The Pulse: December 2014

Who says Austin doesn’t get snow? 

Dec. 21, 1929 – 5.5 inches 

Nov. 22, 1937 – 9.7 inches 

Jan. 30, 1949 – 6.5 inches 

Feb. 23, 1966 – 6.0 inches 

Feb. 14, 2004 – 1.6 inches 

Feb. 4, 2011 – .9 inches 

"You'll Shoot Your Eye Out!"

Shotgun shell string lights 

$15; homedepot.com

Q: How are snowflakes formed?

A: A snowflake begins to form when an extremely cold water droplet freezes onto a particle in the sky, creating an ice crystal. As the ice crystal falls to the ground, water vapor freezes onto the primary crystal, building new crystals—the six arms of the snowflake.

Sure there’s Elsa from the movie Frozen, and then there’s the Snow Queen character in the TV series Once Upon a Time, but did you know there’s also an insanely popular Korean show? It’s about a math genius who is defrosting his frozen heart. Trivia: It also pays tribute to Korea’s legendary boxer Kim Deuk Gu.

Harry Winston, an American jeweler, arranged for the Hope and Portuguese diamonds to be placed in the Smithsonian. He died in 1978 but his eponymous business lives on, synonymous with red-carpet bling. 

It’s that season when the weather has started to get cooler and snow has begun to blanket the ground with ice. Well, at least in other parts of the U.S. We can still pretend though, right? Strap on some skates, and hit the ice at these local outdoor rinks. 

Whole Foods – South Lamar (check website for dates) 

Dec. 19 – Jan. 3: 5th Annual Holiday Lights and Ice at Omni Barton Creek Resort and Spa 

Nov. 28 – Jan. 4: 10th Annual Eisbahn at Marktplatz in downtown Fredericksburg 

Serve a Snow Drop

½ ounce vodka

½ ounce Triple Sec

½ ounce crème de cacao

Serve straight up, in a martini glass, or on the rocks with crushed ice. To get a frosted edge, rim the glass edge in lemon juice and then press into fine sugar.