Lifestyle

Forney Messenger photojournalist Larry Golden gives us one final look back at Christmas 2020.

William E. Young was a high school senior when he became a Marine. Bill enlisted around Easter of his senior year but was able to complete the year and officially start basic training in San Diego the following June. From June of 1965 to July of 1971, Bill proudly served his country as a part of the United States Marine Corps, spending time in numerous states as well as Japan and Chu Lai, Vietnam.

If you did not “go to the movies” in 1989 or 1990 to take in the very popular movie, LEAN ON ME, surely you later rented it from “Blockbuster Video” in Mesquite or “Video Express” in Forney, or even later watched in on “Pay Per View” on your own big boxy almost square RCA television set in the living room, or even later tuned it in on Netflix or Hulu or AT&T On-Demand on your giant flat-screen television in your personal “media room.”

The turning of the calendar to January signals the beginning of the 35th season of the Toyota Sharelunker program. The yearround Toyota Sharelunker program offers four levels of participation for catching bass over 8 pounds or 24 inches in Texas.

Two Texas Game Wardens were recognized this week for their outstanding efforts and contributions toward supporting the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s (TPWD) mission.

The tradition of having wild game on the table for the Holidays is a long standing one with my family. When I was a youngster, I can remember my Mom requesting my older brother to, “Take your shotgun down to Pecan Bayou and bring me back four fat mallards. It’s time for some Christmas baked duck, rice and gravy.” She would slow-roast those mallards with plenty of fresh garlic, salt and pepper. There was always a pot of rice awaiting the natural duck gravy. Mother demanded the ducks be ‘picked’ rather than the popular method today of removing only the breast halves. The fat on a wild duck is where the flavor is, she would say and she was right.

After our water break, the “old lady” with even more cotton in her bag stopped to ask how I was doing with the cotton. I replied that I didn’t seem to be making much progress, so she looked into my bag and laughed and leaned closer and said, “Boy, you ain’t ‘pullin’ cotton; you’re ‘pickin’ it! Look into my bag!” I did and saw that her cotton had “hulls” from the bolls still attached to the cotton. My bag had pure, smooth cotton with no “hulls.” She then said, “Boy, we’re being paid by the pound, and you ain’t gonna have much pounds the way you’re doin’ it!” She gave a little chuckle and muttered “picking, oh my” and trudged on back to her area of the field. I went to mine and started “pulling” instead of “picking.” I did not ask the others of our crew how they were doing it for fear that they were doing it right and would laugh at me.

Although I liked the “Rolling Stones” and the “Kinks,” my taste in music in the 1960s leaned a little more to the “mellow” side—Peter, Paul, and Mary—Simon and Garfunkel—Everly Brothers—Herman’s Hermits. I especially liked a British duo that never reached high fame but did have some large and popular hits here in the States—CHAD & JEREMY, who wrote and sang love songs and songs that tended to be melancholic, nostalgic, and maybe “maudlin,” as my favorite college English Professor (Dr. Barrus) liked to say!

Midwestern State University recognized 1,104 honor students for the Spring 2020 semester. The President’s Honor Roll included 343 students, the Provost’s Honor Roll included 341 students and the Dean’s Honor Roll included 420 students.

As some of you “Facebook Folks” already know, my wife, Vivian, recently enjoyed a “Birthday Trip” to Disney World with Will, Holley, and Kherington, and I went to pick her up from Frisco as one of my busy days was “winding down.”

Jennifer McElroy of Forney, graduated from Eastern New Mexico University. A virtual commencement ceremony was held on Dec. 12.

I bet you recognize one or more of these songs, even if you are young or old or a non-country music fan! And, you can probably sing some of the words, and also many of you probably know that these all correspond to a “singing star” by the name of DOLLY PARTON.

Sunday, December 27, and I almost did not watch the Dallas Mavericks after their first two performances, when, to say the least, they did not live up to “expectations”—against the Phoenix Suns, losing by 4 points in a winnable game on 12/23/20, and especially when they lost by about six times that many points to the “King Lebron Lakers” about two days later…..and on the same court…..and without seeming to put up much of a “fight.”