JOHN DAY — Happy 2024, everyone. In this new year of 2024 we are endeavoring to make it better than 2023. Since Monday was the first day of the year, our center was closed for a holiday. That was the day to mentally plan all the good things you are planning for changes to make life better for your own household and all the activities you are involved in. I choose to put God at the first of that list. If He is first, I know that all I do will be successful.

On Thursday, Jan. 4, we had our first in-house luncheon of the year. Twenty-six people were present, 63 fresh meals were delivered to homebound members of our community, 17 meals were picked up by members of the community, and 168 meals were prepared, bagged up and ready to be picked up, on a monthly basis, to folks as far away as Monument and Seneca. That makes a total of 274 meals from our kitchen today.

The folks that delivered meals to homes were Jodie and Jeff Cyphers, Jeanette Julsrud and Rick LaMountain. Thank you all for your service of love for others. Alyssa and Valeda were busy in the kitchen keeping track of food and keeping up with all the dishes used to do all of the preparing. Jeanette was in there, doing everything she could to make things run smoothly. Thanks, Jeanette, you are such a blessing to our center. Thanks, ladies, for all you do to help with our center’s success.

Judy Thomas and Sonie Guttu were greeting all who came by the desk, got them signed in and their names in the drawings. Thank you, Judy and Sonie, for volunteering for our center. Elsie did the announcements and asked the blessing. We all said the flag salute together to start the day.

Our servers today were from the First Baptist Church: Meloni Cochran, Mike Wyrick, Callie Moss, Helen Hunt, Sandy Johnson and Carol Nicola.

Thank you, each one. One day I will just be able to call you by name — not sure how soon that will be, but it will happen as I am having faith that it will.

Elsie’s name was drawn for the Chester’s card, and Judy Thomas’ name was drawn for the free meal. Congratulations to both of us.

The Palmers did a great job with the Christmas dinner this year. They were so organized and had the volunteers organized as well. It was amazing. Besides all they did to get the kitchen cleaned so well, they purchased and installed a new can opener for us. After all of that, they paid OTEC the electric bill for at least two weeks. What a blessing they have been to our center. We cannot thank them enough. Palmers, if you are reading this, we wish to thank you, and thank you again, for all you have done for our center.

Jan. 23 there will be a town hall with the John Day City Council. This meeting is open to the public who are interested in the happenings of John Day and how it is operated. Your attendance is welcome.

Jan. 24, Community Connection of Northeast Oregon will be holding a meeting here at the center for a focus of the homeless count in our community. Any knowledge you have on this subject is welcomed.

Tomorrow, Thursday, Jan. 11, lunch will be pot roast, mashed potatoes and gravy, carrots, rolls and white cake. On Monday, Jan. 15, we will dine on ham and beans, fried potatoes, cornbread and a dessert of cook’s choice.

Psalms 34:3 O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together.

MONUMENT —

We had a wonderful meal which our cooks, Terry Cade and Carrie Jewell, made for us. They called it “mock lasagna.” It was a beautiful presentation, first of all, with melted cheese and little bits of green onion on the top of it. Then, when Terry was serving it, it was like lasagna but only it had curlicue noodles, cheese and meat sauce. It was really yummy. We also had breadsticks, a fresh green salad, and chocolate brownies for dessert. The cooks are debating whether they will name their dish something else. Nonetheless, we all enjoyed their delicious food and we are thankful for them.

Our greeters at the table were Sue Cavender and yours truly. We checked in all the guests, collected and counted up the money. Jan Ensign filled out the paperwork. Brian Woodell led us in the flag salute and made the announcements. Yours truly prayed the blessing over the meal.

We regret to inform you all that Diane Gainger of Monument has passed away. Let us lift up prayers to her husband and her family. I do not have any further information in regards to a service for her as of yet.

A Grant County Alzheimer’s caregiver support group is being led by the Rev. Dcn. Joyce Atchley and Kai Nichols, M.S. It will be held at St. Thomas Episcopal Church Parish House on the second Monday of each month beginning Feb. 12, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. The address is 139 Washington St., Canyon City. You may call Joyce at 541-270-5903 or Kai at 541-705-4987.

There will be a Monument Senior Center board meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 10, at 6:30 p.m. There are board meetings every quarter, and they are open to the public.

We will have sewing on Jan. 10 and 17. On both days, the start time will be 9 a.m. Share a potluck lunch at noon, and end around 2ish. On the 17th, there will be a specific project everyone will be working on, or you can bring whatever project you want to work on. It is really just another day that we get to partake in one of our favorite pastimes! LOL. Hope to see you there!

Well, we finally got some snow. The first snow of the year came on Thursday, Jan. 4. I don’t know how long it will stick around, but we are expecting more, hopefully. I think we have about an inch on the ground. Hey, it’s better than nothing! I will take it. Thank you, Lord, for the snow, because we sure need it.

Does it not seem like you just woke up in the morning and before you knew it, it is already time for bed again? When I think back and reflect as to what I did for the day, it did not add up to very much! I am hoping to read a bunch of different books in the Bible this year. I try and read as the Holy Spirit leads. I know, this free spirit does not do the conventional reading the Bible in chronological order. Ha. But, I must say, we must all redeem the time that we have.

2 Corinthians 4:11 For we who live are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus may be made manifest in our mortal flesh.

PRAIRIE CITY —

Well, in all the bookwork this week, I managed to only slip up once and write 2023. So am off to a good start! All the Christmas presentations went off in fine style, and the fireworks were great! That last one sure made a big boom! Wonder what the wild animals think when all that noise starts …

And isn’t it interesting that we go through the year calculating time by holidays? But we have to have a calendar to do it. The ancients had to keep track of the sun and its passage each day to know when the seven days were ended so they could start the count over. And why is it seven days? Not six or eight? Ponder that awhile …

Delores led the flag salute, and Tom asked the blessing. The winner of the $5 gift card donated by Len’s Pharmacy was Cam Wishart. January is Snow Month, so Tom drew some snowmen on the whiteboard. Had to outline them in yellow so we could see them (ahem). Each one had a suggestion for the New Year. The most important one is don’t eat yellow snow …

Then we lined up to get our barbecued beef sandwich, french fries, three-bean salad, peaches and last week’s birthday cake. There was a choice of chocolate or carrot cake. The beef was from Slide Mountain Beef Ranch, and we thank them for it. The cooks, Pam and Pam, put the meat on a hot dog bun so you could pick it up and eat it, or cut it up on your plate. The french fries were humongous! Nice and soft on the inside, too. Guess you would call them big curly fries. I saw some putting the bean salad on the beef. Hmmm. Anyway, it was all delicious and satisfying.

Our volunteer servers and deliverers today included Sharon, Mary, Brenda, Tonya, Teresa, Tom and Pam. Ginger announced that there would be an election of officers/board members in January, so if you would like to serve in some capacity, let her know.

Another improvement was made to the hall with the replacement of the old, heavy door between the dining room and the kitchen. The old one was very heavy and kept pulling itself away from the frame. It is now a table! The new door is much lighter in weight and has a window so people can see and avoid accidental openings with hands full of food!

Son No. 1 and family made it back from Christmas in Poland with all their bags and baggage. The little cousins were very sad to see them go home to America. Meanwhile, son No. 2 is going to Mexico on a reconstruction project for a native tribe who are descended from the Aztecs. From the Old World to the New World. Wow.

Mark 16:15 Then Jesus said, “Go into the world. Go everywhere and announce the Message of God’s good news to one and all. (The Message)