Welcome to SantaAnna News.com

Happy Birthday Cindy and SantaAnnaNews.com!

A check of my SantaAnnaNews.com Community Calendar tells me that Saturday August 12th is my wife Cindy's and also must be SantaAnnaNews.com's Birthday.

It was two years ago that the first edition of the News came out with a birthday wish for Cindy. It all started with me telling just a few friends and family members and has spread to over 50,000 hits.

You might be from Santa Anna If...

You might be from Santa Anna if you stop on the side of road to drag a dead animal off to the side.

I was coming home from the Shoppin'Baskit last weekend, I believe it was early Sunday morning, and about the time I was passing the storage buildings that used to be where Armstrongs was, I saw a red Chevy Suburban and a familiar face on the side of the road as I drove by.

I started to turn around to see if I could help the SantaAnnaNews.com first and original "Whatever Happened To.." Alumni but I as I looked in the rear view mirror I could see Coach Rusty Buzzard walk across the road to the double yellow lines and dragging what appeared to be a dead dog off to the side of the road.

I have always known Rusty to be a kind person and this along with he and his Coleman Bluecat football team's recent action to help evacuate Coleman's Holiday Hill Nursing Home residents during a threatening grass wild fire prove that. Their actions have been well documented in the paper and Randy Turner's ColemanNews.com but I just wanted to say what a good guy he is and what an example he has always set for me and others. It says a lot for the way he was raised and where he comes from. I also hear a lot about how he and his staff are having such a positive influence on the kids in Coleman and how a lot more than just football fundamentals are being taught.

I saw Rusty and Alice in the Baskit the other day and Alice was telling me how they had finally got moved to Coleman after living with family here in town all of last year.

A special SantaAnnaNews.com good luck to Coach Buzzard and the Bluecats this year!

Friday Rambling from the Solid Ground

Looking back at last year's News I see it had rained over four inches this same week of August. What would you give for just one of those inches right now?

The first event the News covered was the Coleman County Telephone Coop's Annual Meeting and my friend and neighbor Janice Fellers recently reminded and shared some info for this year's meeting coming up next week:
Annual Meeting Friday August 18 registration start at 6; Meeting at 7.

She also reminded me of the upcoming Booster Club meeting:
Mountaineer Booster Club meeting Monday, August 14 at 7 PM at the School Administration Building. Plans for the upcoming year will be discussed. Please try to be there.

Have a good weekend!

Happy Anniversary!

We want to wish a Happy 15th Anniversary to Mike and Donna Hartman of Snyder on August 10th. Mary Ann and Eddie (AKA Mom and Dad)

.. and certainly a Happy Anniversary wish to the Hartmans from the Peltons and SantaAnnaNews.com!

Continued... From Somewhere Way Over the Edge

Nobody has sent me much in the way of news yet this week other than the bad guys Attorney General Abbot has been rounding up so I will continue the saga of the roof.

First things first though... let me get couple of things taken care of.

A counter from the prosecutor(Mike Hartman) and in my defense since it was sent to me at 3:45 AM:
"James, if it's any consolation, I get the same advice from my mother on the sleeping issue....if I could just find a way to make my eyes listen to her, I would have it made!
I wonder if that is a function of age? I want to sleep now anytime I am in a car for more than 5 minutes, but can't sleep in a comfortable bed, regardless how hard I worked the day before. Sound familiar?"

From my Baby who is one of the reasons I started the News, "Hey Dad. Luke is finally asleep this morning at 9:45 after waking me up at 7:30. So I figured I would take the time to leave you some input. I have really enjoyed your website. I think it is my favorite. Well it is my favorite. If I only have a little bit of time on the computer I use it to read your website. I enjoy hearing what goes through your mind around here and I can see why other people enjoy it to. I enjoy reading your ramblings more than anything else. It is what made and makes SantaAnnaNews.com. Honestly I usually skip over everything just to read what you say, unless it really catches my eye.
Sometimes I really worry when you don't post something for a while. I know you are so busy and you do so much. Not just for yourself and us, but for everyone. Out of all the people in the town Mary Smith called upon you to help her. Not just because your close to her house, but because she knows how good of a person you are. I've never seen someone scarf down their food like you did to go fix an air conditioner. You work so hard and sometimes to hard, but that is who you are. For as long as I can remember you have always worked. When you came home from real work, your worked out in the yard until there was nothing left to do, and then you still found something.
I know you are tired, [getting] old, and wore out, but SantaAnnaNews.com is awesome and is very uplifting for many people of all ages. When I was in school so many kids got on your website. For some weird reason I have a feeling that you are about to stop doing the website. I really want to keep reading it, and get online every day to see what the new rambling was about, but I feel myself being selfish and not thinking about you. After all, its not me that works all day to come home to an unfinished roof and then stay up until midnight or later working on the website. It is you. And half the time you don't even do it for yourself. you do it for Santa Anna folks. I worry about you more than anything I know that you are tired, and I think that you know when it is time to stop. No matter what your choice is I will back you 100%.
I have lots more to say, but Luke is crying and I have to go I love you so much and I am proud you are my Dad.
Love always,
your daughter
Jessica

There have been several times that I get stuff from folks and don't quite know what to say and there have been times when I get stuff from folks and I cry or laugh. To be quite honest with everyone I have been considering stopping the News. It has been a rewarding and frustrating experience the last couple of years. I wish that more people would send their news items to me. I see them in the newspaper and have even seen them with accompanying photos that I took! I am taking the blame though and will try to make it a little easier reach me.

I know that sometimes I get a little too close to the edge with some things I say and I have taken a few shots at family and friends and even a few Wilson "over the fence" shots at my neighbors but I hope and feel like they know it is not meant to be hurtful or hateful. Sometimes it could be taken that way I guess and I just want to say for the record that if you see something on SantaAnnaNews.com that you think is hateful or hurts you... let me know and I will do my best to take it off, to correct it, or to make it right.

But I have way too much that I still want to do with the News to stop now! I just may not be able to go to as many games and school activities as I used to... since Jessica is out of school and the price of gas is so high. I bet there will be a lot of carpools to games this year. We used to have such a great time riding with Bobby and Michelle Morgan to watch a couple of the kids that used to work for me, Herbert Jackson and Jason Dean, play football.

I will be once again trying to cover more local events and business's. Most of it will depend on you and what you send in though. I would be happy to publish school, city, church, and civic news from anyone that cares to send it to me.

Off to College!

Send your "Off to College" news to news@santaannanews.com or use the Contact Us Page!

Happy Anniversary!

A special SantaAnnaNews.com Happy Third Anniversary wish to two of my friends at work.. Jennifer and Terry Thompson!

Jennifer and Terry live in Goldthwaite. Jennifer started work in Goldthwaite about the same time I did and is an avid horse woman and cowgirl. Terry is originally from Coleman and is out there on the edge of the Internet somewhere with me with his website CentexPhotos.com. Terry is quite a photographer and a regular reader of the News. He has taken some really nice photographs and I would encourage you to browse his web site.

Continued... From Somewhere Over the Edge

There has been a lot of feedback about my ramblings and I thought I should share some of it with you.

And Tex:
"As I sat reading your ramblings about the empty nest, I thought about when other children left home. Yes they clean out their closets. even take some of the furniture and other necessities. Parents tend to take for granted that there will be so much more room. BUT, there seems to be a suction to fill the void. Soon the closet is full again, but with what. Even the attic that once was an empty space has become a stack of boxes that no one know what is in.

Another thing is the empty chairs at the dinner table. Boy I know what I can do with the money that we save on groceries. Wrong again. there is still a high grocery bill, high utility bills, and other things that should have disappeared."

And then the old friends... Beth Foster:

I know the time that you put into your newsletter must come at a price, but I agree with Mr. Hartman's email when he says don't spare the details no matter how boring you may feel they are. Your newsletter means alot to me and I too enjoy hearing the stories that you tell of your family.

I know that we are aging and while my mind may be willing, there are things that I know now I will never do. One of those things is roofing my house - and that lesson is courtesy of your newsletter. So see, you are providing a valuable educational tool as well.

and Mike Hartman who sent me over the edge!:
That's more like it!, and, you even lost weight....what a deal! I can see it now, we'll be millionaires.....the "roofers diet"! Infomercial, here we come."I lost 27 lbs and got a new laminated 30 year composite roof all at the same time"

Rebuttal/Defense:
Regarding staying up so late from Mom... Yes mam, I will try to find some other time but you might not want to wait that long... Love you too! James

Regarding the empty nest from Tex... You are right... they hauled off three loads and they had so much stuff in Jessica's car I made them take some out! The sad part is you are right I can't tell any difference when I walk into their rooms. I think the momma hen is responsible for rebuilding the nest and she doesn't waste anytime! And that dinner table deal... I bet Cindy and I haven't eaten at the dining room table twice in a row in the last 25 years and last Saturday we ate three meals in a row at the table... and with no TV!

Regarding Educational Tool for Beth... Don't wear shorts on the roof no matter how hot it is! When they say fiberglass shingles it is because they are made with FIBERGLASS and tar paper is not called TAR paper for no reason either!

And lastly for Mike... I am not sure how the roofer's diet will fit in with our grilled cheese sandwich business but I am starting to see the catch... SAY CHEESE!

Are you tired of it yet? To be continued!

Continued... From Somewhere Near the Edge

I must confess that I took a day off from roofing this past Saturday. About the time I was getting ready to climb up the ladder to the roof Saturday, the phone rang. It was Grandma and her water heater was leaking. More like seeping, but leaking nevertheless. I told here it would be Sunday afternoon before I could make it but I would take care of it for her.

As I climbed the ladder in the near heat stroke heat, it came to me that JE Stevens would be closed on Sunday and I would better off fixing the water heater at Grandma's house on Saturday instead of Sunday. WE might need some parts and with the price of gas who can afford to go to the Brownwood Depot for plumbing parts? She has fans and air conditioning so how hot could it be compared to the ole' roof?

So I loaded up the truck and Patrick and went West to Valera.

Sure enough Granny's water heater was seeping at the tank and a new brass valve that my Aggie engineer Brother-in-Law installed last year.

Patrick and I enjoyed a cold drink while the tank drained and then we prepared the salvaged water heater from the barn. Don't you think cold drinks at Grandma's house are the coldest and best you ever had? Excepting one from Ci Burdens...maybe.

The old heater came out without too much fuss but the new one put up a little more fight. It had never seen anything but "city water" so it should have fit right in but it wanted a little tender love and kick.

So kick it got and then it passed Grandma's fill and fire up test... but the fight was not over as the shiny new brass valve began crying... as did I. As I was ready to head to Coleman for plumbing parts the phone rang and it was my bride with a leaking ice maker supply line. When it rains..

And cry I did, as we passed the golf course and straight into town to buy a new three inch nipple and 1/2 inch brass valve. It had been a while since I had bought plumbing parts and I had told Grandma not to worry that a nipple would only be about fifty cents and a couple of dollars for a valve. I grabbed a new ice maker water filter to replace the aging one behind our, as my Grandson Dawson would say, "Icebox". Thirty dollars later I had the parts I needed and I was through with the heavy duty stuff at Grandmas and Patrick was fading on me so I headed for Santa Anna to drop him off and replace the five year old ice maker water filter and hopefully fix the water line drip behind our "Icebox".

A couple of hours later with a few parts and some advice from Grandpa Robinett, I managed to take the slow drip leak to a full-blown, spray in the face, high pressure gusher, and eventually back to a "I am tired of messing with this, it will do for now, can you see it?" drip.

As I headed into the setting Sun towards Valera, I hoped that I wouldn't meet up with banditos wanting my brass valve and considered whether I should arm myself before leaving town.

I knew if I could make it to Valera that Big O would be there to feed and protect me.. well feed me at least.

I was proud to see Grandma's house still standing without water coming down the sidewalk or flames from the roof. I hoped that the new precious metal, galvanized nipple and a little pipe dope would stop the dubious drip while sparing the new brass valve for return to Steven's.

A few minutes later the brass valve sat in the seat beside me as we headed over the hill the Sun bounced off the horizon like Lubbock in my rear view mirror. Was that Mac Davis on the radio as the air conditioning blew it's breeze across me?

I told you I have been saving up... to be continued...

From Somewhere Near the Edge

I was near the edge of the roof when there was a loud boom. Patrick was shoveling away the shingles on the other side of the ridge. Was it Superman flying in for Cason's birthday party? Was it Patrick passing gas from eating all those hot wing legs from the night before? Or maybe it was those guys from Dyess or the Naval Air Station in Dallas getting in a little practice...

It could have been a little cloud seeding too I guess as it wasn't much later that Patrick and I started feeling some wet stuff. At first I thought the wet stuff might be Curtis giving us a mercy spray over the back fence. He had been out earlier inspecting our work while he was watering the grass.

Stay tuned for more...

School Starts Soon!

OK kids, moms, and dads... ready or not here it comes!

The School calendar is starting to show a few days that you might want to make note of.

The first day of school is Monday August 21st.

The first Lady Mountaineer volleyball action is a scrimmage scheduled for Friday August 11th vs Deleon and Gustine at Deleon with the first game vs Albany in Albany on Tuesday the 15th.

The first Mountaineer football action will be two a day workouts starting Monday August the 7th with a scrimmage vs Gordon on Saturday the 19th and the first game on Friday September 1st vs Coolidge in Coolidge wherever that is...

So enjoy sleeping in a few more days and get your backpacks filled with school supplies.

Update on Ethan

I confirmed that Ethan has indeed taken a turn for the worse. He is still at Cooks and is now on the 6th Floor rehab facility. He has been there since early June and will be for a minimum of 6-8 more weeks.

He had started to walk again during therapy but has not been able to for the last week or so. Due to his young age, the recovery is brighter than if he were older. The hospital stay is getting longer and sometimes hope and kind words are all you have. Please continue to send cards and words of encouragement to Ethan and his family.

Santa Anna Elementary Student Receives Treatment for Encephalitis

Ethan Mendoza, age 8 and a student at Santa Anna Elementary is currently hospitalized at Cooks Children's Medical Center in Ft. Worth due to a diagnosis of Encephalitis. He has been there since early June and will likely remain there for several weeks due to physical therapy and rehabilitation.

Ethan is the son of Sandi Watson of Santa Anna. Send any well wishes to Ethan Mendoza, Room 2816, Cooks Children's Medical Center, 801 7th Avenue, Ft. Worth, Texas 76104. If he changes rooms, his mail will follow him.

Please remember Ethan and his family during his recovery.

2006 Homecoming

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