“Stop the world and let me off!” describes October for me. It went way too quickly. The first two weeks of the month were spent sewing a flower girl dress for a great-niece. It turned out beautifully and she wore it at my niece’s wedding. A wedding provides time with family and friends to visit. This one was held near my hometown, and it gave me the chance to see friends from my childhood. I had the opportunity to introduce a couple of my children and all of my grandchildren to my fifth-grade teacher. She told my offspring what a good student I was. What she didn’t tell them was that I was so shy I barely said a word unless I was asked a question. A few years back, when my dad was dying, I learned that dad had worked for Mrs. Svardahl and her husband on their farm before he and mom were married. Oktoberfest was celebrated early in the month. We were served a very tasty, open-faced Reuben sandwich as part of the meal. Yum, yum! Betsy, Maymie, Vi G. and Earl had perfect attendance in September. Vi won a free meal ticket in the drawing. Fifteen “55-Alive” participants joined us for dinner one day. Of course we can’t forget the invasion of the Asian beetles Oct. 4. They are nasty, stinky, and some of them even had the nerve to bite. After checking and plugging any openings we could find, we came to the conclusion that they had secret passages. I know we are to praise in every situation, but it took me awhile to come up with some good in this one. At least there weren’t as many beetles as there were grasshoppers, frogs, lice and flies during the plagues in Pharaoh’s and Moses’ time. Jerry vacuumed the beetles up several times every hour. I found clumps of them under the foyer. Mr. Kirby was fed quite well for several days. Upon finding a few napkins from several different occasions, a mix-mismatch day was scheduled. It was a time to dress crazily, decorate for several different holidays and use up odds-and-ends. Tables were set with some glass dishes, some styrofoam, some plastic, and some silverware. It was a fun time. Hubby and I decided to attend a costume party, so I thought the little man could go with us and be my little lamb. I kept the sewing machine humming and got the lamb costume done just in time. The evening came and we arrived to get Johnathan only to find that he refused to dress up for us. This was the boy who didn’t want to take the costume off after fittings. Oh well, he came with us and had a good time anyway. The annual apple pie day took place Oct. 22. My goal was to have more diners than last year. The goal of 45 was surpassed because diners invited friends, and one even made calls to seniors in the area. There was a total of 50 diners at apple pie day – wow! The cafeteria was decorated with an apple theme for the celebration. Instead of door prizes, each diner received an apple. Apple turnovers and apple fritters were served with apple cider and coffee before the meal. We were fortunate to have some wonderful entertainment after eating. Musicians Greta Leen and Betty Lou Hoeft did a fantastic job. I heard diners giving them many compliments. As I looked at all the faces that day, I pondered why we had such a good turnout. What was the drawing card: the apple pie, or the music? I would appreciate any feedback from those who attended have. A reminder: Meal registration is normally due the day before you plan to attend. The exception is for holidays and apple pie day. The cook needs an idea of how many plan to attend a week in advance for special events. For our Thanksgiving meal, the turkeys need to be ordered as they are roasted in advance. If you plan on attending the Thanksgiving meal Nov. 20, please call and reserve your spot by Nov. 13. There are possibilities of cancellations, so you may try to get in later if you miss the deadline. Our local newspaper editor Jean brought her mother-in-law to apple pie day. Nunu is visiting from the Republic of Georgia. She is a neat lady with a ready smile. Communication is challenging as we don’t know her language and she doesn’t know ours. She will continue to join us on occasion. Nunu is studying English and brought pictures of her country to share. Through Jean, she expressed her thanks that we were interested in her country. On Halloween we heard little voices, and turned to see who was there. A small group of trick-or-treaters were coming through the door. The trick was on the diners, as the children brought treats for them. It was such a thoughtful gesture. Thank you to Karla Davis and her daycare children for the surprise. Since the joke this month is about sheep, and I made a lamb costume for Halloween, I’ll tell you that lambs are my favorite animals. For a few years while growing up on the farm, I was the “shepherd.” I was assigned the sheep chores. My favorite sheep was Pollyanna, a black lamb who produced enough wool to fill a quilt I still have. I’ll leave you with this joke. I called the local newspaper’s classified section to complain about an ad I had placed. It was obvious the person who took my information had never spent time on a farm. “I said ‘ewes,’” I argued. “Pardon?” replied the operator. “Ewes. It makes a difference to some people.” The ad that was placed read, “Sheep for sale – USED. Call 555-5555.” ‘Til next time,
