Seguin Magazine — October 2021

Page 1

G u a d a l u p e C o u n t y l i v i n g

October 2021

Pumpkin Season

Follow the Pumpkin Patch road to First United Methodist Church

Day of the dead altars Remembering and honoring deceased family and friends

The art of Costuming An essential feature of any dramatic production


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In this issue October 2021

FEATURES 12 PUMPKIN PATCH TRADITION AT FUMC

Almost 30 years of gourds continue to be a must-see, fall destination for the whole family

12

14 DAY OF THE DEAD ALTARS

Remembering and honoring deceased family and friends during Dia de los Muertos

FASHION 20 THE ART OF COSTUMING

Inspired by Halloween, movies and storytelling, Brandi Atchley brings to life her own creations

UNDER THE HOOD 30 2011 HARLEY DAVIDSON ROAD KING HEARSE A unique transportation method for the casket from the funeral home to the final resting place

20

ON THE SCENE 30 COZY MYSTERY AUTHOR TRACY DONLEY

With a love for writing, Donley is building her catalog for readers who are insatiable for more content

CULINARY CREATIONS 40 GHOULISHLY GOOD HALLOWEEN TREATS Serve up some delicious cocktails and hors d’oeuvres at your next Monster Mash

AROUND TOWN 44 FAVORITE FINDS

Unique items from small local businesses

46 SAVE THE DATE

See what events are coming up

48 FACES OF SEGUIN

Submitted photos from our readers

On the cover

Photo by Katy O’Bryan

Pumpkins color the lawn of First United Methodist Church during the 2020 Pumpkin Patch fundraiser.

14


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G u a d a l u p e C o u n t y l i v i n g

FROM THE

Editor Vol. 8, No. 5 Seguin magazine is published twelve times a year by the Seguin Gazette. Publisher

Elizabeth Engelhardt Editor

Desiree Gerland

Graphic Designer

Rebecca Harrison Writers

Felicia Frazar Dalondo Moultrie

ADVERTISING

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It’s time! That wonderful period between September and November, most commonly referred to as fall. Despite its dark and morbid traditions, Halloween is a favorite time of year for many. The weather is just right, there are a ton of fun activities going on, and more amazing holidays are right around the corner. It’s a freakishly fun day where civilized people let go of their inhibitions and let their crazy take over. Halloween has a little something for everyone. Hanging out with friends, watching horror movies, carving pumpkins, and dressing up in crazy costumes; or you can lock the door, turn out the lights and indulge your sweet tooth with the candy you were going to give to the neighborhood kids. This year I’m making giant papier-mâché pumpkin heads and watching as many scary movies as I can until my eyeballs pop out. To satisfy all of your Halloween cravings, we’ve put together some great content for you to creep through this spooky season! From pumpkin patches and a motorcycle hearse to spooky cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, it’s guaranteed to be a ghoulishly good time. Happy Halloween, Seguin.

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SEARCH SEGUIN GAZETTE All material herein c. 2021 Southern Newspapers Inc., dba The Seguin Gazette, All rights reserved

Desiree Gerland Desiree Gerland

Magazine Editor & Creative Director

email: desiree.gerland@seguingazette.com


An INSIDE look from our

WRITERS

“For many, the Pumpkin Patch holds a lot of memories. I’m not immune to that. Since I started working at the Gazette, I’ve covered the Pumpkin Patch from the delivery of pumpkins and the dozens of volunteers to puppy adoptions, school trips with story time and science lessons. It’s no surprise why the Pumpkin Patch has been around for almost 30 years, and I look forward to visiting it for many more years to come.” – Felicia Frazar

“Like me, Tracy Donley is a lover of words. That made interviewing her for this month’s magazine such a delight. We had things in common but she’s taken her craft to heights I have yet to consider. Our passion for written language is a shared experience and just hearing the Seguinborn author speak about her books, makes me look forward to reading some and enjoying her offerings to the literary world. I hope I did her words justice and you enjoy what I’ve written about what she writes.” – Dalondo Moultrie

“Seeing how Ileen Rangel set up her altar for Dia de los Muertos was heartwarming. Each piece she has placed for her mother, father, brother comes with a story. The love she has for her family is evident in her face as she reflects on each family member and those pieces that remind her of them. Ileen is continuously adding to her oferenda and I’m excited to see the final product.” – Felicia Frazar

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{ Feature }

Welcome To the

Pumpkin Patch First United Methodist Church continues to grow its fall tradition Story by Felicia Frazar Photos by Felicia Frazar & Katy O’Bryan

A

sea of orange covers the lawn of First United Methodist Church. Visitors may not find Charlie Brown’s Great Pumpkin lurking here, but they’ll discover the fun, family time in the church’s Pumpkin Patch. For almost 30 years, the gourds have brought something new and different to the church and the community, eventually evolving into a mustsee, fall destination. “It is a fun place to be,” said Terry Webb, First United Methodist Church Pumpkin Patch committee member. “We knew we were a destination when we would chat with people and they would say they were from Houston. It has become the place to get pictures. We’ve had a number of people come with their children through the years and they have pictures from infancy on up.” The Pumpkin Patch started as a fundraiser for the youth ministries by Youth Director Katie Arnold in 1994, Webb said. When Terry and Dean Webb

12 SEGUIN ~ GUADALUPE COUNTY LIVING

joined the church and took over as the youth directors, they took over the Patch and began expanding it. “We saw what else the Pumpkin Patch can be in other places and we brought that back to First Methodist,” Terry said. “Then one thing led to another, then a half truck led to two trucks and a whole month instead of a couple of weeks. It continued to really enrich the youth program. The money earned was substantial and allowed our youth to go on mission trips out of state.” Eventually, the Patch was handed over to a church committee to continue and it broadened its mission outreach to include more church missions and community nonprofits, Terry said. “The Patch is something the church believes in and wants to share with the community because it is a wholesome, helpful place for people to come and enjoy God’s creation in the form of a pumpkin,” Terry said. The pumpkins arrive in two shipments — one at the beginning of October and one in the middle — from

Pumpkin Patch USA. Just like the sale of the pumpkins benefits the church’s many missions, it also supports the Navajo Nation, which grows and harvests the pumpkins. Over time, each committee brought something new to the Pumpkin Patch to change it up and bring more visitors, including school children with the additions of story time and a science lesson. “Vicki Spradling created a corner where we weigh the pumpkins and then she has a bucket of water where we drop them in to see if they float or not,” Terry said. “She has seeds that are already cut out of a pumpkin. She cuts open a pumpkin so the kids can look inside and talks about the growing season. She’ll have some pumpkins growing in the Patch.” Story time includes books that focus on fun pumpkin facts and moral lessons. Mostly when people come to visit, they find themselves enthralled in the beauty that surrounds them and can’t help but capture it in photos.


The Patch is something the church believes in and wants to share with the community because it is a wholesome, helpful place for people to come and enjoy God’s creation in the form of a pumpkin.

GUADALUPE COUNTY LIVING ~ SEGUIN 13


{ Feature }

The way we

Remember Altars celebrate the lives of loved ones On Dia de Los Muertos

Story and photos by Felicia Frazar

I

leen Rangel smiles as she points toward a Christmas headband with the Nativity set on top. The accessory sits in a jar of silk colorful flowers surrounded by photos and a collection of specifically selected items on an oferenda in Rangel’s home. It is Rangel’s first time creating an altar for Dia de los Muertos, and she is doing so in honor of her mother, who died earlier this year. “She loved Christmas, so I bought a 14 SEGUIN ~ GUADALUPE COUNTY LIVING

little headband that has the Nativity set on it,” she said. Rangel struggles with the loss of her mother, and has found creating the altar helps bring back wonderful memories. “It helps you putting the things out that she loves,” she said. “I think this soothes your soul, because you’re really just lost. I don’t want her to ever be forgotten, or my dad. My dad died when I was 15.” “Nobody is really gone if there is

somebody left to remember you,” her sister-in-law Cindy Rangel reminded her. With Cindy’s help, Ileen built her first oferenda in her family’s living room. It is adorned with items that remind her of her mother, including a small porcelain set of mariachi singers. “She loved beautiful things and fun things,” Ileen said. “It is a huge hole that is not as hard to get past when you are surrounded with her stuff. I have her ashes there on her altar. I’ve been


finding pretty things I know she would enjoy to put on her altar.” Pictures of her parents, brother and other family members who have died over the years are prominently displayed throughout the three-tiered altar. Ileen is taking a page from Cindy, who creates a large oferenda each year. She started her altar about 25 to 30 years ago in memory of her grandparents. While it started out small to include immediate family members, it slowly grew to incor-

porate extended family members, friends and neighbors, Cindy said. “It is a good time to share stories, even with the kids,” she said. “At my house, it is a big party. We have these conversations.” It was at Cindy’s home where Ileen previously honored her family. Now, she’s bringing the celebration of life to her own home. “Everybody has been over there, but here, here I just feel more connected to

her because it is just so fresh,” Ileen said. The celebration of Dia de los Muertos dates back to pre-Columbian roots and evolved from Mezoamerican civilizations, said Yvonne De La Rosa, executive director of Teatro de Artes de Juan Seguin. Once Catholicism was introduced, the civilizations were forced to change their traditions, incorporating Christianity into it and making it correspond to All Souls Day, De La Rosa said. GUADALUPE COUNTY LIVING ~ SEGUIN 15


“This happened because of the Spanish colonists when they came into the indigenous people’s world and changed it all so it didn’t mirror at all what it was true to what they believed, but moreso of what the Spaniards believed,” she said. However, it still had it’s core beliefs that the offerings would help the souls make the journey. All oferendas are different, as they are personalized to the family; however, they each have the same elements of 16 SEGUIN ~ GUADALUPE COUNTY LIVING

nature — fire, wind, water and Earth, De La Rosa said. The flames of a candle help guide the souls back to Earth, while water quenches their thirst from the long journey, De La Rosa said. “The wind can come in through the papel picado that you put onto the altar, because that blows in the wind,” she said. “The Earth is from the many dishes — food that is prepared and put on the altar, such as fruit, mole, chocolate — that they would eat.”

The altar has items that represent the person like a toy for a child or a favorite item for adults. A large skull, copal and calaveras are musts when preparing an altar. “You also need to have on your altar marigolds, that scent entices the spirit,” De La Rosa said. “At the same time, marigolds have short lives, which means we only want our dead to visit for a short time, then return to where they need to go. They only join us for a short time, 24 hours.”


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The vibrant colors of the marigolds reminds those of the celebration that ensues, De La Rosa said. “You’re not mourning their death, but celebrating their life,” she said. As she makes adjustments to her altar, Ileen is happy to start this tradition and share it with her family. “They love it,” she said. “They’re so excited that we were going to put one up too.” Participating in the Dia de los Muertos celebrations was not part of the traditions GUADALUPE COUNTY LIVING ~ SEGUIN 17


in many homes, including the De La Rosa house growing up. However, they are becoming more common, De La Rosa said. “Our people are embracing that piece of our culture a little more,” she said. “In our home, we did not practice Dia de los Muertos and my mother, who lived in Mexico, also did not practice Dia de los Muertos. But our great grandmother practiced doing those things. A lot of times, the lost generation did not practice because their families wanted them to assimilate to the American way.” De La Rosa attributed the rise in participation to Mexican-Ameri18 SEGUIN ~ GUADALUPE COUNTY LIVING

cans wanting to connect to their roots, cultures and traditions. The celebrations are open to anyone who wants to make those connections to the departed, De La Rosa said. “I think that is important in that this is not just a cultural tradition for our people,” she said. “It is derived from our people, but anybody can participate. If it brings healing, it brings healing.” That kind of healing and connection is needed in the community right now, De La Rosa said. “I see that our community is going to need some healing after all that has happened, the devastation as of late, of

course,” she said. “Not just those who have lost somebody, but our medical personnel who have watched our people go. It gives you the time and space to feel the emotions you need to talk about the great things about this person, the impact that they made in your life and to recognize those pieces of that person.” Dia de los Inocentes is celebrated Nov. 1, while Dia de los Muertos is Nov. 2. Both are about celebrating and honoring loved ones’ lives, not mourning their deaths. “It helps to celebrate and realize that life is short,” Ileen said. “We can’t dwell on the negatives of life.”


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{ Fashion }

THE

Robes Atchley Of

From inspired sketches to fantastical productions, Brandi Atchley brings her costume creations to life Story and photos by Felicia Frazar

G

rowing up, Brandi Atchley lived to tell stories and create characters. Halloween was especially near and dear to her heart as both her parents worked haunted houses. It was her combined love of Halloween, actors portrayed in movies and storytelling that sparked her interest in bringing to life her own creations. “I’ve always been a story teller, writing little skits,” she said. “I just made up my own characters as a kid. And of course, being influenced by old movies, I would come home and make costumes, like Scarlett O’Hara and her hoop skirt with my comforter, you know that kind of silly stuff when you’re little.” While some children grow out of playing dress up and creating storylines, Atchley embraced it. “I guess I’ve never grown up because I continue to do it,” she said. Atchley has written and produced several plays all put on by local actors for charity events. She’s put on a “Titanic” 20 SEGUIN ~ GUADALUPE COUNTY LIVING

dinner theater, created the “Attack of the Two-Headed Atomic Squirrel” and the story of Cowboy Jack on the Haunted Trail. “I’ve been very, very blessed that I’ve been able to do that in Seguin for nine years, except for the past two,” she said. “I really miss it. I really miss my theater family. They’ve always been so supportive. It may be my story, but it becomes our show.” Her storylines come from various inspirations. Sometimes she’ll begin sketching a character and build a story around them. Sometimes she comes up with a storyline and then creates the characters from there. “I’ll just be sitting around sketching and the story will come to me. Cowboy Jack, his story and all of the characters that are involved, that just came from a simple little doodle that I was doing,” she said. “I looked at it and saw the story. I just kept going with the story.” Her love of art and creativity help bring her costumes to fruition. Often on a tight budget, Atchley finds inexpensive

ways to craft the particular look she is going for. The elaborate dresses Atchley used for the “Titanic” dinner cruise were several dresses she deconstructed and pieced back together, mixing and matching various fabrics. “These fabrics are really expensive and community theaters are trying to raise money and are on a budget,” she said. “We don’t want to bust our budget


I’ve been very, very blessed that I’ve been able to do that in Seguin for nine years, ... They’ve always been so supportive. It may be my story, but it becomes our show.


on costumes. So, I’ll take dresses apart and piece them back together and hand them to a professional seamstress. All of them are made from the fabric of different dresses to create layers.” Depending on the play and if the costume calls for a mask, Atchley will work her magic to craft one by hand using modeling clay or purchase masks and give them the same treatment as the dresses — take them apart and piecemeal them back together. It was a craft Atchley learned growing up. “There wasn’t things like big crafting stores, so you had to be inventive,” she said. “Also, we didn’t have a lot of major money to do special effects, so you make it happen by the things you have around you. You have to have a different point of view and come up with ideas. Sometimes you can see an object and get inspired. That’s what I did with my dad, watching him as an artist.” 22 SEGUIN ~ GUADALUPE COUNTY LIVING

Her creativity spills over into her set design, as she often brings her sketches to life on stage. “To see it all come together, it brings me such joy,” she said. “I think one of the things I really like seeing is when I do sketches and I see them come to fruition. I put these sketches up and we’ll start building sets and stuff like that and then at the end of the show as I start putting things up, I find these sketches and realize how much it looks like how much I sketched.” While the pandemic has slowed down her ability to put on a production, it has not stalled her creativity. Atchley is constantly looking for ways to continue her Cowboy Jack story line, or bring new tales to life. “One day I hope to get back to it, but in the meantime, I’m just going to keep creating,” she said. “I’m still writing. I’ve got several different stories that I’m always working on.”


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Yellow Rose Room Holds 80 people

830-303-6612 510 E. Count - Seguin www.silverCenterSeguin.com

GUADALUPE COUNTY LIVING ~ SEGUIN 23


Hearse

{ Under Underthe thehood hood }

Motorcycle

Ferrying the deceased in style

W

hen planning a funeral, relatives usually go for a typical hearse. However, Greater Texas Livery offers a more unique transportation method for the casket. Stephen Bradley, managing funeral director of Goetz Funeral Home and Palmer Mortuary, drives a 2011 Harley Davidson Road King with a mostly glass casket coach. The company owned by Stephen’s wife, Karissa Bradley, offers the service

Story and photos by Felicia Frazar

to anyone who is interested. “We take care of funerals all over Texas,” Stephen said. “We travel all over Texas for funerals for bike riders, a lot of military and those who want a unique experience.” The motorcycle sports a 103 motor, six speed transmission, manual geardriven reverse and weighs 1,000 lbs. It hauls the half-ton coach by a gooseneck hitch. “The hearse is all custom made,”

Stephen said. “I’ve got the only one in Texas that will travel to other funeral homes.” The carriage is mostly glass, offering a look at the casket inside. For military funerals, the American flag draped over the coffin is prominent against the black frame housing the windows. “With all of the glass, you can see everything,” he said. “It has custom carriage lights all the way around. It really is unique. It is a true hearse, we use it every day.”


2011 Harley Davidson Road King 103 motor manual gear-driven reverse six-speed true dual exhaust Motorcycle weighs 1,000 pounds 21-inch dubs hearse weighs 1,000 pounds gooseneck hitch custom carriage lights


T D O N L

{ ONtheSCENE }

Cozy m yst ery a ut hor b u i l d s h e r c ata l o g

Story and photos by Dalondo Moultrie

F

or as long as she can remember, words have been Tracy Donley’s thing. It feels like writing is something she has done in some form since her earliest days of even knowing how to string words together to form sentences. “I think I wrote my first booklength manuscript around age 13,” Donley said. “I’ve always written. I think I was about 5 years old when I asked for a typewriter for my birthday.” Back in those early years, she knew her goal in life was to become an author, which she told people as a child. It took some years and lots of hustle, but Donley achieved her goal. The Seguin High School and Texas Lutheran University graduate is a published author several times over under an assumed name, Thea Cambert. And now, her publisher has agreed to release the next cozy mystery series penned by Donley under her real name. “As Thea, I’ve written about 21 books,” she said. “As Tracy, I’m starting the fourth in a series.” “Murder in the Meadow” released earlier this year is the first of a four-book Rosemary Gray cozy mysteries series. Two others of the series are written and ready for release and she’s currently sculpting the fourth of the books. Her publisher came up with the nom 26 SEGUIN ~ GUADALUPE COUNTY LIVING

de plume Thea Cambert when Donley penned her first cozy novel last year. Even though she knew writing was her thing, she didn’t start publishing her work until around the time of last year’s lockdowns related to COVID-19, Donley said. “It’s because of the pandemic this all came about,” she said. “My job before that was as a children’s minister at St. Andrews Episcopal Church. We couldn’t meet in person because of the pandemic. I couldn’t do the stuff with the kids. I was still trying to do something for them but most of what was taking up my time I could no longer do.” She just had more free time in which to practice her passion professionally. Donley also had an inside track since she had previously done freelance work editing books. That work allowed her a glimpse inside the publishing world and access to a publisher. She reached out to one and let the company know she was interested in penning a novel. Things worked out from there, Donley said. “They had me come up with an idea for a series of four books and asked me to go ahead and write the first one,” she said. “If they liked it, they would have me write another three. By the time I finished the fourth, they asked me to write four more and then they asked me to write four more.”

As the offers kept coming, she kept churning out novels. The turnaround times for the novels is brief so authoring more and more books keeps her busy, Donley said. She started out completing a new book about every other week. That scheduled has relaxed a bit as more work is piled on her plate, she said. “I’m writing three books right now,” Donley said. “One as Thea, one as Tracy and a third book I’m actually co-authoring with my son Nate.” Cozy mysteries are lighthearted tales that often begin with a character discovering a murder and then being swept up in getting to the bottom of the criminal act, Donley said. There’s no extraordinary violence, no blood and nothing too graphic It is somewhat of a formulaic genre, which helps feed new material to readers insatiable appetite for more content, she said. Books she’s authored run somewhere between 25,000 and 30,000 words. The novels may not be ground shaking, classical literary works but she writes them for readers who get out of them just what they need, Donley said. “It’s not that I’m trying to write ‘important’ literature with these books, but I’ve gotten some fan letters during the pandemic that people have said,


R A C Y E Y ‘Your books have helped me escape for a little while and made me feel better,’” she said. “To me, that’s what I’m doing, that’s what it’s about. These books are not going to win Pulitzer Prizes. They may not change the world but they could change someone’s day. “They could affect someone. That’s the bigger meaning of my work.” Donley’s father and grandmother were born in Seguin, as was she. She raised two children, 26-year-old Nate and her daughter, Emily, who is 22. While homeschooling her children, she had less and less time to continue cultivating her love for writing.

Her husband John is a middle school science teacher but also loves books. Her husband and children are extremely proud of her work as is her extended family, Donley said. “My family’s been so supportive and so proud,” she said. “My brother has read every book I’ve ever written. … It’s

... I’ve gotten some fan letters during the pandemic that people have said, ‘Your books have helped me escape for a little while and made me feel better.’ After the kids finished high school, she was able to get back into it because she had more time and then the opportunity to be published came along later, Donley said. Her family members share her love of words. Nate is a librarian and Emily is studying the same profession.

a great feeling.” The pay isn’t too bad, either. Not to be mistaken, writing the cozy mysteries doesn’t bring her a ton of money from each book but she’s increasing her volume of published works, which should increase the overall payout, Donley said. Currently, she’s in the process of

building up her catalog and with every subsequent novel, the money gets a little better, she said. Right now, Donley said she is paying her dues. “It gets better every month and I expect when I have a catalog of, say, 50 books, it’ll be even better,” she said. “I get royalties from the publisher, so the more books I write, the more lucrative it will be.” Still, she won’t sacrifice quality just to push out more books. She owes it to the fans who enjoy what she produces to continue putting out high-quality content, Donley said. That way, she can achieve all of her goals while still doing what she loves, which is to continue as a weaver of tales to entertain the public. “I feel very honored to be one of the people who’s a story teller; that’s just what I do,” Donley said. “I guess at first I felt like ‘I’m just writing these cozy mysteries. It’s not going to win any awards.’ But it’s important. It takes the reader to a different place and I’m very proud of that.” GUADALUPE COUNTY LIVING ~ SEGUIN 27


Spook-tacular

{ CULINARYCREATIONS }

Halloween treats & Cocktails

hors d’oeuvres by Desiree Gerland

Photo by Felicia Frazar

Cocktails by Rebecca Harrison

Caramel- Apple

Cheesecake Dip Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to grab an apple, spoon, ladle, shovel, backhoe – i.e. the largest object you can find – to scoop this dip directly into your mouth.

- Ingredients 1 8-oz. block cream cheese, softened to room temperature 1/2 c. caramel, warmed 1/2 c. pecans, chopped 4 sliced apples, for serving

- Instructions On a serving plate, pour caramel over softened cream cheese block. Top with chopped pecans and serve with apples.

Mummy Dogs

A spookier version of pigs-in-a-blanket. So fun, festive and delicious.

- Instructions - Ingredients 1 (13-oz.) can Pillsbury pizza dough 6 slices sharp cheddar cheese 12 jumbo hot dogs 2 tbsp. melted butter Ketchup or mustard for dipping

Preheat oven to 375° and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll out pizza dough and slice into 12 thin strips. Cut each slice of cheese in half. Place a hot dog on top of a piece of cheese, then wrap with dough to look like bandages. Place on prepared baking sheet and brush with melted butter. Bake until dough bandages are golden and cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes.


Frog juice A mocktail with a spring in its step!

- Ingredients 4-oz. Mountain Dew

d a e D g n i k l a W T he A simple coffee cocktail sure to give the undead an extra shot at life.

- Ingredients 6-oz. of your favorite coffee, chilled 2-oz. of Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey 3-oz. of heavy cream 1-oz. of Rumchatta Black food coloring Grenadine

- Instructions -

Mix 6-oz. of chilled coffee and fireball whiskey in a glass. Separately, mix Rumchatta and three or four drops of black food coloring into the heavy cream. Once combined, add to the coffee mixture. As the last flair, add a shot of grenadine. Try pouring the grenadine down the side of the glass for an extra gruesome look. The result is a smoky, rich, and sweet cocktail great for after dinner, or post trick or treat excursion.

2-oz. Lemonade Fresh blueberries B100 vitamin (don’t worry, the Mountain Dew covers the flavor!)

- Instructions Crush B vitamin into a fine powder, mix Mountain Dew, lemonade, and vitamin powder in a large container. A pitcher works great for this as the vitamin components will make the soft drink fizz. Add fresh, chilled blueberries to your glasses and enjoy! We highly encourage a black-light lit environment for this cocktail, as the B vitamin is UV reactive and creates that brilliant bright yellow glow! It’s guaranteed to add a spring to your Halloween step!


THIS ISSUE’S FAVORITE FINDS have been picked by seguin gazette composing department.

Thank you for continuing to support our community.

Assorted Colors Ghost Earrings Magnolia Hotel Gift Shop - $10

Get into the Halloween spirit with these Ghost Drop earrings that will surely add an extra pop of color to your outfit.

Handmade Pumpkins Glory B’s Cottage - $10.99 - $16.99

Vintage fabrics hand revitalized into the most adorable pumpkins. 6748 TX-123, Seguin | (210) 777-2742 facebook.com/glorybscottagegeronimo

203 S. Crockett St., Seguin (512) 571-2706 www.hauntedmagnoliahotel.com

Fall Sweet Fall Pillow Keepers Interiors and Furniture - $45

Ready for Fall Sweet Fall - Dhurrie pillow features jute webbing gusset and jute webbing applique patch. 615 N. Austin St., Seguin (830) 379-9995 www.furniturestoreseguintx.com 30 SEGUIN ~ GUADALUPE COUNTY LIVING

Southwest Fall Fedora Serenity Boutique - $28

Southwest pattern banded fall fedora hat with adjustable sizing straps. Wide brim and super cute for fall! 837 E. Court St. Seguin | (830) 379-4849 www.serenityboutiquetx.com


RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL Providing Comfort To Our Customers Since 1994

Magnolia Scented Ghost Freshies Magnolia Hotel Gift Shop - $8 Magnolia scented, ghost-shaped freshies & car vent clips handcrafted by Seguin gals known as the Southern Belles. This freshie can be used in your car, drawers, closet, or anywhere! 203 S. Crockett St., Seguin (512) 571-2706 www.hauntedmagnoliahotel.com

Your comfort is our Business

VOTED BEST HEATING/AC COMPANY IN SEGUIN

Change your life with

(830) 303-8624

TACLA010612C

WIFI T-STAT

510 N. Austin • Seguin www.TriCountyAC.com

Experience

Heirloom

Beauty

Pumpkin Spice Iced Latte Court Street Coffee - $3.29

Warm and spicy flavors are combined with espresso and milk resulting in your favorite cool weather beverage. 301 N. Austin St., Seguin (830) 379-7711 www.courtstreetcoffeeshop.com

chair style shown: “contentment” wood: walnut

A variety of Woods, styles, and Custom Work Available

12286 US HWY 87W, LaVernia, Tx 78121 951.490.2374 - hardwoodchairman@yahoo.com GUADALUPE COUNTY LIVING ~ SEGUIN 31


{ savethedate }

EVENT C A L E N D A R -OctoberGuadalupe County Fair and Rodeo: seventh - tenth

The Broncs are bucking, the cowboys are trained, the queen’s court is smiling, the barbecue cook-off is smokin’...we are only missing you! For more information, visit www.gcfair.org. Location: Guadalupe County Fair Grounds, 950 S. Austin St.

Third Thursday - Fall art walk: twenty-first – 4 - 8 PM Come out for our Fall Art Walk in Downtown Seguin! Enjoy the art of your Seguin area neighbors throughout Downtown Seguin. Art, shopping, food trucks, and live music with Hunter Hewell. Location: Central Park, 201 S. Austin St.

FOOD TRUCK FRIDAY: twenty-second – 11 AM - 2 PM

Join Guadalupe County and the Seguin Main Street Program every third Friday behind the Justice Center for delicious eats. Location: S. Camp and W. Donegan.

Pecan fest heritage days: thirtieth – 10 AM - 4 PM

A variety of vendors will be selling home goods, yard decor, jewelry and more. Oh and don’t forget a few pecan vendors. Downtown will be hosting a beer and wine garden, live music, and get crackin’ contest. Location: Central Park, 201 S. Austin St.

Hats off to Juan seguin pub crawl: thirtieth – 7 - 11 PM

Help celebrate Juan Seguin’s birthday. Wear your fun, funky, creative hats as you make your way through downtown Seguin tasting drink specials from each bar. The event is free and pre-registration is encouraged. Location: Central Park, 201 S. Austin St.

St. James Family Festival: thirty-first – 11 am - 2 PM

Drive-thru chicken dinner, raffle ticket drawing, and virtual auction supporting the St. James Catholic Church ministries, programs, and school. $10 chicken dinner and raffle tickets can be purchased at the parish office at 510 S. Camp St. For more information, visit www.saintjamescc.org/festival. Chicken Dinner pickup Location: Knights of Columbus Hall, 1015 S. Austin St.

-NovemberRummage sale for charity: sixth – 8 AM - 4 PM

All proceeds from this sale help sustain Guadalupe County Humane Society’s daily operations, as well as help finance our low-cost Spay/Neuter program. Location: Handi-Stop Storage, 2511 N. Hwy 46.

Send event details to seguinmagazine@seguingazette.com to have your event added to this calendar


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