“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14) It is a festive time of year. Everywhere you look, people are decorating houses and businesses. Stores are having sales and playing special music. There are parties with presents and an abundance of food. It is a season that encourages generosity and joy. Everyone is celebrating, Catholics and Protestants, believers and non-believers, Republicans and Democrats, Longhorns and Aggies. We often don’t pause to consider the incredibleness, dare we say, the miraculousness of this reality. In a deeply divided and polarized world, we all agree not to work, to close our businesses, and to celebrate on Christmas Day.

Artificial Intelligence may sound futuristic, but at its core it works a lot like the tools and habits in everyday Texas kitchens and garages. An algorithm – the set of rules guiding AI – is like a recipe card listing ingredients (data) and steps to get a predictable result. Just as a cook adjusts seasoning after tasting, AI systems “taste” their output and refine their recipe by testing, measuring, and learning from feedback.

The majority of us over age 50 remember a very specific and traditional Christmas. We always had a real tree, decorated it with strings of colorful lights, usually red and green bulbs, the kind you had to screw in and of course tons of tacky, beautiful, shiny silver tinsel. We always put out a glass of milk and some cookies for Santa and I was delighted Christmas morning when I saw that he took a bite of the cookies. I figured he couldn’t finish them because he was in a rush to get to all the other houses and deliver gifts.

To the Editor: I moved to La Grange because it’s a vibrant community built on shared values, and chief among them is the compassion we extend to every living person and creature. It reflects the heart of the community.

One would think a thirtyyear- old would pause to explore the pros and cons of a life-altering decision. It never occurred to me to investigate the challenges of marrying the father of four teenagers.

When my boys were young, I read them Dr. Seuss book, “O the Places You’ll Go.” I sometimes give new graduates a copy of the book (with a check) on graduation day. It reminds me of the things we all learn along the way.

To the Editor: I can say I’m not surprised by Rep. Kitzman’s lack of action on the LCRA water pollution increase permit.

Dec. 9-12, 1975 Lloyd Kolbe announced the sale of La Grange radio stations KVLG AM and KVLG FM to a group of California investors, pending approval by the Federal Communications Commission.

There is nothing worse on farmland these days than mounds and mounds of fire ants. But before fire ants were imported in the early 60s there was something just as annoying— post oak land full of gophers.