CHITCHAT CORNER

Oh, for the love of good music and entertainment. It could have been found at Highland Park Baptist Church last Sunday as the New Plainsmen Quartet sang to an audience of approximately 300. The "Southern Gospel" male quartet based out of Chickasha, Oklahoma formed in the fall of the 1999 with a vision to minister to the "Lost" and uplift "The Saints" with their singing. Evidently, the emcee, James Sparks thought the writer of this column was one of the "lost" as she slipped in after the beginning of the performance. He zeroed in on what he thought was his golden opportunity "to save" only to discover she was raised in Oklahoma as well and he would not be getting anything over on her. I am very grateful to all of my friends in the audience that provided him with my name and where I worked. For those of you who were not aware there were some culprits sitting in that front row by the names of Patricia Hamilton and Gayle Mitchell from Mineola and Gary Ball from Longview who found great delight in helping them with their tirade. It all paid off because I received as many hugs as they did after the show and there are just some days one can use as many as hugs as they can get...

Speaking of hugs, Kilgoreite Quenna Mills hugged her daughter Rebekah and grandsons Alexzander, Zeckery and Joshua (yes, these names are spelled correctly) goodbye last weekend as they journeyed off to a new home in Riverton, Wyoming. Grandmother has done quite a bit of pacing this

last week but felt better after

hearing her daughter laughing and saying "she snowed it on Thursday." That translates to mean it snowed and the daughter played in it. (We don't know what about the grandsons, but we are guessing they played in the snow as well.)

Show a little respect this Sunday. For those who don't know - May 7, 2006 has been designated as Senior Adult Day in the Southern Baptist Convention. The PrimeTimers Choir at First Baptist Church will be singing a special during the 10:55 a.m. service and the Young Adult Department will be feeding senior adults breakfast Sunday morning at Forest Home Baptist Church.

"Beware of the snakes," said John Paul Raby, grower for Jordan's Plant Farm. "It is the time of the year for them to be out." He should know as a snake bit him last week in his own yard. Raby lives on Royal Drive in Kilgore. He stepped off his sidewalk and right into the path of the snake. He was hospitalized overnight for observation. "Our neighborhood is

filled with children and I've warned all of our neighbors to bring the kids in thirty minutes before sundown," he said. That is the time of the day they are migrating to new territory, food and water. Anybody with any kind of water fountain, bird bath, etc. should be aware it is a draw for the snakes especially the last two weeks of April and the first two weeks in May. Wear boots when you are outside especially after dark and keep your grass cut short.

Congratulations to Judy Germany and Tina North, owners of Texas Spirits. These ladies won first place in the "Taste of the Oilpatch" held at the Gladewater rodeo Grounds recently. City National Bank won second place and Schlumberger won third place. All of the proceeds raised benefit the Children of Truman W. Smith Home. Congratulations also go out to all that participated in this worthy event.

Stephanie Hennigen, daughter of Sheroa Hennigen, will be participating in Special Olympic events this weekend. Best of luck to you, Stephanie.

May His Love and Laughter Fill Your Hearts and Your Homes Throughout the Week. I may be reached at 903-984-2593 or by email at chitchatlinda@aol.com.