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Almeda Moe
Nothing could dampen Jennifer’s excitement as she prepared for her wedding. Not even her parents’ nasty divorce. Her mother found the perfect dress. A week later, Jennifer realized her step mother had the same dress. Jennifer asked her to exchange it but she said “Absolutely not. I look great in the dress. When Jennifer told her mother, Mom immediately went out and bought another dress, but she kept the first one. Why are you keeping that dress you don’t have anyplace to wear it?. O yes I do said Mom, “I’m wearing it to the rehearsal supper.”
CHALLENGE
How can you plant five rows of trees with four trees in each row when you only have ten trees? It can be done.
Send answer to siskeyworth@att.net
The Arcola’s Police Department’s new badge and new uniforms are outward signs of the department as they try to change the image and perception of APD so the community will recognize that they are a professional organization and capable of responding to their needs.
Another change is the NO U TURN signs posted on Hwy. 6 to address a safety hazard in front of city hall and a little further west. The law will be strictly enforced. Chief Bell has been APD’s chief since December 1, 1914. He would like to remind citizens that December is the month thieves are doing their Christmas shopping, so be aware.
HE WAS ROBBED
After being robbed, an 18th century preacher wrote: I thank God that though he took my money, he didn’t take my life; I thank God that though he took all that I had, he didn’t take much, and lastly, I thank God that it was I who was robbed and not I who robbed.
EMERGENCY SERVICE DISTRICT Fort Bend county Commissioners Court will not finalize the election results to establish an Emergency Service District until they complete a canvas of the residents in the Fresno/Arcola area. 12.8% of the registered voters cast a ballot in the Nov. 3rd election with 845 citizens voting in favor, and 265 against establishing the ESD, according to Fresno Fire Chief Chris Tormey.
Commissioner Richard Morrison Files For Re-Election
Under his watch in the last four years Morrison has held over 200 town hall meetings throughout Precinct 1. He is also at the forefront of mental health reform. The Mental Health Public Defender’s Office diverts hundreds of people a year from the County Jail to a more humane treatment and saving taxpayers millions of dollars. “Mental illness is not a crime and the success of the Mental Health Public Defender’s Office is one of my proudest accomplishments,” said Morrison
What does Rising Sea Levels & Santa Claus have in Common?
According to the new analysis of satellite data, the Antarctic ice sheet showed a net gain of 112 billion tons of ice a year from 1992 to 2001. That net gain slowed to 82 billion tons of ice per year between 2003 and 2008.
Furthermore, instead of contributing to the rising sea levels, the still-very-much-frozen southern continent is actually reducing them by 0.23 mm per year.
Every good and perfect gift comes from the Father above. The most precious gift is the gift of His Son. Joseph was told that Mary would have a son and “you shall call his name Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins.” Matt. 1:21 No wonder that those who have received God’s gift, want to celebrate the birth of Jesus.
96 Years in Almeda
On December 5, 1919, Rose Buell was born in a small wood frame house on Anderson Road. She played on 55 acres of land where the students at YES Academy now play. She also worked. Among her other chores shehauled water for the farm animals, for the garden, and for the house. No electric pump-no electricity. Still she had plenty of time to sit on a barn roof underneath a peach tree, reading, writing poetry, and eating peaches. When asked about the contrast of life now and life almost 100 years ago, her immediate response was freedom. “We could grab a fishing pole and go anywhere there was a pond of water.”
Freedom is not the answer we might expect knowing that Rose grew up without a telephone, running water, TV, all weather roads, etc. When the mud on Anderson Road made it impossible for her dad to drive the family to church in their Model T, they walked. Traffic was never a problem. Rose also walked over two miles to go to Almeda School where she graduated from high school in 1937. She was the salutatorian of her senior class consisting of four students.
The following year she married Jim Andrews. They lived with her parents for one year while Jim built a garage in Winchester Place on Grapevine in the middle of a cotton field about three miles from her birthplace.
In 1939, there were two other houses west of South Post Oak. From their single car garage which served as their home for 11 years, they could see the traffic light on South Main change from red to green. They could also hear the train.
The first house Jim built was destroyed. No insurance. They were finally able to build again, paying for the lumber with “what we didn’t eat and didn’t wear,” but when they moved out of the single car garage into the house with their four children that was one of the happiest days of her life. Other days were celebrating their marriage of 50 years, then 60, and then 70 years, seeing old friends, several vacations, being baptized when she was 76 years old were all special events in her life but day to day happy days were filled with gardening, sewing, and making everything from giant mosquitoes out of okra to beautiful quilts and of course the joy of loving 15 grandchildren, 26 greats, and 15 great greats.
Rose has not had an easy life physically, but her secrets for a happy life are: Love people. Be slow to anger and quick to forgive. Be humble and willing to serve. Do unto others as you would want them to do unto you. Be content in all circumstances and bear up patiently in hard times, praying for God’s grace and help. If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything. Don’t poke your nose into other people’s business. “These secrets have worked for me!” she says.
Rose looks much younger than 96 years old, perhaps because she has lived a contented life.
ARE YOU A HAPPY CHRISTIAN?
Many Christians often feel they are lacking something. We don’t know exactly what it is but we just don’t have the joy we know we should have. Recently I felt like that. I heard that generous people are happy. So I prayed that God would make me-no that would be dishonest but I can pray that God will make me want to be generous.
He showed me that I am plain selfish. The best or maybe the only way is for me to die to myself. The Bible says that we should consider ourselves to be dead to sin but alive to God Romans 6:11. Jesus said, “he that seeks to save his life shall lose it and he that loses his life for His sake will find it.” Matthew 16:25
If life on this earth is all we have, God’s way is still the best but it would not be enough for us to die to ourselves unless we really believe that after our body dies we will live with God. We get so wrapped up with our own problems we lose sight of the eternal and dwell on the temporary. We may be grateful for the good things God gives us day by day, but when bad stuff outweighs the good, in our mind, that diminishes our gratefulness and our generosity and our joy.
To die to self is to live to God, the giver of every perfect gift.
Pick up a copy of the history of the area of Almeda at Debbie’s Barber Shop (next to Parker’s Hardware) in the 14000 block of Almeda Road for $12 or have a copy mailed to you for $14.50. Send a check to Our News
P. O. Box 450336 Houston, TX 77245
The book is $12 Postage $2.50
call 713 433 1098 for more info
Vinson Library
3810 W. Fuqua 832 393 2120
closed Sun. & Mon.
Multi-center open Mon. thru Fri.
GED/ABE & ESL CLASSES
Registration starts Dec. 2, 3, 9, 10 at 9am at the Willie Gay Hall Campus at 1990 Airport Blvd. registration is $20. Classes starting in Jan. are free on Mon. Tue. & Wed from 9:30am –1:30pm. For more info call 713 718 5380.
Fort Bend County Law Library
Brief, introductory classes will take place on Thur., Dec. 3, 10, and 17, between 10:00 am and noon, The classes are free. Call the Law Library at 281-341-3718 for more info.
Sienna Branch Library
8411 Sienna Spring Blvd 281-238-2900
Winter Fest Family event featuring professional storyteller Jean Donatto on Sat., Dec. 12th from 10 to 11 am. Children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult. Following Donatto’s performance, families are invited to enjoy a hot drink, cookies, and caroling at the library’s Winter Fest Open House from 11 am to 1 pm.
The Tween Café, 4th and 5th grades held on 1st and 3rd Wed. at 4:00 pm. Dec. 2- Pumpkin-Spice Playdough, Dec.6 -Peppermint Bath Salts.
Middle-School Programs, on the 1st and 3rd Thursday, at 5:30 grades 6 and up. Materials for these programs are made possible by the generous support of the Friends of the Sienna Branch Library. Dec. 3 – Heroes vs. Villains Life-Size Monopoly. Dec. 17-Cupcake Wars!
After-School Break -- crafts, movies, stories, grades 1 - 5 ONLY – 2nd Tue, at 4 pm. Dec. 8th- Book Ornaments.
COMPUTER “MS Word Survival Basics” - Wed., Dec. 9, 10 am. Learn how to create letters, resumés, forms, and other types of documents.“MS Excel Survival Basics” - Wed., Dec. 16, 10 am. Learn the basics of using this spreadsheet software program that includes calculation tools for financial and statistical uses.
Easy Christmas Treat
Combine three cups of sugar, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, one cup of water, bring to boil and cook until it reaches the thread stage. Immediately pour over two quarts of pecans and stir until the sugar mixture hardens and pecans separate. You can half the recipe.
If you don’t have a candy thermometer, dip a spoon into the sugary syrup lift it up eye level. It is ready when the syrup spins a two inch thread when dropped from the spoon.
Quotes From Fred Thompson
Thompson, a presidential candidate in 2007. a senator from 1994 to 2003, a film and TV actor before and after he served as senator died in November 2015. Following are a few of his quotes. “This country has shed more blood for the freedom of other people than all the other nations in the history of the world combined.”
“After two years in Washington, I often long for the realism and sincerity of Hollywood.”
Asked in 2007 to name his top accomplishments, Thompson replied “You mean besides leaving the Senate?”
“It occurred to me that, to paraphrase one of Churchill’s comments, perhaps I had more to be humble about than I had realized,” he wrote of his failed 2008 presidential bid. “It also occurred to me that this was a pretty doggone expensive way to achieve a little humility.”
Condolences
JUANITA KEYWORTH
January 6, 1931 –October 22, 1015
Former resident of Almeda, Juanita had moved to Longview, TX. A faithful member of Mobberly Baptist Church, she enjoyed crocheting and gardening. Preceded in death by her first husband, Walter Box, son Gene Box and second husband Jack Keyworth, Juanita is survived by her son, Gary/Pamela Box, daughter Debbie/David LaRue, Steve and Kelly/Cheryl Keyworth, 12 grandchildren and one great.
