tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65583935574399447902024-03-19T00:45:40.875-05:00Adventures in and Around Fort WorthThis is your guide to having a great time in and near Fort Worth! I don't know about you, but I'm always looking for new things to do around town. Follow this blog and I'll give you tips. If you have anything to add, then please comment or email me at FoodTravelFortWorth@gmail.com. Enjoy! (P.S. These posts are filled with hyperlinks to subjects' websites so click away!)Adventures in and Around Fort Worthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14301058971315787049noreply@blogger.comBlogger96125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6558393557439944790.post-31299444969750037162020-11-13T10:27:00.020-06:002020-11-13T17:00:02.908-06:00Big Sky No. 2, parts 1+ 2<p> <span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 14pt;">By Jocelyn Tatum</span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></p><p><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H3rZz_qqZcc/X66xOpOwuZI/AAAAAAAAOKQ/QuLPkIbS2ZYOVj96UK1G64fMnKsNOqkYQCNcBGAsYHQ/s1440/Big%2BSky%2B%25232%2Band%2BJocelyn%2B.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1015" data-original-width="1440" height="453" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H3rZz_qqZcc/X66xOpOwuZI/AAAAAAAAOKQ/QuLPkIbS2ZYOVj96UK1G64fMnKsNOqkYQCNcBGAsYHQ/w640-h453/Big%2BSky%2B%25232%2Band%2BJocelyn%2B.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Dancing Script; font-size: x-large;"><span>I have an affinity for all things that cause me to look up</span><span> </span></span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 14pt;">— </span><span style="font-family: Times;"><span style="font-size: large;">mostly trees and clouds. When I walk the dogs or go for a long run, I often trip over something because I am admiring tree limbs reaching toward the ever-changing clouds, or the way sunlight plays with both. </span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">Komorebi is a Japanese word that doesn't have an English translation, which means the way light travels through the leaves of trees. I wonder if there is a word for the way light shines through the clouds. <br /><br />Fall Gallery Night 2019, I stumbled upon a magnanimous canvas of clouds with the sun piercing through. It knocked me back. I took a picture just to admire it from home but walked away knowing I would never allow myself to get it.<br /><br />A year later, it occurred to me that I still think about that art. The strange state of things and lots of extra time at home has encouraged me to do things I never thought possible. And I don't understand the correlation between the pandemic and my newfound impulsiveness, but it’s there. <br /><br />The joke I have made lately is — who needs retirement or savings when the world is ending? My proclivity to laugh at the dark stuff helps in times like these. <br /><br /> </span><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ikd00Kjm-DY/X68PuraHfsI/AAAAAAAAOLU/VptPZpG1umwvcFrS4wrGQtcx7aibkCBrgCNcBGAsYHQ/s1440/Marshall%2BBig%2BSky%2Bat%2Bwork%2B3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1148" data-original-width="1440" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ikd00Kjm-DY/X68PuraHfsI/AAAAAAAAOLU/VptPZpG1umwvcFrS4wrGQtcx7aibkCBrgCNcBGAsYHQ/s320/Marshall%2BBig%2BSky%2Bat%2Bwork%2B3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;">So I started my quest for this work of art. I contacted the FWCAC and found out who the artist was — Marshall K. Harris, a man known for his beautiful drawings. The title was “Big Sky #1.” </span><br /><br /><p></p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />Once I found Marshall’s contact info on his website, I reached out. He informed me it was on hold for an art collector in Houston. A seeming impasse. <br /><br /></span><div><span style="font-size: medium;">A solution. He suggested I commission my own clouds. My own clouds? In my living room? I liked the sound of that. “Big Sky #2, Parts 1 & 2” was born four months later and is an original work.<br /><br />“Your work is a unique work similar in process and method, but your work was created especially for you and only you. No one will own one like it,” Harris later wrote in an email when I asked him to fact check this.<br /><br />Marshall drew the negative of a photograph that he took, which spoke to me. He used pencil on Mylar paper, which is a thick non-fiber synthetic and transparent drawing medium. This took him roughly 120 hours.</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eWlJNIUWA-o/X66xSQdcz7I/AAAAAAAAOKg/yX1EeJWxRW4kEanudGtnEX-eKKoKuGY2QCNcBGAsYHQ/s1440/Marshall%2Band%2BBig%2BSky%2B%25232.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1148" data-original-width="1440" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eWlJNIUWA-o/X66xSQdcz7I/AAAAAAAAOKg/yX1EeJWxRW4kEanudGtnEX-eKKoKuGY2QCNcBGAsYHQ/s320/Marshall%2Band%2BBig%2BSky%2B%25232.jpg" width="320" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 14pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">He then scans this drawing into a computer, reverses it, colors it using Photoshop, and applies a screen-printing process to a large canvas. The original drawing hangs with the canvas in the final product. </span><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">Drawing the reverse of an object allows Marshall to not project his ideas of what the it should look like. It helps him focus on lines and shapes, not clouds in this case, which then permits details to show that would otherwise be missed because of blind spots the human mind can have when perceiving the world around them.</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">I get to look up every time I walk into my living room, and it inspires me to think of new ways to see the world around me.<br /><br /> <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">-end-</div></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p></div>Adventures in and Around Fort Worthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14301058971315787049noreply@blogger.com0Fort Worth, TX 76110, USA32.7011609 -97.33545314.3909270638211524 -132.4917031 61.011394736178843 -62.179203099999995tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6558393557439944790.post-43377212853873546412020-03-16T00:49:00.002-05:002020-03-16T01:43:52.935-05:00My Marfa 2020<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-ddd153f6-7fff-723d-25b3-17ac1a83c301" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: orange;"><b><span style="font-family: "arial"; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">By Jocelyn Tatum </span></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">I</span></span>n the 12 years that I have been going to Marfa almost annually, a lot has changed. But the small-town-in-a-vast-desert charm has stayed the same. Here are a few things I always plan to do in my two days and two nights in Marfa. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">First, drive. I know it seems like it is far away, and it is, but this road trip goes fast because there is no traffic headed west and away from civilization. Driving is part of the right of passage to get there. I also feel like I shed the societal sludge that builds up on my shoulders as I careen across Interstate 20. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Once you turn off onto HWY 17 in Pecos, the drive starts to transition from sulfur and pumpjacks to pure beauty. It always reminds me of my road trip though the Scottish Highlands. My thoughts change with the landscape. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Again, no traffic and no crowds. A tip: when you do pass a fellow road warrior once you get into the mountains, give them the friendly L-shaped finger wave the locals do there. Even the UPS and Fed-Ex drivers tossed one my way on this last trip. It's like their own secret handshake. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">El Cosmico Teepees</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Grab a bike rack and bring your off-road bikes before you leave town. If you don’t want to mess with that, there are rentals in Marfa at places like </span><a href="https://thechossshop.com/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Choss Shop and Cafe</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Grab a coffee and a whole wheat, Texas-shaped waffle before you take off. Everything you will do in Marfa is within blocks, and it adds to the experience to be able to ride a bike there from your hotel. </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666984558105px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Guests have free access to the bikes at El Cosmico. </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">And I should mention that this area is a dream for those who are racing cyclists with the open roads and eternal sky. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Definitely rent a teepee or trailer for at least one night at </span><a href="https://elcosmico.com/shelter/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">El Cosmico</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. It is a novelty for sure and worth the experience! The beds are extremely comfortable and complete with an efficient heated blanket for those cold desert nights. They come with access to outdoor showers. Yes, you will have privacy. When I first tried it in 2014 I hesitated, but it turns out to be one of the highlights of my trip every time. I can’t put my finger on what it is though. Book these at least a month in advance because they book out sometimes months in advance. The safari tents are cool too and only book a week or two out. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My safari tent at El Cosmico 3.14.20</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If one night glamping with hipsters and cloth walls is all you feel up to, request a patio suite or the Elizabeth Taylor room at </span><a href="https://hotelpaisano.com/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hotel Paisano (historic, charming)</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> or the </span><a href="http://marfasaintgeorge.com/rooms/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hotel Saint George (new, modish)</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Some of the </span><a href="https://www.airbnb.com/s/Marfa--TX" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">AirBNB</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> options are stunning and great for when you go with a group of friends. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Grab a breakfast toast and an espresso drink at </span><a href="https://www.doyourthing.us/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Do Your Thing</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> to get your day started. You can ride your bike there from any hotel in town. </span><a href="https://hotelpaisano.com/dining/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jett’s Grill</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> at Hotel Paisano and </span><a href="https://www.visitmarfa.com/partner_listing/marfa-burrito/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Marfa Burrito</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> have great breakfast burritos if that’s your craving. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Take a 10 a.m. Saturday vinyasa yoga class at </span><a href="https://www.thewellmarfa.com/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Well</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A late lunch at Pizza Foundation is a MUST. Call your order ahead right when they open at 1 so you can eat by 2 or 2:30 p.m. Try their Greek salad. The tomatoes are fresh from their garden and the homemade dressing is delicious. This is some of the best pizza anywhere! Check their </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Pizza-Place/Pizza-Foundation-8521289278/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Facebook</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> page to make sure they are open. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Spend a lazy afternoon perusing Marfa’s </span><a href="https://www.visitmarfa.com/shopping-in-marfa/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">beautiful shops</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and galleries. Get ready to spend a pretty penny though — these places don’t have small-town prices or merch. You can also catch me riding my bike back in the neighborhood behind the courthouse to goggle at the vacation homes of the rich and famous. I love the architectural style there. If only I could attend a home tour, but those don't exist that I know of so instead I bought this </span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">book</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> a few years ago at </span><a href="http://www.marfabookco.com/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Marfa Book Company</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Or spend an afternoon studying the way artist </span><a href="https://juddfoundation.org/visit/marfa/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Donald Judd</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> plays with the natural landscape with his giant outdoor installations. After all, he did put Marfa on the map in the early 1990s with his artwork when he sought respite from </span><a href="https://juddfoundation.org/visit/new-york/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">New York City. </span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Have Dinner at </span><a href="https://www.cochinealmarfa.com/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Cochineal</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. The atmosphere inside and out is perfection, and the food is even more perfect. The menu changes weekly so the menu posted on their website may not be up to date but it will be divine no matter what you order. The chef was recently voted </span><a href="https://www.papercitymag.com/restaurants/james-beard-awards-texas-dallas-houston-restaurants-chefs/#238817" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">one of the best in Texas</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. This is consistently my favorite restaurant in Marfa for more than 11 years.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Try hors d’oeuvres and drinks at </span><a href="http://marfasaintgeorge.com/dine-and-drink/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bar Saint George</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> or </span><a href="http://www.stellinamarfa.com/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Stellina</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> before dinner. Both have phenomenal dinner too if you need something planned on night two. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I missed this intriguing local newsroom and coffee bar last weekend, but plan to make </span><a href="https://www.thesentinelmarfa.com/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Sentinel</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> my first stop next visit! After all, I am a coffee fanatic and journalist. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you still have some energy after dinner, run by </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/PlanetMarfa/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Planet Marfa</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> for a drink and some ping pong. The bird watching is great too (winky face). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Starstruck? Run out to the Marfa Lights viewing station or catch a star party at the nearby </span><a href="http://mcdonaldobservatory.org/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">McDonald Observatory</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. This is another thing you will want to book in advance. </span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gR7K9XgCU1M/Xm8WpNvXORI/AAAAAAAANqw/Gn_MtriqjvEvx6m_Q8COilV9y9ewywlCACEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_7765.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gR7K9XgCU1M/Xm8WpNvXORI/AAAAAAAANqw/Gn_MtriqjvEvx6m_Q8COilV9y9ewywlCACEwYBhgL/s320/IMG_7765.jpeg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Homesick? Run over to Alpine and eat at Fort Worth’s original </span><a href="https://www.reata.net/alpine/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Reata</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> restaurant. The menu is the same but the venue is even more charming. </span></div>
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<a href="https://www.nps.gov/bibe/index.htm" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Big Bend National Park</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> isn’t far if you want to squeeze some hiking or camping into this vacation. My son and I stop at the <a href="https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/monahans-sandhills" target="_blank">Monahans Sandhills State Park</a> for some desert sledding on the way to Marfa. It is awesome. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One warning: Marfa operates on its own time. There is some reliable consistency, but I would manage expectations. A hot spot may be closed that weekend because they have family in town. Checking their social media is helpful. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This is just a partial list, my Marfa, if you will. There is more. A lot more. My favorite thing about Marfa is that I get to leave society and venture out into one of the most beautiful high deserts and mountain ranges in the country, while also getting to pop into a five-star restaurant for dinner and get cultured by the sophisticated and nationally recognized art scene. It is a city-girl-who-wishes-she-were-a-wilderness-expert’s dream. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Most importantly, Marfa is the perfect place to practice what the Italians call “dolce far niente.” To slow down and enjoy the sweet moments doing nothing under that endless sky. </span><br />
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<br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" />Adventures in and Around Fort Worthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14301058971315787049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6558393557439944790.post-58599130563465525152018-02-15T09:41:00.001-06:002018-03-15T16:13:06.626-05:00Spring Break Series: Open Trail Rides in the North Texas Wild<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0EE_mia-T3g/WoWpTBJvcXI/AAAAAAAADic/2s5Nyw0uxmE4fe2PAoVr0_cryE0JoIe7QCLcBGAs/s1600/84317f832e08ec0f08737864ecb72750--cowboy-photography-bareback-riding.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="588" data-original-width="736" height="255" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0EE_mia-T3g/WoWpTBJvcXI/AAAAAAAADic/2s5Nyw0uxmE4fe2PAoVr0_cryE0JoIe7QCLcBGAs/s320/84317f832e08ec0f08737864ecb72750--cowboy-photography-bareback-riding.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">It's been a while. I've missed you all. </span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b>
<b>Since this blog started five years ago to tell you about new and adventurous things to do in and around Fort Worth, I am here to help you with some ideas in the wild outdoors of the DFW backcountry just in time for planning your Spring Break. </b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b>
<b>You don't have to travel far and empty your bank account to have an exhilarating time this Spring Break. So I will do a little series on this blog of some great ideas. And be looking for my march issue cover story in Fort Worth, TX magazine that will have you exploring areas you never thought existed in our hometown. You just thought you had to go to Utah or Colorado to enjoy the great outdoors. And don't forget to click the links I've embedded into this post for more information. </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.chisholmtrailrides.com/" target="_blank">Chisholm Trail Rides </a>are the only OPEN trail riding experience in North Texas. Do you realize how happy this makes this thrill seeker?!? This is not your average trail ride where the horses walk at a snail's pace on a tiny trail in a public or state park. It is on their private land complete with wide open spaces (and dare I say...limited rules)! </span><br />
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d8egSd6dSzg/WoWpZPIjy_I/AAAAAAAADig/jbTm-AKvh5ggD7SiEarVyGmzQ2kHxAZpACLcBGAs/s1600/fear-horses-called-felophobia-hippophobia-equiphobia_f47b6eb0f7b0f3fa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="394" data-original-width="700" height="180" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d8egSd6dSzg/WoWpZPIjy_I/AAAAAAAADig/jbTm-AKvh5ggD7SiEarVyGmzQ2kHxAZpACLcBGAs/s320/fear-horses-called-felophobia-hippophobia-equiphobia_f47b6eb0f7b0f3fa.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Depending on whether you're a beginner, intermediate or advanced rider, these cowboys and cowgirls will patiently work with you to make sure you have an exhilarating experience. This is why they break the trail rides into dual rides so the beginners can stay in their comfort level and the advanced riders and thrill seekers like myself can cantor that horse through trees, over hills and through creek beds.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">They begin each ride with a 30-minute lesson in the arena to see if you and your horse are the right fit. They also want to make sure you are at the riding level you say you are.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g298PqzjAMA/WoWpJHAqheI/AAAAAAAADiU/7NJ-1QN_pycO9etb35uSe7HnnQ_k0AfbQCLcBGAs/s1600/The_Horse_Course_image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="565" data-original-width="849" height="212" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g298PqzjAMA/WoWpJHAqheI/AAAAAAAADiU/7NJ-1QN_pycO9etb35uSe7HnnQ_k0AfbQCLcBGAs/s320/The_Horse_Course_image.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><span style="font-size: large;">They have many breeds (like the gorgeous Arabians) to choose from. And if you're a veteran, you get the fee waved! <a href="https://www.treehugger.com/animals/ptsd-scores-plummet-veterans-who-try-therapeutic-horseback-riding.html" target="_blank">Recent studies </a>show that PTSD scores dropped 87 percent after riding. They call this equine therapy. All I know is that whatever is going on in my life, if I get on a horse they melt off my shoulders and fill my heart with joy. Horses are amazing creatures and so healing. And I ramble.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">So, this spring break I am putting my 6-year-old adventurous son and his father on a horse with a big ole western saddle complete with a horn to hold onto. This will be a dual riding experience as I will be on an English-trained horse on a tiny English saddle riding for two hours at a walk, trot and cantor. But the best part is they have a method of keeping us all together!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I could not be more excited! </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">UPDATE: We got two confirmation emails the night before about our ride, but as m</span><span style="font-size: large;">y son and I had our blue jeans on and were headed out the door we got a call from a young man saying that our ride was not going to happen. Then the owner called me and was unkind. </span>Adventures in and Around Fort Worthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14301058971315787049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6558393557439944790.post-40341034891804155932014-08-18T21:41:00.000-05:002014-08-31T16:11:45.222-05:00My Trip to Port Aransas, TX: Goodnight Summer, Goodnight Beach <span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yB-VGenfOsU/U_K4jVq2wCI/AAAAAAAABe0/v-vtLA-bwGM/s1600/Sperm_Whale_(PSF).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yB-VGenfOsU/U_K4jVq2wCI/AAAAAAAABe0/v-vtLA-bwGM/s1600/Sperm_Whale_(PSF).png" height="146" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>photo credit: wikimedia</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">My last trip of the summer takes me to the Texas coast. It's time to go after days of play, but I need one last moment on the shore. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">A few others are there doing the same. They stare out at the gilded waves reflecting the new morning sun. Two thoughts undulate in my head—someone bigger than we are had to organize this, and timelessness mixed with newness. Saltwater and waves have been around since the beginning, but the life within is new and ever-changing. Ancient Greek tragedies and comedies, settlers, explorers and travelers find their stories' epicenter in the ocean. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">I then remember I'm not alone in my adoration. The opening paragraphs of Moby-Dick speak to humankind's shared fascination with water:</span><br />
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">"There now is your
unsular city of the Manhattoes, belted by wharves as Indian isles by coral
reefs—commerce surrounds it with her surf. Right and left, the streets take you
waterward. Its extreme downtown is the battery, where that noble mole is washed
by waves, and cooled by breezes, which a few hours previous were out of sight
of land. Look at the crowds of water-gazers there…</i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br /></i></div>
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…<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Posted like silent
sentinels all around the town, stand thousands upon thousands of mortal men
fixed in ocean reveries. Some leaning against the spiles; some seated upon the
pier-heads; some looking over the bulwarks of ships from China; some high aloft
in the rigging, as if striving to get a still better seaward peep. But these
are all landsmen; of week days pent up in lath and plaster—tied to counters,
nailed to benches, clinched to desks. How then is this? Are the green fields
gone? What do they here? <o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br /></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">…There is magic in it.
Let the most absent-minded of men be plunged in his deepest reveries…Yes, as
everyone knows, meditation and water are wedded for ever."<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9WI0Nh4wO_E/VAOPbJgLDHI/AAAAAAAABfM/zBIi3f40IJs/s1600/A%2BBoy%2Bin%2Bthe%2BWater.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9WI0Nh4wO_E/VAOPbJgLDHI/AAAAAAAABfM/zBIi3f40IJs/s1600/A%2BBoy%2Bin%2Bthe%2BWater.png" height="320" width="261" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tim Burdick Photography<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br /></i></div>
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He goes on to say if landlocked man would find the
nearest pond or stream. Artists of landscapes always employ an element of
water. A poor man from Tennessee invests in a trip to the beach instead of
buying a much-needed coat.<br />
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">"Why did the old
Persians hold the sea holy? Why did the Greeks give it a separate deity, and
own brother of Jove? Surely all this is not without meaning. And still deeper
meaning of that story of Narcissus, who because he could not grasp the
tormenting, mild image he saw in the fountain, plunged into it and was drowned.
But that same image, we ourselves see in all rivers and oceans. It is the image
of the ungraspable phantom of life; and this is the key to it all."<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br /></i></div>
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Herman Melville said it best. I have nothing else to say. Now on to fall!</div>
Adventures in and Around Fort Worthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14301058971315787049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6558393557439944790.post-81160264527921795242014-07-29T16:27:00.000-05:002014-07-29T21:27:41.514-05:00The First Amendment and NYC<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uuZFs1kyxLc/U9gQ80dDciI/AAAAAAAABeY/zbb32xBQdRY/s1600/IMG_4018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uuZFs1kyxLc/U9gQ80dDciI/AAAAAAAABeY/zbb32xBQdRY/s1600/IMG_4018.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i><b>A man with long white hair and a beard leans back against the steps reaching up to Federal Hall on 26 Wall Street. He plays the national
anthem on his flute. Like the mild summer air coming off the Atlantic, the
anthem ubiquitously floats around the Financial District
reminding our small group where it all started.</b></i><br />
<i><b><br /></b></i>
This site was New York City’s 18<sup>th</sup>-centry City
Hall where you could say the First Amendment was born. It’s no wonder newspaperman
John Peter Zenger won his fight to print government corruption in his
publication—the United States was born out of an intolerance for authoritarian,
monarchial governments. Zenger’s acquittal marked a most important founding
moment in our history—the freedom to expose injustices is no small potatoes. After
all, the press is considered the fourth branch of the U.S. government, and
essential part of the checks and balances system.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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It was a great surprise to stumble onto this site during my latest NYC trip. </div>
Adventures in and Around Fort Worthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14301058971315787049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6558393557439944790.post-16866413733325870892014-07-10T11:58:00.003-05:002017-04-21T10:18:36.361-05:00The New York City Cab Driver Who Changed My Life in 10 Minutes<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3yQDWcf2h-A/U77FY8rNYmI/AAAAAAAABc0/X4P8Xxj5obE/s1600/IMG_4026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3yQDWcf2h-A/U77FY8rNYmI/AAAAAAAABc0/X4P8Xxj5obE/s1600/IMG_4026.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The (New) World Trade Center: Tower 1</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: large;">My last night in New York City the cab driver taking us to dinner asked me where I was from. “Texas,” I said defensively. Everyone thinks Texans are wealthy because we are from the “Land of Bush and Oil,” so I deflected and asked him where he was from. After more prodding, he started
to tell me his story, and it moved me to tears. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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He grew up in poverty in Bangladesh but left for New York City 25 years ago at 40 years old. His family wasn't able to come to the U.S. until 12 years after his move. It took him that long to get legal
citizenship and safely bring them over. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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He labored long hours for years as bussing tables in a
restaurant at an age when his body was already tired. His English was broken, but from what I understood, he said the restaurant
owner noticed his work ethic, asked him work as a cook. He soon after applied for his green card. He said
after five years he took an exam and then got approval for citizenship.<br />
<br />
The mere mention of that day un-furrowed his brows and brightened his eyes. He missed his family and could now move them to New York with him. All this time, his wife and six children were
living back in Bangladesh—a country so poor he said most people work 12
hours to earn one American dollar. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Once a legal citizen, his family moved, and he hoped to
provide them with a world of opportunities not available to them at home. He started driving a taxicab. He
said, as a cab driver, his extended family at home considers him wealthy. He
sends a few hundred dollars back to them in Bangladesh. It was obvious from his tone that this act was his pleasure, not a burden or obligation. <o:p></o:p></div>
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He said he spends his life suffering for
others and future generations, as he felt he should. His frame was small, his head and face, bald, and his eyes big, sweet and brown. He looked like a boy with wrinkles. He didn’t feel sorry for
himself, but painted a picture of self-sacrifice most of us Americans can’t
comprehend. The Dalai Lama calls the U.S. the most individualistic nation in the world—a culture that tends to fend for themselves and nobody else. But
Mother Theresa reminded us through her selfless acts that joy is found in serving others. When we serve
ourselves it is never good enough. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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The cab driver became passionate and said first generation immigrants in
America never have it easy so why would he. He then asked about my forefathers. I said my family goes back six or seven generations in the U.S. and five in Texas alone. He reminded me that they probably didn’t have it easy when they
first came from Ireland and Scotland to have what I have today. I was humbled. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bJgxdx7VYeA/U77GCKSP5pI/AAAAAAAABc8/LFNbEFYpEn0/s1600/400px-Statue_of_liberty_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bJgxdx7VYeA/U77GCKSP5pI/AAAAAAAABc8/LFNbEFYpEn0/s1600/400px-Statue_of_liberty_01.jpg" width="213" /></a>In just one generation, he changed the direction of his family's path. He said in the U.S. all you have to do is work hard, but in Bangladesh working hard still ends in suffering and poverty. His hard work is manifest in his six children’s success—his eldest son has his MBA and works in
finance, his daughters got their education degrees to teach, and his younger
twin sons will soon finish their masters in chemical and electrical engineering. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I learned in my tour of the Financial District that the
first immigrant processed through Ellis Island was 15-year-old Annie Moore. She
traveled alone with her two little brothers for 12 days at sea. Her parents
were already in New York looking for work and new opportunities. They eventually
reunited, but the road wasn't easy. She married young, had 11 children but only five lived into adulthood. She died at 47 of heart failure. I can't help but wonder where her descendants are now, but this <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/16/nyregion/16annie.html?_r=0" target="_blank">New York Times piece</a> gives us some clues. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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The cab driver said if he were born in the U.S. he would have
studied hard to be a doctor. In Bangladesh he said he was a shaman-like character helping
cancer patients and treating other ailing people who couldn’t afford medical
care. This guy was not just a cab driver. The bus boy is never just a bus boy, a mother not just a mother, a CEO never just a CEO, and a homeless person never just a homeless person. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Everyone has a story. We all have something to learn from our fellow humans. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
After ten minutes we arrived at the restaurant. I tipped him and said "thank you for sharing your story." </div>
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Adventures in and Around Fort Worthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14301058971315787049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6558393557439944790.post-51186921983117161672014-03-31T15:24:00.002-05:002014-03-31T19:32:16.729-05:00You Can't Beat Yucatan Taco Stand's Happy HourWhile researching for a story about margaritas for a local magazine, I stopped by <a href="http://yucatantacostand.com/Magnolia/Drinks_menu.html" target="_blank">Yucatan Taco Stand on Magnolia Av</a>e. Little did I know their tacos are $2 from 2-4 p.m., and their house margaritas are $4. I walked away with a tempura fish taco and a grilled vegetable taco topped with their cojita cheese and fresh cilantro, and a margarita. The total bill was $8. <br />
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"You can't beat that," said the cashier.<br />
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Nope, you can't.<br />
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Muddled jalapeño and cucumber, Republic Plata tequila, </div>
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fresh lime juice and simple syrup served on the rocks. <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div>
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<a href="http://yucatantacostand.com/Magnolia/Drinks_menu.html" target="_blank">If you're wanting a custom margarita, don't be afraid to ask. They have 103 different tequilas</a> to choose from, and ingredients like cucumber, jalapeño, coconut, cinnamon, mint and more to create your perfect margarita.Adventures in and Around Fort Worthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14301058971315787049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6558393557439944790.post-78515013994357344732014-03-25T14:15:00.000-05:002014-03-26T12:10:21.843-05:00Fort Worth's Friday on the Green is Around the CornerI love everything about <a href="http://www.fortworthsouth.org/community/events/friday-on-green/" target="_blank">Friday on the Green</a> in the hospital district just off of Magnolia—it's family friendly, has great food trucks, local breweries' beer, fantastic music, and it's free to the public! Not to mention it is more fun to be outside any day (unless a snownadocane strikes...or it's August in Fort Worth). This year they kick off their 6th season 7-10 p.m. Friday April 4. <br />
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Friday on the Green only runs Spring through late fall on the <b><i>second</i></b> Friday of each month. There will not be an event in August due to the aforementioned horrid August heat. I tried to go in August once and thought I just might die, so I am glad to see they canceled this one. </div>
Adventures in and Around Fort Worthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14301058971315787049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6558393557439944790.post-56553036327782592522014-03-12T14:21:00.002-05:002014-03-15T17:25:45.833-05:00Pizza Snob<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's a good thing you don't have to tip at <a href="http://pizzasnob.com/#menu.php" target="_blank">Pizza Snob</a> (by TCU). It only seems fair to pay for the amazing gourmet ingredients you pick and watch coalesce into a delicious pizza. </h3>
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I say this because the service was unorganized, and employees frazzled. I guess that's why they seemed snob...ish.<br />
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Maybe they had a bad night.<br />
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However, it's a foodie's dream. You get to drool over ingredients like rosemary goat cheese mozzarella, smoked provolone, candied jalapeños, roasted baby portabella mushrooms and buttermilk sauce.<br />
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As you move through the line you pick your aforementioned ingredients but are only allowed up to four. Every pie goes for $7.99, and salads start at $2.99 for the tiny one, $5.99 for personal size, and a shared table salad is $8.99. We tried the kale salad, which came pre-dressed. It was pretty good, but a little <br />
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sweet for my taste. The ingredients were fresh and tasty even if it wasn't savory. </div>
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You know how I feel about atmosphere—as you can see by the pictures it is warmly lit, friendly and well designed. I really liked the feel of the place. The only problem was my friend couldn't hear my small voice over the loud room. </div>
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Overall, I would recommend this place. It is a new way to do pizza, but not the fast-food-feel I expected from my experience at <a href="http://jocelyntatum.blogspot.com/2011/07/pie-five-doesnt-get-high-five-from-me.html" target="_blank">Pie Five</a>. They had the doors and windows open, which brought us outside on a beautiful night. </div>
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And don't forget to order one of the two delicious craft beers they have on tap—<a href="http://revolverbrewing.com/" target="_blank">Revolver's</a> Blood and Honey and <a href="http://rahrbrewing.com/beers/" target="_blank">Rahr & Son's Blonde</a>!!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spicy Italian and Custom Veggie</td></tr>
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Adventures in and Around Fort Worthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14301058971315787049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6558393557439944790.post-28422663848389875312014-03-04T15:10:00.001-06:002014-03-07T10:28:58.231-06:00Silent Films at the Kimbell <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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If you're looking for something cool to do besides lie around your house on the weekend, check out the Lone Star Film Society's <i><b>Silent Sundays</b></i> at the Kimbell's new Piano Pavilion auditorium.<br />
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While silent films seem like a hard sell, you can expect a unique experience as you watch history's first films that shaped the industry with the accompaniment of live music. <b><i>Way Down East</i></b> will screen 2 p.m. March 16, <b><i>Strike</i></b> plays 2 p.m. Sunday, April 20, and first ever Academy Award for best picture, <i style="font-weight: bold;">Wings, </i>plays 2 p.m. May 18.<br />
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I'm a little late in the game writing about this—the series kicked off Feb. 16. Their first production F. W. Murnau's "cinematic masterpiece" <i style="font-weight: bold;">Sunrise </i>had an unexpectedly large turnout. Classical pianist Robert Edwards performed his interpretation of the film live as the audience went back in time. After all, this is how moviegoers experienced film in the 1920s. And if they saw the same film three times, there may be a different musician and interpretation each time, LSFS director Alec Jhangiani said.<br />
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Without the distraction of the sometimes overstimulating dialogue and sound effects, one moviegoer said he could really experience the visual aspect more acutely. Hopefully I will see you March 16!<br />
<br />Adventures in and Around Fort Worthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14301058971315787049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6558393557439944790.post-30850909489326857472014-02-10T16:31:00.000-06:002014-03-07T10:27:13.176-06:00Bird Café and AF+B...making Fort Worth Cool as a Cucumber (updated)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Y4CqKXozoPo/UvmX11AWUFI/AAAAAAAABWc/Ru73V0XUdW8/s1600/2600-gentling-bros-hawk-d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Y4CqKXozoPo/UvmX11AWUFI/AAAAAAAABWc/Ru73V0XUdW8/s1600/2600-gentling-bros-hawk-d.jpg" height="322" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gentling Brothers painted beautiful images like these that fill Bird Café's walls</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WZ-cDMlfQk0/UvlRJesfHmI/AAAAAAAABVg/r-B_1qpcsVs/s1600/Jack+Rose.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WZ-cDMlfQk0/UvlRJesfHmI/AAAAAAAABVg/r-B_1qpcsVs/s1600/Jack+Rose.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">AF+B's Jack Rose</td></tr>
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<h3>
<i><br />All of a sudden, Fort Worth is cool. I always thought it was with its Cowtown roots, but now it is in a hip, cool cat kind of way (no...I'm not as old as I sound). With restaurants like <a href="http://www.birdinthe.net/?page=menus" target="_blank">Bird Café</a> and <a href="http://www.afandbfortworth.com/" target="_blank">AF+B</a> we now have creative menus, fresh ingredients and crazy mixology behind the bar. </i></h3>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Part I: AF+B</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.afandbfortworth.com/" target="_blank">AF+B</a> had a turkey pastrami sandwich special that day. Everything from the avocado and fennel purée and tomato jam to the turkey pastrami was house-made. The arugula was locally grown by<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fulrfVL5t4Y/UvlQv9dd9kI/AAAAAAAABVY/A1Ja1L7VDK4/s1600/Turkey+Pastrami.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fulrfVL5t4Y/UvlQv9dd9kI/AAAAAAAABVY/A1Ja1L7VDK4/s1600/Turkey+Pastrami.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">House-made Turkey Pastrami</td></tr>
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the farmers depicted in the beautiful photography hanging on the tavern's walls. In fact my waiter James said nothing they serve has been out of the ground for more than three days. They make their own ginger syrups, "turn the curd" themselves for their ricotta, and create their own sweetened condensed milk.<br />
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The only thing not house-made was the bread, which came from the <a href="http://blackroosterbakery.com/" target="_blank">Black Rooster Bakery</a>. That place is amazing for lack of better words (sorry, I'm in a hurry!). The tomato jam covered the inside of one slice, and the fennel and avocado purée the other. I loved the arugula, which added a nice peppery contrast to the sweet tomato and fennel flavor.<br />
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Back to the ginger syrup! I tried the Chilcano, which is Moscow Mule's Peruvian cousin. The house-made ginger beer was out-of-this-world awesome! Not too sweet but just enough spice. I also tried the Jack Rose with blended apple jack, fresh lime juice and pomegranite grenadine. It was delicious and served in an old-fashioned martini glass. I felt like I was sipping a cocktail with Murtle in the Great Gatsby.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xoo20emuXr4/UvlRfW53uzI/AAAAAAAABVo/v0Xs9N6phEM/s1600/Chilcano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xoo20emuXr4/UvlRfW53uzI/AAAAAAAABVo/v0Xs9N6phEM/s1600/Chilcano.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">AF+B's Chilcano</td></tr>
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I love how simple and fresh this place is. I really don't think you can go wrong when ordering here. And the idea is a neighborhood tavern, but the atmosphere is much lighter and more airy than it is cavernous. It is loud when busy.<br />
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<b>Update: </b>I went the other night and ordered lots of plates off the permanent menu. I was blown away. Some of the best food I've ever had in Fort Worth. May I recommend items you must order when you go?<br />
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You must order the scotch eggs. No, I don't usually like scotch eggs, but these soft-boiled beauties are wrapped with a thin layer of chorizo sausage and then breaded. Amazing. I also thoroughly enjoyed the gulf blue deviled crabs. The lamb tartar was good, but tartar isn't really my thing unless it's fish. Their grass-fed beef chili was excellent, but a little on the sweet side.<br />
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For the main dish, I recommend their wood-grilled butcher's cut steak with their house-made chimichurri. It was unbelievably good.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Part II: Bird Café</span><br />
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If you're not careful you can rack up a serious bill here. For a hungry person it takes several of <a href="http://www.birdinthe.net/?page=menus" target="_blank">Bird Café's small or shared plates</a> to fill up, which is a large portion of the menu. There is a small section titled "for those who don't share" devoted to diners who wish not to blow the bank on a dozen shared plates. (When I go back I am ordering off that menu <br />
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without shame.)<br />
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I started the meal with a <a href="http://www.birdinthe.net/?page=menus" target="_blank">"New Deal Old-Fashioned" </a>and the shrimp and crab chop salad. The salad was good, but didn't blow me away. The drink did. The hard rye whiskey was ameliorated by house-made orange cordial, cherry brandy and bitters. I adored the single large ice cube that floated in my glass all evening.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KXaP6ZRAyYA/UvmXscsPIDI/AAAAAAAABWU/cV6cR0h0RkU/s1600/images.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KXaP6ZRAyYA/UvmXscsPIDI/AAAAAAAABWU/cV6cR0h0RkU/s1600/images.jpeg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gentling Image</td></tr>
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We then shared some hot plates—roasted quail with celery root purée, "moth balls," which are house-made ricotta-stuffed gnocchi thingies, and agave-glazed baby back ribs with boring potatoes.<br />
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My favorite was the quail dish. The celery root purée is actually poached potatoes and/or turnips seasoned with celery. It was delicious, and my friend's favorite. (They're very secretive about how they prepare their food so that's all we got out of them, hence the use of the word "thingie" and the turnip/potato confusion.)<br />
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I will probably not order the other dishes again, although the moth balls taste good they just have a unique texture.<br />
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I loved that the menu had a wine pairing or cocktail suggestion next to each dish. It makes it easy for those of us who want to try something new but don't know where to start.<br />
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My dining experiences are only as good as the atmosphere, and this placed rocked it from the upstairs dining room overlooking downtown Fort Worth to the cozy main room downstairs. The entire place is covered with paintings by the Gentling Brothers (Stuart and Scott). Walking through and studying these images is a must do when you dine here. I've always been a fan of these artists, so we spent thirty minutes admiring after dinner and skipped dessert.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aTZd6Wtr344/UvmT71dfxeI/AAAAAAAABWA/PU8HC5cYJNE/s1600/Quail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aTZd6Wtr344/UvmT71dfxeI/AAAAAAAABWA/PU8HC5cYJNE/s1600/Quail.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quail with celery root purée, which was actually some other root like a potato or turnip. </td></tr>
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<br />Adventures in and Around Fort Worthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14301058971315787049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6558393557439944790.post-78520290060536835212014-02-05T11:01:00.000-06:002014-02-06T15:56:01.468-06:00The Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo #FWSSR<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2Em5aP5c_zM/UvJqVabxOGI/AAAAAAAABU4/OO8PV8u2ko8/s1600/76276_10153774681870057_1196599688_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2Em5aP5c_zM/UvJqVabxOGI/AAAAAAAABU4/OO8PV8u2ko8/s1600/76276_10153774681870057_1196599688_n.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">His first pair of blue jeans, cowboy boots, and his first rodeo. </td></tr>
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<h3>
Bucking broncos and bulls send cowboys flying, tough cowgirls whirl around barrels as their horses' hooves thunder back into a tunnel beneath the stands, and children scramble to catch their calves for prize money. </h3>
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All of these things are reminiscent of the past, but the <a href="http://www.fwssr.com/" target="_blank">Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo</a> remind us city folks that the Wild West still lives right under our nose.<br />
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Every winter Jan. 17-Feb. 8, cowboys from as far as France and Australia move to Fort Worth for a few weeks to show us how it's done. They perform daring tasks actually practiced on ranches all over the world to show off their antiquated skills and win prize money.<br />
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And yes, these cowboys are the real deal. No show ponies here.<br />
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This long-lived North Texas tradition is one I recommend for everyone. I go at least twice every year.<br />
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Evening performances sell for $25 a ticket, and matinees $19. The event is held at the historic and beloved Will Rogers Memorial Coliseum in the heart of Fort Worth's cultural district.<br />
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<a href="http://fwtx.com/articles/kay-gay" target="_blank">Click here to read my feature story in <i><b>Fort Worth, Texas</b></i> magazine</a> on the lady behind the sparkling Palomino Flag Girls.Adventures in and Around Fort Worthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14301058971315787049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6558393557439944790.post-13986969383578121212014-01-30T13:23:00.001-06:002014-01-30T13:25:19.290-06:00WATCH: Fort Worth's Gastropub Brewed Does Something Different...and Beautiful<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/6ac8JZIFBBc" width="480"></iframe>Adventures in and Around Fort Worthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14301058971315787049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6558393557439944790.post-11338203709292275632014-01-29T21:14:00.000-06:002014-03-26T12:16:38.068-05:00AF+B Opens, Chef Jeff Harris Shares His Story and Excitement <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://www.afandbfortworth.com/" target="_blank">American Food and Beverage</a> just opened in Fort Worth across from the Brownstone and Waters on Crockett Street completing a trifecta of elegant dining experiences. Its open and airy space feels as fresh as its menu.<br />
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I caught up with <a href="http://www.afandbfortworth.com/" target="_blank">AF+B</a>'s executive chef Jeff Harris about his passion for food, his story that ends at this restaurant, and why he left Bolsa in the Dallas Bishop Arts District.<br />
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Jeff grew up in East Texas on his grandparents' farm. His grandmother prepared southern meals with fresh vegetables from the garden. His whole family—cousins, aunts, uncles and parents—would often eat these home-cooked meals together. They didn't need a special occasion, they had good food. He loved watching his grandmother throw things together in the kitchen. He said she didn't even use measuring spoons because she knew how to make most things by heart.<br />
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Later he went to college changing his major until he finally got his real estate license and a desk job at a bank. But he never stopped dreaming about food, flipping through cookbooks and preparing meals at home.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tr5M1jm0SW4/UunA__EiVpI/AAAAAAAABUQ/ccQgdz618Qw/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tr5M1jm0SW4/UunA__EiVpI/AAAAAAAABUQ/ccQgdz618Qw/s1600/photo.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A pile of wood for their grill</td></tr>
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At 30 years old, Harris quit his day job and moved to New York City to pursue his passion for cooking at the <a href="http://www.ice.edu/" target="_blank">Institute of Culinary Education</a>. While there he was exposed to the farmer's market and top notch food scene. He then got a job at <a href="http://www.craftrestaurantsinc.com/craft-new-york/" target="_blank">Craft NYC</a> for several years, and later moved to Dallas to be the executive chef of <a href="http://bolsadallas.com/" target="_blank">Bolsa</a>.<br />
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It didn't take much persuading to get him to here. "I love the concept of what they're doing," Jeff said. "They have responsible sourcing so they buy from local farmers that treat their animals well." It's a neighborhood upscale tavern, with dishes that have great ingredients but aren't overly complicated. The menu is sophisticated, yet relatable. The same can be said for their mixology.<br />
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And with fun kitchen tools like a wood burning grill, a rotisserie and smoker, Jeff will be prepping smoked duck breast, wood-grilled sterling lamb saddle, wood-grilled steaks, spicy grass-fed beef ribs and oh-so-much more.<br />
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So why share this chef's story you may ask? Because his experience and vision will be reflected in what you see when you come to check out AF+B.Adventures in and Around Fort Worthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14301058971315787049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6558393557439944790.post-23949629753452658992014-01-29T10:02:00.004-06:002014-01-30T15:59:25.006-06:00Best New Restaurants (and Best New Food Blog!)I stumbled upon this beautiful fledgling food blog when researching for a story I'm working on. I loved its best-new-restaurants-in-Fort Worth list. I will definitely refer to this list when trying to think of a new place to try! It has beautiful photography. Check it out.<br />
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<a href="http://foodfortworth.wordpress.com/2013/12/31/best-new-fort-worth-restaurants-of-2013/" target="_blank">Food, Fort Worth Blog: Best New Fort Worth Restaurants of 2013</a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful food photo from blog Food, Fort Worth</td></tr>
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Also, check out <a href="http://foodfortworth.wordpress.com/2014/01/01/most-anticipated-new-fort-worth-restaurants-for-2014-so-far/" target="_blank">Food, Fort Worth Blog's list of most anticipated new restaurants of 2014. </a></div>
Adventures in and Around Fort Worthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14301058971315787049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6558393557439944790.post-46593285984202266502014-01-24T10:23:00.001-06:002014-03-01T06:53:14.372-06:00Cooking Class Fun!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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By Jocelyn Tatum </div>
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Ready, set, GO! The big screen TVs reveal the stove top at the front of the room. Chef Christine bellows information to get the class started, and the first glass of wine is poured. It's time to play.<br />
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If you haven't guessed yet, I am at a Central Market cooking class. I tried this because it appeals to many passions—my love for cooking and learning new things, and my love for meeting new people and hearing their stories, and my love for doing something different.<br />
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Each group of four sat at one of the four assigned tables. That equals 16 people, which means the intimate feeling wasn't lost. We sipped wine, whisked egg whites until they held peaks, delighted in each other's stories, and learned things like "cooking light is about concentrated flavors [and] egg whites must be room temperature and in a metal bowl before they can hold peaks." Who <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">salad ingredients</td></tr>
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knew?<br />
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Before we prepared each course, Chef Christine demonstrated on the big screen what to do next. Then each group divided up duties and walked to our station in the kitchen. The industrial gas stove flared its bright flame. The lady next to us joined in on the discussion of whether we should put the herbs in the wasabi rice milk slurry or directly onto our "composed" salad (composed means it's not tossed...another thing I learned). We decided to put it into the hot dressing because the heat kicked up the aromatics. This was later poured onto our fingerling potato, fennel, corn and avocado salad. It was time for our next dish so we scurried back to our tables.<br />
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Listen, cook, taste and repeat.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Folding the egg whites into the sugar and yokes.<br />
Did you know sugar cooks yokes so you have to move fast?<br />
No? I didn't either. </td></tr>
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The three-hour experience flew by, and at the end we got to enjoy the fruits of our not-so-hard labor. The first course was the aforementioned salad. The second course was grass fed bison filets, poached green beans with lemon juice and low fat au gratin potatoes. The desert was a lemon <span style="text-align: center;">pudding soufflé that melted onto our palates. </span><br />
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The <a href="http://www.centralmarket.com/cooking-school.aspx" target="_blank">Central Market cooking school</a> offers everything from lobster dinner, cooking light (my class), grilling with Jon Bonnell to couples Chinese New Year. Classes typically cost about $75 each, but after eight classes you get to try one for free.<br />
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This is definitely something new and different I recommend in Fort Worth! And if you want to share this experience with your children, check out the <a href="http://www.youngchefsacademy.com/stores/index.php?id=249" target="_blank">Young Chef's Academy</a> on Camp Bowie.<br />
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BAM!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0Nai1rs47xI/UuKQXzY2aTI/AAAAAAAABS8/2D2mK3xlsAo/s1600/photo+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0Nai1rs47xI/UuKQXzY2aTI/AAAAAAAABS8/2D2mK3xlsAo/s1600/photo+1.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We had to work for dessert!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--FULUsyDbs0/UuKQoicvvrI/AAAAAAAABTU/OmDcUHk8-4E/s1600/photo+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--FULUsyDbs0/UuKQoicvvrI/AAAAAAAABTU/OmDcUHk8-4E/s1600/photo+3.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lemon pudding soufflé</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hdlg1Gjc4A8/UuKQr_i9ScI/AAAAAAAABTc/jXNoHImdvRo/s1600/photo+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hdlg1Gjc4A8/UuKQr_i9ScI/AAAAAAAABTc/jXNoHImdvRo/s1600/photo+4.JPG" height="322" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cooked fingerling potatoes, corn, herbs, fennel, avocado salad<br />
with warm wasabi dressing.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QQ9m93_UNXw/UuKSAqCLWxI/AAAAAAAABTs/8h8xEAbgMEw/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QQ9m93_UNXw/UuKSAqCLWxI/AAAAAAAABTs/8h8xEAbgMEw/s1600/photo.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grass fed bison filet, herbed au gratin potatoes, poached lemony green beans.</td></tr>
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<i>*Side note: please remember that I do not accept gifts to write these stories. This content is pure and we paid for the class ourselves. This is important to me as a professional. </i>Adventures in and Around Fort Worthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14301058971315787049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6558393557439944790.post-88338137405476505442014-01-02T16:59:00.000-06:002014-01-23T14:29:07.860-06:00Coming Up: Marfa in a TeepeeYet another trip to Marfa, Texas. This time I got to sleep in a teepee.<br />
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For 2014, dare to do something different than usual. Stretch yourself. I left my comfort zone when I entered the community outdoor showers and slept in a fabric hut with only a zipper between me and the rest of the world.<br />
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I hope to finish my article about this weekend getaway soon and will post. I just need to find the time to write it and pitch it to a travel magazine! Stay tuned...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cdFO_wgr-HY/UsXtuuXImQI/AAAAAAAABRw/qgB_85YDx98/s1600/IMG_8487.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cdFO_wgr-HY/UsXtuuXImQI/AAAAAAAABRw/qgB_85YDx98/s400/IMG_8487.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our front door had a zipper. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0Rbh7fBQuEQ/UsXttxV7VII/AAAAAAAABRo/-OoXnFuNIM4/s1600/IMG_8506.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0Rbh7fBQuEQ/UsXttxV7VII/AAAAAAAABRo/-OoXnFuNIM4/s400/IMG_8506.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I loved this so much I had artist Kristen Soble paint it for me in watercolor.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T2ILfX1rr94/UsXtt_2uRAI/AAAAAAAABRs/Rr86DVTtjBo/s1600/IMG_8568.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T2ILfX1rr94/UsXtt_2uRAI/AAAAAAAABRs/Rr86DVTtjBo/s640/IMG_8568.PNG" height="640" width="425" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We rented bikes. </td></tr>
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<br />Adventures in and Around Fort Worthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14301058971315787049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6558393557439944790.post-49263248815510614862013-12-16T13:27:00.000-06:002017-07-20T20:55:24.138-05:00Coffee Shop Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hi readers! I am working on a Fort Worth coffee shop review. Comment below, or email me (foodtravelfortworth@gmail.com) to tell me all about your favorite coffee shop in Fort Worth. </span></h3>
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I will help get you started by listing a few local watering holes for the caffeine addict. </span></h3>
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<li><b><a href="http://avocacoffee.com/" target="_blank">Avoca:</a></b> friendly, loud music, hipster, love the bright atmosphere, great coffee, purists, no toaster oven for their baked goods (just a toaster, which the bagel weenie doesn't fit in), fast internet, have milk alternatives*.</li>
<li><a href="http://brewedfw.com/" target="_blank"><b>Brewed:</b> </a>very friendly, business as mission, warm and inviting atmosphere, good coffee, expensive, music at reasonable volume, fast internet in bar area, food too expensive for what you're getting, have milk alternatives. </li>
<li><b><a href="http://buongiornocoffee.myshopify.com/" target="_blank">Buon Giorno:</a></b> strip center, fast internet, friendly, quiet, good coffee, not-so-good atmosphere, have milk alternatives. </li>
<li><b>The Cup:</b> amazing frozen hot chocolate, don't bring your messy toddler because the owner might say something, not-so-good atmosphere, expensive, great snacks, Illy coffee, inconsistent and short hours (7 a.m.-12 p.m. for now), no internet because owner doesn't want people parked in shop for too long, convenient location, local hangout, have milk alternatives. <b><i>*The Cup now has a side business called Sip. They serve wine and heavy hors d'oeuvres</i></b>. </li>
<li><a href="http://www.craftworkcoffeeco.com/" target="_blank"><b>Craftwork Coffee Co.</b> </a>: This place has the BEST service and are consistently kind. The atmosphere is inviting and coffee is amazing. Try their funky drinks like a "stormy chai." Locations on Camp Bowie and Magnolia. </li>
<li><b><a href="http://pariscoffeeshop.net/" target="_blank">Paris Coffee Shop:</a></b> diner, familiar, comfortable, friendly<b>, </b>no internet, not-so-good coffee, no milk alternatives, some of the best pies in the U.S. according to Bon Apetit magazine. </li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.kimbellart.org/visit/dining" target="_blank">The Kimbell Art Museum Café:</a></b> drip coffee is only option, but delicious, wonderful food, atmosphere is perfection and designed by the noted Louis Kahn, no internet, short hours (11 a.m.-3 p.m.), no milk alternatives.</li>
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* Milk alternatives are coconut, almond, soy, rice or hemp milk. </div>
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Am I missing anything? If so, let me know.<br />
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Adventures in and Around Fort Worthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14301058971315787049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6558393557439944790.post-91330246536062399502013-12-16T11:06:00.001-06:002013-12-16T13:53:18.850-06:00You don't have to have or be a little girl to see the Nutcracker<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
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I don't care how cool or mature you think you are, you have a little kid inside of you that loves to play. If you don't, he or she has run off and you need to find them. </h3>
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Mine is hyper and needs fun things to do often, so naturally my sister and I gathered a group of willing grown kiddos to go see Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker at <a href="http://www.basshall.com/" target="_blank">Bass Hall</a>. </h4>
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We left the boyfriends, husbands and actual children at home. Before the show our group met at Del Frisco's Grille for some bar snacks and wine. It is always great to catch up with friends no matter the occasion. This is a Fort Worth event I recommend for everyone, except my husband, father, son and father-in-law. </div>
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Parents who look at this like a burden you must endure year after year with your child, stop. The music is more sophisticated and beautiful than anything you will hear on your favorite top 40 station. They sell adult beverages if you need a little help with your restless leg syndrome, and the dancers with <a href="http://tickets.texasballettheater.org/single/PSDetail.aspx?psn=30227" target="_blank">Texas Ballet Theater</a> are the real deal. The show takes you out of your monotonous daily routine and into a little girl's dream of an Arabian prince and princess, waltzing flowers, fighting rats and a sugar plum fairy. </div>
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<b><span style="color: #990000;">WHAT: The Nutcracker</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #990000;">WHEN: Dec. 13-Dec. 27</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #990000;">WHERE: The Bass Hall in Fort Worth, Texas</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #990000;">WHY: Because some culture with girlfriends never hurt. </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #990000;">HOW MUCH: Ticket's start at $20 and go up to $105 on the lowest balcony.</span></b> </div>
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<br />Adventures in and Around Fort Worthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14301058971315787049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6558393557439944790.post-56362035604515018042013-12-08T16:01:00.001-06:002014-01-23T14:35:09.884-06:00Fort Worth's Ice Storm Stops the Noise<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nZR_jwUrgpU/UqTq8Q8woSI/AAAAAAAABOk/CM65CY67AeM/s1600/IMG_9062.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nZR_jwUrgpU/UqTq8Q8woSI/AAAAAAAABOk/CM65CY67AeM/s320/IMG_9062.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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The ice starts to melt, and I'm not sure I'm ready to go back to the way things were before. </span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">For three days we’ve lived in a city laminated in ice. The temperature never climbed
above freezing until this easy Sunday afternoon. The sheets of freezing rain that fell
Thursday begin to soften. </span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">
For reasons still unknown, this North Texas ice storm enchanted me. Maybe it’s that the world slowed down long enough for me to see it passing. Or the
time I spent with my new little family. Maybe it's the <span style="font-size: 17px;">desolate roads, taking me to another place or time. Whatever it is, it prodded me to stop and
think about why this weekend was so different from most. Please allow me</span><span style="font-size: 17px;"> this platform to make a few guesses, and see if it means anything to you as
a person probably wondering the same.</span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Yilx6z4Dx3I/UqTq_Xs1deI/AAAAAAAABPA/VqKRZcc8ojQ/s1600/IMG_9236.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Yilx6z4Dx3I/UqTq_Xs1deI/AAAAAAAABPA/VqKRZcc8ojQ/s200/IMG_9236.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The world stopped. But our overly productive selves never
stop except on those rare holidays—Christmas, Thanksgiving
and New Year’s Day. Black Friday started on Thanksgiving night this year,
and Starbucks now stays open year around. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This ice storm left me three days to be at home with the
possibility to not be productive. Wait, that's impossible. I have so much to do. I. Never. Stop. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">But I thought I would practice. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A morning spent trying to keep my 22-month-old fireball entertained left me whipped. I tried to nap during my toddler’s three-hour
siesta, but instead I lay there disappointed that I wasn’t being productive. I
could write that travel article, get ahead or clean this house a second time. What about those
homemade chocolate chip cookies I wanted to make? But sitting and just being
was a waste of time, I wistfully thought.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">...</span></div>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This morning I woke up to my Sunday morning e-newsletter,
Brainpickings Weekly, and after my failed napping experience it slapped me in the face. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“’How we spend our days,’ Annie Dillard wrote in her timelessly
beautiful meditation on presence over productivity, ‘is, of course, how we
spend our lives.’ And nowhere do we fail at the art of presence most miserably
and most tragically than in urban life – in the city, high on the cult of
productivity, where we float past each other, past the buildings and trees and
the little boy in the purple pants, past life itself, cut off from the breathing
of the world by iPhone earbuds and solipsism…</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">But while this might make us more efficient in our goal-oriented
day-to-day, it also makes us inhabit a largely unlived – and unremembered –
life, day in and day out.”<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We don’t know how to slow down, and we unwittingly balk at leisure, which is something I <i>say</i> I value when seeking life in an
ivory tower. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7HNNewO2r94/UqTq82JFqlI/AAAAAAAABOo/8_jfIeGcJZE/s1600/IMG_9126.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7HNNewO2r94/UqTq82JFqlI/AAAAAAAABOo/8_jfIeGcJZE/s320/IMG_9126.JPG" height="180" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">But this weekend it wasn’t safe
to drive on the glossy roads, so this busy city and busy girl were forced to stay in. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My husband stayed home from work Friday,
and the two of us spent the weekend sharing sweet and simple moments with our baby boy. The snow
outside was quiet, and our house even quieter. It is as if the ice muffled the
obnoxious buzzing of the outside world, which is especially loud during the holiday
season. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">...</span></div>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We went to the store this
morning. Everyone was unusually friendly. Strangers even spoke to each other. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">People must have been tired of being alone. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The same butcher
that normally bellows “NEXT” to an army of customers engaged me in small talk
about driving on ice. He was cheerful, not stressed. It was as if I was living
in a different world for a few moments.</span></div>
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<br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Is this what life could be like
if I spent my days differently? I wish to practice presence over productivity
more than I have. So I thank this ice storm for forcing me to stop chasing
goals and rest with the achievements right under my nose. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Adventures in and Around Fort Worthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14301058971315787049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6558393557439944790.post-66819537306337898752013-11-26T15:28:00.001-06:002013-12-01T13:19:27.626-06:00Photo Essay: Kimbell Piano Pavilion<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">West Wing</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After days of freezing rain, the sun comes out 11.26.2013</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of the original Kimbell building designed by L. Kahn from the new Piano Pavilion lobby</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Piano elegantly frames Fort Worth history—The Will Rogers Memorial Coliseum and its allée elms</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Kimbell's Kahn Building the night of the Piano Pavilion Grand Opening Party 11.24.2013</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What was once architectural silence, the lawn is now a space where Piano weaves the sacred (art viewing) with the profane (socializing). </td></tr>
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<br />Adventures in and Around Fort Worthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14301058971315787049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6558393557439944790.post-72396342887331610842013-11-22T16:13:00.000-06:002013-12-09T20:38:01.451-06:00The New Kimbell Building Shows Much Respect to Beauty and What Came Before<div class="MsoNormal">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of original Kimbell building from the new pavilion.</td></tr>
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<h3>
<span style="text-align: center;">I pulled my car into the Kimbell Art Museum's sparkling monochromatic underground parking garage. The museum's Renzo Piano Pavilion opened to members this morning, and after months of research I'm afire. </span></h3>
<br />
Talk about whether this building will
complicate or take away from the original Kimbell Art Museum designed by Kahn have swirled internationally for years—whether the green
space that once represented silence will be ruined, whether the jewel box masterpiece
actually needed to grow, and why one should augment something that is
considered a perfect work of architecture. I grew up close to this museum and was distraught when they erected the ugly tarp and dug into the sacred lawn I once sat by myself and sketched the allée elms or read philosophy texts. </div>
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After three years of digging the tarp is gone, and much of the green space intact. I jump into the transparent,
glass elevator, float onto the lawn facing the Kahn building, exit outside, turn left and enter the pavilion.
It is the Friday before Thanksgiving, drizzly and 34 degrees outside. This seasonal weather becomes a part of the pavilion because of its transparent nature. Architects' (of museums) most powerful tool is their use of natural light. It's organic, ever-changing, and the best way to view artwork. How they translate that light determines the success of their building. It also determines the atmosphere of the building. Today the sun is dimmed by freezing drizzle. The artificial light is soft and warms the galleries. The balance is delicate and light. <br />
<br />
And the
Kahn building looks stunning from here. Before now, I never stood on the lawn 65 yards across
the Kimbell and looked at it. I never knew that was the intended original
entrance as so many Fort Worth natives do not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> The Renzo Pavilion offers a new vista onto the lawn and the Kahn building. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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The ceilings of the lobby are high bringing my eyes up toward the glass roof. The windows throughout frame various aspects
of the cultural district, but the front lobby's glass wall perfectly framed the
Kahn building—the star of the cultural show in Fort Worth. The concrete walls looked
like melted white chocolate, so subtly smooth behind the powerful paintings that grip their audience. Here a rapport between a patron and the artwork can easily
form. Flirting comes easy. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Walking deeper into the south gallery, I notice a floor to
ceiling window framed the Will Rogers Memorial Coliseum. It is as if the
architect says, I didn’t forget that you’ve been standing there for <o:p></o:p></div>
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nearly 80
years. Walking into the underground east gallery, I see yet another framed view
of the same memorial, but this time with one of the allée elms planted in 1936
to line a street that once jutted out of the coliseum's main entrance. The street was
removed when Kahn’s building broke ground in the 60s, but the allée elms remained. <br />
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I couldn’t help but smile thinking of Renzo Piano’s
thoughtfulness and sincerity. <o:p></o:p><br />
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It’s these polite gestures that create the “conversation”
between buildings. They speak through nods, winks, and deference. Some
conversations are arrogant, some are cowardly, but this one is polite.<br />
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Renzo also speaks to the architect of Fort Worth’s Modern Art Museum, Tadao Ando, through
his concrete walls. Renzo visited one of Ando’s latest projects in Italy and admired
the silky texture, so he brought it here using the same technique (more about
that later).<br />
<br />
Click here to read <a href="http://fwtx.com/articles/kam-expansion#sthash.mbohtUg0.dpbs" target="_blank">my article</a> in <b><i>Fort Worth, Texas</i></b> magazine about how he speaks directly to the Kahn building.
<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Framing history</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An acoustic guitar plays in the pavilion's new auditorium with Renzo's signature red chairs made from Australian wool.</td></tr>
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Adventures in and Around Fort Worthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14301058971315787049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6558393557439944790.post-19944323189670010872013-11-20T10:26:00.000-06:002013-12-01T13:20:08.230-06:00The Kimbell Art Museum Expansion Project is Complete!<br />
The Kimbell Art Museum Piano Pavilion will open to the public this week after three years of construction. As a father would do upon arrival of his newborn child, architect Renzo Piano rushed to Fort Worth to nurture, protect and proudly present his latest architectural feat.<br />
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Piano said if the original Kimbell building designed by Louis Kahn was an introvert with its windows facing interior courtyards, then his new pavilion is an extrovert with its windows forming walls to the lawn and life buzzing outside. Hence the name, pavilion. A pavilion is traditionally a short distance from the main building where people escape and find relaxation.<br />
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Piano said his building is an open and inviting building where people can meet, hear music, participate in classes or view art, in his talk <i><b>A Conversation with Renzo Piano</b></i> Nov. 19 in Fort Worth's Will Roger's Memorial Coliseum. Piano has a history if mixing the sacred and profane, which he does with this building. The profane are the areas the public uses socially, and the sacred is the metaphysical experience of viewing art. He said in an interview with KERA's Krys Boyd that this new building is not about growth, rather he is adding something new, which is the aforementioned space for public use. A large foyer acts as a meeting place. And the lawn that was once an open silent space is now closed forming a room between the two buildings and yet another space for social use.<br />
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I plan to talk to area architects about their reaction to the new building. Piano said our perspective of the building will change over time. As it becomes a part of our daily ritual it becomes more a part of our home. I will also be going on a member-only tour today and will write about that later! I find all of this so exciting! More to come...<br />
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<i>Read all about the international conversation surrounding this expansion project by clicking link below. After all, I wrote it!</i><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ua3rHTuG-pA/UoziHiCmXSI/AAAAAAAABLI/ynefvAfuDHk/s1600/RenzoPavilionKimbellSlideShow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="258" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ua3rHTuG-pA/UoziHiCmXSI/AAAAAAAABLI/ynefvAfuDHk/s400/RenzoPavilionKimbellSlideShow.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>Link to story: <a href="http://fwtx.com/articles/kam-expansion#sthash.ilEarxKH.dpbs" target="_blank">KAM Expansion by Jocelyn Tatum</a></b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UzMozg-LcmU/Uo65F0oVezI/AAAAAAAABLY/ApDF4w078co/s1600/IMG_7570.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UzMozg-LcmU/Uo65F0oVezI/AAAAAAAABLY/ApDF4w078co/s320/IMG_7570.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the construction site for interviews. </td></tr>
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<br />Adventures in and Around Fort Worthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14301058971315787049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6558393557439944790.post-82194265895904436522013-10-14T16:50:00.003-05:002013-10-14T20:22:56.233-05:00Words on Wheels: The WOW Bus<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1O_95qLaBjk/UlxjM0Ap3HI/AAAAAAAABIs/HBEZkDncsxY/s1600/image.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1O_95qLaBjk/UlxjM0Ap3HI/AAAAAAAABIs/HBEZkDncsxY/s400/image.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">WOW makes its debut at Arts Goggle Fall 2013 </span><br />
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Some of us have a love affair with books. We walk into the bookstore and wonder which book we will meet today. We narrow our options by going to the sections where we know we will find <i>the one.</i> We look at their covers, feel their pages, and read the synopsis inside the flap. Sometimes we meander over to staff picks to see what professional bookworms recommend. Then we whittle our decision down to one or two books and rush home to dive into another world.</div>
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<a href="http://www.thewowbus.com/" target="_blank">Words on Wheels</a> is a school bus converted public library
that moves up and down Magnolia Avenue in Fort Worth, but without a checkout
system, making it possible for anyone and everyone to court the book of their dreams. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This young man found a Harry Potter book.</td></tr>
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After Borders bookstores shut their doors in 2011, and she heard <a href="http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/09/06/5140153/barnes-noble-to-close-two-stores.html" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble plans to close two Fort Worth locations in Januar</a>y, founder Tina Stovall decided to open WOW. She wants to give people yet another avenue for experiencing books. After all, some of us haven’t converted to the Kindle just yet.</div>
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You can step inside the bus, read books or peruse magazines
while not having to make a commitment. It’s<o:p></o:p></div>
roomier than you think, and the
atmosphere is kind with hardwood floors, curtains, bookshelves, cushioned benches
and natural light coming from the bus windows.<br />
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You can even leave with a book
and return it later, or bring one you’ve finished and make a trade, or drop off old magazines and books collecting dust depriving someone else of a good read. You can even host a book club with up to eight people inside the bus (and they will provide coffee). Or you can just leave with a book to never return.<br />
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Stovall just hopes you pass it on to someone
else once you’re finished reading it (and that you don't fall asleep in her bus). <o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Adventures in and Around Fort Worthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14301058971315787049noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6558393557439944790.post-39738871024597639882013-08-19T16:22:00.004-05:002013-08-19T16:25:16.574-05:00Lots of Change in the Fort Worth Botanic Gardens<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JRIGksOtbVA/UhKMRkrDVWI/AAAAAAAABEc/2gXHRR_Pv3E/s1600/IMG_7035.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JRIGksOtbVA/UhKMRkrDVWI/AAAAAAAABEc/2gXHRR_Pv3E/s200/IMG_7035.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #274e13;">Maybe you grew up playing in <a href="http://fwbg.org/" target="_blank">Fort Worth's Botanic Gardens</a>. Maybe you didn't. It's a magical place where children dream of fairies and knomes, and adults escape the hum drum of the city life roaring just outside the garden's gates. This place means something different to everyone, but either way it is important to the city of Fort Worth, and for this reason people who care deeply for the gardens have come together to return the favor. A lot is about to change for the better. </span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13;">As the oldest and largest botanic gardens in the state of Texas, the <a href="http://www.nps.gov/nr/feature/landscape/2010/FtWorthBotanicGarden.pdf" target="_blank">Fort Worth Botanic Garden</a> is nationally recognized as a historical site and for it's beautiful rose gardens.The garden's history started in 1912 when a small portion of land was roped off for a large city park. In 1933 it was purchased by the Fort Worth Park Commissioners. Originally 38 acres, the gardens now encompass 109 acres in the middle of the city. </span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13;">This year the Fort Worth Botanical Society just nominated their youngest president ever, 34-year-old Rattana Mao. She's a ball of energy and ready to make this place even more magical then the place where she remembers and grew up playing. She grew up in a poor family that fled Cambodia during one of history's worst cases of genocide under Pol Pot's death grip. She did lose four siblings to starvation and illness while in Cambodia, but when they came to Fort Worth new happy memories were created at all of the free places our city had to offer. Her favorite escape from poverety were these gardens. This became her happy place where imaginary worlds came to life at no cost. She's here to give back. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-r5X7CbDrV2Q/UhJn6g2axlI/AAAAAAAABEA/NsTNeNQm_NI/s1600/Sarah+Junek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-r5X7CbDrV2Q/UhJn6g2axlI/AAAAAAAABEA/NsTNeNQm_NI/s320/Sarah+Junek.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sarah Junek volunteering in the Backyard Vegetable Garden.</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #274e13;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13;">In April the gardens opened their Backyard Vegetable Garden. It is a place where anyone in the community can learn how to tend and grow a garden. The garden has harvested so much organic produce that they have had to donate tons to the Tarrant Area Food Bank. Soon they will offer "farm-to-fork" cooking classes using their seasonal vegetables. Children starting at age 18 months can now participate in <a href="http://fwbg.org/little-sprouts/" target="_blank">free classes</a> in the vegetable garden. <a href="http://fwbg.org/education/workshops-and-classes/" target="_blank">Adults </a>can learn how to grow potted citrus plants on their own back porch, learn about sparkling wines in the Japanese Gardens, and even take photography classes. </span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13;">August 21 the gardens broke ground on the new Victor and Cleyone Tinsley Rock Springs Garden. The Rock Springs were the original 38 acres I previously mentioned. They were never manicured into a rose garden or vegetable garden. Largley unused, the Rock Springs had fallen by the wayside. Now they are putting in four lakes surrounded by walking paths, Texas native plants and covered with bridges. This project should be completed by Spring/Summer 2014. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kNJ5vfLXdzM/UhKJfatUajI/AAAAAAAABEQ/GHU9I07EQkY/s1600/IMG_7033.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kNJ5vfLXdzM/UhKJfatUajI/AAAAAAAABEQ/GHU9I07EQkY/s400/IMG_7033.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plans for the Victor and Cleyone Tinsley Rock Springs Project</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #274e13;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13;">And, the Japanese Gardens will celebrate its 40th anniversary this year. Expect a large festival and fun for the whole family coming November 2013!</span>Adventures in and Around Fort Worthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14301058971315787049noreply@blogger.com0