News

The weeks following the Christmas holiday are often busy for retailers exchanging or refunding holiday gifts. As consumers interact with businesses, it is important to consider a few key facts regarding product returns or exchanges.

Midwestern State University Fall Honor Roll

To kick off 2022 and encourage people to enjoy the outdoors, the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden offers $5 general admission for the entire month of January. Tickets need to be purchased online. Pre-purchased parking is $11. The Rory Meyers Children’s Adventure Garden is closed for preventative maintenance January 2nd to February 19th.

Cedar fever season is upon us once again, complete with runny noses, itchy eyes and general misery. But what exactly is cedar fever and why is it so insufferable this time of year?

Turning the calendar over to a new year is often a time of reflection, not only to look backward but also to look ahead. What can happen to make the future bigger and brighter?

Prior to the Dec. 20 Mesquite City Council Meeting, Jeff Casper, Place 1 and Jennifer Vidler, Place 3, were installed as newly elected Councilmembers during a swearing-in ceremony and Mayor Daniel Alemán, Jr. as well as all City Councilmembers were presented their Certificates of Election.

At the close of each year, I always reflect upon all the great times I enjoyed in the outdoors and wonderful people I had the privilege of spending time with. Each year, one could almost ‘set his watch’ to the timing for a year in the outdoors. Beginning with late winter white bass and striper fishing during the spawn, then spring turkey season and when the water warms around April, fishing for most species begins to heat up. Then in Fall the hunting seasons once again kick in. Life in the outdoors for me has been a glorious merry go round of activities, each of which occur on a yearly basis at about the same time.

When you invest, you incur risk – there’s no avoiding it. But the concept of “risk” may be more expansive than you realized. And by understanding the different types of investment risk and how these risks can be addressed, you can improve your skills as an investor.

Once upon a time, pre-713 BC to be almost but not quite exact, there were 10 months and 304 days in a year, starting with March. And, we’re talking Roman calendars, by the way, lest you were thinking Julian calendars or Gregorian calendars or something along those lines. No one is entirely sure how we picked up January and February. I mean, yes, there’s a legend about a king named Numa Pompilius who added the extra months, but given that he’s basically a mythical person, who may or may not (based on whether he was even real or not) have been the successor of Romulus, that’s pretty much a huge question mark. Or, maybe you fall into the opposing camp of historians who credit the additional days to Decemvirs, a 10 man commission of Roman law writers, around 450 BC. Regardless, it does seem to have originated in the Northern Hemisphere, since January was first called a variety of things by a variety of people. The Saxons said Wulfmomath, or Wolf Month, since the January full moon is known as the Wolf Moon. The court of Charlemagne used the term Wintarmanoth – meaning cold month. The Finnish say tammikuu, or heart of winter. Since January (the actual word derives from Roman mythology’s Janus, the god of beginnings and transitions) is the coldest month of the year, if you’re in the Northern Hemisphere, it’s safe to say all the names originated there. But, as necessity breeds invention, so was January born mainly from a war, the Lusitanian War of 153 BC, perhaps. See, Chief Punicus, of the Lusitanians, defeated some Roman governors and killed all their troops. The Romans demanded an investigation, as Romans do, and immediately sent the 153 BC version of the Red Cross to Hispania to deliver aid. Then, they decided to make some better rules, again, as Romans do. They needed them to go into effect immediately. But, it was 2.5 months before the day new rules went into place (cause, March). So, the Romans flipped the script on the calendar and added January and February. Presto, abracadabra, a la peanut butter sandwiches, and there were new months and new laws and a big Roman mulligan for Hispania.

Dear Aunt B Readers,

I always make my new year’s resolutions simple and short so when I break them it isn’t so much trouble. I guess there is a name for that which is called lazy or weak or many other names. I think the resolutions are like making a vow. In times past a vow was binding and serious. Many people tend to brush them off as a fad or a little game that is unimportant. Among many Christians that is not so. I think the resolutions we make help us grow and get more serious about what we do in our daily lives. GOD is always serious about what we do with our lives. Our lives really belong to Him and honesty is surely among the top things GOD is pleased with. If we could always be pure while we live in this world, it would not have been necessary for Jesus to come and pay for our sins. So what should our first resolution be? I think it should go something like this: I VOW TO SERVE GOD WHEREVER HE SENDS ME THIS YEAR. That might not sound like much but I think GOD will remind us of our vow each time we break it.

“Because you’re 6 years old,” says Jessica, 6.

Setting realistic goals and expectations and being emotionally ready to change are essential to keeping New Year’s resolutions, said a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service expert.