“ENCOURAGE one another and build each other up.”

Thessalonians 5:11 

One of the best services of our county is the use of the county van to go to doctor’s appointments in the cities. Last week I so appreciated this service for a driver to take me in all that traffic, and my helper-friend, Robin Musgrave. One can call Andrea Morgan at the Kiowa County Health Office to see if an appointment and driver can be arranged if one qualifies. Donations or Medicaid should help pay the travel fee. Our driver was Teri Salisbury, who also drives the west end school bus most days. We were glad that Mark Imel could be her substitute that day, especially after the appointment that usually takes one hour turned out to be three and a half or more hours. Oh, we were hungry but happy.

We sports fans do heartily thank the local sponsors who paid for calling the state volleyball games and also the Kit Carson-Fleming six-man football game Saturday. I was so glad that when I went up to Shirley Nelson’s birthday party to hear that the Kit Carson game was being broadcast on the television while the residents played bingo. Thanks to Tonya Lane, several nurses, and caretakers, our elder friends were having a good time. 

Volunteers deliver “meals on wheels” two times each week to people who order them through the Sage Services Director, Areta Laird, out of the Eads Senior Citizens Center. Donations are given for the meal. A donation of $3.50 to $4 a meal is most helpful. It is certainly more reasonable than the $15.95, or the $7 or the $20 I paid for noon meals at cafes last week. The Sage meals are good.

The Weisbrod Community Thanksgiving Dinner is at noon November 24. That evening, the United Methodist Church family will host the Community Thanksgiving service at 6:30 p.m. led by the Ministerial Fellowship pastors.

The highlight for the last week for many veterans and their spouses or relatives was the annual Veteran’s Day banquet that was arranged by Eads American Legion officers President, Dan Richards; Secretary-Treasurer, Roland Sorensen; and Sergeant-at-Arms, Areta Blooding Laird, who were re-elected to serve another year. Mr. Richards particularly thanked Roland Sorensen for mailing out invitations and organizing the evening. Several years ago, the annual banquet began in the small dining room of JJ’s Restaurant, grew to the whole café, and is now served as a seated meal in the Kiowa County Community Building in Eads. Debbie Hall, Marina Lowe, and cook, Jennifer Schofield, were the servers this year to a large crowd of diners from Towner, Sheridan Lake, Chivington, Brandon, Eads, Haswell, and Arlington, as well as Kit Carson and Cheyenne Wells. The local VA representative, Pat Roper, invited speaker Jay Scott of La Junta, who shared helpful information about insurance, benefits, and legislation with the veterans. Our local providers from the Eads clinic, Dawn Back, PA-C, and Jessica Hyman, FNP, were also guests. This was so nice because I have heard many compliments how each of these women have been so capable and progressive in treating veterans for their medical needs in their Eads practices. Navy veteran Areta Laird arranged for two women from Two Buttes and Lamar to came to present Quilts of Valor to our three World War II veterans, Don McDaniel, Don McCoin, and Orville Mousel, all of Eads. The ladies wrapped each man in their Quilt of Valor as they gave a presentation to thank them from people of the USA for the freedoms that we still enjoy in 2019. As we ate, I enjoyed listening to Ron and Lori Healy of Towner and Joe and Lori Musgrave of Haswell as they talked about their good memories of their military tours in Germany when they lived Europe.

This is the week of the Hospital Auxiliary Bazaar! People have enjoyed shopping at these bazaars for 40 years. Much thanks goes to Linda Trosper for her excellent organization, and her assistant, Madonna Pollreis. So, dear readers, please take some time to come out to the Kiowa County Community Building in Eads Saturday, November 23, between 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. to shop and to buy tickets for drawings of wonderful prizes. Entry to the bazaar is free. Shoppers can buy lunch or treats from Prairie Queen 4-H Club members families. This is the Auxiliary’s only fundraiser, so we do appreciate when people buy tickets for the drawing. If you cannot come to shop, you may buy tickets early from Madonna Pollreis or Doris Lessenden - call me at 719-438-5665.

An additional note about the 4-H Banquet is that this year, members who won Grand Champion on their projects are given a Visa gift card of $50 or more depending on the donors instead of a trophy. The parents prepared delicious foods served buffet style. Administrative Assistant Krystal Eikenberg and County Extension Agent Tearle Lessenden did a good job of organizing their first 4-H banquet.

Singers practiced the cantata “Christmas Canticles,” directed by Pastor Janita Krayniak two times last week. The Cantata is very lovely and easy to sing. We hope more people will come to practices at 1:30 p.m. Sundays at the United Methodist Church to be performed December 8.

Let us all be thankful!