Lifestyle

Various members of the Krewe of Aquarius gather for a group photo

Past Krewe of Aquarius Kings gather around 2024 King Kevin Magee (seated center).

2024 King Kevin Magee and Queen Kandi Magee – Krewe of Aquarius

Past Krewe of Aquarius Queens gather around 2024 Queen Kandi Magee (seated center).

On Monday, January 8, officers and members of the DeSoto Parish Chamber of Commerce officially welcomed Kim’s Cute Tees with a Ribbon Cutting at the Grand Opening of the new business, located at 168 Lake Road in Mansfield (inside the old NAPA building).

Bill and Kim Permenter Britt invite you to stop by their new shop to see what all they can do for you, your school, or your businesses. The are custom printers that specialize in tees, DFT, HTV, and sublimation transfers, custom hats, school spirit items, embroidery, vinyl stickers and yard signs. Their attractive store is arranged for you to browse throughout the building and pickup a few items for yourself or as gifts.

Their phone number is 318-461-4061 and you can find them on Facebook.

Ashley Marshall of Mansfield is proud to announce to family and friends that she made the President’s List for both the Spring and Fall 2023 semesters. Ashley also was nominated for the 2023 National Society of Leadership and Success.

She has been accepted in the Fall 2023 and Spring 2024 Honor Dorm Steeple Glen at Grambling State University. You must maintain at least a 3.5 GPA.

Ashley is a Junior majoring in Elementary Education. May God continue to bless her on her various successes and her life’s journey. She is the daughter of Patrick and Donza Marshall of Mansfield.

The Mansfield Garden Club hosted its annual Christmas party on December 13, at the home of Jackie Smith. The festive gathering brought together members of the club to celebrate the joyous spirit of the holiday season. Members contributed an array of Christmas dishes, creating a feast that showcased the culinary talents within the clubs. Laughter filled the air as attendees enjoyed the warmth of each other’s company against the backdrop of the holiday decorations.

A creative touch was added to the festivities with the display of not only a handmade Christmas stocking but also uniquely crafted Christmas sweaters. Each sweater and stocking showcased the artistic flair of its creator, adding an extra layer of charm to the celebration. Gail Gage took hoe the title of “Best Christmas Stocking” for her outstanding creation, while three other participants’ Christmas sweaters took first, second and third place.

In 1818, a roving band of actors was performing in towns throughout the Austrian Alps. On December 23 they arrived at Oberndorf, a village near Salzburg where they were to re-enact the story of Christ’s birth in the small Church of St. Nicholas.?

Unfortunately, the St. Nicholas’ church organ wasn’t working and would not be repaired before Christmas. Because the church organ was out of commission, whether is was due to mice or rust, the actors presented their Christmas drama in a private home.

That Christmas presentation of the events in the first chapters of Matthew and Luke put assistant pastor Josef Mohr in a meditative mood. Instead of walking straight to his house that night, Mohr took a longer way home. The longer path took him up over a hill overlooking the village.

I was 16 the year I drove my mother and I to the live nativity at church. It had been a hard year. In a span of five months, my grandfather went from roofing the garage to dying from cancer. The night we went to the nativity, our grief was still fresh and angry, and grief is always hard. That and the fact that I was 16-with-attitude are my only explanations for how what should have been a lovely evening had turned into an ugly argument about what time we should leave.

I was sure the nativity started at 6:30. Mother said 7:00. We fussed about the time and my driving on the way to the church until I turned up the radio so loud that we couldn’t hear each other to fuss. I knew we were going to be late, but as I squealed into the parking lot at 6:35, I discovered we were alone. Almost alone. There was also an empty stable and some livestock.

The wreaths are hung and candles are in place. Grand Cane Baptist Church is celebrating advent each Sunday during the month of December. This is a season of preparation, renewal and expectation as the birth of Jesus is remembered and the Lord’s second coming is anticipated when He will rein in power and justice on the earth. Each Sunday during the month the newest Church members read scripture and light an advent candle. These lighted candles represent the wise Bridesmaids who carry their lighted candles in expectation of the coming of the Lord.

Grand Cane Baptist Church was founded in 1885 with 11 members, soon after founding of the Village. Dr. Franklin Courtney, a native of Virginia, was the first Pastor and came to Grand Cane after pastoring a Church in El Dorado, Arkansas. He was a practicing physician as well as a minister. He lived out his life in Grand Cane and is buried in the Grand Cane cemetery.

Join us for a fun evening of “Dashing Through the Snow” at BackAlley Community Theatre in Grand Cane, as we present our final weekend at the Snowflake Inn. A spur of the moment Christmas Eve wedding brings together the fabulous Futrelle sisters—Honey Raye, Twink, Frankie, and Rhonda Lynn. With their best friend, Raynerd, the evening plans take a surprising and delightful turn.

Show times are Friday, December 15 at 7:00 pm and Saturday, December 16 at 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm. Purchase your tickets or reserve your season ticket seat at backalleygrandcane. com. For questions, call our box office at 318-461-0202. Also, enjoy a Christmas meal on Saturday, December 16, at Cook Hill House in Grand Cane. Attend the Saturday matinee and then dinner at 4:30, or have dinner and attend our 7:00 show. Meal times are 4:30 and 6:30 and includes chicken/sausage gumbo over rice, salad, dessert, and drink for $20. Call Kathleen @ 318-858-0800 for reservations.

Just a little Show and Tell out at Logansport Elementary today to share with everyone! Kids always ask the best questions! Thank you to LHS staff for having all agencies out to share with our DeSoto students!

Maple Springs Baptist Church, located at 17013 Hwy 5 in Logansport will host their Annual Homecoming on Sunday, Nov. 5th at 11:00 AM. We invite you to join us in celebrating 123 years of service in the community. Come meet our Pastor, Rev. Robert Allen Davis and his wife Amanda, who were called to preach in November 2022. They have 2 grown children; son, Robby and wife Anna of Farmerville, La. and daughter Abbie, who attends Louisiana Tech in Ruston, La.

Joining us to celebrate this day will be The Blake Brothers. The band was formed in 2002 by brothers Tim and Bruce Blake. Over the years the members have changed, but the message is still the same. We love to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ through our music. Current members are Tim Blake (banjo and vocals), Nancy Blake (Tim’s wifebass fiddle), Bruce Blake (guitar and vocals), Brit Green (mandolin and vocals) and Bernie Grappe (fiddle, dobro, guitar and vocals).