Opinion

There has been a lot on the news in the past several months concerning both the Texas abortion law as well as Roe v Wade. I am not going to get in an argument of the merits of either one of these laws, but I am going to testify to you today concerning the fact that a fetus in the womb is a human being at the earliest of stages of pregnancy.

The weeks leading up to Christmas are so busy. You want to bake a variety of Christmas cookies and goodies, but where do you find the time? The answer may be in organizing a small Christmas cookie exchange.

December 1995 issue: Intermediate students reap rewards – These students at Fort Stockton Intermediate School were honored for academic achievement in high grade point averages or perfect attendance. Kneeling, left to right: Jackie Velasquez, Erika Munoz, Alicia Shuffield, Jessica Ruiz, Brittany Bollier, Mirella Cantu. Second row: Ogden Lujan, Leonardo Pena, Carlos Ramirez, Leopoldo Lujan, Carlos Snyder, Elaine Montoya. Back row: John Rey, Juan Jose Sanchez, Ashley Gonzales, Erica Arcides, Houston Bassham, Bianca Corral.

Dear Neil: I have a St. Augustine lawn that has been very healthy. Recently, however, clover has started to invade it. I’ve sprayed with 2,4-D. It kills it for a while, but then it comes back. What will kill it for good?

Dear Neil: The previous owners of our house had a row of hollies in a large front flowerbed. They were removed long before we moved in. We planted new shrubs and covered the soil with landscape cloth, and they pushed right through it. Even Round Up didn’t kill them. How can we get rid of them?

Our time is the best gift we can give to our friends and family this Christmas. Nobody knows how much time we have on Earth.

Over the past few weeks, media outlets have reported that holiday consumers should expect a shortage of Christmas trees this year due to the supply chain crisis and climate change, and the trees themselves refusing to re-enter the workforce after becoming addicted to Netflix and Flamin’ Hot Cheetos during the COVID-19 pandemic.

To say I am not a traditionalist is an understatement. I push the envelope when it comes to cooking. That is not to say I am some classically trained chef using liquid nitrogen or a sous vide cooker, it just means that I like to use ingredients outside those listed in a recipe. It means that I like to experiment with different flavors beyond those one may traditionally associate with different dishes. One such dish I most definitely experiment with is chicken pot pie.

As we look at the story of Christ, it is imperative that we are aware of His earthly parents. Most are aware that He was born of His earthly Mother, Mary and the Holy Spirit.

Cookies at Christmas are as traditional as decorated trees, gifts, carols, cards and Santa. They are great for formal, casual, and other family gatherings, as well as for gifts. There is no exact date recorded for the idea of leaving cookies for Santa, but it is thought to have started sometime in the 1930s.