Arlene Jones

Years ago, when I used to work out on the far northwest side, there was a ceramic shop about a block away. During my lunch time, I would go there and take lessons in how to do ceramics. It was relaxing and enjoyable. Plus, I got to make things with Black skin tones. Over the course of time, I did a lot of Christmas decorations. I made a Black Santa and Black angels.

I attended the rally that was held July 30 at New Mount Pilgrim Church in honor of the late Sonya Massey. She is the Black woman from the Springfield area who called 911 because she thought she heard a prowler. She had a pot of water boiling on the stove which they asked her to address. According to news accounts, as she went to pour the water in the sink, one of the deputies who had to be at least 15-20 feet away with a counter in between them, pulled out his gun and ended up shooting her just below her left eye.

I wasn’t glued to the television or my smartphone to watch every aspect of the Olympics. However, I did go out of my way to make sure I watched the gymnastics competition just to see Simone Biles. She truly is the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) when it comes to gymnastics. During one of her routines, where she was doing a double flip in the air, I swear she went higher on the second flip than she did on the first one. She definitely is entitled to every medal that she won.

My block held its annual block club party this past Saturday. I’ve lived on my block for 35 years now. Over those years, the block has held up against the test of decline. I feel one of the biggest problems within the Austin community is that the individual homes do not maintain the level of street appeal that attracted people here to begin with.

August 24--The Outreach Ministry of New Life In Christ Ministries, 208 Meadowbrook Street in Vidalia, invites you to their "Clothes Closet", Saturday August 24th from 8:00 to 12:00.

My block held its annual block club party this past Saturday. I’ve lived on my block for 35 years now. Over those years, the block has held up against the test of decline. I feel one of the biggest problems within the Austin community is that the individual homes do not maintain the level of […]

I am so grateful that the DNC convention is over. With both my daughter and son-in-law being CPD, they had to work 12-hour days, I was on granny duty overtime. Three grandchildren wanting three different things for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Plus all the idiosyncrasies that go with it.

I can’t believe it! Labor Day has come and gone. Summer is over (unofficially) and though I feel like it just got started, I did manage to accomplish a lot of things. Especially when it came to my second-story deck. I have created within this urban environment a wonderful, calm, serene mental-health getaway. For the first time ever, I would purposely go out and sit in the hanging chair and just let all the stress of the day fade away while swinging/floating in the fresh air.

I am always looking for storage space. If there is one downfall we have as Americans, it’s that we tend to keep a lot of things we don’t want to get rid of. Thus, finding a place to put them becomes a chore. I considered renting a storage unit, but paying money for one just is not in my budget.

I don’t know if it was because of an email, or an ad on Facebook, but I learned that the Calvacade of Homes would again take place. After a two-year hiatus, because of COVID, they’re back.