The Goodly Grammarian Grammarian

78

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12Anna Marie Varela

Lunasays

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Gia Trimboli Wright!Merry is an understatement of what I feel this Holiday Season. I am going to be a daddy! Any day

now my very own family will be born. A beautiful little baby girl that I get to share Christmas with for the first time will be in my arms. Stefania and I will now be parents that will come up with kooky family traditions like “ugly Christmas sweater” family photos, “singing around the piano”, or “lighting the tree

on fire after New Year’s”. As Christmas, Kwanza, Hanukah approach forget about that item you can’t live without and remem-

ber you are a part of something much greater than what the material world has to offer.Family and Loved Ones are the Greatest Gift.

In this issue we meet a local band with the liquid flow of a brother/sister/friend mash-up, Sick/Sea. Also, we meet the talented artist Anna Marie Varela whose passion for life shines through her artwork, where she depicts family life around the world. Also, try out some Holiday recipes from Chef Stefania

in this months Traveling Fork.Happiest Holiday Wishes from the enCORE Family!

…and always remember…Art is a living organism that must be nurtured in order to grow.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night,Daniel Wright, Stefania Trimboli and Gia Trimboli Wright

Publishers Note

enCORE Staff:PUBLISHER

Daniel Reid Wright

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Stefania Trimboli

COPY EDITOR

Joelle Pearson

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENTJohn Justice

Cale Johnson

ART DIRECTORS

Daniel Wright

Art Rodriguez

CONTENT CONTRIBUTORS

Sketcher Cruise

David “GONZO’ Gonzalez

John Justice

Cale Johnson

Chuck Farmer

Ramon Ramirez

Joelle Pearson

CONTACT INFORMATION

Encore.W9@gmail.com

enCORE

LFN,LLC.

P.0. BOX 999

LA FERIA, TX 78559

For ADVERTISING

(956) 797-9920(956) 367-1049

Artist: K

anye West

Album: VH1 Storyte

llers

Label: Roc-A-Fella

, Def J

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d: 05 Jan

2010

Genre: Hip Hop, R

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io Story (8

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by SKETCHER CRUISE

In 2008 I att ended the Bonnaroo Music Festival. Th at year Pearl Jam had originally been set to close out the festival, but at the last minute, Kanye West was scheduled aft er them. It would be dark, and Kanye was promoting his Glow in the Dark Tour. I was not a fan of Kanye, but I had heard that he put on a good show. I decided to stay and watch him, even though I was exhausted from four consecutive days in the sun.

When Kanye was scheduled to begin, the big screens dis-played a message explaining there would be a 15-minute delay. I waited. 2 hours and several 15 minute messages later, I gave up and left without ever seeing Kanye perform.

A few years later a Kanye song came out on Pandora, and I was intrigued. I started downloading random songs of his. I really liked Kanye, who I’d hated for so long without giving a chance. His music was captivating—his mixes are stylized and his lyrics read like an autobiography. A few weeks later, he was featured on VH1’s Storytellers. Th is show is his perfect medium; it’s almost as if Storytellers was created with him in mind.

His Storytellers performance is intimately personal. Most episodes take musical breaks oft en, allowing the musicians to stop and tell a story about what inspired them to write a song or discuss the recording process. Kanye, however, took this model and remixed it.

Instead of stopping the music to tell a story, he used his music to express his thoughts on everything: His love of Tenacious D, heartbreak from his Mother’s passing and even his behavior at award shows. I questioned why I put so much emphasis on his media image; all the hype was inconsequential.

Th is album continually amazes me, and it’s diffi cult to critique individual songs. Some of the best parts of it are not the songs themselves, but rather his freestyle storytelling.

To appreciate his artistry, you must hear this story. Because the album is edited from its original live perfor-mance, there are some forced transitions between tracks; however, the content is solid. A defi nite must-listen whether or not you are a Kanye fan.

Th is summer I had a chance to catch Kanye on a Friday night at the Austin City Limits Music Festival. I did not pass this opportunity up. It was an amazing show. He took some time to express some more of his thoughts—it reminded me a lot of the Storytellers performance. I could have been anywhere else that evening, but I wouldn’t be as happy as I was right then.

Overall Rating: 4.75 out ot 5 Ships

music

8

Let's talk about a lie you tell your-self everyday. It begins with saving your money. You go to the mall. You buy the super-expensive run-ning shoes, the ones that are sup-

posed to transform you into a professional athlete. You tie them on and get in position at the start-ing line. You run as hard as you can. As you feebly crawl across that fi nish line aft er your 25-minute mile, you tell yourself, "...I'll never be any good at this." And yet, nothing could be farther from the truth.

If the universe has coerced you into being my friend, you'll know that I spend a lot of my time stretching. Your body is constantly trying to com-municate with itself, and stretching is one of the best languages you can learn to understand these encoded messages.

I used to think that sore muscles and tight ten-dons meant I was doing something wrong. Let's say I tried to do the splits one day, and the next day I could barely walk. I would think, "My body is fl at-out telling me not to do the splits again." Now, we're back to the lies.

We're constantly overlooking the factor of time in our iPhone era. We're used to things being fast, almost instantaneous. We might put in an eff ort for a day or two to get something we want, but if we don't see instant results we quit. Th is pushes us so far away from the truth.

Th e truth is that a tiny, consistent eff ort over a large amount of time can make a huge impact on the world around us. If you stretch a litt le every day

you'll become fl exible. If you play music a litt le ev-ery day you'll become a musician. Just as no one is born with the ability to bench-press 300 pounds, you and I aren't always born as the person we want so badly to become. But all it takes a litt le practice.

This December, take a minute to honestly accept yourself as you are right now. It's fi ne to think about who you want to be eventually, but how do you start becoming that person today? Small steps are how. If you can only run a 25 minute mile, then your next goal should be to run a 24 minute mile—not set a new world record. Aft er a week, you'll have a completely new goal to strive for.

My friends, you are not stuck in the body you have, or in the house you live in, or in the situ-ations that arise around you everyday. We all have the innate ability to choose to move forward, to become who we want to be. You won't become a professional drummer, or an athlete, or a head chef or a charge-nurse over-night, but you can become anything in time. Fol-low this hippie's lead and stretch yourself everyday, litt le by litt le, into greatness.

"Just as a large vessel is filled by falling drops of water, so too are the steadfast filled up by virtues accumulated a little at a time." - Buddha

The Over-Night Lie

How to Fill Your

Vessels

by: John Justice

�for tunesToys

422 N. L St. (on the corner of L and Jefferson)

956-364-3422

Papa Joe’s“Harlingen’s Offi cial Burger Dive”

BURGERS & STUFF

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featuring music by:PHILOSOPHER DAVE

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10

MUSIC

On a commonly humid night in McAllen Texas, outside the famous Cine El Rey Th eater, Daniel and I pushed our way through the crowd, throwing

elbows when we had to, and made our way backstage, where the rock-stars live.

Hundreds of local youth, just like my friend and I, had come out to see the show, headlined by national recording artists "Miniature Tigers." But as soon as

McAllen's own "Sick/Sea" made their way to the stage, the subject of who was headlining quickly became anyone's guess.

I got a chance to talk with Audrey, Cameron, and Miguel later that night aft er they rocked it and left the crowd wanting more. Th e fi rst thing I noticed was how calm Th e Seas were only moments aft er fulfi lling every bands dream of blasting screaming teenagers in the face with rock and roll for an hour. Th eir down-to-earth att itude and sense of humor made the concert

Sick/Sea Playing at Cine El Rey

MUSIC

seem like just another day at the offi ce for this liq-uid trio.

Here's a litt le bit of our conversation that night:JJ: You guys are a band in the valley, what drives

you to perform?Th ere's not a whole lot of lime-light down here.Audrey: It drives us to perform down here,

(knowing) that there aren't alot of local bands... so we have a bit of an advantage. It's harder to have a crowd in Austin because it's... so saturated there.

Cameron: Inspiring people is the main thing that keeps me going. Playing shows and writing music, music we love... I hope, personally, we can inspire people to make their own music.

Audrey: (Another thing would be) even the fact that... you don't see a lot of females in bands. I hope I can inspire some girls to pick up the guitar and learn how to play.

Sick/Sea mixes Indie, Pop, and good old Rock and Roll into heart-felt songs and an exciting stage show. If you haven't seen them yet you'll have to wait, as they're away on yet another national tour! But make sure you send them positive vibrations on the road by smiling while you listen to their new album, "Oh Ship," fi ve tracks of rippling goodness.

You can buy "Oh Ship," hear bonus tracks, watch video, and learn every-thing you want to know about Sick/Sea at www.Facebook.com/SickSea.

photos courtesy of Sick/Sea

12

art

Most of us have reveled in the pain or joy of certain moments—times where we are most vulner-

able, when we let our guards down and allow ourselves to feel. For most of us, being vulner-able isn't so easy to forget. We seem to instinc-tively remember times of vulnerability, because forgetting means fighting the urge for us to pro-tect ourselves. Like the animals we are, survival is priority number one.

Artists tap into these impressionable memo-ries of vulnerability and use their art as a way to express the emotions felt during these mo-ments. While talking to artist and 218 Gallery curator Anne Marie Varela, I discovered the motivation behind her family-oriented work and the emotion that fuels it.

Her paintings pay homage to her family and Hispanic culture, which her high school sweet-heart properly introduced her to when they met. Images of menudo and tamales take her back to a time that puts a smile on her face, but also have some underlying sadness. They force her to remember the loved one she lost.

Moving all across the country as a young child, Varela was exposed to big-city life early on. Moving to Arizona, Illinois and eventually Washington, she followed along as her parents worked in factories. After the civil rights move-ment in the 1960's, Varela's mother chose to

move the family to Texas. She believed it was a better environment in which to raise her His-panic children.

The Valley was a change of pace. But here she met and married her high school sweetheart, who passed away in 2004.

She credits him with helping her find her Mexican roots—a memory that still is very emotional for Varela. His influence encouraged her to go to college, where she eventually dis-covered her talents as an artist while pursuing an education degree from UTPA. There, she met a professor who would encourage her to pursue art full-time. After graduating, she returned to attend the Master of Fine Arts program.

Anna works on piece “Christmas Menudo” before and after

Most of us have reveled in the pain or joy of certain moments—

Anne Marie Varela captures what Valleyites take for granted

12

After some time, Varela re-married fellow artist and UTPA colleague Ben Varela (who is also a curator at the 218 Gallery). Now, she teaches art at PSJA Memorial High School in addition to her curator work. She uses the time off from the school during the holidays to focus on her art. “I don’t have a lot of time to create as much stuff as I’d like,” said Varela. “Since I don’t have much time, I’m using the time I have now to work as much as possible.”

Viewers can feel the attachments she has to her pieces and the emotions that she projects through her work. “Most people that live down here don’t seem to appreciate my work as much as people from up North,” said Varela. “[Non-locals] usually are blown away by how different my work is to them.”

She hopes to communicate emotion to her audience, creating "something [they] can relate to". Her works include Los Compadres and The Three Ladies, which conjure memories of her father and late husband; her mother and two aunts, sitting on a couch playfully discuss-ing "who was bigger".

At first glance, Varela’s work is all too famil-iar for Valleyites. Every character observed in her work exuberates the feeling of local culture. Most often, Varela is praised with capturing the images associated with the people native to our area. "People always comment that they recog-nize the characters in my work, saying things like 'That's my grandma!' which I enjoy because they have a relationship to it," she explains.

Varela has captured something we, immersed in the culture of the Valley, take for granted: how unique and beautiful our families can be from an outside perspective. The same can be said for any culture, though we in the Valley seem especially quick to ignore this. We tend to dismiss things from this part of Texas as not being “original”. Sometimes taking a step back makes a large difference, making us more vul-nerable and capable of feeling things we did not know where there.

To see more of Anna’s Art work come down to Beyond 218 Gallery

at 218 E. Jackson, Harlingen Texas. 78550

Mexican Santa by Anna Varela

14

fashion

14

Comadre y gato by Anna Varela

15

ART WORK

Quienceñera by Anna Varela

gothamcomix.com

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at the corner of Jackson and Commerce

956) 457-9401

(956) 457-4093

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beyond the visual spectrum

Women’s Exhibit December 3rd Saturday 6pm

17

Happy Holidays from...

Happy Holidays from

Chuck Farmer

The Goodly Grammarian Grammarian

As a copy editor, I encounter “that/which” problems in almost every docu-ment I edit. Many use the words interchangeably. Tsk, tsk! Would you interchange “you’re” and “your”? You should be ashamed! Th e late author David Foster Wallace asked us to consider a great many things: brevity, lobsters, tennis. But his strongest opinions regarded dic-

tion, or word choice. Th ough much of his writing contains words that seem invented (like “uxorious” or “rogation”), he understood English as thoroughly as a nuclear physi-cist understands the periodic table. Simple things, like confusing the words “that” and “which” were unforgivable. Wallace proposed something terrible about that/which errors. He believed people wrote “which” because they believed it sounded smarter than writing “that”! I know you would never do that. - Incorrect: Th e Justin Beiber CD which I bought was awesome! - Correct: Th e Justin Bieber CD that I bought was awesome! Don’t worry. “Th at” is not going to make you look stupid, but buying a Justin Bieber CD will. If you’re just aching to use that beautiful word “which,” fear not! Th ere is a place for it. When to use “which” correctly: Th e easiest rule to follow is that “which” will ALWAYS follow a comma. - Correct: Th e Justine Bieber CD, which I bought from my litt le sister, is awesome! Oppositely, you will NEVER use “that” aft er a comma. - Incorrect: Th e Justine Bieber CD, that I bought from my litt le sister, is awesome! Th e more complicated explanation is that “which” is used to denote something called a “nonrestrictive element” in a sentence. Basically, information inside the commas is not essential to understanding the idea of the sentence. Th ink: I don’t have to know you bought the CD from your sister to understand that you think J. Beebs is awesome. Don’t think about it too much. Instead of lett ing your thoughts turn into pretzels and throwing your book across the room like I did in college EVERY time I encountered that/which, just think: Does this “which” have a comma in front of it? If not, it should probably be “that”. Using the word “that” actually makes you appear smarter! And if you think Ol’ DFW and I think about these things too much, you’re probably right. Like the late author (and most grammar Gestapos,) I really am only friends with my cat.

by: Joelle Pearson

That Which Will Make Your Smarter

20

1102 E. Harrison St., Harlingen, TX 78550

Lunch : 1 1 -2Monday - F r iday

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First Place at Taste of Harlingen 2011

Everyone loves a good Christmas movie around the holidays, but most of us have seen Miracle on 34th Street so many times it’ll drive you crazy. Here are a few alternates that aren’t overplayed during the holiday rotation.

Love Actually (Romantic Comedy)Alright, I know most

guys usually dump this type of movie is into the “chick fl ick” category or immediately label it DO NOT WATCH. Th at is a mistake on their part. Th is feel-good fi lm breaks the normal preconceptions

about romantic comedies and shines independently as not only a great movie, but also a great holiday fl ick.

Set almost entirely in modern London, Love Actu-ally tracks the interconnected lives of many strangers and the budding romances and losses they develop in the weeks preceding Christmas. With a strong British cast including Liam Neeson, Hugh Grant, Colin Firth, Kiera Knightley, Emma Th ompson and more, the fi lm also contains surprising cameos by many other celebrities. Funny, charming, heartfelt and ultimately satisfying, Love Actually is not only a fi lm which will get you bonus points with your lady friend. And guys--it’s also a fi lm you will actu-ally love.

Bad Santa (Dark Comedy)Packed with crude hu-

mor, debased behavior and enough bad deeds to land you on Santa’s naughty list for years to come, Bad Santa is a guilty pleasure comedy. Warning: it’s not for the faint

of heart or those easily off ended. Billy Bob Th ornton plays Willie Stokes, a de-

pressed, alcoholic mess of a thief whose idea of Christmas tradition involves masquerading as a de-partment store Santa Claus with his ‘elf ’ accomplice in their yearly scheme of robbing unsuspecting malls on Christmas Day. Aft er a chance meeting with a lonely dimwitt ed boy and local bartending beauty, Willie begins to have second thoughts on the de-structive, self-loathing nature of his life and the toll it infl icts on those around him. Bad Santa is defi nitely not a feel-good holiday fi lm; however, it will have you rolling with laughter if you can overlook its derisive nature. Bad Santa focuses on the immoral actions of an alcoholic, when most opt for movies packed with family entertainment and holiday cheer.

Gremlins (Horror/Comedy) A traveling salesman

purchases a strange crea-ture known as a Mogwai as a pet for his son Billy’s Christmas present, and he’s given three important instructions for its care: 1. Don’t let your Mogwai become exposed to bright

lights; 2. Don’t ever let it get wet; and, most impor-tantly, 3. NEVER feed your Mogwai aft er midnight.

Billy quickly breaks these rules, however, spawn-ing several demented monsters known as Gremlins. Unleashed, they terrorize the small town on Christ-mas Eve. Produced by Steven Spielberg, Gremlins is a classic monster movie which spawned several other spin-off s, sequels and even a TV show. It was also one of the driving forces behind the creation of the PG-13 movie rating due to its controversial PG status at the time. If you are looking for an off -the-wall look at the Christmas movie formula gone awry, look no further than Gremlins.

Film

Hidden Holiday GemsCale Johnson

22

Die Hard - ActionDie Hard not a Christ-

mas movie you say? I beg to diff er. Once you wade through all of the explosions, the gunfi ghts, the blood and all of the bad %#@&ing language, there’s a story of John Mc-Clane, a man determined

to get home for Christmas--regardless of the body count he has to stack up to get there.

Aft er fl ying to Los Angeles to spend Christmas with his estranged wife and children, New York cop McClane (Bruce Willis) becomes unwitt ingly en-gulfed in a terrorist plot during his wife’s company Christmas party. Th e sole escapee, he is thrust into the involuntary role of hero. McClane begrudg-ingly begins a night-long feud, doing whatever he can to disrupt the terrorist’s plans and get his wife back. Countered by one of the best villains in fi lm history, Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman), Die Hard is everything an action-lover could want in a Christ-mas movie (down to the soundtrack’s inclusion of Christmas in Hollis by Run DMC). So put up your

stockings, decorate your tree and yell “Yippee Kay Aye”, enCORE readers: It’s Christmas!

Scrooged – Comedy Everyone has heard

of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, starring Ebenezer Scrooge and the Ghosts of Christmas. Th ere have been countless books, cartoons and fi lms that have brought the story to life, but one of my favorite and less-

er-known adaptations of this classic tale stars Bill Murray.

Murray plays Frank Cross, a cold-hearted TV producer whose latest assignment is to produce a live telecast of A Christmas Carol. As he prepares for the show, his life begins to mirror the story he is producing. He’s visited throughout the evening by three ghosts from Christmases past, present and future. A funny and slightly darker take on Dick-ens’ story, Scrooged is a great fi lm that refreshes the common tale.

Other Suggestions: A Nightmare Before Christ-mas and Ernest Saves Christmas

FOOD

Chiles en Nogada

by Chef Stefania

24

FOOD

25

I wanted to celebrate this Christmas with some of my family’s traditional Mexican holiday recipes. The colors of the Chiles en Nogada beautifully represents Christmas on a plate. The green chiles, the white walnut sauce and the bright red pomegranate seeds showcase the wonderful colors we love to celebrate this time of the year. Almond cookies are something all of my cousins love to take part in. Once mixed, ask the kids the help roll the dough into balls. This makes for a lovely family tradition and gets every-one involved. Every year around this time, my mother warms up a little pot of aroma that completely fills the house with the holiday smell. This is very simple to do and adds so much warmth and cheer to your holiday season.

In a small sauce pot add:Peel of one orange Couple sticks of cinnamonA few whole buds of cloveA sprig of Christmas tree if you

have itFill with water and let simmer on

low heatI’ve done this every year since I’ve

moved out of my mother’s house and every year I am taken back to my childhood. This will always remind me of some of the happiest times in my life. Enjoy.

Ingredients:6 large poblano chilies, for stuffing1 tablespoon vegetable oil1/2 lb ground pork or beef3 garlic cloves1/4 of an onion, peeled and diced2 tablespoons unsalted almonds,

chopped2 tablespoons raisins, softened in

warm water1/4 teaspoon cinnamonpinch of nutmeg1/4 teaspoon cumin3/4 cup Mexican crema1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts1/2 teaspoon sugar1/4 cup evaporated milk1 pomegranate, seeds separated1 bunch fresh parsley, coarsely

choppedDirections:Roast the chilies under a broiler

until blistered and dark. Turn chil-ies every once in a while as to not let them cook through. Place chilies in a plastic bag and leave for 20 minutes. Peel and make a slit on the side and carefully remove the seeds and veins.

Heat the oil over medium heat in a large pan. Add in the beef or pork and brown until nearly done. Add in the garlic, onion, almonds, raisins, cinnamon, nutmeg, cumin, pinch of salt and pepper and cook for about 5 minutes.

Stuff the chilies with equal portions of the stuffing. Blend the crema, wal-nuts and sugar with the evaporated milk. Pour over the freshly cooked chilies and sprinkle with pomegran-ate seeds and chopped parsley.

26

Every Saturday

Harlingen Farmers Market

Downtown on “A” StreetBetween Jackson and Monroe

www.harlingenfarmersmarket.com3:00pm - 4:30pm

Almond Cookies

gothamcomix.com

at the corner of Jackson and Commerce

956) 457-9401

(956) 457-4093

(956) 262-1762(956)367-1049

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Ingredients:1 cup butt er, soft ened1 cup white sugar1 egg2 teaspoons almond extract¾ cup ground almonds2 ¾ cups all-purpose fl our ½ tsp salt2 Tbsp milkDirections:Preheat oven to 400 degrees FIn large bowl, cream together the butt er and sugar. Beat in

the egg, almond extract, milk and almonds. Gradually mix in the fl our and salt until well blended. Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Place a blanched almond half or sliver on top of each cookie and press to fl att en lightly.

Bake 5 to 8 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cook-ies are lightly colored. Cool on a wire rack. Makes 48.

For tickets and more info call (956) 797-6393

December 7&8 14&15 at 7:30pmMusical Performance and Dinner at Ol D’s

105 W. Jackson Harlingen

Provacouture Productions Presents:

Your Community NewsLFN, LLC dba

(956) 797-9920www.thelaferianews.com(956) 367-1049

encore.w9@gmail.com

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(956) 233-9928www.thelosfresnosnews.com

CULTURAL ARTS SOURCE

Th e direction and dialogue are ridiculously fun. While I normally would bash this experience for the novice production value, the amateurism only added to the fun.

Th ere’s no major complaints for Equinox. I don’t think this fi lm really could have been any bett er with what it had to work with.

Overall, this is an awesome cult classic horror fi lm that I recommend to all fans of Th e Evil Dead and demon-oriented fi lms. Th is experience is a fun, cheesy watch all the way through.

Rating: 8/10

Director – Jack Woods, Mark Thomas McGee, Dennis Muren Cast – Edward Connell, Barbara Hewitt, Frank Bonner, Robin Christopher, Jack Woods, James Phillips, Fritz Leiber Jr., Patrick Burke, Jim Duron Release Year – 1970

Film

johnofthedead.c0m

I fi rst heard about this cult classic fi lm aft er reading Equinox shared many elements with Sam Raimi’s epic demon opus Th e Evil Dead, and may have even had a heavy infl uence on Raimi’s horror masterpiece. I fi nally came across the opportunity to give this fl ick a watch. If you are a fan of cheesy horror fl icks that im-plore claymation tactics and tons of nonsense, then this fi lm is for you.

Equinox follows four friends who go to the mountains to meet up with a professor and en-joy a nice picnic while visiting. Aft er exploring, they encounter a crazed old man who hands them a book, overwhelming happy to have rid himself of it. Naturally, the book isn’t normal. It comes with some dire consequences—a de-mon is unleashed to recover it and will still stop at nothing to get it back.

Th ere are many resemblances between this fi lm and Th e Evil Dead. Both incorporate de-monized books, which are rife with passages that open the door to demonic netherworlds. Both feature a professor, who translates the book on a recording. Th ere is even the use of a vortex that leads to another dimension, much like the climax of Evil Dead II: Dead by Dawn. Th ese, however, are not enough similarities for me to conclude that Th e Evil Dead is a rip-off of Equinox, (although the latt er did debut 9 years before). It is likely to be infl uential.

What really made this fi lm a fun watch was its cheesy story line. It was interesting, especially given the fi lm was released in 1970. I liked all of the diff erent plot elements, (especially when the demon resurrects some giant creatures to go and retrieve the book for him). Despite the fi lm’s low budget, there are awesome claymation scenes, including a claymation death sequence.

32

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Sat�rday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Visit us at Desireesspa.com1921 E. Har�ison Harlingen, Tx.

78550956.425.3303T.D.S.H.S, License # ME 1805

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A Night In

Morocco

Charity Event Fashion Show to Benefi t the Harlingen Humane Society

December 9, 2011 at Jackson Square Event Center

Tickets for the “A Night in Morocco” fashion show to benefi t the Harlingen Humane Society, on Friday, December 9th from 7-10 PM at the Jackson Square

Event Center, are on sale now! Don’t miss out on a lovely evening with live music, yummy baked goods, beautiful people in head-turning pieces, a raffl e and silent auction with amazing prizes, and the opportunity to adopt a best friend, on site, from the HHS. Tickets are $10, $20, $30, and $60 each. Only 300 tickets are on sale, so purchase

yours before they run out! Guests 18 and up welcome. If all 300 are sold, and all fees are sponsored, $6,000 will be

donated to the HHS, on behalf of Luxe!*Requests for sponsorship opportunities

and tickets can be made by calling 512.573.2010

Charity Event Fashion Show to Benefi t the

A Night In

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Beautiful Designs by Alma

Floral Arrangements for Weddings, Special Events and your home.

Beautiful DesignsBeautiful Designs by Alma by AlmaContact Alma Garza 956-245-3258

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medusatonight.comFor Reservations call 956-456-6393

or email medusa956@yahoo.com

medusatonight.com2230 S. Sunshine Strip Harlingen Tx.

1805 E. Ruben Torres Sr. Blvd., Suite C-01 Brownsville Tx.

Come Meet the Bert Ogden Family!

• Draperies• Blinds

• Bed Spreads“Free Estimates” 214 East Jackson

Steve AuneOffi ce: 428-4331

Readers Choice in VMS, and 4 truffl es in enCOREMerry Christmas

dearluna

Steve AuneOffice: 428-4331

Harlingen,Texas

It never fails. The season of joy, peace and love always seems to turn into the season of annoyance, anger and frustration. We become frazzled by the need to consume . Don’t get me wrong, a little shopping is always fun as long as our consumption doesn’t swallow us. So take a moment to slow down. Stop your body and stop your mind. Breathe. Inhale deep and exhale slowly. It is time to sit down and enjoy a cup of tea, coffee or cocoa. So breathe, sit and take a sip. Feel the warmth of the drink and taste the goodness that it brings.

It is time to observe. Open a window or a door and look at the life around you: the noise, the silence, the beauty and the energy of where you are right now. Breathe, sit and observe.

It is time to connect. Gather the people that you love and bring them to your table. Cook a dinner, have a tea party, play a board game, do a puzzle and gather together with those you love to breathe, sit, observe and connect with each other. This, my friends, is called mindful living.

When we live mindfully, we experience our lives fully. We taste every taste, we feel every sensation, we breathe every breath consciously and we connect to the people and the world around us without distraction.

This holiday season, take the time to cook a recipe with your grandmother. I can tell you she’s the best storyteller you know. Take the time to go for a walk with your best friend and tell her how special she is. Tickle your children and hear their laugh-ter fill the world. Take the time to accept and love your parents as they are, forgive what they may have done wrong and enjoy what they did right. And most of all, take the time to honor your divine self with love, acceptance and respect. The moment you see the people that you love gathered, breathing peacefully, sitting and enjoying joyfully, observing mindfully and connecting lovingly, you will see the creative abil-ity our Divine Spirit has.

When we live with Spirit, through Spirit and in Spirit, we live in peace, joy and

Lunasays

I am looking forward to reading you’re thoughts, opinions or questions, In this safe space, know that you are welcome to talk and share about any concerns or issues that life brings. Together, we can learn from each other and help each other understand our Divine truth. You can email me at Lunasays@hotmail.com with any questions.

love. Enjoy your Self, enjoy each other and enjoy the world around you. Don’t just enjoy your holidays, create Divine and Holy Days.

Dear Luna I love the Holidays but I feel a lot of

stress to make it perfect. What do I do?

Slightly used couch for sale. Leather. Mostly

brown. $2,000. Ifinterested call 555-5555

Red 2006 Bay Quest speed-boat for sale. Auto-graphed by Celine Dion.$35,000. If interested call

555-5555

“Moby Dick” 1st edition for sale. Rare “great white

wail” misprintedversion. $21.50. If inter-

ested call 555-5555

In need of Billy Joel re-union tour tickets. Will-

ing to trade tattoowork and Best Buy cou-

pons. If interested call 555-5555

Professional pianist in search of backing band.

Wigs and wig-greasewill not be provided. If

interested call 555-5555

Lost pet. 3 Year-old white dove named Lucy. An-

swers to no name. Ifseen call 555-5555

Vintage Fox and Mink fur coat for sale. Murder’s

never been so cheap.$60. If interested call

555-5555

McAllen-based Hickory BBQ Club will be host-

ing their annual“Up-In-Smoke” cook-off this Thursday. First time competitors welcome.

No smoking.

Cookies and cakes of all kinds for sale. Made with

100% naturalHigh-Fructose Corn

Syrup. $1 each. If inter-ested call 555-5555

Doorbell repair and door-knocker installa-tion. All doorbells that

can not be repaired will replaced with door-

knockers. If interested call

555-5555

42

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Guerrilla Art

1. Draw your original art piece.2. Tear out page and mail in to102 S. Main St. La Feria Texas 78559Digital Art can be emailed to encore.w9@gmail.com

REALTY INC.

R E A L T O R SConnie de la Garza, Broker503 E. Harrison, Harlingen, Texas

REAL ESTATE FOR EVERYONEBUYERS - SELLERS - RENTALS - COMMERCIAL

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December Events

PAPA JOE’S BURGERS & STUFF422 N. L ST, HARLINGEN

956.364.3422

CINE EL REY311 S. 17TH, McALLEN

956.971.9825

BALOOS1900 S. 77 SUNSHINE STRIP

HARLINGEN956.428.2300

MISTYS ROCK and BLUES214 S 17th Street

McAllen(956) 994-9772

SPRING AWAKENING2:30PM

El Cine Club” presents FREE movies 7-10

El Cine Club” presents FREE movies “Tuesday

Night Music Club”

Open Mic

Long Time Coming

Johnny L

Open Mic

SupertreeAcoustic

Cool ArrowsTHE ROACHES

The Furytones

Johnny L

Long Time Coming

GALAX Z BEAR presents: NATURAL

CHILD (Nashville, TN)Doors: 9pm

Music: 10pm

El Cine Club” presents FREE movies “Tuesday

Night Music Club

El Cine Club”presents “Solaris” FREE movies “Tuesday Night Music

Club

Simon Sez2007 Orchid Ave

McAllen(956) 618-4178

Ol ‘Ds105 W. JacsonHarlingen, Tx.

THE WARSKELETONS

Johnny Mac

Give us your schedule artist/venue encore.w9@gmail.com

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Regional DJS

CHAIR EXHIBITOPENING

Thursday “Wrestling Revolution” 8:00pm $5

BENNY LAYTONSEMINAR

PHOTOS OF SUMMERTEEN WORKSHOPEXHIBIT 6PM-8PM

WEDNESDAY NIGHTCOMEDY

Wrestling Revolution 8pm

ENCORE FRIDAYNIGHT COMEDY

Movie Screening “Pulga Wars”

WEDNESDAY NIGHTCOMEDY

Miniature Tigers” & “Sick Sea

ENCORE FRIDAYNIGHT COMEDY

ENCORE FRIDAYNIGHT COMEDY

WEDNESDAY NIGHTCOMEDY

Wrestling Revolution” 8:00pm

LITTLE MATCHMAKERS

WEDNESDAY NIGHTCOMEDY

Wrestling Revolution

BLUESANOS

KARAOKE W/ DJ Roland

KARAOKE W/ DJ Roland

KARAOKE W/ DJ Roland

KARAOKE W/ DJ Roland

Chirs Rivera

Chirs Rivera

PHILOSOPHER DAVE

PHILOSOPHER DAVE

PHILOSOPHER DAVE

CHIMIES

HOP SHOPGRAND OPENING

Stellar

A 1940s Christmas Home Coming

7:30pm

A 1940s Christmas Home Coming

7:30pm

A 1940s Christmas Home Coming

7:30pm

A 1940s Christmas Home Coming

7:30pm

Stone

CHIMIES

CHIMIES

Leigh Holles

Leign Holles BLUESANOS

AREA DJs

Regional DJs

THE CHIMIES

Away Out KARAOKE W/ DJ Roland

The Furytones

CHIMIES

LUXE PRESENTS *A NIGHT IN MOROCCO* FASHION SHOW TO BENEFIT THE HARLINGEN HUMANE

SOCIETYJACKSON SQUARE

EVENT CENTER

1 956.278.0626 311 S. 17th St.

December Line up