September 7, 2015

John Ralph and I thoroughly enjoyed a labor-less Labor Day starting with sleeping until I woke up which was about 7AM and JR cooking breakfast and later after feeding all my animals, leisurely watching a DVD of a vacation we took almost 20 years ago to Sedona, AZ with Richard and JoAnn Rainwater. At 2PM we were invited to meet with several friends in the beautiful home of Billie and Leonard Robison to enjoy some of Leonard’s delicious BBQ cooking. The menu included tender BBQ beef and pork; grilled onions in lots of butter; potato salad; 6-layered green salad; baked beans; hamburgers; stuffed peppers and toasted garlic bread. For dessert there was a deep rich fudge chocolate cake and homemade ice cream. The visiting and conversation with friends was equally good. Those present included Earl and Carolyn Hutson; J.R. and Tellie Williams; Gay Storch; Lee and Debbie Woodard; Steve and Dortha Jackson; Dick and Linda Miller; John and Gloria Ogden; us and the Robisons.

While we ladies were visiting around the Robisons’ dining table, it was brought to our attention that Dortha Jackson has had another book published. The name of it is Seeds and it is a Christian suspense novel about the dangerous effects that genetically modified crops are having on our environment and on human health. Seeds follows a young woman university professor as she looks into mysterious phenomenon such as birds falling out of the sky and the rise in aggression in animals and people and being caught up in a whirlwind of adventures. The book sells for $8.95 and is available here at Poland’s.

Back to my labor-less Labor Day. Not long after we got home from the Robisons, we left for the Rainwaters’, JoAnn and Richard. She had as guests in their home, two longtime friends that we have also gotten to know through the years. Jennifer Falk and Christine Lynch. Both of these ladies lived in Manhattan where they treated JoAnn and me to the sights and sounds and personal tours of NYC while staying as a guest in Christine’s apartment. We relived several stories and the most memorable was our trip in a limousine from Manhattan to the Meadowlands stadium in New Jersey to see the “last” tour of the original Three Tenors. After the performance it was an ordeal getting out of the stadium. Our driver was stuck in the traffic so we had an experience crossing 12 lanes of high traffic and climbing over a chain-link fence to find “our” limousine in a sea of limousines. We did find it and made it back to Manhattan but this remains as our funniest and favorite experience to recall. Christine and Jennifer have been friends for many years and have traveled around the world. It was sad that Christine recently relocated to Philadelphia while Jennifer stayed in Manhattan. They miss their weekly going-to-the movies but manage to stay in touch via daily telephone calls. Christine Lynch is an agent for Cruises, Inc. She is very familiar with the different cruise lines and has a wealth of information from having traveled on so many ships. If you are planning a cruise, give her a call at 215-676-3640 and let her help you plan your trip.

Sunday afternoon at the Burke Community Center, the children and grandchildren of Sofia Lenderman surprised her with a special 80th birthday party. She couldn’t believe and neither could the family that they truly kept it a secret. She was totally surprised upon arriving at the community center. Her son Ray told her they were going to a special called meeting. The community center is the former Burke school where Sofia started to school there on her birthday 74 years ago. It was a great party with a large cake, lots of punch and lots of birthday wishers from friends and family. Immediate family helping with the party were her sons, Barley, Dennis and Ray; daughter-in- law Karon Lenderman and granddaughters Ashley and Cassi.

Pam (Rush) Burnett, has a heart as big as Texas when it comes to helping someone in need. She has organized a “Homemade Fried Pie” Fundraiser for Daniel Hagan, who needs help with the expenses of a kidney transplant. Pam needs volunteers to help cook the fried pies October 5-7 at the First Methodist Church in Diboll and also needs monetary donations to purchase the ingredients. The pies will cost $4 each; 6 for $20 or $40 per dozen. You can choose from peach, apple or cherry flavors. Money donations will be accepted at Southland Credit Union. For more information, call Pam Burnette at 829-4631 or 281-995-0496.

Steve Jackson has started a new venture in Diboll, Tropical Toucan. His blue eye-catching shaved ice trailer is open 2-6 PM Monday thru Saturday and parked at the red light at FM1818 near the intersection of Thompson and Hendrick streets. Be sure to visit the Tropical Toucan and cool off in the hot weather we are having.
How about our Diboll Lumberjacks? What a football game to come from behind 22 points and win the game against Athens. Thomas Lowther came in the store Saturday morning and bought two large cowbells that you will probably hear at the next game.

Terrell’s Insurance was the location of the latest “Pack the House” sponsored by the Diboll Business Association. His attractive brick office building located at 902 N. Temple Drive in Diboll was literally “packed” last week with Diboll business owners showing their appreciation of Terrell’s membership in the Diboll Business Association. Nathan and Lesa Terrell, agent Wendy Terry and receptionist Liz Monroy prepared delicious punch and iced cookies for the guests. Nathan’s son Jonathan is also an agent but was under the weather and unable to attend. Burlon Wilkerson won a tape measure as a door prize and Julie Gavan of Los Jarrritos was excited about using the set of kitchen knives she won and said she had the perfect place to use them.

The Diboll Business Association cordially invites you to the Ribbon Cutting of Cuts & More, a hair salon owned by Brenda Platt who is re-opening her shop at 105 Weber Street in Diboll. Her new shop is in the same building with Trey Wilkerson’s Financial Services behind Commercial Bank in Diboll. Please stop by and welcome Brenda and her staff back to Diboll, 5 – 5:30PM. There will be refreshments, door prizes and time to visit.