Commentary

How to Tap Underutilized Burial Benefits for Veterans

Body
Dear Savvy Senior, What types of funeral benefits are available to old veterans? My 83-year-old father, who has Alzheimer’s disease, served during the Vietnam War in the 1960s. Planning Ahead Dear Planning, Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) National Cemetery Administration actually offers a variety of underutilized burial benefits to veterans as well as their spouses and dependents.

Old Glory News

Body
Here we are in windy March, and it has held true, cause the wind has been blowing almost every day. We did get a light show of rain the last of February and we needed it, needed much more but we dare not complain. We are always glad when we can get a drop of rain.

How to Get ‘Extra Help’ Paying for Prescriptions

Body
Dear Savvy Senior, Does Medicare offer any financial assistance programs to help seniors with their medication costs? I recently enrolled in a Medicare drug plan, but I take some expensive medications that have high out-of-pocket costs and need some help.

EARLY VOTING ENDS FRIDAY

Body
Early voting in the March 5 primary election ends Friday with a host of candidates on the ballot in both parties, including president, U.S. Senate, all 38 Texas U.S. representatives, all 150 Texas House representatives, and down to local races for district attorney, sheriff and other positions.

2 Cents Worth

Body
Great day I thought I had goofed and my fingers had hit the wrong keys last week when I put 1978 on the recipe, well I looked in the recipe book and the recipe did say 1978, some are saying 1998, and the recipe book I'm getting them out of was published in 1999 '20 years of Heavenly Recipes by The First Baptist Church of Rotan, I wouldn't take for it, not only for the recipes but as I go through it all the friends that helped put that book together!!!!! When you grow up in a town, know all the people, half the county is kin to you, then you work in the bank for 42 years, you have wonderful memories of all the friends through the years. You know the kids, the grandkids , the mothers, daddies, grand parents, so that recipe book is really a memory book for me for all the good times we had growing up in Fisher County. When I visit with friends here in Aspermont the friends I have made up here, when I ask who someone is, because Joe never knows, he says I don't know I just worked on their lawn mowers!!!!! So the girls tell me who they are , and then they add their mother and dad were so and so, they married so and so, just like I do in Fisher County, isn't it wonderful to live in small towns, I wouldn't trade it for anything, big cities and not know anyone, not my cup of tea!!!!!! I have painted all week between making Joe Strawberry Pies and yes I used one of the recipes out of the cook book. We went to Jayton and I helped the girls that are learning to fabric paint, they all know how to oil and acrylic paint, but the fabric paint they are learning. I told them you don't have to paint on a T Shirt, I've painted on sheets, cup towels, made runners for the tablesk, so they are excited about all of it and since I love to paint I'm enjoying them too. Joe and I have been working in the yard, he has been out more than I have been, he's been taking care of his onions, lettuce and spinach, and now he's worried about his peach trees, they are fixing to burst into bloom this warm weather. He went to the farm and got some T post of help cover them when it gets cold maybe he can save the peaches. Jay took us to the Hargrove Steak Supper Tuesday night, and as usual it was wonderful, saw so many of our friends, we appreciated Jay taking us, night driving is not good for Joe and I anymore and especially in Abilene at night. By the time we got home from Rotan every child we have called and said 'Are you home yet?' Nice to have kids worried about us if we had hit a deer, but we were lucky just saw one, he heard the deer whistlers and he ran the other way. If you don't have those deer whistlers on your car, pickup, I highly recommend them, we have had so many turn the other way when they hear them on the pickup, and $6 is cheap to what a repair bill is!!!!! We had company Wednesday from Spur and really enjoyed them, our library was giving books away so I called them and they came and got 3 sacks full of books, Kathiy was so glad, she's been cleaning out old books. Well folks it's that time, enjoy your week, take care of yourselves, and we will visit again next week, Joe is wanting to go fishing!!!!!!

Faces & Places

Body
“You don't need meat at every meal,' Riley offered, forking another bite of salad into his mouth and inwardly agreeing with Jack that it was certainly lacking something. Jack was quiet for all of ten seconds, and then he couldn't hold in his opinion one second more.

A Presidential Ideal

Body
The Yeoman’s Ideal What did Thomas Jefferson think about farmers? To anyone who looks up quotes by Jefferson about farmers and rural life, this seems like a dumb question. Jefferson endorsed the farmer—specifically the small farmer—more powerfully than any other president on record.

Take a hike to Anthony, Texas, for Leap Year Festival

Body
Take a hike to Anthony, Texas, for Leap Year Festival It’s that time. An added day to keep the Gregorian Calendar happy so that all is well in mathematics of the Earth’s rotation around the sun (which is exactly 365.25 days).

Federal judge appears skeptical of new border law

Body
A federal judge is expected to rule quickly on the constitutionality of a Texas law about to go into effect that institutes new state penalties for illegal border crossings. During a hearing last week, U.S. District Judge David Ezra said he had concerns that other states would follow Texas’ lead in creating their own immigration laws – a power given exclusively to the federal government under the U.S. Constitution.

Code girls during World War II

Body
Julia Garrett of Houston didn’t know her mother was a spy. When she found out, she became highly interested in the roll women played doing intelligence work during World War Two. Now she gives talks all over the country about the women who deciphered codes and helped win the war. After Pearl Harbor the military knew it needed to break codes.