Friends are important

Friends are important, especially when they are from Heavener. I never hesitate to tell anyone where I’m from, nor think twice about visiting with a friend I knew back in my Heavener days.

Cynthia and I always make it back to the Heavener High School Reunions.

Two of my best friends ever are from Heavener, Mike Mattison and Ron Bentley, both of whom have gone on to meet the Lord. And many of my best friends are from Heavener.

I always keep in touch with Jim Patterson, a former classmate, even though he lives in Arlington. We email each other almost every day and Cynthia and I always go to Arlington every year when the Yankees play the Rangers. Jim gets us tickets every year, and we already have a trip planned in August.

We’re going to see the Yankees when they play the Astros in June, and we’ll probably see Steve Mattison while we’re there. He was the best man in our wedding. He is Mike Mattison’s brother and was one of Cynthia’s good friends in high school.

You get the idea I’m a Yankees fan

Steve is the kind of guy whose job has taken him to several cities and states, but we’ve never lost contact. Cynthia and I have visited him in Charlotte, Tulsa, Oklahoma City and, earlier this year, in Houston.

We were in Heavener in February to visit her Aunt Mable and for me to go to a class meeting at Sherry Copeland’s house. It gave me a chance to have lunch with Bill Pitchford at the Southern Belle and catch up on some old times. We did grow up just down the street from each other.

I lived only a few houses from the Babcocks and we’ve visited on occasion with Bill, whenever we make the drive through Octavia along 259 to Heavener. We also visited with Joe when we went to Lake Conroe in January. He lives not far from there, in Plantersville,TX.

One thing I’ve missed about blogging is reading something about Heavener, or someone from Heavener.

Since Craig (Hall) stopped publishing HOL (Heavener on line) I’ve missed reading blogs from Craig, Gracie (Coggins) Kidwell, Glen Lazalier, Pat (Linville) Burroughs and Chuck Hudlow (and others). I didn’t know Glen and Pat before, but felt I did after reading their blogs.

Chuck has retired from the fast-paced life at DFW and moved closer to Tyler and we have plans to see him and Maureen soon. He says he play golf a lot, so I may have to take up the game again. I used to have a set of golf clubs, but gave them away so I would never be tempted to play again.

He lives in Hideaway now, which is only a few miles from Tyler. We’ve already seen him once, at Cracker Barrel. Chuck loves to eat, and so do I. So, that’s another thing I have in common with Chuck. (You could never tell it by looking at either one of us.)

I’m not the only one who consider Heavener friends important. Cynthia on business trips has visited with Lalia (Tate) Click in Nashville and with Rick Noble in Pleasanton (CA) on a trip to Oakland.

If any Heavenerite makes a trip to East Texas, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.

Anyway, it’s good to be blogging again and I hope others in Heavener do the same.