I first learned how to embroider in elementary school -- using yarn and burlap. As a teen and adult, I spent countless hours cross-stitching, creating intricate pieces of fiber art. Some of my favorite projects included teddy bear-themed designs for my oldest daughter and several train-inspired pieces for my dad, who had a deep love for locomotives. Recently, I rekindled my passion for embroidery and stumbled upon a fascinating trend called visible mending -- an art rooted in the traditional Japanese practice of sashiko.

The Sam Bell Maxey House State Historic Site is inviting the public to come and enjoy various Easter activities at the site during the "Easter Egg Scramble at the Maxey House" on Saturday, April 19. Visitors will have the opportunity to participate in an egg hunt, or “scramble”, on the grounds followed by Easter-themed crafts, and the classic Victorian optical illusion toy, thaumatropes. Yard games will also be available for play throughout the event. Site staff advise that visitors arrive early for the egg hunt.

The monthly meeting of the Grayson County Historical Society will take place Tuesday, April 8, 2025, at 6:30 p.m. in the Frontier Village Museum located at Loy Lake Park. Our guest speaker is Alicia Flores, a senior at Austin College, where she is majoring in History and minoring in Social Justice and Spanish. In the past we have had several students from both of our local colleges come and give presentations, which are always interesting, educational and appreciated.

Get ready to hit the road -- safely! Parents and caregivers are invited to a FREE Child Safety Seat Event on Saturday, April 12, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Morning Star Academy, 1510 FM 898, Bonham, TX 75418.

1862 – American Civil War: The Battle of Shiloh begins: In Tennessee, forces under Union General Ulysses S. Grant meet Confederate troops led by General Albert Sidney Johnston. The Battle of Shiloh, also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, was a major battle in the American Civil War fought on April 6–7, 1862. The fighting took place in southwestern Tennessee, which was part of the war's Western Theater. The battlefield is located between a small, undistinguished church named Shiloh and Pittsburg Landing on the Tennessee River. Two Union armies combined to defeat the Confederate Army of Mississippi. Major General Ulysses S. Grant was the Union commander, while General Albert Sidney Johnston was the Confederate commander until his battlefield death, when he was replaced by his second-in-command, General P. G. T. Beauregard. The Confederate army hoped to defeat Grant's Army of the Tennessee before it could be reinforced and resupplied. Although it made considerable gains with a surprise attack on the first day of the battle, Johnston was mortally wounded and Grant's army was not eliminated. Overnight, Grant's Army of the Tennessee was reinforced by one of its divisions stationed farther north, and was also joined by portions of the Army of the Ohio, under the command of Major General Don Carlos Buell. The Union forces conducted an unexpected counterattack in the morning, which reversed the Confederate gains of the previous day. The exhausted Confederate army withdrew further south, and a modest Union pursuit started and ended on the next day. Though victorious, the Union army had more casualties than the Confederates. After the surprise and lengthy Union casualty list became known, Grant was heavily criticized; in fact, decisions made by both the Federal and Confederate high command were afterward questioned by individuals on and off the battlefield. The battle was the costliest engagement of the Civil War up to that point, and its nearly 24,000 casualties made it one of the bloodiest battles of the entire war.