JOHN DAY — To start this week off, our kitchen put out a tremendous number of meals that were delivered throughout our community: Sixty-two fresh meals and 205 frozen meals plus a takeout meal and 14 in-house diners for a total of 282 meals.

Our chef is doing an awesome job feeding our community. It truly is a work of love for other human beings. This news just made the week spectacular for all who are compassionate for others. The people who deliver these meals are truly people who care for others. Today they were Becky Rhinehart and her friend Tayla, Pati Davis and Rick LaMountain.

Monday, July 31, Dave and Elsie greeted everyone and made sure they were signed in and their names were in the drawing for the day. Joe Phippen led the flag salute, and Elsie did the announcing.

Kim Ausland was our server today and Jeannette Julsrud assisted her as it was Kim’s first day for this duty. Thank you, Kim and Jeannette. Kim asked the blessing, and we dined on taco salad, Jell-O, cantaloupe and chocolate tarts.

Hope for Paws donated several bags of dog and cat food for our seniors, and Chris Labhart brought them to our table to share with others. Thanks, Chris.

Deda Porter won the Chester’s card, and Margie Conley won the free meal. Congratulations to both of you.

On Thursday, Aug. 3, Dave Pasko and Judy Thomas were at the desk greeting everyone and seeing that all went well. Melanie from the First Baptist Church led our flag salute.

Pati Davis and her friend Jodi, Peggy Molnar and Matt Molnar, and Rick LaMountain delivered 59 fresh and five frozen meals throughout our area. Thank you, each one, for your service of love.

A total of 107 meals went out of our kitchen today and 389 total meals for this week. Very commendable, Shay. And the kitchen looks great when all is done. Hmmmmmm.

The First Baptist Church was represented by Pastor Jessie, Carol and ShayAnne and Melanie as our servers today. Pastor Jessie asked the blessing, and we had pulled pork sliders, fresh crisp coleslaw, great mac and cheese, and birthday cake donated by Driskill’s, who sponsored this meal. Thanks to all you servers and Driskill’s for the great cake and the great meal.

Mike Farrell won the Chester’s card, and Carol Roe won the free meal. Congratulations to both of you.

The Grant County Fair is starting on the 4th and continuing through the 12th, and Wednesday the 9th is a free day. Enjoy all of the fair and please, above all, keep cool and safe. Watch out for others at the fair and on the roads.

Dayville is having lunch every second Wednesday, at noon, at the community center and a dance every second Saturday at the same place. Have fun.

Some time ago we learned that Bob McCauley had passed away and now we got news that Stella, his wife, has passed away, too. So sad. They had the most amazing garden and produce storage underground of anyone I have ever seen. I was so impressed. Gardening and storing its production is something we could all do more of. As food prices rise, we need to look for ways to have food for less cost. Gardening comes to mind. Above-ground gardening is looking really good these days.

Our John Day Senior Center now has internet installed. Our phone system is being overhauled so you can choose who you want to talk to when you call on the same number as always.

Stephan Rogers announced he will be picking peaches in Kimberly on Thursday the 10th and bringing some in to share with others to get a smile from everyone. Also, he offered to pick for anyone who wanted to purchase some for canning for the cost of $1.75 a pound. I would like to can some. What a kind thing to do: picking the peaches for us.

Tomorrow, Aug. 10, we will have chuckwagon-style dinner with pot roast, boiled potatoes, gravy, baked beans, dinner roll, watermelon and dessert.

Monday, Aug. 14, we will dine on baked pasta with meat sauce, garlic toast, salad and dessert of cook’s choice.

Proverbs 8: 32-36 Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children; for blessed are they that keep my ways. Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not. Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. For whoso findeth me findeth life and shall obtain favour of the Lord. But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul; all they that hate me love death.

MONUMENT — Terry Cade and Carrie Jewell, our fabulous cooks, made us Philly cheese sandwiches, curly fries, a fresh green salad, and chocolate chip cookies for our dessert. You should have been there. It was delicious and quite filling. Of course, after I got home, I had to take a siesta from the food coma! Ha. We thank our cooks so much for their wonderful cooking.

Our greeters at the table were Bob Cockrell and Sue Cavender. They checked in all the guests, collected and counted up the money. Judy Harris led us in the flag salute and made the announcements. Yours truly prayed the blessing over the meal. Jean Hammell of Spray was the lucky winner of the free meal ticket.

I have the schedule for our important event that will be occurring in the month of September. Yup, it will be that time of year again. The Monument Buckaroo Festival and Harvest Auction will be happening on Sept. 23. At noon, the 4-H booth will be open on the back lawn of the senior center. They will be selling lunch. What will they be serving? I am not privy to that information yet.

The bidder registration table will be open for the live and silent auctions. There will be games and activities for the kids and families. These include horseshoes, cornhole, face and rock painting, and prizes for the kids.

Live music will begin at 1 p.m. The silent auction opens in the senior center library at this time also. At 3 p.m. the live auction will be going on on the back deck. Dinner will be served from 4:30 to 7 p.m. The dessert auction will begin at 5:30 p.m. and will be going through dinnertime.

The silent auction will close exactly at 6 p.m. There will be drawings for raffle items. You do not have to be present to win. There will be a man’s and a woman’s door prize, each valued at $300. For these, you must be present to win.

Hope all that information gives you lots of food for thought. Hope you all can make it, for it is sure to be lots of fun and the food is always excellent. Yeah, the salmon and elk dinner with all the fixin’s is mighty tasty. Just thinking about it is making me salivate! Ha.

The Lord has blessed my garden with tons of raspberries! I have enough stored to make a lot, and I really mean a lot, of jam. I will hopefully get that done when the weather cools off a bit. My son’s dill looks beautiful. Luckily, my friend Linda gave me some cucumbers and I was able to make some pickles. The cucumbers in our garden are only about an inch long. It might be awhile but hopefully we will be having some cucumbers of our own to pick.

God is good! His creation and wonders are all around. I especially see it in the garden. It is amazing when you see those plants just grow so huge from such a tiny seed. I praise the Lord!

John 15:16 Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in My Name, He may give it to you.

PRAIRIE CITY — Ah, the dog days of summer have arrived. Has something to do with where the sun is in the zodiac, I think. There were quite a few famous people born on this day and week: William Clark, Francis Scott Key, Herman Melville, Carol O’Connor and Peter O’Toole. (Hmm. My spell check doesn’t like those Irish names! Ha, ha!) Tom read a few quotations from these persons. But none of them had anything to do with the trivia question!

Tom had two of his grandsons from Florida helping today. The family had driven out from northern Florida nonstop since they had four drivers. And the trivia question was as follows: Lewis and Clark took a year and a half to travel from St. Joseph, Missouri, to the Pacific Ocean in 1805 (I think). How long did it take to drive from Florida to Prairie City? Around 45 hours. From another perspective, it took less than 70 years to go from the first airplane flight until man walked on the moon! “What hath God wrought?”

On to more down-to-earth happenings. … Kenny Tuttle led the flag salute; Tom asked the blessing; and Delores Scott was the winner of the $5 gift card donated by Len’s Pharmacy. Our faithful volunteers included Mary, Sharon, Carla, Gwynne, Tom, the two Theresas, Susanna, and Tom’s grandsons Ethan and Uriah.

Pam was at her station at the reception desk, and Ginger gave the announcements. Our meal sponsor today was the Grant County Veteran Services Office. I tried to get a vet to come, but he was all set to go camping since they hadn’t been able to all summer. Priorities, you know. But we did have at least three vets in attendance: Colin, Juan and Kenny. Thank you for your service.

Our cooks produced another fine meal for us to enjoy: chicken fajitas and Spanish rice, broccoli salad, cottage cheese and tapioca pudding. Mmmm, good.

Thank you, Pam and Pam.

One quote: “A drowning person does not complain about the size of the life preserver.” Okey-dokey.

Well, I’ve started harvesting the beets. I got the peas out of the way so the volunteer cantaloupes can spread out. The plan is to get the beets out of the way of the four kinds of cucumbers so they can have room to grow. Some of them have started to climb the fencing support I placed beside their rows. The corn is still working on getting the silk out. Hopefully by Labor Day …

The flowers that I seeded after the tulips got done have finally got some little buds coming on them. And the good morning glory flowers have started to show through the wild roses on that trellis. With all that to take care of, it is a good thing that I don’t have to worry about mowing the lawn! Reminds me of the parable of the sower: Luke 8:6,7 “Some fell on rock … and they withered because they had no moisture. Other seed fell among thorns … and choked it.”

It is hard to grow a lawn on the mining tailings in Prairie City. So I don’t worry about it! But I do covet grass clippings from my neighbors for the garden.

Thanks, Vicki.

Psalm 103:15, 16, 17, 18 As for man, his days are like grass … the wind blows over it and it is gone … but from everlasting to everlasting the LORD’s love is with those who fear Him, … with those who keep His covenant and … obey his precepts.