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 — For two weeks or so we have had several people trapped with illness and not able to perform their normal duties and activities. Our chef was one of them, and he is back but so skinny now. I was one and now am on antibiotics, so am feeling somewhat better but some symptoms are being stubborn. Aleesa was out for a few days, and she is looking good again. Others that are regular participants of our center were caught but some are better, and we don’t know about everyone.

This next week should get more people out and going again. As for me and the others who are back, we are sure glad to be up and around and seeing other people.

On Monday, April 8, Darlene and Judy were at the desk to greet everyone who passed by to sign in for lunch and put their names in the drawings for the day. Darlene gathered information and did the announcements, and Ron Phillips led the flag salute.

The servers were from St. Elizabeth Catholic Church: Allison McCosker (mom) and her children Marshall, Graham and Cora. Marshall, Graham and Cora asked the blessing for the meal. Joanne Humphreys was also one of the servers. Thank you all for your service to our center.

At 11:30 a.m., some went outside to see what they could of the eclipse. I was out of town and in an office when this all took place, so I missed it all. The ones who did see it gave their descriptions of how it was and what they felt from it. My hubby watched it at home, and the biggest point to him was how cold it turned at the height of the experience. The animals sure did notice the cold and the darkness at that time.

Pati, Rick and Barb Comer delivered 56 fresh meals and 39 frozen meals into our community to those who cannot get out to come dine with all of us. No decision was made as to how many takeouts were picked up, but 31 people were present to dine together. Even without knowing the number of takeouts, there were 126 meals that went out of our kitchen this day. That was a lot of work for Shay and Aleesa, who were just back from being sick. We are so happy that Valeda and Nancy were on the site to assist them to get all these meals out.

Laura K. won the Len’s card, and Diane Brew won the free meal. Congratulations to both of you.

On Thursday, April 11, Darlene and Dave filled in at the desk for the scheduled people who were unable to be there. Thank you, Darlene and Dave. Elsie gathered information, and Heather Swank led the flag salute.

The Cornerstone Church was represented by Pati Davis as our server for the day. Chris Robbins, our great kitchen helper, stepped up and helped Pati with serving 28 in-house diners. Pastor Manitsas came and asked the blessing for our meal. Thank you all for your participation in a successful luncheon for our diners.

Pati, Jeff and Jode, and Rick delivered 55 meals into our community to folks unable to be with us. Seven meals were picked up by some folks. Thanks to all of you for your service to other people. All total there were 90 meals that went out of our kitchen today.

We announced that April 15 is the last day to sign up for the OTEC trip for the annual meeting. The sign-up sheet is on our desk and all the information about it. I have gone several times and always have a great time. OTEC puts on a great lunch and has many vendors to keep us informed about goings-on in our world. They usually have live music, and they give away lots of prizes. It is very entertaining, and it is a happy event all the way around.

Scott Myers won the Chester’s card, Dave Pasko won the free meal and Joe Phippen won a gift. Congratulations to all of you.

Saturday, April 27, we will be having an indoor yard sale from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. All proceeds will go to the senior center.

Tomorrow, Thursday, April 18, lunch will be spaghetti with meat sauce, green salad and cake. Monday, April 22, lunch will be taco salad, fruit, and cherry empanadas.

Matt. 10:23 Whoever denies me here on earth, I will also deny him/her before my father in heaven.

MONUMENT —

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

Our cooks, Terry Cade and Carrie Jewell, made us fried chicken or fish (your choice), jojo potatoes, coleslaw, and yellow cake with chocolate frosting for our dessert. It was yummy and I was quite hungry. The fresh tartar sauce and the cocktail sauce was good, too, for our seasoning of the fish and/or chicken if one so desired. We thank our cooks for our wonderful meal!

Ellie Asher is heading up the sign-ups for the planter bed grant that we received. The sign-up sheet is limited to 25 people. Seniors have first dibs. Misty Palmer, our senior adviser, helped us get this grant.

Planter pickups will be on Monday, May 6, at the Monument School greenhouse. The students will have these 18-inch-by-18-inch cedar planters, and you will get to pick six plants to put in them. The limit is one per person. They can deliver if they need to, and folding chairs will be available for seniors to sit on while preparing the planter beds. Please call ahead if you need folding chairs. If the spaces are not filled, then it is open to whomever signs up first after the seniors.

There will be an EMT fundraiser on Saturday, May 4. Please contact any of our EMTs if you would like to purchase dinner tickets. Sylvia Cockrell will be cooking this dinner, so you know it is going to be delicious. We have many good cooks in our community!

We praise the Lord for Dallas Helsley coming out very well from the hospital. He apparently had a stroke on Sunday morning, and we got to hear of it at our Tuesday lunch. But by the time I got ahold of his wife, Cindy, they were home and he got feeling in his arm back and his speech as well. We pray that his surgery to take care of this stroke heals quickly.

I’ve got kidds, kidds and more kidds! I am feeling a little overwhelmed. I had to help deliver several babies. I have three more mama goats that need to deliver babies. I can’t go anywhere, and I am constantly trying to check on them.

The other day, had I not been there, I am sure one baby goat would have died, for he was quite big and the first-time mama was having a hard time pushing him out. I tried to pull him out, but he was slimy and slippery. I had to use a towel to wrap around his leg and then was able to pull while the mama pushed. He was huge! Then, his little sister just slipped right out about three minutes later! Ha.

Ephesians 6:8 Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the LORD, whether he be bond or free.

PRAIRIE CITY —

Blue skies smilin’ at me … so I dashed out and finished weeding the garden plot. The fact that I got it done at this early date is either a cause for elation or distress. Will we have an early spring, or is more snow on the way? One cannot tell in Grant County.

As I was crawling around on my hands and knees, I was devising schemes to halt the growth of those pesky morning glory vines. Somebody ought to find out what gene they have that makes them so hardy and put it in something useful, like food! Of course, a weed is only a plant out of place according to a human viewpoint.

I put the Mother’s Day plant we all get at church in the garden a few years ago. I had to dig up a square yard of its descendants out of the garden yesterday! Should plant them in the yard, I guess, for ground cover! At that point, it had become a “weed,” because I needed the space for food production, not flowers.

Speaking of flowers, I did see one honeybee out on a weed’s flower. And almost stepped on a wasp. Yep, it’s spring.

Debra Rubio led the flag salute, Ginger made the announcements, and Jennifer Carter asked the blessing. Yours truly was the winner of the $5 gift card donated by Len’s Pharmacy. Our deliverers and volunteers in the building included Mary, Sharon, Gwynne, Carla, Brenda, Teresa, and Pam at the desk. We thank all of our volunteers for their faithful service.

Our entree today was something I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure of eating before: patty melt. Kinda like a cheeseburger, I guess. This one did not have a bun, but was contained between two slices of special toasted bread. And Pam and Pam made their own fries to go with it, along with Harvard beets and peas, cantaloupe pieces and cheesecake cups for dessert. The meal was sponsored by Boyd and Bonnie Britton in memory of Joann Stratton.

We had our AED training yesterday. Thanks to Rose Howe from Monument, we all learned a lot. The most important thing I learned is that I cannot do CPR. Therefore, I will be the one to make the 911 call or go get the machine! The others at the training had no problem doing the procedure, so that’s OK! Many thanks to all who had a part in our facility getting the machine and being trained in its use. We appreciate it.

Remember I told you that I had lost my special “sign” stick? Well, as I was working in the library, I happened to look up on top of one of the bookcases and guess what was sticking out? Yep. THE STICK! I very vaguely remember putting it there so it would be out of the way. And I do mean very vaguely!

Ah, the glories of old age. I can remember the word I misspelled on a test back in fourth grade, but what I did with a stick last month? Ha! Anyway, the stick has been returned to its position of readiness by the front door behind the broom. (And I put the snow shovel by the back door!)

Prov. 10:7 The memory of the righteous will be a blessing… 2 Peter 1:15 And I will make every effort to see that … you will always be able to remember these things.