An anniversary celebration was held at the home of Elsie and Jim Meurer, hosted by their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. On June 16, 1951, Elsie A. Schmidt of Blanco was wed to James E. Meurer of Fredericksburg. The nuptials were held at St. Ferdinand Catholic Church in Blanco, and the reception was held at The Club House in Blanco State Park. Over the years, three children were born to them at the Blanco Courthouse – when it was a hospital.

Pastor Rusty Hicks and Janie Jones present Addie S. a Nook electronic reader. Addie S. from Canyon Lake won the Nook at the Free Nook and Popcorn booth sponsored by First Baptist Church at the Lavender Festival. Addie is an avid reader and said she had never won anything before. She was thrilled to be chosen. The Free Nook and Popcorn booth received 489 entries and an amazing 279 prayer requests.

The 5th annual All American Chili Cookoff will provide a day of fun for the whole family at Becker Vineyards on July 4. Nearly seventy world-class cooks will compete in this CASI-sanctioned event sponsored by the Pod On The Pedernales. Cooks will be trying to win points that will help them qualify for the Terlingua International Chili Championship.

The site of the Kendalia EE Club meeting on June 9 was Lanette Edmondson’s home. Co-hostess was Maggie Winborn. Ten members and two visitors, Kirsten Thomson and Angela Fiedler, agent, were present. Jane James, Chairman, called the meeting to order. The club has purchased two books, “Kneadlessly Simple, Fabulous Stress Free” and “Underground Railroad” in memory of Ruby Jones and Margaret Elliott.

Work has started on a new room addition at the Good Samaritan Center. Volunteers are waiting anxiously to use the new room, which will provide additional food pantry storage and more area for the resale shop. President David Armstrong says many generous donations have been received but even more are needed. For more information about the Good Samaritan Center, call 830-833-5269.

As part of the Blanco Pioneer Museum's exhibit on World War II, veteran Tina Burnham of Round Mountain visited the museum to tell her stories about the war. Burnham stayed stateside but did her part to help the war effort. "Roosevelt saw what needed to be done," she said about the government hiring women to work in factories and allowing women into the military.

The letter I received from a man in Southwest Africa brightened my day. In spite of the violence in his homeland and serious financial problems, he’s learned the value of starting each day thankful to be alive, choosing to enjoy the beauty of the morning rather than focus on fears about what may come his way before nightfall.

A young boy was sitting by a older man in church. The young boy said, "Do you need to be saved?" The man said, "Young man I have been a deacon in this church for thirty years." The boy said, "Listen mister, it doesn't matter what you have done, God still loves you." The apostle Paul said, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us"

Psalm 100 says, “A Psalm of praise. Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Have you noticed everywhere we go, someone is talking about ‘the end times’? The pastors are giving sermons on it, TV is advertising movies about it, conversations seem to be saturated with prophecy and people are telling you what they think it all means. But you know what? No one really knows, so why worry about it?

Dear Editor, On Friday, June 10, I had occasion to drive into Blanco. My purpose was to drop off items at our great recycling center and to mail two packages which I needed to get out that day. I had totally forgotten about the Lavender Festival starting that day. I was amazed when I drove north to 4th Street, encountering the many vendors set up on the courthouse grounds and the vast numbers of vehicles parked everywhere.

There are three names in Wall Street that represent the ultimate authority on the quality of any product of the financial community. They are called the rating agencies, and their names are Moody, Fitch, and Standard and Poor. The three have differing systems of ratings, but they generally run from AAA, the highest, to not rated, the lowest.

Cookers from around the State of Texas will gather at the 14th Annual Bandera Riverfest for an opportunity to show off their culinary cooking skills and win some great prizes. Sanctioned by the Central Texas Bar B Que Association, this is sure to produce some awesome BBQ. CTBA was formed to establish fair and equal guidelines for all competitive BBQ cooks who insist on well-run and organized barbeque cookoffs.

AUSTIN — Will he or won’t run? If Gov. Rick Perry’s presidential candidacy intentions could have been symbolized by a green, yellow or red light last week, it was arguably yellow, even though he spoke at Republican gatherings in New Orleans and New York. Regardless, Texas’ chief executive had plenty on his desk, namely a heap of legislation awaiting his final decisions.

June 19-25 is Lightning Safety Week. Summer is the peak season for one of the nation’s deadliest weather phenomena— lightning. But don’t be fooled, lightning strikes year round. In the United States, an average of 55 people are killed each year by lightning. To date, there have been 5 deaths in 2011 (as of press time). Hundreds of people are permanently injured each year by these giant sparks.  People struck by lightning suffer from a variety of long-term, debilitating ...

We are continuing our Summer Reading Program; this week we are having Treasure Island Treasure Scavenger Hunt and next Wednesday we have Circus Chicken Dog with juggling acts, animal acts, music, and more. This Friday, Stripes will be honoring the Blanco Library on June 24 at 12 noon in its opening celebration.

You can still find a “little bit” of green shaded area in Blanco right downtown by the square. Try walking down in Bindseil Park and enjoy the quiet serene feeling. You might want to pick up some lunch at one of our local eating places and sit at one of the bench tables.

Once upon a time a Master of Wisdom and his young apprentice were traveling through the countryside when they came upon a poor farmer’s cottage. The master instructed his apprentice to go to the door and ask for food. “But we have plenty,” protested the apprentice. “Just do as I say,” ordered the master. The apprentice dutifully did as he was instructed and knocked on the door.

On Sunday, Marilyn, Lawrence, and Nan Mikes went to Seguin for a Father’s Day lunch and homemade ice cream. Debbie, Bobby, and Travis Burt and Shelby, Geoff, and Brody Striedel prepared the lunch. The best part of the visit was seeing Brody! He is almost two weeks old, and he got a lot of attention from the great-grandparents and a very proud great-aunt. Paul & Marcie Domke, of Valparaiso, Indiana, celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary!

The Blanco County District Court convened Grand Juries on April 6 and June 8, and Kendall County convened on June 6 with a Blanco resident on the docket. The following people were given a true bill by the members of the juries and have been charged. The cases will now be tried in District Court; the accused are innocent until proven guilty.

Most of us are using our phone for work as well as personal uses. If you have a Smartphone, there are so many applications that can help you with home improvement, also. Apps for iPhone, Android, and BlackBerry can be your digital toolbox. Downloadable iPhone and Android apps offer ways to maintain, improve, and save money on your home.

June 26, 1964 Slight damage occurred when chemicals exploded in a storage room in the high school science laboratory in Johnson City. Cause of the explosion was unknown as no one was in the building at the time. • The Jolly Eight 42 Club party was held in the home of Mrs.

You’ve decided to buy a home. Among the many choices you’re faced with is this: Newly constructed or existing house? There are advantages and disadvantages to each, so the decision may not be an easy one. No matter which way you go, you’ll probably end up making a few tradeoffs. In the end, choose the type of home that makes the most sense for you, your lifestyle and your plans. Don’t plan on selling soon – From an investment standpoint, it’s wise to think about t ...