Another Friday, and I sort of think it’s one of those “TGIF” Fridays! The week has been fairly busy as Tuesday; I started my day with our monthly Auxiliary meeting and then went to work in the gift shop, as the lady who usually has morning shift is not able to do so at this time. The morning was busy, but the afternoon was pretty slow, so I was glad when 5:00 p.m. came around and I could go home. Wednesday was a Doctor’s appointment and everything was fine, Thursday the blood bank was there and I was able to donate. On Friday, I spent a good part of the day at the Toyota place in Victoria as it was time to have maintenance done on my car. Everything went well until the lady told me that the bulb I needed in my tail-light wouldn’t be available for five days. I made a quick phone call to my neighbor who works on cars and he had a bulb! I still can’t understand why it would take them five days to get a new one! Now, my car is ready for the road trip my daughter, my sister and I are taking this weekend. My sister-in-law recently celebrated a milestone birthday and my brother is having a family party for all of us. They live in north Texas so it is a fairly long drive, not anything like the ten-hour trip of a few weeks ago. I am excited as I will get to see my nieces and nephews and their families.
This week, I’ve found a different item to tell you about, it’s called tamarind. The tamarind has been on produce aisle shelves for years, but I’ve never paid particular attention to it. Unfortunately, no recipes were on the site I used for my information and the only way that I can think of for you to find some if there are any out there is to check with a recipe finding search. For more information, and lots of pictures, just type “tamarind” in Google or whatever search engine you use and you will find lots of interesting things about this unusual ‘bean’!
How many of you have seen tamarinds in the produce section and wondered what the heck those beige colored beans with brownish seeds really were?
This pod-like, edible fruit is used in cooking in many areas of the world. A couple of other uses are traditional medicine, and, believe it or not, as a metal polish. The wood has many uses, including wood carving. The seeds produce tamarind seed oil, and the tamarind is cultivated around the world in tropical and sub-tropical zones.
The name “tamarind” derives from the Arabian language and when romanized, translates to “Indian date”. It has also, over time been written in various ways, including Latin as “tamarindus”.
In several countries, it is called “tamarindo” and is often used to make a drink of the same name. (It seems to me, in the back of my memory, that at one time, in the stores where candy from Mexico was sold, that there was a candy called tamarindo, but I am not sure).
It is mostly indigenous to tropical Africa, but has been cultivated for such a long space of time on the Indian subcontinent, that it is often reported to be indigenous there.
Tamarind grows wild in Africa in locales as diverse as the Sudan and Tanzania, as well as other locations.
In Arabia, one of the places where it grows wild is on the sea-facing slopes of the mountains in Dhfar. It reached Mexico in the 16th century and to a lesser degree South America, being brought in b Spanish and Portuguese colonists and became a staple of their diet. In our world today, India is the largest producer of tamarind. It is used to flavor chutneys, curries and many other dishes.
According to the article in Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia that this information is from: “Tamarind sweet chutney is popular in India and Pakistan, as a dressing for many snacks”. It goes on to say: “Tamarind pulp is a key ingredient in flavoring curries and rice in South Indian cuisine, in the Chigali lollipop, and in certain varieties of Masala chai tea”.
It is also used in savory dishes; most notably meat based stews, and is frequently combined with dried fruit, which achieves a sweet-sour tang. (Something like this is what I remember of the candy I spoke of earlier, it seems that it was plums or another dried fruit and was a very tangy sour).
If your gardens are anything similar to the ones around here, you might be looking for a couple of recipes to use the excess squash you have.
Squash Casserole
2 pounds steamed squash (cut them into pieces and steam with just a little water)
4 medium carrots (cut into circles and steam)
1 chopped onion (medium size)
1 chopped green pepper (medium size)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup sour cream
1 package herb stuffing mix
1 stick margarine, (melted)
Stir together squash, carrots, onions, green pepper, soup and sour cream in bowl. Mix melted margarine and stuffing mix together and put half into the vegetables and stir together. Place in 13×9-inch pan and sprinkle remaining stuffing mixture on top. Bake at 350ºF for 40 minutes.
Stuffed Zucchini
4 zucchini (6-inches long)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion
1 clove garlic
1 cup canned, chopped tomatoes, drained
½ cup plain bread crumbs
2 tablespoons chopped black olives
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
¼ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
Pinch of salt
Pinch of ground black pepper
¼ cup chicken broth
Preheat oven to 400ºF. Cut each zucchini in half lengthwise and hollow out, leaving a 3/8-inch shell. Coarsely chop the zucchini and onion and mince the garlic. Set aside while you heat the olive oil in a large non-stick skillet. Add the zucchini, onion and garlic to the skillet. Stir together, cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes or until tender. Add the tomatoes and cook, covered, 5 minutes longer. Uncover and stir in the bread crumbs, olives, parsley, thyme, salt and pepper. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Stuff the zucchini halves with the filling and place in a shallow baking dish. Pour the chicken broth over the zucchini and bake 30 minutes in preheated oven until tender.
Fried Zucchini
Zucchini
Salt and pepper (or seasoned salt)
Flour
Milk
Cooking Oil for deep frying
Wash and slice the zucchini into even slices about ¼-inch thick, or cut into small chunks. Sprinkle with salt and pepper or seasoned salt, (I used some Julio’s® seasoning the other day when I made this and it came out really well). Allow to stand a few minutes, and then dredge in flour until well coated. Next, dip slices into milk, and then back into flour. Fry a few at a time until golden brown and tender. Serve hot with Ranch Dressing to dip the slices into if desired.
Category: Commentary
91 Service Calls-maybe a record?
We were some busy cops this last week. Officers handled 91 service calls (maybe a record?) in comparison we had 48 calls last week. Your Lytle PD officers conducted 72 traffic stops; those stops resulted in 63 citations and 9 warnings. This report will take a while, too bad I don’t get paid by the word or the pound for that matter.
Let’s get the party started with property crimes that were reported last week: #1 – It was just a matter of time, before our first theft (by siphoning) of gas. A Main St. resident reported that when he went to bed his tank was full and when he woke up….it was empty. Sadly, I expect more of these and in many cases, the victims might not even realize it. #2 – Chaparral Ford reported that a fake check was used to purchase a 2021 Ford Bronco; the vehicle has been entered as stolen. #3 – A table saw valued at $100 was taken from the 14700 Blk. of Railroad St. #4 – Express rent to own reported that a renter pawned some items that belonged to them. #5 – Twin Liquors reported that a female took 2 bottles of liquor valued at $65. #6 – H.E.B. Plus reported a theft that occurred a couple of days earlier. #7 – A property owner reported that his security camera picked up a suspect in a farmhouse on FM 2790 N (near the Animal Control Facility). Officers responded and a suspect was arrested for burglary and booked into the Medina Co. Jail. #8 – A construction company working on the IH-35 Access Rd. reported that a water pump and power tools valued at $2,300 was taken overnight from their worksite. #9 – H.E.B. Plus detained a shoplifter and had officers issue a criminal trespass notice. #10 – A resident of the 18200 Blk. of Wisdom Rd. reported the theft of a bicycle valued at $200. #11 – A chipping hammer and a reciprocating saw were taken from the bed of a pickup. The vehicle was parked at John Lott Park, Adams St. entrance. #12 – H.E.B. Plus reported an attempted theft, the items were recovered. #13 – A customer at H.E.B. Plus reported that her wallet was stolen out of her shopping cart when she was unloading groceries.
These are the arrests we made last week: #1 – The fellow from the farmhouse burglary. #2 – A single traffic stop resulted in 4 adult males being cited and released for possession of drug paraphernalia.
Don’t forget the 4th of July Fireworks Show at John Lott Park! This is one of the city’s most well-attended events; we didn’t have a show in the last couple of years. There will be live music and food trucks starting at 5 PM. The fireworks will be set off when it gets dark. Bring a chair or maybe a blanket since there might be a sticker or two in the park.
As a reminder for our current residents and maybe it’s news for some of the new people moving into town: It is illegal to discharge fireworks in the city limits. If you have fireworks complaint, please call our 24-hour dispatcher: The Atascosa Co. Sheriff’s Office in Jourdanton @ 830-769-3434 (Option #1). They have direct radio contact with all our on-duty officers.
We have tried all kinds of ideas to enforce the fireworks ordinance. Having an officer on the water tower with binoculars (problem with access to restroom facilities). A drone outfitted with a camera (some punk shot it down with a bottle rocket). Satellite live feed imagery (officer manning it in the office intercepted a pay-for-view fight and missed the fireworks). My, what an imagination I have. This year will be a more traditional approach. We will be driving around and looking for violators, we are looking for compliance and hope not to have to issue any citations.
Easter in June
My son found a stash of Easter eggs the other day and got really excited. We spent the last few days playing egg and seek. It’s amazing the entertainment a basket of eggs can provide and I’m not sure why we only do it once a year.
Thankfully a lot of those egg hunts were inside our house, because every time I walk outside I feel like I am going to melt. The weather guy this morning literally said “today we are going to get a little break”, referring to the forecast with a high of 98 degrees for the day! I admire my husband and anyone who works outside to make a living, because it can’t be easy.
My sister and I are both counting down the days to our beach trip. Can’t wait to hear the sound of those waves.
We got chickens recently and I only planned on keeping them for a little while to cut down on the bug population, but we are kind of having fun with them. Farm animals are funny things. They are all entertaining in their own way. I always thought goats had one of a kind personalities, watching all their antics, but chickens have their own ways of entertaining us. Pretty soon, we will be able to hunt for their eggs. We already found one.
Well, if you get bored this summer, and no one’s talked you into getting chickens yet, just pull out the Easter eggs and let the kids hunt the day away. They are on sale this time of year!
Uvalde…evil incarnate.
Decided to put the Commissioners Court update on hold for a week or so. The Devine News Reporter does a great job of in-depth reporting and stealing what little thunder I have to offer so, I’m gonna rant if KK will print it.
Uvalde…evil incarnate. Enough said. Even with a Law Enforcement and SWAT training background, I was not there and have no discussion or points of emphasis to offer. My opinions will remain with me.
Guns. I have my share. They tend to sit where they are placed and the only change that they undergo is that their temperature changes with the room temperature until they are taken in hand. At this point, depending on the handler and his/her intentions, they become a weapon for good or evil.
Laws. There are laws on the books that, if followed, will prevent the misuse of guns. Why do we need more gun laws if the ones we have are not being followed and ENFORCED? Criminals have no regard for laws pertaining to guns and will get one no matter how many laws are passed. If you have guns in the house, educate your children on their use and the consequences of their misuse.
Schools. Schools are an institution for learning. We need to go back to “old school”. Teachers are entrusted with educating our children. Let them teach. If your child does not learn and achieve academic standards, they should fail. Sometimes, failure is a learning tool. Let the school discipline when needed. Some of your kids need a good old fashioned whippin sometimes. This is something that is almost non-existent nowadays.
Mommy and Daddy. You need to realize that Little Johnny and Mary are different people at home than at school. They have learned that they are not responsible for their actions and can get away with talking back, disrespecting elders and doing whatever suits them at the time and if they are disciplined, they call Mommy and Daddy and tell on the teacher for being mean to them. Let the school do its job. There is a difference between discipline and abuse. If they are brats at home, they are brats at school…probly worse.
Cell phones. I do not believe that children of any age should be allowed to carry their phones while at school if the school is secure. It is a major distraction and a detriment to their learning. You cannot change my mind.
On last week’s Commissioners Court meeting that involved several School Board members and Superintendents….have not heard from either school district in my area about any roundtable discussions about school security. I offered to sit in and be a representative from Commissioners Court but, I am not going to organize, chair or decide on when to discuss school safety.
I have children and grandchildren who are educators. They have done well and agree with me on the sad state of schools nowadays. Guess Sandy and I did something right.
On a positive note, we got to go to Annapolis, Maryland this past week and watch Rooster (his mama calls him Andrew) graduate from the Naval Academy. Extremely proud of this young man. His mama and daddy did a good job raising him.
Way to go Chad!
I published a children’s book recently, one of my life long dreams. It is illustrated by a young man in California who is battling a terrible disease called A-T. My niece, Audrey, also battles this rare disease. This summer, I had hosted an Art contest for A-T kids and families and Chad was one of our winners. I was in awe of how many hours and how hard he worked to color his sea creatures, and that sparked the idea to write a story to go along with his illustrations and make a book.
He is over the moon excited and so am I. Chad’s most ambitious dream is to see scientists find the cure for A-T, so we decided to chase that dream too, by donating all profits from the book to the AT Children’s Project. Because A-T is such a rare disease, the ATCP is one of very few funding sources of A-T research. In fact, it was started by a group of parents whose children had A-T.
When your family is faced with such a dark diagnosis, it is easy to get hung up on statistics and the doctor’s devastating prognosis. But A-T warriors like Chad inspire all of us and remind us that no disability can put a limit on how far you can chase your dreams. You can do whatever you set your mind to, as long as you work hard at it.
This weekend, I got some exciting news. Chad’s mother, Louise, sent me a picture of a huge front page article in Chad’s hometown newspaper. I was so excited! It is so fun to be on the receiving end of a front page story! I could just hear Chad’s smile as I saw that huge front page story in California. It was a good reminder that while the news business can be a stressful one, especially when it comes to politics, that what we do is important. Because we get the opportunity to be that huge smile maker….to give people like Chad the special honor they deserve.
If you know a local person who is an inspiration, please feel free to reach out to us. I love those stories.
If you would like to buy the book written by me and illustrated by Chad, you can find it at TheBookPatch.com by searching for my name or the title “Hello! From the Great Blue Sea.”
Be proud to “Fly the U. S. Flag”
This past week was a semi-busy one, since it didn’t actually begin until Tuesday afternoon when I got in from my fun trip to visit with my granddaughter and her family. Luckily, there weren’t any meetings that will be this coming week! Wednesday, I did my unpacking and laundry and Thursday, my sister and I went shopping in Victoria, we had been trying to do that for months and we had an awesome time together. She found several things she was looking for in the clothing line, and I found a cute blouse and a couple of other things, but no white sandals were to be found anywhere and that was the main thing I wanted, I guess I’ll just have to figure out how to wear the ones I have!
Friday afternoon a friend and I sold raffle tickets at the hospital and did fairly well, and Saturday was a little more of the same thing. However, since it was Tom-Tom in Yoakum, we got to see at least part of the parade, since we were near the line-up area. There were lots of beautiful floats! After we finished selling tickets, I went out to the park for a while to see if anything interesting was going on. It was pretty much as usual with the same types of booths selling jewelry of one type or another, tee shirts etc., which you see at any type of commemorative gathering.
Just before Memorial Day, local groups of American Legion and VFW placed flags at each end of town, north, south, east and west, it is so beautiful to come into town from any side and see those flags flying.
Tuesday of next week, June 14th, is Flag Day and here is a little information for you about the flag.
Have you ever wondered in what order the states came into the Union? Who actually designed the first flag? Why does it have 13 stripes? How many stars were on the first flag? Which were the original 13 states? When was Texas admitted as a state?
Legend has it that Betsy Ross, a widowed seamstress was the one who made the first flag from a sketch given her by George Washington. She is said to have changed the number of points on the stars from six to five and then made the first flag in 1776. However, history has proven that it is just that, a legend.
A second legend claims that John Hulbert designed it a full year before Betsy Ross is supposedly did. This flag had 13 stripes and 13 stars in honor of the 13 original colonies.
These colonies were: Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, South Carolina, New Hampshire, Virginia, New York, North Carolina and Rhode Island. They all became states between December 7, 1787 and May 29, 1790.
The First Flag Law was passed by congress on June 14, 1777, giving this country an official national flag, consisting of 13 stripes alternating red and white, and a union of 13 white stars on a blue field.
Congress on May 1, 1795, adding two stripes and two stars in recognition of Virginia and Kentucky, passed the Second Flag Law. This 15-striped, 15-star flag is the second version of the national flag.
The Star Spangled Banner was written as a poem in the Baltimore Patriot newspaper. Frances Scot Key composed the verses while viewing the battle of Fort McHenry during the war of 1812. It became our national anthem on March 3, 1931. (This flag is in the Smithsonian Museum. It is not being restored it is being preserved. The size of this flag, 30 X 42 ft, is astounding, considering the time and place that it flew.)
The Third Flag Act was passed on April 4, 1818 and created the third official version of the flag. Navy Captain Samuel Reid proposed that the flag contain 13 stripes to represent the 13 original colonies. At that time it was decided that a star, represent ting a state, would automatically be added to the flag on the Fourth of July after ea territory was admitted. The flag in 1818 consisted of 13 stripes and 20 stars.
On July 4, 1846, the 10th official design of the Stars and Stripes was created with the addition of Texas into the United States.
June 14, 1861 was the first recorded observance of Flag Day, which was the anniversary of the First Flag Law and took place in Hartford. Connecticut. Bernard Cigrand is generally given the credit for helping to promote Flag Day.
On July 4, 1877, the centennial of the First Flag Act, the 38th star was added honoring the admission of Colorado into the Union. This created the 20th official design of the Stars and Stripes.
The entry of New Mexico and Arizona into the Union on July 4, 1912 created the 25th official design of the flag with the addition of its 47th and 48th stars honoring these two states.
From 1912 until 1959, the flag had 48 stars and 13 stripes. In that year, Alaska became the 49th state and the 16th official design of the flag was created. The following year, on July 4, 1960, Hawaii was admitted to the Union and a 50-star flag became the 27th official design. At 12:01 a.m., a 50-star flag was raised over Ft. McHenry by presidential order in honor of the victory described in the national anthem.
Red White and Blue Layered Salad
1 package, 3-ounce cherry gelatin
1 package, 6-ounce lemon gelatin
1 package, 3-ounce raspberry gelatin
1 small can crushed pineapple, drained well
1 can, 14½ ounces blueberries, drained
1 cup sour cream (1/2 pint)
2 cups milk
3 cups boiling water
Bottom layer: Dissolve cherry gelatin in 1 cup boiling water; cool at room temperature; add pineapple, pour into bottom of dish. Size of dish or mold isn’t mentioned, but I would use a 9×13 glass dish.
Middle layer: Dissolve lemon gelatin in 1 cup boiling water, cool at room temperature. Beat sour cream and milk together. Combine cooled lemon mixture and sour cream mixture. When bottom layer is firm, but slightly sticky to the touch, gently pour or spoon on the middle layer.
Top layer: Dissolve raspberry gelatin in 1 cup boiling water, cool at room temperature, add drained blue berries, pour and spoon over middle layer, when it is firm, but slightly sticky to the touch. Refrigerate until serving.
This is an older recipe that I found in a box with some stuff of my Mother’s, and it doesn’t have amount of servings nor any nutritional information. I would assume that a 9×13 would probably make 12 large servings, or 15 smaller servings.
“Old Fashion” Beer Run
It’s that time again; the weeks just keep flying by. Here is what went on in the 7-day period that ended on Sunday, June 5th: Officers managed 48 calls for service, it was nice to have a little slowdown. Officers conducted 93 traffic stops of those stops 69 citations were issued and 24 warnings were given. It looks like since officers had fewer calls to manage, they had more time to focus on traffic enforcement. It works out that way sometimes.
There was only one person arrested last week. A 24-year-old female was booked into the Atascosa Co. Jail on a charge of Assault Causing Bodily Injury to a Family Member.
There were four property crimes reported last week: #1 – $900 worth of baseball equipment was taken from an unlocked vehicle on Wisdom Rd. #2 – The back door to an abandoned farmhouse on FM 2790 was kicked in, nothing appeared missing. #3 – A suspect took off with 2 12-packs of beer from the Dollar General. That’s a good “old-fashioned” beer run; it’s nice to see some things don’t change. #4 – H.E.B. Plus reported that a man walked out of the store with a basket full of stuff valued at approx. $200. If we catch that dude, I want to talk to him. I would love to figure out how he can fill a whole basket and it only is $200.
It was not too bad of a week. We are looking at a long, sweltering summer; maybe our crooks will take a sabbatical until it cools down.
Don’t forget the 4th of July Fireworks at John Lott Park. The event is shaping up nicely, you can stop by for the show at dark or show up a little early, enjoy food trucks, and live entertainment.
Last week, on Tuesday and Wednesday, I attended the Texas Div. of Emergency Management annual conference in San Antonio. I guess the last one was in 2019, thanks to COVID. Mayor Gonzalez, Matt Dear and Ofc. David Lopez also attended. We attended seminars, met with vendors, and made professional connections. We also got free pencils and little bottles of hand sanitizer. Keeping the city prepared for emergencies, both man-made and natural, is no easy task. We are constantly trying to improve and enhance our preparation, response, and recovery abilities.
I then took a couple of days of leave and headed out with the family to visit my wife’s sister and her family in Livingston, TX. We attended a homeschool conference in the Woodlands. We attended seminars, met with vendors, and made connections. We also got free pencils and little bottles of hand sanitizer.
So, one conference to help me with my job in the city and then one to help me in my role as a father. With both having 20 oz. bottled soft drinks for $4.50.
Losing lottery tickets and big dreams
Well around midnight before the Memorial Day holiday I realized my fridge was giving out. Of course we had just gone grocery shopping and had a fridge full of spoiling food. I also knew it would be very hard to find anyone to come on Memorial Day. To make matters worse, our back-up fridge from the 1950’s had quit working a few days prior. It was one of those “UGH” moments. So frustrating. And yet, in light of recent events and real tragedies, I quickly reminded myself-while this little ordeal may cost us a pretty penny–they are just refrigerators.
Thankfully we did find a super nice friend of a friend handyman who came to our rescue, and at least one of our fridges is back in operation on this beautiful, hot day.
We had a fun day Saturday, swimming with cousins, and then all the teenagers had a sleepover. God bless the parent who had to listen to all those shrieks and screams all night, I’m sure. But I’m sure it was worth every shriek. Sleepovers with your cousins is a special time.
I won’t forget the many long nights I spent lying in dark, cracking up, over and over again about the silliest things with my cousin Cindy, my partner in crime. Or the many silly things we did. We would often make “coupons” to try to manipulate her mom into letting us have sleepovers and other things. I can’t remember exactly how that system worked, but I remember being very passionate about it. For several months or years we even published a “Family News”, where we recounted what little cousin was learning to crawl or whatever funny story a relative told us, as well as all of our dad’s favorite jokes. We made the Family News in Grandpa Calame’s office on Sundays. That was serious business.
One day, Cindy’s daddy (Uncle Richard) got a wild hare and let us paint murals all over their white bedroom wall. He never got around to finishing painting it I guess, so he figured he’d let us do the job. Boy, were we thrilled! Soon their bedroom wall was filled with horses and houses and rainbows and God knows what else. It was colorful, that’s for sure.
Then there was a time where we found an old cassette tape buried in a dirt pile next door (while we trespassed in our boy cousin’s backyard. They were boys, so they were enemies. The dweeb boys had used that cassette tape to record “all of their most important secrets that they didn’t want anyone to know”. It was a gold mine for two knieving cousins in that boys versus girls age.
And then, since Cindy lived right next to the old country convenience store back then, there were the times that we would sneak over to the store and snatch all the lottery tickets that people dropped on the ground. Many of them would only half-scratch them, and those were our favorites. We just knew some dummy would drop a winning Weekly Grand. Never panned out, but I will say we probably had more fun scratching and searching through those used lottery tickets with a hope and dream of winning, than we ever could have with the real money. Yep those were memories I won’t ever forget.
Still, to this day, if I am walking through a parking lot and see a lottery ticket on the ground, I am compelled to pick it up and double check it. I am not too disappointed when I don’t win though, because, hey, if I do win, most likely I’ll just have to use it to buy new refrigerators or something like that! It’s definitely more fun to dream!
Good Police Work
Lytle PD ended last week with 64 calls for service and 41 traffic stops (33 citations and 8 warnings).
Officers made 6 arrests last week. The majority were just cited and released. There were 3 for drug paraphernalia and 1 for possession of tobacco by someone under 21. A suspect was arrested on a misdemeanor warrant out of Bexar Co., but he had a medical condition, and he was taken to the hospital and released so he could receive care. We will have to catch him again another day. Sgt. Hanson made a great arrest last week …. he caught a car burglar in action at the Best Western. It was 4:33 AM and he found a guy breaking into a pickup. The suspect was booked into the Atascosa Co. Jail. That’s good police work.
Property Crimes: H.E.B. Plus reported two thefts. On one theft a suspect attempted to push out a basket full of stuff, but he wasn’t successful. The other was a person who took off with an AC unit valued at $169. They took off in a black Ford F250. It’s awful hot outside, I would suspect this won’t be our last AC theft (and we have the whole summer in front of us). John’s Small Engine repair reported a theft by check incident; the check was for $268.06. The final property crime of the week was criminal mischief at McDonald’s. An employee reported that a window to her vehicle had been broken out.
Fourth of July Fireworks Update: The city will be partnering with the Lytle Chamber of Commerce to make our event even better. It looks like there will be food trucks set up as well as live entertainment. The event will be on Monday, July 4th at John Lott Park. The fireworks are normally set off as soon as it gets dark. I am sure there will be more details to follow. For me, fireworks are okay…. but I don’t have to have them. For me, food trucks are a little more enjoyable.
Tragedy in Uvalde: A horrible situation that hit close to home. On the local front, Lytle PD provided heavy patrols to our schools and assisted with numerous events as they worked to close out the year. Sheriff’s deputies from Atascosa Co. and Medina Co. were also out in force. While there were no specific threats, hopefully, the increased police presence helped ease the tension. We will continue to collaborate with the school to provide support as needed.
We are fortunate to have effective communication with our school leaders. When the Superintendent’s name comes up on my cell phone it is normally something important. She has never called to say “Hi, this week I’m randomly checking in on LHS class of 1988 graduates”.
Matt Dear is adjusting to his role at city hall as the City Administrator, he has lots of projects he is working on and is going a 100 MPH! He told me it is different down at city hall compared to the police department. He said they don’t even have a nap time or watch TV! What a bummer place to work.
Memorial Day weekend
My Memorial Day weekend was truly a memorable one! In fact it wasn’t only a weekend; it began with my trip to Devine last week. The trip itself was uneventful, as traffic wasn’t bad, it didn’t rain on me and I made really great time. When I arrived at my daughter’s home, I assembled the snack I was planning to serve and had a nice visit with my son-in-law. My daughter made a wonderful dessert for me to serve to my Bunco ladies. It was a red/white and blue jelled dessert that served up beautifully and everyone seemed to really enjoy, as there were lots of compliments!
My two oldest great-granddaughters are with my daughter as their school was already out, and they and I ‘hung out’ together all day on Thursday! We went to the local doughnut shop for a sweet breakfast, then to the beauty shop for my appointment, and then, of course, we had to go to Wal-Mart and shop around. When we got back out to the house, we did several things together, including making the sausage kolaches that I had promised to bring to my youngest granddaughter whose home I would be going to, for her son’s first birthday party! That evening, I went to my son’s home and we got ready to leave early on Friday morning for the 9½-hour trip to the Texas panhandle where she and her family live. It was a tiring but awesome trip, with lots of scenery for me to enjoy. The rolling hills and plains were really pretty as they’ve had enough rain, so that everything was green, rather than burnt brown as some places are, and there are still enough wild flowers blooming, especially the one called “Mexican Hat” and the beautiful Indian Paintbrush. The colors in that plant always fascinate me, with its deep orange, gold and almost brown petals and center.
We had a nice visit, the baby was still up and I got to play with him. He is such a sweet little boy and came to me immediately, even though I hadn’t seen him since Thanksgiving. Since his other grandparents, great-grandmother and uncle were all coming in also, I was taken to the guesthouse of some friends. It’s a great place that I had all to myself, very quiet, with a wonderful bed, that by that time I needed!
Saturday morning, my granddaughter picked me up, her husband’s parents had gotten in later the evening before, and after breakfast we divided up into two cars and made the trip to Oklahoma City, where my granddaughter and my son met the plane that was bringing my daughter-in-law, her mother and son in from their trip to graduation exercises in Georgia. We all met up for a quick lunch and then headed to the Oklahoma City Zoo. We had a great time, the baby wasn’t fussy and he seemed to enjoy the animals. It was a long and wonderful day that I enjoyed immensely.
Sunday was time for church and then the birthday party. That little guy certainly enjoyed his cake! Actually, it was the second celebration of his birthday, as he had previously had one with some of his friends and his ‘Church family’ that was closer to his actual birthday.
Now, it is Sunday evening and while the rest of the family went to services, I stayed at home to get this done!
Last week, I told you about Memorial Day and how it started and gave you the beautiful poem about the poppies. This week, here is the story about the poppies
The following is the story of the “Buddy Poppy” as it was printed in an article in “Ladies Auxiliary VFW Magazine in October 2015.
“It takes just three little parts and a few practiced twists and turns of the hand to create a perfect “Buddy”® Poppy. But this mighty little flower improves the lives of many veterans and their families”
In a modest building near Fort Dodge in dodge City, Kansas, a small but dedicated group of volunteers works hard, each with their own personal assembly line, building “Buddy”® Poppies at an impressive pace. Hundreds of loose bright red petals, bright green stems and paper labels quickly turn into tiny bouquets. There have been millions of poppies shipped from this building since 2003. Orders are filled from all over the United States, even as far away as Alaska.
The “Buddy”® Poppy makes a lot of difference for lots of veterans. The flowers are typically assembled by veterans in need or disabled veterans. On a Post and Auxiliary level, income is used to aid members. On state and national levels money from the poppies provides much-needed services for disabled veterans and their widows and orphans. Funds raised also go toward supporting the VFW National Home for Children and Veterans’ rehabilitation services.
There have been millions of poppies shipped from this building since 2003. Orders are filled from all over the United States, even as far away as Alaska.
Sausage Potato Breakfast Casserole
1 30 oz bag frozen shredded hash browns
1 lb breakfast sausage
1 4 oz can green chiles
1 8 oz package cream cheese, softened
1 8 oz container heavy cream
1 can cream of celery soup
Salt, pepper and a little cayenne pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease a 2 qt casserole dish. In a deep skillet, brown sausage and crumble with a potato masher. Add the can of green chiles and the cream cheese until all melted and then add the soup and heavy cream. (If mixture is still thick, thin slightly with milk.) Heat all on medium heat, stirring continually until all is well blended and to keep from sticking to the bottom of the skillet. Once well blended, remove from heat and set aside. Break up frozen hash browns and layer on bottom of baking dish. Pour the sausage mixture over hash browns & bake until all bubbling and potatoes are heated through. Top with grated cheese while warm.