Peanut Festival

The town of Floresville, just 30 miles from the Alamo City, may have welcomed such cinematic celebrities as director Steven Spielberg and action hero Jackie Chan over the years, but the true star of this Wilson County community is the peanut. Since 1938 festivities have been held in honor of the town's cash-producing crop, and a crowd 15,000+ strong flock to Floresville each second weekend in October to participate in old-fashioned, family-friendly festivities held within sight of the giant nut statue which proudly stands year round on the grounds of the Floresville courthouse.

I have been in the Peanut Festival since I was born, whether I was sitting in a stroller or driving a Thunderbird in the parade. Every year it seems to get bigger and bigger and that is a good thing for the Wilson County community. The Peanut Festival brings a lot of money to our community and even gives people outside our town to explore and learn about why we have the Peanut Festival in historic Floresville. For a business or anybody to open a booth at the Peanut Festival they must pay a fee to reserve a spot. That money helps Floresville continue to grow. My grandmother, who is head of the Wilson County Peanut Festival Committee, says “That if we never have started the Peanut Festival, we as a community would not be what we are today.” My grandma has been on this committee for over 40 years and she with the help of the committee has made this community what it is today. She pushed many business to come to Floresville including: H.E.B., Bill Millers, and even got a bill passed to improve our Post Office.

The second weekend in October doesn’t only man the Peanut Festival is coming; it also means that it is time to start making peanut brittle. The club I am in called SPJST gets a booth every year in the Peanut Festival and sells peanut brittle. The name of this fraternal benefit society is SPJST - originally chartered as the Slovanska Podporujici Jednota Statu Texas but that name is hard to remember and say, so just call it SPJST. SPJST is strictly an insurance company to some; to others, it's a social club; and, finally, to others, it's a cultural preservation society. It was established by the Czech immigrants and their families who stuck together and want to visit with the whole family every month. In time it became more that just a meet and greet, it became an organization with the idea to help better their community. My grandfather is the leading sales representative and the district CEO of SPJST. He is always trying to get someone to join with his favorite saying, “Does your life insurance company provide a club for your children where they can go visit places, help your community grow, make new friends, and even get scholarships?” He has almost double the amount of people in SPJST and has given out many scholarships of his own to people in the SPJST.

October 1st of every year is when the club comes together to make the peanut brittle for the Peanut Festival. We buy the peanuts from local farmers and start at six in the morning and do not leave until midnight. We have three stoves and a couple portable one all going at the same time. Each person there will probably cook about twelve-to-fifteen batches of peanut brittle. Ok enough of the layout, let’s start cooking. First you start with a fairly heavy, 2 1/2 to 3 quart saucepan. Stainless steel with a copper clad bottom is ideal. Wendy the Youth Director of the SPJST says “Do not use an all aluminum pan. You will likely get ‘hot spots’ which cause burning before you know it.” Then you place 1 cup corn syrup and ½ cup of water into the pot and warm it up. Before it starts to bubble, you stir in 2 cups of sugar. When it starts to bubble, add 2 cups of peanuts. Also you have to stir occasionally or the peanuts on the bottom will burn. When it reaches a nice golden brown color it is time to finish it. You remove it from the stove and stir in 1 tsp vanilla extract and 1 1/2 tbsp butter until the butter melts. Sprinkle the 3/4 tsp baking soda over the surface of the mixture and stir. The mixture will begin to foam up and double in volume. Now it is time to poor it onto a flat surface. We use a piece of cardboard with aluminum foil on it, which has butter smeared on it so it doesn’t stick to it. After letting it harden we break it up and package them ourself. There are many types of peanut brittle including, hot brittle.

Congratulations you just learned how to make peanut brittle! Don’t forget every 2nd weekend in October is the Peanut Festival, if you are free you should come on down and support the Wilson County community.

Flaco Jimenez

Flaco Jiménez was born on March 11, 1939 and is a Tejano music legend from San Antonio, Texas. Jiménez's father, Santiago Jimenez Sr. was a pioneer of conjunto music. Flaco Jiménez is one of the best accordion players in the world. Jimenez was universally recognized as a leading exponent of the authentic South Texas Conjunto. By the time he was seven years old, Flaco was performing with his father. He began recording at fifteen, as a member of Los Caporales. He played in the San Antonio area for several years, and then began working with Douglas Sahm in the 1960s. Jimenez won a Grammy Award in 1986 for "Ay Te Dejo En San Antonio", a song of his father's. He was also a member of the supergroup Texas Tornados, with Augie Meyers, Doug Sahm and Freddy Fender. The Texas Tornados earned a Grammy Award in 1990, and Jimenez earned one on his own in 1996, when his Flaco Jimenez won the Grammy Award for Best Mexican-American Performance. In 1999, Flaco earned another Grammy Award for Best Tejano Performance (Said and Done, Barb Wire Records), and one for Best Mexican-American Performance as a part of supergroup Los Super Seven. Jimenez has also won a Best Video award at the Tejano Music Awards and earned a Lifetime Achievement Award from Billboard Latin Magazine for "Streets of Bakersfield" with Dwight Yoakam and Buck Owens.

I listened to the song "Ay Te Dejo En San Antonio" a song by Flaco Jiménez father. Even though I had no clue what he was talking about most of the time, it was still a very good song. It made me want to start dancing and even made me want to try to sing along, but lets not talk about that. Other than it being a very fast pace song, it was really relaxing. I also like that Flaco is still playing his father’s songs, to keep his father's spirit alive.

Juan Tejeda

Juan Tejeda is a musician and scholar with his own band. Juan is a Mexican-American and is now a Chicano or what he calls it Xicano. Xicano is from the America Indians that were here first, mainly the Nahuatl and also the Aztecs. He spoke about the difference between Race, Nationality, and Ethnicity. There are only three different races. Ethnicity can be categorized as Mexican, Latinos, Hispanic, and even Americans. Spaniards came to America for gold, god, and glory. Part American Indian and Spaniards are called Mestizo. The Mestizos fought the Spaniards and made Mexico. Angelo Americans believed in Manifest Destiny, the idea that they should own the land from sea to sea. The three languages Chicano spoke Nahuatl, Espanol, and then finally English. He wrote his own poem called “Coyote Hungry for Justice” in 1996 about the questions of life. Tejano Music evolved in America and is called Corrido, Conjunto, and Orquesta Tejana. This music comes from the history of the working class music on the ranches. It is a mix between German and Mexican music.

San Antonio Museum of Art

San Antonio Museum of Art is located at 200 West Jones Avenue and is open every day, except Monday. Admission is anywhere from free, for members and children under three, to eight dollars for adults. Suan Antonio Museum of Art first opened its doors to the public in 1981 and since then the museum has grown from seven to fifteen acres. This museum has exceptionally important permanent collections of Western Antiquities, Asian Art, Latin American Art, and contemporary American paintings, sculpture, and decorative arts---each curated by specialists with strong international reputations.

The first piece of work I found interesting was Passing Storm over the Sierra Nevadas, 1870 by Albert Bierstadt (1830-1902). This is a painting of a landscape that immortalized the sublime wilderness of the American West. This painting caught my eye because it looks so real. The contrast with the light and dark in this painting really strikes you, makes you ask, is this a photo? The focal point has to be the bright spot in the sky. This painting is a symmetrical because if you fold it in half its not symmetrical but looks even on both sides. This painting is very peaceful and comfortable. Leaves you with hope, even through the dark cloudy days sunlight can shine through.

The second piece of work I found interesting was Cherub (Querubin) by Artist unknown, Spanish in the 18th century. This is a sculpture of an angle with its arms in the air. It is carved and painted wood with glass eyes. I found it interesting because it is so old yet it is still here. The main color is brown since it is from wood. This sculpture is symmetrical. Kind of reminds me of Atlas in Greek mythology. Put a globe in the angle’s hands and there it is. This work lets off a sense of accomplishment. It is form the 18th century but it is still here. Also gives off a sense of progression since if you look at work from then compared to work from now.

Botanical Garden

The San Antonio Botanical Garden is located at Brackenridge Park next to the San Antonio Zoo. On 33 acres, the Botanical Garden is a combination of indoor displays and outdoor gardens, which include the Old Fashioned Garden, Rose Garden, Sensory Garden (Garden for the blind), Kumamoto En garden, Sacred Garden, Shade Garden, Gertie’s Garden and other garden displays. The garden was first conceived in the 1940s by Mrs. R. R. Witt and Mrs. Joseph Murphy, with a master plan developed in the late 1960s for the site of a former limestone quarry and waterworks. Funding began in 1970 with the official opening in 1980. The Botanical Garden opened daily from 9:00am - 5:00pm, but is closed Christmas and New Year's Day. It cost adults six dollars, children (Age 3-13) three dollars, senior citizens four dollars, and military and students four dollars. Military and students need to have ID ready.

Make sure you take sunscreen if you are going to be here all day. This garden is filled with paths and walk ways leading everywhere on this 33 acre plot. I like the indoor gardens with the water misters that water the plants. Was a good break from walking around outside. There were indoor waterfalls and mini rivers running through them. Some on the indoor building had sounds of a jungle in them. I really enjoyed my trip to the Botanical Gardens. It was a break from the normal; go to school go, to work daily routine. They even had a plant that if rubbed on the skin would rid oneself of freckles, but that didn’t work.

Impervious Cover

Impervious cover is any impermeable construction covering the natural land surface. San Antonio is broken up in ten districts. City Council approves all constructions within San Antonio. Some important SAWS Review questions are; is the property grandfathered? Are recharge features present? 1995 Water Quality Ordinance limits impervious cover in Recharge Zones: 30% residential, 50% multifamily and 65% commercial. SAWS makes sure buffers are around recharge features. SAWS will administer and enforce the WQO.

City Council likes to see residents come and speak on issues concerning them. There are many things to look into to see if a property is doing the right things. If the property has grandfathering it does not have to comply with these rules though, so contractors are always out to find these properties. They also look for properties that have some of the recharge zone in it. It is against the law to build on it so they use it as there impermeable cover. Funny thing is that they can not build on it anyways so it should not count.

My "Hood"

I live out in the country. My house is located twenty-eight miles southeast of San Antonio and thirteen miles northwest of Floresville. It is located on FM 1303 just west of CR 120. CR 120 is a dirt road that just got a new bridge put in. It was exposed to be done eight years ago but finally is finished. My house is three miles from US 181 if you cut across CR 120 and six miles if you go to 3444. If I would have to place us in a socio-economic class, my family would upper middle class and my grandparents would be upper class. My house is a four bedroom, one bath, living room, garage, dining room, and kitchen. My mom is obsessed with making the outside of our house look awesome, so its looks almost as good as the day it was made. We have a shed that is paint the same color as our house, looks like a little house, which is used for storage and a place for the tools. We have an above ground swimming pool and a basketball court. We have an acorn tree in the front yard and two apple trees in the back.

My house is around half a mile from my grandparents and three miles from Seven’s house. So I guess one young family and two elderly families. My grandpa works for SPJST, a life insurance agency, and my grandma owns the Floresville Flower Shop. My dad is the market manager at H.E.B. where is has worked for twenty-two years and my mother is a stay at home mom. I have two brothers and one sister that live in my house. The only major feature of my neighborhood is that it is mostly farm land which my great grandparents own. We live eight miles from the nearest school and seven from the nearest hospital. There is no residential or commercial development where I live since my family owns most of the land. We have pretty much three hundred acres in every direction. It would be nice to have a gas station closer or a fast food place.

One of the major strengths is that there is no traffic or loud noise throughout the day. It is also very safe since it’s my family’s property. A weakness is that we have to drive somewhere for everything, and if it floods we are trap in by the San Antonio River. My house is not close to a major highway or any shopping stores, so gangs are out of the story. There is a problem with snakes though. It is peaceful and quiet around my house most of the time, unless my dad is using the bulldozer or tractor near the house.

I go to school at Palo Alto which is twenty-nine miles away, so I spend thirty-two minutes to get there and thirty-two minutes back home. I leave my house and stay on FM 1303 till I hit S Tx 1604-Loop. After about one mile I go on 37 for eight miles and take the 410 east exit till I hit W Chavaneaux Rd that leads to Palo Alto.

For fun I can go to the theater in Floresville or San Antonio. Normally I go to the Alamo Quarry Theatre in San Antonio which is one of the nicest theaters. It takes around forty-five minutes to get to the Quarry. There is also a paintball place called X-Fire that is eleven miles from my house that I like to go to. Steven is the closest friend to me. From my house to Steven’s it takes about five minutes. My family also has a private pond that is stock with fish, so fishing is another thing we do for fun.

All in all I like where I live. Not to close but not to far from anything or anyone. Everybody that lives around me I know and is either family or friends. Sometimes it can be boring but there is always something to do, whether it be chasing cows or playing football with friends.