The Texas and U.S. flags will be lowered to half-staff through sunset on Dec. 30 in memory of former President George H.W. Bush, who died Friday at the age of 94.

SFA Gardens will host the monthly Theresa and Les Reeves Lecture Series at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 13, in the Brundrett Conservation Education Building at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center.

Mark Weathington, director of the JC Raulston Arboretum at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, will present, “Beyond Tire Planters: Gardening in the South.”

Weathington is passionate in his work to connect people with plants. His latest book, “Gardening in the South: The Complete Homeowner’s Guide,” takes his common sense approach — and a bit of humor — and makes gardening accessible for any level of gardener.

The lecture is free and open to the public, but donations to the Theresa and Les Reeves Lecture Series fund are always appreciated.

For more information, call (936) 468-4129, or email sfagardens@sfasu.edu.

The next SFA Faculty and Staff Breakfast is set for 7 to 9 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 5, in the East College Dining Hall.

For a discounted price of $3, SFA faculty and staff are invited to enjoy an all-you-care-to-eat breakfast while catching up with colleagues and making new campus contacts.

This month our breakfast hosts will be SFA Hunger Jacks, who will lead the trivia game and share information about our on-campus food pantry. The Hunger Jacks also will be accepting donations in support of their efforts to provide special food boxes for SFA students who will experience food insecurities during the holiday break. Donations of these specific food items will be the most helpful: canned soup, canned green beans, canned fruit, 12- to 16-ounce packages of dry pasta, peanut butter, jelly, rice sides and canned entrées, such as ravioli, chicken and dumplings, etc. Monetary donations also will be welcomed. If you are unable to make the breakfast, donations may be left in the Baker Pattillo Student Center, Room 3.301, through Dec. 21.

To stay informed about future SFA social events, “like” the SFA Faculty/Staff Lounge Facebook.

The Percussion Studio at SFA and its director Dr. Brad Meyer will host its 3rd annual interactive community performance of Phil Kline’s “Unsilent Night” starting at 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 6, at the Wright Music Building’s East College Street entrance.

Participants will enjoy an approximate 45-minute walk through the Pecan and Raguet streets neighborhoods north of SFA campus while listening to a recording of “Unsilent Night” that has been downloaded to play over a smart device connected to portable speakers or to a CD played over a boom box.

For more information, click here, visit finearts.sfasu.edu, or call (936) 468-6407 or (888) 240-ARTS.

Airbnb recently added a teepee in Mongolia to its list of vacation destinations.

The amenities may not be top-notch, but the experience is! The trip includes living amount the nomadic Dukha tribe, exploring mountain terrain and frolicking with reindeer.

To read more, click here.