volume 3 issue 4

TEXASTEXASTEXASTEXASTEXASTEXASTEXASTEXASTEXASTEXASTEXASTEXASTEXASTEXASTEXASTEXASTEXASTEXASTEXASTEXASTEXASTEXASWomanTEXASTEXASTEXASTEXASTEXASTEXASTEXASTEXASTEXASTEXASTEXASTEXASTEXASTEXASWomanTEXASTEXASWomanTEXASTEXASWomanTEXASTEXASWomanTEXASTEXASWomanTEXASTEXASWomanTEXASTEXASWomanTEXASTEXASWomanTEXASTEXASWomanTEXASTEXASWomanTEXASTEXASWomanTEXASTEXASWomanTEXASTEXASWomanTEXASTEXASWomanTEXASTEXASWomanTEXASTEXASWomanTEXASTEXASWomanTEXASWomanFREDERICKSBURG

WomanWomanWomanWomanWomanWomanWomanWomanWomanWomanWomanWomanWomanWomanWomanWomanWomanWoman

Built on Faith and Dedicated to the Women of America

Cover photo by:

Teri Grant

Volume 3 Issue 4

Merry Christmas FromBarbara Hailey

TEXASWomanFREDERICKSBURG2

TEXASWomanFREDERICKSBURG

TEXASWomanFREDERICKSBURG 3

www.fbgwoman.com TEXASWomanFREDERICKSBURG4

The Fredericksburg Texas Woman Magazine is published bimonth-ly and available free of charge at numerous locations and by paid subscription. Trademark and U.S. Copyright laws protect the Fred-ericksburg Texas Woman Magazine. No part of this paper may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher. The Fredericksburg Texas Woman Magazine is not responsible for any editorial comment (other than its own), typographical errors from advertisements submitted as camera ready or any reproductions of advertisements submitted as camera ready. If an advertisement does not meet our standards of acceptance, we may revise or can-cel at any time, whether or not it has been already acknowledged and/or previously published. The advertiser assumes sole respon-sibility for all statements contained in submitted copy and will pro-tect and indemnify Fredericksburg Texas Woman Magazine, its owners, publishers, and employees against any and all liability, loss, or expense arising out of claims for libel, unfair trade names, patents, copyright and property rights, and all violations resulting from the publication by this magazine of its advertising copy. Pub-lisher shall be under no liability for failure, for any reason, to insert an advertisement. Publisher will not be liable for error, omission and/or failure to insert any part of an advertisement. Publisher will not be liable for delay or failure of performance in publication and/or distribution if all or any portion of any issue is delayed or suspended for any reason. The publisher will exercise reason-able judgment in these instances and will make adjustments for the advertiser where and when appropriate. Fredericksburg Texas Woman Magazine assumes no responsibility for unsolicited mate-rial or reproductions made by advertisers. © 2008-2010

Editor in Chief Freya Pruitt

Graphic Design Jolie Studio

Art Direction Freya Pruitt

Associate EditorJohanna Jeffery

Cover Photo Teri Grant

Staff Photography Freya Pruitt / Kali Pomykal

CoordinatorJordan Christopher Crane

Published by Madison Avenue Ink

Publisher Freya Pruitt

Associate Publisher Tonya Benson

Media Production Kali Pomykal


For Marketing Information, Call:830.990.4800 orwww.fbgwoman.com

What’s Inside

This Issue...42On The Cover... MEET BEST SELLING AUTHOR BARBARA HAILEY.Look into the heart of this courageous woman. Learn how she redefi ned her life at the tender age of 14 and went on to write two of the most powerful childrens books in history. Discover the

art of communication between parent and child. This is a must read for all parents and teachers.

An American Christmas: 2008A time sensitive look into the psyche of the American value system. How do we look at money and the power it holds? Is this a great moment in American history or are we to become a fear motivated society? Is faith the answer? You decide.

62

Wild Ride Ministries:The continuing story of Pastor Mike Weaver and his church congregation. See how a true shepherd leads his fl ock to an inner awareness of trust and faith in Jesus. See how “Holly’s Christmas Story” reveals the heart of this special church.

54

True Texas Treasure: Russ HearnHold on to your hats for this one! Have you ever wondered if God has a plan for your life? Well, after reading this man’s story, you might discover He even has a plan for you! Learn the incredible secrets that helped create The Rockbox Theater. Only God could have created this magnifi cent example of divine networking.

28

Search the Backstreets of Your Soul:Who are the people who hide in the shadows? Do you pass homeless people in the streets, and try to avoid the truth of who they really are? Are you afraid of what you don’t understand? Are all people really the same, or are we mirror refl ections of one another?

38

A Blade of Grass: Written by Johanna JefferyWhat inspires you? In this poem a simple blade of grass was used to refl ect the power and humility of the creation, that exists all around us. See the world through the eyes of a grateful heart, and learn to identify the power and wisdom of Our Father in the creation of a simple blade of grass.

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FREDERICKSBURG

TEXASWomanFREDERICKSBURG 5www.fbgwoman.com

Mission statement: To effect positive change within our community.

Fredericksburg Texas Woman is an international publication targeting the largest purchasing power in America: WOMEN! Recent studies for MIT School of Business show that women are responsible for a staggering 85% of every purchase made in America. Successful business owners understand that harnessing the buying power of today’s modern woman is essential in driving revenues and sending profits to their bottom-line.

Successful business owners understand that harnessing the buying power of today’s modern woman is reliant on targeted marketing to attract a staggering 85% of the largest purchasing power in America.

You Must Market to Women, To Survive and Prosper!Women control much of the purchasing market for stocks, bonds, securities, real estate, furniture, clothing, and more. Auto industry experts report that woman purchase, or influence the purchase of 69% of all vehicles sold. The majority of all medical and dental decisions for the family are made by women. And surprisingly, the largest groups of new golfers are women!

We know how to market to women. Women are attracted to color, drama, editorials, and design. They desire knowledge and familiarity with which they are doing business. Fredericksburg Texas Woman is different from any other magazine available today. We want to be different. Our goal is to uplift and inspire our readers to be the very best they can be. We do this by showing the reader businesses that will benefit them.

Fredericksburg Texas Woman believes to make a difference, you have to BE the difference to effectchange in your community.


Nadia Sahari: We congratulate you as you enter a new and fulfilling era of your life. May God’s Grace bless the release of your book and bring peace and harmony to the many women who suffer in silence.

Nadia’s book will be available in all major national bookstores throughout America on or before December 1, 2008.

Also available online at Amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.

6 www.fbgwoman.com TEXASWomanFREDERICKSBURG

FREDERICKSBURG 7www.fbgwoman.comTEXASWomanFREDERICKSBURG

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9www.fbgwoman.comTEXASWomanFREDERICKSBURG

Preface...This story describes the m o u n t i n g restlessness and insult of conscience of the many thousands of Germans and other Europeans: the average person and worker, the

intelligentsia, well-heeled plutocrats, and the highly educated in the mid-1800’s. Their innate sense of social justice and desire to be freed of the mold of the Prussian-Austro-European “Gott Mit Uns”—lit-erally, “God Is With Us” (Divine Right) feudalism was festering in their souls and nagging them on to revolution. Action was mounting to overthrow the royal dictatorships: of city-states and independent kingdoms. They were searching for personal in-dependence and the democratic process was to be their panacea. Or, in the game of being boss and being bossed perhaps they resented the fact that “inherited” position and title eluded or discluded them, even from the game, much less the chance to become boss. So, destroy the boss: if that was not possible, leave.

Their neighbors had accomplished it, or at least were in the process of freedom’s birth pangs and Sturm and Drang: Garibaldi in Italy; and just across their border the on-again off-again French Peoples’ Revolution. Elizabet Ney exemplifies why so many of the best and the brightest of Germany finally had their fill of hollow and false promises, or, being flatly rejected; and then would come a precipitating event—a last straw, so to speak—that brought on the decision to leave for Gelegenheit, opportunity else where, particularly, the New World or America once and for all.

The process of the “butterfly” being freed from the cocoon is the strange, almost providential (or diabolical) primal urge. Such was the dilemma of Elisabet Ney to find personal fulfillment, despite the angst of a certain form of government, the noose of bureaucracy, the subjugation of a certain reli-

2 MS IL ERLEBNISSE UND REALITAETEN: VIRTUAL REALITIES!

Part 18: Elisabet! Written By: Kenn KnoppTurmoil of Soul...Struggle for a Woman’s Independence & Equal Opportunity Germany’s Foremost Sculptor...A Lady!Friedrich Schnerr of Friedricksburg, Texas, Commissions Her final Sculpture

gion, profession, family, marriage, or the structures of a particular culture. Once unschackled, however, one’s point of view, or Weltanschauung, can ultimately dis-cover “true birth” outside of the constricting cocoon. That is why Benjamin Franklin is to have said that a German talent blossoms to its very best...in America!

The notion that most of the pioneer immigrants to the Texas Hill Country were poor farmers, laborers and uncultured is patently false. Just as numerous as the agrarian and the skilled but jobless workers were the technically trained and the highly educated, such as the Latinists, many teachers, physicians and profes-sors of science and those ingenious in the arts. It was the raw Texas wilderness that reduced each and every immigrant to one stark fact of life—or death: survival. In the uncultivated wilds of Texas, everyone, even the well educated, had to swallow intellectual pride and join in with the experienced farmers in clearing the rocky flats of the Hill Country in the arduous task of transforming them into productive fields and pastures on which their cattle could graze and thrive. The tick-ing of each day’s clock, schizophrenic weather changes, poor marketing conditions—as well as health condi-tions made each and every person roll up their sleeves and be an important spoke in the wheel of survival and ultimate success. All, surveying their accomplishments after the pain of unaccustomed toil, they breathed in and felt, through and through, the sheer joy of work and pride in bringing in the harvest and going to the markets together. After the markets came the celebration! To this day, this is the secret of Fredericksburg’s awesome success.

Together, scientists, teach-ers, and farmers planted crops, especially vital life-giv-ing corn (Mais). They had ample meat: but to survive they needed grains, vegetables and fruit. Necessity gave them the best lesson in democracy: to pull together—and every able-bodied person must pitch in! What pride they felt as that initial corn crop came in, or as they butchered together, many for the first time, and their economy and health began to improve.

As an example, Elisabet Ney, Germany’s foremost

woman sculptor, and her husband Edmund Mont-gomery, biologist and social liberal, spent many years promoting constitutional, democratic govern-ment in the Germany they loved so much. Despite rebuff after rebuff by the autocratic royals or “Koe-nigstreuen” and their industrial leader lackeys, Elisa-bet and Edmund finally could take no more. Their idealism matched the keenness of the minds of a sig-nificant number of eminent Germans who left Ger-many years earlier. Elisabet felt her individualism and talent to paint and create sculptures of heroes would find ample opportunity in Texas.

Many of the highly educated and talented were a threat to the royals, especially if they wanted to change the political system. Perhaps Elisabetand Edmund felt democracy was a lost cause in Germany. The weather, or climate, was also a fac-tor in their decision to leave Germany. Their health declined because of Germany’s long and gruesome winters. Famine in the 1840’s caused dire joblessness and pauperism that was yet another threat to mon-archy. The Adelsverein or Society of Noblemen was organize in 1842 at Schloss Biebrich in the Rhein-gau when the royals saw the possibility of theintellectual-idealists and the jobless joining forces to bring revolution in behalf of democracy and a con-stitution supporting one-person one-vote.

The Adelsverein quickly went to work to rid Ger-many of these real and po-tential troublemakers, find-ing the Republic of Texas begging for inhabitants and offering settlers free land. The Adelsverein devised a plan which included open-ing an import-export route which would also, in ef-fect, dump the troublemak-ers onto Texas soil. Today, German-Texans comprise at least 15% of the total population of Texas, the third largest minority after

Mexican-Texans and African-Texans. Anglo-Tex-ans, the largest ethnic group, are in the majority—at least presently. It is said that by the year 2020 the Mexicans will be in the majority in Texas.

(Kenn Knopp, Fredericksburg, Texas)


FREDERICKSBURG


Welcome to...

Berkman Books A Bookstore for the Senses There is nothing like the sensation involved in handling a book and being in a bookstore. There is the sound of a book to appreciate; the crack of the spine when a book is first opened and that gentle swoosh of a book being leafed through. And the smell and feel of a leather bound antiquarian book that has survived centuries. There is the pulpy whiff and lightness of the mass market paperback to keep you company on your next trip. Among the used books, there is the sight of a book that you always intended to read. As shop owners there is the sound of a bookstore to appreciate. Be it the quiet of an early morning as a customer or two sit with their cup of coffee and a book in meditative silence or the energy of a store full of people and hearing someone exclaim, “Oh look at this neat book!” We really like that sound. Every day there is the smell of anticipating what new book lay in wait to be discovered. Where Did We Come From?Over the last 10 years of visiting Fredericksburg, we always talked about opening our own shop and how Fredericksburg would be the ideal place. David spent 20+ years selling books in independent, academic and big box settings. Lucy was ready to absorb the book world with a special interest in children’s books. When it became a reality, it was just in time. Austin had grown rapidly and we were ready to move on. In September of 2006, we found a building that seemed to be the perfect fit.It is an eclectic combination of new and old. For the next two months, we crafted our vision into reality and opened our doors in December 2006. Ambience is certainly a primary consideration. We feel driven to create a quality independent bookstore against the current of all those that closed. There is no town more uniquely qualified than Fredericksburg to support such a venture. And what a unique community Fredericksburg is. It is a rich community of readers and authors. We could not have asked for a better foundation on which to build. So what is it that we have put together?We are a bit unique in that we sell new, used, and antiquarian books under one roof. There are very few bookstores that do this in the United States and hopefully we do all three well. Bookselling has changed dramatically in the last 25 years and we feel that we are at an important tipping point. If you value environment as much as the book you buy, we hope you will find our store. We want to remind people about the richness of the sensation of surrounding yourself with books. To this end we have filled our rooms with comfortable chairs and keep the coffee hot and fresh to encourage you to truly relax and stay awhile. We want to hear people’s stories about the books they care about. Books are a symphony of sensation.They are a sensation of touch, sight and smell. They are also the home of an endless stream of ideas. Books represent the imagination in printed form. We hope to have the chance to share them with you. Lucy Jennings and David BerkmanOwners, Berkman Books

416 East Main | Fredericksburg, Texas | 830.997.1535 | www.berkmanbooks.com

You haven’t had a steak, until you’ve had a Dutchman’s!

NEVER PROCESSED ALWAYS FRESH.

GREAT SERVICE...

FANTASTIC PRICES.

OVER 22 YEARS OF SERVING

THE COMMUNITY.

FRESH NEVER TASTED SO GOOD!!!

....YOU HAVE TO TASTE TO BELIEVE!

WE OFFER A VARIETY

OF SANDWICHES MADE

FRESH DAILY:

Ham and Cheese, Turkey

and Cheese, Bar-B-Q,

Sausage, and The DM

Club. The best sandwich

for the best price.

WE ALSO OFFER MEAT

AND CHEESE TRAYS

FOR ALL OF YOUR

PARTY NEEDS:

Meats and Cheeses sliced

or cubed designed

especially for your event.

Your guests will notice

the difference.

LET US HELP YOU WITH

YOUR ENTIRE SAUSAGE

MAKING NEEDS:

We have fresh boneless

pork, fresh boneless beef,

casings, all sorts of

spices, twine, cures and

much more.

WE CARRY MANY

DIFFERENT CHEESES,

AND LOTS OF SMOKED,

CURED ITEMS:

Bacon, Old Fashioned

Ham, Ready to Eat Ham,

Bacon Ends, Smoked

Rinds, everything for

your holiday trays.

M E N T I O N T H I S A D A N D G E T 1 0 % O F F !

1609 East Main Street • Fredericksburg, Texas 78624 • 830.997.5693

TEXASWomanFREDERICKSBURG12 www.fbgwoman.com

Dutchman’s Market is a locally owned and operated USDA Inspected Meat Plant. It was purchased in November, 1986, by the present owners. There are 3 generations represented, with 12 other employees full or part-time at this time.

We became incorporated in September, 1994. This facility was a State Inspected plant at the time of purchase. The owners opted to change the inspection to a Federally Inspected Plant. Therefore, we are duly granted inspection for butchering and processing beef, pork, sheep, goat, and poultry. We do, however not deal in poultry. There is a slaughter floor, a processing room, and a retail area on premise.

The retail area has a large selection of red meats available fresh daily. Our meats are not pre-packaged—we wrap each order in freezer paper and in butcher paper as it is ordered. We do keep a number of products in the freezer, such as hamburger for your convenience, all our chicken products, and most of the specialty products that don’t sell on a regular basis.

The fresh meat counter contains chuck roasts, round steaks, ground chuck,sirloin steaks, t-bone steaks, new york steaks, rump or pikes peak roast, ribeye steaks, spareribs, pork chops, and pork roasts. Roasts are cut 2” thick, most steaks are 1”, and chops are 1�2” or 3�4”. We will, however, cut any thickness for the steaks or chops, with prior notice. Hamburger is packaged as requested. Roasts can be cut in half if needed. Just ask and we will try to please.

We receive meats four times a week. Our suppliers are well aware of the products we will accept—the truck temperature is recorded and must be within the guidelines we have set for suppliers. We do not accept meat boxes that are not in exceptional condition. We do not accept an order if it was packed more than 5 to 7 days prior to delivery. The product must be fresh in order for us to use it fresh.

We offer a variety of sandwiches, made fresh daily. We have Ham & Cheese, Turkey & Cheese, Bar-b-que, Sausage, and the DM Club. We make party trays of meats and cheeses for all your party needs, for 10 to 100 people.

We make dry sausage, hard salami, beef jerky, turkey jerky, pork jerky, fresh sausage, smoked sausage, summer sausage, and German products such as blood sausage, liver sausage, and headcheese. We carry many cheeses and make any number of smoked and cured items such as bacon, old fashion ham, ready to eat ham, and bone in ham. There are bacon ends, ham ends, smoked rinds, and much more.

Being at the mercy of the rendering companies and the inspection service, we

butcher every other week. We keep schedules for all your butchering needs, but we are usually about a month and a half out. We usually schedule 18-20 head of cattle, any number of hogs, sheep, and goats each time we butcher. During the rest of the time, we also butcher exotics, beef, and lambs for resale. These are customers that have gone through the rigorous process of creating and having their labels critiqued by USDA in order to label each package.

We serve any number of restaurants with meats, basically hamburger, beef tenderloins, and sausages. Many civic organizations use our products for their fundraisers. We do many orders for wedding receptions, cook-offs, graduation or anniversary occasions, project graduation fundraisers, many other school organizations, volunteer Fire Depts., Churches, and family gatherings.

We try and keep a full line of meat condiments. We also mix spices for all your sausage making projects. We have a complete line of casings, spices, boneless beef and boneless pork (all fresh – never frozen) for your sausage making needs. We will weigh out the exact weights of meat and spices for your recipe.

Our special holiday store hours will always be posted on our door for weeks before the occasion. Our regular hours are 8 to 5:30 Monday thru Friday and 8 to l on Saturdays.

Stop in and ask for our “shopping list”—it lists most of the products we have available or can get on a special order.

DUTCHMAN’S MARKET, INC.1609 EAST MAIN ST. | FREDERICKSBURG, TEXAS 78624-5407 | Article provided by Dutchman’s(830) 997-5693 | (830) 997-8200 fax




FREDERICKSBURG

Your body knows the answer to what you are allergic to. There IS another way to discover the root cause of sensitivities. No needles ,no drugs, no pain, no diets! Liz Stagner of “Natural Allergy Elimination” may have your answer to a holistic approach to attaining freedom from allergies! Do not wait! CEDAR IS COMING! Prepare now for a new way of living. Experience a non-invasive technique to eliminate allergies and regain your good health!

Please call for your free consultation.

Do you suffer from allergies?

Do you clear your throat?

Are your eyes red?

Do you sneeze?

These are all signs of an allergic reaction.

Are shots the only answer?

No. There is another way.

Natural Allergy EliminationLiz Stagner

Doctor of NaturopathyCertifi ed Natural Health Professional

NAET ® Practitioner

340 Emerald LoopFredericksburg, Texas

830.997.6975

Merry Christmas to the entire Segner family!! Many blessings from Fredericksburg Texas Woman.

The West End...Shops Beyond the Square

If you are looking for European antiques, fi ne jewelry, leather furniture, spectacular accessories, art, cheese from around the world, great wine, great food, great Texas music, you will fi nd it all on.....

West Main Street

S OTO & S C H M I DT

J ’ S K R E AT I O N S

F R O M A G E D U M O N D E

WAT E R 2 W I N E

S A LT B R A N C H O U T P O S T

S E G N E R ’ S J E W E L R Y

LO N E S O M E D O V E O L D T Y M E P H OTO G R A P H Y

C AT F I S H H AV E N

C H O O C H O O PAT I O S H O P

K E L LY ’ S C A F E

F R E D E R I C K S B U R G F U R N I T U R E B A R N

A M I S H M A R K E T

C H O C O L AT

H O N D O ’ S O N M A I N

T H E M A S S A G E C O N N E C T I O N

W E S T E N D P I Z Z A C O M PA N Y

F R E D E R I C K S B U R G G O U R M E T C O F F E E

C H I S H O L M T R A I L W I N E R Y

The West End...The West End...

C AT F I S H H AV E N

C H I S H O L M T R A I L W I N E R Y

W E S T E N D P I Z Z A C O M PA N Y


236 W. Main | Fredericksburg, Texas 78624 | (830) 997.2559 | 8:30 to 5:30 M-F 9am to 3 pm Saturday

Segner’s....from generation to generation....a symbol of integrity and un-paralleled quality.

SegnerSegnerSegnerSegnerSegnerSegnerSegnergeneration....a symbol of generation....a symbol of generation....a symbol of generation....a symbol of generation....a symbol of generation....a symbol of and un-paralleled quality.and un-paralleled quality.and un-paralleled quality.and un-paralleled quality.and un-paralleled quality.and un-paralleled quality.


West End Pizza Company

Handmade PizzaPasta & Salad

Sunday - Thursday 11am-9pmFriday & Saturday 11am-10pm

Fr e s h . H o m e m a d e. D e l i c i o u s .

2 3 2 We s t M a i nF R E D E R I C K S B U R G , T E X A S

830.990.ToGowww.westendpizzacompany.com

Located in the historic shopping district between Crockett & Orange.

FREDERICKSBURG


330 West Main Street • Fredericksburg, Texas 78624830.990.9382 • www.chocolat-tx.us

Chocolat

• Liqueur Praliné

• Truffles, Colettes & Creams

• Nut Clusters, Barks & Turtles

• Gift Boxes—Selected by You!

• New Advent Calendars

Exquisite Hand-Crafted Chocolates


222 West Main StreetFreder icksburg, Texas 78624830.992.3157 | fax 830.992.3337

A Design Inspired Lifestyle!A Design Inspired Lifestyle!A Design Inspired Lifestyle!A Design Inspired Lifestyle!A Design Inspired Lifestyle!A Design Inspired Lifestyle!A Design Inspired Lifestyle!A Design Inspired Lifestyle!A Design Inspired Lifestyle!A Design Inspired Lifestyle!A Design Inspired Lifestyle!A Design Inspired Lifestyle!A Design Inspired Lifestyle!A Design Inspired Lifestyle!A Design Inspired Lifestyle!A Design Inspired Lifestyle!A Design Inspired Lifestyle!A Design Inspired Lifestyle!A Design Inspired Lifestyle!A Design Inspired Lifestyle!A Design Inspired Lifestyle!A Design Inspired Lifestyle!A Design Inspired Lifestyle!A Design Inspired Lifestyle!A Design Inspired Lifestyle!A Design Inspired Lifestyle!A Design Inspired Lifestyle!A Design Inspired Lifestyle!A Design Inspired Lifestyle!A Design Inspired Lifestyle!A Design Inspired Lifestyle!A Design Inspired Lifestyle!A Design Inspired Lifestyle!A Design Inspired Lifestyle!A Design Inspired Lifestyle!A Design Inspired Lifestyle!A Design Inspired Lifestyle!A Design Inspired Lifestyle!A Design Inspired Lifestyle!A Design Inspired Lifestyle!A Design Inspired Lifestyle!A Design Inspired Lifestyle!A Design Inspired Lifestyle!A Design Inspired Lifestyle!A Design Inspired Lifestyle!A Design Inspired Lifestyle!A Design Inspired Lifestyle!A Design Inspired Lifestyle!A Design Inspired Lifestyle!A Design Inspired Lifestyle!A Design Inspired Lifestyle!A Design Inspired Lifestyle!A Design Inspired Lifestyle!A Design Inspired Lifestyle!A Design Inspired Lifestyle!A Design Inspired Lifestyle!

FREDERICKSBURG TEXASWomanFREDERICKSBURG 21www.fbgwoman.com

R u s t i c , C o u n t r y , a n d Tr a d i t i o n a l H o m e F u r n i s h i n g s

T h o u s a n d s o f s t y l e s a n d s i z e s t o f i t y o u r n e e d s . C h o o s e f r o m P i n e , O a k , M a p l e , a n d C h e r r yF i n i s h e d y o u r w a y w i t h o u r s t a i n s , p a i n t s , w a x e s , a n t i q u e d o r d i s t r e s s e d f i n i s h e s

8 3 0 . 9 9 0 . 0 0 5 3 o r 8 7 7 . 8 9 0 . 0 0 5 3 C a l l f o r d i r e c t i o n s o r v i s i t u s o n l i n e a t w w w . f u r n i t u r e b a r n . u s

5 0 4 W e s t M a i n S t r e e t | F r e d e r i c k s b u r g , Te x a s


830.992.3134226 West Main StreetFredericksburg, Texas 78624www.fromagedumonde.com

Ask about our custom cheese boards for your holiday entertaining. We off er specialty meats & pates, fi ne cheeses, artisan breads & crackers, a European olive bar, gourmet chocolates, olive oil & vinegars, spices, giftware and much more!

Fine Cheeses

Gourmet ChocolatesArtisan Breads

FREDERICKSBURG


1 0 8 ½ N . M i l a m S t . | F r e d e r i c k s b u r g , Te x a s 7 8 6 2 4 | 8 3 0 . 9 9 0 . 1 7 9 1



Gemstones,Crystals,

Glass beads& Findings

2 1 5 B W. M a i n S t . | F r e d e r i c k s b u r g , Te x a s 7 8 6 2 4 | 8 3 0 . 9 9 7 . 6 9 7 0 o r 5 1 2 . 7 9 9 . 7 0 1 2

C l a s s e s a v a i l a b l eO p e n 7 d a y s a w e e k

w w w. j s k r e a t i o n s . c o m

W e d n e s d a y - S a t u r d a y 1 0 a m t o 5 p m½ B l o c k N o r t h o f P i o n e e r M u s e u m

Catfish Haven...“the west end, it’s Where it’s at!”

You’ll think you’re on the coast when you experience our delicious seafood. The oysters are to die for, the fried shrimp completes your day, and the catfish...well, that’s our name. It has to be great!

Our food will lure you in...

Tuesday - Thursday 11am-8pmFriday 11am-9pmSaturday 11am-8pmClosed Sunday & Monday

816 West Main St. Fredericksburg, TX 830-997-9009


Gemstones,Crystals,

Glass beads& Findings

2 1 5 B W. M a i n S t . | Fr e d e r i c k s b u r g , Te x a s 7 8 6 2 4 | 8 3 0 . 9 9 7 . 6 9 7 0 o r 5 1 2 . 7 9 9 . 7 0 1 2

C l a s s e s a v a i l a b l eO p e n 7 d a y s a w e e kw w w. j s k r e a t i o n s . c o m



Russ was a child of the sixties.He was born and raised in the small town of Bal-ager, Texas. Expecting to take after his father in the wool business, his talent for sheep and cattle was short lived. Russ was always more comfort-able with a guitar in his hands, than with sheep wool. But, I have to say in all fairness, he gave it a grand ol’ try. At the young age of 15, he bought a calf from his father to raise and care for. He soon discovered the art of negotiating a good business deal, when he sold the calf BACK to his father, six months later! Somehow ranching and guitar just didn’t seem to mix for Russ.

Russ was raised in a Christian home to parents, Wylie and Clydean Hearn. He quietly lived out his childhood never quite getting the concept, or true meaning, of the Lord. He went to church, was an obedient son, got good grades, but there was always something missing. It would be many years later when he went off to college, that he would unexpectedly meet Jesus, in an empty church just off campus.

One chilly night as he was walking in Fort Worth, Texas, he felt a warm sensation come into his heart region. He didn’t pay much attention, as generally during these evening walks, young Russ would be deep in thought trying to discover “the true deep meaning of life!” He would spend his walking time, contemplating the meaning of all the different religions, what they meant, and whether he might be the “center of his own universe!” Young men tend to do that: some of us call it “finding our-selves.” But the unsuspecting Russ was about to be introduced to someone who would change his life forever, and led him on a journey that would define his entire life. Little did he know, that warm feeling in his heart had already lit a flame, that would burn an illuminating path built just for him. His “defining moment” came as he entered that church.

A True Texas Treasure: Russ Hearn...“THE MAN AND HIS GUITAR”Written by: Freya Pruitt

He was surprised to find the door unlocked. As he entered the church he thought there was absolutely no one there but him; or so he thought. He remembers entering the church with a feeling of expectation. He walked right up to the altar and fell on his knees. Russ states: “At that age I was looking for answers, but I had none. Everything was very intellectual for me, even God. I had no sense of purpose; no real joy or happiness. I tried to find answers through an intellectual interpretation, of what all the different religions meant. I was trying to discover who I was, and how I fit into all of it, but I always came up empty. When I walked into that church everything changed. I heard The Lord calling to me; calling me into ministry. There was nothing intellectual about it. It was a moment that re-defined my entire life, and answered all of my questions in an instant. But I am convinced I could never have heard His message, until I was broken.”

After that chilly night in Fort Worth, Russ began to walk down another road- a completely different path. He went on to finish college, then felt called to enter the seminary. Each road would lead to another road, then another road, and finally into the seminary. He knew his calling was min-istry, but never dreamed his gift would wind up blessing thousands of


people through his music! Remember the “man and his guitar?” Well, that man was about to meet himself: head on! Picture it: there was Russ, racing down the road with Jesus at the wheel...leading him, inch by inch, foot by foot, year by year...right into his destiny we now call, “THE ROCK BOX.” And what a sto-ry...THAT is!

Looking back through this amazing chain of events, it is clear that the moment Russ entered the church in Fort Worth, he knew Jesus was leading him. He would pray for specific things to manifest, and many times they would! In 1986, he had a suc-cessful band in Dallas that recorded Rock n’ Roll music. He actually wound up participating in the beginning of the music video craze! But as much as Russ loved recording music, he missed the live musical performances. Somehow he knew this was how God wanted to use his ministerial gift. He lived a very laborious life. Russ would work in the recording studio all day, then rush to the stage to perform at night. Russ states: “It was al-ways about the music: Elvis, The Beatles, Rock n’ Roll. Some-how I was able to take the seminary, theology, and music, and use them altogether for the same purpose: ministry. These three venues walked the same path, right into life. All I did was fol-low. I lived out Psalm 37:4 which states: ‘Delight yourself also in the Lord; and He shall give you the desire of your heart.’ I pleaded, to God, “How do I apply this to your calling?” I never knew God would give me the answer, step by step, person by person. It was like He was weaving an unseen thread through the lives of all the people I met. Imagine! I have had the same drummer for over twenty years. That is relatively unheard of in the music industry! We had our own band for over 13 years, and are still together today! I met my wife Wendy in 1986 when she became part of our band. We fell in love and married in 1990.We continued to perform together and we are still performing today! But our greatest performance of all came in 1997, with the birth of our daughter Faith.”

“Back in 1986, our band was playing ‘showrooms’ which are now a thing of the past. Showrooms like, The Summit Hotel, Barney Oldfield’s, and The Fairmont in Dallas, were where I learned the in’s and out’s of entertaining an audience. With no plans other than to follow God’s lead, we moved from Dallas to Granbury, just south of Ft. Worth, in 1998. Our band was still working all over the place, but we liked the idea of raising a family in a small town. It was also a time we sensed the Lord was opening a door. And I assure you He was. By April 1999, I met Tom and Sandi McRae in Granbury. At that time, they were converting the 2nd floor of an empty building, they had just pur-chased on the Granbury Square as their residence.” “By August 1999, after getting to know Tom and Sandi over several months at their weekly Bible study, Wendy and I invited them over for dinner, and proposed the idea of a live music theater. We shook hands that night, and set a deadline to be open by Christmas. Yes, just three months to convert their ‘basement’ into a theater with lights, sound, seating, concessions, a business plan and marketing strategy! Oh, and, did I forget to mention talent on stage? That last one...well, the talent part, that’s the amazing

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story for me, because it was more training ground, to learn dependency on the Lord. In a nutshell, here’s what happened. Of the seven members in our band, who I assumed would be interested, only one of the perform-ers committed to join Wendy and me in Granbury; our keyboard player Cass Moore (who is still with us today). I had spent thirteen years with my band, developing show material that I planned to put on stage.

But, The Lord had other plans: Carey and Dena Dyer. With a pencil sketch of our new theater in hand, now called Granbury Live, Wendy and I met Carey and Dena for lunch. I didn’t really know them, but had heard them sing in church...that was all I knew about them! Over lunch we now learned, Carey was also a seminary graduate, and on staff as the youth minister at Lakeside Baptist, in Granbury. Two weeks earlier, he had de-cided to step down from his job, so that he and Dena could pursue their dream of performing together, in some kind of music ministry. I remember sitting with them in the restaurant booth that day, and seeing them smile

at each other, as I showed them the theater sketch. Is that God’s timing, or what? The Lord provided, and between August – December 1999, we finished construction, and were lucky enough to rehearse several minutes before the grand opening at Christmas!

In January 2000, The Lord blessed us with the birth of our son, Marty. Then in June 2001, Linda Morgan joined the cast in Granbury. Linda had performed with us in our first show band in 1986, and is also still with us today! Then in August 2003, we hired Danice Weaver to work in the box office. If you’ve purchased a ticket to one of our shows in the last five years, you’ve probably talked with this wonderful lady. Danice’s contri-bution has been invaluable. She completely supported our transition to Fredericksburg, and was a key figure in the eventual opening of “The Rockbox Theater.”

“But the story doesn’t end there. Back in May 2004, Mike Kinchen, a


Fredericksburg businessman, with his wife Tracy, opened a clothing store in Granbury. They happened to attend one of our shows. In June 2004, Mike contacted us with the idea of opening a theater in Fredericksburg; and, over the next 10 months, the three of us worked on finding a location, and put together a business deal to attract investors. In May 2005, we were faced with an unexpected tragedy: Tom was killed in a motorcycle acci-dent. Despite our sense of loss, we continued operations in Granbury. Our first lease option for a Main Street location in Fredericksburg, fell through in July 2005. Mike continued the search for investors. Between August

2005-January 2006, a second lease deal was developed, but failed. At this point, with a lack of financing and no prospective location, our prayer was that God would close the door on Fredericksburg, if it were not in His will. But, in February 2006, with his search for investors exhausted, Mike had a ‘chance’ meeting in his store on Main St. One afternoon, a friend who worked for “Focus On The Family” visited Fredericksburg, and introduced Mike to Ray Rodgers, a Christian brother and developer in Fredericksburg. Ray’s office was a couple of doors down from Mike’s store on Main Street: but the two had never met.

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Meanwhile in Grandbury, in 2006, I was running short on faith. I had been praying for some kind of sign. If The Lord wanted us in Fredericksburg, I needed more talent. Specifically, I prayed for a guy who could play guitar, sing lead vocals, and had comedic talent. The Lord sent T.J. Smith. ‘Out of the blue,’ T.J. contacted me with a demo tape! Not only could this amazing performer do all of the above (and more), he was also a guy who wanted to serve the Lord with his talents. During April-September 2006, T.J. performed with us in Granbury, and Ray agreed to help Mike with the search for a building in Fredericksburg: and potential investors. A third property was chosen in the Downtown area, but failed to pass City Coun-cil, in an application for a ‘special use’ permit. The wind was pretty much gone from our sails. Has the door closed, Lord? I wondered.

At last, in October 2006, Ray was unexpect-edly approached by the owner of Jenschke’s Furniture Store, a long-time business just off Main St., at 109 N. Llano. Ms. Jenschke was interested in selling the 10,000 sq. ft. building. ‘The Lord seemed to be moving: but were we ready?’ Well, I guess we were! The building was purchased, and passed City Council for a special use permit, allowing a live music the-ater in the Historical District in Downtown Fredericksburg! Investors stepped forward and financing was secured, in November-December 2006. Meanwhile in Granbury, life-changing, faith-testing, decisions were made by Russ and Wendy, Carey and Dena, Cass, Linda, T.J. and his wife Lisa, to re-locate to Fredericksburg. They were joined by lighting director, Burney Adair and his wife, and costume designer Mar-ta (who also helped raise the Hearn kids for seven years). Then in January 2007, we made the public announcement of our move to Fred-ericksburg, and by April, had sold our homes in Granbury, packed up the van and the kids: Faith and Marty Hearn, Jordan and Jackson Dyer, Dylan and Tori Smith, and headed for Fredericksburg, with Steven Curtis Chapman’s song ringing in our ears: “Saddle up your hors-es, we’ve got a trail to blaze, Through the wild blue yonder of God’s amazing grace, Let’s follow our leader into the glorious unknown, This is the life like no other, whoa ,whoa, This is the great adventure.” As of June 2007, our seven performers from Granbury, were joined onstage at The Rockbox Theater, by drummer Jacob Longoria, and bass player Mark Austin, who also plays guitar, mandolin, and fiddle.

Our technical team consists of: Frank Higgins, Aaron Witte, Andy Dickson, Mike Simpson, and David Mustard. Please know, The enter-tainers at Rockbox Theater are only part of the story. Our box office and administrative staff, our ushers and concession workers, all share

a common vision of serving through releasing His joy to all who enter our doors. It is our desire to provide a quality family live music experi-ence, for the thousands of guests who come to Fredericksburg. One of the main reasons we felt led to open Rockbox Theater was the hope The Lord would use us to train up a new generation of entertainers who are willing to put their talents on display to glorify God. We are blessed and grateful beyond measure.We are here to serve our community and bless our audi-ences through wholesome and entertaining theater. We are here for one reason and one reason only: to serve the Lord with all of our hearts, with all of our strength, and with all of our minds. Thank-you Fredericksburg for the chance to serve you.”


We want to thank everyone in the Hill Country for fi nding a great radio station....playing the right combination of today’s hits and yesterday’s favorites....The New Sunny 96.5. The New Sunny 96.5 has quickly become the station the Hill Country gets you up and going with Bobby and Kelly in the morning and keeps you going all day long.The New Sunny 96.5 is your of-fi cial at work station....and for the few months on the air we’ve been given away some of the hot-test prizes. Santana Concert tickets, Brad Paisley Concert tickets, Getaways to Tapatio Springs, Sunny Employee of the Week winners, Lunches, Dinners to some of the fi nest retaurants in the Hill Country andwe’re just getting started. Although a lot of the listeners think we’ve been in the Hill Country for a long time, we’ve only been around for a little more than 4 months..we’re still

brand new! In the New Year expect some really great things...we’re gathering up some the best prizes to giveaway. The best getaways, the most Free Money and more. Coming soon, Sun-ny Winning window stickers, t-shirts,caps and more. Plus all the music, sports, Jud Ashmore’s weather and community informa-tion you need. We will be working hard to be your favorite radio station in the Hill Country....and you can depend on us day after day. We are the Hill Country’s offi cial at work station..thanks for listening to the New Sunny 96.5.


Bobby and Kelly on Sunny 96.5 are so excited about the warm reception we have received in the Hill Country. Our goal is to bring you a quality show that really uplifts the community and gives back, with lots of fun and humor along the way.

Our listeners have been amazing! They have really helped us in our goal to give back to the community. In September Sunny 96.5 was focused on helping the victims of hurricane Ike. With the help of the Salvation Army we were more successful than we could have ever hoped! When the week was over we had collected over $5,000 in donations, not to mention all of the food and blankets and cloths that the Salvation Army so desperately needed. Before we started the drive the Salvation Army was almost completely out of supplies! We want to thank all of the Hill Country for coming out to help us in this effort.

One of our main goals is to grow with the Hill Country, get to know you and do what we can to give back. We also love to have a great time with contest and giveaway.

Stay tuned we are here as your at work station. You can bring us with you in the car and keep listening throughout your day.

Sunny 96.5!

Here are some of our Halloween Costume Contestants!


MADISON AveI n k

power marketing for the sophisticated professional

830.990.4800


Fredericksburg Texas Woman is Published by:

Power marketing for the sophisticated professional

We need to believe… Our promotional campaign to present Fredericksburg to the world has been graciously received by successful business owners throughout Fredericksburg. We have been blessed to meet so many passionate, positive people who do believe we can all make a difference in our great country. We believe Fredericksburg will represent by example, a spirit of inspiration and encouragement to all Americans. Fredericksburg is in a class by itself. It may be the classic prototype of a small American town, but the world will be astounded when they discover its internal greatness. Why is Fredericksburg flourishing? We believe it isbecause of its indomitable spirit and heart: and that spirit needs to be shared with all of America!

I’m sure we’d all agree that our economy has changed, but our spirit has not. America was founded on a pioneer spirit of truth and faith. Each one of us at any time can rise to the occasion and advance in life, no matter what the circumstances might be. Americans are experiencing a defining moment in history. We must reach out to make a difference, and this is a grand way to do it! By publicizing Fredericksburg’s eclectic and prolific art world, its Texas live music venue, fabulous vineyards, international cuisine, and world class shopping, we can make Fredericksburg the place to visit in America! And in turn, build prosperity within our community, while bringing a light of hope to other American cities. We can’t emphasize enough that our combined participation in this magazine can effect positive change in America, and we can all be proud to take our rightful place in history.

BUILDING BUSINESS PROSPERITY:Target media marketingBuilding financial prosperity is not a mystery. Knowing what stimulates the market and the ability to define your target market, allows Madison Avenue Ink the opportunity to develop a strategic marketing plan to build your business where it needs it the most. That is the very foundation and success of the elite advertising agencies on Madison Avenue in NYC, New York. You have to have a plan and a strategy. You have to have a vision and a competent company to execute it. That is the defining line for us: we are dedicated to your growth and financial prosperity. Read this beautiful magazine and you will see the enormous potential we can provide for you.

Women control 85% of the purchasing power in America!!!We can harness that power and bring it to your business.Fredericksburg Texas Woman is the living example of this phenomenon.

The decision is yours…This defining moment in history will either produce giants of hope and encouragement, or a quivering spirit of fear and indecisiveness. We are grateful to have met many “giants” in Fredericksburg. These people are willing and anxious to make a difference. They are excited for the opportunity to show Fredericksburg to the world. This is not a great city by chance. Its’ greatness exudes from its passionate and courageous people. Let the public know who you are! Editorials are crucial in building a relationship with the public. When they read about your family, your history, etc. they will feel they know you personally. This creates a bond of familiarity and they will be inspired to visit your business. Familiarity creates comfort and trust. Educating the public on what your business can offer them, will reflect in your companies profits. Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day, but it’s beauty lives on today as a lasting monument to the creative power of artistic power. Madison Avenue Inks’ intention was to bring the magic of madison avenue to the hill country. Nothing illustrates this better than the beauty of Fredericksburg Texas Woman. As her publisher, we are proud to announce that this magazine is available to read in every city in the world via the internet.

Don’t wait another second…This is your time to leave your mark on the world. Call us for a consultation today.

830-990-4800



MADISON AveI n k

Search the backstreets of Your Soul

Is the holiday spirit an illusion, or just a brief intrusion to the truth? Written by: Freya Pruitt




Search the backstreets of your soul. Walk through the shadows of your lost dreams, and experience the darkness of so many people that suffer in silence. Search the backstreets of your soul. Look deep inside at hidden secrets that control what used to be you. Wipe the sweat off your back as you toss humanity’s need into the sea. Is blindness a desire or an excuse? Not caring is the final abuse to the human heart. Is the holiday

spirit an illusion, or just a brief intrusion to the truth?

Are you afraid you will lose something you never had? Are you afraid to reach out to the guilty, to the lost, to the sick, to the dirty? Are you afraid of your own reflection as you pass these people in the streets? All of the abused, the abusers, the castaways, the thieves, the

“Are you afraid to reach out to the guilty, to the lost,

to the sick, to the dirty? Are you afraid of your own

reflection as you pass these people in the streets?”

beggars—all of them are someone’s precious child. All of them were born to someone who wanted to love them: maybe they just didn’t know how. Maybe they ran into the rain and never looked back. Even now, their heart eternally aches for the loss of their own innocence. Secretly in silence, they mourn the loss of the unsuspecting soul they brought into this cold and lonely world. Both souls share the darkness, both are affected for the rest of their lives. They search for a healing word, a gentle touch, a helping hand. But the secret stays buried in the darkness, held captive by the secret itself. The emptiness carves a path in a darkened heart that defines the greatest lie of all: darkness is power…it will never go away.

If they only knew there was freedom in light. After all, darkness is only dark when you give it life. The light in true life is constantly burning and illuminating a million hours of second chances. Life has a light that burns eternal—it can never go out. It lives in the light of a child’s eyes and burns like fire…burning brighter and brighter…desperately crying out, just to be acknowledged. If you have never experienced that light, take a moment to reflect: you might like what you see. If you can’t remember that light, if you can’t remember its’ warmth and healing power, go into a quiet place and light a soothing candle. Consider who you truly are. Create a peaceful moment and pray. Pray for all lost souls who have no one this holiday season. Look into the warm flame and remember who you are. Remember that you are no different than the people you shun, or the people who shun you. Light a candle and lift it towards heaven.

Let a tear of gratefulness spill down your cheeks. Pray for the people who do not have a bed, who do not have a family, who do not have anyone to love them. Pray that you will be the candle that burns brightly in a lonely sea. Pray that you will be Gods’ lighthouse. Pray that you will be lucky enough to bring one lost soul safely into the harbor. Pray that you will be the beacon of light that never goes out. Light a candle and pray. Pray that grace will adorn your shoulders and faith will line your streets. Pray that you will be God’s vessel. Know that you are His precious child. Light a candle… Light a candle… and pray.

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312 East Main StreetFredericksburg, Texas

830.997.9126

Open Daily




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Soto & Schmidt

329 E. Main

Fredericksburg, Texas

BARBARA HAILEY...

“As parents, do you really know what your children are feeling in these challenging times. What are they thinking? How are they cop-ing with their fears? And most importantly, what can you do in an easy and loving way to engage them in conversation which allows them to share their hearts’ and minds’ with you. The best way to en-gage anyone in conversation is to ask them a question. Reading these books with your children involves them in an interactive way. Instead of just sitting down and asking them a direct question, they are being part of the story, therefore revealing how they really feel.”

Wow. What a phenomenal gift. Can you imagine how life would be if we really knew what our children were thinking and feeling? What if we knew what their motives were? What if we could uncover their

inner fears? What if we could engage them in a true and revealing conversation that would expose what they are trying to hide. In these stressful times, fear has become a way of life. More than any other time in history, our children’s lives are at stake. We need to be aggres-sive in fine tuning our parenting skills. Time has become our enemy. We work two jobs, face a 65% divorce rate, worry about drugs and al-cohol, face the dysfunction of the stock market, and sadly, even worry for the general safety of our children.

Far too often I hear from parents: “Oh MY kids would never do drugs! My children would never lie or steal. My child comes from a good home. My child goes to the best of schools, attends church, is planning on going to college. Surely you are talking about someone else’s chil-dren!” No, sadly I am talking about ALL children. If you think your children are immune to this epidemic of fear and dysfunction you are fooling yourself. Instead of becoming defensive, I would suggest creat-ing a great offense: and an early one at that. In a country inundated with chaos, is it any surprise that teen alcoholism is at an all time high? Were you aware that kids from the best of homes have experimented with heroin and casual sex? Is it any wonder when WE are afraid that they are afraid? Well fear takes a mighty toll. And most kids will do anything to numb the pain.

Well I have some encour-aging news! Best selling au-thor Barbara Hailey, has written two of the most vital children’s books in Ameri-can history. Timing is ev-erything. Communication is mandatory, and truth is the only way to create a path for our children that will give them the founda-tion to live a full and happy life.I proudly and with deep respect, present you:

When I entered Bh home in Hunt TX. I was struck by a sense of beauty and

COVER STORY

Barbara Hailey: author of “The Wizard of Oz is in You” and “Aesop & You”Illustrations by: Linda Koehler Messina


42 www.fbgwoman.com

peace .It was like I had en-tered a magical fairyland . Little did I know, the lovely Barbara would be the Fairy God Mother the world so badly needed. If anyone possessed a magic wand of communication this dynam-ic woman was most definite-ly it. Somehow those deep green eyes on this attractive blonde lady held a secret that could change the course in how we raise our children. As she explained her chil-dren’s books and described how they worked, I began to realize the importance of telling her story. I knew I had found an answer to a parents’ paramount wish: “

how can I discover who my child really is?” I was astonished at the intimacy, depth and power of her narrative. Could these books really have the answer? I will let Barabra tell you in her own words.

“I had a very rough start as a child. My beloved Daddy was in the oil business, so he was gone most of the time. My mother was very beau-tiful, and wanted desperately to be a professional violinist, but she gave up her dreams of having a career to be at home. Consequently, she was depressed most of the time. She was present in the home, but not emotionally available to us. One of my favorite memories is of my mother reading fairytales to me, while I lay on the couch. My favorite was Cinderella. I guess I fell in love with the dream of a perfect world. You know, meeting my prince charming, my knight in shining armor. Miracluously, I DID meet my prince! He was the love of my life. Hailey was a brilliant, charismatic, handsome man. We fell in love the first day we met. We were mar-ried 28 years. He passed away 5 years ago. There is not a day that goes by, I don’t feel his presence around me. I am not sad: I am blessed by the gift he left with me forever.

You know, looking back at my child-hood, I guess my emotional support came from my beloved nanny, Cora, who passed away when I was 18. That was a great loss to me. Daddy felt school was a waste of time for children, until the second grade. This may sound strange, but

that was just the way it was back then. So, I naively started school in the second grade. I had a very high IQ, but found it

extremely difficult to catch up. In fact, I never



didn’t like school because I was always so far behind. I began to bury my feelings in food, and became very heavy. (Barbara is now a size zero!) I endured horrendous teasing on the bus every day. The kids would yell out “fatty, fatty.” It was so hurtful. It was compounded by the fact that I didn’t do well in school. I guess the only self worth I experienced, was becoming a nurturer to my younger sister Peggy. Since our home life was very sad and dysfunctional, I could refer to myself as “co-dependant.” However, I feel there is a very positive side to being a nurturer.”

“I had so many dreams as a child. At about 14 years of age, something just happened to me inside. I decided to get myself together. I went on a healthy diet, lost a lot of weight, and decided to focus my life on the theater. However, my school life did not improve. I was actually dismissed from The Hocka-day School in Dallas at age16. Looking back, I guess it was a blessing, because it made me want to succeed, to prove myself. So, I went on to receive a Mas-ter’s degree in Acting and Directing. After graduation I became the assistant director, in the Palo Alto Children’s Theater in Palo Alto, California. I just set my vision on what I wanted to do in life. I just went out and did it- I had to. I was driven to succeed, and prove my self worth to myself.

I really am grateful for my childhood. It made me the woman I am today. All the pain and hardship created a true desire in my heart to help others. I began writing children’s books to help parents and children discover who they truly are. I didn’t want to see one person have to give up their dream, like my mother did. The key to a good and happy life, is to be able to discover your talents and self worth, then go on to use them for the better good of all. When I wrote, “The Wizard of Oz Is In You,” I wanted children to real-ize that everything they wanted and desired they already possessed. It was already inside of them. They just had to discover their talents and develop them. Both of my books are interactive and are designed to create true com-munication between adults and chil-dren. For instance, in The Wizard of Oz Is In You, Dorothy’s’ Ruby slippers

represent a childs’ talents. By using a classic fairytale, and developing interactive questions between parent and child in modern times, chil-dren can discover their talents in a magical fun way. When we use our gifts we are happy people- especially when we help our fellow man.”

WRITTEN BY: FREYA PRUITT


The Wine Goddess

Thursday through Monday: noon to 6:00pmClosed Tuesday and Wednesday 830.990.2675877.990.26752367 Usener Road, 9 miles West of Fredericksburg

See website for directions: www.chisholmtrailwinery.com

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FREDERICKSBURG

Paula Williamson

In our relentless quest to make the Fredericksburg Woman the savviest being on the planet, we bring you financial news you can use . . .

The devastation of Hurricane Ike was quickly overshadowed by more national issues such as the economy and the presidential election, but our fellow Texans were dealt a severe blow and recovery is an arduous process. Taking a cue from their misfortune, we should all make some time to review our own financial disaster planning. While the Hill Country is relatively protected from some of the disasters which can befall the coastal regions, we certainly could be devastated by fire, flood, tornado, or any of the newer worries which go along with the age of terrorism.

The first and most important step is to create a Financial Emergency Kit. This equivalent of a time capsule will preferably be stored in a safe deposit box. Other options would be a safe, or other locked fireproof container kept in a secure storage facility or with a trusted family member or friend in another community or at least a reasonable distance from your own home. Good things to include are photos of your home and its contents, credit card numbers and phone numbers of the issuers (consider just laying them on a copy machine and making front and back copies), insurance policies and insurance cards, deeds, car titles, wills and trusts, Social Security cards, prescriptions and medical records, passports, emergency contact lists, spare keys, and an emergency packet with a debit card, credit card, a few checks and a few hundred dollars in cash, preferably small bills. Assume that it will be difficult to make change in the aftermath of a disaster. You don’t want to have to leave a $100 bill with an out-of-change clerk in exchange for a few gallons of water or a case of baby formula.

Consider this lesson learned from our neighbors on the Gulf Coast: when there is no power, ATM machines don’t work, and you can’t walk into a business and buy even the barest necessities with a credit or debit card. In the case of a natural disaster that disrupts power, cash will be king, so make sure you have a decent amount on hand.

It is also a good idea to have a deposit relationship at a bank with nationwide access, so if a crisis causes you to relocate, you will still have access to your funds. Even if your own area is knocked off-line, call centers will be operating in other parts of the country, and large banks should have more sophisticated disaster recovery plans. Plan ahead. Set up direct deposit, overdraft protection, online banking, and put your loans and credit cards on automatic payment plans so your credit history will be protected.

Think through your sources of emergency funds. If you are a homeowner, consider setting up a home equity line of credit. Look for one that has no closing costs and no annual fees. You will never pay a penny of interest unless you have to use it, and the best time to plan for an emergency is before it occurs. Imagine trying to get a home equity line of credit on your home in Houston after the hurricane, especially if your home was damaged or your income was interrupted. Even if your home survived intact, other financial services such as appraisers, title companies and lenders may be severely backlogged and short-staffed. In a situation where everyone is trying to find a contractor to make home repairs, the person with ready cash is going to get the fastest service.

Financial News You can UseFor non-homeowners, sources of emergency funds may include savings, premature withdrawals from CDs or IRAs, a loan from your 401-k, or taking some of the cash value of your life insurance. Remember that transactions such as these may include penalties, repayment terms, and tax consequences, particularly if you are under age 59 ½. Sit down for a review with your insurance professional. Don’t worry about knowing the industry jargon; just make sure that if you lost your home, your insurance would pay for a new one of similar quality. Ask what types of losses are NOT covered, such as damage from flooding or water leaks. Ask your agent what types of insurance coverage they carry on their own home. They can advise you on ‘riders’ to cover jewelry, electronics, artwork, and other valuables which may not be covered under a standard homeowner’s policy. While you’re at it, also look at your liability limits in case someone is injured or killed on your property, or you are sued for any reason, such as your tree fell on your neighbor’s house. A good relationship with an experienced insurance agent is invaluable, preferably one you can schedule an appointment with and sit down together over a cup of coffee at least once a year. God bless small towns!

Here is some helpful emergency contact information we hope you’ll never have to use:

Federal Emergency Management Agency1.800.621.FEMA (3362) or HYPERLINK “http://www.fema.gov” www.fema.gov

Insurance Information Institute1.800.942.4242 or HYPERLINK “http://www.iii.org” www.iii.org

Much of the information presented here could also apply in case of medical emergency. Consider all of the above, plus adding signers to your accounts, granting powers of attorney, and adding signers to your safe deposit box. It is common with lengthy illnesses that bills go unpaid, insurance policies lapse, city services are disrupted and pets go uncared for. Think about who you would want to take over in case you become comatose for a few months, and make sure they have access to your emergency kit.

This time of year there are a million details to take care of, most of which are more fun than emergency financial planning. But make yourself a New Years Resolution. As soon as the holiday decorations get put away and before you start on your taxes, set aside a day to devote to emergency financial preparedness. And make it an annual event; things change, insurance policies and credit cards expire. You will want to dust off that safe deposit box and give things a good review at least annually. What better time that when our calendars are brand new and our resolutions are still fresh on our mind? And when you get done, reward yourself with a special treat: go out for a nice dinner, get a massage, or go shopping with your holiday cash. In case you haven’t heard, our beautiful little town is a great place to do all of the above.

From the editorial staff at Fredericksburg Woman, we wish you a prosperous, prepared and disaster-free New Year!


Financial page sponsored by Chase Bank


FREDERICKSBURG

SAY HELLO TO J.D...

Calamity Jane & Mystery Pooch

When did we stop teaching responsibility and respect as a whole and more importantly when did we stop instilling it in our own children? I was recently enjoying lunch with my family in a diner when a woman and her two teenage daughters sat down at the table next to us. I was shocked to hear one of the girls very loudly belittle her mother and then ask her in a mocking tone if she was a moron. This mother did not even flinch at her daughter’s disrespectful behavior nor did she make any attempt to address the situation. She simply continued their conversation and lunch as if nothing out of the ordinary had taken place. I think that is what shocked me the most- she did absolutely nothing.

It made me think back to my own childhood. Granted my brother and I were ordinarily more akin to wild animals running through the streets of our neigh-borhood we certainly knew how to act like civilized members of society when need be. From an early age my parents took us with them to some of the nic-est restaurants in Houston. Miraculously my rowdy brother and I managed to make it through countless fancy brunches and sometimes stuffy dinners. I know there were times we made faux pas and times were so bored we’d have rather been anywhere else but as an adult and parent I am immensely thank-ful they taught us these skills. I shudder to think what would have happened if I’d talked to my mother the way the young girl I recently overheard spoke to her mother. I know for certain that it would not have been overlooked nor quickly forgotten.

As I try to think back to how my parents taught me the concepts of respect and responsibility I cannot recall specific “lessons” on the subject. I do know that my parents led by example and that even as children we were always treated with respect. However, we were familiar with the concept of earning

respect just as we earned other rights. As children we earned more freedoms along with more responsibilities. As we wanted the freedom to stay out later we quickly learned that it came with the responsibility of keeping track of time and coming home when expected. When we inevitably made mistakes

we were held accountable and lost some of that freedom until we were able to once again prove ourselves responsible. I think it is so important as par-ents to teach our children respon-sibility. One of the few concepts that consistently

gets through to my very bright but unbelievably hardheaded three year old is responsibility. Of course she couldn’t tell you that but she is certainly familiar with the concept. If you ask her what happens if you get out of bed (except to go to the bathroom!) after lights out she will quickly respond with “you take a toy”. You may wonder how this teaches responsibility and I may be wrong, but here’s my theory.

At three I can no longer reasonably confine her to her bed and her personal

Observations of a Mom in the TrenchesBy no means do I hold myself out as any sort of expert on parenting. However, having made the transformation from child to parent over the last thirty years I have noted some interesting if not alarming changes in both children and parents especially in the areas of responsibility and respect.


ity is such that she’d prefer any humane punishment over possibly missing out on something. This is my child that once stayed up on an international flight for what equated to 3:00 in the morning central time simply because she wasn’t about to risk missing anything. As you can imagine bedtime became a chal-lenge and I was quickly losing my sanity. I decided to have a talk with her and explain that she was getting bigger and she was now going to be making some decisions on her own. We also talked about that along with the free-dom to make those decisions came the responsibility to make good choices and when we end up not making good choices we have to live with the consequences. I try not to tell her she made a bad choice but instead talk in terms of not making a good choice. I recently attended a parenting class that focused on raising responsible children and learned a few more skills.

Have I stumbled upon something extraordinary or founded a new concept I seriously doubt it but it’s something that I have become passionate about. I must admit I did feel rather victorious when I ended the drawn out, often tear-filled, power struggle over bedtime. It only took once (and a few reminders as time has gone by) for my daughter to know that I am going to hold her accountable for her choices. Is it perfect? No. Am I always consistent? Of course not, I get tired and cranky too. But it has helped me focus on some-thing that I think is very important. I want my daughter to grow up knowing that along with freedom comes responsibility. I won’t always be there to help her make decisions but I hope that with a childhood filled with opportunities to make choices and to be held account-able for those choices she’ll carry that into the hard teen years and beyond.

If we happen to be sitting in a diner in ten years I

certainly hope that she won’t make the choice to speak disrespectfully to me but more importantly if she does I hope she does so knowing full well that she will be held responsible for her actions. At least in her case that will not involve a mother ignoring her behavior but instead one that will not only hold her accountable but also let her know how disappointed I am in the choice she made.

In today’s society it seems that younger generations are growing up with an increasing sense of self entitlement in a world in which success is harder to achieve. By raising children with a sense that they deserve it all just by nature of existing we are not doing them any favors. Attending college is no longer an assurance of a well paying job in the future. As we progress as a nation and move into a global community, our world only becomes more competitive. As a parent I want to make sure I send my children off with the best tools I can provide them and I think one of the biggest gifts we can give our children is by teaching them responsibility.

I say all this with my now sleeping three year old lying next to me. I think this is one of those times I won’t men-tion that she was supposed to be napping in her own

room, under the get out of bed or you lose a toy rule, but nonetheless wan-dered into my room under the guise of helping me work. I could not resist her big brown eyes or the sweetness in her gesture even though it was likely just a ploy to avoid her own bed. Of course she will likely hold me accountable for my afternoon lapse when I try to re-instill the rule this evening. Knowing this, I let her curl up next to me but at least I know the consequences or maybe I’m still learning too...

Written by: Laura Parker


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A Letter from the Editor

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Dear Readers,

Merry Christmas to you all. I am proud and honored to feature best selling author Barbara Hailey on our extraordinary Holiday cover.

I feel her children’s books can off er hope and encouragement to struggling parents. In a world riddled with chaos, Barbara has taken

the classics “The Wizard of Oz,” and the four thousand year old “Aesop’s Fables” and turned them into modern day interactive

communication books for children. Her books have sold over 10,000 copies around America. Barbara has also given away thousands

of copies to schools, libraries, mental health counselors, etc. “Operation Render Comfort,” was a gathering of mental health practitioners

formed to comfort the children who had lost parents in Iraq. During this gathering it was noted that the children responded across the

board to this interactive book. It was the one medium that was able to get through to all the children and helped them express their grief.

These books have also been used all over the country by gifted and talented teachers who had worked with Dr. Joseph Renzulli, the

noted teacher for gifted and talented teachers at the university of Connecticut. Barbara’s books have also been used successfully in

helping children talk about divorce as well as helping blended families work together to achieve a peaceful and understanding family

relationship. We at Fredericksburg Texas Woman hope these books will reach each and every school in the united states. Communication

is paramount for parents, teachers and all children to avoid confl ict, behavior problems and evolving psychological problems.

My magazine is dedicated to the well being of all people, all around the world. If we reach out to each other and try to help those in

need, we can make a diff erence by being a diff erence.

I, as editor in chief of Fredericksburg Texas Woman, encourage everyone who wants the best for our country, to care: truly care for one

another. In these trying times we need to believe in goodness. We need to believe in each other and most importantly, we need to believe

that God holds us closely under His mighty wings. If you need convincing, just look at the love on this precious cover. Only God can

produce a picture of pure love. It is truly rare for a photographer to capture a symbiotic emotion that fl ows between fi ve strangers. I hope

you will all take a moment to really study the faces of these precious children on our cover. Their faces refl ect the hope that makes America

great. Their innocence captures the true power: the power of love. A picture does speak a thousand words. The greatest gift we could

give you all this holiday season is the gift of communication and love for you and your children. The true gift comes from Jesus. After all,

He is the truth, the life and the way. Cherish those words and bind them on your hearts. They will carry you, support you, and never

let you down.

Merry Christmas to you all, and may God bless our new president. He will surely need it.

Love,

Freya PruittEditor in chief

Fredericksburg Texas Woman

A Letter from the Editor

Do you know your Pastor? Can you go to him or her in times of need? Are you com-fortable in doing so, or do you feel intimi-dated? Churches have gotten so big that sometimes it seems impossible to achieve the intimacy needed to confide and comfort a wounded soul. At Wild Ride Ministries In Harper Texas, you will find a real Pastor, a real man, and a real friend. Mike Weaver wants to shepherd his flock. I’m sure the suc-cess of Wild Ride Ministries is because of the intimate care that runs through the church like an invisible thread.

Webster defines a Shepherd as: “To tend as a shepherd. To guide or guard in the manner of a shepherd” His definition of a Pastor is: “ To feed: a spiritual advisor.” Hmmm. How many of us go to church to be “fed?” What does that statement mean? Do we need to hear opinions of man, or do we need to hear God’s Word? Which medium do you think will feed you? Food is a source of comfort. Spiritual food is comforting and edu-cating. We receive clarity in difficult decision making. We receive courage when we are afraid. We receive intelligent decisiveness when we are confused.

But most of all when we go to church we need to feel we will receive an answer: an answer that comes out of the Word. But we usually need someone to lead us to that truth. And that person is usually our pastor. In Harper, that person is Mike Weaver.

When I was considering a focus for this con-tinuing feature story on Wild Ride Ministries, I immediately thought about the people of Mike’s church. I wanted to hear from them directly. I wanted their personal testimony of how this church directly affected their lives. Boy, was I blessed by these stories! I hope you

“THE AVAILABLE SHEPHERD” Pastor Mike Weaver Wild Ride Ministries


will enjoy them as much as I have. These are the real people from the real church with the real pastor. These are stories of encourage-ment and love. These are stories of what God can do in your life- if you let Him. I will start with Holly’s story. I have named it “ Holly’s Christmas Story.” Be blessed.

Holly’s Testimony

I was a 22 year old who had just returned from a failed attempt at 3 years of college. I had a great life; I was respected in the com-munity, smart, well cared for, perfect family etc...When I came home from college, I filled my life with clubbing and alcohol. I drank every night, could not hold a reputable job and was pretty much known as a party ani-mal. My life in one moment in time had been immediately turned upside down. I was preg-nant. I was not married. I just pinned down a great job. I knew better...I was raised better than this...what was I going to do?...my life was ruined...how could I afford a baby and better yet...I did not want one and my parents were going to be so disappointed. So many emotions ran through me like a speeding freight train. I could not even collect enough of them to sort out to help me think straight. I was terrified, mad, happy, and sad; you name it, I was it! What would I do?

I made the dreaded phone call to my parents. My mother answered the phone and I quietly told her I needed to talk to her. She imme-diately responded, “You are pregnant aren’t you!” I told her I was and started crying. I could feel her disappointment reach through the phone and grip my being to the very depth

of my bones. She suggested I tell my father in person.

The next thing I did was tell the baby’s biologi-cal father. He was upset but was level headed and said everything would be okay and we would talk about it after we had time to process the

news. Weeks went by and nothing was said. I could tell he did not want to talk about it and was holding something back.

After the phone call to my mother, I drove to their house and told my father. My dad and I have always been close and very liberal about life in general so I was very un-expecting of the reaction I would receive. I was so hurt and yet happy that I was go-ing to have a baby, and then felt guilty for being happy. Needless to say I was very confused and sank into a hor-

rible long depression.

After the confrontation with my father, I decided I had better confront the baby’s biological father and find out from him how he thought all of this was going to be okay. He suggested abor-tion. He revealed he had interests in a shared acquaintance and told me he would continue to see her. Obviously, I was crushed. For some reason, I really thought he was going to marry me and take care of the baby. I have to admit, I pondered abortion for many days. I had even taken off of work so that I could go and have it done but something inside of me was hold-ing me back. Once again, I was raised differ-ently than this but how could I raise a child on my own? After all, my parents were extremely disappointed, and I felt like I did not have any type of support.

What happened next was only what I describe as a miracle. I moved back home and left the baby’s biological father, and with that little voice holding me back from abortion decided to keep the baby. I had much guilt for being so happy I was going to have a child but slowly I felt things getting better.

My dad started talking to me without the disap-pointment in his voice, my mom started help-ing me pick out nursery items and above all I stopped drinking, partying, and staying out all

night. I engulfed myself in this unborn child. Soon, the baby was born a healthy baby girl that soon became the apple of my father’s eyes. To this day they have a bond that no one or nothing can break.

The baby’s biological father never helped throughout the pregnancy and only came to see her a few times in her first two months of life. He continued his relationship with the woman who was once my friend. He refused to ever put his name on the birth certificate which turned out to be one of the greatest blessings; one of many that came with the birth of this child...

When my baby was a few months old, I went out with an old friend from High School. Within four weeks we were engaged, and in 7 months we were married. That was nearly nine years ago. I feel that he is also one of the biggest blessings in my life. It is not often that you will find a young man, twenty one years old, which is willing to accept, care for, and love unconditionally another man’s off-spring. He has taken full responsibility for her and treats her as his own. He, to me, is truly a blessing from God that I cherish daily. When the baby was four, we petitioned her birth father for relinquishment of his rights. He tried to say I did not give him a fair chance and helping with the baby although we had much documented evidence of the attempts



to include him in her life. After a long period of time he signed the papers and my husband successfully adopted her and gave her our last name just in time to go to school!

My daughter has known from a small age that she was adopted by my husband and has accepted it. We have told her about her bio-logical father without ever saying a bad word about him. She is uninterested in him and totally considers my husband her father. She is such a joyful, loving, and smart child. I sit and cry often to think that she almost was not to be born. She is a blessing.

I call this my testimony because I have stum-bled upon something I feel the Lord has asked me to share with others that are so confused at a scary crossroad in their life. It was not until a few years ago that I realized that the birth of this child was a true blessing and miracle. I truly believe that God sent her to me know-ing that if I became pregnant, I would do the right thing. It stopped me from drinking, and I immediately, with lots of practice became more responsible. If God had not sent me this child, I probably would have been a full blown alcoholic, miserably married and without a job. Instead, I chose to have this baby, sucked up the embarrassment, continued with my great job and look where it has taken me. My husband and I have been married almost nine years, I have recently gone back to college and will graduate in December with a bache-lor’s degree in business, I am not an alcoholic or drug addict, and best of all...I have the smartest most beautiful nine year old in the world!

God works in mysterious ways. He often speaks to us and we don’t hear him, only because we are not listening. He knew I was not listening nor would I hear him in that time in my life and he knew that I needed to take a different path; the only way he could accom-plish changing my ways was to send a child, whom at one time was deemed an awful acci-dent and burden, and show me that if we trust in the Lord all things are possible through him. I truly believe that God has a plan for each and every one of us, including unborn children. He used my daughter to save my life from painful, miserable things. I thank him every day and often more than once. I also speak my favorite verse daily as a reminder that I can do anything, including having a baby alone! God always provides for us when we have faith and trust in him. I was right, I could not

have raised her on my own, but I took a leap of faith and God provided me with my parents in a renewed relationship, my husband and the joy of a new baby girl.

Favorite verse I say every time I am feeling small, un-worthy, and useless: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” Phi-lippians 4:13

Thank you for letting me share my testimony. This is still a painful and humbling subject in my life and has only been shared with very few. I just felt extremely led by God to share this for a very long time and when our church decided to support through individual donation a com-munity pregnancy clinic, I knew that this was the time and God was speaking louder than I have ever heard before! I just hope and pray that this testimony helps someone through this scary and trying time. I hope that it can be used in a posi-tive way and in counseling with young women who have difficult choices to make. I pray this for all who may cross paths with the testimony of my renewed faith and love for our Father in heaven. May peace be with you and may God bless you.

A Christmas Note From Pastor Mike Weaver

Christmas is a reminder that we can have cer-tain peace in uncertain times. With the economy, war, gas prices, a changing of the guard in The White House, people all over this country are lacking peace. There is a sense of uncertainty because we are not totally sure of what the next few years hold for us. We are not all sure that the changes promised by the next President are ex-actly what we need. There are so many questions yet to be answered, and unanswered questions can cause peace to elude us. I feel like one of the most important things that I should do as a Pastor is to remind people that it is all going to be OK. I know that it is, because of Christmas. Jesus was born for our peace. He is the Prince of Peace spoken of in Isaiah 9:6. And in verse 7 it says that of His Government and Peace, there shall be no end. We are told in sev-eral places in the Bible that He will never leave us nor forsake us. Our God has every detail of our future worked out, and it is going to be just fine. God told Jer-emiah “Before I formed you, I knew you.” The same can be said for us, before He formed us, He knew us. He knew the times we would be liv-ing in, and He has given us all we need to make

it in these times. Christmas is about the gift of Jesus, and Jesus is about peace. God knows the end from the beginning, and He has a plan for His people. Jesus has Great and Exciting plans for those of us who choose to accept Him as our Lord and Savior. He has plans for our future when we are not even sure where we will be next week. His plans are high above and beyond what we can ask, think or imagine. You don’t have to worry about what tomorrow holds when you know who holds tomorrow. We believe at Wild Ride Ministries, that God has a plan for all of us. He has a specific thing that only you can accomplish. He designed you for a certain thing that no one else can ever do. When God looks at you, He sees amazing potential. He doesn’t see you as a mistake, and you are not here to just exist. When I look at all the people that God is bringing together in Harper, I am in awe of the potential. The Walker family is a wonderful example of Godly potential. Cydney was the first one in our Sunday school to learn all of the books of the Bible. Before she was born, God knew what she was going to do, and the Bless-ing that she would be to all of us. Her and her sisters are some of the most talented children you’ll ever meet. They are taking after there parents, singing in the kids choir. Peggy is involved in everything she can. She sings on the praise team, is involved in our ladies ministry, and keeps the church and office clean. God knew, even when she didn’t, that everything would soon be OK. He knew that she could have certain peace, in her uncertain times. Christmas is the season for Peace, and a time for new beginnings.


By:Sherryl Brown

Let’s Talk About

Art

“Seeing the Contemplative”

By:By:Sherryl BrownSherryl Brown

Let’s Talk About

Art

“Seeing the Contemplative”“Seeing the Contemplative”

Sherryl Brown

As we lead our busy lives leisure often seems so elusive, so wholly unobtain-able. But the concept of leisure is often misunderstood in American culture, as though leisure is a sign of an unwillingness to remain competitive, or worse laziness.

I’d like to suggest that we need to make good use of our leisure time doing those things that charge our batteries, stimulate our aesthetic sense and leave us refreshed. Think of it. You have a block of time that is actually free, and the question is what to do with it. One of the most refreshing things you can do with your family or out of town friends is to visit local art galleries. You can also go for a walk, read poetry or call a friend. The list is very long, however, at a time when most of us are “challenged” for ways to constructively use our free time, art holds great promise.

In my work as a gallery representative for the past eight years, I have seen fi rst hand the joy and excitement that comes from discovering works of art that transform the viewer in ways that they could never have anticipated. People who are comfortable going in to an art gallery understand that they will not be subjected to the salesmanship of major retail outlets where “making the sale” is pushed to the discomfort of the customer. Gallery owners want visitors to feel at home in their shops, and they will engage with you about the works of art on display, but never push a sale. They are happy when you look and really pay attention to the collection.

Art prices refl ect the creative and intellectual property of those who have sacrifi ced and gone to school to learn the techniques and skills required. What artists have produced has value beyond the monetary designation. Like travel, art is aff ordable, but it requires lots of exposure to fi nd these treasures. Art collectors spend a great deal of time looking at art, and that is what makes their avocation so rewarding. They come from all walks of life1⁄4. teachers, writers, artists, scientists, business owners, retirees, chefs, students, nurses, construction workers, musicians, day care workers, etc. etc. They are willing to have a conversation about art, often asking more questions than making pronouncements.

At Fredericksburg Art Gallery where I work, we are always happy to see local residents, whether they purchase art or not. We want them to feel comfort-able walking into our space, and above all, we want them to take plenty of time to look at the artwork and feel free to ask questions. Why does one artist paint only in acrylic and another only in oil? What is the diff erence between fused art glass and blown glass? Why are bluebonnet paintings such big sell-ers? Why do some artists go to school for years to learn techniques so that their paintings will not mimic photographs?

Most of us who are lucky enough to work in the art business have a deep re-spect for the artists who live and work in our community. They are thought-ful people who want to communicate something special in a quiet, thoughtful way. All they ask is that you come and look and then take a little time to consider what they were trying to portray when they reached out to form a clay mold into a three dimensional fi gure, or pick up a brush to paint a horse that has been put out to pasture after a life of service, or perhaps to take fabrics and stitch them together into a piece of fi ber art that creates a mood of nostalgia. With art, the life of the mind is given spiritual food, through the infusion of color, texture and form conceived in the mind of the artist. It is the training and years of practice that allow artists to fulfi ll their creative impulses. Look for works of art that send a message, tell a story or conjure up a feeling so rare and deep that you will treasure it forever.

The fi rst Friday of each month Fredericksburg galleries are sponsoring ART WALK, a wonderful opportunity to experience the work of local artists. All 9 participating art galleries remain open after hours. Arts communities all over the country have established these “art walks”, and they serve as a cata-lyst for those who long for something more enduring. Art helps us hold on to the beauty of our landscapes, our architecture, our magnifi cent seashores and countless other treasures. Think of art as visual music for the soul, not so much as decorative material. Tap into its treasures. It’s a wonderful way to use your leisure time.

The Visual Arts and Leisure


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Lisa FosterPhotographer

Melanie KnightCostume Designer

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RETURN TO LONESOME DOVE Old Tyme Photography


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221 West Main StreetFredericksburg, Texas




830.997.8593505 West Main Street | Fredericksburg, Texas

GIFT CARDS AVAILABLE

Open Tuesday-Thursday11am-2pm & 5pm-8:30pm

Friday & Saturday11am-9pm

Think of Kelly’s Cafe for your holiday parties, family gatherings and shopping breaks..

Happy Holidays!

Come experience the art of handcrafted American food!

Cobblestone Antiques107 S. LlanoFredericksburg, Texas830.992.3245Open 7 Days a Week

All Roads Lead To Fredericksburg

Are you in Austin?....how about San Antonio? Are you sitting at the lake in Marble Falls, or are you driving through Mason looking at the beautiful bluebonnets? Well, have I got a surprise for you! Come experience the magic of Fredericksburg! Whether you are coming in on 290 or IH10 to Highway 16, or coming in off 87....ALL ROADS LEAD TO FREDERICKSBURG! Stop wasting time.... Fredericksburg is a piece of living history. Its wine is a close second to Napa Valley; its lavender fi elds will convince you that you are in Tuscany; and the aroma of the international cuisine....Oh my!....I can hardly contain myself!

A Piece Of Heaven On Earth...TEXASWomanFREDERICKSBURG 61www.fbgwoman.comFREDERICKSBURG

Why does money make people crazy? If we have too little we are crazy with fear. If we have too much we tend to lean toward excess and greed. If we have just enough we spend our days worrying about not having enough—not getting that new car—not having that great big house—not having enough money to send our kids to the best college. Well, what if life is NOT about money? America is supposed to be the land of opportunity. But you can look at the meaning of opportunity in two ways. Webster defi nes opportunity as a “favorable time.” Hmm…I guess that could mean a lot of things: a favorable time to love, a favorable time to give, a favorable time to make money, a favorable time to learn, a favorable time to make decisions, a favorable time to focus on what is truly important.

Well hold on to your hats, this is my favorable time to off er a word of clarifi cation. America was created and built on Christian values—not money. Somewhere along the way, we have subtlety acquiesced into the pit of misunderstanding. America has abused

the term “the land of opportunity” to get as much money as we can. We invest in

the stock market hoping to get rich. We invest in our re-tirement fund to feel secure, to make sure we have enough money when we are old. We save our money in the bank for “a rainy day.” We feel we HAVE to send our children to the best college, buy them the $100.00

Nike sneakers, give them the best of everything—the best that money can buy. Think about it. As subtle as it is, the majority of our focus is on gathering as much money as we can. We believe this is the prudent way to live: a rational, intelligent way to provide us with a sense of security. We are fi nding out the hard way, it is apparently a false security. But what if there wasn’t any money? Then what? What if we discovered EVERTHING we thought was pru-dent and intelligent was worth noth-ing? Then what would we do? Die? Some actually do. Consider this: if there was no money, where would our worth come from? Would we still be looking to our government to solve our problems, or would we be taking responsibility for our own lives?

Hey, here’s an idea. Remember the people who started this country? Wow, they didn’t have any electric-ity, or running water, or fancy cars. They took care of themselves and each other. They had the gift of time: time to think, time to help, time to work, time to harvest, time to love.

Wow...they didn’t even HAVE a stock market: HOW did they survive?! Well, they just did. They looked to “The Lord Jesus Christ” (yes, that’s a quote) for a diagram in faith, a road map in how to live, and the foun-dation on how to run our country. They knew because they believed. They knew what it would take to create a land of freedom and integrity. They had no time to be afraid of losing their money, because they HAD no money! Yet this great country was formed under horrendous circum-stances of hardship and pain. But these people had their eyes on Jesus and the value of their families and each other.

Having nothing was a way of life: having ev-erything was reality.You may be thinking everything is relative. We need money, lots

can buy. Think about it. As subtle as it is, the majority of our focus is on gathering as much money as we can. We believe this is the prudent way to live: a rational, intelligent way to provide us with a sense of security. We are fi nding out the hard way, it is apparently a false security. But what if there wasn’t any money? Then what? What if we discovered EVERTHING we thought was pru-dent and intelligent was worth noth-

An American Christmas: 2008


of money to exist! I mean that’s true, isn’t it? Well, here’s a true example of relative thinking. My grandmother immigrated to America in the 1920’s. She left my mother behind with her mother until she was settled. A year later she sent for my mother Luba, who was then put on a boat by herself (at age eight) to head for America. Imagine an eight year old little girl travelling by herself across the ocean! I asked my mother if she was frightened and she always answered no. “Everyone just automati-cally took care of me. I was always safe, was fed, and had playmates. Strangers became family. During the ocean voyage I got the chicken pox and had to be put in a hospital in London for three weeks. Then I was put back on another boat which took me to New York harbor and Ellis Island. I arrived in the height of the great depression in 1930. America

was the greatest thing I had ever seen! I had to go through quarantine, get a thorough medical check-up, then I was released to my mother who was waiting for me outside Ellis island. We then travelled to De-troit where my mother had gotten a job in the factory. She eventually bought a house where she lived for the rest of her life. America was the greatest place we had ever seen. When I entered school I HAD to learn

to speak English—It was expected because we were in America! Everyone took care of one another. All the neighbors would go from house to house to visit every day. If someone needed anything, we all made sure they got it. We all worked hard, even the children. There were every day chores that were expected of us-to help the family. Things were diff erent back then.”

You might be wondering what ever happened to my mom. Well, she went on to become a famous opera singer, raised two children, worked full time, and pursued her singing career. She is now 85 years old, lives in New York City (on her own) and has become a brilliant vocal coach. She teaches every day, does her own shop-ping, runs her own errands, and meets her friends every day at the coff ee shop. She has no stocks or bonds, investments or retirement fund. She went through 9–11 in New York and numerous “black-outs.” She fell and broke her arm two years ago. Because of her indominable will, she aggressively went through physical therapy and recovered in two weeks so she could go back to work! “What else would I do, I had to work!” My mother does not

complain, she is too busy to fi nd the time.

People, please, do not lose heart. Yes, we are go-ing through a shocking and frightening time in Ameri-can history. But this is a GREAT time. This is a defi n-ing time. This is the time we get to remember who we should be, not who we want to be. The power to change dwells in the moment. There is no power in the past or the future. Our expectations and goals are transitory if we do not live each second in anticipation of greatness. We ARE a great country. But all countries are made up of people and people make mistakes. Our biggest mistake was to lose focus on what is important. Another was to give our personal power away and blame the govern-ment for all of our problems. Listen up! We should BE the government. In theory, they work for us, not the other way around. We should take responsibility for our families’ welfare, we should take responsibility for raising our children, and we should not put our faith and content-ment in the ultimate power of money. Why? Because money cannot defi ne you. Only God can do that.

What is the answer? There is only one: take care of one another. Turn off the TV and talk. Talk to your children about what is going on. Tell them that money is not our God, it is Jesus. Tell them HE will give us the answers. He will give us the strength to forge ahead and focus on what is true and right. He will show us the values that are our founda-tion. And I assure you, they are NOT money. Take time off from be-ing afraid and remind your children about the principals that birthed America. Tell them they have inherited that pioneer spirit—it is in

FREDERICKSBURG


second chance to remember who you really are: not your car, not your house, not your investments: just simply YOU. You who are loved by God in such a way that He died for you. He died to “give you life, that you should have life more abundantly.” Go to the source of living wa-ter. I promise you, you will fi nd the riches you need, the love you need, and the faith you need. Know in your heart you are not alone. Believe on the words: “ I will never leave you nor forsake you.” They are the words of truth and promise. If you use them, study them, feed on them, you will soon discover they are the foundation of your very life. They are the only truth, the only power, the only way out of fear. They will bring you into the everlasting light of God. They will protect and insu-late you from the world as we know it. They will bring you through the darkest hour of night, and release you into a light so bright you cannot see it with the naked eye. But remember, this type of vision comes from faith. There is no vision in fear—only blindness. Step into your heavenly inheritance and speak the Words of Jesus :

“Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name.Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done; ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN. GIVE US TODAY OUR DAILY BREAD and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.For Thine is the Kingdom, and the Power and the Glory…forever and ever. Amen.”

their blood. Give them a chance to help their family in times of crisis. No matter how young or how old, children need responsibility and this is the perfect time to learn it. To protect this country we need to value family. It is far too easy to discard relationships if they become an inconvenience. Take care of your Mom and Dad: after all they gave you life. Go to your neighbor and see if they are OK. Encourage your kids to check on their friends. Give a stranger a hug and tell them it will be OK. Be grateful we are alive and have a chance to fi x this mess we helped create. After all, it is a spirit of gratefulness no matter what the circumstances, that holds the ultimate power. That power can heal a broken heart, drive the fear out of a loved one’s eyes, and turn anxiety into opportunity. The opposite of fear is faith! Choose to be positive. Encourage one another, love one another, be brave and always be there to help. That is Americas’ greatness. That is God’s commandment: “ Love one another as I have loved you.”

As we enter this Christ-mas season, don’t stress out over things. Focus on giving the greatest gift of all: the gift of Jesus. Tell your children what Christmas is really about. Share that gift by “laying down your life for your friends.” Go to the words in the bible that are printed in red: they are Christ’s Words, they never fail. Be glad for this moment in history. Be glad for the opportunity to stand in faith. Be glad for a


Today in the earth,where a veil of darknessinvisibly covers this world-I acknowledge that with as muchas I have been blessed,I need to learn from the blade of grass,which humbly rests beside me.

For I feel hurt, and cry, whenpeople betray, or misunderstand me;Yet, the blade of grass stands with confidence,even though it is continually walked upon.They are delicate, yet strong.Isn’t this a miracle?

Where is the strength I have been given?Why do I ignore the blessingsof our Creator, rather than use themfor my continuous endurance?

Oh, Father, please let the blades of grassbe for a reminder to me,as long as we breathe together.And may I walk daily with a newrespect for the blades of grass,which appear to be sharp,yet are they soft under my feet.

Thank you for opening my mind, my heart,and my eyes to Your everlasting wisdom.Please make me silent in the hours of temptation-That I may standin innocence before Your Holy Throne,even as a blade of grass.

A Blade of GrassWritten by Johanna Jeffery

FREDERICKSBURG


Holidays are about memories, especially food memories. Everyone has there “little thing that they do” around holiday meals. You’re expected to come through with your special addition to the Holiday meals. Memories are associated with the food served around it.

With my grandmother it was “Corn Flake Kisses”, my mom “Spicy Sausage Pin Wheels” and my wife, her “Potato Latkes with sour cream”. Years ago my wife started a tradition of making Potato Latkes on Christmas morning for after our boys had opened one special gift. We thought it silly at first, but as the years went on we came expect the Latkes on Christmas morning. Food traditions garner the memories of holiday past and present.

My ‘little thing’ is something I’ve been doing for the last 24 years at Thanksgiving, and that is make “two gravies” for the big meal. Nothing spectacular, but you can count on me to do it. One is a natural orange gravy made from the pan drippings and the other a traditional cream gravy made from giblet and neck stock. The natural gravy is simple; when cooking your

“ THE LOCAL EAT ”Written by: Kelly Rogers

turkey add 2 or 3 cups of water or stock to your turkey pan this will give you something to baste with while the ‘natural juices’ flow out of the bird in to the roasting pan. After taking the turkey out of the pan strain the pan juice into a saucepan and add juice of 2 oranges and a ½ cup white wine ( optional), a little salt / pepper and heat to a simmer. Make a slurry with equal parts cornstarch and water about 2 tablespoons, and stir into the sauce to thicken. When it does, keep it on low heat. This sauce should have clarity and lightness with a hint of orange. The traditonal cream gravy is made from the stock produced by simmering the giblets, neck bone and any trimmings from the turkey. Do not put fat trimmings in your stock, it does it no good. To enhance your stock, as you are preparing and cooking other dishes remember to save trimmings, that you would otherwise throw away, for your stock. I use the following rule; onion products, celery, carrots and garlic, soft herbs (like parsley, thyme, chervil) can go into stock. Do not use peppers, squash, fruit, strong herbs (like rosemary, mint, basil), or tomatoes. This gravy is thickened by a roux (equal parts flour and oil) that is heated at a slow and low temperature. Heat equal parts milk and strained stock to a slow simmer adding roux slowly until the gravy thickens. A touch of heavy cream, salt and pepper round out this gravy. Now you have 2 gravies to ladel, slather and dip with during a most memorable meal. And thats what I do.

What are you famous for around the holidays? What can we count on when you get in the kitchen this year?

Happy Holidays !!!


FREDERICKSBURG


Written By: Johanna Jeffery

Welcome to Andy’s Steak & Seafood Grille!

Welcome to the home-style restaurant: “Andy’s Steak & Seafood Grille.” As you walk through the entrance, you enter into the “second home” of Don and Mary Wise, owners. It is the Oldest Continuous Restaurant Operation in Fredericksburg, Texas. The original location was on Hwy. 87 North, in 1955. Then it was moved to Washington (now being referred to as “Washington Square”). In 1991, Don bought this business from the original owner, Andy, and has maintained the same old-fashioned quality of freshness. As Don quoted, “We try to cook like Mom used to, just keeping it simple, and using the best quality ingredients possible.” All foods are made from scratch, and after meeting Don and his wife, Mary, it is apparent the foods are prepared with love. This is the most important secret to all good cooking that brings people back for more. Don worked at Luby’s for ten years, before he bought “Andy’s Diner,” as it was originally named. It was interesting to learn Don has 32 employees, of which 22 have been working with him for eight years or longer. This is also a sure sign of success.

There Old-Fashioned Hometown Meals include: Breakfast – served from 7:30am.-11am.; on weekends a Breakfast Buffet is served from 7:30am.-11am. Lunch is served from 11am.-2pm., 7 days a week. Dinner is served Monday-Thursday from 5pm-8pm; Friday and Saturday from 5pm-9pm; and on Sundays they close at 2pm. They also do catering and parties. Every Friday evening they serve a “Full Seafood Buffet.” They have the “Largest Salad Bar In Fredericksburg.” Their “Lunch Specials” include: an entrée, 2 vegetables (from a choice of 5-6 vegetables), a desert and a drink all for the price of only $9.00. Two different types of homemade soup are served daily. I sampled the broccoli-cheese soup and it was deli-cious. Their meats are butchered on the premises, so they’re extra fresh.

Welcome to Andy’s Steak & Seafood Grille!


Now, for the families that would prefer to not cook on Thanksgiving Day, Don has prepared a complete appetizing meal, that may be made to take to your own home. About fifteen years ago he began providing these dinners, that consist of: an entire turkey, 2 quarts of cornbread dressing, 2 quarts of giblet gravy, and 2 whole pies of your choice, all for only $79.95. This dinner will serve 10-12 people. The selection of pies to choose from are: Pumpkin, Pecan, Apple, Peach, Cherry, Buttermilk Chess, Lemon Chess, Pumpkin Cheesecake, Chocolate Meringue, and Coconut Me-ringue. To Don and Mary Wise, along with their entire staff, we thank you for your hard work, and dedication to providing top quality meals to our neighborhood, as well as visitors to Fredericksburg.

Come visit us for our fantastic breakfast buffet! (list the days and hours)Our seafood buffet will make you feel like you are in Louisiana!We have the best hamburger in town and a great salad and soup bar.All of our steaks are hand cut and char broiled to perfection.All of our pies and pastries are made from scratch.Our dedication is to our customers. We provide the best home cookin’ you can get! Come visit us on Washington Street...or should we say “Washington Square!”

4 1 3 S . W a s h i n g t o n S t r e e tF r e d e r i c k s b u r g , Te x a s

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We

are all about you!

Signature Treatments| I nstant I nch Loss Wraps

| Foot Facia ls / French Manicure

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Cal l for your f ree body assessment wor th $150.00!* by appointment only

Open Tuesday — Saturday from 9am to 6pm206 S. Lincoln Fredericksburg, Texas 78624830.990.1126 www.SerenitySpaAtTheInn.com

Find an aesthetician who is honest, reliable, and well trained. An esthetician and an aesthetic doctor, or derma-tologist, can help you find a daily maintenance plan that will work for your skin as well as help youdetermine which procedures you would benefit from. At home skin care is highly important and will maximize the results from medical spa treatments. Some treatments such as hair removal, microdermabrasion, extractions, and peels should be performed only by a licensed aesthe-tician and should not be done at home.

Use a sunscreen every morning before your makeup. If you are going to be exposed to sunlight for a prolonged period of time, you will need to re-apply. The sun and stress have

The Skincare Columnbeen shown to be the largest causes of aging out there. Even if you have spent years baking in the sun, it’s not too late to start wearing sunscreen and preventing more dam-age. Laser treatments can help remove some of the damage you already have, but the key to anti-aging is preventative care.

Drink water, & eat right. Your skin needs nutrients that lotions and serums cannot provide. Great skin starts with health.

Find an eye cream and use it. The delicate tissue around your eyes will be the first to show signs of aging. Keep it moisturized and prevent those fine lines.

Exfoliate on a regular basis. As we age our cell renewal rate slows down and to keep that youthful glow you need regular exfoliation. Microdermabrasion, enzyme peels, and chemical peels are great treatments to exfoliate and help with breakouts, pigmentation issues, and texture. Results are immediate, and you will see more improvement each time you have a treatment. Regular facials are important, and a great way to de-stress. I recommend a facial every 4-6 weeks. Facials incorporate deep cleansing, professional extractions, as well as exfoliation and hydrating treat-ments. Every facial can be customized to treat your skin conditions that day.

Wear a natural mineral makeup. Jane Iredale mineral make-up has many vitamins in the makeup and has been shown to actually improve skin conditions. Jane Iredale does not use chemical preservatives, synthetic fragrances, FD&C dyes, and do not use fillers in their products such as talc. You can feel great about putting this makeup on your skin!

If you have any questions on your skin care needs feel free to contact myself or Dr. McRae at McRae MD Medical Laser Spa 830/249-2600. We are here to help!

B Y K E R R I E



FREDERICKSBURG

Get ready for your Holiday parties with wine and food pairings

To give you some ideas, I will share with you what I have paired with some of my wines:

Belle Starr Blanc du Bois. This white wine is dry but very

fruity with lots of citrus fl avors. It is

wonderful with an appetizer of

white tuna with a thin slice of sharp

cheddar cheese served on top of

a slice of Granny Smith apple.

Lone Wolf Lenoir. This is a dry, Black Spanish red

wine loaded with fruit fl avors. This

wine is amazing with venison chili

or chorizo casserole.

Ghostrider. This is a very sweet White Merlot

that is also very fruity. Just like the

Lenoir, pair this one with spicy foods. Spicy barbecue or tamales and chili does the trick.

Lil’s Red Satin. This is a dry but very fruit forward Cabernet Sauvignon. Pair it with beef slices rolled in

garlic and black pepper.

Dessert Wine. My dessert wine is Cabernet Sauvignon made in a light port style. You can use this wine

to make a reduction sauce with butter and brown sugar. Warm it until it is syrupy and lightly

toast pecans separately. Serve the reduction and pecans on plain cheesecake. Yum!

If you would like a fun training session for wine and cheese pairings

with Robin (Fromage du Monde) at my winery, join us on November 15th.

We will have two seatings: one at 2:00 pm and one at 4:00 pm.

Reservations are required, (830)990-2675, and the cost is $15.00 per person.

Remember, think about the fl avors in the food and wine, generally match the food and wine in fl avor and body, and do prior experimentation to test the pairing. Then, enjoy the fun you will have impressing your friends over the holidays.

Paula K. Williamson “The Wine Goddess” • Owner/Winemaker • Chisholm Trail Winery

2367 Usener Road • Fredericksburg, TX 78624 • 830-990-2675 • www.chisholmtrailwinery.com

First of all, don’t be intimidated and KEEP READING! YOU CAN DO THIS without being a food guru or wineexpert. By just taking note of a few guidelines and prior experimentation you can be the Belle or Hero of your holiday parties. Start by discounting without discarding the old rules—white wine with fi sh and chicken and red wine with red meats. Think more about the fl avors in the food and the wine. Your goal is for the food to compliment the wine

and the wine to compliment the food. When you do fi nd the perfect pairing, the food and wine will be in a harmonious dance of pure pleasure across your tongue. On the other hand, if your palette feels like a battlefi eld, then it is not the right pairing.

Let’s look at some basic rules. I emphasize that these rules are not carved in stone. You

MUST try the selected wine with the selected recipe to determine if it really works. One

big reason for this is that the winemaker takes the grapes and makes his or her style of

wine. For instance, a Cabernet Sauvignon from one winery may taste totally diff erent at

another winery.

Basically, look for similar fl avors in the food and wine, but also pair the body of the food

with the wine. This means lighter foods with lighter wines (rose with pasta) and heavy foods

with heavier, full-bodies wines (Syrah with Italian Meatballs). Match similar sweetness,

acidity, and bitterness. For example, if you would put lemon on a dish, pair a wine with

similar acidity such as a Sauvignon Blanc. Bitterness, for instance, could be charcoal on

beef, so pair a red wine with big tannins (oak fl avors). Tannic wines generally go with fatty

foods. If you have sweetness in a dish such as apple glaze on lamb, pair a wine with similar

sweetness, possibly a Riesling. Pair spicy foods with very fruity wines (can be, but not

necessarily sweet wine). When pairing desserts with a sweet wine, generally you want the

wine sweeter than the dessert. An exception is chocolate. It goes great with a big dry tannic

red such as Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon. If you have fruit fl avors with chocolate, then it

may not work with the big reds. Again, prior experimentation is a must.

Start by picking your favorite wines that you want to serve at your party. Take the time to

really evaluate the wines. It helps to write down your thoughts. Is the wine dry, oaky, sweet,

and/or fruity? What fl avors do you taste? Would you describe it with plum, grapefruit,

berries, strawberry, raspberry, blueberry, or licorice fl avors? Do you taste any spicy fl avors

such as nutmeg or cinnamon? How does the wine fi nish (the last thing you taste from your sip

of wine)? Does it have a long and enduring fi nish with fruit fl avors or an oaky dry fi nish or

little or no fi nish?

Now, think about your recipes. What are the predominate fl avors in each? Are they creamy,

acidic, bland, salty, spicy, or sugary? Start pairing your recipes with wine by using the

general rules. You may have to adjust your recipes to compliment your favorite wines.

goal is for the food to compliment the wine

Written by: Paula Williamson, “The Wine Goddess”


For centuries, cheese has been served at holiday feasts across the globe. One of the world’s most celebrated traditions comes from England—Boxing Day. Boxing Day originates from Medieval times when feudal lords would invite their subjects to the Keep for a feast and present them with foodstuff s, (A wheel of cheese was often served as part of the peasants’ feast) coins and other gifts the day after Christmas. Hence, the box part. Feastgoers would bring empty boxes with them to bring home their goodies!

While the feudal lords are now history, the tradition of Boxing Day remains in many countries. In fact, Boxing Day is even celebrated in the Hill Country. Richard and Bunny Becker host a Boxing Day celebration every year at Becker Vineyards replete with wine, food, music and a wheel of cheddar for their guests to enjoy.

Local Cheeses

If you are looking for a local cheese to serve your guests, try CKC Farms fresh goat cheese spreads. This holiday season they will be featuring Pumpkin Goat Cheese Spread and Cranberry Cinnamon Goat Cheese Spread for a limited time. Chrissy Omo and her Mom will be sampling and selling their specialty cheeses at Fromage du Monde on Saturday, November 22nd from 11am-4pm. Just in time for Thanksgiving dinner! (CKC Farms is located in Blanco, Texas) For blue cheese lovers, I recommend a tasty treat from Veldhuizen Farms. Try Stuart & Connie Veldhuizen’s Bosque Blue. This rustic cow’s milk blue is rich and creamy with great bite. A must for your holiday table. (Veldhuizen Farms is located in Dublin, Texas)

Cheesy Gifts

For the aged cheddar fan on your Christmas list who has been very nice, I can recommend a special gift: Hook’s Farm 10 Year Aged Cheddar. It is one of my personal favorites. The fl avor and texture is a wonder. And if they have been very, very good you may want to give them the 12 Year Aged Cheddar! Or perhaps you need a special French cheese such as Epoisses, Brillat Savarin or a chunk of Beaufort.

If you are just not sure which cheese will please their palate, you can always give them a gift certifi cate to Fromage du Monde and let us help them fi nd the perfect cheese. Plus, keep in mind that Fromage du Monde off ers custom made cheese boards for your holiday festivities. Just call us with a few details and let us help you make your event a success with a minimum of fuss.

Fromage du Monde Holiday Open House

The hustle and bustle of the holiday season can be daunting. To help make your holiday entertaining simple and leave you to time to relax and enjoy this joyous season, stop by Fromage du Monde on Tueday, December 2nd from 6pm-10pm. We will be hosting our Holiday Open House and showcasing for your sampling pleasure all our wonderful specialty products from around the world—plus great gift ideas. As a special thanks, you will receive a 10% discount on your entire purchase during our open house.

Joyeux Noël!

D O Y O U F O N D U E ?

BY ROBYN JUST

Holiday Fondue

1 clove garlic

2 cups dry white wine

1/2 Pound Parrano fi nely grated

(available at Fromage du Monde)

1/2 pound Comte or Gruyere fi nely grated

(available at Fromage du Monde)

3 tablespoons fl our

Salt/pepper/nutmeg to taste

Rub inside of fondue pot with garlic and then discard garlic.

On low heat, warm wine until it is coming to a boil, then slowly add cheese (fi nely grated) in small amounts whisking constantly. Once all is melted, add fl our, salt and pepper, and nutmeg and heat until thickened. Transfer to fondue pot and serve with crusty French bread bread,vegetables and sausages. Serves 8.

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229 East Main • Fredericksburg, Texas • 830.990.8266 • Open Mon.-Sat. 10am to 5 pm



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Down-Home Cooking...Everything Is Hand Made From Scratch.... Just like Mom used to make!

Friday Night Seafood BuffetFrom 5-9 pm

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Breakfast Buffet Made To Order

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volume 3 issue 4

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courageous woman

omission andor failure

failure of performance

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comwhats insidethis

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