Hope everyone had a big July Fourth and a safe one. It was hot enough for everyone without the fire works. It just goes to show you can enjoy the 4th without all the fire crackers. After all that is not what the 4th is all about. Yes it is fun to have fireworks, but there are many other ways to celebrate the birthday of the United States of America and the adoption of

the Declaration of Independence, of July 4, 1776.

Pat and Bonnie Millican along with Pat’s sister Gail Callahan of Lampasas spent several days in Friendswood recently. They visited Pat’s sister Jean Strouhal. The main purpose of the trip was to attend the dance recital of

Mae McAninch, Jean’s granddaughter. She is the daughter of Douglas and Jennifer McAninch of Friendswood. Mae did an outstanding job with her tap, ballet and jazz dance numbers. She will move onto competitive dance this next year when she enters fifth grade. Despite the terrible heat and drought that the Houston area is experiencing as we are, it was a delightful trip.

Saturday afternoon at Bertram in the Iron Star Hall an engagement party was given for the engagement of Quincee Gideon and Jason Catron. Quincee is the granddaughter of Shirley and Jerome Meischen and the daughter of Steve and

Ralene Gideon. The wedding will take place in Nashville, Tennessee in September. There were about 125 people there from Fredericks-burg, Austin, San Saba, Goldthwaite, Gatesville, Brownboro, Texas and from the Bend. Sylvia and Jimmy Stinnett and their daughter, Autumn of Burnet and Jason’s parents from Kentucky; Mary Pike, her children and their families from Midland, and several friends (one coming from Pennsylvania) spent the weekend at their mobile home on the river; Mary’s grandson-in-law coming all the way from Afghanistan was also able to attend. Pete and Cherie Henniger and their children of Lampasas also attended. They enjoyed many outdoor activities, and lots of good food was enjoyed.

Lesa Preece reported that 30 or so people enjoyed a Bar-b-Q and swimming party at her home Sunday afternoon. That is one way to beat the heat by getting in some water and splashing around.

Happy birthday goes out to Barbara Bourke and Tommie Tinney who will be celebrating a birthday July 8, to Chelsea Lemons whose birthday is July 10, to Emerson Brister and Larry Brister who will celebrate their birthday July 13.