Volume 32, Number 5
In May 5th Cinco de Mayo 10th Mother’s Day 16th Armed Forces Day 25th Memorial Day May is Older Americans Month
Inside 2020 Census ........ page 1 Re-opening begins page 1 5 questions about care during COVID-19 ... page 2 Meals on Wheels needs help ........... page 6 GoNoodle resources for parents ........... page 6 The recent herb* craze .................... page 7 Update: COVID-19 page 9 Preparing for the school reunion ............... page 15 A Light of Hope: Donate Life ........ page 17 Give your body respect ............... page 19
May 2020
24 Pages
Lubbock, Texas 79401
Re-opening begins May 1 with limits By Patrick Svitek “Now it’s time to The Texas Tribune set a new course, a The businesses course that responsimust limit occupancy bly opens up business to no more than 25%. in Texas,” Abbott Gov. Greg Abbott said, flanked by Lt. said the state’s stayGov. Dan Patrick and at-home order has Texas House Speakdone its job to slow er Dennis Bonnen. the growth of CO“Just as we united VID-19. as one state to slow Abbott said MonCOVID-19, we must day that he will let also come together to the state’s stay-atbegin rebuilding the home order expire lives and the liveliThursday as schedhoods of our fellow uled and allow busiPhoto by Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune Texans.” nesses to begin re- Gov. Greg Abbott declared a statewide Abbott said his opening in phases emergency amid new cases of COVID-19 in new order “superon May 1, the latest the state on March 13, at the state capitol. sedes all local orramp-up in his push During a news conference on April 17, Abbott ders” saying those said the state’s stay-at-home order has done to restart the Texas its job to slow the growth of COVID-19. businesses must reeconomy amid the main closed. He said coronavirus pandemic. ings could come as soon as his order overrules any local First to open Friday: retail May 18 — as long as the government that wants to stores, restaurants, movie state sees “two weeks of impose a fine or penalty for theaters and malls. But they data to confirm no flare-up of not wearing a mask — somewill only be allowed to oper- COVID-19.” thing the latest statewide ate at 25% capacity. That second phase would rules encourage but do not Museums and libraries allow businesses to expand mandate. will also be allowed to open their occupancy to 50%, acAbbott said he is holdat 25% capacity, but hands- cording to the governor. ing off on reopening certain on exhibits must remain Abbott made the an- businesses for the time, inclosed. nouncement during a news cluding barbershops, hair saAbbott said a second conference at the Texas lons, bars and gyms. He said phase of business re-open- Capitol. (See Re-opening begins, Page 16)
The 2020 Census is happening now. You can complete your questionnaire online, by phone, or by mail. Go online to My2020census.gov, or call 844-3302020, or mail completed paper form to: U.S. Census Bureau, National Processing Center, 1201 E 10th St., Jeffersonville, IN 47132. In March, homes received invitations to complete the 2020 Census. During the 2020 Census, the Census Bureau will never ask you for: • Your Social Security number. • Money or donations. • Anything on behalf of a political party. • Your bank or credit card account numbers. If someone claiming to be from the Census Bureau contacts you via email or phone and asks you for one of these things, it’s a scam, and you should hang up the phone. There is no citizenship question on the 2020 Census.
Page 2 • May 2020 • Golden Gazette
5 questions about health care during COVID-19 While managing a prescription regimen can feel daunting for seniors even in the best of times, it’s important to ensure medications continue to be filled and taken as recommended to remain strong and healthy in the midst of a pandemic. Having a plan in place for a senior loved one to manage prescription and over-thecounter drugs safely can help alleviate stress and reduce potential hazards. “The current pandem-
ic has left many families and older adults feeling overwhelmed and underprepared,” said Lakelyn Hogan, gerontologist and caregiver advocate at Home Instead Senior Care. “With so much misinformation and ambiguity surrounding COVID-19, medications are top of mind for many.” Medication mismanagement is among the most serious health threats facing seniors. So, Home Instead
reached out to Dr. Kyle Decker, PharmD, chief operating officer of Simple Meds, for guidance. “In the middle of so much uncertainty, we’ve seen people turning to their community pharmacy for answers, or even just a calm and trusted voice,” Decker said.
follow the advice of the CDC, which includes staying home. A physical visit to the pharmacy isn’t required to pick up the medication. Consider home deliveries before supplies run short. Direct-mail pharmacy services can automatically organize and sort medications,
to obtain medical advice at home. Through a virtual health service, you can receive care from a healthcare professional via the internet. If your senior begins to experience new or unidentified symptoms, reach out to a healthcare provider to determine the next best step. A
“Pharmacists are on the front line, working diligently to ensure patients get the medications and treatment they need.” Decker shares answers to some of the most common questions pharmacists are receiving right now: Q: Can a senior make a quick trip to my community pharmacy for a medication? A: Older adults and others who are at high risk should
packaging each dose into clearly labeled packets that are mailed out every month. Many states are also temporarily permitting pharmacists to dispense emergency refills when a doctor visit isn’t possible. Q: My loved one’s doctor appointment was cancelled. What should I do if she needs to get in? A: Many doctor’s offices and insurance carriers offer remote or telehealth options
video chat or phone call with a healthcare professional is a simple and convenient way to get what you need when you can’t physically visit the office. Q: What medications should a senior have on hand and does he need to stock up? A: Recommend an older adult continue filling as always, rather than buying more than he needs. Stock-
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(See 5 questions, Page 3)
Golden Gazette • May 2020 • Page 3
Physical Therapy Today is open, all locations Physical Therapy Today is open at all three Lubbock locations and Littlefield. Patient safety is of the utmost importance. PTT is following CDC guidelines which include initial daily temperature checks, health questionnaires, social distancing, extreme cleaning & disinfecting, hand sanitizing (as patients enter & exit the building), and all staff wearing masks. We also encourage our patients to wear masks, and we have them available for purchase as well. If you are hurting or in need of physical or occupational therapy, call 687-8008. Stay safe and see you soon.
He is right here
By Laurie Foster
Founder/director, Backyard Mission
I wanted to share something that I believe the Father put on my heart. I don’t believe the Father forsook or looked away from Jesus on the cross; as some have preached. I believe He was right there with Him, arms wrapped around Him, holding Him, crying out - ”I am right here Son, I am right here!” Did Jesus “feel” forsaken at that moment when He bore Q: How do I know regimen to manage medica- our sins? Absolutely, that is what COVID-19 in- tions, and a local pharmacy formation is credible? or a medication service can A: There’s an abundance help. For more resources on A man and his wife were having some problems at of articles and research stud- medication management, home and were giving each other the silent treatment. Suddenly, the man realized that the next day, he ies available regarding CO- reach out to your local Home would need his wife to wake him at 5 a.m. for an early VID-19. Some are reputable, Instead Senior Care office or morning business flight. and some are not. visit www.LetsTalkAboutRx. Not wanting to be the first to break the silence, he Now more than ever, it’s com. wrote on a piece of paper, ‘Please wake me at 5 a.m.’ important to think critically - Homeinstead.com The next morning, the man woke up, only to discovabout the sources you’re user it was 9 a.m., and he had missed his flight. Furious, ing to get information and It’s like being 16 he was about to go and see why his wife hadn’t wakavoid information overload. again. Gas is cheap, ened him, when he noticed a piece of paper by the bed. Choose a reputable source and I’m grounded. The paper said, ‘It is 5 a.m. Wake up.’ like the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO), or your local health authority and commit to checking it once in the morning and afShort-term & Long-term Rehabilitation ternoon, rather than grazing We specialize in: throughout the day. While it • Physical, Occupational & Speech Therapy is important to stay current, • Stroke Recovery Care too much information can • Orthopedic Rehabilitation contribute to high stress lev• Diabetes Symptom Management els. If you have any concerns regarding something you’ve • Stroke Therapy read on the internet, contact • Wound Care your pharmacist or health• Pain Management care provider. Establish a safe system or
5 questions about health care (Continued from Page 2)
piling months of medication only leads to a tighter supply of popular medications. However, if he’s running short on the basics like acetaminophen, consider purchasing an extra bottle to have on hand. Acetaminophen is among the best home treatments for many mild illnesses. Q: Is it safe to make hand sanitizer if none is available? A: Regularly cleaning hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds is the most important step in prevention of spreading illness. Hand sanitizer is the next best thing if soap is not readily available. The FDA recommends that consumers do not attempt to make their own hand sanitizer. When made incorrectly, hand sanitizer can be ineffective, and users can suffer from skin burns.
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what sin does. It makes us feel lost and abandoned - separated. I believe it wasn’t the absence of the Father, it was the presence of sin, that made Christ feel forsaken. Same for us today, and still the Father cries out, “I am right here child, I am right here.” During this crazy and scary time in our world, know that the Father cries out to you, “I am right here child, I am right here.”
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The Silent Treatment
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Page 4 • May 2020 • Golden Gazette
‘Everything is Beautiful,’ A million-selling 1970 song It’s hard to imagine a But that’s precisely what million-selling 1970 song happened with a man who opening with the voices of a had gained renown dursecond-grade class singing ing the 1960s for recording Jesus loves the little chil- clever novelty ditties. Ray Stevens began life dren, all the little children as Harold Ray Ragsdale in of the world; Red and yellow, black and 1939 in Clarkdale, Georgia. During his childhood, he white, they are precious was influenced by music in his sight; Jesus loves the little chil- from the family radio and from 45s blasting from the dren of the world. jukebox at the local swimWhich side? ming pool where Stevens I went to KFC to get the and his pals spent their sumkids something to eat. They mers. wanted kids’ meals with a From the time he began leg, so I said, “Kids meal taking piano lessons at age with the leg,” and the lady 7, he knew he would follow said, “Which side?” music as his career path. In complete silence, I Nothing else interested him. contemplated such an odd After graduating from request, then said, “I guess high school, Stevens enrolled the right side. I don’t know at Georgia State University, what the difference is.” where he studied classical After several moments piano and music theory. of laughter, she said, “No, But he dropped out during honey, which side would his junior year after being you like to go with the offered a contract with Merleg – mashed potatoes or cury Records as a pianist arwedges?” ranger and a recording artist.
(He had quite a fine voice.) What followed was a series of catchy novelty and radio-friendly original singles such as “Ahab the Arab,” “Harry the Hairy Ape” and “Guitarzan.”
Nothing Stevens had recorded, though, had ever reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100. That was about to change with the new decade. In 1970, pop singer Andy Williams launched the Barnaby record label, and Stevens became its first artist after he had won praise singing on Williams’ NBC-TV variety telecast. The Georgian was also offered The Ray Stevens Show as a summer replacement broadcast.
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“I needed a very special tune for the program,” Stevens recalled on mybestyears.com. “I went down in my basement for about three days. I had crumpled paper all over
the place. And suddenly the idea for the song came to me. I wrote it in maybe 45 minutes. “It was a very special song and one that a lot of people still remember and sing along with when I do it in shows.” He recruited his two daughters and the secondgrade class at Nashville’s Oak Hill Elementary School to introduce his creation, which segued into Stevens’s uplifting melody that includ-
We’re there.
You may have to look around the carts and the scooters, but we’re there.
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ed such significant lyrics as
We shouldn’t care about the length of his hair Or the color of his skin Don’t worry about what shows from without But the love that lives within. Dismissed by some naysayers as cornball pap, “Everything is Beautiful” nonetheless reached the peak of the Billboard chart and earned Stevens a Male Vocalist of the Year Grammy Award. For years, it was his signature song. In 1974, lightning struck a second time for Stevens when he read about streaking, a college-campus fad in which students would strip naked and run past slackjawed onlookers. He was thus inspired to create his second Barnaby Records winner, “The Streak,” a novelty that streaked to the pinnacle of the Billboard hit list.
Golden Gazette • May 2020 • Page 5
Find the library at your place - learning, crafting, do-it-yourself sessions, etc. While the libraries’ physical spaces may be temporarily closed due to COVID-19, the public can discover ebooks, audiobooks, digital magazines, online databases, and much more—all from home. Visit www.lubbocklibrary.com to access virtual services and resources.
Distance teaches us to appreciate the days that we are able to spend together and distance teaches us the definition of patience. It is a reminder that every moment together is special, and every second together should be cherished.
In times of crisis, libraries respond to their community’s needs in innovative and inspiring ways. Libraries are continuing to make a difference in people’s lives by providing electronic learning resources, including virtual homework help, online crafting, and DIY sessions, as well as information about keeping your family well and safe. The original theme for National Library Week, “Find your place at the library,” was chosen months ago before the emergence of a global pandemic would force libraries to close their buildings. In response to rapidly-changing times, the theme was revised to “Find the library at your place” to bring attention to how libraries are open for business online, offering the electronic services and digital content their communities need now more than ever. First sponsored in 1958, National Library Week is a national observance sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) and libraries of all types across the country each April. For more information, visit the library’s website at www.lubbocklibrary.com.
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Page 6 • May 2020 • Golden Gazette
GoNoodle resources available to parents
Covenant Health and GoNoodle have partnered to provide resources to parents at home with children. For three years Covenant Health and GoNoodle have offered free, positive content
to provide kids with stress relief, to learn healthy practices, and to provide overall good energy. GoNoodle is a resource for teachers and is used by all school districts in Lubbock, Hale, Hockley
Counties in Texas and Lea County in New Mexico. Because of the pandemic the nation is facing, GoNoodle has created content specifically for parents at home with children. GoNoodle: Good Energy at Home provides premium content and learning materials including movement and mindfulness videos as well as downloadable learning resources and ideas for offscreen activities. For parents and teachers who sign up for email updates, they will send updates, new ideas, activities, and tools each week.
Content can be streamed through their website and apps on iOS, Android, Roku, Amazon Fire, and Apple TV. “GoNoodle is a wonderful resource for parents,” Covenant Health Community Investment Programs Manager Veronica Soto said. “GoNoodle resources are used daily by our students and teachers at school. Now its resources can be used by everyone to enhance this time when we are all learning together.” GoNoodle has also launched GoNoodle: Buena Energía, to provide select
GoNoodle videos in Spanish, as a resource for our Spanish speaking communities.
Now, more than ever, our neighbors need our help. The demand for Meals on Wheels, including preparation and delivery, increases every day due to COVID-19. Elderly and disabled neighbors are at risk, and we must do what we can to put them at ease, keep them healthy, and let them know there is someone who cares during this troubling time. Many seniors are afraid, and many are alone. A donation or help to Lubbock Meals on Wheels will provide much needed assistance. Costs have increased due
to the need for additional supplies and services necessary to operate during this pandemic. Donations can be mailed
to Lubbock Meals on Wheels, 2304 34th St., Lubbock 79411, online at LubbockMealsOnWheels.org, or call 792-7971.
A couple drove down a country road for several miles, not saying a word. An earlier discussion had led to an argument and neither of them wanted to concede their position. As they passed a barnyard of mules, goats, and pigs, the husband asked sarcastically, ‘Relatives of yours?’ ‘Yep,’ the wife replied, ‘in-laws.’
Meals on Wheels needs help
Mom, why are humans wearing muzzles? Well, pup, they are too dumb to learn to ‘sit’ and ‘stay.’
Golden Gazette • May 2020 • Page 7
The recent herb* craze What a difference Dear Folks, Recently I’ve observed the emphasis both on the food network and in our own local newspaper, on using and growing herbs. As a “seasoned,” West Texas gardener, I’ve found herbs can be a gardener’s best friend. They are resistant to nearly all garden pests and some can be very prolific and occasionally invasive. After many years in West Texas’ and sometimes, hourly “climate change,” here is my experience on what thrives in my garden.
beautiful blue flowers (that are loaded with seeds) which must be picked to avoid spreading everywhere and even blowing into your lawn. They die back in winter and start sprouting back in early spring.
4. Society Garlic
they grew into two large bushes. One recently went to “herb heaven” – don’t know what happened, but I practice tough love in my garden. If it dies, it doesn’t get replaced. Sage stays green all year and is handy for your turkeys at holiday time.
It looks like chives on 8. Lemon Basil steroids. They grow in huge I started mine years ago clumps with white (seed from 3 plants which nearly filled) flowers. Pick those took over the yard. flowers ASAP to avoid I kept pulling them out spreading. year after year until I now get a few here and there. 5. Dill They are now manageable, The “Mammoth” variety, and great in recipes. starts from seed and will come back each year from 9. Cilantro 1. Parsley the dropped seeds. It starts easily from seed Both curly and flat leaf vaThe growing season is and comes back every year. rieties grow easily from seed very short, so cut and dry the It’s not invasive, but has and continue growing even “leaves” and harvest some a short season in the early in winter. Cut back those seeds for cooking sauerkraut, summer, so harvest or dry ugly “seedy” stems that prosausage, etc. Yummy! They ASAP. The seeds, coriander, duce seed. come back in early spring can also be used. About every 3 years, or and grow to at least 2 feet so, you may have to reseed. 10. Sweet Basil & tall. I haven’t had to do that for Oregano several years; mine just 6. Mint I have not been successI started mine from a few ful in my garden, but they keeps coming back. plants. They are best kept grow huge every year in my 2. Rosemary in a contained area because daughter’s garden. I purchased one of those their roots are extremely She also has overwhelmcute Christmas tree Rosevigorous and will invade the ing luck with cherry tomamary plants years ago. Mine other areas. toes which keep coming eventually grew into a huge They are beautiful in the back. She lives in West Lubbush, which I finally cut spring but do not do well in bock near Wolfforth. Maybe back early this spring. summer’s heat. I just keep hourly “climate change” It stays green all year and them cut back at that time. doesn’t go that far! Hmmproduces beautiful small Harvest and dry when at mmm. blooms. their best. Happy cooking and a 3. Chives blessed Mother’s Day to all, 7. Sage I started mine from seeds, Cathy Easter I started mine from 2 and they grow in pretty small plants years ago, and *(The ‘H’ is silent.) clumps. The also produce
your lunch hour can make! Once a week, or once a month, use your lunch hour to deliver a hot, nutritious meal to someone who is homebound.
You will make their day, and they will make yours. Call
806-792-7971 for more info.
Lubbock Meals on Wheels www.LubbockMealsOnWheels.org
Caregiver Support Groups 1st Monday, 6:30 p.m. Hope Lutheran Church, 5700 98th St., 798-2747, dborkenhagen@hopelubbock.com 3rd Monday, 1 p.m. & 6 p.m. Wolfforth United Methodist Church, 102 Donald Preston Drive, 866-4200, lloyd@wolfforthumc.org 4th Monday, 11:30 a.m. Brookdale Monterey, brown bag lunch, 5204 Elgin, 788-1919, allison.mcmillan@brookdale.com 2nd Tuesday, 10:30 a.m. Bacon Heights Baptist Church, 5110 54th St., 799-4512, delwells4@aol.com 3rd Tuesday, 6 to 7 p.m. Legacy at the South Plains, 10711 Indiana, 686-4786 robert.brown@legacyatsouthplains.com 1st & 3rd Wednesdays, 10:30 a.m. to noon Wilshire Place, 6410 Erskine, 778-1114, marianneh1107@gmail.com 4th Thursday, 1 p.m. Turning Point Community Church, 11202 Quaker Ave. 1-800-272-3900 3rd Saturday, 10 a.m. Carillon Senior LifeCare, 1717 Norfolk Ave., 778-1114, marianneh1107@gmail.com
www.alz.org/westtexas • ALZConnected.org
Page 8 • May 2020 • Golden Gazette
What’s the skinny on Twiggy?
She became one of the world’s early supermodels, known by her first name only and possessed a unique look that defined the later 1960s fashion world. Born Lesley Hornby in September 1949, she was the youngest of three daughters from Neasden, a workingclass section of London. Her natural gauntness earned her the cruel childhood nicknames of “Olive Oyl” and “Twigs.” (Her first
manager later promoted the name “Twiggy.”) Her mother had taught her to sew, and Twiggy used that skill to make her own in-style clothing. She and her fashion-conscious friends would spend their weekdays planning what they would wear on a Saturday night out. Weekends found her at work at a London hairdressers while attending art school. In January 1966, she had her hair colored and clipped short at the chic salon Leonard of Mayfair. Leonard himself had been seeking models to promote a new crop haircut of his. He hired a photog-
“I looked more like a young boy than a girl model.”
- Dame Lesley Lawson (aka Twiggy)
rapher to take head shots of the 16-year-old for his salon walls. Before long, a fashion journalist from London’s Daily Express, the biggest newspaper of the day, noticed the pictures and asked to meet the young lady. A few weeks later, the newspaper published numerous
photos of Twiggy, with the bold headline “THE FACE OF ’66.” She left school, became a full-time model, and created a sea change for a fashion renaissance in the UK. Twiggy was always defensive about her natural thinness, and if someone
asked what she ate, she always gave the same terse response: “Food.” Nothing about her was typical. She was short for a model (5’ 6”), weighed only 91 pounds and had vital statistics of 30-22-32 figure. (“I was a skinny schoolgirl, stuffing tissues in my little bra.”) Her androgynous sex appeal quickly brought her renown throughout the United Kingdom, where she modeled top designers’ clothes and adorned the covers of highfashion magazines. Twiggy earned more in an hour than her carpenter father earned in a month. Her followers eagerly emptied store shelves of Twiggy lunchboxes, pens, cosmetics, dolls, bedding and
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dresses. She glided through London traffic in a Rolls Royce, and restaurant patrons sometimes offered a standing ovation when she went out to dinner. In 1967, Twiggy pushed past her British boundaries to become a modeling sensation around the world. She experienced Beatlelike frenzy in America when the New Yorker magazine devoted nearly 100 pages to the short-haired, mini-skirted teenager who sported three sets of false eyelashes. The remainder of the 1960s swirled by for Twiggy amid photo shoots, personal appearances, and interviews. She retired from modeling in 1970 to do more than pose for a camera and remained an English icon after establishing an award-winning career in dramatics and recording albums of pop music. In 2019, she received one of the UK’s highest honors awarded to citizens in public service when she became a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
Golden Gazette • May 2020 • Page 9
Updates on some things to know about COVID-19 Covenant Health personnel answered questions via ZOOM on April 22 to help clarify what the medical field is actually dealing with regarding COVID-19. Dr. Craig Rhyne with Covenant Health responded to frequently asked questions. 1. The hospitals are not full of COVID-19 patients. Currently, Lubbock hospitals are less than half full and a small percentage of those patients have tested positive for COVID-19. Elective procedures make up a large part of the hospital census. Due to the Governor’s mandate to temporarily stop those procedures, our hospitals are sitting at less than half of capacity. Right now, our COVID-19 positive patients make up less than 2.5% of our overall capacity. 2. Not all COVID-19 patients are in the hospitals. In fact, in the Lubbock
region about 2% of positive and caregivers are assigned patients are hospitalized for for essential care only. COVID-19 complications. 5. The public should be wearing masks 81% of COVID-19 patients while out in public have mild to no symptoms. and should continue 3. Out of all the people to practice social diswho are tested, less tancing. than 10% of people We encourage the comtest positive. Many other illnesses, such munity to follow the Centers as strep or allergy issues, for Disease Control (CDC) have similar symptoms to guidelines by wearing masks while out in public for essenthat of COVID-19. Some people are tested tial services. The masks will not protect because of a possible exposure, but the chances of you from contracting the someone getting sick from COVID-19 virus, but it will someone outside of a close protect you from spreading the illness to others if you are family member is low. infected and do not display 4. All COVID-19 patients any symptoms. are within a small Community members portion of our hosshould continue to stay at pital. home and practice social Patients who test positive distancing while out for esfor COVID-19 are isolated sential services. on two specific floors of the 6. The public can help hospital. by being vigilant, eduThese patients do not cated, and calm. travel from unit to unit and Get information from aptheir nurses are not working anywhere other than their proved sources such as the specified unit. No visitors are Centers for Disease Control allowed on these two floors (CDC), local health depart-
Reliable sources of information regarding COVID-19 https://ci.lubbock.tx.us/departments/health-department/about-us/covid-19 https://coronavirus.providence.org/ https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
ment, and hospital websites. Follow precautions such as good hand washing and avoiding travel to identified hot spots.
Finally, stay calm. Local health care providers are prepared to handle patients should they present with COVID-19.
Remove 10 pieces of litter every Tuesday
Keep Lubbock Beautiful
A new litter-prevention program: “10 on Tuesday”
Working toward a clean, litter-free city www.keeplubbockbeautiful.org 806-775-3149
Page 10 • May 2020 • Golden Gazette
What’s on your mind?
Send your “Viewpoints” to: Golden Gazette 1310 Avenue Q Lubbock, TX 79401
1310 Ave. Q Lubbock,TX 79401
Earliest known solar eclipse
An astronomical event recorded on a clay tablet found in 1948 among the ruins of the ancient city of Ugarit, in what is now Syria, was identified as a description of a total solar eclipse that occurred on May 3, 1375 BC. The dating of ancient solar eclipses provides
reference points to fix the long-term evolution of angular momentum in the Earth-Moon system. When the Ugarit eclipse record was reanalyzed, the day of the eclipse was set as March 5, 1223 BC. This new date implies that the secular deceleration of the Earth’s rotation has changed very little during the past 3,000 years.
When the Press on with hope & grateful hearts approach May doors. They’ve opened the May. But we are still enrichdust settles 2020Asandwebeyond, our hearts electronic doors and are ing lives; we just don’t have
By Sonya Renee Taylor I think that when the dust settles, we will realize how little we need, how very much we actually have, and the true value of human connection. We will not go back to normal. Normal never was. Our pre-corona existence was not normal other than we normalized greed, inequity, exhaustion, depletion, extraction, disconnection, confusion, rage, hoarding, hate and lack. We should not long to return, my friends. We are being given the opportunity to stitch a new garment, one that fits all of humanity and nature.
are full of hope and prospects for the future, while we grieve our losses. We’ve been through an unprecedented time in our lives where even churches have closed their physical
To the editor I wanted to pass along to you that the folks I deliver meals to really love the Golden Gazette. Never fails that they tell me about something they have read and want to share with all. Thank you for all that you do. Joan Blackmon, MBA If you thought the toilet paper thing was crazy, just wait until 300 million people all want a haircut appointment.
reaching people in new and different ways. And so are we all – connecting in different ways. For more than 30 years, we’ve published the Golden Gazette as a source of information for seniors of the Lubbock area. And for the first time in the April edition, we realized as we were putting it together during March that activities would be closed or canceled. No face-to-face meetings. So the April edition was the 1st paper we’ve ever produced that had no information about an upcoming event because there were no events that were actually going to take place. And as we approach finalizing the May edition, we find ourselves in the same position. The Enriching Lives Calendar will not be a part of the paper again in
a calendar for now. We will continue to provide our readers with information, explanation, entertainment, and a lot of lighthearted perspectives. The tragedies we have seen in families who have lost loved ones make it extremely difficult to bear during this time. But there’s always hope, and things are getting better. Readers, we appreciate your loyalty; advertisers, we are continually grateful for your advertising and support of our efforts. For those of you who are not a part of the Gazette, we welcome your readership, we welcome your advertising. Please keep in touch. We press on with grateful hearts. Good luck and most of all – HOPE. Mary Ann Edwards Publisher
806-744-2220
GOLDEN GAZETTE is published monthly by Word Publications, 1310 Ave. Q, Lubbock, Texas 79401.
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Subscriptions For a subscription, send a check to Golden Gazette, 1310 Ave. Q, Lubbock 79401. $24 for one year, or $48 for 2 years. Staff: Jo Anne Corbet, Bené Cornett, Dr. Elva Edwards, Mary Ann Edwards, Randal Hill, Calva Ledbetter, Gary McDonald, Margaret Merrell, Cathy Mottet, Cary Swinney, Mary Valentini
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Golden Gazette • May 2020 • Page 11
On the east side of the Interstate-27 access road, between 34th and 19th streets, a mural reads “Not all heroes wear capes.” The mural honors three who died early in 2020. The three drawings memorialize Lt. Eric Hill, 39, a Lubbock firefighter and paramedic; Haley Perez, 13, who died from cancer on March 10; and Nicholas Reyna, 27, a Lubbock police officer. Hill and Reyna died Jan. 11, in the line of duty while working a crash scene on northbound I-27. Matt Dawson, 30, a firefighter also on the scene, was in critical condition, but survived the crash. He remains in intensive
Quarantine journal
Half of us are going to come out of this quarantine as amazing cooks. The other half may come out with a drinking problem. I used to spin that toilet paper like I was on Wheel of Fortune. Now I turn it like I’m cracking a safe. I need to practice social-distancing from the refrigerator. Every few days try your jeans on just to make sure they fit. Pajamas will have you believe all is well in the kingdom. I don’t think anyone expected that when we changed the clocks we’d go from Standard Time to the Twilight Zone. This morning I saw a neighbor talking to her cat. It was obvious she thought her cat understood her. I came into my house, told my dog, and we laughed a lot. So, after this quarantine will the producers of My 600 Pound Life just find me or do I find them? 5th day of quarantine: Went to this restaurant called THE KITCHEN. You have to gather the ingredients and make your own meal. How is this place still in business? My body has absorbed so much soap and disinfectant lately, that when I pee it cleans the toilet. Day 5 of Homeschooling: One of these little monsters called in a bomb threat. I’m so excited. It’s time to take out the garbage. What should I wear? I hope the weather is good tomorrow for my trip to Puerto Backyarda. I’m getting tired of Los Livingroom. Classified Ad: Single man with toilet paper seeks woman with hand sanitizer for good clean fun. Day 6 of Homeschooling: My child just said, “I hope I don’t have the same teacher next year.” I’m offended.
rehab for injuries suffered that day. The mural was painted by Joey Martinez on the south side of the Xplosive Kustomz building, a custom paint and body shop.
Page 12 • May 2020 • Golden Gazette
Beware of COVID-19-related scams The Texas Tech IT Division reminds everyone to be vigilant for malicious cyber activity seeking to capitalize on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) topic. These scams often contain links or attachments that direct users to phishing or malware-infected websites.
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In some cases, these attempts to steal your identity are very sophisticated, complete with professional logos and fluent grammar. For official information about the coronavirus, visit: • City of Lubbock Health Department COVID-19 website: https:// ci.lubbock.tx.us/COVID19 • CDC Coronavirus Disease 2019 website: https://www.cdc.gov/ coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html. Be vigilant in practicing online security. Additional cybersecurity tips are online at http://cybersecurity. ttu.edu, and some area IT consultants are listed under “Additional Resources.”
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Every moment matters. Don’t waste a single one. For over 35 years, Covenant Heart and Vascular Institute has provided everything from routine community health screenings to advanced heart procedures. There are many serious causes of chest pain including heart attacks, blood clots and aneurysms. If you are experiencing chest pain – come see the specialists at the only certified Chest Pain Center in Lubbock. Together, we’ll help ensure you’re enjoying every moment with a full heart. To learn more and take an online risk assessment, visit covenanthealth.org/heart.
Golden Gazette • May 2020 • Page 13
By Garrison Institute on Aging
TEXAS TECH HEALTH SCIENCES CENTER
What a difference a month can make! Most of us have gone to thinking – ‘The whole world can never shut down,’ to ‘Can I look at these four walls any longer!’ The virus has gripped the world, but there are glimmers of what is to come again. Government officials are continually giving us updates and a glimmer of hope that we will be back to a ‘normal’ soon. There’s no doubt that the normal as we once knew will morph to the ‘new normal.’ One thing I have come to appreciate more is the printed word. I enjoy sitting and reading, yes, really reading the newspaper, a magazine, a good book, the Golden Gazette, and the lists goes on. As most of you have somewhat adjusted, I would
like to update you on a few areas that you can utilize and adapt to. All community education and outreach from the Garrison Institute on Aging has been suspended for the foreseeable future. When we will go back to ‘face to face’ sessions is still unknown. In the meantime, we are working on putting information out on social media. I know that some of these can be an adjustment for us, but as we progress, we will give you guidance on how to sign on. In the interim, we encourage you to contact me by sending an email. You can reach me at joan.blackmon@ ttuhsc.edu. So for this month, I just want to share with you some laughs and life lessons.
As time allows, remember to… • Take time to smell the coffee. • Watch the way sunlight bounces off a window. • Listen to the sound of your favorite person’s laugh. • Look at the color of the sky at dawn and dusk. • Capture the feeling when your favorite song comes on. The world is now Las Vegas. Everybody’s losing money. It is acceptable to drink at all hours, and no one has any idea what day it is. It is OK to fall apart sometimes. Tacos fall apart, and we still love them. Who would believe that Cinco de Mayo now falls on Taco Tuesday while we are recovering with a Mexican beer called a virus! Stay safe, & see you next month.
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From LISD Superintendent Dr. Rollo
Governor Abbott stated that school facilities will remain closed for the remainder of the school year. We are disappointed that we will not be together this school year, but certainly understand his decision. The health and safety of our students and staff are our top priority. Remote learning, food distribution, and other services will continue through the scheduled end of the school year. We will continue to communicate with our families regularly to provide updates. While the end of this school year will look different, we know we will finish strong. Thank you to all of our staff, students, and families for holding true to our mission of nurturing, developing, and inspiring every child, every day - in every possible way. – Dr. Kathy Rollo
Page 14 • May 2020 • Golden Gazette
Golden Gazette • May 2020 • Page 15
Preparing for the high school class reunion I had prepared for it like any intelligent woman would. I went on a starvation diet the day before, knowing that all the extra weight would just melt off in 24 hours, leaving me with my sleek, trim, high-school-girl body. The last 40 years of careful cellulite collection would just be gone with a snap of a finger. I knew if I didn’t eat a morsel on Friday, that I could probably fit into my senior formal on Saturday. Trotting up to the attic, I pulled the gown out of the garment bag, carried it lovingly downstairs, ran my hand over the fabric, and hung it on the door. I took the gown off the hanger, unzipped the shimmering dress, and stepped gingerly into it. I struggled, twisted, turned, and pulled, and I got the formal all the way up to my knees before the zipper gave out. I was disappointed. I wanted to wear that dress with those silver sandals and dance the night away. OK, one setback was not going to spoil my mood for this affair. No way! Rolling the dress into a ball and tossing it into the corner, I turned to Plan B: the black crepe caftan. I gathered up all the goodies that I had purchased at
Saks: the scented shower gel; the body building and highlighting shampoo and conditioner; the split-end killer and shine enhancer. Soon my hair would look like that girls in the Pantene ads. Then the makeup -- the under eye “ain’t no lines here” firming cream, the allday face-lifting, gravity-fighting moisturizer with wrinkle filler spackle; the ‘kiss-me-all-day’ lipstick, and the bronzing face powder for that special glow. But first, the roll-on facial hair remover. I could feel the wrinkles shuddering in fear. OK, time to get ready. I jumped into the steaming shower, soaped, lathered, rinsed, shaved, tweezed, buffed, scrubbed and scoured my body to a tingling pink. I plastered my freshly scrubbed face with the antiwrinkle, gravity-fighting face cream. I set my hair on hot rollers. I felt wonderful - ready to take on the world, or in this instance, my underwear. With the towel firmly wrapped around my glistening body, I pulled out the
black lace, tummy-tucking, cellulite-pushing, ham hockrounding girdle, and the matching “lifting those bosoms like they’re filled with helium” bra. I greased my body with the scented body lotion and began the plunge. I pulled, stretched, tugged, hiked, folded, tucked, twisted, shimmied, hopped, pushed, wiggled, snapped, shook, caterpillar crawled, and kicked. Sweat poured off my forehead, but I was done. And it didn’t look bad. So I rested. The girdle was on my body. Bounce a quarter off my behind? It was tighter than a trampoline. Can you say, “Rubber baby buggy bumper buns?”
OK, so I had to take baby steps, and walk sideways, and I couldn’t move from my buns to my knees. But I was firm! Oh no! I had to go to the bathroom. And there wasn’t a snap crotch. From now on, undies gotta have that snap. I was ready to rip it open and re-stitch it with Velcro, but the pain factor from past experiments was still fresh in my mind. I quickly sidestepped to the bathroom. An hour later, I had answered nature’s call and repeated the struggle into the girdle. I was ready for the bra. I remembered what the saleslady said to do. I could see her glossed lips mouthing, “Do not fasten in the front, and twist it around.
Put it on the way it should be worn -- straps over the shoulders, then bend over and gently place both breasts inside the cups.” I put my arms into the holsters, bent over, and pulled the bra down, but my body was not cooperating. I’d tuck one in a cup, and while placing the other, the first would slip out. I needed a strategy. I bounced up and down a few times, tried to dribble them in with short bunny hops, but that didn’t work. So, while bent over, I began rocking gently back and forth on my heel and toes, and I set ‘em to swinging. Finally, on the fourth swing, pause, and lift, I captured the gliding glands. Quickly fastening the back of the bra, I stood up for examination. Back straight, slightly arched, I turned and faced the mirror, turning front, and then sideways. I smiled. Yes, Houston, we have lift up! Breasts were high, firm, and there was cleavage! I was happy until I tried to look down. I had a chin rest. And I couldn’t see my feet. I still had to put on pantyhose and shoes. Oh, why did I buy heels with buckles? Then I had to go again. So I put on my sweats, fixed myself a drink, ordered pizza, and skipped the high school reunion.
Page 16 • May 2020 • Golden Gazette
Re-opening begins May 1 with limits (Continued from Page 1)
Lubbock Lorenzo Nazareth Post Shallowater Slaton
he hopes those businesses can open on or no later than mid-May. In unveiling his new order, Abbott established a different standard aimed at rural counties with little coronavirus presence, saying counties with five or fewer cases can effectively skip to the second phase and reopen businesses at 50% capacity. Abbott’s announcement Monday also came with news for entities that have been allowed to stay open through the pandemic, such as churches. He said his latest rules allow them to expand their capacity even more as long as they follow social distancing practices. As for outdoor sports, Abbott said they will be allowed as long as they are limited to
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four participants — allowing for sports such as golf or tennis — and social distancing is also respected. The goal of the second phase would be to permit more participants, Abbott said. Abbott’s latest announcement also lets all licensed health care professionals return to work, though there are a few restrictions, he said. Hospitals must keep 15% of their capacity for COVID-19 patients. Abbott’s news conference Monday marked his second
“To laugh often and much; to win the respect of the intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the beauty in others; to leave the world a bit better whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know that one life has breathed easier because you lived here. This is to have succeeded.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Golden Gazette • May 2020 • Page 17
A Light of Hope: Blue & green displays in honor of Donate Life LifeGift is lighting up Texas in blue and green to advance awareness of organ, eye and tissue donation. April was National Donate Life Month, an annual observance to help encourage Americans to register as organ, eye and tissue donors and to honor those who have saved lives through the gift of donation. During this unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, LifeGift shines a light this year also for our hospital and transplant center
59 U.S. bridges lit up for Donate Life Month.
(See A Light of Hope, Page 18)
Methodist Outpatient Center in the Texas Medical Center, Houston
Houston City Hall
Page 18 • May 2020 • Golden Gazette
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Golden Gazette Crossword Puzzle ACROSS 1. 5. 9. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 20. 21. 22. 24. 28. 29. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37.
Hawaiian native dance For fear that Donkeys Large African antelope Hip bones Seaport in SE Scotland Tempo Blossom 7th letter of the Greek alphabet Excited Resident Hay stored in a barn It was Student at mixed school I have Lower jaw Fret Central body of the solar system Obstructs Resides Cease moving
38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 46. 49. 52. 53. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60.
Fuss Auctions Story Yes Pitcher Hood worn by monks Passionate Submerging White wine To be unwell Capital of Louisiana A single time Pueblo Indian village Slender Continuous dull pain Monarchy in the Himalayas 61. Earthen pot 62. Give food to
DOWN 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Wished Salt of uric acid Werewolf Chopping tool Vassals
6. Like an elf 7. Separate by a sieve 8. Monetary unit of Western Samoa 9. So soon 10. Slightly ill 11. Sister 12. And so on 13. Feminine pronoun 19. Not these 21. Islamic call to prayer 23. Certainly 25. Incompatible association 26. Small egg 27. Departed 29. Lid 30. Minerals 32. Youngest son 33. Trickery 35. Inlets 36. Barrister 37. Bird of prey 39. Highly original 40. Chinese secret society
43. Picture theater 45. Fragrance 46. Signet 47. Recess in a wall 48. Glowing coal 50. Indifferent 51. Soothe
A Light of Hope: In honor of Donate Life (Continued from Page 17)
partners as they provide heroic care to their communities. In Houston on April 12, blue and green lights illuminated City Hall and six U.S. 59 arch bridges. The Houston Methodist Outpatient Center building in the Texas Medical Center, Houston Methodist To go to the grocery store, they said a mask and gloves were enough. They lied. Everybody else had clothes on!
Baytown Hospital, and Memorial Hermann in The Woodlands Medical Center were lit up green for the entire month of April. In Fort Worth, the Pier 1 Imports Building was immersed in blue and green on April 17 and 18. The Lubbock Chamber of Commerce’s staff is hosting a virtual lighting. “This month-long observance celebrates lives saved through organ and tissue donation and the legacies of those who gave the generous gift
of life,” said Kevin Myer, LifeGift president and CEO. “By lighting up our communities in blue and green, it’s yet another reminder of the hope organ, eye and tissue transplantation brings to so many, and the vital need for registered donors across our state.” The state’s donor registry, Donate Life Texas, provides a virtual way to become a registered donor at https://www.donatelifetexas.org/register-today/.
53. 54. 55. 56.
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Solution on P. 22
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Golden Gazette • May 2020 • Page 19
Give your body the respect it needs & you’ll feel better Do you remember Rodney Dangerfield? He was the comedian who made the comment, “I don’t get no respect,” famous. Who hasn’t felt that way at some point in time? Dangerfield made a whole career out of that line. I like to look at our body parts as if they were a person wanting respect. Does your colon feel like you respect it? Does your brain feel like you respect it? Do your joints feel like you respect them? It may sound a little silly, but when you know that a certain food is good for your colon, but you don’t eat it, the colon might feel like “I don’t get no respect.” If you know blueberries are good for the brain and yet you don’t eat them, your brain might feel like “I don’t get no respect.” If you don’t exercise, like walk or move enough to keep your joints pain free in complete range of motion, those joints may feel like “they don’t get no respect!” And, perhaps they don’t. Exactly what can you do for your colon, your brain or your joints (or any other part of the body) that can make them feel loved? Just like with children, it often doesn’t take too much to make them feel special and loved: just a little time and attention.
For your colon, you can eat an apple a day, which adds fiber and helps with transit time through the colon. If you don’t like apples,
there are other foods that add fiber, such as broccoli. If you add fiber by eating fruits and vegetables, you will have regular bowel movements. Bowel movements take the trash out of the organism just like the trashman takes your trash away. And who wants the trash to pile up? Actually, it makes you feel bad when you don’t have normal bowel movements. Your bowels will feel the love when you eat enough vegetables and fruits to have normal bowel movements. How do you make your brain feel the love? Eating blueberries is very good for the brain. They help our memory. I try to eat them almost every day. Exercise, and I mean just walking, keeps the circulation going to the brain. You have heard of poor circulation being a cause of dementia.
Not enough blood gets to the brain. So, eat blueberries and take a walk. Your brain will love it. What about those joints? It doesn’t matter if it is a hip,
and more motion. Your trash isn’t moving If you have had a hip re- effectively into position to be placement, you should ask taken out. The trash is moved your doctor before trying by motion, like the waves this. in the ocean. In my garage, All the joints in your body by the end of the week, it is need motion every day. stinking. In the body, it just Motion in the body keeps hurts. the lymphatic system movIf you would like to take a ing and that, like the bowels, great detox bath, put ½ cup is moving the trash into posi- hydrogen peroxide, ½ cup tion to be removed from the Epsom salt and a teapot of body. chamomile tea in your bathAnd that is why when water. Do this in warm water people don’t move enough, at night and in the morning, shoulder, elbow or knee, all like walk enough or exercise, you will feel so much better. joints like to be moved. they might feel sore to the The trash found another Once years ago, when I touch in their muscles and route out the body besides was young and a new chiro- body, somewhat like you do the colon. practor, I stopped at a stop with the flu. That’s because Who says the body isn’t sign. An elderly man was your body is toxic. smart? walking across the street. He had the most limited movement in his hips I had ever seen. He would move his left foot about three inches, then his right foot three inches, and on across the street he walked. It took him a long time. I felt for him because I realized, it was the result of him losing his range of motion. If you feel like you can’t move like you did when you To get the current edition of were young, try standing and The Golden Resource Directory call holding on to a counter or a chair, move one leg at the hip in every direction as much as possible. What you do to one leg, do to the other. Slowly but surely, if you continue, you will gain more
Need assistance, help or information, and don’t know where to look?
Page 20 • May 2020 • Golden Gazette
CARES Act: Retirement Plan Relief Provisions For those seeking access to their retirement funds, these include special provisions for coronavirus-related distributions and loans. For those seeking to preserve their retirement funds, certain required minimum distributions for retirement funds have been suspended. Coronavirus-related distributions A 10% penalty tax generally applies to distributions from an employer retirement plan or individual retirement
account (IRA) before age 59.5 unless an exception applies. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the penalty tax will not apply to up to $100,000 of coronavirusrelated distributions to an individual during 2020. Additionally, income resulting from a coronavirus-related distribution is spread over a three-year period for tax purposes unless an individual elects otherwise. Coronavirus-related distributions can also be paid back to an eligible retirement plan within three years of the day after the distribution was received. What does ‘coronavirusrelated mean? For purposes of the distribution and loan rules described here, ‘coronavariusrelated’ applies to individuals diagnosed with the illness or who have a spouse or dependent diagnosed with the illness, as well as individuals ZACH HOLTZMAN RHONDA HODGES who experience adFinancial Advisor Client Service Associate verse financial conzach.holtzman@raymondjames.com rhonda.hodges@raymondjames.com sequences as a result of the pandemic. RAYMOND JAMES Adverse financial consequences could 4412 74th Street, Suite D100 // Lubbock, TX 79424 include quarantines, O 806.701.4083 // F 806.701.4085 // www.holtzmanwealth.com furloughs, and busiSecurities offered through Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., member ness closings. FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services are offered through Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. Holtzman Wealth
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was signed into law on March 27. This $2 trillion emergency relief package represents a bipartisan effort to assist both individuals and businesses in the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and accompanying economic crisis. The CARES Act provisions for retirement plan relief for individuals under federal tax law are discussed here.
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Loans from qualified plans Qualified plans such as a 401(k) can allow an employee to take out a loan. These loans can generally be repaid over a period of up to five years. They’re also generally limited to the lesser of $50,000 or 50% of the total benefit the employee has a right to receive under the plan. However, for a coronavirus-related loan made between March 27, 2020, and Sept. 22, 2020, the loan limit is increased to $100,000 or 100% of the amount the employee can rightfully receive under the plan (whichever amount is less). In the case of a loan outstanding after March 26, 2020, the due date for any repayment that would normally be due between March 27, 2020, and Dec. 31, 2020, may be delayed by coronavirus-related qualifying individuals for one year, and the delay period is disregarded in determining the five-year period and the term of the loan. Most required minimum distributions (RMDs) suspended for 2020 RMDs are generally required to start from an employer retirement plan or IRA by April 1 of the year after the plan participant of IRA owner reaches age 70.5 (age 72 for those who reach 70.5 after 2019). If an employee continues
working after age 70.5 (age 72 for those who reach age 70.5 after 2019), RMDs from an employer retirement plan maintained by the current employer can be deferred until April 1 of the year after retirement. (RMDs are not required from a Roth IRA during the lifetime of the IRA owner.) RMDs are also generally required to be made to beneficiaries after the death of the plan participant or IRA owner. A 50% penalty applies to an RMD that is not made. The CARES Act suspends RMDs from IRAs and defined contribution plans (other than Section 457 plans for nongovernmental tax-exempt organizations) for 2020. This waiver includes any RMDs for 2019 with an April 1, 2020, required beginning date that were not taken in 2019. This one-year suspension does not generally affect how post-2020 RMDs are determined. Provided by Zach Holtzman, financial advisor This quarantine made me realize I have no real hobbies besides going out to eat and spending money. After listening to Linda, his human, for 12 days while in quarantine as she complained for hours on end, Sparky realized he was not cut out to be an emotional support dog.
Golden Gazette • May 2020 • Page 21
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Only in the darkness can you see the stars. - Martin Luther King Jr
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Page 22 • May 2020 • Golden Gazette
A place to revisit; never know what you’ll find in the woods By Margaret Merrell We were flying in circles over a small town in Arkansas. “There’s not an airport down there!” I said, anxiously. This was one of the earliest flights I had agreed to accompany my husband on, since he had purchased his own airplane. A lifelong dream of his not mine! I was still in the “white knuckle” stages of flying and never relaxed from takeoff to landing. “See that green strip just to the west of that building down there?” My heart started doing double time. “But it isn’t paved! We can’t land there!” “Sure we can, Honey. Just relax.” About that moment I spotted an old pick up bouncing across an adjoining field, then it suddenly turned on to the “runway” and was erratically working its way down the field by going from one side to the other. The man had to be drunk or crazy. I am sure terror showed in my face because my husband reassured me that it was only Zeke, the part-time airport attendant, chasing a stray cow or pig off the runway so we could land. I definitely was NOT feeling any reassurance and
had a death grip of the arm rests and was trying to push through the floorboard with my feet as we gently touched down on the grassy field and taxied toward the building to our left. “There, that wasn’t so bad, was it?” This was said with an impish grin which I returned with a fake smile and an ugly “face,” while wondering if this tiny hamlet had a Greyhound bus going through once a day or so. With the landing accomplished, Zeke greeted my husband like long lost kinfolk. When we were introduced, Zeke grabbed my hand and gave me a welcoming, toothless smile. I returned his smile, but kept reminding myself I was still on earth and not some strange planet. “Mister Jack,” Zeke dug the toe of his well-worn boot into the grass. “My cousin’s car quit running on ‘em. You know, the one you rented when you were here before? “Well, if it’s OK with you all, I’ll let you drive my family car.” Mister Jack goodnaturedly agreed, and Zeke took off running toward the back of the structure that I thought was the building for the airport. With the roar of an old
engine, Zeke came whizzing up in a vehicle that looked as though it had spent the past 20 years in a junkyard. I felt ill. My dear husband was in the best of spirits and loaded our bags into the old heap, opened the door for me after Zeke kicked it a couple of times, and we were off. Honestly, the fenders and doors were rattling and flapping, and there certainly were no springs or shocks. I closed my eyes. This was an utter disaster. My husband was having a blast herding this pile of metal down the road. When we stopped at the motel, I told him they most likely would not rent us a room, if they saw our means of transportation. That brought on another good laugh. The man at the desk greeted us warmly, even calling my husband by name. It had been three months since he had made this journey. The rooms were nice and very clean. I sighed with relief, because this was where I intended to stay until the next bus came through. A small café was next door to the motel, and we went there for lunch. Again I noticed how clean everything was and the food was quite tasty. All the people dining and
working in the little quaint place were extra friendly, and some were full of questions. I decided to linger over a cup of coffee, while happy husband headed out in the leaping Lizzie to take a deposition from somebody there in town. I became intrigued with these small town people, and found that they were so proud of their town and really enjoyed telling its history to strangers. This called for another cup of coffee. They told with pride that they had no crime in their town. The waitress told me that the teenagers of the town, for generations, were hired for the indoor and outdoor manual labor jobs. All agreed that was why they had such a clean town, and it kept the kids out of trouble. My curiosity took me with my husband into the deep woods to visit a gentleman he needed to meet. I shared all the information I had gleaned from the café patrons, between the bumps and rattles of leaping Lizzie. We found a tiny board house at the end of a narrow, rutted road. I remained in Lizzie. This place was true backwoodsy, hillbilly surroundings. I felt
uneasy as a large bearded man with a long gun of some sort emerged from the trees where he had been watching us, I was sure. It did not take long for my easygoing husband to have this giant of the woods sitting on a tree stump and offering my non-smoking, non-chewing man, a “chaw.” On the bone-shaking trip back into town, my husband showed me a sheet of paper the strange gentleman had boldly signed with childish penmanship. Othello. I could not believe it. Did his mother not know anything about the name? Or perhaps she was well acquainted with Shakespeare and the classics and named him Othello as her own private little joke? My husband laughed and said he knew I would find something to fire up my imagination in “these here woods.” Needless to say, I lost all interest in the Greyhound bus schedule. *When you have some boring moments, bring out a story from your memory box. If you share some with a family member or a good friend, you will be surprised how much laughter everyone will enjoy. Happy memories and blessings.
Golden Gazette • May 2020 • Page 23
Don’t wait to get needed health care From Covenant Health When Lubbockites were asked to stay home and help stop the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), they did, and the curve is flattening. As COVID-19 patients continue to be treated, doctors are still available, virtually and in-person, to address medical needs. Covenant Health emergency departments, urgent care centers, and other clinics are available and delivering high-quality care. Covenant officials urge people to not put off getting medical care. Maintaining health now is just as important as ever. Visiting the hospital for emergencies or urgent procedures Emergency departments are open and taking care of patients. If there is a health emergency, don’t delay or hesitate to come in. Visitor restrictions and screening processes are in place at the hospitals to protect patients and caregivers. While some postponed surgeries and procedures
could be rescheduled in the coming weeks, those that are urgent are still being provided and should not be put off. Safety is the top priority Health and safety are the top priorities. Safety measures are in place, and local, state and federal protocols are followed for safety in hospitals and clinics. Connect with a provider using virtual telehealth appointments For convenience, telehealth appointments can be scheduled by video or phone with a medical provider. To find out if a telehealth
appointment is right for you, call your doctor’s office to discuss your needs. We are here for you Maintaining your health now is just as important as ever, and we’ll continue to be here for you and your medical needs. If you’d like to make a virtual or in-office appointment, or if you’re unsure of whether you need one, just give your doctor a call. We will help you get the care you need and tell you of any special policies or procedures you should know about if you come in for a visit.
People don’t always say, ‘I love you.’ Sometimes it sounds like: Be safe. Did you eat? Call me when you get home. I made this for you.
It’s an honor to provide: Excellent Care. Every Patient. Every Day.
( 806 ) 791.0043 3305 101 ST STREET
Does anyone know if we can take showers yet or should we just keep washing our hands? I swear my fridge just said, “What do you want now?”
Interimhealthcare.com
Page 24 • May 2020 • Golden Gazette
Coronado girls’ basketball coach Ashley James has been selected as the new coach for the Coronado High School girls’ basketball team. James is a 2009 graduate of Robinson High School, where she was a standout student athlete earning numerous awards and recognition. She played basketball at Ashley James Angelo State University on a full scholarship from 2009-2013, earning bachelor’s degrees in mathematics and psychology. She began her teaching career at Palo Duro High School before joining Lubbock ISD in the fall of 2015 as an assistant girls’ basketball coach at Monterey High School. “Coach James possesses the qualifications and experience to lead the Lady Mustang basketball team, while bringing energy and a strong work ethic to the program,” said Lubbock ISD Athletics Director Mike Meeks. “I’m truly excited about her plans and vision as she takes the next step in her career.” Quarantine has turned us all into dogs. We roam the house all day looking for food. We are told ‘no’ if we get too close to strangers. And we get really excited about car rides.