Rachel Wolfe of Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, became the bride of Joshua Ray Schmidgall on Sept. 19, 2020.

One site on the Lampasas County Museum’s Dec. 6 Tour of Homes is the Merritt Romans residence at East Second and Live Oak streets. Romans has a private collection of thousands of rocks, crystals and fossils that will be displayed for the tour. Tickets for the museum fundraiser are $10 each.

FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH TO HOLD CHRISTMAS CANTATA First Methodist Church will host its 73rd annual Community Christmas Cantata Dec. 13 featuring proprietary renditions of classic carols.

Residents are urged to shop for holiday gifts locally. That is one way to support the local economy and Texas as the state recovers from the COVID-19 recession.

Many people may not get in the holiday spirit without decorations and all the trimmings. Chances are strong that if you have containers full of items just waiting to see the light of day again this holiday season, those items are red or green or some combination thereof.

A phenomenon called “cabin fever” tends to set in around late autumn or in midwinter. Long hours of darkness coupled with cold, inclement weather often is a recipe for increased time spent indoors.

As Central Texas welcomes its best weather of the year just in time for the holidays, residents can help friends and family gear up for some joyous outdoor adventures. Local stores are teeming with worthy gift items for outdoor enthusiasts, from basic supplies to specialty tools.

The popularity of gardening is at an all-time high, and people are discovering its many benefits. Some want to grow safe and nutritious food. Others are boosting the beauty of their landscape, and many are turning to gardening to relieve stress.

Reading scripture can be an integral part of participating in one’s religion and bringing a faithful community together. Scripture is an essential component of weekly faith services, but the Bible can be embraced any day of the week.