By Darla Buckhannon

Happy birthday to Donald Crowe, Heather McAlister, Alice Chapman, Bobbie Abernathy, Frances Rose, Lisa Asmus, Craig Eftink, Susan Horman, Aaron Horrell, Pam Foeste, Frank Henry, Jim Chambers, Sylvester Asmus, Greg Ourth, Pam Eichhorn, Steve Benton, Sandy Bollinger, Todd Chapman, Geoff Mirly, Cody Payne, Jim Arteme, Mike Crowden, Norma Evans, Josh Pobst, Jessica Nunnally, Robert Lincoln, Kathy Enderle, Richard Nation, Justin Wilson, Jim Eskew, Brenda Freed and Wanda Slayton.

Happy anniversary to Larry and Fran Wolfe.

The month of February is American Heart Month, Black History Month, Creative Romance Month, National Children's Dental Health Month and Great American Pie Month.

Spring to be decided

Groundhog Day is Thursday and we will find out if we will have an early spring or six more weeks of winter. The seed catalogs are arriving and garden plans are in the works. Friday is Feed the Birds Day. There are those of us who feed them throughout the year but for you first-timers, it is a great time to start! If you need a little push, check out Aaron Horrell's picture in last Sunday's Southeast Missourian of his bird feeder. It is just a sampling of the many songbirds you could attract and enjoy by putting out one feeder filled with black oil sunflower seed.

Tax help available

AARP Tax Help will be at the Senior Center from 9 a.m. to noon every Tuesday, starting Jan. 31 through April 11.

Information update

We thank those of you who help us update our birthday/anniversary calendar. City hall reminds residents to please update your telephone numbers with them and be sure your house numbers are visible from the street.

Trump inaugurated

Hail to the chief! The Missouri State University Choir sang beautifully at the inauguration of our 45th President Donald J. Trump. Mementos following the president's inaugural lunch were notecards by St. Louis artist Ed Fisher and hand-crafted wooden pens and letter openers made by none other than Ortmann Woodcraft of Cape Girardeau. Ortmann Woodcraft is owned by Jon and Debbie Ortmann.

Presidential medal to add

A Dallas man is eager to add President Donald J. Trump's inaugural medal to his collection, which he started in 1994 as a student at Southern Methodist University. Hervey Priddy recently showcased his collection at the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum in Dallas.

Inaugural medals officially began in 1901 at President William McKinley's second inauguration, and Priddy has succeeded in his lofty goal of collecting them all.

His favorite is that of Theodore Roosevelt, who wasn't happy with the standard small size. He engaged the famous American sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens and enlisted the luxury jewelry company Tiffany & Company to cast the medal; Tiffany is inscribed on the rim, but it doesn't say if it was presented in their signature blue box.

The rarest of inaugural medals is that of Warren G. Harding's 1921 sterling silver medal. There are only six in existence. The medals are only a small part of his vast collection of presidential memorabilia that includes a presidential-themed tie.

A gift for the president

I read in Douglas Brinkley's book on Theodore Roosevelt "The Wilderness Warrior" that as Inauguration Day of March 4, 1905, neared for Roosevelt, he received what he thought was the best gift imaginable from his 67-year-old secretary of state John Hay. Hay had been President Abraham Lincoln's personal assistant, and when Lincoln was shot at Ford's Theatre and was taken across the street to the Petersen House, the attending physician clipped locks of the dying president's hair. Hay inherited them and made a special ring with the hairs set like a diamond. Hay gave Roosevelt the precious Lincoln-hair ring with a note asking the president to wear it since he was one who most thoroughly understood and appreciated Lincoln.

Super Bowl on the horizon

Get your popcorn ready! Super Bowl LI is next Sunday in Houston. It should be another exciting game. Many of us were hopeful that the Green Bay Packers would make it, but apparently there was not much left in the tank after beating the Dallas Cowboys! Tonight we can enjoy the ProBowl. You can watch Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and running back sensation, Missouri's own, Ezekiel Elliott, Dez Bryant, Sean Lee, Tyron Smith, Travis Frederick and Zack Martin.

Final thoughts

Our thoughts and prayers are with those who have been devastated by the recent storms. Remember to tell those special people in your life that you love them.

Email your news and comments to me at darbuck2@airmail.net or leave a message at (573) 887-6430 or (214) 207-7839.

And then ...

Then there were two -- the Patriots and the Falcons!