Piney Woods Quilt Festival

Posted on April 10, 2012 by Larry Lynch

My Grandma Neal used to piece together quilts out of scrap. I still have the one she made for me when I was six; she let me sew in the last piece on the corner…my uneven stitches are easy to spot. It has been around the world with me. In it there are pieces of old coats, pants, the remnants from re-upholstering a favorite chair…she didn’t waste much. One of the most colorful was the quilt she made out of the American flag that was used on Uncle Leo’s coffin when the Navy sent him home from WWII.

The quilt pictured above won a blue ribbon in the Piney Woods Quilt Festival, being held in Carthage April 20-21. If you have good memories of the quilter(s) in your family, you should go. You can get more info here, and see more photos of past winners here.

East Texas Arts & Crafts

Posted on March 19, 2012 by Larry Lynch

East Texas has attracted a lot of artists and artisans over the years. Canton’s First Monday Trade Days and the Edom Arts Festival are two good venues for seeing their handiwork. We ran across Rachel in Edom and were fascinated by the painstakingly fine detail of her woven baskets, and even more impressed when we learned she uses long-leaf pine needles to create them. The Cherokee and Coushatta tribes were making these baskets long before Columbus sailed, so it’s nice to see the craft continues.

Show Up for Art Jam Saturday November 12th!

Posted on November 7, 2011 by Rose Capital Realty

SECOND SATURDAY ART JAM IN EDOM & BEN WHEELER
The November “Second Saturday Art Jam” will be in full swing on Saturday, November 12th in and around Edom and Ben Wheeler – two of the small-town arts centers of East Texas; shops & galleries will be open 10am – 5pm and there will be musical entertainment until 11pm. Many of the galleries will be featuring guest artists, special products, musical performances, and demonstrations to help visitors begin to select those special “artistic” gifts for the holiday season. For more info click here.

Edom Festival of The Arts

Posted on October 16, 2011 by Larry Lynch

Among the areas we have come to enjoy in this area is Edom, a small town 30-minutes west of Tyler known for its local artists and craftsman. This weekend is their arts festival, so today Andrea and I went over to meet some old friends from Dallas for lunch and then tour the displays. Andrea fell in love with some necklaces and I snapped a shot of her shopping.

Smart Shoppers Site for Gadget Hounds

Posted on September 27, 2011 by Larry Lynch

If you’re in the market for a tv, phone or camera, you should check out Decide.com, a site which can predict when prices are likely to drop on an item, or clue you in that a newer version is due out soon.

Edom Arts Festival October 15-16

Posted on September 27, 2011 by Larry Lynch

Andrea and I have enjoyed getting to know Edom, a little town with lots of personality just west of Tyler. We have enjoyed good meals at the Edom Bakery Gourmet Night (complete with belly dancers), stopped by for Classic Car Show, had some good lunches at The Shed, and of course attended the Edom Arts Festival. We hope to see you there…it’s a great place to meet friends and a way to support our local artistes and craftsmen.

Next Time You’re In Arp, Try Thee Kafe

Posted on September 25, 2011 by Larry Lynch

If you like good home-cooking and you’re in Arp around meal-time, don’t miss Thee Kafe at 103 W Longview St (903.859.2026). Carole Lee uses her grandmother’s recipes…the chicken *** wrapped around a jalapeno wrapped with bacon is delicious. And the coconut cream pie is something to remember!

Friday night is “Rib-Eye Night” at Thee Kafe. We went over with another couple recently and had a very good time. The football game was out-of-town so we had plenty of room and were served quickly.

East Texas Treats: Jay’s Smokin’ Bare Butt Bar-B-Q in Montalba

Posted on November 22, 2010 by Larry Lynch

Andrea and I are fortunate to be able to travel to some of the farm and ranch areas around East Texas listing and showing properties. On our travels we sometimes run across interesting places (Arp’s “Thee Kafe”, Frankston’s “7-B Ranch Restaurant”) and we like to let our friends know about them. We ran across just such a place on Saturday and if you are a fan of high-quality bar-b-q that’s been slow-cooked (many hours at temperatures no higher than 212°) over hickory then you need to make a point of driving through Montalba, located at the intersecton of FM 321 & FM 19 just fifteen minutes north of Palestine; they have a flea market on the first Monday of each month just like Canton but a LOT more intimate. Jay and Cindy Galloway have been working on their rustic roadside shack complete with a pot-bellied stove in the corner.
Andrea and I had the chopped brisket served on a soft bun with chips and a drink for $5. The meat was tender and juicy…it didn’t have or require a lot of sauce, although Jay’s is quite tasty. We also bought a rack of beef ribs ($20) which we’ve been eating for a couple of days now. If you like authentic bar-b-q that hasn’t been over-sauced or cooked to death, you owe it to yourself to stop by Jay’s.