Visiting with family, a roadrunner sighting and more words to define the new year

While strolling, I wondered whatever happened to Beverly Reed.

Happy birthday to Sue Traw, Adella Frank, Carolyn Crites, David Slinkard, Trish Little, Pam Cannon, Alice Uhrhan, John Gaines, Sarah Gaines, Cindy Harris, Tony Whitaker, Collin Dannenmueller, Rebecca Reischman, Erica Dannenmueller, Kimberly Ann Hendrix, Judy Abernathy, Jonathan Teegarden, Leroy Bollinger, Patrick Moore, Kathy Shetter, Jessie Burnett, Alan Penrose, Brenda Hester, Miranda Glasser, Wanda Nelson, Dorothy Wolfe, Mildred Wilhite, Clifford Van Dover, Aria Kirn, Jon Nordin and Joy Moyers.

Happy anniversary to Darrell and Jeannie Chapman, Shannon and Kim Hendrix and Ron and Billie Davis.

Tomorrow is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, but city hall will be open, along with the city library. City council will hold its regularly scheduled bimonthly meeting at 7 p.m. at city hall. By attending, you can stay up on all the exciting plans for our town. City hall reminds residents to make sure the American flag you are flying is in tiptop shape.

We will be enjoying a full moon the end of the week. It is known as the Wolf Moon, Ice Moon, Winter Moon, Cooking Moon and Moon of the Terrible. Remember to feed and put fresh water out for our songbirds, especially during frigid temperatures.

NFL playoffs and PR tips

No doubt Dallas Cowboy fans and other fans of losing teams are enjoying the NFL playoff games now that they don't have to worry about a win! The Cowboys are out and have been for some time. This weekend the field narrows as the teams continue their competition.

We had been holding our breaths on the future of the St. Louis Rams until owner Stan Kroenke expressed his true intentions and questioned the St. Louis fan base. He and his company are undertaking sizable development projects in Dallas. Maybe he can get some public relations tips from Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones on how to ingratiate himself with fans. Jerry might not be the most popular guy in Dallas these days, but he knows how to work the press.

Reconnecting with family

Richard and I just returned from visiting my sister, Jo, and her husband, Don, in the Texas Hill County. We had some warm days just as we had here in Southeast Missouri, followed by cold and windy. It is, however, always warm and cozy when it comes to being with family, regardless of outdoor conditions. Jo and her husband are wonderful hosts, and since our sister, Dr. Ruth, drove up from San Marcos to join us, we three sisters had a great time catching up with each other. The shops on the town square are always fun to check out, and we had a fine lunch at one of the local cafes.

Run-in with a roadrunner and friends

Another great part of the trip was the sighting of my very first roadrunner on the trip west. He was in the middle of the highway, ran to the shoulder and paused long enough for me to get a great look at this stunning, exciting bird! I collect roadrunners and just recently added a wood carving signed by the artist. The addition looks mighty handsome on our mantle with the others.

We also saw a handful of deer on Jo's property. We always get a kick of out seeing them, but that is not the case for Dr. Ruth, who is annoyed with seeing them much too often on her front yard in San Marcos. Jo is relieved that the snakes are well into their winter hibernation, but we did spot one scorpion whose presence was short-lived.

More words for the new year

My sister, Carolyn, and her husband, Bill, are busy in Ohio after having sold their house recently in Dothan, Alabama, moving to be near their adult daughters. They left the warm weather and their gorgeous home with its golf course view after 29 years, so her word for 2016 is "flexibility," adding that she is going to need it, since they are building. Oh, yes, mine is "streamline" -- as in my closets, my vitamins, my files, my workout and, after the holidays and Jo's delicious offerings, my body.

Final thoughts

Remember to tell those special people in your life that you love them -- those three words mean so very much.

Our thoughts and prayers are with those who are missing loved ones, our homebound, those in hospitals and nursing homes and those undergoing cancer treatments. Please email your news and comments to darbuck2@airmail.net or leave a message at (573) 887-6430 or (214) 207-7839.

And then ...

Then there was the new barber shop by the name of "Who's Next?"