Protect Your Home From Freeze Damage
January 15, 2012 by Laura Duggan · Leave a Comment
Prepare your home to prevent damage to water pipes and landscaping. Drip all indoor and outdoor faucets before the cold snap hits. Wrap exposed pipes. Open the door to utitlity rooms that have an exterior wall so that the heat of the house keeps connections from freezing. Turn thermostats to the 60’s in buildings that are vacant. Water […]
New Year's Day Good Luck Tradition
January 1, 2012 by Laura Duggan · Leave a Comment
Eating black eyed peas on New Year’s Day is essential for anyone in the South. No one in my family would even consider skipping this southern tradition for fear of having the promise of luck and prosperity that comes with this almost religious experience elude them. The black eyed pea, really a legume and not […]
Austin Ranks One of Best Performing Cities
December 19, 2011 by Laura Duggan · Leave a Comment
Once again, Austin is setting records. Austin ranked 4th out of 200 large cities in the Milken Institute’s annual survey of Best-Performing Cities. Austin has consistently ranked well in this prestigious survey having ranked number 2 in 2010 and number 1 in 2009. The Best Performing Cities index includes both long-term (five years) and short-term […]
Marcie's Holiday Yams are a Family Tradition
November 26, 2011 by Laura Duggan · Leave a Comment
My grandmother, Marcie, was a fabulous cook. When I was a little girl, I couldn’t wait to pull a chair up to her big maple table and help her make an array of holiday treats. One of the first things that she taught me to make were her yams, and they are a holiday tradition at my […]