Ahhh…August.  Backyard gardens are giving up their crops, and pantries are filling with jewel-toned glass jars of canned goods.  The air is ripe with the sound of ice cream truck music, air conditioner hum, childrens’ swimming pool squeals, and…cell phone ringtones?

As recently as 60 years ago, some places in this country did not even have landline phones. This is the story of The Time The Phones Went On In Texas.

Once upon a time, there was little girl who lived on a farm waaaay out in the country, on Garrett’s Creek Road, with her grandparents.  She spent her days playing with baby chicks and climbing the peach tree behind the farmhouse, which was covered in hot pink blossoms and butterflies in the spring, and carefully-avoided reddish fruits in the summer.

On a steamy day in July, the bushel baskets and Mason jars were pulled from the dry cellar, and Mammaw walked the path to the peach tree in her sundress and wide-brimmed hat. Carefully inspecting for worms, she dropped the winners into the baskets, and soon the kitchen counter was covered with piles of fruit.  The little girl watched from her yellow metal chair-stool, wistfully yearning to help Mammaw can the peaches, but such a dangerous process is not for the young.

Soon the big black cookpot of peaches was boiling away to help with the peeling process, the scented steam roiling above it, then they were cut in half, pitted, stowed away in the hot Mason jars, and carefully lowered into the canner, with its ominous-looking gauge on top.  After what seemed like hours but was only ten minutes, the weight on the lid began its jiggling dance and off went the fire. More “hours” for the pressure to subside, then the golden jars were carefully lifted from the canner and set on hotplates to cool, covered with dish towels. The little girl had been told that this was important, in case one of the jars exploded, and when she saw a towel slip off, she leaned over from her perch to re-cover the jars, and….bang! Too far of a reach, too top-heavy of a stool, and down she went.

Mammaw turned around at the noise and saw her unconscious baby lying on the floor, a knot already forming on her forehead.  Panicked, she scooped her up in her arms, calling out her name, and when no response came she ran cold water in the tub and immersed the fully-clothed child, hoping to waken her.  Still no response, and with the girl again in her arms, she ran out the door and down the rock road, not noticing the rocks cutting into her bare feet. The closest neighbor, the local nurse, lived an eighth mile away, and Mammaw flew there on wings of adrenaline and love.  By the time she arrived, the child was awake; the diagnosis, possible concussion and “keep her off high stools.”

In those days, telephones were an option and a luxury, not the necessity they have become, and the small and poor country community had seen no need for the expense. But the little girl’s fall, and the cloud of “what might have been,” put things in a different light.  Within the month, phone lines were in, and Garrett’s Creek Road was connected to the rest of the country.

Nowadays, there is no longer a landline at the old farmhouse.  Everyone who lives there has a cell phone, connecting them not only to the country, but to the world.  The rock road is paved, the peach tree is gone, but a little girl’s memory of peaches – and love – lives on.

America’s “New” Sport

It’s the biggest sporting event on the planet. Only 32 countries qualify for the FIFA World Cup every four years and only seven countries have claimed the trophy in the tournament’s 80-year history. With 205 nations competing, simply qualifying for the tournament, a three-year process,  is challenging. The United States shocked World Cup favorite England in 1950 with a stunning 1-0 win at the FIFA World Cup in Brazil’s Belo Horizonte. Author Geoffrey Douglas later chronicled the upset in his book The Game of Their Lives, which was later made into a film of the same name. However, the celebration was short lived as the Americans failed to qualify for another World Cup until 1990, 40 years later.

My, how times have changed. Only seven countries have qualified for the last SIX World Cups (1990-2010) and the United States is part of this elite group.  Those countries are Brazil, Germany, Italy, Argentina, Spain, South Korea plus the U.S.  The 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa garnered unprecedented attention in the United States. From telecasts to radio to newspapers, magazines and blogospheres, the World Cup mattered more than ever before on American soil. Why now? For one, the U.S. National Team is better than ever. The birth of Major League Soccer in 1996 and its subsequent growth has seen matching progress for the U.S. National Teams. Since MLS began in 1996, the U.S. has qualified for all four World Cups. Of the 30 players who participated in the final U.S. World Cup training camp (including FC Dallas defender Heath Pearce and former FC Dallas defender Clarence Goodson), 23 either currently play or have played in MLS. Of the final 23 players, 17 have MLS ties. Thanks to MLS, the American player is better than ever before and earning a spot on the final 23-man roster has become more and more difficult with increased competition for fewer spots.

No one understands just how elusive those final 23 roster spots are better than Dallas’ Heath Pearce. The 25-year-old defender has 32 caps with the U.S. National Team and made 11 appearances in 2010 World Cup qualifying matches. Only nine defenders made the 30-man preliminary roster for the U.S., including Pearce. Only seven defenders made the final 23-man USMNT roster for South Africa. Worldwide, there are only 736 players on a 2010 FIFA World Cup roster. Broadening the view beyond just the U.S. National Team, MLS has players representing England (an injured David Beckham is serving as a member of his country’s technical staff), Honduras, New Zealand and Mexico. L.A. Galaxy captain Landon Donovan is widely regarded as the best U.S. player and is joined on the squad by Galaxy teammate Edson Buddle and MLS stars Jonathan Bornstein and Robbie Findley.

Brazil is the host country for the 2014 World Cup and FC Dallas has quite a few young stars, like Pearce, who should be in the mix. There’s 18-year-old phenom Bryan Leyva (Mexico) and young U.S. stars Brek Shea (20), Dax McCarty (22) and Kyle Davies (21). Exactly who will form the next generation of American soccer stars? Only time will tell. Meanwhile, we have a front row seat in Texas.

Before you walk down the aisle

They say love is blind, which may help to explain why so many couples enter into marriage without regard to their financial compatibility. Sadly, money and financial stress are leading causes of marital problems and divorce. So while many brides and grooms would rather spend time selecting the right reception hall or perfecting their guest list, financial fidelity should take precedence over wedding planning. To improve your chances of a happy, healthy and stable marriage, your first order of business should be to reveal the whole truth about your finances to one another. Here are some steps you can take to nurture monetary policies that are as compatible as your hearts.

Reveal your debt. It’s only fair to let your future spouse know your entire financial history.  This includes whether you are carrying debt from credit cards, student loans or car loans or have financial obligations to family or friends. Exchange information about income and expenses to get an idea of how well your combined household will manage from a financial perspective.

Share attitudes, aspirations and expectations.  It’s not unusual for couples to have vastly different ideas about how best to earn, spend or save money, and it’s important to realize a wedding ring won’t magically resolve your differences.  Talk openly about your thoughts and feelings about money. How important is it to you? What kinds of financial habits do you have? Scrutinize spending behavior and look for potential conflicts in how you handle money. Ask the tough questions, including what each of you expects from the other in the money department. Talk about your career goals, including potential for future income growth and whether one of you plans to take time off from a career to help raise a family. Decide whether you will you share everything or maintain separate savings and checking accounts. Ongoing communication and compromise are key.

Develop a plan. Call on an expert for this one. Enlist a financial advisor to help you evaluate your financial future together. This person can make recommendations based on your goals and dreams in the context of your current financial reality. In addition to offering strategies to help you save more and in the right places, an advisor can recommend strategies to help protect your future, such as obtaining appropriate levels of life and disability insurance and creating a will.

Do it together. For richer or for poorer, your future spouse will be your financial partner in life. Maintaining open communication and candor about your finances—even through tough times—will help strengthen your trust in one another and improve your ability to realize the dreams you both share.

by Craig Sirois

Many people will tell you there is no such thing as free lunch.  But, if you live in Denton you can at least find a free ride. Denton Pedicab,  LLC is a bicycle-cab business that has been offering free rides in Denton since July of 2009.  While pedicabs, or cycle rickshaws as they are called in many parts of the world, are new to Denton, they have a history that spans back to the 1800’s.

Pedicabs are essentially tricycles with a seat for the driver and a seat in the back for up to three riders.  They can be found throughout Asia, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and more recently, the United States. One of the greatest benefits of pedicabs is that they do not emit toxic gases like more traditional means of transportation. Denton Pedicab, LLC has outfitted each of its pedicabs with seat belts, turn signals, brake lights and a headlight.  Each of these elements can be costly which explains why most pedicabs can sell from $4,000 up to $6,000.

Laurent Prouvost, the president and founder was born in Lille, France and has spent much of his life traveling around Europe, Asia, Africa, the Caribbean and the United States.  “After having seen pedicabs in other places that I traveled to, I thought that Denton could benefit from having pedicabs here too,” Prouvost said.

Currently, there are three pedicabs that are leased out to drivers, for a small fee, for eight- hour shifts at a time.  All drivers must complete a pedicab-driving course before they are allowed to lease a cab and start driving passengers. Now that Denton Pedicab, LLC has established itself in the city, Prouvost is working on taking one word out of his vocabulary – tip.  That’s right, Prouvost does not like the word tip, instead he prefers donation.  “We want to say that we work on donations.  We don’t want to use the tip word anymore,” said Prouvost.  “Tips are for when you give a certain percentage of what you pay, but you don’t pay anything when you ride in the pedicab.”

The pedicab service runs seven days a week from 8 am until 2 am.  At the present time, pedicabs operate on streets within a zone created by University Drive, Bonnie Brae Street, Eagle Drive, and Bell Avenue.

For more information, or to book a pedicab for a special event, they can be reached at 940-312-8298 or on the web at www.dentonpedicab.com

Some call it camping, others call it RVing, either way the love of it is growing into families all over America.  For some, the perfect camping trip means strapping on a backpack and heading for the back country.  For others, it’s a simple way to spend time with family and friends in calm natural surroundings out of the hustle bustle of everyday life.  Both ways, couples and families are finding this new way of enjoying the great outdoors positively Family Time.

You can opt to stay in the wilds and go fishing, hike in the woods and really rough-it or you might choose a cozy play-camp atmosphere with horseshoes, games and a be-together-camp set-up. Camp sites are diverse with tents, campers or motor homes (family tent sales grew by 17 percent last year and backpacking grew by 18.5 percent).  You can choose the type of camping and equipment that fits your family and pocketbook.

Removing the daily distractions of the TV, video games, telephone and spending time canoeing, fishing, hiking, cycling or maybe boating can make a family week or weekend fun and memorable.  Including a night of s’mores around the campfire with family chats and stories and families have recognized a way to replace the usual fast paced family whirl with real family time bonding. Watch out….many families have found that renting an RV for a stay at a favorite area campground is not only a wonderful family get-a-way it often leads to the eventual purchase of their own equipment. People from all walks of life are doing it, not just Grandma and Grandpa. You’ll find every kind of camping vehicle in a facility from tents to tiny campers to huge trailers.

Whatever your equipment preference, people still spend most of their time outdoors, seated on lawn chairs, going for walks or taking part in outdoor activities. And a hamburger never tastes as good as one grilled out, eaten out and digested (while) out.  What a life!

Get into nature this spring-summer-fall and find your camp style.

Ahh, June…The birds and the bees are doing their thing, and the human Big Birds (Dads) and Busy Bees (Moms) are celebrated by their offspring during these fruitful, and woefully pollen-laden, Spring months.

If there were ever a topic fraught with emotion and angst, it is Parenthood. The question is, why more words on a subject that has been covered in every possible way? Because the people who do the hardest, most important job in the world get so little tangible reward, or even acknowledgment, that a few words of recognition to make them happy is not too much to ask.  You know what they say, if Mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy!

And what makes a parent happy?  The unexpected hug, the eavesdropped compliment, the rare and magical words “You know, you were right.”  Because we all try so hard to get it right, and with no education or license required, parenthood is a lesson in the Law of Trial and Error. No matter how many books you read or advice you are given, each child is unique, and what works for some is disaster for others.  So men and women take on the most difficult, frustrating, and wonderful career of all flying by the seat of their pants.

Here are thoughts from some parents:

•  First, I don’t know what the hell I’m doing but at least I’m trying. Anyone who tells you they have all the answers is either A) a non-parent, B) a male parent, or C) my mother-in-law.
•  No outfit is complete without a little drool.
•  I don’t have nearly as many answers as I did pre-kid.
•  You may sound a bit like your mother but it doesn’t mean you have to act
like her.
•  I have a hell of a lot more patience and a better gag reflex than I realized.
•  NEVER put a kid in Superhero jammies in the top bunk.
•  Being a parent is gold-plated….being a grandmother is platinum.
•  If you’re potty-training, letting your two-year-old merrily consume a half
a pint of blueberries is not wise.
•  Surviving the teenage years with girls should qualify you for a
Nobel Peace Prize.

A real eye-opener is to find yourself at the age your parents were during a part of your lifetime you can remember well.  Say you are 35, your parents are 55…think back to when you were 15 and your parents were the age you are now.  What a concept!  They were actual people, just as you are, with worries and dreams and bad habits – and they were attempting the ultimate sociological experiment: trying to raise a child well, while living their lives and surviving in this world.

On that thought, take these rare two holidays to honor and value your parents for who and what they are. And if you have step-parents, honor them twice, because they deserve a special award for voluntarily taking on the traditional bad-guy role and trying to be a hero anyway.  We all have parents; present or absent, biological or adoptive, good or bad…even if they embarrassed you, irritated you, or failed you, your parents did the best they were capable of doing at the time and under the circumstances.  What more can we ask of anyone? And if your parents are no longer with you, through their choice or yours or fate’s, at least send a thankful thought out to the universe for those without whom you would not be here.

P.S.  Don’t forget that May is Motorcycle Safety and Awareness Month.
Every rider is someone’s child.

This year dogs and their best friends can kick off the summer at the Dog Days of Denton Celebration on Friday, June 4th and Saturday, June 5th.   Relax in the evening sun on Friday night as the festival brings back “yappy” hour from 5:00 pm to 8:30 pm, and start the fun again on Saturday from 8:30 am to 3:00 pm.

“This is the second year to have evening hours on a Friday, as we had some great feedback from attendees on Friday evening last year,” said Christine Gossett, co-director for the Dog Days of Denton Celebration.

The celebration features the same traditional fun both Friday night and Saturday, with some activities and contests featured on Saturday only.  Attendees can take in live music, “dancing with the dogs” performances by T.C. Cappel, and flyball and dog’n disc demonstrations throughout the event.  The Glamfur photos, arts/crafts booths, pet care information and adoptions, the “Heinz 57” contests, festival foods and more will also be featured on both Friday night and Saturday (check the website for any updates or changes to the contest and entertainment schedule).  This year attendees are encouraged to bring pet food donations with them for the animal shelter.

Saturday’s schedule includes the popular Spokesdog Pageant which will be held around noon.  Attendees can also try their dog’s skills on the agility and obedience course with donations going to the Denton Animal Shelter Foundation fund.  For spokesdog pageant guidelines, please visit the website www.dogdaysdenton.com.

Dog Days of Denton will be held at the north end of Quakertown Park, 321 E. McKinney Street and offers free general admission.  The celebration requires that ALL dogs be kept on a leash at all times and must have current vaccinations. For everyone’s safety and enjoyment, please do not bring aggressive dogs.

Dog Days of Denton is made possible by the generous support of the City of Denton, the Denton Record-Chronicle, Beau’s Bath House and Doggie Spa, Denton County Animal ER, Invisible Fence of Greater Dallas, Banfield The Pet Hospital, Southridge Animal Hospital, and Wells Fargo. Dog Days of Denton is a not for profit 501c3 organization.

NORTH TEXAS BOOK FESTIVAL

APRIL 17th from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Denton Civic Center

321 E. McKinney Street at Bell Avenue

ADMISSION IS FREE!

The tenth annual North Texas Book Festival will begin the weekend festivities with the “Book Trails Dinner”  Friday, April 16^th at 6:30 p.m. at the Center for Visual Arts, 400 East Hickory at Bell Avenue. The dress is casual and tickets for the dinner are $25.00 a person.  The North Texas Book Festival will be held Saturday, April 17^th, at the Denton Civic Center, 321 E. McKinney St. at Bell Avenue.

Ahh, April…  The snow has finally stopped, the weather is warming, and there is a welcome release from the cabin fever that drives us all outside.  People take to the roads without fear of black ice skids and low visibility.  With February’s hearts and flowers behind us and June’s wedding marches yet to come, what can get our hearts thumping and adrenaline rushing more than…traffic?

Nothing in our modern world brings about more irritation, frustration, or bad behavior than driving…except maybe politics!  Want to really insult someone?  Call them a lousy driver.  Want to witness 3-year-old stubbornness in a 40-yr-old woman?  Try to merge in front of her in a rush-hour standstill.  Want to see a normally sane and mild-mannered gentleman turn into a testosterone-fueled raging bull?  Put him behind the wheel of a pickup truck in…traffic.

The differences in traffic between countries can be startling, especially since it is such a universal activity and there is no universal standard. An example is the high degree of American irritation and blocking behavior brought on by those driving to the end of a closing lane and merging into the waiting traffic.  In Britain, this is an encouraged common practice called Late Merge, and the ensuing “zippering” of traffic is highly effective, causing 35% less congestion.

In Texas, highway travel is ubiquitous and necessary, given the sprawling size of our state. To get to work, to school, to play, we find ourselves stuck in, dealing with, navigating…traffic.  How is the traffic? There was bad traffic. Allow for the traffic! I’m late because of the traffic. While in Italy tailgating is seen as a sign to Move Over, which the tailgatee graciously does, here in Texas we see it as either aggressive road-hogging or as “drafting,” which really doesn’t work as well on highways as it does in NASCAR.

In Denton, we have our own Olympic-style challenges: The double-turn-lane-only-on-arrow slalom at Sherman and Carroll, the 6-name-change road course that starts as Cooper Creek and ends as Nottingham, and the enter-merge-exit triathlon at the Dallas Drive/ I-35/Lillian Miller cluster.  Oh, and did you hear that there’s going to be more construction lane closures on the Loop?  April Fool!  (Not.)

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Association, nearly 80% of crashes involve driver inattention, 75% of drivers over age 40 have received at least one traffic citation, and 65% of the same age group have been involved in an accident…which makes the 80% self-rating of “above average” in a recent drivers’ poll both highly improbable and statistically impossible.

There’s an old saying:  Everyone who drives slower than you is an idiot, and everyone who drives faster than you is a maniac.  So unless you are driving exactly the same as every other driver around you, you are either someone’s idiot or someone’s maniac.  Let’s find a median between idiotic and maniacal, and remember: If you think you are a member of the special percentage of above-average drivers who can drive and text at the same time, you truly are an April Fool.

Information and statistics courtesy of Tom Vanderbilt, author of Traffic – Why We Drive The Way We Do (And What It Says About Us) My favorite quote: “Traffic is like a language.  It generally works best if everyone knows and obeys the rules of grammar, though slang can be brutally effective.”

Whether a simple cake reception or a full service catered event, so many new and fun ideas for receptions are out there and the possibilites are limitless!  What to cater should be determined by several things:  budget, size of your wedding, time of day, and most importantly, what you want.  Remember, a good caterer works within your budget to provide you exactly (or as close as possible) what you want without sacrificing quality.

A nice option for afternoon receptions that is budget friendly is simple but beautiful fruits, vegetables and cheese displays. The addition of melons carved into swans or your names carved into watermelons can be used to highlight the presentation. The addition of mini-croissant sandwiches or a nice spinach dip with bruschetta can round the display nicely.

A noon wedding usually requires heavy hors d’oeuvres or a light lunch.  The afore mentioned reception menu plus stuffed mushrooms, chicken and beef flank steak skewers with dipping sauces, or delightfully filled filo cups.  These may be plated or served buffet-style.  If it is lunch you are serving, let your caterer know what you would like or ask for creative ideas and suggestions.

An evening wedding will warrant a dinner or very heavy appetizers for hungry guests and also serve as a balance if alcohol is served.  Dinners may be plated or buffet depending on where they are held and what facilities are available. Prime rib and steamship round beef carving stations are great additions here.

Let’s not forget about the brunch; a wonderful way for a morning wedding to be followed.  Usually served around ten or eleven in the morning, everything from scrumptious pastries, tasty pasta salads, to ham and turkey carving stations are found in brunches.  Coffee bars with plenty of flavors and condiments to accompany along with mimosas and wine.

Many other creative options are out there as well from mashed potato bars, dessert receptions, themes from around the world and whatever your imagination thinks up. Remember this is your wedding – your food!