Dear Lampasas, As we gather around our tables with family and friends to celebrate Thanksgiving, my heart is filled with gratitude for the blessings that have graced our beloved community throughout the year.

The Cooley Baltrun Law Office, pictured above, will be decorated and ready to receive visitors Dec. 3 to tour the historic building on East Third Street. The building was constructed around the 1890s and, as the original photo shows below, it has been a part of Lampasas’ history ever since. Tour of Homes tickets are available at the Lampasas County Museum for $15, which allows entrance to all five properties featured on this year’s tour.

Get ready for the holiday season by marking calendars for this year's Carol of Lights festival, with its theme “Blessings from the Heart of Texas.” The annual event is sponsored by Vision Lampasas. It will begin Dec.

Nov. 18 marked National Adoption Day, and two area adoptive mothers shared their stories of the gift of adoption and what it has meant for their families. Decades ago, both Brenda Thompson and Regina Muse (who now lives in Belton) embarked on foreign adoptions from China along with their families. The unique paths of each highlight the unpredictability of the process and the reward of seeing their children flourish in the community.

The Lampasas FFA Agricultural Communications team came home from the 96th National FFA Convention & Expo in Indianapolis as a Gold Emblem Team. The group is the first Lampasas team ever to make it to the national stage as competitors, and the girls finished seventh in the nation.

The American Police Hall of Fame recognized three Lampasas Police Department officers with a Life-Saving Award for their quick thinking and taking action to save lives. In a Lampasas City Council meeting Monday, Police Officers John Reza and Carlos Rodriguez and Police Dispatch Officer Marisa Smith were recognized with a letter from the American Police Hall of Fame Museum and an LPD letter of commendation for their actions in two separate emergency incidents recently.

The Nov. 9 market report from Mills County Commission Co.

.

Richard Harrison of Lampasas performs the “Star-Spangled Banner” for the crowd at the Lometa ISD Veterans Day program on Friday. Also part of the special presentation were a keynote address by retired Command Sgt. Major Wayne Belyeu, poetry readings by Kahia Hernandez and Jessica Dang, and a performance by the Lometa Elementary Choir.

Dear Miss Cora, After reading your last column, my question is what was on the agenda for those early City Council meetings? Signed, Council Alumni Dear Council Alumni, Funny you should ask. According to old minutes at City Hall, agenda items included taxes, water works, flooding, curbing, etc. Sound familiar?