It's Super Tuesday in 14 states - including Minnesota and Texas. I've been studying up on my ballot for almost two weeks because look at it - IT IS TWO PAGES OF INSANITY! And as will be abundantly clear below, I'm a registered Democrat. Side 1 - THIS IS JUST SIDE 1 FOLKS! Side Two... Continue Reading →

It's Texas Independence Day, ya'll. On March 2, 1836 Texas declared its independence from Mexico and became, for a brief time, the Republic of Texas (as opposed to a U.S. state.) Wikipedia describes the two competing proposals: "Texas seceded from Mexico in 1836, spurred on primarily by American settlers in the former Mexican territory against the government... Continue Reading →

Have you ever moved away from a place or spent a longish-period of time away from your hometown? Have you found yourself looking for places, people, and activities that you remind you of home? I plead guilty. And perhaps unsurprisingly coming from a Minnesotan, the easiest way to get a fix of home is to... Continue Reading →

In Minnesota it's hard to say which is my favorite November holiday: Thanksgiving or Give to the Max Day (GTMD.) Every year thousands of Minnesotans open their computers to donate millions of dollars to thousands of non-profits. Every year, GTMD outdoes itself, raising more than the year before and offering all kinds of prizes throughout... Continue Reading →

MSP is full of lovely theaters....the restored beauties along Hennepin Avenue or the Jean Nouvel modernist masterpiece, the Guthrie. The Ordway and Fitzgerald in Saint Paul are more than serviceable too. But with just one theater, San Antonio has outdone everyone. The Majestic, built in 1929, was designed to look like a Spanish town (full... Continue Reading →

Galveston is a barrier island about 50 miles south of Houston. With Galveston Bay to the north and the Gulf of Mexico to south, the city is definitely a beachy get away for folks all over Texas. It’s also my husband’s home town so I’ve had many years getting to know the place and the... Continue Reading →

Even in the midst of "winter", the San Antonio Botanical Gardens are abundant with blooming shrubs, edible plants, and trees that don't lose their leaves. The Gardens are located at the terminus of the wonderful and relatively undeveloped Mahncke Park. This linear park connects San Antonio's crown jewel, Brackenridge Park to the Botanical Gardens. All... Continue Reading →

Item 100 in Denise Richter's indispensable "100 Things to Do in San Antonio Before You Die" (thanks again Ellen Watters for this great going-away gift!) seems an improbably listing. Shades of Green is a nursery. They sell plants, garden accouterments, and gift items. They also happen to be located just behind the fenceline of our... Continue Reading →

I've been trying to decide if I should call myself a MNport or a Texport...get it? Import/Export. Minnesota/Texas. Har Har! Regardless of what I am, I do find myself thinking about Saint Paul, Minneapolis, and Minnesota - missing the people and places and looking for glimpses of the familiar in this strange new land I... Continue Reading →

Are tacos or BBQ the official food of Texas? PBS has a digital series on the Tacos of Texas and Texas Monthly has a BBQ editor. Feels like it could be a coin toss; however, since we've been in SATX, I've eaten dozens of tacos and no BBQ...so we'll declare tacos the official food of... Continue Reading →