January 9, 2017

 

Los Jarritos is a very popular place to eat good Mexican food and visit with folks. The owners, Julie and Carlos Galvan, are very dedicated hard workers. So, I was glad to see that they closed the restaurant the day after Christmas. I learned later that December 26th is Carlos’ birthday and Julie had several family members come to their home and surprised Carlos with a steak dinner and large birthday cake. Two days later, the 28th, was Julie’s birthday and Carlos, after the restaurant closed that night, surprised Julie with a birthday cake at their home. Everyone insisted she blow out all 42 candles! Julie’s sister, Nancy, and her two daughters 19-year-old Aranza and 22-year-old Adriana have been visiting from Mexico for almost three weeks and they have all enjoyed too much eating and shopping. During this time, the family was invited by Brandon Belt and his wife to visit their new home in Hudson. (It was formerly owned by Shane Squyres and his wife and built by Melvin Linton, Jr., all of Beulah.) Although the water was cold the younger ones really enjoyed riding the paddleboat on the pond. Brandon and his wife Haylee are regular customers at Los Jarritos when he isn’t playing first baseman for the San Francisco Giants. Julie shared it took Nancy and her daughters almost 12 hours to get back home near Mexico City because of the people protesting the high fuel prices.

The Diboll ISD Family Education Center is excited about the upcoming “A Conference for Everyone!” It will be from 8:30 until 2:30 on Friday, January 27th. at the spacious Family Education Center on the former H.G. Temple campus. This conference is designed to unite and help make strong families. A few of the sessions will include: Dealing with Children’s Behavior; Bullying; Technology & Students; Fit & Healthy for Life; DISD Career Opportunities; Nutrition and Be Safe at Home. It will be worth it to hear the outstanding motivational speaker, Melissa Radke. There will be FREE Breakfast; FREE Lunch and Door Prizes. Other speakers include: Cathy Pavlic; Ashlei Rios; Shawna Neal; Jana Coulter; Donna Grimes; Joel Reddus; Beth Wilbanks and Dr. Laura Beth Cooper. Charlotte Morris Carter is the director of the Family Education Center and needs volunteers to help that day with directions, parking, serving, etc. She also can use donations for about 15 door prizes ASAP. If you can help, give her a call at 936-675-1310. The invitation says: Be motivated, be inspired, be encouraged, be blessed, be informed, BE HERE!

The week after Christmas, local sisters Fran (Miranda) Rodriguez and Carmen (Grumbles) Miranda traveled to San Jose, California, then on to Fremont to attend the funeral of their oldest sister, Sofia Miranda Torres. She was born in Fastrill, Texas and grew up in Diboll during the 40s.  She joined the U.S. army as a WAC during WWII and met her husband Leo at the naval base in Norfolk, VA. They married in 1945, later moving to Kingsville, Texas where he worked at the naval base in Corpus Christi. Then they were transferred to the naval base at Alameda, CA. Sofia loved coming back to Diboll to visit family before her health declined.  Her daughter, Susana Torres, also traveled to Fremont to attend her mother’s funeral.  For more information, Sofia’s complete obituary is published in this week’s paper.

One day recently my old key board was sitting on the round table when a couple came in and the lady asked if it was OK if she played it. She sat down and began to play and sing “Sweet Sweet Spirit”. We learned they are Denny and DeAnza Duron from the Shreveport Community Church where he is the pastor. Traveling with them was their daughter Destiny Deaz, her five-month-old baby and Ashley who was helping with the baby. They were on the way to Houston to fly to Japan to take part in an evangelical conference that also included Joyce Meyers and other speakers. Denny Duron preached his way through college at Louisiana Tech and later played two years for the World Football League until he met DeAnza. He continued to coach football and said their church has a Christian Academy. He was quick to share their football team played the Lufkin Panthers during the time Dez Bryant and Reggie McNeil were on the team and proudly added “Evangel Christian Academy was the only team to beat the Panthers that year.” We look forward to them stopping by again.

Charles and Becky Donahoe came in with a flat Saturday morning and we twisted their arm to eat breakfast at the round table. Actually, Becky was ready to try some of Andrea’s homemade biscuits, it was Charles that had to be convinced it was a good deal. That was one of the coldest days we had last weekend. Brent Hawkins came in and said they didn’t have electricity in Livingston as of 6AM that morning and no water in the barn with all their animals. Loree Olson, Don Hendrick and Donnie Stephens all came in at different times for Colorado pintos. Melvin Linton, Sr. had to come in to get a battery for his pickup.

Project Graduation is having a BINGO, January 21st at the Lottie and Arthur Temple Civic Center. They still have a few $100 tickets left with the opportunity to win $10,000 cash. Tickets are available here at Pouland’s.

Come see us…’round the table.