Funky Texas Traveler

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    • How to survive and thrive when your reputation tanks – Life lessons from Mark White
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        • My Breast Cancer Experience – A Month at MD Anderson Cancer Center
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Nov 02 2018

8 stupidly-simple ways the Texas Fruitcake Queen built big success

Inside – the Texas Fruitcake Queen was an innovative farm wife who took eight simple steps to create success with a part-time business she started in her kitchen.

8-simple-ways-to-built-success-with-Texas-Fruitcake-Queen-690x400 8 stupidly-simple ways the Texas Fruitcake Queen built big successGladys Farek was a wife and mother of six girls who held down the farm for her traveling salesman husband.  She fed and cared for her daughters and the cattle, keeping their homestead functioning in Cistern, Texas (population 150).

And in her spare time, she became Texas’ fruitcake queen, appearing on “The Tonight Show” with Johnny Carson and “The David Letterman Show.” 

How did she do it?  More importantly, what business and life lessons can you and I learn from Gladys?

Related Post:  A Houston company built on a college morning-after hack

I met Gladys a few years ago at a country wedding outside of Schulenburg.  She was the grandmother of the bride. 

In the first 15 minutes with her,  I knew all about Gladys’ Bakery, and her alter-ego as the Texas fruitcake queen. 

Gladys was then 83 years old, but could easily pass for younger with her style and vivacity.  She delighted in showing off her husband Jimmy like a newly-wed, even though they’ve been married three years. 

I get the impression Gladys has had that same enthusiasm for every part of her life, a big key to her success.  Here are the other keys: [Read more…]

signature 8 stupidly-simple ways the Texas Fruitcake Queen built big success

Filed Under: Attitude, Food, Outlook, People, Places, Schulenberg/Flatonia/Dubina, Texas · Tagged: Cistern, Dubina, fruitcake, Johnny Carson

Aug 22 2018

Smart Souvenir Shopping

POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS- READ DISCLOSURE FOR INFO.

My-top-5-ways-to-find-unique-souvenirs....a-tale-with-Billy-Gibbons-from-ZZ-Top-1-690x400 Smart Souvenir Shopping

My idea of interesting and unusual travel souvenir ideas changed in the 70’s.  I lived on South Padre Island and ended up at a party in a beach house owned ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons. 

 I was standing in the kitchen of “The Pink”, as the house was known by local surfers, and was puzzling over an interesting cluster of framed designs.   

“Fruit crate labels from all over the world,” someone answered who could have been Billy but I don’t remember (after all, it was the 70’s).  What I do remember is thinking that collecting and framing labels was a very cool souvenir idea.

I don’t know about you, but souvenir shopping in traditional shops seems like a silly way to spend your money.  Of course, you’ll catch me sometimes in a souvenir shop.  It’s usually after I’ve had a few beers and think those mummified frogs playing poker are just too cute to resist. [Read more…]

signature Smart Souvenir Shopping

Filed Under: Attitude, Outlook, People, Twisted Travel Tips · Tagged: Billy Gibbons, Cheap Souvenirs, Cook Souvenirs, local artists, local authors, ZZ Top

Aug 10 2018

Plan to be flexible | #1 Lesson from Rally Recovery Drink | Texas startup success

 

Texas-Rally-Recovery-Drink-takes-off-with-plan-to-be-flexible-690x400 Plan to be flexible | #1 Lesson from Rally Recovery Drink | Texas startup successI’ve learned from some famous people that if you want to succeed in life, you must plan to be flexible. So flexible that you are open to success that may be absolutely nothing like what you thought it was going to be.

Like former Texas governor Mark White learned after his political career tanked and he went on to become a champion of education. Or the Texas Fruitcake queen learned when she raised up a baking empire from a need to spend time with her daughters. 

Or Eric and Alex, high school friends from Houston, who about to blow up the rehydration market with Rally Recovery Drink, a product developed from what they learned nursing hangovers at LSU. [Read more…]

signature Plan to be flexible | #1 Lesson from Rally Recovery Drink | Texas startup success

Filed Under: Home Top, Live Like An Eternal Traveler, People · Tagged: Rally Recovery Drink

Aug 03 2018

Lost at Buc-ee’s | How weird family stories start

This-man-got-lost-at-Buc-ees-690x400 Lost at Buc-ee's | How weird family stories start
Larry D. Moore [CC BY-SA 3.0 () or GFDL}, via Wikimedia Commons
Recently, a man got lost at Buc-ee’s in Katy, Texas.  He was so lost that his family contemplated putting out a silver alert.  If someone told me this story, I would have sworn it was an urban legend. Except I was there.  Now I know how weird family stories get started.  

How the man got lost at Buc-ee’s

I bet you’re thinking:  “How irresponsible to let an easily confused oldster roam without supervision.”  [Read more…]

signature Lost at Buc-ee's | How weird family stories start

Filed Under: Attitude, Family legends, People, Popular Post · Tagged: Buc-ee's, family stories

Feb 05 2018

Sam Houston – modern lessons for contemporary times

POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS- READ DISCLOSURE FOR INFO.

Never-call-Sam-Houston-a-coward-690x400 Sam Houston - modern lessons for contemporary timesA few weeks ago, I wrote about a lunch I had with former Texas governor Mark White several months before he died.  One of the things we found we had in common was almost evangelical respect for Sam Houston. 

A few weeks ago,  I found out about a new biography on the last days of Sam Houston.  So on my  Facebook page, I posted these words, “The more I learn about Sam Houston, the more he inspires me. We camp every April in Sam Houston State Park which is just a few miles from his last home, now a tremendous museum. Statesman, drunkard, war hero, coward, Texas governor kicked to the curb and at the end of it all, a man truly trying to do the best he could. I’ll be interested to read this book.” [Read more…]

signature Sam Houston - modern lessons for contemporary times

Filed Under: Attitude, Home Top, People · Tagged: Sam Houston

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Just visiting someplace is boring – I dig around and roll in it. The people, the peculiarities and the hidden history that gives any destination its own unique story. Come excavate with me and let me know places I should go!

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