Liberty Hill Living December 2021 by The Liberty Hill Independent

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LIBERTY HILL

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As we find ourselves in the giving season, we have so much to be thankful for, and sharing those blessings with others is a source of joy at Christmas time. Our hometown comes together in a special way during the holiday season as residents give generously to local charities whose mission is to provide food and toys to local families in need. How we care for each other during tough times is a true measure of our community. While the stories of selfless giving are endless during the holiday season, our goal should be to keep a giving heart all year long. Such is the case with the Fleming family whose holiday spirit fuels a magnificent light display in Stonewall Ranch. We discovered the family last Christmas as their home won First Place in the newspaper's Christmas Decorating Contest. While there are lots of stories intertwined in the massive light display, we were especially moved to learn that donations collected by the family are going to help feed and clothe families in Uganda. Making a difference for others is what the giving season is about, and in this edition of Liberty Hill Living, we also introduce you to a former NFL player who made his home here and is sharing his passion for the game with area youngsters. Among my favorite stories in this month's edition are the stories of local creators and innovators who have built successful businesses here designing unique products of interest to folks across the globe. This month's 'Made in Liberty Hill' series features a map maker and golf club designer -- both of whom are putting our small town on the map. Also meet Phillip Ostroff, a market analyst whose interest in the stars led him to our hometown where unobstructed night views into the heavens became the perfect place to study the stars.

Best Children’s Healthcare Provider Best Medial Practice (Runner-up) Best Nurse Practitioner

ALEX RUBIO PHOTO

Give joy beyond the giving season

Celebrate the season with your family at the Liberty Hill Christmas Festival and Parade Dec. 11. The lighted parade begins at 6pm and runs along Loop 332. But visit downtown from 10am-3pm to enjoy food, vendors and activities for all ages. While family traditions keep us busy during the holiday season, local beauty and wellness professionals talk about the importance of taking time for self-care. See what self -care means to them and discover some ideas to make your days less stressful. In this season of giving thanks, the staff of Liberty Hill Living and The Liberty Hill Independent newspaper are grateful to you for your support of local journalism. We wish your family peace and good health in 2022.

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CONTENTS 14

FEATURES 14 | LOOKING INTO THE PAST

Backyard astronomer Phillip Ostroff has a window to the stars.

20 | GETTING WITH THE PROGRAM Former NFL player Jason Belser puts down roots in Liberty Hill.

26 | MERRY & BRIGHT

Local home brightens neighborhood and warms hearts with annual lights display.

48 | MADE IN LIBERTY HILL

Meet a local artist with a flair for cartography, and Liberty Hill’s own professional golf club designer.

DEPARTMENTS

10 | LIVING Local

Keith Bright talks cigars, traveling and civic duty.

32 | LIVING for Fun

Find local holiday treasures in our Christmas Gift Guide!

36 | LIVING Healthy

Five Best of Liberty Hill winners share self-care tips.

illLiving.com C E M B E R 2 0 2 1 | www.LibertyH VOL 7, ISSUE 5 | DE

LIBERTY HILL

, TEXAS T Y OF LIBERT Y HILL ING THE COMMUNI P R O U D LY C E L E B R AT

42 | LIVING to Eat

Amber Lundell is baking spirits bright this Christmas season.

ABOUT OUR COVER

54 | LIVING on the Road

The small neighboring town of Florence is a hidden gem.

59 | LIVING at Home

Organizational trends to make working from home a breeze.

HO! HO! HO! CHRISTMAS COMES TO LIBERTY HILL

Tony and Sara Fleming make the holidays bright in Stonewall Ranch by turning their home into a Christmas wonderland delighting passers-by of all ages. PHOTO BY ALEX RUBIO

LIBERTY HILL LIVING | A Publication of The Liberty Hill Independent Newspaper/Texas Independent News Corp. PUBLISHER | Shelly Wilkison CREATIVE DIRECTOR | Stacy Coale PUBLICATION DESIGN | Kristen Holland ADVERTISING SALES | Stacy Coale CONTRIBUTING WRITERS | Scott Akanewich, Rachel Madison, Kristen Meriwether

www.LibertyHillLiving.com The information in this publication was compiled with great care to assure the accuracy of editorial content and advertising copy. Liberty Hill Living and its parent company assume no liability for the accuracy of the information reported to us herein, and the opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. For advertising rates and information, or to obtain additional copies, call (512) 778-5577 or send email to news@LHIndependent.com. The publisher appreciates the active support of Liberty Hill area businesses for their generous contributions to Liberty Hill Living. This publication is truly a collaborative effort of experienced journalists, a professional design team, advertising specialists and many others passionate about sharing the story of Liberty Hill, Texas. Find Liberty Hill Living online at www.LibertyHillLiving.com. Copyright©2021 The Liberty Hill Independent/Texas Independent News Corp. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means without permission in writing from the publisher.

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LIVING | LOCAL

Keith Bright

KRISTEN MERIWETHER PHOTO

Keith Bright is the owner of Bright Fire Cigars and treasurer for the Williamson County ESD #4 in Liberty Hill. The selfproclaimed MacGyver is an engineer at heart who spent 36 years working for IBM making the impossible possible. After falling in love with cigar lounges all over the world during his travels, Bright decided to open his own cigar lounge here in Liberty Hill following his retirement. Bright sat down with LHL, lit cigar in hand, to discuss cigars, traveling and civic duty.

STORY BY KRISTEN MERIWETHER LHL: What did you do at IBM? Keith: I did pretty much everything that you can do except build typewriters. The last 10 years of my job I was in charge of IBM custom contracts worldwide. So if somebody came to IBM and said, ‘can you build us something?’ it was my job to entertain that. LHL: You said you worked on defense contracts. What was it like to work with top secret military specs? Keith: I can’t tell you (laughs). It was exciting and very challenging. LHL: Where did your MacGyver spirit come from? Keith: My dad and uncles. I had one who was an engineer in the Navy. Another was an engineer for NASA...I was just always drawn to everything from electronics to hydraulics to welding to machining.

blended myself. I’ve got three cigars that I did some custom blend work with a cigar manufacturer. LHI: Why did you get involved with the ESD as a fire commissioner and treasurer of the Board? Keith: I didn’t really have the time for it. But in all my career with IBM, I was super busy. So I figured it was time to do some civic duty. LHI: What do you like to do for fun? Keith: In the early days, I liked to fly. I got my pilot’s licenses at 18 at Oklahoma State, and so I flew for several years until we had children. Flying became a little expensive, but I was also traveling so much I didn’t have time. [Now] I have my shop in the house. I’ve got all kinds of tools, so I like to restore old things. I restore old tractors, lighters, everything from little things to big things. I like challenges to fix things.

LHL: What drew you to the cigar business? Keith: When I traveled, at the end of the work day, I would ask the concierge or somebody locally ‘where’s the nearest cigar lounge’. Instead of going back to the hotel and killing three or four hours just waiting to go eat and go to bed, I would find myself at a cigar lounge. It didn’t matter whether it was in Moscow or Bangkok or Rome, there was always a cigar lounge. One of the things I liked about cigar lounges was the people in those lounges. I met people from all over the world with all kinds of different backgrounds and so I didn’t really want to open the cigar shop to sell cigars. Cigars was kind of a means to build the lounges.

LHI: What is the most memorable thing you’ve restored? Keith: I restored a 1939 Dunhill lighter that was solid gold….it took about three months, part time working on it, but that was one of those that everybody had declared it “unfixable.” Well that just fired me up. That’s not true! Anything can be fixed.

LHI: Do you have a favorite cigar? Keith: My favorite cigar is one I’m smoking right now, which I

LHI: How do you handle frustration? Keith: I start with a cigar.

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LHI: What was your first solo flight experience? Keith: I soloed with only six hours. I knew enough about flight and studied the flight characteristics of aircraft, and how they work well ahead of time. It just came natural. In six hours, my instructor said, “go, I’m getting out, you go.”

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PHILLIP OSTROFF PHOTO

The Milky Way over Liberty Hill as seen from Phillip Ostroff’s front yard. The bright object next to the Texas flag windmill fin is Jupiter.

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B A C K YA R D A S T R O N O M E R H A S A W I N D O W T O T H E S TA R S STORY BY SCOTT AKANEWICH

Phillip Ostroff constructed an observatory in the backyard of his Liberty Hill home after moving from Austin for a clearer view of the night sky.

at age 15, he said. “To be an astronomer, you need to be good at math and I wasn’t,” said Ostroff. “At the school, they told me I should take English or history, instead.” For the record, Ostroff has made a career as a market analyst, but has always maintained his love for all that resides above us. He said when Haley’s Comet passed Earth in 1996 it sparked his interest again. SCOTT AKANEWICH PHOTO

hen Phillip Ostroff lived in Austin, whenever he wanted to gaze at the heavens through his telescope, it required an automotive ordeal in driving around and finding a place where the night sky was dark enough to clearly sight celestial bodies without the glow of city lights wreaking havoc with his view. “I would have to pack up the car with all my gear, then set it all up someplace,” said Ostroff. “Many times someone would eventually come up to me and ask what I was doing there, so after a while, I would call the local sheriff’s department ahead of time and let them know who I was.” Finally, it got to the point where an escape from the ever-growing “Austin Light Dome”, as it’s called, was necessary in order to continue his nighttime ventures into the darkness above. Ostroff, along with wife Laurie, daughter Sophie and son Aidan, chose Liberty Hill as their new home and the family has lived on a 2.7-acre parcel of land just west of County Road 200 for the past four years. However, merely leaving the big-city lights behind wasn’t enough for Ostroff, who decided a backyard observatory with more powerful equipment was needed to quench his thirst for space exploration. The result was an expertly-designed house built on a concrete foundation, complete with a retractable roof, housing a telescope that features an astronomical camera strong enough to capture images from millions of light years away. When Ostroff realized he could now

engage in his passion by simply walking out into his backyard, it was almost too good to be true, he said. “I can’t really explain how it felt,” said Ostroff, who was born in England and grew up in Melbourne, Australia, before moving to the U.S. some two decades ago. “It was just amazing.”

When Ostoff was a lad on the outskirts of London, his grandfather would often let him look through a telescope and examine the starry host with wondrous eyes. “At that age, you’re a bit naive,” said Ostroff. “Just seeing the moon and all of its craters and wondering what caused them.” Of course, only being age five, Ostroff was only permitted to use the scope when his grandfather was around. “Oh, no,” he said. “There was no messing about with it when he wasn’t around.” However, his interest in the cosmos had certainly been piqued and after moving Down Under, Ostroff decided a career in astronomy was in the stars for him – until a roadblock altered his course

To the uninitiated, looking up into the night sky may seem like a onedimensional proposition. After all, stars are stars, aren’t they? Not the case, as there are various kinds of astronomy that require various kinds of equipment to engage in, said Ostroff. “There are different telescopes you need depending on what you want to look at,” he said. “Different ones for planets, galaxies and nebulae.” Prices range from the low hundreds to the thousands, as there is a wide variety of technology available. But perhaps the most important piece of equipment is the mount the telescope goes on, and when paired with a computer, can automatically direct the scope to find the desired star or planet. Ostroff uses a Celestron CGEM Equatorial mount, which can accommodate multiple different telescope tubes, CONTINUED ON PAGE 16 L I B E RT Y H I L L L I V I N G | D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 1

but mostly uses either a Celestron 8-inch SchmidtCassegrain or a William Optics 61mm Refractor. In addition, if one wishes to photograph what they’re looking at, a specially-designed camera – which is often the priciest piece of hardware – is a must-have. In all, the combined cost of the observatory and all the equipment inside it came to approximately $8,000. All that being said, though, Ostroff said the best instrument for beginning astronomers may be an item they already have. “I always tell people who are just getting started they would be amazed at what a regular pair of binoculars will allow you to see,” he said. “Start small and get to know the night.”

PHILLIP OSTROFF PHOTO

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15

distance, there can be millions, which gives one an idea of the sense of scale,” he said. “However, the furthest object we can see from Earth with the naked eye is the Andromeda Galaxy, which is 2.5 million light years away.” One need only consider the speed of light and how far it travels in an entire year when considering these celestial bodies are so far from our solar system, the vast distances between here and there must be measured in such a manner as opposed to miles, which also amazes even a seasoned astronomer like Ostroff. “I still think that’s the coolest part of the whole thing,” he said. “Just the sheer distances involved.” Because of this, when one looks to the heavens and observes an object from a far-off realm, the viewer is technically seeing it as it was all those years ago when the light first set out for points beyond its origin. “In essence, you’re looking into the past,” said Ostroff. “What you’re seeing now isn’t necessarily how that star or planet looks at the moment, but rather how it did back then.”

Ostroff uses a mount that automatically finds particular objects through a computer program and also photographs planets and stars.

SCOTT AKANEWICH PHOTO

Even after all these years of stargazing, Ostroff still feels a profound sense of wonder whenever he points his telescope to the night sky. “Even in a very tight grouping of stars in the scope from this

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Like many astronomers, Ostroff certainly has favorite objects to observe through his telescopes, although number one on his list isn’t the same as many others. “Most people think of Saturn first, with all its rings – and it’s a beautiful planet,” he said. “But, I actually think Jupiter is a cooler planet.” According to Ostroff, the fact Jupiter rotates at such a rapid rate – only 10 hours

The Andromeda Galaxy, also known as Messier 31, M31, or NGC 224 and originally the Andromeda Nebula, is a barred spiral galaxy approximately 2.5 million light-years from Earth and the nearest large galaxy to the Milky Way. It will collide with our own Milky Way in about 4.5 billion years.

to complete a full rotation – produces many more interesting changes in its appearance compared to other planets, with the highlight being the “Great Red Spot,” an anticyclonic storm that is the largest in the solar system existing since the 17th Century and known to contain winds of up to 268 miles per hour, as it constantly moves around the surface of the largest planet in the solar system. “Jupiter also has four major moons,” said Ostroff, including Ganymede, which is larger than the planet Mercury. “It’s just a lot more active planet.” As far as constellations go, Orion is one of Ostroff’s favorites, with a particular star within it topping the charts, he said. “Betelgeuse, which is a red supergiant,” said Ostroff, of the 10th-brightest star in the night sky and so massive in size, if it were to take the sun’s place at the center of the solar system, would engulf the orbits of Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars. “It’s constantly getting bigger.”

Ostroff said regardless of how often or for how long one examines the night sky, there is an endless amount of fascinating things to be seen. “There are always different objects which are visible at certain times of the year,” he said. “Also, I’m always learning new techniques.”

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KEEPING THE NIGHT SKIES DARK Initiative allows stargazers clear view

Imagine you buy your first telescope after deciding to take up astronomy as a hobby and you wait for it to slowly get dark in order to try out your new instrument. You set it up, darkness finally falls, and you look into the eyepiece for the very first time with the lens pointed skyward. However, instead of being filled with wonder at the vast display of celestial bodies in the heavens, you’re filled with anguish at what you see. Skyglow. In and around large cities, the enormous number of artificial lights – particularly those pointed upward to illuminate buildings – create what’s known as a “light dome,” which extends out into the night sky, disrupting the natural darkness. As a result, many of the stars, planets and constellations that were clearly visible as recent as 100 years ago are now drowned from view either partially or in some cases, completely. In response, a program known as the Dark Sky Initiative has been undertaken in various places around the world with the goal to curb the amount of unnecessary artificial light emanating from large urban areas. The International Dark Sky Association was founded in 1988 with a simple mission – to protect the night from light pollution – and ever since chapters have sprung up all over the world in support of this vision, including 20 foreign countries across five continents, with the central Texas chapter located in Killeen. According to Liberty Hill astronomer Phillip Ostroff, as the local area continues to grow, it becomes more and more difficult – even out in the country – to fully view all the night sky has to offer. “Here we have the Austin light dome and it continues growing

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with more housing going up,” said Ostroff, who moved out of the city to gain darker night skies for his chosen pursuit. “The night sky could be in trouble.” According to The New World Atlas of Public Sky Brightness, which is published by Science Advances, approximately 80 percent of Americans can’t see the Milky Way due to the ever-increasing brightness in our night skies. There are many steps that can be taken to help curtail the amount of light pollution, such as replacing regular light bulbs in streetlights – which are one of the primary sources of the problem – with orange or amber as opposed to the standard white. In addition, full-cutoff fixtures that prevent light from escaping upward or sideways are encouraged to further reduce their glow from spilling over into the darkness. Light makes things safer at night, which is a point well taken by Ostroff, but there’s still a way to achieve parity between too much and not enough, he said. “Using painted or shielded lighting helps or having motion-sensor lights,” said Ostroff. “This way, it creates enough security and is a good middle ground in keeping your property well-lit.” Getting people to buy into the concept, though, can be a tough proposition. Locally, a group known as “Liberty Hill Save Our Stars” was founded by Donna Leonard, who moved to Liberty Hill in 2015 and has gradually seen the amount of stars visible at night dwindle. But, it didn’t completely hit home until she had an epiphany during February’s ice storm, she said.

“During the power outage, I stepped out into our backyard at night, looked up and could see the Milky Way,” said Leonard. “At that moment, I knew.” She realized the night skies she had fallen in love with upon her arrival had slowly been slipping away. “When we moved down here from the Dallas area, I was blown away at how many stars I could see,” she said. “Since then, though, it’s seemed like I haven’t been able to see as many.” Leonard’s group now has 412 members and has appeared before the Liberty Hill City Council to air its concerns and was met with a favorable enough reception. She was asked to draft a light pollution ordinance, which she submitted to the City in July but has not been acted upon. To date, only three cities in Texas have been declared official Dark Sky Communities – Dripping Springs, Fredericksburg and Horseshoe Bay – and Leonard sees no reason why Liberty Hill can’t join that star-friendly list. “I think a lot of people just aren’t aware of the problem, first of all,” she said. “Secondly, they don’t know how easy it is to fix. In 100 years, I want our kids to be able to look up and wish upon a star, but light pollution is stealing the stars from the sky.” Ostroff said there is enough support to make Leonard’s vision a reality. “There are a lot of people who take it seriously,” he said. “Honestly, I think most people have a real curiosity about the night sky.” More information about the Dark Sky Initiative and the International Dark Sky Association can be found at www.darksky.org.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

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SCOTT AKANEWICH PHOTO

For 11 seasons, Jason Belser roamed defensive secondaries as an NFL safety as a member of the Indianapolis Colts and Kansas City Chiefs. However, there was one place he found himself during the course of his life that left a profound enough impression on him that he always wanted to return one day.

Former NFL player puts down local roots STORY BY SCOTT AKANEWICH

“W

hen you see Austin and the Hill Country, you know that’s where you need to be,” said Jason Belser, who first lived on Lake Travis shortly after his playing career ended and finally found his way to Liberty Hill, where he has made his home for the past two years. “I love everything about it – the people, the landscape, the climate – and the football.” Belser comes from a football family, as his father Caesar played in the American Football League for the Kansas City Chiefs, the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers and the Canadian Football League with the Edmonton Eskimos during a career that spanned six seasons. Caesar was also a member of the Chiefs team that triumphed in Super Bowl IV in 1970. These days, Jason Belser is an assistant coach at St. Michael’s Catholic Academy in Austin, where he continues to pass on his vast knowledge and passion for the game to the next generation of gridiron gladiators. In addition to coaching the Crusaders, Belser has joined forces with Stealth Sports, a nonprofit organization dedicated to provide opportunities for young people to grow and learn athletically and academically through camps, leagues, events and youth mentoring programs. According to Belser, his affiliation has allowed him to pursue a personal dream. “Stealth has truly been a blessing from God for me,” said Belser. “Because I’ve always wanted to work with kids.” With the proliferation of expensive club sports and travel teams, Belser feels the need to help Former NFL player Jason Belser provide opportunities for those has chosen Liberty Hill as his who perhaps otherwise would home as he enjoys his retirement from professional football. potentially miss out on the chance

to experience the same kind of athletic and academic growth as their peers. “We want to give every young child the opportunity by training and assisting them,” he said. However, that being said, the environment in which the child is indoctrinated into sports must be one that is encouraging and pressure-free on the parental side. “You have some kids whose parents want it more than they do,” said Belser. Belser, who played football at Oklahoma, has two children of his own in Sajon, 24, and Malaka, 19, who are both scholarship athletes at the College of Charleston, an NCAA Division I school in South Carolina, where they play baseball and softball, respectively. Belser said it was important for his children to move on and receive proper high-level instruction in their respective sports. “I wanted to turn them over to be coached by other people at that point,” he said. “There are a lot of great coaches out there and I just wanted to be Dad.” Despite his success in football, Belser’s first sports love remains baseball, a game he grew up loving and playing before eventually devoting himself to hash marks and yard lines instead of warning tracks and base lines. Still, though, to this day, he has a diamond desire that can never be completely quenched. “For me, baseball is the ultimate team sport,” he said. “Football makes people act kind of crazy.” One could say the national pastime is even in his blood – sort of, anyway. Belser’s godfather was Negro League legend Buck O’Neil, who was the first Black coach in Major League Baseball history with the Chicago Cubs in 1962 following a playing CONTINUED ON PAGE 22 L I B E RT Y H I L L L I V I N G | D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 1

career during which he was a member of the Kansas City Monarchs for 12 seasons – and once provided a valuable lesson to his young godson. “One time when I was about 12, he picked me up and took me to a golf clinic,” said Belser. “Well, that was the last thing I wanted to do on a Saturday morning and I had kind of an attitude about it. But, it turns out (PGA legend) Tom Watson, who was from Kansas City, was running it – that day I learned the value of all sports and having an attitude of gratitude.” Now that he finds himself in Liberty Hill, Belser has become intrigued by the Panthers’ football program, but not only that – as he views the entire Purple-and-Gold athletic program with a great deal of respect due to how business is conducted, he said. “Some schools have teams,” said Belser. “Liberty Hill has a program.” Belser said he is referring to is the overall culture that exists in and around the athletic program in general, from coaches all the way down to the athletes – something that doesn’t exist in many places. “You have kids here who take pride in what it takes to be a part of it,” he said. “Everyone grows up wanting to be a Panther, as opposed to other places where you have people moving in from all over and aren’t brought up in the same system.” To that end, as Liberty Hill continues to grow, Belser can only hope CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21

“We want to give every young child the opportunity by training and assisting them.” – Jason Belser on the Stealth Sports program

his new hometown will be able to maintain the kind of culture it has worked so hard to cultivate over the years. “When something gets too big, it blows up,” said Belser. “The more we grow, it’s going to take something really special to be able to stay the same way.” Belser cited a prime example of what he’s talking about in that regard. “I remember the first camp I helped run here after I moved from Virginia,” he said. “It was about 102 degrees and not one kid ever complained about the heat – now that’s tough.” Belser added he can see many of the same character traits his father passed on to him in how Liberty Hill athletes go about accomplishing their goals. “One time when I was a kid, I decided to go swimming one day after practice, while some of the other players went to study quarterback film,” he said. “When he found out what I did, my dad just gave me that look

Belser has made it a mission to help young people through his involvement with Stealth Sports, a nonprofit organization whose goal is to produce better athletes and people. COURTESY PHOTO

Belser – shown here tackling Hall-of-Famer Barry Sanders –played 11 seasons in the NFL with the Indianapolis Colts and Kansas City Chiefs. COURTESY PHOTO 22

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and I said, ‘But, I’m a running back’ and he said ‘You need to know how every position on the field works – don’t ever do that again.’ So, no more swimming after practice for me.” Something else Belser can relate to as far as the average Panthers football player is concerned is having a smaller stature and the obstacles the perceived shortcoming places in front of an aspiring young player. “In high school, I went to a football camp at TCU and I was standing there looking at all these guys who were so much bigger than me,” said Belser, who was listed at 5-foot-10 and 197 pounds. “I knew I wanted to play in college and be a professional athlete, but I was like ‘I don’t know if I can play at their level because I don’t see anybody else here my size.” Fifteen years later, Belser was a retired NFL player who continued to work for the players’ association as senior director of player affairs, as well as serving time as a USA Football board member during which he contributed to numerous competitions, and health and safety initiatives. In addition, he’s devised his own player evaluation system, which is represented by the acronym MATTERS. “As a coach and trainer, there are certain things I look for in a player,” said Belser. “Maturity, awareness, training, trust, empowerment, resiliency and stability. But, the bottom line is I tell them ‘Your dreams are your dreams, so chase them.’”

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Local home brightens neighborhood and warms hearts with annual lights display STORY + PHOTOS BY SCOTT AKANEWICH

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When

rounding the corner and turning onto Rhinestone Cove in Stonewall Ranch during the month of December, one is immediately drawn to a spectacular display of Christmas decorations that delights children of all ages – not to mention those who are still young at heart. Sara and Tony Fleming have elevated decking the halls to an art form in the three years they’ve lived in their two-story home, employing thousands of lights along with mechanical displays, projectors, inflatables and other yuletide accoutrements to create a winter wonderland in the heart of central Texas. What would push a person to go so absolutely over the top in covering virtually

every inch of their home with a variety of holiday cheer? According to Sara, the love of all things Christmas is a seed that was planted in the days of her youth while growing up in Austin. “We would always go over to 24th Street and see the Parade of Lights,” said Fleming. “Also, everything they had in Zilker Park.” The Flemings began decorating their home many years ago, but it was a particular accolade that fueled their fire even more, she said. “Someone came along and put up a sign in our yard that said ‘Christmas Decorations, 2nd Place’ and we won a gift card,” she said. “At that point, I was hooked.” But it was only once they bought their first home in Stonewall Ranch, they began to take their decorating game to the next level up to the point now where they’re running out of real estate on which to further expand the grandeur. “We’re thinking about opening up the side and letting people go around into the backyard,” said Fleming. “But, we have three dogs who might have something to say abut that.” Of course, putting up such an extensive variety of decorations – including up in trees and on the roof – comes with a certain degree of difficulty – and danger. “There was one time when I was putting lights up in tree branches and the ladder fell, so I was left hanging by a branch about 10 feet off the ground,” she said. “So, I held on until someone came outside and helped me.” To combat the sometimes tricky footing roof shingles provide, specialized footwear became the order of the day. “I have special boots made for roofers,”

(LEFT) Sara and Tony Fleming dress up as Santa and Mrs. Claus each year for the Liberty Hill Christmas Festival. SARA FLEMING PHOTO (OPPOSITE PAGE & ABOVE) The Flemings include many different themes in the decorations that cover their house, including a nativity scene.

said Fleming. “They go for about $165.” Speaking of holiday fashion, Sara and Tony dress up as Mrs. Claus and Santa, respectively, each year for the Liberty Hill Christmas Festival. In fact, Tony decided to take the get-up one step further by making it a bit more authentic, said Fleming. “Once a kid sat on his lap and pulled on his fake beard and said ‘Wait, this Santa is fake!’” she said. “So, he decided to grow a real one and is now what’s known as a TBS – True Beard Santa.” Fleming usually begins breaking out the decorations the day after Thanksgiving and after that point, it’s full speed ahead in the production process, she said. “Usually, I’ll be out there for a minimum of eight hours a day,” said Fleming. “Seven days a week.” Fleming said her collection of decorations is so extensive, it’s nearly impossible to find room for all of them every year. “I don’t know if I’ve ever been 100 percent done,” she said. “I just have so much.” A large portion of her treasure trove of decorations are second-hand items she salvages from those who have no further use for them – although sometimes it can prove

quite difficult to transport some of the larger items home once found. “I spend a lot of time on Facebook Marketplace,” said Fleming. “It’s insane some of the stuff people throw away.” Like the light-up Bevo – a likeness of the University of Texas mascot she found in Killeen — or the giant metal Christmas tree. Regardless of how extravagant her display gets, though, Fleming is never satisfied – like the master craftsman who is always searching for ways to improve upon perfection. However, sometimes things don’t exactly go as planned and what began as a good idea ends up being ill-advised, she said. “This year we wanted to put inflatables up on the roof,” said Fleming. “But, with the winds here, it didn’t work out.” But, that doesn’t mean she’s about to give up on one of her visions simply due to the Hill Country breezes because for every problem there is a solution. “We need to get our roof redone in the near future,” she said. “So, I’m thinking we can install some kind of permanent anchors that will be able to withstand the wind.” Fleming’s front yard is somewhat akin to Disneyland in that CONTINUED ON PAGE 28 L I B E RT Y H I L L L I V I N G | D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 1

there are different areas with separate themes – including Star Wars, an American Flag-waving Santa Claus, a ferris wheel and a see-saw ridden by penguins – the list goes on and on, including four different Christmas trees featuring one that is a tribute to breast cancer victims and survivors and a nativity scene. All of this requires more electricity than the average electrical breaker can supply, so to that end, Fleming requested and received a very practical anniversary present. “We had another one put in,” said Fleming, whose average electric bill throughout the year is $150, but doubles to $300 during the holiday season. “So I could have more power.” As for what the future might hold, Fleming isn’t one to rest on her considerable accomplishments. “We’re always thinking of ways to make it more fun,” she said. “I’m not afraid to try things and I’m very stubborn when I get an idea.” Fleming admitted she sometimes wonders why she goes to such great lengths to decorate CONTINUED FROM PAGE 27

LIGHTING UP LIVES WITH LOVE

her home for Christmas, but those brief, fleeting thoughts are quickly washed away by the simplest of unspoken thanks, she said. “Sometimes at night, I’ll just get my lawn

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traveled to Uganda to help needy people in the African country fight the abject poverty which is a way of life for many in the impoverished nation. All the money collected goes to the Grace Community Church in the village of Nauyo, which is run by pastor James Muzaki and a place that is near and dear to the Flemings’ hearts due to a calling they received regarding the charity work, said Sara. “I believe God called us to do this,” she said. “It allows us to be the hands and feet of Jesus.” SARA FLEMING PHOTO

When Christmas light connoisseurs venture down Rhinestone Cove in Stonewall Ranch to gaze at the beauty of Sara and Tony Fleming’s decked-out home, they will arrive at a table containing hot chocolate, apple cider and cookies. Passers-by are encouraged to enjoy the holiday refreshments and perhaps take a photo with Santa (Tony), but more importantly to leave a donation in a festive box – one of which the proceeds from go to a very worthy cause. For several years, the Flemings have

chair and sit outside with a cup of cocoa,” said Fleming. “The looks on the children’s faces when they see everything makes it all worth it.”

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t Handpoured Capri Blue candles are made with soy wax and look as good as they smell. Tinsel & Spice and Blue Volcano scents come in a variety of sizes and jar finishes. The Thymes Frasier Fir Stackable Gift Tin Trio evokes the warmth and comfort of the holiday season. Diffuser Oils offer a big scent in a small package. Scents include Frasier Fir, Havana Vanilla, Crystal Pine and more. Pep & Punch, 2023 Loop 332, Liberty Hill, (512) 778-9199, PepAndPunch.shop

s Jon Hart Design produces high quality custom and personalized bags, totes and travel goods & accessories made in San Antonio, Texas. Bags can be personalized with custom hot stamping or foil imprinting while you wait! Pep & Punch, 2023 Loop 332, Liberty Hill, (512) 778-9199, PepAndPunch.shop

Show your Christmas spirt with this adorable green hoodie embroidered with two colr santa graphic. The deep front pouch pocket will keep your hands toasty warm. Two Brand It, 14262 W State Hwy 29, Liberty Hill, (512) 5485056, TwoBrandIt.com s Express your personality or create a one-of-a-kind gift with personalized jewelry! Each custom design features your name or special word in silver, gold or platinum. We can even add diamonds or gem stones. Choose from a variety of chain lengths to suit your taste. Summit Jewelers, 11892 Hero Way W, Suite D, (512) 528-4491, SummitJewelers.jewelry

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s Get into the holiday season with these decorative candles and potpourri from Aromatique®. They combine high-end fragrances and artfully arranged botanicals to create enticing seasonal scents like The Smell of Christmas®. They are the perfect gift and the soft glowing candles make any home warm and cozy. Blinded By The Light, Water Tower Plaza, 14125 W Hwy 29, Liberty Hill, (512) 636-9653, BlindedByTheLightDecor.com

Show your Panther spirit while wearing our lightweight long sleeve fishing shirt with embroidered Panther head. This shirt is perfect for the ever-changing Texas weather. Two Brand It, 14262 W State Hwy 29, Liberty Hill, (512) 548-5056, TwoBrandIt.com

s Add dainty sparkle to her look with the Illumina Collection from Brighton Jewelry. The designer, Maricela Palacios, was inspired by the iridescence seen through a telescope. Stop by The Blue Door Gift Store & Boutique 10-6pm Monday- Saturday so we can help you select the perfect gift for her. Blue Door Gift Store & More, 14365 W State Hwy 29 #2, Liberty Hill, (512) 548-6711, BlueDoorGiftStore.com

t Birdy by Hobo leather handbags in Scarlet Velvet Hide makes the perfect gift for her. Watch her face as she opens it & see the delight in her smile! Stop by The Blue Door Gift Store & Boutique & let us wrap it up for you too! Blue Door Gift Store & More, 14365 W State Hwy 29 #2, Liberty Hill, (512) 548-6711, BlueDoorGiftStore.com Time for pampering! Create a custom spa gift basket or choose from one of our curated pre-made baskets. Enjoy 15% off any custom basket through Christmas. Select from sugar scrub, candles, bath salts, moisturizing lotion, facial mask, body wash, bath bombs and more. Royal Bliss Day Spa, 3103 Ranch Rd 1869, Liberty Hill, (512) 548-6733, RoyalBlissDaySpa.business.site

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Lula ‘n’ Lee Jewelry is made with mixed metals combined with turquoise, pearls and gemstones. This Texas made collection allows you to easily mix and match gemstones and metal tones and the pieces are designed to be stacked or worn alone - either way they are sure to make a statement. Blinded By The Light, Water Tower Plaza, 14125 W State Hwy 29, Liberty Hill, BlindedByTheLightDecor.com

Spoil your special someone (or yourself!) with this gift combo. Purchase a gift card over $150.00 and receive a free gift, such as this dazzling red satin robe. Several free gift options are available. Royal Bliss Day Spa, 3103 Ranch Rd 1869, Liberty Hill, (512) 548-6733, RoyalBlissDaySpa. business.site

Signet rings are a timeless and meaningful gift for men and women for all occasions. Let our team help you create the perfect coat of arms or family crest ring. Summit Jewelers, 11892 Hero Way W, Suite D, (512) 528-4491, SummitJewelers.jewelry

May the Spirit of Christmas fill your home with peace, love and joy.

Adrienne Hughes

Broker/Owner REALTOR®, GRI, SRS®

Cheryl Stephens REALTOR®, GRI, MRP

Angela Wienecke REALTOR®, SRS®, GRI

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Self Care

Show Yourself Some Love STORY BY RACHEL MADISON Self-care is having a moment. It has grown in popularity in recent years, but when the pandemic hit in 2020, it became that much more popular. While dealing with the stress of a global pandemic, working from home or not working at all, homeschooling children and trying to balance it all, self-care become even more critical. And self-care isn’t just about getting a massage or a manicure—it’s about mental well-being, too. Check out what some of our Best of Liberty Hill winners for 2021 do to show themselves a little self-care. Voting for the 2022 Best of Liberty Hill opens in late February, and winners will be announced in the May edition of Liberty Hill Living.

Holly Johnson Warrior Wellness

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Practicing yoga might seem like a given for a yoga instructor, but for Holly Johnson, it is her greatest and most consistent form of self-care. “I can make it as easy or challenging as I’d like; it always fits my needs,” she said. Johnson said she also knows that sometimes self-care needs to be quick, easy and accessible, so she does the simplest act there is -- she just breathes. “Simple, I know, but so effective,” she said. “Most Americans are taking shallow or ineffective breaths. It’s one of my very favorite things to teach people to do correctly. I use a deep breath, or five, to calm myself, center, focus, maybe speak some life or truth into a moment, and enjoy all of the physical benefits that come along with a healthy breath.” Johnson said as cliché as it sounds, self-care is extremely important because no one can successfully pour from an empty cup. “To invest in the things that are important to us, we have to be investing in ourselves,” she said. Warrior Wellness | 606 Rolling Hills Road 808-640-6477 | warriorwellnessbyholly.com

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For Ket Vora, cooking is self-care. “It relaxes me,” she said. “I was taught how to cook by my great-grandmother, so every time I cook it brings me a kind of calmness. It’s rewarding to put this and that together and make it taste good.” Not only does cooking relax Vora, but it also helps to boost her mood. Certain dishes she cooks from her Laotian heritage, like crunchy fried rice, remind her of good times from her childhood, which can be a huge stress reliever. “Cooking just brings a lot of good memories. Dishes my grandma made when we were younger remind me of happy times. She’s been gone since 2004, but I always think of her when I make her recipes. It’s funny because I used to hate cooking while I was growing up, but now I love it,” she said. Cooking, like doing nails, is also a creative outlet for Vora. Most of the food she cooks and shares with others comes from Laos-inspired dishes, like lop and pho, but with her own twist. “I’ll do lop tacos or pho spring rolls,” she said. “It’s amazing that cooking and being creative can bring so much happiness with something so simple, but when people eat my food and love it, and I’m able to share my recipes with them, it just makes me happy.” Absolute Nails by Ket | 14745 West Hwy. 29, Ste. B (512) 367-3067 | absolutenailsbyket.wordpress.com

Brylee Burich Royal Bliss Day Spa

When Brylee Burich isn’t at her spa doing facials, you can find her on the back of a horse. “Horses are like my therapists,” she said. “I was raised around them and have had them my entire life. I really like to spend time with them. Even if it’s dark, I’ll go out and sit with them while they eat.” While just being with them can be enough, Burich said riding her horses is the best form of self-care because there’s too many things to worry about while she’s on the horse to worry about anything happening in life off the horse. “If I had my choice, that’s where I’d be all the time. Self-care is all about showing yourself some grace and some love in areas where you may struggle, so being with my horses helps to clear my head,” she said. Burich added that she knows she performs at her best when her mind is clear. “If you have a lot of stress or things on your mind, that’s in the back of your head and you’re not performing your best,” she said. “We all need to have an outlet; otherwise, things will just boil up. Selfcare is about physical and mental wellness.” Royal Bliss Day Spa | 3103 Ranch Road 1869 (512) 548-6733 | royalblissdayspa.business.site

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BEST ESTHETICIAN

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LIVING | HEALTHY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 37

Amber Jackson Pure Remedy Massage BEST MASSAGE THERAPIST

Dana Clark Dana’s Salon

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For Amber Jackson, when it comes to self-care, there’s nothing better than a hot bath with Epsom salts and various essential oils, like peppermint, clove and eucalyptus. “Taking a hot bath is my all-time favorite. That is something I regularly do. Sometimes I’ll have a glass of wine with it, but I’m also a huge fan of drinking lots of water and staying hydrated, because that’s something you can do no matter how busy you are during the day,” she said. Jackson said essential oils have several health benefits -- and they just smell good, too. “The peppermint, clove and eucalyptus blend has countless benefits and smells great together. That’s the signature smell that I use in my [massage] shop with our hot towels,” she said. As a massage therapist, she understands that self-care and massages go hand-in-hand. “People look at it as fluff or luxury, or doing something special, but it’s really more about body upkeep,” she said. “If we want our bodies to be able to work for us in our day-to-day lives, then we need to take care of them. You only have one body, so the more that we can do self-care, the easier it’s going to be for us to do daily living.” Jackson is also a big believer in foam rolling when she doesn’t have time for massage. “Foam rolling is a way to get a massage when you don’t have someone to give you a massage,” she said. “It’s huge for recovery from daily life. Self-care is body upkeep. It’s not a luxury, it’s necessary.” Pure Remedy Massage | 100 E. Myrtle Lane, Unit D (512) 456-8171 | pureremedy-massage.com

Self-care for Dana Clark (pictured at left in center) comes in a couple of different forms. On the weekends, it’s Jeeping with her husband. And the rest of the week? That’s reserved for watching her favorite mystery shows on television and reading mystery novels. “I like ‘Castle’ and ‘Murder She Wrote’, and I recently watched ‘Bridgerton’,” she said. “I love watching older movies and shows. The women back then were so strong -- I couldn’t do it. Of course, I like murder mystery books, too.” On Sundays, Clark and her husband typically spend the day in their Jeep. “We like to go cruising in the Jeep. We usually go on a Sunday morning, and we’ll get breakfast somewhere at a hole-in-the-wall restaurant, and then we’ll just take random county roads and cruise and see where we end up,” she said. Outside the hair salon, life is all about friends and family, said Clark, especially after the uncertainly 2020 brought to the world, which is a form of self-care all on its own. “Self-care is just good for balance in your life,” she said. “People need to spend time with their family and friends. It’s the best thing you can do for yourself.” Dana’s Salon | 1017 Loop 332 | (512) 778-5252 facebook.com/Danas-Hair-Salon

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LIVING | TO EAT

Baking Spirits Bright Baker takes inspiration from art to create unique desserts STORY BY RACHEL MADISON | PHOTOS BY STACY COALE

Amber Lundell is preparing for holiday baking at One Love Bakery.

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mber Lundell has been spending time in the kitchen since she was a child—cooking, baking, and creating art with it all. As she reached adulthood, she started using baking as a coping mechanism when life got stressful, like the time she was going through a bad breakup, adding that one of the first things she made during that time was an assortment of Christmas cookies, including some Christmas-themed fortune cookies. “I vividly remember making those,” she said. “You have to move quick and fold them while they are still hot. I even made the little messages on the inside that said ‘Merry Christmas.’ It’s quite the process, but I was having so much fun. That’s when I decided I liked baking enough to go to culinary school.” Lundell was living in Reno, Nevada, at the time, but was looking for a reason to leave, so she moved to San Diego to attend the Art Institute of California, where she graduated in 2010 with an associates of science degree in baking and pastry. When she started culinary school, Lundell learned the basics with savory foods first, like cutting, butchering and making sauces, before she focused on baking. “I had one teacher that said I should stay in savory because I was so good at it, but I’m really artsy naturally, and I loved the artiness of baking,” she said. “I learned how to do everything there, like chocolate and confections, sugar sculptures, bread making, cake decorating, petit fours. Even my classic favorite chocolate chip recipe is adapted from one of my chef’s recipes from there.” She made her way to Austin a couple of years after graduation to attend the University of Texas, and eventually moved to Liberty Hill after starting a family. In 2013, she opened her own home-based bakery -- One Love Bakery. Since opening the bakery, Lundell said her skills have grown enormously, because she’s able to experiment with new designs and flavors all the time, whether it’s for cakes, cookies or breads. But she doesn’t let her culinary school training go by the wayside. In fact, every time she bakes, she pulls out her 10-plus-year-old textbook from school. “So many of my recipes come from that textbook,” she said.

“They are really basic and solid, and then I just switch things up to make it my own.” Everything Lundell bakes is 100 percent from scratch. She knows of a lot of professionally-trained bakers who use premade buckets of buttercream frosting or boxed cake mixes, but that’s not her style. “I want all my stuff to be scratch made,” she said. “I don’t want all the chemicals and I want to know what’s in my recipes and be able to tell people.” During the holidays, decorating Christmas cookies has become a family tradition in her household. While it can be difficult to share the kitchen with her two kids—their level of expertise isn’t quite on par with Lundell’s when it comes to decorating—she said she just has to let the idea of perfection go and make it fun. For that reason, Lundell does a lot of her professional baking in the evenings after her kids go to bed. She will spend hours making decorations with modeling chocolate—and even though it’s tedious, her favorite part is making the tiny details stand out. She also loves to create cookie assortments, so she can experiment with different types, textures and flavors. During big holidays or seasons like Christmas, Valentine’s Day and fall, she creates bakery boxes filled with a variety of different cookies. She added that her chocolate chip cookie recipe is top notch—the perfect amount of crispy and chewy—and she uses that as a base recipe for many of her cookie creations. For example, instead of chocolate chips, she may add bacon pieces and butterscotch chips or cranberries and white chocolate chips for the holidays. Shortbread cookies are another thing she loves to make for Christmas. “If it’s done right, it tastes amazing. For the holidays I always do a gingerbread shortbread. I think most people experience shortbread cookies from the tins that come from Walmart—and those cookies are dry and flavorless. Real shortbread should be crispy but buttery, with a little bit of flakiness. When it’s made from scratch and fresh, it’s just so much buttery goodness.” Lundell also loves baking with herbs. “I love savory and sweet together, which is why I like baking with herbs, like thyme, basil and rosemary,” she said. “If I can fit an herb into a baked good, I’m happy. Rosemary lemon shortbread cookies are one of my favorite things to make. For Christmas, I’m going to do rosemary cranberry cookies. I also love strawberry and basil together and am working on an orange thyme flavor. I’ll experiment with a lavender chocolate as well. I am so excited for all the Christmas flavors.” Besides cookies, Lundell makes cinnamon rolls, cranberry orange quick loafs, gingerbread quick loafs and pumpkin quick loafs for the holidays. She also loves to create unique cakes and cupcakes yearround. “I love weird, kitschy stuff when it comes to baking,” she said. “Give me the crazy, weird and silly—I love that.” While Lundell mostly sticks with basic flavors for her cakes and cupcakes, like chocolate, vanilla and strawberry, she loves when customers order cakes with off-the-wall

Amber Lundell's favorite chocolate chip cookies, gingerbread tree and palmier cookies.

flavors, like caramel apple or margarita. “If people can give me a flavor, I can make a cake that tastes like that,” she said. "I love baking any cake where I can get creative with the fillings and flavors, because it can get boring with basic flavors. I love unique cakes. I’m always experimenting. About 80 percent of the time they turn out really well and the other 20 percent I need to make adjustments.” Lundell said she loves when customers come to her with a crazy idea, because she’s willing to try almost anything. “If you have an idea for a baked good and haven’t been able to find it anywhere else, I’m your girl,” she said. “Give me something new and exciting. I have a long list in my phone of things I haven’t tried baking yet. If I haven’t made it yet, I want to try to figure out how.” Lundell is currently working on her master’s degree in counseling, but baking will always be her passion even though she plans on pursuing a career in mental health work in the future. “I love baking and I would miss it if I didn’t do it,” she said. Lundell chose One Love for the name of her bakery because she wants her business to promote respect and kindness to everyone. “I am flexible, kind, honest and open about everything I make,” she said. “I try to work with people on pricing if they have a budget, and I deliver everyone’s order to them. I want to make it as easy on people as possible.” Lundell delivers baked goods to Liberty Hill, Bertram, Leander, Cedar Park, Georgetown and Round Rock. Reach Amber online at AmberLundellArt.com or onelovebakeryatx@gmail.com. CUPCAKE RECIPE ON PAGE 44

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LIVING | TO EAT

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT CUPCAKES For two 8-inch rounds, about 14-18 servings, or about 24 cupcakes

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FOR THE CAKE • 1 cup vegetable oil • �⁄� cup coffee • 1 cup water • 1 tsp vanilla extract • 2 tsp white vinegar • 2 cups granulated sugar • 3 cups all-purpose flour • 2 tsp baking soda • � ⁄� cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder • 2 tsp salt Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all wet ingredients in a large bowl (oil, coffee, water, vanilla, vinegar) and whisk briefly to mix. Mix all dry ingredients in separate bowl (sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt), and whisk to blend and break up clumps. Add all dry ingredients to wet, and whisk gently to mix until most lumps are gone. Pour into 2 parchment-lined 8-inch cake pans. Bake in center of the oven for 20-30 minutes or until no longer wet in center.

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FOR THE GANACHE FILLING (MAKES 1.5 CUPS) The ganache thickens as it cools. For a thinner, pourable version, add 2 tbsp corn syrup. For a thicker version, whip it!

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• 8 oz high-quality chocolate baking bar • 1 cup heavy whipping cream Chop chocolate small, and put into bowl. Heat heavy cream in saucepan on the stove until almost boiling. Pour over chocolate and let sit without stirring for 2 minutes. Slowly stir, gently making tiny circles in the middle until combined. Pour into piping bag if filling cupcakes. FOR THE PEPPERMINT BUTTERCREAM • �⁄� cup butter • �⁄� cup vegetable shortening • 6-8 cups powdered sugar (to taste) • 4-8 each crushed candy canes (to taste) • Peppermint extract – to taste • Almond milk – as needed for thinning Mix butter, shortening, powdered sugar, and almond milk with paddle in mixer. Add candy canes, extract to taste. TO ASSEMBLE AS CUPCAKES Using a tall circle cutter, cut out and twist center of cupcakes, without cutting to bottom of cupcake. Fill each cupcake with the ganache. Top with buttercream TO ASSEMBLE AS CAKE Slice each cake into 2, to make 4 layers total. Pipe buttercream around edge of cake and fill with ganache. Repeat with each layer. Top with thinned ganache, and pipe on buttercream décor. Decorate with mini candy canes.

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Mapping it out Local artist has flair for cartography

Chris travels the country selling his maps at juried art shows. His maps can be found locally at the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum.

CHRIS SMITH PHOTO

STORY BY SCOTT AKANEWICH

smith map studio Hand Drawn Maps 324 Sarah’s Lane, Liberty (512) 825-1511 www.SmithMapStudio.com 48

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pon entering the Liberty Hill home of Chris Smith, it doesn’t take long for visitors to feast their eyes on a masterpiece. “Battlefield Texas” is an enormous map depicting the Lone Star State in the days of the Republic of Texas and was the first of over 60 maps Smith has designed and produced since becoming a full-time artist in 2009. However, it’s no ordinary map. There is virtually not a single inch of unoccupied space of the canvas, as the map not only lays out Texas how it was drawn up back then, but features countless facts about the many conflicts that took place in the state and all of the participants – including Davy Crockett, Sam Houston, Santa Anna and many others in a work that took two years to finish. In the space where the Gulf of Mexico is lies an armada of ships that served in the Texas Navy at the time, further augmenting the completeness of the work from a historical standpoint. The amount of information and illustrations across the entire map makes it as educational as it is stunning in bringing history to life. Not bad for something that was never even meant to be a map at all. “At first, I set out to create a Risk-like game based on Texas,” said Smith, an Austin native who moved to Liberty Hill with his family six years ago. “I played that game way too much as a kid.” Hill But, after creating the map and doing all the extensive research required, Smith decided to change directions with what he was aiming for, he said. “I realized it would just take a lot more to actually produce a board game, as

Smith’s first map, entitled “Battlefield Texas,” took two years to create and remains his most popular. His unique maps blend art, history and geography.

standpoint, there’s a price to be paid for doing things the oldfashioned way. “Doing a small map by hand will take about two weeks,” he said. “Where it would take about half the time if I used a computer.” Smith’s catalog includes a wide variety of works from historical maps featuring the original 13 colonies, the American Revolution and the Battle of the Alamo to smaller maps of particular places such as New York, London and cities all across Texas, with each highlighting the most famous landmarks in each location. Prices for Smith’s maps vary depending on the size, as all of his work is available in different dimensions. Originals range from $800 for an 11x14 rendition to $2,500 for a 24x30. However, bigger maps can range from $4,000 to $20,000. Limited edition giclee (produced by ink-jet printers) fine art paper prints go for $45-$200 and limited edition canvas giclee range from $85-$650, with both based on size. In the future, Smith said he plans to expand his collection with different ideas. “As an artist, you’re always wanting to challenge yourself with something new,” he said. “I feel like I need to be pushing myself mentally and spiritually.” far as the manufacturing and marketing,” said Smith. “But, I looked at the map and realized I had something kind of unique here.” At the time, Smith was working as a graphic designer in the publishing industry, but after being laid off in 2009 after 14 years in the business, he wholeheartedly embraced the opportunity to turn his part-time passion into a full-time profession and hasn’t looked back. These days, Smith finds himself on the road most weekends featuring and selling his work at fine arts shows across Texas in addition to online sales through his website. He said he believes the reason his work resonates with people are the memories maps seem to remind one of. “I think people connect with maps because they use them to remember things like where a honeymoon was or other particular places,” he said. In fact, Smith, 50, began his cartography caravan by mapping out the route of a vacation he and his wife took when he was 31 and before the couple had children. “We went to the East Coast – started in New Jersey, then went to New York, up to Martha’s Vineyard and Maine through all of New England, then back to New York,” said Smith. “I thought it would be a cool thing to do.” Perhaps the most enchanting aspect of Smith’s work is all of it is done by hand using technical pens and acrylic paints on wood and canvas – although from a production

•

Giving back to THE game Local golf club maker customizes gear STORY BY SCOTT AKANEWICH

he building that’s home to Edel Golf looks like any other in the small warehouse complex located just off State Highway 29 in Liberty Hill. However, when entering the reception area of the custom-golf club manufacturer, the customer is transported to a world where their golf game can be transformed into what they always wished it to be. Better. “People don’t understand what we do here,” said owner David Edel. What Edel and his staff of a dozen do is craft custom clubs and putters using a revolutionary method of matching up a golfer’s swing and body type to the proper equipment through a meticulous process during which STORY CONTINUED ON PAGE 50 the goal is to achieve a simplicity as far as L I B E RT Y H I L L L I V I N G | D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 1

SCOTT AKANEWICH PHOTO

edel golf Clubs Custom Golf l , Liberty Hil 5 # s e m l o H 3 2 1 0 (512) 778-665 com . www.EdelGolf

maintaining one’s ideal swing. Much like being custom-fitted for a suit by a tailor, Edel crafts golf clubs that best work with what a player already has at their disposal – their own body. Imagine wearing clothes designed for someone else and perhaps you can understand the quandary of attempting to play such a difficult game using equipment not suited for you. Hence the extensive steps involved in determining what works best for each individual – as no two golf swings are the same, said Edel. “The process validates the purpose,” he said. “But, the hardest thing is to get people to buy into the process.” In order for golfers to achieve optimal performance, a player must maintain a single ball position, swing rate and rhythm rate, which can only be done by having clubs of the same length, weight, bounce, shaft weight and shaft flex. To do this, Edel uses a sophisticated golf course simulator in his shop that allows golfers to hit shots as if they were on tees, fairways, greens or in the rough, seeing where their shot would go, then adjusting a formula of 24 different components using a number of variations in addition to measuring arm, wrist and foot actions to create the perfect set of clubs based on the player’s needs. Sounds terribly complicated, but it’s no more really than fitting a square peg into a square hole, said Edel. “We recognize you as a golfer around how you’re built and then process the information,” he said. “What that allows the player to do is bypass the conscious learning process of having to figure out on their own what works CONTINUED FROM PAGE 49

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best for themselves.” Edel has been a PGA teaching professional for 25 years and first got into the manufacturing business after he tired of doing nothing but teaching the game. “I started off making a single putter and I got pretty good at it,” he said. These days, Edel’s Liberty Hill laboratory is where he designs and manufactures irons, putters and wedges, with accounts around the world in far-flung places like Japan. He has the occasional notable visitor to his local haunts. “I’ve had (former world No. 1 tennis player) Andy Roddick here,” said Edel, who has also worked closely with six-time major champion Nick Faldo. “We had the president of Tyson Chicken in here once.” However, at the end of the day, Edel wants to leave a legacy of having made the game of golf a better place than he found it and figures the best way to do that is to assist in making it more enjoyable for those who choose to pursue a little, white ball around the world’s courses through lower scores. “For me, it’s not about money,” he said. “It’s about helping people play better golf.” (ABOVE) David Edel designs and builds custom golf clubs at his warehouse in Liberty Hill for clients all over the world. (RIGHT) Each club is weighted to better suit an individual’s swing for maximum performance. COURTESY PHOTO

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FLORENCE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE PHOTO

LIVING | ON THE ROAD

A Hidden Gem There’s more to the town of Florence than meets the eye STORY BY RACHEL MADISON

s we drove into downtown Florence one sunny Sunday afternoon, my 6-year old asked from the back seat, “Are we in a ghost town?” I smiled to myself as we pulled into one of the many vacant parking spaces on Main Street, but assured him that Florence was a far cry from a ghost town. In fact, I told him, the unassuming little town might not look like much to an outsider—or a 6-year old—but there’s a lot more to Florence than meets the eye. From unique boutiques downtown and weekend farmer’s markets filled with local farmers and artisans, to an archeological site with artifacts more than 16,000 years old, Florence has a lot of hidden gems to offer.

DOWNTOWN SHOPPING

In the last year, the downtown district in Florence has really begun to flourish, with new boutiques popping up to complement what’s already been there for years. One of the longest running boutiques, the Cow Palace Emporium, is a gift shop owned by Peggy Morse, president of the Florence Chamber of Commerce and Florence resident for the last 21 years. When you 54

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step inside her store, you’ll see everything from Kendra Scott jewelry to locally made items. For example, retired nurse and Florence resident Nancy Novakowski makes monster dolls out of sweater material and quilts with unique and colorful designs (pictured, right). She started crafting her monster dolls to help her daughter adopt a child, but kept creating them even afterward, because they had become so popular. At the emporium, you can’t miss the shop dog, Bob, who has become a fixture in downtown Florence. When Bob gets bored, Morse says, he presses his nose to the shop window to see what’s happening on Main Street, frequently attracting passersby into the shop. And once customers come in, it’s not just Bob or the shopping they’re enticed by. Morse is also a published author, under the pen name Peggy Moreland, who spent over two decades writing Harlequin romance novels, many of which were based in small towns in Texas just like Florence. Another boutique, Main Street Co-Op, opened in 2020 and brings a variety of different vendors together in one shop. The store was opened by owner Regina Hallmark, who thought it would be a temporary way for locals to sell their handmade and curated items during the height of COVID. Fast forward to a year later, and the boutique is still open with no plans to close. Housed in what was originally a Western wear store

FLORENCE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE PHOTO

Today the Gault School, now located at Texas State University, is primarily lab-based, where analyzing and testing is being done for the publication of a comprehensive study of the site. The site is not open to the public, but tours can be arranged for groups of 10 or more for $10 per person. The Gault School also runs regularly scheduled monthly tours of the site through Bell County Museum and The Williamson Museum. For more information on the schedule or to book a tour, visit www. gaultschool.org.

THE GAULT ARCHEOLOGICAL SITE

You would drive right by it if you didn’t know it was there. Nestled between family homesteads just off FM 2843 in Florence, the entrance to the Gault Site is only marked by a simple stone sign. Archeologists first discovered the site about 80 years ago, when J.E. Pearce, the first anthropologist at the University of Texas, hired a crew to excavate at the site after the landowner, Henry Gault, alerted him to some archaic burnt-rock midden showing on the surface. When the crew began excavation, they quickly discovered handfuls of Paleoindian artifacts, called Clovis points, according to the Gault School of Archeological Research. Over the years, more than 1.4 million artifacts have been recovered from the site by archeologists, including a stone floor and more than 100 engraved stones. In 2006, the Gault School of Archeological Research was created as a nonprofit to further research the site. Excavations continued through 2014, where approximately 150,000 more artifacts considered to be older than the Clovis era were recovered, showing that humans had lived in the area at least 16,000 years ago.

RACHEL MADISON PHOTO

STACY COALE PHOTO

followed by a hardware store, the rustic interior of the co-op gives customers a glance into what downtown Florence might have looked like in the early 1900s. Other shops include Little Piece of Texas Beau-tique, Just a Little Sassy Boutique & Western Wear, and the Florence Marketplace that just opened in October, and includes a vintage emporium, a mercantile and an apothecary, all of which feature local artisans and crafters. For more information on downtown shopping in Florence, visit Facebook.com/florencechamberofcommerce.

(LEFT TO RIGHT, THIS PAGE) Bob the shop dog and Cow Palace Emporium owner Peggy Morse (right). At the Florence Marketplace, visitors will find a vintage emporium, a mercantile and apoghecary. Below, Regina Hallmark, owner of Main Street Co-op.

THE VINEYARD AT FLORENCE

When you drive into The Vineyard, you might question if you’re in Florence, Texas or Florence, Italy. Located just a few miles east of downtown, The Vineyard offers Old World Italian architecture in all its buildings, wide open views of the vineyards, and a tasting room complete with curated wines and light bites. The winery patio is a great place to stop in for an afternoon of relaxation, but with several villas up for reservation, you can also make a weekend out of it. The Vineyard also offers a day spa, winery tours, bike rides and a new restaurant, called Farmer’s Commons that aims to produce zero waste while serving all farm-to-table dishes. For more information, visit www.thevineyardatflorence.com.

FARMER’S MARKETS

Weekend farmer’s markets are a big deal in Florence. On any given CONTINUED ON PAGE 56 Saturday, there are multiple to choose from. L I B E RT Y H I L L L I V I N G | D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 1

RESTAURANTS

CHRISTIAN BETANCOURT PHOTO

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 55 There’s the Buffalo Farmer’s Market from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Salado Creek Saloon parking lot, and then there’s the Red Barn TX Farmer’s Market that runs for the same hours at the Red Barn Ranch RV Park in Florence. Just off Texas 138, there’s another market, called Golden Drops of Texas Farmer’s Market, that runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. It’s at these markets where you can find what Florence is really good at – growing and producing delicious foods. Try the pecan-based desserts from local L & S Farms’ award-winning trees or the honey root beer from the beekeepers at Golden Drops of Texas.

THE VINEYARD AT FLORENCE PHOTO

LIVING | ON THE ROAD

Florence may be a small town, but it has a lot to offer in the way of restaurants. A family-friendly pick is D. Boone’s Country Store and Café on Main Street. Don’t be fooled by the fact that it’s inside a Valero gas station—it’s a favorite spot for locals. Standard café fare, like burgers, sandwiches and pizza make up the majority of the menu, and the daily specials like pot roast and chicken fried steak

(FROM LEFT) Gault Archaeological Site was discovered by archeologists about 80 years ago. The Vineyard at Florence highlights old world Italian architecture. D. Boone's Country Store offers tasty cafe fare. (RACHEL MADISON PHOTO)

are worth stopping in for. Other restaurants in Florence include Mano’s and La Fuente for Mexican dishes, and the Texas Twisted Skillet for homestyle country meals. Recently opened restaurants include the Florence Beer Market and the Frozen Flamingo, which serves custard, shaved ice and daquiris. As our day wound to an end in Florence, my six-year-old said it best: "That was a really fun day." I agreed, because together we had discovered some unique finds just a few miles from home.

R E T S I G R E W! NOclasses S p r i n g n . 18 ! a sta r t J

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Home Sweet Office

Organizational trends to make working from home a breeze New caption for home office story new new new new new new new new.

orking from home is more common than ever, and thanks to this new trend, the home office has become one of the most important rooms in the home. Jay Jones, owner of Liberty Hill-based Specialty Millworks, said there’s been a lot of changes in home office trends over the last year and a half, primarily because more people than ever are working from home due to the pandemic. He said nearly half of his workload is dedicated solely to home office design and remodeling. “Most people already had an office in their home, but everybody didn’t have full use of it before,” he said. “They didn’t care to use it fully because they were still going to work. Now we’re dedicating space and planning designs down to the inch of what the usable space could be. People are putting a lot more money into their offices now than before.”

TRENDS

One of the biggest home office trends is to create a large amount of storage space, Jones said. “Everybody wants more storage,” he said. “But they also want a nice clean look. We aren’t doing as many accent shelves anymore, like something people can set

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A variety of storage options is a top trend in home office design.

a piece of blown glass or other décor on. People want storage they can really use.” Jones said lots of built-in cabinets as well as file drawers have become very popular, and many people will even ask for more storage options as he is designing their office. “People want an abundance of drawers,” he said. “We will do a small piece, and then they realize they want to add even more storage.” When it comes to materials, Jones said wire grommets and wood tops are popular for home office desks, as are archways. “People don’t just want arches in doorways,” he said. “We are doing arches on cabinets now, too. Everybody wants that rounded and raised look, because I think some of the old-world décor style is trying to come back. Modern styles are still in, but more people are creating some of that old world style.” Another trend Jones has seen is office “peninsulas,” where two people can sit down to work at their computers at the same time.

“If a husband and wife both work from home, they can use this set up to work in the same space,” he said. “The one I recently did was 4 feet wide and protruded from the wall about 5.5 feet.” Other trends Jones said he is seeing include lighting sensors, so when someone walks into or out of the office, the lights automatically turn on and off, as well as under counter lighting or accent lighting to add to the cozy feel of the room. “You can do a whole lot of remodeling to your office, and everything can still look dark, but it’s really simple and easy to add electric while you’re spending money, so add the lighting where you can,” he said. “You can also add USBs strategically around your office where they are accessible, because every office needs them these days.”

ORGANIZATION

Ashlie Cobb, owner of Liberty Hill-based organization company Unstuck Living, said organization CONTINUED ON PAGE 60 L I B E RT Y H I L L L I V I N G | D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 1

LIVING | AT HOME Creating a shared work area for kids in your home office maximizes your space and allows for quality time together.

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of their current space. Everything has to have a place. If it doesn’t have a space, then we decide [if we] can throw it out. This usually involves paper. I recommend converting as many documents as possible to a hard drive.” Cobb said ideas like including a shared space in your home office for your kids is a good way to make the space work two-fold. “When I designed my office and a few clients’ offices recently, we all agreed that having shared space for kids was important,” she said. “[One] client and I designed a desk with a double workspace for the kids to do homework.” In addition, Cobb suggested scheduling time daily or weekly to put away items collected that don’t belong in the space. She added that working from home can give you a chance to exercise a lot of creativity, which can be very freeing. “Life outside the cubicle is a good life,” she said.

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is key when redesigning a home office. “For two years now, I have had clients calling and asking for help getting their home office organized,” she said. “If you don’t have the space to separate home life [and] work life, you’re usually working from a desk in the corner of a bedroom, maybe a guest room, or sitting at the kitchen table feeling totally stuck around supper time. It doesn’t matter how small the space is, you have to separate work life from home life.” Separating the two can be easier said than done, Cobb added, but if you’re realistic with your family dynamics, it’s possible. “Give yourself grace if you’re in a season of life with toddlers, kids in sports or just living through the realities of a global pandemic,” she said. “Stay flexible and remember you won’t always be in that stage. Control what you are able to and let go of the rest. If you need a quiet place, try turning a closet into a home office.” Cobb said organizing a home office should start with an ideal dream situation—what does the perfect space look like? “Then we work backwards,” she said. “We start with the reality

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Home Sweet Office