Features

Country cooking elicits visions of straight-from-the-garden vegetables and farm-fresh meats and dairy. For those in the United States, country cooking and Southern cooking may be thought of as interchangeable, as so many homespun meals are made that much more delicious with some southern influence.

Anyone who has ever visited Wake the Dead Coffee House instantly remembers the Tim Burton-esque skeleton statue rising triumphantly from an urn with a cup of coffee. The iron statue, designed by Kevin Huffaker and his brother, Zach Volnor, who added the soft-hued, mellow lights, sits at the heart of Wake the Dead courtyard.

Sitting on the couch sometime last winter with my trusty perennial catalogue in hand, I gawked over the Pyromania red hot pokers or torch lilies. When they arrived and were sitting in the driveway, I told Mrs. Jan they had such a beautiful texture I would want them even if they never bloomed. That night, looking at the catalogue, I selected Pyromania Backdraft and Pyromania Orange Blaze, two of the six varieties in the series that gives you choices in yellow, orange and red shades. In my two previous experiences

SAN MARCOS PUBLIC LIBRARY 625 E. HOPKINS ST. 512-393-8200

Aural Fixation is celebrating its 40th episode with a live and inperson music game show at Davenport Monday, May 24. The game will feature host Dusty Kraatz and the Aural Fixation team (Dave Novak, Taylor Wallace, Josh Mathis and WJ Robinson) producing a television-style live stream with a real live audience. Four contestants will go through five rounds, battling it out to become the champion. Audience participation will be encouraged. Preshow starts at 7:30 p.m., with the live beginning at 8 p.m.

Laura House of San Marcos was among 93 students earning a DVM degree from Oklahoma State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine on May 7. House is the daughter of Julie and Tom House of San Marcos.

This week congratulates high school and college/ university seniors. “Matriculation” is a rite of passage one never forgets. Graduates, I admire you and pray you won’t do anything stupid (i.e.: driving while using substances). You’ve a future to fulfill. College graduates, jumping into the San Marcos River is a tradition; therefore, it is fun, not stupid. Looking toward careers choices and job searches calls for a little levity.

Today’s column is taking parts from several items in a recent Resource Recycling newsletter, the first of which talks about quite a bit of money (anyway, in my mind it is).

Do birds have a sense of smell? Are they capable of smelling things, or just dependent on taste, sight and hearing?

When the warm weather beckons, people are apt to spend more time enjoying the great outdoors. Many people also are less likely to prepare heavy meals when the weather warms up. Rich, filling foods can make people feel sluggish, especially on hot days and nights. That’s why salads and summer are such a perfect match.

Some writers take naturally to the art of storytelling, embracing the flow of the written word from the moment they pick up a pen. Others come to the craft with trepidation, feeling their way forward around the words as they write.