Well, Happy New Year friends and family! We made it to 2018! I am proud that you are here to begin the New Year with us. I hope that your Christmas was very good, almost great or better! Really I do. We had the opportunity to see almost the entire family during the Christmas season. It might not have been all at one time, but, that is ok too—occasionally.  We got to visit with family and friends a couple of days during the Christmas holidays. That is always a great treat. Tony and Yvonne came before the holidays and spent a few days in the area. The rest of the family got together on Christmas Eve. We enjoyed supper together before exchanging gifts. Some had other engagements to go to and had to leave a tad early. That was ok, the rest of us hung around for bit later. Gathering to eat and enjoy gifts were Willard and Susan Eason, Beverly Eason, Julie Eason, Zoie Eason, Lindy and Billy Martin, Janet and Levi Harmon, Tammy and Robbie Johnson, Savannah McMakin, Dean Gleaton, Caleb Worthy, Desirea Allred, and a new friend, Shannon Hunt. BJ and Erica came by the next day after having spent Christmas Eve with her family. We always have a good time, but, it is always better when we have everyone there.

Let me tell you about a couple of things we personally witnessed over the Christmas holidays. We saw folks being courteous to strangers, we saw a couple of times when folks took the opportunity to ‘pay it forward’, and we never saw rude behavior while shopping. Not once! I saw people carrying extra buggies into a couple of places just for the fun of it, we saw sharing of discount coupons in a couple of places. These little acts of kindness didn’t cost a dime. Not in the grand scheme of things. We even went to Wal-Mart Christmas Eve when we didn’t need anything and even though it was jam packed: everything was going on in an orderly fashion. You hear about folks going off on folks for no reason, so we were pleased to see things going off without a hitch. I will say this. I cannot say the same for the early morning shoppers on the 26th. We slept in this year for the first time in probably 30 plus years! Maybe next time…But, I did miss it though.

I read the editorials in the paper. Maybe not every one of them, but I have read several since the new staff has come on board and I support being patient with the changes that are taking place in the format of the Valley Times News. Some of the changes I am in favor of. Some I might be not so in favor of. But, I am willing to wait it out and see what happens in the upcoming months as things settle down some. That was just FYI. Carry on… Have a Happy New Year!

As we enter the New Year of 2018, I would like to remember some of the events in the last year from our house. I had two surgeries last year. Willard had two surgeries last year. We recovered from all that to end the year on a good note. We lost touch with some longtime friends due to a move. We made some new friends over the year. Willard and I both went through shake ups at work, but came out on top of it all. Our families went through some bumpy times during 2017, but are entering 2018 with a great outlook and high hopes for a great new year! We are too old and set in our ways to enter the New Year without being prepared for whatever changes come our way. For the most part all our families are doing well. The grandchildren are growing up, starting lives on their own or at least soon will be.  Nothing like watching them grow up. For the most part now, we watch them grow up in photos on Facebook. But, they have their own circles of friends and are supposed to spread their wings and fly. I hope for a better than decent 2018. God be willing and we do what we should do we will come out on the end of 2018 as good as we go in. Happy New Year to all of you. I want to thank those of you that have been so encouraging to me this past year. Some of you know the struggles I have had, but I thank you for being there for me all year. Please support me again this next year as well.

If you happen to go out New Year’s Eve and happen to party more than you thought you would, please be very careful. It is supposed to be bone chilling cold and the warmth you might be feeling on the inside due to your party times might not be a good thing once you get outside. Don’t let a party cloud your judgment. Have a Designated Driver, call a friend, stay overnight, something!! Anything!! If all else fails, call me! We will come get you and see to you getting home safely. It isn’t worth the pain of a tragic accident just to go to a party. And we won’t tell anyone’s parents!

I want to thank you contributors to my columns for the support over the years. It means a lot to me. Some of my very best friends have become so by being connected through something that happened here in the Huguley News, or one of the other columns. I have met some of the greatest folks. Even when folks move away, I still hear from some of them by them sending me something through the mail to place here in the paper. It has been my complete pleasure to write the column for so many years. I have come to think of you as my ‘paper family’. I know you will be here every week to see what folks have been up to, and I appreciate it more than you know. Please continue to read and contribute when you can. My contact information is at the end of the column.

If you would like to have your family gathering printed in the paper from during the Christmas holidays, I would be proud to use it here in the next couple of weeks. Just give me a call. Well, I am closing out I sure wish I could hear how things are going in your neck of the woods. I miss hearing from you guys! Won’t you consider sending your news in to me so folks that do not have access to Facebook can read about your comings and goings? Call me at 706-773-6550 or shoot me a text, Messenger me or shoot me an email to strictlynews@charter.net  I would love to get something from YOU! Let me hear from you Take care and have a great week. Have a Happy New Year!