SUNDAY November 1, 2020
My father played the fiddle. He enjoyed making them too. My grandfather and his father before him also played the fiddle. I had hoped to carry on the family tradition but haven't quite gotten past the screeching phase with a bow. At least I can play a belly fiddle.

Yesterday the East Texas Arboretum in Athens kicked off "Fiddlin' Around the Arboretum" featuring painted fiddle cutouts by local artists. They'll be hanging around the beautiful grounds through November 21 for people to see and enjoy.

Athens is known for their annual old fiddlers reunion that started in 1932. My dad went to it for several years a few decades ago. He enjoyed playing with the other musicians on the courthouse lawn and sometimes would ask other fiddlers to play one of his hand-crafted instruments so he could get a different perspective on the sound. Dad was still playing his fiddle some as he turned 90 years old in 2011 but not much after that. He died later that year.

A few years ago I saw a painting by artist Charlie Bullock of a group of fiddlers playing on the Athens square, among them my dad. Art really is priceless.

I hope you enjoy this issue and take time to do your own fiddlin' around this week in the Upper East Side of Texas. — P.A. Geddie
Artists were busy through the month of October creating pieces on fiddle forms for the East Texas Arboretum in Athens. The public is invited to see the artwork now through November 21. www.easttexasarboretum.org.
FEATURE
Read about the Sowell family who adopted four sisters and works with organizations that encourage sibling adoptions and other good deeds.
LIFESTYLE & ENTERTAINMENT
As trick or treaters go through their Halloween night bounty this morning, they're sure to find among the sweet treasures candies like Peanut Butter Bars, Chick-O-Sticks, Slo Poles, Mint Twists, Rainbow Coconut Bars, and Long Boys. Creating those sweet treats since 1932 is the Atkinson Candy Company in the Upper East Side of Texas town of Lufkin.
DESTINATION COUNTY LINE
Northeast Texas Children's Museum is Open For Fun
The Northeast Texas Children’s Museum in Commerce is open by reservation Wednesday through Saturday. Go to their website for details.
THIS TIME OF YEAR
McConaughey Celebrates Birthday and Book Release
Wishing Longview native Matthew McConaughey a happy birthday this week and congratulations on his new book, Greenlights. The book is based on a diary he kept for 35 years, including his years at Longview High School. Rather than doing a traditional memoir or advice book, McConaughey said, Greenlights is based on adventures in his life.

“Adventures that have been significant, enlightening, and funny, sometimes because they were meant to be, but mostly because they didn’t try to be,” he says in a publicity statement.

“I’ve been in this life for 50 years,” he continues, and says the book contains “notes about successes and failures, joys and sorrows, things that made me marvel, and things that made me laugh out loud. How to be fair. How to have less stress. How to have fun. How to hurt people less. How to get hurt less. How to be a good man. How to have meaning in life. How to be more me.”

Get Greenlights on Amazon and from other booksellers. To read a County Line interview with McConaughey, go to the website archives.
ARTS AND CULTURE
Read the amazing poems that won the 2020 Northeast Texas Poetry Contest held by Northeast Texas Community College in Mount Pleasant.
Covering the Arts Across the Upper East Side of Texas
FOOD & DRINKS
In honor of National Deviled Egg Day tomorrow, we share a couple of recipes and commentary from Chef Lyndsay Caldwell. 
THINGS TO DO
Check out many events this week and coming soon on the County Line CALENDAR and more fun THINGS TO DO on our website.
Feel free to send story ideas, poems, letters, and beautiful photography from the region to editor@countylinemagazine.com. Let us know what you enjoy most about this area.
HOW TO REACH US
County Line Magazine
PO Box 608
Ben Wheeler, TX 75754
Office: (903) 963-1101
Text: (903) 312-9556
info@countylinemagazine.com
www.countylinemagazine.com