DECEMBER 2014 VOLUME 11, ISSUE 12
Celebrating 11 years of Service To Kingsville & Surrounding Areas!
Latest Country Sensation Chase Bryant Magical Christmas Shopping Harrel’s Too – Page 7
Great Musical Christmas Gift Ideas: Goetsch Music – Page 8
INSIDE
A city’s Grandmother - Martha Mae Thompson – Page 5 Latest country sensation - Chase Bryant – Page 9 La Posada de Kingsville Celebrates 25 years – Page 13 A TedSanMark Advertising Publication
(2) South Texas Living – “The Good Life”
DECEMBER 2014
VOLUME 11, ISSUE 12
A Christmas Greeting From South Texas Living:
Top Features
Page 5 A City's Grandmother - Martha Mae Thompson Page 9 Latest Country Sensation - Chase Bryant Page 13 La Posada de Kingsville Celebrates 25 Years
New Journey Into 2015 South Texas Living Magazine is excited to announce the beginning of our new journey into 2015. After 10 years of proudly serving South Texas with a monthly magazine, we will be converting our hard copy monthly to a quarterly magazine, while continuing to offer for your reading pleasure, our online publication monthly - (www.southtexasliving.com). We will provide exciting monthly articles that interest both male and female readers, targeting those of all age groups and interest. Featuring articles on homes, food, art, music, community leaders, celebrity interviews, and much more. We will also include advertisements. We aim to keep you abreast of the many great happenings with South Texas Living on our online publication version. We would also like for you to visit our facebook page, (South Texas Living Magazine) give us a like and (or) become our friend. Our goal is to keep South Texas connected. Thank you, Mary Goetsch, Publisher.
South Texas Living Magazine would like to extend our warmest holiday greetings to you our loyal readers, advertisers, family and friends.
Thank you! South Texas Living Magazine Publisher/Owner: Mary R. Goetsch Advertising/Photographer: Mary R. Goetsch Circulation: Michael A. Rodriguez, Josh C. Rodriguez, Jerry J. Rodriguez
Contact: Phone: 361-228-1827 Website: www.southtexasliving.com Email: mary@southtexasliving.com Facebook: southtexasliving.com
No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher.
To Advertise in South Texas Living Magazine, contact Mary Goetsch at mary@southtexasliving.com
New Year...New Kitchen
You Dream It, We Build It
Kingsville Woodworks, Inc. South Texas Living – “The Good Life” (3)
Pet Safe
The 12 Days of Pet-Safe Holidays (Family Features) Pictured: Sadie and Chico Goetsch
The holidays can be a hectic time for everyone. While you're busily gearing up for guests and parties, it's important to remember your pet's safety to ensure a festive and fun season is enjoyed by all. From bright decorations to holiday house guests, it can be easy to overlook a few household dangers that may cause harm to your favorite companions. Here are a few things to keep in mind to keep your fuzzy friend safe and jolly this holiday: 12. Covered Cords: Cords used for holiday lights can be tempting to chew for many pets. Take time while decorating to tape down or cover cords to help prevent shocks, burns or other serious injuries. 11. Tempting Table Scraps: Rich scraps such as drippings, gravy and poultry skin can cause pets to suffer from upset stomach, diarrhea and even pancreatitis, which are not only terribly painful but can be fatal. Giving your dog poultry bones is also a bad idea as they can splinter and get stuck in your dog's gastrointestinal tract. 10. Radiant Ribbons: Cats may be interested in playing with or
eating tinsel and ribbons hanging from trees. These decorations should be placed high on the tree or not used at all because they can potentially cause serious intestinal damage if swallowed.
poisonous for dogs, so skip them as decorations or make sure they are out of reach.
4. Guarded Glasses: Alcohol and pets do not mix. Place alcoholic drinks safely out of reach and patrol 9. Dinging Doorbells: Consider the party to be sure your guests do putting your dog on a leash before the same. Alcohol poisoning can people start arriving. Not only will be fatal. you be able to control him if he begins to jump, you'll also avoid 3. Calming Coats: Using a him running out the door. ThunderShirt can calm a nervous dog by applying gentle pressure 8. Tasty Treats: Keep human party to the body. In addition to the snacks out of reach from animals traditional coat, there are now and offer pet-friendly options cold weather ThunderSweater and instead, such as BLUE Santa Stew ThunderCoat options. Holiday Feast and Santa Paws Snacks. 2. Nearby Numbers: Keep contact information for your veterinarian 7. Quiet Corners: Provide pets and the nearest emergency with a quiet place to retreat so they veterinary clinic readily available in can choose whether to come out case of a holiday mishap. and visit or keep to themselves when company arrives. 1. Towering Tree: Seasonal trees are sure to attract a pet's attention 6. Patient Puppies: Tell your guests and should be secured to keep that your puppy is in training, and from toppling over if a pet should try he needs to be polite before they to climb them, use as a scratching say "hello" to him. Have your dog post or simply bump into them. sit, using a treat if necessary, and once he's sitting and calm let your For more information on how to guests pet him. keep pets safe during the holiday season, visit www.petsmart.com. 5. Perilous Plants: Mistletoe, holly berries and poinsettia plants are all #11847 Source: PetSmart
(4) South Texas Living – “The Good Life”
A City’s Grandmother I have had the good fortune, all of my life, to know Mrs. Martha Mae Thompson. She is my departed mother’s younger sister and I know her as my ‘Aunt Martha Mae.’ Age and wisdom have emboldened me to call her, simply, (my - & don’t you forget it!) “Martha.” However, Kingsville knows her as “Granny.” Ah... you are thinking... I know her! Of course you do, because Love, Kindness, and Compassion have a unique and unforgettable radiance, and if you are anywhere near their gentle gravitational pull, you have met her... in Whataburger, HEB, Wal-Mart, Harrel’s, the King Ranch Store, ON the King Ranch, in her Church, in... She is everywhere! “Granny” is one of those people in whose company you immediately feel ‘seen,’ safe, comfortable, and ‘home,’ so she has never met a ‘stranger’ and you never feel like one. Although I was born in Dallas, I grew up on the East Coast. I am not a stranger to Texas, but I AM a recent transplant and now live in Houston. I was visiting my Aunt Martha in early October this year and, the night I arrived, accompanied her to church; she had an evening committee meeting. Aunt Martha Mae was uncomfortable and agitated about possible
contracting procedural anomalies and did not want the situation to continue moving forward because of the potentially negative impact on her church and its parishioners. I asked her what she was going to do about her frustrations and she indicated that she would remain silent as, “I am not a leader.” Her eldest son, Butch – my cousin, will tell you that I am NOT one to keep silent, so I encouraged her to follow her heart, her instincts, and speak up ‘in service to...’ I told Martha that I enjoyed writing poetry, so would wait for her in the Church lobby and try to write something while she was in the meeting. Glass windows separated us, so she knew that if she looked at me, she would see me demonstrably encouraging her to speak up OR making monkey faces so that she would get in ‘trouble’ for disruptive behavior... ha! At any rate, I did not act out and get her into trouble but I DID write a poem... for Martha. You are reading it below as written that evening while she was in the meeting, with perhaps a word or two of editing. Unless you believe Butch’s version, and then it’s an edit of about 800 words...
For Martha Now and again, we ask ourselves (usually feeling some guilt, futility, and anger) “Why do I bother?” You know, Jesus did not accept ‘King’ any more than you accept ‘Leader.’ And yet he raged in the holy Temple against the unethical money lenders. This was ‘righteous anger’ demanating from authentic Being and Truth. And you are asked to remember this: Permission and anointing are not required for genuine Self-expression that leads grown men back to righteousness. It is not necessarily the ‘Leaders’ we remember, who change our lives -Greatness lies (quietly) in honoring the sanctity of One’s Being -Through authentic actions – As you will do tonight! Blessings be, Martha, for you are one of God’s own.
Mrs. Martha Mae Thompson As it happily turns out, “Granny” did speak her heart and mind at the meeting that night. The committee members not only listened, they agreed! Procedures were unanimously put back on track and well, yes, ‘they all lived happily ever after.’ But this was no fairy tale, was it? If you have not had the good fortune to meet “Granny,” my Aunt Martha, just show up at the 14th Street Whataburger during ‘retiree’ breakfast hours. She’ll be there, her mouth open in anticipation of the first inimitable bite of her
personalized ‘toasted’ biscuit (or to ‘jabber-jaw’ – don’t ask me; it’s a Kingsville ‘thang’), and her arms open waiting for YOU... Aunt Martha... Granny... in this Christmas season of new birth, we are grateful for your life, for the renewal you so unhesitatingly and lovingly provide to ours.
Blessings to all... in the Light, with Peace and Love, Susan Hall-West South Texas Living – “The Good Life” (5)
AKKINEPALLY STORY by Mary Lee Grant
Satyajith Akkinepally plays flamenco guitar outside Goetsch Music Company, soulfully, rhythmically, as passersby stop to listen. An old man sits down beside him and Akkinepally hands him a guitar. The old man begins to play Mexican rancheras. Akkinepally listens with respect and fascination. “I enjoy learning about Mexican and Texas music, and I am even learning Spanish,” said Akkinepally, 24, an electrical engineering graduate student from Hyderabad, India. “I went to a country dance place, and I loved it-the big hats, the boots, the huge personalities.” It may seem unusual that a student from southern India should develop such a passion for flamenco, but Akkinepally says it makes sense, from a historical and cultural perspective. “Flamenco is gypsy music,” he said. “And the gypsies originally came from the Indian state of Rajasthan and middle eastern countries. The colorful clothes, jewelry, dance and music was from there. Then they ended up migrating to southern Spain, in Andalusia. Akkinepally is a great admirer of gypsy culture, and says he is a bit of a gypsy himself. “I lived like a gypsy traveling on my motorcycle and trains all around India with my guitar, eating and resting in different places,” he said. Now he plays anywhere he gets a chance. He often is at Goetsch Music on Saturdays, attracting customers with guitar music. He also offers lessons. He has played at the open mike night at the Country Luau, the First United Methodist Church, at Jones Auditorium, on the seawall
in Corpus Christi, and even plans to play background music at a local funeral home. He doesn’t limit himself to flamenco. He is passionate about Brazilian bossa nova, and he is trying to learn to sing in English as well. He has lyrics and chords for the many Frank Sinatra songs he is memorizing stored on his phone. For him, making music is a spiritual act. “They say that when you create art, you create a good aura of God around you,” he said. “I believe that. It all comes from inside.”
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year
KINGSVILLE
from all of us at...
JOHN WOMACK & CO. PC
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205 S. 10TH STREET KINGSVILLE, TX. 78363 361-592-2671 (6) South Texas Living – “The Good Life”
Life Business Renters
(361) 595-4323 Allstate Insurance Company, Allstate Life Insurance Company, Allstate Indemnity Company, Allstate Property and Casualty Insurance Company, Northbrook, IL, Allstate County Mutual: Irving, Texas. Allstate Texas Lloyds Company, Irving, Texas. ©2006 Allstate Insurance Company. www.allstate.com
Harrel’s Too A Fantastic Christmas Experience
Next Door To Harrel’s Kingsville Pharmacy
✦Ornaments ✦Candles ✦Cards ✦Christmas Stockings and Stuffers ✦And Much, Much More!
Shop Harrel’s Kingsville Pharmacy For Many Great Christmas Gift Ideas!
204 East Kleberg, Kingsville, Texas 361-592-3355 South Texas Living – “The Good Life” (7)
Have a Wonderful Christmas and A Very Happy New Year From: Serving Kingsville and Surrounding Areas Since 1958 222 East Kleberg Located In Historic Downtown Kingsville, Texas 361-592-5464
Great Merchandise at Great prices!!! Ask about our special order deals!!! New Merchandise Arriving Daily. Hours: Monday – Friday 11 am - 5 pm Saturday 11 am -2 p.m. • Closed Sunday
We Have Great Musical Christmas Ideas For That Special Musician In Your Life! (8) South Texas Living – “The Good Life”
“I remember Chase Bryant coming into Goetsch Music a couple of years ago. I was so impressed, and thought he was so cute. He said, ‘I am going to make it big someday.’ And sure enough, he has. We are so proud of him, and how he is representing South Texas. He will be coming into
the store when he visits Kingsville in December. It will be great to see him again and talk about his successes.” –Mary Goetsch, owner of Goetsch Music and publisher of South Texas Living.
(photo credit: Glenn Sweitzer; live photo credit: Scott Coleman)
LATEST COUNTRY SENSATION Chase Bryant is making a name for himself as the latest country sensation. Praised by Rolling Stone Country and People, his hit “Take it On Back” has broken through to the Top 15 Country charts. Only 22, the Orange Grove native is on the path to becoming the next George Strait. He granted an exclusive interview to South Texas Living this month. With his soft country twang and polite ways, his charm overlays a serious intelligence and a fierce determination. Music has always been the center of his life. Bryant's grandfather played piano in Roy Orbison’s first two bands and later, for Waylon Jennings; his uncles, co-founded the group Ricochet, which had several hits in the 90’s. Conway Twitty, Merle Haggard, Tom Petty, Vince Gill, Bob Wills, Steve Wariner, Bryan Adams also were early influencers. Bryant also added, that he listens to rock and enjoys everything from the fifties hits to the 80s dance music. “I have been playing guitar since I was a year old,” he said. “I taught myself to play. I loved Jerry Lee Lewis and Fleetwood Mac. I was two or three years old and heard Jerry Lee Lewis’ 'Lewis Boogie' come on my
grandfather’s record player. I remember hearing him say, 'My name is Jerry Lee Lewis and I’m from Louisiana' ... and I had an identity crisis! I thought I was Jerry Lee and would walk around saying that. In school, I was the odd kid. There were 20 guitars in town and I owned all of them. Yes, guitars are my profession but they are also like children to me. Each one is different.” Now he owns 50 guitars. He plays lefthanded, on a guitar strung for right-handed. He lives in Nashville, but still visits South Texas often and will be in Kingsville in December, where he plans to drop by Goetsch Music store downtown to sign copies of this article. Wherever he goes, he likes to pick up new musical gear. “I was in Goetsch Music a few years ago, and was looking at buying an organ there,” he said. “And the Goetsch’s used to tune my grandmother’s piano at her house down on Baffin Bay.” Though his roots are Texas, and his stories come from small town Texas life, he doesn’t really see himself fitting in with the Texas singer-songwriter crew. “I am chasing something more mainstream, more Nashville,” he said.
By Mary Lee Grant
He doesn’t see country music as becoming too influenced by pop, and is proud of his own diverse musical roots. “Country music has evolved, he said. “ Waylon was not originally country. Neither was George Jones. Brad Paisley, Keith Urban, George Strait, they have all added something different to the mix You don’t have to wear a cowboy hat to play country music, you just have to tell the truth. Songwriting is an important part of his craft, and he admires songwriters ranging from Lyle Lovett to Lindsey Buckingham to his favorite, Tommy Lee James. “It may not seem like it to some people, but I listen a lot more than I talk,” he said. “I observe something and it inspires me to write; then, I sit down with my guitar and maybe it starts with a hook, a lyric, or a melody.” His songs tend to be about love-finding it, keeping it and losing it. For kids in small towns with big dreams like he has, his advice is to stay true to yourself and never give up. “I just don’t let anybody tell me no,” he said. “You are the only person that determines your destination.”
South Texas Living – “The Good Life” (9)
Bringing Out the BEST in EVERY Child! Prek-3 - 5th Grade Limited Scholarships Available
Epiphany Episcopal School
206 N. 3rd Street • Kingsville
www.epiphanyschoolkingsville.org (10) South Texas Living – “The Good Life”
(361)
592-2871
Finding Big-Ticket Bargains During the Holiday Season Five unexpected big ticket bargains you can find at holiday time.
(BPT) - Bargain hunting is practically a sport, especially during the holiday shopping season. Deloitte's 2014 annual holiday survey predicts the average American will drop nearly $1,300 this holiday season. With that level of spending in mind, planning to save real money elsewhere is crucial to managing a household's bottom line.
the end of the year. Stores such as Lumber Liquidators purchase these products at discounted rates and pass the options and savings directly to consumers, resulting in a great deal that can also increase the value of a home.
Seasonal purchases
Promotions such as standard Black Friday deals or free * Gas grills and air conditioners. Stores may offer deep holiday shipping are nice but often don't add up very discounts on off-season products such as air conditioners quickly. and gas grills. This rule of thumb is particularly valuable for people who live in cold weather climates, where summer Huge value can be found on big-ticket items since their goods become especially obsolete during the long winter need can be anticipated months ahead. Purchasing them months. seasonally or via year-end clearance sales can provide savvy consumers with hundreds or thousands of dollars in * Furniture. The holiday season brings sales and savings. promotions at many furniture stores on living and dining room items as people are preparing for holiday Here are a few examples of products that fall into each entertaining. In addition, outdoor furniture is generally at category: its best price due to it being out of season.
Year-end closeouts
* Boats. Boat dealers are often trying to move inventory during the winter season, which gives the buyer an upper * Cars. With the next year's models already on lots for a hand in negotiating prices. The off-season is also a popular number of months, dealers are anxious to move cars from time for boat shows, where dealers often offer their best the previous year. Moreover, December is their last chance prices of the year. to improve year-end sales numbers - whether at the dealer or individual salesperson level. No matter a consumer's methodology, a little planning goes a long way in finding bargains. There are very helpful * Flooring. The end of the year is a great time to buy new websites - such as www.dealnews.com - that do a great job hardwood flooring. Suppliers and mills often assess their staying on top of deals both large and small. Online forums inventory at this time and clear out product lines before and traditional word of mouth can also assist in the hunt. South Texas Living – “The Good Life” (11)
South Texas Home Health 224 W. King Street • Kingsville, Texas 78363 Phone: (361)221-9809 • Fax: (361)221-9510
Sarah Delgado
H Skilled Nursing H IV Therapy H Wound Care H Physical Therapy H Speech Therapy H Occupational Therapy H Medical Social Worker H Home Health Aide H Wound Vac
Marketing Director • (361)522-9117
Most Insurance Accepted. Call for your free assessment.
Serving the following counties: • Aransas
• Jim Wells
• Brooks
• Kleberg
• Bee
• Duval
• Jim Hogg
• Kennedy • Nueces
• San Patricio
"Meeting your healthcare needs with professional service and excellent care."
224 W. King Street Kingsville, Texas 78363 Phone: (361)221-9809 Fax: (361)221-9510
Sarah Delgado Marketing Director (361)522-9117
(12) South Texas Living – “The Good Life”
4 Skilled Nursing 4 IV Therapy 4 Wound Care 4 Physical Therapy 4 Speech Therapy 4 Occupational Therapy 4 Disease Management 4 Ventilator/Tracheostomy Care 4 Enteral Feedings 4 Respiratory Care 4 Comprehensive Pediatric RN Assessment 4 Gastrostomy Care 4 Well Baby Check-ups 4 Wound Vac Serving the following counties:
• Aransas • Bee • Brooks • Duval • Jim Hogg • Jim Wells • Kennedy • Kleberg • Nueces • San Patricio
La Posada Celebrates 25 Years......
Holiday Parade Lighting of Downtown Kingsville
Rusty Van Fleet Construction, Inc. P.O. Box 5101 1407 S. 6th Street • Kingsville, TX 78364
361-516-1034
Fax 361-516-1035 • Mobile 361-877-6595
Metal Building Systems South Texas Living – “The Good Life” (13)
& s a m t is r h C y r r e M r a e Y w e N y p p a AH From:
INDUSTRIAL PIPING & STEEL COMPANY On Site Fabricated Rebar! Aluminum, Galvanized & Carbon Structural Steel. Proud to Be Supporting South Texas. 333 45th Street (45th @ Agnes) Corpus Christi, Texas 78405 Phone: 361-884-1677 Fax: 361-884-0430 Open Monday - Friday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Saturday 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. Just Fair Prices and Quality Service.
Filemon “Phil” Esquivel, Jr. and Associates Would Like to Wish You and Your Family
A Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year • Now offering AARP Life Insurance • Currently enrolling for Medicare and Health Insurance on and off the exchange.
Young’s Pizza Pizza, Subs, Hot Patooties, Frozen Yogurt
361-592-9179
New York Life Insurance 100 E. Kleberg, Suite #330 (Kleberg Bank Building) Kingsville, TX 78363
625 West Santa Gertrudis • Kingsville, TX 78363
Check out our website at: www.philesquivel.nylagents.com
Merry Christmas And A Happy New Year To All!
(361) 592-5355
(14) South Texas Living – “The Good Life”
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