March 17, 2014

 

We met up with Nathan and Lesa Terrell at Los Jarritos and learned they had just returned from Atlanta, GA. I asked him to tell us about their trip and

appreciate what he sent me; Nathan wrote the following. This is the 3rd week out of the last 4 that Lesa had to go to Atlanta, GA with Georgia Pacific to work.  I went with her as a tag along cuz I was tired of being a bachelor on a weekly basis.

We arrived on Sunday, March the 9th, got checked into the hotel, then started searching for a place to have dinner. While walking on Peachtree Street we saw banners advertising the NCAA Southeastern Conference, SEC, Mens Basketball Tournament.  This was exciting as Texas A & M is part of that conference. I did not really have anything to do once we got back to our hotel room so I searched for tickets on the computer.  The event was taking place at the Georgia Dome, which is walking distance from the hotel.  I was able to get tickets for the nights of Wednesday and Thursday plus the afternoon Session on Thursday. On Wednesday night, Lesa and two of her coworkers, Michael Dorman and Lori Smith were able to go with me.  The Session was not a sell out and we were able to sit anywhere we wanted.  We got there early enough to score Floor Seats on the 7th row Center Court!!  Being so close to the floor we got a real good look at the players, those Basketball players are TALL & BIG!!  There was one 7 foot and a couple of 6 foot 11 inch ones.  We watched South Carolina beat Auburn in a blowout.  After the first game, Lesa and Lori left to go back to the hotel room to work.  Michael and I stayed to watch Mississippi State beat Vanderbilt, another blowout.  The next day the games started at 1:00 PM, I went by myself and watched Texas A & M go into Double Overtime against Missouri before getting handed a loss.  I and a handful of folks were cheering for the Aggies, but we were loud!  At the night session, Lesa and Lori came back to the Georgia Dome to watch Alabama get beat by LSU.  We did not stay for the final, I was tired after watching 3 games that day and Lesa and Lori, again, had to go back to the hotel to work.

One other thing I did while Lesa was at GP working was to take a tour of CNN headquarters in Atlanta.  It was a short walk to the CNN building, which is located beside Olympic Park.  While walking toward the CNN building I saw a couple of Fashion Model Photo shoots and one Reality TV show film crew working on the street. In the TV shoot I fell in with the “Xtras” when the director yelled “Action” for them to walk across the street.  I don’t know the name of the TV show or if I will be in any of the footage, but it was fun.  On the tour of the CNN building I saw where Wolf Blitzer and all the other folks bring us the news and weather.  The thing I noticed the most was, upon getting my ticket I was subjected, along with the other folks in the tour, to a MAJOR SECURITY scan.  This was more thorough than the airport!  The tour lasted about 45 minutes and at every turn we made in the building, there were Security Guards.  At the end of the tour we were in a room for a Q & A session and one guy ask had there been an incident, that now is the cause, for all of the Security, the tour guide answered, Yes!

If you like Southern Gospel music, mark your calendar for March 29 at 6PM at Calvary Baptist Church in Lufkin to attend a benefit for Relay for Life. The admission is free but a love offering will be taken for the American Cancer Society. Jack Havard will serve as the MC for the evening with entertainment from the following groups: The Waymakers; The Stanleys; The Martin Family; Narrow Road Quartet; Ransomed Quartet and Emily Rhoades.

According to good friend Carol Chalfant, the first Saturday in April will be the Annual Plant Sale sponsored by the Angelina County Master Gardeners. April 5th beginning at 8AM until 2PM at the Angelina County Farmers Market you will find annuals, perennials, natives, fruits, roses and so much more.

When you are out and about town take time to look at the entrance of the Lottie and Arthur Temple Civic Center and see the new landscaping that the Diboll Civic Center Committee has implemented. The extensive work is being done by Johan Terbough who is married to former Dibollian,  Andra (Willmon). Johan is from South Africa where he grew up on a farm. I love his accent. You don’t listen to him long before you realize he loves his work and appreciates beautiful flowers and landscaping. When he was quite young his mother decided she wanted to landscape their home and Johan said it grew into a 3-acre manicured park.

People everywhere are ready for spring and wanting to plant their gardens. We do have a large selection of bulk vegetable seeds, onion plants, fertilizer, potting soil, weed/feed, trimmers, etc. to help you get started. We also plan to have a large selection of bedding plants and flowers just as soon as we feel that winter is gone.

Buddy Shipp and Gary Jones were in buying seed potatoes. Mark Hafernik came in with his adorable 15-month-old grandson, Gibson. Mark is ready for the Purple Martins and has seen “scouts” in his yard. Chet and Tammy Winger said they already have 15 pair in their yard on Lake Rayburn. Roy McCall was in town during the weekend and came in three different times to buy corn. Wayne Clark bought local honey. Joe Paul Stovall bought a new Stihl trimmer. Ken St.Ama sent Pam in to buy lawn fertilizer just before the rain was to arrive.  Ray Smith is 80 and still delivering mail to Diboll. He is also planning to plant an extra large garden. Newly married Daniel and Lisa Eddins were in buying trailer tires. Deer Trace neighbors Stephen and Dortha Jackson and Jay Wyatt were in buying weed & feed for their lawns; J.R. and Tellie Williams bought a new rain gauge. Carolyn and Eddie Smith came in to buy milo for all the beautiful red cardinals in their yard and said her Christmas cactus is still blooming.

Jan Wilkerson sent an email to remind us all to SAVE THE DATE!!!

Diboll Civic Club presents its second “Music in the Park” on Saturday, April 12, at 6 p.m.  The Crime stoppers Band will be featured, and the Temple Elementary and Intermediate School Choirs will be on the program.  Old Orchard Park is the site, and it has some bench seating, but everyone is encouraged to bring your own lawn chairs.  There is no admission charge.

The Diboll Civic Club needs you!!!  The annual Operation Clean-Sweep is coming April 26. Repairs, outside painting, yard work and other types of “fix-up” projects will be undertaken for community members in need.  Churches, school groups, businesses, organizations and individuals are needed to form work teams for the day. Donations of building supplies, tools and money are needed to help with the projects, along with food and drinks for the volunteers. Nomination for homes needing assistance will be received until April 4.  To volunteer, make a donation or to receive a nomination form, contact: Fran McClain 829-2779 or franmc@consolidated.   Trey Wilkerson 637-3418 or 366-7215.

If you haven’t noticed Diboll is a busy place with lots of activities. There is always something going on that needs volunteers and support. Get involved!!.

Come see us…’round the table.