There is a rose garden in Tyler, TX that has been a part of the history of this cities making. Since 1952 this municipal rose garden as served as a tourist attraction that brings in most of the business Tyler has gotten over the years, excluding oil.
Tyler Texas Rose Garden
Each year there is a festival, a queen crowned, duchesses chosen and tourists from far and wide bringing with them the business this town prepares for every year. Hotels are sold out, the roads are clogged and the restaurants are full every evening. What a paradise for money making and beauty seeking.
But here is my concern. Why is the garden so special? Roses are pretty, I like them, but I’ve seen prettier ones. I’ve walked through the garden and I’m not impressed. It’s not even the roses that are the problem. Its the landscape. If my artistic eye serves me right I think the design could be more appealing than we’re letting it. The fountains are typical and 60’s. The lay out doesn’t say anything new and there are no surprises. Maybe if I looked from a bird’s eye view there would be something intended to be eye-catching… but I’m not a bird and neither is anyone else paying money to see it.
Where is the vibrant life of color and excitement a garden is supposed to engulf me with? My favorite gardens draw me in, invite me to look close, and adventure my way through. But this makes me feel like I’m still in the office and have not escaped. Does anyone know what I’m talking about? 
If this legend of the Rose Garden is to continue then can we re-focus? I’m not ungrateful to the people who designed and made the garden and tradition to begin with, but I think its time to either move on or make over.
There’s a New Speaker in Town
January 5th, 2011In an awkward and unusual departure with tradition, outgoing speaker Nancy Pelosi gave a long- winded passive aggressive defense of the last congress.
In fact when the new speaker finally took the podium his speech time ended up being shorter than his predecessor’s. It wasn’t all sour grapes.
Representative Pelosi graciously welcomed and praised her successor, and the new House speaker, in turn thanked her for her service. But he also wasted no time promising that the new house would govern according to the will of the American people.
He promised to do his part to cut federal spending, reduce the deficit, shrink the size and scope of government and to work to moderate its agenda. He also promised to enforce house rules, but maintain an open and verifiable process.
While the speaker’s party rose to its feet and cheered at number of points, the opposition largely remained seated, hinting at things to come. I hope and pray the new congress can indeed change the course of an increasingly liberal an obtrusive government.
Next week we should catch an early glimpse of how this congress will function as a bill for repeal of the President’s health care law comes up for a vote. Hopefully all this new hope and change will amount to more than just a casting change!
Tags: Aggressive Defense, Congress, Federal Spending, Glimpse, Health Care Law, House Of Representatives, House Speaker, John Boehner, Nancy Pelosi, New Hope, Opposition, Podium, Predecessor, Representative Pelosi, Scope, Sour Grapes, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Speaker Of The House, Speaker Of The House Of Representatives, Speech Time, State Of Ohio, the speaker of the house, Tradition, Tyler Texas
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