Opinion

I love watching reality television shows. My favorite is Project Runway where the designers whip up an evening gown from four yards of lace and a deconstructed fire hose. I love cooking contests, glass blowing contest, and lately I’ve enjoyed watching decorators come in and make someone’s home glow with Christmas lights, greenery, and enough fake snow to cover the Washington Monument.

A long-awaited state report concludes most pregnancy-related deaths in Texas in 2019 were preventable and disproportionately affected Black women. The report, issued by the Texas Department of State Health Services and the Texas Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Committee, indicated deaths were mainly attributable to hemorrhage, mental health conditions and blood clots.

Not until his later years did Rev. Jerry Neill have the time needed to hone his woodcarving skills, but when he did, he was relentless, turning out small art objects that soon cluttered his workshop.

A group of my dear friends are getting together next Sunday afternoon for what we call Soiree. It’s an event celebrated by many women to gain strength from one another in small groups. We haven’t gotten together in about five years, but it will feel like yesterday. You see, we have kept up with each other through community activities, church, and that mysterious connection that seems to tie good friends together.

Retiring state Sen. Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound, has been named the next secretary of state by Gov.

My ancient Uncle Mort--with razor- sharp memory of the long ago but dullard-like on yesterday--has a mind recently clouded with “what if’s” concerning the World Cup. This is surprising, since he doesn’t know a soccer ball from Cinderella’s ball. He barely knows that World Cup has “kicked off” in Qatar. He’s apologetic for “punning along” with a reference to “kick-off,” not knowing if they even have kick-offs in soccer.

I sat on the back porch this afternoon during one of the most wonderful fall days we’ve had this year. That is saying a lot, because we’ve had only three wonderful fall days. The rest have been too cold, too windy, too warm, too rainy, or just too easy to ignore. We get so used to staying inside, that we forget to see if it is nice outside. If we leave the house early in the day, it is with trepidation. Do we need a sweater, an umbrella, or puffer jacket with a fur-bound hood. It usually warms by lunch, but we don’t notice.

Lt. Gov.

Spinning tops flung long ago finally stopped, they were like the season’s final flailing of turkeys soon to be main courses on Thanksgiving tables. For some journalists, however, minds continue to spin--conjuring, probing, marveling and express-ing thoughts about life, sometimes exceeding sublime or falling short of ridiculous.

A report submitted to state leaders ahead of the 88th legislative session’s opening in January urges lawmakers to develop “an innovative new model” to fund community colleges. The Texas Commission on Community College Finance, established last year by the Legislature and consisting of 12 lawmakers, business leaders and community college leaders, offered three sets of recommendations for supporting the state’s strategic plan for higher education: • Reward community colleges for positive student outcomes • Increase affordability and financial aid • Increase capacity at colleges to meet changing workforce needs “We need a funding model for our 50 community college districts that is bold, strategic and fully aligned with our emerging workforce needs,” said Woody Hunt, a member of the commission and longtime business leader.