Spotlighting North Central Texas Seniors
Inside: Hoopla’s ultimate senior activity guide
P. 16-18
Father, son run one of Fort Worth’s most popular record shops
Weatherford-based country band entertains throughout the Metroplex
Hood County cancer survivor performs countless acts of kindness
Azle’s Boot Scooters welcome new members
Crossword, Sudoku, and more
August 2023
PacMan
Music Television
Ronald Reagan
Smurfs
Rubiks Cube
Cabbage Patch Kids
Ali vs Holmes
Pepsi Challenge
Video Cassette
Delorean
Cold War
Sally Ride
Iran Contra Challenger Explosion
Chernobyl
Star Wars
ExtraTerrestrial
Personal Computers
Second British Invasion Disco
Atari Latchkey Kids
Shopping Malls
Princess Di
Berlin Wall
Boombox
Break Dancing
Teddy Ruxpin
Inflation
Sandra Day O Connor
Shrinky Dinks
Dynasty
JR Ewing
Michael Jackson
Created
L S O A O H R G R S A W R
Y E X T R A T E R R E S T R
B P D Q R U B I K S C B E
O D Z D T H G D E L O R E
N V U T O V C O U C U B T I M
R X J S D I H K R O K S N R U
E G P F O I A H W N K A I A
H C D S V D L H B D C G P T
C G B W S L G L B H Q X A C
S C O E T S E I J R M P U U
D W O T Y E N N N I T X R T
I T M U J C G F O T R S Y I
K G B P L N E L S I A E D R
D A V E G D
C L X O A R E T C H D L E N I S P N
H S O M L I R A K S W M D A
T L R C W P X I A I L O T C S S E A
C L X O A R E T C H D L E N
A A A L N E P O J N O H F O I A P S
T L R W P X I A I L O T C
P M M A I G L N L V C S M N O C A Z
A A A L N E P O J N O H F O
E G L N L N O Z E A I V Z T N O C O
P M M A I G L N L V C S M N O
G N A O R I S Q A S V I T R N E M J
E G L N L N O Z E A I V Z T N
A I T S E W I U H I E L Y A K D A C
G N A O R I S Q A S V I T R N
B P C R B E O A C O E A S M Z I N O
A I T S E W I U H I E L Y A
B P H E W R N V I N A J R G W V T B
B P C R B E O A C O E A S M
A O K P V J L T M D Y N A S T Y G O
B P H E W R N V I N A J R G W
C H E P E P S I C H A L L E N G E T
A O K P V J L T M D Y N A S
F S Y T W M Z O J E D I R Y L L A S
C H E P E P S I C H A L L E N
F M K O S S K N I D Y K N I R H S H
F S Y T W M Z O J E D I R Y
F J I B O Z M C I Q J N H G A Q K D
F M K O S S K N I D Y K N I R
N F D P B Y O M S T X Y D I S C O K
F J I B O Z M C I Q J N H G
M S S V Z Q V A G A E R D L A N O R
N F D P B Y O M S T X Y D I
M S S V Z Q V A G A E R D L
August 2023 Volume 7, Issue 8
Doc’s Records and Vintage in Fort Worth is more than just a record store, and Jerry Boyd is a big part of the reason why.
Boyd, 67, who helps run the store with his son Jenkins Boyd, said Doc’s was destined to surpass the offerings of a garden variety record store from very early on.
“From the beginning at the first store, I had a son who wanted it to be something more than just a record store,” Boyd said. “We started carrying vintage clothes and a few antiques and art pieces. We did that from the beginning and had concert Tshirts and all of that kind of thing.”
Doc’s started out in Hurst with a 600-square-foot spot in 2006, then moved to a bigger location on Montgomery Street, then to Camp Bowie West with a 4,500-squarefoot store, and then to it’s current location at 2628 Weisenberger St. in Fort Worth.
“My son pretty much ran it from the get go,” Boyd said. “He and I learned about records and record stores together, and by golly, we happened to do it at just the right time. About five years after we got started, records became
in vogue again.”
Boyd grew up in Dallas in the Pleasant Grove area and went to the University of Texas at Arlington.
He then graduated from the Baylor College of Dentistry and practiced dentistry for 35 years, retiring two years ago.
But the Azle man said he had always had a great affection for music that had not been completely explored.
“In my early 20s, I really started getting into different genres of music,” Boyd said. “I became addicted to going to thrift stores, and this was like the mid to late 70s. You could go to Goodwill or Salvation Army back then and buy all kinds of good records for 25 or 50 cents. I would buy anything that looked interesting,
and consequently, I bought a lot of records. I continued buying and collecting records. My brother-in-law and I began setting up at record conventions.”
They did that throughout the early 1980s, including a giant record convention in Austin, a tradition he would eventually carry on with his son, Jenkins.
“When my kids were young, and I have four children, all of my record convention collection went into a closet,” Boyd said. “When my son, who owns the store now, got to be 10 or 11 years old he had an interest in it. I started going back to the record conventions with him. We also had a booth at the cattle barn flea market for a couple of years selling records. By the time he was around 18, I
and son turned record collecting into thriving businessJerry Boyd and son Jenkins now in their 17th year at Doc’s Records & Vintage.
had spent a lot of time with my boys fishing and hunting, but I became disenchanted with deer hunting, so I said what the heck. I’d always wanted a record store. I knew it was a really dumb idea, but I decided to open one, and it was my new hobby.”
Boyd said there were a few stumbling blocks along the way.
“My son and I are both terrible at picking out clothes,” Boyd laughed. “We’d go to Goodwill or a garage sale and think, ‘This is so cool, and this is going ot sell.’ And we were pretty bad. But it was fun, and now we have delegated the sale of the vintage clothes to people who know what they are doing.”
Those types of hiccups have never detracted from the bond formed between father and son, however, and Boyd said his relationship with his son, Jenkins, means the world to him.
“We’re really close,” Boyd said. “He’s kind of a mini-me. We like a lot of the same things. So we watched zombie movies and cheap horror movies together when he lived at home. And we would go on adventures to find DVDs to watch and
look for records and what have you.”
Boyd describes Doc’s as being “half antique mall,” with booths and vendors who are responsible for stocking their own booths and said the store has a very popular monthly event.
“Once a month, we have a party,” Boyd said. “We have three or four bands playing, and we have free beer. I really love those days. It feels like we’re really contributing something to the community. It’s nice to be a part of that.”
Doc’s has a stage in the center of the store where the bands perform.
As far as jamming with the bands themselves, Boyd said that is not really an option for him or his son.
“We exercise our passion for music in listening,” Boyd said. “Neither one of us has one iota of musical talent. And ironically, almost all of the people that work for us are musicians.”
But music is still a great passion—so much so that it is embedded in his emblem.
“My initial logo was a picture of young man in a wheelchair hooked up to an IV that is going into his arm and it says, ‘Get
your fix at Doc’s,’” Boyd said. “That’s how much of a passion it is.
“I love records. I love them because they’re tangible—they’re something you can hold,” he said. “The artwork is interesting, the liner notes are interesting. If you own a record, you have something that you can treasure, whereas if you own a download, you basically have nothing. So yeah, I love records.”
Boyd said he has a few suggestions for anyone looking to get into the record store business.
“My advice is that it looks like fun, which it is, but it is also an incredible amount of work to do it correctly,” Boyd said. “It’s an unlimited amount of work, and it never gets caught up. It’s not easy, but I worked as a dentist before, and I loved my patients and they loved me. But nobody likes to go to the dentist. Now I’m in a business where people are excited to be here. I’m glad that I did it.”
Doc’s Records and Vintage is always buying records, cassettes, vintage clothing, interesting toys, magazines, and more. You can reach them at 817-7325455.
I NEVER THOUGHT THAT WE WOULD EVER USE IT, BUT I AM SO THANKFUL THAT WE HAD IT.
Weatherford resident Gail McNeil was chosen as the Parker County Quilter of the Month.
Gail , who retired from the Department of Labor, has quilted for over 25 years. She started the hobby when her daughter was leaving for college. At the time, Harvest Baptist Church in Keller had a Bible study group that created quilts for each lesson. One of her first quilts was called Apple Cake.
Gail enjoys paper piecing and creating unique borders, like in the quilt above. She is currently working on a “Seven Days of Christmas” quilt and looking forward to an upcoming retreat at Cactus Rose in Stephenville.
She and her husband, David McNeil, moved to Weatherford three years ago.
To nominate a Quilter of the Month, email seniors@hooplamagazine.com.
Benbrook resident Melissa Kendrick has been chosen as Hood County’s Quilter of the Month. Melissa may be from Benbrook, but she is a regular at the Sit and Sew every Monday at Patti’s Last Resort in Granbury.
Melissa started quilting 10 years ago when she and her sister decided to learn the skill together. The quilt pictured was created for her eldest daughter, who loves Halloween. She’s working on a second Halloween quilt for her youngest daughter next. When she’s not sewing quilts for family, she’s crafting with them. Each year, Melissa hosts a day-long crafting party for children and grandchildren, where they make homemade gifts.
Melissa retired as an accountant for XTO Energy, now Exxon. She and husband, Kenneth, have lived in Benbrook since 1978.
To nominate a Quilter of the Month, email seniors@hooplamagazine.com.
Few bands can inspire people to get up and dance like Cowboy Country.
Made up almost entirely of senior citizens, the Weatherford-based musical group proclaims itself as a “local country dance band providing entertainment for Parker County and surrounding areas.”
The band was originally formed in 1992, and band manager Dorothy Glenn said her husband, James Glenn, was one of the founding members.
“My husband has been a guitar player since he was 9 years old,” Glenn said. “We started playing at the Texas Opry, and we did a couple of shows out at Weatherford College with Leon Rauche. Then we left there and went to the Weatherford Senior Center. We also opened the Granbury Senior Center when it was brand-spanking new, and we had a full crowd.”
Cowboy Country plays at anniversaries, birthday parties and weddings among other venues, but performing for senior citizens holds a special place in their heart.
“We love dancing with seniors,” Glenn said. “What we do is play a little rock and roll, a whole lot of country and just have a good time with all of them.”
Glenn, 79, said in addition to Weatherford, Cowboy Country also regularly plays in Stephenville, Desdemona, Granbury and Springtown and said the band always receives a warm welcome.
“It’s super,” Glenn said. “We’ve been playing in Stephenville for 25 years. We’ve been playing in Desdemona since 2008, and we’ve played in Springtown since 2000.”
Cowboy Country has also performed at American Legions, St. Francis Village (a retirement community in Crowley), family reunions, and even a show for a member of the 101st Airborne in Grapevine.
The band also does its part to help support local FFA chapters with their events each October.
“It helps the kiddos raise money to buy their cattle and stuff to show,” Glenn said.
Dorothy and James live in Weatherford, and one of the more memorable events for Cowboy Country came recently when the group was invited to perform at a very special event in their city.
“We played for the Weatherford 150th Bicentennial,” Glenn said. “That was fun, and I have to say, just greeting the people and making friends with them all, they become like family.”
Glenn said it has been a long and sometimes difficult road over the last three decades, but added that Cowboy Country always seems to find a way to carry on.
“We’ve lost a bunch of good people over the years, and we were shut down with the COVID,” Glenn said. “But then we got right back to it. We all love it, and all of
the musicians get along real well. I have about 10 different guys that play in different places where I need them to play, and when I come to town and tell them we have something to do, they do it.”
Affectionately referred to as the “Boss Lady” by the band’s members, Glenn takes pride in her efficiency in booking and powers of persuasion.
The musicians all get paid, as well, and most of them are retired.
Members include James Glenn, Johnny Johnson, Ray Austin, Michael Cote Sr., Michael Cote Jr., Bob Pritchard and of course, the Boss Lady herself.
Three members, Glenn, Johnson and Austin were original members, and the band even has a few CDs to its name.
Glenn said the band members love to perform and said she often hears a common phrase when they play.
“They say, ‘We love you! Are you coming back next month?’” Glenn said. “That’s what we hear most of the time. We just want people to have a real good time and to enjoy themselves.”
Visit www.facebook.com/Cowboy CountryBand for more information on Cowboy Country.
By Roger Enlow Hoopla Correspondent
Patsy Parr doesn’t know the word quit.
She’s overcome four separate cancers to continue making a difference in the lives of Granbury area residents.
“She’s been knocked down so many times, but she’s pulled herself up by the bootstraps and goes on,” said friend Dana Ruth McCoy.
When Patsy was office manager at Tri-County Electric she learned that many people couldn’t pay their electricity because of cancer or another serious illness. Most of their income went for the medical bills. She led the effort to form Hood County Cancer Services to ease the financial burden on cancer patients. The organization is in its 27th year.
Patsy’s latest act of kindness involves a single mother with a teenage son. The young woman, a lifelong Hood Countian, has colon cancer and needs surgery. She works at a tanning salon; income is limited. Patsy was planning a gospel show and bake sale to
help raise money for the mother. She will make her famous peach cobbler for the bake sale. What’s her secret? “I don’t know … I use canned peaches,” she said with a smile. Adds husband Carl, “She makes the best in the county.”
It’s common for Patsy to scramble to the kitchen and whip up a delicious meal to take to people coming home from the hospital. Her friend Dana was home recovering from surgery when she heard a knock on the door. It was Patsy and Carl with armloads of comfort food for their friend. “It made me cry,” Dana said. “I didn’t know anybody knew about this.”
Pasty’s been a Blue Bird sponsor for girls, and for years she and other moms operated the concession stand at the Hood County Junior Livestock
Show. She organizes garage sales for people in need.
Pasty was born in Douglas, Arizona. Her father was a cotton farmer. Her parents divorced and Patsy moved to Texas, graduating from Whitewright High School.
She attended North Texas State University and wanted to be a teacher, but college was put on hold when she married and started a family. After her marriage ended in divorce, Patsy was left with two girls to raise. She decided to go back to college while working three jobs. Then a near-tragedy happened when her 3-year-old fell out of a grocery cart and suffered a fractured skull. Patsy prayed like never before. In another year she would have had a certificate to become a court reporter, but vowed to quit college and be with her girls if
God spared her daughter’s life.
Her daughter survived, and Patsy made her promise by dropping out of college.
She met Carl, married and moved with him to Saint Jo to be closer to his ailing parents. It didn’t take long for Patsy and Carl to dive into community projects. They noticed the town didn’t do much for Christmas, so they raised money to buy a Christmas tree for downtown. They got others on board and called their little group The Spirit of Saint Jo. It eventually became the chamber of commerce.
She worked at a bank in Saint Jo and then taught kindergarten and was the high school cheerleader sponsor. No money was in the budget for cheerleader uniforms, so Patsy naturally rolled up her sleeves and went to work raising money for new ones. The school also didn’t budget for
cheerleading school, so Patsy reached out to the sponsor in Granbury and asked if her cheerleaders could teach Patsy’s cheerleaders. The Granbury sponsor said absolutely, so Patsy gathered up her squad and drove them to Granbury for their own cheer camp.
When Carl would catch wind of another project, he would ask Patsy, “What did you sign us up for now?”
Hood County is fortunate to have selfless people like Patsy.
“She is a very strong Christian with such a loving heart,” Dana said. “When she hears someone down on their luck she reaches out to the community for help. That’s what God wants us to do. Help one another. She would do anything for anybody.”
Patsy explains, “I’ve done it all my life. If somebody’s in worse shape than I am, I need to help them.”
The Boot Scooters of Azle have a musical repertoire that some would describe as eclectic.
The dance group performs to everything from old school country to modern hip-hop, and while they are primarily comprised of senior citizens, the group is really open to anyone interested in dancing.
Member Laurie Dawson, who has been a part of the group for nearly seven years, said it started back in the mid oughts with five members who danced at the local senior center.
Pretty soon, it began to expand exponentially.
“The numbers kept growing and there wasn’t enough space,” Dawson said. “So they would go out and dance in the hallways and garages, or churches or just anywhere that they could find space to dance.”
The Boot Scooters now dance from 9 -11 a.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 404 Main Place in Azle, and currently have 43 members, a few of which are well into their 80s.
“Three of the original members are still with the group,” Dawson said..
The Boot Scooters of Azle is open to people of all ages and the music selection for their routines is diverse and expansive.
“We do line dancing,” Dawson said. “And we do all kinds. We do everything from George Straight to Pitbull. It’s a wide range of music.”
Dawson, 63, said she initially joined the group because she had recently retired and wanted to find something to do with her spare time.
“Someone suggested line dancing and I had never thought about that,” Dawson said. “I think it is the social aspect—making friends and getting to know people, and then just getting out there and exercising was what appealed the most to me. And you don’t even realize that you are exercising because it’s so much fun.”
The Azle woman added that she never imagined that her new hobby would have so many health benefits, both physically and mentally, when she was thinking about joining the group.
“I love it because, again, it’s great exercise and you don’t even feel like you’re exercising,” Dawson said. “It works your legs and it also helps your brain, because you have to remember the steps. Another thing is the socialization with other members and the friendships we have made through the group. Anybody is welcome to join us.”
The Boot Scooters perform at senior centers and assisted living facilities, and also volunteer for the Azle Chamber of Commerce and its annual Christmas on Main Street.
“We volunteer, and we will go and dance for whoever wants us to dance for them,” Dawson said.
And the response is overwhelmingly positive.
“People love it,” Dawson said, “especially when we go to the venues and just dance for an hour or so. They really enjoy it.”
Case in point, following a performance at Legacy Oaks of Azle, residents at the home were inspired to start their own club and learn some of their own moves.
To join the Boot Scooters, visit the group on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings.
The first visit is free, and if a visitor decides to join, there is a $10 monthly fee to cover the cost of the venue at which the group dances.
Dawson said she has had a couple of especially good experiences in her time with the Boot Scooters that not only demonstrate an appreciation for the group, but also reflect the many benefits.
“I like it when we dance at Azle Manor,” Dawson said. “There was one resident there who loved dancing. She would get up in the middle of the floor and start dancing with us. That was always fun.
“Then I was also told that there was a doctor who used to refer his patients over to us for exercise. They would come to us for their health, because it works the brain and helps with balance. Dancing is really good for you.”
Hoopla: Spotlighting North Texans 55 And Better August 2023
• Books to Big Screen Book Club, discussing “The Cabin at the End of the World,” by Paul Tremblay, Aug. 1, Summerglen Library, 4205 Basswood Blvd. Fort Worth, 1 to 2 p.m.
• Knitty Gritty Knitting and Crochet Group, for all ages, no experience necessary, Aug. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, White Settlement Road Public Library, 8215 White Settlement, 3 to 4 p.m. Bring your own yarn and knitting needles or crochet hook.
• Free Texas Hold’em with $200 cash prize, Aug. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, The Rabbit Hole Pub, 3237 White Settlement Road, Fort Worth, 7 to 10 p.m. No participation fee. New players receive 5K chip. Bring a friend for an extra 5K chip.
• Trivia Night, Aug. 1,15, 29, Locust Cider, 710 S. Main Street, Suite 100, Fort Worth, 7 to 9 p.m.
esis United Methodist Church, 7635 S. Hulen Street, Fort Worth, 6 to 7:30 p.m.
• Summer Coloring Cooldown for Adults, no supplies necessary, Aug. 2, Fort Worth Public Library, 4300 E. Berry, Fort Worth, 5 to 6 p.m.
• Bingo Game Night with prizes, Aug. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, Old Chicago Pizza, 8933 North Freeway, Fort Worth, 5 to 7 p.m.
• Midcities Stamp Club - Arlington, trades and sales allowed, Aug. 2, Bob Duncan Community Center, 2800 South Center Street, Vandergriff Park, Arlington, 7 pm.
• Knit & Crochet Club, Aug. 2, 9, 16, Fort Worth Public Library, 6228 Crystal Lake Drive, Fort Worth, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
• Adult Crafting Hour, free, no supplies needed, designed for adults 55+, Aug. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, Southwest Regional Library, 4001 Library Lane,
• Music Bingo features great tunes, drinks, prizes for winners and taco food truck, Aug. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, The Rabbit Hole Pub, 3237 White Settlement Road, Fort Worth, 8 to 10 p.m.
Karaoke at The Hop offers thousands off titles and a professional audio system, Aug. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, HopFusion Ale Works, 200 E. Broadway Avenue, Fort Worth, 8 to 11 p.m.
Bingo Night , Aug. 2, 9, 16, , Locust Cider, 710 S. Main Street, Suite 100, Fort Worth, 7 to
Teas Hold Em Poker Night, Aug. 3, 10, 17, 24, 31, Silver Saddle Saloon, 124 N Houston Street, Granbury, 7 to 11 p.m.
Hood County Senior Center Dances, music by country/western bands every Thursday night, Aug. 3, 10, 17, 24, , Hood County Senior Center, 501 E.
Moore St. Granbury, 7 p.m. $5 per person.
• Karoke Night, chef taco food truck, Aug. 3, 10, 17, 24, 31, The Rabbit Hole Pub, 3237 White Settlement Road, Fort Worth, 8 p.m. to midnight.
• Donation Yoga Thursdays, led by licensed massage therapist and yoga teacher, bring mat, water, towel, Aug. 3, 10, 17, 24, 31, Dynamite Dames Photography (check in next door at Hemlock Haus), 3915 Benbrook Blvd, Suite C, 6:30 p.m. Suggested donation of $13, but nobody turned away due to lack of resources.
• Hot Summer Nights on Marine Creek Lake, hosted by Metroplex Ski Club, Aug. 3, 10, 17, 24, 31, Marine Creek Lake, Ten Mile Bridge Road, Fort Worth, 6 to 9 p.m.
• Infinite Journey: The Music of Journey, Aug. 3-5, Granbury Opera House, 133 E. Pearl Street, Granbury, Thursday-Saturday, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, For tickets, call 817-579-0952.
• Springtown Senior Center Dances, country/ western bands, Aug. 3, 5, 10, 12, 17, 19, 24, 26, 31, Springtown Senior Activity Center, 1070 N. Main Street, Springtown, 7 to 10 p.m. $7 admission per person. Unannounced cancellations may occur.
• First Monday, one of the state’s oldest air-open markets, Aug. 4-6, Heritage Park, 317 Santa Fe Drive, Weatherford, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Free Admission Friday at the Modern, with special programming, Aug. 4, Modern Museum of Art, 3200 Darnell Street, Fort Worth, Free admission.
• The Voice of Granbury, a competition of the area’s hottest performers, Aug. 4, Granbury Live, 110 N. Crockett Street, Granbury, 7:30 p.m. For tickets, call 1-800-340-9703.
• Write Stuff, a chance meet other adult writers and hone your craft, Aug. 4, Fort Worth Public Library, 3628 Bernie Anderson, Fort Worth, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.
• Free Family Movie Night, concessions available, but bring your lawn chair, Aug. 4, Trinity Baptist Church, 620 Churchill Road, Fort Worth, Text MOVIE to 817-500-5040 to get the movie the week.
• Bird Walk, wear appropriate clothing and shoes, Aug. 5, Acton Nature Center, 6500 Smoky Hill Court, Granbury, 7 a.m.
• Free Community Yoga Class, bring your mat and water, Aug. 5, 12, 19, 26, The Trailhead at Clearfork, 4801 Edwards Ranch Road, Fort Worth, 9 to 10 a.m.
• Clint Black, Aug. 5, Billy Bob’s Texas, 2520 Rodeo Plaza, Fort Worth, 10 p.m. For tickets, call 817-624-7117.
• Lone Star Murder Mystery Dinner and Show, Aug. 5, 12, 19, 26, Billy Bob’s Texas, 2520 Rodeo Plaza, Fort Worth, Doors open at 6. Dinner at 7 p.m. Show at 8 p.m. For tickets, call 817-6247117.
• Pig Roast and Luau, pineapple beer, water slide, dunk tank, fire trucks, live music and silent auction, Aug. 6, Antebellum Ale House, 321 E. Oak Street, Weatherford, Noon to 10 p.m. Pig roast plate $15.
• Coloring Friends, join other adults who enjoy coloring. Supplies provided. Aug. 7, 14, 21, 28, Holland Lake Rehabilitation & Wellness, 1201 Holland Lake Drive, Weatherford, 10 a.m.
• First Monday Texas Route - Fixed Gear Ride, for bicycle enthusiasts, 16-18 mph, route creates a Texas shape, Aug. 7, Starting point: 221 W. Lancaster Avenue, Fort Worth, 7:30 to 9 p.m.
• Write On, writing sprints, accountability, plus read and critiques, Aug. 7, Southwest Regional Library, 4001 Library Lane, Fort Worth, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
• Chair Yoga, free class, Aug. 8, Summerglen Library, 4264 Golden Triangle, Fort Worth, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.
• Granbury Knitting Guild, includes knitting classes for beginners each month, Aug. 8, First Presbyterian Church, 303 Bridge St. Granbury, 9:30 a.m.
• Dance Night, sponsored by the Widowed Persons Service but open to all, Aug. 8, Elks Lodge, 3233 White Settlement, Fort Worth, 6:30 to 9 p.m. $10 per person.
• Get Lit Book Club, discussing “The Thursday Murder Club” by Richard Osman, Aug. 8, Southwest Regional Library, 4001 Library Lane, Fort Worth, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
• Writing Workshop with Games, get your creative juices flowing, all levels welcome, Aug. 8, Fort Worth Public Library - 601 Park Street, Fort Worth, 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.
• Second Thursdays at Amon Carter Museum, featuring cocktails, creativity and conversation,
Aug. 10, Amon Carter Museum, 3501 Camp Bowie Blvd. 5 to 8 p.m. Free event with reservations required. Call (817) 989-5013.
• Thursday Night Wine Club, sample new wines, complimentary appetizers, Aug. 10, Social House, 840 Currie Street, Fort Worth, 6 to 8 p.m. Reservations: 817-820-1510,
• Fort Worth Fall and Home Garden Show, Aug. 11-13, Will Rogers Memorial Center, 3401 Lancaster Avenue, Fort Worth, 2 to 6 p.m. on Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 5 pm on Sunday, Free admission.
• Hunters Extravaganza, Aug. 11-13, Fort Worth Convention Center, 1201 Houston Street, Fort Worth, General admission $10.
• Chair Yoga, free class, Aug. 11, Southwest Regional Library, 4001 Library Lane, Fort Worth, 4 to 5 pm.
• Spring Creek Musical, features live music in outdoor venue, Aug. 11, Spring Creek Tabernacle, 104 Spring Creek Road, Weatherford, 6 p.m. Free admission. Cancelled in extreme weather, including heat advisories.
• Experimental Aircraft Association, Pancake breakfast at 8:30 a.m. Aug. 12, Pecan Plantation Airport, 9600 Airpark Dr. Granbury, 10 a.m. meeting.
• Stretch and Sip Yoga, indoor classes for inclement or hot weather, Aug. 12, TX Whiskey, 2601 Whiskey Ranch Road, Fort Worth , 11 a.m.
to noon, 21 and up only. $15 covers yoga and one cocktail.
• Bike Night and Steak Dinner Benefit, includes silent auction, Aug. 12, Riley Stephens Memorial Post 7835 - VFW, 3670 Highway 377 W. Granbury, 6 p.m.
• Girls Night Out on Granbury Square, includes live entertainment, dining, shopping and door prizes, Aug. 12, Granbury Square, 3 to 7 p.m.
• Lola’s Local Farmers Market, 30+ locallygrown and produced vendors, live music, bar bites, food trucks, Aug. 13, 2000 West Berry Street, Fort Worth, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free admission.
• NTX Vintage Market, 20-plus vendors, snacks and lawn games, Aug. 13, Panther Island Brewing, 501 N. Main Street, Fort Worth, 1 to 5 p.m.
• Daryl Hall with Guest Todd Rundgren, Aug. 13, Will Rogers Memorial Center, 3401 Lancaster Avenue, Fort Worth, 7:30 p.m. For tickets, visit Ticketmaster.com.
• AARP Smart Driver’s Course, get a discount on your auto insurance by completing this course, Aug. 14, St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church, 5709 Wedgewood Drive, Fort Worth, noon to 4:30 p.m. Call (817) 480-0415. Limited space available.
• Knit & Crochet Club, Aug. 14, Fort Worth Public Library, 3816 Kimberly Lane, Fort Worth, 6:30 to 7:30 pm.
• The Art of Frames, learn about picture frame history and decorate your own, Aug. 15, Fort Worth Public Library, 3628 Bernie Anderson, Fort Worth, 4 to 5 p.m.
• Book Club - Azle, discussing “The Many Daughters of Afong Moy” by Jamie Ford, Aug. 15, Azle Memorial Library, 333 W. Main Street, Azle, 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Request this month’s title at the reference desk (while supplies last).
• Fort Worth Cactus and Succulent Society Meeting, Aug. 15, Botanic Gardens, 3220 Botanic Garden Blvd. Fort Worth, 7 to 9 p.m. Learn more at www.fwcss.org
• AARP Smart Driver’s Course, get a discount on your auto insurance by completing this course, Aug. 16, Southwest Community Center, 6300 Welch Avenue, Fort Worth, 1 to 5 p.m. Call (817) 939-6713. Limited space.
• Adult Trivia Night, Aug. 16, Southwest Regional Library, 4001 Library Lane, Fort Worth, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
• Fall Vegetable Gardening at Lincoln, learn the basics of gardening , Aug. 16, Fort Worth Public Library, 8829 McCart Avenue, Fort Worth, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
• North Fort Worth Book Club, discussing “BearTown,” by Fredrik Backman, Aug. 17, World Blend, 5410 Basswood Blvd. Fort Worth, 6 to 8 p.m.
• Fiber Arts Club, meet others an share favorite techniques and patterns, Aug. 17, Fort Worth Public Library, 1300 NE 35th Street, Fort Worth, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
• Artful Moments for Dementia Patients and Caregivers, exploration of Amon Carter museum exhibits, hands-on activities, Aug. 17, 3501 Camp Bowie Blvd. 1:30 to 3 p.m. Register online at cartermuseum.org or call 817-989-5013.
• Lola’s Rock ’n’ Roll Rummage Sale, Fort Worth’s largest running outdoor monthly market
featuring artists, creators and collectors, plus music and food, Aug. 20, 2000 W. Berry Street, Fort Worth, Noon to 5 p.m. Free admission.
• NTX Vintage Market, 10-plus vendors, snacks, free parking, Aug. 20, Rogers Roundhouse, 1616 Rogers Road, Fort Worth, 1 to 5 p.m.
• Croissant Workshop for beginners or advanced bakers, Aug. 20, Indulge FW, 425 W. 3rd Street, Fort Worth, 2 p.m. Tickets available for $89 through www.indulgefw.com,
• I Want My 80s Tour with Rick Springfield, Aug. 20, Dickies Arena, 1911 Montgomery Street, Fort Worth, 7:30 p.m. Tickets: Ticketmaster.com.
• Granbury Quilting Guild, Aug. 21, United Cooperative Services Community Room, 320 Fall Creek Hwy. Granbury, 6 p.m.
• AARP Smart Driver’s Course, get a discount on your auto insurance by completing this course, Aug. 22, Mansfield Senior Citizen Center, 106 S. Wisteria Street, Mansfield, 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Call (817) 728-3680. Limited space, so make reservations today.
• Dementia Live - Special Interactive Event, technology offers you a rare opportunity to see/ feel what it’s like to live with dementia, Aug. 22, Legacy Oaks of Azle, 1364 Southeast Parkway, Azle, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.
• Mid-Cities Stamp Club - Granbury, includes buy/trade time before and after meeting, Aug. 22, Bentwater Activity Center, 1800 W Emerald Ct. Granbury, 7 p.m.
• Lyle Lovett, Aug. 24, Bass Performance Hall, 525 Commerce Street, Fort Worth, 7:30 p.m. Call 817-212-4280 for tickets, starting at $66.
• Hood County Pancake Flip, benefitting teen and special needs programming at the YMCA, Aug. 25, Hood County YMCA, 1475 James Road, Granbury, pancakes served from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., $5 per plate.
• Coffee and Conversation Senior Social, Aug. 25, meet new friends and catch up with old friends, Fort Worth Public Library, 4300 East Berry Street, Fort Worth, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.
• Dance Night, sponsored by the Widowed Persons Service but open to all, Aug. 25, Burleson Senior Center, 216 SW Johnson, Burleson, 6:30 to 9 p.m. Donations accepted at the door.
• Radney Foster, Aug. 25, Granbury Live, 110 N. Crockett Street, Granbury, 7:30 p.m. For tickets, call 1-800-340-9703.
• Stockyards Championship Rodeo, Aug. 25-26, Cowtown Coliseum, 121 E. Exchange Avenue, Fort Worth, 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. Tickets start at $55 per night.
• Space Day, Aug. 26, Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, 1600 Gendy Street, Fort Worth, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Fort Worth Motorcycle Swap Meet and Sale, largest indoor swap in Texas, Aug. 26, Will Rogers Memorial Center, 3401 Lancaster Avenue, Fort Worth, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• The Original Fort Worth Gun Show, 1,200 tables, Aug. 26-27, Will Rogers Memorial Center, 3401 Lancaster Avenue, Fort Worth, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets $10 or two-day pass for $15.
• End of Summer Bash, includes a brisket cookoff/dinner, games and contests, Aug. 27, First Baptist Azle, 1017 Boyd Road, Azle, 5 p.m.
• First Monday, one of the state’s oldest air-open markets, Sept. 1-3, Heritage Park, 317 Santa Fe Drive, Weatherford, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Granbury Labor Day Weekend Festival, Sept. 1-4, Granbury Square. vendors, music, Sunday evening lighted boat parade after dark. Watch from the beach on East Pearl Street.
Submit an event for consideration: Email seniors@hooplamagazine.com.
Mary Neita Werner was destined to become a great musician. Her mother, Vivian Harder Johnson, was a highly-sought piano teacher in Fort Worth.
“My mother was the finest keyboard person in this town, and I’m not saying that because she was my mother – she was,” said Mary Neita. “Everybody in town studied with Mother. And I could play the piano, but I didn’t get her talent.”
You might ask where her musical talent originated.
“I fell into it,” she said. “I was in art class and they were making things out of clay — making a mess.”
Suddenly Paschal High principal O.D. Wyatt came over the loudspeaker and said, “The music teacher is in the auditorium. If any of your students would like to go in and talk to her, please excuse them at this time.”
“And I hated what I was doing,” Mary Neita said, “so I got in there. Well, this lady looked me up and down and said, ‘Well, you’re a pretty good-sized girl. Why don’t you play the cello?’ And I said, ‘What’s that?’”
After the teacher let her play with the cello a few minutes, she was dismissed. Mary Neita walked home and told her mother all about it.
“She said nobody else will play it,” Mary Neita relayed to her mother. “And Mother said, ‘Do you want to try?’ And I said, ‘Yeah, I think I will.’”
It just so happened that Vivian was giving piano lessons to the daughter of one of TCU’s finest cellists at that time. The
two musicians agreed to teach each other’s child. They just needed to acquire a cello for Mary Neita to play. That was more difficult than one would think.
“Back in the early days of Fort Worth, they didn’t have fine arts,” she said. “Nobody knew what fine arts was. If they saw somebody with a fiddle, they knew they were going to play for a square dance, but nobody knew the cello.”
So the family ordered a cello from Chicago. It was built in 1746 — it was nearly 200 years old when Mary Neita received it.
“It had a beautiful sound to it,” she reminisced. “But, again, nobody in the city of Fort Worth wanted to play it.”
And that’s precisely why Mary Neita decided to play the cello. Not because she enjoyed it, but because she knew it was her opportunity to shine.
Practicing the cello took great dedication. She toted the rather bulky instrument to and from school each day, and even took it on the city bus when traveling to take lessons.
“I always felt awkward because it was hard to carry the thing. I was always stumbling. There was a Hemphill bus, it takes you right down by St. John’s Hospital. And I’d walk down there and get on that bus and then get off on Henderson — three doors from the school.”
“I was so afraid somebody was going to hit it with their knee or something. The wood part on the top wasn’t very thick. You could crack it real easily. It was brittle,” she said.
Even at 92, Mary Neita can vividly recall a scene near her
school back in 1941.
“One day, there were trucks that drove down South Henderson from the school, loaded with the kids that had the paper routes with the Star-Telegram. They were in the back, and they were throwing them in the yards. It said ‘Extra, Extra, Read all about it! Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor!’ That day, everything came to a dead stop.”
That week, Mary Neita said everyone went to the movies. It was the only opportunity the general public had to see a newsreel.
“Hardly anybody had TV. We didn’t know what a TV was,” she said.
It may have been the anxiety of the times that kept Mary Neita from committing to the cello. She recalled taking “toe dancing” lessons as well. But when auditioning to work for a Dallas production company, she realized she didn’t like performing on stage by herself.
“Everybody in the theatre stopped what they were doing to watch. I was like, ‘Oh Lord give me strength.’ But I did my dance perfectly all by myself.”
She got the part, but she didn’t take it.
“I said to myself, ‘Okay so now you’ve done that, check that off of your list.’”
That’s when Mary Neita decided to really put her energy into learning the cello.
“I could play the piano, but not like my mother. And I could toe dance, but not like my teacher. But when I played the cello, I got to be first chair,” she said.
Being the best cellist in school landed her a four-year scholarship at Texas Christian University. She and a few other band members would form units and play garden parties and tea parties for extra spending money.
“I never loved (the cello). It’s heavy, it’s big, it’s awkward, it wears you out,” she said. “But I played that cello. I kept the four-year scholarship. My parents never paid one cent to that school.”
After graduation, she taught music in the Houston school district briefly before returning to Fort Worth, where she met her husband, Elden, who was also a teacher. They moved to Waco for a year or two, but Fort Worth kept calling them back home.
Mary Neita received an in-
vitation to perform with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra. Playing with them allowed her to keep her foot in the door after her first child was born, she said.
Because she was still well respected within the TCU fine arts department, she had a unique opportunity every year when the university hosted the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. She played in the orchestra that accompanied the pianists for several years.
Van Cliburn was a Texas native who was internationally recognized as a musical genius by age 14.
“When they started the Van Cliburn concert series, they went to look for students all around the world who were excellent pi-
ano students. They offered them an opportunity to play for Van Cliburn and a huge audience that included important people that came from around the world, if you can imagine that. And that was a big deal! They came from everywhere — all different countries. Some of them couldn’t even speak English and performed in the contest. It was quite a thing for Fort Worth to do that. And it was a big thing for TCU to do it. It put us on the map.”
She recalls meeting Van Cliburn on more than one occasion.
“He was just a very sweet man and so polite and oh so talented. At that time, he was just a very young man, maybe 18, 19, 20 years old. He was the best the world had at that time,”
said Mary Neita.
The last year she played in that orchestra was the year she gave birth to her second child, Ruth, in 1963. Of course, Mary Neita’s mother taught Ruth how to play the piano. “But I think that his (Van Cliburn’s) exposure to her in the womb was that she became a great musician,” she added.
Mary Neita taught school intermittently while raising their two children. The family settled in the Wedgewood neighborhood of Fort Worth.
Today, Mary Neita lives at The Grandview of Chisholm Trail. The senior living community is located in southwestern Fort Worth. She no longer has her cello, but she plays the piano from time to time.
She always looks forward to listening to area musicians when they perform at The Grandview. When she’s not conversing with fellow residents in the garden, she enjoys playing dominoes and bingo in the activity room. She said there’s nothing she doesn’t love about the community – even the food is top notch.
Her children, Ruth and James, live close by, and she’s happy to still be in Fort Worth, where she has so many beautiful memories.
Gloria Kilgore spent a bulk of her life in the real estate industry, but now she spends her days doing God’s work.
About a year after she made the decision to move into the independent living wing at Legacy Oaks of Azle, COVID-19 shut down many of the weekly activities residents enjoy. Visitors were discouraged at the start of the pandemic, and that included those who led the weekly Bible study. So, Gloria decided to start a resident-led Bible study.
Three years later, the group continues to gather each Wednesday.
“You’ve got to fill your mind with the word of God and the love of God to survive now, I do believe,” said Gloria.
The 89-year-old Fort Worth native was raised in church but found herself drifting away midlife.
“I’d kind of walked away,” she said. “I tell people that I wasn’t bad, I just wasn’t right, and they think that’s hilarious. But it’s true because I wasn’t doing a lot of things that were considered major sins. Yet, I wasn’t in church, I wasn’t in fellowship, I wasn’t reading the word or any of the ordinary things that go with being a Christian.”
That all changed when Gloria met the love of her life in 1987. He was a minister, and one of the first trips the couple took was to Israel.
When they returned home, she immersed herself in volunteer work at Jewish Family Services in Fort Worth, helping hundreds of seniors who migrated from Russia and neighboring regions after the Berlin Wall fell in 1989.
“There’s still a major Jewish community in the Fort Worth area here. I started volunteering there because God had connected my heart to the land of Israel, to the Jewish people,” she said. “I just felt led to do that.”
She played piano, called bingo, and helped out wherever she was needed.
“I went over there to bless them, but they ended up blessing me,” she said. “Being with them is where I learned unconditional love.”
She loved working with seniors so
much, she told her husband she wanted to become an activity director. She attended classes at Tarrant County Community College to become certified and then started working part time in a memory care unit.
As part of her duties, she often led seniors in gospel hymns. She recalled one of many special moments during that time.
“We finished a song, and this young girl raised her hand and said, “I’m here from California to visit my grandmother. This is my grandmother. She hasn’t spoken a word in two years.”
Yet, the grandmother had sang every word of the song. It was that sort of reaction that made Gloria’s job so rewarding.
When she wasn’t working with seniors, she was volunteering with seniors.
“My husband and I did volunteering, even on Sundays, we did services in nursing homes,” she said. “We did one at 9 in the morning before our own church service where we were on staff and then 2 in the afternoon.”
So it only made sense that Gloria would head up a Bible study in her own senior community. She even encourages other residents to volunteer within the community.
“I just enjoy people, you know, to motivate them to do things that left to themselves they would not do,” she said. “And I think that’s why I loved being an activity director so much.”
She says helping out at Legacy Oaks helps her as well.
“I have purpose,” she said. “What we see in seniors so much is that they lose purpose. They listen to voices that tell them that they’re of no more value. If they can’t get in a car and physically go somewhere, or they have to quit driving and all those things, so many are inclined to just sit down in the recliner and not do a whole lot. They don’t feel needed or wanted. But if they’ll just come forward, I can usually find something for them to do because there is a lot of volunteering that’s needed.”
She even brought one of the retired pastors living at Legacy Oaks out of retirement to lead worship services on the second Sunday each month. The senior com-
munity welcomes leaders from several nearby churches during the month. On every fifth Sunday, Gloria and her greatgranddaughter lead a gospel sing-along.
Memory care patients cannot attend the Sunday service, which is held in the assisted living wing, so Gloria decided she would start a Sunday service specifically for the memory care residents.
“I just felt compelled,” she said. “I can’t explain it. I just it gives me so much joy.”
Gloria knows that senior living residents often need a little extra care.
“I have read a lot about the power of touch,” she said. “You can just touch them, and it means so much to them. Sometimes I’ll say, ’Could you use a hug?’ And they’ll say, ‘sure’ and they’ll just smile and kind of reach for you. That is so emotional and so sweet for me — who knows when they were touched last?”
When Gloria is not lifting the spirits of her fellow residents, she enjoys water aerobics and exercise at Legacy Oaks. She starts each day listening to Christian stories on tape and reading Psalms 91.
“If you don’t know the word of God, you don’t have any direction for your life. I don’t care how many GPSs you have,” she said with a grin.
It was our 43rd anniversary and I decided to take Mary Ellen to a local art show and stay downtown in this quaint bed and breakfast. My wife loves B&Bs so I was sure she would enjoy the evening.
The owner was extremely nice and offered to take us on a short tour of the historic building. We hauled luggage up the stairs and were led down the hall to our room. It was quaint and rustic with a porch that looked out on the downtown area. We were within walking distance to where we planned to have our anniversary dinner. All was perfect… until we saw the bed. It was not a king size bed; it was not a queen size bed. It was a double bed. The kind of bed many people sleep in…alone.
“Do you like the room?” asked the proprietor.
“I love it,” said my wife, “but where is my husband going to sleep?”
The woman looked at me and smiled. “This is your romantic anniversary. I’m sure you will make it work.”
“Even on our honeymoon, this wouldn’t have worked,” said my wife.
Here’s why. I have a few sleep issues. Most notably, I snore; I move around constantly, tossing and turning, flipping and flopping. Sometimes even screaming. People tell my wife she looks incredible for a woman in her early 70s. I then tell them she’s only 40, but this is what happens when you’ve been sleep deprived your entire marriage.
That night after a lovely dinner, we headed back to the B&B and prepared to turn in.
“Which side of the bed should I take?” I asked my wife.
“Underneath would probably be the best option,” she said.
We pulled down the covers and that’s when the excitement began, but not the excitement you might think. At about 2 a.m., I was having a very scary dream and next thing I knew I had fallen out of bed. This woke Mary Ellen, who saw me all sprawled out and in a bit of pain.
“That’s so sweet of you to sleep there. Now
you won’t be kicking me.”
“I am not sleeping here. I fell out of bed.”
“That’s terrible, maybe you should sleep in the middle.”
“It’s a double bed. There is no middle when there are two people. Let’s go back to sleep.”
At 4 a.m., I fell out again. This time I had pulled the pillow off with me. Seeing me on the floor, Mary Ellen got out of bed and lovingly placed a blanket over me. And there I slept: tossing, turning, snoring.
In the morning, the lady at the desk was curious. “ Some of the folks staying at the inn heard loud noises at 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. Are you okay? I hope you guys didn’t have a falling out. “
“I’m fine,” said Mary Ellen. “It was only my husband who was falling out.”
We shared our adventure at the B&B with one of our friends. We told Cathy we enjoyed our stay and that next year we would return, but we would make different arrangements.
“Are you going to ask for two separate beds?” asked Cathy.
“No,” said Mary Ellen. “Two separate rooms.”
If you own a business, you’ve always got a lot on your mind. But no matter how busy you are today, you need to think about tomorrow. Specifically, you’ll want to create an exit strategy for the day you want to move on from your business to a new phase in your life.
To develop this strategy, you’ll need to address these key questions:
• How much do you need (or want) for your business? Ideally, you’ll want the sale of your business to meet your retirement and estateplanning goals. So, you’ll need to think carefully about these goals and what costs they may entail. And these issues aren’t just financial — for example, when you think about how you may want to spend your time in retirement, you might realize that you don’t really want to exit your business completely. So, you might decide to sell just part of it, or sell it entirely, but stay on to help manage it or possibly do some consulting for the new owners.
• How much is your business worth? You may want to calculate your business’ value three to five years before your planned exit. You could do this on your own, but it’s typically advantageous to use professional valuation services. If you’re gifting or selling your business to family members, selling it to an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) or settling an estate, you’ll need to get a more formal qualified appraisal to meet IRS standards.
• How can you close the gap between what you need and what your business is worth? The amount you need from the sale of your business to support your retirement goals may be more than what your business is actually worth. To help close this gap, you could try to boost your business’s profits through the usual means, such as introducing new products, raising prices or cutting costs. But
you might also try to lower the amount you need from the sale by working longer, reducing your personal spending and saving more outside the business. Who will take over your business? When planning for a successor for your business, you have several choices, including selling to a family member or an outside buyer. Going public or liquidating the business are also options. These are distinct paths, but depending on your circumstances, one might be more appropriate for you than another. To cite just one factor, if you don’t have an obvious choice for a family member to take over the business, you might have to consider other buyers. In any case, you’ll need to explore all the economic and personal factors involved in the choice of successor.
• Who can help you with your exit strategy? Exiting a business can be complex. To ensure you’re making the right moves for your overall financial and family situations, you may want to build an exit strategy team, possibly consisting of your financial, legal and tax advisors. You may also need to enlist the services of a commercial banker and a business evaluation expert. Each of these professionals can bring a different area of expertise to your exit decisions, and together they can help address all the issues related to your exit strategy.
Exiting your business will take a lot of planning and decisions — but if it’s done right, it can be worth the effort.
Interest in bereavement support counseling has mushroomed in recent years. WPS wants those widowed to be able to go forward with their lives. We provide the tools, and we have established that our Grief Support sessions work and have worked for over 40 years with hundreds of the widowed now able to go on with their lives in a satisfactory way.
For any other information on Grief Support, call the WPS office 817-5512922 Mon-Thu, 10AM-2PM or Ruth Turner 817-713-9372. If no answer at either number, please leave a voicemail.
July 16, 23, 30, Aug. 6, 13: Genesis United Methodist Church, 7635 S Hulen St, Ft Worth, 2:30 to 4:30 PM. Facilitator: Ruth Turner.
August 20, 27, ( skip Sept 3) 10, 17, 24: St John Lutheran church 1218 East Debbie Lane Mansfield, 230 to 4:30 PM. Facilitator: Phyllis Weisheit.
For more information on any event or to join, call: 817-551-2922
ARLINGTON
Breakfast : Every Saturday 8:30 AM : Skillet & Grill, 1801 W Division St, Arlington.
Lunch : August 10, 11:45 AM, Catfish Sam’s, 2735 West Division St. , Arlington.
BURLESON
Breakfast : Every Tuesday (exluding July 4) 8:30 AM : Our Place, 950 N Burleson Blvd, Burleson.
Lunch : August 31, 11:30 AM, Fish City Grill, 225 E. Renfro, Burleson.
Dinner : August 21, 4:30 PM, Antonia’s Mexican Restaurant,344 SW Wilshire Blvd. , Burleson
GRAND PRAIRIE
Brunch: Every Wednesday 10:30 AM: Theo’s Bar & Grill, 107 NW 8th, Grand Prairie.
MANSFIELD
Breakfast : Every Saturday 8:30 AM: The Porch, 2771 E Broad St, Mansfield (across
from Methodist Hospital).
Lunch : August 4, Noon, Cafe Sicilia 7221 Matlock Rd., Arlington.
Dinner: August 24, 4 PM, Mexican Inn 1722 Hwy.287, Frontage Rd, Mansfield
Games: Every 2nd and 4th Tuesday 1:30 - 4:00 PM : Mansfield Methodist Church, 777 N Walnut Creek Dr, Mansfield.
NORTHEAST
Breakfast : Every Saturday 9:00 AM : The Corner Café, 7901 Mid Cities Blvd, Ste 242, N Richland Hills.
Lunch : August 9, 1 PM, Outback Steakhouse, 813 Airport Freeway, Hurst.
Dinner : August 15, 5 PM, Savian’s Italian Kitchen, 300 North Main, Euless.
SOUTHWEST
Breakfast : Every Thursday 9:00 AM: Cracker Barrel, 8010 SW Loop 820 (exit Winscott Rd), Benbrook.
Wednesday, August 8: Elk’s Lodge #124, 3233 White Settlement Rd., Ft Worth 6:30 to 9 PM. $10 per person.
Friday, August 25: Burleson Senior Center, 216 SW Johnson, Burleson, 6:30 to 9 PM. No admission. Donation only.
Marilyn McEwen of Weatherford won last month’s frog contest. Enter this month’s by emailing to tell us where you found a hidden frog (sample above). Email entry to seniors@hooplamagazine.com. Pick up next month’s issue to see if you’ve won! Winners must contact us within 30 days.
Ticket Info: 817-341-8687
Tentative Dates: Sept. 8 - 24
Synopsis: When literary editor Alice Murphy meets a young soldier just home from World War II, he awakens her longing for the child she once lost. Haunted by their unique connection, Alice sets out on a journey to understand her past – and what she finds has the power to transform both of their lives.
Casa Manana
3101 W Lancaster Ave, Fort Worth
Ticket Info: 817-332-2272
Tentative Dates: Sept. 9-17
Synopsis: With phenomenal music, memorable characters, and great storytelling, Jersey Boys is the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. Featuring electrifying performances of chart-topping hits including “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,” “Dawn,” and “My Eyes Adored You.”
114 Porter Drive, Azle Ticket Info: 817-238-7529
Tentative Dates: Sept. 15-17, Sept.29-Oct. 1
Synopsis: “Deep in the Heart of Tuna” follows the story of Bertha Bumiller and her beautifully dysfunctional family. Tuna is the thirdsmallest town in the state, where the Lion’s Club is too liberal and Patsy Cline never dies. The eclectic band of citizens that make up this town are portrayed by two performers, making this satire on rural America even more powerful as they depict all inhabitants of Tunamen, women, children, and animals.
Granbury Opera House
133 E. Pearl Street, Granbury
Ticket Info: 817-579-0952
Tentative Dates: Aug. 11 - Sept. 10
Synopsis: The musical follows fasttalking traveling salesman, Harold Hill, as he cons the people of River City, Iowa, into buying instruments and uniforms for a boys’ band that he vows to organize – this, despite the fact that he doesn’t know a trombone from a treble clef. His plans to skip town with the cash are foiled when he falls for Marian, the librarian, who transforms him into a respectable citizen by curtain’s fall.
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”
–John 6:35
We have all heard it and many of us have said it, “What we sow, we reap.” We may understand this but what we fail to grasp is that we do not reap in the same season we sow. It is absurd to think we could plant squash seeds this morning and eat fried squash for lunch. The harvest never comes immediately after planting.
The appropriate time, we will reap what we have sown, whether good or bad. This is really about the choices we make now that affect our future. If we make bad decisions, we will reap difficult circumstances. Just as there are seasons in agriculture, there are seasons in life as well.
Some Observations About The Seasons Of Life:
Change Is Inevitable, But God Is In Control - life isn’t really random after all. We experience many things in life because God, in His complete sovereignty, has ordained all of them for our lives...the bad, the difficult and the painful as well as the pleasant, the comfortable and the delightful. God is in control of all, and even when none of it makes sense to us, we can trust His infinite wisdom.
We Will Not Always Understand – At some point we become aware that there has to be more to this life than just the chaos we live out day to day. Hard times come and seasons change, and we often try to fi-
gure it all out on our own. But as humans we cannot see the big picture. Isaiah 55:8 tells us “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. He sees the beginning and the end and the everything in between. We can only see what is right before us. This is where the blind faith and trust in Him comes in.
Life Can Be Managed But Not Manipulated - The effort
to try and manipulate the seasons of our lives in order to gain some advantage or profit in our lives “under the sun” is futile. God has His seasons. We can’t manipulate life and the seasons of life for our own benefit or profit. We don’t get to determine when we experience these various seasons. That is completely in God’s hands.
Even though we cannot control life, we are responsible
for how we live our lives. The good things we are working on, the people we are pouring into, we may not see the fruit and that is something we have to accept. The fruit comes in a different season that the sowing of the seed. God wants us to trust Him, persevere through the seasons of life, even when we don’t quickly see the fruits of our labors, keep sowing the seed.
