December 2007 Issue

He’s probably already bought himself everything he wants. So what do you wrap and put under the tree? Any or all of this list of to-the-minute good taste will appeal to his sophisticated side—and if he doesn’t have one, it’s time for him to cultivate it.  

“Unfortunately, Farai, we equate consumerism with caring, and that’s something we just have to unpack and stop doing.”
--- Bennett College President Julianne Malveaux, interviewed by Farai Chideya, National Public Radio, Nov. 19, on “Economics Wrap-Up”

Many bemoan the way the Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year season has been expropriated by those hungering for quick and large bucks, the loss of “the real meaning of Christmas,” and a general dumbing-down of spiritual significance.

The fact is that everyone interprets the emotion-laden season based on very personal experiences. We believe the evidence of both diversity and commonalities is here, in the candid beliefs of the staff of Southwest Texas LIVE! We hope you will see some common threads, both unraveled and, others, elegantly woven that may speak to you or contribute to table conversation during the upcoming season.

We hope that, for you and yours, it’s a season of joy, peace and inspiration, and we’d love to hear your thoughts on this sometimes delicate, always personal subject.

With a family history of perseverance through tough times, Jeanne Roberts Roe shepherds a business legacy toward a future of growth and professionalism. Roberts Jewelers expanded in nearly every respect in 2007, setting a stage for unprecedented service and sales in 2008.

Pat “Pitbull” Dugan is an unrepentant “recon Marine” firmly planted with deep roots in his hometown of Del Rio, swearing he’s here for good. Dugan has seen enough of the bad in other, remote parts of the world, and believes there are lessons there for anyone concerned enough to “Brighten the corner where you are,” as an old hymn suggests.

Traditions are easier to keep when they’re sweet on the tongue and fun to make in a kitchen with friends and family. No wonder then that Mexican champurrado is a tradition so ancient that no one is certain how many hundreds of years ago it began. The “how” and “when” are also mysteries for crispy, cinnamony buñuelos, but the “why’ is simple. Both are delicious and easy.

Del Rio native Houston Hutto is headed for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, the World Series of professional rodeo in Las Vegas, Nevada, December 6-15, in hopes of capturing his first Rodeo Cowboy’s Association tie-down calf roping world championship

The confusion about requirements for personal documentation of citizenship upon re-entry to the United States next year is only slightly reduced as officials in Washington D.C. continue to struggle with important details.  Here is what Tiffin E. Evans, the newest LIVE! freelancer, has learned from them, the Border Trade Alliance, and local officials.

It’s the time of year when City of Del Rio Christmas decorations inexplicably pop up before Halloween, churches stage manger scene tableaux, pre-holiday sales gimmicks dominate the news, and unrestrained commercialism deafens. But in one quiet corner of Del Rio, intrusions are prohibited, and visitors are left in the stunning quiet with their own thoughts about The Cadena Nativity.