Historical Moment

Buda Elementary received a historical plaque for being a working school for over 100 years. Nolan Kunkel and Moe Johnson, both former students worked on getting the historical status and made statements to a nice sized crowd at the school last Friday.
After the student council helped unveil the plaque there was a small celebration in the Kunkel Room.
I love looking at the old photos of the building over the years. We're so glad they decided to keep both campus's intact!

Funky Buda Furniture Company

We didn't know they existed until an artist friend from Dallas sent us this link. (Thanks Kimmy Dee)
Ref-Use Furniture
Adam Edwards & Nicholas Petersen dumpster dive to reclaim the wood and make new products....

An Austin American Statesman blog mentions this quote from Edwards...."

“I grew up in a cabinet shop and I noticed that good scraps of wood were thrown away because they were too small to use,” said Adam Edwards of Ref•Use. “So, we decided to see what we could make out of them.”

How cool is that, support a local business and help the environment!

You can find their chairs & flooring at Eco Wise and IF&D in Austin!

We hope more cool artists make Buda their home!

Winter Walk

Mild winters are a good time for walking and experimenting with photos.....

Swiss Family Robinson

We took advantage of the reasonably warm weather for an outdoor camp out in the new tree house. Too bad it only fits 3.

In Memoriam of Oso

We all miss you dear friend

Death is not the end
Death can never be the end.

Death is the road.
Life is the traveller.
The Soul is the Guide

...

Our mind thinks of death.
Our heart thinks of life
Our soul thinks of Immortality.

- Sri Chinmoy

We all love our pets, and all of our dogs get out accidentally,
please slow down on area roads for dogs and deer at night.

Sign of the times

preferred hiking shoes

we've gotten over our fear of coyotes and have started to venture back into the wilds of Onion Creek.....behind the new Stagecoach Park




There's lots of old signs of Buda around town, here's a few before they're lost.

Boooooooo da

Downtown Buda has trick or treating at the library each year in a festival they call BOOda. All of the downtown business set up tables for the kids to walk by and trick or treat and promote their businesses. The fire department also comes down with their trucks and let the kids climb through them and our new police force directs traffic!
We started going when our kids were really little and have seen how much the city has grown with all the new families.
Thanks City of BOOda and Martha & the Library for this cool family event!

"The Lightning Thief"

Athena & Aphrodite

Buda Kids were were honored to have a special guest, the author Rick Riordan of "The Lightning Thief".

I first remember hearing about this book last year when they read and voted on it for the Texas Bluebonnet book award. Then they all dressed up as Greek Goddess' for Halloween, and wore them for his new book signing at Book People.
(we've heard there's also a Camp Half Blood put on by Book People in Austin".

Mr Riordan read to the kids from "The Sea of Monsters" and told them how the series of books came to be...an influence of reading to his son every night and when he ran out of greek myths to read, was told by his son to make new ones up!

He also said this about Buda on his blog "My uncle lived there back in the 70s, and it was a real trip to see how much it has changed since I was last there. The old school(Buda Elementary) is still the same, though -- lots of character, a very laid back atmosphere, and friendly people" Yeah for staying good & funky!

Each generation of kids has a favorite book that was a turning point in their love for reading and this ones it!
Thanks for inspiring kids to run out and read the next book versus see the next movie.

For more info on his visit, see his site and his blog.

http://www.rickriordan.com/
http://rickriordan.blogspot.com/

Viva Chavelos!

Here's another downtown Buda restaurant plug.

If you want to have fun with your friends, take them to Chavelo's for their birthday dinner.
Then secretly tell Chavelo it's their birthday.

At the end of the meal, Chavelo and his whole staff come out with pots and pans banging and sing Feliz Cumpleanos! The kids love it!

Chavelos is BYOB so you can bring a few beers or a jug of margaritas like we did!

Plus they also have great grilled tilapia and tacos al pastor.

Viva Chavelos!

Feelin like a "fattie"

Helen's Casa Alde in downtown Buda is know for their breakfast tacos, so if you've never had a "fattie" drop in, they serve them until 1:00.
It's over filled with bacon, eggs, sausage, cheese and potatoes on a freshly made flour tortilla.
The salsa is nice and spicy too!
This place is the good kind of funky!