Seguin Magazine — December 2018

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

December 2018

We Believe

Santa shares his story with us

Nutcracker Museum See what this Seguin staple has to oer

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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

Vol. 5, No. 7 Seguin magazine is published twelve times a year by the Seguin Gazette.

GENERAL MANAGER Elizabeth Engelhardt

Tattoos by Jeremiah

EDITOR Hannah Ruiz

Award winning artist

Private Studio • Seguin, TX

• Custom Work • Color Art • Black & Grey Art • Cover-Ups

GRAPHIC DESIGN Tera Swango

ADVERTISING Gay Lynn Olsovsky

WRITERS Chris Lykins Felicia Frazar Valerie Bustamante Priscilla Aguirre

TO ADVERTISE IN SEGUIN MAGAZINE CALL 830-379-5402 STORY IDEAS seguinmagazine@seguingazette.com

CONTRIBUTORS Mikala Compton SEARCH SEGUIN GAZETTE All material herein c. 2018 Southern Newspapers Inc., dba The Seguin Gazette, 1012 Schriewer Road, Seguin, TX, 78155.

All rights reserved

Awards for Best portrait • Most realistic Color Portrait • Lettering

hot tip WE ARE LIKE A SNOWFLAKE ALL DIFFERENT IN OUR OWN BEAUTIFUL WAY.

ON

THE

COVER

Photo by Felicia Frazar

2018

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6

SEGUIN ~ GUADALUPE COUNTY LIVING

Santa enjoys a quick break at the Campbell-Hoermann log cabin before the busy holiday season.

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An inside look from our WRITERS...

“Ashley and Jason Duncan, of Janda Exotics Animal Ranch were two awesome people to talk to. They had a lot of helpful information and you can see how passionate they are about the animal ranch.”

— Valerie Bustamante

“It’s not every day that you get the chance to interview Santa Claus.

To say the least, it was magical and enlightening.”

– Felicia Frazar

G

etting to go on location and working behind the scenes on photo shoots and interviews is really one of the fun parts of this job. Truth be told, job isn’t the right word. It really feels so much different than

that.

As this issue comes to a close I can’t help but be incredibly proud of how it came together. You will notice that two different features, Santa and Fashion were both taken at the same location.

The Campbell-Hoermann Log Cabin is a beautiful historic site just south of downtown and made the perfect background for visiting with Santa. Felicia got the opportunity to sit down with him and find out exactly how hard his job really is.

We also chose the location for our fashion shoot because it went great with the wintery theme we envisioned.

Tera and I visited Wimberley for this issue’s Day Trip article.

Spending an afternoon shopping in this town was fun. Of course, I love shopping just as much as the next girl, so it wasn’t hard to say yes to this choice.

Although, I was particularly intrigued by the 10-foot tall boots that decorated the downtown square, and loved the story of how they came to be.

In this issue, Valerie and Felicia got to go get up close with a few exotic pets at Janda Exotics in Kingsbury area. I am surprised that neither of them came back with hedgehog!

Hot chocolate is one of my favorite things to drink during the colder months and Felicia’s Dreamy Hot Chocolate Delight hit the spot with the colder weather that we have been experiencing.

Make sure to check out her recipe in Culinary Creations.

Also in this issue we brought back a classic — Under the Hood.

We always welcome comments and ideas from our readers so please send them in to seguinmagazine@seguingazette.com, but for now turn the page and enjoy.

Hannah Ruiz

8

Seguin ~ Guadalupe County living

TRIXIE A AMBASSADOR

M B A S S A D O R 2 0 1 7 / 2 0 1 8

FOR THE GUADALUPE COUNTY HUMANE SOCIETY

Merry Christmas From the Shop @

design associat es 110 West Nolte Street in Downtown Seguin 10am to 6pm Weekdays 10am to 4pm Saturdays Open 12pm to 4pm on Sunday, December 23rd Closed 12/24-1/26

@designassociatesseguin

@theshopSeguin

O Trixie Appreciates All Our Veterans O Contributes to safe animal care O Raise 1000lbs of food for community drive for cats & dogs O Trixie secretly loves cats & dogs Trixie would like to thank the following supporters Platinum Sponsors Alexander Oil Judds #5 Eddie Yaklin - Yaklin Dodge Gold Sponsors Chuck Nash Parkview Veterinary Clinic Dr. Bugai First National Bank Alves Insurance JB Construction

You might call it “Real America,” or “Real Texas.”

we call it

seguin.

Special Donations Love to all of Trixie’s Friends Please continue supporting Trixie to raise funds for the Guadalupe County Humane Socitey contact her at 361-765-8405 or The Humane Society in her name.

www.visitseguin.com GUADALUPE COUNTY LIVING ~ SEGUIN

9

THE HOTTEST SPOT

46

14

50

38

16 Features

Around Town

In Each Issue

38 Santa

14 Culinary Creations

12 Sizzlin’ Five

42 New Years Resolutions

16 Under the Hood

32 Fashion

46 Nutcracker Museum

14 Closet Closeup

54 Faces of Seguin

50 Exotic Menageries

24 Day Tripper

58 Favorite Finds

28 Luxury Lifestyle

10 Seguin ~ Guadalupe County living

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SIZZLINFIVE

Five events you don’t want to miss

DecemberrOtary 6thraFFle niGHt

The Rotary Club of Seguin is hosting its annual Raffle Night fundraiser from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Seguin Events Complex Coliseum. The event will include chances to win a $10,000 gift card or gift cards ranging from $3,000 down to $200. The event will also include an all-you-can-eat fish and shrimp dinner. Tickets are $15 and are available online at bit.ly/2A4DFJx

th December 7 GerOnimO siP ’n strOll

Get a look at the downtown shops in Geronimo during the fourth annual Sip ‘n Stroll from 6 to 9 p.m. on Dec. 7. The Village of Geronimo Merchants will open up their shops and offer up a tasty beverage to their guests.

December 9th

cHristmas sinG-alOnG

The Mid-Texas Symphony is ringing in the holiday cheer with a Christmas Sing-Along at 4 p.m. in the Jackson Auditorium in the Weston Center. From the Finnegan Sing Along to Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker Suite No. 1” to “T’was the Night Before Christmas” many favorites will have guests humming and singing along. Guest conductor Stan Mauldin, director of bands for Seguin ISD, will lead the symphony as well as the Mid-Texas Symphony’s Children’s Chorus of New Braunfels.

For tickets or more information, visit www.mtsymphony.org .

December 14th - 15th

cOuntry cHristmas

The Texas Agricultural Education and Heritage Center embraces the Christmas Spirit at the Big Red Barn with decorations, carolers, hot wassail, roasted marshmallows, a live Nativity, Santa Claus and more with Country Christmas. This year’s event will also include a 5K Country Christmas Dash. The event is Dec. 14 and Dec. 15 at the Big Red Barn, 390 Cordova Rd. For more information, visit www.texagedu.org or call 830-379-0933.

th December 15 HOliDay at HOGWarts

The Seguin Public Library is transforming into the popular school for wizards — Hogwarts — as made popular by J.K. Rowling in the “Harry Potter” series from 2 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 15. The event will include a trip to Ollivander’s Wand Shop, craft Hogwarts gift cards, take classes, play games, earn prizes and more.

12 SEGUIN ~ GUADALUPE COUNTY LIVING

The Gypsy goes

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Gruene, Texas that is!

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Come visit our 2 great Locations!

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1263 Gruene Rd., New Braunfels Mon-Sun 10am-6pm 830.627.9883

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Guadalupe County living ~ Seguin 13

Dreamy Hot Chocolate Delight

T

By Felicia Frazar

is the season for cooler weather and warmer drinks.

All year long I drink a variety of hot beverages, mostly teas and coffees.

But when the winter rolls around, my tastes switches to something a little more chocolatey — hot cocoa.

Since those winter temps decided to knock on our doors a little sooner this year, there was no better time to start making hot chocolate.

Every one has their own different ideas on what makes a good cocoa beverage — higher quality chocolate, cocoa powder, whole milk, low fat milk, almond, soy or coconut milk, nutmeg, cinnamon, the list goes on.

I usually take a package of instant Hotcocoa mix, a couple of spoons of Ovaltine and a little more sugar in a large mug, and that is my go to for hot chocolate.

However, this year I wanted to try something a little different.

After scouring the internet, I found several recipes to try. Each had a different spin on making a good cup of molten chocolate.

I tried vegan Almond Joy hot chocolate, Fancy A** Hot Chocolate (that’s the name the chocolatier gave it), S’mores Hot Chocolate and Creamy Hot Chocolate.

After trying my hand at a couple of them, I realized that I liked a little bit of something that each offered.

I pulled my basic milk recipe from the fancy hot chocolate and worked my way from there.

What I came up with was a smooth, dreamy, chocolate delight. Topped with whipped cream and it was heaven in a mug.

It was well received by my mom and co-workers. Next batch I make at home will most likely be labeled adult only.

Dreamy Hot Chocolate Delight 4 cups 2 percent milk 1/4 cup sugar 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon a pinch of ancho chili powder 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract 4 ounces chocolate chips (I used about 3 ounces semisweet chocolate chips, 1 ounce bittersweet chocolate chips) 1/2 cup half and half Start by combining milk, sugar, cinnamon, ancho chili powder and vanilla, in a sauce pan, whisk it together over a medium heat.

In a sauce pan heat up half and half.

Don’t boil.

Put chocolate chips in a bowl, pour a small amount of warm half and half over the chocolate chips, let sit for a minute then whisk. Continue to slowly small amounts of half and half until reaching a ganache-like texture.

Using a small measuring cup 1/8 or 1/4, add three or four scoops of chocolate to the milk, whisking after each addition.

Taste the flavor and add more chocolate as desired.

t e e M

e u l B d l O

By Felicia Frazar

1958 Chevrolet Step-Side • originally called Apache • 406 cubic inch small block 800 horsepower • Powerglide transmission with trans brake 39.5 inch rear tires, 38-inch front tires • Come off the line at 6000 RPM, shifts at 8000

A

little more than 40 years ago, Dusty and Diana Johnston purchased a 20-year-old truck.

Little did they know that it would become a mud racing legend.

The couple bought a 1958 Chevrolet Apache from John Krause.

“In 1977, the year we got married, Dusty and I purchased this truck before we had children,” Diana said.

“We bought it as a fun truck.”

Dusty originally fixed up the 1958 Chevrolet stepside as a hot rod, but a bet with a buddy had him transforming it into a four-wheel drive.

“After I built it into a four-wheel drive, I drove it around for a while,” he said. “The tracks opened up and I put it in a stock class so I could drive it there. Then one thing led to another and now it is in either in a modified class or a super gas class or a renegade class. The class depends

on where ever I’m going.”

Throughout the years, Dusty continued to modify Old Blue to make it faster.

“He started racing it, and before I knew it it was getting faster and faster, to the point where it is so fast that each time he would race it — and to this day still — I get a little nervous,” Diana said.

With several modifications to make it move quicker, Dusty said the truck is not the typical classic vehicle.

Typically, Old Blue can be found racing on the fast tracks or in the bog, Dusty said.

“The fast track you run on about 6 inches to a foot of mud, then the bogs can be anywhere from a foot

GUADALUPE COUNTY LIVING ~ SEGUIN 17

and a half to 3 feet deep,” he said.

“Some places even deeper.”

The truck he currently races is the second version of his original girl, which was totaled about 15 years ago.

“The original truck is just one fender and door because he rolled his truck in the mid-2000s at a track he wasn’t really familiar with,” Diana said. “This is actually a second truck.

He rebuilt it. Dusty kept this truck as original as he could especially on the inside, but there is a lot of race stuff in there the stuff that makes it go fast.

There are also a lot of safety features.”

Throughout the years, Dusty has picked up a couple of companies that continue to help him.

“I have a few sponsors — Parks Engine Service, Napa Auto Parts and Hill Country Electric,” he said. “And what money it makes goes back into the truck.”

An electrician by trade, Dusty has garnered the knowledge throughout the years to custom build his truck and several other vehicles along the way.

“I’ve built about five or six trucks for other people,” he said.

“His knowledge has always amazed me,” Diana said. “He does his own welding, wiring, everything.”

Old Blue has raced at several tracks and participated in monster truck shows across the state and into some neighboring states, even one in Mexico.

“It’s been an adventure,” Dusty said.

While the truck has earned Dusty recognition on the track, the couple says they gained so much more on the sidelines and in the pits.

“This truck has given us the opportunity to meet so many people from so many different walks of life,” Diana said. “You’d be surprised at the number of people that are interested in race and they love coming to these tracks. We’ve met friends and those friends have stayed our friends for 30 to 40 years. That has been a wonderful part of this. We’ve met so many wonderful people from other towns.”

18 Seguin ~ Guadalupe County living

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Guadalupe County living ~ Seguin 19

John Kuempel

By Valerie Bustamante

A

t the Texas State Capitol in Austin, Texas House of Representatives District 44’s John Kuempel can be seen sporting a pair of cowboy boots with a uniquely patterned tie hanging against a button up shirt.

However, when he’s back home the Seguin native said he is just a dad with a backwards cap on.

“I’m the guy who likes the Under Armour shorts and a raggedy old t-shirt while laying around the house with the boys around this time watching college football,” he said. “People see me around town plenty of times maybe with a ball cap on backward, sweaty from doing the yard or buying a Gatorade at Pick-N-Pack, but that’s just me. I’m just a normal person.”

Some of Kuempel’s favorite items to wear are college t-shirts, shorts and a pair of flip-flops.

“I love throwback college t-shirts, I must have 20 of those from universities all over the country with their mascots on it,” he said. “The flip-flops are the go-to. If I’m not walking or trying to exercise you will see me in a pair of flip flops around town. I love them.”

During the Fall season, if Kuempel isn’t sitting on the couch watching the Longhorns — his alma mater — than he’s got his dove hunting gear on.

“Fall is my favorite season. It’s football and dove hunting and there’s nothing better,” he said. “If I’m going out on somebody’s farm to shot some birds I’ll throw on my snake boots, some shorts and a camouflage Columbia shirt.”

When it’s time to take care of business in Austin Kuempel brings out the suit and tie.

“Since being in the legislature there’s a tailor from Thailand that comes through and I’ve bought about five or six suits from him,” he said. “It’s nice to get a custom-made suit because they’re reasonable and cheaper than what I can buy off the rack in the United States. They do a great job and if I pay $350 for a suit it’s fantastic. It’s a steal. I probably own about 10 suits — some are Joseph A. Banks.”

Since he can’t sport his flip flops at the Capitol, Kuempel chooses to wear the official footwear of Texas — cowboy boots.

“Lucchese comes to the Capital during session every other year and they’ll custom make boots,” Kuempel said.

Guadalupe County living ~ Seguin 21

“It’s almost custom made, but just as custom made as you can get without measuring your foot. We treat ourselves each time we’re reelected to a pair of Lucchese boots. It’s a treat for the grind of what we do as a family.

I love them and wear them all the time.”

The boots feature an embroidered state of Texas seal, Kuempel’s initials and his house district number. Kuempel’s wife Michelle also has her own pair of Lucchese boots.

“With me being in Austin all the time the least I can do is treat my wife with a nice pair of boots,” Kuempel said.

When he’s working Kuempel said he keeps a clothes rack in his truck with a few extra sports coats and other options.

As for shopping, the Texas House representative said he isn’t quite the fan.

“You’re not going to find me in many shops. If Michelle has to go pick something up for me at the outlet malls she’ll do it, but I tend to stay away,” Kuempel laughed. “I’m not really the shopping person. If I’m going to go shopping it’s going to be at Gift and Gourmet with Mary Reiley showing me what to do.”

Kuempel also doesn’t have a preference for color although he does opt for blue strip polos frequently, he said.

“Michelle always makes fun of me because blue stripe polos are typically what I wear all the time, but I don’t have a preference for colors,” he said.

“I go light in the summer and darker in the fall and winter. The one thing people don’t know about me is I’m severely color blind. I always have to ask my wife ‘what is this?’ or ‘is this all right?’ So colors really don’t mean anything to me.”

Aside from his prized Lucchese boots, Kuempel’s most valuable item from his closet is his Breitling watch.

“My wife gave me it when we got married 20 years ago. It’s sentimental, but a great watch on top of that,” he said.

Happy Holidays from Seguin Animal Hospital New clients visit our website to receive $20 coupon for first visit!

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December At St. Andrew’s

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201 E Nolte St, Seguin, TX 78155 • 830-372-4330 Guadalupe County living ~ Seguin 23

‘BOOTIFUL’

WIMBERLEY 24 Seguin ~ Guadalupe County living

A

drive into the Hill Country is similar to a drive in another world. That is especially true for the 50-minute drive to Wimberley.

Tera Swango and I decided to make an afternoon trip to Wimberley for some pre-holiday Christmas shopping. As we drove into the the quaint town on Ranch Road 12, we could not help but gaze out the car windows at the lush green rolling hilltops in awe.

When we crossed the bridge over the Blanco River into the small town of about 4,000, we were immediately welcomed by the Wimberley Square full of little boutiques.

The smell of onion rings wafting from Wimberley Café welcomed us as we got out of the car. The little café in the center of the square has a menu that boasts items similar to a diner, so we decided that that was our first stop. We both opted to sample the BLT with avocado — I added turkey and she chose the gluten free bread option — with chips and salsa to start with. Both meals were very tasty and served with seasoned homemade chips and a pickle.

After lunch, we started venturing our way to the shops that surround the square. Our first stop was the River House, which offered up boutique style clothing, eclectic silver jewelry, handmade Christmas ornaments and many other items.

Our next stop, Under One Roof, featured a fairy garden in the center of the store and a vast selection of items for sale to fill a fairy garden. The next stop carried a vast assortment of products

by Cypress Creek Lavender all of which were homemade.

Guadalupe County living ~ Seguin 25

Circa Soap Apothecary set up tables filled with glass jars containing numerous selections of bath salts and bath bombs. As we walked into this store, we couldn’t help but notice the beautiful white floors, sinks and bathtubs around the shop. They also had a men's line with beard oils and other grooming items.

The deeper into the heart of the town we went, we found an eclectic mix of stores that offer a little something for every one.

Kiss the Cook is dedicated to any and every gadget you could want for your kitchen. The fragrance of coffee beans made looking at the various kitchen tools an even more enjoyable experience.

The Old Mill, just to the left of Wimberley Cafe, featured Nativity scenes from around the world and handmade wooden frog chirpers.

Across the street, the Wooden Spoon, caught our eye. The shop specializes in vintage clothing, and a quick trip through the store had me reminiscing back to my days of participating in theater. It had clothes that dated back to the 20’s all the way till the 80’s.

A small cobblestone path led us to a patio that housed a bandstand overlooking Cypress Creek.

M.E. Plumbing has served clients in Seguin, San Marcos, New Braunfels, San Antonio, Luling, La Vernia, Gonzales and surrounding areas of Texas since 2005.

2018 BEST PLUMBER During our walk about, it was hard to miss the 10-foot tall boots stationed throughout the town. Each one painted differently.

A quick inquiry of a local residents helped shed a little light on the “Bootiful Wimberley” project that was started after the deadly Blanco River flood in May of 2015. Local artists were commissioned to create the boots as a fundraiser to help with flood relief.

The town features 50 boots, and the Wimberley Chamber of Commerce has maps with all the boots’ locations.

Wimberley is seated in the heart of Hays County, just 16-miles from San Marcos. The town is located at the junction of the Blanco River and Cypress Creek; other attractions include Wimberley zip line, Blue Hole National Park and Jacobs Well.

Wimberley also hosts monthly Market days located at the fairgrounds on the first Saturday of the month between March and December.

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LUXURY LIFESTYLE

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akeside living is the prime feature of this three-bedroom, threebathroom home tucked away in Pecan Cove on, fittingly, Lakeside

Drive.

The home was recently elevated to be high and dry on Lake Placid, and includes an electric lift to make reaching all three floors easy. A converted garage is a blank canvas waiting to become an excellent game room.

The kitchen features custom cabinets with an eat-in space and solid counter tops. An HVAC system, which was replaced three years ago and windows that are only two years old, means you won’t have concerns from climate control.

A 3-bay boathouse awaits with a covered upper deck offering a spectacular view of the lake for you and guests to relax by. The main home also features a spacious covered deck on the second floor, providing its own closerto-home space to entertain and enjoy the waterfront life.

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Your Brighton Headquarters

Everything for today’s trendy woman, kids & home

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Cabin Fever Photography by Mikala Compton

32 SEGUIN ~ GUADALUPE COUNTY LIVING

Clothes by Bealls

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Columbia Steens Mountain Fleece Jacket-$29.98, and Lee® Modern Series Bootcut Jeans-$29.98

Realtree Brown Thermal Shirt$14.99

Sequin Hearts 2-pc. Plaid Scarf and Fit and Flare Sweater Dress Set-$23.99

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Rustic Blue Dobby Woven Shirt-$9.99

Just One Faux Leather Moto Jacket-$19.99 Cejon Ribbed Loop Scarf-$26.60, Black and white plaid knit dress$23.99 and London Fog Hanover Boots-$31.99

34 SEGUIN ~ GUADALUPE COUNTY LIVING

Michael Kors Hague Sherpa Softshell Jacket-$79.99 and Timberland® Black 6 Inch Boots – Men’s-$139.98

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OPEN: Mon - Fri 8AM-6PM • Sat 8AM-5PM GUADALUPE COUNTY LIVING ~ SEGUIN 35

38 Seguin ~ Guadalupe County living

We Believe S

in Santa

By Felicia Frazar

anta Claus is coming to town — and he’s ready for it.

“It is a great time of the year,” Claus said. “Everybody is so happy and festive. I just wish it could be Christmas every day. I look forward to that first little kid who jumps up on my lap.”

Santa tries his best to bring all Christmas wishes to life, but admits even his North Pole magic has limits.

“I get asked for a lot of things. I know I’m not going to be able to bring them everything they want,” Claus said. “So, I tell them, when you ask for something that is really popular, there is a good chance I’ll run out of it before I get to your house. I ask them, ‘If that happens, can I bring you some really good surprises?’ and I haven’t been told no yet.”

Sometimes, when Santa is ready to retire, he taps a successor to step in to continue his work. That’s what happened some years back at a North Carolina mall.

Kris Kringle was visiting with his children and was approached by Santa who was making a special appearance.

“He called me over and said, ‘If that beard gets much whiter, I might have a job for you one of these days.’ I told him I’d keep that in mind. Then it was just a natural thing. I became Santa. I’ve been doing this for a long, long time.”

Santa nearly handed over the reins a couple of years back.

Guadalupe County living ~ Seguin 39

let you know they are OK,” he said.

“I had a little boy change my life in “Santa declared that he’ll never do a Kansas City,” he said. “I knew from Santa engagement without a cardithe experience that I had with him, nal on my right shoulder. I have one that when I put my suit on it’s time to on my right shoulder and that helps work.” keep me focused and reminds me that There are many Santas who assist angels are near.” with delivery to help make the big On Christmas Eve, Santa looks night a little easier, as well as making forward to all the treats left for him. guests appearances at events leading “A lot of kids like to leave cookies up to Christmas Eve, Santa said. and milk for Santa, but if you would “I have a lot of guys worldwide like to leave an apple or some carrots, helping me do my job, but there is a piece of celery, the reindeer love only one real Santa,” he said. “When it,” he said. “That is even better for they put that suit on, they play Santa, Santa.” and they play me very well. I’m very Although it’s his busiest season, he appreciative of that.” still tries to take some time to spread a When Santa lost Mrs. Claus, he wanted to do something to honor her, little extra cheer to those who need it.

“I keep an eye on kids all year long, so he always carries a cardinal on of course, and keep my list,” he said. his shoulder.

“She loved the bird and “I walk in off the street to the hospitals. I do a lot with the kids that have legend has it that when a cancer. They are special, they are cardinal flies by, it is an really special.” angel or a soul from the other side checking on Most often when visiting the chilyou, just to make sure dren at the hospital, Santa is loaded with some stuffed animals that were you’re OK and to 40 Seguin ~ Guadalupe County living

specially crocheted by a group of inmates from a local prison.

When there is some doubt about his existence, Santa does what he can to help keep the magic alive.

“The Spirit of Santa has always been alive,” he said. “I even do some house calls for some kids that are on the fence of whether they believe I’m real or not. Santa is very real. I am getting older and it’s getting harder to get around to every place, so I have gone literally worldwide to talk to some parents to be my help. Sometimes when kids say, ‘My mom or my dad is my Santa,’ guess what? I’ve talked to them. They are helping me out.”

It’s not only the well-behaved children who get a positive push from Santa.

“When I see a naughty kid, I’ll talk to them and just let them know that Santa is watching,” Santa said. Be good, not just because you might get toys or presents, be good to your mom and dad, be good for everybody. The golden rule is to do unto others as you would have them do unto you. That is kind of a good rule to go by. Treat people the way you would like to be treated and life would be so much better.”

Before hopping in his sleigh, to start preparing for the busiest time of year, Santa just had a message for everyone.

“Have a Merry Christmas.”

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Guadalupe County living ~ Seguin 41

At the start of a new year, people across the globe are looking to make changes.

People resolve to do a number of things — lose weight, make money, enjoy life.

Some area community members shared their resolutions and goals.

Kendy Gravett

M

y goal is to clean out my garage and keep it clean in 2019.

I

Jeff Koehler

resolve to make good business decisions for my family and my community. And maybe to exercise and lose weight.

Elizabeth Engelhardt

I

’m looking to start reading more books this coming year.

I love to collect books and I start a series, but never seem to finish them.

Supporting the health of our CommunitieS and applauding the SuCCeSSeS of thoSe we Serve

• Babies and Toddler Achieving Milestones through Early Childhood Intervention • Children, Adolescents and Adults recovering from Mental Health Conditions or Substance Use • Individuals with Autism or Intellectual and Development Disabilities seeking to reach their full potential

Since 1997, Bluebonnet Trails Community Services has grown, serving over 24,000 Central Texans in 32 counties. With the goal of expanding access to critical specialty healthcare, the fedral Substance abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has recognized the center as a certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic awarding our communites with a generous grant supporting integrated medical and mental healthcare and expansion of substance addiction treatment. We celebrate our extraordinary Team and work alongside our valued partners strengthening healthy and fullfilled live in our communities. www.bbtrails.org | https://twitter.com/BTCS_Health | www.facebook.com/BluebonnetTrailsCommunityServices GUADALUPE COUNTY LIVING ~ SEGUIN 43

Kay Lynn Hawkins

T

o live a more healthy lifestyle. I don’t want to say “lose weight” because I feel like no matter my weight, if I am healthy then that will come along. There are several reasons for wanting to do this. The first is, because I have a special needs child, I need to be in the best health that I can be in order to care for him properly.

That means a healthy mind and body.

The second is, I want to be able to do the things that I enjoy. I can’t do that if my mind is not clear and healthy and my body is not healthy.

I plan to do this by first focusing on my mind. I can’t get my body healthy if I am not in clear focus. My focus is God and my family. Daily prayer for health and strength is vital. Next, I will start on my eating. Due to my child’s uncontrolled epilepsy, he must be on a modified Atkin’s diet. We follow that plan at home but when I am away from home or at work, I don’t always stick to the plan. So I will be following this meal plan that, when I have stuck to it in the past, has given me more mind focus and energy.

And finally, I plan to add to my daily exercise routine. I normally go to the gym minimally twice per week, but I want to increase that to a minimum of three times per week and add in walking 5 times per week.

44 SEGUIN ~ GUADALUPE COUNTY LIVING

Sam Ehrlich

M

y New Year’s resolution is to put more color on things.

How I hope to achieve this? For as long as I can remember I have used a sketchbook to experiment with ideas and capture the environment around me.

Too many of these ideas remain on the pages and I need to get the guts to put those ideas into action. While most of the sketches are in black and white, they all involve adding color. I need to put more color on things.

I

Adrian Davila

want to be the best husband I can. I want to continue to grow and challenge myself professionally. I am now a rancher so I want to help sustain and embellish the beautiful piece of land that Sarah and I now operate to honor her dad’s legacy.

Last but not least continue to make great barbecue here in the beautiful town of Seguin,Texas

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A World Class Collection

By Felicia Frazar

“I’ve been to all the museums in Germany and England, I haven’t found anything larger.” ~ Kenneth Pape

O

ne of the world’s nutty collections is all it’s cracked up to be.

Pape’s Nutcracker Museum, once touted as the largest collection in the world, is filled with more than 8,000 items used to crack hard shells of all shapes and sizes from all across the globe.

All gathered by the owner Kenneth Pape.

“He’s been collecting most of his life,” James Dressner, Pape’s nephew, said. “He has done a lot of traveling and has collected a lot of them. He’s bought a lot of them online.

He’s been collecting for over 50 years. At one time it was the largest collection in the world. I don’t think it is anymore, but it is still huge.”

In the museum, located at 5440 State Highway 123 Bypass, walls lined with shelves are overflowing with nutcrackers.

“I had some friends and we got together and started

collecting,” Pape said in 2016. “We got really involved. We’d gone to Europe, Austria and Germany, all these places. I got most of (the decorative nutcrackers) in Germany, but the nutcrackers come from all over the world.”

Pape has traveled the world literally, searching for unique pieces. He has even checked out all of the museums, none of which come close to his collection, Pape said a few years back.

“I’ve been to all the museums in Germany and England,” he said. “I haven’t found anything larger.”

From the classic designs as pictured as part of a Christmas ballet to some intricately carved ones from the Black Forrest, to brass betel crackers and all of the tools that go along with it, Pape has it all, said Dressner, who manages the museum as well as Pape’s Pecan House.

“He’s got all kinds from Europe, Asia, Russia, all over the world. Of course, there are all of the cartoon characGuadalupe County living ~ Seguin 47

ters, the kids really like,” Dressner said.

“There is some retired equipment that he considers part of the collection.

Instead of being something you hold in your hand, it was a machine. Some of them are very, very old. He’s got a collection of tools to crack other kinds of nuts, especially in Asia, there is what’s called the betel.”

Some of the pieces on display were discovered quite literally in Pape’s backyard in the pecan bottom at Pape’s Pecan Valley Ranch, as well as in a local Paleo-Indian archeology site in which three tools were found, thought to be about 8,000 years old.

In 2008, an archeologist, who was digging in the property owned by Floyd and Jody McKee found the set a larger stone — a doublesided nutter stone — that was used as a multi-purpose stone; a smaller stone, the mono, which was used a grinding rock; and a nut-pick, which was used to retrieve the nuts out of the shells.

The couple initially donated the piece to the Seguin Heritage Museum, but it was later gifted to donate to Pape for display at the museum.

“I think I have the largest nutcracker collection in the world, now I am going to have one of the oldest,” Pape said at the time. “This is rare, I don’t think there is any others like this.”

While a majority of his collection comes from his travels near and far, some of it came from a friend, Dressner said.

“There was sort of a club of really big collectors and they were friends of his,” he said. “One of them died and left his collection to Kenneth. Because it came in boxes, Kenneth said it was like Christmas every day. He would 48 Seguin ~ Guadalupe County living

open a new box and find new things.

I think that was a pretty good sized collection that he got from his friend.”

The collection continues to grow as people occasionally bring Pape a new gift.

“Somebody gave him one just not too long ago when they did the Nut

Run at the American Legion here in town,” Dressner said. “One of them came up and brought a large nutcracker and gave it to us. They just really didn’t have any place to put it, so they donated it to the collection.”

Having watched the museum grow over the years, Dressner said he has a

hard time pinpointing one particular piece as his favorite.

“My favorite piece is the whole collection because it amazes me.

People stop by and take their picture of the big nut outside and then they are just amazed when they walk through,” he said. “It just keeps going.

You go from room to room and it just goes on and on and on. It is really hard to take in just a few minutes. It is hard to believe that one person can dedicate themselves to this. It takes a lot of time to collect the amount of stuff that he has. I’m amazed that other people are amazed. I think this is a big asset to the community. It is a big asset to the business.”

Additionally, Dressner enjoys watching Pape as he looks over his collection.

“It is fun to watch him come and go ‘wow,” he said.

The museum is highlighted during the city’s annual Pecan Fest celebration, which brought in a visitor who was able to reminisce about a time long ago, Dressner said.

“There was a guy here during Pecan Fest looking through the crackers and come to find out in 1965 in Tyler in metal shop, they made nutcrackers,” he said. “The shop class did it for several years.

Lo and behold, there is one on Kenneth’s shelf, and this guy was tickled to death to find that nutcracker that he made in high school in 1965.”

Visitors of the museum are invited to take pictures of the nutcrackers that range in shape and size — as small as a salt and pepper shaker to as large as a person — but they are asked not to touch.

Guests can also purchase pecans of all species and sizes, shelled or unshelled, halves or pieces.

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830-401-7238

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Guadalupe County living ~ Seguin 49

“In our exotics, we’ve got monkeys, lemurs, kinkajous and a lot of South American rainforest animals. We have a lot of zoo-type animals.” ~ Ashley Duncan

Exotic Menagerie

By Valerie Bustamante

J

ust 12 minutes from downtown Kingsbury sits an 88-acre menagerie of animals, but not the typical cattle and horses people are used and seeing in Guadalupe County.

From lemurs, kinkajous and chinchillas to hedgehogs — Janda Exotics Animal Ranch has it all. The ranch is the creation of Ashley and Jason Duncan.

“It is a breeding facility, private zoo, working farm — I mean it’s a lot of different things,” Ashley said.

The Duncans first opened the ranch in 2008 in San Marcos on about five acres of land with smaller animals such as sugar gliders and coatimundis.

For Ashley, opening up the facility was a no-brainer after having spent her own childhood helping her parents raise exotics.

“They didn’t do it on this scale like they didn’t have ostriches or a big thing like that, but my family would raise exotic birds, bunnies, sugar gliders,” she said.

The couple named the business after their initials “J and A” While the Duncans chose to open Janda Exotics in the San Marcos area, Ashley said when the city started growing they felt it was time to move the business to Kingsbury about three years ago.

“It was the acreage that drew us out here. This was a deer breeding facility so 12 acres were already fenced and it already met the requirement of our licensing,” Ashley said. “We were able to move out here super quick. It was definitely an easy

choice and we’re closer to our family. We’re an hour away from San Antonio and we like being out in the middle of nowhere.”

Since moving out to Kingsbury, the ranch was able to expand to larger farm animals such as cows and horses.

The Janda Animals The facility now houses 25 different species of animals including kangaroos, bush babies, prairie dogs, miniature Zebu cattle and a miniature horse name Fletcher.

“We’ve got different species of goats and cattle. We have mini cattle that get like the size of really fat Great Danes,” Ashley said. “We have pigs and every farm animal you can probably think of. In our exotics, we’ve got monkeys, lemurs, kinkajous and a lot of South American rainforest animals. We have a lot of zoo-type animals.”

Depending on the needs of the farm is when they decide whether or not to bring in a new animal, Ashley said.

“We do normally specialize on what we have on the property.

Sometimes we get another species like right now we’re looking for a protection donkey,” she said. “It just depends on what the farm needs or if we have room, but we try to keep the best animals that work for the farm.”

Additionally, the Duncans try to make sure all of the animals are human-friendly.

“It’s much easier to work with them that way. It’s also safer and easier for the human and animal,” Ashley said.

While most of the animals go to similar facilities like Guadalupe County living ~ Seguin 51

Janda’s zoos and other educational programs, they also find themselves in private homes with families and individuals locally and around the United States.

“Some animals like our hedgehogs are much easier to keep than some of our other animals.” Ashley said “A lot of our species we have certain guidelines because some of our species we don’t sell to the public.

They can only go to other families that are licensed like us or other zoos.”

Additionally they explain everything about the animal “from the good, the bad and ugly” to prospective owners, Ashley said.

“We want to make sure you know the worst part about it. So when someone calls and wants to get a hedgehog and want unrealistic expectations we want to make sure they know what they’re at least getting into,” she said. “ I trust people to make the right decisions and do their research, but we always make sure they know what can happen.”

This is important when it comes to specific animals, Ashley said.

“The more care the animal requires the more we do that. Especially with our marmoset monkeys or our lemurs that have really specialized care,” she said. “We go over whether they have kids because they don’t do well with kids. We go over all the bad things because there’s a lot more bad things than good things for some of the animals.”

Jason added that they sometimes recommend other animals instead.

“Sometimes somebody may call wanting a specific animal and they’ll kind of tell us what they’re expecting and we’ll even tell them that something else might be a better animal for you because of X, Y, and Z,” he said.

Additionally, every buyer goes home with guidelines and tips on how to care for the animal.

“We provide care guides with them for all of the species. It kind of goes

over the general care and all the questions they have.” Jason said. “Even after that, we’re available for text, phone calls and emails for people who have questions or concerns.”

With whoever the animals find their new homes with, Ashley said it is difficult to see them leave the ranch.

“It is really hard especially when you bottle feed them from a couple weeks old when the mom isn’t taking care of them and you have to step in,” she said. “It takes a lot to let them go, but we can’t keep all of them. It makes me really happy though. People will come in to pick up their animals and sometimes I cry.”

The Janda Experience For those who can’t take home their own chinchilla, Janda Exotics opens its doors to the public through events — most recently their Fall Festival — and for private tours.

“You can come out and book some time privately. You can bring your friends and family. We walk you around and show you all of our animals and you get a lot of hands-on experience,” Ashley said.

“Everyone always has amazing things to say about all of our animals.”

It wasn’t until this past April the Duncans opened up the farm to the public for tours, Jason said.

There also is a Cuddle Cabin where visitors can curl up with a baby animal.

“You go into a little room and we just let baby animals play all over you,” Ashley said. “Baby monkeys, baby lemurs, baby kangaroos — whatever we have available.”

Ashley said she loves seeing everyone’s reactions when they visit the farm.

“It’s amazing to see people call animals what they think they are. Like our ostriches everybody calls them emus,” she said. “Everybody is like ‘Oh my Gosh’ and they don’t care what it is they think it’s something and it’s awesome.

It’s weird for me to see what I think is normal to me isn’t to everyone else. I like seeing people just be in amazement and wanting to touch something like a kangaroo. It’s something you won’t be able to go anywhere.”

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Take a self guided tour through HERITAGE VILLAGE, which will be decorated with traditional Christmas Lights, trees & garland. The pre-1900’s and early 1900’s examples of farm and ranch living will be manned with docents, who will help you enjoy Christmas with historical information about their buildings.

Friday & Saturday SIGN UP to Tour Krueger Snow Village in Geronimo — Board the Van at 5:30; 6:30; 7:30 Entertainment in the Main Hall 5:00 PM-8:00 PM Chuckwagon Stew in Main Hall Live Animals in the Barn Forging Display in ‘ye olde’ Blacksmith Shop Watch them make sausage in the Smoke House Seguin Fiber Guild demonstrating spinning, weaving, knitting, crocheting in the AG Wing Hayrides & Kiddie Train Open Fire Marshmallow Roast Artisans Fair in Main Hall Coffee and Cookies in the Pecan Museum

ZION CHURCH-CHOIRS

FRI: 5:15 CSI COWBOY CHURCH 6:15 FAITH LUTHERAN 7:15 EMMANUEL LUTHERAN SAT: 5:30 NEW BRAUNFELS GEMISCHTER CHOIR HARMONIE 6:15 CROSS CHURCH 7:00 COUNTRY CHRISTMAS BLUE GRASS STYLE BY MCQUEENY BAPTIST

While visiting the Village—Country Store, One Room School houses, Log Cabin, Old Fillin’ Station, early 1900’s Farm Houses, and more – enjoy the voices of the Strolling Carolers, & fill up on Wintertime Treats— Dutch Oven Cobbler; Kettle Korn; Hot Chocolate

Texas Agricultural Education & Heritage Center 390 Cordova Road, Seguin, TX 78155 www.texagedu.org · 830-379-0933

We are a non-profit organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the IRS Code.

Guadalupe County living ~ Seguin 53

54 SEGUIN ~ GUADALUPE COUNTY LIVING

Heath Anders

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56 SEGUIN ~ GUADALUPE COUNTY LIVING

WANT TO SEE YOUR PICTURES ON THIS PAGE? Send theM to uS at SeguinMagazine@Seguingazette.coM

GUADALUPE COUNTY LIVING ~ SEGUIN 57

Snowman Scene ornament from the Shop $18.50 - i love all things christmas and am an avid collector of ornaments. the simplicity and old time feeling of this one spoke to my heart. it will be a great addition to my ornament collection!

favorite finds

this issue’s favorite finds are presented by Brooke kucherka peppermint Mocha, Snickerdoodle, and pumpkin Spice coffees from Seguin coffee co. SM $3.75 / Md $4.25 / lg $4.75 - do i really have to explain why coffee is a favorite?? :) the fact that they are holiday flavors just sweetens the deal.

Mommy’s tired tumbler from kinsley grace $24.95 - as a mommy, this tumbler speaks volumes during the holiday season! perfect for a cup (or glass) of my favorite beverage after a long day!

Southern good christmas tree truck $44.99 - this truck brings back some of my favorite memories. when i was a little girl, my family and i would pile into daddy’s truck and head to the tree farm on airport road to cut down our christmas tree for the season. it’s a memory that will never leave my heart.

Southern good Seguin tee $29.99 - i am a born and raised Seguin-ite and quite proud of that. out little home town festivities make all of us part of a very unique culture. this tee reminds me of why Seguin is such an amazing place to grow up.

love Scent candles from keepers interiors $10-$29 - these candles set off an amazing aroma to relax in a hot bath with!

Southern good Sequin top $34.99 & necklace $16.99 this is a beautiful combination for our holiday christmas party coming up! a little bit of sparkle has always been a favorite of mine.

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Guadalupe County living ~ Seguin 59