Jeffee Palmer
Lawyer, history buff, writer, mother, grandmother, native Texan, UT grad, and proud Austinite!-
Author Archives: nowandthenadays
The Summers of Our Discontent (or Why I Hate Daylight Savings Time)
As spring has sprung, I’ve heard many remarks about its beauty, folks proclaiming it their favorite season, and the sound of sneezing as blooming allergens make their presence known. The other day, a friend waxed on about how clean, fresh, … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged autumn, Daylight Savings Time, drought, Federalism, hot summers
4 Comments
Seeing Each Other Through Blind Eyes
In the wake of the recent controversy surrounding Asian-American, Harvard grad Jeremy Lin of the New York Knicks, I found myself musing about the situation of minority groups who have such difficulty blending into the stereotypical American landscape. One of … Continue reading
Wasted Days and Wasted Nights
I used to understand state government finance, or at least the basic principles. Having served Mother Texas for some 38 years, I’ve lived through every kind of budget cycle, those during rainy days and those when the economic sun smiled … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged cost savings, government budget cuts, janitorial crews, Texas Facilities Commission
2 Comments
Let’s Be Mad as Hell!
Paging through the December 28th Austin American Statesman, I skimmed headlines until I was stopped on page A-7. Catching my attention was “Israeli girl’s plight highlights religious extremism” headlining the story of an 8 year-old American immigrant, sporting a pony … Continue reading
The Proof is in the Pudding
Food goes hand in hand, or hand to mouth, with the holidays. In our family, we generally choose the traditional holiday fare, coming together for Thanksgiving at my Uncle Bob’s and Aunt Jerilyn’s house to eat turkey, her inimitable cornbread … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized, Women
Tagged angel delight, christmas dinners, cornbread dressing
4 Comments
We Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Peter Pan
Unlike our more youthful co-travelers on the road of life, those of us of the mature persuasion tend to think more about our days being numbered. We begin accumulating numbers that serve to focus our attention on this fact, such … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Campbell Geeslin, Diane DeSanders, Elena's Serenade, high school reunion
4 Comments
The Annual Feast for Minds and Souls
The spoken words of authors who appeared at the recently concluded Texas Book Festival are still ringing in my ears, especially as I start reading their books. My favorite of Austin’s perennial events, the festival — held at the State … Continue reading
Testaments to Invisible Lives
As the unremitting heat of this past summer is about to remit, I’m seeing more and more of Austin’s street people out and about. During this endless and hellacious summer, I had noted their absence downtown and hoped that they … Continue reading
The Inescapable Shades of Gray
Human beings are purposeful animals. We decide to do something, set a goal, put something in motion. The funny thing about life, though, is that what we do doesn’t always work out as intended . . . we get blindsided … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged high school reunion, longevity, Steve Jobs, Theories of the Sun
5 Comments
Now and Thenadays 