SCENE IN PASSING
MARIE WHITEHEAD herald@mediactr.com
We're wishing you a delicious Thanksgiving early, while at the same time rolling the drums for Santa Claus to make his annual appearance Tuesday, Dec. 4.

Writing ahead of a deadline is not easy. I am grateful for the opportunity to update you on the Texas State Railroad. Rusk City Council approved a $500,000 loan to the TSR Authority, which will in turn be able to loan it to American Heritage Railways, Inc., when all the appropriate papers are signed. This action came at Thursday's special meeting. Many hours have been spent in planning how we can save the train. We thought we understood the legislation which passed, but apparently, the wording did not match the desire of the legislature. We have been blessed with the opportunity to seek a solution. As long as the door is open, that means it isn't closed.

We can be grateful for the leadership of Rusk and Palestine for their commitment to saving the train. This has become a network, slowly evolving into a team of collective energy. I am just sorry that I won't live long enough to write a book about this facet of life in the history of Cherokee and Anderson counties. It will be a narrative of emotion filled with fears, tears and joy. When you think about Thursday, isn't every day, really, a day for thanksgiving? It is for me.

I am grateful to our friend Frank Bowden, who did a great job of paying tribute to Veterans Day events last week. Without our veterans, where would we be? What would our nation be called? What would our language be? It is mind boggling to consider what our lives would be like if we had lost our freedom, at any point. Life was lost that we might enjoy. Thanks be to our Creator, every day, for our blessings, especially our Veterans.

Blessings continue for some of our under-theweather folks. Neighbor Jim Turner should be home, convalescing from the loss of a limb with rehab to follow. His wife Joyce is such a good nurse and provides the love and support he needs. As a family, this couple has a several names on our prayer list. There's a daughter-inlaw, Linda, victim of cancer, another granddaughter having tests for cancer and an elderly aunt. As you've heard it said, "trouble comes in bunches." Another one is "trying times are times for trying." We hope it gets better for the Turners.

Christmas came early, in a way, for your writer. A totally unexpected way, too.

A recent Rusk visitor, freelance writer John Watson and his wife came to town for a few days with Thomas and Friends at the Texas State Railroad.

The couple live in Cleburne. He stopped off at our office for research and in that great wealth of "stuff" stacked around our offices, there's a lot to be found. This week's mail brought the surprise. A copy of the Cleburne Times-Review featuring a huge story with pictures about the Whiteheads in Rusk. He took it from the beginning. It was a greatly appreciated tribute to the Better Half. The connection I hope you make here is this: If there had been no Better Half, there probably would have been no train, and no train for our visitor to visit, no story in his hometown paper about Rusk today. Thanks to all of you who have been so encouraging in your support of TSR. After living in the shadow of one ghost town, I can assure you one is enough. It is my prayer that one day soon, we'll meet to celebrate the future of our area in the tourism industry. Our centerpiece will be the Texas State Railroad.

Again, happy turkey day. May you enjoy and share the traditions that make you who you are. Here's a closing thought for all of us: "Keep your eyes on the road you travel. That is the only one you have the power to change. That is the only one your angels will be walking today." Isn't that profound? Keep smiling.