“A good laugh heals a lot of hurts.”

Madeleine L’Engle

Find more below that reflect the freedoms we have that did not come without some difficulty. All the more reason to laugh often and wholeheartedly enjoy the arts and entertainment.

Visit CountyLineMagazine.com to continue receiving inspiration from all around the Upper East Side of Texas.

— P.A. Geddie

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Native East Texan Opal Lee, got much of her inspiration and determination in her birth town of Marshall, Texas. She became the “Grandmother of Juneteenth” for her work in getting the important historical date made a federal holiday. And by the way, she did that in her 90s.

Juneteenth, a name used for June 19, 1865, commemorates the day the Texas enslaved people received word that the Emancipation Proclamation had actually freed them two and a half years earlier.

Read details of her crusade, her time in Marshall, including graduating from Wiley College, and other articles in the archives that bring surprising full circle moments.

• Opal Lee Walks Juneteenth to Victory

• Ceremony Brings Juneteenth Grandmother Home

Check with City offices in the area to find Juneteenth events going on in the Upper East Side of Texas including Greenville, Tyler, Longview, Gladewater, Kilgore, Palestine, and Marshall.

We Could Use a Thousand Laughs

See comedians Pat Hazell, one of the original writers for NBC’s Seinfeld and a veteran of The Tonight Show, and Amy Barnes, featured on Comedy Central and National Lampoon, as they join forces for an evening of hilarious and heartwarming stand-up comedy on June 21 at Memorial City Hall Performance Center.

A collaboration between the City of Kilgore, the Longview Museum of Fine Arts, and REEL East Texas presents Rangerettes, an exhibition of photographs by O. Rufus Lovett on display through February 2026 at The Old Post Office event center in Kilgore. The 31 Kilgore Rangerettes images were taken by Lovett over a 34 year period from 1989 to 2023. The exhibition is part of the Rangerettes celebration of their 85th anniversary this year. READ MORE

Let’s Eat Well’s chef Lauren Wacaser shares a couple of recipes for a salad and dip using cool, refreshing cucumbers. Cucumber Salad and Tzatziki-Greek Cucumber Dip are two favorites. Either of these dishes are great sides for grilled or spicy foods and the dip is good with raw veggies or as a sauce for sandwiches. With sliced red onions and cucumbers, the salad is a quick and easy complement to char-grilled flavors. The Tzatziki recipe takes a little longer because it needs to be refrigerated overnight, but is definitely worth the wait. Both recipes call for dill, English cucumbers, and Greek yogurt or sour cream. Get the recipes HERE.

• Contemplative Dimensions by Brandon Jacob Hudson

• Did an East Texas Preacher Beat the Wright Brothers Into the Sky?

• North By Northeast on a Texas Wine Trail

HOW TO REACH US

County Line Magazine, PO Box 705, Winnsboro, TX 75494

Phone: (903) 312-9556

pa.geddie@geddieconnections.com

www.countylinemagazine.com