“GIVE, and it will be given to you.” Luke 6: 38

There were a number of spectacular happenings around Kiowa County last week that made living here even more pleasurable. July 4 was the third year of a wonderful “Kids Parade” on Maine Street in Eads. It was delightful and entertaining to see the children in their patriotic colors and decorated bikes and vehicles. Thanks to the organizers.

That night at about 9:15 pm, the firemen set off fireworks at the fairgrounds. Local folks and travelers parked in every parking space along Highway 287, the two churches’ parking lots, Cindy’s Treasure Shoppe lot, the ball fields, and the fairgrounds to watch the beautiful show. Terry Riley, of the Eads Town Council, Kiowa County Fire Protection District, and Plains Theatre movie projection man, told me this is his 43^rd year to set off fireworks in Eads and Denver. We do appreciate him and all the first responders for their dedication to bring this entertainment to the people.

Bud and Dixie Bennett’s 40^th wedding anniversary was July 2. Robin Musgrave and I had the pleasure to take them out for lunch at J J’s Restaurant. Bud and Dixie are flying six American flags this week, but when you look at the design of the stars on the blue, they are in varying patterns from different eras in our nation’s history. Bud has 1,200 flags and he shares his patriotic and historical knowledge with whoever stops by their Maine Street residence to visit. Their friend, Bev Lyon, has set up a pretty red umbrella over the reddish plush chairs outside. Bev is such a caring person to be cleaning out the rooms of this historic home and former cafe and even to prepare their evening meals! I call her a “wonder woman with a huge heart!”

Cindy McLoud’s Treasure Shoppe opened last week on Highway 287 just south of the Home Town Gas and Grill. Oh, it is so spacious, and all the displays are attractively arranged on area rugs. The dishes, furniture, tools, pans, glassware, toys, and wall hangings are so lovely. Cindy gave her first customers pumpkin breads that she made and placed them in pretty gift bags that are stamped with her trademark, an antique key. Her mother, Joyce Berry, has a number of potted plants of different sizes for sale. Cynthia plans to sell various foods that she makes for her “cottage enterprise.”

Many families enjoyed the weekend at one or more of our several lakes in the county. That is a blessing for many people, and such good memories for children besides the fishing.

The next morning after Dave and Charla Wall and Chance Wall heard about the death of Dave’s niece, Terri Lou (Wall) Haught, in Tonto Basin, Arizona, they traveled there to be with her children, Arena and Denny Jo. I noticed in a photo that Denny Jo resembles his cousin, Chance, when he was a freshman at Eads High School. People around here are still shaking their heads in wonderment and disbelief followed by sorrow after this tragedy.

Parish members at the Eads United Methodist Church and Haswell Methodist Church had potluck dinners to honor their pastor, Janita Krayniak, who was been called to a Wyoming church. We have been blessed in Kiowa and Cheyenne Counties to have had Pastor Janita serve the churches here and in Cheyenne Wells and to share her beautiful singing voice.

Wheat harvest is underway in some parts of the county. Some wheat is so short it looks as if it is already cut in places. Please pray for rain, it is so dry here.

Areta Laird brought a huge thick black book to show me what was compiled by Albert Musgrave about the Musgrave family and the Black Lake community. He compiled the diary notes written by his grandmother, Mary Francis Shunk Musgrave that was written about life in the Black Lake community, which is west of and then south of Eads before the Galatea bend. Somehow Terry Laird’s sister, Melody, had acquired this book. We can see that Terry’s grandmother, Lois Sibcy, did teach fifth grade in the Black Lake School. Mrs. Sibcy was my teacher in the Eads fourth grade. The Laird’s are hoping that a family member may read this so that this book can remain in the family. In the meantime, I am enjoying reading names of people whose names I have heard of: Haynes, Blooding, Woods, Kasza, Womack, Wimp, James, Clark, Pyles, Oquist, Watts, Keil, and Miller. Her accounts are about what life was like in the early 1900’s in Kiowa County. Robin and I found six Musgrave graves of this family in the Eads Cemetery.

Dara Randel shared this quote from the Book of Serenity: “Nobody makes you angry. You decide to use anger as a response.” Readers, don’t we all need to remember that when someone annoys us?

It was a real pleasure to have my 11-year-old great niece, Eve Clark, visit last week and paint a picture that her grandfather, Dwight Lessenden, quickly drew on her canvas related to the book she was reading.

The Physical Therapy Lab is upstairs in Room 4 at Weisbrod Hospital, where Dr. Dennis Bartha and Joe Zinger can be found now.

Peace be with you.