April 18, 2016

 

His & Hers Trade Days is celebrating 3 years of being in the community.  Countless miles have been traveled to find treasures for customers.  From the barns of east Texas to the Mississippi River in Iowa David and Charlotte (Morris) Carter have sought to find things that are unique and catch our eye.  They feel blessed to have found goods in Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, Illinois, Kansas, Virginia, Indiana and Iowa. Charlotte said, “A “pick” that comes to my mind was right here in Joaquin, Texas.  We got a lead of an old farm that had been left a few years back and the family was trying to clean it up. There were five out buildings most of which had not been opened in several years.  There we found an old North Judd spur probably from the early 1900’s. We never found the match to it and gave it to the owner who was assisting us. This pick was a lot of primitive handmade items which are not so much valuable for profit as the value in just being able to see the handmade cuts in the wooden tools.   It is our customers that we enjoy as much as our treasures.  We meet people from all over the United States and even other countries.  Our 10’ chicken went to Mississippi and just this last week two of our oil and gas signs went to Ohio.  We capture a lot of traveling folks and many drive at least 2 hours to shop.  In order to keep fresh items in the store David picks 2 – 3 days a week plus we continuously have people bringing stuff in. We are always on the look for antique and vintage items!” Don’t forget to stop by and browse this weekend, April 22-24, and let them know how much we appreciate their business being here.”

On Saturday April 16th, the DHS Class of 1976 held a 40th reunion at the home of Tom and Marty (Grumbles) Harris. Everyone enjoyed seeing each other and catching up on life events. Those in attendance from the Diboll/Lufkin area included Donna (Allen) and Larry Jansen, Cindy Grandgeorge, Jimmie Lee (Harris) Porter, Mona (Kilgore) Adams, Shirley (Porter) Smith, Lisa (Grantham) Crager; Dennis Lenderman and wife Karon, Bobby Porter and wife Nelda, Dianne (Parrish) Ulmer and hubby Kurt, Patsy (Rush) Colbert and hubby Bobby. Out of town attendees were Jean (Sheddan) Branton from Farmersville, LA, Delia (Guerrero) Lopez and hubby Gilbert from Pharr, TX. Teachers in attendance were Bettye Greer, Garvis Baldee, Ann (English) Richardson, Mary Ingram, Fran McGilvra and former DHS band director, Judy Ellison from San Antonio. Charlotte Morris-Carter (class of ’77) and hubby David came by. Fajitas were catered by Los Jarritos and one of Fran McClain’s awesome cakes was there for dessert. A prayer was given by Larry Jansen to bless the food and to remember the classmates that are no longer here.

Earl and Joyce Carr traveled with Patsy Weaver and 16 others members of the Huntington Home Town Travelers Club to Louisiana on a chartered bus and spent four nights in Baton Rouge. On the way, the group stopped in DeQuincy and visited a railroad museum. While in Baton Rouge, they toured the state capitol and the Louisiana State Museum. Another day was spent touring two beautiful plantation homes; Houmas House and Oak Valley. This group even took a swamp tour and observed alligators up close and watched a raccoon named “Bonnie” follow them along the bank of the swamp. One day was spent in New Orleans attending a cooking school. They watched as the chef prepared some of Louisiana’s favorite foods that included Cajun Jambalaya, Etouffee, bread pudding and pralines. Everyone was invited to eat and received copies of the recipes. A tour of the French Quarters was seen from a carriage pulled by mules. Earl said he saw sights there that I shouldn’t write about. A native tour guide took them to visit the Mardi Gras House where the huge floats are made and shared Louisiana customs about beads in the oak trees and the story about the Lazarus Fern. On the trip home, the group stopped in Lake Charles and bragged about the po’boy sandwiches at Darrel’s. It was a good but tiring trip for Earl.

Joyce and Earl were also proud to announce their grandson, Jimmy Carr, made the fall 2015 Dean’s List at Angelina College and was inducted into the Upsilon Rho Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa and Who’s Who at Angelina College. He and others were recognized at the recent Honors and Awards Ceremony at the Temple Theater. Jimmy’s parents are Ray and Cathie Carr of Pollok.

Keith Dover was tickled to find some obsolete lawn mower blades stored in a back room here that fit his Farm King mower. Keith had searched everywhere, even on E-bay and found it at the Everything Store. He also reported that his dad, Carroll Dover, was coming home the next day after completing successful rehabilitation at Castle Pines. Keith and his brother Gary had already planted his garden with a push planter and promised their dad he could plow it with his tractor. Their mother Ann was tired of the daily trips to town and is extremely happy to get Carroll back home.

Dianne Gibson has celebrated another birthday. Mike treated her a new washer and dryer because he said the old dryer was shrinking his clothes. He also gave her a “walker” to sit on when she got tired of following him and promised her a new water heater in a few days. Dianne is always happy, in a good mood and is definitely a good sport; not many women would appreciate the items she received as “birthday” gifts.

Glen Shivers came in with his son Mike to buy feed and said he was so happy to be able to get off the porch. Glen is doing well after having by-pass surgery. Ira John Williams joined the round table Saturday morning and was in town to carry his mom, Vera Jones, back home with him for her to see the bluebonnets in the Hill Country. It was good to see George White now that he has retired. Saturday morning he and a neighbor of his from Apple Springs, Roy Tullos, unloaded a couple of pretty mules and hitched them to a good looking trail wagon. They waited here and joined about 40 others on a trail ride to the Henderson Expo center promoting the rodeo that will be April 20 – 23rd.

There will be a very special prom for the seniors at Trinity Mission this Saturday, April 23rd at 5PM and everyone is invited to come and enjoy this fun occasion.

Enjoy your week and come see us…’round the table.

 

 

April 11, 2016

 

The Diboll Business Association is sponsoring a Ribbon Cutting today at 4:30, Thursday April 14th, at Miss McGillicuddy’s in Diboll. The shop is located in the building formally occupied by Simple Simon’s on Highway 59 (Temple Dr.) The owner of this unique shop is Mandy (Smith) Foley and the public is cordially invited to attend and welcome this new business to Diboll.

Pam Burnette and four Methodist churches, Burke, Diboll, Ryan Chapel and St. Paul’s are planning another “Tea Cake” ministry. Volunteers from these four churches take orders and bake tea cakes to sell and give the money to people in need. This time, it’s close to my heart because it is for Jessica Pouland who has lived with Cystic Fibrosis for all of her 25 years. She is the wife of my grandson Brandal and the mother of our first precious great-granddaughter, Addison Grace, who shares my birthday (she will be five on May 8 and my age is unimportant.) Anyway, Jessica is on a waiting list for a double lung transplant. The money made from selling tea cakes will be used after the transplant for extra expenses of having to live near the hospital for several weeks. The tea cakes are $5 a dozen and will be baked April 18-22. To place an order call Pam Burnette at 829-4631 or Diboll First Methodist Church at 829-4470 and Pam is always looking for people to help bake. May God continue to bless this special ministry.

It’s not hard to imagine that it takes a good golf outing to get Jim McClain to come back to Diboll to visit in his hometown. When he did this past weekend he brought three guys with him that love to play golf as much as he does. One of them was Mike Hicks who has been the golf pro at Pine Forest Golf Club in Bastrop for 2-1/2 years. Before that he was the golf pro at Baylor for 8 years and has also been at The Links at Sierra Blanca in Ruidoso, NM; Ventana Canyon in Tucson, AZ and White Bluff Resort on Lake Whitney, TX. Mike loves golf but he was quick to let me know his passion is singing. He graduated in Music Education from Texas Tech University and enjoys singing in the praise band and sanctuary choir at First Methodist church in Bastrop where he recently had a solo in their Easter cantata, Living Hope.

Dr. “D.C.” Jason Trowbridge, Chiropractor has lived in Bastrop for the last 10 years. He met Jim while playing golf at Pine Forest Golf Club. I believe he was from San Angelo but while living in Atlanta GA attended the Masters Tournament every year from 1998 until 2001.

Don Lafayette, another golfer that came in with Jim, lives in Austin where he works for Premier Property Marketing Group what time he isn’t playing golf at Colovista Golf Club, a beautiful Texas Hill Country course. Don said he got his love of golfing playing on the Lions Municipal Golf Course in Austin which was constructed by the Lions Clubs in 1928.

Lions Club International is starting a new chapter in Diboll. It’s not too late to become a charter member along with the 55 others of us who have committed to joining. Gary Gores is the president; Martha Chacon is treasurer; Marcy Boren is secretary and Jonathan Terrell is membership chairman. Other officers include Bobby Cheshire, Tracy and Jason Nicols, Sarah Thompson, Jan Wilkerson, Richard Nelson, Justin Barkley and John Ralph was elected “Tail Twister”. Contact any of these if you are interested in becoming a charter member of the Diboll Area Lions Club.

The Diboll PTSA is looking for sponsors for something new, GRAD Run 2016, a One mile fun run at the Diboll ISD track with different age groups. The last run will be just for 2016 graduating seniors who will be cheered on by spectators lining the track and a special surprise for them at the end. This event will be May 26th from 6 to 8PM and will benefit kids and teachers too! If you are interested in being a sponsor, contact Crystal Williams at 635 6607 or email her at crystal@mcwilliamsandson.com.

Lots of folks have been coming in for garden seeds, plants, fertilizer and potting soil. We have a good selection of bulk seeds and fresh bedding plants. Veteran gardeners deciding on what to plant included Keith Spencer, Fred Flournoy, Kenneth Capps, Charlie Mann, Marvin and Mae McKnight and many others. Donnie Jenkins came in excited about have a small raised bed on the patio and decided on tomatoes, okra and plants that were blooming.

Fran McClain came in for Colorado pinto beans and chow chow to take with her to the hill country to visit former Dibollians, Linda and Bill Fulmer in their beautiful home outside of Kerrville. Linda stills says she misses the people in Diboll.      Jake Havard was buying mixing oil to go in his trimmer. He said he trims the weeds for exercise!

The Pineywoods Beekeepers Association is sponsoring their 11th course that includes “hands-on” management skills and the option to acquire your own honey bee colony. The course involves three Saturdays, April 23 and April 30 from 10AM until 5PM at the AgriLife Extension Service in Lufkin and on May 21 at the association’s bee yard in Moffett. The price is $60. For more information call 936-632-2272 where you can also learn about the opportunity for youth, ages 12-19, to receive bee school training and mentoring from a PBA member. Applications are also available online at pineywoodsbeekeepers@gmail.com

There is still enough time to purchase a ticket to the Huntington Garden Club’s Scholarship Tea Party, April 23rd at 3PM in the First Baptist Church Family Life Center. Admission is $15 and includes assorted delicate sandwiches, quiches, desserts and teas on beautifully decorated tables. There will be entertainment, door prizes and a silent auction. Call Othal Lowery for tickets and more information 422-5459

The Diboll ISD National Honor Society left a box here at Pouland’s to collect gently used and new children’s shoes. Please remember to help them with this worthy project.

Hummingbirds are arriving, we have some really beautiful and unique feeders as well as the nectar, so don’t forget to

Come see us…’round the table.

 

 

 

 

April 4, 2016

 

Mark and Donna Rivers had an exciting Easter gathering of 77 people at their home in Beulah. This is the 21st year they have been having this family gathering. There are nine brothers and sisters in Mark’s family and eight in Donna’s. They came from Houston, Rusk, Madisonville, Alexandreria, LA and Diboll to enjoy good food and fellowship. Mark and Donna provided the brisket, ribs, sausage, chicken and hamburgers and everyone else brought a covered dish in an Easter basket. There was more than 300 candy-filled eggs to hunt, two piñatas to break while others pitched washers or horseshoes. It was a good day.

Bettye Greer and Garvis Baldree enjoyed seeing fields of Dutch tulips in Texas. Texas-Tulips is located at Pilot Point close to the DFW area. You’ll never believe this Texas farm is a result of the TV show, Dallas. The story of the farm begins 40 years ago and more than 5,000 miles away in Holland. Pieter Koeman, owner of Texas-Tulips said, “Every Friday night (in Holland) we would sit with my mom, dad and sisters and I thought to myself, when I grow up I want to live there.” At that time his family grew millions of brightly-colored tulips for the flower auctions in the Netherlands. After his father died, the family decided to change their course. Four years ago they visited Texas for the first time and after miles of searching, Texas Tulips was born in an old peanut field in the heart of horse country between Aubrey and Pilot Point. Check out their website at Texas-Tulips.com

“Congratulations” is not politically correct to say to someone getting married, so “Best Wishes” to Kevin Carter and Rhonda Flowers who were married in a private ceremony on Rhonda’s grandfather’s birthday. Her grandparents are Arthur and Mary Ricks. Some may remember Mr. Ricks who worked for Montgomery Ward after retiring from the Texas Foundry. Mr. Ricks gave his wife Mary a beautiful diamond ring on their 25th wedding anniversary. That special ring was passed on to Rhonda and is now her wedding ring. The wedding was in Pennington and their close friend, Dennis Ivey, performed the ceremony. Kevin Carter and Dennis Ivey are well known names in the music world. Kevin has “fiddled” with several popular singers and bands including Gene Watson, Johnny Bush and Darrell McCall, dueled with ‘lit Red Hayes and has been inducted into the Western Swing Music Society. The wedding reception will be at a later date with lots of talented musicians some of whom will be Landon Dodd, Bryan Harkness, Glenn Lenderman, Steve Nelson, Dennis Ivey and others. After the party is over and things settle down, Kevin and Rhonda look forward to living in their “barndomium” on their land in Evergreen.

It was good to visit with Cody Bettes who taught Ag at DHS for a while before managing ranch properties and putting into practice some of the Ag principles he once taught. Cody is now married to his Ag Teacher wife, Brittney, who teaches in the Central ISD. They have two children, Lila and Rory. Eddie and Carolyn Smith came in for more seeds to feed their birds. A couple of hummingbirds have been spotted in the area so it’s time to put out the feeders. Andrea has some beautiful red and blue glass- bottle hummingbird feeders and of course, the concentrated feed they love. Judy Hale enjoyed looking over our selection of garden plants and decided which ones she needed. Leonard Robison is trying a new style of gardening this year that he saw on TV using pallets and says his garden is “looking good”. I’ve already turned in my order for tomatoes. Jack and Donnie Jenkins came in to get new fishing licenses and also bought apricot jelly. Ima Weisinger and Jane Horn couldn’t resist planting caladiums. Bobby Cheshire was in buying lime to put in his garden. Rhonda and Mike Shivers bought vegetable bedding plants after having raised broccoli, cilantro and Brussel sprouts.

Shirley Ivey accepted the invitation to spend a week in Branson when her son, Brad, was unable to go with his family. Shirley traveled with her daughter-in-law Tabitha Ivey who lives in Many, LA and her grandchildren: Dylan and his cousin Carter; Breeanne and Paige. On the way, besides stopping at bakeries they spent time in Hot Springs visiting and attending church services with friends that Shirley and Lewis met when they lived there. Their accommodations in Branson was a beautiful condo. The group was thoroughly entertained at Dolly Parten’s Dixie Stampede where guests are seated in a rodeo-like arena with long tables and served a full course meal of soup, biscuits, pork loin, a Cornish hen, corn on cob and an apple turnover for dessert; everything except eating utensils. It’s hard to imagine but they all successfully managed the task of eating.  At the Sight and Sound Theater, the entire group was amazed at seeing the Old Testament come to life in the biblical epic of MOSES with the parting of the Red Sea, the Burning Bush, the Plagues, the Ten Commandments; it was hard to describe except “wonderful”.  Another day was spent at the Bass Pro Shop eating at their restaurant over the water on Table Rock Lake. Shirley was disappointed she couldn’t convince anyone to zip line with her. The group also enjoyed Mel’s Hard Luck Diner where wait staff sings to you; attending Easter services with good gospel singing; visiting the home of Laura Ingle Wilder; Silver Dollar City and Legends with Johnny Cash Tina Turner, Blues Brothers, Elvis and Michael Jackson. Shirley wasn’t ready to come home and could have stayed and seen more shows.

Othal Lowery made a special trip to the round table to tell us about the Huntington Garden Club’s Scholarship Tea Party. This special event will be held at the First Baptist Church’s Family Life Center in Huntington, April 23 at 3PM. The $15 admission fee includes assorted finger sandwiches, quiches, desserts and teas on beautifully decorated table. The entertainment will be provided by “Strings of Grace” and there will be door prizes and a silent auction. To make it more fun, “tea party” attire and hats are encouraged but not required. The proceeds will benefit their scholarship fund.

If you haven’t had the chance to help support Ryan’s Chapel Church’s Rebuilding Fund, you can send your donations to Shirley Terrell, 1410 N. Hendrix Street, Diboll, 75941. Members had a ground breaking ceremony last Sunday afternoon and are getting close to starting construction on the site where the historical landmark burned about a year ago.

Attention to all who enjoy running. The Livingston High School Alumni Association is having a Green/White 5K Fun Run/Walk, Saturday April 16, 8 AM at Livingston High School. The proceeds will benefit the Alumni Scholarship Fund. For more information, call Patricia Snook, 936-328-0128

Enjoy your week and come see us…’round the table.

March 28, 2016

 

Four representatives from the Lions Club International were in town in hopes of starting a new club and stopped to visit at Pouland’s. The most traveled of the three was Ronnie Martin of Freeport; Ed Stiles of Hemphill who is the  2015-16 District Governor;  Waldo Dalchau of Broaddus and Bobbie Fagan of Livingston, 2016-17 District Governor and a member of the Corrigan chapter.

Waldo Dalchau was telling John Ralph he was formerly the head basketball coach at Blinn College from 1978-98. He remembered trying to recruit Neil McGilvra, who was coached by his father (John McGilvra) and had an outstanding DHS basketball career. Neil chose to play for Coach Guy Davis and the Angelina College Roadrunners. When Ed Stiles overheard this conversation he commented that John McGilvra was his high school basketball coach in Liberty and remembered him as a “killer on workouts”. Ed also shared that Dr. Dan Carter of Lufkin was another member of that Liberty basketball team.

Ron Martin from Angleton, New Club Development Consultant, was also traveling with Waldo and Ed. He enlightened me about Lions Clubs International which was founded by an insurance agent from Chicago, who at the time belonged to a men’s social club.  Melvin Jones decided that there should be an organization that did more for their communities. The first gathering of clubs was in Dallas Texas in 1916, where 29 men’s social clubs met to work out the details of this new organization, and to decide on a name, 12 of those clubs were from Texas.  In 1917 the first convention was held to vote on the decisions made at the Dallas gathering.  Lions clubs has since grown to over 200 countries and territories, with over 1.4 million members.  In 1925 Helen Keller addressed the attendees at their convention, and asked them to become her Knights for the Blind.  At that point in the organization it was voted on by the delegates to become the Knight for the Blind.  Since that convention Lions have worked to help improve lives for anyone needing anything to do with vision, eyeglasses, cornea surgery, eye tissue, guide dogs, cataract surgery to name a few.  Recently Time Magazine voted Lions the number #1 non-governmental agency in the world.  They are also considered to be one of the best organizations in the world to donate to, as no public funds are used to run the organization.  If you donate money to Lions Clubs International’s Foundation for a disaster, every cent you donate is forwarded to the local Lions club to help those in need; every penny must be accounted for as to how it was spent to help those in need.

Texas has almost 900 Lions clubs with just under 26,000 members.  The Lions of Texas also own a camp in Kerrville for kids with disabilities.  They have 5 one week sessions for kids with physical disabilities; 1 week for kids with Downs Syndrome and 2 weeks for kids with Type 2 diabetes.  These camps do not cost the child or his/her family anything!  The Lions of Texas underwrite all the cost and all it takes for a child to attend a camp is for a Lion to sign their paperwork.  For more information about the camp please go to Texas Lions Camp .com.

When you read this, there will have been an organizational meeting of folks in Diboll that met to start a local Lions Clubs chapter. Lions Clubs are about their communities, and what they can do to help improve the quality of life for those who live there.  They may do everything from improving the community to putting up new flag poles; it’s up to the local Lions club to decide what they want to do. If you are interested in joining approximately 50 other people who have already made a commitment to become a member of the new local Lions club, contact Sarah Thompson at city hall 829-4757.

Congratulations to 13-year-old Macy Ward who will be competing for a state title at the Junior High Region 5 Rodeo Finals in May. Macy won two buckles at the Regional Finals and will be competing in Breakaway and Ribbon Roping in Gonzales. Macy is the daughter of Wayne and Amy Ward and a sister to Paige. Both girls attend Diboll schools.

Melvin Linton, Jr. brought a poster promoting the Angelina Benefit Rodeo, April 20-23. He also brought raffle tickets for us to sell on the Dodge Ram truck that will be given away during the last performance. We also have vouchers to purchase rodeo tickets. A book of 10 vouchers is $80. You take the vouchers to Cavender’s Boot Center in Lufkin where you can choose the seats you want.

Julie Horton came in with her granddaughter, Samantha, who wanted to buy plants for a flower bed. They had both been busy doing yardwork. Lots of folks have been in to buy plants and seeds for their spring and summer gardens: Otis Ray Posey, Hugh Robert Lyles and his brother, Roy Lee, who always has a large garden. John Richard has been in several times to get plants as well as Woody Ingram, Buddy Shipp and Glenn Shivers. Tina Jowell couldn’t resist the pretty germaniums to plant at their new home in South Meadows and Sam Coleman was in buying tomatoes and pepper plants.

This will be your last chance to get a ticket to the $5,000 Steak Dinner this Saturday, April 2nd at Shelton’s Barn at 6:30 PM. The Angelina County Go Texan Committee is sponsoring this fun event and all the proceeds will benefit their Scholarship Fund. Call Andrea at Pouland’s for more information 829-4040.

And, it’s finally here! The annual plant sale sponsored by the Master Gardeners of Angelina County. It’s this Saturday, April 2nd at the Angelina County Farmer’s Market. The gate opens at 8AM and will last until 2PM or until they sell out. The plants are adapted for this area and they will have perennials, natives, fruit trees, roses and so much more.

Come see us…’round the table.

March 21, 2016

 

The Diboll High School Dazzlers, their managers, sponsors, and families traveled to Orlando, Florida for five days at Walt Disney World for Spring Break. They kicked off the week with a day exploring the Magic Kingdom. Tuesday, the Dazzlers participated in a “Dancin’ Disney” workshop presented by Disney Performing Arts. The girls were taught a Broadway style Disney routine by dancer/ choreographer Sam Simms, and then went through a mock Disney audition using what they had learned. After a break, the girls learned another routine and then put it all together in a special mock performance with Goofy! The Dazzlers all earned Disney Performing Arts certificates and were made honorary “cast members” for their hard work, and spent the rest of the day enjoying Epcot. Wednesday was spent in the Animal Kingdom, and the Dazzlers performed a 15 minute show in the Disney Springs area that evening. A packed crowd were excited to learn about Diboll, and were shocked to learn that a town our size was able to raise so much money and had such a great dance team. Disney was equally impressed by the Dazzlers, and the girls “earned their ears” and received a commemorative Mickey Mouse trophy. The rest of the week was spent in Hollywood Studios and back in the Magic Kingdom before starting the bus ride home.

The Diboll Dazzlers and group traveled on a chartered bus. Those making the memorable trip were: Capt. Celeste Monrroy, Lt. Brittney Barkley, Lt. Jazlynn Mark, Lt. Peyton Morgan, Evian Davis, Jo Lynn Baker, Kelsie Grissett, Tristan Rice, Yesenia Gonzalez, Ashlee Cole, Nicole Santana, Jade Hernandez, Mirella Carrillo, Anais Fajardo, Haley Sudduth, Madison Powell and Valerie Ramirez. Their sponsors are Gina Souto and Kristina Inman and their managers are Rebecca Banuelos and Cynthia Ramos. A total of 64 made the trip to Florida. Thanks Dazzlers for putting DIBOLL on the map, we are proud of you.

Jan and Burlon Wilkerson have been taking “mini” vacations and I am most appreciative that they are willing to share information about their most recent one which started with a trip to Galveston to the historic Grand 1894 Opera House & Theater. They attended a performance of Capitol Steps a five member troupe who have all worked on Capitol Hill. For 35 years they have performed satire all based on fresh news from the headlines; their claim is, “We put the MOCK in Democracy”. Jan said with this being an election year, they have had plenty of material. The next day they spent time on “The Strand.” Their first stop was La Kings Confectionary where they bought handmade candy and sat on a bench out front and ate it for their breakfast before continuing shopping along the famous street. They toured the “Ocean Star” which is an actual off shore oil rig that has been made into a museum.  They were able to see how these rigs are set up and what type of work an off shore rig is capable of doing.  It was a very interesting tour.

The next weekend Jan Burlon Wilkerson went to Irving to attend the Texas Steel Guitar Associations Jamboree. Talented steel guitars players came from around the world to perform. The music never stopped with a different performer playing every 30 minutes.  One of the highlights was the Charlie Pride band, The Pridesmen, backing their steel guitar player.  His son, Deon, sung and then visited with the crowd .The next day they “shopped” their way home by going to the outlet mall in Terrell, and making stops in Tyler, and Jacksonville. These two are already making plans for more mini vacations.

Two sets of sisters enjoyed a mini vacation to the Boardwalk in Shreveport. Letha Grandgeorge and her sister, Naomi Holeman and Ginger (Taylor) Capps and her sister Judy (Taylor) Kellum. It was during the time that I-20 traffic was being re-routed through highway 59 and it took them one hour to drive from Lufkin to Nacogdoches. Letha said the traffic was bumper to bumper from Carthage to Shreveport and it took them two hours for that short distance but once they arrived in Shreveport, they took their time enjoying all the luxuries of the Margarita Ville Hotel.

Enjoying an afternoon trip to the Arboretum in Nacogdoches were good friends, Don and Dollie Whitaker and Earl and Carolyn Hutson. Earl said everything was very pretty but you best not wait too much longer to see the azaleas. They met some mutual friends also walking the trails and enjoying the day; Martha Williams and her neighbor, Ernestine Allison from Hudson. Martha and Ernestine came back to enjoy some good fried shrimp at The Cajun Oaks before going to see the new faith-based movie, Miracles from Heaven, which they highly recommend seeing.

Enjoyed visiting with ’96 DHS graduate Kevin Tolly who lives in Plano but was in Diboll taking care of his mother’s lawn. His mother is Linda Tolly who is a teacher’s aide at Diboll Primary.  Kevin works in Human Resources for Plasticpak who manufactures bottles for Pepsi, Kraft, Gatorade and many other companies. Kevin was all smiles talking about his upcoming wedding in April to Tanya Rodriguez who was also a member of the 1996 DHS graduating class. Her parents are Jesse and Rosemary Rodriguez of Diboll. Oh yes, I had to go back four generations of Kevin’s family before I could truly say I remembered his great-grandmother, Erma Lee Shatto.

Dianne Gibson enjoyed having her granddaughter, Lena Tate, in Diboll during Lena’s spring break from her 8th grade class at Magnolia West. They enjoyed visiting over a delicious meal at the Tokyo Japanese restaurant. Lena was excited about spending remaining days of her spring break at Crystal Beach.

Let’s hope the customer that quoted the saying “Thunder in February, Frost in April” is wrong and spring is finally here to stay. Our fresh bedding plants are green and healthy and folks are ready to put them in the ground. Chuck Mann was anxious to use the new Sthil weed trimmer he bought. Cathy Pavlic was in buying cattle cubes for her grandkids to feed the neighbor’s Braham bull.

Carl Ferguson brought us raffle tickets to sell on a Ruger 1022 rifle. All proceeds from the sale will go directly to Delilah Olivares, to help with the expenses of medical treatments. The tickets are 6 for $5 or $1.00 each.

Margie Bass has made a new produce, handmade soap with sugar that acts as an exfoliate leaving your hands extra soft. We have used the jar she brought us and it does leave your hands feeling extra soft. Thank you Margie.

As a reminder, the Burke Chapter of the Eastern Star is having a fund raiser, April 1st, selling $7 lunches of pulled pork sandwiches. You can go by the lodge in Burke or call 829-5973 to place an order.

As Christians, we will celebrate the resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ on Easter. It is the most well attended Sunday service of the year for Christian churches. Plan to attend services somewhere on Easter.

Come see us…’round the table.

March 14, 2016

 

U.S. clocks sprung forward last Sunday for daylight saving time, the annual event that stretches the hours of evening sunlight and irritates those who’d rather leave well enough along. I wish they would leave it alone and I agree with the person who said they would vote for the candidate that would leave Day Light Savings time. Did you know that Ben Franklin first introduced this controversial clock changing idea way back in 1784? Did you realize the Monday after the change was National Nap Day and wouldn’t be necessary if the time didn’t change?

James Simms and I visited at the bank and he told me his grandson, Wiley Parker, had his 6th birthday on March 5th. I argued with him that Wiley just had a birthday a few days ago but he assured me it was a year ago. James, Kathy and all of Wiley’s family are extremely proud of him. On Friday the day before his birthday Wiley ran a 1K race and on Saturday he ran the whole distance in a 5K race which is almost 4 miles! His dad, Craig Parker, ran alongside just in case he was needed. Wiley raised $750 for the benefit. He later celebrated with a big birthday party. This week is Wiley’s spring break, his dad was able to be off the whole week and Jamie is very fortunate to be a stay-at-home mom so I’m sure they have the week planned with fun things to do.

Shane Garrett had a birthday on March 9th. Because he loves NASCAR racing, his wife, Crissy, treated him to a “Ride Alone with the Pros” which is 3 laps around the Texas Motor Speedway in Ft. Worth. This is also known as the Richard Petty Driving Experience. Shane and Crissy drove to Aledo, Texas where they were invited to visit his DHS classmate, Jermichael Finley and his family. Jermichael said he normally offered his guests hor d’oeuvres but on this occasion he ordered pizza to eat while they all enjoyed watching the Ultimate Fighting Championship on TV. Shane said they had a good visit and shared that Jermichael stays busy with football camps, his fitness center and being a partner with his father-in-law’s Boss Hogg BBQ.

Four guys rode their motorcycles from Kingwood to Pouland’s last Saturday. The weather was bleak here but they said it was sunshine except around the Corrigan area. The four were Louis Burdulis from Katy who is an industrial real estate manager; James Cunningham from Houston who owns Texas General Construction and his son-in-law, Chris Papandrea from Cypress and Jack Williams who is a familiar face around here. They had it planned to meet Vic Bass here and go to the airport for lunch. Jack Williams is the author of “18 Doors” a book about his ministry to people on death row. Through his “BroJack” ministry, he is presently working for the Harris County Juvenile detention ministering and making vivid presentations of what it’s like on death row in Texas. Jack and his two sons Brandon, age 20 and Jason, age 27, live in Kingwood.

BACKYARD GARDENING, a world all its own! The thought of fresh vegetables growing in the backyard has to be appealing to most. It’s a great pastime and can be great therapy. It can also be a great family activity for the kids. Here at Pouland’s we can help with the planning and preparation of your garden and provide you with fresh bulk seed, plant sets, soil amendments, fertilizer and all you need to get the job done right. By the way, it’s time to prune and fertilize roses.
Frank Farrow came in with his beautiful 2-year-old great-granddaughter, Abbigail Powell and her dad, Clay. Frank is a busy guy with all his chickens and show rabbits. He is a rabbit judge and spends a lot of time traveling around the country judging rabbit show.

You would be surprised at the people who have backyard chickens. I am one of them and have named most of my bantam hens and roosters. My backyard is filling up fast with chicks of all ages because I have successfully hatched many chicks in my incubator; therefore, I am running out of names. The backyard chicken phenomenon is thriving because non-farming Americans are concerned about food safety, taste, nutrition and the satisfaction of raising poultry as pets. There is nothing better than a fresh egg delivered by a happy chicken.

Abney’s Fish Truck will be in our parking lot on Wednesday, March 23rd from noon until 1 PM. If you want to stock a pond, he will have channel catfish; bass, black crappie; bluegill, minnows and even pond fertilizer. If you would like to place an order, call Berry Abney at 1-870-697-3550 or check out the website at www.fishstocker.com.

The time is nearing for the annual Master Gardeners’ plant sale on Saturday, April 2 beginning at 8AM until 2PM at the Angelina County Farmers Market. They will have perennials, native plants adapted to this area, fruits, roses and much, much more!

The evening of April 2nd at 6:30 at Shelton’s Place on FM 2108 will be the Angelina County Go Texan $5,000 Steak Dinner. No, the tickets only cost $100 per couple and includes a steak dinner with all the trimmings and a chance to win $5,000. The proceeds from this dinner will benefit their local scholarship fund. Andrea has tickets here at Pouland’s and more information if you need to call her, 829-4040.

Come see us…’round the table.

March 7, 2016

 

Lots of folks were in buying fishing licenses for spring break. April Richard came in to get a fishing license although her plans were to just “go along for the ride” while her husband Phillip and son Drew fished for perch. Drew was to participate the next day in the high school fishing tournament representing Diboll ISD.

Naomi Holeman came in to buy a fishing license with her son John. She and family members had two cabins rented at Harvey’s Cabins for three days and some were planning to stay in a tent. John’s plans weren’t to fish but to help babysit some of the younger ones. Naomi said the menu included fish that was donated by her sister, Letha and Junior Grandgeorge, and BBQ. About 12 to 15 family members plus dogs were looking forward to this campout.

Arlene and Winston Hook were also making plans to enjoy Spring Break and getting some time off from his job with Diboll ISD. They had plans to “rough it” in their RV while camping at Sandy Creek on Dam B. Although these two are veteran Dutch Oven cookers, Arlene didn’t plan to do much cooking but spend more time relaxing and riding their bicycles.

Lorene Rhiddlehoover made her first visit to Pouland’s looking for pot holders for Lodge cook wear. She and her husband retired from their boot and shoe business in Carthage and moved to Lufkin to be closer to their grandchildren; Landon, age 12 and Reagan, age 11. Their parents are Jimmy and Joy Rhiddlehhover and Jimmy is the manager of the beautiful Ivan Smith furniture store.

A couple from Elgin, Texas had already stopped at two other feed stores Saturday morning looking for Lady Cream Pea seeds. Randal and Karen Wilkerson live in Elgin, Texas and were in Diboll to attend the 100th birthday party for his aunt Oda Wilkerson. Randal’s parents were Vann and Cora (Stephens) Wilkerson who spent time in Diboll. Randal is VP of Claims and Risk Management for Texas Hospital Association and Karen is Senior VP of Risk Management of United Heritage Credit Union. They have three children: Gary and his wife, Norma live in Laramie, WY; Gayle of Dripping Springs and Celeste of Lyon, Texas. Randal was happy to find a Lodge cast iron pot and cookbook.

Family and friends from near and far came to celebrate the 100th birthday and reception of Oda Wilkerson last Saturday, March 5th. Not only was Diboll well represented but also Lufkin, Pollok, Mt. Pleasant, Austin, Elgin, Houston, Madisonville and even Alabama, Mississippi and Georgia. Mrs. Wilkerson’s children and grandchildren along with nieces, Sandy Hendrick and Janie McCann, hosted the successful event. About 200 guests came to share memories and renew aquaintances. Diboll has been Oda’s home for the past 80 years and has been a great place to live. The family wishes to thank everyone who came to honor Oda and also thanks to First Methodist Church of Diboll for the use of their facilities. Oda and Dewitt Wilkerson’s children are: Bobbie Joyce Burnett of Houston; Betty Fridell of Diboll; George Wayne Wilkerson of Houston and Peggy (can’t remember her middle name) Wilkins of Houston

On Friday, March 4-5th, several women from First Baptist Diboll enjoyed a wonderful start to their spring break at a Women’s Living Proof Live Conference with speaker, Beth Moore and worship lead by Travis Cottrell. The event was held at the Extraco Event Center in Waco, TX with more than 7,000 people in attendance from 28 states! Beth Moore focused on life events that cause us all to be “shaken.” Whether it be health concerns, issues with finances, family, relationships, a job or some sort of addition, each attendee received a word from God through Beth’s message. Each woman in the FBC group was able to come away from the weekend with a new focus on life specific to them. From being inspired to use their story to help others, or being able to understand God’s power through heartache in their lives. From learning to have a stronger faith in God’s provision and love or in receiving Christ’s love and grace through salvation in Jesus Christ, this past weekend made evident to many that our “unshakable” God is not dead, but still changing the lives of so many!! Those attending were: Dawn Baxter, Jana Colter, Judy McGuire, Julie Scott, Lindsey Hines, Tiffany Nash, Vickie Pettey, Theresa Burns, Autumn Kesinger, Becky Day, Carrie Hibbs, Gloria Dunlap, Jamie Smith, Marci Fenner, Amber Pesek, Linda Hall, Stacey Minton, Staci Morgan, Crystal Williams, Heather Nash and Lacey Chandler.

Dr. Neal and Mary Naranjo stopped in on Saturday on their way to Canton’s First Saturday. Mary was rushing Neal who enjoys looking at feed store “stuff”. During his short visit he did mentioned that on Friday he had taken Diboll ISD 5th graders on a tour of the Naranjo Museum of Natural History and I was proud to hear him say, “They were a bunch of smart 5th graders.”

It’s time to mark your calendar for the Angelina County Master Gardeners’ annual spring plant sale, April 2. It will be held at the Angelina County Farmer’s Market. The plants are chosen by the Gardeners that are adaptable for our area and should grow very well in the soils and climate in our part of the world. Gates will open at 8 AM.

Remember to come see us…’round the table.

February 29, 2016

 

Last Saturday, February 20, was the annual “Testing of the Bulls”. This event was held at The Bar None Cowboy Church in Tatum, Texas. Vic Bass, Buddy Jordan, Dale Frost, Jim Kitchen, Dale Fioux and Curtis Kelly attended and carried 900 cedar “Jesus is Lord” crosses with them. “Testing of the Bulls” is for men only. The Duck Commander himself, Phil Robertson of Duck Dynasty, was one of the speakers along with foremost historian, David Barton. The meeting presented opportunities for men and boys to discover the spiritual background of the United States of American as a nation and to learn Phil Robertson’s views on patriotism and the role of rural men in the world of faith. It is a time when men ask themselves if they have the inner strength to stand up for Jesus. More than 4000 men attended the event and all the crosses were taken and delivered all over Texas and some in Louisiana.

“Keeping up with the Joneses” used to be a common saying but now it’s keeping up with Othal Lowrey and her shadow, Deshae Franks. Traveling in a van a couple of weeks ago, these two picked up more ladies and headed toward Beaumont to celebrate Bobbie (Havard) Goolsbee’s birthday. Their destination was the home of Bobbie’s sister, Jean McClammy in Nederland. Aboard the bus were Bobbie, her sister from Nacogdoches Deb Cheek, JoNell Placker, Kay Harrison, Othal and Deshae. More family members met them in Nederland. Almost 20 guests including Bobbie’s three daughters, Delisa Riley from Lindale, Trish Hopson and Jeannene Bunn and other family members had reservations to celebrate Bobbie’s birthday with a seafood dinner and birthday cake.

When the van safely delivered all the ladies back to their cars in Angelina County, Othal and Deshea picked up Johnnie Simpson and drove to Dibolll where they met Othal’s grandson and his wife, Austin and Sarah Clark and her granddaughter, Leslie Clark and her boyfriend, Austin Parker and his mother Shirley. They came to Diboll to attend the Black Tie Bingo at the Lottie and Arthur Temple Civic Center sponsored by the Boys and Girls Club. They enjoyed a delicious meal prepared by Bodacious BBQ and had multiple opportunities to bid on silent auction items and play Las Vegas style games and six games of bingo. Their table had two Bingo winners: Austin Clark won several restaurant gift cards and Leslie won an Outback gift card and a fitness bracelet. Reports were they really enjoyed the fun-filled evening.

Speaking of fitness, several couples traveled to Galveston during the Valentine Day weekend to demonstrate their determination to stay fit. Matt Amason, his brother-in-law, Michael Dorman, Julie and Tom Baker ran a ½ Marathon which is 13.1 miles! It began on The Strand, headed toward the seawall, to the East Beach and back to the Strand. Matt was disappointed and hoping to improve his time of 2 hours and 22 minutes. Sisters, Lorrain Dorman and Allison Amason ran a 5K which is 3.1 miles. After it was all over, the group celebrated a Valentine Dinner before returning home.

Lee Allen lives on several acres near the Angelina County Airport with his wife, Desirae; 3-year-old Brooklyn and 6-year-old Emilee. Both girls have their own ponies and love to ride. Lee works as a mechanized welder tech for Michel’s and when he has a few days off, enjoys taking flying lessons. He is working toward the 40 hours needed for his pilot license and has already completed his first solo flight last Friday. His flight instructor is Matt Courtney who owns Courtney Aviation with his dad, Chad Courtney, who is a pilot. Matt’s grandfather, Newt Courtney, is also a pilot. While Lee was visiting at the round table, John Ralph introduced him to Barley Lenderman whose first and only job was working his way up as manager of the Angelina County Airport. Barley has been retired for a few years.

Kendra Bray came in holding something very small in a colorful blanket. I could see a small white head and discovered it was a six-week-old Toy Chihuahua & Miniature Boxer puppy named “Kevin”. He barely weighed a ½ pound.

Poor trusting Earl Carr. He never dreamed someone would go into his open garage and take his almost brand new Stihl blower. But they did and he came back to buy another new one.

Jake Havard came in for weed eater string and Roundup. He’s getting ready for spring. Mike Gibson can hardly wait for the ground to dry up enough to put his new orange tractor in the dirt to do some serious plowing. For all you gardeners and handy men, we carry a variety of handles for axes, hoes, etc. For the crafty and creative souls, we also have a few clean and colorful burlap feed sacks as seen on Pinterest.

The historic Ryan Chapel Church began in 1866 in a 16×20 log building with dirt and stick chimney. The last building constructed in 1937 was the fourth to be erected on the same site. If you remember that building was totally destroyed by fire last year in May. The church has plans to rebuild for the fifth time and The Friends of Ryan Chapel Rebuilding Fund is sponsoring a bingo this Saturday, March 5th at the Lottie and Arthur Temple Civic Center in Diboll. The doors and concessions will open at 5PM and the games begin at 6PM. There will be 10 games and 2 blackout games with great prizes that include cash and gift cards. Attend, have fun and support a great cause.

Come see us…’round the table.

February 22, 2016

 
Rich and Sarah Wallace planned a Valentine’s Day golfing trip to the beautiful gulf coast of Pensacola, Florida. They again invited Gary and Melba Gores to join them as they have for 8 years celebrating Valentine’s Day. My thanks to Sarah and Gary for this news about their trip. This year the Wallaces decided to stay in his dad’s golf course home and meet up with some close high school friends. Golf was the key activity planned around seafood feasts. We played golf at Marcus Point Golf Course in Pensacola, FL, Tiger Point Golf Course, on Santa Rosa Island, A. C. Read Golf Course on Pensacola Naval Air Station, and Perdido Bay Golf Course at Perdido Bay, FL.

Rich and Sarah met in high school and married after college. Their close friend, Hugh Fones, was a key ingredient in the trip. His constant coaching on the best golf courses (with the best green fees) was invaluable. He also provided recommended eateries for the best area seafood. Some of those included Atlas Oyster House in downtown Pensacola, Chet’s Seafood Restaurant in Pace, FL, Sunset Grille at Peridido Key, Seville Quarter, Grand Marlin and Peg Leg Pete’s on Pensacola Beach. No friend could have been more supportive of the itinerary than Hugh. He would show up on the golf course, at the restaurant, and Rich Wallace’s dad’s home in time to add information and recommendations. Hugh also is a great golfer with awards from his college days to the present. Besides several meals with classmates each evening Hugh also arranged a seafood luncheon on the water with 5 classmates to discuss old times and antics of their days together. Sarah was the only female classmate attending and had many stories aimed at her. The trip was made more comfortable as Rich drove his new Ram Eco Diesel 4 door pickup with plenty of room for the golf clubs and required wardrobe. With 1500 round trip miles logged, it was a great experience made even better by a sunset on the way home that was a most spectacular colorful event.

Andrea was pleased to visit with a real “Reality” celebrity from the Catfish Kings TV show which appeared on the Animal Planet channel. The object is get into the water and catch catfish with their hands. Ronald Murdock from Martinsville was the star of this TV show and is the nephew of Judy Poe whose husband, Larry, taught Ag at Diboll ISD for several years. Andrea asked Ronald if he ever worried about snakes in the water, he replied, “No, not snakes just BIG turtles.” When Ronald is not living dangerously catching catfish, he works as a logger.

We also had another TV celebrity that comes by on a regular basis, Kevin Carter, who works at The Campbell Group located catty-cornered across Hwy 59 from Pouland’s. Kevin is a well-known “fiddle” player and has played with some great country-western bands including Gene Watson. Almost every weekend he is “fiddling” with some group on some stage. Last week he performed with singer, Landon Dodd, at the Western Kountry Klub near Midlothian. The movie Pure Country was filmed on this location with George Strait playing the part of “Dusty”. Kevin said they ate at a haunted restaurant in Waxahachie and said it was disturbing that a certain door would not stay closed. Kevin will be playing this weekend, February 27th, at Ogden’s Country Jubliee in the Polk County Commerce Center in Livingston. Tickets are $15. For more information call 936-933-5852.

If you are interested in this restaurant in Waxahachie, the name is “The Catfish Plantation” which specializes in catfish, Cajun and Down Home Cookin’. It is located in an 1895 “gingerbread” Victorian house with a big front porch and yard that is enclosed by a white picket fence. It was bought by the Bakers in 1984 to be used as a home and restaurant, having no idea that the place had ghosts.

Betty Hendrick, along with neighbors Judy Hughes and Donna Enlow, took advantage of a sunny February day last week to drive to Timpson. They made a shopping stop at Miller’s Country Market to pick up freshly baked cinnamon-raisin bread and other specialty items such as F. R.O.G. jam. The store is operated by Mennonite families living in the Timpson area and has a wonderful bakery and deli as well a good assortment of jellies, various kinds of mixes, and other items shipped in from Amish groups in Ohio and other states. While the website mentions more operating store days, the market is open only Thursday-Saturday from 9-4.30. The best day to pick up bakery items is Thursday. The market is located just off Highway 59 at the corner of 1st Street. The gracious employees, in typical Mennonite dress and manners, were delightful and shared more information. Following the shopping tour, the three travelers circled through old downtown for lunch at The Frontier Café, which is operated by relatives of those folks who own the café on Appleby-Sands Road out from Nacogdoches. If you can keep from getting rattled going through the 59 construction, the visit to Timpson is well worth the travel!

Congratulations to Hunter Linton, son of Melvin and Sandy Linton, Jr. who live in Beulah. Hunter participated in the San Antonio Rodeo Calf Scramble. 24 kids scrambled around the arena chasing 12 calves. Hunter was the first to cross the line with a calf. He won a $1,000 certificate, a plaque and an additional $200 for being the first. Hunter will scramble again at the Houston Livestock Show on March 8th. Good Luck!! Andrea (Swor) is a member of The Angelina County Go Texan Committee and wants to encourage everyone to mark their calendars for April 2nd when this group will be having a $5,000 Steak Dinner. Actually, it’s an opportunity to win $5,000 in cash when you purchase a $100 ticket for two that includes the steak dinner. There will also be live and silent auctions and remember, the proceeds will benefit the local scholarship fund. April 2nd, 6:30 PM at Shelton’s Place on FM 2108. Andrea will have tickets available here at Pouland’s.

Come by and see us…’round the table.

February 15, 2016

 

WOW! What an honor to share Best News Reporter/Columnist with Burlon Wilkerson. The award was from The Diboll Free Press’s “Best of 75941”. Thank everyone that voted this year and please note it says “News Reporter”. I would love for more and more people to call and give me “news” to report. People who read this column love to read about other people and what is going on in their lives. Please, please send me your news especially about people who live in Diboll or those who attended school or worked here and moved away. My email is sandra@poulands.com. Thank you again!

Former pastor, Jeff Stull, stopped by to visit us while on his way to a church conference. He is presently the pastor of Buna Methodist and was pastor at Diboll First Methodist from 2000 – 2007. He and his wife Debbie and son, Jacob were very active in our community. While here Jeff also served the Diboll Police department as their Chaplain. He had already visited with Police Chief Steve Baker who was on staff during that time. Jeff had already been to the History Center to catch up with happenings with Louis Landers and Patsy Colbert before arriving at the round table. We enjoyed reminiscing while he ate a piece of cake; he always loved Geraldine’s bread pudding with her special sauce. Debbie had given him instructions to be sure and visit the Temple Credit Union where she worked when they lived in Diboll. Jeff and Debbie are busy helping with wedding plans for Jacob who plans to marry next September in Round Rock at the Rabb House. Jacob met his bride-to-be when he went to work as part of the Dell Global Security Team.

As Jeff was about to leave he shared a story about a family in his congregation while serving a church in Alba-golden, Texas. The Musgraves family came to church with a young pre-teen daughter who would bring her karaoke machine and sing specials at church. As she grew older she continued to sing more and more and today you may recognize her as the Grammy Award Winning Kacey Musgraves from Mineola. One of the best stories about Jeff Stull is when he was new to Diboll and came to drink coffee. John Ralph introduced Jeff to Charles Wilson who was sitting at the round table. We all smiled and snickered as Jeff sat down, he asked, “And what do you do, Mr. Wilson?”

Last Tuesday, Feb. 9th, Jayla Finley, a fifth grade student took Mrs. Miller’s place as principal of intermediate school for the day and Aiden Morris, a first grade student took Mrs. Dover’s place as principal for the day on the elementary campus. Mrs. Dover and Mrs. Miller let them do several activities that they enjoyed. These two got this honor because their great grandmother, Sandy Hendrick, won the silent auction bid last Feb. at the Black Tie Bingo Dinner. Mrs. Dover and Mrs. Miller offered this as a silent auction to raise money for the Boy’s and Girl’s Club. Black Tie Bingo is Sat. Feb. 20th look for this item on the silent auction list and bid for your child to be Principal for a Day. There is a possibility that Mr. Martel will have an auction item for your child to be Superintendent for a Day.

Congratulations to Don and Sandy Hendrick on their 53rd wedding anniversary this week. We attended their wedding but it certainly doesn’t seem like it should be that many years ago. Where does the time go?

Alice (Davis) Kilgore’s 80th birthday was February 8th but none of her family said anything until they surprised her and Ray at home last Saturday by bringing lunch and a birthday cake with 80 candles! Their daughter-in-law, Nelda, had come to visit and all of a sudden the house filled with well wishes bringing food to celebrate Alice’s birthday. Those attending included Nelda’s children: Gloria and Casey Dunlap and son, Garen; Michael and Allissa Kilgore with their three children, Cassidie, Tristan and Nicholas. Alice’s daughter, Dianna & Ino Perez and their daughter, Katie. Daughter-in-law, Billie Ann and her son and daughter-in-law from the Spring area; Patrick and Linda and two sons, Wyatt and Rieley. Billie’s daughter Alicia Hernandez and children; Allee, Zack and Maddy and Megan Baldree. On Friday morning Alice and her sisters, Ruby and Annis, did their traditional birthday breakfast at IHOP with her husband Ray Kilgore and brother-in-law, Joe Goins, also attending. In July, Ray and Alice will celebrate their 62nd wedding anniversary.

Spring will be here before we know it, hope you will come by Pouland’s and let Andrea help you with whatever you need to get ready for Spring. Our bulk vegetable seeds are here plus seed potatoes, fertilizer, etc. Some that came in to buy potatoes were Roy Smith, Raymond Bounds, Robert Stephenson and Keith Spencer. Wanda Torbert was happy to be out and about after being sick and confined to her home since December. She was beginning to get spring fever and depending on her sons, Mark and Tommy to help get the garden ready. She also enjoyed visiting with a former DHS classmate, JoNell Placer, who was visiting at the RT.

The FISH TRUCK will be in our parking lot on March 2 between noon and 1PM for those that want to stock your ponds. They will have channel catfish, bass, crappie, bluegill and minnows and more.

Beginning in March Vintage Blooms will serve sandwiches, baked potatoes and homemade cupcakes for lunch. Vintage Blooms is located in J.R.’s Barn about 1 mile north of Diboll. It is also a florist, gift shop and antiques. Miss McGillicuddy’s unique boutique is now open in the building that was formally Simple Simon’s.

Margie Bass is always doing for others and we appreciate her thoughtfulness in baking and bringing us homemade cherry muffins to celebrate Valentine’s Day.

Sunday evening at 7:30 in the Lottie and Arthur Temple Civic Center, the Temple Library is sponsoring “Voice from the Past” with Hope Shiver. FREE soup, cornbread and desserts will be available.

Send or call me your news and come see us…’round the table.