The Waiting Game

SUNDAY August 30, 2020

"Well it's a long, long time, from May to December,

but the days grow short when you reach September."

So goes the tune Frank Sinatra made famous wherein he makes it clear that he doesn't have time for the "waiting game." We can relate to that as we enter these first days of September in the pandemic year of 2020.

It often feels like we're in a holding pattern waiting for the "thing" to be over. When it became clear it's not going away any time soon, most of us decided we couldn't wait any longer for income, education, fun, and social and other needs. We built our world around it. We didn't just sit back waiting for it to pass. We met the challenge head on and are planning our lives around these new conditions and doing okay.

And safely following CDC guidelines, we are getting out and about in the Upper East Side of Texas and deeply enjoying our lives. Despite these pandemic challenges, there's plenty to do and with the promise of cooler weather that September brings, it's time to start checking off some bucket list plans.

We have a new eEdition for you to help you out along the way. Check it out through the link below and enjoy the photos, stories, and interactive links and videos. If you want to receive notification each time a new eEdition comes out (six times per year) please go HERE to sign up.

"A Woman and Her Shoes" by Kerian Massey of Edom, Texas. This inspired us to pull up this article by Edward H. Garcia from the County Line archives called "Living As If." Read his creative thoughts on living a full life and wearing nice shoes.

FEATURE

The September/October eEdition is Here

Read about the Edom Arts Community, their season of mourning and time for celebration. Find a list of fun things to do this fall. Meet a 12 year old creating gourd art and congratulate the Select Theater in Mineola for its 100 years of movies and live shows. Learn about ways to see the creativity of Al Souza in Tyler and watercolor artists in Longview, and catch numerous live streaming concerts with super talented women and men. We've got getaway ideas in our Destination Guides and feature The Emma Grace in Cooper, Texas in this issue. Click the headline link and start your reading adventure.

LIFESTYLE & ENTERTAINMENT

Blessings of Liberty

Beginning September 1, the Rockwall County Historical Foundation presents The Blessings of Liberty: The U.S. Constitution, an exhibition prepared for travel by Humanities Texas, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

DESTINATION COUNTY LINE

Visit Starr Family Home State Historic Site

Clara Willoughby was born September 2, 1902, in Marshall, Texas. She was the great-granddaughter of James Harper Starr, secretary of the treasury for the Republic of Texas in 1839. Her maternal grandmother, Clara Clapp Starr, raised her after her parents — Ben and Clara (Starr) Pope — died during her early childhood. Throughout her life she made significant contributions to the state of Texas and donated her ancestral family home and surrounding land to the state. The Starr Family Home State Historic Site opened to the public in 1986 and is available five days a week now for tours.

THIS TIME OF YEAR

Caldwell Zoo Welcomes Baby Giraffe

National Wildlife Day comes around every September 4 with a focus this year on endangered species. The Caldwell Zoo in Tyler is working to keep the endangered Reticulated Giraffe breed going. They welcomed a baby girl, Xena June, on June 7. She endured some early challenges and this film shares her story. She’s available to see in person now from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. www.caldwellzoo.org.

ARTS AND CULTURE

Freddie King - Have You Ever Loved A Woman

King Became Top Bluesman

On September 3, 1934, celebrated blues musician Freddie King was born in Gilmer, Texas. He moved to Chicago when he was 16 and developed his guitar style under the influence of Lightnin’ Hopkins, T-Bone Walker, B.B. King (not a relative), and others.

From 1950 to 1958 he played in neighborhood clubs and in the latter year made his professional debut.

In 1963 he returned to Texas and settled in Dallas. In 1971 he recorded the first major live album ever made in Austin, at Armadillo World Headquarters (AWH), known as “the House That Freddie King Built.”

King opened AWH and returned periodically for fundraisers. His recordings with Shelter Records brought him recognition throughout the state as a “top-notch Texas bluesman.”

Some of his classic songs were “Have You Ever Loved a Woman,” “Highway,” and “Woman Across the River.”

He died from a heart attack December 28, 1976, and is buried in Hillcrest Memorial Park on Northwest Highway in Dallas.

Covering the Arts Across the Upper East Side of Texas

FOOD & DRINKS

Enjoy Kentucky Butter Cake with Fresh Fruit

Cinnamon Bear’s Bakery in Emory specializes in delicious handmade, fresh-baked items. Cinnamon rolls and Italian cream cake are the most popular items, but they also make cookies, fried pies, breads, and cakes. Follow the headline link for proprietor Tammy Kulp's recipe for her delicious Kentucky Butter Cake.