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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (May 30, 2018)
A6 Seniors Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, May 30, 2018 G RANT C OUNTY S ENIORS John Day Seniors Nicky Essex I am writing this in a love- ly hotel room in Texarkana, Texas, or Arkansas. We have been in so many places I can’t remember. By the time you read it, I will be home, and I have really missed you all! Veanne has helped me keep my trip a secret by sending me information. Thank you so much, Veanne. And she is recovering from wrist surgery. Lisa has had to be in Bend for Curt’s doctor appointments. Please continue to pray for heal- ing. This has created a kitchen opening for Linda Stoltz, who is very capable. She helps so much around here. On May 21, Ron Dowse and Merry Henry were greet- ers, and the First Christian Church group, Dusty Harris, Jan Ellison and Ron and Ro- berta Dowse, served our tables while our Step Forward crew led by David Gill and Rodney delivered all 30 meals in Can- yon City, John Day and Mt. Vernon. We served 24 in the center. Jan Ellison opened the time by leading the flag sa- lute. Balbina Escudero won the Len’s Drug gift card, and Maria Strawn won the free meal. Ron Dowse gave the blessing, and the menu included pasta prima- vera, bread sticks, green salad, cinnamon apples and cinnamon rolls. Did you know that cinna- mon is very good for those who have diabetes? Last Thursday, I failed to acknowledge our entrée sponsors, Dennis and Linda Dickinson — thank you so much. We are happy to wel- come Buzz’s son, Thomas Har- ris, back home in Prairie City. On May 24, Olivia Cornell and Bonnie Kocis had desk duty. Bonnie and Jean Willey also made candy cups for the tables. St Elizabeth Catholic Church members, including Walt and Agnes Hall, Judy Nelson, Jimmy Maple and Da- vid Turner, served our special Memorial Day meal. Jimmy and David did meal deliveries to John Day and Canyon City, while David Gill and Rodney from Step Forward did the Mt. Vernon route. Total meals delivered were 33 regular and 40 frozen. Great job! Walt Hall gave the flag salute, Sha- ron Smith won the Chester’s Thriftway gift card and David Turner won the Valley View meal. Jimmy Maple gave the blessing, and we remembered to honor our vets. Darren and Karri Pettyjohn from Nydam’s Ace Hardware sponsored our entrée of barbecue chicken. We also enjoyed baked beans, cole- slaw, watermelon, fresh baked bread and Lisa’s special cup- cakes. Thursday, May 31, we’ll have pork stroganoff. Reminders: June 9, the Peo- ple Mover will be running for the open house at the Cant Ranch with 18 spots available. Also on June 9, Kam Wah Chung is celebrating a 140-year anniver- sary. Call Kam Wah Chung for details. The health fair is June 15 from 6 a.m. to noon. Signups begin June 11 at Blue Mountain Hospital with some scholarships available. Don’t forget tai chi Mondays after lunch here at the center, and bingo after lunch on Thursdays. Titus 2:11-12 “For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungod- liness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, up- right and godly lives in this present age.” Monument Seniors Soo Yukawa I almost didn’t make it to Tuesday’s lunch. I was at the dentist, but luckily, I got done in time. Whew! I was hungry, and I was glad to be at the se- nior center. Now that I go ev- ery Tuesday, rain or shine, if I miss it, it would seem very odd. Yes, very odd indeed. Our cooks Carrie Jewell and her daughter-in-law Teaw- na Jewell made us some tasty fried rice with chicken and steamed veggies. We also had macaroni salad, pear slices and peanut butter cookies for dessert. Thank you, ladies, for your well-done work. Our greeters were Jimmy Cole and Linda Blakeslee. Lonnie Lawrence led us in the flag salute and made the announcements. Yours truly prayed the blessing over our meal. Jimmy and Linda col- lected and counted the money. We had 41 guests on the books and six takeouts. Our special winners for free meal tickets were Betty Rich- ards and Bob Cockerell. Oliv- ia Hoodenpyl was the winner of the Len’s Drug gift card. A warm thanks to everyone who supports the Monument Senior Center. Betty Breeding had a bunch of her siblings visiting to help celebrate her birthday. Hope she had a wonderful time with her family on her special day. We had some thank you cards to be signed that were being passed around to thank the people for their part and support in the assistance of the Monument Senior Center re- ceiving a most generous dona- tion from the Joyce Miller Ow- ens Charitable Foundation. We cannot thank them enough for all their help and financial aid. We also want to thank George Ray, one of the trustees for the board and, of course, Bruce Hansen for their part. Well, I finally got to pick and try some of that lamb’s quarters that I had been dream- ing about for two years! Yes, I got to harvest some in one of my raised beds and made my Korean dish with it. It was delish and was a hit. I had some friends come over for dinner, and they liked it too. In fact, they ate it all up. We didn’t get sick or die, so I think we’re good. Ha. Remember my romaine lettuce seeds that I scattered around my raspberry canes? They have sprouted, and I got to pick some of that for my salad. I picked them at the same time as thinning them out. I like that they are grow- ing rather than some pesky weed. All this wonderful rain that we’ve been having has been a blessing from the Lord. My strawberry plants have enor- mous leaves, blooming tons of flowers, and I see lots of little strawberry formations. I’ve got crazy raspberry canes growing all over, and my blueberry plants look like they are going to gift us with some yummy blueberries. My new asparagus and rhubarb transplants are getting nicely established too. In a couple of years, I bet I will have rasp- berries, blueberries, strawber- ries, asparagus and rhubarb coming out of my ears. Yay, I can’t wait! Proverbs 12:23 “A pru- dent man concealeth knowl- edge: But the heart of fools proclaimeth follishness.” Prairie City Seniors Rose Coombs Food for thought: People may doubt what you say, but they will always believe what you do. Is that where “actions speak louder than words” came from? Anyhow, 70 of you put feet to your thoughts and had your name inscribed on the reg- istration form. Good work. And if you came early enough, you would have had an opportunity to play pinochle and hear Tom Harris play the ol’ piano. Harold and Lonnie led the flag salute, and Jack asked the blessing. The winner of the $5 gift card donated by the Out- post was Ken Koser. We had 25 home deliveries by Larry, Ken, Carlos and Scott. Veanne announced about the newly acquired money for the energy assistance. Good deal. Get your papers together and call her. Ginger announced the Me- morial Day salute at the flag- pole in the Prairie City Cem- etery at 11 a.m. This is a most moving tribute. Hope you got to go. So why did everyone come to eat? Taco salad, that’s why. To accompany it was refried beans and fruit. And would you believe an apple enchila- da with ice cream for dessert? Told Marjean that was the best enchilada I ever ate. Lorna and Krystin brought Marilyn Randall, Bud Salis- bury and Gordon Sindt from the Blue Mountain Care Cen- ter. Neighbor Marnie Mediger brought Debbie Bryant from school. And it was good to see Chester Willis back after his long illness. So PBS has been doing a se- ries called the Great American Read, which got me to think- ing about books. In this era of videos, iPads, smartphones, etc., how do book publishers stay in business? Not that I’m complaining. Reading from the printed page is not as hard on the eyes, as are the electronic devices, I’m told. So all of that to say that there are all kinds of free libraries in Grant Coun- ty: the Grant County Library, the ones at each of the senior centers, the “little libraries” in various locations around the county, some of the churches. You can add to your personal library by attending yard sales, too. Just this year, I have read books about Les Schwab, Jack Benny, the making of the mov- ie “Titanic” and Jewish organi- zations that smuggled people out of Europe and into Pales- tine/Israel before, during and after Word War II. Every one of us has a story to tell. So make a record of some sort of yours. It will have value to someone in the future. Off of the soapbox now. For the first time in years, I got the garden planted before June 1. Just hope it doesn’t turn cold now — and the deer go somewhere else. Some of the flower seeds were two to four years old. We’ll see what happens. Have a good crop of bachelor buttons — there were a few hard ones growing along the fence that the lawn mower person missed. So when they developed their seeds I brought them over by the house and shook them out. Wow. No prob- lem with them germinating. John 12:24 “I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” Church Services In Grant County Come Worship with us at 54393
