Features

My journey this week took me to the waiting room of a local veterinarian clinic along with my wife, Judy, who was ministering to a friend and her dog. Proverbs 12:10a (NIV), “A righteous man cares for the needs of his animals…” I have written columns about two friends, Dr. Fred Simmons, and his Kingdom Dogs, and Major(ret) Clyde Schneider’s story about Tic Toc, the squadron mascot when he was in the Air Force.

After spearheading a $3 million renovation of Austin’s largest theater, Executive and Artistic Director Bob Bursey announces his first curated season of music, dance, theater, and performance for Texas Performing Arts. A dozen live productions will mark its 40th Anniversary season in 2021-2022. The performance lineup includes established and emerging artists, revivals and new works, long-time favorites and first-time visits.

In 1886, there were fewer than 300 free-roaming plains bison left in the entire United States. In Canada, there were none at all.

Quite often people hear the word “dessert” and immediately think of a calorie- and fat-laden decadence that may set them back several hours on the treadmill. While it is true that some desserts can pack a heavy punch, others need not make people fear for their waistlines.

San Marcos author Emmy Faith recently placed her short story, Hum, in the new book “Chicken Soup for the Soul: I’m Speaking Now,” a collection of short stories and poems written by over 100 Black women writers who share their truth about the experiences of their daily lives.

Comedian and author Kelly Stone is no stranger to living a public life. For over a decade, she has been posting humorous quotes from her two sons, who are now 12 and 13. The result is her debut book, “Mom, What’s the Opposite of Guacamole?” which contains the humorous and often-oddly insightful observations of her boys.

Recycling is popular in today’s society, but the idea rarely conjures up visions of beauty. Mention the word and your first thought may be the aluminum can depository or even the blue tubs you place at the curbside for pick up. It seems wherever I go, savvy gardeners are making treasures out of items that most of us would never think of including in a garden.

San Marcos Public Library

My journey this week took me to Juneteenth and freedom. It started when the General Order No. 3 was delivered to Texas on June 19, 1865, two-and-a-half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation of Jan. 1, 1863, and was delivered by U.S. General Gordon Granger: “The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and free laborer.” Juneteenth has become an official state holiday. Yesterday it was celebrated in cities and towns across the entire United States.