SCENEin Passing
MARIE WHITEHEAD
Spring is popping out all over. After the beautiful snowfall

An unexpected l snow storm last Friday caused most of the tulip tree leaves in this area to drop their blossoms. Signs of spring are returning with the blooming of pear and redbud trees. Please see pg. 8A for a collection of snow photos by Leland Acker.

Friday, it is a welcome sight to see the narcissus and red bud in bloom. Fringes of the elm are showing off and hints of wisteria's lavender are peeping through. East Texas is truly a wonderland of contrasts in color. And the distant sounds of the Texas State Railroad bring joy to the hearts of residents. It is a great time to be alive. This is easy enough to say, if you are one of the healthy citizens. Too many of our locals are nursing nasty, wet sinus and allergy symptoms. Woe to us. But we will recover.

Among the not so fun deadlines for this week is the well known date with IRS. March 15 is a tradition in the minds of business taxpayers, even though this deadline date has been expanded to include April 15 and a few more tossed in for good measure. They say it's all in the name of good government - like campaigns for elective offices. Boy, has this been a season for politics. Better leave that alone. It would take too much space to cover my thoughts.

Happy, recent memories linger. The celebration of this newspaper's 158th birthday Feb. 27 and the day after party will never be forgotten. To all of you who managed to work in a visit with us, thank you with our sincere gratitude. If you missed signing our guest book, or if you had a conflict and couldn't make it, or, if you just plain forgot, then please know you are forgiven. Drop by any time you find it convenient. Because being here for you is our reason for coming to work each day. We are so grateful to be a part of the world we know as Rusk. Sharing this world makes our life a pure joy. Our many friends are our greatest asset. And this includes YOU.

For one who almost never travels, let me report to you about "my trip," which some of you knew about. It began Friday from Austin, the day after our celebration here at the office, and we were joined at DFW by my younger sister, Shirley. Landing in Tampa, Fla., we got settled in at a hotel and realized that we still had a few hours of sunshine. Off we went by rental car to Sarasota for a quick few hours' visit with our sister by marriage, Evelyn (Pat) Kochman. She is the daughter of our beloved dad by marriage, Jim Anderson. This visit would not have happened if Daughter 2 had not planned to visit Tampa for a chiropractic seminar. Except for a two-hour delay on our return trip at DFW because of weather and delay of flight attendants in getting to work, it was a smooth sailing flight. Time with family is always pure gold in my book.

Turning our thoughts to tomorrow, it's not too soon to mention the Cherokee County Junior Livestock Show. The exhibitors and their animals have in some instances been preparing for a long time. Back in the fall season they began taming them, special feeding, grooming, too. It really is a team effort for contestant and animal. This annual event is very educational for not only the young people, but parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. It is a learning experience. Watch for details and show your support with your attendance March 27-29.

Some of our friends and neighbors continue to struggle with health problems. There's been no recent report from Rusk's own Jimmy Persons, but the last indicated he was having more treatments. Our nearby neighbors, Opal Fitts, Joyce and Jim Turner, Norma and Ike Daniel have had a stressful winter season. With the imminent arrival of spring, perhaps the bugs will clear out, bones will stop aching and life will be more pleasant.

Well, this wonderful computer may throw me out of the saddle yet. I am going to give it up for now, give the Apple an aspirin, take two for me and hope for a better tomorrow. I want to repeat words of wisdom from our wonderful friends, the Northcutts, who wrote: "If you fill your heart with thoughts of yesterday and the worries of tomorrow, you have no today for which you can be thankful." Now, that's profound. Keep it out somewhere and read again. Keep smiling. mwhitehead@mediactr.com