Category: Elgin, Texas

Best of Both Worlds

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Traffic Jam, Elgin, Texas

I am often reminded of how great it is to live in a small town. Recently I was able to use my neighbors’ oven when my oven would not light and I had 2 dump cakes* to bake for 2 potlucks. This weekend a local shop offered to wrap my print job and place outside their door for me to pick up after hours, with instructions to just push a check through the mail slot or call Monday with a credit card number. Just would not happen in a large city.

I enjoy working in downtown Austin and coming home to the Sausage Capital of Texas every day. It blows my mind that I can spend a lunch hour at an art museum, shopping at a gourmet shop, or eating ramen, and return home where my friends and neighbors are dancing to a band playing at the gazebo in the center of town. The best of both worlds, I feel very lucky. Still.

*Is dump cake mostly a souther thing?

Buy This Card & Empower Lives

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Down Home Ranch is a nonprofit working farm community for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities located in Elgin, Texas. The ranchers and their extended community are ever present at Elgin’s many annual festivals, monthly Sip, Shop & Stroll events. Locals look forward to their tomatoes, lettuce, jellies, potted plants, eggs, and cards (like the one above), at the Bastrop 1832 Farmers Market.

In addition to their greenhouse operations and plant sales, Down Home Ranch supports an Etsy shop which sells cards featuring original art by ranchers, embroidered tea towels, and engraved travel tumblers. All proceeds support their mission: Empowering the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities through social, educational, residential and vocational opportunities. I visited DHR a few years ago, you can read my post about the experience here.

Shop Down Home Ranch Etsy shop here

Find out more about Down Home Ranch at downhomeranch.org


Friday Favorites: Winterspring & the Simple Art of Not giving a Hoot

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Texas Redbud, (Cercis canadensis var. texensis)

Winterspring

In my mind there are 6 different seasons in a calendar year. Winter, Winterspring, Spring, Summer, Summerfall, and Fall. I especially love the misty, froggy, blossomy time of winter just before Spring.

Reminds me of a Joke…

This Fresh Air podcast interview with Mary Pipher about why older women are happier than their mothers were at their age. I love when she shares about how she starts her day with a cup of coffee just watching the morning come alive outside. This reminds me of a long standing practice in our home. I don’t wake crabby, but I do wake up slowly… drinking coffee, watching the bird feeders and the morning light hit all the trees in our back yard. The second cup is often enjoyed outside. https://www.npr.org/2019/02/27/698620524/why-older-women-are-often-the-happiest-demographic-in-america

Oh, the joke?

What’s the difference between a woman in her twenties and a woman in her forties?

The woman in her twenties always wants to know what your thinking, the woman in her forties doesn’t care.

Thank you, I’ll be here all week.

Definition of the Week

These are by far my most favorite pencils of all time. I love the very black lines it makes and the flattened ferrule is cool because it is refillable. I don’t know about you but I always run out of eraser before I run out of ideas.

Palomino Blackwing pencils