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Welcome Home WINTER TEXAN • • • October 27, 2021
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We’re just connecting the dots.
VOLUME 7 • ISSUE 3 • October 27, 2021 • • • your official connection to the rio grande valley • • •
hello FROM KRISTI
In 2018, we had the opportunity to go to Mexico City with a group of activity and tour directors from resorts across the Rio Grande Valley. It was a trip of a lifetime for all of us, and it marked another item off my bucket list. We planned the trip for late October, not realizing we would arrive just in time for Dia de los Muertos. Being a native “Valley girl,” I had grown up with the traditions and celebrations of honoring the departed, but I have to admit, it wasn’t until I had the opportunity to experience it in Mexico City that I fully understood it. Part of it also comes with age and with loss. We all have people in our lives we’ve lost along this journey, and I hope you will honor them during Dia de los Muertos and always, in your thoughts and memories! And if you ever want to go to Mexico City for the full experience, we’d love to help you plan that trip. We might even want to join you! •
We’re just connecting the dots,
Kristi
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What is Dia de los Muertos? Story by Eryn Reddell Wingert Photos courtesy of the Museum of South Texas History
D
ia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, might sound morose, but it’s quite the opposite. Dia de los Muertos is a light-hearted celebration honoring those who have passed. This simple description is steeped in thousands of years of history, Catholic worship, and overlaying traditions contributed by
multiple cultures, and it continues to evolve. Rene A. Ballesteros, community engagement officer for the Museum of South Texas History in Edinburg, shares insights into the holiday’s historic origins and growth. “Today’s celebration is one of syncretism of Catholic and pre-colonial traditions, DIA DE LOS MUERTOS CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 >>
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October 27, 2021 • • • Welcome
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Home WINTER TEXAN • • • www.welcomehomergv.com
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Dave and Ruthann Tabler
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Michigan Couple Making Lasting Impact in Harlingen Park Motivating residents to partake in community outreach
and Ruthann Tabler have always felt called to serve and have done so over the years through teaching, volunteer work, and ministry, with Dave two years into retirement from serving as the pastor of Harlingen’s Paradise Park RV Resort. After spending 13 years providing weekly sermons, renewing vows, and making home and hospital visits to pray for those in need, he is one of the park’s longest-serving pastors. “We were involved with Christian Resort Ministries, and another pastor sent an email they were praying for a preacher for ‘Park Place,’” Dave explained. “So the leading layman called me and asked me to send some of my sermons. They got back to me and said, ‘Yes, come on, but you’ve got to be there in two weeks.’” “We called our children and grandchildren and said, ‘Let’s have Thanksgiving Saturday,’ so we did,” Ruthann said. “They all came; then we left on Sunday.” While Dave said he was at first intimidated, he quickly settled into the role and found success. “I never wrote my sermons down; sometimes I’d write an outline. I knew what I was going to say, so I said it,” he said. “They only told me I was supposed to stand up there on a platform. Instead, I walked
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around among the people. But when more people came, I said, ‘Maybe I ought to be up there.’ They spread all over.” In his second year as Park pastor, Dave helped establish a memorial for the Park’s late residents and led the service every January. “We had a lot of people coming in,” he said. “I would say something briefly about the individual and a very short sermon--not heavy, just uplifting, because we had all faiths coming out.” Though now fully retired, the Tablers continue to come down each winter from their home in Michigan and remain active in the RGV community and their park. Every Monday, Ruth makes soup for her neighbors, feeding up to 150 people. And each year, she and her husband get their neighbors to help adopt local families for Christmas. “We have done many families over the years and we just overwhelm them,” Ruthann said. “I always wear pants with pockets and say the right-hand pocket is mine, but the lefthand pocket is for the Christmas gifts. It always fills up. Anytime it seems like I’m going to run out of money, somebody would come up and give me another $20, $50. The Park provides it. I just use the pockets.” •
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Fall Migration Story and photos by Eryn Reddell Wingert
T
he fall season in South Texas is an especially exciting time of year as we await not only the arrival of Winter Texans but also the arrival of migratory birds and butterflies. At the South Padre Island Birding, Nature Center & Alligator Sanctuary, Naturalist Educator Javier Gonzalez says the fall migration period is the most beautiful time of year. It begins in August and lasts into December, unlike the spring migration, which is over relatively quickly. Gonzalez shares how, in the spring, birds are in a hurry to “claim the best spot” up north, but in the fall, there’s no rush. “They start coming down as the cold fronts start pushing them south; it’s more prolonged,” he says. A lot of factors are at play when it comes to fall migration, according to Gonzalez, which adds to the excitement of the season. “You never know what’s going to come in. There’s storms out there in the Gulf, and the winds are shifting like crazy.” Gonzalez isn’t kidding about the surprises weather can bring. After Hurricane Nicholas skirted the Texas Gulf Coast in September of this year, an American flamingo was spotted in the waters off South Padre Island. More recently, the flamingo was seen taking advantage of the vast wetlands of the Laguna Atascosa Wildlife Refuge. While the flamingo is quite unusual, the Rio Grande Valley sees more than its share of incredible and rare birds. The Rio Grande Valley sits in the Central and Mississippi flyway, but as Gonzales says, “Since we are so centrally located, we can get birds from the west coast or the east coast. Right here where we are, there’s always like this element of
An exciting time at SPI Birding, Nature Center & Alligator Sanctuary
surprise.” “The fall has great potential,” Gonzalez continues. Regular passers-by include the magnolia, yellow, and Wilson’s warblers, osprey, peregrine falcons, and sea birds. Rarities, Gonzalez reports, include the variegated flycatcher, which made headlines in 2016. “It hung around in our front gardens for five days, attracting birders from all over the state,” he says. And more recently, the black-throated blue warbler made an appearance, enjoying berries off native fiddlewood shrubs in front of the Birding Center. The weather isn’t the only thing that brings in migratory birds--so do natural disasters. Last year, western hummingbirds from the west coast visited the region, escaping wildfires, according to Gonzalez. To take part in the excitement of fall migration, the SPI Birding, Nature Center & Alligator Sanctuary offers tours for groups up to 10. (Tour registration is available at spibirding.com.) Yes, that’s right. It’s also an alligator sanctuary. As a popular destination for migratory birds, one might wonder how birds co-exist with alligators (i.e., keep from being eaten). Gonzalez readily explains how the two actually live quite harmoniously. “It’s so interesting. We see some really cool relationships between the birds and the gators. It’s amazing.” Not missing the opportunity to educate and dispel myths about alligators, Gonzalez goes on to share how they are one of the few animals that actually create habitats by digging larger and larger holes with the intent of nestling in to regulate
FALL MIGRATION CONTINUED ON PAGE 19 >>
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Home WINTER TEXAN • • • www.welcomehomergv.com >> DIA DE LOS MUERTOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 specific to Mesoamerica (historical region of Southern Mexico and Central America), Aztec, and Mexica culture.” Ballesteros says, generally, in Mesoamerica tradition, the afterlife was seen as something good, as a continuation of life. “It was a belief the spirits would return and visit their loved ones.” Contrarily, the concept of death for Catholic Europe leaned more toward the negative when it came to death. Dia de los Muertos is commemorated November 1 and 2. These two dates are also known in the Catholic Church as All Saints Day and All Souls Day, respectively. And while Celtic and Roman influences also helped shape Dia de los Muertos--the ultimate blending with Catholicism--Ballesteros says it is a really “interesting mix.” Skeletons and skulls were not originally associated with the holiday until the 20th century. Ballesteros tells how, in the early 1900s, a Mexico City printmaker named Jose Guadalupe Posada began to use skeletons in his political etchings around the time of the Mexican Revolution. He paired his etchings with calaveritas, little poems. Posada’s most notable work was the image of a skeleton wearing a large, fancy hat, indicative of the influence of French high fashion. Ballesteros explains how the skeletons and poems poked fun at the living. “He was really saying that, in the end, in death, we are all equal.” While Posada died in obscurity, his skeleton donning the flouncy hat lived on, if you will. In the 1940s, she was further portrayed by artist Diego Rivera in his epic mural, Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in
Alameda Central Park. The mural, according to diegoerivera.org, represents “three principal eras of Mexican history.” Rivera placed La Catrina, as she is now known, front and center among historic Mexican figures. The addition of La Catrina to the landscape of Dia de los Muertos is just one example of how the holiday has evolved. In more recent years, it has also become more mainstream. Ballesteros shares how, traditionally, Dia de los Muertos was acknowledged privately by families creating home altars dedicated to deceased loved ones, cleaning gravesides while visiting with ancestors, and attending church services. “It’s moved from a more private, religious, family affair to something secular, through museums, libraries, and classrooms,” says Ballesteros. He goes on to explain how, for nearly 20 years, the Museum of South Texas History has commemorated Dia de los Muertos with an annual event, one of the first of its kind in the area. “It wasn’t as out in the open as it is now,” he says. “It’s a chance to educate the public. It’s not pagan; it’s rooted in worship and honoring the dead.” Altars commemorate a life lived. Families display offerings, or ofrendas, of personal interest to the deceased, such as their favorite food, photographs, trinkets, and memorabilia, Bright orange marigolds are thought to attach a spirit with its scent and color, Ballesteros says, “guiding the spirit back to visit for the day.” And, since the journey is long, water and salt are included on the altar, as well. •
Dia de los Muertos: Recuerdos y Ofrendas celebration at the Museum of South Texas History will take place this year October 30, 4:00 - 10:00 p.m. with paid admission. The event will include performances, food, vendors, and a Community Altar Exhibit. Eleven altars will be on display Saturday, October 23, through Sunday, November 7. The altar exhibit is free the weekends before and after the October 30 event. For more information, visit mosthistory.org.
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Have You Heard about Knitted Knockers? Special to Welcome Home RGV
T
he Lamb’s Loom is privileged gather to sort, stuff, and prepare to now be a designated collection these to go out to a local clinic. point for Knitted Knockers! We are Once there, women are aided by so blessed to be a part of this work. their medical team to be fit for just Last year brought many changes the right Knocker. and challenges, but it also brought As a recognized collection point time. One of the things we were for Knockers, please help us to able to work on and add to the many spread the word if anyone would like ministries we serve is the Knitted to join in this. We already have two Knocker Organization. For those who more local clinics that would like to receive Knockers. Let’s do haven’t heard about Knitted this! (And crochet!) Knockers, this We love hearing from y’all, is a wonderful organization and there are lots of ways dedicated to supplying to stay in touch. You can breast prosthetics to join us on our website at women who have undergone thelambsloom.com and mastectomies. follow us on Facebook and Knitted and crocheted “Knockers” are made by using an Instagram. And of course, you can approved yarn--for comfort and fit read lots of fun articles from us purposes--and then stuffed with right here in Welcome Home Winter Poly-fil®. These provide an option to Texan! the heavy and very hot prosthetics T he Lamb’s Loom is located at they may currently be using. A 1102 Tamarack in McAllen. We are Knitted Knocker is lighter weight open Wednesday through Saturday, Additional and made with breathable fibers so 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. heat rash and other complications parking is available in the rear via Upas Avenue. can be lessened. We have a special basket in our Be a PEG! Pray. Encourage. Give. donation area just for Knockers! Remember. The Lamb’s Loom is not Every month or so, we have a just a yarn shop; it’s a ministry and “stuffing party,” and several friends a mindset. • #stitchitforward • #LambsLoomFun
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Welcome Home WINTER TEXAN • • • October 27, 2021
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Speer Memorial Library to Host Discussion of Girl with a Pearl Earring by William Renner, reference librarian
Ready for the 25th Annual Texas Butterfly Festival October 30 Special to Welcome Home RGV
T
he 25th Annual Texas Butterfly Festival, in the place USA Today declares “the butterfly capitol of the USA,” returns this Saturday, October 30, from 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. at the National Butterfly Center in Mission. Everyone, regardless of age or familiarity with the outdoors, is invited to join in this seasonal celebration of the Rio Grande Valley’s exceptional bounty of butterflies. The festival kicks off with a free open-house event known as Community Day, featuring guided tours, fun, and games in one of the best botanical gardens in Texas, according to Texas Monthly. Community Day also features the fall plant sale, so everyone may create their own butterfly habitat at home. Whether you are a butterfly novice or budding enthusiast, this is the place to be during the peak of butterfly season in the Rio Grande Valley. Recognized as North America’s premier place to observe an unparalleled volume and variety of butterfly species, the National Butterfly Center is a natural treasure for all to enjoy. During Community Day, the Center aims to enhance everyone’s appreciation for the wild, free-flying beauties that make our world both wonderful and sustainable. “We are delighted to resume regular festivities in a COVID-conscious fashion,” said Marianna Trevino Wright, executive director of the National Butterfly Center. “Although many have been cooped up indoors, the outdoors has remained a safe refuge for exercise, exploration, and recreation, including hiking, gardening, camping, birding, and nature photography. These are just a few of the outdoor opportunities we offer and look forward to sharing
with South Texans in the coming weeks and months!” Butterfliers from across the country and beyond will gather at the Center Saturday evening for a Welcome Reception and Orientation, prior to embarking on three days of expertguided field trips to secret gardens and public parks, renowned places and hard-to-find hot spots, from Falcon Dam to South Padre Island. While many field trips have already sold out, limited space remains for educational sessions and excursions designed specifically for naturalists of every experience level. Fresh, fantastic and peculiar to this region, the festival’s food is just as fabulous as the butterflies! This year, we’re happy to showcase the contemporary cuisine of Sabor a Mar, the latest venture by Chef Vladimir Cruz, formerly of Il Forno a Legna. Festival registrants will be treated to modern twists on traditional tastes from both sides of the border Saturday, Sunday, and Monday at the Keynote Speaker’s Banquet. Tom Stock, a former mine-safety attorney, is this year’s keynote speaker. Not long ago, Tom and a friend decided to undertake a butterfly “big year” challenge they crafted on their own. For this endeavor, they identified 100 species they reasonably expected they could see in Maryland in one year and dubbed it the MD 100. Thus began the statewide butterfly marathon they sought to complete, all while remaining gainfully employed and not forsaking their familial relationships. Together, they hatched a plan they hoped would help them achieve their goal…and it worked! 25TH ANNUAL TEXAS BUTTERFLY FESTIVAL CONTINUED ON PAGE 19 >>
S
peer Memorial Library in Mission invites you to join us Tuesday, November 16, for a discussion of Girl with a Pearl Earring in the Library’s Community Room and online via Zoom at 5:30 p.m. in Spanish and 6:30 p.m. in English. We will send a link to those who wish to attend via Zoom. For 2021, we are providing an added incentive to participate in our Morton’s Book Club. Speer Memorial Library was the recipient of the Texas Reads Grant and will make free copies available, while supplies last, to people who sign up for our book discussions. This project is made possible by a grant from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services and Texas State Library and Archives Commission (grant number TXR-21008) (2021). The story begins in 1664 in Delft, a town in the Netherlands, where 16-year-old Griet must leave home so she can work to help support her family. Griet’s father, a tile painter by trade, has been blinded in a workplace accident and can no longer work. So, through the artists’ guild, employment is found for Griet as a maid in the home of a local artist, a painter named Johannes Vermeer. As Griet becomes more settled in her role--cleaning, cooking, washing, ironing, and caring for the children-she also grows increasingly fascinated with her master’s paintings. He notices her appreciation for art, and soon she is helping him, running errands and mixing paints. But as
their relationship grows closer, it begins to arouse suspicion within the household, especially with his wife. Written by Tracy Chevalier and first published in 1999, Girl with a Pearl Earring is a historical novel inspired by the famous painting of the same name by the renowned 17th century Dutch artist, Johannes Vermeer. Letting her imagination fill the void left by the scarcity of evidence about Vermeer’s life, the author attempts to answer the question, who was the girl with the pearl earring? For more information, or to sign up for the book discussion, please call our Reference Desk at 580-8754, or send an email to reference@missiontexas.us (please include your name and telephone number). This title is also available in English as an e-book and e-audiobook and in Spanish as an e-book at https:// ebook.yourcloudlibrary.com/library/ HidalgoCountyLS. Speer Memorial Library is located at 12th and Kika De La Garza in Mission. The library is open (except for holidays) Monday through Thursday from 8:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., and Sunday from 12:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. The Library’s homepage can be accessed for information via the Internet by entering www.mission.lib.tx.us. Stay up to date with the latest events going on at our neighborhood library by joining our FACEBOOK page at facebook.com/speermemoriallibrary. •
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October 27, 2021 • • • Welcome
Home WINTER TEXAN • • • www.welcomehomergv.com
Ghosts and Goblins Out at Pharr South Special to Welcome Home RGV
F
or years, Ruth and Fred Culver have been decorating for Halloween and hosting a driveway party to celebrate the event. This year, they really hit it out of the park with decorations. A big party is being planned for Park residents and is moving indoors to accommodate the crowd. •
Let’s Go
with Chaplain Robert N. Ruesch
Old Brownsville Cemetery Where the past won’t stay buried
by Gretchen Losi
D
eep in the heart of old Brownsville lies a gem for the ages. The old city cemetery holds secrets of the past and stories that refuse to stay buried. You will find so much amazing history packed into this beautifully kept cemetery. Stories ranging from lost children that still haunt the streets of Brownsville to murdered millionaires and land barons. Whether you want to be frightened or inspired, there’s bound to be a story here you won’t forget. “It’s a playground for the dead as much as it is a warning to the living,” said local historian Eugene Fernandez. Fernandez can trace his own roots to the cemetery, where his ancestor, Jose Fernandez, made his fortune in arms and supplies for the Mexican and Civil War trade. From a historical perspective, the old cemetery is a dream come true, with old family names stemming from the early 1800s, including McAllen, Champion, Fernandez, Balli, and Jagou. Many of the more prominent headstones feature wellillustrated placards providing guests with highlights of those buried. Many, like Delia Kimball’s, hold stories of families being wiped out from yellow fever and cholera. Others detail the great accomplishments of the Rio Grande Valley’s founding families. One such is Francisco Yturria, a one-time clerk for Charles Stillman. He also worked for Mifflin Kenedy and Richard King before amassing his own great wealth during the Civil War as a leader in the cotton trade with Matamoros. Before his death, he opened the first bank in Brownsville
and owned some 130,000 acres in South Texas. Not too far from him you’ll find the godfather of South Texas agriculture Celestine Jaqou, whose plantation in Southmost still holds the mighty Montezuma cypress, the only place in the world you’ll find these majestic trees north of Mexico. The cemetery is filled with stories like this, but one in particular has been haunting the families in the area for over 100 years--little Daisy Starck. Daisy is in the history books as the first recorded pedestrian to have been killed by a horse carriage. Legend has it she ran into the street to collect her ball when she was run down. Today if there is a ball that rolls into the street in this area, the families are quick to bring it to Daisy’s gravesite to “return it” so she won’t come haunting. It remains a cautionary tale, with hundreds of small toys and balls left at the foot of her tombstone to honor her. The cemetery is also unique in that it holds several above-ground tombs, much like those found in New Orleans. After several hard storms, the city has had to retrieve floating coffins from the cemetery that found their way down resacas and into back yards miles away. There are tours given throughout the year, and during Halloween, the city tries to incorporate midnight tours for those not faint of heart. • Directions:
There are entrances on E. Madison Street and E. 5th Street For more information or to organize a tour, contact Historic Brownsville Museum at 956-548-1313 or email info@brownsvillehistory.org
• The Letter Box •
When Barb and I were traveling
this past month, we went into an antique shop. I am sort of a fan of antiques, until I see something in the store that was in my parents’ house or, worse yet, in our home or, the worst of worse, Barb and I still have the item and ARE USING THOSE THINGS! In this antique emporium located in New Mexico in a town far, far away from many things, including a cell signal, there was a letter box. You know the kind; it opens on top with a slant surface to write upon. Inside, the owner had a place for pens (quill, of course) ink, paper, and envelopes, with a compartment for stamps. The top is painted with an ornate pinstripe design, and the surface of the wood showed a century or more of wear, especially where one would scribe a letter. What really “got me” about this box was my overactive imagination. Looking at the box and opening all the compartments, I could easily imagine a betrothed southern lady penning letters to her beau, who was fighting in the Civil War. Perhaps the box traveled from the north, and the woman wrote to her husband, father, or brother about things happening back home. Anyway, here is this letter box, without words to tell the story of its past, and that got me thinking. Are we not like the box, the letters, the pen and ink that complement the structure? Don’t we have stories to reveal of our lives, lived with and without Christ? Each of us has been built by a Maker, crafted, molded, sized, and created for a purpose. Each of us has the inventory (pens, ink, paper, stamps) to reveal the word and works of Christ in this world. Each of us has a choice to follow or not follow the letters (mail or not mail) we can pen from our box of
Robert N. Ruesch is a journalist, author, and chairman of the board of Christian Resort Ministries, which places chaplains in RV resorts in Texas and several other states. If you are interested in a chaplaincy position, go to the website at www.crmintl.org for more information.
letters. If YOU were to write a letter to our Lord, what would you say, and if that message needed to reveal just who you are and what you believed, what would the words be if you could only use six to eight words? One other thing in the design of the box--it could be locked. Locked so nothing exited or was placed within the confines of the structure. I would hope and pray none of us are locked up, but if we are…remember, Jesus has the key; ask Him to unlock the door. Lord, thank you for the memories of others we know and don’t know. Thank you for writing your words down so we may continue to remember, learn, and direct our lives toward you. May we be as astute in leaving a legacy as you were. May we serve you all of our lives through action and example. •
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Presented by Dr. Servando Z. Hinojosa
Special to Welcome Home RGV
For
Winter Texans who need to completing her cardiology fellowship see a physician for heart-related at the University of Texas at Houston. problems, a new She also completed cardiologist with three an internal medicine board certifications residency at UTis available to see Houston. patients in Weslaco Dr. Stone graduated and Harlingen. Dr. from medical school Danielle Stone is from the Universidad board certified in Autónoma de echocardiography, Guadalajara, where nuclear medicine, she served as the and internal student body class medicine. She is president. She then also board eligible went on to complete in cardiovascular a pre-internship year disease and cardiac at New York Medical CT. College, where she Danielle Stone, a new cardiologist in Dr. Stone has Dr. the Valley with three board certifications, served as chief prespecialized imaging is available to treat patients with heart- intern. training in cardiac related conditions at the South Heart She earned a CT angiography. Clinic in Weslaco and Harlingen. Bachelor of Science She is also trained in nuclear in Biology from Benedictine College cardiology, pacemaker implantation, in Atchison, Kansas, as well as an echocardiography, vascular Associate in Science from Cottey imaging, cardio-oncology, College in Nevada, Missouri. pulmonary hypertension, coronary Dr. Stone’s office in Weslaco is and peripheral angiography, located at 902 S. Airport, Suite. 5. congestive heart failure, cardiac Her Harlingen office is at 2310 N transplantation, varicose vein Ed Carey Drive, Suite 1A. For more therapy, preventative cardiology, information, please call the South and cardiac disease in women. In Heart Clinic at 956-968-6430 in addition, Dr. Stone is a fellow of Weslaco or at 956-428-5522 in the American College of Cardiology, Harlingen. •
Welcome Home WINTER TEXAN • • • October 27, 2021
Thursday Night Live: The Life of Bones in Mexico
New Cardiologist Seeing Patients in Weslaco and Harlingen
•••
Special to Welcome Home RGV
Q
uinta Mazatlán World Birding Center is honored to host Dr. Servando Z. Hinojosa, professor of anthropology at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Thursday, October 28, from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. for a Diade-Los-Muertosi n s p i r e d presentation, The Life of Bones in Mexico, for the Thursday Night Live series at Quinta Mazatlán. Servando Z. Hinojosa’s research centers on the cultures and experiences of Mesoamerican peoples. Mesoamerica is a region located in modernday Mexico and northern Central America that was home to numerous groups speaking dozens of languages prior to the Spanish conquest in the 16th century. The civilizations that comprised Mesoamerica pioneered the growth of large urban areas, featuring monumental architecture and complex political institutions, all set within vast trading networks.
They also produced the first written language in the Americas. Hinojosa’s main area of interest in present-day Mesoamerica has been the lived experience of spiritual life and healing among highland Maya people of Guatemala. He has observed firsthand how Kaqchikel Maya midwives, soulhealers, and ritual dancers formulate their outlooks and activities and how Kaqchikel and Tz’utujiil Maya bonesetters perform their work. In this presentation, Hinojosa will address how human bones have long encased ideas of ancestry, immortality, imperial power, and resilience in Mesoamerica. These body parts have been depicted in many ways and have often anchored narratives about life and death in the region. Bones provide the scaffolding that builds us, but they are also THE LIFE OF BONES IN MEXICO CONTINUED ON PAGE 10 >>
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October 27, 2021 • • • Welcome
Home WINTER TEXAN • • • www.welcomehomergv.com
HalloWings Monarch Migration Celebration October 30 on SPI Special to Welcome Home RGV
S
outh Padre Island is home to many types of wildlife you can see almost year-round, but during the fall is when you can get a glimpse at one of our most beautiful visitors. The kaleidoscopes of migrating Monarch butterflies pass through South Padre Island as they make their way to central Mexico for the winter. On South Padre Island, we have several nectar plants scattered throughout the island, but the biggest gathering occurs at the South Padre Island Birding, Nature Center & Alligator Sanctuary, where the gardens will be in full bloom, ready for the Monarch butterflies’ arrival. This year, they will be hosting their SPI Monarch Migration Festival Saturday, October 30, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. for families to come and spend a day learning about the wonders of the Monarch migration pattern through butterflygardening presentations and tours. There will be live music, games, and
>> THE LIFE OF BONES IN MEXICO CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9
implicated in how Mesoamericans preserve, create, and illustrate a larger world of ideas, connecting people with each other and with their ancestors. Come celebrate these emblems of life as we honor Day of the Dead and explore the deeper meaning of human bones. Tickets are $3 per person. Prepurchased tickets are recommended and can be purchased through quintamazatlan.ticketleap.com. Follow current COVID-19 safety guidelines while in park. For more information, contact Quinta Mazatlán at 956-681-3370 and follow Quinta Mazatlán on social media. •
2021 Shrimp Cookoff & Seafood Festival November 6 on site ~ November 7 - 12 at participating restaurants Special to Welcome Home RGV
a costume party at different times throughout the day. The Birding, Nature Center & Alligator Sanctuary is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide educational opportunities for visitors to learn more about the natural environment and wildlife found on South Padre Island. Visitors are allowed to tour the premises freely between the observation tower, reptile house, and boardwalk. For more information on the HalloWings Monarch Migration Celebration or for any other fall event, visit sopadre.com/eventcalendar . •
T
he 28th Annual Shrimp Cookoff & Seafood Festival is scheduled for Saturday, November 6, on site in the parking lot of Sutherlands in Port Isabel. Dozens of professional and amateur chefs will be preparing their favorite recipes for thousands of festival attendees for a modest fee. Each contestant’s recipe will be judged on appearance, aroma, and taste by a select panel of judges. Live entertainment by The Agency, vendors, and exciting new challenges will be featured at the 2021 event. Gate fee is $5 per adult. Children 12 and under are free. Hours of the festival are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Winners in both divisions will be
announced at 4 p.m. Hungry shrimp lovers who don’t get their fill on site can visit each participating restaurant over an extended, six-day period from November 7-12. A list of restaurants participating in this will be provided, as well as a site map for those who want to extend their experience at the home restaurants of participating chefs. More details on the event will be posted on the Chamber’s website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. For more information, contact the Chamber office at 956-943-2262 or email Chamber President Betty Wells at director@portisabel.org. •
The Edinburg Jailhouse Special to Welcome Home RGV
T
he historic, refurbished jailhouse located on the campus of the Museum of South Texas History in Edinburg has a fascinating display of information and photographs related to the storied building. The exhibit includes information about the first jailer, Nemesio Cortina, and his wife, Marcela. Marcela not only cooked and did laundry for her husband, five children, and the inmates, but she also served out her husband’s term as jailer after his death in 1916. Marcela lived in Edinburg until her passing in 1978. A single hanging took place in the
jailhouse. In May 1913, Abram Ortiz was put to death for a murder he may not have committed, according to the exhibit. Questions continue to this day about the circumstances of his conviction and whether or not his ghost still haunts the structure. •
www.welcomehomergv.com
•••
Welcome Home WINTER TEXAN • • • October 27, 2021 11
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October 27, 2021 • • • Welcome
Home WINTER TEXAN • • • www.welcomehomergv.com
DANCE
ENTERTAINMENT & SHOWS
CALENDAR OF EVENTS WEEKS OF
October 27 November 10, 2021
Single-Session Tickets Now on Sale for UTRGV South Padre Island Battle on the Beach Special to Welcome Home RGV
S
ingle-session tickets for the inaugural UTRGV South Padre Island Battle on the Beach, featuring men’s basketball games between UTRGV and Northern Arizona, as well as Texas Tech and Incarnate Word, November 20 at the South Padre Island Convention Centre can now be purchased at UTRGVTickets. com. UTRGV will face Northern Arizona at 1 p.m. Texas Tech plays Incarnate Word at 4 p.m. Tickets are $25 each and include admission to both games. Current UTRGV students get free admission and will be asked to RSVP for their tickets in advance during the week leading up to the games. UTRGV students will receive an email on November 15 with more
information. Fans looking to stay on South Padre Island between November 18 and 21 are encouraged to stay at the Courtyard South Padre Island. Using the UTRGV group rate, fans can stay over for $135 per night. Valet is included for up to one car per room. Fans can book their rooms online at GoUTRGV.com/Courtyard. To take advantage of the special rate, fans must book their rooms by November 8. Fans with questions can contact the UTRGV Athletics Ticket Office team of Seth Jones (956-6653877), Carlos Munoz (956-6653747), and Eddie Galvan (956665-3415) or by email at tickets@ utrgv.edu. •
Looking
for something to do here in the Rio Grande Valley? Our calendar of events has been the go-to source for our retirees to check out the lighter side of the Valley by listing entertainment events, dances, meals, jam sessions, meetings, and even garage sales. For more information on submitting your events and activities, please email calendar@welcomehomergv.com. The deadline for submission is Mondays at 5:00pm. •
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2021 Michelangelo A Different View Art Exhibit, 08:00 AM, McAllen Convention Ctr, 700 Convention Center Dr, McAllen. (956) 681-3800. Kimberbell Fill in the Blank Embroidery Club, 01:00 PM, A Block Away Quilt Shop, 2706 N 10th St, McAllen. $10.00 pp. (956) 638-1961. Social Hour w/Diego & Edith, 03:00 PM, Siesta Retirement Village, 2712 S. International Blvd, Weslaco. Pass the hat. (425) 501-6773. Happy Hour w/Curt James, 03:30 PM, Southern Comfort RV Resort, 1501 S. Airport Dr, Weslaco. Pass the hat. (956) 968-3140. Hump Day Happy Hour, 04:00 PM, Sleepy Valley Resort, 2301 N Abram Rd, Mission. Pass the hat. (417) 588-1588. Welcome Home Happy Hour w/Randy Main, 04:00 PM, Pleasant Valley Resort, 7320 W IH 2, Mission. Free admission. (956) 580-8454. Karaoke, 05:30 PM, Llano Grande Resort, 2215 E West Blvd, Mercedes. Free admission. (956) 565-2638. Trivia Night: Water You Talking About, 05:30 PM, Historic Alonso Bldg, 510 E St. Charles St, Brownsville. $5.00 pp. (956) 548-1313. Dance w/Steven May & The Southern Knights, 07:00 PM, Tip O’ Texas, 101 E Sioux Rd, Pharr. $6.00 pp. (956) 787-6461.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2021
Veterans Group Photo Project Special to Welcome Home RGV
Welcome
Home Winter Texan would like to honor veterans for your immeasurable sacrifice of service. We invite you to send group photos of veterans in your RV park/resort to be acknowledged in Welcome Home Winter Texan during the month of
November. Please e-mail your veterans’ group photo to news@welcomehomergv. com and include the name of your park/resort. Thank you for your service. •
Michelangelo A Different View Art Exhibit, 08:00 AM, McAllen Convention Center, 700 Convention Center Dr, McAllen. (956) 681-3800. Tree Farm Quilt Class, 10:00 AM, A Block Away Quilt Shop, 2706 N 10th St, McAllen. $10.00 pp, includes pattern. (956) 638-1961. Happy Hour w/Regan James, 03:00 PM, Snow to Sun RV Resort, 1701 N International Blvd, Weslaco. Pass the hat. (956) 968-0322. “The Life of Bones in Mexico”, 06:00 PM, Quinta Mazatlan, 600 Sunset Dr, McAllen. $3.00 pp. (956) 681-3370.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2021
Michelangelo A Different View Art Exhibit, 08:00 AM, McAllen Convention Center, 700 Convention Center Dr, McAllen. (956) 681-3800. Happy Hour w/Curt James, 03:00 PM, Snow to Sun RV Resort, 1701 N International Blvd, Weslaco. Pass the
hat. (956) 455-4195. Dance w/The Howlers, 06:00 PM, Enchanted Valley Ranch, 7300 Monroe St, Mission. $8.00 pp. (956) 519-8597. Dance w/Curt James, 07:00 PM, Weslaco Elks Lodge, 201 S Border, Weslaco. Free admission. (956) 455-4195. Dance w/The Bottom Line, 07:00 PM, Texas Trails RV Resort, 501 W Owassa Rd, Pharr. $6.00 pp. (956) 782-7886. Halloween Dance w/The Agency, 07:00 PM, Victoria Palms Resort, 602 N Victoria Rd, Donna. $10.00 pp. (956) 782-3263. Happy Hour w/Ron Moshier, 07:00 PM, Llano Grande Country Club, 2215 E West Blvd, Mercedes. Pass the hat. (956) 565-2638. The Weird, 07:30 PM, UTRGV Albert L Jeffers, 1201 W University Dr Edinburg. FREE admission. (956) 665-3581.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2021
77 Flea Market, 05:00 AM, 5955 N Expwy, Brownsville. (956) 546-5586. Michelangelo A Different View Art Exhibit, 08:00 AM, McAllen Convention Center, 700 Convention Center Dr, McAllen. (956) 681-3800. Brownsville Farmers’ Market, 09:00 AM, Linear Park, 1534 E 6th St, Brownsville. 25th Annual Texas Butterfly Festival, 09:00 AM, National Butterfly Center, Texas Trails RV Resort, 3333 Butterfly Park Dr, Mission. Free admission. (956) 583-5400. Halloween Party in the Park-Sticks & Bones, 09:00 AM, Quinta Mazatlan, 600 Sunset Dr, McAllen. This event is free with park admission. (956) 681-3370. HalloWings Festival, 09:00 AM, South Padre Island Birding and Nature Center, 6801 Padre Blvd, SPI. (956) 761-6801. La Cebollita Mid-Valley Farmers Market, 10:00 AM, La Cebollita Mid-Valley Farmers Market, 501 S Kansas Ave, Weslaco. Harlingen Farmers Market, 03:00 PM, Harlingen CVB, 2nd & Tyler by City Hall, Harlingen. (956) 622-5053. Halloween Costume Party w/Curt James, 05:00 PM, Pleasant Valley Resort, 7320 W Interstate 2, Mission. $5.00 pp. (956) 580-2940. Happy Hour, 05:30 PM, Restful Valley Ranch, 7130 W IH2, Mission. Pass the hat. (956) 519-8650. Halloween Dance w/Smokin’ Gun, 07:00 PM, Trophy Gardens RV Resort, 800 State Hwy 495, Alamo. $7.00 pp. (956) 685-5300. Halloween Dance w/Texas Wheels Band, 07:00 PM, Winter Ranch RV Resort, 600 State Hwy 495, Alamo. $7.00 per
www.welcomehomergv.com
JAM SESSIONS
MEALS
person. (956) 781-1358. Monster Mash, 07:00 PM, Radisson McAllen Airport, 2712 S 10th St, McAllen. Presale $20.00, Door $25.00. (956) 792-2194. The Weird, 07:30 PM, UTRGV Albert L Jeffers, 1201 W University Dr Edinburg. FREE admission. (956) 665-3581. Time Machine Band, 08:00 PM, American Legion Post 37, 1305 E Jasmine Ave, McAllen. Free admission. (214) 537-3419.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2021
77 Flea Market, 05:00 AM, 5955 N Expwy, Brownsville. (956) 546-5586. Michelangelo A Different View Art Exhibit, 08:00 AM, McAllen Convention Center, 700 Convention Center Dr, McAllen. (956) 681-3800. South Padre Island Farmers Market, 11:00 AM, The Shores, 8605 Padre Blvd, SPI. Octubafest w/UTRGV Tuba/Euphonium Ensemble, 02:00 PM, UTRGV Performing Arts Complex Auditorium, 1201 W University Dr, Edinburg. Free admission. (956) 665-3881. Hallelujah Night, 06:00 PM, Anchor Bible Baptist Church, 806 S Veterans Blvd. Pharr. (956) 532-4259. Halloween Costume Party w/Leslie Blasing, 07:00 PM, Tropic Star RV Resort, 1401 S. Cage Blvd. Pharr. $8.00 pp. (956) 787-5773. Halloween Dance w/South Texas Ramblers, 07:00 PM, Leisure World, 400 E 18th St, Weslaco. $7.00 pp. (956) 405-8197. Halloween Dance w/The Fabulous Cruisers, 07:00 PM, Llano Grande Resort, 2215 E West Blvd, Mercedes. $10.00 pp. (956) 565-2638. Halloween Dance w/The Rovers, 07:00 PM, Sleepy Valley Resort, 2301 N Abram Rd, Mission. $8.00 pp. (417) 588-1588.
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2021
Michelangelo A Different View Art Exhibit, 08:00 AM, McAllen Convention Center, 700 Convention Center Dr, McAllen. (956) 681-3800. Name the Block, 01:00 PM, A Block Away Quilt Shop, 2706 N 10th St, McAllen. $5.00 pp. (956) 638-1961. Beginner Line Dance, 01:30 PM, Pharr South, 1402 S Cage Blvd, Pharr. $2.00 donation appreciated. (956) 787-7839. High Beginner Line Dance, 02:30 PM, Pharr South, 1402 S Cage Blvd, Pharr. $2.00 donation appreciated. (956) 787-7839. Happy Hour w/Diego & Edith, 03:00 PM, Snow to Sun RV Resort, 1701 N International Blvd, Weslaco. Pass the hat. (956) 968-0322.
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2021
Michelangelo A Different View Art Exhibit, 08:00 AM, McAllen Convention Center, 700 Convention Center Dr, McAllen. (956) 681-3800. Beginner Line Dance, 08:30 AM, Pharr
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Welcome Home WINTER TEXAN • • • October 27, 2021 13
SALES
South, 1402 S Cage Blvd, Pharr. $2.00 donation appreciated. (956) 787-7839. Lunch @ Cafe Grande, 11:00 AM, Llano Grande Resort, 2215 E West Blvd, Mercedes. Cost for meals. (956) 565-2638. Taco Tuesday, 11:30 AM, Sleepy Valley Resort, 2301 N Abram Rd, Mission. $7.00 pp. (417) 588-1588. Happy Hour w/Steven May, 03:00 PM, Snow to Sun RV Resort, 1701 N International Blvd, Weslaco. Pass the hat. (956) 968-0322. Happy Hour w/Diego, 03:30 PM, BitO-Heaven RV & Mobile Home Resort, 1051 US Bus. 83, Donna. Pass the hat. (603) 396-2786. Jonathan Guist, Clarinet, 07:00 PM, TSC Performing Arts Center, 90 Taylor Ave, Brownsville. Free admission. (956) 882-7025.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2021
Michelangelo A Different View Art Exhibit, 08:00 AM, McAllen Convention Center, 700 Convention Center Dr, McAllen. (956) 681-3800. Lunch @ Cafe Grande, 11:00 AM, Llano Grande Resort, 2215 E West Blvd, Mercedes. Cost for meals. (956) 565-2638. Lynn Dvorak, 11:00 AM, Don-Wes Flea Market, 3210 E Bus Hwy 83, Donna. (956) 464-3502. Hump Day Happy Hour, 04:00 PM, Sleepy Valley Resort, 2301 N Abram Rd, Mission. Pass the hat. (417) 588-1588. Karaoke, 05:30 PM, Llano Grande Resort, 2215 E West Blvd, Mercedes. Free admission. (956) 565-2638. Dance w/Texas Wheels, 07:00 PM, Casa Del Valle, 1048 N Alamo Rd, Alamo. $7.00 pp. (956) 783-5008. Dance w/Steven May & The Southern Knights, 07:00 PM, Tip O’ Texas, 101 E Sioux Rd, Pharr. $6.00 pp. (956) 787-6461.
News from McAllen Creative Arts Incubator Special to Welcome Home RGV
Artist
Princess Cibeles Chavez, owner of Cybelle Arts, invites you to Fright Night October 29. The event will be from 7 -1 1 p.m. at the rooftop of the McAllen Parking Garage in downtown McAllen. This event will feature local bands, live painters, local dancers, local businesses, and a costume contest with a cash prize! Stop by for the best Fright Night of October. The McAllen Parking Garage is located at 221 S. 15th Street. For more information about the event, visit CybelleArts.com. Every first Friday of the month--from September to May--on Main Street in McAllen, you will find several Fine Art galleries open for Art Walk. Art Walk brings awareness of galleries in the McAllen Arts District, as well as unknown and known artist. McAllen paves the way for artists to express their artistic passion, increase interest in the arts, and promote awareness and
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2021
All You Can Eat Breakfast Buffet, 07:30 AM, Llano Grande Resort, 2215 E West Blvd,
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS CONTINUED ON PAGE 14 >>
Michael Angelo Medina has been selected at the Incubator’s November artist. “There is a soul in each person, a spark of divine distinction; we are the ever-changing snowflakes of existence. My goal is to capture the essence of your being and bolster your fleeting moments against the storms of eternity,” Medina said. Michael Angelo’s raison d’etre is captured in his mission: “Follow the Light, do good deeds, help your community, chase your passions like a madman, practice the Commandments, study the Guidestones, immerse yourself in the Vedas, and help bring humanity’s eternal soul into balance.” •
• • • sp tted RGV in the
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2021
Michelangelo A Different View Art Exhibit, 08:00 AM, McAllen Convention Center, 700 Convention Center Dr, McAllen. (956) 681-3800. Lunch @ Cafe Grande, 11:00 AM, Llano Grande Resort, 2215 E West Blvd, Mercedes. Cost for meals. (956) 565-2638. Happy Hour w/Regan James, 03:00 PM, Snow to Sun RV Resort, 1701 N International Blvd, Weslaco. Pass the hat. (956) 968-0322. Social Hour, 04:00 PM, Restful Valley Ranch, 7130 W IH2, Mission. Pass the hat. (956) 519-8650. All You Can Eat Fish Fry, 04:30 PM, Llano Grande Resort, 2215 E West Blvd, Mercedes. $9.75 pp. (956) 565-2638. Dance w/Texas Wheels, 07:00 PM, Mission Bell RV Resort, 1711 Bus 83, Mission. $7.00 pp. (956) 585-4833. Joe Compton Live, 07:00 PM, Casa Del Sol, 400 N Val Verde Rd, Donna. Pass the hat. (956) 464-9024.
appreciation of all art and culture. The upcoming Art Walk at the Incubator is November 5 from 7 – 9 p.m. It is going to be a great familyfriendly night to enjoy the arts. The Incubator is at 601 N. Main Street.
Exclusive to Welcome Home RGV Photo by Eryn Reddell Wingert
Hummingbirds • McAllen, TX W
e are lucky to have hummingbirds darting through yards and gardens year-round in the RGV. The numbers at the feeders increase dramatically-seemingly to the sheer annoyance of the local hummingbirds--in September and October, as more species migrate through the region heading further south for the winter. •
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October 27, 2021 • • • Welcome
Home WINTER TEXAN • • • www.welcomehomergv.com
DANCE ENTERTAINMENT & SHOWS
JAM SESSIONS
MEALS
SALES
>> SCHEDULE OF EVENTS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13 Mercedes. $8.00 pp. (956) 565-2638. Michelangelo A Different View Art Exhibit, 08:00 AM, McAllen Convention Center, 700 Convention Center Dr, McAllen. (956) 681-3800. Park Wide Patio Sale, 08:00 AM, Restful Valley Ranch, 7130 W IH2, Mission. (956) 519-8650. Lunch @ Cafe Grande, 11:00 AM, Llano Grande Resort, 2215 E West Blvd, Mercedes. Cost for meals. (956) 565-2638. “Opry” Jam, 01:00 PM, McAllen Mobile Park, 4900 N McColl Rd, McAllen. Free admission. (956) 450-0458. Happy Hour w/Curt James, 03:00 PM, Snow to Sun RV Resort, 1701 N International Blvd, Weslaco. Pass the hat. (956) 455-4195. Food Trucks N Tunes, 06:00 PM, Edinburg City Hall, 415 W University Dr, Edinburg. Free admission. (956) 383-6246. Dobie Dichos, 06:00 PM, Historic Oakville Jailhouse, 107 Curry St, Oakville, TX. For information: dobiedichos.com. Dance w/Curt James, 07:00 PM, Weslaco Elks Lodge, 201 S Border, Weslaco. Free admission. (956) 455-4195. Dance w/South Texas Ramblers, 07:00 PM, Texas Trails RV Resort, 501 W Owassa Rd, Pharr. $6.00 pp. (956) 782-7886. Dance w/Leslie Blasing, 07:00 PM, Victoria Palms Resort, 602 N Victoria
Rd, Donna. $8.00 pp. (956) 782-3263. Dance, Social & Games, 07:00 PM, Bentsen Grove Resort, 1645 S Bentsen Palm Dr, Palmview. Free admission. (956) 585-0703. Friday DJ Dance - 50’s Theme, 07:00 PM, Bit-O-Heaven RV & Mobile Home Resort, 1051 W Bus Hwy 83, Donna. Pass the hat. (603) 396-2786. Texas Wheels, 07:00 PM, Fun N Sun RV Resort, 1400 Zillock Rd, San Benito. (956) 399-5800.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2021
77 Flea Market, 05:00 AM, 5955 N Expwy, Brownsville. (956) 546-5586. Saturday Breakfast, 07:30 AM, Paradise Park Inc. McAllen, 100 E Hackberry Ave, McAllen. (956) 682-8081. Michelangelo A Different View Art Exhibit, 08:00 AM, McAllen Convention Center, 700 Convention Center Dr, McAllen. (956) 681-3800. Park Wide Patio Sale, 08:00 AM, Restful Valley Ranch, 7130 W IH2, Mission. (956) 519-8650. Donuts & Coffee, 08:00 AM, Pleasant Valley Resort, 7320 W IH 2, Mission. $1.00 pp. (956) 580-2940. Llano Grande Patio Sale, 08:00 AM, Llano Grande Country Club, 2215 E West Blvd, Mercedes. Free admission. (956) 565-2638. Park Wide Garage Sale, 08:00 AM,
Palm Shadows Resort, 200 N Val Verde Rd, Donna. (515) 238-5859. Jackson Street Market Days, 09:00 AM, Downtown Harlingen, For information call (956) 423-4041. Brownsville Farmers’ Market, 09:00 AM, Linear Park, 1534 E 6th St, Brownsville. After the First Quilt Class, 09:30 AM, A Block Away Quilt Shop, 2706 N 10th St, McAllen. $40.00 pp. for all four sessions. (956) 638-1961. The Port Isabel Shrimp Cookoff & Seafood Festival, 10:00 AM, Port Isabel Chamber of Commerce, Intersection of Hwy 100 & 48. Sutherlands parking lot. Port Isabel. (956) 943-2262. Veterans Day Parade, 10:00 AM, Richard R. Flores Stadium, 1800 S Stadium Dr, Edinburg. Carlos Canas, 11:00 AM, Don-Wes Flea Market, 3210 E Bus Hwy 83, Donna. Free admission. (956) 464-3502. Name the Block, 01:00 PM, A Block Away Quilt Shop, 2706 N 10th St, McAllen. $5.00 pp. (956) 638-1961. Harlingen Farmers Market, 03:00 PM, Harlingen CVB, 2nd & Tyler by City Hall, Harlingen. (956) 622-5053. Veterans Day Market, 05:00 PM, The Hub in Pharr, 200 S. Cage Blvd. Free admission. (956) 402-4240. Dance w/Texas Wheels, 07:00 PM, Winter Ranch RV Resort, 600 State Hwy 495, Alamo. $7.00 pp. (956) 783-4587.
Dance w/Curt James, 07:00 PM, Weslaco Elks Lodge, 201 S Border, Weslaco. Free admission. (956) 455-4195. Dance w/Steven May & The Southern Knights, 07:00 PM, Trophy Gardens RV Resort, 800 State Hwy. 495 Alamo. $7.00 pp. (956) 685-5300. Billy James, 07:00 PM, Restful Valley Ranch, 7130 W IH2, Mission. $10.00 pp. (956) 519-8650. Dance w/Diego & Edith, 07:00 PM, Llano Grande Resort, 2215 E West Blvd, Mercedes. $8.00 pp. (956) 565-2638.
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2021
77 Flea Market, 05:00 AM, 5955 N Expwy, Brownsville. (956) 546-5586. Michelangelo A Different View Art Exhibit, 08:00 AM, McAllen Convention Center, 700 Convention Center Dr, McAllen. (956) 681-3800. Church Service, 09:00 AM, Fiesta Village, 205 S Stewart Rd, Mission. (956) 585-9264. South Padre Island Farmers Market, 11:00 AM, The Shores, 8605 Padre Blvd, SPI.
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2021
My Favorite Color Is Moda Sew-Along, 09:30 AM, A Block Away Quilt Shop, 2706 N 10th St, McAllen. $5.00 pp. (956) 638-1961. Beginner Line Dance, 01:30 PM, Pharr South, 1402 S Cage Blvd, Pharr. $2.00 donation appreciated. (956) 787-7839.
**** FRIDAY DANCES ****
listed ALL DANCES 7:00PM-10:00PM unless otherwise Singles are Welcome
FRIDAY DANCE 7PM | $6
unless stated otherwise
Oct 29
The Bottomline Band
Nov 5 Nov 12 Nov 19 Nov 26 Dec 3 Dec 10 Dec 17
So. Tex. Ramblers Texas Storm The Bottomline Band The Southern Steven May &Knights Regan James Curt James Sweetwater
(Halloween Costume Contest w/Prizes)
entertainment
Dec 7 • B & C Musical Theater Group
Presenting WINTER WONDERETTE a Dinner Theater • $13 • advance ticket sales end Dec 1st.
Dec 12 • Rusty Rierson • 7 PM - 9 PM
• $9
2021 - 2022 SEASON EVENTS
UPCOMING DANCE
7:00 PM - 10:00 PM Doors open to Public 5:30 PM Concessions and Set Ups Available • BYOB Attendance Limited to 400
Nov 6 Steven May & The Southern Knights........................ $7
Nov 13 Diego...........................$7 Nov 20 Sweetwater................. $7 Nov 27 The Bottom Line Band...$7
Dec 4 Diego............................$7 Dec 11 Steven May & The Southern Knights.........................$7
Dec 18 Sweetwater.................. $7 Dec 31 The Bottom Line Band
New Year’s Eve..............$15
• Mask recommended but not required •
**Advance Ticket Sales required for New Year’s Eve
FOR INFORMATION / TICKET PURCHASES
Contact Activity Office for info 956-685-5300
956-782-7886
501 W. Owassa Rd.• Pharr, TX 78577 WE NOW ACCEPT CREDIT CARDS
Stephanie & Jason Skelly, Activity Directors
956-787-7717 800 TX-495 • Alamo, TX 78516
www.rvresorts.com/trophy-gardens.html
Nov 5 Nov 12 Nov 19 Nov 26 Dec 3 Dec 10 Dec 17
Dance Social & Games ....................FREE Renaissance Rockers .................. $10.00 Curt James (Glow Stick) ................... $8.00 Diego & Edith ................................ $7.00 Time Machine ............................... $8.00 The Howlers (Day of the Dead) .......... $8.00 The Agency ................................. $10.00 Tickets on Sale : Nov 29, 2021
Dec 31* Hot Rodz ..................................... $25.00 *New Year's Eve Dance 8:30PM-12:30AM (w/late lunch) Tickets on Sale : Dec 3, 2021 Rewind (Rip Roaring 20's) ............... $10.00 Tickets on Sale : Dec 17, 2021 Randy Webb (Wednesday Dance) ............. $7.00
Jan 8 Jan 12
**** ENTERTAINMENT **** ALL ENTERTAINMENT 7:00PM Pay at the Door (unless otherwise noted)
Dec 1 Jan 1 Jan 5 Jan 16 Jan 19 Jan 23 Jan 25 Jan 26 Feb 2 Feb 6 Feb 8 Feb 9
Lindley Creek Christmas Show ..... $10.00 The Baker Family .......................... $9.00 Redneck Revival ........................... $8.00 Nu-Blu (3-5pm Sunday) .................. $10.00 Rusty Rierson ................................ $8.00 Winter Texan Orchestra..........(pass the hat) Jason Coleman ................. $8 Adv / $10 Door (Floyd Cramer's Grandson) Helen Russell & Company ............. $8.00 Abundance Quartet ........................ $8.00 Mike Walker ............................... $10.00 Absolutely Country - Definitely Gospel Show .... $10.00 Mollie B......................... $14 Adv / $16 Door
1645 S. Bentsen Palm Drive Palmview, TX 78572
956-585-0703 Paula McSpadden Activity Director
TUES HAPPY HOUR | 3 PM - 5 PM (unless otherwise noted) Pass the bucket BYOB/Snacks • Popcorn/Soda for sale • Free Ice Nov 2 • Diego & Edith • 3:30 PM Nov 9 • Curt James Nov 16 • Regan James Nov 23 • Richard Kline DJ
WED SHOWS | 7 PM
Dec 22 • Ralph Kuster Christmas Show • $8
FRI DANCES | 7 PM - 10 PM
BYOB & Snacks / Popcorn & Soda for sale Nov 5 • DJ Dance / 50's Theme • (Pass the bucket) Nov 12 • DJ Dance / Western Theme • (Pass the bucket) Nov 19 • Steven May & The Southern Knights • $8 Nov 26 • Sweetwater • $8 Dec 31 • Southern Vibes (New Year's Eve) $15 • 8:00pm - Midnight • Hot refreshments, hats, etc provided
CRAFT FAIR | Nov 12 | 8 AM - 12 PM Breakfast for sale
PATIO SALES | Nov 13 | 8 AM - 12 PM Pick up map in North Hall
1051 W. Bus Hwy 83 | Donna, TX 78537
www.bit-o-heaven.net
Bit-O-Heaven RV and Mobile Home Resort
Susan Thomas, A C T I V I T Y
DIRECTOR
603-396-2786 / fulltimers@earthlink.net
www.welcomehomergv.com
DANCE
•••
Welcome Home WINTER TEXAN • • • October 27, 2021 15
ENTERTAINMENT & SHOWS
High Beginner Line Dance, 02:30 PM, Pharr South, 1402 S Cage Blvd, Pharr. $2.00 donation appreciated. (956) 787-7839. Happy Hour w/Diego & Edith, 03:00 PM, Snow to Sun RV Resort, 1701 N International Blvd, Weslaco. Pass the hat. (956) 968-0322. A Taste of Poland Dinner, 04:30 PM, Llano Grande Resort, 2215 E West Blvd, Mercedes. $12.50 pp. (956) 565-2638. Hidalgo Coin Club Meeting, 07:00 PM, McAllen Chamber of Commerce, 1200 Ash Ave, McAllen. Free admission. (956) 566-3112.
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2021 Beginner Line Dance, 08:30 AM, Pharr South, 1402 S Cage Blvd, Pharr. $2.00 donation appreciated. (956) 787-7839. Lunch @ Cafe Grande, 11:00 AM, Llano Grande Resort, 2215 E West Blvd, Mercedes. Cost for meals. (956) 565-2638. Taco Tuesday, 11:30 AM, Sleepy Valley Resort, 2301 N Abram Rd, Mission. $7.00 pp. (417) 588-1588. Happy Hour w/Curt James, 03:00 PM, Bit-O-Heaven RV & Mobile Home Resort, 1051 US Bus. 83, Donna. Pass the hat. (603) 396-2786. Happy Hour w/Steven May, 03:00 PM, Snow to Sun RV Resort, 1701 N
International Blvd, Weslaco. Pass the hat. (956) 968-0322. Twisted Tuesday, 05:30 PM, Pleasant Valley Resort, 7320 W IH 2, Site 183, Mission. Free admission. (956) 580-2940.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2021
Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival, 07:00 AM, Harlingen Convention Center, 701 Harlingen Heights Dr, Harlingen. www.rgvbr.org for registration and event brochure Lunch @ Cafe Grande, 11:00 AM, Llano Grande Resort, 2215 E West Blvd, Mercedes. Cost for meals. (956) 565-2638. Happy Hour, 03:00 PM, Leisure World, 400 E 18th St, Weslaco. Pass the hat. (956) 405-8197. Hump Day Happy Hour, 04:00 PM, Sleepy Valley Resort, 2301 N Abram Rd, Mission. Pass the hat. (417) 588-1588. Karaoke, 05:30 PM, Llano Grande Resort, 2215 E West Blvd, Mercedes. Free admission. (956) 565-2638. Dance w/Texas Wheels, 07:00 PM, Casa Del Valle, 1048 N Alamo Rd, Alamo. $7.00 pp. (956) 783-5008. Dance w/Steven May & The Southern Knights, 07:00 PM, Tip O’ Texas, 101 E Sioux Rd, Pharr. $6.00 pp. (956) 787-6461. •
HAS YOUR CAREGIVING JOURNEY BEEN EXHAUSTING, FRUSTRATING OR OVERWHELMING? Dementia Caregiver Support Group is here for you.
Join us the first Wednesday of the month / 2:30 - 3:00pm at The Bridges Mission
Save the Date (Wednesdays)
“Self Care” Series
November 3
Self Care: Emotions
December 1
Self Care: Spiritual
January 5
Self Care: Personal
February 2
Self Care: Physical
March 2
Self Care: Caregiving Role
Please call for more information or to register
956-621-6941 • Ask for Mari
956-519-9800 / 1201 St. Claire Blvd. • Mission, TX 78572 Facility ID: 100787 • www.thebridgesatmission.com
T E X A S O N C O L O G Y. C O M
EXPERT CANCER CARE RIGHT WHERE YOU LIVE. When you’re diagnosed with cancer, you need comprehensive care from renowned physicians, advanced treatment options, leading edge technology, and clinical trials. But you also need to sleep in your own bed. Texas Oncology has more than 210 locations across Texas for expert care that keeps you close to friends and family. Because sometimes the best choice is both. B ROW N S V I L L E • H A R L I N G E N • M C A L L E N • W E S L AC O
1.888.864.4226
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October 27, 2021 • • • Welcome
Home WINTER TEXAN • • • www.welcomehomergv.com
saving you more!
COUPON
CONNECTION
Our weekly coupon section will help you SAVE while you are
here. Visit our website www.welcomehomergv.com for more printable coupons. • Expires : 3/31/2022
Buy One Get One
FREE MEAL Fish and Chips $
12.99
Also includes two sodas or ice tea No Mix and Match. Tax not included.
Now serving Decaf Coffee.
If more than 6 people in your party, please call ahead
DOLPHIN WATCH & ECO TOURS SUNSET CRUISES PORT OF BROWNSVILLE NATURE TOURS DEEP SEA FISHING - RED SNAPPER BAY FISHING
3
$
00
ANY ACTIVITY (Not valid with any other offers.) Expires 3/31/2022
956.761.2764 956.761.4752 www.islatours.com Find us on Facebook
8
October 13, 2021 • • • Welcome
Home WINTER TEXANwww.welcomehomergv.com • • • www.welcomehomergv.com • • • Welcome Home WINTER TEXAN • • • October 27, 2021 17
GUARANTEED QUALITY FUN!
10
$
PER PERSON
includes lunch & non-alcoholic drink
Brought to you by
200 N SHARY RD • MISSION, TX 78572 EXIT EXPRESSWAY AT SHARY RD & HEAD NORTH PAST HEB
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2021
11:00AM - 1:00PM
DOORS OPEN @ 10:30AM
( Lunch will be served from 11:00AM - 12:00PM )
Call Today for Tickets 956-687-5115 • www.welcomehomergv.com Cash Bar for Beer, Wine, and Margaritas • No Outside Food or Drinks
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October 27, 2021 • • • Welcome
DELICIOUS RECIPES
Home WINTER TEXAN • • • www.welcomehomergv.com
ZESTY BITES
RECIPE CONNECTION •••
INSTANT MEALS
APPETIZING DELIGHTS
Looking for that amazing treat that will satisfy your craving! Each week we will offer you a variety of recipes that you can try from those who truly enjoy food and want to share! •
Fruit Basket Upset!
•••
• • • with Sandy Olson • • •
It’s summer most of the time in the RGV, but even when it’s
January and chilly or drizzling, we have the luxury of many different fruits at the grocery stores, farmers’ markets, and roadside stands. Some of these colorful and healthy fruits are not actually grown in South Texas, but we are able to feast on them year-round, regardless of where they were planted. This recipe is a variation of a favorite salad using both red and green grapes, those wonderful globes of flavor. Just be sure to buy the seedless variety; it makes eating them much easier.
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The Border Cook
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Milanesa de Res
Submitted by Randy Hoelscher, The Border Cook
Lifelong foodie, restaurant reviewer, cooking teacher, and summer Iowan, Sandy Olson spends the Winter-Texan season at Palm Shadows RV Park in Donna. This season, Sandy will be sharing recipes to help readers enjoy the abundance of delicious fruits we find in our local markets. Sandy claims she’s been “a bit fruity” since childhood. You can contact Sandy at midwestfoodie@gmail.com.
“Christmas” Grape Salad (Because it uses both red and green) • 1 pound EACH seedless red and green grapes • 1 package (8 oz.) Philadelphia® brand cream cheese, softened (It’s the best cream cheese.) • 1 cup real sour cream, not low-fat or non-fat • ½ cup confectioners’ sugar • 1 teaspoon real vanilla extract (No imitation stuff here!) • 1 package (6 oz.) chopped pecans Wash the grapes under cool running water and remove all the stems. Dry them a bit on paper towels and place in a large bowl. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the sour cream, sugar, and vanilla. Add the softened cream cheese to this mixture and combine well so there are no pieces of cream cheese visible. If this is too thick, add one or two drops of milk; you want it pourable but not watery. Pour this mixture over the grapes and gently fold them together until the grapes are well-coated. Stir in the chopped pecans and, again, gently fold together. Place in your serving bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and chill for at least an hour before serving. •
•••
Some Like It Hot
Fruit Medley
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Submitted by The Junior League of McAllen, Inc.
• 1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk • 1 (20 oz.) can cherry pie filling • 1 (12 oz.) carton whipped topping • 1 cup flaked coconut • 1 cup chopped apple
• 1 cup sliced bananas • 1 cup chopped pecans • 1 cup green grapes • 1 cup pineapple chunks, drained
Stir all ingredients together in large bowl. Refrigerate. This will keep two weeks without the apples and bananas. (Add them when ready to serve.) The base will freeze well. • The Junior League of McAllen, Inc. envisions significantly improving the quality of life of the children and youth of our community by preserving the innocence of childhood, encouraging responsibility, and promoting a safe environment. Cookbooks can be purchased through the Junior League website at www.juniorleaguemcallen.org, as well as at Barn White and Quips & Quotes in McAllen.
What Happens to Grapes When You Step on Them? Special to Welcome Home RGV
T
hey wine, of course! We thought a corny fruit joke would catch your attention because there is something Welcome Home RGV wants you to know. This year, the focus of our recipes is going to be FRUIT, and we are wondering if YOU have a favorite recipe that includes fruit? Is there a popular fruit recipe in your hometown or home state? If you have a “fruity” recipe, here is what we would love for you to do: 1. Send the typed recipe to us at
news@welcomehomergv.com . 2. Include your name, the name of your RV park, and your home state. 3. If there is a special story behind your recipe, feel free to include that, too. 4. Look for your recipe in an upcoming issue of Welcome Home Winter Texan. Thank you! And here’s one more joke for you: Why were the apple and orange all alone? Because the banana split. •
Have you ever glanced at the packaged beef in the grocery store and seen a
package bearing the label, “Wafer Thin Beef for Milanesa”? Wonder what that is? Milanesa is a South American dish believed to have originated in Northern Italy around the city of Milan and was brought to South America in the migration of Italians, generally between 1860 and 1920. It bears a resemblance to the Austrian Wienerschnitzel or the American chicken fried steak. There are many regional variations. It can be made from beef, pork, or chicken, pounded thin. It can be served as a sandwich, often accompanied by lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise, and/or ketchup. Sound like something you might order at the Riverside Club? • About 1 lb. steak for milanesa (See Note) • 1 egg • 2 Tbsp. milk • About ½ cup flour for dredging • About 1 cup bread crumbs or crushed saltines for dredging • Oil for frying (I used corn oil, but you can use avocado oil or any good-quality cooking oil.) • Salt and pepper to taste Note: If you do not buy the round steak pre-cut very thin, you can prepare it yourself. Place the meat in a food-storage bag and pound until very thin. A little bit goes a long way; our package was just under a pound of steak, and it was perfect for dinner for two, with one piece left over for steak and eggs for breakfast. Whisk the egg and milk in a shallow bowl. Season the meat with salt and pepper; feel free to add other spices, if you wish. Try it with a little cayenne pepper or garlic powder. Place the flour and bread crumbs on a dinner plate. Begin by dredging the meat in flour. Cover completely and shake off the excess. Next, place the steak in the egg mixture. Finally, dredge the steak in the cracker or bread crumbs. Pat and press the crumbs into the meat so it will stay in place. Fry the steak in the oil at medium-high heat. (I found 360 degrees to work well.) Fry one side until golden brown, and turn the steak. Prepare one steak at a time, and remove to a plate covered with paper towels to absorb excess grease. Milanesa is often served with salad and fried potatoes and sometimes with rice and beans. We opted for a simple salad. Enjoy! • Randy Hoelscher is a transplanted Texan living in the Rio Grande Valley. He enjoys being The Border Cook, spreading the word about Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine on his website, TheBorderCook.com, as well as on Facebook: The Border Cook. Because Randy and his wife have recently embarked on the Keto diet, this season, he will be sharing some of his favorite Keto creations.
www.welcomehomergv.com
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Welcome Home WINTER TEXAN • • • October 27, 2021 19
Things I Have Learned by Bill Ward
A somewhat random and reckless look at life from a fairly old guy
The Day I Was Somebody Else T O D AY ’ S W I S D O M
“Today money is better than poverty, if only for financial reasons.” Woody Allen
I
I just recently learned another life lesson with some pretty significant impact. I’d like to share it with you as more than just living advice. Like many of you, my wife and I have our investments through a financial management firm here in Minnesota. Those investments are then actually held with a national investment brokerage firm. I trust that they all take care of things properly, and I don’t worry about my funds. I found that trust to be well placed. Here is the story. A few weeks ago, I opened my computer in the morning and found I had received 1300 emails overnight. In examining the new horde, I found nearly all were welcoming me as a new subscriber to their business website. Someone had managed to register my email in all these places, essentially at the same time. I did what most of you would do. I deleted them all. Bad idea! One of those emails, lost deep in the mix, was from my national brokerage firm acknowledging my request to cash out a significant portion of an IRA investment. I completely missed it. Later that day, I got a phone call from the local firm. They had been contacted by the national firm, wondering why the trade was placed. It looked odd, but all the right passwords had been used. Determining it wasn’t me, they quickly canceled the transaction and locked the account. The next day, I opened my computer and found a new batch of 1700 emails. Now I was smarter. I found the one acknowledging the request
Bill Ward is a retired healthcare administrator from Minnesota and a regular columnist, author, and untalented rock n’ roll musician. He winters at Casa Del Sol in Donna. You can contact Bill by email at bwward@charter.net .
to transfer the funds from my cash account to a bank account in New York. No problem; that money wasn’t going anywhere, due to the diligence of the professionals the previous day. We reset all of the security on the account, including a new two-step login that involves texting me a code to access my account, a new and complicated password, an extra code, and new security questions. All set. The next night, about 8 p.m., I was watching a ball game when my cell phone dinged with a text. It was the brokerage firm texting me the code to complete my log in. Someone was already logging into my account with the new login and password. This time they were stalled at the texted code. The same thing happened two nights later. For a second time, we changed the password, and the activity has stopped. Finally, I am now me again rather than someone else being me. Oh, and I also have a new hobby. Doing a few every day, I figure it will take me about a year to unsubscribe myself from 3000 websites. I find the ones in China the most challenging, not being able to read Chinese and all. I’m just sayin’. •
>> FALL MIGRATION CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3
their body temperature, often creating ponds for fish, turtles, and frogs. Inevitably, trees grow along the edges to house birds. More specifically, Gonzalez shares how herons like to nest in branches right above alligators, knowing raccoons and opossum would not dare invade. The relationship is not one-sided in the natural world of survival of the fittest. When a weaker bird is booted from the nest by stronger ones, the alligator takes care of it, so to speak. Summertime tends to be “gator time” at the Center, according to Gonzalez, as families vacation on South Padre Island and the bird population dwindles for a short period. But in the fall, not only does the bird population boom, but so does the butterfly count, making the season all the more exciting for naturalists like Gonzalez. “I love the fall so much; all the plants come to full bloom in the fall, so there’s lots of pollinators out. It’s like they bloom with the migration. Butterflies migrate south just like the birds; one day to the next, there could be
monarchs all over the place!” In honor of the monarch butterfly, the Birding Center will host Hallowings Monarch Migration Celebration Saturday, October 30, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. To enjoy fall migration, Gonzalez says you don’t need much. He recommends maintaining clean feeders with fresh seed. And for hummingbirds, avoid red dye, opting for a home mixture of sugar and water at a 3-to-1 ratio. The best time to spot migratory birds is after a cold front has passed through. Also migrating to the Valley this fall are expert birders and guides from all over the world, taking part in the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival November 10 in Harlingen. Gonzalez will be representing the Center as a guide. “I learned pretty early about how special this area was in terms of nature,” he says. “This is one of the most diverse places in the country for birds and butterflies. Once I learned that, I was never bored again!” •
of exquisite species encountered by festival participants over the years. Who knows? You may even log the record first sighting of an exotic, tropical stray like the Blue-studded Skipper or Zebra Cross-streak! The 25th Annual Texas Butterfly Festival is the nation’s premier butterflying event, hosted by the National Butterfly Center in Mission.
It brings people from all around the world to the Rio Grande Valley to enjoy the unique volume and variety of wild butterflies that may only be found here. To learn more about how you may join in the fun, check out the full schedule of free events and paid activities at texasbutterflyfestival. com or call 956.583.5400 today! •
>> 25TH ANNUAL TEXAS BUTTERFLY FESTIVAL FROM PAGE 7
If the last couple of years have taught people anything, it’s don’t put off until tomorrow (or years from now) what you can do today, seek pleasure where you may find it, and spend more time outside, soaking up some Vitamin D! Tom’s personal story is inspiring, and we hope it will set others on their own quest, for the love of butterflies.
To ensure your seat for these educational sessions, excursions, and activities, one must reserve seats in advance at TexasButterflyFestival. com or by calling the Chrysalis Visitor’s Pavilion at 956-583-5400. Tickets to the banquet, only, are available for $60 per person. Discover adventure and the thrill of the chase as we add to the list
The National Butterfly Center is committed to ‘Growing Connections’ between people, plants, and the winged wonders that pollinate and propagate all that grows around us. We do this through educational and environmental initiatives that cultivate meaningful understanding of the processes that create sustainable ecosystems. The Center is open to the public, for visitors and members, seven days/week. To learn more about the National Butterfly Center and how you can join us, visit nationalbutterflycenter.org or call 956-583-5400. Your annual membership or charitable gift impacts the beauty of our community and helps preserve the biologically diverse, natural treasures of deep South Texas.
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October 27, 2021 • • • Welcome
Home WINTER TEXAN • • • www.welcomehomergv.com