Opinion

A I’m sure Will Rogers was a friendly guy, even if the quote usually attributed to him has been taken out of context. During an interview, he mentioned prominent men he’d met, all of whom he liked.

The Texas Senate unanimously approved a $308 billion twoyear budget last week, the Austin American-Statesman reported. The next step is to reconcile that budget with one passed earlier by the Texas House.

I’m not really upset about Meagan Markel not attending the Coronation of Charles III. I’m not upset that the guest list has been limited or the fact that the ceremony will last only one hour. I am, in fact, really upset about the tiara situation.

A Way back when, I agreed to serve as judge of pageants held annually in Fort Stockton and DeLeon. I--and another couple of judges--were to select queens of the Water Festival and the Peach and Melon Festival, respectively.

Now that I’m not working full-time, I have found myself copying teenagers. I eat too many snacks, watch too much television, and spend an inordinate amount of time watching videos on my phone. I started out just watching kittens and babies, moved on to comedians and musicians trying to make a name for themselves, and lately, I’ve gotten hooked on people who buy thrift store items and “sell them for a profit.” That’s the phrase they use.

The Texas House passed a bill promising $17 billion in tax relief, a measure that is at odds with the Senate’s tax break plan, according to the Austin American- Statesman. The House bill would lower by half a home’s cap on appraisal increases.

They generally give us the benefit of the doubt even when we are dead wrong, wagging their tails while licking the hands that feed them. In their way, they pledge unending devotion, no matter what.

When one is an expert at most things, then it is one’s duty to step up and volunteer to use those talents when needed. This is especially true if one has opened one’s big mouth too many times. As a retired person, doting grandmother, and perfect idiot, I opened my mouth and agreed to hem my granddaughter’s prom dress.

The Texas House approved a $302 billion budget last week that included an amendment prohibiting the use of state money on private school tuition — a major setback to Gov. Greg Abbott’s plan to establish a school voucher system. The Austin American-Statesman reported that more than 20 Republicans joined nearly all House Democrats to pass the amendment, while 11 lawmakers voted present.

During growing-up years, I don’t remember hearing much talk about splashing on sweet-smelling stuff. Surely it was poetic injustice, what with cotton-picking heating up many of my kin who labored in the fields, not to mention other farm chores that caused streams of sweat that seemed inevitable during half of each calendar year.