Mt. Vernon resident Billie Bullard, who turned 101 on Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022, celebrates her (almost) birthday with friends and family at the John Day Senior Center on Monday, Oct. 17, 2022.

JOHN DAY — On Monday, Jan. 22, there was music in the air. The Grant County Jammers were playing and singing from 10 a.m. till noon. What a delight and joy for all of us who are attendees. Several people came early and gathered to listen to the great music. Thank you, Jammers, for your service and the happiness you bring.

Dave and Darlene greeted everyone who came into the building. Everyone was signed in and their names put into the daily drawings. People who came to pick up meals were greeted and the donations for the meal were accepted and handled properly. Elsie gathered information and did the announcing.

After we said the flag salute, there were some things reflected to the audience and here are some of them. Our librarian wanted everyone to know that many books are on the center table in the library and will be taken to other resources at the end of the week, so be sure to take any of them you would like and no need to return them as we have an overload in the library at this time.

Jesse Schaefer is affiliated with Blue Mountain Community College and represents the Tech Savvy group in the area. She told us of two classes coming up at the Prairie City CyberMill, 211 S. McHaley Ave., starting Wednesday, Feb. 7. The senior center there has lunch on Wednesday at noon, so this is a good time to visit there. One is Write Your Life Story. The class meets from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Wednesdays for six weeks and will have homework for you to put into effect some of the things you learned in that class. The other class will cover a variety of technology topics for six weeks and will be on Wednesday afternoons from 1 to 2 p.m. or so. These classes are tailored especially to seniors to help them understand all the new technologies of the day. There are no charges for these classes.

Rachel Carpenter represented the LDS Church as our server for lunch. She asked the blessing before the meal. Thirty diners were seated together for this meal. Fifteen people picked up meals to go. The total meals from our kitchen today were 162.

Good job, Shay, and all your helpers.

Fifty-nine fresh meals and 58 frozen meals were delivered throughout the community and others nearby to residents who cannot come dine with us in person. The drivers who delivered all these meals were Rachel Carpenter, Jeanette and Pati, and Rick. Thank each one of you for your faithfulness of service of love to others.

Gregg Starr won the Chester’s card, and Veanne won the free meal. Congratulations to both of you.

On Thursday, Jan. 25, Sonie and Judy greeted all who came by and signed them in, accepted donations for lunch and put their names in the drawings. Elsie gathered information and did the announcing. The flag salute was recited together.

Fifty-six fresh meals were delivered to residents in the area, 15 people came by and picked up meals and 26 diners were present for lunch.

The total of meals from our kitchen today was 97. Good job, Shay, what a week you have had. Bobbie and Buzz Gilmore represented the Lutheran Church as the servers for our lunch. These two servers really worked hard. They even swept the floor and wiped off every table, whether used or not.

You could get tired watching them. Buzz was right on the spot for picking up trays as soon as the diner got the items off it. Very impressive. Jeff and Jodi, Peggy and Cindy, and Bonnie and Gary delivered all the meals to residents today. Thank you all for you service of love for others.

Vern won the Len’s card, and Joe won the free meal today.

The menu for February is not available, so I am sorry I don’t have that for you.

Psalm 27:14 Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart: WAIT! I say, on the LORD.

MONUMENT —

We are starting to thaw out from that freak cold snap we had over here. We had icy snow all over the ground for a couple of days and let me tell you, it was treacherous! Yes, I think everyone that I talked to fell down at least once. I myself did when I walked over to the front of my car and, whoops!

After that tumble, I decided to get one of our old ski poles and use that to help stabilize myself. It did help. I did not care if I looked ridiculous carrying around a ski pole.

Better to look ridiculous than break a bone or something. Ha. Well, it is starting to melt and I can even see green grass. Seriously!

Our greeters at the front table were Bob Cockrell and Sue Cavender. They checked in all the guests, collected and counted up the money. Jan Ensign filled out the paperwork. Bob led us in the flag salute and made the announcements. Yours truly prayed the blessing over the meal. Heather Riggs passed out the takeout orders. Roger Lawrence was the lucky winner of the free meal ticket.

Our cooks, Terry Cade and Christy Howell, made one of my favorite meals. Oh, yes, we got chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, dinner rolls, and chocolate cake for dessert. The chicken fried steak had a little bite to it, and I really liked that! I had to get seconds, which I shared with my hubby. I was quite satisfied. We had lots of takeouts, too, so that tells you that it is a favorite for others as well. Thank you to our fabulous cooks!

We wished Terry Cade a very happy birthday. She turned 29! LOL. Just kidding, but we do hope she had a wonderful and blessed birthday.

Don’t forget that there will be an increase of $1 for takeout orders starting in March and that you must call between 8 and 10 a.m. for takeouts.

Sylvia Cockrell is going to head up the Valentine’s Cookie Caper, and she needs everyone’s help to bring in two dozen cookies on Monday, Feb. 20. The cookies will be sorted and delivered on Tuesday, Feb. 21.

So, we would appreciate volunteers to bake and bring in two dozen cookies each, help to put together the plates, and help to drive and distribute the cookies.

If you have any questions, please give Sylvia a call. This is just a way to love on members of our community who are living alone or just moved into our little town.

There will be a clay pigeon shoot at Brad and Julie Smith’s on Saturday, Feb. 10. The time will be from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The proceeds will go to help our EMTs. Other shooting events are scheduled for March 9 and April 13.

The Grant County 4-H Association will be having their annual citrus sales soon. Prices for oranges and grapefruits are $34 for a 20-pound box or $55 for a 40-pound box. Mandarin oranges are $17 for 5 pounds. Sales forms will be due back to your 4-H student by Friday, Feb. 5. Please have checks made payable to Grant County 4-H.

Please don’t forget to buy tickets from any of our Monument School students for the Valentine’s Tri-Tip Dinner on Saturday, Feb. 11, at the Monument Senior Center. Dinner times will be 4 and 6 p.m. The money will be used to help the students go on their trip to Boston in May.

PRAIRIE CITY —

Wow. What a change from 2 feet of snow to green grass in a week. As the saying goes, if you don’t like the weather, just wait a few minutes! Now that I can see the garden, I anticipate seeing the new crop of seed catalogs in my mailbox soon. I am always amazed at how much food I can grow from my little postage stamp-size garden plot. And some of it I even planted!

Harold led the flag salute, and Joel asked the blessing. The winner of the free meal was Sharon Thissel. Our volunteers included Sharon, Tonya, Teresa, Tom, Pam and Ginger.

Our trivia concerned the author Fulton Oursler and his most famous work, “The Greatest Story Ever Told.” He was born in 1893 and wrote the book in 1949. It was made into a movie in 1965. A quote from him: “A person is rich according to what he is, not according to what he has.” So, greetings, fellow wealthy persons!

We had our annual election of officers before the meal. A new director on the board is Gail Kolb, who replaces retiring Del Lake. We thank Del for his years of service and welcome Gail to our group.

Jesse from the Prairie City CyberMill and Blue Mountain Community College came to sign up anyone who was interested in receiving help writing their biography.

So what was for dinner? Tuna noodle casserole, broccoli salad, cantaloupe, applesauce, cottage cheese, rolls, and apple pie with ice cream. Mmmm, yummy, yummy.

Thank you, Pam and Pam, for our delicious meals.

Now that the snow is gone, the city is starting on the mandated construction of improved wheelchair ramps around the main drag. Lots of surveying, marking, cutting of pavement and concrete going on. Watch your step …

Got a couple of New Year cards this week. And that reminded me to ask: How are you doing with your New Year’s resolutions? I don’t bother to make any. Have enough trouble keeping up with the normal routine! If I want to do something different, I just go do it …

One thing I have been doing is viewing the collection of VHS movies that are on the shelf. Some real old ones will play with not too much trouble, and then newer ones will just go all haywire about halfway through.

So I have a boxful of VHS tapes that I will have to replace with DVDs. And I’m afraid that some of them are “out of print,” as it were. And they were really good movies! Just about the time I get that accomplished, “they” will decide that DVDs are passe and want me to move on to the next new thing beyond BlueRay. Think I’ll just go back to reading books …

Nehemiah 8:2,3,8, … Ezra brought the book of the Law. … He read it aloud from daybreak till noon. … They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was being read.