If you read “Bob, a DJ and a clown” on a guest list, are three people coming to the party, or only one? That depends on whether you are for or against the Oxford comma — perhaps the most hotly contested punctuation mark of all time. The “Oxford comma” is an optional comma before the word “and” at the end of a list. The following is an example of the use of an Oxford comma.

We sing songs, hymns, and choruses.

The question for those of us who write is whether to use the Oxford comma. Sometimes I use an Oxford comma and other times I ignore the convention depending on my mood. The comma does have the grammatical ability to add clarity to communication.

You may need that extra comma for clarification.

This is an apocryphal book dedication, but it shows what happens when the Oxford comma is omitted.

This book is dedicated to my parents, Amy Rand and God.

The omitted comma has given theological import to the sentence. Your eyes might fix it, and your brain knows that Amy Rand and God are not the parents of the author. From a grammatical point of view the sentence is correct, but the meaning is muddy or heretical depending on your perspective.

Today remember the comma.

Small acts of kindness, hospitality, and patience will make a positive impression on the guests God sends to our lives at Christmas. Perhaps after you show kindness you will have the opportunity to talk to someone about why Christmas has a special meaning to you. You might hear a God story coming from a stranger. Something small could open the way to a bigger event.

God is always trying to sneak that Oxford comma into the grammar of our souls. He sends little blessings and reminders of His love for us. He moves in small ways that allow our hearts to experience His grace. We want God to speak big and boldly. We want fireworks! We want certainty. The essence of faith is to believe where we can’t clearly see. Believe that in those small commas that drop into your soul God is working His plan in your life.

Finally, the comma makes you pause. Read the earlier comma examples aloud and hear your brain and voice pause for each comma. We need those pauses in our lives. We need time to just sit and be. I had a friend who sent me what became an annual Christmas tie. Ned lived into her mid-nineties. She loved her beloved pastor friend, such that I received a dozen Christmas ties from her.

The last line of her last Christmas note encouraged me to “linger in His presence long enough to let God’s blessings, happen.”

What a gracious and wise comma.

Santa is making a stop at CBS Home Express this Saturday, December 7 from 11am to 2pm.

Friday, December 13 is the deadline to order tickets for 4-H Mudbugs Night. Tickets cost $20 and include a food/drink voucher. Activities from (4-6pm) include ice skating, bounce houses, poster making, games, street hockey and much more. Doors open at 6pm and game begins at 7:15. Call the 4-H office to order 932.4342.

The 10th annual Lincoln Lights Up the Pines in Ruston opens Thursday, Dec. 5 at 5:30 p.m. Catch this beautiful, 3 mile drive-through light display on December 5-7 and December 12-14. 

Take the short drive to Shreveport to see over 600 nativities on display from all over the world including the Back to Bethlehem room that is interactive. The FREE event is on display December 6-8 from 4-8pm at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints located at 200 Carroll Street in Shreveport. 

The 41st annual Christmas in Roseland is now open every Friday, Saturday and Sunday through December 23 from 5:30-10pm.

Celebrate the holidays at Cypress Bend Park’s Winter Wonderland of Lights. Open Thursday-Sunday through December 29 from 5-9pm. Santa will be there every Friday and Saturday nights until Christmas. 3462 Cypress Bend Drive, Many, LA.

Robeline’s annual Christmas in the Park is scheduled for Saturday, December 21. Parade rolls at 3pm. The event is free to the public. Santa will be there for photos. 

Red River Parish Library will be closed December 24-27 and December 31-January 3 to celebrate the holidays with family and friends.

Jack Moseley
Funeral services will be held Friday, December 6, 2024 at 11am at First Baptist Church in Coushatta.

Add Johnson
April 14, 1926 – November 30, 2024
Funeral services will be held Saturday December 7, 2024 at 11am at Summer Hill B.C. in Evelyn.

During Thanksgiving break, Red River Parish 4-H students attended a photography workshop.

Guest photographer Zoey Warren, is a professional photographer new to Coushatta, who can be found at Visual Vibes.

Mrs. Warren taught the students many new skills about photography.

The workshop ended with a scavenger hunt in town. 

Source: Red River Parish 4-H Facebook page

The Red River begins its total length of 1,360 miles in the Texas panhandle. It is the second-largest river basin in the southern Great Plains.

The origins of the Red River are two forks in the Texas panhandle, the Prairie Dog Town Fork and the North Fork.

The Red flows east, forming the border between Texas and Oklahoma and a portion of the border between Texas and Arkansas at the northeastern corner of Texas. Then, it flows into Arkansas and turns south entering Louisiana.

In Louisiana, the Red River forms the boundary between Caddo and Bossier parishes and flows southeast, through Red River, Natchitoches, Rapides, and Avoyelles parishes. The river empties into the Mississippi and Atchafalaya rivers.

It gets its name from its color, which comes from the fact that the river carries large quantities of red soil in flood periods.

Larger cities of Shreveport and Bossier City were developed on either bank of the river, as were the downriver cities of Alexandria and Pineville.

In the early 19th century, settlers found that much of the river’s length in Louisiana was unnavigable because of a collection of fallen trees that formed a Great Raft over 160 miles long. In 1839, Captain Henry Miller Shreve began clearing the log jam, but it was not completely cleared until the 1870s, when dynamite became available. 

In June 2015, the Red River flooded parts of northeast Texas, southwest Arkansas, southeast Oklahoma and Louisiana, from Denison Dam, to just south of Alexandria. The river reached its highest level in over 70 years, cresting in most of the affected areas at around 6 to 9 feet over the flood stage reaching a record height of 37.14 feet.

Red River Parish was established in 1871 as part of Reconstruction and was created from parts of other parishes when the boundaries of the parish were established by the Legislature. It’s named after the river that runs through the entire length of the parish. 

NATCHITOCHES – The 2025 schedule for Northwestern State and first-year head softball coach Jenny Fuller features a home tournament weekend, a familiar Big 12 foe, a pair of in-state home-and-homes and the standard 27-game conference gauntlet.

The Demons will host a total of 22 games on the brand-new turf field that will make its debut at the Lady Demon Diamond this year.

Northwestern begins the first season under Fuller with an opening weekend tournament at 2024 NCAA Tournament participant South Alabama. The Demons start their year with a doubleheader beginning at 9 a.m. in Mobile, Ala., against Murray State and then UAB on Feb. 7.

Following the first tournament weekend, the Demons christen their new field the following week with a home tournament on Feb. 15-16.

Northwestern will welcome C-USA’s Jacksonville State and the American’s Memphis for a total of six games across two days at the new-look Lady Demon Diamond. The triple header is set to begin at noon on Saturday with the Demons taking the field at 2:30 p.m. against Memphis followed by a 5 p.m. start against Jacksonville State.

“We are excited to be able to host a quality tournament on our new GeoSurfaces field,” Fuller said. “It will elevate the fan and player experience.”

Sunday’s triple header is set to start at 9 a.m. with the first of two NSU games schedule for 11:30 a.m.

NSU’s two other tournament weekends take it to UTA for five games Feb. 21-23 and to Mississippi State for five more Feb. 28-March 2.

Between the trips to Texas and Mississippi, the Demons will host the front end of one of their two midweek home-and-home series with rivals from north Louisiana.

On Feb. 26, ULM will make its first trip to Natchitoches since 2021, with the Demons going back to Monroe for the second year in a row in early April. A month later on March 25 the Demons host Louisiana Tech to close the home-and-home season series with the Bulldogs after making the trip to Ruston on Feb. 18.

Also making their first trip to Natchitoches since 2022, will be the Baylor Bears, led by Fuller’s former coach and NSU alum, Glenn Moore.

“In the first few days after I accepted the head coaching position, Coach Moore reached out and said they had a game scheduled with us,” Fuller said. “To be able to play and coach against Baylor is definitely a full circle moment for me, given how much Coach Moore has helped me throughout my career.”

The midweek game against the Bears comes on March 11 after the Demons host HCU in their Southland Conference opener the weekend before, March 7-8. It also sets the table for the first major challenge of the conference slate.

The Demons travel to McNeese on March 14-15 before returning home to take on defending champion Southeastern March 21-22.

The series with the Lions is one of five home conference series on the season which also includes HCU (March 7-8), Stephen F. Austin (April 4-5), Lamar (April 11-12) and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (April 25-26).

The toughest stretch of the conference slate comes at the beginning of April when the Demons play nine SLC games over the course of a week. NSU hosts SFA (April 4-5) before a midweek road series at UIW (April 8-9) and then returns home for a three-game set with Lamar the following weekend, April 11-12.

The Demons travel to Nicholls on Easter week before closing the regular season at home for the third straight season the following weekend with A&M-Corpus Christi the final weekend of April.

“I am excited to watch our team compete in the Southland,” Fuller said. “This is a tough league, and even though our team is young, they’ll be up to the challenge.”

Bracket play of the Southland Conference Tournament is set for May 2-4 with the tournament’s championship series scheduled for the following weekend May 8-10.

All game times and date are subject to change throughout the season. Season tickets and individual game tickets will go on sale at a later date.

For the latest news and information on everything NSU softball, follow the team on Facebook, Twitter/X and Instagram: @NSUDemonsSB.

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Wishing all our readers a Happy Thanksgiving!

Red River Parish Journal will not publish Friday, November 29 so we can enjoy this season of thanksgiving with family and friends. 

You can find the next publication of RRPJ Monday morning at 6:55am in your email, online at redriverparishournal.com or on our Facebook page with all your local coverage of news you can’t get anywhere else.

With heavy hearts and fond memories, the family of Ardis Almond (“Papa”) announces his passing on November 21st, 2024, at the age of 75. Ardis was born on February 13th, 1949 in Shreveport, Louisiana to Laurie and Flo Almond, and lived a life full of love, laughter, and adventure.

A devoted husband, father, and grandfather, Ardis is survived by his wife, Patricia Almond, his sister Renee Almond Hill, his children Vince (Tayja) Almond and Jennifer (Bryan) Fowler, and grandchildren Harley (Chris) Baker, Mystery Almond, Abby Fowler, Avery Fowler, Alyssa Fowler, and Ashley Fowler.

Ardis attended Texas A&M University where he honorably served in the Corps of Cadets. Ardis went on to earn a degree as a mechanical engineer from Texas A&M, and later used that education to design and build much of what is still being used at the Almond Brothers sawmill today. He always liked to say, “Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.” After graduation and before starting his career in the sawmill business, he proudly served in the United States Army, as an officer. From the date of service until his passing, Ardis proudly honored servicemen and veterans and profoundly understood the sacrifice and dedication that it took to serve our nation.

In between studying engineering, and supporting the Aggies, Ardis met the love of his life, Pat. Throughout their years together, Ardis and Pat shared a deep passion for travel. They explored the world together, and they eventually found it challenging to discover new places they hadn’t yet been. Their journeys together were a testament to their shared curiosity and love for life, which Ardis exemplified every day.

Throughout his life, Ardis touched many people with his kindness, knowledge, and love of Aggie Football. He only ever missed two home Texas A&M football games: one when his granddaughter was getting married, and another one when his granddaughter won a poetry contest. The only thing he loved more than football was his family.

In his career, Ardis was appreciated for his leadership in the sawmill/forestry industry, as President of Almond Brothers Lumber Co. from 1983 to 2020. In addition to his leadership positions in the company, he was greatly respected and admired across the entire lumber industry, having served as the president of the Southeastern Lumber Manufacturer Association in 2004. His leadership and wisdom will be missed as he felt like everyone at the company were part of the family.

On Friday nights, you could usually find Ardis on the sidelines of the local high school football games firing the cannon after touchdowns. He was a constant supporter of Vince and Jennifer’s athletics, always so proud to watch Vince kick field goals, or Jennifer play basketball and cheer. He continued with the love and pride of his family by attending almost every event each of his grandchildren would participate in, including basketball, school events, art shows and awards, volleyball and cheerleading competitions.
One of the major loves of his life was the construction of a home-built airplane that he and his family, along with his father-in-law, built outside his home in Coushatta. After building the airplane and being the first to fly it, he spent the next several decades flying. Taking friends and family flying in his plane was truly one of his greatest passions.

Ardis was a friend to nearly everybody he met. He had a rare and extraordinary quality of meeting people, showing genuine interest in who they were, and what they loved; remembering and genuinely wanting to hear more about those interests the next time he saw them. He was gracious and faithful to everyone in his path. As a result, Ardis truly had so many lifelong friends.

In addition to all of his accomplishments and the love he had for his family and friends, maybe the easiest thing for people to see in Ardis was his love for and relationship with Jesus Christ. He was benevolent with his blessings and his faith. He willingly shared his faith with family, friends, employees, and strangers, always walking strongly and courageously with his creator.

A celebration of Ardis’s life will take place on Sunday, December 1st at 3pm at First Methodist Church in Coushatta.

For residents who have regular trash pickup on Thursdays, Waste Connections has announced that Friday, November 29, will be pickup for this week. Wednesday pickup in town will remain the same.

There are a lot of hunters that can look back on Thanksgiving with fond memories. It’s not just about the food and football, but about their hunts as well. While some hunt ducks, quail or squirrels, others head for their favorite deer stand on Thanksgiving morning. Today we’ll go back in time during the early ‘70’s on a hunt I’ll never forget.

Every year as far back as I can remember, my favorite time to go hunting was on Thanksgiving morning. There was just something special about this day and waking up early knowing that three good things were going to happen that day. First, I was going deer hunting looking to shoot a good buck. Next, I knew there would be one heck of a Thanksgiving spread waiting for me after the hunt.

This would be a meal that would include my mom’s tasty cornbread dressing, fresh brown gravy, candied sweet potatoes, green beans, hot butter top rolls, deviled eggs, and either a pan roasted turkey or, every once in a while, she would shake things up with oven baked Cornish hens. To wash all this down you could choose grape Kool-Aid or sweet tea. For dessert, there was a choice between sweet potato or pecan pie, along with mom’s famous fruit salad (which was better after day 3) covered in homemade whip cream topped with walnuts.

As you can see, there was no shortage of food. But the third thing I looked forward to, that Thanksgiving Day would not be complete without, was a Dallas Cowboys victory. Nothing was more satisfying after a great meal than watching the Cowboy’s destroy their opponent.

But let’s talk about a Thanksgiving hunt I will remember forever…my first buck at the age of 12. This particular morning the temperature was in the mid 40’s with sunny skies predicted. A great morning for blowing smoke as you sat on your deer stand. But this day had a different feel, a feeling of anticipation because I had already seen the buck I was after the weekend before.

It appeared to be a solid mature eight-point buck that I hoped would make his presence known. But for some odd reason, I decided not to sit in my stand which was in the woods at the top of a hill overlooking a creek. There was also a game trail crossing this creek that deer were using on a regular basis.

So, I set up at the base of a huge pin oak tree just 20 yards off the game trail. It wasn’t long (30 minutes) before I heard the sound of something crashing through the woods headed directly in my direction. As I peered through the dense wood cover, I saw the huge buck crossing the creek and coming straight at me. Then halfway up the hill, the big eight point stopped and locked up as if he knew something wasn’t right.

I knew at this point the deer had probably gotten wind of me. I sat motionless with the buck looking in my direction about 30 feet away pawing at the ground. At one point it was as if we made actual eye contact. While this seemed like an eternity, I don’t think I took a breath for at least two minutes.

Finally, the buck looked back in the direction he came from and that’s when I raised my Remington 308 rifle and fired one shot. The buck jumped in the air and whirled around and headed back across the creek. I thought, “Surely, I didn’t miss that buck!” I mean he was the biggest buck in the county in my eyes! But then I heard him hit the ground confirming that I had made a clean shot.

The man I was hunting with, who was a good friend of the family, heard my shot and came immediately. We slowly walked towards the deer as we crossed the shallow creek and there he was, a really nice mature eight-point buck that I thought was the same deer I had seen the weekend before.

To say this was my favorite Thanksgiving ever would be an understatement! I was so excited and could not wait to show the deer to my family and friends. This is just one story of many that so many hunters get to experience during this time of year.

It’s also another reason for all of us to be thankful, not just for the opportunity to go hunting, but for the time we get to share with each other. Till next time, good luck, good hunting, as I would like to wish each of you a happy Thanksgiving!

Contact Steve at sgraf26@yahoo.com

The Reverse Advent Calendar idea is so simple – rather than receiving a treat each day, you gift one.

Packed to the brim with Christmas spirit, it’s an ideal tradition to start in your home and perfect for reminding us to think of others at this busy time of year.

Once complete, take to a local church, food bank or a family in need.

Most of Tom’s life was spent in incarceration, but now he was sentenced to death by guillotine.  The date of his execution was set for November 19.  As he sat on death row, he could do nothing but wait.  From his jail cell, he could see others awaiting a similar fate.  Tom knew nothing of their reasons for being there, whether they were innocent or guilty, but Tom was absolutely innocent.  As the old saying goes, “everyone on death row is innocent.”  One by one he watched as they were led away never to return.  Shortly after their cells were vacated, other prisoners took their place in a seemingly never-ending cycle.  Finally, his day had come.  He spoke not a word as he was led out of his jail cell and onto the platform.  The only thing that could save Tom now would be a last-minute reprieve, but it had never happened to someone under Tom’s circumstances.  There was little hope.

Tom’s time had come.  From the platform which had been set up in such a way as to give the public a good view, Tom looked out at the crowd as they looked back at him.  Rather than a somber occasion, the crowd was relaxed and seemed almost cheerful.  The crowd knew something that Tom did not.  A man stood next to Tom and begin to speak to the crowd.  Like the crowd, the speaker was smiling and cheerful as he spoke.  Tom watched the crowd in silence.  During his speech, the man told the crowd that he was commuting Tom’s death sentence to life in prison.  Tom was saved from the guillotine.  After some brief remarks, a quick photo, and a few questions from reporters, the speaker gave the sign and John was whisked away from the podium.  He was transported back to his cell at the Keithley McPherrin turkey breeding farms in Sunnymead, California.  Tom, a white 55-pound turkey, was the first turkey in history to receive a pardon from the President of the United States.

Although other presidents had saved various turkeys from dinner tables throughout the years, the pardoning of a Thanksgiving turkey did not become an annual tradition until Thanksgiving 1989 when George H.W. Bush said at a Thanksgiving Day Proclamation ceremony, while animal rights activists picketed nearby, “let me assure you, and this fine tom turkey, that he will not end up on anyone’s dinner table, not this guy—he’s presented a Presidential pardon as of right now—and allow him to live out his days on a children’s farm not far from here.” 

As we gather together with family and friends this Thanksgiving, we should remember to be thankful for everything and, more importantly, everyone we have.  We should be thankful for every moment we have on this earth because none of us know how much time we have.  You see, the first turkey to receive a presidential pardon was by President John F. Kennedy.  Kenndy planned to spend that Thanksgiving with his family in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, but first he had to do a short political tour.  On November 22, 1963, three days after pardoning Tom, John F. Kennedy was riding in a convertible in Dallas…

Sources:    

1.      The Courier-Journal (Louisville, Kentucky), November 20, 1963, p.12.

2.     The Post-Star (Glens Falls, New York) , November 18, 1989, p.4.

3.     Betty C. Monkman, “Pardoning the Thanksgiving Turkey,” The White House Historical Association, accessed November 23, 2024, https://www.whitehousehistory.org/pardoning-the-thanksgiving-turkey.

Black Friday is the official start of the Christmas holiday shopping season. 

So how did Black Friday come to be.

According to the History Channel, the name dates back to the 1950s, police in the city of Philadelphia used the term to describe the chaos that ensued on the day after Thanksgiving, when hordes of suburban shoppers and tourists flooded into the city in advance of the big Army-Navy football game held on that Saturday every year. Not only were Philly cops not able to take the day off, but they had to work extra-long shifts dealing with the additional crowds and traffic. Shoplifters also took advantage of the bedlam in stores and made off with merchandise, adding to the law enforcement headache.

Do you Black Friday shop? Online or in-store?

According to 2023 statistics, online shopping is much more popular than going to brick-and-mortar stores. But many retailers claim that the best deals are the ones found in-stores not online.

These days, the single day or weekend after Thanksgiving has now expanded into weeks giving even more opportunities to score the best deals on all the most popular items. 

Whether you are looking for the latest toys and goodies or the best prices on the latest tech gadgets, Black Friday deals are the best time to cross off items on your list.

In some families, Thanksgiving will involve holding hands and praying before the meal. I was thinking about all the tables full of food surrounded by family members, who have gathered for this holiday. I hope your Thanksgiving is filled with love and grace. What are your family traditions around this holiday?

Will you share your blessings? Are you a hand-holding family?

Has God given you a hand to hold?

Ronald Greer tells this story:

“I was sitting in the Atlanta airport, waiting at Gate 32 to board a plane. Zones 1 and 2 were called; I stood, picked up my briefcase, and walked toward the line that was forming. As I passed a row of seats, I heard a girl ask her mother, “Do I stand up now?”

Something about the girl’s voice got my attention. She was developmentally disabled. I kept walking, got in line, and boarded the plane.

I took my place in seat 7C. After I settled in, I looked up. There was the girl, coming down the aisle by herself. I was surprised to see that she was a teenager—she was so petite that she appeared almost frail. The seat in front of mine was hers.

Then “Animal House” boarded. A group of college students came down the aisle and took several rows of seats across from us. They were laughing, joking with one another, and having a great time. But above all else, they were cool. Cool, you understand, was imperative.

Finally, the plane was pushed back and began taxiing. Ten minutes later the pilot announced that we were cleared for takeoff. He made the final turn onto the runway.

I looked up and saw that little head with brunette hair lean partway across the aisle. I heard the girl say to the college student across from her, “I get really nervous when we take off. Would you hold my hand?”
My eyes were riveted on the young man to see what he would do. Holding a stranger’s hand is not cool. After a first nervous blush, he began to smile, and halfway across the aisle came that kid’s big ol’ hand. The girl’s tiny fingers grabbed it and squeezed it.

There they held hands across the aisle, as our Delta jet was airborne.

There they held hands as I stared, also in disbelief, and memorized that sacred moment. I knew I was seeing a sacrament.”

Has God given you a hand to hold?

Celebrate the harvest season with the Louisiana Harvest of the Month coloring book. This is a fun way to teach youth about the many fruits and vegetables grown in Louisiana! Available for download from the LSU AgCenter: https://tinyurl.com/HarvestoftheMonthColoringBook

Enjoy Breakfast with Santa December 7 at 10am at First Methodist Church in Coushatta.

The Spirit of DeSoto Tree Lighting will take place on Saturday, November 30. The World’s Tallest Christmas Tree Structure will be lit at 6:30PM. This year’s event, from 5-8pm, will include live local worship band performances, light show, food trucks, jump houses, and more. Parking will be at North DeSoto High School, with a FREE shuttle ride to the event. Guest appearance by Santa himself, to be inside the Stonewall Government Plaza. 

The Coushatta Chute Chapter DAR and Springville Cemetery will hold a Wreaths Across America Day on December 14, 2024, at 11am. Wreaths will be placed on the more than 265 graves of Veterans identified in the Springville Cemetery. Members of the community and families of veterans who would like to sponsor a wreath are encouraged to order online at wreathsacrossamerica.org/la0106p.

Christmas in Minden Candyland Christmas is December 13-15 in Downtown Minden. There’s a weekend full of festive events planned for the entire family.