Armadillo Christmas Bazaar

For 37 years the Armadillo Christmas Bazaar has been a seasonal celebration of Austin’s distinctive cultural identity, the Armadillo Christmas Bazaar is a haven for people seeking a different kind of holiday shopping experience.

The Armadillo presents an amazing array of original work by artists and artisans, from affordable gifts to high-end art. It’s the city’s favorite shopping party, with live music and a full bar. Gift givers, art collectors and music lovers can grab a beer, dance a bit and have fun while they shop.

This years event (2012) will feature more than 160 artists, artisans and craftspeople exhibiting their latest work. At least three music acts, local luminaries and exciting new talent, will perform each day. The Armadillo will once again be held in the Palmer Events Center.








When:
December 12-24, 2012 11am-11pm daily

Website:
ArmadilloBazaar.com


Where:
Palmer Events Center

View Larger Map

Blue Genie Art Bazaar

The Blue Genie Art Bazaar has become an Austin tradition during the holiday shopping season and is a great place to purchase exceptional arts and gifts. They are open seven days a week; 10:00am to 10 pm daily, the event runs from November 27 through December 24 and admission is always free.

All art and gift items for sale at the bazaar have been and is handmade by 130 local artists and craftspeople that are selected through a rigorous jury process. They have thousands of original works ranging from serious art to fun, sentimental items. The Blue Genie Art Bazaar is a great way to shop hassle-free, find unique gifts, and support Austin's great local artists.



When:
Nov 27 – Dec 24, 2012 10 am - 10 pm

Admission:
Free


Where:
Marchesa Hall and Theater 6226 Middle Fiskville Rd (across from Highland Mall)


View Larger Map

Downtown Sing Along and Stroll

On Saturday December 1, 2012 Austinits will gather at the steps of the Texas Capital for the lighting of the Capital Christmas Tree, and a sing long with KUT's (Austin's Public Radio) own John Aielli.After which participants then will stroll down Congress Avenue enjoying live music, refreshments and other entertainment. Shops along Congress Avenue will also be open for business during this time.





History:
The Downtown Austin Alliance has sponsored the Tree Lighting Ceremony at the Capitol since 1993. In 2003, the Downtown Austin Alliance joined forces with KUT 90.5 to combine their Sing-Along with the Tree Lighting Ceremony.

Website:
DowntownAustinHolidays.com

Schedule:
Sing-Along with KUT's John Aielli
6-7 p.m. at the Capitol Grounds

Tree Lighting Ceremony
7 p.m. in front of the Capitol on the north side of 11th Street at Congress

Congress Avenue Stroll
7-9 p.m. from the Capitol to 4th Street and Congress

Admission:
Free but please bring a $3 donation (or 3 cans of food) for the Capital Area Food Bank

Location:
1100 Congress Ave


View Larger Map

Chuy's Giving to Children Christmas Parade - 12-1-12

Every year Chuy's puts an a Christmas parade with giant inflatable balloons, festive holiday floats,  awesome, yes some might even say spectacular marching bands, children's characters, classic cars and even Jolly ole Santa himself are all included in this great annual holiday event.
Be sure to bring a toy  and at a designated time during the parade procession, the parade will stop and all parade participants will collect the toys from the spectators. The toys will then be distributed by Operation Blue Santa to children in need in time for the holidays. The parade has become a big part of this great cause collecting nearly one-third of the toys collected each year at the parade.
The idea started in 1989, but that is getting ahead of ourselves. To really tell the tale of how the parade started, we need to go back to 1987. That's when Chuy's co-owner Mike Young and KLBJ-FM teamed up to start an annual toy drive at Austin's two Chuy's locations to benefit the Operation Blue Santa program.
Two years later, Mike decided it was time to increase awareness of the toy drive by having a parade. So a couple of weeks before Christmas, volunteer's from Chuy's passed out fliers to everyone they meet downtown. The fliers asked them to bring a toy with them to work and the parade would come by to collect them. The following Thursday, the parade went up one side of Congress and back down the other stopping along the way to collect toys, including; according to the parades website a giant teddy bear, from then Governor Bill Clements.  That year Chuy's efforts nearly tripled the number of toys collected from previous years.
So come on out and enjoy the 24th annual Chuy's Christmas Parade and give to those children who might otherwise do without this Christmas season.

When:
Dec. 1, 2012 11am

Website:
Chuy's Giving to Children Christmas Parade

Location:
Downtown along Congress Avenue from the State Capital to Ceaser Chavez


View Larger Map

Best Selling Author Stops in Austin

Dr. Joel Wallach (author: Dead Doctors Don't Lie) came to Austin on Monday Nov, 19, 2012 to speak to a packed house, who wanted to get control of their health naturally, in the Gymnasium at Promise Land Church (1504 E. 51st).

photo by Kevin Surbaugh

Wallach is 73 years old, but you would never know by looking at him. He studied veterinarian medicine, worked with Marline Perkins (Wild Kingdom) then went back to school to study Naturopathic Medicine.He then began to apply the ideas applied to veterinarian medicine to humans. In a nut shell, he was the first to teach that most health issues could be addressed by nutrition rather than medication. Medication only treats the symptoms rather than the cause. A proper diet with nutritional supplements is the best way to address the cause rather then the symptoms. If you address the cause, that in turn will take care of the symptoms.
He and the nutritional supplements that he developed are the only ones to successfully go against the FDA. In fact he has successfully sued the FDA not once but eight times.
During his talk he discussed cholesterol. He said it had nothing to do with heart problems. Rather, it is like the red warning light on your cars dashboard, it is only a warning of a problem. We don't want to be lowering cholesterol rather we want to find out what the high cholesterol is warning us about.  He told women about the dangers of getting a mastectomy exam. One mastectomy gives off as much radiation as five chest x-rays. Instead he urges women to self monitor themselves, if they develop a tender spot then ask the doctor for a high resolution ultra sound with no radiation.
After this he moved into the proper diet and how it is hard to get the nutrients solely from our food.Which is why we need to be on a supplemental program. Here's the deal veterinarian's have increased animal lives by adding nutrients to their diets yet we as humans eat food that really isn't fit for a dog (for example most of us can  remember when a dogs average life span was eight years, now it's 2-3 times longer). The reason our food isn't getting the nutrients from the soil like it once did. We no longer out ashes from the wood stove on our gardens like we use to.As a result the soil has become depleted from the soil. There are 90 essential vitamins and minerals that we like our animals need to have a long life.Most of which, we can only ensure that we will get from nutritional supplementation. Much of what we have been told i wrong. For example, in the the 1980's only 14% of Americans were overweight. Today nearly 40% of Americans are overweight. Why? Because the medical doctors are telling us to be healthier we need to eat better, so we cut the sugar (as we should) while we eat more whole gains. Stop and think about it for a minute. What do we give cows to fatten them up so we can have that nice juicy steak? Whole Grains! Let's take a clue and improve our diets realistically.
Another problem is we are drinking to much water without nutritional supplements. The water (which we need) is washing the vitamins and minerals out of our bodies. We must add nutritional supplements to keep those needed vitamins and minerals in our bodies. 

November in Guatemala

Happy Thanksgiving! 

I was planing to send this email out in time for Thanksgiving, but I've been a little behind these past few days.

The biggest news this month is that our daughter Margaret Sophia was born last week! We named her Margaret after my grandmother who has been such a blessing to us. Both mother and daughter are doing well, but sleep sure has been much more difficult these past few days! We are so grateful for God's wonderful provision and protection throughout the complicated pregnancy. And we are so excited to now hold our little girl in our arms. Please be praying for Yuli as she continues to heal from the C-section that was necessary.

Elias graduated from high school at the end of October, and he is now searching for his first job. So these past few weeks he's been here at home with us, and we've had much more time to spend with him than we normally get. It's been great to have this time with him, and our relationships have grown a lot deeper. He's also been an absolute blessing to us this past week with our new daughter as he's been so incredibly helpful with cleaning and running errands. I really enjoy our time together, and it's so wonderful to watch him grow and mature. Please pray for him as he searches for a job.

Benjamin just celebrated his 24th birthday last week, and he also just started a new job. He decided to work at a cell phone company where a few other guys from Casa Shalom now work. This new job offers more money, but I'm concerned because it also requires longer hours. Our relationship with him has grown and matured a lot these last few months, and we've seen a direct link to how busy he is at work with how stressed he is at home. (In other words, he's just like all of us!) Please pray for him as he decides where to work and how to invest his time.

The house construction continues to progress as well. We're currently working on putting stucco on all the walls and installing pipes and drainage lines. I'm not sure when the house is going to be finished, but the progress continues to move along. I guess I should make a new video soon in order to show all the progress since we poured the roof! 

Verse for November

This month we finished our Bible study on the book of John. I just love this book, and I learn more and more each time that I read it. It's fascinating to see how Jesus interacts with His disciples and other people around Him. The thing that really stood out to me this time was how Jesus acted as a leader. I want to be a good leader to the guys that God has placed in my life, and I want to be a good leader for my family. 

Chapters 13-17 are so rich with great examples of His leadership during the last supper and in the Garden of Gesemane. Jesus serves the disciples by washing their feet. He says hard things to them and does what He knows must be done. He gives them a vision for the future and a plan for the present. He challenges them and comforts them. He spends a long time praying for Himself and for them. And all throughout these chapters there is a continuous theme of love: God's love of Jesus, Jesus's love of them, and their need to love each other.

John the Baptist's attitude about Jesus is exactly what I want and need for my life. It's a great response about how to be a good leader:

He must become greater; I must become less."  

John 3:30 (NIV)

I would appreciate your prayers for me: Jesus must become greater in my life, and my personal desires and attitudes must become less. It's so simple, yet so hard. Thanks for your prayers!

Here are all of the blog posts for this past month:

• Elias Graduates
• Earthquake
• Meet Margaret Sophia!
• Benjamin's Birthday

Thank you so much for your support and prayers for Yuli, Margaret, myself and our ministry with these guys. We pray that God also blesses your lives and draws you closer to Him. We pray regularly for you, so please let me know if you have any prayer requests!

Brent & Yuliza

Brent Potter
512-551-4334
Brent@CasaShalom.net
http://www.PottersHome.org

Hyde Park (Austin Convention Bureau Marker)

photo by Kevin Surbaugh

Inscription:
In 1891 this neighborhood was among the first planned subdivisions in the city and the first development involving a design for streetcars.

Hyde Park was the vision of Monroe M. Shipe, who with the Missouri-Kansas and Texas Land Company, established a 36-block area patterned after the exclusive London neighborhood.

Distinctive elements in this district are the home and studio of German sculptress Elisabet Ney, residence of Swiss woodcarver Peter Mansbendel, the Moonlight Tower at 41st Street and Speedway, and the Avenue B Grocery Store, a vivid reminder of a now-rare property within a residential neighborhood.

Hyde Park's "long distance" from downtown (20 blocks) made it "The Pride of Austin" with amenities such as a park pavilion, green space, 2 lakes, and an electric street car that ran to downtown.

Growth, economics, permissive zoning and other factors combined with development pressures eroded much of the historic fabric. Through education, awareness of the benefits of historic preservation, proximity to shopping and access to the University and downtown, the area began a resurgence in restoration and rehabilitation.

Bungalows and Victorian style homes remain in the tree-lined neighborhood along with other styles and materials of differing scales which together demonstrate the enviable desireability of historic preservation here and elsewhere.

Erected:
May 4, 2002 by the Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau (Historic Landmark Commission)

Location:
Shipe Park, 44th and Avenue F