June 15, 2016 Issue

Mason County Farm Bureau will host a membership drive at the Farmer’s Market from 5-7 p.m. then head over for a social hour at the wine bar. The group, according to its president, Shannon Worrell, has flourished in Mason County. “Our organization continues to grow because of the people we serve. Rural and urban alike are represented by Mason County Farm Bureau and, as a result, Texas Farm Bureau,” Worrell said. The organization offers unique member benefits and services, representation in ...

In the fight against germs, the best defense is a good offense. To combat disease on a microscopic level, Hill Country Memorial has acquired a “germ-zapping robot,” that uses ultraviolet light to kill germs throughout the hospital. “A disinfected room is a safer room,” said Mike Reno, HCM Chief Operating Officer.

There Aren't Words Available There are some things in life that defy description. Many of them are wonderful and beautiful, while others are so filled with horror and evil that they seem inconceivable. The birth of a child defies adequate description. When you've waited for that moment for nine months, there is no way to adequately express the joy, the relief, the pleasure and the anticipation for the future. When the sun is rising on a winter morning, crisp and clear, with a w ...

Jesse Carraway Jesse James Carraway of Mason passed away on Wednesday, April 27, at the age of 84. Survivors include a son Randy Carraway and wife Jody of Mason and a daughter Missy Carlile of Reno, Nevada, grandchildren Jesse Walker Carraway, Cody Terry and Tanya Terry, nieces and nephews: Rene Robbins, Rebecca Estes and Terry Makowsky, great nieces and nephews Jennifer Bankston, Rheannon Wartenbach and Daniel, Monty and Matthew Makowsky.

Nancy Rae McCray Nancy McCray, 81, of Saint Jo, Texas, passed away on June 1, 2016 in Saint Jo. She was born November 2, 1934. Her parents were Charles David "Chuck" Terrell and Martha Houghton Terrell. She is survived by son, Paul Jordan of Spring, TX; daughter Misha Jordan of Mason, TX; and, daughter Laura Haralson of Saint Jo, Texas.

Ch.... Ch..... Changes..... For the last couple of days, the sun has been shining and the skies have been blue and clear. After an extended period of rain, cloudy gray skies and high mold counts, the change in weather has been quite welcome. Of course, in the spring, in Texas, the one thing you can always be certain of is change.

The Mason County Livestock and Wildlife Protection Association presents a rifle to a member of the association every year. The recipient of the rifle this year is Vernon Fritze. This rifle is awarded as an incentive for Mason County residents to pay their dues. It is also in appreciation to all landowners for joining our local nonprofit volunteer organization.

May’s Scarlet Puncher luncheon, a pot luck at the home of Lynn Hedges, was wonderful, as usual. Lynn’s yard and flower beds (and that wonderful deck) provided a delightful venue as we enjoyed food, fellowship, and our tacky jewelry exchange. Packages containing “jewels” and other finery were opened to much “ooohing and aaahing” and everybody came away with something gaudy.

Members of the Texas Hill Country Heritage Association (THCHA)received good news for Mason County last week regarding plans for a wind farm in the western part of the county. Joan Heredia, director of Environmental Compliance and Regulatory Services for ENEL, sent a message to Mylea Bayless of Bat Conservation International notifying the group that ENEL has made the decision to NOT move forward with the Mason County facility.

I distinctly remember my mother telling me that she hoped to see the day when I’d have “enough sense to come in out of the rain.” If she was looking down on us Wednesday afternoon, she’d have been shaking her head in disbelief. Twelve brave souls signed up for the Scramble, and in a steady but light rain went out to their respective tee boxes and began thrashing at the golf ball.

“What a perfectly charming and engaging performance. From the start, each of the characters had physical, vocal and emotional commitment and maintained their energy throughout. The Sycamores (and Grandpa) were fun and funny but totally realistic. You all let the script play the humor without resorting to gimmicks...I can’t begin to tell you how impressed I am at the total effort of this production – Bravo!...

The Media Dear Gerry, Let me surprise you: Trump’s right; the media is misleading. Don’t call an ambulance for me, because I’m still sane enough to see that Trump’s wrong in portraying the media as against him. The media has been a treasure trove, bestowing upon Trump millions of dollars’ worth of free advertising and exposure, much more than any other candidate was given.

JUNCTION—Interested stakeholders in the Upper Llano River watershed are invited to provide comments on the draft Upper Llano River Watershed Protection Plan during the 30-day formal public comment period, June 8 through July 8, according to the watershed coordinator. Tyson Broad, the Upper Llano River watershed coordinator, said the plan, developed by the Upper Llano Watershed Coordination Committee, is available on the Llano River Watershed Alliance at llanoriver.org. Broad said written comm ...

Several Mason junior tennis players started the summer season this last weekend as Mason hosted the Summer Swing Tournament. Due to several players taking SAT tests and others being out of town, the draws were a little small, but the competition was still very good. The results are as follows: 12 BS – Luke Marshall (Brady) def Jack Gillespie(Mas) 6-1,6-1. 14 BS – Patrick McAuliffe (Mas) def Ranger Schmidt (Mas) 6-2,6-4 16-18 BS – Jack Marshall (Brady) def Ethan Powell (Mas) 7-6, 6-2 14 GS ...

Our Meeting will be hosted by the Kerr County members, and will be held in Kerrville, TX. All ladies that are interested in joining are welcome to attend! WHEN: June 21, 2016 TIME: Social 10:00 am with meal to follow WHERE: Buzzie’s BBQ 213 Schreiner St Kerrville, TX 78028 (830) 257-4540 COST: $18.00 per person GUEST SPEAKER: We are pleased to have John Mayer, Foreman of the Jinx McCain Horsemanship Program and Director of The Semper Fi Fund Apprenticeship Program as our guest speaker. The Se ...

The Wilhelm and Johann Heinrich Geistweidt family reunion will be held Saturday, June 11, at the Doss Community Center, in Doss. Fellowship begins at 10:30 a.m. Potluck meal at 12 noon. Bring meat, sides and/or dessert, plates and utensils. Tables, chairs and drinks provided. Officers for this year’s reunion include Stephen Stengel, president; Brent Geistweidt, vice president and Kara Immel, secretary-treasurer.

Notice of Meeting American Legion Fort Mason Post #285 237 Post Hill Road Mason, TX 76856 Thursday, 9 June 2016 at 6:30 p.m. All members and interested veterans are encouraged to attend. For more information, contact Post Adjutant, Holly B. Gilmore, 325-347-2274.

Texas A&M AgriLife County Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences and the Wesley Nurse invite you to take part in a free diabetic education program which includes a series of cooking workshops. If you have diabetes, are predisposed to diabetes, take care of someone with diabetes, or are just interested in knowing about diabetes, please join us this summer! Sheree Hardin, Texas A&M AgriLife County Extension Agent and Ann Scarth, RN, Wesley Nurse with Methodist Healthcare Ministr ...

The Mason Lions Club met Tuesday, May 31st for it’s weekly luncheon meeting. There were 31 members and 3 visitors in attendance. “Boss” Lion Joel Kuykendall announced that Lion Penny Ruthven has purchased a new projector screen for the club and informed us that we need a computer projector for the June 21st meeting.

The time has come—John R. Erickson, author of Hank the Cowdog books, is in concert tomorrow night at 6:00 P.M. in the Stribling Room. It’ll be fun for the whole family. Admission is free! Non-fiction: (new to our library) Baby Care Basics by Dr. Jeremy Friedman, et al (618.92 FRI) The Rainbow Comes and Goes by Anderson Cooper and Gloria Vanderbilt (920 Coo) Fiction: All quotes are from publishers’ summaries Dishonorable Intentions by Stuart Woods (F WOO Sto.38) “Stone Barrington’s lat ...

A fish story Longtime readers of this column may recall that, about fifteen years ago, my family and I made history by being the first people to camp out in a Bass Pro Shops store overnight. And before you start making any plans, I should point out that we got permission from the folks at the BPS headquarters in Springfield, Missouri first. We were planning to travel through Springfield anyway, and I sent an email to my friend, Katie Mitchell, who is the communications manager ...

I’ve got a bad case of the, “Don’t want a’s!” I’ve had symptoms off and on for the past ten years, but today has to top it. I need to get groceries, but I don’t want to. I need to do some laundry, but I don’t want to. I need to mop after the rains, but I don’t want to. I’ve asked myself, “What do you want to do?” My reply to myself is.

A Salute to Hard Heads... It won’t happen, because yearbooks don’t “plug in,” but if today’s high school or college graduates decided to “go retro” for an hour or so, they should visit older relatives’ homes. There, they’d be taken aback by the, uh, “quaintness” of school annuals from bygone days. They’d joke about students’ stern looks and stiff postures, wondering what their counterparts back then had against smiling. And what about all those nicknam ...

Koch Kaese (0ld Version) I know there are some of you out there that remember “Koch Kaese”. Koch Kaese is a German Cheese, meaning “Cook Cheese”. I have wonderful memories of my Granny Geistweidt making it when ever one of us was sick. It always seemed to make us feel better. Heat 1 ½ to 2 gallons clabbered milk in enamel pot until you can hardly keep your finger in it.

This past week the City Council met in a special workshop session to discuss goal setting and the impacts and considerations that would have on the budgeting process for the coming years. As with every meeting of the elected officials, this was an open meeting that anyone could attend and was posted as required by state law.

May was another great month for the Mason County Chamber of Commerce. We had a total of 175 visitors; they came from Sherwood, Arkansas; Winfield, Missouri; Kearney, Nebraska; Provincetown, New England; Berkeley, California; Kingsland, TX; Friendswood, TX; Midland, TX; Bastrop, TX; Austin, TX; Leander, TX; among other places. We are getting ready for the 52nd Annual Mason County Round-Up on July 9, 2016.

Prayers have been answered. All the cumulative prayers for rain were answered this week. We are so grateful for the bountiful rains. And, we are grateful that the rain didn’t cause flooding locally. Our prayers are with those enduring floods. Sterling Jordan will celebrate his 90th birthday on Sunday, June 12th, with a reception at the Stribling Room in the Mason County Library from 2-4. Save the date, June 23rd, for a farewell party for John and Sharon Alsbrooks. The Lutheran-Methodist Bible ...

Rain again caused the Eckert James River Bat Cave to be closed this past week. Although the beautiful green countryside is a sight to behold, visitors from many areas actually wanted to behold a different vision....that of the emergence of the bats. High water in the James River was what kept us from reaching our destination.

Farm to market. Food transported to the grocery store. We’d be lost without it. And pretty darn hungry too. Farmers’ Market. Right here. Right now. Every Friday. Rain or shine (for some). From 5pm to 7pm. Located behind Santos Taqueria. Buena Terra didn’t let the rain stop them. They brought an abundance of their organic vegetables. Pickling cucumbers and regular cukes. Daikon and radishes. Beets and carrots. New potatoes. Fennel and onions. Fresh dill, basil, and rosemary. And flat-leaf ...

Honoring Bob Favor, Texas Ranger The Texas Rangers are the oldest continuously operating Law Enforcement Agency anywhere in the world today. Having first been organized by Stephen F. Austin in 1823, the Texas Rangers continue to serve the citizens of Texas today. Their legacy is one of integrity, perseverance, and service. The Texas Ranger Association Foundation holds an annual Texas Ranger Reunion each year at Waco.

Several Mason junior tennis players started the summer season this last weekend as Mason hosted the Summer Swing Tournament. Due to several players taking SAT tests and others being out of town, the draws were a little small, but the competition was still very good. The results are as follows: 12 BS – Luke Marshall (Brady) def Jack Gillespie(Mas) 6-1,6-1. 14 BS – Patrick McAuliffe (Mas) def Ranger Schmidt (Mas) 6-2,6-4 16-18 BS – Jack Marshall (Brady) def Ethan Powell (Mas) 7-6, 6-2 14 GS ...

“What a perfectly charming and engaging performance. From the start, each of the characters had physical, vocal and emotional commitment and maintained their energy throughout. The Sycamores (and Grandpa) were fun and funny but totally realistic. You all let the script play the humor without resorting to gimmicks...I can’t begin to tell you how impressed I am at the total effort of this production – Bravo!...

The Scholarship Awards Ceremony for the class of 2016 was held on Thursday, May 19th at the Mason High School Auditorium. School Principal Chris Habecker welcomed the guests and thanked the organizations and individuals who make the scholarship opportunities available. Mr. Habecker said, “the students, parents, teachers, and community are forever grateful.

What an exciting start to the summer youth baseball tournament season! Our 7-8 year-old boys (pictured) hosted an 11-team tournament this past weekend. Area towns challenging Mason were Brady, Johnson City, Kerrville, Boerne, Llano, Blanco and Fredericksburg and Burnet had two teams each. Mason started day-1 with a convincing win over Brady then followed up day-2 with a 2-run win over Johnson City. They came up 1-run short on Saturday morning against Fredericksburg #1, who turned out to be the ...

Mason Elementary is proud to announce that they met two Schoolwide Goals this school year. The first goal met was the Leadership Goal in which 100% of the Mason Elementary students held Leadership Roles during the school year. Mason Elementary also met their Academic Goal which was for the students to read 14,000 books and 48 million words by the end of the school year. Students in Kindergarten through Fourth Grade read 48,202,546 words as they read 14, 482 books! Wow!

Notice of Meeting American Legion Fort Mason Post #285 237 Post Hill Road Mason, TX 76856 Thursday, 9 June 2016 at 6:30 p.m. All members and interested veterans are encouraged to attend. For more information, contact Post Adjutant, Holly B. Gilmore, 325-347-2274.

AUSTIN – When Richard Taylor and his late wife, Sally, moved to Texas in 2001 and bought land in the heart of Mason County, they knew their work was cut out. The land, which had been overgrazed and overworked for years, was in desperate need of restoration. Fifteen years later, the Taylors’ dedication to habitat and wildlife conservation has earned their Blue Mountain Peak Ranch recognition as the 2016 Leopold Conservation Award recipient for Texas. Taylor and partner Suzie Paris accepted t ...

Rain again caused the Eckert James River Bat Cave to be closed this past week. Although the beautiful green countryside is a sight to behold, visitors from many areas actually wanted to behold a different vision....that of the emergence of the bats. High water in the James River was what kept us from reaching our destination.

May was another great month for the Mason County Chamber of Commerce. We had a total of 175 visitors; they came from Sherwood, Arkansas; Winfield, Missouri; Kearney, Nebraska; Provincetown, New England; Berkeley, California; Kingsland, TX; Friendswood, TX; Midland, TX; Bastrop, TX; Austin, TX; Leander, TX; among other places. We are getting ready for the 52nd Annual Mason County Round-Up on July 9, 2016.

Texas A&M AgriLife County Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences and the Wesley Nurse invite you to take part in a free diabetic education program which includes a series of cooking workshops. If you have diabetes, are predisposed to diabetes, take care of someone with diabetes, or are just interested in knowing about diabetes, please join us this summer! Sheree Hardin, Texas A&M AgriLife County Extension Agent and Ann Scarth, RN, Wesley Nurse with Methodist Healthcare Ministr ...

Mason County Farm Bureau will host a membership drive at the Farmer’s Market from 5-7 p.m. then head over for a social hour at the wine bar. The group, according to its president, Shannon Worrell, has flourished in Mason County. “Our organization continues to grow because of the people we serve. Rural and urban alike are represented by Mason County Farm Bureau and, as a result, Texas Farm Bureau,” Worrell said. The organization offers unique member benefits and services, representation in ...

The Wilhelm and Johann Heinrich Geistweidt family reunion will be held Saturday, June 11, at the Doss Community Center, in Doss. Fellowship begins at 10:30 a.m. Potluck meal at 12 noon. Bring meat, sides and/or dessert, plates and utensils. Tables, chairs and drinks provided. Officers for this year’s reunion include Stephen Stengel, president; Brent Geistweidt, vice president and Kara Immel, secretary-treasurer.

Our Meeting will be hosted by the Kerr County members, and will be held in Kerrville, TX. All ladies that are interested in joining are welcome to attend! WHEN: June 21, 2016 TIME: Social 10:00 am with meal to follow WHERE: Buzzie’s BBQ 213 Schreiner St Kerrville, TX 78028 (830) 257-4540 COST: $18.00 per person GUEST SPEAKER: We are pleased to have John Mayer, Foreman of the Jinx McCain Horsemanship Program and Director of The Semper Fi Fund Apprenticeship Program as our guest speaker. The Se ...

JUNCTION—Interested stakeholders in the Upper Llano River watershed are invited to provide comments on the draft Upper Llano River Watershed Protection Plan during the 30-day formal public comment period, June 8 through July 8, according to the watershed coordinator. Tyson Broad, the Upper Llano River watershed coordinator, said the plan, developed by the Upper Llano Watershed Coordination Committee, is available on the Llano River Watershed Alliance at llanoriver.org. Broad said written comm ...

Members of the Texas Hill Country Heritage Association (THCHA)received good news for Mason County last week regarding plans for a wind farm in the western part of the county. Joan Heredia, director of Environmental Compliance and Regulatory Services for ENEL, sent a message to Mylea Bayless of Bat Conservation International notifying the group that ENEL has made the decision to NOT move forward with the Mason County facility.

May’s Scarlet Puncher luncheon, a pot luck at the home of Lynn Hedges, was wonderful, as usual. Lynn’s yard and flower beds (and that wonderful deck) provided a delightful venue as we enjoyed food, fellowship, and our tacky jewelry exchange. Packages containing “jewels” and other finery were opened to much “ooohing and aaahing” and everybody came away with something gaudy.

If you’ve ever wondered what to do with old ties, take a lesson from Terri Halloran, Laura Lewis, and Pam Weeks who combined their talents and efforts to create this memorial quilt in honor of their father the late Kenneth P. Flagg. All the ties in the quilt belonged to their father, who was “a man who had a strong work ethic.” His daughters stated, “ He greeted everyday with great enthusiasm.

A free health and wellness program offered by Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc. Methodist Healthcare Ministries and the Texas A&M AgriLife County Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences invite you to take part in U.S. Diabetes Conversation Maps, a free diabetic education program. If you have diabetes, are predisposed to diabetes, take care of someone with diabetes, or are just interested in knowing about diabetes, please join us this summer!

June 14th was Flag Day. Mason VFW Post 8554 will be passing out flag flying pamphlets at Lowe’s market in Mason on the 18th. These little booklets will inform you of the days to fly your colors and as well as care and rules for disposing of old worn flags. Questions about Mason VFW may be directed to Lawrence Spell,post commander, at 325 429 6224.

The City of Mason voted a month ago to not pursue creating their own police department; but, that left a number of questions as to what the agreement between the City and County would be for future law enforcement support. During the County Commissioners' Court meeting on Monday morning, the group considered information they received from the Mayor, Brent Hinckley, as to budgeting figures for next year regarding law enforcement.

In the fight against germs, the best defense is a good offense. To combat disease on a microscopic level, Hill Country Memorial has acquired a “germ-zapping robot,” that uses ultraviolet light to kill germs throughout the hospital. “A disinfected room is a safer room,” said Mike Reno, HCM Chief Operating Officer.

Nancy Rae McCray Nancy McCray, 81, of Saint Jo, Texas, passed away on June 1, 2016 in Saint Jo. She was born November 2, 1934. Her parents were Charles David "Chuck" Terrell and Martha Houghton Terrell. She is survived by son, Paul Jordan of Spring, TX; daughter Misha Jordan of Mason, TX; and, daughter Laura Haralson of Saint Jo, Texas.

Jesse Carraway Jesse James Carraway of Mason passed away on Wednesday, April 27, at the age of 84. Survivors include a son Randy Carraway and wife Jody of Mason and a daughter Missy Carlile of Reno, Nevada, grandchildren Jesse Walker Carraway, Cody Terry and Tanya Terry, nieces and nephews: Rene Robbins, Rebecca Estes and Terry Makowsky, great nieces and nephews Jennifer Bankston, Rheannon Wartenbach and Daniel, Monty and Matthew Makowsky.

Ch.... Ch..... Changes..... For the last couple of days, the sun has been shining and the skies have been blue and clear. After an extended period of rain, cloudy gray skies and high mold counts, the change in weather has been quite welcome. Of course, in the spring, in Texas, the one thing you can always be certain of is change.

If you didn’t come to hear John Erickson last week, you missed a terrific time! We had about 115 people, and he thoroughly entertained us. Be sure to mark your calendars for the special programs next week: Percussion Things (comedy sketches, stories, and drum performances) on June 20th; the O’Donnells (musical performance on recorders) on June 21st; and Wild Things Zoofari (exotic animals) on June 23rd.

The times, they are a-staying the same We live in amazing times. Technology has grown by greater leaps during the past one hundred years than it did during the previous six millennia. Airplanes, telephones, helicopters, and plenty of other great inventions have come along. Just think where society would be today if William Whoopee hadn’t invented the cushion, or Alex Cell hadn’t invented the telephone, or AlGore hadn’t invented the internet, or Shirley Penter hadn’t inv ...

Telemarketers have a new twist on irritating you. They call, but they let a recorded message answer when you answer. The other day I was giving them down the country, only to have them keep talking. Then I could push the right button to talk to a real person. Excuse me, you called me.

A Lesson Remembered... Sobering lessons sometimes occur when we are caught between the unforgiving jaws of reality. The “clamped down and locked position” is preferable, though, to jaws grinding away for the next bite of life. In such situations, our prayers may hit the ceiling with a thud. At the thought of the next step--big time chewing--we are apt to seize the moment, ready to make a deposit into our memory bank of bitter experiences. Though I hold three university degr ...

Summer is flying by. Everyone seems to be running in a different direction. Jan and Max Jordan hosted the Luchenbach Reunion at their home on Saturday, June 11, with assistance from John and Susie Jordan and Gail and Nolan Sholar. They reported about 40 people who enjoyed good barbeque and visiting. Sterling Jordan celebrated his 90th birthday on Sunday afternoon at the Stribling Room.

Ode to the Crape Myrtle: I think that I shall never see Anything quite so lo-ve-ly A tree that blooms while we sweat And summer isn’t here yet. A bush that looks Like a bouquet To make us forget That one day It will be hot And hot And hotter. Better pray for rain So we don’t have to water. [The end.] And the end of spring. And the beginning of summer. Next Monday. One season ends. Another begins. As the saying goes: “When one door closes, A window opens.” Which doesn’t make sense. Why ...

Angie's List Dear Mr. Gamel, Mason doesn’t have anything like an “Angie’s List”. I think we need one. It would really help our citizenry to have an idea which tradesmen to hire and which to avoid. I recently had a bathroom built onto my studio. I want to say that I have had an EXCELLENT experience with Chris Eckert, the electrician. He returns calls.

There Aren't Words Available There are some things in life that defy description. Many of them are wonderful and beautiful, while others are so filled with horror and evil that they seem inconceivable. The birth of a child defies adequate description. When you've waited for that moment for nine months, there is no way to adequately express the joy, the relief, the pleasure and the anticipation for the future. When the sun is rising on a winter morning, crisp and clear, with a w ...

Farm to market. Food transported to the grocery store. We’d be lost without it. And pretty darn hungry too. Farmers’ Market. Right here. Right now. Every Friday. Rain or shine (for some). From 5pm to 7pm. Located behind Santos Taqueria. Buena Terra didn’t let the rain stop them. They brought an abundance of their organic vegetables. Pickling cucumbers and regular cukes. Daikon and radishes. Beets and carrots. New potatoes. Fennel and onions. Fresh dill, basil, and rosemary. And flat-leaf ...

The Media Dear Gerry, Let me surprise you: Trump’s right; the media is misleading. Don’t call an ambulance for me, because I’m still sane enough to see that Trump’s wrong in portraying the media as against him. The media has been a treasure trove, bestowing upon Trump millions of dollars’ worth of free advertising and exposure, much more than any other candidate was given.

The time has come—John R. Erickson, author of Hank the Cowdog books, is in concert tomorrow night at 6:00 P.M. in the Stribling Room. It’ll be fun for the whole family. Admission is free! Non-fiction: (new to our library) Baby Care Basics by Dr. Jeremy Friedman, et al (618.92 FRI) The Rainbow Comes and Goes by Anderson Cooper and Gloria Vanderbilt (920 Coo) Fiction: All quotes are from publishers’ summaries Dishonorable Intentions by Stuart Woods (F WOO Sto.38) “Stone Barrington’s lat ...

A fish story Longtime readers of this column may recall that, about fifteen years ago, my family and I made history by being the first people to camp out in a Bass Pro Shops store overnight. And before you start making any plans, I should point out that we got permission from the folks at the BPS headquarters in Springfield, Missouri first. We were planning to travel through Springfield anyway, and I sent an email to my friend, Katie Mitchell, who is the communications manager ...

I’ve got a bad case of the, “Don’t want a’s!” I’ve had symptoms off and on for the past ten years, but today has to top it. I need to get groceries, but I don’t want to. I need to do some laundry, but I don’t want to. I need to mop after the rains, but I don’t want to. I’ve asked myself, “What do you want to do?” My reply to myself is.

A Salute to Hard Heads... It won’t happen, because yearbooks don’t “plug in,” but if today’s high school or college graduates decided to “go retro” for an hour or so, they should visit older relatives’ homes. There, they’d be taken aback by the, uh, “quaintness” of school annuals from bygone days. They’d joke about students’ stern looks and stiff postures, wondering what their counterparts back then had against smiling. And what about all those nicknam ...

Koch Kaese (0ld Version) I know there are some of you out there that remember “Koch Kaese”. Koch Kaese is a German Cheese, meaning “Cook Cheese”. I have wonderful memories of my Granny Geistweidt making it when ever one of us was sick. It always seemed to make us feel better. Heat 1 ½ to 2 gallons clabbered milk in enamel pot until you can hardly keep your finger in it.

Prayers have been answered. All the cumulative prayers for rain were answered this week. We are so grateful for the bountiful rains. And, we are grateful that the rain didn’t cause flooding locally. Our prayers are with those enduring floods. Sterling Jordan will celebrate his 90th birthday on Sunday, June 12th, with a reception at the Stribling Room in the Mason County Library from 2-4. Save the date, June 23rd, for a farewell party for John and Sharon Alsbrooks. The Lutheran-Methodist Bible ...