We will start picking up leaves on December the 12th. Please try not to put any limbs in the piles of leaves so our vacuum can pick up all leaves. Please put all leaves on side of street. If you miss us for any reason be assured that we will be back by the following week.
I’ve become a perfectionist in procrastination! I’ve really got it down to an art. I’ve got lists of what to get done, but at the end of the day, maybe one gets done, However, I’ve come to the conclusion that, If no one gets harmed by my procrastinations, then it’s good.
I decided to clean the carpets, yep, on a cold wet day!
A mower runs over it
Let’s say you’re out mowing your lawn and you run over an Australian green tree frog. Not that such a thing is likely to happen, if you live in Texas, since Australian green tree frogs are native to Australia. Which is a good thing, I guess.
For many of us, December is a “cooking” month, and I’m always on the hunt for a new recipe. Of course, the library has a great cookbook section, but don’t forget our magazines: Food Network, Southern Living, Better Homes and Gardens, Country Living, Woman’s Day, and others will offer their holiday recipes as well.
The Mason Lions Club met Tuesday, November 29th, for it’s weekly luncheon meeting. There were 32 members and one visitor in attendance. 1st. Vice President Jim Heidelberg was in charge as “Boss” Lion Jess Irwin was out of town. “Boss” Jim read some interesting facts to us. Today is legendary L.A.
Dutch Oven Bread
courtesy: Ron Merlin
In my constant quest for breads and other baked goods that are quick to make and great to eat, I occasionally stumble across a real winner. This is one of those breads! The total “active involvement” time by the baker is really small; possibly 20 minutes, at the outside.
11-01-16@0025-Stabbing-Shooting-Deputies Wall, Hebert, Mason EMS responded to RR 386 for stabbing. Then Deputies Wall and Hebert plus Llano EMS, and Llano County deputies responded to Castell for gunshot victim.
11-01-16@0823-Suspicious Person Complaint-Deputy received information for suspicious person.
11-01-16@1258-Vehicle Unlock-Deputy Horn responded to Bryan St for vehicle to be unlocked.
11-01-16@1335-Suspicous Person-Deputy Horn responded to Art for a suspicious person but the person was ...
One of the tools that range scientists use to observe and study habitats is to erect fences around small areas to exclude browsing and grazing animals, and to then observe the changes inside these exclosures compared to adjacent areas outside the exclosures.
We essentially did this when we built our house 16 years ago and put up a high fence around it.
Over the years I also planted a number of native trees and put cages around them as well as around a few other places where I found newly sprout ...
Central Texas Electric Cooperative (CTEC) is collecting toys again this holiday season. A free koozie will be given to individuals that bring in donation items.
CTEC is working with Bluebonnet CASA for this toy drive. The ages served range from one month to 18 years of age. Some of the items they are looking for are books, infant toys, baby dolls, Legos, board games, footballs and soccer balls.
CTEC will be collecting until December 11th.
High school students in the Central Texas Electric Cooperative service area can now submit an essay to be one of three winners for the 2017 Government-in-Action Youth Tour, an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C., June 7–16.
Essays must be turned in by January 27 for this opportunity that truly is the trip of a lifetime.
Austin, Texas – A growing coalition of 18 Texas-based organizations, leading the Texans for Property Rights grassroots initiative, will host a meeting at the Mason Community Building in Mason, Texas, on Monday, December 12th at 5:30 p.m. There will be discussion of eminent domain issues along with ideas to safeguard Texans’ private property rights.
Property owners who attend will learn about upcoming legislative efforts to achieve fairness in the laws that govern the use of eminent domain i ...
We invite you to support “Operation Christmas Greeting”; Mason County’s annual fundraiser for the EMS Association. For new participants, it works like this: A donation is made to the “Greeting” fund and your name is listed on a full page Greeting Card that appears in this paper’s Christmas edition on December 21st.
A coalition of nearly 20 Texas agriculture groups is pursuing fairness in the eminent domain process for all property owners, and the legislative effort is very important to Mason County farmers and ranchers, according to the president of the Mason County Farm Bureau.
The Texans for Property Rights coalition includes the Texas Farm Bureau as one its members.
“Unfortunately, Texas landowners continue to struggle with an unbalanced set of laws that are at odds with a state revered for private p ...
The regular meeting of the Mason Garden Club will be on Tuesday,December 13, 2016 at 11:30 a.m. at the Mason County M. Beven EckertMemorial Library, Stribling Room. Please note the date and time change.
This will be the club’s annual Christmas party. Members are asked to bringtheir favorite pot luck dish and a white elephant gift that can either be garden related or not.
Moving Through the Rest of 2016...
Every week, we here at the News finish one paper and get ready to move on to the next. Preparation for the next issue involves erasing all the articles, photos, calendars and details from the current week and looking one week, two weeks, a month ahead.
Mason, Texas – Residents living in and around the Mason, Texas can learn about their risk for cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, diabetes, and other chronic, serious conditions with affordable screenings by Life Line Screening. City of Mason Community Building will host this community event on 12/19/2016. The site is located at 1015 San Antonio St in Mason.
Screenings can check for:
The level of plaque buildup in your arteries, related to risk for heart disease, stroke and overall vascular ...
The Mason County Livestock Show Board has authorized a change in entry fees for the 2017 show. All entries are $10.00 per head (hogs, steers and heifers had been set at $20.00 per head). If you have previously entered the show please return to the Mason County AgriLife Extension office, located at 505 Moody St., where you may:
Ask for a refund of monies owed to you under the new entry fees
Add additional animals for show under the new entry fees
Make any changes to your entry information
The Ma ...
The Llano Country Opry will feature Heart of Texas Recording Artists Amber Digby and Justin Trevino on Saturday, December 10, at 7:30 PM at the Lantex Theater in downtown Llano, Texas. Admission is $15 and tickets are now on sale at www.heartoftexascountry.com or by calling (325) 247-5354.
The Traditional Country show will include some special Christmas selections as well.
Raised in Nashville, Tennessee--the capital of Country Music--Amber Digby is one of the most refreshing country singers in ...
The Long Mountain Community Club will hold their monthly meeting Friday evening at 6:30 PM, December 9. 2016.
A donation of BBQ sausage is being donated by Roy and Shelia Cooper of the Junction Cooper’s BBQ for this event.
I ask that those attending, please bring a suitable food, beverage or dessert to merge with the BBQ.
The 2016 Puncher football season came to a close on Friday night in San Marcos. The Refugio Bobcats, a perennial rival, will move on ahead to the semifinals while the Punchers move on with their other activities.
The Punchers did not make it an easy win for Refugio. Mason had 158 yards for the night to Refugio's 300.
On behalf of the Mason Ministerial Alliance, I would like to wish you a very Merry Christmas! For those of you who are not aware of who we are or what we do, our simple mission is to bring a unified body of Christian Churches to bear on the problems of our community, feeding and clothing the poor, educating those in need of a better opportunity and other types of work which could better be done by a dedicated group of churches.
Operation Orphans, Inc. enjoyed successful youth hunts October 29, November 19 and December 3. Results from the three hunts had 136 boys and girls harvesting 213 animals. The final hunt of the 2016 season will take place January 7.
During the October hunt, 39 girls from 9 childcare facilities harvested 40 animals.
We’re about a month away from our annual Veteran’s Hunt, so I thought I’d let you know what has been going on with our program.
Back in September, Ronnie Zesch and Ronnie and Gary Johnson hosted thirty nine veterans out at Grossville for the annual Mason County Dove Hunt. As usual, great food, great fun, not as many dove as last year, but a great hunt as well.
Christmas is a time for family, fellowship and celebrating the love of Christ. The family of River of Life Church wants to share in food and fellowship with our family of Mason at our annual Christmas Dinner. Please join us on Christmas Day, Sunday, December 25th at the River of Life Gymnasium for a delicious traditional Christmas dinner.
River of Life Church is hosting its third annual senior angel tree! The last couple of years has seen great success in meeting the needs of a humble group of individuals: our senior citizens.
Most of the senior citizens live on a fixed income which may barely cover necessities such as shelter, medication, and food.
Everyone is invited to join St. Paul Lutheran Church for the "Journey to Bethlehem Drive Thru Christmas Luminary." The luminary is sponsored by St. Paul.
The location is Fort Mason City Park and the time will be 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. Admission is free.
Come and be blessed by the Living Nativity, portrayed by the youth of St.
Members and spouses of the American Legion and VFW Mason Post and the Auxiliaries are invited to the annual Christmas feast to be held Thursday eve, Dec. 8. at 7 PM at the American Legion Post hall.
VFW is to furnish the food and drinks and the American Legion will furnish the desserts for the dinner.
The Veterans of Foreign Wars National Headquarters annually sponsor an essay writing contest designed for the elementary student titled “The Patriot’s Pen” and the theme was “The America I Believe In” and high school students essay title was “The Voice of Democracy” with the theme being “My Responsibility to America”.
The Veterans of Foreign Wars National Headquarters annually sponsor an essay writing contest designed for the elementary student titled “The Patriot’s Pen” and the theme was “The America I Believe In” and high school students essay title was “The Voice of Democracy” with the theme being “My Responsibility to America”.
The 2016 Puncher football season came to a close on Friday night in San Marcos. The Refugio Bobcats, a perennial rival, will move on ahead to the semifinals while the Punchers move on with their other activities.
The Punchers did not make it an easy win for Refugio. Mason had 158 yards for the night to Refugio's 300.
Mason Elementary/Jr. High PTO held their General meeting on 12/7/2016.
PTO members voted to disperse the money from the Fall Fundraiser for the following:
$5000 for PE Equipment given to Coach Owen and Coach McLeod
Financial Assistance for 4th Grade Spring Field Trip
iTunes gift cards for Mrs. Tedder’s 3rd grade Math Class.
Thank You to all who contributed to the Fall Fundraiser!
DON’T FORGET TO LIKE OUR FACEBOOK PAGE for up to date information!!!
High school students in the Central Texas Electric Cooperative service area can now submit an essay to be one of three winners for the 2017 Government-in-Action Youth Tour, an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C., June 7–16.
Essays must be turned in by January 27 for this opportunity that truly is the trip of a lifetime.
Hill Country CattleWomen , The Texas Beef Council and the Farm Bureau of Fredericksburg, Texas are hosting a “Women’s Ranch Seminar” at the Farm Bureau Building, 237 Equestrian Drive, Fredericksburg on February 3, 2017 from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM.
Women who have questions about ranch management have an opportunity to spend a few hours gathering information.
Hill Country CattleWomen , The Texas Beef Council and the Farm Bureau of Fredericksburg, Texas are hosting a “Women’s Ranch Seminar” at the Farm Bureau Building, 237 Equestrian Drive, Fredericksburg on February 3, 2017 from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM.
Women who have questions about ranch management have an opportunity to spend a few hours gathering information.
December 16th is the deadline for making your donation to the annual Mason County E.M.S. fundraiser: “Operation Christmas Greeting”. This paper’s Christmas edition is December 21st, and it will contain a Texas size “Community Greeting Card” that has an alphabetical listing of all contributors. Only the total amount of all donations is ever listed.
The Mason County “Greeting” began fifteen years ago and the goal each year is to provide funds for equipment needs.
Ms. Shay the Storyteller is back with Christmas stories and songs to share with children and adults at the Come-and-go Cookie Day Christmas Celebration to be held at the Mason County M. Beven Eckert Memorial Library, 410 Post Hill St., on Tuesday, December 20th. Come join us for refreshments all day and Christmas stories at 3:00 P.M.
Shay Tindall DeVos, an 8th generation Texas from several storytelling cultures, is an enthusiast of sharing oral histories, stories, and traditions, and Christmas ...
Mason, Texas – Residents living in and around the Mason, Texas can learn about their risk for cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, diabetes, and other chronic, serious conditions with affordable screenings by Life Line Screening. City of Mason Community Building will host this community event on 12/19/2016. The site is located at 1015 San Antonio St in Mason.
Screenings can check for:
The level of plaque buildup in your arteries, related to risk for heart disease, stroke and overall vascular ...
Mason County Appraisal District will be closed December 21, 22, and 23 to observe the Christmas Holiday.
Our office will be open Monday-Thursday, 8 am-5 pm and Friday, 8 a.m. - 4 p.m., December 26-30. For those who are in no hurry to pay taxes in 2016, we will be closed Monday, January 2, 2017, but will resume normal hours on Tuesday, January 3, 2017.
Payments made on January 3rd or postmarked on January 3rd may be posted for 2016, if you so choose.
Ike—adopted by Craig & Patti Grote
The Santa Paws Tree is back! The Mason Co. M. Beven Eckert Memorial Library is collecting dog and cat food, collars, leashes, blankets, treats, or other gifts for the animals in Mason County shelters. Last year Santa’s bag was bulging with goodies for the animals—let’s make this year even better!!
The American Legion Fort Mason Post 285 will hold its December meeting at 6:00 pm on Thurs., Dec. 8th, at the American Legion Post Hall, 237 Post Hill Rd. After a brief business meeting, all Post members are invited to attend the Veterans Christmas Party, starting at 7:00 pm, hosted this year by VFW Post 8554, at the same location.
All veterans are invited to attend along with currently serving military personnel, family members and all supporters of America’s military.
Fresh off the boat in January of last year, I had a new acquaintance but committed church member of First Baptist Church of Mason, ask me as her new pastor, if I thought we could use our church to start an afterschool program for children. Angie Dudney knew I was brand new to Mason and was just getting acquainted to the area.
THIS IS THE Weekend for the Community Christmas Party at Peter’s Prairie Schoolhouse
Be at Camp Air or “be square”!!! December 10th at 6:00 PM.
Friends and neighbors will gather to visit and enjoy a wonderful barbeque meal with lots of sides and assorted desserts.
If you have let the RSVP deadline pass and had planned to attend, give us a call at 258-4495 or email [email protected] (before Friday the 9th).
MERRY CHRISTMAS To ALL from Peter’s Prairie!!!!
Central Texas Electric Cooperative (CTEC) is collecting toys again this holiday season. A free koozie will be given to individuals that bring in donation items.
CTEC is working with Bluebonnet CASA for this toy drive. The ages served range from one month to 18 years of age. Some of the items they are looking for are books, infant toys, baby dolls, Legos, board games, footballs and soccer balls.
CTEC will be collecting until December 11th.
Members and spouses of the American Legion and VFW Mason Post and the Auxiliaries are invited to the annual Christmas feast to be held Thursday eve, Dec. 8. at 7 PM at the American Legion Post hall.
VFW is to furnish the food and drinks and the American Legion will furnish the desserts for the dinner.
Austin, Texas – A growing coalition of 18 Texas-based organizations, leading the Texans for Property Rights grassroots initiative, will host a meeting at the Mason Community Building in Mason, Texas, on Monday, December 12th at 5:30 p.m. There will be discussion of eminent domain issues along with ideas to safeguard Texans’ private property rights.
Property owners who attend will learn about upcoming legislative efforts to achieve fairness in the laws that govern the use of eminent domain i ...
We invite you to support “Operation Christmas Greeting”; Mason County’s annual fundraiser for the EMS Association. For new participants, it works like this: A donation is made to the “Greeting” fund and your name is listed on a full page Greeting Card that appears in this paper’s Christmas edition on December 21st.
The regular meeting of the Mason Garden Club will be on Tuesday,December 13, 2016 at 11:30 a.m. at the Mason County M. Beven EckertMemorial Library, Stribling Room. Please note the date and time change.
This will be the club’s annual Christmas party. Members are asked to bringtheir favorite pot luck dish and a white elephant gift that can either be garden related or not.
We will start picking up leaves on December the 12th. Please try not to put any limbs in the piles of leaves so our vacuum can pick up all leaves. Please put all leaves on side of street. If you miss us for any reason be assured that we will be back by the following week.
Mason, Texas – Residents living in and around the Mason, Texas can learn about their risk for cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, diabetes, and other chronic, serious conditions with affordable screenings by Life Line Screening. City of Mason Community Building will host this community event on 12/19/2016. The site is located at 1015 San Antonio St in Mason.
Screenings can check for:
The level of plaque buildup in your arteries, related to risk for heart disease, stroke and overall vascular ...
The Mason County Livestock Show Board has authorized a change in entry fees for the 2017 show. All entries are $10.00 per head (hogs, steers and heifers had been set at $20.00 per head). If you have previously entered the show please return to the Mason County AgriLife Extension office, located at 505 Moody St., where you may:
Ask for a refund of monies owed to you under the new entry fees
Add additional animals for show under the new entry fees
Make any changes to your entry information
The Ma ...
The Llano Country Opry will feature Heart of Texas Recording Artists Amber Digby and Justin Trevino on Saturday, December 10, at 7:30 PM at the Lantex Theater in downtown Llano, Texas. Admission is $15 and tickets are now on sale at www.heartoftexascountry.com or by calling (325) 247-5354.
The Traditional Country show will include some special Christmas selections as well.
Raised in Nashville, Tennessee--the capital of Country Music--Amber Digby is one of the most refreshing country singers in ...
The Long Mountain Community Club will hold their monthly meeting Friday evening at 6:30 PM, December 9. 2016.
A donation of BBQ sausage is being donated by Roy and Shelia Cooper of the Junction Cooper’s BBQ for this event.
I ask that those attending, please bring a suitable food, beverage or dessert to merge with the BBQ.
On behalf of the Mason Ministerial Alliance, I would like to wish you a very Merry Christmas! For those of you who are not aware of who we are or what we do, our simple mission is to bring a unified body of Christian Churches to bear on the problems of our community, feeding and clothing the poor, educating those in need of a better opportunity and other types of work which could better be done by a dedicated group of churches.
We’re about a month away from our annual Veteran’s Hunt, so I thought I’d let you know what has been going on with our program.
Back in September, Ronnie Zesch and Ronnie and Gary Johnson hosted thirty nine veterans out at Grossville for the annual Mason County Dove Hunt. As usual, great food, great fun, not as many dove as last year, but a great hunt as well.
Christmas is a time for family, fellowship and celebrating the love of Christ. The family of River of Life Church wants to share in food and fellowship with our family of Mason at our annual Christmas Dinner. Please join us on Christmas Day, Sunday, December 25th at the River of Life Gymnasium for a delicious traditional Christmas dinner.
River of Life Church is hosting its third annual senior angel tree! The last couple of years has seen great success in meeting the needs of a humble group of individuals: our senior citizens.
Most of the senior citizens live on a fixed income which may barely cover necessities such as shelter, medication, and food.
Everyone is invited to join St. Paul Lutheran Church for the "Journey to Bethlehem Drive Thru Christmas Luminary." The luminary is sponsored by St. Paul.
The location is Fort Mason City Park and the time will be 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. Admission is free.
Come and be blessed by the Living Nativity, portrayed by the youth of St.
Christmas is a time for family, fellowship and celebrating the love of Christ. The family of River of Life Church wants to share in food and fellowship with our family of Mason at our annual Christmas Dinner. Please join us on Christmas Day, Sunday, December 25th at the River of Life Gymnasium for a delicious traditional Christmas dinner.
All aboard!
Last month before 2017.
All hands on deck.
Stow your carry-on under the seat.
Put your dreams in the overhead bin.
Hang on to your hats.
Hold tight the reins.
We’re off and running.
December is our final stop.
Destination: the New Year.
And December is here.
With it comes turquoise.
And narcissus.
The official birthstone.
And flower.
So away we go
Down the slippery slope into Winter.
The descent into shorter days.
The temperatures dropping.
Along with the leaves.
Nothing can stop ...
Time.
It passes.
It flies.
It stops still.
Or it marches on.
Time heals all.
Give it time.
Tap your foot and keep time.
We take time to make clocks.
And watches.
And stopwatches.
So we can measure time.
Be on time.
Check the time.
Set the time.
Or watch the clock.
Inevitably time passes.
It doesn’t care.
Most clocks are digital these days.
Still, there is Switzerland.
And the cuckoo clock.
A timeless timepiece.
China makes clocks now.
Like nearly everything else.
Times change.
But the classic ...
The Christmas Season is full speed ahead. I am not exactly ready: no gifts purchased, no cookies baked, house not cleaned.
However, in a clever move, I was able to convince my beautiful granddaughter, the same one that at age 22 months undecorated the tree, ate some (glass) ornaments, and broke the wings off my little ceramic angels, to decorate the tree.
With the lights around the Square, the Nativity on the lawn, the new banners and the light tree in Heritage Park we can certainly see Christmas in Mason. I hope that you are finding time to spend with family and friends, and as we get closer to Christmas day I hope that you find extra time to remember just why we celebrate this special time of year.
Words: Helpful or Hurtful?...
Not so long ago, lots of folks--the ones still writing and reading longhand--gave little thought to what the future might hold for the English language. Many were more worried about dialects that will disappear when death claims the last handful of aging tribal users.
With social media and a culture given to haste 24/7, both verbal and written communications are being reduced to abbreviations and symbols.
It’s been said, “Growing old isn’t for sissies!” So, in the spirit of growing old, here is a little ditty that I saw on Facebook.
“ Oh, the weather out side is frightful, and our joints are not delightful, since it’s got so dang cold, We feel old, We feel old, WE FEEL OLD!”
Too, we use to say, “Right knee, Left knee.
Dicey math
Although the presidential election has been over for more than a month, there are still people whining about it. Honestly, I can sympathize with a lot of the complainers. People are upset that Trump won the election for various reasons. Some are angry because of the things he’s said about women in the past.
It’s time for Santa Paws at the library! Please help us make Christmas merry for dogs and cats in local shelters. Bring cat and dog food, cash donations, treats, toys, blankets, or other pet needs.
DVDs:
Sea of Trees
The Dr. Black Mysteries: Series 1 & 2
Nerve
Hell or High Water
Mechanic Resurrection
Game of Thrones: Season 6
A Dogwalker’s Christmas Tale
The Spirit of Christmas
Christmas Eve
Finding Dory
The Godfather 3-movie Collection
Murdoch Mysteries: A Merry Murdoch Christmas
Audio ...
This Is Really Important.... Squirrel!!!!!
I love the movie, "Up." Besides being a beautifully done animation film, it has some of the funniest moments I've seen in a movie in a while.
The one that sticks with me currently involves the "talking" dogs that our heroes find on top of the plateau.
Moving Through the Rest of 2016...
Every week, we here at the News finish one paper and get ready to move on to the next. Preparation for the next issue involves erasing all the articles, photos, calendars and details from the current week and looking one week, two weeks, a month ahead.
Thank you to the Punchers for an exciting football season. It was a hard loss Friday night. But, the class and sportsmanship shown by our Punchers made them stand out.
Christmas is sneaking up on us. The Art United Methodist Church will have their Christmas Party on Wednesday, December 7th at 6 pm at the home of Stephen and Joyce Mutschink.
Low-Carb Brown Bag Lunch Meal Plan
Most of my friends know I used to do a lot of menu planning. I don’t very much of that anymore but this is a Low-Carb Meal Plan I created a couple of years. I thought this would be a prime time to share it since it is less than half way between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Rescue Dogs Roll the Dice...
I really don’t know if old dogs can be taught new tricks. A more pertinent question is whether a couple of canines can--or choose to--remember old tricks.
Early on, they understood the “do-you-want-to-go” question warrants their affirmative response. The query usually means trips to the store, bank or post office.
I’ve become a perfectionist in procrastination! I’ve really got it down to an art. I’ve got lists of what to get done, but at the end of the day, maybe one gets done, However, I’ve come to the conclusion that, If no one gets harmed by my procrastinations, then it’s good.
I decided to clean the carpets, yep, on a cold wet day!
A mower runs over it
Let’s say you’re out mowing your lawn and you run over an Australian green tree frog. Not that such a thing is likely to happen, if you live in Texas, since Australian green tree frogs are native to Australia. Which is a good thing, I guess.
For many of us, December is a “cooking” month, and I’m always on the hunt for a new recipe. Of course, the library has a great cookbook section, but don’t forget our magazines: Food Network, Southern Living, Better Homes and Gardens, Country Living, Woman’s Day, and others will offer their holiday recipes as well.
Dutch Oven Bread
courtesy: Ron Merlin
In my constant quest for breads and other baked goods that are quick to make and great to eat, I occasionally stumble across a real winner. This is one of those breads! The total “active involvement” time by the baker is really small; possibly 20 minutes, at the outside.
