THREE surprises for Glenda Shepherd’s birthday, as told by her niece, Alecia (Garrett) Watson:

Unsure if they could keep it a surprise, Glenda’s husband, Mark Shepherd, son and daughter-in-law, Paul and Elizabeth Shepherd and daughter, Jane Wallace, set out to plan the perfect surprise 60^th birthday weekend for Glenda.  Glenda had been in Diboll for a few weeks visiting her mother, Lillie Mae McGuire, with plans to go to San Antonio for a weekend to babysit her grandson, Heath so that Paul, Elizabeth and her granddaughter, Brie, could spend the night in Austin after attending a concert there Friday evening. What she didn’t know at the time, was that on their way home Saturday, Paul and Elizabeth picked up his dad, Mark Shepherd, from the Austin airport for surprise number one of the weekend!  Glenda was very shocked that Mark was now in San Antonio for the weekend, and Brie was excited that her grandparents got to attend her soccer game that day!  Afterwards, they all went to Chuy’s for lunch where her second surprise was revealed!  Her sister and brother-in-law, Sandy and Corry Crager, along with her cousin, Loretta Garrett, and friend, Mary K Teutsch, all showed up at Chuy’s with a birthday cake and balloons! For her final surprise, Mark had arranged for the ladies to stay the night at the Hyatt Regency on the Riverwalk for the evening!  Upon arriving, they found he had booked them the Presidential Suite on the top level of the hotel!  He also handled dinner reservations for them at Boudro’s on the Riverwalk, which is one of Glenda’s favorite restaurants.  They got to enjoy the Riverwalk sites from a river boat ride before they headed back to the hotel for a night of reminiscing about the “good old days”!  Thank you Alecia for sharing the event of this unforgettable surprise birthday.

Royal Caribbean’s cruise ship Liberty of the Seas left Galveston for Falmouth and Montego Bay, Jamaica, Georgetown, Grand Bahama and Cozumel, Mexico a few Sundays ago.  On Board was none other than cruise queen, Jimmie Woodard (her 17^th cruise) along with friends David and Vivien Standridge, Sandi Anthony, Bobby Wiggins, Nicole Cox and Milo Winters.  The group had a most marvelous trip zip lining, parasailing, hiking, eating, sightseeing, laughing, eating, playing bingo, gambling, eating, playing Trivia, listening to karaoke, playing chicken foot, eating, swimming, snorkeling, meeting and making new friends and then there was eating.  When Bobby and I weren’t eating or enjoying any other fun event, we were enjoying an ice cream, usually two or more treats per day.   All in all a week later, the group was ready to get home and return to the hustle and bustle of work and for some of us, retirement.   Great fun, great food, great friends. As always, my thanks to Jimmie Woodard for sharing the fun she has being retired.

Clay and Brooke Colwell with their two children, Lewin and Gentrie traveled with Brooke’s sister, Hope, and her children; Peyton, Kendall and Gavan to Arkansas’s second highest mountain to enjoy three days of fresh air, camping and riding ATVs at Queen Wilhelmina State Park. This past weekend, 5-year-old Lewin hunted with his dad during the opening day of Youth Season in the river bottom near their home. Gentrie told everyone “brudder shot” a deer and indeed he did; a nice 8 point!

Jack Murray proudly reported at the RT his 13-year-old granddaughter, Chloe Murray was also successful in getting a nice 8 pointer and this is not her first. Her parents are Chris and Melanie Murray.

Steve Sikes came in with his dad, James, Saturday morning. Steve was quick to show us a photo of the nice 8-point buck his grandson, Gavin, had gotten that morning. It was his first big buck. Steve also shared it was 40 years ago on October 24, 1977 at age 19 that he went to work for the Diboll Police Department. He remembers going to T/I’s Fiberboard plant for General Manager/ Mayor C. H. Shepherd to swear him in. He later completed the training to become a DPS trooper and retired after 20 years. Max Rowe and Judd Homer David have returned from a great week of fishing at a remote lodge in Wawa, Ontario, Canada. They took their time and spent a week driving to Canada and then had to fly 60 more miles to the camp site. Although the weather was cold in the mornings they really enjoyed fishing for walleye and pike.

Ronnie Howell thought we might be able to help him since we advertise as being the “Everything Store”. He wants Diboll’s old Dairy Kream recipe for “Juicy Pig” sandwiches. Boy, I would love to have that recipe too. I remember how good they tasted. So, if anyone reading this knows anyone that has the recipe, give us a call 936-829-4040. PS we do have a copy of the original Dairy Kream chili recipe.

Speaking of recipes. There are 30 recipes available at participating Diboll businesses who are sponsoring their annual Christmas CASH Give Away during the month of November. A playing card is available at every participating business. Simply go by pick up a card have it stamped and carry it to as many businesses as possible. Depending on how many stamps you receive determines how much cash you might win, up to $300! The businesses and sample playing card are listed elsewhere in the paper.

Rosemary (Swetland) Berry brought me news about the latest fund raiser for Chapter #382 Order of the Easter Star. It is their annual Pie Sale. Proceeds will benefit several charitable events they sponsor including the Women’s Crises Center; Godtel; Salvation Army; scholarships and quarterly meals prepared for Veterans. There are six choices of pies: apple, cherry, peach, pecan, pumpkin and sweet potato. Because they are frozen, you will be able to put them in your freezer and use them when needed. Doylene Cook-Jumper said the pumpkin is the best and Dianne Tate-Gipson said the cherry is the best! Hurry, because the cut-off date to order is November 10^th and the pick-up date is November 17^th. Please call Rosemary S. Berry to place your order, 936-635-9951.

Our first shipment of delicious Georgia pecans should arrive this week for everyone who has anxiously been waiting to start their holiday baking.

Come see us…’round the table.

My thanks to JoAnn Rainwater for the following news about their recent trip to Branson, Missouri.

For their 25^th wedding anniversary on October 12 (and also Jo Ann’s birthday), Richard and Jo Ann Rainwater spent a week in Branson, MO. Branson had changed a lot since they were last there about 20 years ago with John Ralph and Sandra Pouland.

After a restful night following the 9-hour drive to Branson, Wednesday was spent walking the hills of Silver Dollar City and enjoying some of the entertainment there. Thursday the 12th was set aside for celebrating birthday/anniversary. Recalling the wonderful dinner at sunset following their wedding at Lake Tahoe on this date 25 years ago, Jo Ann had booked a window table at the Top of the Rock Osage Restaurant overlooking Table Rock Lake. At sunset a bagpiper began playing on the patio below for 15 minutes, creating a beautiful blend of sound and scenery, followed by a delicious dinner to complete a perfect evening!

A highly recommended Biblical production of “Moses” at the Sight & Sound Theater was Friday’s event. This 2,000-seat state-of-the-art theater features a massive 300-foot panorama stage that wraps around the audience with the ability to house sets four stories tall. When the seas parted for Moses and the Israelites to pass through, it was as though they were parting for the audience also. This massive production featured live animals running down the aisles – horses, sheep, goats, camels, etc. All had to perform perfectly 100 times for the trainers before they could become a part of the show. Past productions have included “Ruth”, “Joseph”, “Jonah”, “Noah” and “Moses”, ending its two-year stint October 20. Next up is “Samson” beginning in March 2018. Will the temple columns “topple” on the audience???  Dinner afterwards was at a great Italian restaurant, Florentina’s.

The Rainwaters chose an entertaining dinner cruise on the 700-seat Showboat Branson Belle for their event on Saturday. The paddle wheeler cruised the pristine waters of Table Rock Lake while guests enjoyed a nice meal, accompanied by a live band playing on stage. This was followed by entertainment from a magician, a trio of tap dancers, and the singing group The ShowMen and the talented and lovely Cassandre.

The gastronomical trip would not be complete without Sunday Brunch at the Chateau Grille, located at the Chateau on the Lake resort and convention center. It was an amazing display of food, food, and more food.

A visit during the day on Monday was to College of the Ozarks and the beautiful Keeter Center. Known as Hard Work U, College of the Ozarks is unique among American universities because students work, rather than pay, for their education. Not one student pays a penny for tuition; instead, each works 15 hours a week at a campus job.

Jo Ann has become a “groupie” of The Texas Tenors, who spend part of their time when not touring performing at the Starlite Theater in Branson. Monday was the beginning of a three-week stint in Branson for the Tenors, so what better way to end a fun week than by going to their concert. They never disappoint!!! The Rainwaters already have tickets for their Christmas show in Galveston on December 15^th.

Don’t forget this Friday, October 27, will be the last day to sign up to attend and support The Diboll Family Education Center’s annual Literacy Luncheon. The luncheon will be November 2^nd. This is an opportunity to support a great program that provides adult basic education, GED preparation, English as a Second Language, Citizenship preparation as well as parent education. The center uses the funds from this event to pay the costs for students to take their GED and also supports the annual parent conference held in January. To make reservations or for more information, contact Charlotte Morris Carter at 675-1310.  You can also email her at cmorris@dibollisd.com with the number attending and make your donation at the door.

Mark your calendar for a good family outing in Diboll’s city park (Old Orchard) November 4^th for a Praise Fest from 10AM in the morning with vendors and games for the children until 6PM when more music will be provided by various vocals groups. Bring a lawn chair and enjoy the food, fun and festivities.

“Grandma” recipes and traditional Christmas baking just seem to go together. The Diboll Business Association realized that Grandma dropped her recipes and they are scattered all over Diboll. They are sponsoring a fun event this year; a scavenger hunt that will allow you to collect recipes and also a have an opportunity to win CASH. Each participating business will have a playing card with all the places for you to go to collect a recipe and also get your playing card stamped plus enter your name to win a Christmas stocking, CASH and other prizes that will be given away. Complete details will be printed on the playing card which should be available by November 1^st.

Enjoy the fall weather and come see us…’round the table.

Earl & Joyce Carr have recently completed another travel quest with the Huntington State Bank travel club. These two along with HSB coordinator Patsy Weaver and several others traveled by bus to Dallas and flew to Minneapolis, MN. Another bus ride took them to Duluth for the beginning of a 10-day Lake Superior Circle Tour. Day 2 was spent taking a lunch cruise around the Duluth harbor and visiting the historic Glensheen Mansion and Estate. The tour continued along the north shore of Lake Superior to Split Rock Lighthouse where the group enjoyed a gondola ride to Moose Mountain for lunch. Then it was to Ontario, Canada to Thunder Bay where the group visited the public monument commemorating cancer research activist Terry Fox’s Marathon of Hope. The monument offers a panoramic view of Thunder Bay and its surroundings. The next day brought them back into the US to Sault Ste. Marie to observe the Soo Locks that have been referred to as one of the great wonders of the world and are still the largest and one of the busiest waterway traffic systems on earth. That day they also crossed the Mighty Mac bridge to board a ferry to Mackinac Island, a Victorian village limited to transportation of horse and buggy, bicycle or foot, surrounded by water, it has escaped the vast changes of time. The group explored the the Grand Hotel, famous for the movie “Somewhere in Time.” Back to the mainland, they visited the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum and spent the night in Marquette. At the Da Yoopers Tourist Trap they saw the largest chainsaw and working rifle and toured the shrine of Bishop Baraga. In Ashland, Wisconsin they observed several historic murals depicting the people and the history of that town. The Apostle Islands cruise in Bayfield, a visit to an apple orchard and winery completed the circle tour. Joyce said Earl was so glad to be back in Texas he slept 20 hours when they finally got home.

Wilber Teer enjoyed telling me about his and Margie’s recent trip to fulfill an item on her bucket list, seeing the colorful leaves in New England in the fall.  Although it is the wrong direction, the trip began with them flying to Colorado Springs to visit with their grandson, Rand Teer who was accepted into the Air Force Academy last June. After a good 2-day visit with Rand, the Teers boarded another plane to Providence RI where they rented a car and began to enjoy several days of “leaf viewing”. Locals told them their timing was perfect. Driving through the beautiful countryside, they came to an apple orchard where Margie picked apples. They saw lighthouses, beautiful harbors, lots of boats and covered bridges. Driving across Connecticut into Vermont, they felt lucky to find a small spotless motel where parking is at the front door of the room. The single proprietary was a German man who is a “baker” but also handles all the duties of the motel plus other jobs. He prepares breakfast for the guests and he and Margie had a great discussion about pumpernickel bread. Margie told him she has tried and tried to bake the bread but hers always “falls”. Being an experienced baker he knew what her problem was…she was using the wrong kind of flour and it was killing the yeast. Leaving there happily, they traveled other roads across New Hampshire and into Maine visiting Bangor and Kennebunkport which is the summer home of the 41^st President of the US, George H. W. Bush. The home is located on Walker’s Point which juts out into the Atlantic Ocean. Driving around Boston they arrived at The Kennedy Compound which consists of three houses on six acres of waterfront property on Cape Cod along Nantucket Sound in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts. After more sightseeing it was time to fly back to Texas and cherish the memories of this trip that included 17 wonderful days.

According to Gary Gores, Ricky Medina has confirmed that his family will be opening their locally famous gourmet potato store with expanded menu soon on Temple Drive (highway 59 next to the Donut Palace). This is good news for those driving 25 miles round trip for a “potato fix”. The Medina family is well known in Diboll and the Medina Brothers are close to opening soon. Most of the needed equipment is here and being installed. Ricky Medina has had much pressure to open as the news has spread of the opening of a third Spud location in our area. Permits are obtained and equipment installation is almost complete. Ricky Medina’s ‘Spud concept’ has a big fan here in Diboll; Gary Gores will save over a hundred miles a month driving back and forth to his Frank Street location. Diboll’s retail is growing and the Spud is a great addition to the local demand for food service operations.

Mark Hafernick shared with the round table the news that he and Ann are grandparents again. Carter Brian Johnston was born October 12^th in Colleyville, Texas. His parents are Lauren and Judd Johnston and his big brother, Cooper, is 2 years old. Judd is a veterinarian with a practice in Colleyville and Lauren works as an event planner for Sky Ranch Ministries. Baby Carter Brian’s paternal grandparents are Jerry and Tracy Johnston of Corpus Christi. He was named after his uncle Brian Hafernick who is also a DVM and owner of Pineywoods Veterinary Clinic in Lufkin. His aunt is Dr. Angela Hafernick.

The Diboll Business Association is planning a scavenger hunt during the month of November for their Christmas Cash Give Away this year. Those who want to enter this fun event will go into participating businesses to have their playing card stamped to be eligible to win as much as $300 in Cash plus lots of chances to win other gifts. More details next week.

Come see us…’round the table.

Nettie Tanner will officially turn 101 years of age on October 12^th but she celebrated in a big way a little earlier this month when friends got together with her at the Fair Acres Community Center in Diboll. Ms. Nettie lived in Diboll for 42 years but has been in her hometown of San Augustine for the past 10-15 years. She was married to Ferris Tanner who worked for Southern Pine Lumber Company. About 25 guests attended the birthday reception to enjoy cake, punch and fellowship. When Ms. Nettie was offered cake she said, “I want to talk with everyone, not eat cake”. She recognized Marcellos Jones and remembered almost everyone that attended and ask them lots of questions. Margie Harrell, as a young girl, remembered Mrs. Tanner’s popular tea cakes and how her dad, S. W. Watts, would buy the tea cakes but cautiously handed them out to his kids, making them last longer. Everyone in the neighborhood enjoyed her tea cakes. Ms. Nettie said, “There is nothing I can’t bake. I’ve been cooking from the age of seven.” Those attending Nettie Tanner’s 101^st birthday party included: Velma Levine; Cynthia Rogers; Lorine Smith; Winnie Dell Guidry; Marcellus Jones; Leamon Ligion; Wallace King; Pat Jackson; Earline Vinson; Joyce Bray; Bobby Waters; Jeff Jackson; Mable Johnson; Margie Harrell; Mattie Lewis; Evelyn Stephens; Regina Freeman; Beryl Moses; Beverly Quinney; Margaret Cunningham; Sarah Blount; LaShone Levine; Ann Tanner and Emma Lou Simmons.

Twins, Karon (Register) Lenderman and Sharon (Register) Collins, were pleasantly surprised with a 60^th birthday celebration October 7^th.Their children, Ashley Rios, Cassi Davis, Zach Lenderman, Mandy Burris and Misty Thornton planned the successful surprise. They had help from the twins’ husbands, Dennis Lenderman and Ronnie Collins. To allow for the party to be set up on the Lenderman’s double decked patio, Cassi and her two young sons, Jase and Mack, picked up Karon to go watch her oldest granddaughter, Kylie Rios, play volleyball and eat lunch. Cassi’s husband, Stacey, had gone to his hunting lease earlier that morning and was able to pick up the cake, ice cream and balloons on his way home. Ronnie brought Sharon from their home in Cleveland to have lunch with her parents, Marlon and Jean Register and celebrate Sharon’s and her mom’s birthdays. (Jean Register’s birthday was three days earlier on October 4^th.) After having lunch they decided to drive to the Lenderman’s “to deliver a birthday present” to Karon. Somehow everyone managed to arrive at the same time for the big affair. Family and friends “surprised” them and enjoyed cake and ice cream while reminiscing with the twins.

A special congratulations to Melvin and Kay Linton who celebrated their 55^th wedding anniversary on October 5^th. Enjoyed visiting with new customers, Richard and Debbie Dunn who recently moved from Rockdale to Huntington. Richard enjoys Dutch oven cooking and has won First Place in a cook off with his peach cobbler. Congratulations.

Tom Farley wears many hats including “Marshall” of the Neches Pines golf course. Sarah and Richard Wallace’s home has a pool on the golf course. From time to time Sarah has had an encounter with a snake in the skimmer but she was really scared when she found TWO copperhead snakes in some pine straw near the pool. She sent a text to her close friend and golfing buddy, Melba Gores, who immediately dispatched her husband Gary to deal with the situation. Gary grabbed a shovel, jumped in the golf cart and headed a short distance to the Wallace home. In the meantime, Tom Farley was passing by the No. 9 green tee on his golf marshall duties when he heard and saw Sarah in distress. Tom was quick. He was using a pitching wedge with a unique stroke when Gary arrived on the scene. Sarah was grateful for these two guys “coming to her rescue” and taking care of the situation. A couple of days later I heard Sarah found another snake on top of her mailbox. Where was Tom and Gary?

Mark your calendars for the second Annual “Be A Hero & Walk In Her Shoes” Cancer Benefit, October 21st. It was hilarious last year and should be bigger and better this year. So, convince your guys to participate and design their fashionable attire around “heels”. This unforgettable event will begin at 10:30 AM in front of the Diboll ISD Administration building. Registration forms are available at the Diboll Civic Center, City Hall and the Temple Library. The fee is $25 for guys brave enough to wear heels and $30 for non-heels. Remember, the proceeds will benefit a cancer patient in our town that is presently taking treatments. The “walk” will be from the administration building all the way to the old Diboll Free Press building so there is plenty of room for spectators to observe. Come out and support a good cause.

Come see us…’round the table.