An Underwater Ghost Town, Emerged from the Drought

It was a Central Texas town, settled in the 1850s along the banks of the Colorado River. There was a general store, a cotton gin, a school — even a hotel. The town was called Bluffton, and life continued there for decades. By the 1930s, around 50 families were living in or around Bluffton. Then, [...]

Tex-Mex Fairy Tales: The trippy world of Franco Mondini-Ruiz

You know that romantic notion of the starving artist — that creative genius who cares not for commercial success or selling out, but pours heart and soul into art, preferably in some damp attic garrett? Well, toss all that out the window and get ready to meet Franco Mondini-Ruiz. This flamboyant San Antonio artist is [...]

Cooking up Deliciousness

I’m a big fan of some of the cooking shows, especially the challenge ones like Chopped and Master Chef. I love the creativity some of these chefs bring, and I really enjoy finding products in the stores or farmers markets and trying out new recipes with them. I’ve taken a number of cooking classes here [...]