I got disabled four years ago and was getting bored at home. One day I woke up and started to oil paint. I didn’t know how it would turn out but I had always wanted to do it, so I decided to give it a try. With the help of an artist herself, Joann Evett, and now with the help of Mrs.

The Gem of the Hills Senior Citizens Community Center was built by volunteers and is run by volunteers. Rance Dollahite volunteered to mow the grass around the building and the walking trails. You can now walk the trails without tickling your lily white thighs.

Teens! Do not forget that this Thursday we will be showing “The Twelve Kingdoms” anime at the library! Join us at 5:30p.m. for the movie and refreshments. Kids can also come to collect their reading prizes through August 10th. A big thank you again to all of our sponsors who made this program possible! Technology for All is running a special contest.

I want to remind you of the movies being shown at the Blanco Library. These movies are free and we have scheduled two showings of each of the movies, so the public could view the movies. Here is the schedule: 1. The Americans on D-Day showing will be Tuesday, August 7, 2012 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm and a second showing will be Saturday, August 11, 2012 from 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm.

The Blanco County Sheriff’s Office is proud to introduce to the public employees of our agency. Each month, the Sheriff’s Office will have articles in our local newspapers introducing employees. This month our featured employee is Sergeant Jimmy Fox of the Patrol Division. Sergeant Fox is a patrol supervisor and has been with the Blanco County Sheriff’s Office for approximately 9 years.

Blanco Ballet and Dance School completed a successful and joyful summer session at the Gym of the Hills. Fall classes will begin in September. Contact Erin Rice-Oyler at 830-830-4276 or lerin71@gmail.com.

Well, I’ve seen it all now. A woman stopped in her tracks, one who had been walking from her vehicle on her way into Super S grocery store, using her cell (or iPod) while walking, completely engrossed in what she was texting (or playing) and oblivious to people walking past her, and the car that wanted to park in the space she was occupying!

Matt. 5:14-16 says, “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Last week, we began to look at the subject of salt and light.

A little girl had misbehaved at the dinner table and was moved to a little table in the corner to finish her meal. No one heard a word from her until she started to pray and said, "Thank you God for preparing a table for me in the presence of my enemies."

Julie Summy Weiershausen, 57, passed away August 4, 2012 at her home in Johnson City. She was born September 13, 1954 in Blanco, TX to Guy and Joan Summy. Julie was preceded in death by her father. She is survived by her son, Brandon Weiershausen and wife Jennifer; daughter, Caroline Scott and husband Nick; her mother, Joan Richardson Summy; sister, Victoria Patton; brothers, Joe Summy and wife Carol and Curt Summy and wife Rita.

A funeral liturgy for Phillip Sidney Vela (July 5, 1962 – July 12, 2012) will be celebrated on August 15, 2012, at 2PM at St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Church, 4600 E. Ben White, Austin, TX.

The DOW rose sharply on Friday just after the government reported a big jump in hiring in July, even though the U.S. Unemployment rate rose slightly to 8.3%. For the week, the DOW was up 20.51 points as it closed at 13096.17. U.S. service companies, which employ 90 percent of Americans, grew at a slightly faster pace in July.

Hill Country Memorial Wellness Center will offer an upcoming Good Health School on fruit and vegetable juicing, the latest healthy lifestyle craze. “Fruit and vegetable juicing is finding its place as a part of a healthy eating plan. Research suggests it may be helpful in preventing cancer, lowering your cholesterol, reducing your blood pressure, creating weight loss and detoxing your body,” Kim Thornton, a registered and licensed dietitian at the HCM Wellness Center, said.

Live pari-mutuel horse racing returns to the Gillespie County Fair Grounds in Fredericksburg on Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 11-12. Also taking place that weekend in the Show Barn at the Gillespie County Fair Grounds will be three livestock shows. For the races, the gates open at 11 a.m. and post time is 1 p.m.

Anyone who creates, performs, or appreciates art on any scale is invited to be part of “Between Essence and Accident”–a new celebration of creativity in the greater Fredericksburg community, on Saturday, August 11, 2012 at Pat’s Hall in Fredericksburg. “My vision is to have people who are passionate about anything from herbs and jewelry making to Celtic literature and yoga to come share their knowledge”, said Sharon Moreno, event organizer.

A scholarship fund established in memory of a budding young journalist lives on through The GVTC Foundation. GVTC board of director, Arley Sueltenfuss, and his wife Betsy, recently donated $8,324 dollars to the Foundation. The Sueltenfuss donation is the largest amount ever given to the GVTC Foundation from a private contributor. The money is from a scholarship fund established in honor of their eldest son, 26-year old Dean Sueltenfuss, who was killed by a drunk driver 18 years ago.

The Hill Country 100 Club, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, is proud to announce its 6th Annual Golf Tournament will again be held at the beautiful Escondido Gold Course in Horseshoe Bay on September 18, 2012. The Tom Fazio-designed private golf course at Escondido is a true masterpiece, consistently rated by Golf Digest as one of the top golf courses in Texas.

AUSTIN — Voting in party primaries May 29 and runoff elections July 31 set the Nov. 6 general election ballot for Texas voters. Texas had 13,065,425 residents who qualified to vote in the primaries and runoffs. Republican turnout statewide was 8.5 percent of the total while the Democratic turnout was 1.8 percent, according to tabulations posted by the Secretary of State’s Elections Division last week. Republican Ted Cruz of Houston and Democrat Paul Sadler of Henderson will face off for t ...

The Texas Sports Writer Association recently announced the 2A Baseball All-State teams. Blanco 3rd baseman Colton Childress was selected for the All-State third team. Colton is a senior at Blanco High School this year.

This month we are focusing on making a difference for our children. Let’s start even before they are born. Pregnancy often causes women who are not particularly health-conscious to develop an interest in nutrition. Women are very concerned about the proper diet to support their babies. During an average week in Texas…7,163 babies are born, 41 babies die before reaching their first birthday, 948 babies are born prematurely, and 250 babies are born with a major structural birth defect.

Gentle readers: In case you hadn't noticed, it is HOT out there! But fall is coming - I can feel it in my bones. When I lived in Arizona, where the seasons barely changed, every year in late summer, I could feel the urge to start baking, because about the middle of September in West Virginia, where I moved from, the weather would cool off and it would be okay to turn on the oven.

In the “old” part of the cemetery we have many, many unknown and unmarked graves. Most of them will remain a mystery. In Section 10D there is a space to the right of the infant Emma Lee Yett that appears to be empty. After Section 10D was reported, Ermalee Neill called and said that her grandmother, Emma Whitworth Leeder, is buried there.

The fields and yards around Blanco were a beautiful green but are quickly turning brown. The sound of lawnmowers filled the air a couple of weeks ago but all is now quiet. The hot days of summer are alleviated by an afternoon playing in the flowing waters of the Blanco River.

When my family arrived in Monterrey, Mexico, in July of 1957 we might as well have landed on the moon. Monterrey was Mexico’s second largest city and the industrial capital of the country. To us it was a huge, snarling beast, penned in by majestic rugged mountains and high desert wastelands.

Loyalty in Real Estate and Construction (and anything else in life) will take you so much further. You might be asking, Why in Real Estate and Construction? Just like anything else in life when you are a loyal employee, customer, client, etc. you will be rewarded. It applies in Real Estate and Construction too.

From the August 6, 1986 Issue - The 1983 Ford Yankee Coach ambulance belonging to Blanco County and operated by the Blanco Volunteer Ambulance Corps was paid in full with the last Revenue Sharing Check from the county. Here Aaron Posey, president of Blanco National Bank, hands the title to County Judge Charles Scott and Commissioners Alton Koch and Charles Jones.

Whether you’re selling your fifth home or your first, there are many ways to be a smarter seller. Being prepared and taking an active role can help you reduce stress and lessen your property’s time on the market. Remember that you're the one who can provide the most accurate information about the condition of your home.