i n s i d e

4 About the Cover5 From Us to You6 Did I do enough? 8 House on Harvey9 La Salada Authentic Mexican Food10 Rosewood Venues11 Professional Directory12 Concealed Handgun License 14 Written by a Police Officer15 Miss Nettie16 Hunting for a Cause18 Having a Heart in Nursing20 Stand Up..Sing Your Way Through History22 Getting to Know Rob Schleider 24 Still Willing to Learn 26 My Confession28 A New Year29 Who’s Going to Stand Up...are You?30 Stand Up 32 Painted Pig’s Feet33 Best Steak Marinade Recipe34 The Sweeter Side of Bitter Chocolate36 A Wolf ’s Tale38 Stand Up for Life and the Life Choice40 Obituary41 Spring Garden Favorites42 An American Hero44 I’ve Just Got to Play46 What is all this Paperwork?48 To All the Invisible Moms49 What A Character50 Heat Stroke and Heat Stress53 Stop the Burn52 J&J Tire Service54 Facing Your Fears56 Deadwood City 58 Wine & Roses...Escape the Ordinary

Stand Up

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rom us to youEditors NoteF

We at the Front Porch are looking forward to the beauti-ful days of spring. Winter took a long time coming, but we did have some very cold days and windy ones in 2012 and early 13. We know you too are looking forward to warmer days and time out doors. We have been very happy with several of our advertisers going to color ads this edition. We know the color is more ap-pealing and gets more attention by you readers. Besides, we think our magazine looks better with the vibrant colors. Hope you enjoy. We’ve chosen the theme of standing up for this publica-tion. The reason behind it is that there seems to be more and more in our American way of life that is demanding that we stand up…that we stand for right and speak and act when needed. Certainly our forefathers were activists. They worked hard to bring about a country that was the best they could make it. Let’s help keep it. We hope that you enjoy all of our writers, from near and far. And we are hopeful that you continue to feel our maga-zine presents material worthy of your time. Thank you, dear readers and advertisers. Without you, there would be no Front Porch Magazine. You are important to us.

Sandi Balcar, PublisherScarlette Taylor, Editor and Sales Manager

If you knew today that you had far fewer tomorrows than yesterdays, would you do anything different? By some mir-acle you were able to know that your last days on earth were very near…would you know what others would say that you stood for or stood up for? None of us know the time and date stamped for our departure from this place we now call home. It is possible to think that some people live an “examined life.” In other words, we actually spend time introspectively think-ing about how we could have impacted someone else differ-ently, more significantly. We consider if we could have made a difference to the young man/woman who waited the table, was the neighbor or sat in our classroom. Recently our community lost two sweet spirited leaders within a 24 hour period. By pure privilege, I can say that I knew both of these individuals. As I sat and listened at both services while they were eulogized by family, pastors, and friends, it occurred to me that it is never too late to make an impact on others or in our community. Both Guy Huffman and Betty Dusek left a mark on our little town by their passions and what they stood for. It was evident in the numbers who came to pay respect to their families and those left behind to miss them dearly. Guy was a man of strong faith who loved serving in many ca-pacities and organizations always giving back in so many ways. He was an interesting guy…no pun intended. We would often see him around town, most often in a suit and always with a smile and yes…his signature hat! He had an impact on this community from his church to the local Rotary club, charities and his Emmaus reunion group. He stood for the some of the best traits a believer loves and lives. He always tooktime to stop and pray for a client who needed it, and was a family man who just loved life! Mrs. Betty, what a beautiful woman she was. She was a lady of faith who also found volunteering a way to give back and stand up, in many capacities within her church and local com-munity. It was repeated over and over that this petite lady with tenacity fought tirelessly to keep a hospital in this communi-ty. She loved working with the children in the church. From Vacation Bible School to the children’s message, Betty gave of herself. I was especially touched to hear about a conversation (the last) between Betty and her son James just a day before she passed away. According to James, she woke very lucid and clear in the early morning hours. She asked her son something very poignant, “Did I do enough?” Amazing, isn’t’ it? Amaz-ing that someone who has fought the good fight, been inspira-tional to so many, involved in community as long as physically

possible would still be self-examining. What an inspiration to those of us who still have time, to stand up, for something. I have asked myself this very question many times in the last few days as I’ve thought about it. I’ve kept going back to the classroom where I sat and observed recently. You may won-der what this has to do with the classroom. Just bear with me because this philosophy could be critical to the education of your child or grandchild. It was Texas Public School week and I spent a Thursday in 7 of 8 of my son’s 8th grade classes. I was surprised as I have been before at how few parents actu-ally go to the school on these days set aside to see and observe. Don’t get me wrong, I am not judging anyone…not even ques-tioning. Like many others I am really busy, have a job, large family, volunteer and have other obligations outside sitting in a classroom for the heck of it. What concerns me is that parents don’t know what is going on in these classrooms, or they would be more concerned about how we get the teachers what they need to teach than getting a winning AD. Again, don’t mis-interpret what I am saying; I understand the importance and significance of an athletic director and a winning sport’s team in any community, especially a small one. It often seems easier to have front page coverage if it concerns cows and coaches than education issues that impact the future of our community. What does our education system really stand for? I write this as my sadness of what I saw in the classroom is joined with my desire to “do enough” or at least all possible to call attention to a reality many never see or experience. As I sat and watched a teacher struggle with doing the job expected by the state (covering STARR materials for accept-able ratings) and the traditional job expected by many parents (teaching the material). The two didn’t really seem to be con-gruent as I watched teacher after teacher struggle. One teacher had very little time to instruct or teach because so much time was spent going over what was due according to the STARR schedule. I saw hands raised and the teacher work the room as best as possible with the time allowed. Many kids just put their hands down and turned in incomplete work without instruc-tion. With all fairness to the teacher I spoke directly about my concern for the kids and the teacher(s). I was told that it is just too much, “To try to cover what is mandatory for STARR and still have curriculum to teach, it is just too much.” My concern is the outcome. I could see the confusion on kids’ faces, includ-ing mine. Many of our teachers are in need and this means our children are in need in the classroom. What does our education system stand for today? None of our children have ever been perfect…last I checked there isn’t

Did I do enough When it comes to the end, what will they say you stood for?

by JoAn Majors

"JoAn Majors is a registered dental assistant, published author and professional speaker. She is a member of the National Speakers Association and the Global Speakers Network, Associ-ation of Dental Implant Auxiliaries, Association of Dental Office Managers, Dental Podiums and various other organizations. In addition to speaking across the country and Canada, she holds the Team Training Faculty Position for the Misch International Implant Institute. Her systems deliver results and encourage-ment to the workplace and home. For more on her seminars and her latest book, “EncourageMentors: 16 Attitude Steps for Building Your Business, Family & Future,” please visit http://www.joanmajors.com."

but one who is perfect and He is not back yet, so chances are despite what the grandparents say…yours is not perfect ei-ther! We have tried to always be a champion for the teachers and schools our kids are involved in. It is just disheartening to see the struggle for kids and teachers alike. My hope is that we can encourage teachers who impact our children not to give up or just get by with what is mandatory. A teacher can have such an impact on our future through these children. Many in education love what they do and love those they influence. You can pick them out easily They are the ones who actually smile and appreciate the slightest involvement of the parent. These men and women are just happy! They are teachers who are doing the very best to provide education with care, skill, and judgment for the children they impact. We should thank the ones that do every time we can. We should encourage them every time we can. We should ask ourselves like Betty Dusek did “Did I do enough?” To show encourage-ment and appreciation to those who have a dramatic impact on these children is the least of what we can do. At the same time, I challenge the teachers to ask themselves a question or two. Are you one of those in education who is biding his time and counting the days to retirement; or are you one who,

at the end of the day, asks, “Did I do enough?” It is my de-sire to try to be the person who asks myself, Did I do enough to encour-age another? We should all ask it now while we have time to do some-thing about it. In the end of our lives, what will they say that we stood for?

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Melissa and Chris Hargrave have lived at 601 North Harvey Street since October 2009. Their residence is a quaint cottage, built in the late 40’s or early 50’s, just the right place for their family. Melissa grew up in South Texas, at Concepcion, south-west of Alice. She graduated from Premont, and left right after graduation. Still in Concepcion is her Grandmother Francisca Gonzalez, who she lived with growing up. She has four brothers who are not too far from her, one in Lake Jackson, two in Katy, and one in Highlands. She came to Caldwell in 1995 and stayed. She’s been with the city for almost sixteen years. In 2010, she became the City Secretary and truly enjoys the work. Melissa says that her co-workers make the job even more enjoyable. She translates of-ten through out the day. Generally, she says she likes getting to know people. Chris and Melissa married four years ago. He is originally from Louisiana and works as a directional drilling field coor-dinator for NOMAC Drilling Services, home based in Okla-

homa. Chris is an only child. However, he has grown twin girls Kaylan, who is a Marine at Camp Pendleton in California, and Kristan, a student at the University of Lafayette, studying Petro Engineering. And he has two grandsons, an eight month old amd a two year old. Melissa’s son Christopher Luttrell is a ju-nior who attends Caldwell High School. In 2009, when Melissa’s mother Rose Figueroa told her about a quaint cottage being up for sale. Melissa immediately wanted to go look at it, and when she saw it, it was love at first sight, both the inside and outside. They decided to purchase it and did so immediately. The house has had four owners: Chris and Melissa, Dana Carter, Ricky and Hannah Sanchez; and Richard “Soup” Verdine. Their sweet home sports an inviting front porch. Melissa said from the beginning that she loved to go out and sit on the porch. It wasn’t long before her husband Chris began referring to the porch as Melissa’s Front Porch. So in 2011, Chris had a sign made for her at the Kolache Festival. It reads Melissa’s Front Porch. It’s on her lawn to this day. When asked what she likes about the porch, Melissa quickly responded that it is a place to go and relax, often to listen to the nearby church bells, and other times to enjoy the company of friends and family. It is truly a place where she and others share their lives and relax, and occasionally share a glass of wine. The house is not where they want it to be right now. Its 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, with living/ dining room and kitchen are works in progress. Melissa says she is slowly putting her sig-nature on each room. At present, the living room has warm coloring, while the dining room walls are a rich red wine color. A zebra print rug is just the right touch beneath the dark wood dining table and chairs. Melissa has a Facebook page: Melissa’s Front Porch. She en-joys her home, and even working outdoors with her plants and such, but she admits that she rarely has much time to do those sorts of things…right now it is family first, as it should be.

House on HarveyThe Quaint, Classy

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La Salada, an authentic Mexican food restaurant, has recently opened its doors in Snook, Texas. The own-ers, Andrew Lopez, Amelia Hilburn, and Mary Lo-

pez, are hopeful that your dining experience with them will be like dining with family. La Salada is named after their father’s birthplace: La Salada, Fresnillo, Zacatecas, Mexico, and they have dedi-cated the restaurant to his memory. They said, “Without his dream, none of this would have been possible. His love for his family, food, and unity was our inspiration. Our father was a quiet, shy, and humble man, but when he had a houseful, he became playful, funny, and a bit mis-chievous. There was never dull moment. His heart was full of love. There were never first, second or last; all were the same in his eyes. His friends always became a part of his family. He was always kind, encouraging, and full of hope. We now invite you to be a part of our family. Please share in honoring our beloved father and his love for food and family. We will strive to make your visit as enjoyable as our dad made home for us.” La Salada is located at 9440 Slovacek Road, Snook, TX 77878. Their phone number is 979-272-2200. Days and hours they are open include: Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 9:00 am-2:00 pm, and Friday and Saturday 9:00 am-9:00 pm. On Sundays they are open from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. They are closed on Mondays. Their specialty is grilled fajitas, beef, chicken, Slovacek sausage, and/or shrimp. However, they offer many other de-licious dishes: salads, combination plates of chicken, beef, pork chops, tilapia, and enchiladas, and a la carte items. They also offer many breakfast choices. Among them are a variety of plates, steak and egg, pork chop, Huevos Ranche-ros, Huevos ala Mexicana, and Quesadilla. You will not want to miss eating authentic Mexican food that will be offered to you in a welcoming environ-ment, somewhat like home.

ME CASA ES SU CASABUEN PROVECHO!

OpenTuesday, Wednesday and Thursday

9:00 AM - 2:00 PM

Friday and Saturday9:00 AM - 9:00 PM

Sundays9:00 AM to 3:00 PM

Closed on Mondays

Rosewood Venues of New Tabor include gracious set-tings for dining, lodging, entertaining, and gather-ings, large and small. The various Rosewood Venues

are nestled in the New Tabor community of Burleson County, Texas. Named in the memory of Dr. Robert E. Basye, noted re-searcher and hybridizer of roses, Rosewood is owned and oper-ated by Dr. Alvin J. Kutach and his wife Honey, who now live on the idyllic property. The Venues are located at 3120 CR 225, Caldwell, TX 77836. Rosewood manor, a house for special occasions and inti-mate events, has a large formal dining room which can serve 4 to14 individuals with all the accoutrements of fine dining…fine china, crystal, antiques, porcelains, as well as fresh orchids from Rosewood’s greenhouse. Creative chefs, Honey and Alvin Kutach, prepare the menu of your choice, served formally or in a classic buffet style. Rosewood Bed & Breakfast, a part of the venues, is nestled in the peaceful countryside on the fifty acre grounds of Rosewood Manor. A three bedroom two and a half bath house sleeps nine with a king brass bed, a queen oak bed, a single walnut bed, and twin English tester beds. A farm style kitchen and a large living room/ dining area offer much area. Other accommodations in-clude a 40” digital satellite TV, WiFi, Sparkletts drinking water, and one RV hook-up. For booking of this or any part of Rose-wood Venues, contact Honey Kutach at 979-272-8580 or email Kutach@wildblue.net. The Dragonfly Pavilion, another of Rosewood’s venues, is a rental facility with over 1200 sq. ft. of indoor and outdoor space, comfortably seating up to 60 people. A reception, a par-ty, or a family gathering could be held here. Tables, chairs, a full kitchen, and a restroom are provided. The decorations can be rented or brought on your own. A formal or casual ambience is offered. Reasonable prices are based on length of event and add-ons. A minimum 2 weeks notice is required. And no one will want to miss L’ Chanticleer, the French Rooster Room. This private dining room seats up to 40 peo-ple and is an ideal setting for breakfast meetings, conferences, bridal showers and lunches. For further information and for visual examples of the beau-ty of the area and the beauty of the food, see www.rosewoodof-newtabor.com. The Dr. Robert E. Bayse Garden Party will be held at Rose-wood April 20, 2013. This is the beginning of Burleson Coun-

ty’s week-long “CLEAN UP” efforts. The Garden Party will be an inspiration for visitors to devote time and energy to cleaning up their own gardens and landscapes. This event is open to vendors, and booth space is limited to garden art, plants, herbs, etc. Featured speakers will cover related topics during the day. Open to the public, free admission, at 9:00 a.m.to 5:00 p.m. The GARDEN PARTY is a tribute to the work of Dr. Basye, who lived and worked on the 50 acres. His lifetime study of roses earned him an induction to the Horticulture Hall of Fame. Many roses he developed are famous today. In 2002 at 92, he died, and his ashes were scattered where his roses once grew, in the fields at Rosewood. Some of his roses will be fea-tured and sold at the GARDEN PARTY on April 20, 2013.

professional directoryAdvertising-Promotional ProductsImagemaker 2Air Conditioning-Installation & RepairReliant Mechanical 5Weaver’s Refrigeration 43AntiquesDeadwood City 56Attorney at LawBurns & Reyes-Burns 9Leighton Schubert 15Automobile Parts-Supplies-RepairsAuto Frame & Body Works 51Burleson County Motor Supply 43Groce’s Shell 55Wilde Auto Plus 35BanksCitizens State Bank 27BarBQMatus BarBQ 21Bed & BreakfastRocking H Bed & Breakfast 53Rosewood Venues 10Burleson County EventsFair Association 51Butane/Propane Gas ServiceHyPoint Energy, Inc 37CateringD&V Events 17ChemicalsProject Chemicals 35Churches Church of Christ 49First Baptist 41Jubilee Christian Center 41City/Civic/Government OfficesCity of Caldwell 57City of Somerville 55ConstructionC & H Building Construction 5McManus & Haddox 55NEI Construction 17Richard Boyd Construction 15Convenience StoreZip-In 60Copying & Printing Service ImageMaker 2DentistryWatson Orthodontics 59Country ClubCopperas Hollow 7 Dozer Services Albright Dozer 19H.L. Hoyack 21

J7 Service 57Electrical ServiceStevenson’s Electrical 43Fax ServiceImagemaker 2Feed Faust Farms 23Homeyer Feed & supply 35FloristWine & Roses 58Funeral HomePhillips & Luckey 45Strickland Funeral 33General StoreBuck’s 13Health CareBurleson St Joseph Manor 57Copperas Hollow Assisted Living 5Guardian Health Care 33Hope Pregnancy Center 10Holistic ChipsCieAura 59Home and AutoBurleson County Motor Supply 43Wilde Auto Plus 35HuntingRocking H Bed & Breakfast 53InsuranceAlford Insurance Company 60Charlie Law 58Jaecks Insurance 17Livestock & CommissionCaldwell Livestock Commission 54Broken Triangle 58Lumber CompanyWoodson’s Lumber Company 56Massage TherapyHealing Hands 27MonumentsR & C Monuments 25Oil Field ServiesKocurek Industries 13Pest ControlArmstrong Pesticide Solutions 28PhotographyIda Schuman 8PlumbingDP Plumbing 39Pools & PatiosChampion Pool & Patio 2Real EstateDouble “O” Team 27Home & Ranch Real Estate 3Restaurants & Catering1846 Deli 13Freedom Ranch 7

Golden Chick 19LaSalada 9Masfajitas Mexican Restaurant 15Super Donuts 33StorageMustang Storage 21Tax Preparers & AdvisorsDanny Koerth, CPA 29H&R Block 57Towing and Wrecker ServiceD&S Towing 5Truck-Auto-Tires-SuppliesBurleson County Motor Supply 43J&J Tire Service 52Mitchell Tire Service 39Wilde Auto Plus 35VenuesRosewood 10VeterinarianBrazos Valley Mobil Vet Service 27Vitamins & Dietary SupplementsRoots & Shoots 2Water Well DrillingLoehr Drilling Co, Inc 23Welding & FabricatingC&H Welding & Fabrication 59WineWine & Roses 58

SANDI BALCAR & SCARLETTE TAYLORPUBLISHERS

SANDI BALCARLAYOUT & DESIGN

SCARLETTE TAYLORADVERTISING SALES

IDA SCHUMANPHOTOGRAPHER

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

NEAL BEARDCHUCK BURGESS

JEFF BURNSJIMMY BOEDEKER

SUZY COHENTRACY FRANKBJ HEGEMEYER

TAMMY KUBECKASHARON ANN LAFFERE

JOAN MAJORSDR. JACK MCKEMIE DVM

RENITA ODSTRCILDONNA VARNER PRESNAL

MATTHEW RENNERDEL ROGERS. SR.

SCARLETTE TAYLOR POLLY WILLIAMS

Phone 979.567.7871 979.567.6753301 Hwy 21 E Caldwell, TX 77836

The contents of all articles do not represent the views of the Front Porch Magazine. The magazine claims no responsibility

for the accuracy of information or content.

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If you are considering applying for a Concealed Handgun License there are several things to consider. You must meet certain eligibility requirements before you are issued a Concealed Handgun License (CHL) by the State of Texas. The following requirements are: 1. You must be a legal resident of Texas for the six month period preceding the date of application or otherwise be eligible under 411.173(a). A legal resident of another state who meets the eligibility criteria other than residency may obtain a non-resident concealed handgun license. They must take the class-es in Texas. They will have to undergo the same background checks as Texas residents to insure eligibility. 2. You must be at least 21 years of age. A person under the age of 21 may take the proficiency course, but must be 21 before sub-mitting an application to the De-partment.Exception: Military personnel member or veteran of the armed force with an honorable discharge is eligible for a license. 3. You must not have been convicted of a felony. 4. You must not be currently charged with the commission of felony, a Class A or B misdemeanor, or equivalent offense, or an offense under Section 42.01 of the Penal Code (Disorderly Conduct). A person who has charges pending is not eligible for a CHL. They should wait to apply until the charges are dismissed, as-suming they are otherwise eligible at that time. 5. You must not be a fugitive from justice for a felony or a Class A or B misdemeanor or equivalent offense. 6. You must not be a chemically dependent person. 7. You must not be incapable of exercising sound judg-ment with respect to the proper use and storage of a handgun. 8. You must not have been convicted in the five years be-fore the date of application of a Class A or B misdemeanor or equivalent offense, or an offense under Section 42.01 of the Pe-nal Code (Disorderly Conduct) or equivalent offense. 9. You must be fully qualified under federal and state law to purchase a handgun.

10. You must not have been finally determined to be dein-

quent in making a child support payment administered or col-lected by the attorney general. You must clear up before apply-ing for a CHL. 11. You must not have been finally determined to be delin-quent in the payment of taxes collected by the comptroller, state treasurer, tax collector of a political subdivision, Alcoholic Bev-erage Commission or other agency or subdivision. You must clear up before applying for a CHL. 12. You must not be currently restricted under a protective order or restraining order affecting the spousal relationship. You must wait till it expires to apply for a CHL.

13. You must not have been adjudicated as having en-gaged in delinquent conduct violating a felony-grade law within 10 years of the date of application. 14. You must not have made any material misrepre-sentation or failed to disclose any material fact in an applica-tion. A Concealed Handgun Class requires a minimum of 10 hours and no more than fifteen. The class teaches learning about the legal aspects of concealed carry, non-violent dispute resolution,

use of force, and safe handling and storage of firearms. At the end of the class a 50 question test is given. And a shooting test with firing from the 3 yard line, 7 yard line, and 15 yard line, requires that you shoot 175 to 250 to pass. The training should not end the day of the CHL class. A CHL holder should be training both mentally and physically all the time. Having a plan and being prepared for any situation is better than not having a plan and/or not needing one. We all hope we never have to use force or deadly force. In today’s world with the violence and crime against persons you never know when you might need the training. It could be a life and death situation. BJ Hegemeyer is a Certified instructor Concealed Handgun Classes, NRA Refuse to be a victim, NRA Pistol Classes NRA Rifle Classes, NRA Home Firearm Safety and Hunter Educa-tion. She can be contacted at 979-777-6725.

Concealed Handgun Licenseby BJ Hegemeyer

As a Certified Instructor of Concealed Handgun Classes, BJ’s goal is to inspire all citizens to take control of their personal safety. It is not about getting a license to carry

a firearm; it is about knowing how to safely use firearms and the appropriate reasons.

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Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife Lisa, and their little boy Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle. I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn't do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home. As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the proce-dure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience. The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker 's family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.

The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker's Death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, 'I know why.' Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explana-tion. It has changed the way I try and live. He said,'People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life -- like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?' The Six-year-old continued, 'Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long.'********** Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:

When loved ones come home, always run to greet them. Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride. Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure Ecstasy. Take naps. Stretch before rising. Run, romp, and play daily. Thrive on attention and let people touch you. Avoid biting when a simple growl will do. On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.

A Dog’s Purpose...

On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree. When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body. Delight in the simple joy of a long walk. Be loyal. Never pretend to be something you're not. If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it. When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them gently.

14

(PLEASE READ THIS, IT MAY SAVE YOUR LIFE OR THE LIFE OF SOME-

ONE YOU LOVE)

In daylight hours, refresh yourself of these things to do in an emergency situa-tion... This is for you, and for you to share with your wife, your children, & everyone you know. After reading these 11 crucial tips, tell someone you care about. It never hurts to be careful in this crazy world we live in. 1. Tip from Tae Kwon Do : The elbow is the strongest point on your body. If you are close enough to use it, do!2. Learned this from a tourist guide. If a robber asks for your wallet and/or purse, DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM. Toss it away from you... Chances are that he is more interested in your wallet and/or purse than you, and he will go for the wallet/purse. RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DI-RECTION!3. If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car, kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm out the hole and start waving like crazy.. The driver won’t see you, but everybody else will. This has saved lives.4. Women have a tendency to get into their cars after shopping, eating, working, etc., and just sit (doing their checkbook, or making a list, etc.) DON’T DO THIS! The predator will be watching you, and this is the perfect opportunity for him to get in on the passenger side, put a gun to your head, and tell you where to go. AS SOON AS YOU GET INTO YOUR CAR....LOCK THE DOORS AND LEAVE.. If someone is in the car with a gun to your head DO NOT DRIVE OFF, Repeat:

DO NOT DRIVE OFF! Instead gun the engine and speed into anything, wrecking the car. Your Air Bag will save you. If the person is in the back seat they will get the worst of it. As soon as the car crashes bail out and run. It is better than having them find your body in a remote location.5. A few notes about getting into your car in a parking lot, or parking garage: A.) Be aware: look around you, look into your car, at the passenger side floor , and in the back seat. B.) If you are parked next to a big van, en-ter your car from the passenger door. Most serial killers attack their victims by pulling them into their vans while the women are attempting to get into their cars. C.) Look at the car parked on the driver’s side of your vehicle, and the passenger side. If a male is sitting alone in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back into the mall, or work, and get a guard/police-man to walk you back out. IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (And better paranoid than dead.)6. ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs. Stairwells are horrible places to be alone and the perfect crime spot. (This is especially true at NIGHT!)

7. If the predator has a gun and you are not under his control, ALWAYS RUN! The predator will only hit you (a run-ning target) 4 in 100 times; and even then, it most likely WILL NOT be a vital organ. RUN, preferably in a zig -zag pattern!8. As women, we are always trying to be sympathetic: STOP It may get you raped, or killed. Ted Bun-dy, the serial killer, was a good-looking, well educated man, who ALWAYS played on the sympathies of unsuspecting women. He walked with a cane, or a limp, and often asked ‘for help’ into his vehicle or with his vehicle, which is when he abducted his next victim.9. Another Safety Point:

Someone just told me that her friend heard a crying baby on her porch the night before last, and she called the police be-cause it was late and she thought it was weird.. The police told her Whatever you do, DO NOT open the door..’ The lady then said that it sounded like the baby had crawled near a window, and she was worried that it would crawl to the street and get run over. The policeman said, ‘We already have a unit on the way, whatever you do, DO NOT open the door.’ He told her that they think a serial killer has a baby’s cry recorded and uses it to coax women out of their homes thinking that someone dropped off a baby.. He said they have not verified it, but have had several calls by women saying that they hear baby’s cries outside their doors when they’re home alone at night. 10. Water scam! If you wake up in the middle of the night to hear all your taps outside running or what you think is a burst pipe, DO NOT GO OUT TO INVESTIGATE! These peo-ple turn on all your outside taps full blast so that you will go out to investigate and then attack.11. Rapist Trick Know what money you are carrying. If you go into a service station or convenience store and make purchases, stay aware. A woman in Virginia made a gasoline purchase of $10 and a snack purchase of $1.00. She’d taken $11.00 into the store to pay. However, when she returned from the store, got in her truck and began to pull away, a man approached her truck from the unlit side of the store. He, an approachable looking man, walked up to her window and knocked. She asked what he wanted. He raised a $5.00 bill and said, “You dropped this.” She knew it wasn’t hers and said, “It’s not mine.” He began screaming at her to open the door and insisted she’d dropped the money. She drove away as fast as she could. Later, after talking to the Internal Affi-ars Department at the Police Station where she worked, she learned she had possibly encountered a serial killer. Her information gave authorities insight to how he’d been getting to women. Please be aware. She was shocked at his behavior and had reacted wisely. She may have saved her own life.

WRITTEN BY A POLICE OFFICER

STOPIt may get you raped or

killed!

15

Miss NettieThe gentle power of one

by Del Rogers, Sr

Miss Nettie had taught High School Sunday School at her church for over 75 years—she started teaching while she was still in high school and until recently has showed no signs of slowing down. She had her annual physical last week. And that brings us to this morning. Listen as Miss Nettie, at the invitation of her Pastor, shares her STEWARDSHIP ENRICH-MENT testimony as part of her church’s capital campaign to raise funds for a new Gymnasium. She began, “Thank you, Pastor, for asking me to share a testimony of how I determined what my 3 year commitment would be. “I have prayed and prayed about my gift toward the new gym for our kids. What can I give? I have nothing to spare after my tithe out of my small Social Security check, the lights, the water, the gas and, of course, my fellowship time with “my kids.” “So I prayed, ‘Lord, you know how much I love our kids; I’ll do whatever it takes. Since I have no relatives, Lord, you know that I am giving my little house to the church as my “first fruits offering,” but I want to do something every week for the next 3 years (now at my age that is real faith)--whatever it takes, Lord, to build that gym for our kids. “Someone said, ‘Be careful what you pray for—you may get it’ and I did in an unexpected way. After my physical, my young Doctor (at my age everyone is young) said, ‘Miss Nettie, I have some bad news’. I thought he was going to tell me I was going to die-and I am ready; have been since I was 6—but he said, ’Miss Nettie, you are going to have to give up bowling’. Everyone in the congregation laughed. They knew that Miss Nettie bowled with her Sunday School students each week; en-couraged them to bring their friends; and witnessed to them and won countless number of them to the Lord. She liked to say, “It is amazing how open kids can be to the gospel when they see that it can be fun.” “Well, I cried all the way home and asked God ‘why?’ I sat down at my kitchen table and prayed and cried and had my own pity party. Then the Lord spoke to my heart and asked ‘ Nettie, did you mean it when you said that you would do what-ever it took to get that gym for our kids?’ “Yes Lord, I meant it with all my heart.” “OK, so take the $2.35 a week (my very senior discount) that you spend on bowling and make that your weekly gift.” “I stopped crying; I opened my eyes; looked to Heaven and

Continued on Page 25

Hunting for a Causeby Matthew Renner

If you live in Texas, you don’t have to be told what a problem the state’s feral hog population has become. They have not only inhabited rural areas, impact-ing native ecosystems, destroying crops and pastureland, but they have also started to invade the yards and parks of urban environments. Their ability to as-similate and adapt seem to be equitable to that of the coyote, crow, and pigeon. However menacing they are, on the twenty-ninth of January, they actually helped to solve a problem, perhaps as big as they themselves are, when hunt-ers brought them in by the truckload to the third annual Boars of Texas Hog Hunting Competition held in Caldwell, Texas. Competitors hunted all over the state from five o’clock in the evening of the twenty-seventh until teams had to be present at the weigh-in location on Sunday, no later than noon. Not only were the competi-tors hunting for their chance at prizes and bragging rights, but they were also able to personally donate their quarries to one of the six charitable groups who were onsite, ready and willing to ac-cept the much needed meat. According to the latest USDA report released in September of 2012, Texas is ranked as the third hungriest state in the union, technically referred to as food insecurity, with nearly one in five households being affected. To date, more than 28,000 pounds of field-dressed feral hogs have been generated by this hunt and thousands of pounds of meat which the hunters brought in and donated this year will continue to help aid in that fight. Like hunger,

the feral hog problem can’t be solved in a weekend, but this hunt is an excellent demonstration of how groups of hunters and charitable organizations can work to-gether, and how they are each doing their part every day throughout the year in or-der to help keep the hogs and hunger at bay in the great state of Texas. This year’s competition was limited to teams utilizing dogs and knives in pursuit of a five hog stringer of the biggest wild hogs they could catch and kill during the span of this hunt. The teams would then hurry to the weigh-in location with their iced down, field-dressed wild hogs in tow in order to arrive at the Burleson County

Fairgrounds by the competition dead-line. The bragging rights for 2013 go to LB Cattle (Allen Sullivan, Cole McVeay, Justin Jones, and Austin Rayborn) of Buffalo who took first place with a 1011 pound stringer and the ‘Largest Sow’ cat-egory with a weight of 248 pounds. Their team was awarded the first champion buckles ever commissioned by the Boars of Texas Hog Hunting Competition, along with a cash prize, and some Vic-tor dog food donated by Homeyer Feed

of Caldwell, Second place went to Baros Kennels (Josh Baros, Michael Durett, Cale Applegate, Rick Devaga) of Victoria, with a stringer weight of 929 pounds. Winder Ranches (Dusty Winder, Patick Mate-jka, Skeeter Ramsey, Weston Imhoff) of College Station took third with a weight of 918 pounds. Burleson County Hog Hunters (Mark Fregia, Ruben Requena, Jorge Balleza, Ty Stracener) of Caldwell took ‘Largest Boar’ with a weight of 242 pounds, and Pork Pursuit (Jacob Dobbs, Dylan Smitherman, Shane Conrad, Todd Johnson) of Franklin took ‘Longest Tusk’ with a length of 2 7/8”. A special thanks to all of the participating hunters, the Burle-

son County Chamber of Commerce, the Burleson County Fair Association, the Texas A&M AgriLife Ex-tension Service, the Brazos County 4H, Barrett Lyne, the Bur-leson County Wild-life Association, the TDHA for protecting everyone’s right to hunt with dogs, Hunt-ers’ Harvest, Citizens State Bank, Homeyer Feed, Burleson Coun-ty Detail, Boondocks Taxidermy & Wild Game Processing, all of the donors to the free hunter raffle, the

various participating charities, and all of the volunteers at the scales and tables for helping to make this year’s hunt a suc-cess. For more information on the Boars of Texas Hog Hunt, becoming a sponsor, or signing up a team for next year, visit www.Boarsof Texas.com or email Boars of Texas@yahoo.com. If you are a hunter or a fisherman who would like to donate your catch to Texans in need, visit www.HuntersHarvest.org for a list of participat-ing organizations.

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17

Chuckles, Giggles & Snickers

One bright, beautiful Sunday morning, everyone in the tiny town of Johnstown got up early and went to the local church. Before the service started, the townspeople were sitting in their pews and talking about their lives, their families, etc.

Suddenly, the Devil himself appeared in front of the congre-gation. Everyone started screaming and running for the front entrance, trampling each other in a frantic effort to get away from evil incarnate.

Soon everyone was evacuated from the church except for one elderly gentleman who sat calmly in his pew, not moving, seemingly oblivious to the fact that God's ultimate enemy was in his presence.

Now this confused Satan a bit, so he walked up to the man and said, "Don't you know who I am?"

The man replied, "Yep, sure do."

Satan asked "Aren't you afraid of me?"

"Nope, sure ain't," said the man.

Satan was a little perturbed at this and queried, "Why aren't you afraid of me?"

The man calmly replied, "I been married to your sister for 48 years."

A government that robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul.

George Bernard Shw

I love to go to Washington - if only to be near my money.

Bob Hope

18

Jeannette had been at the nursing home for quite a while. I was new there, and it took me a while to get to know her. When I ended up on the graveyard shift one morning,

I found myself nodding off at the desk when finishing up the night’s paper work. I heard someone quietly cough and when I looked up, I was startled to see Jeannette sitting in her wheel-chair by the desk, paying no one any attention. Her thin, grey hair was pulled tightly back across her skull; her hawk-like nose and black beady eyes sat on a deeply wrinkled face. Many a morning she greeted me as I ended up the night shift. As I grew to know her, I entered into her small corner of the world. Her double room was shared with another elderly wom-an. Jeannette’s side was filled with many shelves full of items the staff had given her over the years, from season to season, holiday to holiday. Summer turned into fall and fall to winter. In the very hard winter several residents were dying with the flu. Every week we found a new bag of old bag of belongings out by the dump-ster. The deaths were taking a toll on the staff ’s emotions. We dreaded going to work to find another loved one gone. When I went into the staff room and waited for the office door to open to pick up my paycheck, I was relieved to note no resident’s bag was by the dumpster. I thought, Finally, the flu is letting up. While talking amongst ourselves, we were startled to hear the funeral gurney rolling down the back hall. The morti-cian had come in for another body. “Who died now,?” we wondered. A staffer said, “Jeannette.”

Having A Heart in Nursing by Polly Williams

“Oh, no” I cried out and jumped up to get to Jeanette’s room. In her room, I slowly walked over to her: so at peace, no longer bent over and deformed, but laid out ever so straight and gentle and elegant. I bent down and gave her a farewell kiss on her still warm forehead. I held her hand, said a little prayer of thanks-giving for her life. “Oh, Jeanette, I will miss you” I said. I left, grateful I had a chance to say goodbye. Since no family was known, Jeannette would simply be given a pauper’s funeral. There would be no headstone. She would be laid to rest in the local cemetery under the old giant oak tree where a few other unmarked graves were. Still recovering from her death, I began to wonder what would happen to all her belongings. Could the staff take back what they had given her? Could other residents receive an item in token of her memory? The word came down from adminis-tration that all items would be discarded. My stomach churned with anger. The staff felt much the same way. A decision was made. At midnight the staff present and husbands met out at the dumpster and retrieved Jeannette’s items. The next morning they were spread out on a large tarp at the home of one of the staffers. We all met after work and bid on items that we wanted. The money would go to buy a headstone for Jeannette. Arriving home after buying what I wanted, I began to rum-mage through her belongings I had bid on. There was the pret-tiest blue-green afghan, a ceramic Christmas tree, a jewelry box with Holly Dolly Dolls decals, and embroidered pillow cases she had made. Warm feelings and good memories of Jeannette came as I held each item and thought of her. Many years passed and I no longer worked at this nursing home. One morning I happened to be driving through the town and thought of Jeanette. I wondered if there really was a head-stone for her. I found myself driving up to the old cemetery, to the old oak tree, and walked around looking for a headstone bearing her name. “Oh, my, here it is. Jeannette Moffitt 1916-1986.” I reflected on her story, one I had picked up in bits and pieces. She was born in the early part of the 20th century in New York City with a cleft palette and deformed spine. She became a burden to her family and was sent west to live with her brother. After he died, she then was moved to a county home. When that place was sold, she ended up at the nursing home where I first met her. Now I knew why she always liked for me to play “City Sidewalks” on the piano. She may not have had relatives toward the end of her life, but I know she was loved and deeply cared for by the staff. I never heard her complain. I fondly think and remember how she looked over me those early mornings. Now, I relax in the evening hours, in my senior years, with her blue-green afghan covering me. I am at peace and thankful I had a part of her life and had a heart in nursing.

Polly Williams, a doctor’s daughter, pastor’s wife, mother of 3 sons, farmer’s wife and widow, completed her RN degree at the age of 40. Her desire now is to submit inspirational stories of her life.

19

Oklahoma is the only state that Obama did not win even one county in the last election... While everyone is focusing on Arizona’s new law, look what Oklahoma has been doing!!!

An update from Oklahoma :

Oklahoma law passed, 37 to 9, an amendment to place the Ten Commandments on the front entrance to the state capitol. The feds in D.C., along with the ACLU, said it would be a mistake. Hey this is a conservative state, based on Christian values...! HB 1330. Guess what.......... Oklahoma did it anyway. Oklahoma recently passed a law in the state to incarcerate all illegal immigrants, and ship them back to where they came from unless they want to get a green card and become an American citizen. They all scattered. HB 1804. This was against the advice of the Federal Government, and the ACLU, they said it would be a mistake. Guess what.......... Oklahoma did it anyway. Recently we passed a law to include DNA samples from any and all illegals to the Oklahoma database, for criminal investiga-tive purposes. Pelosi said it was unconstitutional SB 1102. Guess what......... Oklahoma did it anyway. Several weeks ago, we passed a law, declaring Oklahoma as a Sovereign state, not under the Federal Government directives. Joining Texas , Montana and Utah as the only states to do so.More states are likely to follow: Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia, Carolina’s, Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, Arkansas, West Vir-ginia, Mississippi and Florida. Save your confederate money, it appears the South is about to rise up once again. HJR 1003. The federal Government has made bold steps to take away our guns. Oklahoma, a week ago, passed a law confirming people in this state have the right to bear arms and transport them in their vehicles. I’m sure that was a setback for the criminals The Liberals didn’t like it -- But.... Guess what............ Oklahoma did it anyway. Just this month, the state has voted and passed a law that ALL drivers’ license exams will be printed in English, and only Eng-lish, and no other language. They have been called racist for doing this, but the fact is that ALL of the road signs are in English only. If you want to drive in Oklahoma , you must read and write Eng-lish. Really simple. By the way, the Liberals don’t like any of this either Guess what...who cares... Oklahoma is doing it anyway.

Oklahoma

20

by Tammy Kubecka

An important, but often overlooked, part of our history is our music. Since time began, man has had some form of music in his life, even if it consisted of just thumping a stick on a rock. Vocalizing grunts and hums with those thump-ing rhythms, and eventually words, were strung together into songs. Those songs became part of the oral history of that culture. Singing was a way to convey stories. Listening to mu-sic from different historical eras can sometimes teach us as much about history as reading about it in a book. Marches and battle songs come from every culture around the world. Jigs and reels for dancing, funeral dirges for mourning, songs of fancy and fun, love ballads and protest songs are all a part of our musical history, with each kind of music telling the tales of our past. Music has been one way of being heard throughout time, in celebration or protest. It was an accepted way to brag on success or disagree with the times. We sang our way through westward migrations with “Sweet Betsy from Pike”….the Civil War brought “Aura Lee” from the north, and “Lorena” from the south, and campaign songs for poli-ticians became very popular. We sang about our hopes, our losses, and our dreams.

Post Civil War times brought us the first songs support-ive of labor unions, and launched a new form of musical expression. In the early 1900s, as conflicts between com-panies and their coal miners came to a head, protest via song became stronger. “Which Side Are You On?” became an anthem for all oppressed groups, as did “Oh, Freedom”, both making musical appearances in the 1930s. The com-mon man now had a voice. Songs were written about train wrecks, murders, the sinking of the Titanic, and anything else we thought was important. It was a way to immortalize an event, and a way to pass the story down to the next generation. World War I and II brought the most glorious songs of patriotism and hope for the future as “There’ll be bluebirds over, the White Cliffs of Dover…just you wait and see.” The 1960s probably gave us some of the best examples of music with a purpose. “Blowing in the Wind” called for a change in American thinking. Songs expressed anti-Vietnam War sentiments, anti-government, and pro-Civil Rights. Singers weren’t against America, but wanted to question lawmakers and make it better. Indeed, “The Times Are A-Changin’” when you listen to what is now considered the greatest folk music era in our history.

Stand Up...And Sing Your Way Through History

21

Chuckles, Giggles & Snickers

The elderly priest, speaking to the younger priest, said, "It was a good idea to replace the first four pews with plush bucket the-ater seats. It worked like a charm. The front of the church always fills first now." The young priest nodded, and the old priest continued, "And you told me adding a little more beat to the music would bring young people back to church, so I supported you when you brought in that rock'n'roll gospel choir. Now our services are consistently packed to the balcony." "Thank you, Father," answered the young priest. "I am pleased that you are open to the new ideas of youth." "All of these ideas have been well and good," said the elderly priest, "but I'm afraid you've gone too far with the drive-thru confessional." "But, Father," protested the young priest, "my confessions and the donations have nearly doubled since I began that!" "Yes," replied the elderly priest, "and I appreciate that. But the flashing neon sign, 'Toot 'n Tell or Go to Hell' cannot stay on the church roof.

When the store manager returned from lunch, he noticed his clerk’s hand was bandaged, but before he could ask about the bandage, the clerk had some very good news for him. “Guess what, sir?” the clerk said. “I finally sold that terrible, ugly suit we’ve had so long!” “Do you mean that repulsive pink-and-blue double-breasted thing?!” the manager asked. “That’s the one!” “That’s great!” the manager cried, “I thought we’d never get rid of that monstrosity! That had to be the ugliest suit we’ve ever had! But tell me, why is your hand bandaged?” “Oh,” the clerk replied, “after I sold the guy that suit, his see-ing-eye dog bit me.”

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979-567-6753

22

Getting to Know Rob Schleider....

by Jimmy Boedeker Rob is a family man, husband, father of two, Robby, age 33 and Callie age 30, a restaurateur, Lay Speaker and was an out-standing baseball pitcher. I became acquainted with Rob in 1974 when he came to Caldwell to open the Dairy Palace. I personally blame Rob for the last fifty pounds I gained before the horse accident...which is a whole ‘nother ball game. However, I lost about that much during my stay in the hospital in November and December of last year (2012). Rob remembers once in Little League (All Star game), Col-lege Station was playing Bryan West, College Station had a 2-1 lead going into the last inning and their best hitter, ‘Big Joe Sala-zer’ came up to bat with a runner on first. Rob’s manager walked out to the mound and asked Rob if he wanted to walk “Big Joe” or pitch to ‘im. Even though Big Joe was twice the size of Rob and was a known heavy hitter, without hesitation Rob said to his manager, “I want to pitch to him.” Rob also stated Big Joe hit the first pitch over the flag pole in centerfield and per Rob the ball might have gone into orbit. However, the ball has been found after all these years, and may be seen at the Surrey Inn cash-out counter. The game was lost by College Station, 3-2, and as Rob was making his way sadly back to the dugout, head down and watering eyes, his dad was there to meet Rob with a smile, lifted his chin and said, “Son, you did you best to face a heavy hitter like Big Joe. I could not be more proud of you than I am right now.” Rob speaks highly of his parents, Bob and Ann Schleider. Rob’s dad was an engineer and his mother a teacher. They had done so much in the two cities where they lived (College Sta-tion and Wichita Falls, Texas) that a “Bob Schleider Day” was proclaimed in appreciation for so many things the Schlieder’s had done while living in those two cities. Rob states his dad was a perfect gentleman and his mom nev-er had to open a car door or any door when his dad was close by. Rob said he and his two brothers, Rick and Reg, were taught good manners and ‘yes sir/madam’ or no sir/madam’ was no option when speaking to any adult. Rob spoke of one occasion when he came home from a date on Friday night about 10:30. Curfew was at 12:00 and his dad asked why he was home so early. It was then Rob told his dad he’d had an argument with his girlfriend and did not walk her to her door because of his anger. Rob’s dad stated “Evidently, Rob you have not learned ‘yet’ what it means to be a gentleman. Let’s go over it one more time, or until you get it. About midnight Rob was allowed to go in but not until his dad gave instructions about what must be done the next day. Dad stated, “Tomorrow is Saturday and we’ll give them a chance to sleep in, but between 11:00 and 12:00 o’clock tomorrow you will be at their front door with an apology to her and her parents with the assurance this

kind of behavior will not happen again.” Rob’s dad asked Rob if he understood and was he clear. Rob said “Yes, Sir” and Rob had learned a lifelong lesson that’s engraved in his heart. Better times were to come as Rob re-members his senior year in Consol High when he was off to a great start, averaging nineteen strike-outs per game, and against Crockett High he struck out twenty-one batters in a row for a perfect game. Rob injured his arm in the Crockett game and didn’t pick up a ball for about 10 days. Bren-ham was the next game Rob was to pitch and when asked by his Coach if he was ready without hesitation Rob stated, “Absolutely coach, I can’t wait.” College coaches were plentiful, as well as Pro Scouts, to see the ‘almost famous’ Rob Schleider pitch. Fans had filled the sta-dium to witness this most important game of the season for Rob and his teammates. Rob stated Brenham rocked and beat Consol 8-2. Again Rob with head down and watering eyes thought his lifelong dream of playing professional baseball had just come to an abrupt end. Then Rob felt those two fingers of his Dad raise his chin. Smil-ing, he said, ‘Son, you gave it all you had with the injured arm and you never quit. You are a champion and I could not be more proud of you than I am right now’. Rob stated this was another example of his father’s unconditional love for him at a time when he needed it the most. Through a loving father, Rob stated he was able to see a loving Lord, a loving Savior, his heavenly father who raised his chin as if to say, “You’re my son and I love you so much,” and that un-conditional love is forever. Rob was able to fulfill his lifelong dream of playing profes-sional baseball for about three years until an arm injury ended his brief professional career. Rob spent most of his time in Flor-ida spending one season with the major leagues in Winter Ball. Rob had faced giants like “Big Joe” before but their names were Ken Grittey, John Mayberry, and Charlie Spikes to name a few. Rob faced these men with respect and without fear because as Rob stated, “I knew if I pitched my best, win or lose, there would always be someone there to say, “You did your best and I am so proud of you.” Rob graduated from Texas A&M University in 1974. Rob and wife, Susan, live in College Station.

23

Chuckles, Giggles & Snickers

The California State Department of Fish and Game is advis-ing hikers, hunters, fishermen and golfers to take extra precau-tions and keep alert for bears while in the Yosemite and Mam-moth areas. They advise people to wear noise-producing devices such as little bells on their clothing to alert but not startle the bear unexpectedly. They also advise carrying pepper spray in case of an encounter with a bear. It is also a good idea to watch for fresh signs of bear activity and know the difference between black bear and grizzly bear droppings. Black bear droppings are smaller and contain berries and possibly squirrel fur. Grizzly bear droppings have little bells in them and smell like pepper spray.

A young boy had just gotten his driving permit. He asked his father, who was a minister, if they could discuss the use of the car. His father took him to his study and said to him, “I’ll make a deal with you. You bring your grades up, study your bible a little and get your hair cut and we’ll talk about it.” After about a month the boy came back and again asked his father if they could discuss use of the car. They again went to the father’s study where his father said, “Son, I’ve been real proud of you. You have brought your grades up, you’ve studied your bible diligently, but you didn’t get your hair cut!” The young man waited a moment and replied, “You know Dad, I’ve been thinking about that. You know, Samson had long hair, Moses had long hair, Noah had long hair, and even Jesus had long hair....” To which his father replied....”Yes, and they WALKED ev-erywhere they went!

This is a true story ~ proving how fascinating the mind of a six year old is. They think so logically. A teacher was reading the story The Three Little Pigs to her class. She came to the part of the story where first pig was trying

to gather the building materials for his home. She read: "...and so the pig went up to the man with the wheel-barrow full of straw and said: 'Pardon me sir, but may I have some of that straw to build my house?'" The teacher paused then asked the class: "And what do you think the man said?" One little boy raised his hand and said very matter-of-factly ..."I think the man would have said - 'Well, I'll be darned! A talking pig!'" The teacher had to leave the room.

Don’t you love to talk to or read articles written by people who express their genuine feelings, who go into detail and let you know what is passing through their minds? I certainly do. Recently, I have been in a Bible study of Nehemiah….Yes, I know what some of you are thinking…Nehemiah? BOR-ING!

But the truth is, it is anything but boring. In fact, the study of Nehemiah is all about caring about each other. And I believe that part of the reason it is so inspiring is because of its author Kelly Minter. She’s a soul wide-open, sensitive, honest to the point of possibly being painful to her, see the glass half-way, not full or empty…just half way from being filled with what-ever.

She’s been an inspiration to me in so many ways. She’s many decades my junior, but her enthusiasm coupled with her pre-cious knowledge of scripture…plus her sacrifice of self to minister to people, while still desiring to find her life’s mate, is so refreshing. She loves God so much more than she can express…yet, she wants, nay needs, (or perhaps powerfully desires) to be a wife and mother. But, the great thing I sense is that she doesn’t let her lack of anyone on the horizon get her down.

She talks about a husband, and about wanting children and such. But, her fulfilling life, and it is full to the brim, keeps her focused on Christ, and others and their great needs (as in the Amazon), and keeps her growing to be more of the person who looks like Jesus.

All that said, I get back to the original question of listening to or reading articles by people who express their genuine thoughts and feelings so openly, and so candidly…I want to

be like that, to the extreme, completely. Sometimes as I write, I find myself getting away from calling you readers, my be-loved, or dear ones or precious friends, or people who matter so to me. Though I genuinely feel that way, I think, after I’ve gushed out true feelings that I somehow need to back off…to get back under that control mode…stay safe and I won’t rock the boat, or offend you with kindness.

But, I’ve been inspired these last few weeks to be more open, more genuine, more caring, more real with you, dear readers. I know who some of you are. And the thought of some of you reading what I write truly scares me because you know me so well. And I never want to be a hypocrite, a fraud, or charla-tan. And I know of others who I am happy to read whatever I have to say because they are so Christ-like that they will be more than willing to let whatever of worth I might possibly say influence their closeness to Christ.

Of course, there are many whom I don’t know…many I will never even meet this side of Glory. You, dear one, I guess I feel most comfortable with…and it’s because I can feel that you read the words God gives me, and God draws you toward His ways or Word or thoughts, or that you reject Him about whatever the issue is. I’m secure in that I am nothing but a pawn, if you will. God has given me a Word, and I’ve written it. None of the rest is up to me.

But, you know what? The truth is that whenever we speak or write or in any way do something for Christ, that’s the way it is. The results or consequences are not up to us. We have no control over how someone will respond or follow through on what has been said or done. So, having written all this, my prayer, my desire, today is that I will be more pleasing to my God, to my Savior Jesus, as I write. I pray that I’ll be more soul wide-open, sensitive to pleasing my God and not con-cerned about what others may say, and that I’ll be honest to the point of it being painful to me. Grant it, Lord Jesus.

“The truth is we are to be more concerned about being more like God than receiving His blessings.”

The truth is that whenever we speak or write...

Still Willingto

Learn

by Scarlette Taylor

Chuckles, Giggles & Snickers

One day a group of scientists got together and decided that man had come a long way and no longer needed God. So they picked one scientist to go and tell Him that they were done with Him. The scientist walked up to God and said, “God, we’ve decided that we no longer need you. We’re to the point that we can clone people and do many miraculous things, so why don’t you just go on and get lost.” God listened very patiently and kindly to the man. After the scientist was done talking, God said, “Very well, how about this? Let’s say we have a man-making contest.” To which the scientist replied, “Okay, great!” But God added, “Now, we’re going to do this just like I did back in the old days with Adam.” The scientist said, “Sure, no problem” and bent down and grabbed himself a handful of dirt. God looked at him and said, “No, no, no. You go get your own dirt!”

The Rev. Billy Graham tells of a time early in his career when he arrived in a small town to preach a sermon. Want-ing to mail a letter, he asked a young boy where the post office was.

When the boy told him, Rev. Graham thanked him and said, “If you’ll come to the Baptist church this evening, you can hear me telling everyone how to get to Heaven.”

“I don’t think I’ll be there,” the boy said. “You don’t even know your way to the post office.”

25

Miss Nettie (Cont’d from Page 15)

said,” ‘Thank you Jesus; I’ll do it.’ “So that is how I came to put $2.35 per week on my STEWARDSHIP ENRICHMENT commitment card. God always provides.” She started to leave the pulpit but turned and said, “By-the-way, Jesus said something else to me that day as I complained about not being able to bowl with my kids. He said, ‘Nettie, you don’t have to stop going with them; you just have to stop bowling. You can be their cheer-leader.’ “I said, okay Lord, but I don’t think that I would look good in one of those skimpy cheerleader outfits.” And Jesus smiled.

Miss Nettie married young and her husband died in an accident shortly after they were married. She never remarried and never had any children. She liked to say that she had thousands of children. Her Pastor did some research and found that this she had over 100 of her stu-dents in full time ministry; over 100 who had become public and private school teachers and hundreds in gov-ernment service; including a Governor, a Senator, several state and national representatives and thousands of oth-ers who were grateful for the little lady who led them to Jesus and changed their lives forever. By-the-way, several church members asked for their commitment card back and increased their commitment after hearing Miss Net-tie’s testimony. One person can make a difference for now and eternity.

Del Rogers, SR., founder and CEO of the Rogers Compa-ny is a recognized authority on successful fund raising for churches and personal stewardship growth for individual christians.

26

I don’t like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don’t think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the con-cept came from that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can’t find it in the Constitution and I don’t like it being shoved down my throat... Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship celebrities and we aren’t allowed to worship God as we understand Him. I guess that’s a sign that I’m getting old, too. But there a a lot of us who are wondering where these celebrities came from and where the America we knew went to. In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it’s not funny, it’s intended to get you thinking. In light of recent events...terrorists attack, school shooting, etc...I think it started when Madeleine Murray O’Hare (she was

murdered, her body found a few years ago) complained she didn’t want prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then some-one said you better not read the Bible in school...The Bible says thou shalt not kill; thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK. Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn’t spank our children when they misbehave, because their little personali-ties would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock’s son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he’s talking about...And we said okay...

Now we’re asking ourselves why our children have no con-science, why they don’t know right from wrong, and why they don’t know right from wrong, and why it doesn’t bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves. Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with ‘WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.’ Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world’s going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Fun-ny how you can send ‘jokes’ through e-mail and they spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyber-space, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace. Are you laughing yet?

My ConfessionThe following was written by Ben Stein and

recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning Commentary.

It all started when Madeleine Murray O’Hare complained she

didn’t want prayer in our schools.

Madalyn Murray O'Hair was once described by Time magazine as the most hated woman in America. She was certainly the most famous atheist in America during the latter half of the 20th century; she never shunned the spotlight and she never avoided an op-portunity to create controversy and discussion. Inso-far as she was hated, it was not simply because of her atheism as it was for her vocal arguments on behalf of a number of positions which infuriated Americans - mostly when it came to the role of religion in Ameri-can public life.

As a child my family's menu consisted of two

choices: take it or leave it.

Buddy Hackett

A New Year

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A year ago a lot of people were talking about the Mayan Calendar’s predic-tion of the end of the world on December 21, 2012. My article last spring in The Front Porch may have given you some ideas for your last year on earth bucket list. The Mayans prediction was surprisingly wrong, or was it? Ironically, I unexpectedly went on a Christmas cruise in 2012, with a day trip to the Mayan Ruins, on the very week the world was supposed to end. Our archeologist tour guide, who spouted a wealth of information about the Mayan culture, insisted that the intelligent Mayans never predicted the end of the world at all, but simply quit writing calendars. After all, isn’t a few thousand years of future calendars enough already? After about a thirty minute ride, we arrived at the extremely fascinating ruins. Walking upon their sacrificial stones and see-ing their huge stadium, it was easy to imagine young warriors playing what is called the “ball game,” to the death. I have no doubt there was merry making for the winners, and extreme consequences for the terrified losers. The defeated team leader was killed as a sacrifice to the gods. I can’t imagine there were a lot of willing volunteers to play such a violent game, unless they had a death wish, or a very large ego. As I walked through the well preserved ruins, I started to wonder, would a muscled Mayan with flowing dark haired tress-es arrive shortly? He might just step through time on his way to lunch, and say, “You fools, we didn’t predict the end of the world. That wasn’t our prediction at all! How do you think we would possibly know? We were just faking it. The joke is on you people, and I am glad to get the last laugh.” Then, poof, he disappears back to his world, leaving us breathless, for various reasons. It is vitally important to know what is trendy for 2013, if we are going to be here another year, right? We’ve got to stay hip, and happening. Some new words you might want to add to your vocabulary this year include swag (cool), LOL, (Laughing out

loud), yolo (you only live once), rachet (crude), SMH (shakes my head) cray-cray—obvious, right ? Apparently, literally is very with-it. I literally feel sure, if we add these new slang expres-sions when talking to our peers, they will be very impressed, literally. Then, literally, we can be assured of one more year of cool. From J. Walter Thompson advertising agency’s “Things to Watch” this year, it’s going to be a year in which imperfection is a trend. We are already seeing real people in ads, instead of just skinny actors. We have perfect role models in our political leaders who are near perfect at being imperfect. Don’t forget our own end of the world prediction with the Fiscal Cliff. But, just like the Mayans’ predictions, it turned out to be somewhat false and somewhat fixable; imperfection and drama to the hilt. Who knew congress was striving for trendy. Bless their hearts. When we have a bad day at our job, we can tell the boss, “Well, I was striving for imperfection.” He will give us a pat on the back, saying, “Yep, you nailed it, too,” reflects Kevin Horrigan, from the The Eagle. There will be more people in the coming year eating more humane food. More folks will eat grass, seeds, “faux meat,” and perhaps we will begin to see voluntary chicken and hog euthana-sia. I’m not sure how that plays out, but, hey, nothing is impos-sible anymore. This new year we will see unimaginable phenom-ena unfold before our very eyes. They got bin Laden, maybe they can balance the budget.No, that’s just too far out. Donna Presnal

Donna (Varner) Presnal, Retired Teacher & Caldwell High School graduate.

29

Who’s Going to Stand-up…are you?

Have you been hearing people complaining about the state our nation is in? Have you personally complained, or been con-cerned? The truth is we all have need for concern! In fact, we must be pro-active people, we must be vigilant people, we must be people who hold to the truths of our Constitution, and hold to rights of free men and women. We must be people who believe in work and achieving, and not sitting and waiting for someone else to determine our lives. If we want an American for our children and grandchildren that is anything like what has been effective, nay, what has been powerful, for over 200 years, we must not be passive, and just ac-cept the changes that have come and surely are coming. We must get involved/ Have you felt so frustrated with all of the money America owes, and the fact that there is no end to spending with the cur-rent administration? An increase in debt owed of over $16 Tril-lion just isn’t right. As a member of a household, you under-stand that you can’t keep overspending and expect to keep what

you own, or at least are buying. It simply doesn’t work that way. When you see the total owed daily and the vast amounts that are added to the debt, do you cringe? You should. We all should. Have you felt great frustration with the divisiveness of the government? Whether you call yourself a Democrat, Indepen-dent, or Republican, there should not be polarization when any issue comes just because of party affiliation. We are Americans; we need to want to work together for the common good, for each other. The values that made our America will keep our America great! When did our three branches of government get so separat-ed, so incapable of working through things for the good of the people? Why do they fail to listen to the people of the United States? This government was founded “for the people” and “by the people,” not by the government, or President, or Senate.” We the people have been left out of the equation, it seems too often. When considering the will of the people is gone, where will we be? I shutter to think. What is going on with gun control and the rights of the citi-zens of America to own guns? Our forefathers knew that if we as citizens stayed armed, we would stay free. Sure, no sane person believes there should be AKA’s in each home. But, if we give up our rights to own guns, then what right will be next? These Con-stitutional rights must remain, must be safeguarded. Truly hunting is engrained in our American way of life. And it is vitally important to some…and some even make their liv-ings by supplying the equipment to hunters. And throngs of people who live in areas where hunting deer, moose, turkey, and the like use their guns for feeding their families, or providing meat for people. I feel sure that little, if any, of this is totally new to you. How-ever, we must not just acknowledge that we know these facts. We must know and work for change. We must care, first of all, and we must seek to foster change in ways we can. All that is going on that will affect our nation, our way of life, our well-being must be held under the scrutiny of “we, the people.” That demands that we must be vigilant though. We must stay informed, and speak out when we do not agree. Speak to neighbors, city officials, email and call state and federal lead-ers. That takes some effort on our part. But, it is well worth any time spent. From the grass roots of our city government to state government, and on to the national administration, we must speak for right and work to right wrongs that are affecting us, our rights, our freedoms. Show you care! And, remember, I am only one, but I am one!

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New York Yankee’s pitcher, Don Larson, made sports histo-ry on October 8, 1956 pitching the only perfect game in world series history. It was the fifth game of the contest against the Brooklyn Dodgers. After the no-hitter a mentally challenged sports reporter asked manager, Casey Stengel, if that was the best game Larson had ever pitched. Stengel’s tongue in check answer was, “so far.” The game’s most memorable picture was catcher, Yogi Berra, leaping into Larson’s arms after the 27th out. In that same year, hog history happened here. The brain dead reporter could have rescued his ragged reputation but, alas, that journalist, or any other, was on hand when Susie, my thoroughbred Spotted Poland China pig, won a blue ribbon at the Coosa Valley fair, in Rome, GA. I became a sow specialist through the teaching of Mr. Frank Cloer, our agriculture teacher. He encouraged me to work with Susie daily, from the time she was eight weeks old, preparing her for the show ring. When Mr. Cloer declared Susie ready, so was I. On the appointed day we went to the fair. Each hog in her category was assigned a small pen with a thick carpet of shav-ings on the floor, and access to a water hose for bathing. (the hog not the boy). A dirty pig could be disqualified. I washed my hog; her skin glistened through the bristles. Her hooves had to be clean and shiny; that had concerned me. Even hard scrubbing with soapy water never made them shine. Once, at home, I had used Mama’s clear finger nail polish on Susie’s feet and made them sparkle; I smuggled a bottle into her pen. As show time closed in I gave Susie a final bath, and painted her hooves. A farmer, whose son had a pig in the show, was sauntering through the pig barn admiring the animals. Down on one knee examining Susie, he asked, “how’d you get them hooves so shiny?” With the confidence of an expert hogologist, I told him my secret for the well groomed hog. He said, “son them judges will disqualify your pig when they see her hooves.” My group had been notified to be ready to enter the show ring in 30 minutes. Panicked, I flitted about asking every wom-an I could find, “Ma’am could I borrow some nail polish re-mover?” They gave the deranged 15 year old eye rolling looks that said, “this young generation’s going to the hogs.”

Finally, a grandmotherly lady asked, “why in the world do you want nail polish remover?” When I explained, this angelic woman said, “come on we ain’t got much time.” She crawled in the pen with me and we went to work unpolishing Susie’s hooves. She was finishing the last toenail when my name was called. Pretty, proud, and perky, like any beauty contestant, Susie promenaded before the judges. Recognizing hog superiority, they awarded her the blue ribbon Don Larson’s no hitter has its place in history; but if there was a hog world series, as there should be, Susie would be int he hall of fame. Where is a reporter when history is being made. Probably, asking dimwitted questions at a lesser event. Mrs. White, the lady who saved my bacon, so to speak, came by our pen. She gave Susie an apple core and me a bear hug, saying, “See hon you don’t have to cheat to win.” “Yes ma’am, I’ve shore learned my lesson, thank you for hepin’ me,” I re-sponded to the judge’s wife.

by Neal Beard, a retired pas-tor living in Douglasville, Georgia. He writes history/humor about the rural north-west Georgia community where he grew up in the 40s

PAINTEDPIG’S FEET

The Best Steak Marinade Recipe 1/4 cup olive oil 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce 1/4 cup soy sauce 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 2 teaspoons minced garlic salt and pepper to taste

Directions Mix olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Worcester-shire sauce, soy sauce, Dijon mustard, and garlic in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Marinate steaks for at least 2 hours for best flavor.

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Dear Pharmacist, My wife made a resolution this year to eat healthy, but she loves candy and chocolate. Is there any compromise because I want to surprise her with something delicious without sabotag-ing her diet? –S.H., Dallas, Texas Answer: Ah, Valentine’s Day, when women’s fancy turns to thoughts of… chocolate! And for that matter, men also shop for those scrumptious treats. After all, once a man splurges on a big, beautiful red box of chocolates, he often gets to sample the good-ies. I’ll bet you think I’m going to tell you not to indulge, or to eat carob “chocolates” instead. Nope! Fact is, I love chocolate. I will work for chocolate! And your body benefits from it. This is news to many, but chocolate is seriously good for you. It’s so

good for you that (provided you limit yourself to a piece or two of the healthy sort) you could definitely consider it a guilt-free indulgence. Chocolate is made from the beans of the cacao tree which contain hefty amounts of antioxidants that protect against heart disease and cancer. Studies show compounds in chocolate can boost good cholesterol, lower blood pressure and help prevent blood clots. Theobromine, found in chocolate improves blood flow to the heart. In 2006, Harvard University researchers reviewed a number of scientific studies and found multiple health benefits of dark chocolate giving this yummy treat a big thumbs up. I’m betting their other four fingers were wrapped around a truffle. Why did they concentrate their queries on dark chocolate? The rule is, the darker the chocolate, the higher the percent cacao it contains. Cacao is the antioxidant-rich powdery sub-stance that results when cacao beans are dried. I always want you to choose bars that contain 65 – 85% cacao. Milk chocolate contains fewer, if any of these powerful antioxidants. And white chocolate? Forget about it, it doesn’t even rank! Chocolate is a love drug. It increases psychoactive feel-good compounds, the very same ones that your brain makes when you fall in love. Chocolate really does have good chemistry go-ing for it. Oh la la! And if you get addicted, it’s perfectly legal. Why wait for Valentine’s when you could enjoy this every night? Candy bars merely coated with chocolate and jam-packed with sugar, artificial flavors and partially hydrogenated oils are fake to me. Avoid or minimize truffles stuffed with maple, rasp-berry and vanilla “cream.” Those are usually sugar-laden caloric bombs. If you want to do your honey a real favor on Valentine’s Day, forgo the fake chocolate and instead splurge on a small box or bar of high-quality dark chocolate. It’ll cost about the same, but it will say “I love you” in a sweeter way. Another healthy alterna-tive is to buy an edible bouquet of strawberries or make your own edible arrangement of fresh fruits, and then fondue dark chocolate for dipping.

People call me “America’s Most Trusted Pharmacist®” be-cause I’ve been a licensed pharmacist for over 22 years and I am able to share the pros and cons of medication use as well as offer natural substitutions for most any of your health concerns. While I pride myself in ‘thinking outside the pill’ let me just say that I am still very proud to wear my white coat because I realize that there is a time and place for medications. We need to consider all of our options, and often, a combination is best. I’ve spent the the last 13 years writing a syndicated column called “Dear Pharmacist” which focus on health and explores the use of natural supplements, as well as the safe use of medications if you are taking them. This has been printed in many newspapers nationwide.

Although Valentine’s Day has passed,chocolate is for

all holidays and seasons.

Suzy Cohen, RPh www.DearPharmacist.com

35

Chuckles, Giggles & Snickers

This is Captain Sinclair speaking. On behalf of my crew I'd like to welcome you aboard British Airways flight 602 from New York to London. We are currently flying at a height of 35,000 feet midway across the Atlantic. "If you look out of the windows on the starboard side of the aircraft, you will observe that both the starboard engines are on fire. "If you look out of the windows on the port side, you will observe that the port wing has fallen off. "If you look down towards the Atlantic ocean, you will see a little yellow life raft with three people in it waving at you. “That’s me your captain, the co-pilot, and one of the air stewardesses. This is a recorded message. Have a good flight!”

Nobel prize winner, an old Pastor, and a boy scout was flying across the Atlantic when the pilot came bursting through the door and anounced: "We've lost both engines, and there are only three parachutes on the plane. I only received my pilot's licence last month and I still have to serve a lot of people; I simply have to live." With that he grabbed a parachute and jumped. The Nobel prize winner said: "Just last week I received the prize for being the smartest man on earth. I have a lot of work to do for mankind, sorry, I also have to live." He grabbed a para-chute and jumped. The pastor turned to the boy and said; "Son, I have lived a long life; I have put my faith in what Jesus has done for me and I know for certain that when I die I will go to heaven. You are young and have your whole life ahead of you. You take the last parachute and jump." "Not to worry sir," the boy replied, "there's still two chutes left; the smartest man in the world just jumped with my backpack."

With all her big brothers and sisters off to school, our ranch became a lonely place for our three-year-old daughter, Becky. She longed for playmates. Cattle and horses were too big to cuddle and farm machinery dangerous for a child so small. We prom-ised to buy her a puppy but in the meantime, “Pretend” puppies popped up nearly every day. I had just finished washing the lunch dishes when the screen door slammed and Becky rushed in, cheeks flushed with excite-ment. “Mama!” she cried, “Come see my new doggy! “I gave him water two times already. He’s so thirsty!” I sighed, another of Becky’s imaginary dogs. “Please come, Mama.” She tugged at my jeans, her brown eyes pleading, “He’s crying -- and he can’t walk!” “Can’t walk?” Now that was a twist. All her previous make-be-lieve dogs could do marvelous things. One balanced a ball on the end of its nose. Another dug a hole that went all the way through the earth and fell out on a star on the other side. Still another danced on a tightrope. Why suddenly a dog that couldn’t walk? “All right, honey,” I said. By the time I tried to follow her, Becky had already disappeared into the mesquite. “Where are you?” I called. “Over here by the oak stump. Hurry, Mama!” I parted the thorny branches and raised my hand against the glare of the Arizona sun. A numbing chill gripped me. There she was, sitting on her heels, toes dug firmly in the sand, and cradled in her lap was the unmistakable head of a wolf! Beyond its head rose massive black shoulders. The rest of the body lay completely hidden inside the hollow stump of a fallen oak. “Becky,” My mouth felt dry. “Don’t move.” I stepped closer. Pale-yellow eyes narrowed. Black lips tightened, exposing dou-ble sets of two-inch fangs. Suddenly the wolf trembled. Its teeth clacked, and a piteous whine rose from its throat. “It’s all right, boy,” Becky crooned. “Don’t be afraid. That’s my mama, and she loves you, too.” Then the unbelievable happened. As her tiny hands stroked the great shaggy head, I heard the gentle thump, thump, thumping of the wolf ’s tail from deep inside the stump. What was wrong with the animal? I wondered. Why couldn’t he get up? I couldn’t tell. Nor did I dare to step any closer. I glanced at the empty water bowl. My memory flashed back to the five skunks that last week had torn the burlap from a leaking pipe in a frenzied effort to reach water during the final agonies of rabies. Of course! Rabies! Warning signs had been posted all over the county, and hadn’t Becky said, “He’s so thirsty?” I had to get Becky away. “Honey.” My throat tightened. “Put his head down and come to Mama. We’ll go find help.” Reluctantly, Becky got up and kissed the wolf on the nose be-fore she walked slowly into my outstretched arms. Sad yellow eyes followed her. Then the wolf ’s head sank to the ground. With Becky safe in my arms, I ran to the barns where Brian, one of our cowhands, was saddling up to check heifers in the North pasture.

“Brian! Come quickly. Becky found a wolf in the oak stump near the wash! I think it has rabies!” “I’ll be there in a jiffy,” he said as I hurried back to the house, eager to put Becky down for her nap. I didn’t want her to see Brian come out of the bunkhouse. I knew he’d have a gun. “But I want to give my doggy his water,” she cried. I kissed her and gave her some stuffed animals to play with. “Honey, let Mom and Brian take care of him for now,” I said. Moments later, I reached the oak stump. Brian stood looking down at the beast. “It’s a Mexican lobo, all right.” He said, “ And a big one!” The wolf whined. Then we both caught the smell of gangrene. “Whew! It’s not rabies,” Brian said. “But he’s sure hurt real bad. Don’t you think it’s best I put him out of his misery?” The word “yes” was on my lips, when Becky emerged from the bushes. “Is Brian going to make him well, Mama?” She hauled the animal’s head onto her lap once more, and buried her face in the coarse, dark fur. This time I wasn’t the only one who heard the thumping of the lobo’s tail. That afternoon my husband, Bill, and our veterinarian came to see the wolf. Observing the trust the animal had in our child, Doc said to me, “Suppose you let Becky and me tend to this fella together.” Minutes later, as child and vet reassured the stricken beast, the hypodermic found its mark. The yellow eyes closed. “He’s asleep now,” said the vet. “Give me a hand here, Bill.” They hauled the massive body out of the stump. The animal must have been over five feet long and well over a hundred pounds. Bullets had mutilated the wolf ’s hip and leg. Doc did what he had to in order to clean the wound and then gave the patient a dose of peni-cillin. Next day he returned and inserted a metal rod to replace the missing bone. “Well, it looks like you’ve got yourselves a Mexican lobo,” Doc said. “He looks to be about three years old, and even as pups, they don’t tame real easy. I’m amazed at the way this big fella took to your little gal. But often there’s something that goes on between children and animals that we grownups don’t understand.”

36

A Wolf’s Tale

A Wolf’sTale

37

Becky named the wolf Ralph and carried food and water to the stump every day. Ralph’s recovery was not easy. For three months he dragged his injured hindquarters by clawing the earth with his front paws. From the way he lowered his eyelids when we massaged the atrophied limbs, we knew he endured excruciating pain, but not once did he ever try to bite the hands of those who cared for him. Four months to the day, Ralph finally stood unaided. His huge frame shook as long- unused muscles were activated. Bill and Ipatted and praised him. But it was Becky to whom he turned for a gentle word, a kiss or a smile. He responded to these gestures of love by swinging his busy tail like a pendulum. As his strength grew, Ralph followed Becky all over the ranch. Together they roamed the desert pastures, the golden-haired child often stooping low, sharing with the great lame wolf whis-pered secrets of nature’s wonders. When evening came, he re-turned like a silent shadow to his hollow stump that had surely become his special place. As time went on, although he lived primarily in the brush, the habits of this timid creature endeared him more and more to all of us. His reaction to people other than our family was yet another story. Strangers terrified him, yet his affection for and protective-ness of Becky brought him out of the desert and fields at the sight of every unknown pickup or car. Occasionally he’d approach, lips taut, exposing a nervous smile full of chattering teeth. More often he’d simply pace and finally skulk off to his tree stump, perhaps to worry alone. Becky’s first day of school was sad for Ralph. After the bus left, he refused to return to the yard. Instead, he lay by the side of the road and waited. When Becky returned, he limped and tottered in wild, joyous circles around her. This welcoming ritual persisted throughout her school years. Although Ralph seemed happy on the ranch, he disappeared into the surrounding deserts and mountains for several weeks during the spring mating season, leaving us to worry about his safety. This was calving season, and fellow ranchers watched for coyotes, cougars, wild dogs and, of course, the lone wolf. But Ralph was lucky. During Ralph’s twelve years on our ranch, his habits remained unchanged. Always keeping his distance, he tolerated other pets and endured the activities of our busy family, but his love for Becky never wavered. Then the spring came when our neighbor told us he’d shot and killed a she-wolf and grazed her mate, who had been running with her. Sure enough, Ralph returned home with another bullet

wound. Becky, nearly fifteen years old now, sat with Ralph’s head resting on her lap. He, too, must have been about fifteen and was gray with age. As Bill removed the bullet, my memory raced back through the years. Once again I saw a chubby three-year-old girl stroking the head of a huge black wolf and heard a small voice murmuring, “It’s all right, boy. Don’t be afraid. That’s my mama, and she loves you, too.” Although the wound wasn’t serious, this time Ralph didn’t get well. Precious pounds fell away. The once luxurious fur turned dull and dry, and his trips to the yard in search of Becky’s com-panionship ceased. All day long he rested quietly. But when night fell, old and stiff as he was, he disappeared into the desert and surrounding hills. By dawn his food was gone. The morning came when we found him dead. The yellow eyes were closed. Stretched out in front of the oak stump, he appeared but a shadow of the proud beast he once had been. A lump in my throat choked me as I watched Becky stroke his shaggy neck, tears streaming down her face. “I’ll miss him so,” she cried. Then as I covered him with a blanket a strange rustling sound-from inside the stump startled us. Becky looked inside. Two tiny yellow eyes peered back and puppy fangs glinted in the semidark-ness. Ralph’s pup! Had a dying instinct told him his motherless offspring would be safe here, as he had been, with those who loved him? Hot tears spilled on baby fur as Becky gathered the trembling bundle in her arms. “It’s all right, little . . . Ralphie,” she murmured. “Don’t be afraid. That’s my mom, and she loves you, too.”

Most women remember forever the “firsts” in their life, their first date, first kiss and first love. They cer-tainly remember the moment they first knew they

were pregnant. It was a time of excitement, anticipation and nervousness. The reality of a new unique person developing day by day, minute by minute within the womb gives new meaning to everything else. Expectant moms and dads face a wonderful world of un-knowns: Will our child look like mom’s side of the family or dad’s or perhaps a mix of both? Will he or she be an artist or an athlete? And then comes the joy of seeing the baby in amazing detail through an ul-trasound image. Unplanned or crisis preg-nancies, however, often set off a very different chain reaction. Initial disbelief gives way to fear, then panic and hopeless-ness. In desperation, women may make decisions that go against their instincts, but seem like the only option. For most women consider-ing abortion, they don’t want help or information on how to provide for their baby. They no longer want to be preg-nant. The reasons vary from not wanting to drop out of high school or college to having an issue with work or finances. For many single girls they don’t want to be pregnant because it will disappoint their parents or they are afraid to ask for help because of embarrassment, pride or fear. Fear of disappointment, judgment or condemnation (real or perceived) is pressuring less brave pregnant women and terrified pregnant girls into a decision they know is wrong. We are blessed to live in a community that values life. Yet we must make it clear that we also value and support the life choice. Parents will grieve over the lost future they wanted for their child. They might be angry at the circumstances. These emotions are real and valid, but they must let their child know that no matter what they will love and support them. In addition, those in our

churches should come along side the brave single mothers who choose life without condoning the sin that put them in this situa-tion. Hope is uniquely positioned as a crossroad - a decision point

– for women and their partners seeking an abortion or uncer-tain about what choice to make. The volunteers and staff of Hope are committed to helping women and pray they will make a life choice. We can provide medical services, peer counsel-ing and factual information on pregnancy and abortion. But after these individuals leave our office they need to know there are those who will stand up and support their life choice. Par-ents, the church and our com-munity can help by changing disappointment into hopeful-ness, replacing judgment with encouragement and turning condemnation into compas-sion. About Hope Pregnancy Cen-ter: Hope exists to bring glo-ry to God, ministering in a Christ-centered environment to the needs of those experi-encing crisis pregnancies while expressing God’s truth con-cerning the sanctity of human life. All services are free and confidential. Services include pregnancy testing, limited ob-stetric ultrasound, STD educa-tion and vouchers for testing

and treatment, as well as parenting education. If you or someone you know has experienced the pain of abortion, Hope offers our Post Abortion Counseling and Edu-cation program (PACE). The goal of PACE is to bring hope, healing and reconciliation to post-abortive women and men. Hope’s PACE program is a ten to twelve week inductive Bible study designed to reveal the character of God and His provi-sion for forgiveness. It encourages suffering women and men to bring their emotional scars from abortion out of the dark past and into His holy light where true and lasting healing can take place.

Stand Up For Life and the Life Choiceby Tracy Frank

Executive DirectorHope Pregnancy Center

Obituary

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years.

No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as:

Knowing when to come in out of the rain; Why the early bird gets the worm; Life isn’t always fair; And maybe it was my fault.

Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don’t spend more than you can earn) and reliable strat-egies (adults, not children, are in charge).

His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-in-tentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual ha-rassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only wors-ened his condition.

Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked

teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disci-plining their unruly children.

It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or an aspi-rin to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became preg-nant and wanted to have an abortion.

Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims.

Common Sense took a beating when you couldn’t defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault.

Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.

Common Sense was preceded in death,

by his parents, Truth and Trust, by his wife, Discretion, by his daughter, Responsibility, and by his son, Reason.

He is survived by his 5 stepbrothers;

I Know My Rights I Want It Now Someone Else Is To Blame I’m A Victim Pay me for Doing Nothing

Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone.

Obiturary

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In the spirit of Standing Up, we would like to feature the American hero Nathan Hale. His name is readily recognized by adults and school children alike in Amer-ica. He is a powerful example for us when we consider standing up for what is right, or necessary. The life of Nathan Hale was limited in time but not in accomplishment, 1755-1776. He lived his life in service to oth-ers and to his country. Born to a father who could afford to send his older brother Enoch and him to Yale University, Hale was able to study and then graduate at age 18. Enoch went on to the ministry while Nathan accepted an appointment as a teacher at Union Grammar School in New London, Connecticut, in1775. There he taught some 32 children the higher ed-ucation desired by the gentlemen of New London. The whole area of Connecticut was alive with movements and discussions. All the concerns came to a head in the battle of Lexington, in 1775. As the militia and was forming, Hale joined in order to sup-port the people. Soon after news of Lexington and Concord reached New London, Hale at-tended a town-meeting. There, he, though young, was one of the speakers. He said, “Let us march immediately and never lay down our arms until we obtain our inde-pendence.” Hale’s words were the earliest and first recorded of the use of the word “independence” as far as publicly speak-ing. The next day he gathered his students, and prepared to leave teaching. He coun-seled the students, prayed with them, and shook each hand before bidding them farewell. As a commissioned First Lieutenant in the Seventh Connecticut regiment, Hale served in the neighborhood of New Lon-don and helped secure one of the only two roads the English could use to march out of Boston. Hale was instrumental in re-

When An American Hero Stood Up...

cruiting old men, as well as his old school companions for the war. On January 30, his regiment was moved, and they later joined in the suc-cessful night enterprise of March 4-5, which drove out the English troops from Boston. Washington then knew that his next point of attack would be New York, so most of the army was sent there. Hale marched with the regiment to New Lon-don and from there went by water to New York. At this point, Hale and others planned an attack to set fire to the frigate Phoe-nix. Though the ship was saved, Hale and the men received thanks and praises of Washington. Hale then became a member of Knowlton’s Rangers, which meant he would be receiving orders directly from Washington. The Rangers kept close in from of the army and watched movements from the American line in Harlem. After being detached for special ser-vice in New York, Hale was called along with others to meet before General Wash-ington. There the men were asked to con-sider whether anyone would find his way into enemy lines. Dead silence was the ini-tial response. When a non-commissioned officer, a Frenchman, was questioned, he ironically responded, “I am willing to be shot, but not to be hung.” Nathan, the youngest of the officers, spoke up. “I will undertake it,” he said. Though he was pale from recent sickness, he saw an opportunity to serve, and he did the duty that came with his volunteering. Hale told friends after the meeting that he wanted to be useful and that every kind of service necessary to the public good be-comes honorable by being necessary. His service began when he left his uniform and other personal articles and crossed to Long Island in citizen’s dress. He planned to pass as a Connecticut schoolmaster visiting New York, in the hope of establishing himself. Hale landed near Oyster Bay and di-

rected the boatman to return at a time fixed by him, the 20th of September. He then went to New York, and secured his inquiries. He returned to the boat on the date planned. Hale waited for the boat and made a signal from the shore. Unfortunately, he had mistaken the boat. It was from an Eng-lish frigate, obscured by woods. He tried to retrace his steps, but it was too late. He was seized and examined. Hidden in the soles of his shoes were his memoranda, in Latin. They took him at once. He was car-ried on board the frigate and sent to New York the same day, well guarded. Hale’s arrival was at a most unfortu-nate moment. British General Howe was dealing with the great fire in which near-ly one quarter of New York was burned down. He was in no mood to be tender; he believed rightly or not, that the fire had been started by the Americans, and he faced Hale in the middle of all the confu-sion. The papers on Hale’s person were strong evidence against him. Hale never lied, instead he told them his name and rank. There was no trial; General Howe ordered that he be hanged the next morn-ing. Hale awaited his hanging in the greenhouse of the garden of Howe’s head-quarters. Early the next day, Hale entered the assigned place, wrote two letters, one to his mother, and one to a brother officer. Sadly the letters were destroyed and were never given to those intended. Hale asked for a Bible, but his request was refused. He was marched out by a guard and hanged upon an apple tree in Rutger’s Orchard. At his opportunity to speak, he said, “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.” The date was September 22, 1776, and Hale was a little more than 21 years old.

by Scarlette Taylor

A husband was trying to prove to his wife that women talk more than men. He showed her a study which indicated that men use about 10,000 words per day, whereas women use 20,000 words per day. His wife thought about this for a while. She then told her husband that women use twice as many words as men because they have to repeat everything they say. Her husband looked stunned. He said “What?”

A little boy always went next door to play even though his mom had warned him against doing so. This worried his mom so badly that she asked him why he was so disobedient. He replied that Satan tempted him so bad and he did not know what to do. His mom then advised him to say ‘get behind me Satan’ whenever he was tempted. She then built a fence around the house. This worked for a week, then one sunny afternoon his mom looked out the window and there was her son playing on the neighbors lawn having cut a hole in the fence. “Jeremiah”, she yelled, “come here!” She then said “did I not tell you to say ‘get behind me Satan’ whenever he tempted you?” “Yes”, the boy replied, “I said, ‘get behind me Satan’, then he went behind me and pushed me through the hole in the fence.”

Little Bobby was spending the weekend with his grand-mother. His grandmother decided to take him to the park on Saturday morning. It had been snowing all night and everything was beautiful. His grandmother remarked... “doesn’t it look like an artist painted this scenery? Did you know God painted this just for you?” Bobby said, “Yes, God did it and he did it left handed.” This confused his grandmother a bit, and she asked him “What makes you say God did this with his left hand?” “Well,” said Bobby, “we learned at Sunday School last week that Jesus sits on God’s right hand!”

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Chuckles, Giggles & Snickers

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At the prodding of my friends I am writing this story. My name is Mildred Honor and I am a former elementary school music teacher from DesMoines, Iowa . I have always supplemented my income by teaching piano lessons - something I have done for over 30 years. During those years I found that children have many levels of musical ability, and even though I have never had the pleasure of having a prodigy, I have taught some very talented students. However, I have also had my share of what I call ‘musically challenged’ pupils - one such pupil being Robby... Robby was 11 years old when his mother (a single mom) dropped him off for his first piano lesson. I prefer that students (especially boys) begin at an earlier age, which I explained to Robby. But Robby said that it had always been his mother’s dream to hear him play the piano, so I took him as a student. Well, Robby began his piano lessons and from the beginning I thought it was a hopeless endeavor. As much as Robby tried, he lacked the sense of tone and basic rhythm needed to excel. But he dutifully reviewed his scales and some elementary piano pieces that I require all my students to learn. Over the months he tried and tried while I listened and cringed and tried to encour-age him. At the end of each weekly lesson he would always say, ‘My mom’s going to hear me play someday’. But to me, it seemed hopeless, he just did not have any in-born ability. I only knew his mother from a distance as she dropped Rob-by off or waited in her aged car to pick him up. She always waved and smiled, but never dropped in. Then one day Robby stopped coming for his lessons. I thought about calling him, but assumed that because of his lack of ability he had decided to pursue something else. I was also glad that he had stopped coming - he was a bad advertisement for my teaching! Several weeks later I mailed a flyer recital to the students’ homes. To my surprise, Robby (who had received a flyer),

asked me if he could be in the recital. I told him that the recital was for current pupils and that because he had dropped out, he really did not qualify. He told me that his mother had been sick and unable to take him to his piano lessons, but that he had been practicing. Please Miss Honor, I’ve just got to play,’ he insisted. I don’t know what led me to allow him to play in the recit-al - perhaps it was his insistence or maybe something inside of me saying that it would be all right. The night of the recital came and the high school gym-nasium was packed with parents, relatives and friends. I put Robby last in the program, just before I was to come up and thank all the students and play a finishing piece. I thought that any damage he might do would come at the end of the program and I could always salvage his poor performance through my ‘curtain closer’. Well, the recital went off without a hitch. The students had been practicing and it showed. Then Robby came up on the stage. His clothes were wrin-kled and his hair looked as though he had run an egg beater through it. ‘Why wasn’t he dressed up like the other students?’ I thought. ‘Why didn’t his mother at least make him comb his hair for this special night?’ Robby pulled out the piano bench, and I was surprised when he announced that he had chosen to play Mozart’s Con-certo No. 21 in C Major. I was not prepared for what I heard next. His fingers were light on the keys, they even danced nimbly on the ivories. He went from pianissimo to fortissimo, from allegro to virtuoso; his suspended chords that Mozart demands were magnificent! Never had I heard Mozart played so well by anyone his age. After six and a half minutes he ended in a grand crescen-do, and everyone was on their feet in wild applause! Overcome and in tears, I ran up onstage and put my arms around Robby in joy. ‘I have never heard you play like that Robby, how did you do it? Through the microphone Robby explained: ‘Well, Miss Honor .... remember I told you that my mom was sick? Well, she actually had cancer and passed away this morning. And well ...she was born deaf, so tonight was the first time she had ever heard me play, and I wanted to make it special.’ There wasn’t a dry eye in the house that evening. As the peo-ple from Social Services led Robby from the stage to be placed in to foster care, I noticed that even their eyes were red and puffy. I thought to myself then how much richer my life had been for taking Robby as my pupil. No, I have never had a prodigy, but that night I became a prodigy ... of Robby. He was the teacher and I was the pupil, for he had taught me the meaning of perseverance and love and believing in yourself, and may be even taking a chance on someone and you didn’t know why.Robby was killed years later in the senseless bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City in April, 1995.

I’ve Just Got to Play....

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WeatherReport

It’s late fall and the Indians on a remote reservation in South Dakota asked their new chief if the coming winter was going to be cold or mild.

Since he was a chief in a modern society, he had never been taught the old secrets. When he looked at the sky, he couldn’t tell what the winter was going to be like.

Nevertheless, to be on the safe side, he told his tribe that the winter was indeed going to be cold and that the members of the village should collect firewood to be prepared.

But, being a practical leader, after several days, he got an idea. He went to the phone booth, called the National Weather Ser-vice and asked, ‘Is the coming winter going to be cold?’

‘It looks like this winter is going to be quite cold,’ the meteorolo-gist at the weather service responded.

So the chief went back to his people and told them to collect even more firewood in order to be prepared.

A week later, he called the National Weather Service again. ‘Does it still look like it is going to be a very cold winter?’

‘Yes,’ the man at National Weather Service again replied, ‘it’s go-ing to be a very cold winter.’

The chief again went back to his people and ordered them to collect every scrap of firewood they could find.

Two weeks later, the chief called the National Weather Service again. ‘Are you absolutely sure that the winter is going to be very cold?’

‘Absolutely,’ the man replied. ‘It’s looking more and more like it is going to be one of the coldest winters we’ve ever seen.’

‘How can you be so sure?’ the chief asked.

The weatherman replied, ‘The Indians are collecting firewood like crazy!’

Don’t Step on the Ducks! Three women die together in an accident and go to heaven. When they get there, St. Peter says, "We only have one rule here in heaven...don't step on the ducks!" So they enter heaven, and sure enough, there are ducks all over the place. It is almost impossible not to step on a duck, and al-though they try their best to avoid them, the first woman accidentally steps on one. Along comes St. Peter with the ugliest man she ever saw. St. Peter chains them together and says "Your pun-ishment for stepping on a duck is to spend eternity chained to this ugly man!" The next day, the second woman steps accidentally on a duck and along comes St. Peter, who doesn't miss a thing. With him is another extremely ugly man. He chains them together with the same admonishment as for the first woman. The third woman has observed all this and, not want-ing to be chained for all eternity to an ugly man, is very, VERY careful where she steps. She manages to go months without stepping on any ducks, but one day St. Peter comes up to her with the most handsome man she has ever laid eyes on... very tall, long eyelashes, muscular, and thin. St. Peter chains them together without saying a word. 'The woman remarks, "I wonder what I did to deserve being chained to you for all of eternity?" The guy says, "I don't know about you, but I stepped on a duck!"

Whenever you go to a title company to close on the pur-chase or sale of real property, a number of documents will be thrust in front of you. You will do your best to scan these docu-ments in a matter of a few seconds. But ultimately, you will likely sign them without having any idea as to what you just signed away. Thus, I’d like to take a few moments to describe to you what you just did, so that next time you go to a closing you can display your new knowledge. You might even feel so bold as to explain to the closing agent at the title company the legal ef-fect of the documents you signed. They’ll appreciate you dearly for the suggestions and for the refresher course. While there are probably a dozen or so documents you’ll end up signing, the documents that are most common in a fi-nanced transaction are a Warranty Deed, Deed of Trust and a Promissory Note. A Warranty Deed is a written document that conveys legal title to real property and warrants that the Seller has good title to convey the property to the Buyer. It is to be dis-tinguished from a Promissory Note or a Real Estate Lien Note which is a promise to pay a sum of money to a lender. Mean-while, a Deed of Trust provides the Lender or Seller with rem-edies, including foreclosure, if a Buyer defaults on the Promis-sory or Real Estate Lien Note. This is similar to what we think of as the mortgage. One thing to check is whether the purchase price has been included in the Warranty Deed. In Texas, it is customary to recite that the consideration paid is “Ten dollars and other valu-able consideration.” This does not mean you purchased or sold the property for ten dollars. Instead, this is done to maintain the confidentiality of the total purchase price. While recording gives the public notice that a transaction concerning the prop-

erty has occurred, and therefore preserves the chain of title, it is traditionally believed that it is not the public´s business what the purchase price was. If included, the purchase price may be something that the tax office takes note of when they are as-sessing your property taxes. Of course, the parties can always choose to show the actual price if they wish. Also, be sure and verify that none of the documents that are filed with the County Clerk contain your social security number or drivers license. Once filed, these documents become public record and could subject you to identity fraud if these identifiers are included. At closing, you will also have an opportunity to review and sign the HUD-1 settlement statement. This is the breakdown of how the money has been applied and will be distributed. Typi-cally, the costs for the appraisal, survey, document preparation fees, title company fees and lending fees are all included in this document and have been allocated to either the Buyer or Seller pursuant to the real estate contract you signed for the Purchase or Sale of this Property. Unfortunately, while I’ve covered the most common docu-ments you may see at a closing, there will likely be additional documents that you may see based on your specific type of transaction. Every real estate transaction has its own unique wrinkle. Please remember to take your time and ask questions to the closing agent at the title company during a closing. They are usually happy to assist you with the basics. If your ques-tion or concern is more complex, find an attorney or someone skilled in real estate to help you further. If you feel that you need additional help reviewing your closing documents or would like further explanations, please feel free to contact us at Burns & Reyes-Burns, PLLC (979-567-3366).

What is all this paperwork the title company is making me sign?

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by Jeff Burns . Attorney at LawBurns & Reyes-Burns

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Chuckles, Giggles &Snickers

The Old Man & the Truck Stop An old man was eating in a truck stop when three members of a motorcycle gang walked in. The first walked up to the old man, pushed his cigarette into the old man’s pie and then took a seat at the counter. The second walked up to the old man, spilt his milk into his lap and then he took a seat at the counter. The third walked up to the old man, turned over his entire plate, and then he took a seat at the counter. Without a word of protest, the old man quietly left the diner. Shortly thereafter, one of the bikers said to the waitress, “Humph, not much of a man, was he?” The waitress replied, “Not much of a driver either. He just backed his truck over three motorcycles.”

A linguistics professor was lecturing his class one day. ‘In English’, he said, ‘A double negative forms a positive. In some languages, though, such as Russian, a double negative is still a negative. However, there is no language wherein a double positive can form a negative.’ A loud voice from the back of the room piped up, ‘Yeah, right.’

Well, I went fishing this morning but after a short time I ran out of worms. Then I saw a cottonmouth with a frog in his mouth. Frogs are good bass bait. Knowing the snake couldn’t bite me with the frog in his mouth, I grabbed him right behind the head, took the frog, and put it in my bait bucket. Now the dilemma was how to release the snake without get-ting bit. So, I grabbed my bottle of whiskey and poured a little whiskey in its mouth. His eyes rolled back, he went limp. I re-leased him into the lake without incident and carried on fishing using the frog. A little later, I felt a nudge on my foot. There was that same snake with two more frogs in his mouth.

Life is good in Texas!

ANSWERS TO THE QUIZ

1) How long did the Hundred Years War last? 116 years

2) Which country makes Panama hats? Ecuador

3) From which animal do we get cat gut? Sheep and Horses

4) In which month do Russians celebrate the October Revolution? November

5) What is a camel’s hair brush made of? Squirrel fur

6) The Canary Islands in the Pacific are named after what animal? Dogs

7) What was King George VI’s first name? Albert

8 ) What color is a purple finch? Crimson

9) Where are Chinese gooseberries from? New Zealand

10) What is the color of the black box in a commercial airplane? Orange (of course)

What do you mean, you failed?

Me, too!

(And if you try to tell me you passed, you LIED!)

A person who demands further gun control legislation is like a chicken who roots for Colonel

Sanders.

Larry Elder

To All the Invisible Moms

It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I’m on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I’m thinking, “Can’t you see I’m on the phone?” Obviously not; no one can see if I’m on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I’m invisible. The invisible Mom. Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more! Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this? Some days I’m not a pair of hands; I’m not even a human being. I’m a clock to ask, “What time is it?” I’m a satellite guide to answer, “What number is the Disney Channel” (Jersey Shore now:) I’m a car to order, “Right around 5:30, please.” Some days I’m a crystal ball; “Where’s my other sock?, Where’s my phone?, What’s for dinner?” I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history, music and literature -but now, they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She’s go-ing, she’s going, she’s gone! One night, a group of us were having dinner celebrating the return of a friend from England She had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when she turned to me with a beautifully wrapped pa- ckage and said, “I brought you this. It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. I wasn’t ex- actly sure why she’d given it to me until I read her inscription:

“With admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.” In the days ahead I would read - no devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work:1.) No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names.2.) These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished.3.) They made great sacrifices and expected no credit.4.) The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.

A story of legend in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, “Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof, No one will ever see it.” And the workman replied, “Be-cause God sees.” I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, “I see you. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does.” No act of kindness you’ve done, no sequin you’ve sewn on, no cupcake you’ve baked, no hockey/soccer/piano/Scout/school meeting, no last minute errand is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can’t see right now what it will become. I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree. When I really think about it, I don’t want my son to tell the friend he’s bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, “My Mom gets up at four in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table.” That would mean I’d built a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, he’d say, “You’re gonna love it there!” As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we’re doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible mothers.

EugeneI just saw Eugene again

Drove right by meOld pick-up rattling

Dust curling out behindDrifting off across old stubble

Cap pulled down to keep the sun offFriendly eyes

That have seen so muchBefore we passed

At just the right distanceWe both waved

NoddedSmiled

We passedEugene was gone

Had been gone for a while nowA God-loving farmer

Big knuckled strong handsWorked cows

And tiny seedsWith the same love

Driving down dirt roadsNow and then I’ll pass

Just the right truckWith jsut the right sunburned face

Behind the wheelAnd at just the right distance

We’ll both waveNod

SmileAnd for just a moment

I’ll see Eugene again49

What A Characterby Chuck Burgess

A writer of whacky, punny “stuff,” he occasionallywrites works of substance. He’s written a humor column to the El Campo Leader. He loves to cook. He & wife,

Kathy, moved to Milano/Caldwell area in 2010.

BEING THANKFUL

A rabbi said to a precocious six-year-old boy, "So your mother says your prayers for you each night? Very com-mendable. What does she say?" The little boy replied, "Thank God he's in bed!"

ALL MEN / ALL GIRLS?

When my daughter, Kelli, was 3, she and my son, Cody, would say their nightly prayers together. As do most chil-dren they blessed every family member, every friend, and every animal (current and past).

For several weeks, after we had finished the nightly prayer, Kelli would say, “And all girls.”

As including this at the end soon became part of her nightly routine, my curiosity got the best of me and I asked her, “Kelli, why do you always add the part about all girls?”

Her response, “Because we always finish our prayers by saying ‘All Men’!”

Jack F. McKemie DVM

50

WATER is probably one of the most important and easiest management practices you can do as a pet or livestock owner. Water should be cool and fresh. Change out your pet’s water daily and have a water trough available to livestock in addition to that muddy stock tank. PLEASE DO PUT A BLACK WA-TER TROUGH IN DIRECT SUNLIGHT. The water tempera-ture will increase well over normal atmospheric temperature, thus decreasing intake. Would you want to drink 140 degree water when it’s 100 degrees outside?? If you suspect your pet is having heat stroke, there are some very important things to do. #1 Get the animal into shade without excessive stress. #2 Cool the animal with NORMAL TAP WATER, NEVER USE ICE WATER. Concentrate on back, neck, groin and under arm areas. Offer water for drinking, consuming small to mod-erate amounts over 30 minutes. #3 Never force water down an animal’s mouth, you may drown them or cause aspiration pneumonia. #4 Get a fan and start blowing it directly on the pet.#5 Monitor the animal’s rectal temperature with a thermom-eter. Once the animal’s temperature reaches 102.5 degrees de-crease cooling measures or stop them. Rapid but controlled cooling is very important, once your an-imal has reached a core body temperature under 102.5 degrees, access their mentation. If the animal is still depressed or poorly responsive, vomiting, having diarrhea, trouble breathing or un-able to stand and drink water on its own, transport to a veteri-nary hospital. If your animal’s core body temperature was over 108 degrees for any length of time, transport to a veterinary hospital. Mortality rate for these animal are 50% or more and your animal may need aggressive care at a referral hospital like Texas A&M veterinary hospital. In conclusion, with a little common sense you can increase your pet’s quality of life, life span and productivity of livestock by putting yourself in their place. Make special considerations for animals with medical conditions, plenty of fresh/cool CLEAN WATER, fans to aid in evaporative cooling, shade and do not over work or stress livestock during the heat of the day especially with our humidity. Well, once again I fear Mrs. Balcar’s delete key, so I will sign off for now. If you have suggestions for topics in the future, please contact the Front Porch or myself. Sincerely Jack F. Mc Kemie DVM

Spring is here and summer is on its way, so today I would like to discuss animal thermoregulatory methods and a few com-mon sense things to prevent heat stress and stroke in animals. Canines, rabbits and felines primarily displace heat through evaporative cooling during the breathing and panting process. Livestock like horses and cattle displace heat through sweat-ing and evaporative cooling/breathing process. Thus livestock typically accommodate for excessive heat more efficiently than pets, but that does not make livestock immune to the effects of our brutal summers. All animals have a thermoregulatory center in the brain that keeps body core temperature with its set reference range for that animal. Once body core temperatures increase, the animal will compensate by panting, drooling, sweating and if that is not sufficient, blood vessels will dilate channeling blood from vital organs to the skin for a less effi-cient radiated cooling process. Heatstroke is defined as a condition of hyperthermia result-ing in the body’s inability to dissipate heat due to metabolic, ex-ercise, environmental or a combination of the above processes. Typically, once the body core temperatures increases above 106 degrees in most species, peripheral vasodilation, hypotension, shock and organ damage begin. If body core temperatures in-crease above 108 to 110 degrees, organ damage has begun and death can occur in minutes. In this community, I see canine and equine cases of heatstroke the most. Dogs can have strokes for a variety of reasons, medical conditions like laryngeal pa-ralysis, Brachycephalic airway (smashed or short face dogs), and heart disease. Hog hunting dogs, even working at night, can also overheat and die very easily due to a combination of heat and humidity. Horses can have medical conditions such as heaves (COPD), laryngeal paralysis (Roarer) and heart disease that can lead to hyperthermia and death. A horse can lose up to 4 gallons of water per hour during strenuous riding in hot and/or humid conditions, so it is imperative to allow these animals to rest rehydrate and cool themselves periodically. Heat Stress is a less recognizable but real syndrome experi-enced by pets and livestock. Consider you being subjected to temperatures over 90 degrees with 90% humidity day after day without shade or relief. This kind of stress will cause cortisol release thus weakening an animal’s immune system, making them more susceptible to disease and shorting their life span, not to mention making their life miserable. Heat stress will cause measurable losses in livestock production and perfor-mance if the producer is not managing it properly. Both heat stress and stroke can be prevented by following a few normal precautions in the care of your pet and livestock husbandry. Obese , older, and pets with pre-existing medical conditions should have special accommodations; shade, fans, water tubs or left indoors in the A/C. Livestock should not be worked in the heat of the day, have ample shade, be allowed to rest when stressed and have access to ample fresh water. FRESH

HEATSTROKE AND HEAT STRESS

51

Chuckles, Giggles &Snickers

Fifty thousand people went to a baseball game, but the game was rained out and a refund was due. The team was about to send out refunds when some-one stopped them and suggested that they send out refund amounts based on the their interpretation of fairness. After all, if the refunds were made based on the price each per-son paid for the tickets, most of the money would go to the richest people.

Their plan says: - People in the $10 seats will get back $15, because they had less money to spend. - People in the $15 seats will get back $15, because that’s only fair. - People in the $25 seats will get back $1, because they already make a lot of money and don’t need a refund. - People in the $50 luxury seats will have to pay another $50, because they already have way too much money to spend. - People driving by the stadium who couldn’t afford to watch the game will get $10 each, even though they didn’t pay anything in, just because they need the most help.

Support Burleson County Businesses!They are your friends and neighbors.

52

In June 2011, Joe and Lisette Youre opened the doors to their family owned and operated J & J Tire Service at 2772 State Highway 21 East. Now, due to the need for more space for all their services, they relocated their busi-ness to Highway 21 West, in January 2013. The large and improved location at 2080 State High-way 21 West is just past Burleson St. Joseph Hospital on the right hand side of the highway. The two main reasons people are satisfied with J & J Tire Service are price and service. Experienced persons, both in sales and service, assist their customers in selecting just the right tire for their needs. J & J’s tire prices are extremely competitive. A large inventory of quality name brand tires is avail-able to meet every need: passenger car tires for foreign and domestic models; deep-tread tires for trucks and 4-wheel vehicles; RV tires; and all farm equipment tires, both large and small, including lawn mowers. Once tire selections have been made, experienced technicians expertly mount and balance the tires. J & J offers pick-up and drop-off services, as well as 24 hour service calls. The emergency/after-hour phone number is 979-324-0888. Business hours are Monday-Friday 7 AM - 5 PM, and Saturday 8 AM - 12 PM. And their business hour phone number is 979-567-0999. J & J provides next day service for any tire they may not have in stock. And a new service that is coming is high

Keep on Rollin’

tech alignment. Joe and Lisette are happy to be serving Brazos, Burleson, and Lee Counties. Go see them. They’ll have the right tire.

24 Hour Road Call979-739-6688 Carmelo 979-324-0888 Joe

979-567-0999 Phone 979-324-0888 Joe979-567-0995 Fax 979-412-5731 Lisette

53

ACID REFLUXStop the BURN

If you have talked with many people recently about medical concerns, i.e. your aches and pains, odds are that you have heard some talking about acid reflux, or, as some refer to it, heart burn. Seems like five out of ten…or more, struggle with the reflux issues, regardless of age…teens to seniors. And then when you talk with the sufferers, the issue of treatment comes into discussion. People have had to consider whether they should use a general practitioner’s advice, go to a gastroenterologist, use over-the-counter, widely known medications, or work with natural and/or supplements. The answer is hard to deter-mine, especially since letting acid reflux go, can lead to very serious medical issues. Generally, acid reflux is painful. And that is because of the food and acid in the esophagus. Belching, burn-ing, and in some severe cases, chest pains are experienced. If a person experiences acid reflux on a weekly basis, the acid can cause irritation of the esophagus. If left to work its damage, it can scar, ulcerate, inflame, or cause hemorrhaging. And with long term damage, cancer of the esophagus can occur. So, treatment is a must for sufferers of acid reflux. Being the tough guy is not helpful when dealing with acid in the esophagus. But which treatment? The internet gives many free of charge guidelines which may be able to help your body deal with acid reflux. Some remedies that are focused on helping the body balance the acid in it include simple diet and supple-ment changes. Following are a few examples:1. Diet changesReplace cheap table salt with high quality sea salt, like Himalayan Crystal Salt. It has many trace minerals and has chloride. This helps increase a natural production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach, and may benefit one suffering from acid issues.2. Healthier eatingGive up processed foods, lunchmeat, cheese, sausage. And give up sugars. These processed foods and sugars bring about a bacterial imbalance in the stomach and intestinal tract. Eat fresh organic fruits and vegetables.3. Raw Apple Cider VinegarOne tablespoon of raw organic apple cider vinegar taken with four ounces of purified water before eating a meal will help calm and support digestion of your food.4. Organic Baking sodaBicarbonate is a product that has been used for years, however, some doctors recommend that it not be used if a person has high blood pressure. And if you are on a diet that limits sodium, you should not take it. Otherwise, mix a teaspoonful in water, and drink before it stops fizzing.5. Digestive Enzyme SupplementsRaw food is filled with enzymes. However in the act of cooking, even in low temperatures of 115 degrees or so, the enzymes are destroyed. Living, raw foods are high in enzymes, and are believed to be crucial to combat acid reflux. Don’t want to go raw totally? There are many good enzyme supplements available.

As we all know, we, the general public, are not people who have spent our lives studying medicines and treat-ments, so be wise when making decisions. Consult your physician before you begin any new regimen.

Almost all of us at one time or another have experienced situations in our lives when we were immobilized by fear. People fear many differ-ent things. Many fear losing their jobs, illness, a lack of money, war, and much more. Above all, I believe, the greatest fear that many people face is change itself. Change is feared primarily because people are scared of the unknown. Many have a tendency to associate change as being a negative experience rather than a positive one. Sometimes this is be-cause of the way change was dealt with in their fam-ilies while growing up, or it could be because most of us have a comfort zone that we operate in and do not like the way we feel when we have to step out of that zone. We all, more than likely, know of people who dis-like their current job to the point that this is all they can talk about. Yet, despite how it is affecting their lives and possibly health, they continue to stay. They justify staying with a multitude of excuses, most of which are negative "what if ’s.” Many of us have also heard of cases where, men and women alike, will stay in abusive relationships. Even when they may have the resources available to leave the relationship, some will choose to stay because their fear of the unknown is stronger than their fear of the continued abuse. Change is scary. Change can be risky. We never know what lies ahead or what will happen down the road. We all have the choice to select a differ-ent path in life every day. Even though there are no guarantees, we have to have faith and step out of our comfort zones because to stay where we are will get us nowhere. Fear is not always related to negative situations. People often have fear when it comes to getting mar-ried, having a baby, or even a promotion at work. Any time people face changes, positive or negative, there will be an inkling of fear inside them. So, how do we step out of our comfort zones overcome our fears? We must first understand where fear comes from. Fear comes to us from this world, this broken system that we live in and from the devil. For the Bible tells us that, "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." 2 Timothy 1:7 God does not want us to be worried with fear. We have to have faith that whatever choices we make or wherever we choose to go with our life that everything will be okay. We have to be willing to take risks, and step out of our comfort zones.

Sometimes things will not go as we planned, but many times we will wind up with so much more. We have to be willing to face the risks and face the fear. This is what will move us for-ward. This is the difference between people who are successful and those who are not. Sometimes we just have to take that leap; we have to take action. Ultimately, the solution to our fears is almost always change. Change is not to be feared. We should face change as an adven-ture, as a journey that will take us places that we may have never even imagined. Choose today to step out of that comfort zone and face any fears. In this world we live in, change is inevitable and we cannot stay where we are forever. Renita Odstrcil is a licensed texas Realtor. She is a member of the National Association of Professional Women, the National and Texas Association of Realtors, and the local B/CS Association of Realtors.

“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” Franklin D. Roosevelt

Facing Your Fears

by Renita Odstrcil

55

Chuckles, Giggles &Snickers

Hillary dies and goes to Heaven where she meets St. Peter. She notic-es that there are clocks every-where. She asks St. Peter why are there so many clocks here. St. Peter tells her that each clock repre-sents a person on earth and that every time a person tells a lie, the clock ticks off one-second. St. Peter explains that the one clock has never moved because it be-longed to moth-er Theresa and she never told a lie her whole life. The next clock belonged to Abraham Lincoln and since he only told two lies his whole life, only two seconds had clicked. Hillary asks, “Where is Bill’s clock?”

Aged Rarities

Zena Skoworn opened the doors to Deadwood City Aged Rarities on August 1, 2012. Anyone who has been in her unique shop knows what treasures she has available. Zena’s business is located at 13876 State Highway 36 South, Lyons, TX 77863, next to the water tower in Lyons. The store is open Monday- Sunday 10:00 a.m. -4:00 p.m. Zena has for years been a collector. Her memories date back to her grandparents passing down their 1902 ice box, and from that point on she was drawn to aged rarities. Even her home utilizes her antiques. Her 30 X 80 main building is filled with unusual, unique treasures. Vintage dressers, a horse drawn carriage, and also including 1900 ice boxes are just a few of the items for sale. And, of course, there are all kinds of smalls. Zena focuses on “the fine” items. She diligently seeks out the best from “vin-tage to primitive.”

Also available at Deadwood City are aged wood and metal. Her yard art, tables or chairs are adorable. Wood items range from garden benches to crosses, to tables or doors. Zena does wood refinishing and distressing. The crosses are unique creations, also by Zena. She utilizes old barn wood and places vintage pieces to decorate crosses. They are truly one of a kind works of art. New purses, wallets, and hats are also for sale. She de-scribes the purses, “With lots of bling.” Her website www.deadwoodrarities.com carries lists of items available in the store, and it is updated often. You can contact the shop by email at deadwoodcity@yahoo.com or by telephone at 979-596-3200. Deadwood City also offers consignment. This family owned and operated business is open and will Buy, Sell, and Trade for quality.

A Touch of Rust & Dust with some Glass from the Past

In July 2012, Terry Evers opened the doors to Wine and Roses Flower Shop at 125 Seventh Street, Somerville, TX 77879. It’s located behind Citizen’s Drive-in Bank, behind Suzie’s Casita. This location had been home to Strickland’s Florist for years, and Terry simply could not dream of the flower shop closing when Amanda Flencher decided to sell the shop. Terry says, “I couldn’t imagine the flower shop closing. I sim-ply want to keep the shop and serve the community through it. Flowers are a big part of people’s lives. Their beauty encourages friends at important times in their lives.” Terry has always liked interior decorating, floral arranging, and creativity, so Wine and Roses is perfect for her. To begin with, the large building was gutted to the brick walls, and new wiring and plumbing were added. For the décor, Terry chose the Tuscan look with beiges and exposed bricks. Future plans are to refurbish the outside, and in the process to keep the integrity of the old building. Their offerings are numerous and varied. Wine is one of their specialties. They offer Grape Creek wine from Fredricksburg, and plan to offer more local vineyards. Flowers, fresh and silk, are available daily. They specialize in what you need, whether birthday, funeral, anniversary, or bridal events. Ann Sowders has been the florist for the flower shops over the years. Since 1971 she’s trained and created with flowers. Her creations will convey the get-wells, congratulations, happy birthdays and condolences you desire. Besides the flowers, they offer a great variety of items. Wine and Roses teas, cocoas, candies, and coffees are available. Man-darin orange tea, and Café 2001 coffee are just two examples of their variety. Great costume jewelry, gifts, and candles by Bridgewater and Southern Candles are on sale. A small selection for children in-cludes Aurora plush toy animals. Balloons, Honey House Natu-ral products, Green Bubble Gorgeous body products, and fun bath products are available. They specialize in gift baskets and will use any of their prod-ucts to create just the basket you want. Tell them the amount you want to spend, and they will help you create a great gift bas-ket for any occasion. Terry likes to offer the newest “things” and goes to Market in Dallas to help provide the best for her customers. Recently she purchased what is the lastest craze “Boot Bling.” Basically, it is a bracelet for boots. Several designs are offered. A great service provided by Wine and Roses is daily drop off for dry-cleaning service. Wine and Roses’ hours are 9:00-5:00 M-Friday and 9:00-noon on Saturdays. Closed on Sundays. They would like to send a huge thank you to the people of the community for their tremendous and continual support. Terry and Ann have many plans for the future and are excited to continue to offer the best to their patrons.

Escape the Ordinary

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