Around Malakoff: Loretta meets the new FBC pastor

Loretta Humble
Loretta Humble

(Here are Loretta’s photos from the pastor speaking to Rotarians.)

I’m not member of Rotary. My son Doug represents our companies in that fine organization. But sometimes I just up and go anyhow, and so far they have never run me off. I like to pretend it is just to take somebody’s picture, and put it on my Around the Town Facebook page, but actually it is just because I’m nosy, and they are a great bunch of folks I like to hang around with when possible.

Recently the speaker was the new Baptist preacher, Jody Jones. He talked about how he became a preacher—something he didn’t expect to do, and about the route he took to get here. He started in out in Cleburne and his last church was in Copperas Cove where most of his congregation consisted of military people. He and his wife Monica have two sons, Jared, who is married, Taylor who is engaged, and a daughter, Alexis who is still in high school. You can tell he really loves and is proud of his family. His talk was a lot more interesting than my retelling of it makes it sound. Sorry.

I met Bro. Jones right after he got to town. He was in his grubbies because he was still moving in. I kind of liked that. Bro. Nathan Lorick, who had just left the church to go on to bigger things, took pieces of a lot of our hearts with him. He was a super guy.

I don’t belong to First Baptist Church, and just go there on rare occasions (kind of like Rotary—they don’t throw me out either,) but I love those Baptists. They do a whole bunch of good things for the community, not the least of which is just being, for the most part, good loving people. And their services are joyful and welcoming. I was afraid things might start going down hill after Bro. Nathan left, because I doubted they could find anybody else as good as him. But, you know what? I think they did.

I had a fantastic busy time this weekend. Saturday, Jo Ann Surls served us Garden Club members a great lunch outside in the wonderful Joe Surls Gardens. As Jo Ann made it, it was both delicious and beautiful. We elected officers and hashed out what we could do better next year for the Sculpture Garden Tour, but the high points were the beautiful view, the great food, and good company.

I left that good company and hot-footed it to De Soto where I spent the night with my good friend Mary Jane DeSalvo. We had a nice meal (I paid, but Mary Jane had a coupon so it was cheap) and shopped for some bargains, which is our favorite form of entertainment.

Then, next morning I drove to Arlington where I met my friend John Walker, for a long jazz-flavored brunch at Birraporetti’s . What wonderful desserts! Next time I may just eat desserts.

Then we traveled across Dallas to the Meyerson Symphony Hall to hear excepts from Wagner operas. I am a novice with operas, but John is not. He is a fine teacher. I loved it. The first part of it was just orchestra, no singers. The second part had singers, but not dressed for the parts. No helmets with horns or anything like that. A lighted board above and behind the orchestra provided English sub-titles so I could tell what they were singing about. (Actually it was kind of scandalous.) But it was very beautiful.

After the opera, we went back across town to Arlington where I had left my car, and lingered over exotic beer and hummus at Sherlock’s Pub.

Then, tired but happy, I came home.

But now I have the theater event bug. I want to go to them all. So this weekend I have tickets for a play at The Warehouse Theater in Corsicana. They are doing Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Thirty-Nine Steps.”

After that, starting in early June, our own Henderson County Performing Arts Center will be presenting The Last Romance. I don’t want to miss that one I think it is going to be great. Actually, they don’t ever do anything over there that’s not great.

I hope you are planning to go. You haven’t been getting out nearly enough lately. Try being a social butterfly like me. You’ll love it.