Tag Archives: Texas

Maypearl, TX

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There’s a small little town, just south of Arlington, Texas called Maypearl. I remember driving thru when I checked out Antique Alley a few years ago. For me, a short drive is within forty miles, so a couple of weekends ago, I went back. The town is tiny, with just a small strip for the Main Street. There’s not much, there, just nestled between wide open spaces.

I think we all know my love for water towers!

How I Got To Texas: Emily / Insanity Rules

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It’s pretty amazing the people that we meet in life and how we get to the place we’re at. I’m pretty intrigued with hearing people’s stories and thought about how we all got to where we’re at. I’ve decided to start a series called “How I Got To Texas” which will introduce you to some of my fellow blogging friends and learn a bit about their background and how they got to the great state of Texas.
Today, meet Emily from Insanity Rules where she blogs about her family, crafting and food. Be sure to check out her blog! 
Morning y’all! I’m so excited to be guest posting here at Down Home Traveler. So I guess I better let y’all in on a little secret of mine… I’m not a native Texan. I know gasp, crys of outrage, and the lot… 🙂 I hope y’all will still put up with me because I’ve come to enjoy living in the great big state of Texas. So, where do my roots lie well in a place completely opposite of Texas. You see I’m a Pacific Northwest girl. To be more exact a little town called Sequim, Washington. Now this is important it’s pronounced Squim not Seequim. It’s spelled weird a people are always wanting to say seequim but that’s not how it’s done. Trust me when I went to college I’m pretty sure I had to pronounce it a hundered times. Yikes! Where I grew up it’ rains, it’s green, the trees touch the sky, and it’s gorgeous. I love it! So, talk about a shock when I fell in love with a Texas boy and he thought it would be great to move to wide open spaces, dust, yellow, and no Moutains!!!! Really you have got to be kidding me. I thought he was completely crazy and I may have even thought I might be crazy marrying this guy.
You see I’m a sweater loving, hoodie wearing, jeans and a t shirt kind of girl and all of those things aren’t really happening in Texas. It’s hot, humid, muggy, and well even when it’s over cast it can be 90 + degrees outside. Yeah for a girl who loves mud puddles, dancing in the rain, and cold weather this was a complete one eighty. So, to say moving me to Texas was a shock might be putting it mildly. There were so many strange things about moving to Dallas TX. SO, this is just a little bit of our adventure.
I met the hubs at college and well that’s a completely different story and rather funny. Let’s just say he says I was rude to him and rejected him the first time we met. I say he’s delusional and I had homework to do. Anyway we married and moved to Texas. For a girl who has spent a lot of her life trying to tame her curls:
This proved a bit of a challenge. I wear my hair up a lot in the summer because it’s so heavy and with the hot weather it just curls all over the place. I also wasn’t use to how light it is here all the time. You see the trees in Washington block out the light after a certain time of day. I’m convinced people don’t know what pitch black is here in Texas but you sure can see the stars! I’ve learned to love cowboy boots, thunder storms, even the hot weather some times, and of course long evenings looking at the stars and watching my kids run around. We have been here for 8 years or so maybe 9 now and we have four boys. None of which I would change. I never grew up where we had really close neighbors. We didn’t live in a neighborhood where the kids can run around outside with their friends all day. My kids are thrilled.
You could say Texas has changed my life. All my boys were born here, we bought our first home, car, and got our dogs here. I started my blog here and it’s become something I really enjoy doing. I’ve met many fabulous ladies who hail from the great state of Texas and others. I may miss the rain but I love the sunshine and this is my home. You should come visit sometime there are great places to eat, museums, splash parks, and so much more. I discover new things all the time that we love to do. So I know Texas is always going to have a little piece of my heart. Have a wonderful day y’all!

Texas Music June 2013 Preview

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Texas summers bring Texas music.

If you really wanted to, you could attend a different show nearly everyday and possibly not pay for a ticket for any of them.

There’s a ton of great shows coming up around the Dallas / Fort Worth area and you’d be a fool to miss them. That’s right, a fool!

Venues:
The Capital Bar – Fort Worth – Sponsored by The Ranch radio station located off West 7th Street this is your “bar” locale. View the backyard patio standing, sitting from either a table or up above from the deck. Grab a cold Shiner while you’re at it. The only thing you need to worry about is parking (gets a little tight in this area).

Panther Island Pavilion – Fort Worth – Catch the act on stage from either a chair (bring you’re own), blanket on the green or from a tube (can also rent), kayak, canoe or paddleboard on the Trinity River. Beverages available to purchase (cannot bring your own).

Levitt Pavilion – Arlington, TX – Outdoor stage, bring a blanket, chair, cooler, snacks, whatever tickles your fancy. If you are looking for a really good seat in front of the stage, be sure to get there early.

Here are a few of my upcoming favorites that I’m really looking forward to checking out this month:

Uncle Lucius – 06/15 at the Leavitt Pavilion
I have a good friend in Austin who recommends shows to catch their shows. He told me not to miss this one. I would trust his judgement. He’s never led me astray!

Jonathan Tyler & The Northern Lights – 06/20 at Panther Island Pavilion
I first saw these guys open up for Grace Potter and the Nocturnals a while ago and loved them. My concert buddy and I have been looking forward to seeing them ever since!

William Clark Green – 06/26 Capital Bar
(Most Excited About)
The more I listen to this guy the more I like him. His voice is amazing, his stories and songwriting inspirations grab your attention. Give him a whirl.

A few other shows you should check out this month:
06/12 – Mickey and the Motorcars, Capital Bar
06/13 – Six Market Boulevard, Panther Island Pavilion
06/19 – Cody Canada, Capital Bar
06/27 – Thieving Birds, Panther Island Pavilion
06/29 – Jason Eady, Levitt Pavilion