JOHN DAY — Monday, June 12, Judy Thomas was greeting the 18 in-house diners with Darlene Nodine. They checked everybody off the list and saw that each one signed in and got their names in the drawings. Judy Thomas led the flag salute.

Our servers were of the St. Elizabeth Catholic Church, including Kathy Radinovich, Mary Lou Wampler and Father Christie.

Father Christie asked the blessing for our meal of homemade chicken and noodles, peas, homemade biscuit, and blueberry cheesecake rollups. Great meal, Shay and Darla. Lots of comments on this great meal.

Fifty-seven fresh and 47 frozen meals were delivered throughout the area by Deena Steach, Barb Comer, Jeanette Julsrud and Pati Davis. These drivers have a heart of gold to spend their time and efforts and drive their own vehicles to aid other people. No selfishness here. We appreciate all our drivers.

The Humbolt School kids made friendship cards and passed them out around the area as far as possible. This is the nicest gesture for these kids. Good job, kids.

Shay and Darla sent out a very special thank-you to Chris Robbins from Dayville. Chris is consistent, regular and never stops. She helps the kitchen staff out by doing all she can to free them up to do the things they don’t get a chance to do in the timely manner that makes everything run smoothly without stress. Chris just has a knack to see things needing done and just does them. Shay and Darla appreciate Chris immensely. Chris also helps serve and clean up after lunch doing anything she sees needing done. We all appreciate her.

The ‘62 Days has been widely advertised and talked about and I hope everyone participates that possibly can. Just be safe and kind.

We want to remind everyone that there is free firewood prepared by the probation and parole people. This wood is especially designed for seniors. There are fliers about it on the front desk at our center. You can call the center or the county senior assistance office to find out more about it.

Dayville is having a lunch every second Wednesday. It is a great place to have lunch. Drinks, full meal and dessert for one low price. Ya sure cannot beat that.

Bob Johnston won the Len’s card, and Darlene Nodine won the free meal.

There were three meals picked up, so all total there were 125 meals from our kitchen this day.

Thursday, June 15, Judy Thomas and Sonie Guttu greeted the 24 in-house diners and the 24 people who picked up meals. Judy and Sonie made sure everyone was signed in and checked off on the list and names were in the drawings. Gregg Starr led the flag salute.

The Methodist Church group were our servers today, including Sherry Feiger and Cathy Smith. Sherry asked the blessing for our meal and had a couple announcements of her own. We dined on barbecue ribs, loaded fries, corn on the cob, watermelon, green salad and berry cobbler. There was a Father’s Day treat bag at every place setting today in honor of our dads.

If any of you got a letter from the city of John Day, we want to let you know it has to do with sprinkler systems and any changes you may have made to them in the last year. It was confusing to those we have spoken with, so we called them and that is what they told us.

Dayville is having a Fourth of July event called Deep Roots, High Hopes. It sounds like a great time to be had. Go check it out.

At the Elks Lodge on July 2, there will be a celebration of life for Alice and Wayne McKinnis. The family of Alice and Wayne could use your support.

We are having bingo every Tuesday at 1 p.m. We are having a lot of fun. Come join us. It is good to relax and visit with friends and have a good time. Join us and see for yourself.

Betty Starr won the Chester’s card, and Hutch won the free meal. Sorry, Hutch, I just do not know your last name. Congratulations to both of you. We hope you enjoyed yourself, Hutch; we enjoyed having you in our midst. We noticed you were easy to visit with so come see us again and have another great lunch. You will not find a lunch of that quality for that price and get drinks and dessert as well.

A total of 104 meals went out of our kitchen today. Great job, Shay and Darla.

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.

PRAIRIE CITY —

Today was Pause for the Pledge Day, in case you didn’t know. It was also the day that President Eisenhower signed the act to add the words “under God” to the Pledge of Allegiance. That was way back in 1954. Some of our older students reminded us that when they said the pledge, you pointed your right hand towards the flag when you said the words “to the flag.” Interesting, huh?

In 1789, Capt. Bligh arrived at Timor after the mutiny on the Bounty. Moving forward, Burl Ives was born in 1909. Then the dawn of the computer age: In 1951, Univac began its first commercial use by the Census Department. It weighed 8 tons. Your phone probably does more calculations than it did! “Beam me up, Scotty.” Quote from JFK: “Man is still the most extraordinary computer of all.”

We didn’t need a computer to count our attendance and deliveries today. We had 57 in all. And we enjoyed a French dip sandwich, broccoli salad, cottage cheese, Jell-O, applesauce, watermelon and, for dessert — butterscotch delight. This meal was sponsored by the Kimberling Family in memory of Sharon Kinberling.

Chris’ trivia question had to do with the No. 1 hit song of 1963 that was sung by a French person. I could sing the tune, but couldn’t remember the name of it! Another table got it: “Dominique.” So they went first and we went last through the serving lines.

Our faithful volunteers included Sharon, Mary, Delores, Carla, Chris, Theresa, Tom, Pam and Josiah — who rang the dinner bell and led the flag salute. The winner of the free meal was Jimmy Lunzman, and Chris asked the blessing.

Thanks to one and all for all your help. And thanks to our cooks — Pam and Pam — and our registrar, Pam, for all their good work. None of this would happen if you didn’t do your task. And thanks to all who come to partake of the meal that has been prepared. May your tribe increase!

Announcement: We have been given the opportunity to conduct an estate sale next month for a 50/50 share of the proceeds. Board members and others are busy now preparing the items for the sale beginning after the parade on the Fourth of July. The sale will run through July 8. I’ll tell you where next week. There will be ads and lots of signs, too.

Theresa also announced that each of us should bring a photo of when we were age 25, and she will do “something” with them. Then we all had to calculate what year that would have been, and where the photo album might be that would have that year in it. Should be interesting, hmm?

The housing project next door is moving along quite nicely. They have one almost all covered. It’s interesting to watch the stages of construction. I envy the nice crawlspace since mine is barely 18 inches. By God’s grace, all plumbing problems have been able to be accessed from above!

James 1:23-24 Anyone who listens to the Word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.

MONUMENT —

Our greeters at the table were faithful Bob Cockrell and Sue Cavender. They greeted all the guests, checked them in, collected and counted up the money. Bob led us in the flag salute and made the announcements. Yours truly prayed the blessing over the meal. Ron, one of our friends from Spray, won the free meal ticket.

Our cooks, Terry Cade and Carriel Jewell, made us BBQ pulled pork sandwiches, coleslaw, curly french fries, and cheesecake from scratch with canned cherries for topping. Yummy! We thank our cooks, especially for that delicious cheesecake. I would have eaten more, but I think my stomach is shrinking! Ha.

Please mark this on your calendar, the Monument Senior Center will NOT be having lunch on Tuesday, the Fourth of July. So if you show up, you will be sorely disappointed. We are giving our wonderful cooks a well-deserved day off from cooking!

The Monument Senior Center will be having its rummage sale going on from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 1 and 2. July 3 will be the clearance and cleaning sale, from 9 a.m. to noon. They will have items for sale on display outside the storage area on the lawn and under the back porch. Good, clean, usable items are still being accepted. They can be dropped off at the senior center until Tuesday, June 27, before noon. A full 100% of the sales goes toward the Monument Senior Center’s operation fund. If you have any questions, please call Sylvia Cockrell at 541-934-2220.

If you need assistance with firewood, please call Misty at the Grant County Senior Programs, 541-620-3014. You will be added to the list for free firewood provided by Grant County Community Corrections.

We picked some of our pak choi, and it was very good. Luckily, there aren’t any slugs or grasshoppers that have discovered that bed yet and the plants are not being eaten. My lemon cucumber plants have erupted from the dirt, all 30 of them! What am I going to do with 30 lemon cucumber plants, you ask? Well, give some away, of course. I can’t possibly use them all. I like to plant extra just in case some don’t make it, but apparently this packet was a really good one. I am thinking I might try making pickles out of these lemon cucumbers. I don’t know how they will turn out, but hey, it doesn’t hurt to try it once. They may turn out all right in the end.

I have five zucchini plants that are out, and I have more beans and peas. I don’t know if I will have enough time to plant some corn. I have not gotten the bed ready for that, and it may be another couple more weeks before I get there. We have been pulling out raspberry canes, for they had taken over our gardens! We have been giving them away. I hate to throw those good plants away. I would rather they be taken and planted in someone else’s garden than thrown out.

1 Peter 4:12-13 Beloved, be not dismayed concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you. But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings, that, when His glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.