Columns

Slogan t-shirts are my preferred method of communication – I’m a walking bumper sticker. I have t-shirts from my favorite Mexican restaurant in San Antonio ( Mi Tierra), several from my church (Kitchen Crew, Kid’s Ministries, Health Fair…), and many others from places I’ve visited (Washington, D.C., Puerto Vallarta, NYC, South Beach…). As I’ve written, I used to design t-shirts for the Christian Youth market, and just recently created a new design ( Forget Me Remember Jesus ).

Until last week, I had a fluffy white beard. This was the first time I’d ever let it grow for more than two weeks – usually, I just look a little “scruffy,” but my wife and I agreed that I should avoid shaving (except my neck) until my very difficult assignment in Virginia was over (as a sort of protest). But now that it’s over, I’m unemployed, and the beard might not fit the professional appearance I want to convey. And, as my sweetie reminds me, Purt eats a lot of pricey dog food, so the beard had to go.

Have you noticed signs or blue pinwheels around the county informing the public about child abuse this month? That is because April is Child Abuse Awareness Month. Van Zandt County has a board of members from most towns in the county comprised of different ethnicities, genders, socioeconomic status, and races.

Dr. Buck VanTrease is the Lead Veterinarian at Van Zandt Veterinary Hospital.

I’m working in Nebraska right now, and I must say I’m identifying with Charles Ingalls (the beloved “father” character of ‘Little House on the Prairie’ fame. I do, in fact, live in a little yellow house on the Nebraska prairie, and I’m (temporarily) part of a community of about 350 folks. And, like Charles Ingalls, I had to leave home to help support my family, though he left Nebraska to do so, and I came to Nebraska. There’s a reason why so many wind turbines are popping up around this state – the wind is constant, strong – and occasionally maddening. I took a bike ride in the country last Sunday, trying to follow the directions a neighbor gave me to the next tiny village. I got lost, and by the time I made it back to my little yellow house, I was bone tired, thirsty, frustrated, and starving.