Christmas Cheer

I was 15 years old. I walked into the rural library. My father was freshly dead. I was a middle-school dropout. We were poor. It was Christmastime. The small, public library was decorated for the holiday season. There was plastic holiday crapola everywhere. It was cold outside. I had no winter coat.

The Scoop On Seniors

The Layden Senior Citizens Center of Forney welcomes you at 101 Main Street in City Hall, open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Please enter the front or through handicapaccessible doors located at the back of City Hall, where reserved parking for seniors is also available.

10 Backyarding Trends for 2024: The TurfMutt Foundation Shares Its Predictions

“Backyarding” – the act of taking activities typically associated with the indoors outside into the green space around us – will continue taking root in 2024, according to the TurfMutt Foundation, which advocates for the care and use of green space, including our own backyards, community parks,...

The origins of “The 12 Days of Christmas”

Christmas carols can be heard far and wide from Thanksgiving weekend through Christmas Day. “The 12 Days of Christmas” is one of the most recognizable carols, and for good reason, as the popular song can trace its history back several centuries.

Real Texas Christmas Trees Boost Economy, Generating $397 Million in Direct Contributions

More than four million real Christmas trees are sold annually in Texas, supporting farms and agriculture businesses throughout the state. As the holiday season nears, Texas A&M Forest Service encourages purchasing real Christmas trees to help boost the Texas economy.

Raindrops On Roses

We were around 11 years old in 1978. Her name was Tammy. Out in the rural noman’s- land between Seagoville and Combine, she was the only other kid on the street. We weren’t neighbors, mind you. There was a good 1.5 miles between our houses.

Ask Aunt B

Dear Aunt B, It's the last two weeks of the year. Do I just skate the year out or should I do something productive? I never seem to accomplish anything during this time. I use the excuse that I have too much to do to prepare for the holidays, but frankly I don’t do anything. What do you think?

Away In a Manger

'Away In a Manger' is a popular Christmas carol that has endured for well over a century. One of the first known appearances of the song was in the journal The Christian Cynosure in 1882, which indicates it is now more than 140 years old.

Why Did God Send His Son To The Earth As A Baby?

“I think a baby is a sign of love,” says Casey, age 9. “God sent our Savior as a baby because when babies are born, everybody thinks they are special,” says Buck, age unknown.

5 Tips to Overcome Grief and Loneliness Over the Holidays

In My Grief Is Not Like Yours: Learning to Live After Unimaginable Loss, A Daughter’s Journey (Forefront Books; May 2023; ISBN: 978-1637631560; Hardcover; Click Here for Book Trailer), Theo Boyd writes with honesty and raw emotion about the day that started the contagion of devastating events that...