Some old people can still think fast An elderly man in Louisiana owned a large farm for several years. He had a huge pond in the back, and it was properly shaped for swimming, so he fixed it up nice with picnic tables, horseshoe courts and some apple and peach trees.

Our new year is finally here. So is winter. One thing I did first this year was call my sister Sue. She is now in an assisted living home up in Edmond and I was happy to find she received a new phone for Christmas. It is easier to use, so she thinks. I hope she is right. We have had a history of tough luck trying to communicate over her old one. Sue is 4 years younger than me, and we enjoy our time during phone visits. I went to church yesterday and the preacher spoke quite a bit about time. He noted, correctly how we waste it, how we can’t control it or stop it from passing. So true.

I know Christmas has come and gone but looking through my files, I was reminded of his little ditty (so many of my columns originate in this manner). This came from my fellow Holdenville High School graduate and Jones, America BancFirst legend Donna Gordon Klick and it’s just too good to pass up.

Okay, let’s just accept it. Christmastime is a confusing mixture of Bible stories, family traditions, myths, and fun Santa Claus tales.

Jim Priest is CEO of Goodwill Industries of Central Oklahoma and can be reached at jpriest@okgoodwill.org. DON’T DROP THE BALL I don’t know if you wonder about things like this, but I do.

Every year around Christmas, Americans stop to pay homage to what is perhaps our most beloved motion picture, “It’s a Wonderful Life.” The 1946 film may flicker in black and white, but it still manages to feel fresh in affirming the human spirit as we head into each new year.

The other day I was sitting in my chair overseeing my domain which consists of my television. I was watching football or golf or Gunsmoke or something when Gayla came into the room and announced she was going to The WalMarts. She said I should go with her.

For many folks, it’s that dreaded time again. The Christmas holiday dinner with the extended family.

Hewasgettingoldandpaunchy And his hair was falling fast, And he sat around the Legion, Telling stories of the past. Of a war that he once fought in And the deeds that he had done, In his exploits with his buddies; They were heroes, every one.

We live in an age that is obsessed with things. We fill our homes with the latest gadgets and fashions and then, when we run out of space, rent a storage unit.