[lodwick]

Germans contributed a huge amount in the settlement of Texas, you can look at all the towns with ...burg on the end of the name and feel pretty safe in the knowledge that the folks were straight from Germany.

I've read that our Texas Hill Country looked a lot like home to them, so this is were they sunk their roots. (Lodwick = Ludwig prior to WWI, by the way.)

[MaeWest]

This just came to me via email. Thought you might enjoy it.

Think about them one at a time BEFORE going on to the next one......... IT DOES MAKE YOU FEEL GOOD, especially the thought at the end. 1. Falling in love. 2. Laughing so hard your face hurts. 3. A hot shower. 4. No lines at the supermarket 5. A special glance. 6. Getting mail. 7. Taking a drive on a pretty road. 8. Hearing your favorite song on the radio. 9. Lying in bed listening to the rain outside. 10. Hot towels fresh out of the dryer. 11. Finding the sweater you want is on sale for half price. 12. Chocolate milk shake. (or vanilla!) (or strawberry) 13. A long distance phone call. 14. A bubble bath. 15. Giggling. 16. A good conversation. 17. The beach. 18. Finding a $20 note in your coat from last winter. 19. Laughing at yourself. 20. Midnight phone calls that last for hours. 21. Running through sprinklers. 22. Laughing for absolutely no reason at all. 23. Having someone tell you that you're beautiful. 24. Laughing at an inside joke. 25. Friends. 26. Accidentally overhearing someone say something nice about you. 27. Waking up and realizing you still have a few hours left to sleep. 28. Your first kiss (either the very first or with a new partner). 29. Making new friends or spending time with old ones. 30. Playing with a new puppy. 31. Having someone play with your hair. 32. Sweet dreams. 33. Hot chocolate. 34. Road trips with friends. 35. Swinging on swings. 36. Wrapping presents under the Christmas tree while eating cookies and drinking your favorite tipple. 37. Song lyrics printed inside your new CD so you can sing along without feeling stupid. 38. Going to a really good concert. 39. Making eye contact with a cute stranger. 40. Winning a really competitive game. 41. Making chocolate chip cookies. 42. Having your friends send you home-made cookies. 43. Spending time with close friends. 44. Seeing smiles and hearing laughter from your friends. 45. Holding hands with someone you care about. 46. Running into an old friend and realizing that some things(good ..or bad) never chage. 47. Riding the best roller coasters over and over. 48. Watching the expression on someone's face as they open a much desired present from you. 49. Watching the sunrise. 50. Getting out of bed every morning and thanking God for another beautiful day.

[texasbluebell]

Yes, even the town in north Texas where my German ancestors settled was named after the main town in the province where they came from in Prussia. Mine must not have felt the need to change their own name though in WWI. Guess the town was small enough and German enough that most people didn't mind the name.

[Endeavor]

Yes, Germans were a very big part of Texas settlement. My great grandparents were Germans who settled in Galveston and later Houston. They had a very successful poultry and egg business which my grandfather continued on in Houston - he had the first poultry processing plant there, and always told us he had the first Houston drivers license ever given out. The sign on the back of his car, while he was courting my grandmother, read "Cream 'O Nut" - a brand of butter which he sold. He was a character and we called him "Cream 'O Nut" for other reasons.

I don't know why we Texans were told that the Germans settled in the Hill Country because it reminded them of Germany. I don't think it looks a bit like Germany. I sometimes wonder if that isn't one of a long line of Texas Tall Tales. No doubt there are lots of folks of German heritage in the Hill Country. They were damn fine at growing peaches there, too. (Altho how they were able to clear out all the rock and find fertile ground for orchards, I'll never know.)

Blow a kiss towards Kerrville for me at sunset, Lodwick. It's my favorite part of Texas.