Pardon Us .

Patients, guests and visitors at McCune-Brooks Regional Hospital can help pardon two turkeys from Thanksgiving dinner. Fred and Ethyl currently reside in the MBRH courtyard and are asking for your help. The hospital is sponsoring a Christmas toy drive and according to Fred, "If you bring a toy or donate monetarily in the cafeteria or Human Resources office, our landlord, Bob Copeland, hospital C.E.O. will pardon us on Nov. 23rd at 10am in the gift shop lobby. Ethyl and I enjoy our new home and even though we are getting fat and sassy, we would prefer to continue to entertain everyone at MBRH and provide insect control for the gardens." Fred and Ethyl have made their home in the hospital courtyard since early summer, sharing the area with Bonnie and Clyde; the resident duck pair and numerous unnamed quail. They all get plenty of attention from hospital visitors and have delighted pediatric and adult patients at McCune-Brooks.

The public is invited to participate in the toy drive and to attend the pardoning; the pardoning ceremony will be held in the hospital gift shop lobby at 10 am on November 23rd and is sponsored by the MBRH Healthcare Foundation.

Jasper County Jail Count

169 November 22, 2011

Total Including Placed out of County

I never was around bass boats and the such when I was learnin’ ta fish. Folks mostly went cat (fish) fishin’.

A friend a my dads taught me and my brother how ta tie the simple knot to keep a hook on the line. Don’t remember for sure, but he prob’ly showed us how to weave a worm on the hook too.

I can’t ‘member who introduced us to stink bait, but I didn’t use it much ‘cause worms were free for the diggin’.

I’ve helped run some bank lines in the creek and used a lure or two, but the most fun was at the pond pullin’ out perch.

I was lettin’ the kids try their luck, and after a while they were droppin’ the line in without any bait. The perch started hittin’ the bare hook flickerin’ in the sun. Catchin’ always was more fun than cleanin’ anyway.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

Weekly Column

HERE’S A TIP

By JoAnn Derson

• "Mineral oil will take off a fake tattoo nicely. Use it liberally on a cotton ball just before bath time. My kids love fake tattoos, and this way, they don’t stay on too long." -- T.L. in Montana

• "An easy way to store plastic grocery bags so that they are handy when you need them is to stuff them into a tissue box. They come out one at a time and are easily stored in a cabinet or even in your car." -- P.W. in Missouri

• "I have one of those wax-melt burners that uses tea lights to heat a block of scented wax. I ran out of tea lights, but had one votive candle that I could use. I cut the bottom of the votive off to make it the right height, then I used a square of aluminum foil under it to catch the drippings. It worked just fine in a pinch." -- D.S. in Florida

• "JoAnn, here’s a tip for your indoor and patio gardeners out there: When filling a pot with soil, first make sure there is a drain hole at the bottom. Then instead of putting stones or broken pottery on the inside bottom hole of the pot to allow for drainage, place a coffee filter over the hole and then fill the pot with your potting soil. I discovered this filter will not only provide more room for root development but will effectively allow for proper drainage. Also, the filter will not let any muddy soil or dirt to run out the bottom of your pots and mess up your windowsill or patio decking. It really works!" -- T.G. in New Jersey

• Fix tomato sauce that’s too tart by adding a pinch of baking soda. It neutralizes the acidity and gives the sauce a milder taste.