ROOTS

My Texas roots run deep. I was born in the same hospital as my mother, grandmother and my kids. Being a native Texan, born and raised right here in Fort Worth, I have seen my fair share of Texas weather. However, the wind storm that hit our area of North Texas earlier this month was one for the books in my opinion. We had 80 mph wind gusts that literally shredded shingles and ripped gutters right off my house—twisting them in the air like small twigs. The sheer power behind that wind, and the helplessness I felt about the damage being done, was very humbling. As I await a new roof and storm repairs, I pray that was the worst storm of this Spring season.

The local couple featured on our 17th Annual Spring Home issue knows a thing or two about weathering the storms and helping their neighbors restore our community one roof at a time. Marcos and Rachel Garza are owners of 3:16 Roofing and Construction in Keller and they are passionate about helping their neighbors like me when Mother Nature hits hard (read their story starting on page 24). I have anxiously anticipated the arrival of Spring ever since October of last year. The reasoning behind that is I had new sod installed in my home’s backyard late last year while it was still a very warm fall. Not too long afterwards, we had a freeze—soon followed by an ice storm. My apprehension over whether my investment was a wise one or not teeters on if the roots are established and if that grass turns green—or stays brown.

As Spring brings warmer weather, we head outdoors to enjoy the thaw. Many locals are looking forward to the return of their favorite festivals in the coming months, so get out there and enjoy. We’ve got details about what’s coming soon in TidBits (starting on page 14) and DateBook (page 64). You can also check our social media (SocietyLifeMag) for daily posts on local events, people and businesses. This season of hope and new beginnings encourages us to tackle those to-dos around the house—especially outdoors. Creating an outdoor oasis that’s in sync with nature is at the core of what James Landscaping does. We shine a spotlight on this local business in their article on page 34. They specialize in turning your yard’s problems into pretty and our editorial team also curated some dos and don’ts to transform your outdoors (page 28).

Not sure if it’s the fact that Saint Patrick’s Day is this week, that I’m grateful my family is okay after the storm, that my grass is growing, or I have Spring Fever—but I’m seeing green... either way I’m feeling lucky!

elena@societylifemagazine.com