October 24, 2016

 

There was a special group that got together during Diboll Day that call themselves “The Park Street” kids. The majority of them came with their parents from Louisiana in the 50’s to work here in Diboll and they all became very close through the years. In the photo lower left to right: Elaine (Bunch) Pinkerton; Joe Johnson; Sill Bunch; Johnnie “Susie” (Fox) Stewart; JoNell (Vaught) Placker; Michele (Nelson) Fuller; Carol (Nelson) Shaw; Linda (Johnson) Cook; Mary Alice (Bunch) Shivers and “Babe” Johnson. Not present in the picture but still part of the group are: Glenn Price, John Estes and Kim (Placker) Chapman.

Fran McClain sent the following news. We (Fran and John McClain) had friends visiting last week for their annual Fall Trip to Diboll — Gerald & Katharine Nichols from Hoover, Alabama and Joe & Ann Pridgen from Monroeville, Alabama. The girls did a lot of relaxing and visiting and a little shopping while the guys played golf each day at Neches Pines.  While they were here they got to experience the good cooking of our locals: Linda Cordell’s Gumbo, Dwayne Stanford’s Smoked Brisket, Margie Harrell’s Chicken Spaghetti, Tina Jowell’s Cinnamon Rolls and Jalapeno Cheese Rolls, Red Tulip Catering’s Beef Stew & Arlis Havard’s Ribeye Sandwiches. They enjoyed a couple of Date Nights: Music by The Hit Men at the Pines Theater and Tomes Catering’s Couples Cooking Class.

My thanks to Jan Wilkerson for the news about their recent trip. We (Jan & Burlon Wilkerson) left Diboll on a Wednesday morning and had lunch at the Country Cupboard in Johnson City.  The first time we ate there was about 30 years ago.  It is a small hometown cafe with great food. We made Kerrville the “Home Base” for the trip.

Thursday we made a loop through the Hill Country and visited and shopped in Camp Verde, Bandera, Boerne, and Comfort. The drive was beautiful and we enjoyed lunch at Po Po’s in Welfare. Friday we visited the James Avery Store and Visitor Center.  After shopping there we enjoyed watching the deer play all across their property.  A trip up to the Ridge Nursery was a wonderful stop; the grounds were all decorated for fall and Halloween.  A walk through the nursery and all the native plants was a treat. From there we visited the “Empty Cross Prayer Gardens” set on a hill overlooking Kerrville.  We enjoyed our walk through there seeing all the beautiful statues displayed on the grounds.

Leaving Kerrville we drove to Medina to the Apple Store where we had lunch and bought jelly to bring home.  Our waitress told us we needed to make the “most beautiful drive in the Hill Country,” so we did.  The drive is from Medina to Leakey. The hills were beautiful with all the leaves changing colors.  This truly was the most beautiful drive we made. It was then time to head to Hondo for the largest Corn Maze is South Texas.  It really is a Maize maze.  The field is planted in maize each year.  Once the shoots are up, they pull them into the design for the year.  This year HEB was a sponsor and those letters were made into the design.  Several other activities are available on the grounds:  Burlon had to slide down the MatterCorn, a giant slide through a huge pipe and we both went on the hayride through the fields around the Maze.  While there three school buses of teenagers arrived for an evening of fun touring the maze in the dark. Deer were everywhere we went except we did not see any on the drive back from Hondo to Kerrville until we got into town and saw deer eating grass on the grounds of the bank. Saturday was spent in Fredricksburg where an October Fest was taking place and the town was filled with visitors.  We enjoyed a day of shopping! That afternoon we went to the “Chalk Fest” on the grounds of Petersen Plaza in Kerrville.  Sponsors purchase spaces and local artists come in and do chalk paintings on the sidewalks.  There were a variety of paintings ranging from simple designs to very intricate ones.  The designs were to stay in place for several days for people to enjoy. Sunday we had lunch in downtown Bastrop at Paw Paw’s Seafood. We highly recommend the catfish platter if you are ever in this area; it was wonderful. After lunch we left for home and ended our adventure eating frozen yogurt with our daughter, Krista, in College Station where she is a student in their veterinarian program.

Rosemary Berry of the Lufkin Chapter #382 of the Order of the Eastern Star brought information about a pie fundraiser they are having to take the stress out of baking for the holidays. The pies will be frozen so you will be able to use them for whatever occasion you want. They are $12 each and the variety includes: cherry, apple, pumpkin, pecan, peach and sweet potato. They must be picked up on November 18th between 10AM and 2PM. For more information, contact Rosemary at 635-9951.

Gloria Russell Ministries has not changed her mission in 38 years of reaching out to children through after-school Bible Clubs to learn scriptures and Bible stories. “Circle Clubs” are now in 14 schools in this area and meet one hour each week. Victory Camp is a Saturday camping experience for church groups, families and children where boys and girls enjoy swimming, fishing, horse-back rides, archery and other activities, along with a great time of learning under the big tent. These programs are funded by churches, businesses, and families who share the vision of Matthew 18:14, “It is not the will of your Father in Heaven that one of these little ones should perish.”

On November 12, 6:00-7:30, a fund-raising Banquet called “Peculiar in Polka Dots”, will be held at the Lufkin Civic Center. It will provide an opportunity to learn more first-hand information about this missionary organization and to share in this outreach to children.  All funds raised at this banquet will provide monies needed for the 2016-2017 ministry needs. Call Gloria Russell at 936-634-2582, or email grcm@windstream.net to reserve your tickets.  You can find more information at www.changinggenerations.com

This Saturday, October 29th beginning at 10AM in the parking lot at the Diboll Administration should be a memorable occasion to see guys “Be A Hero…Walk in Her Shoes”. Registration is $25 and can be paid at the event or contact Loretta Christmas at 829-4888 for more information. Prizes will be awarded for “Best Shoes” and “Best Legs”. The funds raised will go to a woman in Diboll who is currently going through cancer treatments.

Send news to sandra@poulands.com or come see us…’round the table.