JOHN DAY — Reflecting on the week of Thanksgiving, it is obvious that there are a lot of wonderful people in and around John Day. People caring about other people and making plans to help others. Our center had a great sense of the holiday. Two ladies chose items distinctive of the season and arranged them around our dining room. It was beautiful. Those ladies were Janette Julsrud and Patti Davis. Thanks, ladies, for a pleasant job well done.

On Monday, Nov. 21, Janet Binger and Darlene Nodine were at the desk greeting all 16 in-house diners and several that came to pick up meals. They were sure they were all signed in and their names in the drawings for the day.

Joe Phippen led the flag salute and Carol Claire asked the blessing. Janet Binger did the announcements, and she was once again better than last time. Thanks, Joe, Carol and Janet, for taking part in getting our lunch off to a good start.

The Living Word Christian Church with Carol Claire and Millie Lysne were the servers. They made sure folks had water or coffee or milk and anything else needed for a successful lunch. They also cleaned up after lunch, leaving the room looking good and the tables cleaned and sanitized.

Marieta Coombs, Carolyn Stout, Kathy McPheeters, Millie Lysne, Kim Jacobs, and Flora Cheadle delivered 57 fresh meals and 51 frozen meals to folks in the community that are homebound. That was 108 meals delivered. It is amazing how many people are homebound and possibly lonely. Makes one feel like we should have a visiting committee to visit some from time to time to let them know we are thinking about them and care about them. My mind causes me to wonder how I would feel if I was homebound and alone. Would you be willing to visit at least one homebound person at least one time a month? I would. We will be talking more about that soon. For them, time is precious.

We dined on bacon-wrapped meatloaf, roasted potatoes, pea salad, and cherry cheesecake. Yummy yum yum!

Nov. 17 was our assistant kitchen help’s last day. We miss you, Kim, but hope you are doing well and finding everything you need in life for this time. Kim’s position is up for grabs. Are you interested in helping in the kitchen at our senior center for approximately 16-19 hours per week? If so, call Misty Palmer at 541-575-2949 or 541-620-3014.

Nancy Nelson is filling in currently. Nancy has been helping in the kitchen for some time doing whatever Shay and Kim need her to do, including helping Shay get the meals ready for delivery. Thank you, Nancy, for all you do to help our kitchen operate more smoothly. A big thanks to Shay and Nancy for getting all the delivered meals ready to go and getting the in-house dining meals ready on time and 45 meals ready for folks to pick up. A big day and lots of work and all the cleanup to do as well. The total number of meals from our kitchen today was 169. Good job, Shay.

On the table near the coat rack are Christmas cards free to whoever would like some. Feel free to help yourself to all you can use.

By the time you read this, we will have had a board meeting and will have news about it in next week’s news.

Joe Phippen won the Len’s card, and Mary Ellen Osborn won the free meal. Congrats, you two.

Thanksgiving Day we were closed so folks could have this day with their families. Some went to the Elks Lodge to mingle with other people and visit with other folks.

Many people here in John Day have no family to share holidays with, so it is super nice to have the Elks to go meet with other folks for a pleasant day. Thank you all at the Elks for doing all this work to have a great meal for so many folks. They also sent out many meals to shut-ins, so thanks again, Elks Lodge, for caring about other people.

There is so much to be thankful for. Be sure to thank our Heavenly Father for all things.

If you would like to know what is for lunch next week, call 541-575-1825.

2 Corinthians 3:17 & 18 For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom and victory. All of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord — who is the Spirit — makes us more and more like Him as we are changed into His glorious image.

PRAIRIE CITY — “The best laid plans of mice and men do oft go awry.” That’s why a person has to be adaptable! First, son No. 1 and family were coming from Portland. Then they couldn’t because his herniated disc would not appreciate a six-hour auto trip. So scrap the big family dinner at son No. 2. The four of them would just bring dinner to our home since we were still recovering from the latest crud making the rounds. Then the in-laws from Lexington said they were coming, so the meal was back on in Canyon City. OK, no problem. (This is what’s called a “movable feast.”) But then Derrol took another ride to the BMH ER. But we got him home in time to be able to go to dinner.

Then the cook started feeling like the crud was coming to see her, and since the parents from Lexington had just got home from heart surgery at OHSU, and Derrol was only one day out from his hospital stay, everybody would be at their respective homes for Thanksgiving dinner.

And what do have to be thankful for? We all have adequate housing, and it’s warm and dry; we have access to clean water; the stores have well-stocked shelves; the phones still work, whether landline or cell; the electricity is still functioning at full capacity; medical help is available 24/7; and God is still on His throne. If He wasn’t, all the rest would have no meaning. Hope your Thanksgiving was a blessed time.

Did you know that you can use the senior center building for activities that require more room than your home can handle? We have a family in the community that hosts their Thanksgiving dinner at the ol’ hall. We are glad to be of service. To make arrangements, just call the number that is on the front door.

Did you notice the date for yesterday? 11-22-22. And how many people remember that date’s significance? And I know that life went on with births and weddings on that date, but for a certain segment of the population, we will always remember what we were doing when the newscasters announced that JFK had been killed. (Now, there’s another one of those sentences that I’d hate to have to diagram!)

Here are a couple of items to ponder: “In an effort to limit the Dalai Lama’s power, China has banned Tibetan Buddhist monks from reincarnating without government permission.” Wonder if they have a secretary to give the permission? “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” Amen!

So here come the holidays! That word is from Middle English holidei which means — Tada! — 1. Holy Day, 2. a day of freedom from labor, 3. set aside by law or custom in commemoration of some event. Notice the downward trend from the first definition to the last. Another point to ponder, right?

Gen. 2:3 God blessed the seventh day and made it holy … Lev. 11:45 … therefore be holy, because I am holy.

MONUMENT —

Time sure is flying by. Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and reflected on how blessed we are with our loved ones and the provision the Lord has provided for all of us. I personally am especially thankful for my wonderful hubby and my children. God is good, all the time.

Our cooks, Terry Cade and Carrie Jewell, made us a very nice, tasty and hearty meal of tater tot casserole, corn, garlic bread and peach cobbler for our dessert. It was delicious and filling. We are very thankful for our awesome cooks and their efforts in making us meals every Tuesday.

Our greeters at the table were Kristi Guimont, Sue Cavender and Jan Ensign. Kristi and Sue checked in the guests and collected and counted up the money. Jan led us in the flag salute and also made the announcements. Yours truly prayed the blessing over the meal.

Don’t forget that the Ugly Sweater Christmas Bazaar is coming up on Saturday, Dec. 10. To rent a table for the event, the fee is $15 and you can contact Jeanne Strange for more information. Her number is 541-934-2001. The Silent Wave Rescue group will be selling maple bars, soup, and rolls for lunch. The EMT group will be selling baked goods. There will be a raffle for a Masterbuilt smoker. The tickets will be $1 each or $5 for six tickets.

Hope you all can make it to help support our local merchants and community. It will also be a nice time to get out of the house and sit around and visit neighbors you haven’t had a chance to see and jabber with.

Another important announcement that you definitely should take note of and mark on your calendar is that the Monument Senior Center will be closed for renovations the week of Dec. 12-16. The center will be open for our Christmas lunch on Dec. 20. So please, please, please don’t show up on Dec. 13 for lunch! Ha.

My kids are always loving on their kitties. We have a few adolescent kitties that are very tame, so much so that they are not afraid of cars, ATVs, dogs. I don’t know if they are tame or just plain dumb. They are very lovey-dovey kitties, though. Because these kitties are so tame, they love hanging out at our little porch.

My kids requested a couple of kitty box houses for them, so I indulged their request. I get the perfect-sized boxes, close them up with tape, cut out a small opening on one side and I also sewed up some cushy, fleecy pillows to put in them. I also tape up a big black trash bag around the box and opening so that it does not get wet. The boxes are put out on the porch on either side of the door and we have a couple of the kitties sleeping there or just hanging out. So, hence the name, porch kitties.

2 Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with open face, beholding as through a glass darkly, the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.