Rains County Leader (Emory, Tex.), Vol. 119, No. 25, Ed. 1 Tuesday, November 28, 2006 Page: 4 of 14
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Bains Countn Leader
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2006
n
w
Kitenen
cents
by Bonnie Burch
"I don’t want to live in a coun-
try where it’s easy to take chil
dren from parents,” said adop-
tive parent Manning Grinnan
Jr. While discussing their two
adopted children (with another
on the way), wife Sherry chimed
in, "We thought we would just
become foster parents, but we
couldn’t let them go.”
Knowing they couldn’t have
biological children, the Grinnans
began their marriage with dogs, a
bird and cats to nurture. Always
wanting their own kids, they tried
private adoption and thought
they’d hit the jackpot. However,
as the process approached final-
ity, the biological dad decided to
keep the child and let his mother
raise him. Sherry explained, ‘It
broke our hearts, and we felt like
we'd had a death in the family.”
Thinking their chance at
becoming adoptive parents had
come to a dead end, the couple
attended a party in the Dallas area
where they unexpectedly saw a
glimmer of hope. There they met
a single woman who was in the
process of adopting two foster
children who came to her through
Child Protective Services (CPS).
Could it be that the Grinnans
might become adoptive parents,
after all?
Such was the case after they
decided to become foster pat
ents. but the three-year journey
was long and arduous, After a
year of jumping though hoops
and passing a home study, they
proudly became foster parents
to two small brothers. Then the
worst happened: The officiating
judge in the case sent the boys
back to the real parents. What a
heartbreak. CPS caseworker Lois
Price, however, told them not to
worry, that the boys would prob-
ably be back in the system.
With their emotions on a roller
coaster, the Grinnans took two
little girls the very next day. And
yes, the caseworker was right on
the mark: The boys came back
into the system, and the Grin-
• nan child count went from zero
to four in the same year. Sherry
explained with a smile, “1 found I
was not the Mother of the Year I
thought I could be."
When all was said and done*
brothers Benjamin, 3, and Man-
ning "David", 5, were adopted
and 10-month old Makayla is in
the process of becoming a Grin-
nan. The older girl went back into
the system. Sherry added, "When
we got David, CPS warned us that
he was developmental^ retarded,
and we should brace ourselves
that he might not be okay. By the
time David began HeadStart, he
tested number one in the school.
I’m the luckiest woman on earth
to have these kids." He’s in kin-
dergarten now and Benjamin's in
private school.
Dad feels just as fortunate, and
both said they get infuriated when
they see people adopt foreign
children. "Why not American?
Why doesn’t the state run an ad?"
asked Sherry.
If the Grinnans believe they 're
lucky, their children are the ones
who are truly fortunate. They
have parents who take them to
pick sweet potatoes, let them help
"While I’m not as rabidly rural
as that, 1 think that we’re giving
them an opportunity to experi-
ence life in a way that won't be
available real soon Country life
like this won’t exist for long. It's
not sad; it's just the truth.”
When describing the children.
Mom said Makayla is so sweet
and smart and is into everything.
In fact. Dr. Rodgers ol bmoiy
told Mom that the girl is the hap-
piest baby lie's ever seen. As for
Benjamin, while lie was a sweet
baby, he is now:110 percent boy
and ornery in a cute way. He
loves to sing and will probably be
a rocker, Mom added.
And then there’s David, who’s
quiet, smart, very impressive, and
learning Spanish front a tutor.
Dad added, "We’re ol the opinion
that Spanish will be the domi-
nate language here, and I think
sophisticated adults should speak
more than one language and play
instruments”
Meanwhile Manning, a tech-
nology consultant, brings home
the bacon by owning and operat-
ing Pulse Labs in I tnory Previ-
ously a software engineer in the
Dallas area, he realized when the
technology bubble burst and the
Iraq war destabilized the industry,
that career was over. To Ranis
Country they came, and Sherry
helps hubby, when not tending
to the kids. Her mother moved to
the area as well and assists with
the children.
Manning went on to say that he
was concerned when he moved
on 75 acres between Point and
Lone Oak that the county might
be closed to newcomers. Nothing
could be further from the truth.
His first employment was help-
ing Potts feed Store computerize,
and he added with a grin, “There
I met everybody in town, and my
future plans are tied up with three
kids in this county forever."
Since November is Adoption
Month, and Thanksgiving was
last week, it was fitting that we
feature the Grinnans at this time.
"Adoption is a win-win situation.
We grow and learn from them,
and we have three kills who have
better lives." they shared. How
plant a garden and pick up pecans.
And Mom. who is a country girl
at heart, wants her children to
know that pecans come from
trees and to be able to tell good
fruit from bad. Manning added,
thankful they are.
(The Grinmns are avid sup-
porters of CPS. If you are inter-
ested in becoming a fostei/adop-
tive parent, please contact their
caseworker, Lois Price, at 903-
Fisherman's Cove jx.
9^^ Marina
2712 N. FM 17 • Alba, Texas • 903-765-2943
PRIVATE CLUB
(FREE MEMBERSHIPS AVAILABLE)
Domestic Longnecks $2.00
Well Drinks $2.00
16-oz. Draft Beer $1.00
DINNER SPECIALS 4-9 p.m.
MON.: Chicken-fried steak, mashed potatoes,
salad, dessert $6.99
TUES.: Burger baskets S3.00 with fries, tater tots or
onion rings _
WED.: All-you-can-eat Italian spaghetti, ravioli, mari-
nara or alfredo sauce, salad, garlic bread $6.99
THURS.: All-you-can-eat Mexican tacos, rice, beans $5.99
3 miles S. of FM 515
on FM 17 or 2 miles
N. of Alba on FM 17
903-765-2943
737-0329. See related article and
poem about adoption in this edi-
tion. )
Recipe for a Healthy
Child
by Gary Direnjeld
Basic Ingredients
I At least one loving adult
whose needs are differentiated
from the child's and who puts the
child's needs first.
2. Information given liberally
so that the child always knows
what’s going on and what’s
expected.
3. Feedback given liberally,
like a signpost, to keep the child
on the right track.
4. Consequences to help the
child learn right from wrong,
good from bad, the meaning
of "no,” and respect for one
another,
5. Negotiation as a way out of
conflicts when it is reasonable
lor both adult and child to be
winners.
6 A clean and safe environ-
ment extending from one's home
to the community and to the
world.
7. Food, water, shelter, cloth-
ing, education and freedom from
harm.
8. A chance to be special, a zil-
lion times a year.
Directions: Take all the basic
ingredients and blend them in
equal and generous amounts (like
chocolate chip cookies - more is
better). Bake in a home warmed
by caring and . sharing. During
the baking process, demonstrate
all aspects of appropriate values.
•Treat each other well. Play with
one another. Let your child par-
ticipate in doing good deeds with
you. Be prepared to stand back as
the child rises. (You don’t want to
stifle rising children or they can
fall flat. Also you don’t want to
open the door too quickly, before
they are set to stand on their own.
It's important to get it just right.)
If you follow this recipe as
closely as you can, you will find
that there is room for mistakes
because when you use good
ingredients, the mix develops
some forgiveness. (This is a
secret ingredient that develops
out of the combination effect of
the other ingredients.)
When is it cooked? The really
neat thing about this recipe is that
a child is always cooked, even
when he or she continues to rise.
You can enjoy a child anytime
yOu take the time.
Bon Appetit!!
Spinach Quiche
1/2 r. butter |
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 10-oz. pkg. frozen chopped
spinach, thawed and drained^
1 4.5 oz. can mushrooms,
drained
1 6-oz. pkg. herb and garlic
feta, crumbled
1 8-oz. pkg. shredded Cheddar
cheese
EAST TEXAS INFLATABLES
Inflatable Bounce Houses
BOOK ONE FOR YOUR PARTY NOW!
903473-1501 • 903-243-8473
FRESH CROP
NS
at SCOTT ORCHAID In Emory
First house on left on CR 2180, off FMi274 (Wittow Springs Road)
Whole, Cracked c Shelled
CUSTOM CRAIKING
1-903-473-5694
TOPS N.E.T.O. Menu
salt and pepper to taste
1 9-in. unbaked deep dish pie
crust
4 eggs, beaten
1 c. milk
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a medium skillet, melt butter
over medium heat. Saute garlic and
onion in butter until lightly browned,
about 7 minutes. Stir in spinach,
mushrooms, feta and 1/2 c. Cheddar
cheese. Season with salt and pep-
per Spoon mixture into pie crust,
In a medium bowl, whisk together
eggs and milk. Season with salt and
pepper. Pour into the pastry shell,
allowing egg mixture to thoroughly
combine with spinach mixture.
Bake in preheated oven for 15
minutes. Sprinkle top with remain-
ing Cheddar cheese and bake an
additional 35 to 40 minutes, until
set in center. Allow to stand 10 min-
utes before serving.
Thro um-Together Soup
1 box Swanson beef bouillon
1 can Campbell’s tomato soup
1 small onion, chopped
3 small potatoes, chopped
1/2 bowl of leftover brown beans,
rinsed
1/2 bag mixed frozen vegetables
(corn, green beans, peas,
carrots)
1 lb. ground beef or any beef
meat you desire
garlic salt, parsley, salt and
pepper to taste
Worcestershire sauce, soy
sauce and Jim Beam Steak
Sauce to taste
Add beef bouillon to pan, boil
potatoes and onion in it for 20 min-
utes. Brown meat in another pan.
When potatoes are soft add other
ingredients, meat, and the sauces
how you like. Add as much water
as you like. Bring to boil again.
Serve with crackers of your choice
or cornbread.
Steak with Three
Pepper corn Sauce
2 12-oz. rib eye steaks
1 Tbsp. butter
1/2 c. cognac
1/2 c. dry white wine
2 c. heavy eream
1 Tbsp. each of green, pink,
cracked black peppercorns
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
salt and freshly ground black
pepper
Season steaks with salt and pep-
per. Heat clarified butter in a skillet
over high heat. When hot, add the
steaks. Cook on high heat until
medium rare, about 8 minutes.
Remove steaks from pan and keep
warm.
Pour any fat from pan and deglaze
with white wine and cognac. Reduce
by two-thirds and add heavy cream.
Bring to a boil. Stir in peppercorns,
and whisk in butter. Pour over steaks
and serve. Serves 2.
Chocolate Cupcake
Cones
Children, young and old alike,
love eating these cupcakes baked in
ice cream cones.
1 2-layer chocolate* cake mix
batter, homemade or pre-
pared as directed on cake
mix box
1 16-oz. can chocolate* frost-
ing, or 2 cups homemade
icing
24 ice cream cones, flat
bottomed
decors, sprinkles and other
decorations as desired
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fill
each ice cream cone 1/3 full with
cake batter. Carefully plage cones
on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake
for 20 to 25 minutes or until done.
Cool cones on wire rack. Spread
each cupcake top with frosting and
decorate as desired.
* Or use any flavor or flavor combi-
nations you desire.
TX 1244
. s. y *1 . r , •
by Lori Wilson
TOPS TX 1244. met in regu-
lar session on November 21.
The meeting was called to order
by leader Rubye Raymer. Lori
Wilson gave the devotional.
We all said the TOPS pledge
and sang the TOPS song.
Linda Franklin called roll with
five weighing in. Lori Wilson
and Johnnie Dry were TOPS best
losers. Linda Franklin won the
money can.
The minutes were approved as
read by Lori Wilson.
Linda Franklin gave the pro-
gram last week on “Sensible
Rules To Save Money On
Groceries," “Winter Hydration
and Health" and “I’ll Be Slim
For Christmas." Johnnie Dry has
the program this week.
We closed with our Helping
Hands pledge and sang the
Goodnight song.
***
It has been my experience that
folks who have no vices have
very few virtues.
Abraham Lincoln
December 4-8
Monday: Meatballs and gravy,
mashed potatoes, english peas,
bread, pudding.
Tuesday: Alfredo chicken over
spaghetti, green beans, bread,
Jell-O with fruit.
Wednesday: Meatloaf, black-
eyed peas, stewed tomatoes/
okra, cornbread, peaches.
Thursday: Turkey vegetable
casserole, seasoned hominy, car-
rot salad, roll, fruit cobbler.
Friday: Catfish filet, pinto
beans, fried okra, hush puppies,
fruit parfait.
Vicki’s
Cakes &
Catering
All Occasions
Vicki Wade
(903) 473-2113
Emory, Texas
100% SHEA BUTTER &
SHEA BUTTER PRODUCTS
General Uses:
• For treatment of dry skin conditions associated with eczema, psoriasis and dermatitis
• For pain (swelling ami arthritis) \
• For sunscreen (rich in Vitamin F)
• For muscle relaxation and stiffness
• For skin discolorations and stretch marks
• For treatment of scars and wrinkles
• For treatment of minor cuts, burns and insect bites
Contact Anthony Porter, Product Consultant
Live Your Body, 109 North Texas Street. P.O. Box 235. Emory, Texas 75440
00.1-474-0239 or Toll free 866-441-9703
SELLING QUALITY FLOORING
TO THE PUBLIC AT THE LOWEST PRICES
WHOIESAlf
CARPETS
Hwy. 276 at Taylor Drive
(Behind car lot amt Across the street from the flea market)
903-356-4413
QUINLAN
X
PRIMARY CARE
ASSOCIATES
i if
EAST SIDE PLAZA
Suite #105 • Emory
903-473-3036
j *’•'
Pamela Welch, PA-C ■
Family Practice
FLU SHOTS
are noW available
*20.00
Walk-ins are welcome
1 t
n
■
it •»
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Hill, Earl Clyde, Jr. Rains County Leader (Emory, Tex.), Vol. 119, No. 25, Ed. 1 Tuesday, November 28, 2006, newspaper, November 28, 2006; Emory, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth767547/m1/4/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Rains County Library.