JOHN DAY — Sometimes I wish I were a better writer. I see other columns that look so good with good punctuation and correct spelling and other things to make them so nice to read. I guess I need to vent about my own seemingly lack of character and talent. I am so thankful that I have a good spirit to go with all I do. I love what I do and knowing that the job gets done and gets attention drawn to our senior center.

A total of 250 meals were served or taken out from our kitchen this week. Our chef, Shay, worked his body to the brink of exhaustion this week. His assistant just had a heart attack and was airlifted to Bend for stents in the veins of the heart. She is a real trouper. She came home all raring to go and helped Shay so much we could hardly believe it. I have been going through a tough time with dizziness and balance problems and was not much help to them. We really lucked out when we got Tammy. She is the very best. Today was my best day in exactly six months. We are all hoping I have more good days and get back to normal.

The Living Word was represented by Carolyn Stout on Monday, Oct. 21, and Buzz and Bobbie Gilmore represented the Lutheran Church on Thursday, Oct. 24, as our servers for lunch. They were all great and even did a little sweeping when done with all the other cleanup from the meal. Thanks and blessings to you all for your service to our seniors.

Maurita Combs, Kim Jacobs, Kathy M., Carolyn Stout, Laura Cheadle, Peggy Molnar, Bonnie and Gary Zick, and Jeff and Jodi Cyphers delivered 158 meals into our community. A big thank-you to all of you for your special kind of love and sacrifice to serve members of the community. This is real love.

On Thursday, Oct. 31, at 1 p.m., right after lunch, Community Connection will bring a presentation for awareness of what happens on their end of caring for members of our community. Please bring your ears and open minds to this presentation as it will benefit you as much as any other folks.

Shirley Dinsmore and Mary Ellen wrapped dinnerware and folded bags this week to help in getting things ready for table setting and our free food table with goods donated by Chester’s grocery store and some folks that share from their gardens. A big thank-you to Chester’s for the goods and for the ladies that helped get it organized.

Wednesday, Oct. 30, AARP is giving a class to aid all of us who are interested in the rules of the road and courtesies as well. The cost is $20 for AARP members and $25 for non-members.

The gym at 116 Bridge St. is giving a yoga class on Oct. 29, from 10-11 a.m., and another one from 5:30 -7:30 p.m. (this is in the Painted Sky building).

Earl Carlton won the Greenback, Judy Thomas won the Chester’s card and Robert Johnston and Darlene Nodine won the free meals this week. Congratulations to all of you.

A total of 51 people dined together this week and had great fellowship and food together. For some, this is the highlight of their day.

Monday, Oct. 28, at 1 p.m. will be a board meeting for the John Day Senior Center. All board members are compelled to be present.

Monday, Oct. 28, we will have chicken pasta casserole, pickled beets, peaches and dessert crisp. Thursday, Oct. 31, Halloween day, we will dine on ravioli with meat sauce, green salad, applesauce and poke cake.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, he gave His only begotten son, so that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

(How many times have you read this, and do you, today, really understand what it says? Sometimes I read it so fast I miss the meaning of it. Read it again so you don’t miss it. You won’t be sorry.)

MONUMENT — Yup, summer is definitely over and done! We have been having very cold temperatures in the mornings, and most of the day it is pretty chilly. I am looking forward to the cooler weather, although I still have a lot of things to do.

I pulled out all my tomato plants and was able to get the tomatoes before the freeze. After a day or two, I laid down and spread the tomato plants, then I threw some goat poop on top, and had my kids lay down cardboard over them. We then laid down more poop over the cardboard.

Earthworms love cardboard! It will keep them warm during the winter and they will eat that down. I am hoping they will multiply and create very nice fertile soil for next year’s garden.

Our greeters at the table were Bob Cockrell and Sue Cavender. They checked in all the guests, collected and counted up the money. Bob led us in the flag salute and made the announcements. Yours truly prayed the blessing over the meal.

We had Lonnie and Brian Davis from Mt. Vernon join us for lunch. Lonnie used to be a silversmith. Brian got serenaded with the “Happy Birthday” song by all of us. I hope they enjoyed their lunch and come more often.

Ellie made the announcement that there will be a clay pigeon shoot on Saturday, Nov. 2. This will be at Brad and Julie Smith’s place. This shoot will be a fundraiser for the Silent Wave Horse Rescue foundation. The shoot will be from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. There will be lunch available for purchase along with a live and silent auction. There will also be a dessert auction.

Well, after the fire that we had this summer, we have been trying to be very vigilant in cutting down trees that are close to the house or outbuildings. We work together as a family and after my hubby cuts down a tree, my kids and I help to clear out the branches and remove them. We can usually have the whole thing cleaned up in a day or two. I sometimes feed the pine needle branches to the little goats. They love eating them. I don’t feed them to the pregnant mamas — not that I have any that I know of right now.

I will be moving goats around in another week or so. It is time for the mama goats to be bred again. I think it will definitely be a whole lot easier since we got rid of a bunch of goats. I got rid of the wild and crazy ones. LOL. The billygoats that I have now are tame; they were all bottle babies. Oh, boy, do they stink, though!

I hope that by the time the mamas are ready to kid, the weather will be warmer and not so cold. That is the reason why I decided this year I am going to have them bred a little later than usual. I believe the gestation is around 5½ months.

Psalms 5:3-4 My voice shalt Thou hear in the morning, O LORD. In the morning will I direct my prayers unto Thee and will look up. For Thou art not a God Who hath pleasure in wickedness. Neither shall evil dwell with Thee.

PRAIRIE CITY — Ah. The fall rains have arrived. Now can they get the Rail Ridge Fire out? And temperature tonight will be in the hard freeze category. So long, pansies. Goodbye, hollyhocks. The alyssum and carnation are still blossoming and providing sweet smells on the wind. See you next year, I hope.

Maybe there will be a warm day to superclean the lawnmower undercarriage soon. Since it is an electric one, I just can’t turn the hose on it …

We got the swamp cooler all winterized today at the Hall, too. Whew. Just one thing after another, huh? Even put the canvas cover on it during a rain shower.

Delores led the flag salute; Jimmy Lunzman was the winner of the free meal; and Carla asked the blessing. Tom put a reminder to vote on the white board and Gwynne supplied the quote: “I’ve reached the age where Happy Hour is a nap.” Oh, yeah! And amen!

Today’s birthdays included Dwight Yoakum and Weird Al Yankovic. And we can relate to both of those gentlemen, right? This is also National Horror Movie Day. Oh, good grief …

Which brings to mind that in the catalogs I receive of DVDs, there are pages and pages of horror movies. I don’t get it, but that’s OK. They also have pages and pages of books that they classify as non-fiction which are about UFOs and witchcraft. Hmmm.

Seem to have got off my subject matter, so back to the meal for today! We enjoyed tacos which could be with or without the taco “plate,” refried beans, rice, tomatoes, lettuce, olives, onions, salsa, and all kinds of other additions. Then there was the dessert: Peaches, cookies, and banana pudding. Talk about being filled up! Double whew! The entree was furnished in memory of Blaine Kendall.

Both Pam Woodworths were our cooks today. Great job, ladies! Our volunteers included Carla, Mary, Teresa, Tom, Pam and Ginger. Colin and Gwynne got the recyclable cans all bagged and taken to Huffman’s, too. So they get on the volunteer list!

Took a couple of husky teen-age boys out to the sand hill and got a load for my garden. (Thanks, Alan.) It was just wonderful to not have to load and unload the pickup bed-ful all by myself. Thanks so much, Ti and Sol. (And little Eli, too.) A couple of hours later I looked out the window and saw the neighbor’s cat on top of the pile. “Wow! Look at this sandbox!” Hmmm.

Observed that the ol’ ranch house is undergoing a re-roofing project. My, has it been that long since Cousin Al did it? Yep. Back in ’96. He started on July 16 and finished on Oct. 1. Took 65 bundles of shingles. (That’s the joy of diary-keeping. You can always go back and find information.) Then we added three “porches” and they needed shingles, too. Guess we had enough left …

Romans 16: 25, 26 … the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all nations might believe and obey Him.