Columns/Opinions

Did y’all see that story on the front about the huge spider webs at Lake Bob Sandlin State Park? So creepy! I do not like spiders, no sir, not one bit. I appreciate that they serve a purpose and as such I try not to kill them unless they’re trying to shower with me or something, but c’mon. Those webs are ginormous.

The really crazy thing is how rare an occurrence a communal web is. These things made the national news when they showed up in Dallas and we’re lucky enough to have one right here nearby. If you haven’t made the trip out to see it, I highly recommend it. Get close enough and you can see little spiders busily spinning and feasting on the tiny bugs already caught in the mammoth web.

If nothing else, it’ll get your creepy-crawly fix in right before Halloween and if that’s not enough to set the mood, nothing will be.

Remember when being an adult seemed like the best thing in the universe? Then you got there and realized it’s not all the glitz and glam you could have sworn it would be. Here are some examples of how our childhood imaginations sit on a thrown of lies:

• The Never Ending Story, as a child, consisted of a boy, a big flying dog and heroic adventure.  The Never Ending Story, as an adult, consists of a mountain of laundry, you and procrastination. If you’re not a procrastinator, good for you! Enjoy that 12 seconds when all of the laundry in the house is done.

Need to Breathe

By: Rev. Matthew L. Taylor

“Praise ye the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power. Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness. Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp. Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.” (Psalm 150:1-5)

From Information gleaned by the Bureau of Military Information and spies in the South, particularly in the Confederate White House, the Union General staff knew Gen. Lee intended to attack the North. But the when and the where was unclear.

When the Union forces lost contact with the Confederate rear guard across the Rappahannock, at that moment, the Union General staff knew Lee’s move north was on.

From my readings I would surmise my Great-Grandfather Amos Ellis probably volunteered, or was asked or even ordered to drive a wagon for the First Texas Infantry. This would free up a soldier for combat duties.

The Union General in command in the field in the Eastern Theater was Brigadier General Joseph D. Hooker. Gen. Lee had beaten Hooker severely at Chancellorsville, so much so many thought he had lost his nerve. Abraham Lincoln was one of these.

Changing from summer swelter to cooler weather is so much more than just pumpkin spice lattes and digging out last winter’s hoodies. It’s garage sale time, folks.

This weekend, Jefferson is hosting its city wide rummage sale Friday, Oct 2-Sunday, Oct. 4. Maps of listed sales will be available Thursday, Oct. 1 after 3 p.m. at 115 S. Polk St. in Jefferson. The Jefferson Flea Market will also be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day at 213 W. Broadway in Jefferson.

Next weekend, the seven-city Treasure Trails takes place in Pittsburg, Mount Pleasant, Naples, Omaha, Lone Star, Hughes Springs and Avinger and any point in between that wants to participate. Maps for each city should be available at the city hall or chamber of commerce for each town.

My walk-in closet... This is my “place of sanction”, where I go when I’m deliriously mad and stressed, where I go to think and write, where I go to get as much peace as possible in my house of stampeding elephants and fighting hyenas, and yes, where I eat stuff I don’t want to share with all of my offspring. Before you judge me, think about how hard it is to split a chocolate bar or a package of Now-n-Laters, 67 ways. My closet doesn’t judge me. It’s seen a lot of tears, turned a deaf ear to a lot of angry words, heard a lot of prayers and witnessed a whole lot of me laughing at my own stories…Because let’s face it. I’m hilarious. Wink, wink!

I never thought I’d come back to this part of the country – and by country I mean Texas. But this is what happens when family needs you and boy, does my little family need each other.

I’m an only child, so for the first 18 years of my life, it was just mom, dad and me. Mom passed away Sept. 19, 2013. For the family I started my life with, that meant an entire third of our family unit was suddenly gone. It’s hard to believe my whole life turned upside down and then back right again just two years ago.

Mom had just turned 59. She had a kidney removed as a small child and subsequently came of age in the ’70s with all the freedom-loving, ‘I’ll do what I want,’ attitude that the decade entailed.

Grandpa’s journey Part 1

By Ellis Knox

reporter@campcountynow.com

In 1863 my great-grandfather, Amos Ellis, was administrator/principal of the Livingston, Texas public schools. In May of 1863 one of my great-uncles, Gabriel Barfield, was grazed by a Union minie ball on his backside.

My other great-uncle who was also there at the Battle of Chancellorsville wrote home about it and set my great-grandmother Ellis on her ear. She demanded my great-grandfather go and fetch them home.

No amount of explaining to her about army regulations, about desertion or that they would not come home anyway, made any difference to her. He had to go get them and bring them home.

Much to his chagrin, Amos Ellis had no choice but to go. He managed to put her off until the end of the school year, but after that he could no longer avoid it.

I’m going to admit something that may be quite shocking for those of you that don’t “know” me. Those that do know me won’t be shocked at all, but the first step to recovering from a bad habit is to acknowledge it, right? Well, my mouth gets me into trouble sometimes. Not because of gossip or hatefulness, but for the simple fact that I am a smart aleck. And…I love Jesus, but I cuss a little. Sorry mom.

  I’m not a full-fledged sailor. I know how, when, and who I need to turn it off in front of, but I will say that some things are just not as funny if you don’t add a colorful word or witty sarcasm. Yes, I know that is nothing more than an excuse. In the sake of taking baby steps, I’ve been trying to eliminate my inappropriate words (sometimes bad words aren’t cuss words, but politically incorrect and insensitive words). Even if it makes a sarcastic sentence not as funny.

Opinion Column by Ellis Knox

reporter@campcountynow.com

On the side of full disclosure, I am a certified NRA Pistol Instructor and a certified Texas Concealed Handgun License Instructor whenever I am off duty at the Gazette. This is not about trying to get any business. I’m wearing my reporter hat.

What I want to inform you of is that CHL will become License To Carry, Jan. 1, 2016. What will happen on that day and from that day forward is folks who now have CHLs will be able to carry their handgun openly if they so desire.

Only LTC holders will be able to carry a handgun openly, all others will commit a misdemeanor. It is a class A misdemeanor to carry a weapon, openly or concealed, in Texas without a License To Carry. Penalties include a fine of up to $2,500, up to one year in jail, or both.