Lifestyle

On November 1, the first pair of whooping cranes of the year were spotted flying toward the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge on the southwest side of San Antonio Bay. Their arrival is about 10 days later than last year, but well within the typical arrival window, according to Kevin McAbee, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Whooping Crane Coordinator.

November 8, 2023

“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet,” according to Shakespeare. But is it really true that names are unimportant?

I have entertained you for years with stories of my lack of physical prowess. We all know I cannot run. I have no hand to eye coordination. When God passed out the ability to take in multiple physical instructions and execute them simultaneously, I was, apparently, hiding behind a door. I tried playing volleyball in the 8th grade. In our group picture, you know, the one that goes into a yearbook for people to look at for the rest of their lives, everyone is casually resting back on their heels with their arms held in a way that normal humans would hold their arms. Mine, however, were unnaturally straightened to the point that the insides of my elbows look like my actual elbows. If you stare at it for a few minutes, you might believe my arms are on backwards or that I needed reconstructive surgery after some horrid car accident. Nope. It’s just that someone told me to hold my arms perfectly straight so that the ball would come into contact with my wrists first. I took that to mean “hold them like that until you die.” All this to say that you’re reading what will probably be the only column I ever write about sports. ‘Cause baby, the Texas Rangers just won the World Series. Cue fireworks.

Forney’s First Presbyterian Church is proud to introduce Mideum Chung as our new Worship Accompanist. Mideum began her service at the church in September, playing the church’s newly acquired Steinway piano (Model B, 1994). She can be heard in person at 10 am Sundays at the Presbyterian Church on FM 1641 and anytime on the church’s YouTube channel.

At the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, the Armistice was signed by representatives of Germany and the Entente between 5:12 and 5:20 that morning formally ending the hostilities of World War One. Since June 1, 1954, Americans have celebrated “Veterans Day,” honoring all American veterans of all wars.

Texas Workforce Commission’s (TWC) 12th annual Hiring Red, White & You! statewide hiring event, which provides opportunities for veterans, transitioning military members, and military spouses to connect with employers across Texas is being held November 1-17.

It’s funny, the way you need don’t need as much sleep the older you get. I battled insomnia for so many excruciating years. These days, sleep comes easier to me, just not as much. That’s how I find myself in the kitchen by 5:30 am most mornings. Typically, that amounts to around 7 hours of semibliss, minus the tossing and turning that comes with one arm that is prone to needles, a bad hip, and many trips to the bathroom. It’s all good. There is coffee to make and many cats to feed. On the morning in question, I start off with the OG cats, Olive & Hazel. They eat their kibble from a set of delft blue china bowls that belonged to my late mom. Momma loved delft china. The bowl bottoms have a picture of Denbigh Castle in Wales. Hazel and Olive both attack their kibble with gusto, much like the battles Denbigh endured. Our newest cats, Polly & Sully, eat from tiny Noritake china tea saucers, baby Sully eating a few bites from his and a few bites from his older half-sister’s plate. Next, eyes still mostly closed and crazy hair attempting to escape from the sleeping bun I have yet to perfect, I stumble onto the porch. Sully’s mom (Polly’s too) is a crazy feral cat we named Peach but only seem to call Momma Cat. She bounds onto the porch as soon as she hears the lock turn on the deadbolt. With her are always the two kittens from her last litter we were never able to capture and rehome, along with her beau and baby daddy, Bowser. That’s his government name. We call him Puff Daddy. With a house full of happy felines, I grab my coffee from the Keurig, fish around for the spare glasses I keep in the kitchen junk drawer, and sink into the corner of a massive black velvet sofa I proudly thrifted for next to nothing. My feet go up on an ottoman covered in discontinued Waverly black toile fabric I snatched for a song from a Goodwill store many years ago. I grab my favorite cozy blanket. And, there I sit for a good long while, breathing deeply, talking to God, and praying all the prayers I can summon while a parade of sweet cats alternate snuggles with me. It’s what I call peace seeking. It has taken me 56.5 years to get it down.

“‘Abide’ means to follow God’s instructions, be nice and polite, and don’t call anyone names,” says Garrett, age 8.

B

Fall and winter months bring shorter days and less light, making it harder for drivers to see—and safely avoid—pedestrians. October saw the highest number of pedestrian crashes in 2022. That’s why TxDOT is using National Pedestrian Safety Month to continue its “Be Safe. Drive Smart.” campaign and remind Texans that pedestrians are our most vulnerable road users.

Ask Aunt

Welcome to fall! Wait. Is it? I’m miraculously 3 weeks ahead on writing columns, so all I can tell you, people of the future, is that today is the 3rd day of October, and the temperature is a chilly 92 degrees. I call that fauxl – faux fall – an autumn imposter, if you will. The dates say otherwise, but the soccer fields still say deep summer, offering me sweaty crossed legs and heat induced headaches as I sit and swelter, the grandkids and their unaffected young bodies able to run up and down the fields at a normal pace. The cracks in my front yard are wide enough to envelop a giant wildebeest or a smart car. I find myself ever careful as I water the flowers, lest I disappear into a giant crevice. The dogs linger by the back door instead of frolicking as dogs should, their eager-tocome- inside snouts fogging the glass as the drool of a too hot day dribbles and dries on the doors with a whitish cast. These are things I probably complain about most every October, come to think of it. This is Texas, after all. We should change our state nickname from The Lone Star State to The Stubborn State. Welcome to Texas, the land that holds onto summertime like a bull rider trying to hit the buzzer. But a final summer rally is not the only thing that attacks us around this time of year. It’s the season of pink, pink washing, that is.