Features

Wimberley Presbyterian Church celebrated the ten year anniversary of their pastor, Clint Regen, on Sunday, January 31 at 11 am. This Sunday also marked his 40th year in Christian ministry. The church honored him with a slideshow during the Sunday service, followed by a drive-by car parade at his home. He was also presented with a scrapbook of letters and cards. Regen arrived in Wimberley in 2011, and has embraced the town as his home. He vibrantly preaches the Gospel of Jesus Christ and instructs his congregation to carry that hope through every area of their lives. The main focus of his ministry is leading people to Jesus through sound Scriptural preaching and teaching them about God’s transforming love.

As we wait for the Covid vaccine to reach more arms and for the arrival of Spring, there is not much color in the garden right now to write about. My daughter, Blair Knies, gave me an idea one recent day. She started telling me how good she felt because she and her friend and neighbor, Robin Tenney, had been out picking up litter in their neighborhood. She said they did this nearly every Wednesday for about an hour and a half or more. She said they did this for themselves as well as for their community because it gave them a sense of making a difference during this distressing time of covid. A wonderful excuse to get outside to combat covid boredom. Note, however, that they have been picking up litter for sometime, even before covid times.

Karen Sophia Smith is an artist, but she doesn’t create paintings, jewelry, photographs or sculptures. No, her canvas is fabric and her talents lie in stitching. Smith’s quilts have been nationally recognized, but her journey to becoming an acclaimed artist didn’t start out exactly as you might expect.

This is the second part of an interview with longtime Wimberley resident Jules Alexander, one of the founding members of the 1960’s rock group, The Association.

Imagine being responsible for the lives of senior individuals in assisted living under lockdown because of COVID-19. The necessary procedures make it difficult, if not impossible, for many normal forms of socialization. How do you keep them occupied and safe while doing it? Ask Katy Starr of Alexis Pointe Senior Living.

Drippin’ Irrigation

The only established plant blooming in my yard in January is the Rosemary. Although this is not a native plant, it does exceptionally well in Texas. Similar to native plants, it doesn’t need watering when it is established. It never requires fertilizer or spraying. This evergreen plant will get huge and needs trimming. The deer don’t like it because it has a strong scent. It is an excellent spice to flavor your food and it blooms when nothing else is blooming if it gets enough sun. Rosemary will grow in a shady spot, but not bloom.

COVID-19 has slowed a lot of things down in Wimberley when it comes to nonprofits, a town that is generous in helping others. The Wimberley Chamber of Commerce lists 68, with a lot of others located in the area.

As you grow older, you will discover you have two hands — one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.

This is the second of a two-part series that recounts the memories and experiences of Juliana Shepard Jenkins, the daughter of astronaut Alan Shepard.

Mark it on your calendars, less than two months to go, on March 7, 2021; the dedication of the Martha Knies Community will take place. Many volunteer community members, businesses, and other organizations have helped to put the park in great shape and a quiet space, and make it a spot to be proud of. Its location is literally just feet from the Square. As the dedication nears, fundraising efforts are going well.

Austin weather stations are reporting record high readings of cedar pollen resulting in the allergic reaction known as “cedar fever.” The plant we call “Cedar” is actually Juniperus ashei.

Sometimes it is easy to see that history is in the making. In 20, 50 or maybe 100 years, museums might just have a plaque for the year 2020 with a mask fittingly draped across the front. Who knows, maybe there will be an exhibit at the Wimberley Valley Museum of how residents dealt with necessary activities during the year. Masks, social distancing and lockdowns are all a part of today’s reality. These are extraordinary times, and that is how history is made.