By John Moore | TheCountryWriter.com

Red Skelton. Ed Sullivan. Dean Martin. Rowan & Marrtin. The Smothers Brothers. Carol Burnett. Flip Wilson. Make the connection yet?

Variety shows. American variety shows.

From the 1940s to the 1980s, Americans were entertained by a cross-section of talent, all compacted into one hour or more of television. And every week, our RCA console TV in the house on Beech Street in Ashdown, Arkansas, was tuned in to most of the variety shows. Especially Red Skelton. My sister and I loved Red.

Red Skelton was an American comedian who made his way in entertainment through just about every medium. Radio, motion pictures, and television were all conquered by Red, and some amazing talent made it to the big time thanks to being featured on his variety show.

Many who were on Red’s program didn’t need the publicity, but that’s what made a variety show a variety show. The Rolling Stones, The Beach Boys, The Supremes, Mickey Rooney, Vincent Price, and Carol Channing, were just a few of the entertainers who appeared on The Red Skelton Show.

But the weekly favorites were characters that Red came up with and performed himself. Freddie the Freeloader was a silent, yet lovable clown. Clem Kadiddlehopper, a happy, but dimwitted bumpkin. Junior, the Mean Widdle Kid, and Sheriff Deadeye, an incompetent Wild West lawman, were always a treat to watch. Regardless of what my sister and I were doing, we stopped and plopped down in front of the television to watch Red.

The Ed Sullivan Show was also a favorite. Best known for the American debut of The Beatles, Ed’s program was one of the longest-running variety shows, and included the TV debut of many other acts, such as Elvis Presley, The Jackson Five, The Doors, and Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin.

Later, Dean Martin would host his own variety show where he famously refused to rehearse. That lack of rehearsal gave his appearance in a tuxedo, with a ubiquitous drink and cigarette, seem more like a playboy who’d walked into another part of his day rather than a weekly television program.

Dean’s skits and singing, with beautiful women at the ready, were a must-watch in 1960s America.

Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In took the variety format to a whole new level. In addition to guest stars who appeared (including presidential candidate Richard Nixon), terms such as, “You bet your sweet bippy,” “Sock it to me,” “Here come da judge,” “One ringy-dingy, two ringy-dingies,” “Look that up in your Funk and Wagnalls,” and “Goodnight, Dick,” all became part of the lexicon.

The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour was very popular, and highly controversial. Tom and Dick Smothers played instruments and told jokes, and had great writers, including a very young Steve Martin. But poking fun at the U.S. Government and the Vietnam War didn’t fly well, and they were canceled.

One variety show that stood out was The Carol Burnett Show. With her regular cast members of Lyle Waggoner, Harvey Korman and Vicki Lawrence. Carol often welcomed Dick Van Dyke and Tim Conway as guests. Conway became a regular cast member much later in the show’s run, but his skit with the dentist who stabs himself with the numbing agent, and his ad libbing during the Mama’s Family skits are now legendary.

The Flip Wilson Show was one of the biggest surprises of the early 1970s. It’s unlikely that anyone thought a man dressing up as a woman named Geraldine, who threatened to sick her boyfriend Killer on those who disagreed with her, would have become a hit show. But it did. My mother never understood why I liked it so much.

Flip was on Thursday night and was the top show, until a new program about poor people struggling during The Depression knocked it off its perch. The Walton’s was also an unlikely hit, but it came around about the time that variety shows were running their course.

As is the case with cop shows, westerns, medical dramas, and other genres of television programs, things come to an end, and then sometimes come back around. So was the case with variety shows.

When The Carol Burnett Show ended its run in 1978, it was the last of the true variety programs. Carol and others, including Dolly Parton, The Mandrell Sisters, and The Smothers Brothers tried to revive the format later, but all attempts fell flat.

But just as cop shows were big in the 70s and fell out of favor, they now have made a big return with CSI, NCIS, and others. Maybe there’s still hope for the variety show.

A cross-section of talent, without the politics, would be most welcome.

© 2026 John Moore

John’s new book, Write of Passage: Volume 3, is available on Amazon. Write to John at TheCountryWriter.com.

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Several area districts offer opportunities for seniors to attend school-sponsored events at a discount or for free. Wylie ISD and Garland ISD, specifically, issue cards to seniors ages 65 and older, active-duty military personnel and veterans that act as a general admission ticket to athletic and fine arts events. 

Wylie ISD cards are accepted at Garland events and vice versa. 

Plano ISD issues discount cards to residents 60 or older.

“Each district may have slightly different criteria or name for obtaining a card, but the goals are the same: to make sure our senior citizens stay connected to our schools and provide affordable entertainment options for this valuable community,” Ian Halperin, Wylie ISD executive director of community relations & marketing, said. 

Wylie ISD has issued 200 Gold Cards this semester and more than 3,200 total since beginning over 40 years ago. Eligible residents can apply online at wylieisd.net/goldcard or by contacting Halperin at 972-429-3019. The application contains a few short questions, and the process is the same for seniors, active-duty military personnel and veterans. 

The district also allows its retired teachers to apply for the Gold Card. Recipients can choose to have the card mailed to them or to pick it up at the Educational Service Center. Once issued, the card never expires. 

In addition to high school events, the WISD card also covers junior high activities that have an admission fee. Halperin said there are some events where licensing requirements prevent the free admission benefit from being used. 

Plano ISD has a Retired Seniors Valued in Plano (RSVP) program for residents aged 60 or older. The free membership card allows for free or discounted admission to most PISD sporting and fine arts events. 

Members recently took a hosted by Superintendent Theresa Williams and Johnny Hill, deputy superintendent for business, employee services and technology.

Attendees visited Plano West Senior High School, Haggard Middle School, Plano Senior High School and the new Career and Technical Education Center. 

“I found it absolutely fascinating to see how much construction is occurring in Plano, as well as the unique types of construction,” said RSVP member Mark Ball “You’ve got schools that are being rebuilt featuring brand new things that I didn’t think about when I was in school, or my wife Jane, who was a former principal in the district, even was aware of. It really is an opportunity for the students to have such wonderful campuses.”

PISD RSVP Membership Cards do not expire and membership does not have to be renewed annually. The program provides free admission to all home games for all sports for middle school and high schools, both junior varsity and varsity. It excludes away games, playoff games and non-school events held in school facilities. 

Fine arts events hosted by the UIL are regular price with no discount or free admission, but campus performances of plays, variety shows, band, orchestra, choir and vocal music offer free admission on opening night. The RSVP offers discounted admissions only on opening night for musicals and the Drill Team Spring Show. 

For more information, or to apply for a card, search RSVP on PISD.edu. 

To receive a Garland ISD VIP pass, eligible residents can call 972-494-8580 to schedule an appointment during the window of Monday through Thursday from 9-11 a.m. and 1-3 p.m. Applicants must bring a government-issued picture ID or document to prove military service. Garland’s VIP passes also never expire. 

For more information, visit garlandisd.net/garland-isd-vip-pass.

Reporter Bob Wieland also contributed to this story.

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Murphy’s annual family campout is returning to Central Park Pond next month, offering families a chance to spend a night under the stars without venturing far from home.

Now in its third year, the overnight event has become a popular fall activity. Last year’s campout offered space for 50 families and sold out quickly.

This year’s event is scheduled for Friday, Nov. 13, through Saturday, Nov. 14, with an evening of outdoor activities, food and entertainment planned for participants.

Campers can begin checking in at 3 p.m. Friday, with fishing and yard games available until dusk. The s’mores pit opens at 6 p.m., followed by dinner at 6:30 p.m. An outdoor movie is scheduled for 8 p.m., although the film has not yet been announced.

Quiet hours begin at 10 p.m., giving campers a chance to settle in for the night.

The following morning, breakfast will be served at 7 a.m., with campers expected to pack up and clean their campsites by 9 a.m.

Registration costs $50 per campsite for up to five campers and includes a complimentary dinner and breakfast, along with a commemorative T-shirt. Vegetarian meal options are available upon request.

Participants should bring their own camping supplies, including a tent, sleeping bags or cots, flashlights, insect repellent, extra clothing, jackets and lawn chairs. Fishing gear, water bottles and any necessary medications are also recommended.

Parking will be available at the PSA North Lot, 330 N. Murphy Road, with overflow parking at the Murphy City Hall Complex, 206 N. Murphy Road.

Registration is open to Murphy residents and nonresidents, with a deadline of Thursday, Oct. 15. Campsites can be reserved through the city’s website at https://bit.ly/4hwVuFQ.

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By John Moore | TheCountryWriter.com

The City of Texarkana dates its official beginnings to 1873. Like many cities and towns of the era, railroads brought people, who brought businesses. The same was true for Ashdown, Arkansas, my hometown, located just north of Texarkana.

The railroad connected people. It brought the mail, needed supplies, and communication. In the 1960s, another communication system came to Texarkana: cable television. The installers strung cable down the utility poles until many homes had the opportunity to connect. By the early 1980s, Ashdown folks also had cable.

Today, we take fast and easy communication for granted. We can call anyone instantly, anywhere in the world. Until cable, 24-hour news was unheard of.

Before cable, my family watched the latest on the Vietnam War on the nightly news. By the latest, I mean a few days old.

The news reader had that distinct news-sounding voice he’d use to introduce the footage. “Here we see this newsreel, shot three days ago in Da Nang…”

The advent of cable television brought us together in a way similar to what radio did in the 1920s, and television in the early 1950s.

Most of the television networks were offshoots of the old radio networks. ABC, NBC, and CBS, strung together with local radio stations.

When you see The Waltons gathered around their cathedral-style radio, that’s pretty accurate. Families gathered in front of their set for entertainment and news, just as they would later in front of the television.

We had three television channels in our area. Local programming during the day and national programming at night. Cable TV changed that in a big way.

Early cable programming was mostly channels imported from the nearest large city. For us in Ashdown, it was the same network affiliates we had, but the channels were from Dallas. This included PBS, which was something we did not have in our market.

PBS shows included Sesame Street, Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood, This Old House, and Nova. They were excellent and eye-opening. They showed us things we hadn’t seen before. The kids learned. The adults learned too.

One of the most impressive cable channels was Home Box Office, or HBO. At the time, it was the only 24-hour movie channel with no commercials. Until HBO, the only way you could watch a movie without advertising was to go to a movie theater.

The first time I saw HBO was at a buddy’s house. Heaven Can Wait, with Warren Beatty and Julie Christie, was on. A great movie.

Satellite dishes were a popular option for television viewing, but as broadcasters began encoding their channels on satellite transmissions, cable television became the preferred option.

My dad finally subscribed to cable, so we could watch all of the family’s favorite shows with a guarantee that the signal would be crystal clear and reliable. With an antenna, you were at the mercy of the weather when it came to watching your shows. Weather could affect the signals.

Cable also changed the way we watched. Instead of checking a newspaper or waiting for a favorite program to come on, we could flip through channels and find something at almost any hour. There was a new sense of possibility in that. A movie, a ballgame, or a program from another city was suddenly just a button away.

News went from being three days old to live.

One morning, a new channel called CNN was covering a routine speech by President Reagan. They were still covering the event when the president was leaving the building to get into his limousine. On live TV, President Reagan was shot by an attempted assassin.

Just 20 years earlier, President Kennedy was murdered, but the only footage of the tragedy was taken by a civilian. The film had to be developed and shared later.

Cable television grew into more news networks, live weather channels, and very specialized programming. A storm approaching our area could be tracked on television, while news from around the world appeared as it happened. For families who had once waited days for footage, that was a remarkable change.

Today, we have channels for food, history, biographies, and much more. All of which started with cable.

In just a few decades, we went from three grainy channels to YouTube, where we can make our own TV programming if we want.

It’s easy to take for granted how connected we are today. It’s debatable whether we’re better or worse off for the advancement, but one thing is certain: we no longer have to wait three days for the news.

Today, in regard to transportation and communication, cable has just about gone the way of the railroad. Fiber optics and streaming are how we stay connected.

With the coming of AI, who knows what’s next. But one thing is certain. Cable is one of the big steps that got us where we are, and will get us where we’re going.

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By Carrie Dunlea

North Texas, summer’s relentless heat has finally begun to loosen its grip. Mornings turn cooler, evenings invite an extra layer and suddenly sitting beside a campfire sounds like a very good idea.

It’s camping season.

Fall may be the sweet spot for exploring the outdoors across Texas and its neighboring states. Hiking is considerably more pleasant without triple-digit temperatures, chilly evenings make sleeping under the stars more appealing and, farther north, hardwood forests trade summer green for shades of gold, orange and crimson.

Best of all, a memorable fall escape doesn’t require a flight or a week off work. From the red-rock canyons of the Texas Panhandle to the cypress-lined waters of East Texas and colorful mountains of Oklahoma and Arkansas, some spectacular places to pitch a tent — or park an RV, rent a cabin or even go glamping — are just a road trip away.

Here are seven worth packing for.

Palo Duro Canyon

There’s camping, and then there’s waking up at the bottom of a canyon.

Known as the “Grand Canyon of Texas,” Palo Duro Canyon drops dramatically from the flat Panhandle landscape into a world of multicolored rock walls, mesas and rugged trails. The canyon is the second largest in the country and can be explored on foot, mountain bike, horseback or by car. 

October brings a major advantage: more comfortable temperatures for exploring trails that can be punishingly hot during summer.

Campers can choose from developed sites with water and electricity, drive-up tent camping or primitive backpacking. Those who like the idea of nature more than sleeping on the ground have alternatives: cabins sit along the canyon rim and floor, and furnished glamping sites come equipped with beds, air conditioning, refrigerators, grills and covered porches.

Stay outside after sunset. Away from city lights, Palo Duro’s enormous night sky may be as memorable as the canyon itself.

Caprock Canyons

About 90 miles southeast of Palo Duro, Caprock Canyons offers another dramatic Panhandle landscape — with some very large residents wandering through it.

The park is home to the Texas State Bison Herd, descendants of animals preserved by legendary ranchers Charles and Mary Ann Goodnight beginning in the late 1800s. Today, bison roam more than 10,000 acres of the park and have the right of way when they decide to cross a road. 

The landscape is reason enough to visit. Red and orange canyon walls rise above prairie, cottonwoods and Lake Theo, while nearly 90 miles of park and trailway routes offer opportunities for hiking and mountain biking. Campsites range from sites with electricity to walk-in and true backcountry options. 

Fall brings another splash of color as cottonwoods turn yellow against the red canyon walls. 

Just remember who’s in charge here: Park officials advise visitors to stay at least 50 yards from bison.

Trade canyon walls for Spanish moss at one of Texas’ most distinctive camping destinations.

Caddo Lake

Caddo Lake feels almost otherworldly. Massive bald cypress trees rise from dark water, their branches draped in Spanish moss, while a maze of bayous and wetlands begs to be explored by canoe or kayak.

The 500-acre state park provides access to the much larger Caddo Lake ecosystem. More than 70 species of fish inhabit its waters, and paddlers can explore Saw Mill Pond and Big Cypress Bayou or venture onto longer paddling trails. 

There are 46 campsites ranging from basic water sites to full RV hookups, along with screened shelters and historic Civilian Conservation Corps cabins for travelers who prefer four walls. 

A word of caution before wandering too close to the water: Alligators live here, too.

For campers accustomed to North Texas lakes and prairies, Caddo offers something completely different without leaving the state.

If your vision of fall involves tall trees, a rushing river and a campfire beneath changing leaves, point the car toward southeastern Oklahoma.

Beavers Bend State Park

Beavers Bend State Park sits along the Mountain Fork River and Broken Bow Lake amid the forested hills of the Ouachita Mountains. The combination of water, woods and winding mountain roads has made the Broken Bow area one of Oklahoma’s signature fall destinations.

Days can be spent hiking, fishing, kayaking or canoeing, followed by an evening around the fire. The Mountain Fork River is also known for year-round trout fishing. In autumn, the surrounding forest supplies the show as greens give way to gold, orange and red. 

The park accommodates campers ranging from tent enthusiasts to RV travelers, while cabins provide an easy alternative for anyone who wants the outdoor experience followed by a real bed.

And with Broken Bow and Hochatown nearby, restaurants and other diversions aren’t far away if camp cooking loses its charm.

Come for the fall color. Stay for the outlaw lore.

Robbers Cave State Park

Tucked into the Sans Bois Mountains of southeastern Oklahoma, Robbers Cave State Park combines rugged cliffs, wooded trails and lakes with stories of an era when outlaws supposedly found refuge among the area’s rocky hideaways.

A trail leads to the cave associated with notorious names including Jesse James and Belle Starr, but autumn may steal the spotlight. Oklahoma tourism identifies late October into early November as a particularly good period for viewing the surrounding hills in their fall colors. 

Hiking and horseback riding offer different ways to explore the terrain, and adventurous visitors can try rappelling. Seasonal canoe and paddleboat rentals continue Thursdays through Sundays through October in 2026. 

Camping options are plentiful, but those who decide they’ve had enough rustic living can retreat to a cabin or the park’s lodge.

For a classic autumn camping trip, it’s hard to improve upon Arkansas’ first state park.

Petit Jean Mountain

Petit Jean Mountain rises above the Arkansas River Valley, creating a landscape of wooded trails, overlooks, rock formations and waterfalls. In fall, the surrounding hardwood forest supplies the color.

The signature hike leads to Cedar Falls, where water plunges 95 feet into the canyon below. Other trails lead past caves, rock shelters and overlooks, making this the kind of destination where it’s easy to fill a weekend without ever leaving the mountain.

Petit Jean also carries the fingerprints of the Civilian Conservation Corps. Rustic stone and log structures constructed in the 1930s remain part of the park experience, including historic Mather Lodge.

That makes Petit Jean especially appealing for a mixed group: Campers can sleep beneath the trees while companions who aren’t quite ready to embrace tent life can opt for a cabin or lodge room.

Pack hiking shoes. You’ll want them.

Devil’s Den

Deep in the Ozark Mountains, Devil’s Den looks almost purpose-built for October.

The park occupies a wooded valley surrounded by rock formations, bluffs and forest with trails winding past creeks and the geological features that gave the park its name.

his is a particularly good destination for travelers who want hiking or mountain biking to be the centerpiece of the trip. Trails extend through the park and into surrounding Ozark National Forest, while the park’s CCC-built stone and wood structures lend it an old-fashioned, tucked-away feel.

There are 117 campsites along the valley floor, including sites with hookups, plus hike-in camping. For those who want a little more comfort, 17 rustic cabins and nine camper cabins are available.

When the leaves cooperate, the drive into the park may be nearly as pretty as the destination.

Fall camping has one drawback: Everyone else has discovered how good it is, too.

Popular parks can fill on autumn weekends, so advance reservations are suggested. Palo Duro and Caddo Lake, for example, both warn that they can reach capacity, while Arkansas allows campsites at Petit Jean and Devil’s Den to be reserved well in advance.

Before leaving home, check individual park websites for reservations, weather conditions, burn bans and trail closures. Temperatures can vary dramatically between North Texas and higher elevations or the Panhandle, so pack layers even when the forecast at home still looks decidedly summery.

Then bring the important stuff: hiking shoes, a comfortable chair and something warm to drink.

Summer may get all the attention when vacation season arrives, but around here, the best time to sleep under the stars might just be fall.

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Cooler weather — or at least the promise of it — is bringing a full slate of festivals, Halloween celebrations and family activities to Wylie, Sachse and surrounding communities throughout October.

From costume contests and haunted attractions to trick-or-treating and a nighttime drone show, residents won’t have to travel far to find something to do as Halloween approaches.

Sachse will get into the spirit Saturday, Oct. 17, with its third annual Fall-O-Ween from 4 to 8 p.m. at Heritage Park, 4408 Hudson Drive.

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By John Moore | TheCountryWriter.com

It was the 1970s, and my uncle was behind the wheel. His 1969 Cadillac Convertible was a true land yacht. Long and red, it easily carried eight of us through the streets of downtown Detroit.

Not one person noticed us.

Drive down the street today in a 1969 Cadillac Convertible and everyone notices. Do it in downtown Detroit today and you likely won’t make it home.

Cars used to be fun to drive. They had their own identity. And their identity rubbed off on your own.

If a Chrysler came down the road, you knew it was a Chrysler. The same was true for a Ford, Chevy, or Oldsmobile. Now, all cars look the same. Boxes with wheels.

On a hot summer day in 1978, the back half of me was hanging out of the passenger side of my 1972 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme, while the front half was wedged under the dash. I’d saved enough to put new 6×9 speakers in the back deck and was hooking them up to my new, in-dash 8-track AM/FM radio.

My sister came out of the house and, for whatever reason, took a picture of me. Whenever I run across it, I remember what cars were like then.

In Ashdown, Arkansas, every teenager was known for what they drove. I was an Oldsmobile guy. Doug drove a Pontiac. Scotty had a Ford. Kirk preferred Chevrolets. You spotted each of them from a long way away.

Flashing your lights meant, “Meet me in the Pizza Hut parking lot.” For those who’ve never known a world without a cell phone, there was a time when people found ways to communicate without them. Blinking your headlights was one of those options.

Pasture parties were the preferred way to spend time en masse with friends. Usually, it was a friend’s parents’ out-of-town property, and often they did not know we were using it. Few nefarious things went on. The worst was typically beer and cigarettes.

But the cars of the era were central to this type of American teen activity. Most of the vehicles we drove were over a ton of rolling Detroit steel. You could recline on your hood and windshield, stare at the stars, and discuss the virtues of the new albums by Led Zeppelin, The Doobie Brothers, Foreigner, or AC/DC.

Whoever arrived to the party first usually controlled the music. Their choices normally ruled the remainder of the evening.

If you wanted to start an argument, you’d claim your favorite band was the best. Often, the discussion would lead to someone sliding off the hood of their car, digging through the tape box in the back seat, inserting a different selection in their tape deck and cranking it up.

This is where those 6×9 speakers in the back became important. If their sound system was louder than yours, you lost. They could drown out what you had playing, which meant you lost your dominance, even if you’d arrived first and had been controlling the tunes.

If we were taking a road trip, vehicle selection boiled down to room and comfort. Whoever had inherited their grandmother’s station wagon, Chrysler Imperial, or Mercury Grand Marquis was almost always chosen as the driver. We’d all pitch in on gas, but the larger, more comfortable car was the winner.

Sure, we’d have preferred to be seen in a Cutlass, Firebird, Chevelle, or Mustang, but those held fewer friends and, with the exception of the Cutlass, never road as well as a car that was so long and heavy it almost had to be taken to an airport to turn it around. And, if you’re out of town, you almost never ran into anyone you knew, so you didn’t feel the need to be riding in a cool car.

Summer trips to Lake DeGray for swimming and boating, a drive to Hirsch Coliseum in Shreveport for a concert, or an excursion to the Dallas area to go to Six Flags were common. And the cars we drove were important to where we went.

Few foreign cars, save the occasional Volkswagen, were around. We all worked on our own vehicles, so even if they’d been available, it’s doubtful any of us would have selected one. They were metric. And all we knew about metric was that our third-grade teacher had told us we’d all be using the metric system by the time we were exiting high school.

What did happen is cars have changed. And in my opinion, not for the better. Cars today are small with little identity. You can’t tell one from the other when they’re coming down the road.

But you can a red 1969 Cadillac Convertible. And we still aren’t on the metric system.

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The festivities will center around downtown Friday through Sunday, Oct. 2-4, with Glen Echo Brewing hosting a three-day Oktoberfest at 106 N. Birmingham St. and local merchants joining the celebration Saturday with an Oktoberfest Village Stroll.

The Village Stroll will run from noon to 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3, throughout Historic Downtown Wylie, giving visitors an opportunity to make their way among participating businesses at their own pace.

Admission to the stroll is free.

Visitors can pick up a free Oktoberfest Village Passport at participating businesses and collect stops as they explore downtown. Completed passports can be entered to win prizes.

On Birmingham Street, Glen Echo Brewing will stretch its Oktoberfest celebration across the entire weekend.

Activities begin at 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 2, with a ceremonial first keg tapping by Wylie Mayor Matthew Porter and the release of Glen Echo Brewing’s Oktoberfest beer. The first of three steinholding competitions begins at 7 p.m.

Saturday’s brewery activities start at 1 p.m. with a costume contest and parade of participants. A second steinholding competition is scheduled for 3 p.m., followed by beer-carrying obstacle races at 5 p.m.

German music and dancing will be from 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday. The third steinholding competition begins at 9 p.m., followed by the announcement of winners.

On Sunday, Dachshund races begin at 1 p.m., followed by a Beer Choir North Texas Chapter singalong from 3 to 4 p.m. The Oktoberfest event concludes at 6 p.m.

Registration for the contests will be available on site the day of each event. Contestants must be 21 or older except for participants in the dachshund races. Medals will be awarded to event winners.

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Collin College has honored longtime Murphy veterinarian Lorraine Chalkley by naming two labs and a surgical suite after her.

Her achievements and support were recognized Sept. 21 on the college’s Wylie Campus.

“Dr. Chalkley’s longstanding commitment to Collin College and our Veterinary Technology program is making a meaningful difference in the lives of our students,” said Collin College District President Neal Matkin. “From supporting the program in its earliest days to investing in the students who will carry the profession forward, her generosity reflects an extraordinary commitment to education and service.

Chalkley supported Collin College’s Veterinary Technology program since its early years, providing laboratory space at her clinic during the program’s first year, the college said. A veterinary technology radiology classroom was previously named in her honor, and she established an endowed scholarship for second-year Veterinary Technology students.

“Veterinary medicine has brought me a lifetime of enjoyment and fulfillment, and it means so much to me to help students discover that same sense of purpose in their own careers,” Chalkley said. “I have always believed that your work should be something you genuinely enjoy and find satisfying.”

Chalkley was the first woman in Collin County to practice veterinary medicine and own a veterinary clinic. In 1980, she founded Southfork Animal Clinic in Murphy and later served as a charter member of the Murphy Animal Shelter Advisory Board.

Before becoming a veterinarian, Chalkley earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical engineering from Virginia Tech and worked for Texas Instruments for five years. 

Her sister, Patricia “Pat” Wilson Novotny, established an endowed scholarship to provide ongoing financial assistance for Collin College Veterinary Technology students.

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By John Moore | TheCountryWriter.com

The phrase, “We were poor, but didn’t know it,” likely was based on the delicious and inexpensive food most Southerners ate growing up.

My father told me we only ate the finest, center-cut baloney. The reality was, we were so poor, our baloney didn’t have a first name.

There were two camps of baloney cooks: leave the baloney slice whole and let it turn into a bowl shape while frying, or cut slits on the outer rim so it would lay flatter in the skillet.

My mom didn’t cut slits, but it always came out an even black. Add some mayo on white bread and Fritos to that, and you had a meal.

Another inexpensive, yet excellent tasting dish was biscuits and gravy. It was inconceivable that a young lady would leave the house to marry a fella and not know how to make biscuits and gravy. For that matter, it was inconceivable that a fella would leave home without that ability.

Regular gravy is a Southern tradition, but in specific parts of the South, chocolate gravy is a delicacy.

Our family has Aunt Maude to thank for the chocolate gravy recipe that has been passed down for over 100 years. Aunt Maude was adopted as a young girl and from what I’m told, she knew how to make it when she joined us.

Made with Hershey’s Cocoa, butter, sugar, and (if available) fresh milk from the barn, chocolate gravy was dessert for breakfast.

Tear open a cat head biscuit, cover each side with real butter (margarine was grounds for excommunication) and after the butter melts, cover the biscuit with chocolate gravy.

Another inexpensive dish that was a frequent flier on our Formica dinette table was salmon patties. The folks who considered themselves better than salmon patties called them salmon croquettes. Regardless of what they were called, they were made the same way.

A cheap can of salmon, an egg, saltine crackers, onion, mayo, salt and pepper, were mixed into the shape of hamburger patties and then fried in bacon drippings in the skillet. Fried potatoes were served with them.

For that matter, fried potatoes were served with everything.

At our house, fried potatoes were served at every single meal. So were biscuits and white gravy. They were filling, and they were good. Very good. And my dad expected all three to always be there.

Mom could vary whatever else she wanted on the menu, but if we sat down to eat and there were no potatoes, gravy, or biscuits, everyone would have just assumed that the store was out of something that was part of the recipe.

Hindsight, I now know that a sack of potatoes was one of the least expensive things you could buy that could be stretched on-and-on-and-on.

I’ve often said that if I were limited to just one food from now on, it would be the potato. It has to be one of the most versatile foods we have. Baked, fried, sliced, scalloped; heck, even the peels are sold in restaurants.

I was taught how to peel potatoes at my first real job at County Seat Fried Chicken restaurant. The first time I saw potato skins on the menu at a restaurant, I was puzzled. But someone pointed out that fried pigskins were a Southern mainstay. They had a point.

For dessert, a can of peaches and a can of Pet Milk are hard to beat. Pour a few peach slices and their syrup into a bowl, then pour a little Pet Milk over them and you have a tasty end to any meal. My grandmother never called dessert, “dessert,” she just would say, “do you want something sweet?”

The answer was always yes. And if we were lucky, it was canned peaches with some Pet Milk poured over them.

Much of what Southerners still want to eat today is rooted in the inexpensive dishes on which we grew up. I still love a fried baloney sandwich, biscuits and gravy, chocolate gravy, and salmon patties. They were what allowed our mothers to stay home and raise us on dad’s salary. I argue that family model is still the better one. Even if you need Lipitor later.

If you’ve never had chocolate gravy, I’ve included Aunt Maude’s recipe.

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