A very well liked April Sound resident was going through a painful divorce and her friends wanted to do something to cheer her up. Two of them decided to have a divorce party and invited several dozen of her friends.

In a bit of homespun therapy, a plastic rat was strung up with a rope on the patio and appropriately named after the soon- to-be ex-spouse.

Guests each were given a wooden spoon on which they wrote a note to the honoree giving her needed encouragement. Then they all filed outside to take a whack at the rat, which slid up and down the rope with each blow. It may not sound funny in the retelling, but it sure made for a lively party--and the guest of honor left feeling a lot better.

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Marvelle Finch, Program Vice-president for the April Sound Ladies Association, has planned a two-part program for the June 27 luncheon. Tom Moore, who owns the music studio in Western Hills, will entertain, and he is bringing special guest Lauren Tisdale, 14, to share her talent.

Tom and his wife Susan and their son Brian are April Sound residents. He studied piano at the Houston Conservatory of Music and attended the University of St. Thomas in Houston. He then entered Westminster Choir College in Princeton, N. J., where he majored in voice performance.

Sharing the program is Anna Cooper, owner of Esthetiques Skin Care and Nail Salon, which is located on Texas 105 next to Giovanni's in the tall brown building. She will share tips on skin care.

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Marian Landry had two nice surprises on her 80th birthday. Her family flew in from around the country, including Hawaii, and threw a big open house so her friends could help her celebrate.

One of the highlights of the afternoon was when they read a letter they had written telling her how much she meant to them. A lot of eyes misted up during the tribute.

Being surrounded by her family was enough reason to celebrate, but Marian also had another great piece of news. Her novel, many years in the writing, had been accepted by a publisher and she was assigned an editor. It is based on some of her family history, and she did extensive research before sitting down to her computer. If revisions go well it will be published in the fall.

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