Please excuse us…my column last week went into cyber space and no one received it. Here is part of what would have been in it last week.

The Lufkin High School Band held its Spring Concert at the middle school auditorium on May 15 and allowed some "old-timers" to play with the Symphonic Band.

Sally Selman's granddaughter, Jana Claire Jackson, daughter of Susie Selman Jackson and Craig Jackson, graduated from Texas A&M with a 3.7 GPA in agricultural leadership and development. Also, Sally's grandson Calvert Wallace is now a firefighter in San Antonio after serving three tours in Iraq in the Marine Corps.

I had a treat with a visit to the Old Howard Walker Home now owned by David Miles and his mother Clydene Miles. They have restored the historic home built in 1931. I learned some history of the property, which was purchased by Martha Helen Card in 1992 from the Walker children. It has five bedrooms, living room, dining room, breakfast room, library and one bathroom. I saw David Walker that week and asked him if he stayed dirty with four sisters? Clydene Miles and Martha Helen Card were choral directors in Clear Creek schools in Seabrook and were very close. When Martha Helen died in 1997, she left the property to the Miles family. Martha Helen Card's parents and Howard and Ethel Walker were close friends and she grew up sharing holidays with the Walker children.

It was a treat to step back in history thanks to Clydene, David and Martha Miles.

I celebrated my birthday all week. Martha and Ray Carswell with Woodie Hicks took Ernest and me to Logan's Roadhouse. Karla Yates treated me to lunch at Mar Teres. Patsy Hines treated Carolyn New and me for lunch at Mar Teres. Jean and Oscar Dillahunty took us to Olive Garden. That is what I call eating out for the week. My birthday would not have been complete without Bernice Maberry playing on her harmonica for me.

Jennifer Poland Dean and I share the same birthday, and she was treated to a birthday lunch at Mar Teres with Christi Stage, Cissy McCarroll, Linda Poland, Jeannie McCusker and 4-month-old Ashbee Dean. Christi Stage had back surgery, but she looked fine holding grandbaby Ashbee.

The Rev. Mike Hunter celebrated coming to Lufkin 30 years ago this past week. The year was 1978 and he and Enid were fresh out of college. He says that most of his career was spent here in Lufkin with a short detour in Tyler. We are happy to have them back in the "fold" again.

Happy Birthday last week: Penny Ippolito, Cheryl Arnold, Evan Dorman, Katie Naranjo, Faye Griggs, Rachel Summy, Abby Yates, Charlie Wilson, Cameron Hunter, Mary Morton, Barbara Corbett, and Greg Porter.

Happy Anniversary: Pat and Buddy Colmer, Janette and J.R. Cox, Lynne and Terry Haney.

Courtney Hearne, daughter of Cheryl and David Hearne, graduated from Baylor University with a degree in marketing. Also attending the ceremony were grandparents Newt and Jeannene Courtney and Elizabeth Hearne, Kathy and Cary Deal, Karen Davis and Brianne Carbery.

Llewellyn Frazier and Marsha Miller spent two weeks traveling and seeing Cheryl and Ed Taylor in South Africa. They flew to London where they spent 24 hours before traveling to Johannesburg then a small plane to Neilsprit where Cheryl met them for the trip to Sabi. They toured private game preserves on three safari tours and spent one night at Kruger Park and saw all kinds of wild animals: male lions, zebra, warthogs, water antelope and kudos just to name a few. The people were friendly and everything was very clean. It has a Dutch-British influence with good food and good prices. Llewellyn said the trip was beyond everything that she could have imagined. Ed Taylor is a plywood specialist there and will be returning to the states in December after a three-year stay in South Africa.

My heart is sad over the passing of Gary Willmon, former editor of the Diboll Free Press. We all will miss him.

Betty and Robbie Warren are feeding 7 deer from hanging baskets, pansies, petunias and tomato plants. They would love to share them with someone.

Congratulations to Dr. Marshall C. Watson who received his Ph.D in petroleum eEngineering from Texas Tech University. He is the son of the late Bill Watson and Ann Watson.

Congratulations to Carson Grimes who received his bachelor of arts in political science from LSU. He is the son of Mary and Arlin Grimes and the grandson of Betty Carson.

Congratulations to Penny Ippolito who graduated from Texas A&M with her bachelor of science in interdisciplinary studies. She is the daughter of Gay and John Ippolito.

Happy Birthday this week: June Arnett, Jessie Blake, Artis Morris, Sally Allen, Luke Langston, Matt Murphy, Clark Westerman, Joan Pope, Forrest Robinson, Jan Deaton, Susan Bryan, Mark Davis, Daisy Wadsworth, Linda Wall, Clark Thannisch, Hannah Herde.

Happy Anniversary: Joyce and Glen Wallace celebrate 30 years.

Claire Holmes has moved into a garden home. She said this was the first new house that she had ever had.

Joie Henderson had a Sip and See hosted with help from Virginia "Sister" Henderson for Reed Henderson Rothermel. The postage stamp on the invitation was a picture of baby Reed. He is the son of Honey and Louis Rothermel and the Hendersons' first grandchild.

Nancy and Thomas Moore attended the confirmation for great niece Carolanne Teutsch at the First United Methodist Church. There were quite a few that I knew in the class.

LHS majorettes for the 2008-09 school year are: Ashley Rainoshek, Bailey Gay, Christina Sweet, Heather Forrest, Amy Murray, BreiAnn Fryar, Danielle Jones, Lacey Harrison, Meagan Adams, Rebecca Miller, Victoria Schwartz, Chelcie Cramer, Grace Cho, Hannah Williams, Lauren Hancock, Natalie Phillips, Paige Parker, Lauren Kelley, Lauren Miller and Whitney Dugat. Bailey Gay and Heather Forrest are head majorettes and will also serve as drum majors with Pernell Moore.

Lufkin Middle School seventh grade majorettes are: Tyreshia Powell, Vanessa Saucedo, Abby Bocanegra, Moira Lockington, Katelyn Standley, Brittany Pool, Laura Ramos, Allie Massingill, Clarisa Fulton, Miranda Dugat, Teya Simmons, Jamecia Brown, Kaitlyn Gainvors and Breaunna Trotty.

LMS eighth grade majorettes are: Katie Meadows, Cayley Huggins, Mara Ingersoll, Emily Tyler, Abby Haney, Grace Grandgeorge, Vivian De La Garza, Chelsey Helton, Felicia Fry and Carlie Miller.

Ernest along with Charles Deaton, Lonnie Windham and Ben McClain played golf at Tour 18 Houston. This course is made of simulated holes from some of the greatest golf holes in America. He is ready to go back and play it again.

Mary and Joe Byrd had children, Joe and Sandi Byrd and Susan Merrill, in town visiting last week.

Catch you around town. Janice Ann email: roweja@suddenlink.net