JOHN DAY — This week has been so busy I feel like I don’t know where to start telling my story. Last weekend I was in Boise celebrating the coming birth of my second great-grandchild. The shower was very nice. I made a bassinet and took it to my grandson’s first child coming soon. The roads were good the whole way. Some snow on Blue Mountain, but none on Eldorado. Coming home there was no snow on Blue Mountain, either. I took my first fall while in Boise. I went to the ER to be checked out, but all was good except for the wildly torn skin on my left elbow.

On Monday, Feb. 5, the Grant County Jammers played and sang from 10 a.m. until noon. Dave and Darlene manned the desk to check everyone in and make sure their names were in the drawings for the day. Elsie gathered information and did the announcing. Everyone stood after the bell was rung, and we all recited the flag salute together.

Becky Reinhart, Pati Davis and Jeanette Julsrud delivered 52 fresh meals and 49 frozen meals to residents in our community and nearby neighborhoods. There were 10 takeout meals and 32 in-house diners. A total of 143 meals went out of our kitchen today. Shay and his new assistant, Aleesa, along with Valeda and Nancy, got all the cleanup done and left the kitchen looking presentable. This crew is quite the best. Thanks, ladies, for being your best. Thanks to each of you drivers for your service of love for others.

Our servers were from the First Christian Church: Becky Reinhart and Carol Roe. Becky had had foot surgery with a slice of bone from her knee used in the foot and she was not supposed to put weight on her foot, so she did her work from her wheelchair. That is true dedication to her word and is to be commended. Thank you, Becky, and thank you, Carol, for your service to our center.

After we had the blessing said for our food, we dined on a breakfast meal. Oatmeal with brown sugar and cinnamon and strawberries, link sausage, yum, peaches, French toast sticks and apple crisp. Several comments were made for this meal being a great breakfast.

The newest piece of information we had was that the U.S. Bank was closing the end of April.

Charlene Farmer won the Len’s card, and Gregg Starr won the free meal. Congratulations to both of you.

On Thursday, Feb. 8, Sonie and Judy were at the desk greeting everyone and making sure they were signed in and their names were in the drawings for the day. Elsie gathered information and did the announcing. We all recited the flag salute together.

Sixty-one fresh meals were delivered throughout the community by Peggy Molnar, Pati Davis and Rick LaMountain. Thanks to all of you for your service of love for others. There were two takeout meals today and 32 in-house diners. All total, there were 95 meals that went out of our kitchen today. Good job, Shay and Aleesa, along with Valeda and Nancy.

Jeanette and Pati represented the Cornerstone Church today as our servers. They did a great job and were friendly with all the diners. We appreciate both of you for your service to our center. Thanks.

We could not keep our center open if it were not for our volunteers and donors. We appreciate each volunteer for each meal day and all the donations and donors. Thank you, everyone who participates in our center. It is more than just a place to have lunch, it is great for fellowship as well.

Today was our Valentine’s meal. We dined on chicken Oscar with hollandaise sauce, rice pilaf, yum, veggies, and chocolate mousse. Great meal. Linda Pifer asked the blessing before our meal.

We encouraged everyone who wins the Len’s cards to use them, as Len’s needs to know we appreciate getting them.

Vern Pifer won the Chester’s card, and Brad Hale won the free meal. We drew a ticket for the 50/50 drawing and someone from the tai chi class won it. Congratulations.

Tomorrow, Feb. 15, we will dine on country fried steak sandwich, potato salad, Jell-O, and cupcakes for dessert. On Monday, Feb. 19, we will dine on Swiss steak, rice and gravy, veggies, dinner rolls and Jell-O salad.

We will be opening our lunchtime with announcements at 10 minutes to 12, so please be on time to get your names in the drawings and hear all the announcements. Thank you.

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone!

Matthew 18:4 Whosoever shall humble himself as a little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

MONUMENT — We are now in the second month of the year 2024! This February is also a leap year, so we have 29 days in February. I really do wonder when those people who were born on February 29 celebrate their birthdays when there are only 28 days most of the time. Would you celebrate your birthday on Feb. 28 or March 1? I guess if it were me, I would alternate. LOL.

Our greeter at the table was Bob Cockrell. He 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. Jean Hammel of Spray won the free meal ticket.

Our cooks, Terry Cade and Carrie Jewell, made us tacos (I think they were burritos) with Spanish rice, refried beans, and all the fixings. Everyone who sat at our table hardly talked for we were all very hungry. I ate my whole burrito, except for one slice of jalapeño. Ha. It was a very hearty and satisfying meal, and we thank our cooks for their hard effort! Thank you, Terry and Carrie, for always blessing us with tasty food.

This is the spay/neuter month at the John Day River Veterinary Center. You can give them a call to help get your dog or cat spayed or neutered. I believe there is a coupon to help pay for costs by Hope4Paws.

Calling all bakers in the Monument area: We need fresh-baked cookies on Tuesday, Feb. 20, delivered to the Monument Senior Center. We also need volunteers to help put together cookie plates, and volunteers to help deliver the cookies to the recipients. This is a wonderful opportunity to shower love on many of our widows, widowers, singles, and new arrivals to our community.

We will have our sewing time on Wednesday, Feb. 14. We meet from 9 a.m. to about 2 p.m. We share a potluck lunch at noon. Hope you can make it.

There will be a city council meeting also on Feb. 14 at the Monument Senior Center at 6:30 p.m. The meeting is open to the public.

I think I have mentioned before, I have a new obsession: vintage Singer sewing machines! I am really, really appreciating the craftsmanship, the quality and the different makes of these old Singer sewing machines. I have several. I have a Singer Featherweight 221, a Singer 201-2 and a Singer 301A. I got these machines off of eBay. I love chain piece sewing on these machines, for the fabrics don’t shift like most newer and modern machines. One has to use a walking foot to help with the shifting of fabric. With these old machines and the strong feed dogs, they don’t hardly move or shift at all. I love my old vintage machines! They are simply fantastic sewing machines and I have a piece of history with these machines: the wonderful inventions of the 19th and 20th century!

Psalms 127: 4-5 As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man, so are children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them, they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies at the gate.

PRAIRIE CITY —

I mentioned last week that we are preparing for the Prairie City Spring Yard Sale in a few months. Well, I must have taken that literally because I have started — as the saying goes — going through things. You know the rule? If it hasn’t been used in a year, and it is not a memento, you can let someone else have the use of it. So far, I have two boxes … and I haven’t gone very deep! Consolidation helps, too. So does rearranging of the furniture. Have more space in three rooms so far. Wow! Better take a rest. Don’t want to get burned out!

I thought I would get caught up on some of my board duties by going to the hall early and typing up the minutes of our last meeting. I did get them typed, but when I went to print, I hit the wrong button and everything disappeared! I tried all kinds of tabs and icons to get it back, but no such luck. So I had to type it all over again. Then the poor printer didn’t want to put ink on all the lines, so had to run it through several times to get a readable copy.

Good thing we have lots of “scratch paper” to use. What a time!

Then the heating stove kicked off. We have had the sump pumps running and adding the coffee maker to the circuit that the heater was on was just too much for the system. Contractor says he will make sure that doesn’t happen again. Whew!

So, we did have dinner! Pam and Pam prepared a hamburger and veggie medley with ambrosia salad, spaghetti salad, peaches, oranges, rolls and poppyseed/lemon bundt cake. We were stuffed, I tell you! Mighty good vittles, ladies.

Before that, Ginger led the flag salute and announced that faithful volunteer Teresa won the $5 gift card donated by Len’s Pharmacy. Tom asked the blessing after telling us about a day in Babe Ruth’s life at the close of his baseball career. Seems he was having a bad game day and was booed by the crowd in the stadium when coming off the field. Then a young boy left his seat and climbed over the fence and tearfully ran to the Babe and hugged him around the knees. Babe lifted him up and carried him off the field. The crowd’s boos turned to cheers. Moral? There’s always a place for love to be shown. Our volunteers today included Tom, Pam, Sharon, Mary, Tonya and Brenda.

Thanks so much for your help.

We had a tableful of new faces today. Welcome and come again. Some came to attend the biography writing class that the CyberMill is hosting. Thanks for having dinner with us.

The city has been filled with lots of noise and signs due to the new sidewalk reconstruction. Watch your step!

Ps. 17:5 My steps have held to Your paths; my feet have not slipped.

Prov. 16: 9 In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.