At the time of year when parents, children and teachers were committing to take on a new school year, our son-in-law Bryan Choate and our grandchildren Ben, 19, and Brittin, 16, were dealing with the sudden death of Julie (Mrs. Bryan) Choate.
Bryan’s wife and the children’s mother, she died of a pulmonary embolism at the prime of her professional life as principal of McCall Elementary School in Aledo.
At age 50, she was the oldest of our three daughters, all of whom have degrees in el ...
We welcome fall. The days have been cooler. We could use rain. But, most importantly, Daylight Savings Time ends soon. I have not saved any time. There are still the same number of sunlight hours each day. What a waste of legislative time. If you want more sun time after work, go to work earlier.
Mason’s Scarlet Punchers, those intrepid women “of a certain age,” who absolutely insist on enjoying life to the fullest, have not been well-served in the past two months by this writer, who in turn has been ill-served by her own memory, meaning I’ve missed the Mason County News deadlines for articles about our activities for two months in a row!
Last week I mentioned two of the many friends and family that have guided my life and the lives of many in Mason County. This week let me add:
RONNY ZESCH, who has been a friend to many in Mason and beyond. Behind his gruff exterior lies the biggest heart I have ever known.
Mr. And Mrs. John Gammill of Fredericksburg, Texas, and Quinton McKinney of London, Texas, are pleased to announce the graduation of their son, Robert Ethan McKinney, from Tarleton State University, August 7, 2020. Ethan obtained a BS in Geoscience with an emphasis in Geology. Ethan left Tarleton his junior year to join the United States Marine Corps.
The number one occupational hazard of being a columnist is coming up with fresh, original ideas on a regular basis. Number two is to then take that thought and flesh it out into a readable piece of writing that fits the appointed space.
Since beginning RONDOM THOUGHTS back in 1980 I have accumulated a thick file folder of seed ideas that I have not been able to nurture into full grown columns.
For example: Good/Not Good Names For Church Workers.
Coffee cakes are good in the morning, at lunch time, and in the evening. Maybe even good for a midnight snack. You’ll want to try this one from a 1968 era cookbook that I picked up at the library a few years ago.
Ingredients:
¾ cup butter
1 ¼ cups sugar, divided
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups of sifted all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream
¼ cup brown sugar, tightly packed
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Proce ...
I’m still reeling from Gerald’s news last week that he will be leaving as editor of the paper. His tenure here has been great! He’s been an ally, friend, advisor and confidante. We will all miss him. I just hope there is an adequate replacement for him out there somewhere.
I know, it has been a long time since I have written my silly column.
The day’s twilight came with September at its best. My wife urged me to take Sailor, our rescue dog, on a walk around the block.
So away we went, thankful for a cool breeze, gorgeous sunset and sidewalks.
We chanced to walk alongside a next-block neighbor who posed a random-as-it-gets question: “Do you remember anything from 75 years ago?”…
*****
I’d already shut down deep-thinking, but memories bubbling near the top sprang forth with the ease of hummingbirds flitting to--th ...
We are enjoying the fall weather. The cooler temperatures invite us to welcome fall with pumpkins on the porch and thoughts of fall activities like football. We welcome the church members who are venturing out to attend services after a long absence over concerns over corona virus.
Church activities are still on hold for the most part.
