Dee Hubbard

JOHN DAY – Monday, Oct. 3, the John Day Senior Center served a delicious potato bar with chili and all of the toppings, lettuce-and-tomato salad, and cookies accompanying the meal.

The servers were from Blue Mountain Hospital Auxiliary. Gloria Kulis led the flag salute, and Bert Kruse gave the blessing over the meal.

We celebrated three birthdays that day: Ivan Porfily, 95, Doris Breazile, 93, and Nadine Smith, 76. Happy birthday to you all.

Delores Bidasolo won the Len’s Drug certificate, and the free meal went to Ginny Sowa.

Last chance to get flu shots at the Senior Center is Thursday, Oct. 13, from 9 a.m.-noon.

Ron Dowse is hosting a special promotion from AARP honoring veterans and their spouses. This driver’s safety program will be held Saturday, Nov. 5, and is free to all veterans and their spouses.

On Thursday, Oct. 6, hamburgers were the meal of the day, donated and served by members of St. Thomas Episcopal Church. The meal included potato salad and brownies.

Helen Bogart led the flag salute, and Dale Stennett gave the blessing.

Clear One Insurance Company will be at the Senior Center Thursday, Oct. 20, to discuss their medical supplement.

Jim Johnson and his granddaughter, Katie Johnson, played and sang for us during the meal. Katie did a great job playing both the mandolin and the fiddle.

Wilma Boyer won the Chester’s Thriftway certificate.

Billie Bullard brought a guest, Sondra Lino, for lunch today. Thank you for visiting us and we hope you can come again.

MONUMENT – On Tuesday, Oct. 4, we had 37 diners and two take-outs. Our dinner consisted of sweet-and-sour chicken, stir-fried vegetables on chow mein noodles, fruit, and cookies for dessert.

Our out-of-town guests were Max and Betty Breeding’s grandchildren, Ryan and Jennifer. Also Bruce Dunn from Washington.

Flu shots are at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 12.

Shike’s (Charlotte Howell) services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 15, with a potluck lunch served afterward.

The bus is going to John Day Thursday, Oct. 13, leaving at 9:30 a.m.

Certificate winners were Peggy Clark, free meal; Lexie Grant, Len’s Drug; and Sharon Falls, Chester’s Thriftway.

I had to use my “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up” button last week. I may have even written about it. I thumped my head pretty good so I have an excuse for being rattled. I remember hitting the floor face down then the next thing I knew when I finally got my ducks in a row, was laying on my stomach for the first time in five years.

And I had my head laying on my right arm. I couldn’t find anything broken or bleeding, but I couldn’t get the old body up, so I pushed my button and waited for the EMTs. Carrie just told me I have already told everyone, so I’m sorry. I’ll just finish this off by telling you how great our EMTs are. John Day has good ones also, but ours are extra special.

I got a phone call last night from my girls. They left Florida Sunday morning, drove up to North Carolina to see John and family, then across Tennessee to see some of Nashville. They did some pretty long miles. They left Nashville Wednesday morning and called me from Rapid City, N.D. Wednesday night. They were going to go see Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse today. This has been a reunion of sorts for Barbara, her dad and two half-sisters.

Isn’t it great to look out the window and see the rain falling? I was freezing to death last night and finally had to turn the furnace on.

PRAIRIE CITY – Greetings from Grant County – the only place in the country where summer comes after winter with no spring in between and winter comes after summer with no intervening fall season.

You did see the snow on Strawberry on Tuesday, Oct. 4, didn’t you? I still say that would be a good moneymaker for some nonprofit group. What would, you ask? To have a “pool” as to when the first new snow appears on Strawberry.

When we got married 50 years ago, the temperature under sunny, clear skies was 80 degrees. We came back from our honeymoon in the snowstorm the following week. By the way, you are invited to our anniversary party on Saturday, Oct. 15, 11 a.m. at Prairie Baptist Church. Then we will adjourn to the Strawberry Grange Hall – aka the Senior Center – for lunch at noon.

We had a good lunch today to warm us up. Iva and Helen decided that a clean-out-the-kitchen stew was the thing to serve, and was it ever. Boy-o-howdy was it good. Then they added cornbread, cukes, apple salad, grape juice and to top it off, peach cobbler, served by our own “Georgia peach,” Helen.

Our faithful four did the set-up. Lois, Lou, Louise and Pam were our servers. Buzz led the flag salute, and Pastor Marvin asked the blessing. Vicki Stolle won the gift certificate donated by Prairie Drug and Hardware.

The powers-that-be have decreed that we must report our take-outs in two categories: Meals on wheels and just regular take-outs. One more piece of red tape to contend with. So today we had four MOWs and nine TOs, along with 38 diners in the hall.

The Blue Mountain Nursing Home ladies, Lorna and Kellyn, brought the Terryberrys (Elmer and Lois), faithful Lavern Matteson, and newcomer Charles Lockwood.

Terry Steele from Ritter brought some more overabundance from his garden: pears and mini cantaloupes. Thanks much.

Announcements were made concerning a “55 alive” class and flu shots.

Leone Meador came truckin’ in pushing a walker. Said she was doing exceptionally well after her hip surgery. None of the usual complications that most of the time befall such patients happened to her. PTL!

We had a wonderful time at the “transition service” at the Old Methodist Church last Sunday, Oct. 2. That Bob Clark from Fossil is quite the character. And he will have a CD out soon. How about that?

2 Chron. 34:12-13 “… Over them to direct them were … all who were skilled in playing musical instruments. (They) had charge of the laborers and supervised all the workers from job to job …”