Every life has a story worth being written, worth being told, and worth being celebrated from beginning to end.
As the storybook makes a mark in the chapter for life here in Angelina County, The Pregnancy Help Center of Lufkin and Hospice in the Pines Incorporated have partnered together to present a Tribute to Life Day in Angelina County.
Whether we capture the memories of one’s beginning or end, both of these organizations strive to celebrate the gift of life and find joy in embracing one’s story.
Whatever the story, whatever the life journey, the Pregnancy Help Center of Lufkin embraces the opportunity to serve the community at the beginning stage of life and through the first two years. When the last chapter begins to develop, Hospice in the Pines embraces the opportunity to serve the community with compassionate care and bereavement services.
Pay tribute to the life-affirming work of these two organizations on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2017 at Pitzer Garrison Convention Center in the Texas Room at 10 a.m. Lufkin Mayor, Bob Brown, will present a proclamation naming the 2nd Tuesday in January as Tribute to Life Day Lufkin, Texas and County Judge, Wes Suiter, will also proclaim the 2nd Tuesday in Jan. as Tribute to Life Day Angelina County.
Come and enjoy free coffee and cookies with our staff and volunteers; hear life-affirming messages from Pregnancy Help Center of Lufkin’s Executive Director, Paula Havard; and Hospice in the Pines’ Executive Director, Demetress Harrell; along with local pastors who will lead us in a time of prayer for our community.
For information on how you can get involved in the work of these two organizations, contact the following:
Pregnancy Help Center of Lufkin at (936) 632-9292
Hospice in the Pines at (936) 632-1514
Remember, as we begin this New Year with hope and jubilation, to share moments of life and love with those around us and capture a lifetime of memories during our journey. Just as we enter this world with joy, may we too depart from this world with the open door to God’s eternal Kingdom with no more pain or hardship. Life is precious; let us enjoy it to the fullest.
Angelina Arts Alliance will sell RUSH tickets for A Wynonna and the Big Noise Christmas, coming to the Temple Theater at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 17.
This is the third year for Wynonna – along with her band, The Big Noise — to present “A Wynonna & The Big Noise Christmas” tour, which features in-comparable musical arrangements from The Big Noise, putting Wynonna’s voice front and center for what promises to be a truly memorable evening of music and holiday magic.
Tickets priced from $60-$70 (Premium/Box $75) went on sale August 1st 2016 and have sold out, so the box office will be selling RUSH tickets the night of the show. The Temple Theater Box Office also has a waiting list for those still wanting tickets – just call (936)-633-5454 to get on the list. Angelina Arts Alliance proudly presents “A Wynonna & The Big Noise Christmas” along with show sponsors City of Lufkin and The Heart Institute of East Texas.
The 2016-2017 Season Sponsors are Georgia – Pacific and CHI St. Luke’s Health Memorial. For sold out performances like A Wynonna & The Big Noise Christmas, the Angelina Arts Alliance sells RUSH tickets, Box Office Manager Kristie Bailey explained, “For every sold out show – we will have 50-100 vacant seats. Those tickets were purchased by subscribers or the general public, and for whatever reason the buyer could not attend the performance. For these shows – like Wynonna – the box office will sell those seats as RUSH tickets at the door starting at 6:30 pm for $20 each. The purchaser enters the theater five minutes prior to curtain, and sits in any empty seat. If they cannot find a seat, they bring their ticket back to the box office for a $20 refund.” Kristie added, “So far no one has ever come back for a refund!”
Wynonna’s rich and commanding voice has sold over 30 million albums worldwide spanning a remarkable 33-year career. Charting countless singles, including 20 #1 hits and over 60 industry awards, she was dubbed by Rolling Stone as “the greatest female country singer since Patsy Cline.”
Her solo career began 1992 with her quintuple platinum debut, Wynonna. That set spawned four number one hits, and it was the bestselling country album ever by a female artist at that time. In 1994, Wynonna received the coveted Top Female Vocalist of the Year trophy at the ACM Awards. Wynonna went on to sell more than 10 million albums and reach new creative heights with six chart toppers of her own.
Her Christmas concert features traditional favorites like “O Holy Night” and “Ave Maria” as well as a mix of hits and new releases. For more information and to purchase tickets visit the Temple Theater Box Office on the Angelina College Lufkin campus, Monday through Friday 11 am – 5 pm or call (936) 633-5454, or go online at www.angelinaarts.org . Details and video clips from the entire season are on the Arts Alliance website. Follow Angelina Arts Alliance on Facebook for late-breaking news, photos, videos and ticket giveaways.
The Festival of Trees held by the Museum of East Texas is an exhibit of trees decorated by residents and businesses of East Texas. It is free to the public, and many visitors come from across Texas each year.
North Pole of East Texas Facebook Photo
North Pole of Texas
Nov. 25 – Dec. 23
227 CR 3378,Pickton, TX 75471United States+ Google Map
This year’s North Pole of Texas includes Christmas lights, a train ride, Santa, and a Toy Shop with all of Santa’s working elves getting presents ready for Christmas. Stop by the Hot Chocolate Factory while waiting in line for any of the attractions or tickets.
Train and trolley rides through Christmas in the park are being offered at Sandy Creek Park in Jasper. A special group night will be offered for church groups, civic groups, and more on Dec. 15.
The Yule Love Lufkin Christmas Festival will be held Friday, Dec. 16, through Sunday, Dec. 18, in the new outside pavilion at the Pitser Garrison Convention Center. There will be a huge ice skating rink, human snow globe, daily performances, breakfast with Santa, tons of vendors and much, much more.
The Polar Express has pulled in to the Nacogdoches Railroad Depot for Christmas. The Historic Sites Department will be showing this Warner Brothers holiday classic on Friday, Nov. 18, at 7 p.m. and Saturday, Nov. 19th, at 7 p.m. Tickets are free, but must be picked up in advance from the Sterne-Hoya House Museum & Library.
There is limited space, so be sure to pick your tickets up early. They will be available starting Nov. 4. We will be serving light refreshments including popcorn and other movie treats. Most of the children’s seating will be on the floor, so feel free to bring pillows and blankets.
Winter Break at the Texas Forestry Museum. “Holidays at the Museum” is a series of events throughout the year, occurring on days when children are out of school but the Museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
If your holiday shopping list is focused on all the latest trends, remember, the hottest items are not always the most cherished. Sometimes it’s the warmest gifts that are the most unforgettable.
“The holidays are times of nostalgia and remembrance, from stories of when we were children to the smell of cookies baking in the oven,” said Christopher Warnack, vice president of marketing and visual at Things Remembered, a leading personalized gift retailer. “Likewise, the gifts you give are not just objects to enjoy now; they should create a joyful memory that can be cherished for years.”
To this end, Warnack recommends personalizing gifts with a loved one’s name, a monogram, a shared memory, a thoughtful message or an inside joke. “Something that makes it just for them, and only from you,” he says.
For a seasonal gift to mark the passing years, consider a personalized ornament or snow globe. Your gift recipient can look back on the ornaments received each year and be reminded of those holiday memories.
Above all, remember to take into consideration the style, hobbies and favorite colors of your gift recipient. You can customize a gift for anyone on your list.
Scarves or jewelry personalized just for her can be enjoyed for years, and with her monogram, become a real statement piece. For him, consider mugs, apparel and other gear that commemorates his favorite sports team, and are sure to become part of his game-day traditions and celebrations. Personalized toys, stuffed animals and other snuggly gifts are great for kids.
Seek out gifts at retailers that specialize in customized items, such as Things Remembered, which can create one-of-a-kind gifts in an about an hour (and a little longer for embroidery and other specialized techniques). For more unforgettable gift inspiration, visit ThingsRemembered.com.
“Everyone remembers the best gift they ever received,” Warnack said.
Make someone’s season by giving gifts that create new and happy memories with the people you care about the most.
With holiday treats and sweets available with nearly every meal during the holiday season, it’s easy to get off course. But don’t worry, I have a recipe that will help keep you on track this season.
Keep reading for a healthy, delicious recipe!
Chicken Basil Stir-Fry
Ingredients
1½ pound boneless, skinless chicken breast halves: Cut into ¼ inch slices
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
1 small onion, halved and sliced
2 bell peppers (red, yellow, green or mixed: Cut into slices
6 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 cup fresh basil leaves, torn in half
Cooked brown rice
Directions
Coat chicken with cornstarch and season with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in skillet or wok and cook chicken until ¾ done. Add veggies and garlic. Cook 3-4 minutes. Add ¼ cup water, vinegar, soy sauce, and cook, tossing until chicken is cooked through. Remove and stir in basil. Serve over rice, if desired. Enjoy!
The song lyrics in “Joy to the World” and “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” say it all. Christmas is meant to be a season of cheer and happiness. Funnily enough, though, we women sometimes look for this feeling of joy in all the wrong places.
Who else has a mental checklist that sounds something like this:
Find the perfect holiday party dress that disguises certain key areas
Shrink said key areas by hitting the gym and pounding back smoothies
Buy memorable gifts for family and twenty close friends
Arrive extra early to the kids Christmas concert to get the best seats
Hunt for a hilarious present for the office’s Christmas gift exchange
Pull out all the decorations and turn the house into a winter wonderland
With a list like this, how does a girl not burn-out by January?
I confess: Sometimes I don’t feel all that joyful around the holidays. It is a hectic time of year. I often find myself looking to external events, people and dates on the calendar to drum-up my holiday cheer. It’s all too easy to let my joy slip-in second place after my to-do list. Unfortunately, I believe these tendencies are not mine alone, nor are they reserved solely for the holidays.
How often do we as women find ourselves stressing over checking-off the boxes of our ideal lives? We think, “Once I lose these twenty extra pounds, then I’ll be happy.” Or, “Once I accomplish this one goal, then I will feel fulfilled.” And, “Once I’ve found Mr. Right, then my life will be complete.” I’ve been there – but even when we lose the weight, get ahead and land the guy, we still may not experience deep and lasting joy.
I remember the day I had my “joy epiphany.” It was the same day my daughter had hers. Hannah was a month away from turning seven-years-old. It was early autumn and we were canoeing as a family, surrounded by nature splashed with fall colors, listening to the calming swoosh of water as our craft glided through the lake at Elk Island National Park. Whatever Hannah was complaining about, amidst all that peaceful beauty, I cannot say – but I had had enough.
“This is the worst day ever,” Hannah complained. “I am NOT happy.”
That was it. I felt the hot mama-rage rise in my chest and I turned quickly on my seat in the canoe to look my girl in the eyes. I did not think, I just spoke. “WHO CONTROLS YOUR JOY?”
Either the wobbling boat or my question halted her, mid-whine. She did not respond. “Who controls your joy?” I asked her again. Her eyes searched the sky for an answer. She looked at me with a blank face.
“You do!” I threw my hands, and my paddle, up in the air. “You control your joy, Hannah! Not me or your dad or your friends or anyone or anything else – it’s you. You are the only one who can make yourself happy.”
Now I think about enjoying the moment because life is short and joy cannot wait.
It wasn’t until the words were out of my mouth that I knew they were also true for me. And that my mom was right. Memories from twenty years earlier immediately filled my mind. I remembered how my mother had told me the same message, though with her own particular slant. It had made me furious at the time because, of course, I thought my happiness was her responsibility.
Since that day in the boat, the question, “Who controls your joy?” has become my personal mantra, not to mention a guiding force in our family. I ask the question of my children. My husband asks if of me. And vice versa. The words cause us to pause, reflect and refocus.
What better time to reevaluate our joy than during the holidays? It is the perfect season to get out of the ruts we find ourselves within. Maybe you are not your ideal dress size, or your husband doesn’t chip in enough around the house, or your kids can be a royal pain. Or maybe you are struggling with the truly tough stuff of life, like celebrating Christmas without a job or a stable home.
Maybe you are grieving your mom or dad, a sibling or your best friend, or – like me – without a baby that you had planned and dreamed of for years. My second child, Zachary, was supposed to be a Christmas baby. Instead, he was born two months early with a tumor around his heart. He died in my arms. Life can be so hard – and all this can percolate to the surface in a season that tells us so distinctly how we should be feeling.
At the same time as we experiencing these real and heavy emotions, and while we may feel pulled down by the weight of the holidays, there is one thing that is within our control. It is our JOY.
I often ask myself, “Who controls your joy, Alexis Marie?” This question has caused me to re-think my checklist. Now I focus on:
Doing the things that make me happy instead of being a people-pleaser
Caring more about people than I do about possessions and appearances
Celebrating who I am, just the way I am
Feeling empowered that I can control my response to anything life brings my way
Being content that I cannot do everything, and that is okay
Enjoying the moment because life is short and joy cannot wait
Alexis Marie Chute is an award-winning writer, artist and filmmaker and has set herself apart for her bereavement advocacy. She is a leading expert in creativity and healing. She has become an advocate in supporting and educating others on how to process their grief in creative and authentic ways, promoting healing through the arts and sharing stories in community. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in painting and photography from the University of Alberta, and her Masters of Fine Arts in creative writing from Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Chute is a highly regarded public speaker and has traveled around the world presenting on art, writing, and the healing capacities of creativity. Her documentary film, also called Expecting Sunshine, subtitled, “The truth about pregnancy after loss” follows her second pregnancy after loss. She is widely published in anthologies and magazines, and her artwork has been exhibited internationally with critical acclaim. She lives in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada with her husband and their three living children.
Pictured from left to right, Tobias Jesse Gann, son of Aron and Samantha Gann; Drake Grant Cole, son of Trey Cole and Madison Davenport; and Matthew Yahir Garcia, son of Vladimir Garcia and Margarita Vazquez.
CHI St. Luke’s Health-Memorial Lufkin is sending a little Christmas joy home with each new family.
Thanks to the Epsilon Kappa Master Chapter of Beta Sigma Phi, an international social, service and cultural organization for women, each baby born in the month of December will receive a tiny red stocking cap keepsake. For the past 25 years, the ladies of Beta Sigma Phi have been designing and sewing the red caps for Memorial’s newest arrivals.
“Making these red caps has become a tradition for us. It’s part of our Christmas celebration each year,” said Suzanne Bell, Vice President of Epsilon Kappa Master Chapter of Beta Sigma Phi. “Some of our members have changed throughout the year, but we have some ladies who have been doing this for all 25-plus years. We love seeing the babies in their hats. It’s just something we enjoy doing.”
Beta Sigma Phi is an international social, service and cultural organization for women. This chapter is the highest degree of the four chapters in Lufkin.
Memorial Clinics, a division of the hospital, announces a new partnership with Angelina Internal Medicine associates (from left to right) Morris Mickelson, M.D.; Kevin Dixon, D.O.; Richard Roby, M.D.; Sean Moran, M.D.; and Michael Huber, M.D.
CHI St. Luke’s Health-Memorial aims to increase access points to quality health care by growing its primary care practice and welcoming new physicians to the team. Memorial Clinics, a division of the hospital, announces a new partnership with Angelina Internal Medicine associates Sean Moran, M.D.; Michael Huber, M.D.; Morris Mickelson, M.D.; Richard Roby, M.D.; and Kevin Dixon, D.O. Serving the Angelina County community for more than 30 years, the team of Internal Medicine physicians brings a wealth of knowledge, skill and compassion. The partnership went into effect on December 1.
“We are grateful to include these upstanding men in our growing practice,” said Monte Bostwick, CHI St. Luke’s Health-Memorial CEO. “Angelina Internal Medicine has an exemplary reputation in our community for providing superior care – and that’s what we want to provide for our patients.”
Current patients will not see any change in care or coverage, and the physicians will stay in their current location at 1111 W. Frank Avenue, Suite 100, inside the CHI St. Luke’s Health-Memorial Cardwell Professional Building. Angelina Internal Medicine will retain its name and its staff has become CHI St. Luke’s Health-Memorial employees.
“The association of Angelina Internal Medicine with Memorial Clinics brings a highly efficient, high quality, patient centered group of physicians and staff dedicated to improving the health of their patients and community. We are excited to partner with these exceptional physicians,” said David Glenn, M.D., Memorial Clinics President and Chief Medical Officer.
CHI St. Luke’s Health Memorial Clinics, a division of CHI St. Luke’s Health, partners with and employs more than 40 providers in 17 locations across East Texas, including Lufkin, Livingston and San Augustine. The team of physicians pride themselves on delivering exceptional health care via the latest in technology and patient comfort. Memorial Clinics specialties include Internal Medicine, Cardiology, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Family Practice, Ear, Nose & Throat and Chiropractic care. Memorial Clinics accepts Medicare, Medicaid and most private insurance. Visit memorialclinics.com to learn more about our physicians and connect with the personalized patient portal.
Slated for Saturday, February 11th, 2017 from 6 to 10 p.m. The fifth annual Wine Swirl event will have a limited audience with only 650 tickets available for purchase for $35.
The price of tickets has dropped to $35 as food will not be provided at every stop this year. Due to this change, Main Street will be closed off (pending TxDOT approval) and food trucks will be located in the historical downtown district as a way to offer variety and a fun experience for festival goers.
“The Main Street program is lucky to work with a wonderful committee of volunteers,” Amy Mehaffey, Main Street Director said. “This will be the fifth year for the event and the committee thought it was time to do something new and exciting.”
Tickets will be sold online this year beginning New Year’s Eve. Link to tickets will be available on the Main Street website and social media pages. A select number of tickets will also be sold at the Visitor’s Center on Main Street.
Another exciting change happening to this event is locals will be given the opportunity to choose the theme of this year’s Wine Swirl. Participants will prepare the details of their chosen theme that will evoke and inspire the fun essence Wine Swirl provides downtown. Participants must include the title of theme, name of participant, and details of how the theme would be incorporated into the 2017 Swirl. The entry deadline is December 16th, 2016. Entries can be submitted here.
Ticket prices include both a wine glass and access to all participating merchant locations. Attendees will have the opportunity to enjoy a variety of Texas wines and chat with industry experts about their samplings.
Marco’s Pizza of Lufkin will be holding a Christmas Doggie Dinner from 5 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 13. During the dinner, dog owners can purchase a “meatball bake” for their pups and enjoy 10 percent off their total meal purchase.
Marco’s Pizza Co-owner Chasity Boatman said they decided to hold the dinner after seeing how many customers bring their dogs along when they buy food through the drive through.
“People’s pets are like their family, so why not do something for them, too?” Boatman said.
During and following the Christmas Doggie Dinner, Marco’s will be offering gourmet dog treats to keep pets occupied and distracted from the food their owners buy in the drive through. The “meatball bake” will be available for dogs and humans alike, as well. Boatman said it is only meatballs and sauce, so it is safe for dogs.
“Eating at a restaurant is not something typically done in this area,” Boatman said. “I really hope that this dinner becomes an annual tradition and that people see the value in it.”
Extra tables and chairs will be set up to accommodate dogs and owners, and water bowls will also be provided during the event. Free pet portraits, gourmet dogs biscuits, prizes, and a pet costume contest will all occur during the dinner.
Train & Trolley Rides
The Polar Express
Wynonna Judd “A Simpler Christmas”
