I’m so honored by this well written article on my plans as State Musician… thank you, Donna!
April 10, 2010
(2010-11), she hopes to attract the attention of the state legislature.
April 09, 2010
http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view/150313
posted by Sara Hickman at 02:23 pm
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Amazing Story From Tanner Romania Mission!
April 09, 2010
Love,
Sara
Dear Friends and Family,
Actually, Catalin, our Anca's twin brother has found her! We were surprised and delighted to get a phone call last month from someone saying he was Anca's twin. We knew she had a twin at birth but thought he had died.
They are 16 and had their first visit face to face today when Bruce and I took Anca to see them in Galati. Her natural parents left the house prior to our arrival but the father did phone Anca and spoke a while on the phone. We don't know why they did not want to meet their beautiful daughter but the day turned out well, without them.
Grannie and Great Grannie were both there and showed family photos to Anca. I asked Grannie (who btw was 20 yrs younger than me) why on earth they put Anca in an institution, she said in fact, both twins were placed in an orphanage and were separated there, somehow they managed to stay in touch with the son but not Anca. Praising God for understanding one more reason HE sent us here!
Thanking YOU all for keeping US here, ALL GLORY TO GOD!
Sandie Tanner
http://www.tannermission.org
PLEASE SEND DONATIONS TO:
Second National Bank
PO Box 130
Greenville, Ohio 45331-0130
Attention Linda J. Allread :Customer acct dept.
Tanner Romania Mission
is a not for profit charitable organization
that is tax exempt under section 501 c 3 of the IRS code
Mission Statement: James 1:27
posted by Sara Hickman at 06:56 am
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Since I’ll be the Official State Musician of Texas in May, Thought I’d Share Some Facts About Texas!
April 08, 2010
Here are some little known, very interesting facts about Texas.
1. Beaumont to El Paso : 742 miles
2. Beaumont to Chicago : 770 miles
3. El Paso is closer to California than to Dallas
4. World's first rodeo was in Pecos, July 4, 1883.
5. The Flagship Hotel in Galveston was the only hotel in North America built over water. (destroyed by Hurricaine Katrina)
6. The Heisman Trophy was named after John William Heisman who was the first full-time coach at Rice University in Houston.
7. Brazoria County has more species of birds than any other area in North America.
8. Aransas Wildlife Refuge is the winter home of North America's only remaining flock of whooping cranes.
9. Jalapeno jelly originated in Lake Jackson in 1978.
10. The worst natural disaster in U.S. history was in 1900, caused by a hurricane, in which over 8,000 lives were lost on Galveston Island.
11. The first word spoken from the moon, July 20,1969, was " Houston," but the space center was actually in Clear Lake City at the time.
12. King Ranch in South Texas is larger than Rhode Island.
13. Tropical Storm Claudette brought a U.S. rainfall record of 43' in 24 hours in and around Alvin in July of 1979.
14. Texas is the only state to enter the U.S. by TREATY, (known as the Constitution of 1845 by the Republic of Texas to enter the Union ) instead of by annexation. This allows the Texas Flag to fly at the same height as the U.S. Flag, and Texas may divide into as many as 5 states.
15. A Live Oak tree near Fulton is estimated to be 1500 years old.
16. Caddo Lake is the only natural lake in the state.
17. Dr Pepper was invented in Waco in 1885. There is no period in Dr Pepper.
18. Texas has had six capital cities: Washington-on-the Brazos, Harrisburg, Galveston, Velasco, West Columbia and Austin.
19. The Capitol Dome in Austin is the only dome in the U.S. which is taller than the Capitol Building in Washington DC (by 7 feet).
20. The San Jacinto Monument is the tallest free standing monument in the world and it is taller than the Washington monument.
21. The name ' Texas ' comes from the Hasini Indian word 'tejas' meaning friends. Tejas is not Spanish for Texas.
22. The State Mascot is the Armadillo (an interesting bit of trivia about the armadillo is they always have four babies. They have one egg, which splits into four, and they either have four males or four females.)
23. The first domed stadium in the U.S. was the Astrodome in Houston.
Cowboy's Ten Commandments posted at Cross Trails Church in Fairlie, Texas:
(1) Just one God
(2) Honor yer Ma & Pa
(3) No telling tales or gossipin'
(4) Git yourself to Sunday meeting
(5) Put nothin' before God
(6) No foolin' around with another fellow's gal
(7) No killin'
(8) Watch yer mouth
(9) Don't take what ain't yers
(10) Don't be hankerin' for yer buddy's stuff
Y'all git all that?
posted by Sara Hickman at 07:51 pm
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Feedback That Touched My Soul Concerning “Absence of Blame”
I wanted to say how much I appreciate 3 of the songs especially. The One, Broken and Size 6 Dress.
The One: My son hasn't killed anyone. Still. He is a drug addict/alcoholic. Heroin, meth, pot, - pretty much anything. When the yogurt shop murders happened, he was brought in with others for questioning. I don't believe he would/could ever physically harm anyone. But the people he ran with could and probably did. He is 38 and, for now, is not using heroin. But the alcoholism is progressing. 9 months ago he quit everything and I had such hope. Now I'm just glad he's not under a bridge with a needle in his arm. When he was a teenager and on the streets, our younger son (3 at the time) had a classmate who was dying of a brain tumor. How everyone rallied around the family. Prayers were unceasing. And how isolated I felt. My son was dying also. Much slower and not of a "socially acceptable" disease. I have often felt like "the other mother." So thank you for your words in this song. I have a feeling they will reach the hearts and souls of many "other mothers."
Broken: My husband has chronic depression and is a Gulf War veteran. I have left him 3 times because his isolation was too much for me. I am again looking at that option. And I thought, this time, this time we'll make it. "It" will never be that bad again. But the disease is powerful, cunning and baffling. His parents were also raging alcoholics and that, too, has left it's mark. I struggle with my belief that I am not so hopelessly broken that I will ever find that lasting peace.
Size 6 Dress: I'm an Army Brat. (Ah - hence my own dsyfunction!) We were raised to look good. Form above substance. My Mom, at 81, still dyes her hair (and wishes I did!) and obsesses about how things "look." My sisters, both younger, have had plastic surgery and followed diet after diet trying to fit into that all important form. And those are my demons also. While I may not practice those behaviors, the voices in my head often remind me how I'm lacking.
And so. Thank you again, Sara. I look forward hearing you perform both at future concerts. You have an amazing gift.
Thank you for sharing it.
With gratitude,
Allison
New Mexico
posted by Sara Hickman at 07:14 am
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Landon Lockett: Truly, one of a kind… and he is already very missed.
April 07, 2010
Landon Johnson Lockett III was born May 22, 1929, at Fort Benning, Georgia, where his father, Colonel Landon Johnson Lockett Jr. and his mother, Roberta Davies Lockett were then stationed. Landon spent his childhood years at a number of Army installations in the Philippine Islands as well as in Minnesota, Georgia, Oklahoma and Louisiana. Landon graduated from high school in Muskogee, Oklahoma, and entered Texas A&M College as a freshman. Following his freshman year at A&M Landon received an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point. Among other activities at West Point, Landon became a member of the Spanish club which was an early indication of his life-long fascination and study of foreign languages. Between his sophomore and junior years, Landon went to Mexico with a delegation of other cadets who were in the Spanish club. While in Mexico City the cadets wore their uniforms and participated in a number of ceremonial occasions. From Mexico City they went to Acapulco, dressed in mufti, and proceeded to enjoy themselves thoroughly.
Upon his return to West Point, Landon felt progressively more fatigued and ill. While cadets routinely resisted reporting to the infirmary, ultimately Landon had to do so. While there his condition worsened without a diagnosis. Finally the doctors called in a civilian doctor who took one look and diagnosed polio. Landon was sent to Walter Reed Hospital and then due to his father's influence was transferred to Brook Army Hospital in San Antonio to be near his family. Landon was treated at Brook and at Warm Springs in Gonzales, Texas.
When Landon was able to resume his studies he entered The University of Texas. He took a Bachelor's in Economics and then entered law school at The University. He graduated with a Bachelor of Laws in January 1957. He also took a Master's in Comparative Law from Southern Methodist University Law School in 1959. He was admitted to the Texas Bar in December of 1956.
While Landon practiced law in Houston for several years he had no appetite for the practice of law. A regular reader of the Wall Street Journal, Landon read with relish the announcement of the National Defense Education Act and decided to change careers. He enrolled in graduate school at the University and was awarded a Doctorate of Philosophy in linguistics in 1968. Landon had taught during his graduate school years and continued to teach Portuguese at the University.
In later years he taught applied linguistics and English as a second language in both Mexico and Brazil. In the late 1970's Landon met the love of his life, Carol Ramsay Lockett. They were married in August of 1990. During the years of their courtship and marriage, Landon and Carol lived a rich life in Texas and abroad. They hunted together on their land in the Hill Country. They followed their many mutual interests and became experts in native plants and wildlife of Texas.
Over the years Landon was able to prove conclusively that the palm known as sabal texana or more appropriately sabal mexicana was not restricted to the lower Rio Grande Valley but was naturally occurring at least as far north as Garcitas Creek on the northern border of Victoria County. Landon also discovered a stand of palms in Brazoria County that many had thought to be palmetto. Working with the chief palmologist from the Smithsonian Institution, Landon established that the palms were actually a hybrid. Further, Landon sought and obtained funding to preserve and protect these palms.
Landon, an accomplished scholar in many fields, was at his very best when teaching. Whether in a classroom, on a road trip or around a campfire, Landon relished good conversation and sharing knowledge. He was anything but a humorless academic however and was legendary for his sense of humor and his puns. Landon was confined to a wheelchair from 1951 until his death April 3, 2010.
Many of us must ask ourselves, "What have we done lately?"
Landon is survived by his sister Virginia Franklin of Boerne, and his nephews, Brian Franklin of Basel, Switzerland, and Mike Franklin of Toronto, Canada. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Nature Conservancy of Texas or to a wildlife conservation organization of the donor's choice. Visitation will be held from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m., in the Beck Funeral Home, Cedar Park, Texas, on Monday, April 5, 2010. Graveside service will be held in the Prairie Lea Cemetery in Brenham, Texas, at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 6, 2010.
posted by Sara Hickman at 05:09 am
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