A6
Seniors
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, December 6, 2017
G RANT C OUNTY S ENIORS
John Day
Seniors
Nicky Essex
Well, it sure feels like win-
ter is arriving. To me, that is
a promise of spring. I love to
see the first and last snow,
and it does keep things nice
and green to have some good
rain. So I will be tucked in
most days, to just sit and
wait for good weather again.
It was just brought to my at-
tention that I mentioned the
wrong name in last week’s
paper: Linda Stoltz is our
wonderful librarian, hostess,
decorator (all volunteer),
and in my mind I completely
changed it. I’m so sorry.
Lots of ailments already
it seems. I hear that Ron
and Roberta Dowse were in
Hermiston at their daugh-
ter’s for Thanksgiving when
Ron wound up in the hospi-
tal for four days with pneu-
monia. Glad he is better, but
now my hubby is spending
our 54th anniversary in bed.
On Nov. 27, we had 19
diners in the center, and
no one signed up again for
the desk. I performed my
one-woman show, but en-
joyed the service of The
Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints ladies who
served us very well as usual.
Rachel Carpenter and Jolene
Floyd delivered meals to
John Day and Canyon City,
and David Gill and Rodney
Bruser from Step Forward
took the Mt. Vernon route.
Total deliveries made: 36
regular and 32 frozen. While
they were doing deliveries,
Jay Coleson and Tom Roark
did table setup.
Rachel Carpenter opened
our time with the Pledge of
Allegiance. The drawings
went to Jolene Floyd, who
won the free meal, and Brad
Carpenter, who won the Len’s
Drug certificate. Then Jolene
gave the blessing.
We enjoyed chicken fettu-
cine with Caesar salad, green
peas and monster cookie bars
for dessert, and I must say,
Shay outdid himself.
On Nov. 30, Bonnie Kocis
and Ron Dowse were greet-
ers. The Blue Mountain Hos-
pital guild was here to serve,
including Mary Lu Horton,
Kris Labhart, Gloria Kulis,
Chris Yriarte and Mary Jones.
Mary Jones and Sally Dunn
made meal deliveries to those
in John Day and Canyon City,
and David Gill and Rodney
Bruser did the Mt. Vernon
route. In all, they delivered 39
meals.
Chris Yriarte led the flag
salute, and Chris Labhart won
the drawing for the Chester’s
Thriftway certificate. Jan
Sheridan won the free Val-
ley View meal. Dale Stennett
gave the blessing for the meal.
The meal was sponsored by
Tootie Cernazanu in memo-
ry of Jim. We want to thank
Tootie for being so generous
to the John Day Senior Cen-
ter this year. Shay presented
beef enchiladas, Spanish rice,
refried beans and green salad
with chili ranch dressing. Lisa
made a lovely peach crisp for
dessert.
I hope you enjoy the peace
of the upcoming season and
remember the reason we cel-
ebrate it.
Isaiah 53:5 “But he was
pierced for our transgres-
sions, he was crushed for our
iniquities; the punishment
that brought us peace was on
him, and by his wounds we
are healed.”
Monument
Seniors
Soo Yukawa
We had a most excellent
last meal of November served
to us. Through the generous
contributions of Clarence and
Sharon Harvey, along with
Dennis and Linda Abraham,
we had a wonderful and deli-
cious meal of prime rib.
Linda and Terry Cade
helped to smoke and cook it
in the early hours of the morn-
ing while the rest of us were
all snug in our beds (and the
temps were in the low 20s,
FYI).
Terry Cade and Carrie
Jewell helped serve the food.
What a wonderful surprise
that awaited us when we ar-
rived to the senior center ex-
pecting to be served chicken.
Included in the meal with the
prime rib were green beans,
dinner rolls and birthday
chocolate cake.
Our greeters were Bodean
Andersen, Jimmy Cole and
Debbie Reed. Bodean led us
in the flag salute, made the
announcements and prayed
the blessing of the meal. The
lucky winners of the free
meals were Bob Blakeslee
and Debbie Reed. There were
66 guests on the books and 14
takeouts. Some of the guests
that were present and enjoyed
our delicious meal were the
school superintendents of
Grant County: Robert Walten-
burg of Dayville, Julie Gur-
cyzski of Prairie City, Curt
Shelley of John Day, Kathryn
Hedrick of Dayville, Carlyn
Sproul of John Day, and our
new superintendent, Michael
Lane, of Monument.
I and many others are so
thankful and proud of our se-
nior center. We appreciate all
the efforts of our old, new and
current board members of the
senior center trying to serve
and do their best in serving
the Monument community. I
love that our community tru-
ly and genuinely cares for the
people in Monument. If some-
one has a need or is in need of
help, there are people left and
right just willingly coming
out to lend a hand. Now that
is community spirit and unity.
Our senior center board
was able to secure us a grant
for a much needed and new
convection oven. We should
have one by the first of the
year.
The senior center board
is also having the flooring
redone in the senior center.
There is a need for moving
dollies from Dec. 21-24. If
you have one and are will-
ing to lend it out, it would be
much appreciated. Thanks.
The senior center’s nutri-
tion fund is running short so
there is a can out on the greet-
ing table to receive donations.
Also, the Harveys and the
Abrahams gave us a great ex-
ample. If anyone would like
to sponsor a lunch, it would
be much appreciated, and you
can notify the board. Jimmy
Cole is the president of the
board; his number is 541-934-
2000.
Some of the future events
coming up that you might
want to mark on your calen-
dars are as follows: Dec. 10
will be the Christmas Bazaar,
and they will have available
chili and pretzels. Dec. 12 will
be the Cookie Caper. Dec. 16
will be the sewing class.
Hebrews 10:23 “Let us
hold fast the profession of our
faith without wavering; (for
he is faithful that promised;)”
Prairie City
Seniors
Rose Coombs
Got all the leftovers put
away? Just remember it is only
three weeks until Christmas.
Then we get to do it all over
again. What fun.
To get away from the holi-
day meats, Marjean and Tom
had Salisbury steak, rice, sal-
ad and a spice cake for the last
meal of November. Heard good
reports about it. We had to go
to the last appointment with the
ENT specialist in La Grande, so
we missed out. But over 50 of
you didn’t. It was a day of sub-
stitutions for personnel. Pam,
who is usually at the reception
desk, had to go to Idaho with
hubby, Jim, for his VA appoint-
ment, and I was gone so we had
to get someone to do that job.
Carla Wright filled in there.
Then due to Frances resigning
her positions — and me gone
— Ginger Kendall took over
the announcer duties.
Our home delivery people
were present and Larry, Carlos
and Ken got that done. We will
be losing Ken soon due to back
surgery, so if you would like
to take on that important task,
let us know. Del Lake led the
flag salute, and Jack Retherford
asked the blessing.
Ginger had to make the an-
nouncement about keeping the
space clear for the care cen-
ter bus. Apparently someone
blocked the lane again. Come
on, people. That cone covers
the entire area that the care cen-
ter bus needs to use to get up to
the ramp. ’Nuff said.
Veanne gave information
about getting energy assistance.
And we want to express our
condolences to Darrell Johnson
on the death of his daughter,
Wanda.
This was November birthday
recognition day. Carlos, Ginger
and Gwynne were the contend-
ers, and Gwynne was the winner
of the $10 gift certificate donat-
ed by Huffman’s Market.
Two of the “Three Amigas”
were able to provide music.
Thanks, gals. Lorna and Krys-
tin brought Bob Larkin, Lois
Hill, Richard Findley and Dick
Read from the Blue Mountain
Care Center.
I’ve sure been having a time
with my hands since I can’t do
my needlepoint project. The
yarn that I have been using for
the last 40 years is no longer
being made. Well, phooey. And
I only have nine filing cabinet
drawers full of it in all different
shades of the color spectrum.
Hmmm. Have to think outside
the box to get it all used up.
And then the comput-
er monitor decided that it
should get all excited about
the brightness and contrast it
is set at. Little pop-up menu
really got my attention. Asked
four different people about it,
and the consensus was that the
button needed to be pushed a
lot of times. So I finally fig-
ured out how to get rid of it.
But it keeps coming back.
Hard to type or play solitaire
with that sitting in the middle
of the page. Ah, yes. Electron-
ics. They are fine when they
work right, huh?
The only wildlife we saw
on our trip to La Grande was
a coyote in the field at Austin.
But when we got home, there
was a whole herd of deer in
the yards of our neighbors.
Isaiah 35:5-6 “Then
will the eyes of the blind be
opened and the ears of the
deaf unstopped. Then will the
lame leap like a deer, and the
mute tongue shout for joy.”
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