The Director of McCune-Brooks Healthcare Foundation Beth Simmons has recently announced that the McCune-Brooks Healthcare Foundation and the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Missouri are working together for the fifth year on a fund-raiser to sponsor wishes for four area children with life threatening illnesses. The McCune-Brooks Health Care Foundation will use their portion of the proceeds to provide capital improvements for the hospital.

The event is called "Around the World," and has an international theme. "Around the World" will feature Italian cuisine, music by "Jim Hunter and the Mellotones" and both an audible and silent auction. The live auction will feature a Las Vegas getaway sponsored by MLT and Great Southern Travel, a dachshund puppy courtesy of Central Pet Care and a original painting by local artist, Patricia Courtney.

Tickets are $45 for the evening of March 29th, 2003 at the Precious Moments Convention Center located on Chapel Road. The doors will open at 6:30 p.m. For tickets or more information call Beth Simmons at (417) 358-8988.

Don’t see many playin’ marbles anymore. I suppose the fact that it’s hard ta find a good piece a dirt big enough ta play on factors in a little. I can still remember the first time I realized what "playin’ for keeps" was all about. ‘Course the lesson cost me a marble or two. One of ‘em was what I considered my best.

I quick learned not to play for keeps with good marbles. There was always a few who’d bait ya in with an exceptional marble or two, tryin’ to get ya ta play your good ones. I learned real quick that those guys were usually pretty good shooters too. That lesson cost me a couple a good marbles also.

Marbles is a complicated game. The dexterity skills, negotiation’ skills, the social skills need to survive were learned early and reinforced daily. No wonder kids don’t play much anymore.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

by

Carthage Printing

HERE’S A TIP

By JoAnn Derson

• A Tip for New or Expecting Parents: When you receive complicated items from your gift registry, try them out right away, while you have the time to learn how to work them. New dad Dan had a heck of a time trying to load bags into his brand-new Diaper Genie in the middle of the night.

• My friends like to keep a magazine or book in their bag for situations that require waiting, like when visiting the doctor’s office. However, I like to keep pretty postcards and small notecards with envelopes. It gives me something to do, and corresponding feels more productive to me. Also, it seems that at least my friends and family still love to get notes in the mail. — Agnes R., Chicago

• Time to shop for a new bathing suit? Look for one with a mix of Lycra (allows stretching) and Tactel (shrink- and fade-resistant).

• Here’s another reason to go to the beach this summer: Running or walking on loose sand burns about 20 percent more calories than the same action on a firm surface.

• To keep deer away from your fine flowers, a reader from Elizabethton, Pa., suggests mixing up this garden repellent: hot peppers, garlic cloves, liquid soap and water. Spray plants with mixture.

• The best way to quickly cool canned and bottled drinks is in a mix of ice and water. The water is a better conductor of the cold.

• Got a calendar that has wonderful pictures but dates from last year? Cut out the picture and have them laminated. You can use them as placemats for all kinds of things.