The alarm goes off at 5:00 A.M.. every third day. We work 24 hours on and 48 hours off at Texarkana Texas Fire Department; it’s a nice schedule, if you can get used to it. I get ready in the dark, trying not to disturb the wife and three sleeping boys. … My 20 minute drive to work is filled with prayer. It’s quiet out, as the rest of the world is just waking up, so I spend my time praying for my family, friends, church family, the firemen coming on duty and those working off and for the coming day.
The mission of the Ark-La-Tex 100 Club is to raise funds for the dependents of our first responders lost in the line of duty. Remaining funds are used to purchase any unbudgeted but necessary life-saving equipment and additional training. …
9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.—People have worked, had a lunch break, worked some more, and are now headed home to have dinner with their families. I, on the other hand, am just waking up, heading out to serve my city. Well, I would just be waking up if I was doing what is recommended for a night shift officer, but when you have an amazing family, like my beautiful wife Canah and my boy, Roman, you just don’t have time to be sleeping in that late!
A tour of Bryan Callaway’s recently remodeled home is truly a reflection of his personal style. It is filled with pieces that are new and old. Some have been collected over the years, some given to him by past clients, and others were purchased through his business, Merchant House Interiors. Even with its modern nod, there is a welcoming warmth to the space and the feeling of a story ready to unfold. … The structure Callaway remodeled is not a typical house; his best guess is that it was actually built in the 1940s or 50s as a duplex with a communal kitchen and central staircase.
Hang on to your Hat … No one will be writing a sonnet about my Easter bonnet. As a little girl I always felt my Easter outfit was incomplete without a hat, and every year I begged my mother to buy me one. Though she was a tough sell, she usually gave in to my badgering. Hat in hand, I would happily anticipate Easter Sunday. Only on Easter Sunday would I remember the idea of wearing a hat, and the actual wearing of said hat are two completely different things. I kept trying, though, and even took a few stabs at wearing an Easter hat as an adult.
Confessions of a Chronic Laugher … Okay, I admit it. I’m a habitual laugher. I laugh a lot: at home, at work, at church, in public, in private, in groups and when by myself. I laugh at jokes, snide remarks, funny faces, weird noises and the occasional instance of someone falling down (but I totally stop if I can see they are injured). I am the person who, when texting “LOL,” is literally laughing out loud!
Seven Things To Do During March! … Look at us! We have made it to March 2021! As we enter this glorious month, the official birth month of springtime, I am reminded of all that has to happen during the fall in order to circle us back to this time of new beginnings. The leaves must change colors and then wither to the ground in order for new ones to bloom and flourish and become the new and beautiful sights that decorate the season.
In July, people from all over the world will eagerly tune into the 2021 Tokyo Summer Olympics. Coronavirus or not, the Olympics is a long-standing tradition that the world’s best athletes look forward to competing in every two years, and the show must go on! Among the most popular events, gymnastics draws a loyal following of millions, worldwide. Young boys and girls from gyms around the globe cheer for Olympic celebrities competing for the coveted gold medals.
Nicole Brisco is an innovative and passionate educator, a devoted and creative mother and an award-winning artist! Each role is strongly connected, balancing and fortifying the other, to earn her the incredible success she has found in all three. … Brisco loves her role as an artist and believes it makes her a better educator. She has always been artistic, and at an early age, she remembers sitting at her mother’s feet drawing and coloring at the end of the school day.
