JOHN DAY — As weeks go by, it goes faster. We all ask, “Where did the time go?” Fall is so beautiful, though. The days are slightly cool, and the evenings are getting shorter. As we get nearer to the winter season, fall gets us prepared.

On Monday, Oct. 16, Dave and Darlene were at the desk greeting everyone passing by to get to a table to dine with us. Dave and Darlene saw that everyone got signed in and put their names in the drawings.

Darlene gathered the information and did the announcing, and Dave led the flag salute. Since I had to be in Boise that day, I don’t have the information about who asked the blessing.

Forty-seven fresh and 51 frozen meals were delivered all around our area by Rick LaMountain, Carolyn Stout and Millie Lysne. Thank you all for your unselfish service to those in need. You are greatly appreciated.

The servers were from the Living Word Church. They were Carolyn Stout and Sally Deford. Thank you, ladies, for helping with our lunch this day. The servers see that everyone has drinks and condiments and anything else needed for a nice successful lunch. We do appreciate our servers. Their service is one of love for others. Serving people is the same as serving God. The Bible says, “What we do for others we do also unto Him.”

We dined on bacon and scrambled eggs with hash browns, and cinnamon roll muffins. Sorry I missed this meal.

Linda won the Len’s card, and Lonnie won the free meal. Congratulations to both of you.

On Thursday, Oct. 19, Judy Thomas and Carol Roe were at the desk greeting all 26 diners and 10 folks picking up meals. Everyone dining here was signed in and put their names in the drawings. Thanks, Judy and Carol.

Elsie gathered information and did the announcing, and Joe Phippen led the flag salute.

Fifty-two meals were delivered throughout our area by Dennis and Linda Dickenson, Rayme Lacey, and Jeff and Jodi Cyphers. We all appreciate your kindness and care for other people. I can just imagine how the folks receiving the meals feel. I would be so grateful that someone cared enough about me to bring me food. What a blessing.

Our servers, Delores Belden and Cathy Smith, were from the Methodist Church. Delores asked the blessing for our food, and then we dined on lasagna, green salad, garlic toast and cheesecake. Oh, so mouthwatering, just thinking of how good it was. Altogether, 87 meals went out of our kitchen this day. Monday’s total was 98 meals.

Put Dec. 1 on your calendar as it is the Carrie Young Memorial Dinner and Auction for this year. Plan to attend and participate. There will be dinner, auctions, baskets, goodies, pies — just be sure to be there. It is a great event and helps a lot of seniors throughout the year.

We welcomed a new volunteer to our center. Alesa Vaughn was a big help this day and wishes to come back and do it again. We are so grateful that she cares for all of us. Thank you, Alesa.

Rayme Lacey is with the domestic violence center here, and she was with us today to explain what domestic violence is and what we can do to get help if we or anyone we know or see is a victim of domestic violence. Thank you, Rayme, for coming and sharing.

Nov. 6 and 9 we will be celebrating our veterans. They and their spouses will be given a free lunch to share with all of us. We have much praise for them and all they did to protect our country.

The high school will be sending several students to us on both of these days to be the servers for our veterans and all who attend with them.

Elsie won the Chester’s card, and Scott Myers won the free meal. Congratulations to both of us.

Tomorrow, Thursday, Oct. 26, we will dine on pumpkin soup, green salad with roasted pumpkin, pumpkin quiche and a pumpkin dessert.

Happy halloween, everyone. Be safe and kind on this holiday.

Monday, Oct. 30, lunch will consist of beef and potato bake, veggies, a biscuit, and cook’s choice for dessert.

Psalm 34:1 Out of the abundance of my heart my mouth speaks and I will bless the Lord at all times. His praise shall continue to be in my mouth.

MONUMENT — I am in absolute disbelief that we are almost to the month of November already! How in the world is time flying by so fast? There is so much still to do, and I really wish I did not have to sleep. LOL. I guess I would only gain about six hours if I did not have to sleep, for I don’t need a whole lot of sleep. But still, those six hours could be used to get much done. Sigh … the Lord gave us all sleep time to rest our weary bodies, spirits and minds to be refreshed because He knows we need it. It is a blessing to be able to sleep, for there are many troubled souls who cannot sleep, so we should count our blessings! Praise the Lord.

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

We want to thank Robert Blue, a friend of Bruce and Jeannie Strange from Washington, who sent us a check and donated $500 to help support our Monument Senior Center. We thank you, Mr. Blue, for your kind, thoughtful and generous donation! May the Lord bless you in return. We thank and appreciate all our supporters of the Monument Senior Center.

Attention, to all who do not have anywhere to go or family to be with for the Thanksgiving holiday. Rusty and Peggy Clark both want to extend to everyone and anyone an invitation to come join them for their annual Thanksgiving dinner, served at the Monument Senior Center on Thanksgiving. I will have to inform you of the time at a later date, for I do not have that information as of yet.

Heather Riggs wants to have a day where people can come and get free winter hats, gloves, scarves in the early part of December. If you have any gently used and clean items of that sort that you no longer need, please bring them in so they may have a second chance of being used.

We’ve had some sunny and gorgeous days off and on. It makes me want to be lazy and just sit and gaze at the wonderful bright colors of fall. I especially love the yellows and the reds. A friend’s maple or elm tree (I can’t remember which one it is) had pinkish-red leaves! I’ve never seen pinkish-red leaves on a tree in the fall before. It was quite pretty.

I’ve heard and read that some people who had gone up to heaven describe how there are hues of color that we don’t even have here on earth. Can you imagine the beauty of the vibrant many colors that are up in heaven? Our God is an amazing Creator and He wants to enjoy His creation with us. Imagine that! He wants us share the beauty of His glorious creation!

Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.

PRAIRIE CITY — Oh, this modern age, where all the electronic gizmos work just fine — all the time. Yeah, right. Last week I had an altercation with my printer at home. I needed to make a copy of a small print item, so I finally found, quite by accident, the right button to push to enlarge the copy.

Then the fun began. I couldn’t make it stop making copies that were enlarged! Called for help and sweet cousin Sharon figured out the procedure. Good grief! The old printer just said cancel and it went back to 100%. This one? No such luck. Takes 14 separate button pushes to cancel (that may be hyperbole, but it’s a lot).

So I come to the office at our center to make copies of the minutes and financial report for the monthly board meeting. Should be no problem, right? But it will not make a copy. Says that I have the wrong size paper. Tell the software the correct size. Yeah, right. Me?! Hearty ho, ho. Cousin Sharon to the rescue again. And she doesn’t know what she did to make it work. Did unplug it and turn it upside down and shake it around. Then it decided to work.

“Computers will make your life easier.” As long as they work! I had visions of me a la Bob Cratchit copying with pen and ink … whew, PTL that didn’t happen. Just think what I could mess up if I were online!

Back to business: Pastor Bob Perkins led the flag salute; Scot Knepper was the winner of the free meal; and Tom asked the blessing. Our volunteers were Sharon, Gwynne, Mary, Pam, Tom, Laynie and Paisley. Thanks so much for all you do. The Blue Mountain Care Center brought Marilyn, Sandra, Bessie, Julia, Lisa, Charlene, and helpers Aries and Kyle. Those power wheelchairs are really something! What a blessing.

In Tom’s trivia we learned that today was Chuck Berry and George C. Scott’s birthday. In 1921 the pop-up toaster was invented, and in 1967 the “Jungle Book” movie was released. Quote: “Backseat drivers are no worse than dinner table cooks.” Think about that one. … Tom read the story about the proud ship captain who kept ordering the lighthouse to alter his course 10 degrees. You aren’t like that, are you?

Our meal today was in memory of Melvin Jones. We enjoyed BLT sandwiches with potato soup, a lime Jell-O salad, and several choices of berry and cream pies. Lots of people must have liked that menu because we had a lot of takeouts! Thank you! The drinks were the usual coffee, tea, milk, water AND mango juice! That stuff is sure good! Gonna have to read up on that fruit. Is it grown only in the tropics? Is it hard to get at, like coconut and pineapple? (See, you never stop learning.)

One thing I learned in the last month is that my new TV has a closed caption feature for VHS videos. Hooray! Not all of the old ones, but a majority so far.

Sure makes it easier to follow the dialogue. Found that by accident, too.

Rev. 21:3,4 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them. … He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death, mourning, crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.