JOHN DAY — When you read this, the fair will be over and thoughts will go to starting school. Time has a way of moving along without delay or hesitation. As August is the hottest month in the year, please keep as cool as possible. Too much sun or heat is not too good for us and our pets.

Monday, Aug. 7, Dave Pasko and Elsie Huskey were at the desk greeting the 12 in-house diners and the nine people who picked up their lunch. Everyone was signed in and their names put in the drawings for the day. Elsie did the announcing, and Dave drew the winners of the drawings. Kayla Sharp led the flag salute. Thanks, Kayla.

The First Christian Church was represented by Becky Reinhart and her granddaughter Kayla Sharp as the servers for the day. Kayla was very attentive to the needs of the diners and was ready to clear tables when diners were done. Becky is proud of Kayla, I am sure. The two of them did a great job for a successful and comfortable lunch. Lunch today was breakfast with blueberry and blackberry-mix turnovers for dessert, and Shay and Darla did a great job getting a great breakfast for 134 people, including the deliveries.

Becky picked the blueberries for us. She was picking a bunch for a friend and couldn’t stop. She ended up with 62 pounds, so she shared some with our center. Thank you, Becky. Picking blueberries is a tedious job. They are so small, so it takes a lot to make a pound. Becky also asked the blessing for our meal today.

Kim Ausland, Pati Davis and Becky Reinhart delivered 56 fresh and 57 frozen meals to residents of the community that cannot get out to be present with us. Delivering these meals is truly a service of love.

Deeda Porter won the Len’s card, and Carol Roe won the free meal. Congratulations, you two.

On Thursday, Aug. 10, Carol Roe and Judy Thomas were at the desk making sure all 22 people were signed in and their names in the drawings for the day and to see that the 20 people who came to pick up meals got the ones made for them.

Dave Pasko usually arrives early, so he substituted for Carol and Judy till they arrived. Thanks, Dave, for all you do to help in any way needed. Elsie did the announcing.

The Cornerstone Church members were our servers today. They were Jeff Cyphers, Stacy Hale, Pati Davis and Jody Cyphers. Thanks to all of you for your service to our meal attendees. We all said the flag salute together, so we all led it. Pati Davis asked the blessing before we partook in the meal.

Fifty-four meals were delivered to shut-ins by Pati Davis and Jody Cyphers, Peggy Molnar and Cindy Coombs, and Rayme, whose last name I do not know. Thanks to all of you for your service of love for others.

There were several new faces at lunch today. I did not get a chance to meet everyone. It was good to see the ones that have not been with us for a while. So many have moved away, some have passed on to eternal life and some are homebound, so it is taking some time to get a head count like we used to have before COVID-19 caught up with us.

Jeanette Sheridan won the Chester’s Card, and Linda Pifer won the free meal. Congratulations to both of you. We had two gifts to offer today, so Judy Thomas and Vern Pifer won them. Enjoy these, you two.

Our center now has internet in the building, and we are working on the phone system. Phones are ordered but have not arrived yet.

John 3:16 God loved the world so much that he gave HIS only begotten son to die for us so that we could have everlasting (forever and ever) life if we will just believe in HIM.

MONUMENT — I feel like I sound a little like Chicken Little by saying, “Summer is almost over, summer is almost over!” Ha. It really is quite unbelievable that summer is almost over and that fall is just around the corner.

I have yet to enjoy a single tomato from my plants thus far. I have gotten five cucumbers and a bunch of dill. Oh, I do have a few Korean melons, and they are looking mighty fine! I have one that is almost the size of a lemon, which I think is pretty cool. My zucchini did not do so well this year, but that’s OK because friends have shared theirs with me. I have shared my raspberries in return.

I may get some small peaches this year if the earwigs don’t get them first. I have had to prop up a branch that was drooping from the weight. I suppose I should have pulled some off so they would be bigger. Would you rather have many little peaches, or fewer larger peaches? It is a conundrum, right?

Our wonderful cooks, Terry Cade and Carrie Jewell, made us nachos with all the fixings, fresh green salad, and chocolate pudding with whipped cream for our dessert. You know I just piled on the lettuce and lots of jalapenos on my food! We had quite the crowd. It seems that everyone comes in almost at the last minute. We thank our cooks for their amazing meals.

Our greeter at the table was Bob Cockrell. He checked in all the guests, collected and counted up the money. Bob led us in the flag salute, and Judy Harris made the announcements. Yours truly prayed the blessing over the meal. The free meal ticket winner was Judy Cavender.

There is a raffle going on for the barbecue, and the drawing will be held during the Buckaroo on Sept. 23. Tickets are $1 each or six for $5. Good luck to all who participate!

I don’t know if I am working extra-hard or going to bed too late and not getting enough sleep or what, but I am having to take quite a few siestas. I have been taking one almost every day this past week. I must be working very hard! Ha.

My goats are getting really, really big. I have a small field and am in the process of putting up a little pen for them so they can eat that grass down. I have to say, goats can eat their weight and then some. They can have a grassy field eaten up in no time. I am trying to rotate them around the different areas so that I won’t have to feed them so much hay and they can keep the fire hazard dry grass down. It is a win-win situation, in my opinion.

The only problem with tethering goats is that they have to be in the line of sight of others or they will cry incessantly. They are herd animals, after all, and don’t like to be alone. I have to say, they are certainly good little lawnmowers! Ha.

Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.

PRAIRIE CITY — How do you know that you live in the temperate zone? Here’s one reason: It’s August, but you have to turn on some heat in the morning and then the A/C in the afternoon. Early this morning it felt like fall! Well, that’s good for the animals at the fair, right? You did go, didn’t you?

Departing volunteer Susanna rang the dinner bell, Ginger led the flag salute, and Theresa asked the blessing. The winner of the free meal was Lynette Sullens. Our volunteers included Mary, Carla, Gwynne, Theresa and Theresa, Tom and Pam. Thanks to you all.

Our cooks prepared good ol’ spaghetti and meat sauce for us to enjoy today. Also a green salad, cottage cheese, mixed fruit, and cupcakes and Rice Krispies treats for dessert. Good stuff! And we were stuffed after eating it, too.

The trivia department: Birthdays: Robert Shaw, Bob Cousey and Whitney Houston. This was National Book Lovers Day, so go read one. In 1898, Rudolph Diesel received a patent for his internal combustion engine. In 1930, Betty Boop debuted. And in 1974, President Richard Nixon resigned. I hadn’t realized it, but that was two years before my oldest son was born. Wow. OK.

To continue: The quote for the day: “Aim for the moon; if you miss, you might hit a star.” (W. Clement Stone) And what if food could talk? Now, there’s a sci-fi plot just waiting to be written. In the olden days before police cars had cameras, the policeman would touch the taillight of the vehicle he had pulled over so that his fingerprint would prove that he had been in contact with the suspect if something happened to him later. Hmmm. What do you know?

Now comes the trivia question: Martin van Buren was nominated by a political party that was the result of the merger of two other political parties — the Barn Burners (anti-slavery) and the Free Soil. He was elected, too! The question: What number president was he? I’ll give you a hint. It was in 1837. He was the eighth president.

Now I’m curious. What great thing did he do? On the other hand, are presidents supposed to do great things, or just do what the Constitution outlines? Ooooooh.

Am reading a book about how archeology began, and these words were ones that I had never seen before. The first one has 22 letters, so take a deep breath and give it a whirl: historicomorphological. I could not find it in the big 11.3-pound dictionary. Ask Google. The other word is faience. It has to do with the pretty glaze on pottery, especially really old pottery. So there’s your history lessons for this day.

The beets are all out of the ground and in the freezer! Left one that is going to seed. Then I finally found some cucumbers under all the leaves. There are four different kinds, so this should be interesting! The silk is coming on the corn, so all’s right in the garden …

Genesis 1: 8 Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there He put the man He had formed … :15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.