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It’s hard to reimagine just how important this date is to kids anymore. But it is. Back when I was a kid, our family we would have a “tree” up many days before Christmas Eve and gradually the pool of presents would grow under it.
Read moreIt was a nice day, that Sunday on December 7 , 80 years ago in Washington, D.C. The warmer than normal weather had caused New England’s famed pussy-willows to bud. The busy DC football stadium was hosting the Washington Redskins and Philadelphia’s Eagles. Strange times. Like this attack on Pearl Harbor, I knew little to nothing about Pearl Harbor. But I was six then at the time.
Read moreThanksgivings are such a special time of the year. For most of us. For me it getting to see my loved ones. Sharing a big Thanksgiving meal and being thankful for one another. This year we planned a biggie. All four of my kids and most of their kids were to show up. All brought food. Lots of it. One grandchild even brought her kid (no we didn’t eat him), great-grandson named Iggy from Austin, Texas. We were all pretty thrilled with the idea of it all. I don’t really know who all showed up, such is the size of my family, but it was a good crowd.
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Thanksgiving? Here again? It’s almost stylish these days to say: “Thankful for what?” Well, let’s just look back a bit. One in particular noteworthy year in my life was 1963.
Read moreTexas has a lot going for it. One of the things -- there is a lot of wealth and pride residing south of the Red River and the growth of North Texas continues unchecked.
Read moreYou know, after a man retires he has more time to think. To think and perchance to dream. So said the old Bard. I saw in the Daily Oklahoman this past week that experts who do the “Farmers Old Almanac” are, again, predicting a harsh winter for Oklahoma and Texas. Sort of like last year, I wondered. It reminded me of ten winters back as I sat safely in my den dreaming of warm weather, my boat and camping. And by now I had retired and could play, fish, swim and run around as I pleased. The most wonderful part of my life had arrived, and my daydreams were indeed full of ideas about boats, fishing, and vacations those cold days. Life was good.
Read moreCovid perils are still holding forth. But just not so bad now as perhaps a week or two ago. And will it reload and again assert itself as the big news story of our time and be the killer it has been. I hope not. This Covid has terrorized the world long enough. Well, long enough for me. One doctor amazed at the denial among the anti-vaxxers reports that many of these deniers who have already been smacked down by this dreaded virus insist to the death (theirs) that they don’t have Covid. Such is the strength of the organizers of resistance to this happening. It’s very sad. But the denial is as real as the virus itself.
Read moreLast Sunday was a great day here in Allen. Anyone who ventured downtown last Sunday morning would notice that starting at the intersection of HWY 48 and Broadway, the street was closed. Big fire trucks had closed it both ways and on both ends. For those who had forgotten, last Sunday was when we had our city-wide back to church blast. Most of the churches closed down early and headed for Allen’s basketball gymnasium to have a city-wide church service. Its purpose was to give the community a chance to get together and engage in Sunday worship. It was to help us get over the Covid times of low attendance and encourage everyone to get back in church. The Pandemic seems to be winding down now and no one wants the town’s churches to wind down too.
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