St. Mary's Winter Benefit - 1/28

17^th Annual fundraiser for the St. Mary’s Catholic School includes a social hour, dinner, dancing and silent auction. Tickets are $30 and the benefit starts at 6 pm at the Gillespie County Fairgrounds on Highway 16 South.

Luckenbach Winter Blues Festival - 1/29

Chase those winter blues away with the 4th Annual Luckenbach Blues Festival. Enjoy live blues music at the world famous Luckenbach Dance Hall. Please call 830/997-3224 or 888/311-8990 for more information. A full day of Blues of every kind featuring performances by Seth Walker, Band of Heathens, Guy Forsyth, Porter Davis, Ruthie Foster, Ben Beckendorf, W.C. Clark and Johnny Nicholas.

$30 per person. The Feedlot will be open for casual fare. All ages welcome.

This is an all day event...starting at 2pm, non stop music til midnight. The Feedlot will be open and serving the finest Pulled Pork, BBQ, Hamburgers, sausage wraps etc. As always, they serve beer and wine in the bar. All ages welcome.

Book Signing at Pioneer Museum - 1/28

Randy Rupley, local author and translator, will be signing his recently published book which is a translation of the novel by Friedrich Armand Strubberg, Fredericksburg (Fredericksburg: The Colony of the German Noblemen's Society in Texas) on Saturday, January 28, 2012 from 10:00 A. M. until noon at the Pioneer Museum. Mr. Rupley is actively involved in translating German manuscripts into the English language.

You are invited to share a different perspective on the history of Fredericksburg in the 1850’s. Friedrich Armand Strubberg who was also known as Dr. Schubert first published the book written in German in 1867. Most of the stories concerning the adventurous life of this character are based on the sensational stories he wrote himself. They contain important eyewitness accounts of events as well as personal observations and his opinions. He may not be remembered as a great colonizer, but he certainly deserves to be remembered as a great novelist who wrote about the early activities in the Texas Hill Country.

His book is available for purchase at the Pioneer Museum Gift Shop at 325 W. Main Street.

Annual Rabies Vaccination Clinic - 1/28

The City of Fredericksburg and local veterinarians are calling the attention of all local per owners to the annual rabies vaccination clinic Saturday January 31, at the City's Consolidated Warehouse, 233 Friendship Lane (behind the High School) from 8 am until 4 pm, including the noon hour. These vets sacrifice a portion of their regular fee to provide this service to the community. Fee for rabies shot is $6 per pet. Pet owners will also be able to register their pets with the City of Fredericksburg for an additional fee. Please call 830/997-7643 for more information. Be a responsible pet owner.

Fredericksburg Friends of Conspirare in Association with FMC presents Conspirare - 1/19

Craig Hella Johnson Artistic Director & Conductor. Concert 7:30pm - St Mary’s Catholic Church, 306 West San Antonio Street at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $20 for this concert. Tickets can be purchased through Fredericksburg Friends Of Conspirare at Bierschwale-Rees Insurance, (830)997-7693

Messina Hoff Wine and Pie Pairing - 1/22

Yes – they said pie!

Featuring pie tastings from Tootie Pie Gourmet Café and Messina Hof wines, 2-4 pm. This should be a fun one!

Standard tasting fee applies.

Messina Hoff is at 9996 US Highway 290 East. Call 830-990-4653 for details

Fredericksburg Music Club Presents "Gli Unici" - 1/15

In 2008 Donald Braswell "America's Got Talent", contestants Donald managed to make the Top 5 and was awarded the great privilege of being selected to perform at The MGM Garden Arena. William Chapman, I could have never asked for a greater talent in my life than what God has bestowed upon me through the gift of singing. Tenor Timothy Birt, was most recently praised by the Houston Chronicle for his depiction of Des Grieux in Manon. The concert begins at 3 pm at Fredericksburg United Methodist Church, 1800 N. Llano Street. By donation.

Jazz in January at Chisholm Trail - 1/14

Chisholm Trail Winery, 2367 Usener Road, presents live jazz music by the George Eychner Quartet, Saturday from 2-5 pm. Call 830-990-2675 for details.http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

Windows on Texas Music Festival 1/12-15

Enjoy Texas music, conferences and showcases throughout Fredericksburg and Gillespie County during the 8th annual Windows on Texas Music Festival. Please call 830/997-2197 for more information.

Messina Hof Toast to Sparkling Wines - 1/1-14

Featuring 5 special tastings of Messina Hof Sparkling Wines and some Wine-tails. Includes a take home recipe card for Wine-tails and pairings.

Standard tasting fee applies, during regular Winery hours.

Messina Hof is at 9996 US Highway 290 East. Call 830-990-4653 for more information.

37 degrees - rediscovering the ordinary at Whistle Pik Galleries - 1/6 -1/31

Words from the photographer - Jessica Taylor

What makes us matter?
Something in all of us wants a place in this world- however small. We want something to feel significant. We lay claim to accomplishments, place boundaries around the things we own- we manufacture an independent spirit.

Is it our uniqueness that makes us matter?
Across the street or an ocean we all have things in common. I walk through doorways in Kenya where children dress for school and markets open early. The moon rises over the Mekong river, as dinner is set and fisherman cast their nets. In Sudan we dance in thunderstorms, and stumble through language barriers. We drink chai together in Laos and coffee in Ethiopia- engaging in their ordinary has given me a deeper look into the soul of a place, of the culture, of people I have come to know as close friends.

To us, our routines and daily lives are ordinary.

We each live surrounded by our own version of ordinary. Maybe it isn’t the accomplishments or boundaries we build that make us unique. Maybe it is our ordinary that makes us unique. If this is true- just maybe we are missing something beautiful by racing through the ordinary in our life, ignoring the simple tasks that make us both unique, and that make us human.

With these photographs, I invite you into ordinary places, and challenge you to see more than the subject within the frame- to actually encounter them- and all of the hope, truth and complexity that comes with it.

37 degrees celsius: the core body temperature of humanity.

Whistle Pik Galleries is at 425 East Main Street. Call (830) 990-8151 for more information.