Georgetown View Magazine/ December 2014

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C O N T E N T S

48

52

F E AT U R E SALL ABOUTDECK THE STREETS WITH SOCKS AND TACOS | 32From their home to the homeless: one family’s Christmas Eve tradition

D E PA R T M E N T SLIVE AND LEARNMORE THAN A DOCTOR | 11Practicing dermatology in a war zone more than a duty for one soldier

VIEW FROM THE TOPBETHLEHEM VILLAGE AT THE STROLL | 16What goes on behind the scenes at this popular Stroll attraction?

CREATEWAITING HEARTS | 21An author pens her first romance novel

VIEW FROM THE TOPART MEETS ANIMAL | 38Furry models challenge students in a drawing class at SU

HOW’S THAT WORK?SPREADING SYMPHONIC CHEER | 48Get the scoop on the Wilco Symphony Orchestra

VIEW FROM THE TOPAN INSPIRING “ELVIS” | 52Elvis tribute artist aims to portray the singer authentically

FITNESS VIEWA(NOTHER) FRESH START | 56At-risk youth learn to run to get their lives going in right direction

A STONE’S THROWACROSS TIME: CROSSROADS OF CENTRAL TEXAS | 66Spend the day at the Mayborn Museum in Waco

MUSINGS FOR MOMSCREATING HOLIDAY MEMORIES | 70What holiday traditions take place in your family?

LIFE WITH RELISH, PLEASEENVISIONING THE FUTURE | 74As the year closes, plan your goals for next year

IN THE KITCHENIN HONOR OF HEIRLOOM RECIPES | 77View staff members share their heirloom favorites

HISTORIC VIEWA MAN OF MANY HATS | 80Just who was the man Williamson County is named after?

E X T R A SGREETINGS | 6

EXTRA VIEWTRUE VALUE | 62Centenarian stayed “in the hum of things” on the Square

GEORGETOWN LIVE | 79

GOLFER’S CORNERLEARN FROM THE BEST | 73Tips from Pro Bill Easterly

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PUBLISHERBILL [email protected]

EDITOR IN CHIEFMEG [email protected]

DEPUTY EDITORDIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHYCAROL [email protected]

ASSISTANT EDITORCYNTHIA GUIDICI

PRODUCTION MANAGEMENTJILL [email protected]

CREATIVE DIRECTORBEN CHOMIAKRed Dog Creative

PHOTOGRAPHY ASSISTANTANDREA HUNTER

WEB DESIGNERMONICA BROWNLOW

CONTRIBUTING WRITERSMIKAELA CAINRACHEL BROWNLOW LUNDEMILY TREADWAYCHRISTINE BOLAÑOSJENNIFER ARMSTRONGNANCY BACCHUSNIKKI ELKJERTIFFANY R. WHITEALICEA JONES

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERSRUDY XIMENEZTINA LOPEZLIZ PAGLIUCOANDREA HUNTER

[email protected]

Georgetown View is a View Magazine, Inc. publication. Copyright © 2014. All rights reserved. Georgetown View is published monthly and individually mailed free of charge to over 31,000 homes and businesses in the Georgetown zip codes. Mail may be sent to View Magazine, P.O. Box 2281, Georgetown, TX 78627. For advertising rates or editorial correspondence, call Bill at 512-775-6313 or visit www.gtownview.com.

Cover photo by Tina Lopez

MEG MORINGEDITOR’S NOTE

In the 1966 photo, my cousin and I sit before a fireplace in the living room, where an artificial Christmas tree with silver “leaves” shimmers with blue ornaments. It’s Christmas Eve, and like kids everywhere, we’re waiting up—in matching red nylon pajamas—for Santa Claus. To pass the time, we’re giggling over The Night Before Christmas.

In reality, though, we were not giggling, but shivering. That fireplace was cardboard, the glowing logs fake. And the tall man in the red suit, who appears to have sneaked into the room to deliver presents (a red tricycle, a baby doll, and a stuffed pink horse) without our noticing? His white beard is blowing sideways in a stiff wind.

My dad, who managed a hardware

store at the time, had the brilliant idea that he’d create a Christmas parade float that featured items people could buy in the store, like the tree and the toys. He hadn’t reckoned on a Panhandle cold front plowing through at parade time. The wind cut through our thin pajamas, nearly knocked over the fireplace, and threatened to uproot the Christmas tree. Santa smiles grimly; his lips, I think, were frozen that way.

Texans just never know what the weather will be during the holidays. But no matter what the forecast, one family sticks to a special Christmas Eve tradition that spreads warmth, both literally and figuratively, to those who need it. In our main feature this month, “Deck the Streets with Socks and Tacos,” writer Mikaela Cain talks to them about how they make giving the focus of their holiday. We have other stories to get you out the door this season, from a look behind the scenes at Bethlehem Village at The Stroll to a story about an unusual auction item you can bid on at the Bow Wow Meow Holiday Bash to benefit Georgetown Animal Outreach.

So read up, bundle up, and enjoy the holidays—whatever the weather.

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L I V E A N D L E A R N

BYCHRISTINE BOLAÑOST

he rays of the sun burned through her clothes and struck her skin. Sweat quickly formed on her fore-

head, evidence of extreme desert temperatures. At any moment a roadside bomb could go off, signaling the last step she or her parents ever took. But it didn’t matter. All the girl could do was keep walking the war-scarred roads until she reached CPT Chris Collins, MD, a combat physician and sole dermatology consultant for the entire Middle East region, eight hours away in Baghdad.

To the tall, thin, dark-haired Iraqi girl, Dr. Collins wasn’t just any doctor. He was the one who could give her hope for a more normal life.

“In 2009, I was deployed in sup-port of Operation Iraqi Freedom. While serving in Baghdad, I would go on medical missions. In some of those medical missions, we’d

go to outlying villages,” Dr. Col-lins, founder and medical director of Collins Advanced Dermatology Institute in Leander, says.

It was in one of those villages that he met the young girl, who suffered from early onset psoria-sis.

Thick, red, dry patches had formed all over her skin and particularly on her hands and feet. Even worse than the intense itch she suffered were the looks of disgust and misunderstanding from those around her. She felt isolated and different, additional burdens for a young girl living in a war zone.

“They had very limited medical resources. A lot of Iraqi physi-cians left the country during the war, so this area was totally underserved or partially treated,” Dr. Collins explains. “I started treating the girl, who had had this condition for several years, and

she improved so well that after we started treatment, her fam-ily started traveling to see me in Baghdad.”

The girl and her family then traveled twice to see him at the military base, braving an eight-hour trek across danger-ous terrain with multiple military checkpoints.

“The extreme heat was in the 120s. There were roadside bombs everywhere dur-ing wartime, what they call impro-vised explosive devices buried alongside the roads,” Dr. Collins says. “Just travel-ing on the Iraqi highway system was extremely dangerous. A lot of the main high-way infrastructure

More Than a DoctorDermatologist changes Iraqi girl’s life

Chris Collins, MD


was totally destroyed. The military checkpoints and bases have massive concrete barriers that are about 15 to 20 feet tall surrounding these zones.”

But the family made the trek in order for the girl to continue her skin-care treatment. “It just shows how much her parents wanted her to get better skincare,” Dr. Collins recalls.

The condition was so severe on the girl’s hands and feet that she would keep her hands totally covered. “On my medical base, when she was able to visit, I would get her stocked up on topical medicines. Iraqi doctors and pharmacies were very limited in everything they had,” Dr. Collins says. “It made me realize how big an impact it made, being able to go out there and provide medicine to patients that would not otherwise have any help or hope at all. They were willing to risk their lives to come into an area to get treatment.”

Witnessing the girl transform from shy and reclusive to confident and social was priceless not just for her parents but for Dr. Collins as well. Her father, says Dr. Collins, told him that it changed her life so that she began mak-ing friends. The psoriasis had bothered her “for years, but they never had any treatment for it,” Dr. Collins says.

The medical missions were danger-ous for doctors as well. “About every two or three weeks, when I was in Iraq, we would do medical missions. We would travel by Blackhawk helicopter and heavily armored vehicles [marked with a Red Cross],” Dr. Collins explains.

people’s faces, and then for them to prepare those dinners—it was their way of showing appreciation with meals, hugs, handcrafted items. They would also knit and sew items for me,” Dr. Collins shares. “Those were some of the most rewarding experiences in my medical career. Going on those medical humanitarian missions was at one point the scariest, most dangerous time of my life, but the missions were also the most medically rewarding.”

“In Iraq, the enemy did not follow the Geneva Convention, and terrorists and the enemy would specifically target those vehicles.”

“Our risk was higher than during regular travel because terrorists knew that if they could hurt the physicians or medics who treat soldiers, that affects how our military would be run,” he adds. “Every mission was dangerous. On each visit, we would go for two to three days at a time and see anywhere from 60 to 80 patients a day.”

The family of the young girl, and other patients in the village, knew that Dr. Collins risked his life to treat them. One way they knew how to express their gratitude was through homemade food. The young girl’s family brought traditional Iraqi dinners with them to give to their beloved doctor.

“Just seeing the happiness on those

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V I E W F R O M T H E T O P

Children grind wheat for the bakery. They head to the pottery shop and the toy shop, where they learn to make

useful items from scratch. Young girls work alongside their mothers in the perfume shop. Adults bless their children, placing headbands on their foreheads.

Amid the bustle, children hear whispers of a miracle. “When you walk through the gates of Bethlehem, you can feel a dif-ference,” says Cheri Alderman, coordinator of Bethlehem Village at Georgetown’s Christmas Stroll. “The children are engrossed. The

workers talk to each other: ‘Did you hear that there was a baby born last night and that some people are saying Jesus could be our messiah?’ They tell the story of Jesus, about how there was no room at the inn so this baby had to be born in the manger.”

Telling the story of Jesus’ birth at Bethlehem is a powerful experi-ence that draws participants back year after year. “It’s a beautiful start to the Christmas season,” Cheri says. “It’s not all about the tinsel and all that goes along with that…. It’s because of Christ.”

Bethlehem Village began six years ago at Georgetown Church of the Nazarene. Though the event was then headed only by the church’s members and was promoted mostly through word of mouth, some 3,000 people showed up to see it. This year’s

BYCHRISTINE BOLAÑOS

PHOTOS PROVIDED

BY CHERI THOMPSON OF

THOMPSON PHOTOGRAPHY

Bethlehem Village at the Stroll A behind-the-scenes look

event will be the biggest yet because several area churches are partnering with Georgetown Church of the Nazarene to create the village.

“We’re pulling from so many different churches. This is the first year we are multidenomi-national,” Cheri says. “It’s grown five-fold in the last six years.” Churches that have lent mem-bers in the past and may partner up this year include Grace Bible Church, Celebration Church, River Rock Bible Church, First United Methodist Church, and Main Street Baptist. Cheri adds that the event would not be possible with-out the “wonderful sponsors” who contribute, too.

The most exciting part for Cheri is witnessing so many area chil-dren growing up in the Bethle-hem Village volunteer family. Her grandchildren, now nine, eight and six, became involved as tots. “They get so excited about it. Just like in biblical times, children are working with their parents,” she shares. The kids who participate “are growing up knowing what it

This year’s Christmas Stroll takes place Friday, December 5, and Saturday, December 6. Visit www.thegeorgetownsquare.com for more information.


means to serve.”Planning for this year’s event began

in June. “We line up who will be lead-ers, who will help with sponsorship; we meet with costume leaders to deter-mine if we need more costumes; we line up sound equipment. Then we start praying that God will bring the workers and the people,” Cheri explains. It takes about 250 volunteers and several spon-sors to realize the event.

Organizers station a storage con-tainer at the church for the props. “The ladies that work in costumes get all the costumes numbered and ready for the 250 workers to come through,” Cheri

says. On the Thursday before the event,

trailers arrive with tents and hay. The shops get set up on Friday. A local 4-H club brings in animals, including donkeys and goats, that afternoon. “The 4-H group checks on the animals, and they are contained inside fencing. We just have to make sure they have food and water. We have a faithful helper,

Jeff Walls, who brings them in every year for us,” Cheri says.

After the Stroll, volunteers take ev-erything down. “The trucks come back in, and we all get busy loading, cleaning up the hay, and turning the street back into Main Street, Georgetown,” Cheri says. “We get home very tired, but we rejoice and marvel at what the Lord has done for another year for our city.”

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BYEMILY TREADWAYPHOTOS BY TINA LOPEZ

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Set in Austin, Waiting Hearts is the story of Kayla Parker, a young elementary school teacher with a rare heart condition who lives a simple, quiet existence until she meets musician Gabe Sanderson, who brings love into her life. A Nicholas Sparks’ fan since college,

Waiting HeartsLocal author’s debut novel tells a love story

then we came back together later in college. He had some unfortu-nate events occur in his life that really brought us close together, and I feel really lucky and maybe that’s why I do read [romance].”

Not content with sitting back and reading a romance, Beth determinedly set out to write one, too. It took her just one year. “It was an experience,” she says. “Ev-erything was from scratch.” She started with her story line, plot line, and characters. “Then I just went with it and started writing and writing and writing. Slowly, you get into your own jive and you… figure out your process.”

Beth also felt it was important to incorporate local places and Texas scenery into her story. “I wanted to share a piece of what I grew up with… and I hope people

Beth admits to being a sucker for a good romance. “I like [to read] everything, but romance is my favorite…. It really appeals to me, I think because it resonates to me in some way.”

In the novel’s foreword, Beth’s childhood friend Traci Miller writes, “I know Beth’s life experi-ences have helped shape the love story in these pages,” she says, “and the results are beautiful. The strength and courage of Kayla and Gabe in this story remind me of traits I saw Beth and her husband, Hank, display early in their rela-tionship.”

“My husband and I have a really interesting story of how we met and got together,” Beth elabo-rates. “We met very young, he was the first person I went on a date with, we parted ways, and


enjoy that. I think it’s a great thing. It makes the story become real.”

Beth completed Waiting Hearts one weekend when her husband and son had gone out of town. She wrote from Friday night to Sunday morning. “And I just finished it,” she says. “I wrote all day until I couldn’t stay awake and then that was it. It was done and I just put it away.”

Beth then didn’t know what to do with her book. She wasn’t entirely sure how she felt about it. “I had self-doubt. I did that, I wrote it, but ‘What now?’ I didn’t know if I wanted to self-publish it. I didn’t know if I wanted to find a [traditional] publisher.” So Waiting Hearts waited in a drawer for three years until a chance meeting set the next phase of Beth’s writing in motion.

“We moved, and everything about the move almost felt like it was meant to be,” Beth says. She met a neighbor who shared her love of writing, and the neighbor mentioned knowing a woman at a new Texas publishing company. “Within a week of this conversation, I felt confident enough in [my book] that I sent it off, and [the publisher] liked it, and it went from there.”

The experience Beth had with her publisher reignited her desire to write.

find a way to make it happen, to make it work.”

Beth felt that the biggest reward of this whole experience, however, was when her mom read Waiting Hearts. “To have her read it and enjoy it meant the most to me,” Beth says. “And I made her cry! Which was my point at the end of the book. I hope there are some tears.”

It wouldn’t be a true romance without a few.

Now hard at work on a second book, with plans for third and fourth books to follow, Beth says, “This go-around it’s so much easier, and I just feel like it clicked. I get it and I enjoy it. I enjoy writing it more than anything else. It’s kind of therapeutic.”

Which doesn’t mean it’s easy. Beth has to balance her writing time around a full-time job, her husband, and their six-year old son. She writes in the eve-nings, sometimes into the wee hours of the morning. “I do this whenever I can because right now that’s the way it has to work to make my life work.” Beth believes she’s demonstrating to her son if there’s something he wants to do, he can do it. “You have to start it, you have to finish it, you have to put in the hard work and the effort, but… when you have a passion for something, you

Waiting Hearts can be found in paperback and ebook at Amazon

and Barnes & Noble, and at iBooks at itunes.apple.com/

us/book/waiting-hearts. For more information, visit

www.waitinghearts.com.

“I wanted to share a piece of what I

grew up with… and I hope people

enjoy that. I think it’s a great thing.

It makes the story become real.”


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BYMIKAELA CAINPHOTOS BY TINA LOPEZ

A L L A B O U T

On a chilly November evening, Dwayne Campbell hauled a large, industrial calendar home from work. He asked his wife, Claudia, if she wanted it. With two children in high school, four younger

girls schooled at home, and each person involved in a million things, Claudia had a lot to keep up with. She couldn’t find space for the calendar, however, and was about to toss it when nine-year-old Bethany intervened. A few days later, Claudia found the cal-endar in Bethany’s room, turned to December. The following note, decorated with penciled heart and cupcake, was on the 24th: “The day I will feed the homeless.”

“This was before she wrote her Christmas presents list or even marked ‘Christmas’ on her calendar,” Claudia marvels. “I didn’t tell the kids, ‘Hey, remember about the 24th!’ We’d done it for so many years that she was anticipating it.”

Claudia posted a picture of Bethany’s calendar on Facebook with a “Thank you” to those who had ever taken part in the Campbell family’s enduring tradition: helping to deliver care packages and serve breakfast to the homeless in down-town Austin on Christmas Eve morning.

CHRISTMAS EVE TRADITIONThe Campbell family started feeding the homeless

on the 24th in 2007, when they moved from south-ern California to Williamson County—they haven’t missed a year. Dwayne and Claudia were looking for a way to nurture their kids’ benevolent hearts. In California, they’d traveled to an orphanage just across the border in Mexico every month or every other month with a truck full of donated clothes and

One family takes to the streets on Christmas Eve to find the true meaning of Christmas

food or hands to assist with construction projects. When the family moved to Texas, they wanted to find a similar family activity.

“For our kids, it’s more than just getting gifts on Christmas,” Dwayne says. “It’s about doing something for somebody else.”

The first Christmas Eve, they loaded their kids in the van and drove around to find the homeless. Over the years, former homeless people and leaders of nonprofits dedicated to serving the homeless offered tips that steered them to a bridge under the overpass of I-35 and 6th Street. As neighbors, friends, and friends of friends heard about the family’s service

and asked to help, the outreach grew to include more hands. Last year, about forty people showed up to participate. “Some of the people, we didn’t even know who they were! People just hear about what we do and want their family to be a part of serving,” Dwayne recalls, still a little surprised at how their tradition has expanded.

The set-up is a little different every year, depending on volunteers and donations. The past few years, the Campbells have set up tables with items to give away and breakfast options—juice, hot chocolate, coffee,

fruit, and homemade breakfast burritos. In their big-gest year, they produced around four hundred bur-ritos and assembled three hundred care packages. It takes about four hours to distribute everything—and they don’t leave until everything is gone, including blankets in the car that kept the little kids warm and, one year, the socks off of their feet.

The bulk of the work for the outreach happens in the weeks and months before Christmas Eve. Claudia begins collecting donations from stores, churches,


friends, and neighbors as early as October. She’s on the hunt for blankets, trail mix, mittens, coats, water bottles, wipes, and other items people living on the streets in the cold need. She also takes whatever people donate.

One year, one of their neighbors showed up toting wrapping paper and toys for the homeless to pick out a gift for their children or grandchildren—a huge hit. One man stood out as an especially grateful recipient. He had dirty-blond hair, tattoos down his arms, and tear tattoos on his cheek. For the past three Christmases, he’d arrived empty-handed when he went to see his

start their own tradition of giving with their families. “It doesn’t need to be on Christmas Eve or even feeding the homeless. Just reaching down deep and finding what they want to give. I want them to receive a spirit of giving,” he says.

They already have. Sade, the oldest, recently went on mission trip overseas during which she aided girls her age who live in squatter villages with their young children. Dwayne Jr., fifteen, gave brand-new Vans shoes to a girl in school who “needed them more than” he did. Giving keeps Dwayne Jr. and Sade grateful because they realize how much they have that others don’t. They look forward to Christmas Eve because they experience a joy that they don’t get anywhere else.

The Campbell children are not the only ones receiving the spirit of giving from Claudia and Dwayne. One Christ-mas Eve, the Campbells met a couple in their early twenties who had become homeless that day. They’d recently lost their jobs and housing in Houston and traveled up to Austin to stay with a grandparent, but she was gone and her house was locked. They were scared and unsure if they could rough it in the streets.

Several of the adults with the Camp-bells gathered what blankets remained, gave them to the couple, and prayed for them. A man passing by overheard and offered for his church to put them up in a hotel for a few nights. The couple was so grateful that they gave the blankets to another homeless woman.

“She didn’t have anything but what we had just given her, yet she freely gave what she had just been given,” Claudia says. “I think it really blessed her to give, too, because it was Christ-mas.”

“The key to giving is not to hold too tightly to what we’ve been given,” Dwayne says. “One of our old pastors told us, ‘When you’re down and out, you give your way out.’ If you give, it will come back to you.”

kids, who live with their mom. He was so grateful to finally bring presents. He couldn’t stop “crying and hugging every-body.”

“You get all kinds of people out there,”

Dwayne says. “Sometimes, people point to the skyscrapers in Austin and tell you they used to work there. You say, ‘How did this happen?’ As they tell their stories, you begin to become very grate-ful for all you have. It keeps us very humble because that could be us. It’s just by the grace of God that it’s not us.”

SPIRIT OF GIVINGThe giveaway leaves the Campbells

exhausted by the time they make it home to open their own presents. But it’s worth it to impart a spirit of giving to their kids. Dwayne hopes that when his children grow up, they’ll want to

Six Tips for Serving the Homeless1 FOOD FOR THE SOUL. “It’s more important to show people that you care

than just to hand them food,” Claudia says. One year, Claudia included Christmas cards with a dollar and stick of gum in their care packages with the simple phrase, “Someone cares.” Dwayne suggests taking a few minutes to ask people their stories. “They want to tell you how they got there,” he says.

2 FOOD FOR THE BODY. Pack soft foods, such as crackers, easy-open ready-made soups and pastas, fruit cups, or soft cereals, and include plastic utensils. “Some homeless people don’t have good teeth,” Claudia advises. Water is always needed.

3 SAFETY AND DISCRETION. “Go with someone who has gone before,” Dwayne says. “Some of these people are on drugs and desperate. You’ve just got to know that.” The Campbells don’t go out alone or at night and require parents to accompany children. “I’m not going to say it’s a bad environment for kids, but you have to use discretion.”

4 CLOTHES AND HYGIENE. T-shirts and socks are always in demand; go with dark colors to hide dirt. In her care packages, Claudia includes hair ties, tooth brushes, wipes, cotton swabs, feminine products, etc.

5 WEATHER-RELATED NECESSITIES. In summer, give out mosquito spray and sunscreen. In winter, offer coats, blankets, scarves, mittens, and beanies.

6 BACKPACKS AND TOWELS. Many homeless children need backpacks for school, and many adults appreciate something to carry their stuff. A towel is versatile—to dry off after a shower at a shelter, keep warm, or even roll up for a pillow.

If you would like more information about or to donate to the Campbell’s Christmas Eve Outreach, e-mail Claudia at [email protected].


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Art Meets AnimalInnovative drawing class features pets

The furry model sat perfectly still while students in Professor Star Varner’s art class at Southwestern University

sketched every detail of his body, from the curve of his spine to the taut muscles of his back and, finally, his small paws.

Then he lifted a leg and scratched, vigorously, behind his left ear.

“The dogs are not terribly co-operative about modeling,” Star says.

Each semes-ter, students learn how to illustrate the inner structures of the human body like those seen in medical illustration. But Star also chal-


BYCHRISTINE BOLAÑOSPHOTOS BY

RUDY XIMENEZ

lenges students to master drawing the human body by having them draw live animals in motion.

“It’s a special challenge for students to try to draw a moving target. When students are draw-ing or sketching in public, people aren’t posing for long periods of time like professional models that come to class.” Students must “become versatile as artists draw-ing figures in changing environ-ments,” she says.

Star also feels that “it’s impor-tant for art students to learn to compare the anatomy of animals and humans.” Thus, she explains, “the annual Art for Animals Draw-ing II event is a celebration at the end of a long semester of drawing the human figure to help students understand the human body and synthesize [that knowledge] with other material. Students love it.”

For the past six years Star has

offered a session with her Draw-ing II class as a fundraiser auction item to benefit an animal shelter. Winners may bring a pet to be drawn by the class. Pet owners take home a variety of drawings, from quick sketches to longer studies.

Recently, the offer benefitted Georgetown Animal Outreach’s Bow Wow Meow Holiday Bash. Star is not aware of any other art class in the United States that does something like this.

Dogs in particular serve as a critical test of students’ drawing abilities. Since the dogs won’t sit still for more than a few seconds, students will sometimes draw one pose and then leave it to draw another position, return-ing to the original drawing later. “They might have a whole page of drawings of different positions the dog is in if they can move back

Attend this year’s Bow Wow Meow Holiday Bash at Berry Creek on December 12 and enter a silent auction to win an Art for Animals Drawing II session in which Star’s class will draw your pet for you. All proceeds benefit Georgetown Animal Outreach. Find out how to purchase tickets at www.georgetowndogrescue.com


and forth between the drawings,” Star explains.

Grappling with the challenges of drawing mobile subjects allows stu-dents to become stronger artists, Star adds. “I notice that they’re struggling to keep up with a mobile subject, so they have to rely on their knowledge of the skeleton, solid volumes of the cones and the sphere, the cylinder and the cube to construct a solid-looking drawing.”

Drawing animals is an extension of drawing the human figure. “Drawing the human figure has been a foundation in western art since the Renaissance. Drawing animals is an extension of the idea that if a person can draw a human figure, he or she can draw anything be-cause the human figure is so complex,” Star says.

Star collaborates with Dr. Laura Hobgood-Oster, professor of religion and environmental studies at South-

western, who arranges auctions for Georgetown Animal Outreach. “For the last three years, it’s been part of our Bow Wow Meow Holiday Bash, a big holiday fundraiser,” Laura says. “We have a silent auction that a number of businesses in Georgetown contribute to, and that’s the largest part of that fundraiser. The two highest bidders get

drawings of their pet. For Christmas, it’s really a unique kind of gift.”

“It’s a useful drawing exercise that also benefits the Georgetown commu-nity through a Southwestern University outreach effort,” Star says. “Tell people that they can bid on next year’s event on behalf of their pet… Muffin’s ready for her close-up!”

To see SU students in action drawing Georgetown pets in action, visit vimeo.com/92970713 or www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8tkpOl2yUg

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P I N K P P P YA R T I S A N S • B O U T I Q U E

114 W. 8th • Georgetown • [email protected]


GeorgetownAntiques and Artisans

Corner of 8th and Main on the Georgetown Square

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109 W. 7th Street, Suite 100Georgetown, TX 78626

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Taking orders for

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1905 South Austin Ave.

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Georgetown’s upscale furniture &

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Make this shop your storefor buying & consigning

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Dale’s EssenhausHome of the “Walburger”Bert Stuewe Hall Book your Christmas Party NOW!Call Bonnie for special rates and packages.Call Today. Dates are filling fast!

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Spreading Symphonic CheerWilco orchestra provides free community concerts

In 2002, Dr. Thomas Rainey realized that the area lacked a community orchestra. Adults longed to dust off their old high school and college

instruments; but unless they were professionals, few had the oppor-tunity to play again. With the help of Dr. Rainey—better known as “Doc”—and the founding board, the Williamson County Symphony Orchestra (WSCO) was born.

Since its first concert, the or-chestra has grown from about 30 members to more than 90. It’s up-holding its joint goals of encour-aging musicians to reawaken their passion for musical performance while sharing the symphony with Williamson County’s diverse community. Georgetown View sat down with Director Rainey to get the scoop on what the WSCO has in store for us this year.

H O W ’ S T H A T W O R K ?

BYRACHEL

BROWNLOW LUND

PHOTO BY ELIZABETH

PAGLIUCO

WHAT’S IT LIKE TO ATTEND ONE OF YOUR CONCERTS?

From the beginning, we decided that we want to provide free pub-lic concerts. Part of our mission is to get people who normally do not attend concerts because they think of them as boring to come to our concerts, enjoy the music, and… return [to hear more]. Our music is like the Boston Pops’. During the performances, we’ll incorporate widely recognizable pieces, audience participation, and musical contests.

RECOGNIZABLE PIECES? Last year, we played an entire

John Williams concert. We played ET, Battle of the Heroes, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Superman…. And people loved it.

WHAT WILL YOU PERFORM THIS YEAR?

Each of our concerts has a theme. This year, our October theme is “Anything Goes”; in December it’s “Christmas Is Forever”; in March, it’s “March Mad-ness”; and our outdoor concert in May is “Out of

This World,” where we’ll play selections from Battlestar Galactica and Star Wars.

ARE YOUR CONCERTS INSIDE OR OUTDOORS?

Most of them are indoors, but in May we’ll play two outdoor con-certs. Our outdoor concerts are geared toward families, children, and grandparents [who may] bring their dogs, blankets, and picnics.

HOW MANY PEOPLE TYPICALLY ATTEND YOUR CONCERTS?

These days, our smallest audi-ence is about 1,500, but we’ve had as many as 2,500 people in attendance.

HOW MANY CONCERTS DO YOU PUT ON EACH YEAR?

We put on nine concerts each year so that we can perform in different parts of Williamson County and reach as many people as possible. Then, in December, we’ll put on a third Christmas concert in Fort Hood for the sol-diers and their families. It’s one of our favorite concerts—we get chills when we see the soldiers come in.

For more information on the Williamson County Symphony Orchestra, including their performance calendar and audition information, visit williamsoncountysymphonyorchestra.org/.


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The Staff and Owners ofThe Gabriels Funeral Chapel & CrematoryInvites you to join us for our 6th Annual

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Thursday, December 11, 2014 at 7:00 p.m.393 North IH-35 (West side Service Road)

We have placed an ornament to memorialize each of the loved ones we have served from Dec. 2013 to Nov. 2014 on our Tree of Remembrance.

Please join us in our service of dedication.

The Gabriels Funeral Chapel & Crematory is a community owned independently owned funeral establishment.

512-869-84003010 Williams Dr. Ste.105(beside Laplaya)

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An Inspiring “Elvis” Mike Elliott’s hobby brings Elvis to the community

Standing backstage at the Sun City Ballroom, Mike Elliott waited for his first chance to emulate the late musical legend

Elvis Presley. Dressed in the clas-sic attire of a one-piece jeweled bell-bottom jumpsuit, Mike took the stage while a trademark Elvis tribute version of “2001: A Space Odyssey” blared in front of a 400-member audience. “I was terrified,” Mike recalls. “But it was awesome. I thrive on challenges!”

Four years later, Mike’s hobby has become a full-scale, passion-ately perfected show in the Austin arena and beyond. His voice has developed. His moves are iconic,


BYJENNIFER

ARMSTRONGPHOTOS BY

RUDY XIMENEZ

and he believes his stage pres-ence is stronger than ever. Por-traying Elvis in a way that does justice to his legacy is important to Mike.

By day, Mike serves as direc-tor of marketing and advertising for his family business, Texas Outdoor Power Equipment. But on evenings or weekends, Mike transforms into Elvis. Mike’s wife, Zelinda, who he says is his “rock and biggest fan,” manages make-up, costume, jewelry, and photog-raphy. Together, the couple works to give the community insight on the character and kindness of Elvis Presley. “He took care of his friends and family and gave mil-lions of dollars to charity,” Mike says. “He always seemed bigger than life to me, and I grew up wanting to be like him.”

It’s a role Mike has trained for all of his life. As a child, he spent hours watching Elvis movies with his mother, who always claimed, Mike remembers, that he was hooked on Elvis from the first movie he ever watched. And he

had the moves to prove it. “I’d listen to his music and stand in front of a mirror with a hairbrush ‘microphone’ trying to imitate him,” Mike reminisces.

In college, Mike occasionally sang with a rockabilly band called “The Elvis Brothers,” and in 1996, Mike dabbled in acting, starring as Elvis in a production in Round Rock of a play called All Shook Up at Heartbreak Hotel. The play ran for 15 sold-out performances, and people started asking to book Mike for charity and corporate events.

Charity events, in fact, are at the heart of Mike’s hobby. Once, during a Make-A-Wish Founda-tion event, an elderly gentleman asked Mike if he would sing a song for his ill wife. Mike got on one knee, put a scarf around the woman’s neck, and held her hand as he sang “Can’t Help Falling in Love.” Later, the gentleman explained to Mike that his wife had terminal cancer. The man had driven a hundred miles to bring his wife to see “Elvis,” her


lifelong idol. With tears in his eyes, the man told Mike, “If she were to pass in her sleep tonight, she’d go with a smile on her face. Thank you.”

Moments like these occur often during Mike’s shows, which include fundraising concerts for The Caring Place, The Georgetown Project, and the Georgetown Police Department’s “Silver Bells” project, as well as for the Blue Santa program and numerous senior citizen events. Nationwide, Mike has performed for Facebook Corporate, Intel, the Army, Dell Children’s Hospital,

“As Mike Elliott, there is only so much that I can do. But as Elvis, the possibilities are limitless as to what I can do for people.”

For more information, check out Mike Elliott’s website at www.elvisaustin.net.

the Austin Music Hall, and Harley Davidson. He’s the Austin Police Department’s Official Elvis for their Blue Santa Program, and two years ago Mike was chosen to per-form with Wayne Newton at a USO Gala at Fort Hood.

“As Mike Elliott, there is only so much that I can do,” Mike explains. “But as Elvis, the possibilities are limitless as to what I can do for people. I feel that I was

blessed with a gift and that my purpose is to share it and use it to the best of my abilities.”


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Professional Services Include:• Design & Color Consulting• Hunter Douglas Dealer• Custom Window Treatments• Remodel Specializing in Kitchen & Baths • Accessorizing & Staging

LET KINSEY INTERIORS DECORATE YOUR HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS! CALL TO SCHEDULE!

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Get Ready – Here are my Top Ten trends we will see in 2015:

1 Colors: Gray, Violet, Emerald Green, Peacock Blue, and Shimmering Neutrals will be seen in home and fashion.

2 Warm metallics are making a huge comeback! Gold, bronze, and copper will be competing with the polished nickel and brushed stainless of the last few years.

3 Cowhide on furniture, accessories, rugs, and fashion. Remember, a little goes a long way.

4 LED lighting is everywhere. Pendants and chandeliers are huge in 2015!

5 Use rustic and natural materials such as stacked natural stone, teak wood, river rocks, and sisal.

6 Mix design styles like Vintage and Contemporary.

7 Repurpose and Recycle.

8 Making a splash are free-standing tubs! Or, forget the bathtub and have a luxury walk-in shower.

9 Sensor-operated faucets in kitchens and baths. They are user friendly and hygienic.

10 Luxury appliances in the kitchen. Maybe a steam oven or warming drawer. Stainless steel is continuing to be the front runner for finishes on appliances.

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KinseyInteriorsIncHappy Decorating!

Gigi’s Interior10


A(nother) Fresh StartA running program gets at-risk youth back on track

Sabine Medrano flipped through a copy of Run-ner’s World magazine, gleaning tips about super foods and running shoes,

weight loss and mental persever-ance—strategies that could help an avid runner, like her, improve.

One fateful page turn later, her eyes landed on Peter Vigneron’s 2011 article “A Fresh Start: Tack-ling a marathon gives inmates a new outlook on life.”

Sabine, a juvenile probation officer, was intrigued by how a women’s correctional facil-ity in Kansas helped rehabilitate inmates through Running Free, an eight-week prison running club that helped lower participants’ re-cidivism, or relapse, and improve their overall physical and mental health.

Inspired, she shared the article with fellow juvenile probation officer Miranda Villarreal, and the two devised a plan to implement a similar program, called Run Free Texas, in the Williamson County Juvenile Justice Department.

“Our biggest goal is to provide

F I T N E S S V I E W

BYRACHEL

BROWNLOW LUND

PHOTOS BY ANDREA HUNTER

a support system for these kids to get them back on track,” says Miranda. “We teach them the benefits of being physically active, because not only is it really great for your physical condition, but it’s also a great coping tool.”

Practices occur twice weekly for twelve weeks, during which time groups of four to eight kids are coached to run between 1 and 4.5 miles in an hour and a half. At the end of the program, they partici-pate in a final 5K and a fundraiser to collect money for their race entry.

“Everything we’ll ask the kids to do, we’ll do with them,” explains Miranda. “That opens up commu-nication, so we can counsel them about whatever issues they may bring up—hard times at school, hard times at home…. Also, I was not a runner when we first started

Run Free Texas, so I can encour-age the kids who aren’t expe-rienced runners and tell them, ‘Look where I am now. If I can, you can.’”

Run Free Texas invites motiva-tional speakers, including coach-es, athletes, and entrepreneurs, to speak to participants and their families about goal-setting, healthy habits, and recover-ing from past failures. Olympic medalist Leo Manzano, Aztex soccer player Robin Martinez, and Southwestern University track coach and former Olympic runner Francine Larrieu Smith have spo-ken to the group.

“Leo Manzano’s talk really in-cited a passion in one of our kids. He’s now aiming for the Olym-pics and is working with a local coach to train on weekends,” says Miranda. Sabine Medrano and Miranda Villarreal


Youth who attend at least 75 percent of practices in the free, voluntary pro-gram and complete the fundraiser and community 5K are eligible to receive up to 26 community service hours. They may also return to subsequent groups to earn additional hours and to mentor others.

“A year ago, we had a kid come into the program who was not doing well in school; he had a chip on his shoulder and was having issues at home. Dur-ing our running practices, we learned that he had a lot of sadness about his parents’ divorce and didn’t know how to communicate or handle that, which

resulted in him making some poor deci-sions,” says Miranda.

Fast-forward a year, and that same participant has enthusiastically signed up for three subsequent twelve-week running sessions—twice as a mentor.

“He turned his life around. Now, he’s doing [well] at home; he’s doing [well] in school. He made the varsity wrestling team; he was selected as an assistant coach for a youth basketball group. And because he had made so many positive changes, his probation officer selected him out of 81 kids to let off probation early,” says Miranda. “It’s amazing—this program really can change lives.”

For more information or to donate to support the program, visit www.runfreetexas.org/.

To read the Runner’s World article that inspired Run Free Texas, visit www.runnersworld.com/runners-stories/fresh-start.

GAINWITHLESSPAIN

EXPIRES 12 / 31 / 14First time visitors only. Must be 18 years old and a local resident with valid ID. Not redeemable for cash. Valid at participating Gold’s Gym Express only. Other restrictions apply. See club for details. ©2014 Gold’s Holding Corp.

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Luxury living that exceeds expectations, embodies tradition, and embraces tomorrow.Every detail of Legacy at Georgetown has been crafted with our residents in mind, from our dedicated staff to our adaptive technology.

These details make our community the ideal choice for living in Georgetown. As a luxury assisted living and memory care community near Austin, Texas, our home is designed for the safety, comfort and happiness of each of our residents.

Call us today to schedule a tour and join us for lunch.

You’ll see what makes Legacy at Georgetown the new standard for senior living.

Welcome Home…

4907 Williams Drive • Georgetown, TX 78633www.legacyatgeorgetown.com 512.686.1694

Facility ID No. 105556

You’re invited to

Legacy of Trees Gala & Auction

Thursday, December 4th 5:30 p.m.Join us for our 1st Annual Legacy of Trees gala.

We will be serving light h’orderves & festive cocktails. While holding a silent auction to auction off the beautiful trees donated by local businesses.

All proceeds will benefit Honor Flight Austin.

RSVP to [email protected] or call 512-686-1694

Come buy your tree at

Legacy at Georgetown Thursday,

December 45:30 p.m.

Our Service& Reputation

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• Termite Inspections & Warranties• Interior & Exterior Treatments Available• Scorpion Treatments • Flea & Tick Control• Ant Control • Rodent Control• Yard Spraying • Attic Dusting

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Georgetown’s Oldest Pest Control Company

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DISTRIBUTOR OF PROFESSIONAL PEST CONTROL PRODUCTS, OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.

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MERRY CHRISTMAS AND WISHING EVERYONE A HAPPY AND HEALTHY 2015! NO

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Galaxie Granite is family owned & operated in Georgetown. This allows us the opportunity to offer you that personal touch you deserve, and makes you proud of the final product. We special-ize in exotic and unique natural stones. Call us and we will

come to you and together we can create your dream room.

The Bitter Taste of poor Quality Lingers Long After the Satisfaction of a Low Price

Galaxie Granite Our Work is Out of This World!

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Joe McNabb, Granite Repair Specialist, Eric Hillin, Owner, with Ethan, Nikki Hillin, Executive Assistant

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Eric & Mike Weynand of University Place Townhomes, thrilled with the new unit install.

512.966.613440108 Industrial Park Circle, Georgetown

www.GalaxieGranite.com


Locally owned & operated for 14 years.Free up front estimates (most cases)We help you prioritize maintenance

by letting you know what should be fixed and what can wait

Lifetime WarrantyExperienced Stable Staff

Trust the Midas Touch.®

Please call for appointment or book online at www.midas.com

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6 MONTHS SPECIAL FINANCINGAvailible at participating shops with approved credit. Minimum monthly payment required. See manager for details

Midas of Georgetown

Most vehicles. Up to 5 quarts of conventional oil. High mileage, synthetic, synthetic blend oils extra. Up to 10% shop fee where permitted based on pre-invoiced retail price, not to exceed $35.00. Plus applicable tax. Tire rotation at time of service. No cash value. Not valid with other offers. At participating Midas locations, with coupon. Expires: 12/31/14

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Discount off regular price. Lifetime guarantee valid for as long as you own your car. See manager for limited guarantee items. Plus applicable tax. Most vehicles. No cash value. Not valid with other offers or brake warranty redemptions. At participating Midas locations, with coupon. Expires: 12/31/14 *BK903USOTH*

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Have a Safe & Happy Holiday

HAPPY HOLIDAYSFROM THE CARING PLACE!

The Shops at The Caring Place: Come see us for your last minute Christmas list items.

Your donations help us to serve our community.

512.943.07002000 Railroad St., Georgetownwww.caringplacetx.org


True ValueA half-century’s work on the Square

Many people look for-ward to retirement, but Georgetown resident Eloide Newsom was not

one of those people. “My son-in-law says I was still working when I was ninety-five, and I think I was close,” she says. “I wasn’t on the payroll, but I couldn’t stand being away from the Square. I had to be down there where things were going on.”

Eloide, who reached the cen-tury mark this past August, spent almost fifty years working on the Square. In the mid-1960s, Eloide and her husband, Paul, moved from Missouri to Georgetown to be near to their grown children, who already lived in Texas. They opened a Western Auto franchise, and later, with their son-in-law Ken Olson, they bought into a True Value franchise. These stores were family run and focused on personal service for customers. “People would tell us the reason they liked to come in [the store] is because someone would greet them and wait on them,” Eloide says.

E X T R A V I E W

BYEMILY

TREADWAYPHOTO BY

RUDY XIMENEZ

Sears eventually bought West-ern Auto, but by that time the Newsom and Olson families also had a furniture store on 6th Street directly behind their True Value store. Eloide’s daughter Judy says, “You could just walk out one [store] and into the back of the other.”

Laughing now over the memory, Eloide recalls the day in the 1970s when her granddaughter disap-peared from the furniture store. “She went and hid where we had the furniture, crawled under a baby crib, and nobody knew where she was.”

“She fell asleep,” Judy adds. “We had the whole Square

out looking for her,” Eloide says. “Back then, everybody seemed like family. Even someone who was in business against you was there helping you. It was a wonderful place to be.”

“Everyone just dropped their customers and left the stores and went out looking,” Judy says.

“We had people going through the courthouse. They went over to a car lot place, thinking she may have gotten into one of the used

cars,” Eloide says. “It was amaz-ing. Of course, we found her and she was fine, and everyone was so glad.”

These last few years, Eloide hasn’t been able to get to the Square as much as she’d like. “It’s not like it was when I first worked there,” she says. “It’s got a lot of new and interesting things around it.”

Eloide worked as long as she could because she was lonesome at home. Family and friends visit Eloide frequently, but she says, “I liked to be out with people. I do miss working. All of the young people that work for us at the store keep in touch with me, and I encourage them never to quit working… most of them took my advice.”

People often ask Eloide the secret to her longevity. While she doesn’t have the answer to the location of the fountain of youth, she suggests, “I think it’s good to be within the public. You don’t want to get out of the hum of things.”


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Your Hometown Office & Break Room Supply CompanyLocally Owned & Operated RIGHT HERE IN GEORGETOWN

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A S T O N E ’ S T H R O W

Across Time: Crossroads of Central Texas“Engage, explore, enjoy” at Waco’s Mayborn Museum

If time travel through Texas sounds like fun, here’s a destination that will deliver: Pack a picnic lunch and strike out early for Waco’s May-

born Museum. Located on Baylor University’s campus just off I-35, the beautifully planned museum complex features amenities such as a gift shop, theater, party room, and Mrs. Moen’s Neighborhood for wee folks.

Visitors can browse exhibits showing geology millions of years ago, fossilized skeletons from the Cretaceous era, dramatic models of long-dead creatures, repre-sentations of Texas geographical regions, and the march of human settlement along the Balcones Fault and Brazos River system.

Three different museum areas offer different experiences.

Depending on weather, visitors might enjoy going first to the Gov-ernor Bill and Vara Daniel Historic Village after securing tickets at the museum. Both kids and adults can burn off energy outside and enjoy some fresh air after the drive. The Village, peaceful among pecan trees, features buildings typical of late nineteenth-century Texas

BYNANCY

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farm communities. There’s a barn and smithy, a schoolhouse, a general store full of daily neces-sities, a country church, and furnished houses for both planter and tenant. Docents help children experience “old-timey” chores like pumping water or learning the fabled three Rs with slates instead of electronics. Adjacent to the Vil-lage is a covered picnic pavilion, great for lunch.

First-floor exhibits inside are varied and more “museum-like.” One room displays worldwide artifacts called Strecker’s Cabinets of Curiosities after the museum’s earliest curator. Another room brings visitors into Texas forests as they were 150 years ago. Leaves rustle, birds call, and very realistic wildlife peeps from underbrush and tree trunks. A regal longhorn guards another

section, and still another sec-tion displays a log cabin, a Native American thatched roundhouse, and a Bosque County rock house built in Norwegian style.

The Discovery Rooms are also worth a look. Adults can enjoy these simple, interactive displays as much as kids. One grown-up for every two children seems about right to help guide “discov-ery processes” via minimal in-struction signs. What’s not to like about a giant heart with echoing beat, a human skeleton on a bike,

optical illusions, or a huge key-board for playing “Twinkle, Twin-kle” by foot? And yes, there’s more: recycling, basic machine design, energy—discov-eries continue through sixteen rooms.

This generous legacy from Frank and Sue Mayborn of Temple offers a full, interesting day.

Mayborn Museum is open seven days a week except for major holidays. Check times and prices at www.

MaybornMuseum.com or by calling 254-710-1110.


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Alicea Jones is a professional writer and speaker encouraging mothers to nurture the whole woman so that they can achieve all they are designed to be. She is currently working on Free To Mother, a book to help moms live courageously. www.freetomother.com

When I was grow-ing up, Christ-mastime meant sweet potato pie and sneaking out

of bed on Christmas Eve with my sister, watching for Santa’s sleigh to come gliding out of the night sky. When I became a parent, my husband and I started an advent calendar tradition using a minia-ture dresser we found at Hobby

Lobby. We stuffed each of the 24 drawers with scrip-tures, surprises, and clues for finding treats around the house.

Whether you grew up in a family

M U S I N G S F O R M O M S

BYALICEA JONES

that enjoys traditional holiday routines passed down through the generations or are just starting your own, you can create fun and memorable activities that aren’t complicated or conventional and that can reap positive benefits for your family.

A 2002 review of research conducted by Syracuse University found that “rituals were powerful organizers of family life, support-ing its stability during times of stress and transition.” Research-ers found that routines (traditions) are important for the psycho-logical health and well-being of the family and create a sense of closeness and belonging.

For the fun of it, let’s take a look at what some families in George-

town have done to create holiday traditions in their homes. Maybe we can pick up some new ideas:

Longtime Georgetown resident and mother of two boys Monica Turner made sure the house smelled yummy on Christmas morning. “We always had baked apples, biscuits, and egg and sausage casserole for breakfast. The kids loved the smells wafting while we opened gifts.”

Monica also alluded to the Three Wise Men by limiting gifts to three for each child. “It seemed to help them savor and appreciate the gifts a little more,” she says. She and her husband played a game of hide and seek with their boys. Every year, they’d hide the baby Jesus from their nativity set and the boys had to find him. “They were appalled to find him in the dryer one year,” Monica says.

When Lenora Hausman was raising her children, the family tradition was to open one gift on each of the eight nights before Hanukkah. The children were treated to warm potato latkes and played games of dreidel. A dreidel is a wooden four-sided spinning

Creating Holiday Memories Traditions bring families together


SOME HOLIDAY FAMILY ACTIVITIES IN GEORGETOWN:

Georgetown’s annual Christmas Stroll, Downtown Georgetown: Visit www.thegeorgetownsquare.com and click on “Events” or call 512-868-8675 for information.

Georgetown Holiday Home Tour: Visit www.georgetownheritagesociety.com/events.php or call 512-869-8597 for details.

top with Hebrew letters on each side. Lynn Jimenez and her family order

Chinese dinner for delivery on Christ-mas Eve. “My family has been doing this for 50 years,” she says.

Jen Mauldin, local life transition coach, also incorporates food into her holiday festivities. “After so many years of turkey and ham, our recent tradition for Christmas dinner is a hodge-podge of food that people have expressed a desire for. For example, one year we had salmon, banana pudding, rice cas-serole, and a Brussels sprouts dish. No one cares if it’s a Real Simple or Martha Stewart table or if the dishes go ‘prop-erly together,’” she says.

Stephanie Huges Blanck waxes nauti-cal at Christmastime, decorating her home in a sea-worthy theme. “I have a very nautical mantle—including fishnet and everything…. It pays homage to my Long Island roots.” Stephanie serves steak and lobster on Christmas day instead of turkey.

The Moffett family’s tradition is to talk about what they’ve learned during the year. They ask, “What would we have done differently?” says Jade Moffett. “We also sing and lip-sync to our Christ-mas music while decorating the tree,” says Herb Moffett, Jade’s dad.

Whether your traditions feature mu-sic, food, gifts, or decorating, incorpo-rating Christmas routines helps to unify the family and create memories.

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One thing I am seeing daily is a lot of players who have never been shown the correct way to finish their

swing (also known as the “follow-through”).

If this is something you would like to improve in your game, try this drill:

Stand in front of a full-length mirror and think of the mirror as your target line. You will be look-ing at the mirror over your left shoulder for a right-hand player or your right shoulder for a left-hand player. Now what you want to do is simulate a golf swing toward the mirror and hold your finish.

Now look at the mirror and make sure you have made a com-plete turn facing the mirror with

BYBILL EASTERLY

Find Bill Easterly through The Golf Ranch1019 W. University #310 (Wolf Ranch)

512-863-4573

your shoulders and hips facing the target. Make sure your right shoulder is in front of your left shoulder at the finish. If your right knee is pointing to the right and your right shoulder is not in front of the left one, you did not follow through. A lot of you have heard to point your belt buckle at the target. This is basically the same thought process. Just remember to start your downswing with your lower body. Do not start with your hands. If you start with your hands, that is what will cause you to come over the top. Prac-tice making this complete follow through to the finish with about 90% of your weight on the left side and 10% on your right toe. Re-member a nice follow through will produce a more consistent shot with more power and accuracy.

THE PROWith 30 years ex-perience in golfing, BILL EASTERLY has spent 17 years as a pro player from the US to Australia, winning the Gulf Coast Invitational twice, and three times on the Sr Cir-cuit. Bill has spent 10 years helping others enjoy the sport. Here, he gives you priceless tips – free – every month – to improve YOUR game.

Finish Your Shot


Envisioning the FutureCreate a vision board that inspires

Vision boarding.

It began as a whis-per—a crafty pastime shared among scrap-book lovers, never

something I’d find time to pursue. Gradually, though—and, I sus-pect, tied to the rising popularity of Pinterest—vision boarding has shifted from “woo-woo” status to acknowledgement as a proven goal-setting method.

In the last year alone, I’ve en-countered friends, mentors, and established professionals clip-ping out inspirational messages, art, and magazine clippings, and gluing them onto a poster board they’d study each day.

“When you wake up every morning and see that visual representation of your goals, it makes you more likely to follow through,” a successful real estate agent once told me. He and his team make vision boards each year as pathways to their personal and professional success.

And so, after a close friend invited me to a vision board-making get-together in early 2013, I attended, armed with scissors, a

L I F E W I T H R E L I S H , P L E A S E

BYRACHEL

BROWNLOW LUND

stack of magazines, and a jar of saved fortunes I’d rescued from cookies.

Make no mistake: Creating a vision board is a time-consuming task. We each took several hours to sort through old magazines, finding symbolic images and meaningful messages; painstak-ingly clipping them out; arranging them onto our boards; and then gluing them in place.

After a while, however, the tasks became relaxing, almost therapeutic.

Flip, flip, flip. Snip, snip, snip. Rub, rub, rub. Pat, pat, pat.

My first find was a picture in a fitness magazine of a woman kickboxing; I wanted to be physi-cally stronger, more agile and more confident.

Then, I found an image of a full school bus. “I may not be ready to have children yet,” I thought to myself, “but perhaps this year I can apply to mentor one.”

Finally, I glued to my board a picture of a man with a micro-phone, telling myself that 2013 would be the year I’d begin to conquer my fear of public speak-ing.

One by one, I saw my visions for the year take root and be-come reality. That year I took two self-defense courses, began mentoring a second-grade girl through the Seedling Foundation’s mentorship program, and joined a Toastmasters International club to learn how to give prepared and impromptu speeches with confidence.

Because I took the time to cre-ate a vision board and look at it daily, 2013 became a year of tremendous personal growth for me. And, not surprisingly, since I added new goals and a new vision board to the mix in 2014, this year has been even better. I’m excited to see what will manifest in 2015.

RACHEL’S CHALLENGE: Gather your magazines, favorite quotes, a glue stick, and poster board, and create your very own vision board for 2015.

Rachel Brownlow Lund is a professional writer, avid

reader, and lifelong learner. Join Rachel in her journey to

explore life’s pleasures, big and small, for the young and young at heart. For more on Rachel, including an online

portfolio of her articles, visit rachelbrownlow.com.


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I N T H E K I T C H E N

BYANDREA HUNTER, MEG MORING, CAROL HUTCHISON, AND MONICA BROWNLOW

In Honor of Heirloom RecipesH

oliday memories are often tied to the treats we remember eating as children. The scent of ginger or coconut pulls us back to our grandmother’s kitchens—and sometimes be-yond, to faraway times and faraway countries. If we’re lucky, some of us possess recipe cards in faded handwriting or dog-

eared, flour-smeared cookbooks handed down through the family. This is certainly true for staff members at Georgetown View. Here, several of us share the family heirloom recipes that we make each holiday season.


PralinesIt’s not Christmastime in our home until waxed paper dotted with pralines lines our countertops. I’ve been making my mother-in-law’s recipe for more than 27 years. Making candy isn’t all that difficult—you just have to heat the mixture to the right temperature—but keeping my husband from eating all the pralines at once is.

~ Carol Hutchison

Ingredients:1½ cups light brown sugar1½ cups white sugar1 cup evaporated milk3 Tbsp Karo light syrup 1 tsp vanilla1½ cups pecans

Preparation:1. In a heavy saucepan, combine the light brown sugar, white sugar,

evaporated milk, and Karo light syrup. 2. Heat mixture to the softball stage on a candy thermometer, or

approximately 240° F, stirring constantly.3. Immediately remove from heat. 4. Add vanilla and pecans. 5. Stir by hand until mixture loses its gloss, about 6 to 7 minutes. 6. Drop by spoonful on wax paper and wait several minutes for pralines

to cool and harden.

Zeolla Gingerbread MenThis Italian gingerbread recipe has been handed down generation after generation in the Zeolla household. The magical ingredient is the orange extract, which makes these cookies not only aromatic, but absolutely delicious. Soft and full of flavor, they are my most requested treat for holiday gatherings, and I’m excited to share the recipe with our View audience. ~ Andrea Hunter

Dry Ingredients:2 cups white flour1 cup whole wheat flour2 tsp baking soda2 tsp cinnamon1 tsp ginger½ tsp cloves½ tsp salt

Wet Ingredients:1 cup margarine1½ cups sugarAdd 1 egg (beat until light and fluffy)1 tsp orange extract2 Tbsp molasses

Preparation:1. Stir dry ingredients together. Cream

together wet ingredients and add

Adeline’s Waffle CookiesMy great-aunt brought these cookies with her from Belgium when she immigrated after World War II. Now the whole family makes them. Somehow, even though we all use the same recipe and subscribe to the same superstitions (like using only a wooden spoon to mix the dough), each person’s waffle cookies are slightly different. The best ones are like buttery pound cake with a crunchy, crystallized sugar exterior. What will yours be like? ~ Monica Brownlow

Ingredients:2 cups sugar16 Tbsp. (2 sticks) butter, softened8 eggs, room temperature3½ tsp vanilla extract4 cups flour

Preparation:1. In a large mixing bowl, cream sugar and butter with a wooden spoon.

Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after every addition. Then add vanilla.

2. Gradually sift in flour, about ½ cup at a time, and stir gently with a wooden spoon after every addition until no dry flour is visible. Do not over mix.

3. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it chill in the refrigerator overnight, or at least 8 hours.

4. Preheat waffle iron. Place a scant tablespoon of chilled dough in each quadrant of the hot waffle iron and cook according to the waffle iron’s instructions. Transfer cookies to a wire cooling rack. Keep the bowl of dough refrigerated while each batch is cooking. The cookies are best eaten hot.

Granny’s Sand TartsFor Christmas in 1957, my grandmother compiled an “Heirloom Cookbook” filled with her favorite recipes for her four daughters and one daughter-in-law. “May you enjoy these recipes in cooking for your families as I have for mine,” she wrote. Included in the book, which she typed, was her recipe for sand tarts, which look like snow-dusted confections on a Christmas plate. ~ Meg Moring

Ingredients:1 cup butter, softened5 Tbsp powdered sugar1 Tbsp water2 cups flour1 Tbsp vanilla1 cup nuts, finely chopped¾ cup powdered sugar (for rolling)

Preparation:1. Cream butter and 5 Tbsp powdered sugar.2. Gradually add water and flour until creamed.3. Add nuts and vanilla.4. Form dough into balls the size of the thumb.5. Bake at 350° F for 25 minutes.6. Remove from oven and roll in ¾ cup powdered sugar.

them to dry mixture. Mix well. Chill dough for a few hours or overnight before rolling out.

2. Roll out half of chilled dough to ¼-inch thickness on a floured surface, and cut into shapes. BAKING TIP: To prevent spreading, refrigerate cut shapes before putting them in the hot oven, or use butter instead of margarine or a half butter/half margarine mixture.

3. Preheat oven to 375° F. Bake cookies for 8 to 10 minutes. Cool on wax paper.

4. These cookies are yummy plain, but you may wish to decorate them with icing.


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GERMAN WALBURG RESTAURANT3777 FM 972, Walburgwww.WalburgRestaurant.comLive Music every Fri & Sat NightThe Walburg Boys & more!Check website for updates

HARDTAILS BAR & GRILL1515 IH 35, Georgetownwww.HardtailsBarandGrill.comSundays: Bloody Mary Buffett 10am-2pmMondays: Texas Hold ’em 6:30 & 9:15pmTuesdays: Free Pool Wednesdays: Open Mic4 Chris Manning & Matt Wayne5 The Instigators6 Bad Rooster11 Brodie Lane12 Joel Tucker Band13 American Gypsy18 The Matt Cline Band19 Audio Queen20 Shopdawgz26 Max Rios & the Waysiders27 Mayors of Simpleton31 NEW YEARS EVE PARTY!

ROOTS BISTRO118 W 8th Street, Georgetownwww.rootsbistrogtx.comTuesdays: KaraokeWednesdays: Open MicThursday–Saturday: Live Music

TONY & LUIGIS1201 S. Church Street, Georgetown www.toniandluigistx.comThursday Evenings: Frankly SinatraCall for Reservations

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A Man of Many HatsRobert McAlpin Williamson: Texan to the core

Thunk! The sharp-honed Bowie knife plunged into the wood of the judge’s make-shift dais. “This is the law that governs here,” said its owner. The judge eyed the Shelby County man and the crowd behind

him. Lawlessness had plagued this part of Texas for too long. Order needed to be restored. Judge William-son stood up and pulled out a pistol. “If this is your law, this is the constitution that overrules it,” he said, laying the pistol next to the knife. Court proceeded without further interruption.

Written into the fabric of Texas history are the stories of men and women whose interminable spirit and love for the land forged a republic and later a state. Robert McAlpin Williamson was such a man. Lawyer, newspaper editor, Texas Ranger, cavalry-man, judge, and statesman—he exemplified the larger-than-life persona of many early Texans.

Mickie Ross, Executive Director of the Williamson Museum and a sixth-generation Texan, describes the county’s namesake: “He wasn’t born here [in Texas], but he got here as quickly as he could. I think that’s what makes Texas different is people who come here and embody what everybody believes Texas is,” she explains. “Williamson fought for Texas, he believed in Texas. He fought not only physically in the [Texas Revolution], but he also fought for what he thought was right for Texans. That’s what makes Williamson so remembered.”

Williamson was born in Georgia around 1804. When he was fifteen, an illness left his right leg per-manently bent behind him at the knee. Williamson walked by leaning his right knee on a peg leg, garner-ing him the name “Three Legged Willie.” At nineteen, he became a lawyer and practiced law in Georgia before moving to San Felipe de Austin, Texas, in the late 1820s.

The growing calls for Texas’ independence from Mexico appealed to the young firebrand. Williamson edited three newspapers, often writing in favor of independence. In November 1835, he was a delegate to the Consultation—a prerevolutionary meeting that established a provisional Texas government. William-son was commissioned there as a major in the newly formed Texas Rangers.

On April 21, 1836, Williamson took the fight to the Mexican army. During the Battle of San Jacinto, he

H I S T O R I C V I E W

BYTIFFANY R.

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rode in the cavalry wearing a nine-tailed coonskin cap. Approximately one thousand Texans defeated the Mexican army in eighteen minutes in a decisively one-sided battle.

“While he is not a hero of the [Texas] revolution on the same tier as Travis, Houston, Bowie, and Crockett, in terms of having influenced the move-ment towards the revolution, he was close,” says Judge Billy Ray Stubblefield, a sixth-generation Texan and a Williamson enthusiast. “I think Williamson and others like him represented and fostered a renegade, independent-thinking Texas spirit.”

After the revolution, Williamson served a new role in the burgeoning Republic of Texas. He was elected judge of the Third Judicial District, often covering vast stretches of hill country on horseback as he fulfilled his duties. “You got the impression Williamson could be a tough judge, but he also had a heart and did not ignore the way that human emotions could play themselves out [in the courtroom],” Judge Stubble-field says.

In 1840, Williamson left the bench and spent ten years in Congress. First, as a representative and sena-tor during the Republic and after annexation in 1845—something he strongly championed, even naming one of his sons “Annexus”—he served two terms in the Texas Senate. But no matter what hat he wore—judge, lawyer, cavalryman, legislator—Williamson’s unwav-ering dedication to Texas is something the folks of Williamson County can be proud of.

Robert M. Williamson; Accession ID: CHA 1989.111; Courtesy State Preser-vation Board, Austin, TX; Original Artist: de Gissac, F.

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Georgetown View Magazine/ December 2014