“God is able to bless you abundantly.” II Corinthians 9:8

Mike and Deb Lening have been celebrating their 50^th wedding anniversary this month. They have been a blessing to so many people, for example their three children, their church, the Plainview School, Mike in the banking world, Deb in the County Clerk’s office, the boards they have served on and, most of all, their kind and gracious manner. Many of us have such good memories of Deb when she was the beautiful Mistress of Ceremonies with Eldon Reinert at past Cactus Players’ Jamborees in the Plains Theatre productions.

Ken and Diana Flory took a little vacation trip last week, their first since they moved back to Eads from Florida three years ago. They went to Vernal, Utah, first to visit her sister, Angela, and her husband, Jack Barnes. Then they visited some beautiful sites in Utah. The Florys were celebrating their 30^th wedding anniversary. Diana said that it was also her brother, Scott’s, 30^th wedding anniversary with his wife, Shelley Watts. Scott and Shelley live in Greeley and are near their mother, Dora Pearcey.

This month is my eldest niece’s 36^th wedding anniversary and it is my second eldest niece’s 34th wedding anniversary. This is a good month for new beginnings - like the first days of schools, first days of college, and first days of a job. And aren’t we blessed to be living in this part of America where we can enjoy bit of the old west, freedoms, peace at this time, and comparative abundance even though we are in a severe drought area of the nation? 

The Eads senior citizens enjoyed a delicious noon dinner last Thursday. President Loretta Seibel greeted the diners. Since Terry and Areta Laird and Tim and Sylvia Weeks were celebrating their anniversaries this month, they had the honor to be first in line for the tasty chicken fried steaks that Gail Voss had prepared. Madonna Pollreis read the minutes and LaVerle Kelley gave the Treasurer’s report. Vice President Alice Glover helped with the serving, and guest Tina Adamson from the Commissioners’ office gave us an update on the new senior center and then led those who wanted to see the new center across the street on a tour. It is a lovely restoration with a new kitchen, bathrooms, and lovely flooring. We are eager to fill it up with round tables and chairs, plenty of people to fellowship, and enjoy meals and good times.

That evening, the Westender people gathered at their senior citizen center in the former school for their evening meal of fried chicken prepared by their director, Wanda Lessenden, and all the good pot luck foods. My sister, Virgyln Griswould of Manhattan, Kansas, enjoyed riding over with our brother, Dwight Lessenden. Gloria Peck went to Haswell also. They were glad to see Cleta Englehardt there since she has to depend on her children, Scottie and Cindy, to drive her here and there since her shoulder surgery.

Jennifer Crow is one of the most loved storekeepers in our town. Often when one is shopping in Crow’s Stop and Shop, you can see or hear little ones burst through the door to greet or hug the lovely Jennifer as she greets them and us. Crow’s has so many good and unusual food items to buy. It is a pleasure to shop there, plus they are so helpful to find items for shoppers.

Morgyn Johnson said her favorite part of the county fair was when her father, Mike Johnson, was honored by the Fair Board, who had planned to give him a belt buckle before his death. That buckle was given to his wife, Martha, and the board gave his three daughters a memory buckle. Thank you, Board, that was kind. Mike was a hard-working leader when he was on the fair board.

County Extension Agent Tearle Lessenden and his assistant, Krystal Eikenberg, set up the 4-H project display attractively in the community building during the fair. Kiowa County members won a number of awards in the top ten placements of the projects at the Colorado State Fair. One of the most wonderful displays was the county 4-H quilt made in the 1975-1985 era. It had been won in a drawing by Honeybelle Dixon and brought in by Fran Lea (Weber) Larrew. People like Gloria Peck missed working with the quilts, which she has been involved in some way every fair for 61 years except for the year that Kip was born during the fair.

When I went in to see the displays, rodeo queen Kiya Leonard’s grandmother was cleaning up after the queen’s luncheon. This is a nice affair that the Rodeo Royalty Court’s families traditionally host for the visiting Royalty courts from other counties who ride in the fair parade.

My great nephew, Blake Stoker, wrote a letter from Fort Benning, Georgia, that blessed my heart. His mother said that he loves letters and doesn’t mind doing push-ups to get them. One day last week, he had to do 20 push-ups to get each of his nine letters that day. He is loved.