A death-defying air show on Nov. 19, 1911 inspired a Midland blacksmith to plunge ahead with his bold plan to conquer the clouds. By no means the first Texan to get hooked on flying, John Pliska would certainly not be the last.

The Thanksgiving season is upon us. I heard on the radio the other day that we were supposed to go grocery shopping early to avoid the holiday being “ruined.” The shelves are empty, we are told.

The filing period for the 2022 Texas primary elections opened on Nov. 13, allowing candidates to file with their respective party chairs for spots on the March 1, 2022, primary ballot. For primary elections, candidates must file their applications with their state party chairs. If a district is solely contained within a single county, a candidate would file with the county chair.

A faithful reader from my Russellville, Arkansas, paper, Sarah R., wrote back when I complained to her that it was getting more and more difficult to come up with new subjects for my monthly columns. After almost fifteen years, I have exhausted my old diaries I’ve kept since the 50’s (my previous “go to” for ideas) and now I’m left with whatever subject that pops into my mind. Waiting for my writing muse to rescue me, frustration often turns to panic when deadlines grow near. Sarah asked if I’d ever thought of “Foot in the Mouth” experiences and related a personal example. She worked in a bank and one day a very well dressed older lady came to her desk for consultation regarding her accounts. While looking over the file, Sarah reminded the woman her $20,000 certificate of deposit would “maNure” in six months. Yep, we have all misspoke at one time or another and embarrassed ourselves, so I interviewed a few folks for suggestions. I also remembered a few “zingers” I had overheard.

To The Editor: Triggered (slang term); Triggered (slang term); an emotionally charged, inappropriate, often illiterate and aggressive response to a misunderstood or feared concept or issue. A feeling of attack or misrepresentation.

To The Editor: I am glad to be able to renew my subscription for another year. As a youngster just learning to read, the “Flatonia Items” news column appeared and in my smartness I pronounced that as “floating teams.” Keep up the fine work of this paper which I’ve seen all of my 93 years.

To The Editor: There is much ado about “freedom of speech” among those who feast on nonsense and brazen porkies -- Ivermectin, Hydroxychloroquine, imaginary election irregularities, and other well disproven conspiracy theories. Rational people remain in shock, for example, at rejection of the wisdom of the world-wide medical community and the embrace of “Political Pseudo-Medicine.” People with no medical training and contrary to common sense follow prevaricators and frauds.

To The Editor: I read on Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2021 in the Fayette County Record that St Mark’s Hospital is mandating employees be vaccinated to comply with a federal mandate.

To The Editor: I thoroughly enjoyed Elaine Thomas’ story on Dick Peck in the FCR. It told of his early years, his service in Vietnam, and his career with the airlines.

To The Editor: Recently there has been a Recently there has been a rash of comments concerning the sexually oriented books in our children’s libraries discussing LGBTQ oriented people. A person could spend hours analyzing both sides of the issue on what is appropriate for children and I don’t have hours to spend writing.