T he Grumpies –Zack’s old friends who visit several times a year– have come and gone. There were only the three from Houston this time, as the Austin and Fort Worth couples were MIA –the smallest gathering of Grumpies ever. It was still as much work as usual, which didn’t seem fair at all.

W hy do Christians celebrate Christmas on December 25? There are actually three theories. The first theory holds that the date was selected to pre-empt the Roman feast of Natalis Invicti, “Birth of the Unconquerable One.” December 25 memorialized the birth of the deity Sol Invictus, the “Unconquerable Sun.” Thus, the day honoring the god of the sun would soon be eclipsed by the Son of God.

A total of $18 billion in property tax cuts were approved by more than 80% of voters in the November general election and should be reflected in property tax bills that are due by Jan. 31. The cuts come in the form of increased home exemptions, lower school district rates, and limiting the amount property appraisals can rise.

D o you ever just become overwhelmed? I think it’s just part of the human experience. Both Zack and I tend to get overwhelmed periodically. He worries about all the ranch hand jobs he wants to accomplish as well as other projects he’ll enjoy. I tend to become overwhelmed by my long, unending and ongoing to-do lists. Oh, I check things off, but other things sneak on. This is just life. “If you ain’t got no problems, you ain’t got no business.”

W e call it the Byzantine Empire. They did not.Thatnamewasnotcoined until 1555 when a German historian named Hieronymus Wolf tried to distinguish the Eastern Roman Empire from the Western Roman Empire.

A s we approach Christmas,ourcuriosity about the Star of Bethlehem becomes heightened. No wonder.

I t’s been a busy couple of months. I finally finished my total of 20 round trips to Waco —three each week— for radiation treatments for skin cancer on two spots on my nose. There are worse things, and I’m grateful there’s an alternative that avoids removing chunks from my poor nose—and another scar to add to my growing collection.

A half-dozen lawsuits challenging the 13 approved Texas constitutional amendments appear to be dead in the water, The Dallas Morning News reported. The secretary of state’s office last week declared the propositions approved and now a part of the Texas Constitution, while Gov. Greg Abbott canvassed the election and certified the results. One proposition that would have raised the retirement age of judges was rejected by voters.

W e call it the Byzantine Empire. They did not.Thatnamewasnotcoined until 1555 when a German historian named Hieronymus Wolf tried to distinguish the Eastern Roman Empire from the Western Roman Empire.

I t’s always something. After another BP spike, my cardiologist was reassuring and imparted the same information as a couple of years ago, comparing my occasional spikes to something like a hot flash. TMI, but I left with good information and a prescription for the little PRN pill to lower any future, unexpected spikes in blood pressure–which is usually nice and low.