Happy New Year! I hope all of you enjoyed your holidays and will enjoy 2006. We don’t know what’s in store for any of us, but we need to keep trusting God and rely on Him for all our needs and wants. He always comes through. The beautiful springlike weather was unusual, but nice. We had a storm Sunday night with rain, etc. I had to go to Augusta and got in a terrible rainstorm coming home. I could hardly see to drive home. G.B. and I both had a terrible virus and I was unable to write news last week. Tonight the storm kept me from calling neighbors so I will write what I have. Rev. Albert Huyck’s first sermon at Ebenezer Baptist Church was taken from Psalm 90:7-17 with emphasis on verse 12. Number Our Days was the title I gave the message. After the service we had a traditional New Year’s dinner with blackeyed peas, collards, cornbread, turnip greens, casseroles, desserts, and a real nice time of fellowship. Next Sunday, January 8, we will have a special business meeting to elect church officers, two new deacons and other business will be discussed as well. We had Christmas Eve dinner with our daughter, Shannon Thomason, Taylor McAvoy, and Wesley Butler. All our immediate family were present. After a traditional Christmas meal we all exchanged our gifts. Tanner and Trace came home with us and stayed a few days after Christmas. Trace also visited Pat Rogers in Warrenton. I visited Miss Lois South, Miss Clifford Shank, Mrs. Ethel Harris, and other residents of Wilkes Health Care Center Christmas Day, in the evening. We are sorry to hear that Pam Gunter broke her foot Friday in town. We wish her a speedy recovery. We were also sorry to hear that our own Miss Clifford Shank is in ICU at Wills Memorial Hospital. She is 99 and at this writing very seriously ill. May God’s will be done in her life. April Shelton is Ebenezer Baptist Church’s new choir director. She is the daughter of John and Melissa F. Shelton. She is very active in church and a talented young lady. Rick Newsome and daughters, Jenna and Darcy, of Springfield, Va., spent several days with Mrs. Jenelle Newsome. Jenna remained for a longer visit. On Saturday, a friend of Jenna’s, John Imber of Blacksburg, Va., visited for a few days and helped celebrate the New Year. Those visiting Mrs. Hal Shank during the holidays were her children, Mrs. Ben Randman (Ruth) of Jackson, Miss.; Mr. and Mrs. Joe Shank of Lexington, S.C.; Kenneth Shank of Tucker; and Hillary Shank and friend of Nashville, Tennessee. Other visitors included Mr. and Mrs. Terry Flood and Sherry Newsome. Beverly Adams of Woodstock and Sheila Rogers visited Mrs. Barbara Adams. Mrs. Adams’ uncle, Robert Bolten, passes away recently. He was married to Sadie M. Bolten. We are sorry to hear of his death. Sincere sympathy to this family. Alex Dunaway visited Mr. and Mrs. Billy Dunnaway, Tommy Dunaway, Mrs. Sam McGill, Linda Standard and Peyton, and Sara Huff during the week, Mrs. Lucille Ingram spent several days with Mr. and Mrs. Kevin Davenport and son in Hayesville, N.C. Mrs. Lona Chesnut and Roy went to North Carolina to visit and brought Miss Lucille back home. Before they got home Miss Lucille took sick and is in the hospital, where we wish her a speedy recovery. Happy birthday to all who will celebrate a January birthday. This week, Mrs. Joan Webb and Mrs. Ann Gunter will celebrate. We were sorry to learn that Richard Phillips is ill with shingles and wish him a complete recovery. Brenda and the grandchildren (Chip and Skyla) have also been ill, but are feeling better now. Our prayer concerns include Miss Clifford Shank, Pam Gunter, Denise Edmunds, Eddie Howard, Helen Young, Lucille Ingram, Mike Wilkie, Jack Newsome, Henry N. Wallace, Billy Glenn, Tom Duggan, Bill Niemann, Barry Bailey, Charlie Coker, Barbara M. Adams, Mike Webb, Jenelle Newsome, Claire Nelson, Linda Albea, Ed Burdette, Richard Thomason (Iraq), Angela Gowen (Iraq), the Van Allen Bufford family, Mrs. Joanne Barden, Mrs. Melva Crook, Mary Jane Beggs, Trudie Sutherland, Barbara Andrews, Joe Dunnaway, Page Prater, the family of Billy Cofer, Elizabeth and Sanders Dallis, Mary Ruff, Eric and Dianne Sifre and family, Bill Mobley, Gene Parker, Mr. and Mrs. B.C. Bridges, Ann Dunnaway, Mrs. J.W. Hobby, J.W. Thornton, Ann Corbett, Okee Palmer, the homeless, the elderly and shut-ins, the indifferent, the churches, especially Ebenezer, the pastors, especially Rev. Huyck, the military, the government, both local and other, the government officials, local and other, our President and his family, the lost, our friends and neighbors, and the youth of the county. Have a good week and a great year. Do something nice for someone less fortunate than you this week. The dog I mentioned a few weeks ago is at the Animal Shelter and she needs a home. She is very sweet and friendly. By the way, if your dog or cat is on one of the several (that were recalled) dog foods that were mentioned in the paper, please refrain from it until later. Our two dogs have been on Diamond for a long time. Fungus on corn caused the problem and dogs are dying from eating a certain batch.