Home and deranged

From KKG to 713, I'm home for the holidays

The Kappa Kappa Gamma house at the University of Missouri
Caroline Gallay

It’s my first Christmas living back at home, and the weeks leading up to the big event have been decidedly different.

It seems like I was just in Columbia, Mo., doing white Christmases at the Kappa House with four fully-decked out Christmas trees (and a solitary dreidel and menorah on a corner table for our far-outnumbered Jewish members).

Donny, Dennis and Jim — our house staff — had the sprawling columned house decked out with white lights and garlands, and were constantly serving up plates of cookies to decorate with every color of icing and accoutrement imaginable.

Dennis has been with Kappa for 35 years, and the transformation that house underwent every year at his hands after the Thanksgiving break was totally breathtaking. I don’t need my heater often in Houston, but when it acts up like it did at school, I wish I could hear him bellow “Man on the floor!” and come to my room to fix it.

Christmastime at home is a little different. There is no staff to look after us four girls like there was to keep up with the 89 back at school. We have one tree and it’s a palm (my mom thinks it’s kitschy). Our lights just went up last week.

I can guarantee that as I sit writing this column on Christmas Eve, my family is maniacally wrapping presents and distributing them under the canopy of artificial palm fronds littered with mismatched ornaments. We’re not experts in the kitchen, either. Our favorite dish to make is a peppermint ice cream cake, solely because it involves hammering peppermints (literally) into smithereens.

My real house is messy and so is my family. Everyone is always yelling and interrupting each other and someone is always, always, in crisis. My mom has always said that a mother can only be as happy as her least happy child, and I think it's true. It's definitely true for her.

She's got all three of us under her roof now for an unlikely period. One sister is on the brink of high school, one's on the brink of college, and one (me) tumbled back into their lives. I ended up back in my old room after a series of events that can only be called unfortunate.

But this Christmas morning, under our festive palm tree amid the chaos, I know I'll feel lucky to be home.

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hey, joe

Trader Joe's sets Cypress opening date, confirms Bellaire plans

Photo courtesy of Towne Lake by Caldwell Communities Facebook page

Trader Joe's is expanding, and shoppers couldn't be happier.

Two new Houston-area communities announced that they would be opening Trader Joe's locations, bringing the total number of stores in the city to nine.

On Thursday, December 18, the Towne Lake by Caldwell Communities Facebook page posted that the new Trader Joe's at 9715 Towne Lake Parkway would open at 8 am on Friday, December 19. Unsold but still-good products left over at the ribbon cutting ceremony will be donated to local nonprofits.

"Not only does Trader Joe's have great prices on food, drinks, and treats, but as a hobby florist I always find the best selections for my floral arrangements," Copperfield resident Kelsey Zuchlewski tells CultureMap. "Now, with the convenience of having a location right here in our neighborhood, I'm in heaven."

Confirmation of the Cypress opening followed an announcement on the City of Bellaire's Facebook page that a Trader Joe's would take over the former Randall's at 5130 Bellaire Blvd. The post did not specify when construction will begin or when the location will open.

"This highly anticipated addition to our community will bring a unique grocery shopping experience and further enhance the vibrant retail landscape of Bellaire," the post said. "We look forward to welcoming Trader Joe’s and will share updates as the project progresses."

The California-based chain of stores entered Houston in 2012, first in the Woodlands and then, more famously, at the old Alabama Theater space on Shepherd, where it has become a beloved local institution. Since then, the chain has expanded throughout Houston, including a Kingwood location that opened earlier this month.

Over the year, Trader Joe's has built a loyal following that rivals even H-E-B. Staff at the stores (wearing Hawaiian shirts) are trained to be extremely friendly and helpful, as well as being encouraged to purchase ownership in the company. The selection is smaller and more curated than other larger grocery stores, leading to a boutique experience that many consider to be surprisingly affordable. At least one viral TikToker claims that Trader Joe's beats H-E-B's price, although the latter undoubtedly has a larger selection of goods.

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