“A happy heart makes a cheerful face.” Proverbs 15:13

Many good things happened around Haswell last week besides a nice rain and a little hail on Friday. Saturday was the annual Harvest Bazaar in the Community Building. Mayor Michelle Nelson organized the happening. Wanda Lessenden, the main chef, along with helpers served bowls of chili, potato soup, and chili dogs and nachos as well as desserts, beverages and other goodies on the stage space. On the gym floor, there were about 20 vendors with all sorts of wonderful things to buy and peruse. Some of the goods one could buy were art pieces, jewelry, and handmade soaps, candies, and house decorator pieces, bird houses, Raleigh products, clothing, knife ware, Tupperware and more. Alizabeth Hulteen went over with us. She has been painting darling faces of a variety of animals on wood pieces and barn wood. That was a hit.

In Haswell Wednesday, they had a Senior Citizen meeting. It is also the day their traveling beautician comes, to their beauty parlor. Then later five employees of the ESRTA (Eastern Slope Rural Telephone Association) in Hugo, were there to answer questions about the presentation on “Cyber Crime.” Some of the topics addressed were on: antivirus software, password safety, social media, phishing, scams, ransomware, and false debt collectors. Pat White, the CEO of ESRTA, plans to schedule a similar program in Eads. It is worthwhile for those people who use a computer, tablet, smart phone, and such media devices to attend these presentations. The Haswell Senior Citizen Director, Wanda Lessenden, served a variety of cookies with coffee and tea.

Families and friends of Carolyn Jo Howard DeBusk gathered at the Eads United Methodist Church Friday for the celebration of life for this vibrant, cheerful, lovely, woman whom many people loved and enjoyed so much through the years. The organist and pianist, Betty Crow and Charlotte Woelk, respectively, played such beautiful music. The Blooding sisters, Mary Eikner and Sylvia Weeks, sang melodious duets. Our community is so blessed to have such accomplished musicians. Pastors Mike Williams, formerly of Cheyenne Wells, and Pastor Mark Imel of the Eads Christian Church led the worship service. Carolyn raised seven children including Dawna (John) Weirich of Eads and Jack (Konda) Howard of Eads. Dawna spoke a moving eulogy of her mother. The family moved their mother back home from Montana because she “wanted to spend her final years on earth in Colorado.” “Carolyn was able to live one week here before the Lord took her to her permanent home.”

Congratulations to Carrie Roberson, who was married to Greg Neal Saturday afternoon at the American Legion Hall. Carrie is the daughter of Chad and Shawn Roberson of Eads. The young couple is making their home at the end of Maine Street and Lowell.

The Chamber of Commerce met and heard the good news that the Treasurer Marilyn Baxter was pleased that the bills were paid from the Fair Breakfast expenses. People had donated more money than usual, so this was helpful. The Chamber will be working on Small Business Saturday and the Christmas Drawings, but the best news was related by Jan Richards of the KCEDF who told about the large lake to the west of Highway 287 will now be a permanent pool of water year around. This will no doubt increase the tourists who come to southeastern Colorado.

I had a phone call a week ago from a young bicyclist who said my friend, Henry Ashida, said maybe she could take a shower at my home. When I opened the door to her, she was pretty 18-year-old girl, Bella Cimeno, from Blue Hills, Maine. She had started her adventure late in the summer from Astoria, Oregon, and was headed for Washington D.C. My initial reaction was: “Does your Mother know that you are out?” Later I learned that her mother was hiking in Europe. (smiling) Last year, my last houseguest was 17 years old and hadn’t finished her senior year yet.

The Prairie Pines residents are welcoming three new residents. Tuesday after Bible Study, I was invited to eat lunch with the residents. It was marvelous! Christina Wolf cooks wonderfully and it looks so pretty and is so tasty!

Margaret Frazee told us at the Weisbrod Extended Care Unit coffee hour that Mr. and Mrs. Lane Gooden led the Chapel last Sunday. She said, “If you didn’t know that he had been a teacher, you would think he had been a preacher for years.” Lane and Debbie are a good team from the Praise Church. The residents like the songs she leads and stories she tells.

Wednesday evening the CLCEC Board met in the Plains Theatre. Kim Richards presented the Treasurer’s Report that the bills are paid. She said the fair dance admission was more than usual and the Maine Scoop Ice Cream shop is doing well. The group heard a presentation from another group that helps facilitate finding grants which is what we need to find so we can finish the interiors of our two properties next door.

The senior brunch was a good time Thursday, but most gratifying of all was that Commissioner Cindy McLoud gave us an update on the construction site of the three empty buildings on the east side of Maine. She discussed floor plans, quoted prices, statements from the construction crew and projected completion dates. It is so encouraging.

Mike Arth and I went out to help Alizabeth Hulteen finish painting the murals on the building near the arena Sunday. That was fun after a week of mostly fog and mist.

Remember that there are many activities next weekend with four games at the “Pink Out” at Kit Carson Friday, Dick Scott’s 80^th birthday party is Saturday afternoon has moved to the Towner Hall rather than in Eads a previously advertised. Sunday, besides worship services, at 2:15 p.m. the Alumni Committee will meet. At 6:00 p.m. there is a 4-H Banquet and a “Down East Boys” Concert at the Praise Church at the same hour! There is never a dull moment in a little town if one chooses to be a participant and enjoy other people.