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Month: January 2014

As Excited as a Strutting Cherub

#Row80 Check-in Like much of the south, it’s chilly here in Texas. I’m currently wearing fingerless gloves and a scarf as I type. Can’t complain, though, because there’s food in the frig, my espresso machine works fine, and – best of all – I’m making great progress on Unexpected Texas, my quirky travel guide with tips for visiting offbeat and overlooked places in reach of Dallas and Fort Worth. Speaking of writing, here’s my weekly #Row80 check-in: Finish my quirky Texas travel book by January 31, 2014: The book is coming along, but it’s not quite done. I am really…

Mary Martin: The Original Peter Pan from Weatherford, Texas

Talented Texan Makes it Big on Broadway Mary Martin, the performer most strongly identified with role of Peter Pan, was born in Weatherford, Texas. This talented singer and actress was also the first to play Maria von Trapp in The Sound of Music, as well as Nellie Forbush in South Pacific. In 1976, the artist Ronald Thomason created a life-sized bronze of Mary Martin as Peter Pan. The sculpture still stands in front of the Weatherford Public Library, and the photos you see in this post are ones I snapped when I visited town. I must also say that, to…

Photo Bombed by a Nude Dude

For today’s Friday Photo, I’ve decided to post the most popular photo from my 2013 Instagr.am feed. (If you’re on Instagr.am follow me, @TuiSnider, and say hi. I will definitely follow you back!) Here’s the story behind the picture: My husband and I were on a tour of the Caribbean island, St. Maarten, when our group decided to stop by the seaside. As we stepped out of the van, the driver warned us that part of the area was clothing optional, so if we were offended by this, we should pay close attention to the signs. I’d never been to…

How to Avoid Death by Writing

Sitting is good. No, wait! It’s bad! I know it’s obvious, but here you go: Writers write. It’s that simple. If you want to call yourself a writer, you had better spend a bit of your time putting words onto the page. As Mary Heaton Vorse summed it up, “The art of writing is the art of applying the seat of the pants to the seat of the chair.” But herein lies the rub. More and more studies are coming out which say that sitting for long periods of time is bad for you, really, really bad for you. If you don’t…

Turning Basin Riverboat Tour in Jefferson, Texas

Beautiful Reflections along the Bayou Today’s photo essay features shots I took with my iPhone while floating down the Big Cypress Bayou in Jefferson, Texas. It was hard to restrain myself to only sharing six pictures with you because I could not stop taking photos. It was that beautiful! If, like me, you enjoy dreamy reflections, then a cruise with Turning Basin Riverboat Tours is made for you. East Texas History & Lore Our boat was captained by John Nance, who kept us entertained with a mixture of historical information, local lore and facts about nature. After showing us a…

Friday Photos: Famous Look Alikes

Wolverine Shops at Sams Club Have you ever seen someone who looked just like a celebrity? A few months ago, I was at the grocery store when I spotted a Wolverine/Hugh Jackman look alike comparison shopping as you can see from the photo above. Queen for a day? Earlier in the year, I spotted a Queen Mother look alike dining alone. As with the other faux famous folks, I did not want to be intrusive, so I carefully snuck the photo you see here. Michael Moore As for the Michael Moore look alike above, I spotted him at an all-you-can-eat…