Amite has been hit by one blow after 'nother - Katrina, Gustav, Ike, snow - and now - Dr. Reggie Goldsby is shutting down his Amite practice! His office will be closed within the next two months. He plans to work with Earl K. Long Hospital in Baton Rouge. We sho' is gonna miss him. Oh! He'll still be Mayor. My stars and garters! We need 'nother Doctor 'stead o' losing one. At least we'll still have Mary Lou Lee wid us. She's de backbone of City Hall as it is. When ya' need help - ya' kin always call on Mary Lou. Thank de Lord, he can't take her wid him.

~ Back in December, Sue Hood had a little sick spell. Wal! She wrote a note this week saying she is up and around and feeling well. Sho' am happy to report dat good news.

~ Cleo Russell's wife, Joyce, has been extremely ill and is now in a nursing home. May the Lord send comfort to this family.

~ Robert Spinks, who jes built a home out on Bel Road East of Amite a year or two ago, has become seriously ill. We do pray he will receive the help and comfort he needs.

~ The weather turned windy and cold Sunday, January 11. One weather man wuz predicting snow. We sho' don't need 'nother dose o' snow. It did more damage to our oak trees than them hurricanes did. The weight of the snow broke many limbs of the oaks and killed many of the young trees in our town. No! Sir! We don't need mo' snow.

~ Now - who ever is messing wid television has got this "Digital" stuff going effective Feb. 17, 2009. What needs to be done 'fore dey go "Digital" is to clean up what's being shown now. - Put some clothes on them "bikini" clad women, knock off them sit coms and take off ads promoting "garbage" that children and good folks got no business seeing. All them soap operas wid people wid no moral fiber being made "Stars". Wal! Dat jes don't sit well wid good folks. There is a few good shows, lak "Little House on the Prairie", "Wheel of Fortune", the "Cosby Show", "Mash", "Lawrence Welks" - PBS and LPB - Those are jes a few of the ones worth watching. Those and "Walt Disney" - Football and Baseball. That's it! That's my opinion and I'm sticking to it.

~ Cell phones and computers and call waiting have introduced rudeness to out society. Ya' holding a conversation wid a person and they cell phone rings. They answer the cell phone. Yo' left waiting 'till the cell phone conversation is over and ya' done forgot what ya'll wuz talking 'bout. A friend (?) calls ya'. While ya' talking, the friends "call waiting" goes off. Friends says "Hold on jes' a minute. I have another call coming in." Thar yo' is - holding on - 'till the other caller gets through - Maybe 20 minutes or half an hour. Don't even get started wid computers. They got some way of blocking phone call when de computers are in operation and it may be days 'fore ya' can get 'em - even iffen it is important. These folks what has cell phones, computers and "call waiting" think they is able to "multifunction". Wal! This "multifunction" has taken over to where common sense goes out the window and rudeness comes in. When they is on dat cell phone, they don't see or hear what's going on around them - especially iffen they is driving a car. Oh! Well! This world ain't my home. I'm jes passing through.

Marie Pulliam