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Who’s Gonna Fill Their Shoes?
Who’s Gonna Fill Their Shoes?

Who’s Gonna Fill Their Shoes?

Benjamin Franklin once said, “When I wake up in the morning, I immediately check the morning paper. If my name is not in the obituaries, I get up.” At least, I think it was Benjamin Franklin. I googled it and received an interesting number of answers, everything from George Burns to Phyllis Diller. Isn’t that the craziest thing about the internet? If I googled “US Congress votes to move Christmas to July,” there would be an article that supported that statement. But, I recall it as a Ben quote and 88% of my research agrees with me. So, Ben, credit goes to you, sir. I take the obits to heart. My column is nestled in right next to them each and every week, after all. Each year that I rotate around the sun and still have the ability to make a difference in this world, I am called to recall those whose day to day interactions are lost to us. And yet, we don’t really have daily obits anymore. Newspapers are about as common as the Brachiosaurus these days. Instead, we rely on social media to inform us who’s still here and who has left us. And, it is with that sentiment laying on my heart that I inform you that an icon left us last week. Francis Moore left this world. I realize that lifelong Forneyites will not understand what I am saying. But you transplanted Seagovillians, you’ll understand. Miss Francis was a peach.

BACK IN THE DAY

Luke Clayton reminisces about his life in the outdoors and some of the things he has experienced such as this old abandoned schoolhouse on a remote ranch in New Mexico.

BACK IN THE DAY

Sitting in a tree stand last week attempting to harvest a big whitetail buck I’d seen on my trail cameras, my mind began to backtrack over my many years as an outdoorsman. Just how many times since about the age of ten, way back in 1960, had I sat in a deer stand waiting for ‘the big one’? How many hours had I spent in the woods in pursuit of game? Could I calculate the approximate number by estimating how many hunts per year and the average time I spent on stand on each hunt? I soon gave up on this idea and lost myself in thought. At this stage of my hunting career I am very thankful to still be able to climb up in a treestand or drag a buck out of the woods; I have friends much younger that cannot. Granted, I do both tasks much slower than when I was a young man but I am grateful to have been blessed with all these many years of fine memories.

FINANCIAL FOCUS

FINANCIAL FOCUS

It’s human nature to want to make things easier for our loved ones – and to have great concern about adding any stress to their lives. In fact, 72% of retirees say that one of their biggest fears is becoming a burden on their families, according to the Edward Jones/Age Wave Four Pillars of the New Retirement study. How can you address this fear?

Run, Don’t Walk to Devonshire December 11

Run, Don’t Walk to Devonshire December 11!

Saturday, December 11, will be the third annual Antlers and Tutus Fun Run benefiting the Forney Education Foundation. There is still time to register for this event if you want to participate. The Foundation thanks our sponsors for underwriting this event– Devonshire Community for Hosting, Smoothie King for Title Sponsorship—and the Event Sponsors Big Jay’s Sign and Shirtworks, Camp Gladiator, Brookshire’s, and Chick-fil- A. These sponsors understand how helpful FEF is to the students in Forney ISD and that fundraisers like the fun run aid in the mission statement of the Foundation, which is to help light the way for teaching and learning.

A GIFT TO
A GIFT TO
A GIFT TO
A GIFT TO

A GIFT TO OURSELVES

It is hard to look at the news lately. There are so many things going wrong I can’t help but feel helpless that I can’t change things. However, there are things I can change. Particularly my relationship with my family, especially my wife.

BBB Scam Alert: As Holiday Shopping

BBB Scam Alert: As Holiday Shopping Fairs Go Virtual, Scammers Cash In

Last year, many local inperson events, such as popup holiday markets or craft fairs, moved online. This holiday shopping season, some event organizers are continuing to play it safe and keep things virtual. This means scammers can reuse last year’s trick - creating phony copycat events that charge for admission and steal your credit card information. Plus, con artists have had a year to practice, making these fraudulent virtual events appear even more legitimate.

Cranberry-Infused Cocktail

Cranberry-Infused Cocktail for Autumn Entertaining

Besides the ubiquitous “pumpkin spice,” nothing says “autumn” more than tart cranberries. Cranberries are a major component of Thanksgiving feasts, turning up alongside and atop turkey as well as in quick breads and desserts. Cranberries are loaded with health benefits, which include reducing the risk for ulcers and preventing gum disease. Also, just eight ounces of cranberry juice cocktail contains 137 percent of the daily recommended value of vitamin C.

Choose the Right Christmas

Christmas tree options vary from artificial, to pre-cut and fresh-cut trees from local farms and even live container trees, including alternatives like tropical indoor varieties. Go into the holidays with an open mind about your choices for a decorative holiday centerpiece. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Laura McKenzie)

Choose the Right Christmas

Christmas tree farms like Tim’s Trees provide fresh-cut options that typically last longer than those pre-cut and shipped from other states. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Laura McKenzie)

Choose the Right Christmas Tree this Holiday Season

There are plenty of options for decorative trees during the holiday season. Texas A&M AgriLife experts have ideas and tips for a live or cut Christmas tree, including an increasingly popular option — live container-grown or balled-and-burlap trees.

Forney Education Foundation Hosts 3rd Annual Antlers and Tutus Fun Run

The Forney Education Foundation will host its 3rd Annual Antlers and Tutus Fun Run on December 11th at 8:00 AM in Devonshire at Griffin Elementary. This event will include a 1-mile fun run and timed 5K with 5K runners eligible for placement medals of 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the following age groups, both male and female: 9 and under, 10-14, 15-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60+. Visit www.forneyisdfoundation.org for more information and to register.

The One About the Doc Martens
The One About the Doc Martens

The One About the Doc Martens

Oftentimes, it’s difficult to know what to write in these columns. I have moments of inspiration, sure. I keep a running list of topics on my phone’s notepad in case of sudden onset topic syndrome, those middle of the night moments where my eyes fly open at 3 am and I shout, “That would make a great column!” But there are times, especially around the holidays, where I don’t want inspiration. Caring or sharing are not ideas I welcome. I just want warm tea, Earl Grey, preferably, extremely soft socks, my pj pants that look like sweats but are 2 sizes too big, and my memories. I want to curl up in the arm of my couch with my favorite throw blanket and a down pillow, Poe the rescue Dachshund in my lap, and 2 big poodles in the floor. I want the television on, only for background noise. I want to sip tea, let the tears stream down my face, and think about my only daughter and how, no matter how many different ways I try and spin the story, she isn’t coming home for Christmas. And, while it’s probably not the column you wanted from me this week, it’s the one you’re getting. Because, Christmas ain’t for sissies.

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Forney Messenger

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 936, Forney, TX 75126
Physical Address: 201 W. Broad St., Forney, TX 75126
Phone: 972-564-3121
Fax: 972-552-3599