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What I Heard This Week 02-08-2024

What I Heard This Week February 7, 2024

 

Caution: There are several reminders in this column about Valentine’s Day (oh, and Super Bowl…) both are particularly important occasions happening soon, so pay attention. The happiness of your sweetie may be determined by which one you celebrate.


The Demeter Fragrance Library has the scent of Clover, Dirt, New Baby, Rain, Gin & Tonic, Snow, Tootsie Roll, Junior Mints, Dots, Paperback, Slimes, PB&J, Pixie Dust, Snow, Clean Skin, plus plenty more, including Kitten Fur. You know, the smell when you nuzzle your cat after she has been laying in the windowsill with the sun shining down on her. We call that solar recharged kitty at our house. Great Valentine gift idea. Saves cleaning a cat box.


I would rather spend one lifetime with you, than face all the ages of this world alone.J.R.R. Tolkien, Lord of The Rings


Two weeks ago, I saw the Les Misérables Musical at Hobby Center in Houston. My friend and I blubbered like babies, as we do each time we see either a production or the movie. Les Misérables is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862 that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. If you ever get the opportunity to see it, please do. The novel is one of the longest ever written, with 655,478 words, described as one of the half-dozen greatest novels of the world. It is French history, politics, justice, religion, romance, and social problems.


And remember, as it was written, to love another person is to see the face of God.” – Victor Hugo, Les Misérables


According to the news, King Charles has been diagnosed with an unknown type of cancer which was found early during his recent hospitalization for benign prostate enlargement; he is hugely positive and has started outpatient treatment…  Little Prince Harry is throwing caution to the wind and flying back to see him soon. Hmmm. According to the BBC, King Charles chose to share his diagnosis to prevent speculation and in the hope, it may assist public understanding for all those around the world who are affected by cancer.


A CHAMPION is simply someone who did NOT give up when they wanted to. – Tom Landry, Dallas Cowboys


Have you inherited Aunt Betty’s China or your grandma’s silver? There is a place where you can buy discontinued and current tableware, crystal, and silver if you are missing a piece, or you can sell what you have to them. Replacements.com


If you’re not IN the parade, you WATCH the parade. That’s life. – Mike Ditka, Chicago Bears


While I was in Boston to see my kids for Thanksgiving, I took an Uber to the airport when I left. The driver, a perfect gentleman, was Irish and explained to me that he didn’t know where South Texas was, questioning if it was on the East coast. I replied, “No, it’s not on the East coast. Do you know where Galveston is?” He replied, “No, but I know the song.” Well, that was good enough for me. It was beautiful to listen to him talk, plus he was very insistent that I remember the call numbers of the Irish radio station he listens to so I could listen myself when I returned home… wherever I live. It was like having live entertainment in the car.


If it doesn’t matter who WINS or loses, then why do they keep SCORE. – Vince Lombardi


Travis Kelce talking as he prepares for Super Bowl XVIII, being questioned for the millionth time about whether he is going to become engaged to Taylor Swift. He explained that at this moment he is only focusing on a Super Bowl ring. But he did state that in reference to Taylor’s recent Grammy wins (Best Pop Album and her fourth Album of the Year trophy – Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon and Frank Sinatra were all tied for the record of 3 Albums of the Year wins until Taylor won her 4th), that he thinks she is unbelievable, and he must now hold up his end of the deal and must bring home his own hardware. Aren’t they cute? And Sweet. And wholesome. Something that the world needs so much more of right now.


If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day, so I never have to live without you.” – A. A. Milne, from Winnie the Pooh


You may roll your eyes when I tell you this, but, oh, well. The fact is, I just love to read, and I really enjoy reading obituaries. The newspapers charge so much now that you get very little information on most obits because of the cost. But the half page obit in the Chronicle recently, celebrating the life of Lawrence Edward Miggins was outstanding. (His mother had told him to always choose the heavy cake because the heavy one had better ingredients.) Larry was 98 when he died, with “the cause of his joyand wife of 70 years, holding his hand. He was one of 12 children, a tall guy – 6’4” by the eighth grade, which helped him excel and letter in football, baseball, and basketball. He played in a Minor league while still in high school and was the Valedictorian of his 1943 class. He was signed by the St. Louis Cardinals. He obtained his master’s in criminology and was proud that all 12 of his children earned their college degrees. Now, to the best part of the story. The obit said that many people called Larry “larger than life” but his neighbor made this phrase actually come to life. Sculptor and neighbor, David Adickes, had Larry pose for the statue of Sam Houston that stands next to I-45 in Huntsville. David Adickes is also the creator of the Stephen F. Austin statue in Angleton. What a great back story. Don’t forget to always choose the heavy cake in honor of Larry.


Pleasure of love lasts but a moment. Pain of love lasts a lifetime. – Bette Davis


Finally, I got to watch Maestro (the movie). Excellent. Yum. Doesn’t a grilled cheese sandwich and tomato basil soup sound good right now! Thank you to the Dingler’s for the delicious okra and green beans a while back, and the carrots last week! You are the best. I’m making Copper Pennies this evening. Mr. Corder brought us two bouquets of red roses again this year. He is the kindest man. Be sure to enjoy his poem on page 3 and congratulate him if you see him… on being such a great published poet.


Toby Keith died at 62 of stomach cancer. He was the singer-songwriter of the 1993 country hit “Should’ve Been a Cowboy,” just one of his “20” Number #1 singles and the most played country song (3 million times) of the 90’s.  Carl Weathers, NFL player turned Hollywood action star of Rocky movies (boxer, Apollo Creed) and The Mandalorian, died at 76. He was also the voice of Combat Carl in Toy Story 4 and more. Herbert “Cowboy” Coward, who played the toothless man in Deliverance, died in a vehicle accident along with his 78-year-old girlfriend, his chihuahua and a pet squirrel. He was 85, lived in NC and was famous for his pet squirrel. He delivered the line, “He got a real purty mouth, ain’t he?”


You may marry the man of your dreams, ladies, but fourteen years later you’re married to a couch that burps. – Roseanne Barr


If you are looking for a fun Valentine gift for your sweetie, Brazosport Center Stages at The Center for the Arts and Sciences, is presenting Dinner Theater with a 3-course meal, and a musical revue of Side by Side By Sondheim. February 14, 16, 17, 18. $40 per person. 979-265-7661. What a deal. Dinner and Theater at the same time. And I will be helping Mary in the kitchen.


Alzheimer’s disease may be partially caused by nose picking. Yep. Picking your nose may introduce germs that may cause dementia over time. Hmmm. Tucker Carlson was reportedly seen leaving Putin’s office in Moscow. Maybe an interview is forthcoming. As far as I’m concerned, they can keep him over there. Chipotle is hiring 19,000 workers to meet the demand for Burrito Season. Is there really a burrito season? Seriously. They say there is an annual surge in Mexican food consumption from March to May. At my house those dates are January through December. Hmmm. Boeing has now found more mis-drilled holes on additional 737’s.  Atmospheric River: I heard a weather person state that it’s basically a river in the sky. I understand simple terms. Buc-ee’s: You all know how expensive batteries are.  I was shopping all over town for a tiny little battery for my garage door opener. I found a package of two at Buc-ee’s in Waller for $1.49. So, this weekend, I needed more batteries for my smoke alarms. I just went ahead, saving time and money by running into the store while my gas was pumping. FYI. Bloomer Tech has designed a washable bra for women with medical sensors that collect data on cardiovascular health, using flexible and washable circuits to continuously monitor and improve heart health. Women and their bodies are frequently overlooked when it comes to clinical research. Have a great week and thank you for reading and shopping with us. Lisa


And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make. – Sir Paul McCartney,  (The Beatles)


Send comments to Lisa Baker at lisa@thesourceweekly.com

What I Heard This Week! 01-30-2020

What I Heard This Week January 30, 2020

Boeing apologized after internal communications suggested employees were aware of issues with its now grounded 737 Max before the two fatal crashes that killed 346 people. Boeing was forced to published over 100-pages of internal communications as part of the U.S. Federal Aviation Authority and Congress’s investigations into issues with the 737 Max. The planes have been grounded globally since last March. Some of the remarks issued were, “This airplane is designed by clowns, who in turn are supervised by monkeys…” Another message described working on the plane as “patch[ing] the leaky boat.” Another said, “I still haven’t been forgiven by god for the covering up I did last year…” “This airplane is ridiculous,” an employee wrote to another in one message. “We are having issues with every update we do.” Employees talked about using “Jedi mind tricks” to convince regulators and customers that their training proposals were safe. “At this point, there are more nails than wood in the coffin,” one message said. Unacceptable. Did they not think ahead to what could, and did ultimately happened?


ABC is reviving “thirtysomething.”  Nearly 30 years after characters Michael and Hope advanced into their 30’s and then off the air, the children of Timothy Busfield (62), Patricia Wettig (68), Mel Harris (63) and Ken Olin (65), who are reprising their original roles, will be the focus of this remake. New cast members have not been announced. I loved the original show.


Yer sweeter than candied yams dipped in honey covered in syrup with them big ole pieces of white sugar on ‘em & a dadgum cherry on top…


In 1970, the population of giant tortoises on Espanola Island in the Galapagos, was only 15. Thanks to the heroic efforts of Diego, a more than century-old male tortoise who was quite the ladies’ man, these numbers are now over 2,000. As of January 10th, 2020, Diego was retired from the breeding program (and says the child support was killing him.) Just kidding.


Eli Manning wanted to retire from the NFL after 16 seasons and he did just that last week. His plans include being an assistant coach on his daughter’s third-grade basketball team.


At the office, we were discussing how much The Wizard of Oz scared us when we were little. Think flying monkeys and wicked witches that looked like our aunts. Stupidly, then we started talking about Hush…Hush, Sweet Charlotte with Bette Davis and Olivia de Havilland, which then led us to What Ever Happened to Baby Jane with Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. We must all be mentally scarred for life.


The Apple iPad is celebrating a 10th anniversary. It has changed everyone’s life but seems it’s been with us for as long as we can remember. Happy Anniversary to my sweet neighbors…Bill and Diane Tasto. 36 years.


Just read a great idea for getting kids dressed for school. Buy a sweater organizer that hangs in the closet. Label each slot with a different day of the week, then let them pick out clothes for a whole week on Sunday evening when you have more time. Hanging clothes for the week can be right next to the organizer.


Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has been appointed to a five-year term as chancellor at Queen’s University in Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland. She will have three primary roles, presiding when degrees are handed out, advising senior management and serving as an ambassador to “open doors” for the institution.


A 16-year study in Europe of more than 450,000 men and women who had two or more glasses of soda daily, were at a higher risk of premature or early death from digestive disease. Trade in your sugary soda for water, black coffee and unsweetened tea. You can do it. It’s a new year.


RECENT BIRTHDAYS:  Actress Piper Laurie is 88. Actress Linda Blair is 61. Actress Diane Lane is 55. Celebrity chef Guy Fieri is 52. Cajun musician Doug Kershaw is 84. Singer songwriter Ray Stevens is 81. Singer songwriter Neil Diamond is 79. Singer Aaron Neville is 79. Country singer Claude Gray is 88. Actress Leigh Taylor-Young is 76. R&B singer Alicia Keys is 40. And a special Happy 90th Birthday wish to Mr. Freddie Brown of Lake Jackson.  


What has roamed the earth for 350 million years? That’s almost forever. I’m talking about the cockroach and it is said that they could even survive a nuclear blast. I even saw something that mentioned they may outlive Keith Richards. So, let’s say that you are looking for the perfect gift that shows that your love is endless and will last forever. Like a cockroach.  For just a $5 fee you can be a part of the Endless Love campaign at Cockrell Butterfly Center. This is a great idea for kids and grandkids, too. You could even name one after your ex… our love drug on like an infestation of roaches!! These are Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches and proceeds will go directly to improving the butterfly center. The museum is retrofitting a large dollhouse in a plexiglass box so all named roaches will be on display so you can show the world how strong your love is. Sweet. I bought two. My kids thought this was a great idea, so Anne-Elisabeth and Gage are now on display. I can only tell you how to have some fun in life, but I can’t go have fun for you. hmns.org/cockrell-butterfly-center/endless-love or call 713-639-4629.


What is the unofficial food of America’s biggest annual sporting event? Chicken wings. So, I pulled up Super Bowl recipes and this popped up.  You can use the crockpot and the pictures looked super yummy so I thought I would share it.  Google it so it might be easier to follow. This only serves 4 so you might want to double the recipe depending on your crowd. Plus, I love leftovers for lunch. It’s called Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Chili.

1 lb. ground chicken
15 oz. canned white navy beans (drained and rinse)
14.5 oz. can fire-roasted tomatoes
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 – 1/2 cup Buffalo Wing Sauce (start with 1/4 cup and add more at end if needed)
package ranch dressing mix
1 cup frozen corn
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 teaspoon dried cilantro
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 oz. cream cheese (my office of great cooks believe 2-3oz. would be plenty)
Blue cheese crumbles (optional)
Instructions: Brown ground chicken, then place in crockpot.  Add remaining ingredients except for cream cheese and blue cheese and give it all a stir to combine, then place cream cheese on the middle and cover. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8. Stir and add additional wing sauce if desired. Top individual bowls with blue cheese crumbles if desired. (I think it would be good without the wing sauce which is just vinegar, butter and hot sauce) and blue cheese, instead have toppings of cheddar cheese, guacamole, chopped cilantro and chips – which is what I did and my kids loved it.) You could also precook chicken in the crockpot, breaking up meat before you add the next ingredients. One less pot to wash. 😊 Super Bowl LIV is Sunday. Grammy nominated pop singer Demi Lovato will perform the national anthem, with Jennifer Lopez and Shakira performing at halftime. I have no idea who is playing. I’m just in it for the food and commercials.


The trouble with the rat race is that even if you win, you’re still a rat. Lily Tomlin


Years ago, the vet told me that my dog Hensley, had coronavirus. I laughed and teased that she had partaken of too much beer. It just doesn’t seem that funny right now. The CDC has announced it will expand screenings to 15 additional airports which includes George W. Bush Intercontinental.


Last week, Lydia, our ‘office baby’ who is now a big girl of 4, came by for her weekly visit. As one of her doting stand-in grandmothers, I bought her some puffy stickers from Frozen. She pulled Marshmallow, the frozen snow monster/personal bodyguard of Elsa the Snow Queen and stuck it on my sweater, where I wore it the rest of the day. At least I thought I did. What I didn’t know is that it moved and re-stuck on the arm of my sweater. I went to run errands after work with it stuck there. Dillard’s for make-up, and some dish towels marked down in kitchen wares. Two opportunities for someone to mention it. Target for paper towels. Tractor Supply for bird seed. And all this time, no one ever told me that I had a frozen marshmallow monster stuck to my arm. I just happened to look in the mirror when I changed clothes later that night.


According to the Office of Emergency Management and Houston Fire Dept., about 450 structures were damaged following the fatal explosion at Watson Grinding and Manufacturing in Houston. It rattled nearby neighborhoods, destroyed homes, killed two employees who were using the gym facilities at the business and injured about 20 residents. The chemical involved was polypropylene, but no word on the cause.


As it turns out, the man accused of sexually assaulting a woman in an elevator at an H-E-B in the Heights is the suspect in a different sexual assault case, is also a convicted sex offender who failed to register when he moved and was convicted for indecent exposure with a child back in 2015.


Seen on Facebook: When a dog attacks and scars a child for life, it is put to sleep. Why don’t we do the same to child molesters?


Words matter. It’s always interesting to me to find out what the word of the year is. This is determined by how many times a word has been searched or looked up. Merriam-Webster has announced that the 2019 ‘word of the year’ is ‘THEY.’ This word has been used more recently to refer to a single person whose gender identity is nonbinary and is now recommended to be used in place of he or she. Lookups for ‘they’ increased by 313% in 2019 over the previous year. Other words on the top ten list were 1. Quid Pro quo. Something for something. 2. Impeach. To charge with a crime or misdemeanor or to cast doubt on. 3. Crawdad.Where the Crawdads Sing’ made it to the top of the New York Times bestseller list. 4. Egregious. Boeing pilot used the word in describing an issue with 737 MAX planes – “conspicuously bad” in modern English.  5. Clemency. The governor of Tennessee granted clemency to Cyntoia Brown, a woman serving a life sentence for murdering a man as a 16-year-old victim of sex trafficking. 6.) The. The Ohio State University filed a trademark application in August for the word ‘the’ with the U.S. Patent Office, in order to protect new branding logos. 7. Snitty.  Attorney General William Barr used the word to describe a letter sent to him by Special Counsel Robert Mueller8. Tergiversation. The word was used in an article by Washington Post columnist George Will. 9. Camp. A gala event celebrating “Camp: Notes on Fashion,” the newly opened fashion exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. 10. Exculpate.Robert Mueller used the word exculpate in his testimony before members of the House of Representatives – “The president was not exculpated for the acts that he allegedly committed” – the word saw a dramatic increase in lookups, spiking 23,000%. It’s defined as “to clear from alleged fault or guilt.” Do you feel smarter now? Nah, me neither. Dictionary.com said their top-searched word was Quid Pro quo.


If you look on the front page of this paper it says, Volume 22 No. 1. That means we have been doing this for a pretty long time and we want you to help us celebrate by finding something to sell. If you mention that you’re selling it because of our birthday, then the ad is free. You can also email me with kind words. I love kind words. Thanks so much for sticking with us all these years.

Lisa

  • What I Heard This Week 10-26-2023

    by on October 25, 2023 - 0 Comments

    Former US astronaut Buzz Aldrin, the second man to walk on the moon, recently remarried for the fourth time, which also happened to be on the occasion of his 93rd birthday. This time it was to Dr. Anca Faur, his 63-year-old, long-time companion (who looks like she wants to be 27), has a PhD in chemical engineering, and is now the executive vice president of Aldrin’s company, Buzz Aldrin Ventures.  He was first married to Joan Ann Archer in 1954 until divorcing in 1974. The next year he married Beverly Van Zile; they divorced after three years. His third marriage was to Lois Driggs Cannon in 1988 on Valentine's Day, divorcing 23 years later. Looks like he hasn’t given up on ‘love’ quite yet. He has sued two of his children and his former business manager claiming they stole money from him and are slandering his legacy, and that they also undermined his "personal romantic relationships" by forbidding him from getting married. His children say he is also spending money at an alarming rate. Sounds like those children are out of luck. There is a new sheriff in town and her name is MRS. Aldrin. ☹ Notes: Aldrin is also a strong advocate for human exploration of Mars. In 2002, he escaped assault charges after punching a man who demanded he swear on a Bible that the Moon landing was not staged. Good for him. He also said, “Tang sucks. “

  • What I Heard This Week 11-30-2023

    by on November 29, 2023 - 0 Comments

    Former US astronaut Buzz Aldrin, the second man to walk on the moon, recently remarried for the fourth time, which also happened to be on the occasion of his 93rd birthday. This time it was to Dr. Anca Faur, his 63-year-old, long-time companion (who looks like she wants to be 27), has a PhD in chemical engineering, and is now the executive vice president of Aldrin’s company, Buzz Aldrin Ventures.  He was first married to Joan Ann Archer in 1954 until divorcing in 1974. The next year he married Beverly Van Zile; they divorced after three years. His third marriage was to Lois Driggs Cannon in 1988 on Valentine's Day, divorcing 23 years later. Looks like he hasn’t given up on ‘love’ quite yet. He has sued two of his children and his former business manager claiming they stole money from him and are slandering his legacy, and that they also undermined his "personal romantic relationships" by forbidding him from getting married. His children say he is also spending money at an alarming rate. Sounds like those children are out of luck. There is a new sheriff in town and her name is MRS. Aldrin. ☹ Notes: Aldrin is also a strong advocate for human exploration of Mars. In 2002, he escaped assault charges after punching a man who demanded he swear on a Bible that the Moon landing was not staged. Good for him. He also said, “Tang sucks. “

  • Much Ado About Nothing - Texan in Winter

    by on December 6, 2018 - 0 Comments

    The power went out at my house last night for four hours. While this may not seem like a major catastrophe as it was the middle of the night and […]

  • Much Ado About Nothing - “Human Bait”

    by on January 16, 2020 - 0 Comments

    My dad always told me to have a backup plan in case my current job doesn’t work out. I wasn’t sure what that’d be until I saw this ad: “HUMAN […]

  • What I Heard This Week! December 20, 2018

    by on December 20, 2018 - 0 Comments

    The AK-47 is a type of assault rifle originally manufactured in the Soviet Union in 1949. A 17-year-old Humble High School student accidently shot herself recently with an AK-47 that […]

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