Introducing "Texas Landmarks and Legends"

I love historical fiction!  The books I read, and the movies I like to watch.  I was never a big student of history in my younger years, but now that I'm older I appreciate and am "literally" starving to learn more!  Especially now, during these "challenging" times, because....  

What I get from it is... perspective.  

They remind me that we've lived through really challenging times before: A Pandemic a century ago...the Civil and 2 World Wars, and then there's "the 60's" ... and we can be assured that we will have challenging times again in the future.    Looking back at those difficult times, with new perspective, we can know that we don't just survive, we become smarter and stronger on the other side.  That's hard to see right now, but we must believe that once again, our American spirit and faith will overcome the challenges we face today!

For Christmas in 2019 my daughter gave me the epic book TEXAS by James Michener!  All 1429 pages of Texas history sat on a shelf waiting for me to pick it up, which I finally started last summer with plenty of extra time on my hands!  I moved to Texas in 1980 and sadly, know very little about it's history or have traveled to many places in the state, so when opportunity knocks...  Now, with my husband about to retire, we are looking forward to traveling this great State of Texas!

This has inspired me to create a block of artwork that I'm calling "Texas Landmarks and Legends."  It stands to reason that with 4 UT graduates in our family, I'd start there!  

In the next few months I'm excited to sketch and share with you some of these iconic Texas images.  We will travel from the Mountains of Big Bend to the Missions in San Antonio and some fun places in between!   If you have a favorite Texas "Landmark or Legend," let me know!!

Happy Birthday to Bevo XV

BEVO has been the mascot for University of Texas since 1916, but originally was named "BO" for the Burnt Orange, the color of the Longhorns.   Legend has it that during the traditional Thanksgiving Football Game against the Texas A&M Aggies, they "kidnapped" the new Longhorn and branded him 13 - 0 commemorating their victory in 1915.  The Longhorns responded by making the 13 into a B, adding a few more dashes to the -, adding a V, and leaving the 0.... and that's how B E V O got his name!

When my daughters went to UT, they'd let me know they were back in Austin when they went over the flyover from Hwy. 290 to I-35 by calling and saying "I see the Tower!"

Completed in 1937, with 27 floors it "towers" over the UT Campus and downtown Austin.  Famously known for the mass shooting in 1966, where a deranged young man indiscriminately fired from the top killing 14 people and injuring 31 over a 96 minute shooting spree.  At that time it was the deadliest mass shooting in the US history.

I prefer to remember those special moments watching graduation ceremonies, strolling the campus with baby Ellis, and looking forward to it being lit-up orange after a UT victory!  

"Hook 'Em Horns!!!"