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Published: Wednesday, 11 January 2023 15:01
Well … It’s a new year, and we hope that means better things. We always strive to do better than we did the day before. I don’t really do New Year’s resolutions, but I try to make sure I am doing better than I did last year. I try to improve on things or make it a point to finish tasks that I have put to the wayside for some time. Just ask my husband, I am notorious for starting things, but never finishing them.
Whether it be cross stitch projects, craft projects, writing for myself, family history…. You name it. There are several things I have left unfinished. I aim to have at least one thing finished by the end of this year – hopefully two. If I could get my two cross stitch projects finished, I can start another one….
So, what do you do for the new year? Do you try to set some new goals? Did you eat your black-eyed peas, collards and ham? Do you aim to try something new?
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We hope you have had a great year thus far, or a great beginning of the season. Now is when the season really starts getting busy. Wintertainers™ start to really entertain and you will see full calendars of entertainment you might want to see. Our calendars are going to get fuller as the month goes by. Mid-January to Mid-March are our busiest months. We’re practically non-stop.
We hope you are having fun out there and are enjoying going to dances and seeing the entertainment the parks have to offer. We sure enjoy going out there with you. Try to get out there when you can. These entertainers come to have fun with you and give you some top-notch entertainment.
We’ll soon have our ballot out for the Valley Star Awards we will hold in February. Be sure to watch for that and vote for your favorites.
Until then, if you have any news you want to share, send it to news@wintertexantimes.com.
If you are celebrating a milestone anniversary, let us know. If there is someone with a story to tell in your park and it is worth knowing, let us know. We want to hear your news. We want to share your news.
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Published: Tuesday, 27 December 2022 21:41
We had such a nice Christmas. It was low key, but we had a great time with family. We had some good food for Christmas Eve and a great breakfast Christmas morning. There wasn’t much to do outside because of the weather, so we made sure to watch some Christmas shows, went to church Christmas Day, drank some homemade hot cocoa, took some time to relax – (meaning leftovers and sandwiches after the initial meal), and drove around to see the Christmas lights.
I hope you had a great Christmas with family and/or friends. I saw several parks host dinners and lunches for their residents, or just gatherings with hot cocoa and cookies. The pictures showed a lot of happy faces – despite the cold.
Read more: December 28, 2022 - Rina's Ramblings
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Published: Tuesday, 20 December 2022 20:37
Well, it looks like we are in for a cold Christmas. Doesn’t look like a white one, but it will be a bit chilly out there. It looks like most of the outdoor Christmas celebrations are done and parks and cities chose the right weekends to have parades and other activities before this run of cold weather. There are several cities that still have their Christmas events happening – McAllen, Brownsville, and Hidalgo – throughout the end of the month. Be sure to check them out if you have time.
I want to wish you a very Merry Christmas! I hope you have a blessed time with family and/or friends.
Read more: December 21, 2022 - Rina's Ramblings
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Published: Tuesday, 13 December 2022 16:58
It is so much fun seeing what all of you are doing for your communities this holiday season. We have received information from several parks about what their residents are doing and hope we can share some of it with you.
If you have something you are doing in your park, collecting food, jackets, toys, books, whatever it is, we would love to see it and share it with our readers. Seeing what you are doing for others makes my heart happy and I am sure it gives new ideas to others.
Read more: December 14, 2022 - Rina's Ramblings
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Published: Tuesday, 06 December 2022 19:53
I can’t believe it is already December. Time is flying by. Good thing is it keeps us busy here at the Winter Texan Times. Wintertainers™ are arriving and in full force. Now we get to have some fun and visit parks to enjoy them and spend time with y’all.
This past week I was able to go out to Golf View Estates and listen to Leslie Blasing. There is no doubt why she has won Female Entertainer of the Year and a Heritage Award from the Valley Star Awards. She has an amazing voice and can entertain the whole room.
Read more: December 7, 2022 - Rina's Ramblings
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Published: Tuesday, 29 November 2022 21:23
I hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving holiday.
Ours was low key, but still quite satisfying. The only hiccup we had was that the turkey didn’t take as long to cook as we thought it would. The sides weren’t done yet when it was finished.
I was able to host my father this year – our first Thanksgiving without my mom. So, it was a little different, but we were able to share some of our family traditions with him – like tamales the day after Thanksgiving while we set up the tree and snow village.
Read more: November 30, 2022 - Rina's Ramblings
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Published: Tuesday, 15 November 2022 19:34
Such nice weather this past week – and it’s continuing. We have been able to enjoy some cool weather with some rain here and there, and a day of warmth in between. It’s finally feeling like a South Texas Winter, and right in time for the holidays.
We have been enjoying getting out visiting with some of the activity directors and with our advertisers. Food speaks to a lot of us, and our advertisers have some great food. The management at our Taste of the Valley advertisers really appreciates your patronage. We have not been disappointed yet with the service and food from the places we have had a chance to visit so far.
Read more: November 16, 2022 - Rina's Ramblings
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Published: Tuesday, 08 November 2022 20:00
It’s the second week of November and getting closer to the holidays. During this time of year, we think about everything we are thankful for. It’s something we should think about more often, but it is during the month of Thanksgiving where we truly take the time to reflect.
Read more: November 9, 2022 - Rina's Ramblings
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Published: Tuesday, 01 November 2022 21:00
The weather has been really nice lately. It has been good to get outside and enjoy the cool breeze. With these mini cold fronts, we have been able to enjoy some nice temps, although not always long lasting, it brings hope for the fall temps that should be here soon.
This time of year is a great time to get out and explore. It’s not too hot, and it isn’t too cold yet either. Of course, it’s rarely too cold to be outside in South Texas. I know that is why you love visiting our area while it is snowing in your other home.
The Valley is full of places to visit, sites to see, and things to do. Make sure you look through our calendars to find something interesting.
Concerts and other events are taking off right now. And because the holidays are right around the corner, there are several holiday themed events coming up, too. If you have the opportunity, go out to the events and support your local arts, chambers, and other organizations that put these events together.
There are many outdoor and indoor activities that will be happening from now through the New Year. We will have many of these in our events calendar and we will highlight some of the events in our news.
Indoor activities include museum exhibits, concerts, and some festivals. Outdoor events are always happening at the nature centers and World Birding Center parks. Some of these parks even feature nature series talks inside and tours outside.
Be sure to find out what is going on in your local community. While your park has a lot of options to keep you entertained, there is a community outside of that eager to see you as well.
As always, if you have any news items, interesting people in your park, an organization that needs some recognition, fundraisers happening, please feel free to email us at news@wintertexantimes.com.
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Published: Tuesday, 18 October 2022 21:19
It’s that time of year again. Here we are beginning another Winter Texan Season. We have looked forward to what the season might bring all summer. We have been paying attention to Facebook groups, listening to our Winter Texan friends, and seeing the events submitted.
Read more: October 19, 2022 - Rina's Ramblings
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Published: Wednesday, 19 January 2022 10:32
It’s getting busy in the Valley. Things are picking up here and there with activities being held throughout the valley – just for you. I know everyone is still being really careful with things, but I also know that everyone is ready to get out and enjoy this great weather and being with friends when we can.
There is so much to do in the Valley that doesn’t involve being in close proximity to people to, so keep that in mind as well. Look at our issues from last year and see the many things we highlighted in the bigger cities in the Valley. I hope to highlight some of our smaller cities as well in some future publications.
The Valley is full of parks, birding centers, trails, museums, and so much more that we can take advantage of. It's just fun to get out every once in a while, to see the sights, or to visit somewhere you haven’t really noticed before.
Speaking of events though – the activity directors just had their first entertainers showcase event and the next one will be held this week. This is an opportunity for activity directors and park managers to hear some entertainment options and try to book them for their park. They get to listen to an entertainer for a few minutes that showcases their hits, or favorites.
It’s so much fun listening to these groups all in one place – getting a taste of a hopeful show in the future. We have some great entertainment that comes to the Valley to entertain and do shows for you. These entertainers really have some talent and enjoy what they do.
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Also thinking of events… we have been trying to get out a bit more as things are happening, but it’s so hard to get to everything. We would love to attend everything if we could, but it gets a little hectic with in office duties and getting to events.
So, please send us your photos and give us some information on what you are doing at your park. We love seeing what you are doing in your community. We love hearing about your trips, tours, meals, and other events y’all enjoy at your parks and around town.
We share what we can in our paper and online. Send photos, write ups, contact information, and story ideas to news@wintertexantimes.com.
This season has been a blast!
