The property was impressive enough, a threestory French-flared mansion with a considerable drive from the wrought iron gate to the front of the house and a flight of 16 steps leading to the portico. But more impressive yet was the display of a well-curated Christmas spirit that filled the whole house. Ample as the main room was, it now seemed diminished as it hosted six Christmas trees, the largest of which stood an imposing 10 feet tall and over 500-ornament wide.

The more we do, the more needs doing. Or houses require painting just when prices are sky high. We DIY more than ever before--- at an age when anyone with any sense at all would hire a professional. Either life has become much more complicated, or my abilities are slipping. Remember when laborsaving appliances were supposed to provide more free time for leisure? Except they didn’t.

Several dozen school districts across the state were forced to close last week due to the omicron variant of COVID-19 sending home students, staff and teachers. Most school districts planned to reopen on Tuesday following the MLK holiday.

Thanks and kudos to The Clifton Record and Meridian Tribune for shining a bright spotlight on issues that directly impact the health, safety, and security of all Bosque County citizens. Legal elder fraud allegations from Alaska against our county treasurer, and her subsequent filing for bankruptcy, raise red flags for all county taxpayers.

Unfortunately, due to being short-staffed, we have had to cancel our special section entitled Salute to Nonprofits that was slated to publish next Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2022. We will reschedule this at a later date.

Recently, there has been a lot written about the county officer who is in a significant position of trust. This elected official has been accused of taking advantage of an elderly person in another state. While the other state’s justice system will ultimately sort things out, the bankruptcy case reeks of using legal maneuvering to avoid facing the consequences of her actions.

A friend of ours texted Saturday to say he was feeling badly and would go to the ER after the weekend. He’s ex-military but doesn’t feel he receives the proper care at the VA. Pretty sad situation for a many-timesdecorated Vietnam veteran. When he described his symptoms--- which included blacking out once, I told him he had COVID and should go to his local ER. Busy, big city emergency waiting rooms can be unpleasant. If you weren’t sick upon arrival, you may be upon departure. But I thought he needed immediate attention. He does have COVID--- was sent home with only an oximeter. I’d have thought he’d get a scrip for anti-virals, orders for a monoclonal antibody infusion, other meds or treatments.

The Texas Health and Human Services Commission is again extending emergency food benefits this month, with more than $307 million in emergency allocations expected to help more than 1.5 million Texas households.

think for many of us the very beginning of the new year provides a time to look back and reflect on not only our accomplishments of the past year but also on those things that didn’t turn out as well as expected. For me, I look at things I did well and things I didn’t do so well or not at all. Times of reflection often make a way for growth and/or new aspirations for the coming year. I

Remember how Roseanna Roseanna Danna said it? Or are you all too young to have even seen reruns of Early Saturday Night Live shows? “Never mind,” she’d say, in that Northeastern, nasal drawl. And, “You know, Jane [Curtain], it’s always something.” She was right.