Opinion

Candy, Card an’ Rose

Candy, Card an’ Rose

Wed, 02/11/2026 - 3:20pm

February is the month of LOVE! Who is the patron saint of Valentine’s Day? Believe it or not, that fact is clouded in a bit of a mystery. For ages, February’s most celebrated day is the 14th, Valentine’s Day. A day that is historically associated with romance. It also has roots from both ancient Roman and Christian traditions. The mystery revolves around which Saint Valentine is the true Saint Valentine. According to history from the Catholic Church, there were three priests named Valentine that were martyred in Rome during the third century and executed by Emperor Claudius II. All three of these men were sympathetic to Christians and to young lovers. One of these reportedly sent the first valentine to a young girl that he had fallen in love with and signed it, “From your Valentine.” As history shows, there will be stories to substantiate the legend and they all portray Saint Valentine to be a ro-mantic and sympathetic hero of the time period and one that lives on today in the hearts of lovers worldwide! February is the month of LOVE! The mythical Cupid waits for the chance to shoot that arrow into the hearts of lovers as well as innocent bystanders. This is the time for valentines, flowers, and candy. Now, a warning to the Gentlemen… be smarter than my friend of years ago, this goober procrastinated until after work on the 14th and could only find a card for his wife that said, “To a good friend” resulting in, well to put it lightly, a strained relationship! Okay…okay…I know most of you are smarter than that, but I ‘spect a few of you could be suspect! As my Ol’ Daddy would say, “Bein’ sweet on a lady is when a feller gets his love an’ ignorance mixed up!” But, legend has it that my own Ol’ Daddy’s reaction to my Sweet Mama’s acceptance of his marriage proposal was that he kissed her…but Mama said, “Not so, ‘cuz he kissed his horse!” I thank the Good Lord for providing a good woman that was willing to put up with me through all these years. Believe it or not, this May will mark 62 married years that followed 4 years of “courtin’.” Great memories came from walking side by side holding hands as we trailed through life’s journey. Truth is, I love my young bride Stella! ”Husbands, love your wives” is a biblical directive, primarily from Ephesians 5:25, urging husbands to love their wives sacrificially, selflessly, and actively, mirroring Christ’s love for the church—nurturing, cherishing, and providing for her spiritual and physical well-being, as if she were their own body, to present her holy and blameless. This means leading with selfless service, understanding her needs, and actively working to make her thrive, not just tolerating or being bitter towards her.

At Least 11 Texans Dead After Winter Storm

At Least 11 Texans Dead After Winter Storm

Wed, 02/04/2026 - 10:45am

At least 11 people have died in Texas, nearly half of them children, after Winter Storm Fern swept the state last week, the Texas Standard reported. Among those killed were three young brothers who fell through ice on a private pond near Bonham, about 60 miles northeast of Texas. In the Dallas suburb of Frisco, two teens died after a sledding accident. They were riding on a sled being pulled by a vehicle. Several unhoused people died of exposure in Austin, Houston and Fort Worth, according to reports. Nationally, the storm has killed at least 50 people. Nearly five years after Winter Storm Uri overwhelmed the state’s power grid and left millions without electricity, officials with the Electric Reliability Council of Texas noted the grid held, though localized outages were reported, especially in East Texas, where at one point more than 91,000 customers were without power. Those outages were largely due to ice accumulation and downed lines. The storm forced nearly 2,400 flight cancellations at airports in Dallas, Houston and Austin.

Will Rogers an’ the Pig

Will Rogers an’ the Pig

Wed, 01/28/2026 - 4:40pm

Will Rogers’ wit, humor, and common sense sayings have been a part of our lives for well over one hundred years. Not only was he an accomplished homespun cowboy humorist and known for his quick wit and political satire, but he was an American treasure and was unequaled in his roping proficiency. He was recognized as a western philosopher and considered humor to be his tool. Will Rogers was at home in the presence of royalty, world leaders, dignitaries, children, and the common man. He was known to say things like, “I never met a man that I did not like.” He would advise folk to, “Live in such a way that you wouldn’t be ashamed to sell the family parrot to the town gossip!” Will Rogers was born November 4, 1879 and grew up living the ranch life, roping and riding, becoming a proficient artist with the lasso. He made the Guiness Book of World Records by throwing three loops at one time, one around the horses head, one around his own head, and one around all four feet of his horse! The family ranch was near Oologah, Oklahoma, which was at that time a part of Indian Territory. Both of Rogers parents were of Cherokee heritage, a fact that he was proud of. Dur-ing his life, Will Rogers was the author of numerous newspaper columns and six books. As an entertainer, Rogers incorporated rope tricks in his routine as well as an ongoing spiel containing observations about people, politics, and weather. Often, his comments brought humor into play with sayings such as, “Swinging a rope ain’t bad as long as your neck isn’t in it!” or “I am not a member of an organized political party. I am a Democrat.” In 1908, Will Rogers married Betty Blake and they had four children. But his brilliant career would come to a tragic end at age 55. Will Rogers was a passenger in an airplane piloted by Wiley Post when it crashed as they were taking off from a lagoon near Point Barrow, Alaska. However, Will Rogers was prepared with this epitaph, “When I die, my epitaph, or whatever you call those signs on gravestones, is going to read, ‘I joked about every prominent man of my time, but I never met a man I didn’t like.” He went on to say, “I am so proud of that, I can hardly wait to die so it can be carved!” Will Rogers was a great western humorist and made this claim about pigs, “You should never try and teach a pig to read for two reasons. First, it’s impossible; and secondly, it annoys the hell out of the pig!”. so I think this poem will fit. The movie, “Lonesome Dove,” sees Gus McCrae tack a sign on the gate post that reads, “We Rent Pigs.” Maybe that’s where this pig came from.

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