The quote of the day for January 15 was by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is ‘What are you doing for others?’” I have been thinking about this question for parts of nine hours since I read it in our “Daily Chronicle” that Brenda Leon prints us each day. Some questions that came to my mind are: Who should I donate to? Who do I need to write thank you notes to? Who may be lonely needing an encouraging call or letter? Should I give some of my “stuff” (really, my treasures) away? Then I have more wonderment and thankfulness where I am in life.

Earlier in January, Terry and Areta Laird drove me to the Kit Carson School for the presentation of “Quilts of Valor” to veterans. Former Superintendent Gerald O’Keefe greeted us, and then other teachers and students as we went to the gym. Three seniors, Shay Rady, Ferando Fierro, and Mason Marriott, gave the biography of each veteran, then presented them with a beautiful quilt made by Rose Mary Rhoades of south Kit Carson. I went primarily to see my childhood friend, Lawrence Oswald, be awarded his “Quilt of Valor,” and to watch many children that I might know from the Vacation Bible Schools I have helped with. I want to tell you, it was wonderful! Besides former Navy man, Oswald, a Quilt of Valor was also awarded to Kit Carson High School graduate Clint Shade. Shade graduated from Kit Carson in the 1950s and is married to a former Kit Carson schoolmate. They live in Colorado Springs. Fernando Fierro, who is the fiancé of Andrea Oswald and worked at Fort Lyon for many years after his long Navy career, also received a Quilt of Valor. It was admirable that the whole school attended this patriotic assembly. What was so heartwarming was to see the little Kindergarten and first grader students stand in a half circle around the United States flag to lead the Pledge of Allegiance.

We enjoyed the January Hospital Auxiliary meeting at JJ’s Restaurant last Tuesday. While we waited for our lunch to come, we evaluated our Fall Bazaar, which was profitable enough for us to fund more activities and projects for Weisbrod. Our next project is playing Bingo with the residents and paying for special treats. I was able to tell the ladies thank you for buying the pretty, velvety Santa socks of goodies that our dear Brenda Leon had arranged for us to open around special table settings with refreshments Christmas Eve.

Eads, Cheyenne Wells, and Kit Carson VFW members enjoyed a soup supper and meeting January 13. This was at the Kit Carson Community Building.

Friday afternoon, January 16, was special for us at Weisbrod. In the afternoon, Brenda’s husband, Johnny, drove over from Tribune, Kansas, to sing for us. John sings mostly western artists’ songs for us that we really like. Marla G. Darnell arranged a gigantic tray of cheeses and crackers for us with a side bowl of Mozzarella spicy balls to choose from as we sipped non-alcoholic wine from pretty bottles cooled in a long silver metal tub. Connie Richardson explained the labels and content to us. We could sample different wines in small amounts if we wanted to. They were pleasant to me, compared to the Communion wine, in my experience, which is strong and tangy.

I was glad to learn more about wines because about 60 years ago, my mother and her brother, Paul Pollries, inherited something written in German from their Austrian relatives. None of our German speaking friends around here could read and understand the document. So, I took it to the German professor that I had met at Otero Junior College. He told us that they had inherited the family property, and they could not sell it to bring the money to America. My sister traveled to Vienna, Austria, years later with her former pastor with a tour group that he guided. His wife, who spoke German, arranged to call our relative that we corresponded with. Her son took my sister to their home some miles away to visit. It was an estate surrounded by a stone wall. It has a winery, as I had suspected, that was actually large. They bottled wine in plastic tanks and wooden barrels. Her traveling companions teased her that they had to carry home her wooden boxes of wine, and she didn’t even drink wine! Well, we had a nice Christmas dinner that year in her home with new Champaign glasses of red wine. One of her granddaughters was able, in her college years, to travel to Austria and to visit the family relatives at their home winery in Gols.

That same day, we were so glad that we could watch the makeup basketball game between Eads and McClave on streaming TV. Unfortunately, our boys and girls lost, but they did play well.

Gail Voss has heard the good news that George Ellicott, who has been in a Nebraska hospital very sick, is feeling much better and may be moving to an apartment in North Platte with Dorothy where their granddaughter, Summer, lives.

The local leadership of the Crow-Luther Cultural Events Center and Plains Theatre offered a free movie. It was “Narnia.” It was such a sunny day outside, but so cold, which may have caused lower attendance.

By reading the newspaper reports, it looks as if there needs to be some major possible reconstruction projects in the future for the schools in Eads.

After several sunny days, we were surprised to wake up Monday morning to a lovely gentle snow around our little town.

Let’s love where we live.