio.

Photo Courtesy of: The JL Bar Ranch & Resort

If you are already familiar with the ranches here in Texas, then you may know it by its former name, Sonora Trophy Hunts, which is now in its tenth year as a hunting operation. Already professionals when it came to hunting, the property recently received a significant upgrade with the addition of a grand main lodge and sixteen luxury cabins which are situated around the lodge. “Our vision is to redefine the ranch and resort experience and be a world-class destination of choice. With that said, one of our values is excellence. We pride ourselves on service and our [staff ], and that’s really where we want to differentiate between other resorts. We want to be a place people remember,” shared Tom Zibelin, Director of Business Development.

Photo Courtesy of: The JL Bar Ranch & Resort

Photo Courtesy of: The JL Bar Ranch &

Resort

Photo Courtesy of: Chef Jon Walter

Photo Courtesy of: Chef Jon Walter

What makes The JL Bar Ranch really special is the luxury component. “Upper-level hospitality is our niche. There are a lot of really nice high-end resorts and well-known hunting operations, but not a lot that have merged the two together – with hunting and the resort on the level that we do, especially in Texas,” claimed Cody Roberts, General Manager of the resort.

One stunning example of the level to which The JL Bar Ranch caters to its guests is the fully functioning airport on the ranch, which is available to guests who have their own private planes. “What’s really going to open up the door, where we don’t have any competition, is the airport. You can fly in anytime. We have staff, hangar space, and it’s a golf cart ride away from the resort,” Cody said.

people and making them happy, which is the root and essence of hospitality,” explained Chef Walter.

Chef Walter speaks very passionately about the dining experience he works tirelessly to create for his guests. “The experience is authentic and inspirational. It’s very important, from the moment they walk in the door until the time they leave the gates. The way we cook the food is with integrity, with the utmost respect, and I think it shows; and that’s what keeps them coming back,” he said.

AT THE JL BAR RANCH & RESORT

Chef Walter is typically on the floor during dinner service.

Upon entering the restaurant, diners are greeted with a warm smile, a handshake, or even a hug, if they happen to have a familiar face. The cuisine is rare, not only because it is made with skill and insight, but because the focus is on quality, not the bottom line. “Expense comes second behind quality, whereas a lot of restaurants and hotels prioritize expense, and it shows. It’s been a wonderful opportunity; I really love it out here!” he said.

The resort’s cuisine has been highly lauded, and the success of the on-site restaurant is largely thanks to Executive Chef Jon Walter, who the resort wooed away from an enviable life of cooking on private mega-yachts in tropical locales. Chef Walter is a native Texan who has always had a clear vision of his limitless future. “As a child, when my Mom asked me what I wanted to do, I told her I wanted to be a chef. What makes me go is nurturing

So what kind of cuisine can guests expect to eat at The JL Bar Ranch? Although Chef Walter likes to feature seasonal ingredients and focuses on local products as much as possible, he also takes into account the individual preferences of his guests. “Specialized service catered to each individual is what makes it special. Some might want a six course dining experience, but some people may just want steak and potatoes. [The] sky’s the limit!” he declared.

Dining

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Photo Courtesy of: The

Photo Courtesy of: The JL Bar Ranc h

JL Bar Ranch & Resort

& Resort

A highlight for foodies is the Tuesday evening Supper Club which includes a five course, pre-fixe menu. The menus, available online, showcase incredible dishes, such as pepper-crusted tenderloin roast, grilled lobster tail, puff pastry-encrusted salmon, grilled ribeye, chicken fried quail, and a mouthwatering, 72-hour braised short rib.

Hunting

IN THE HILL COUNTRY If you are taking the time to visit any kind of hunting ranch, from camping to five-star accommodations, it is likely you are there to hunt.

The JL Bar Ranch offers just about anything you could want from a Texas Hill Country hunt, from a premiere Texas Whitetail hunting adventure to hunts for axis deer, red stag, blackbuck, and fallow deer.

The diversity of the terrain and vegetation creates the ideal habitat for these exotic animals. “We cover the gambit of what big game ranches offer – whitetail hunts, exotic hunts. Where we differentiate is the luxury hunting experience and the resort,” Zibelin said.

Bird hunts are also on offer, from quail hunting to pheasant drives through the vast, majestic hills with their mesquite and oak thickets and native grass prairies. Upland bird hunters are able to choose from a variety of options that run from September through March. Native and migratory doves can also be found on the ranch from September to October, including the Mourning Dove, White-winged Dove, and the Collard Dove.

Spring turkey hunting is another great draw to the ranch for their Rio Grande turkeys. This might be the perfect kind of hunt for a corporate group or out-of-town friends. “Our guides go through the same hospitality training as food and beverage employees. We don’t just send you out with a guide, get you to the blind, [and] leave the blind. If you want to go out and spend the entire day, you can. We can have hors d'oeuvres and drinks brought to you in a comfortable blind all day long. We tailor the hunt to the individual. We want them to feel like they’re the most important person on the property,” described Roberts.

For those who are more spontaneous but completely unprepared for a hunt, The JL Bar Ranch encourages guests to fly in anyways for a long weekend of hunting; there is no need to bring anything with you but a change or two of clothes. “We’ll fit you with all the gear you might possibly need,” said Roberts.

When not in the blind, guests can take advantage of the shooting sports complex that currently has nine ranges. The plan is to build a 18,000-square-foot range house that will accommodate everything from pistols to shotguns to rifles, with a separate area for guests to relax.

If, for some reason, you find yourself at The JL Bar Ranch with zero interest in hunting sports, do not despair. Fortunately, they have a beautiful pool where you can relax and enjoy the sunshine.

They also offer in-room spa services per your request.

OCTOBER 2017 | 7

Accommodations

Photo Courtesy of: The JL Bar Ranc h

& Resort

AT THE JL BAR RANCH & RESORT Unless you are staying at a private ranch, it is an unusual opportunity to enjoy such elegant accommodations on a hunting excursion. Each cabin can house between two and nine guests and comes with finely-crafted custom furniture and topof-the-line amenities.

The presidential suite only has one bed so it is a little roomier, which allows for private dining, perfect for a romantic getaway.

One weekend a month, The JL Bar Ranch hosts a couple’s weekend, where they provide specially-designed activities for couples, such as a wine tasting or hiking through the wildflowers.

As far as Cody Roberts is concerned, The JL Bar Ranch & Resort is the preeminent ranch resort in Texas. “I’ve done this model before on several other private operations, but this is the first time I’ve seen this level of accommodations, amenities, and hunting available to the public. Anyone can call up and book a hunt [or] an overnight stay for a concert event or couples weekend. It’s the most high-end you can get,” he said.

Photo Courtesy of: The JL Bar Ranch & Resort

Photo Courtesy of: The JL Bar Ranch & Resort

A LEGACY OF LITERACY Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy to Hold 16th Annual Celebration of Reading in Dallas

WRITTEN BY: BECCA NELSON SANKEY

Since introducing the masses to aerobics in 1972 with their book Aerobics for Women, Dr. Kenneth H. and Millie Cooper have developed a fitness empire that includes exercise centers, a preventative medicine clinic, a spa, and a hotel and conference center, all in North Dallas.

For Millie Cooper, who grew up part of a poor, uneducated family in Oklahoma, none of that would have been possible had she not been armed with the power of literacy. “I can remember hanging clothes on the line with a book in one hand,” said Cooper, who was the valedictorian of her seventeen-member senior class. “I’ve traveled the world, and it wasn’t nearly as exciting to me as when I saw [these places] in books. My passion for reading is overwhelming.”

Cooper could not decline when the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy asked her to co-chair the 2017 Dallas-Fort Worth Celebration of Reading with her daughter-inlaw Angie Cooper. The annual fundraiser, held November 7 this year at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas, benefits the 20 literacy programs of the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy. “Barbara Bush founded this in 1989 based on her belief that if you teach a person to read, their opportunities in life will be endless,” Cooper said.

OCTOBER 2017 | 9

Sobering Statistics

The Barbara Bush Foundation literacy programs benefit more than 700 students and families in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, according to a news release from the foundation.

Those programs include Teen Trendsetters, which pairs teenage mentors with first-or second-grade students who are, on average, half a year behind their grade level in reading, according to the release. The foundation’s family programs teach parents to read, on average boosting their literacy by two grade levels in the course of one year.

Ninety percent of preschoolers helped by the foundation finish the school year at the same reading level as their classmates and are ready to start kindergarten. Furthermore, besides just Texans, children and adults in all 50 states have benefited from the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy.

Millie & Angela Cooper

U.S. literacy statistics are sobering. More than 36 million Americans are unable to read and one in four adults cannot read at a fifth-grade level, according to the foundation’s literature. Furthermore, illiteracy and low literacy are linked to higher unemployment, lower income levels, and poor health; students who do not read proficiently by the third grade are four times more likely to drop out of high school; and fewer than 47 percent of children whose mothers do not have a high school diploma are ready for school (compared to 83 percent of those whose mothers have earned a bachelor’s degree).

“You get one educated person in a family, and it’s like tossing a stone into a brook and it just ripples on down,” Cooper said. “I can see the personal effect [of education] in my own life.”

In North Texas alone, 70 percent of low-income fourth-graders cannot read at grade level, said event co-chair Angie Cooper in a news release from the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy. “As a mother and former school teacher, I have seen the direct impact education can have in the lives of children and their families,” she said. “I am honored to support the Barbara Bush Foundation and its efforts directly aimed at ensuring that every child is given the opportunity to achieve the American dream, while providing access to learning resources and programs critical for success.”

Celebration of Reading Events

Celebration of Reading began in 2002 and is held in several locations across the country including Maine, Florida, Houston, and Dallas-Fort Worth. The Dallas event features a panel of New York Times best-selling authors, each of whom speak briefly and read from their latest work, as well as the personal testimony of a student who has benefited from a Barbara Bush Foundation program. “It’s usually a very moving testimony,” Cooper said.

“They talk about why [the foundation is] important to them and the opportunities it’s afforded them.”

Past authors at the Dallas Celebration of Reading include John Grisham, J.G. Daniel, Daniel Silva, and Robert M. Edsel, Cooper said. This year’s lineup includes Leigh Anne Tuohy (other authors had not yet been named as of press time, but Cooper said organizers try to offer a varied “cross-section of what people would be interested in”).

Sandra Bullock won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Tuohy in the 2009 movie, The Blind Side. The movie was based on Michael Lewis’s bestselling nonfiction book, The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game, partly about a homeless black teen adopted by the Tuohy family who, with their support, played football for the University of Mississippi and eventually the NFL. The 2017 event includes a celebration luncheon with guests authors and top sponsors at noon; a VIP Author’s Reception with patron sponsors and higher at 5:30 p.m.; the Celebration Reception for all ticket-holders at 6 p.m.; the Celebration of Reading Program for all ticket-holders at 7 p.m.; the Celebration of Reading Dinner for all sponsors and $250 individual ticket-holders at 8:30 p.m.; and the guest author book signing at 9 p.m.

“It’s become a real thing in Dallas,” Cooper said. “It’s very successful. We usually sell out every year.”’

“

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You get one educated person in a family, and it’s like tossing a stone into a brook and it just ripples on down...

A Bush Family Endeavor

The Bush name has become synonymous with literacy since George H.W. Bush became president in 1989. Perhaps because of her son Neil’s struggles with dyslexia, Barbara Bush took a keen interest in literacy, starting her namesake foundation during her husband’s inaugural year of presidency. A few years later, Barbara became a vocal and crucial advocate for the passage of the National Literacy Act of 1991. She also authored Millie’s Book: As Dictated to Barbara Bush, and C. Fred’s Story, the proceeds of which benefited literacy programs, as well as Barbara Bush: A Memoir and Reflections: Life After the White House. Two of Bush’s children, Neil and Maria, started the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation in 2013 to boost literacy and improve quality of life for Houston residents.

Barbara Bush’s daughter-in-law, former First Lady Laura Bush, a former teacher and librarian, also became a literacy advocate. The Laura Bush Foundation for America’s Libraries provides grants to struggling school libraries throughout the nation. She has penned several books, including two children’s books with her daughter Jenna Bush Hager.

Dorothy Bush Koch & Barbara Bush

OCTOBER 2017 | 11

Part Two WRITTEN BY: MEDDIE STEWART

Many idioms and expressions are often credited to the South, and Texas is no different. However, many of these colloquialisms actually stem from much older parables, proverbs, history, literature, or simply the facts and hardships of everyday life.

Add a good ol’ Texan accent though, and each adage becomes more Southern than the next. Many of these phrases reference animals, not surprisingly as the South (and particularly Texas) is largely agricultural. If not native to the Lone Star State, learn these down-home-sounding phrases and let the fun begin!

LIKE A CANARY IN A COAL MINE

As far back as the early 1900s, canaries were recruited as a sentinel species, to warn humans of potential harm. Before modern technologies measured toxic gas levels in the air, miners often would not know about dangerous conditions until it was too late. Around 1913, John Scott Haldane, a Scottish physiologist, came up with a method for preserving human lives at the sake of small, warm-blooded birds, like canaries. Miners would take a caged bird with them deep into the earth. As a smaller animal, the presence of toxic gases would build up in their bloodstream faster than it would in humans. If the bird died, the coal miners could likely evacuate in time before their work turned lethal. Haldane would go on to invent a gas mask used in World War I. While coal mining is not often the first industry that comes to mind when thinking of Texas, the industry likely dates back to 1819 when the first mine was recorded near the Sabine River.

Out of six major coal belts in the continuous U.S., two actually extended into the Lone Star State. While most coal mining took place around the turn of the 20th century, the Jewett Mine between Dallas and Houston is currently the largest active operation in Texas and several active mines still run in the southern portion of the state.

So what does it mean when this bird phrase “flies” out of a Southerner’s mouth? It likely refers to a whistleblower figure or a smaller event that gives indications of a larger, potential harm.

Applicable in many situations, a canary in a coal mine means something bad is certainly on the horizon.

CATTY-CORNER

While some may argue over whether or not the correct terminology is kitty-corner or catty-corner, Merriam-Webster defines the term as something relationally located “in a diagonal or oblique position.” Down south, it is no surprise to have someone provide directions that might include “over yonder,” “down the road a piece,” or “just a hop, skip, and a jump.” So when a Texan friend says the store is catty-corner to the old bank, its position seems perfectly clear.

However, the origin of the phrase actually has nothing to do with cats or kitties. Rather it traces back years and across languages. The concept of cater-cornered came from an English dialect in which “cater” was a verb meaning “to move diagonally.”

But its history does not end there. Earlier on, “cater” first referred to the positioning of the “four” side of dice. Further back than that, it was actually borrowed by the English from the French word “quatre,” which unsurprisingly means four or four-quartered.

While kitty-corner is the most widely-used form of the adjective and adverb, it is more often used by Northerners.

Catty-corner is the popular form of the idiom in the South, with about 30 percent of all Americans saying it this way. So go ahead, Texans. Give directions that include the phrase—it seems almost everyone will know exactly what you mean!

CAT GOT YOUR TONGUE?

MAKE A MOUNTAIN OUT OF A MOLEHILL

When a mole burrows out a tunnel, the resulting “hill” is less than impressive. The tunnels are shallow and the earth barely raised. Describing these as “mountains” would be quite a stretch, an incredible exaggeration. The phrase, “making a mountain out of a molehill” more often than not refers to turning a minor issue into a major one, but it can also mean attributing more significance to something than it actually has, exaggerating its importance.

This phrase predates the entire South, but somehow made its way into a well-known colloquialism nonetheless. Usually, sources credit the idiom as having been first recorded in 1570, in John Fox’s The Book of Martyrs. However, William Caxton’s 1484 retelling of a fable about a mountain and a mouse may have first popularized the general idea of the mountain/molehill metaphor, though likely not yet into the succinct phrase used by Fox. No matter the exact origin, the concept has been around many centuries. Akin to the colloquialism, “much ado about nothing,” those who make mountains out of molehills tend to have dramatic tendencies.

THE DOG DAYS OF SUMMER

Idiomatically, no one seems to be able to “teach an old dog new tricks,” the canines always seem to be “barking up the wrong tree,” and perhaps a friend needs to “see a man about a dog.”

While many canine colloquialisms are fairly straightforward, or at least their meanings can be easily guessed, it is hard to pinpoint exactly how the “dog days of summer” relates to sweltering heat.

When the phrase comes up, it is easy to imagine lazy, panting dogs, laying on the porch or near the barn, with little to no energy to do much. However, these particular dog days originally had nothing to do with weather at all - or actual dogs!

Like so many phrases Texans think of as Southern, “dog days” were originally an ancient Greek and Roman concept. Known for their knowledge and charting of the stars in the heavens, this marked a time when Sirius would rise just before the sun, typically around July. Sirius, the brightest star and the nose of dog constellation Canis Major, was visible throughout the year, but at certain times, It would barely rise from the horizon just before the sun did, obscuring its view in the daytime hours. Historically, these hotter months brought with them fevers, wars, and general catastrophe. Even Homer refers to the star’s rising in The Iliad, although the modern translation and use began about five centuries back.

So this year, when those dog days of summer are upon the Lone Star State, forget that mental image of a thirsty, panting puppy lazily sleeping the day away. While that will certainly be the case, Texans can thank the astronomical genius of ancient civilizations for this Southern colloquial gem!

Typically, this is a question asked of someone who is seemingly rendered speechless. But where did the cat come into play in the history of this colloquialism? One popular theory, less cited, is the use of the cat-o’-nine-tails, an instrument of punishment apparently used by the English Navy for floggings in years past.

The pain was likely so unbearable that the receiver of the beating would not even be able to cry out. However, this seems to be more folklore and speculation after the phrase became popular, with little merit as to its actual origin.

Even further into the past, however, the idea behind the idiom may trace all the way back to the ancient Egyptians. Centuries ago, in that part of the world, one of the punishments for blasphemy and lying would have been to cut out the perpetrators tongue and throw it to the stray cats in the street. The criminal would have not been able to speak any longer without the vital organ, and a cat would quite literally be treated to the tongue.

GOT THE LION’S SHARE

Harper Collins explains the noun phrase “lion’s share” as a person, group, or project that gets the largest portion of something, leaving very little for something else. This portion typically refers to something desirable or beneficial in the long run, something that gives someone else an advantage or competitive edge.

Gauis Julius Phaedrus, alive likely in the first century and possibly a freed slave, receives the credit for Latinizing into poetry Aesop’s fables, originally written in Greek. One of the fables tells of a cow, sheep, goat, and lion who all embark together on a hunt.

Once the prey was secured, the lion claimed the first portion due to his kingship, the second for partnering with the other animals, and the third because of his strength. As for the fourth, he cursed whoever touched it, claiming an accident would befall them. Other fabulists subsequently followed suit and included the tale in their collections of Aesop, until it was a commonly circulated story.

This type of phrase seems to perfectly fit the larger-than-life stories of the Lone Star State, from its rangers, to its outlaws, to its oil tycoons. It makes perfect sense that this colloquialism is still around and widely used today!

TS

PART 1: INSIDE THE CITY LIMI

HAUNTEDH

DALLASI FORT WORT

DRIDGE

TOS COURTESY OF: RUSSELL DAN WRITTEN BY: RITA COOK | PHO

When it comes to ghosts, myths, and legends in Texas, you can be sure there are quite a few stories begging to be discovered. As the author of a book about Haunted Dallas as well as Haunted Fort Worth, Rita Cook has certainly done her share of both story and ghost hunting. In fact, Big D and Cowtown are ripe with interesting and vibrant stories about their legendary pasts. A solid area-wide look into myths and legends begins in their respective downtowns, where a few of the old hotels still hold travelers and locals hostage with an element of historical, and spooky, charm.

Hotel Lawrence is a Dallas landmark, built in 1920 and allegedly home to an illegal gambling operation around that time through the ‘30s. Additionally, rumor has it that ghosts like to hang around on the tenth floor. Folks have attested to taking photos that end up including spot-like, white orbs. It has also been reported that female voices can be heard in the hallway on that same floor, even in the absence of people. There have been reports that doors will become stuck and unable to open, as if someone is holding the knob from the other side. Housekeeping employees suggest that laundry carts move for no reason, and there are also cold spots (ghosts hunters often feel a cold spot in an otherwise warm room), footsteps, and even phone calls coming from empty guest rooms.

The Adolphus Hotel, is one of the city’s finest, boasting European excellence, Flemish tapestries, and an ornately carved Victorian Steinway which tends to take center stage. Enjoyed by many famous names, this downtown Dallas hotel is rumored to be haunted. Some of the interesting ghost stories attached to the accommodations involve guests reporting the sounds of swing music and pianos along with the noise of the party guests heard up and down the halls when no one is there.

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The amazing Majestic Theater, located in the eastern portion of downtown Dallas, was built in 1920. Deceased for some years now, visitors claim that the theater’s benefactor, Karl Hoblitzelle, is still hanging around. Much of the ghost activity is said to be on the fifth floor, coincidentally near where Hoblitzelle’s portrait has been displayed for some time.

Dallas Heritage Village in Old City Park is such a monument to the city’s history that it would almost seem odd if it were devoid of any spooky stories. The village is a recreation of life in early Dallas, housing one of the largest collections of nineteenth century pioneer and Victorian homes and commercial buildings in Texas. At the park’s Millermore Mansion, a two-story Greek Revival home from 1861, museum guests and staff have said they have felt the presence of a female spirit on the second floor.

The Sons of Hermann Hall is a registered Texas Historic Landmark on Elm Street. It was once a music hall and has been around since 1911. There are a few unexplained stories here about strange voices, the sound of a child’s laughter, the sighting of a ghostly couple, and orbs appearing in developed photos with no explanation.

Dallas’s Lizard Lounge on Swiss Avenue used to operate as the Grand Crystal Palace Theatre, and eerie stories from that time abound. There is a story of one apparition, a man in a dark suit, lingering about the place. He has been spotted in the audience seating area dressed in his suit from the turn of the century, which includes a period appropriate cape and hat.

The Stockyards actually have a few haunted stops in addition to Miss Molly’s, like the famous Cattleman’s Fort Worth Steakhouse where stories rampant about music coming up from the basement when no one is down there. The glasses and alcohol behind the bar supposedly get moved around, with no explanation and no one taking credit. The wait staff offer several ethereal yarns, stating they have been tripped up, weighted down, or heard their names being called when no one is present.

A hamburger joint with a supernatural history, Snuffers Restaurant on Greenville Avenue is said to have a few phantoms lurking there. One interesting story, conveyed by the after-hours staff, involved finding a woman sitting on top of the cigarette machine! There are also tales of a woman, dressed entirely in black, drifting around. In addition to these ethereal beings, some claim to simply have the feeling of a presence touching them on the arm or whispering their names.

Also said to be haunted is the tattoo parlor called Tattoo Ranch on West Exchange Street. It was once a toy store, and similar myths about mysterious happenings were attached to the previous business as well. Additionally, spinechilling specters are also stuff of legend when it comes to the Magnolia Furniture Store, Cadillac Cantina, and the Long Horn Saloon across the street, built in 1919.

The Dallas Arboretum, located near White Rock Lake, has within its 66 acres a home called the DeGolyer Estate. This 21,000-square-foot home was built for petroleum geologist Everette L. DeGolyer and his wife, in the 1940s, the building currently serves as the DeGolyer Garden Café. The spooky narrative attached to this house tells of a docent that left her keys inside the house, and when she returned back to find them, the keys were gone. As she looked for the keys, she could hear noises coming from deeper inside the house and she decided to investigate. When she reached the door of the living room she felt chills, and when she turned on a light she noticed the piano lid was open and a photo of Mr. DeGolyer had been moved. When she finally found the keys, she hurriedly left, but when she arrived back the next morning everything had been put right again, despite no one entering the home in her absence.

Miss Molly’s Bed and Breakfast is located near the Fort Worth Stockyards, and boasts numerous revenant legends. Found on West Exchange Avenue near North Main Street, Miss Molly’s was built in 1910 and is the oldest bed and breakfast establishment in Fort Worth.

The rooms of both Miss Josie and Miss Amelia seem to be the center of the supernatural activity here. Past innkeepers have reported leaving their quarters and upon return, the radio or the television in their room would be on the religious station. Others have reported sighting a three-year-old girl; while that may seem harmless enough, the history the inn includes a little girl, belonging to an employee of the place, who lived there but ended up also dying there from small pox.

To read about spooky haunts in the surrounding areas, visit the Texasliving Magazine website at www.TXLiving. com for Haunted Dallas/Fort Worth Part 2: Outside the City Limits, exclusively online!

OCTOBER 2017 | 15

A Look into Joe Nichols’s Lone Star State of Mind WRITTEN BY: SAMANTHA LATTA PHOTOS COURTESY OF: MONARCH PUBLICITY

Though the red, Arkansas Razorback blood may run through his veins, country music star Joe Nichols claims that no other place compares to the great state of Texas. From performing at his favorite Texas honky-tonk venues to playing with his kids in the backyard of his home in Tyler, the Lone Star State is the only place he ever plans to call home.

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Growing up in Arkansas, Nichols enjoyed a music-filled childhood watching his father play in DFW halls and listening to Merle Haggard records, both activities that shaped his dream to someday become a country music singer. As a young kid, Nichols worked to save just enough cash to purchase his first guitar from a nearby pawn shop a few miles from his childhood home, a purchase that enabled a star to be born and a talent to be heard. “I saved up about $30 from working for a little lady down the street making $2 an hour, and I bought this guitar that had about four strings on it,” Nichols said. “I learned how to play string by string, along with Merle Haggard records and the old school stuff like Marty Robins and George Jones. Note by note, I tried to mimic what they sang and that’s the way I learned to play.”

Joe’s two-mile walk to the pawn shop paved the way for his long journey down the road to Nashville, pursuing his dream of becoming one of the country music greats like his long-time role model and native Texan, George Strait. From listening to what his idols sang, what they wrote about, and the emotion that went into their records, Nichols admits that “It made me feel like I wanted to be a part of something huge, something big, and that was that country heritage and that traditional country lineage.”

Big things definitely happened for the young, up-and-coming musician as Nichols made his break playing at Texas honky-tonks, spreading his traditional sound through the local country music scene. One of the very first stages where Nichols stood in the spotlight was the Reo Palm Isle in Longview, Texas; coincidently, that is the same place where he met his future wife, the daughter of the dancehall’s owner at that time.

When the stars aligned in the fall of 2007, Nichols married the woman of his dreams, Heather Singleton, and “Wherever she went, I went,” prompting his big move to the Lone Star State. With his heart strings tied to a native Texas girl, Nichols settled down in the East Texas town of Tyler in January of 2009.

“When I moved there, I started doing several club gigs throughout Texas, and I grew very fond of the state, especially East Texas over where we live; there’s just nothing like it,” Nichols said. “I don’t see myself ever living anywhere else.” Chuckling through his prideful confession, Nichols revealed that although “people probably get tired of hearing it throughout the other 49 states, I think [Texas] is the best there is” – and for a multitude of reasons at that, one being the hard-to-beat barbeque that reigns supreme in the South.

“Being born and raised in Arkansas, I thought that I had a specific idea of what barbeque was until being married to a Texas girl,” Nichols admits. “She showed me around some great places in Texas that made me realize this is completely different, and I love it.”

When he is not savoring a good Texas barbeque plate, Nichols is on stage savoring every moment performing the music that he loves. One concert that sparked a specifically humbling memory was his performance at Austin City Limits in Austin, Texas. Growing up watching the show himself, Nichols remembers thinking how special it would be to play there one day with the Austin skyline behind him, singing in front of what seemed like an overwhelmingly large crowd, a hopeful thought turned to an extraordinary reality for the big-time country star. “Austin City Limits - I love that place,” Nichols confidently assured.

“That was a very special moment that day, and I wish I could savor things like that just a little bit more. I soaked up about as much as I could at the time, but I wish I could go back and just live it a few hundred more times.”

From the crowd’s reaction to Austin’s unique atmosphere, Nichols confessed that ACL was one of his favorite places to ever perform. Being so inevitably in tune with the music, Nichols described the crowd as an audience that was obviously there to listen. “They weren’t just making noise, and we weren’t just looking for applause,” Nichols said. “It was about really trying hard to impress those people, and it wasn’t going to be easy.”

Along with the joy he gets from pleasing a rowdy crowd, Nichols also loves to use his music to serve other causes near to his heart as well. Since living in Tyler, he and his wife have actively participated in The Boot Campaign, a Texas-centered organization that operates to remove financial barriers and support the military community, providing access to the most innovative and individualistic treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, chronic pain, addiction, and insomnia.

Writer and Texasliving Managing Editor, Samantha Latta asked Joe about some of his favorite things here in the Lone Star State.

One things is clear: Nichols has sure made Texas his home sweet home!

FAVORITE TOWN:

Have to say my home in Tyler.

FAVORITE EATERY:

Barbeque at the Country Tavern in Kilgore.

FAVORITE MUSIC VENUE: Leon Springs Dance Hall . . . and the Reo Palm Isle is another one of my favorites. It’s a great venue there. My wife’s father owned that place for years, and it was one of the first places I played.

FAVORITE LAKE/RIVER/BEACH: My in-laws have a place up on the Little Cypress River, near Jefferson, which is pretty fun to go up there and go fishing through Lake of the Pines area.

FAVORITE PROFESSIONAL SPORTS TEAM: I love the Cowboys! I like the Rangers too and enjoy watching them, but Cowboys . . . I’m a believer.

FAVORITE RODEO:

Both the San Antonio Rodeo and the Austin Rodeo are fairly similar, both incredible. The rotating stage kind of gets me every now and then, but both of those are pretty cool rodeos.

FAVORITE FESTIVAL:

The Texas Fest out in Frisco is a fun one. I enjoy them all as long as they aren’t in the dead center of summer in Texas!

FAVORITE TEXAS COUNTRY BAND: I like the Josh Abbott Band, those are some pretty nice guys and I think they’re pretty neat. I like JB & the Moonshine Band too; they’re from around the Tyler area.

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“Because I don’t serve, and I haven’t served in the military, it feels like I owe a large debt to the folks that do and have,” Nichols said. “It makes me feel very patriotic to show our gratitude for what they do for us, and continue to do for us.”

To assist in fundraising, Nichols headlines their annual Boot Bash, a free concert series that helps the organization achieve their mission of promoting patriotism, raising awareness, and providing assistance to military personnel past and present.

“We are so grateful that Joe has laced up his boots and provided free concerts for us at Boot Bash,” The Boot Campaign’s Chief Executive Officer Shelly Kirkland said.

“With his notable name and hometown appeal in Tyler, he certainly helps us draw a crowd! Having a star the likes of Joe Nichols endorse our efforts is the key to our national awareness and education mission.”

Only bringing further justification to his home town pride, this event opened Nichols’s eyes to the astounding generosity of the Texas community. Kirkland stated that “the [Tyler] community has really wrapped their arms around the Boot Campaign,” and as Nichols simply puts it, Tyler is just a wonderful place.

“There were a lot of big hearts there that were willing to give their time and money,” Nichols said. “For me, it was a very proud feeling to represent my community there in Tyler, and I was glad to contribute some payback for the guys and women who have served for us.”

There is no doubt that Nichols has proven himself to be a kindhearted artist, working relentlessly for things he believes in, and creating quality music derived from real life experiences. Every moment that he does not have to be on the road, on stage, or in the spotlight, he whole-heartedly prefers to be with his wife and daughters in his home state of Texas; like the title of his newest album, it just Never Gets Old. From the genuine nature of his actions to the authenticity of his lyrics, it is safe to say that Nichols stays true to himself and true to his new and proudlyplanted, Texas roots.

JEWELS

WHERE TO FIND

WEST TEXAS WRITTEN & PHOTOGRAPHED BY: DAVID HAND

Forty miles southeast of Lubbock, Texas, at the intersection of Highways 84 and 380, on a small parcel of flat land, rests a little jewel of Texas history. The town owes its founding to a cereal magnate and its continued existence to the energy industry, but it has more going for it than the acrid smell of crude oil and rows upon rows of wind farms on the horizon. Most people driving down Highway 84 are coming from or going to Lubbock, home of Texas Tech University, or on to Amarillo. But Post,

Texas is still home to a number of die-hard West Texans who live and work in the 100-year-old town. Many of the residents have lived their entire lives there, while others left at some point to find their fortunes but ended up returning with a family. One unique sort of resident was discovered in Post but has now found a permanent home on display across the state in the Houston Museum of Natural Science. This small, desert gem of a town offers a Texas-sized portion of history, culture, and art.

OCTOBER 2017 | 19

Garza County Museum Linda Puckett’s husband’s family were long-time Post residents, so when she and her husband returned to Post in 1980, it was a homecoming of sorts. The Pucketts owned a trucking company at the time, but Linda quickly found her calling when the C.W. Post Historical Center needed help. In her role as director, Linda has overseen a mass expansion of the museum’s collection, including gathering items from local Post residents such as Alvin G. Davis, a renowned cowboy featured in a large room dedicated to his rodeo days and philanthropic activities. “He is the highest honored 4-H member to date. He’s quite a guy. He’s still living; we have a living legend.”

Building the collection has been a passion for Linda since she took over the museum in 1995, which meant a lot of work. “I’ve been here 22 years now. We started with three rooms and nothing and now we have a huge historical museum.” The museum is housed in the old Post Sanatorium, which served as the town hospital for a number of years. Next door is a building that served as a nursing school. “There really was nothing here; we’ve totally revamped the whole interior. Once [the residents] saw we were here to stay, they didn’t mind us having grandma’s stuff. We ended up with a lot of stuff, so now I have to be kind of selective.”

The town’s namesake, C.W. Post, is not underrepresented in the museum. Linda was quite happy when the Post estate called asking if she wanted the furniture from Post’s Battleground, Michigan office. The chairs and desk had been stored at the Hillwood Museum in Washington D.C. at Post’s daughter’s home, but the agent in charge of the display needed the space, so he thought of Linda. She has established a relationship with the estate over the years and now proudly displays artifacts from Post’s office. There is so much in the museum that Linda is planning on a massive expansion in the near future which may include building an annex to the museum dedicated to Post. “We’re running out of room inside. We have Mr. Post’s stuff in the hallway.”

OS Museum C.W. Post built the town after obtaining the land from several ranchers; one of them was Wilson Connell, who sold Post 27,000 of his 160,000 acres and left the rest of his land to his family.

Among those sections of land was the OS Ranch, named for Overall and Street, the original land owners and founders of the ranch who sold to Connell back in the 1800s.

In the building Post built on Main Street in 1911 as an office for his land and cattle company, the OS Museum now resides, independently owned and operated by the descendants of Connell. While the Garza County Museum features artifacts from residents of Post, the OS Museum features collections 20 | OCTOBER 2017

from around the world and has little to do with the town’s history other than its location. The late Giles McCrary, grandson of William Connell, started the museum to feature artifacts and artwork collected by the family as they traveled over the years.

Christie Morris, assistant curator, explained that McCrary wanted to provide access to art that most people will not get a chance to experience. The museum rotates themed displays that change at Easter, summer, and Christmas. One of the most significant additions to the collection are the assortment of the famed Fabergé Eggs. “Mr. McCrary set the whole thing up as a nonprofit. The family doesn’t charge anything for it; we just want to make these things available to the people who live in the area and the people who come through.”

Those people include the residents as well as visitors. “We have people from literally all over the world. We have a lot of people passing through; a lot of people will stop to maybe see something downtown. All Post’s merchants are really good about promoting one another. A lot of times someone will come up

and say that ‘I was down in so-in-so shop and they said I had to come see this.’ We get a lot of people from Tech as parents are driving through and they’ll stop and sometimes bring people back and they’ll stop in and see us.”

Postosuchus One resident of the Post area that brings people to town moved away and will probably never return, although he takes with him an indelible part of the town. He is named for Post, Texas, as his formal name is Postosuchus Kirkpatriki, but he is more commonly called Postosuchus. The large animal lived in Post in the late Triassic era and David Temple, Assistant Director of Paleontology at the Houston Museum of Natural Science, is quick to point out that Postosuchus is not a dinosaur, he is a reptile. “This is really before the dinosaurs came along and you have these things which are essentially reptiles. Dinosaurs appear at the end of the Triassic and into the Jurassic.”

Researchers still visit the Post excavation from time to time for more study. The skeleton on display in Houston is not as large as a Tyrannosaurus Rex, but is similar in size to a Velociraptor.

Researchers from nearby Texas Tech who regularly visit the dig site posit that Postosuchus may have been able to walk on his hind legs, but was probably a quadraped, according to studies of his skeleton. Temple said that the research was conducted using pieces of different specimens. Scientists unfortunately did not find an entire intact skeleton, but did find enough to identify Postosuchus, despite return trips to the excavation. “We’ve been out there twice. We spent two or three days straight, ten hours a day and we didn’t really find much of anything. When you find stuff, it’s where you find it but its not everywhere. It’s kind of spotty.”

This little stretch of Highway 84 sees more traffic than one might expect from this West Texas area outside of Lubbock. Between scientists, residents, visitors, and Red Raiders driving to and from Texas Tech, the town gets a notable amount of visitors. Linda Puckett enjoys being on the route in and out of town. “We are the last stop before the interstate. We’re a good pit stop.”

So whether you find yourself traveling through the area and need a place to rest or looking for an out-of-theordinary day trip for the family, Post has plenty to offer.

And if you visit on a Saturday, Puckett suggests visiting the Ragtown Gospel Theater, just north of town, for a matinée.

OCTOBER 2017 | 21

LEGACIES

Behind the Piano

THE MAN

WRITTEN BY: BECCA NELSON SANKEY

PHOTOS COURTESY OF: VAN CLIBURN FOUNDATION

Harvey Lavan “Van” Cliburn Jr. could have been a difficult man. Strikingly handsome and tall, Cliburn was, at one time, one of the highest paid classical musicians in the world. He played for U.S. presidents, royalty, and heads of state, was honored with countless prestigious awards (among them the Peabody Award and Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award), and was single-handedly credited with easing tensions between the U.S. and Russia in the midst of the Cold War when he won the first International Tchaikovsky Competition. Appearances aside, the man behind the piano was surprisingly modest, funny, gracious, and kind, a Louisiana-born Texas transplant who did not consider himself special or deserving of his good fortune and wanted nothing more than to bring classical music to the masses.

John Giordano, of Fort Worth, met Cliburn in 1973, the first year Giordano served as jury chairman of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, a quadrennial event credited with discovering some of the world’s most-talented up-and-coming pianists. In an outline Giordano wrote for a book he is penning, he said, “Before we were introduced, I was very anxious to think that I was meeting a living legend, the great artist who charmed and captured the hearts of Russia and changed the course of relationships during the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union!” But, Giordano conceded, there was no need for nerves, as Cliburn proved to be “warm, self-effacing, humble, and dignified, qualities that were reflected in his performances.”

Cliburn befriended Giordano, who served as jury chairman for the competition until his retirement in 2017 and is the music director emeritus of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra. They remained close until Cliburn’s death in 2013.

“He’s one of the most important figures, not just musically, but politically, since 1958,” Giordano said. “Van was extremely knowledgeable in many different areas. He could talk politics to you, history, world affairs. When he was ill, I was with him one time when [Russian Federation President Vladimir] Putin called. George H.W. Bush Sr. called several times. In addition to musicians … and movie stars, people like that loved him.”

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Cliburn was born July 12, 1934, in Shreveport, Louisiana to Rildia Bee O’Bryan, a pianist, and Harvey Lavan Cliburn, who worked for an oil company. An only child, Cliburn was barely out of diapers when he began following in his mother’s footsteps, demonstrating early on that he, too, had a knack for playing the piano. Rildia “was a piano teacher in Shreveport, and she had just given a lesson,” Giordano said. “She walked to the front door with a child who was studying with her, and she heard somebody playing the piece of music in the other room she had been teaching to the child. It was little Van playing by ear, which was very, very unusual. He was a child prodigy and able to play the piano since he was a little baby almost. She was his piano teacher for quite some time and had the reputation for being one of the finest piano teachers in this part of the country.”

The Cliburns moved to Kilgore, in East Texas, when Cliburn was just six years old. Having refused to study under anyone but his mother, Cliburn was seventeen and fresh out of high school when he finally agreed to attend Juilliard. He graduated from the diploma program in 1955, the same school-year he won the Leventritt Award.

BECOMING FAMOUS THE WORLD OVER Cliburn was 23 when he competed in the inaugural International Tchaikovsky Competition in 1958, a competition created to showcase Russia’s cultural supremacy a year after its launch of Sputnik. “It was the first Tchaikovsky competition and at the height of the Cold War, the most incredibly stressful situation between the United States and Russia,” Giordano said.

“What happened was the head of the jury, which was an all communist jury, voted for Van, and when he got the results, he went to [Soviet leader Nikita] Khrushchev and said, ‘The jury has voted for this pianist from Texas; what should we do?’ And Khrushchev said, ‘Is he the best?’ And the answer was yes. And he said, ‘Well give it to him.’”

Shortly thereafter, Time Magazine featured Cliburn on its cover, with a headline that proclaimed him “The Texan Who Conquered Russia.” Cliburn was greeted back in the states with all the fanfare afforded a rock star, even given a ticker-tape parade in New York City, an event that “had never happened for a musician [before] and is never going to happen again,” Giordano said.

The Russians gave Cliburn the moniker Vanya. “They loved him, and one of the great conductor cellists was Mstislav Rostropovich,” Giordano said. “I think he played with him at one point. Van adored (Sergei) Rachmaninoff,” a renowned Russian pianist, composer, and conductor. “Rachmaninoff loved lilacs, and there’s a lilac tree growing on his grave. Rostropovich took a cutting from that and gave it to Van. He arranged to have it go through customs, and it’s growing. I think it’s at the Shreveport house.” (It should be noted that the feeling was mutual; Cliburn once said he revered Russians because they reminded him of Texans).

Asked what made Cliburn so extraordinary on the performance front, Giordano said it was a combination of rare attributes that he naturally possessed. “Van was not demonstrative,” he said thoughtfully. “He didn’t make all kinds of gestures. He just sat down and played. You see performers leaping around and grimacing, which really has no effect whatsoever on the sounds they’re making. He didn’t do any of that.”

Cliburn typically elicited a standing ovation just from walking on stage, Giordano said, “there was something about his presence.

I can’t think of any people today who have that particular gift [that] when they walk on stage, an aura permeates the entire concert hall. There are several who are wonderful artists and have a great deal of charisma on stage, but there was something very special about Van that you can’t define. It was this magnetism.”

Cliburn could conjure a vibrant, rich sound from the piano, Giordano said. “On the piano, you push a key down and a hammer comes up and hits the strings,” he said. “It was the strength of how he’d push his hands down or something that created this beautiful, vibrant, rich tone. He would make a mediocre piano sound good.

His playing was so full of emotion without distortion.”

“He was very (sensitive) to what the composer asked for but created all kinds of stories in his mind,” Giordano continued.

“In the Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto, there’s a section where the trumpets have a little fanfare, and he always thought of that as introducing royalty to the court. He was completely dedicated to try to reproduce or make the music on the page of the great composers live and. … bring the most inner beauty of it out.”

Gordano explained that unlike other art forms, music only exists when it is played, adding that the performer has the responsibility of inferring what the composer intended, which is not always obvious, and then reproducing it. “Van did understand, and he brought out that passion in a way that was not self-serving,” he said. “His charisma, his persona … he was very humble and didn’t ever really think he was worthy of the adulation. He always felt guilty about it. He would say, ‘You know, I’m just a servant. I’m not important.’”

It was that feeling of being unworthy that caused Cliburn to shy away performing in the late 1970s. There were several issues that contributed to his concert hiatus. “One, he was getting tired,” Giordano said. “He was playing almost every day, well over 100, 200 concerts a year. And he couldn’t say no. Someone would ask him to do something, and he would agree to do that, whether he was paid or not. He got to a point where he couldn’t do it anymore. And he really felt…that he wasn’t good enough. He didn’t realize how good he was.”

Cliburn never gave up practicing, however, and was known to stay up all night working. “He got used to doing that because you’re distracted during the daytime and especially someone with as much fame and notoriety that he had, it was hard for him to get anything done,” said Giordano. “He would stay up all night and go to bed at 5 [a.m. or] 6 [a.m.].”

Cliburn returned to the spotlight about 20 years ago, and began playing anywhere and everywhere. “Everywhere he played, he would pack the house,” he said. “It’s something once you get it in your blood, you can’t stop. He had to start playing again; he had to start expressing himself.”

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THE COMPETITION ENDURES In 1958, shortly after Cliburn’s win in Russia, the Fort Worth Piano Teacher’s Forum honored Cliburn’s mother, Rildia, and announced that the National Guild of Piano Teachers would award $100,000 for a piano competition honoring Cliburn. According to the website for the Van Cliburn Foundation in Fort Worth, the namesake foundation was officially organized in 1961, and the first competition was held the next year. Held every four years (most recently in 2017), the competition awards $50,000 to the first-place winner, in addition to three years of career management and artistic services. Through the foundation and its prestigious international competition, Cliburn’s name and legacy live on.

“He would give money to the kids in the Cliburn competition who didn’t advance to the next stage,” Giordano said. “He felt so badly for them because they spent so much to get there. He had great empathy for them and helped whenever he could for that reason. He did it very quietly. He was not ostentatious.

He didn’t want credit…or for people to know he was doing that, and most people don’t know, probably even to this day, how dedicated he was to helping young artists.” Giordano considered what may have prompted Cliburn’s understanding and compassion. “He had to struggle, and he realized how difficult it is to practice for hours and hours. A pianist’s life is pretty lonely. It’s the only instrument [with which] you spend hours by yourself and can perform by yourself.”

Cliburn, he said, by nature was not a loner and was not the archetype tortured artist. “You couldn’t help but enjoy being around him, and he was very comfortable in any (situation), a classroom talking to a bunch of kids or having a formal dinner with heads of state. He was a very charming, open kind of person,” Girodano shared. “You couldn’t be with him when he was laughing without absolutely dying, to the point of tears. He wasn’t this somber, brooding kind of artist.”

Cliburn died of bone cancer on February 27, 2013, at the age of 78. More than 1,000 people attended his funeral, the guest list of which was a veritable “who’s who” of politicians, including former President George W. Bush and former First Lady Laura Bush, former Texas Governor Rick Perry, and former Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison. Cliburn’s longtime partner, Thomas L. Smith, said at the time that “Van’s death [left] a crater-sized void that is felt around the world.”

Cliburn achieved just what he intended: instilling in others an appreciation for the classical music that helped him unwittingly temper relations between two world superpowers. “His gift was bringing classical music to many people, of all walks of life and socioeconomic levels,” Giordano said. “A lot of people can be nice and warm and humble, but not many people can do what he did for classical music.”

Like the lilac tree flourishing in Louisiana, more than 5,000 miles from where it was originally cut, a gift from one artist to another, Cliburn’s legacy lives on, thriving even in the most unlikely of places.

OCTOBER 2017 | 25

CUSTOM

HOMES of Texas WRITTEN BY: MEGAN ANN OSWALD

PHOTOS COURTESY OF: BUTCH IRELAND PHOTOGRAPHY

H

aving lived in their Austin neighborhood for 20 years, Frank and Tara West jumped at the opportunity to build their custom home in a new development within the same area.

A realtor by trade, Tara knew exactly how she wanted to have her four bedroom, four-and-a-half bathroom, 4,100-squarefoot home laid out and what would make it function in the best possible way. With the help of Interior Designer Annie Downing, Tara and Frank pulled together a modern look without a feeling of cold disconnect.

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INTERIOR DESIGN BY:

ANNIE DOWNING

OCTOBER 2017 | 27

Large picture windows and tall ceiling contribute to the overall impact of the open floor plan, encouraging easy entertaining and hosting of family and friends. The kitchen and dining room open up to the living room with plenty of space for people to gather around the large soapstone island. Tara knew that she wanted to have the dark countertops in the kitchen and waited a long time in the building process to make a final selection, so that she could find just the right piece. Unlike most, she did not put wax on the counters, which gives the stone an appealing matte finish.

The ceiling in the kitchen and dining room is made of reclaimed wood from a barn in Tennessee. Varying between browns and greys, the wood offers a nice contrast to the white cabinetry and neutral wall colors.

The dining room overlooks the patio and pool through a picture window and industrial style glass door, and features a custom concrete table at the center of the room. Made in Pennsylvania, the table required eight people for installation and is not going anywhere anytime soon. Tara did not want a glass top that would lead to a cold and uninviting look, and a wood table would be too much with the wood on the ceiling, so she turned to the fireplace in the living room for inspiration.

Originally intended to be stone, the fireplace got a last minute makeover with integral stucco, made to look like smooth cement.

Stretching the 18 feet to the ceiling, the fireplace shows off the angle of the living room ceiling and stands out against the soft wall color. Another one of the specific details of the floor plan was the flat ceilings found in every room. Tara went back and looked at all of the pitches in the roof and economized on the space that would have been lost to bring a tall and unique look to each room. She wanted every space to be able to stand alone in its design and yet have a cohesive look throughout the house.

The master bedroom maintains the simple and comfortable style found in the main rooms of the house and is free of clutter and distraction. A wooden beam runs the length of the ceiling and carries the wood look from the kitchen into the bedroom. The master bathroom features a custom cast iron pedestal tub that was painted to match the grey found in the utility and media rooms.

With plenty of built-ins in the closest, the space is left free for decoration The homeowners designed their teens’ rooms to flow with the style of the house, but also reflect each of their personalities. Their son’s room takes inspiration from their ranch house with touches of farmhouse décor. A charcoal accent wall highlights the custom wooden bed that Tara had made in Dallas, echoing the barn wood found in the rest of the house. Their daughter’s room has a beautiful feminine design, highlighted in the crystal chandelier and the mirrored dresser and side table. A window seat was added for a comfortable place to read and hang out with friends.

Frank and Tara love that their home has become the hangout place for their children’s friends and the pool and patio is one of their favorite places. A Bahama edge takes up the end by the elevated hot tub and showcases the overflowing waterfalls from the tub. The patio and pool deck feature large cut stone that tie the whole space together.

OCTOBER 2017 | 33

October OPULENCE

WRITTEN BY: SAMANTHA LATTA

This fall season, set the tone in your home with an autumnal vibe using these tips and tricks to work October-themed items into your décor that will stay through Turkey Day!

Set the Table Embrace your seasonally-themed style by serving treats in a special way. Use old produce crates lined with fabric scraps, or wicker baskets with plaid cloths. A simple touch of wrapped twine as napkin rings will add to the fall-themed dining. For another fun container idea, use a hollowed pumpkin (lined with fabric of course) to replace the ordinary snack bowl, or take advantage of its natural shape to create a bubble vase for an assortment of fall-colored flowers and mums.

If trying to avoid the mess of carving and aiming for a more elegant aesthetic, add a lace doily over the stems of your decorative pumpkins for a dainty touch that will captivate the focus of your display.

Make your Mantle Masterpiece Adorning the mantle with tree trimmings is another great way to add the element of texture to your décor arrangements. Additionally, stems, sticks, and leaves also serve as a quick fix to fill in the gaps of your display and complete the visual appeal overall. Small twig wreaths are a trendy, yet simple embellishment you can use to anchor your vases or candles; a few backyard branches, hot glue, and a wire hanger can help make a perfectly appealing piece. If aligned with your personal style preferences, go a step further by incoprorating cotton stems into the arrangement for a true southern feel.

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Step up your Porch The feeling of fall can fill a home, but the first impression starts on the porch. Pull inspiration from the roots of a typical Texan front porch, and add a wooden rocking chair with a basket of assorted pumpkins or firewood. Drape a plaid patterned blanked across the back, and you have the perfect spot to sit and sip all of your favorite pumpkin-spiced drinks throughout the fall season. If your home has steps leading to the porch, decorate sparsely with gourds, lanterns and small pumpkins in different shapes and sizes. The contrasted variation of heights and muted shades of orange will combine to create a cohesive and aesthetically appealing touch.

Pick your Palette

If the abundance of warm oranges, plaid patterns and the smell of cinnamon is not quite your cup of pumpkin-spiced tea, consider taking a subtle twist on your fall décor by using a different color palette. Playing off the natural earth tones found in vines, leaves, and branches, use neutral colors and deep hues to decorate your home. For example, these colors can be incorporated by using beige throw pillows and brown rugs, or adding greenery to a tablescape instead of fall leaves, an option that is both less expensive, and easier to harmonize with your home’s existing color scheme. Try replacing the traditional orange pumpkins with white ones and pair them with pinecones, deer antlers, or dried hydrangeas for a neutral, muted arrangement perfect for a coffee table centerpiece.

Stained Glass ONE THOUSAND YEARS OF COLOR

WRITTEN BY: JESSICA MOREAU

The modern process of making stained glass has hardly changed since the twelfth century. A stained glass window consists of pieces of colored glass held together in a latticed web of lead. First the details of faces, hands, and drapery were painted and fired on in dark paint. Around the year 1300, yellow stain was discovered, and the ability to turn white glass yellow or blue glass green became irreplaceable for highlighting hair, haloes, and crowns.

You have likely seen stained glass windows in churches, cathedrals, and other religious houses of worship. But have you ever considered having your very own stained glass masterpiece in your home? Have you ever even thought about where you would obtain such an artisan masterpiece? Well, look no further than right here in the Lone Star State.

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF: BLUE MOON GLASSWORKS

Blue Moon Glassworks AUSTIN, TEXAS

Jim Berry at Blue Moon Glassworks in Austin shared his thoughts on the time-honored tradition of working with glass. “I got started working in stained glass almost 20 years ago. I have always enjoyed working with my hands in various hobbies. I have done pottery on the wheel, wood turning on the lathe, and then I found stained glass.” Berry discovered stained glass through a sixweek course offered through the University of Texas. “I told my wife the night I came home from the first class that I was really going to enjoy it because it was very ‘tool intensive!’”

and I had always commented to our minister that it would make a beautiful stained glass window. So, it was very exciting to actually get to do.”

Upon retiring from his 25-year career as an industry supply salesman, he made the jump to working part-time for a local stained glass studio in town. Berry built and installed custom work for that studio, taught classes, and manned their retail store.

After a while, he and his wife, Rose, decided to open their very own store and studio. Sixteen years ago, Blue Moon Glassworks of Austin was born.

One of Berry’s most rewarding projects was helping a woman who had salvaged glass pieces from her home burned down in the Bastrop wildfires in 2010. “She and her children had picked up all sorts of melted glass items from the debris and brought them to us to see if we could make anything out of them. It was quite the challenge, but our artists were up for it. We ended up building two sidelights for her new home and two smaller panels for her two children. We incorporated her glass along with our stained glass and built some beautiful windows. We called the project Art from the Ashes.”

When asked about some of his studio’s specialties and most memorable projects, Berry replied, “The custom work that we do is typically small residential jobs, but we have on occasion built some larger windows. The largest and my most favorite project was building a stained glass window for our church eight years ago.” The church was adding to their sanctuary and had a perfect place for a large window behind the altar. “The design was based on a quilt that the ladies in the church had crafted years before,

Blue Moon continues to teach classes three nights a week in stained glass and glass fusing. Berry shared, “The one thing I hear most from people taking our classes is that they have always been attracted to colored glass and want to learn to build stained glass. The interesting thing is that that is also how I came to find stained glass. My parents took lessons in the ‘60s and I still have the first piece they built. I guess stained glass was always in my blood!”

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Stanton Studios

Stained Glass Unlimited

All it took was a high school research paper on a Gothic cathedral for Bryant Stanton to become fascinated with stained glass and cathedral window bays. While in college, Bryant came to gain an intimate knowledge of the art of staining glass and even created his first stained-glass piece—a butterfly. A full-time job in the industry followed shortly after. Once Bryant began his own business in a shop in downtown Waco, he “started calling churches and businesses and advertising his services. He received his first restoration job fixing up windows for Central Christian Church.” The first new piece he created was a pelican stained glass for Pelican’s Landing. The rest, as they say, is history.

Denise Feeney of Stained Glass Unlimited started learning stained glass back in 1975. Classes and places to learn were scarce back then, so she took matters into her own hands. She took one class and taught herself the rest from there. She has taken other continuing education courses throughout the years, but remains mostly self-taught. Impressive to say the least!

WACO, TEXAS

All of Bryant’s kids started learning glass-working by the age of seven. The children began similarly to the way Bryant did and made dream catchers when they were young. By the time that they officially started helping out in the shop at around age 16, they were all very well versed in and experienced with glass. Each member of the family has continued in their current roles and has mastered their duties in the shop.

Currently, Stanton Studios is working on a most exciting project: a stained-glass window from the 1900s made by the famous Louis Tiffany, son of the famed Tiffany & Co.’s namesake.

According to Stanton Studios, working with Tiffany windows is an intricate challenge. Louis Tiffany, whose nickname in his line of work was Rebel in Glass, reinvented stained glass; his work inspired trends that were instant hits, and demand rose quickly for his artistic patterns and hues. His method was original for the craft; Tiffany, rather than painting the surfaces, developed a process for layering colored glass to produce desired colors.

DFW AREA, TEXAS

Denise came to work in this business because she had a “real obsession” with the glass work. She then decided that she would see if making a living doing it would be a viable option, as she was investing all her time and money on it, anyway.

In terms of what she enjoys working on, Denise remarked, “I like to use the traditional method of leaded and stained glass to create abstract contemporary panels. However most of our work is traditional because that is what most clients want.” Her creative process can be summed up in one word: collaboration.

Stained Glass Unlimited (SGU) does custom commissions, and she makes the customer’s thoughts and ideas her top priority. It is important to Denise to listen intently to what the client wants, because the client lives with the art she creates. A typical customer reaction is, “Wow I had no idea it would look this good!” Good work speaks for itself.

Denise added, “Stained glass is art that is alive. It changes with the amount of light it gets so it is continually changing during the day and with each season!”

PHOTOS COURTESY OF: STANTON STUDIOS

Bryant’s son, Samuel Stanton, is restoring the window, aptly named Peace Angel. The piece has hung in the First Presbyterian Church in Galveston since the early 1900s, and with the coastal town’s tendency for storms, the art has stood the test of high winds and rains. Through the dark and stormy times, the piece has been a light to the community, inspiring joys in those who view it.

However, it was removed for restoration to its former glory.

OCTOBER 2017 | 37

ge

Mexican Bush Sa

WRITTEN BY: STEVE HUDDLESTON

FALL-BLOOMING After the toll that long, hot summers take on Texas gardens, residents welcome the invigorating changes that fall brings to their landscapes. Fall-blooming plants rejuvenate the garden and add interest to this wonderful season in Texas. Take a look at some fall bloomers that are sure to exhilarate!

Sweet Autumn Clematis (Clematis terniflora)

This vigorous vine from Japan is a deciduous, twining vine that grows rampantly and will easily cover a fence, trellis, or arbor within a growing season. It grows up to 30 feet tall and wide. Shiny green leaves with a leathery texture consist of 3 to 5 smaller leaflets. For a few weeks between August and October, the foliage is covered with masses of one inch-wide, cruciform, pure white flowers that release a sweet fragrance into the air. After flowering, silvery-gray, feathery seed heads appear and adorn the vine. Sweet autumn clematis likes its foliage in the sun and its roots in the shade. Once established, it has low water requirements and can even survive on rainwater alone. It is hardy in zones 5 to 10 and has no serious insect or disease problems. This vine can self-seed in the landscape, and its growth often needs to be controlled.

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Plants Red Spider Lily (Lycoris radiata)

Also from Japan, these lilies spend most of the summer hibernating. Rain in late August or early September triggers their bare, 18-inch-tall stems to spring from the ground and produce a profusion of spidery, red flowers that last for about two weeks. Long, protruding stamens actually create the spidery look to these flowers. After the flowers disappear, foliage resembling mondo grass appears and persists until spring, at which point it dies down. Plant red spider lilies in a large drift in full sun or partial shade. They are beautiful coming up through groundcovers or planted among Southern wood ferns. These bulbs are hardy in zones 7 to 10, and newlyplanted bulbs often take two years to bloom.

Autumn Sage (Salvia greggii)

Although a spectacular bloomer in fall, autumn sage actually starts blooming in late March through early April and attracts hummingbirds all summer long. Come September and October, it intensifies its blooming and makes quite a show in the fall garden. This woody perennial native to Texas grows to about 2 1/2 feet tall and wide, has aromatic, nearly evergreen leaves, and blooms primarily in red, white, pink, and coral.

Autumn sage grows best in full sun in well-drained soil and, once established, exhibits considerable drought tolerance. Cut back to 8 to 10 inches in late February and cut back by 1/3 in late August to stimulate heavier blooming.

Red Spide r

Lily

Mexican Bush Sage

Lily-of-the-Field

This semi-woody, perennial native to Mexico grows 4 to 5 feet tall and wide. Although a cultivar, ‘Santa Barbara,’ grows much smaller, only 2 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide. Both selections have terminal, velvety spikes of purple flowers for three months, blooming in late summer through the autumn.

This perennial combines very well with other fall-blooming perennials such as fall aster and Mexican mint marigold. Plant Mexican bush sage in full sun in well-drained soil, and cut back to a few inches after a killing frost in the fall or late winter.

This easy-to-grow bulb enjoys the hot, baking soils of Texas summers. Then, for about two weeks in October, this little bulb brings surprise and delight to the fall garden by producing bright yellow, crocus-like flowers when few other bulbs are blooming. Plant in light shade to full sun and supply low to medium levels of water.

(Salvia leucantha)

Fall Aster

(Symphyotrichum oblongifolium) A compact, bushy perennial native to Texas, fall aster draws little attention to itself during the summer but absolutely covers itself with showy, lavender, daisy-like flowers with yellow centers for a good three weeks in October. This is a perennial that grows to about 2 feet tall and 3 feet wide. Plant in full sun in well-drained soil. In mid-May, cut back the stems by at least 1/3 to delay bloom until fall and to induce heavier blooming at that time. Fall aster makes an excellent companion plant for Mexican feather grass, Mexican mint marigold, and autumn sage.

Mexican Mint Marigold (Tagetes lucida)

This native of Mexico and Guatemala puts on quite a show in autumn and looks stunning with fall aster and Mexican bush sage. Growing about to about 30 inches tall, it too draws little attention to itself during the summer, but its narrow, green leaves, when crushed, smell like licorice and make a good substitute for tarragon. Plant Mexican mint marigold in a kitchen or herb garden where you can pick its leaves for use in cooking. Come October, the tall stems are topped with golden-yellow, daisy-like flowers slightly under 1 inch in diameter. Plant in full sun in well-drained soil enriched with organic matter. In contrast to annual marigolds, Mexican mint marigold has no problem with spider mites.

(Sternbergia lutea)

With any or all of these plants in your landscape, the fall garden will come alive and make the fall season an invigorating, delightful time of the year.

Steve Huddleston is the senior horticulturist at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden, president of his own landscaping company, and co-author of Easy Gardens for North Central Texas.

Fall Aster

SECURE

YOUR HOMEWhile Traveling WRITTEN BY: TANIA TAYLOR GRIFFIS

In a perfect world, vacation planning would consist of spending hours on travel websites while daydreaming of the perfect two weeks away. In actuality, however, there are many other less dreamy details to consider before packing up your suitcases and heading out of town.

With the holidays fast approaching, and out of town family and friends coming to visit, one such detail to consider is carefully securing your home before traveling, so that you are able to come back to your house in the same condition that you left it. Here are some effective steps you can take to encourage a worry-free vacation.

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INSTALL A SMART DOORBELL Similar to having an alarm system installed, a smart doorbell allows you to monitor who is coming to your door. The doorbell has a camera that is switched on by motion detection and sends an alert to a connected smartphone, where you can monitor who is spending time at the front porch.

Smart doorbells can be installed in a few hours by a professional and are well worth the investment. This concept also allows you to keep track of packages and deliveries in day-to-day life, cutting down on occurrences of theft and missing deliveries.

MOVE VALUABLES TO A SECURE LOCATION Items that are high in value and easily transportable should be relocated to a secure location, especially if the home will be empty for a long period of time. Consider purchasing a large safe that cannot be removed in which to place valuables, or rent a safety deposit box at a local bank or credit union.

INSTALL AN ALARM Home alarm systems have never been so sophisticated yet easy to use. There are a wide variety of alarm companies from which to choose, each with a myriad of plan options. Most newer homes come with a pre-wired alarm system that simply has to be activated. Older homes may require a full installation including wiring, a process that can generally be completed within one day.

There are also residential alarm systems that do not require full home wiring that instead use sound technology or motion sensors to detect if an intruder is present. Additionally, many alarm companies also have web camera options that will allow you to visually monitor any activity inside your home.

DISABLE THE GARAGE DOOR The garage is one area homeowners often forget about securing before they travel. Just shutting your garage door is not enough to protect a home—it is nearly effortless for a seasoned thief to break into your garage, giving them access to cars as well as the entire house.

Disabling the garage door can consist of many steps depending on the model and type of door, but generally there are three key steps involved: disabling the emergency release lever, removing the cord attached to the emergency release lever, and locking the release lever. Consult your garage manual for more details and instructions.

PUT YOUR MAIL ON HOLD An overflowing mailbox or a pile of packages on the doorstep is a telltale sign that no one is at home. The USPS offers a Hold Mail service that allows you to select a day to stop mail using their online calendar system. The system also allows you to select the day to resume service, at which time the USPS will deliver all the mail that has been held.

Additionally, make sure all monthly delivery services and subscriptions are paused or cancelled before traveling to prevent a package from sitting on the porch for days unattended.

Asking a trusted neighbor to collect any unexpected deliveries from your porch may be wise at this time of year.

PUT LIGHTS ON AUTOMATIC TIMERS Leaving lights on the entire time you travel in an effort to thwart potential criminals is not the best strategy for a slew of reasons, including your energy bills. Automatic timers are generally inexpensive, but they are one of the most effective pieces of arsenal in a homeowner’s tool belt of home-protection.

Thieves scoping out a home watch for lights to switch off and on, and will be less inclined to let themselves in if they think someone at home just turned on the lights. Setting up an automatic timer is simple, and there are smartphone enabled options that allow you to control lights or set patterns with your phone from anywhere in the world.

KEEP SOCIAL MEDIA ANNOUNCEMENTS TO A MINIMUM Unfortunately, not everyone has the best of intentions.

While it is exciting to announce to the world that you are heading out of Texas while off on a grand adventure, the internet is a very public forum and can be easily searched by thieves looking for their next hit.

Check your privacy settings on social media to ensure only those you trust are able to see your posts, particularly your travel-related posts. Avoid sharing exact dates that you will be away, as your home will be unattended.

LET YOUR NEIGHBORS KNOW While it is a bad idea to alert the entire neighborhood that you are heading out of town, having one or two trustworthy neighbors keep an eye on your home while you travel can be one of the most effective ways to keep your home secure while you are away.

Consider giving your neighbor a spare key as well in case they need entry to the home in an emergency. Do not forget to reward their kindness with a souvenir or two upon your return!

OCTOBER 2017 | 41

FIRE UP the Smoker!

WRITTEN BY: MEGAN ANN OSWALD

Firing up the smoker typically invokes visions of bright summer afternoons, kids playing in the pool, and pitchers of sweet iced tea. But once the weather starts turning chilly and the days get shorter, many of them are put away and covered up until the next season. Instead of letting the smoker collect dust all fall and winter, consider using this time to experiment, perfecting your methods before the weather once again turns warm. While rubs, sauces, marinades, and glazes all provide flavor, selecting perfect specific wood varieties can make a big difference when it comes to the taste of perfectly smoked meats.

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HICKORY (Medium) Hickory wood is known for its dependable flavoring and the amount of smoke it produces. Hickory is a great wood to use for direct heat or an indirect smoke box, and perfect for the less experienced cook. Because hickory is so versatile, it is the perfect wood to use for tailgating, as it pairs well with many types of meats when feeding a large crowd of friends.

PECAN Cooler weather conjures thoughts of large Thanksgiving meals with family gathered round a table full of good food.

While many opt for the oven or a deep fryer, this year, consider smoking the bird over pecan wood. No matter how you pronounce it, pecan adds a nutty flavor and rich coloring to the meat. Add a pan of water to the smoker and brush the turkey with your choice of oil so that it will come out with a crisp skin while remaining moist on the inside.

The addition of the pecan flavoring will perfectly prepare your taste buds for the pecan pie to come for dessert!

FRUIT WOODS Apple, cherry, and peach tree wood provide a sweet taste that complements a lighter meat selection. Poultry, fish, and pork will have a mild and sweet undertone to them when smoked over a fruit wood. To further the experimentation, consider throwing a cobbler on the smoker, to absorb some of the flavor of the burning wood, a unique twist on an old, seasonal favorite. If topped with a sugar glaze, the heat from the fire will add a great caramelization to the top of the dessert.

MESQUITE Many Texans are familiar with using mesquite wood while grilling or smoking and it is often a highlight on restaurant advertising. When it comes to the grill, mesquite charcoal is readily found on store shelves, and mesquite wood chips for the smoker are just as easily found. Considered the most intense wood for smoking, mesquite is great for thicker cuts of meat such as brisket.

For the hunters out there, consider trying mesquite to smoke deer meat this autumn season. Like brisket, the hindquarter cuts of venison are thicker and able to withstand the intense smoke created by the mesquite.

KEEP IN MIND »» While different wood varieties are known for different flavors and amounts of smoke they produce, the geographical area where the wood grew is also a factor. Climate and soil play a big role, so check and see from where your chips hale, and take note of the areas or states that produce the flavor you like best! »» Leftover soot and debris from the last use can leave a terrible aftertaste and can affect the appearance of the meat. To avoid this unappetizing situation, start the fire and use a cheesecloth dipped in olive oil to coat and season the grate. To avoid getting burned, hold the cloth with your tongs! An onion can be used in the same way as the oiled cloth »» Many like to follow the saying “low and slow” when it comes to the temperature and length of time that they smoke their food. Keeping the heat of the fire low and left on the grill for a longer period of time brings the meat to its optimum temperature at a slower rate. This method allows the meat to become totally infused with the flavors of the species of wood being used without being overcooked.

The main thing to remember when firing up the smoker this fall is to experiment with different wood species and different recipes to find out what works for you.

Take family favorites or seasonal mainstays and see how they turn out on the smoker.

You just might start a new family tradition.

WRITTEN BY: ERIN FERRIS

Part two

By this time of year, college football fans are deeply entrenched in the details of their alma maters’ teams. From rosters to stats, coaches to stats, they cheer for their favorite teams, longing for and sharing memories about the good old days when they attended these fine universities. On Saturdays this fall, thousands of Texans wear their college colors, and some are lucky enough to watch their teams play live.

Just as each Texas university is home to unique programs and traditions, each community in which these schools are located is home to unique culinary establishments. So while touchdowns, field goals, and sacks on the gridiron take precedence, fans usually find time before or after the game to visit favorite hotspots and watering holes. These restaurants, diners, cafes, shops, bars, and food trucks wait, with doors wide open, to help fans celebrate a victory or drown a sorrow.

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Photo Courtesy of: Kesos Taco House

Texas Tech University// Lubbock Texas Tech football fans have a creative (and widely unheard of outside of Lubbock) way of combining and showing their love for football and food. When the Red Raiders kick off and score touchdowns, they throw flour tortillas into the air. However, if tossed tortillas do not hit the spot, check out the options below.

Warm, comforting, and homey describe both the menu and the vibe at Pancake House. From the cow patty cinnamon roll and funfetti pancakes to the huevos rancheros and biscuits and gravy, each and every Pancake House entrée is better than the last.

A cheerful hometown diner, Cast Iron Grill specializes in classic southern specialties. Savor chicken fried steak sliders or flame-grilled pork chops paired with mouth-watering fried okra, green beans, or brussel sprouts, and then top off the meal with made-fromscratch banana pudding.

Located less than two miles from campus, La Diosa Cellars is a cozy bistro with “enough warmth and flavor to honor the owner’s Spanish heart.” The ever-evolving menu offers a wide selection of globally inspired drinks, tapas, and entrees, and La Diosa

serves wines made by Lubbock’s own McPhearson Cellars. Those who prefer beer with dinner should try the high-end beer selections – alongside the fish sticks, Spanish burger, or soft shell crab sandwich – at Crafthouse Gastropub.

Last but not least, a visit to Lubbock is not complete without sharing a platter of Spanky’s world-famous fried cheese with friends.

Photo Courtesy of: The Dixie Chicken

University of Texas// Austin Known in many circles as a foodie’s paradise, Austin is home to a plethora of dining establishments, many of which are easily accessible from campus and cater to UT students and fans.

Though a couple of miles from campus, Magnolia Café is worth the drive. Better yet, it is also worth the walk to prepare for indulgence in gingerbread pancakes, the T-Rex Omelet, or Mag Mud queso. This decadesold Austin original is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Rumor even has it that after a manager lost his keys, the doors never locked again. Magnolia Café is a favorite of locals, visitors, and even presidents!

Some of Austin’s best sandwiches can be found inside the walls of a cozy converted house on West 34th Street. FoodHeads’ “miraculous” creations combine roast beef and brie, grilled squash with spinach and mozzarella, and grilled portabella mushrooms with bleu cheese, spinach, tomato, and a blackberry balsamic glaze. Make sure not to overlook sides and condiments, such as the made-from-scratch pickled cucumbers, jalapeno mustard, and red pepper eggplant mayonnaise.

Diners celebrating a special occasion should consider the comfortably elegant Carillon for the “Bubbles and Bites” small plates and champagne special. But if fancy is not in the cards, try visiting Kesos Taco House for fresh, filling Mexican meat with a “weird Austin twist.” Try the Pecan Festival, Islander, or Bluebonnet taco topped off with homemade salsa from the extensive salsa bar.

For a late night snack, cruise over to The Best Wurst food stand in either the 6th Street Entertainment District or on South Congress. Widely recognized as the best street food in Austin, Best Wurst’s bratwursts on toasted buns with onions, sauerkraut, and curried ketchup cannot be beat.

OCTOBER 2017 | 45

Texas State University// San Marcos Texas State University alumni George Strait said it best. “I ain’t here for a long time, but I’m here for a good time.” Even the shortest visits to San Marcos can and should revolve around good times … and good food.

For a quick but leisurely breakfast, pop into Casa Maria Mexican Restaurant and Bakery. Casa Maria diners will appreciate the casual atmosphere, warm and friendly service, and generous portions of authentic Mexican dishes. Start the day off with chorizo con huevo, machacado, or migas topped with a healthy spoonful of Casa Maria’s five-star red or green salsa.

A quintessential hole in the wall on campus, Alvin Ord’s is widely known for serving up the finest sandwiches in town. Robust, hearty, freshly baked bread rounds come topped with generous portions of meat, cheese, and veggies. While even the most basic sandwiches receive rave reviews, The Salvation is by far the most popular.

To sample the largest variety of beers – 42 on tap and 60 bottled – in San Marcos, visit the Taproom Pub and Grill. Pair a cold one with hearty onion rings, crispy French fries, guacamole queso, or a mac and cheese burger and then sit back, relax, and watch all of the weekend’s football games on big screen televisions.

For those who prefer Italian, Pie Society is an equally satisfying casual dinner option. Garlic knots, calzones, and both slices of and full pizzas topped with fresh toppings will hit the spot.

Authentic Czech and Texas kolaches from Dos Gatos Kolache Bakery make the perfect snack at any time of day. Bacon and cheese, pepperoni and swiss, and sausage and pickled jalapeno fly out the door, as do the bakery’s fluffy cinnamon rolls with pecans or raisins.

University of North Texas // Denton Located 36 miles north of Dallas/Fort Worth, Denton is the best of both worlds: a quaint and comfortable college town situated in a dynamic metropolitan area of the country. Denton has plenty to offer visitors by way of entertainment, culture, shopping, and of course, fine, fast, and fun dining.

For a hip twist on a wholesome country breakfast, Loco Café has diners covered. The list of not-to-miss menu items goes on and on, but a few highlights include French toast with cinnamon apples, eggs lunatic, breakfast nachos, and blueberry lemonade.

Loco Café also serves up the best biscuits and yes, chocolate milk, in town.

Those with an adventurous palate will fit right in at The Bowllery, an Asian fusion restaurant with a focus on healthy versions of traditional Asian American dishes. The Bowllery uses only high quality ingredients from local organic farmers, and offers a host of options for every dietary style including vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free. The curry tomato lentil soup, coco-petzo bowl, and kale waffles in particular keep diners coming back again and again.

Nestled in the Downtown University District, Yummy’s Greek Restaurant knows how to wow diners with its friendly service, generous portions, and delicious falafel, gyros, pita bread, and fried cauliflower.

And for a completely different take on dinner, Fera’s Italian Restaurant is known for its hearty stromboli, comforting spaghetti and meatballs, and delectable tiramisu.

There is no wrong time of day for ice cream, so whenever the mood hits, visit Beth Marie’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream on the Historic Courthouse Square. Step through the door and back in time – the décor and the equipment on which the ice cream is made are authentically 1920s – to enjoy Beth Marie’s more than 100 premium quality flavors.

46 | SEPTEMBER 2017 Photo Courtesy of: Taproom Pub & Grill

Rice University// Houston Rice University in Houston is frequently ranked at the top when it comes to both quality of life and happiness among students. The area around Rice University is home to a host of restaurants frequently ranked at the top when it comes to both quality of food and enjoyable atmosphere.

Coincidence?

A neighborhood favorite in the Rice Village area since 1975, the recently-renovated and updated Hungry’s has been described as a combination of comfortable café and elegant bistro. If weather allows, dine on the patio while enjoying a flight of mimosas and the crab cake eggs benedict, croissant French toast, or sunrise sausage wrap.

As one might guess given its name, Local Foods offers homemade, healthy, and locally-sourced fast food. Try the gulf shrimp and crab, truffled egg salad, or turkey confit sandwich served alongside house-made chips or Tuscan kale, and finish off the meal with a butterscotch blondie.

The Raven Grill serves delicious salads, burgers, and entrees – consider the popular honey-glazed pork chops or pecan-crusted chicken – but diners should not leave The Raven without trying the Tower O’Rings.

These lightly battered, hand-cut onion and poblano rings come served alongside a side of spicy ranch and could make a meal on their own.

One of the first businesses of its kind, SMOOSH Cookie Sandwiches makes and serves custom ice cream cookie sandwiches. Freshly baked cookies topped with premium ice cream and dressed to the nines with toppings ranging from M&Ms and chocolate chips to bacon and Nerds. These delectable treats will bring out the kid in every visitor!

Stephen F. Austin State University// Nacogdoches Home to Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches is considered the oldest town and one of the most historic communities in Texas. As a result, Nacogdoches and SFA attract visitors from all over the world, and make guests feel right at home by feeding them extremely well.

What better way to start the day than at Dolli’s Diner, where the motto “always fresh, always friends” always rings true? After a cup of piping hot, richly brewed coffee, indulge in fluffy pancakes, French toast, or packed omelets, the recipes for which have been passed down for generations.

If authentic, affordable Mexican food served in a quirky space sounds intriguing, hit up Tacos Dona Pancha for dinner. Whether in the mood for a quick bite or a filling meal, every diner can find a combination of tacos, tamales, burritos, and fajitas to satisfy.

To start the day or for a pick-me-up midway through the afternoon, sip on a hot cup of Joe from Java Jack’s Coffee House. In addition to their signature and seasonal coffees, Java Jack’s makes a highly recommended café caramel, crème brulee latte, and Almond Joy mocha.

Photo Courtesy of: SMOOSH

OCTOBER 2017 | 47

“Good for You” WRITTEN BY & PHOTOS COURTESY OF: MARYE AUDET

Your mom was right.

Sweet potatoes are good for you. These colorful tubers carry a hefty dose of vitamin A, C, B6, B1, B2, potassium, niacin, copper, manganese, and pantothenic acid. On top of all of that, they are an excellent source of fiber and not too hard on your blood sugar.

the produce section, real sweet potatoes can have purple, pink, or creamy white flesh as well. In fact, the “sweet potatoes” in the grocery store are most often yams and not even related to sweet potatoes, a member of the morning glory family, at all.

Texas has long grown these plants that are native to South America. In the 1920s through the ‘60s, sweet potatoes were the third largest crop in the state. Even still, they are grown in abundance in Northeast Texas where you can often find unique heirloom varieties at the local farmers markets.

These deliciously mealy tubers are great baked, mashed, and even fried to make traditional side dishes from June through October. Why not shake things up a little and try one of the following dessert recipes? After all, the nutrition stays the same even if the calories do not!

While you may be picturing the orange fleshed, elongated ovals most often found next to the onions in

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You can use yams in any of these recipes. The flavor will be a little different, but other than that, everything should work fine.

Sweet Potato Crinkle Cookies

Crunchy on the edges, chewy in the middle, and full of spicy sweet potato flavor, these unique cookies will remind you a bit of gingersnaps!

YIELD:

3 dozen

INGREDIENTS • 1 cup melted, unsalted butter

• ½ teaspoon ground ginger

• 1 cup sugar

• ¼ teaspoon cloves

• ½ cup light brown sugar • ½ cup mashed sweet potato • 1 egg • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg • 1 teaspoon baking soda • 2⅓ cups flour • Approximately ¼ cup granulated sugar, for coating

INSTRUCTIONS 1. Line a heavy baking sheet with silpat or parchment paper and set aside.

2. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until smooth.

3. Add the sweet potato and egg.

4. Beat until well combined and creamy.

5. Mix the spices, baking soda, and flour.

6. Set aside.

7. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture slowly, beating until just combined.

8. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour.

9. Preheat the oven to 350°F. 10. Roll the dough into balls the size of walnuts and then roll in granulated sugar.

11. Place about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet.

12. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the middles are puffed and are just barely done.

13. Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes before removing them from the baking sheet.

Sweet Potato Quick Bread

Lightly spiced and certainly sweet, this loaf is perfect for holiday giving AND year-round eating! You can substitute 1 teaspoon of vanilla for the bourbon if you like. Just add enough extra liquid (water, cream, milk) to make up the difference.

YIELD:

2 loaves

INGREDIENTS • 1 cup cooking oil

• 2 teaspoons kosher salt

• 1 ½ cups brown sugar

• 2 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg

• 1 ½ cups sugar • 4 eggs lightly beaten

• 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda

• ½ cup water

• 2 teaspoons cinnamon

• ¼ cup bourbon

• 1 teaspoon cloves

• 2 cups mashed cooked sweet potatoes

• ½ teaspoon ginger

• 3 ½ cups flour

• 1 cup pecans chopped, optional

INSTRUCTIONS 1.

2.

3.

4.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 2 loaf pans.

Set aside.

Add the cooking oil, brown sugar, and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer.

5. Beat on medium until well mixed and the sugar starts to dissolve.

6. Add the eggs, water, and bourbon.

7. Beat on medium until very smooth.

8. Stir in the sweet potato.

9. Set aside.

10. Mix dry ingredients.

11. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients quickly, just until blended.

12. Fold in the pecans.

13. Spoon into the prepared loaf pans and bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

14. Let cool completely.

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Sweet Potato Pie with Praline Topping

The delicate flavor of sweet potato just shines in this traditional, Southern sweet potato pie. Orange zest helps to brighten the flavors and add balance to the sweet praline topping.

YIELD: 1 9-inch pie INGREDIENTS PIE • 1½ pounds sweet potatoes or yams • ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature

• 1 tablespoon orange zest • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon • ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

• 1 cup sugar • ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon evaporated milk

• Pinch of salt

• 3 tablespoons bourbon • 2 eggs, room temperature

• 1 unbaked pie crust for a 10-inch pie or 9-inch deep dish pie

TOPPING • ½ cup dark corn syrup

• 1 tablespoon butter

• 1 tablespoon brown sugar

• 1 tablespoon bourbon • ½ cup chopped pecans

INSTRUCTIONS TOPPING

PIE

1. Just before serving add the corn syrup, brown sugar, and butter to a heavy sauce pan.

2. Stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is well blended.

3. Continue to cook and stir for about 3 minutes, or until the sauce is very thick.

4. Stir in the bourbon.

5. Cook for 1 more minute.

6. Add about half the pecans to the mixture and pour over the chilled pie, spooning evenly to the edges.

7. Sprinkle the remaining pecans on top and press in gently.

NOTE You can also prepare sweet potatoes or yams by piercing the skin with a sharp knife and microwaving them until soft and done. Remove the skin, process in a food processor, or mash by hand, and continue with the recipe.

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1.

2.

3.

4.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Pierce the sweet potatoes with a fork and place on a baking sheet.

Bake 40 minutes to an hour, or until done and very soft.

Remove the sweet potatoes from the oven and turn the temperature down to 350°F. 5. Remove the sweet potatoes from the skin and mash. This should make about 2 cups.

6. Fit the unbaked pie crust into the pie pan, crimping the edges.

7. Set aside.

8. Add the sweet potato, butter, and sugar to the bowl of a mixer.

9. Whip until well blended and smooth, scraping sides often.

10. Add the evaporated milk, the bourbon, and the eggs.

11. Beat well.

12. Stir in the orange zest, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.

13. Spoon the filling into the pie crust and bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until a knife inserted just off the center comes out clean. Do not overbake.

14. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

15. Cover tightly and refrigerate at least overnight or up to 2 days.