JOHN DAY — We have three entrances at our center. The front needed a bit of work, so that is done and you won’t trip on the cement as you cross into the entryway. The back entrance was a shambles and now is nice and smooth and easy to walk on. We don’t need to have rugs or foot-scraping mats down to keep from stumbling on the cracked surface. Our kitchen was pretty badly cracked up and stumbling was hard to avoid. It is now all cleaned up and soon will have a rail as well.

Our garbage containers have been replaced by Clark’s Disposal and now we can put them nearer the building, so they are not so unsightly.

We are still doing some plumbing details on the inside of the building and those should be completed soon. Also, the lights on the outside of the building need replaced and changed out for newer models, and that should be all done around Christmastime. It sure took a lot of time to get the contractors to set a date to do these tasks.

After COVID, when things got back to some sort of normal, we realized we had no activities except for lunch two times a week. Now we have bingo every Tuesday at 1 p.m., and on Dec. 13 we will start a bingo night at 6 p.m. Fridays to include the folks that are still working and cannot come to bingo in the daytime.

A little over a year ago we had the internet installed in our building and now have Wi-Fi that guests may use if needed. Having this access allows better and faster communication with other individuals and businesses. Banking and recordkeeping is a lot more convenient.

We have a new phone system in the hall that is separate from the kitchen. Most people know the kitchen number as we have had it for many years. The phone number for the office and main hall is 541-620-5242. It has voicemail so we can get messages without the kitchen having to share their phone.

We are so happy to have a great volunteer group of men and women. They help with moving furniture and keep the floor free from scraps that fall. Some help in the kitchen, and there is a lot to do in there. Shay can find a task for you if you are interested in helping us. A few of us do a lot because we just know what needs done, and others who are newer help us when we are together at the same time.

The folks that deliver over 100 meals two times a week are the ones who deserve the most credit for their time, their vehicle, the expense of gas and upkeep to the vehicles. They go places that some of us don’t even know exist.

Our building is rented for special occasions folks have that need the space. We are pleased to have the space we can share with others. We also have a room outside that houses medical equipment like wheelchairs, shower benches, walkers, canes, dry bedding supplies, angled pillows, knee braces, children and adult diapers, crutches and knee walkers (for a lack of a better word to call them). We get calls several times each week to share them with others or from folks bringing them back after they don’t need them anymore.

There are hydraulic doors at the main entrance and both restrooms, which makes it easier for those using walkers and wheelchairs and crutches to move in and out.

On Dec. 2 and 5 our chef and assistant chef made the best food for us. There are menus at the front desk if you would like to get one to check out what is for lunch. Lunch menus for all the senior centers in the region are also printed every week in the East Oregonian.

The recipients of the drawings this week were Vern and Linda Pifer and Michael Bowe and Judy Thomas. Congratulations to all of them.

Jeanette Julsrud and Charlene Farmer were the servers for Monday’s lunch, and members of the First Baptist Church were our servers on Thursday. Thanks to each one of you. Our lunchtimes are much smoother when you are with us.

A total of 211 meals were delivered this week to residents of this community. Gary and Bonnie Zik, Mike and Pati Davis, Jeanette Julsrud, Peggy Molnar and Cindy Combs, Ramey Lacey, and Jeff and Jodi Cyphers were the drivers for all these meals. Thank you all for your abundance of love for other people.

In the past couple months, we have added three new board members to our planning and maintenance group for decision making. In six months, we will be losing a few more members as their time in office expires and will be voting in new members to replace them. It is enlightening to work with the planning and politics of a center like this. I, for one, have gained a lot of respect for those in offices like this.

Monday, Dec. 9, we will be having breakfast for lunch: waffles, sausage, scrambled eggs, mixed veggies and strawberry fluff. And on and Thursday, Dec. 12, we will be dining on beef tips and gravy with noodles, veggies, applesauce and birthday cake.

A reminder that on Christmas Day, the Palmers will be hosting Christmas dinner at noon. Mark your calendar so you do not forget to come share Christmas with people you don’t see often. Brighten someone’s day, share stories of 2024.

John 1:14 The WORD became flesh … and made HIS dwelling among us. Now we have seen His glory; the glory of the ONE and ONLY SON who came from the Father full of grace and Truth.

MONUMENT — I blinked and the next thing you know, we are in the month of December! What? Not only that, we are actually headed into the middle of December already. I can’t seem to wrap my little head around it.

We’ve been really busy trying to prepare for winter and because it has been extra-cold, we have had to make sure that the animals have enough water.

We also had a leak in our pipes so that we had to turn off our spigots and use the small spigot on the side of our house. I just thank and praise the Lord that the leak was not to the house!

We will not be able to fix that leak until spring, when the ground is not freezing. We will just have to suck it up and work a little harder. Hard work doesn’t hurt anybody, right? It’s good for ya and it builds character! Yes, yes it does.

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 in the paperwork. Bob led us in the flag salute and made the announcements. Yours truly got the privilege of praying over the meal. The free meal ticket went to Heather Riggs.

Our cooks, Terry Cade and Carrie Jewell, made us a very hearty and flavorful meal of barbecue beef sandwiches, wedge fries, a fresh green salad, and chocolate cake for our dessert. It was a very satisfying meal and we thank our awesome cooks.

Our cooks are asking for anyone who may have taken the key for the storage van, unwittingly, to please return it to them ASAP.

We had a special pre-Christmas fundraising drawing for a basket of goodies that was put together and donated by Heather Riggs and her dad. The winner was Ernesto.

We have a neat quilt that was donated to the Monument EMTs, to help raise funds, by Charlotte Brody of Baker City. It is a double Irish chain quilt. Tickets are $5 each or five tickets for $20. The drawing will be in May 2025.

On Saturday, Dec. 21, the Monument EMTs’ Last Chance Christmas Bazaar will be happening. There will be over 20 vendors participating and there will also be a chili and corn muffin lunch available for $7. There will be handcrafted items, sweet treats, and more. For vendor information, please contact Rose Howe at 541-934-2088 or email her at tripleheq@gmail.com.

We will be having our sewing get-together on Wednesday, Dec. 11. It starts at 9 a.m. and goes to about 2:30 p.m. We share a potluck lunch at noon. You can bring and do other projects if you are not a sewer. Also, we do have extra machines and a serger if you do not have one. Hope to see you there!

We’ve been socked in with fog for at least four days now, and it is super-cold. I’m praying for some sunshine and a little warmth. God is good! All the time, God is good.

Isaiah 12:4 And on that day will ye say, Praise the LORD, call upon His Name, declare His doings among the people, make mention that His Name is exalted.

PRAIRIE CITY — We made it through holiday No. 1. Only two to go! Tom got us in the spirit by having information about a “Mystery Person” on the white board.

See if you can determine who it is born in Pararia, Lycia, Asia Minor, (now Turkey) around 270. Died in 345 or 352. Known for generosity and kindness. Patron saint of numerous classes of people. His feast day is Dec. 6. Origin of “Santa Claus.” Answer: Saint Nicholas of Myra. Tom also had decorations on the tables with a Christmas theme.

Speaking of Christmas, our Christmas dinner will be on Dec. 18 and we will enjoy the company of the Prairie City first grade class. We will feast on ham and scalloped potatoes that day, so make your plans!

Brian Davis led the flag salute, Carla Wright was the winner of the $5 gift card donated by Len’s Pharmacy, and Ginger did the announcements and asked the blessing. Our volunteers included Sharon, Mary, Carla, Delores, Teresa, Pam and Tom.

We enjoyed a delicious dinner of a hot beef sandwich with mashed potatoes and gravy, mixed veggies, cottage cheese, fruit salad, and autumn fruit salad (apples, grapes, blackberries), and chocolate pudding with whipped cream for dessert. Our great cooks, Pam and Pam, do a fantastic job, don’t you think?! Yummy, yum.

We were blessed with the company of Dave Traylor and his guest Daren, whom he pushed over from the Blue Mountain Care Center. I should have asked if the new wheelchair crossings were smoother … That made three people in the Hall who are in their ninth decade of life. There may have been some more, but I’m not snoopy … (Ahem).

The grandkids from Portland finally got to go up into the attic. The exclamation most heard was “You have a lot of yarn!” That’s because a lot of it was out of the storage drawers so I could pick and choose between colors to get the latest needlepoint project finished. Now that it is done, I need to put it all back because the next project will involve latch hook yarn. And it is all stored in little plastic containers lined up on shelves so you can see the colors.

That is all on one end of the attic. The other end has what you would expect to find in an attic: memorabilia. The kids were not much interested in that but would have liked to have gone through my mother’s hope chest. But I just got it all put back together and said we didn’t have time … it was time to go to Thanksgiving Dinner! Whew …

Proverbs 10: 1, 5, 6, 7, 12, 28 A wise son brings joy to his father … he who gathers crops in summer is a wise son … blessings crown the head of the righteous … the memory of the righteous will be a blessing … love covers over all wrongs … the prospect of the righteous is joy.