“I have said these things to you so you that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” John 15:11 (NRSVCE)

That verse above was on a card from my sister with the thought: “Find joy in every day.” And I do find joy. I have a lot to be joyful about in my life.

Friends at Praise Community Church hosted a farewell potluck dinner for Steve and Marilyn Baxter last Sunday. Since they sold their beautiful new home they recently built out in Kiowa Creek Estates, I understand they plan to move to another state. My, we will miss this wonderful couple who gave so much of their lives to this community, county, and state through their jobs and children. We will sincerely miss them, and do thank them for their part in our community, state, and nation.

Bud Bennett, the “flag man” as some locals called him, lived three doors south of the Crow-Luther Theatre on Maine Street in Eads. Before his death, he or his friends would often set out two to six of his 2000-some flag collection in front of his home which, in my earlier life, was known as Dick and Ida Weber’s Café and Bar. This building is owned by his wife, Dixie, who lives in the Springfield Care Center.

A lot of Joy was experienced in the Crow-Luther Cultural Events Center last week, July 11-12, when the children and a few teenagers performed “The Emperor’s New Clothes” on stage. The young actors and actresses were Charleigh Lowe, Garren Wollert, Dekota Lowe, Brazen Wollert, Itzi Ramirez, Autumn Lowe, Gracie Lynch, Miranda Keplar, Devrah Muth, Jacob Jake, Nathan Smith, Charlie Prince, Sadie Muth, Prestyn Keplar, Eyden Kaufman, Lydia Keplar, Addie Smith, and Emma Greene. The lovely director was Merena Lowe and her co-director was Calin Hoffman. Off stage, adults that I saw guiding the acting group were Deborah Gooden, Lisa Walsh, Teri Jobe, Tim Jobe, and Briana Prentice. Fred and Debi Derby made and painted a wonderful set for a king’s castle and garden.

We were so pleased to greet Reece Barnett before and after she returned from a week’s trip by air to Las Angeles, California, with her parents, Kyle and Whitney, and her three siblings, Luke, Will, and Dylan Rose. Reese had the honor to compete from Colorado in the International Teen Golf Tournament!

Shannon Barlow Ellenberger shared photos of an outing of about 13 rafts peacefully floating down the Arkansas River. That reminded me of a time years ago when I had taken care of Johnny Holcomb’s daughter while her parents rafted down the Rio Grande above Alamosa. Johnny said “now it’s your turn Miss Less.” I said “Johnny, I can’t walk down to the river.” Then he swooped me up and carried me down to the river. That floating slowly in the rubber raft was one of the most outstanding memories of my life.

One of Vera (Fell) Hammons’ recent joys was “loving” on a horse, Ice, that she had trained for her daughter, Talara Coen, who had just ridden and won in the Cheyenne County Fair barrel race. Talara stopped by Eads to visit her mother, Vera.

Gail Voss and several ladies from the Eads Senior Citizen Center and the Eads Community Church hosted a nice lunch following Allen Watt’s funeral last Friday. Thank you to the men and women who brought more tables and chairs and food for this gathering.

Brenda Leon, Linda Hopkins, and Bailey Sierra from the Activities Department of Weisbrod arranged for the residents and other employees to push residents to the Eads Senior Citizen Center to eat a fried chicken dinner Wednesday. It was a happy outing. Then they came home and played bingo, which is great way for the residents to win money or a choice of gift prizes.

Guest speakers at the Eads senior citizens lunch were Betsy Barnett, Janet Fredrick, Kelly Courkamp, and Carole Spady of the Kiowa County Historical Committee. These ladies, and several other people on the committee, are seeking information on any homesteads in the county and the names of people who lived there. They are documenting these and photographing buildings or windmills or areas so this might help in attaining grants. I observed great interest in those telling the committee names of people who lived on certain sections of land. Contact Betsy as soon as possible to check the map, or call someone on the committee.

One of the joys of being a former teacher or counselor is hearing from your former students. That joy came to me when Ted Abrams e-mailed Kiowa County Press Editor, Jeannie Sorensen, seeking my address and welfare. When I returned his call, we had such a good visit. I was proud of him before, but after “catching up” on the 1967 grad, I am even prouder of him and his wife, Barbara Fischer, their well-educated children, inventions and many accomplishments in several states of the USA. He was one of my star science fair students, along with Mike Shotton, Gary Shotton, and Chuck Bowen

Last weekend, Marlanda McKay Phillips of Stanford, Nebraska, drove down to spend most of the day with me. She was in the class of 1983, so we had a good time remembering classmates and our “artsy” memories. Her home was in Chivington.

Don Brown (class of 1957) and Alfreda, now living in Caldwell, Idaho, were here recently visiting family and friends.

Dear Readers, I hope you will spread joy.